NFL Top 100 DBs and Special Teams

[The Gipper]

Here are the NFL Top 100   Defensive Backs and Special teams players of all time:

Cornerbacks:

Mel Blount

Mike Haynes

Dick "Night Train" Lane

Willie Brown

Darrell Green

Deion Sanders

Rod Woodson

Safeties:

Ronnie Lott

Jack Christianson

Ken Houston

Ed Reed

Emlen Tunnell

Larry Wilson

Kickers

Jan Stenurud

Adam Vinatieri

Punters

Shane Lechler

Ray Guy

Kick Returners

Devin Hester

Billy "White Shoes" Johnson

Who, if anyone do you think they snubbed?

[Browns149]

 Josh Cribbs was better than White Shoes. So was Eric Metcalf

[The Gipper]

I will start with this:

A.  On the Kick Returners,  Devin Hester I have no problem with.......but Billy "White Shoes" Johnson seems to have gotten in mainly based on his flambouyancy, not his stats.     Either Josh Cribbs or Eric Metcalf should be in:

1. Hester has 14 career  punt return TDs  (#1 all time) plus 5 KO return TDs, so, as I said, not problem with him.   But Cribbs is THE all time Kickoff Return for TD leader with 8 KO returns....plus he had 3 punt return TDs.    Eric Metcalf is  #2 overall in punt return TDs with 10....plus he had 2 KO return TDs.    Billy Johnson had  6 punt return TDs,  but that only puts him #9.   Guys like Rick Upchurch, Brian Mitchell, Dave Megget, Desmond Howard and a few others had more than him.   Plus, he only had 2 KO return TDs......and there are 125 other players that had that number or more.  

Both Metcalf and Cribbs would have been better choices.

B.  I guess, unlike with other positions, for kicker, they decided not not include the old school guy.   Vinatieri IS the all time scoring leader in NFL history.  But  better field conditions,  better techniques,   and playing a 16 game schedule all give him advantages.

Lou Groza could have been a choice:   or, maybe, George Blanda.  Recall that Groza played his entire career with only playing 12 or 14 game schedules...so his opportunities were less.  Plus...he led the league in scoring like 6 times, plus in FG% like 5 times.  Stenerud was good,  but was he better than say Morten Andersen or Gary Andersone?  

[The Gipper]

@browns149 said:

 Josh Cribbs was better than White Shoes. So was Eric Metcalf

I was working on my post when you made yours.  Great minds think alike.

[The Gipper]

I also think that  Paul Krause should have been included with the safeties.

And maybe Champ Bailey with the Corners. 

Some tough choices there. 

[The Gipper]

More

@browns149 said:

 Josh Cribbs was better than White Shoes. So was Eric Metcalf

More stats to bolster our position:

KO return average:

Cribbs #3  overall

Metcalf #20 overall

Johnson #124

Punt return average:

Metcalf   #5 overall

Johnson #7

Cribbs  #27

And, to be fair:    Brian Mitchell is actually #1 overall in BOTH categories...., plus he had 9 punt return TDs (#3 overall), and 4 KO return TDs  #19 overall)

He probably should have been chosen

[Gorka]

@the-gipper said:

Here are the NFL Top 100   Defensive Backs and Special teams players of all time:

Cornerbacks:

Mel Blount

Mike Haynes

Dick "Night Train" Lane

Willie Brown

Darrell Green

Deion Sanders

Rod Woodson

Safeties:

Ronnie Lott

Jack Christianson

Ken Houston

Ed Reed

Emlen Tunnell

Larry Wilson

Kickers

Jan Stenurud

Adam Vinatieri

Punters

Shane Lechler

Ray Guy

Kick Returners

Devin Hester

Billy "White Shoes" Johnson

Who, if anyone do you think they snubbed?

Yeah I think someone got snubbed and couldn't care less that he did.

[Tour2ma]

Too many old timers for my taste. I get Wilson and NightTrain, but Christenson and Tunnell???

Not feeling Willie Brown.

Hard to believe Tatum wasn't there... and I was pulling for Dixon to show.

I still remember the comment in the "Top Ten CB Tandems" countdown which put Dixon/Minniefield at #2... "In 1987 only 7 passes were thrown in Hanford Dixon's direction."

In 1987 Dixon had three INTs.

[The Gipper]

@gorka said:

Yeah I think someone got snubbed and couldn't care less that he did.

Did you care when they sewed up your cunny? 

[The Gipper]

@tour2ma said:

Too many old timers for my taste. I get Wilson and NightTrain, but Christenson and Tunnell???

Not feeling Willie Brown.

Hard to believe Tatum wasn't there... and I was pulling for Dixon to show.

I  also thought they may have gone for Willie Wood, or Herb Adderly.  Agree on Tatum...but they were never going to put him on here because of the Stingley situation. 

I still remember the comment in the "Top Ten CB Tandems" countdown which put Dixon/Minniefield at #2... "In 1987 only 7 passes were thrown in Hanford Dixon's direction."

In 1987 Dixon had three INTs.