Who is the 3rd Greatest Linebacker of All Time?

[shnuskis]

I have heard from a lot of people that both played and actually saw them play, that had Ray Nitschke as the best linebacker of the 60's. But now no one is even mentioning him in the top 5. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but what happened that has Ray dropping like Enron stock? Just curious.


I can't compare the 60's players to the players I have actually seen.
So, from 1980- now LT, Mike Singletary then Ray Lewis.

[the15]

It's Taylor, then Lewis. Butkus #3

[deaduck]

Butkus is my one...

LT is my number two... but I do think to much is made of his "change the game" impact. The Coach (Parcells) changed the game by commiting his olb to a blitz heavy monster instead of making him sit and read run first. Quite a few NFL players put in the same position (pre making your Left Tackle a freak of nature to stop a LT like lead D) would have made a similiar impact.

[SPTO]

Quote: Originally Posted by deaduck

Butkus is my one... LT is my number two... but I do think to much is made of his "change the game" impact. The Coach (Parcells) changed the game by commiting his olb to a blitz heavy monster instead of making him sit and read run first. Quite a few NFL players put in the same position (pre making your Left Tackle a freak of nature to stop a LT like lead D) would have made a similiar impact.

I think I saw somewhere that Parcells put Taylor in the position that he did because Taylor wasn't the greatest at reading if it was a run or pass. Taylor had natural speed and strength so of course the best way to exploit that was to let LT run wild and go after the QB.

A lot of people however don't give much credit to Carl Banks who played on the other side of LT because if there wasn't a Carl Banks on that defense then LT would've been doubled teamed almost eclusively and the advantages of what LT was able to do would be mitigated severely. I still think Taylor is one of the 3 best LBs ever because he did play a part in changing the game and also the man had an impact in just about every game he played in during his prime years. Heck, even in his last couple seasons when he wasn't the monster he used to be, he was still feared and could make an impact.

[LBzrule]

Quote: Originally Posted by CW McGraw

Lewis is a great player, but he's always had line of giant fatsos to keep linemen off of him. Can you name another player from Butkus's defense?

This is not true. The last time Ray won defensive player of the year he had Kelly Gregg, Marquez Douglas and Anthony Weaver in front of him. None of which are fatso's. The year prior we went into rebuilding mode he was on track to win DPOY that year too, but got knocked out with a shoulder injury and had that very same line.

And even when he had fatso's in front of him, that does not mean he never had to take on blocks. If you watch every game we played against the Titans in our SB run and watch carefully, he had to take on blocks even with Adams and Sarigusa in front of him. Commentators take that one play in the SB and run with it as if Lewis never had to deal with linemen. It's just not true. Also those vids of our SB run should be online somewhere. They used to be.

Even with the guys we have now, he still has to deal with blocks. So I'm not sure where this notion that Ray Lewis never has to deal with a blocker came from.

[LBzrule]

As for the Linebackers themselves I'd go

LT
Butkus
Lambert/Lewis/Singletary
Nietschke - this dude doesn't get enough credit IMO.

[SHO]

Butkus

[Hawaii_Stars]

Derrick Thomas should be considered.