obie_wan Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 The TSN Preview guide selected the top three LBs of all time for each franchise. They didn't do any other position. AFC Baltimore Ravens - 1.Ray Lewis, 2. Jamie Sharper, 3. Peter Boulware Buffalo Bills - 1. Cornelius Bennett, 2. Darryl Talley, 3. Mike Stratton Cincinnati Bengals - 1. Bill Bergey, 2. Jim LeClair, 3. Reggie Williams Cleveland Browns - 1. Clay Matthews, 2. Walt Michaels, 3. Jim Houston Denver Broncos - 1. Tom Jackson, 2. Randy Gradishar, 3. Karl Mecklenberg Houston Texans - 1. DeMeco Ryans, 2. Jamie Sharper, 3. Kailee Wong Indianapolis Colts - 1. Mike Curtis, 2. Ted Hendricks, 3. Don Shinnick Jacksonville Jaguars - 1. Kevin Hardy, 2. Mike Peterson, 3. Daryl Smith Kansas City Chiefs - 1. Willie Lanier, 2. Bobby Bell, 3. Derrick Thomas Miami Dolphins - 1. Zach Thomas, 2. Nick Buonicontti, Bryan Cox New England Patriots - 1. Andre Tippett, 2. Steve Nelson, 3. Ted Johnson New York Jets - 1. Mo Lewis, 2. Larry Grantham, 3. Greg Buttle Oakland Raiders - 1. Matt Millen, 2. Ted Hendricks, 3. Dan Conners Pittsburgh Steelers - 1. Jack Ham, 2. Jack Lambert, 3. Greg Lloyd San Diego Chargers - 1. Junior Seau, 2. Shawne Merriman, 3. Donnie Edwards Tennessee Titans - 1. George Webster, 2. Robert Brazille, 3. Keith Bulluck NFC Arizona Cardinals - 1. Dale Meinert, 2. Bill Koman, 3. Eric Hill Atlanta Falcons - 1. Tommy Nobis, 2. Jessie Tuggle, 3. Keith Brooking Carolina Panthers - 1. Sam Mills, 2. Kevin Greene, Mark Fields Chicago Bears - 1. Dick Butkus, 2. Mike Singletary, 3. Brian Urlacher Dallas Cowboys - 1. Lee Roy Jordan, 2. Chuck Howley, 3. DeMarcus Ware Detroit Lions - 1. Joe Schmidt, 2. Wayne Walker, 3. Chris Spielman Green Bay Packers - 1. Ray Nitschke, 2. Dave Robinson, 3. Fred Carr Minnesota Vikings - 1. Scott Studwell, 2. Matt Blair, 3. Jeff Sielman New Orleans Saints - 1. Rickey Jackson, 2. Sam Mills, 3. Vaughan Johnson New York Giants - 1. Lawrence Taylor, 2. Sam Huff, 3. Harry Carson Philadelphia Eagles - 1. Chuck Bednarik, 2. Bill Bergey, 3. Seth Joyner St. Louis Rams - 1. Les Richter, 2. Isiah Reynolds, 3. Jack Reynolds San Francisco 49ers - 1. Dave Wilcox, 2. Ken Norton Jr., 3. Patrick Willis Seattle Seahawks - 1. Lofa Tatupu, 2. Julian Peterson, 3. Chad Brown Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 1. Derrick Brooks, 2. Richard "Batman" Wood, 3. Hardy Nickerson Washington Redskins - 1. Chris Hamburger, 2. Sam Huff, 3. LaVar Arrington Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Doesn't say much that Willis, Ware (combined 3 years) and Arrington are on these lists. Also, given Atlanta and Indy's selections, they might as well have added Biscuit to both as well as the Bills. I considered him a lock for the HOF when he was here, though he disappeared with a bad Indy team, but helped the Falcons reach the Super Bowl. I still hear some talk about him for the Hall, but I think it will be a lot harder now.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olivier in france Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 During his Cincinnati years Takeo was the best LB in the league. He should be in the Bengals list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloWings Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 What....no Shane Conlan? Seriously, this isn't a bad list, but it just feels like they put together the best of the past 20 years and added a few "older" names. It seems like some names are missing, but I can't put my finger on who. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 it just feels like they put together the best of the past 20 years and added a few "older" names. That's usually how these lists work. It's never the "Best of All-Time." It is the "Best since I started watching football, but I need to look like I actually considered names prior to me starting to watch football, so I tossed in a couple of older players." If you have a younger person writing the article, the 20 years becomes 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 St. Louis Rams - 1. Les Richter, 2. Isiah Robertson, 3. Jack ReynoldsWashington Redskins - 1. Chris Hanburger, 2. Sam Huff, 3. LaVar Arrington Typos fixed. And Conlan was extremely overrated IMO, don't think he'd make my top 10 Bills LBs. He wasn't even the best Shane, Nelson was far better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 That's usually how these lists work. It's never the "Best of All-Time." It is the "Best since I started watching football, but I need to look like I actually considered names prior to me starting to watch football, so I tossed in a couple of older players." If you have a younger person writing the article, the 20 years becomes 10. True, but they do seem to have gotten a few of these correct. Putting City Champ (Jackson) ahead of Field Mouse (Mills) for 'Nawlins sounds like blasphemy to some, especially after Mills' death not so long ago, but I really feel that it's the right call. Putting Curtis as the Colts' top 'backer is a good call too. The guy deserves to be in Canton. Then again, they did put Millen ahead of the Stork for the Raiders... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Typos fixed. And Conlan was extremely overrated IMO, don't think he'd make my top 10 Bills LBs. He wasn't even the best Shane, Nelson was far better. I don't know about that...admittedly, Conlans' greatness was cut short by too many injuries, and then, free agency, but you really wouldn't put him in your top 10 Bills lb's of all time? You could say the same about Nelson and Sam Cowart, as far as injuries go. I guess I would have to think about that a little longer, but on the surface, I think your nuts! I am not old enough to remember the guys from the great teams of the 1960's, but....I guess I will have to come up with my own list when have the time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartshan-83 Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Kansas City Chiefs - 1. Willie Lanier, 2. Bobby Bell, 3. Derrick Thomas I guess I'm not old enough, but damn...Willie Lanier and Bobby Bell must have been super human. Not too bad for your team when one of the most dominant pass rushers of all time is ranked 3rd. If only tragedy hadn't struck him. I wonder how many sacks he would have ended up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olivier in france Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I'm surprised that in the rich history of the Redskins they have not found a better third LB than Lavar Arrington! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I guess I'm not old enough, but damn...Willie Lanier and Bobby Bell must have been super human. Not too bad for your team when one of the most dominant pass rushers of all time is ranked 3rd. If only tragedy hadn't struck him. I wonder how many sacks he would have ended up with. Actually, Bart, that list in regard to the Chiefs is very accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDH Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 During his Cincinnati years Takeo was the best LB in the league. He should be in the Bengals list. Takeo was good in Cinci (nowhere near the best in the league, however) but he was actually better in Buffalo - at least for the few productive years he had pre-injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Takeo was good in Cinci (nowhere near the best in the league, however) but he was actually better in Buffalo - at least for the few productive years he had pre-injury. Sure he was. He was certainly better than: Derrick Brooks Kevin Greene Ray Lewis Junior Seau Derrick Thomas (RIP) Zach Thomas All of those guys were in the league from 98-02, the years TKO was in Cincinnati. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I'd agree with Buffalo's top three, with Conlan a strong fourth. Overrated? Tell that to the running backs who didn't want any part of that battering-ram helmet by the fourth quarter. From Steve Tasker's book: "There was one time against the Jets that he pancaked Roger Vick so hard we thought he was dead. Kent Hull said after the game, 'I was looking for a priest to give the guy his last rites.' " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 PGH's Jack Lambert - media darling, playing between Jack Ham and Andy Russell, Donnie Shell and Mel Blount behind him, and the Iron Curtain in front of him. I saw him as a cheap-shot artist who couldn't cover a pass to save the rest of his front teeth. Now ducking from the PGH faithful... IIRC, he got cashiered out with turf toe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Sure he was. He was certainly better than: Derrick Brooks Kevin Greene Ray Lewis Junior Seau Derrick Thomas (RIP) Zach Thomas All of those guys were in the league from 98-02, the years TKO was in Cincinnati. You forgot the sarcasm smiley...right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I don't know about that...admittedly, Conlans' greatness was cut short by too many injuries, and then, free agency, but you really wouldn't put him in your top 10 Bills lb's of all time? You could say the same about Nelson and Sam Cowart, as far as injuries go. I guess I would have to think about that a little longer, but on the surface, I think your nuts! I am not old enough to remember the guys from the great teams of the 1960's, but....I guess I will have to come up with my own list when have the time...I think the top 3 on this list is about right...I would then add (not in any particular order) TKO Fletcher Cowart Spielman Paup Haslett Nelson (Shane, not Bob) before I would list Conlan. He'd be just on the outside of my top 10 with Lucious Sanford & Isiah Robertson... I used to also like Paul Guidry too when I was a kid. As for Conlan's 'greatness', the only time I ever saw that was when he was playing for Jopa. Outstanding college player, decent (not great) pro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 PGH's Jack Lambert - media darling, playing between Jack Ham and Andy Russell, Donnie Shell and Mel Blount behind him, and the Iron Curtain in front of him. I saw him as a cheap-shot artist who couldn't cover a pass to save the rest of his front teeth. Now ducking from the PGH faithful... IIRC, he got cashiered out with turf toe. Couldn't cover the pass? The guy has 28 career INTs, which would tie him w/ Charlie Romes for 4th in Bills history. He had awesome range and was a textbook drop back LB in pass coverage, much like Ted Hendricks was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDH Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I think the top 3 on this list is about right...I would then add (not in any particular order) TKO Fletcher Cowart Spielman Paup Haslett Nelson (Shane, not Bob) before I would list Conlan. He'd be just on the outside of my top 10 with Lucious Sanford & Isiah Robertson... I used to also like Paul Guidry too when I was a kid. As for Conlan's 'greatness', the only time I ever saw that was when he was playing for Jopa. Outstanding college player, decent (not great) pro. People forget how good Cowart was pre-injury. The guy was begining to dominate like Ray Lewis and imo would have been mentioned in the same breath had he not got hurt. Of course, I'm not sure he played enough games to warrent being on any all time "best" lists. His best was better than Conlan's best - WAY better - but he didn't sustain that level for long enough. The others you list - namely Paup, Speilman and TKO didn't really have a long enough tenure with the Bills to be considered "better." Again, their best was better than Conlan's best but Conlan was with the Bills for 6-7 years while Speilman and Paup were only around for what, 2 each? TKO was around longer than that but he only had 2 great years before his injury. I can't say I saw Haslett or Nelson play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Lambert & Greene set the tone for those D's. The other players were very good to very great, but I think those 2 deserve the most credit. As great as Jack Ham was, I would have to put Lambert as the Steelers #1 LB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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