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NFL Top 100 Defensive Linemen and LBs

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  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #1

    This week, the NFL will  reveal those Defensive Linemen and the Linebackers that will make their All Time Top 100 players in  NFL History.

    What I don't know, because I could not find it in the NFL.com website, is how many of each of these   they are going to put on the team. 

    But, I say that they have to have  at least 10 of each.....and I think it would be very, very tough to limit it to that few. 

    So, in subsequent posts on here, I will list whom I think should go on the list:  10 DL,  10 LBs.

    Do your own if you wish.  

  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #2

    Here is my guess on the DL :

    Reggie White

    Deacon Jones

    Bob Lilley

    Alan Page

    Merlin Olsen

    Mean Joe Greene

    Howie Long

    Gino Marchetti

    Bruce Smith

    Michael Strahan

    (possible alternate:  Warren Sapp)

    A couple that I have in the back of my mind that are active, who could be alternates:   Aaron Donald,   JJ Watt

    Am I missing anyone?    If you would replace one of mine....say who you would drop off.

  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #3

    Linebackers:

    Lawrence Taylor

    Ray Lewis

    Chuck Bednarik

    Dick Butkus

    Derrick Thomas

    Junior Seau

    Ray Nitschke

    Jack Lambert

    Bill George

    Derrick Brooks

    Top alternates:   Sam Huff,  Mike Singletary

    Who, if anyone, would you put on, again knowing that you have to take one of these off.  

  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #4

    One factor about my above choices for both DL and  LB.....except for  2-3 exceptions, all my choices were from the post-merger era. (1970)  But we saw that the selectors in the last round...the RBs,   went almost half and half pre and post merger.    I think these positions were harder to do....(with as I say exceptions like Bednarik,  Bill George, Marchetti)

  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #5

    I have learned now what the breakdown will be on the numbers of each position that will be selected for the All Time 100 team:

    Running backs:   12

    Quarterbacks:   10

    Wide Receivers:  10

    Tight Ends:  5

     Offensive Tackles:  7

    Offensive Guards:  7

    Centers:   4

    Defensive Ends:    7

    Defensive Tackles:   7

    Middle/Inside Linebackers:   6

    Outside Linebackers:   7 

    Cornerbacks:   7

    Safeties:   6

    Kickers:   2

    Punters:   2

    Returners:  2

  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #6

    With this Change in the numbers,   here is my prediction for those who will be on the team along the DL;

    Defensive Ends:  (7)  Deacon Jones, Howie Long, Bruce Smith, Michael Strahan,  Gino Marchetti....and  now add:   Len Ford**  and Leroy Selmon

    Defensive tackles (7):   Bob Lilley,  Mean Joe Greene, Merlin Olsen, Alan Page, Reggie White.....plus add:  Warren Sapp and Art Donovan

    The GipperT 1 Reply
  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #7

    And with this change,  here are the predictions for the LB position:

    Middle LBs:  Ray Lewis, Chuck Bednarik, Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke,   Junior Seau,   Jack Lambert

    OLBs:   Lawrence Taylor, Derrick Thomas, Derrick Brooks,  Ted Hendricks, Bobby Bell,  Chris Doleman

    The GipperT 1 Reply
  • RichiswhereR Richiswhere wrote on
    #8

    You will see Jack Ham in the OLB and Randy White in the DT

    "You see the Rams are still thinking that they are playing Tony Dorsett" -Jim Brown 1978
    The GipperT 2 Replies
  • RichiswhereR Richiswhere

    You will see Jack Ham in the OLB and Randy White in the DT

    The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #9

    @richiswhere said:

    You will see Jack Ham in the OLB and Randy White in the DT

    Could very well be.  So...who do you take out?

  • The GipperT The Gipper

    With this Change in the numbers,   here is my prediction for those who will be on the team along the DL;

    Defensive Ends:  (7)  Deacon Jones, Howie Long, Bruce Smith, Michael Strahan,  Gino Marchetti....and  now add:   Len Ford**  and Leroy Selmon

    Defensive tackles (7):   Bob Lilley,  Mean Joe Greene, Merlin Olsen, Alan Page, Reggie White.....plus add:  Warren Sapp and Art Donovan

    The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #10

    @the-gipper said:

    With this Change in the numbers,   here is my prediction for those who will be on the team along the DL;

    Defensive Ends:  (7)  Deacon Jones, Howie Long, Bruce Smith, Michael Strahan,  Gino Marchetti....and  now add:   Len Ford**  and Leroy Selmon

    Defensive tackles (7):   Bob Lilley,  Mean Joe Greene, Merlin Olsen, Alan Page, Reggie White.....plus add:  Warren Sapp and Art Donovan

    The Results were released tonight:

    On DEs  I got:  Deacon, Smith, Marchetti, and Selmon.....but the committee put on Doug Atkins, Bill Hewitt....and they put Reggie White at DE, not DT??

    (no Long, Ford, Strahan)

    On DTs I got:   Lilley,  Greene, Olsen,  Page.....and I got Reggie White, but they had him at DE.   They also included Randy White, John Randle, and Buck Buchanan

  • The GipperT The Gipper

    And with this change,  here are the predictions for the LB position:

    Middle LBs:  Ray Lewis, Chuck Bednarik, Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke,   Junior Seau,   Jack Lambert

    OLBs:   Lawrence Taylor, Derrick Thomas, Derrick Brooks,  Ted Hendricks, Bobby Bell,  Chris Doleman

    The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #11

    @the-gipper said:

    And with this change,  here are the predictions for the LB position:

    Middle LBs:  Ray Lewis, Chuck Bednarik, Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke,   Junior Seau,   Jack Lambert

    OLBs:   Lawrence Taylor, Derrick Thomas, Derrick Brooks,  Ted Hendricks, Bobby Bell,  Chris Doleman

    On MLBs I got:  Butkus, Lewis, Seau, and Lambert.   They included Joe Schmidt and Willie Lanier  (they left of Nitschke).  Also...they had Bednarik as an OLB where I had him at ILB

    On OLB, I got:    Taylor,  Thomas, Brooks, Hendricks, Bell.    They put Jack Ham in instead of  Doleman...and I am OK with that. 

  • RichiswhereR Richiswhere

    You will see Jack Ham in the OLB and Randy White in the DT

    The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #12

    @richiswhere said:

    You will see Jack Ham in the OLB and Randy White in the DT

    You were right....both made it.

  • The GipperT The Gipper wrote on
    #13

    Zombo said:

    Reggie White was a DE, Gip, not sure why you had him at DT.

    Zombo

    He was one of those guys that played all up and down the line, inside and out.  He was built more like a DT with his girth...so I guess that is why I had him at DT.

    Let's just call him a "Defensive Lineman".  JJ Watt has basically done the same thing. 

    Plus, I am again noticing that they are  giving due to the "old timers"  with guys like Doug Atkins and Bill Hewitt being on the team, over more recent performers....like Strahan

  • ballpeenB ballpeen wrote on
    #14

    Doug Atkins better be on the team.  That guy was a beast.

    If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
  • ballpeenB ballpeen

    Doug Atkins better be on the team.  That guy was a beast.

    Dutch OvenD Dutch Oven wrote on
    #15

    @ballpeen said:

    Doug Atkins better be on the team.  That guy was a beast.

    Sadly, he should have spent the majority of his career with the Browns, but Paul Brown at that point of his Browns tenure was busy getting rid of defensive HOF talent at a break-neck pace. 

  • Dutch OvenD Dutch Oven

    @ballpeen said:

    Doug Atkins better be on the team.  That guy was a beast.

    Sadly, he should have spent the majority of his career with the Browns, but Paul Brown at that point of his Browns tenure was busy getting rid of defensive HOF talent at a break-neck pace. 

    ballpeenB ballpeen wrote on
    #16

    @dutch-oven said:

    Sadly, he should have spent the majority of his career with the Browns, but Paul Brown at that point of his Browns tenure was busy getting rid of defensive HOF talent at a break-neck pace. 

    Sorry to say, Paul bucked that one up in a big way.

    If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
  • GorkaG Gorka wrote on
    #17

    Mike Curtis was a beast at linebacker. It's a crying shame he isn't in the HOF.

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