NFL 100 All-Time Team Co-Hosted by Bill Belichick

[Al Zarilla]

I was surprised Willie Brown was picked. He has the counting stats, longevity, pro bowls, all pros, total AV, but I don’t think he was considered a shut down corner like Sanders or a game changer like Blount. Or was he? According to Football Ref, he wasn’t a starter until his age 27 season. One if the guys on the reaction show (right after the selection show on NFLN) said he had to make it because of the iconic pick 6 against the Vikings in SB XI. Hmmm. That was the one in which NFL Films got footage of him right in his face for most of the return. What was his percentage of vote getting? I would have thought Barney or Bailey (sounds like a circus) would get in ahead of Brown.

 

[Kliq]

I think the disconnect is that I'm not viewing this as one of those, "If you were starting a team, who would you pick?" type discussions. I think this is a discussion about what these players actually accomplished. Like, hey, this is what actually happened. This isn't some mythological fantasy team.

You may view the fact that there was a "Mel Blount Rule" as a negative against Blount. I view it as an overwhelming positive. They literally had to change the rules because of him and his style of play. If that doesn't make somebody one of the most important and impactful players at his position, then I don't know what does.

In other words, if Mel Blount was simply leveraging the rules as they were laid out at the time, than how is it that nobody else had realized, and been able, to do that as effectively as he did, before he did?

The reason I brought up the illegal contact rule was to point out that it was fundamentally easier to play CB in the 1970s than it is today. I think we can all agree on that; and if we can all agree on that, it means that for the most part, the CBs today are better than they are in the past. It might be hard to admit that Bailey was better than the guys in the 70s because he hasn't been built up as a legend on NFL Films for the past 40 years, but the truth is that he was. His accomplishments are BETTER than the accomplishments of the guys in the 70s, but for some reason people are having a hard time admitting that. I'll throw Charles Woodson in as another guy who should have been considered.

The funny thing is that you know when they name the receivers and they include Lance Allworth and Paul Warfield over Terrell Owens and Cris Carter, it will be mentioned a billion times how it was harder back then to put up numbers at the WR position than it is today, when that clearly wasn't considered when it came for DBs in today's game.

 

[johnmd20]

I feel like offense fetishizes skill while defense fetishizes aggression. It's not surprising the old school defensive players are favored - they were allowed to beat the shit out of people. Idolizing the defenses of the 70s is praising concussions, forearm shivers, piledriving QBs, slapping WRs upside their heads. You know, the good ol' days.

Football is aggression, both on the offensive side and the defensive side. If you're not aggressive on defense, you're not playing in the NFL.

 

[Soxy]

The reason I brought up the illegal contact rule was to point out that it was fundamentally easier to play CB in the 1970s than it is today. I think we can all agree on that; and if we can all agree on that, it means that for the most part, the CBs today are better than they are in the past. It might be hard to admit that Bailey was better than the guys in the 70s because he hasn't been built up as a legend on NFL Films for the past 40 years, but the truth is that he was. His accomplishments are BETTER than the accomplishments of the guys in the 70s, but for some reason people are having a hard time admitting that. I'll throw Charles Woodson in as another guy who should have been considered.

The funny thing is that you know when they name the receivers and they include Lance Allworth and Paul Warfield over Terrell Owens and Cris Carter, it will be mentioned a billion times how it was harder back then to put up numbers at the WR position than it is today, when that clearly wasn't considered when it came for DBs in today's game.

You're not necessarily wrong, I just have a hard time punishing a guy because of circumstances outside of his control.

Mel Blount drove receivers into the ground before they could even start their routes because the rules allowed him to do that, and that was his best option at accomplishing what he needed to accomplish. That his style wouldn't work in today's game isn't all that relevant, in my mind. For his time and era, he was dominant. That's all that matters.

 

[shawnrbu]

Any predictions for the 5 tight ends to be selected?

Gonzalez
Gronk
Winslow
Ozzie
Mackey

Toughest omission was Shannon Sharpe.

Watch Ron Kramer get picked over Gronk.

 

[Ale Xander]

Ditka has to be in.

Did they say only 4 Pats on the team? If so, Gronk would be out. (Hannah and Brady have to be in, no?)
But I'm guessing I misheard, so I'd do

Gronk
Ditka
Mackey
Winslow (Sr.)
Gonzalez

(Unless there's some block-first TE from the 40's instead of Gonzalez. )

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Gronkowski
Gonzalez
Gates
Winslow
Mackey

Gronkowski and Gonzalez are obvious. Surprised you guys didnt include Gates, but he feels like a no-brainer to me, too. Guess I wouldnt be shocked for them to omit him for Ditka or Newsome, but Gates' career is insane. Winslow/Ditka/Newsome is a toss up for me, but Winslow is synonymous with Tight End. Mackey makes it because of Bill's affinity for Baltimore Colts.

 

[Ale Xander]

I was surprised Willie Brown was picked. He has the counting stats, longevity, pro bowls, all pros, total AV, but I don’t think he was considered a shut down corner like Sanders or a game changer like Blount. Or was he? According to Football Ref, he wasn’t a starter until his age 27 season. One if the guys on the reaction show (right after the selection show on NFLN) said he had to make it because of the iconic pick 6 against the Vikings in SB XI. Hmmm. That was the one in which NFL Films got footage of him right in his face for most of the return. What was his percentage of vote getting? I would have thought Barney or Bailey (sounds like a circus) would get in ahead of Brown.

Agree with this. Would have went Champ or Charles Woodson (BB likes ST and ability to play other positions, right?) or heck even Law over Brown. Brown's probably in because it's NFL Films and his pick-6 is one of the most iconic/telegenic plays

 

[tims4wins]

If BB has any say, Bavaro

 

[Marciano490]

Ditka has to be in.

Did they say only 4 Pats on the team? If so, Gronk would be out. (Hannah and Brady have to be in, no?)
But I'm guessing I misheard, so I'd do

Gronk
Ditka
Mackey
Winslow (Sr.)
Gonzalez

(Unless there's some block-first TE from the 40's instead of Gonzalez. )

Lol, the Sr. here cracked me up.

 

[Al Zarilla]

Ditka has to be in.

Did they say only 4 Pats on the team? If so, Gronk would be out. (Hannah and Brady have to be in, no?)
But I'm guessing I misheard, so I'd do

Gronk
Ditka
Mackey
Winslow (Sr.)
Gonzalez

(Unless there's some block-first TE from the 40's instead of Gonzalez. )

No TEs from the 40s or 50s as the position wasn’t really created until 1961 when Ron Kramer, 6’3 234 started to be used there by the Packers. Before that, all receivers were just “Ends” unless they were coming out of the backfield.

 

[Kliq]

FWIW, the TV spot for this during the game tonight showed Jason Witten so I'd assume that means he might make it.

Theoretically, this week should include a ton of "modern" players, Gronk. Gonzalez, Gates/Witten, Jonathan Ogden, Kevin Mawae, Will Shields, Larry Allen, Steve Hutchinson, Orlando Pace, Joe Thomas, Allen Faneca, etc. We shall see how many make it on.

 

[Michelle34B]

Honorable mention to Dave Casper. That is a pretty solid 5 for tight ends.

 

[SemperFidelisSox]

Gronk made it! Gonzalez, Winslow, Mackey, and Ditka.

 

[E5 Yaz]

John Mackey meant so much to the NFL, on and off the field

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Gronk made it! Gonzalez, Winslow, Mackey, and Ditka.

I was close. Ditka over Gates. I'm not against it.

Gronkowski
Gonzalez
Gates
Winslow
Mackey

Gronkowski and Gonzalez are obvious. Surprised you guys didnt include Gates, but he feels like a no-brainer to me, too. Guess I wouldnt be shocked for them to omit him for Ditka or Newsome, but Gates' career is insane. Winslow/Ditka/Newsome is a toss up for me, but Winslow is synonymous with Tight End. Mackey makes it because of Bill's affinity for Baltimore Colts.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Ditka has to be in.

Did they say only 4 Pats on the team? If so, Gronk would be out. (Hannah and Brady have to be in, no?)
But I'm guessing I misheard, so I'd do

Gronk
Ditka
Mackey
Winslow (Sr.)
Gonzalez

(Unless there's some block-first TE from the 40's instead of Gonzalez. )

Nailed it.

 

[InstaFace]

The 3 of you had 4 of the 5 same choices, and only disagreed over Ditka vs Gates vs Ozzie. Guess that suggests who was on the bubble.

 

[OCST]

Marshall Faulk exclusion is insanity. He’s probably the best all around RB ever.

My favorite, although I won't pretend he's #1, was Campbell. I loved watching him flatten the guys trying to tackle him. You could tell that he'd worn them out, by the third quarter they just didn't want to try to tackle him anymore. (Less fun to think about that all of these guys probably have CTE now).

 

[OCST]

I don't know whose argument it helps (or hurts) but Frank Gore is now the 3rd leading rusher of all time.

Gore is the classic longevity guy. I credit that more in football, especially for RBs who probably destroy their bodies more than any other position. To keep fit and play as long as Gore has is an achievement. I don't think it gets him onto this list of GOATs but he's definitely HOF.

 

[E5 Yaz]

BB and Tony Gonzalez on Gronk

Belichick: Rob was kind of a shot in the dark. He came up on his pre-draft visit, had a bad visit. We put him in a room, came back, he was asleep on the floor. Didn't make a very good impression. So, slow start there. ... We traded up for him and bet that he would come through and he certainly did, big time. He was a tremendous blocker. He's a great kid. Whatever his public persona is on the dance floor, at a party or whatever, in the building there's no better teammate. He works extremely hard. He had a great catch radius; for as stiff as he is, he could get balls on his shoelaces, he could get them over his head and he could get them behind him.

Gonzalez: He's like a Shaquille O'Neal, just a big, enormous guy that is unstoppable. You can't stop him. Probably the most dominant player, fouled on every play. ... That's the only drawback when I was watching his career, I was like, man, I don't know how long he's gonna last because big tree falls hard. And he's a big old guy and I remember he'd make these catches and just fall down and I was like 'Oh my god, that's got to hurt.'

NFL.com recaps quotes for those who can't see the shows

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001087410/article/nfl-100-alltime-team-tight-ends-offensive-linemen-revealed

 

[SMU_Sox]

I think with Gates he was never a complete TE because his blocking left a lot to be desired. He was an amazing receiver and weapon in the red zone. There is no question in my mind that he is a top 10 TE of all time even considering the inflated numbers for the era he played in. I believe though he didn’t make the list because of his atrocious blocking.

 

[edoug]

Gore is the classic longevity guy. I credit that more in football, especially for RBs who probably destroy their bodies more than any other position. To keep fit and play as long as Gore has is an achievement. I don't think it gets him onto this list of GOATs but he's definitely HOF.

Yeah, that sounds pretty accurate..

 

[Kliq]

Gore is the classic longevity guy. I credit that more in football, especially for RBs who probably destroy their bodies more than any other position. To keep fit and play as long as Gore has is an achievement. I don't think it gets him onto this list of GOATs but he's definitely HOF.

I think it is weird that people want to question Gore as a possible HoF guy, but Larry Fitzgerald is a slam dunk. They basically have the same case, except that Gore's numbers are arguably more impressive given how much harder it is for a RB to be durable as opposed to a WR.

Ditka's rookie season for his time was unbelievable. After 1964 he was basically done as a receiving threat. He had three good seasons, and one great season. Gates had a much, much better career. Ditka got on the list because he is MIKE DITKA.

 

[Marciano490]

I think it is weird that people want to question Gore as a possible HoF guy, but Larry Fitzgerald is a slam dunk. They basically have the same case, except that Gore's numbers are arguably more impressive given how much harder it is for a RB to be durable as opposed to a WR.

Ditka's rookie season for his time was unbelievable. After 1964 he was basically done as a receiving threat. He had three good seasons, and one great season. Gates had a much, much better career. Ditka got on the list because he is MIKE DITKA.

The numbers might bear that out - Fitz played with shitty QBs for a good portion of his career - but he was considered a Top 5 if not Top 3 WR for a long, long time. Was Gore ever?

 

[Devizier]

Any nitpicks on defensive backs/special teams?

Honestly surprised that there's no Charles Woodson or Champ Bailey on that list.

 

[Granite Sox]

BB and Tony Gonzalez on Gronk

Belichick: Rob was kind of a shot in the dark. He came up on his pre-draft visit, had a bad visit. We put him in a room, came back, he was asleep on the floor. Didn't make a very good impression. So, slow start there. ... We traded up for him and bet that he would come through and he certainly did, big time. He was a tremendous blocker. He's a great kid. Whatever his public persona is on the dance floor, at a party or whatever, in the building there's no better teammate. He works extremely hard. He had a great catch radius; for as stiff as he is, he could get balls on his shoelaces, he could get them over his head and he could get them behind him.

...

Say what you want about Belichick’s demeanor, and goodness knows the Gronkowski‘s have taken their shots at him, but I for one admire Coach Bill’s sincerity in acknowledging the all-around greatness of Gronk, both as a player and as a teammate. You can’t get a much better testimonial than that from Belichick.

 

[Mystic Merlin]

Tony Gonzalez’s Gronk/Shaq comp - unstoppable dominant physicality and was fouled on every play - is a great one.

 

[bosockboy]

I think it is weird that people want to question Gore as a possible HoF guy, but Larry Fitzgerald is a slam dunk. They basically have the same case, except that Gore's numbers are arguably more impressive given how much harder it is for a RB to be durable as opposed to a WR.

Ditka's rookie season for his time was unbelievable. After 1964 he was basically done as a receiving threat. He had three good seasons, and one great season. Gates had a much, much better career. Ditka got on the list because he is MIKE DITKA.

And Sharpe was even better than Gates.

 

[Euclis20]

I think it is weird that people want to question Gore as a possible HoF guy, but Larry Fitzgerald is a slam dunk. They basically have the same case, except that Gore's numbers are arguably more impressive given how much harder it is for a RB to be durable as opposed to a WR.

Ditka's rookie season for his time was unbelievable. After 1964 he was basically done as a receiving threat. He had three good seasons, and one great season. Gates had a much, much better career. Ditka got on the list because he is MIKE DITKA.

Fitz was an 11 time pro-bowler to just 5 for Gore. The one time Fitz was paired with a good QB he made the super bowl on one of the greatest playoff runs for a WR of all time: 4 games, 30 catches, 546 yards, 7 TDs. He had a 65 yard TD catch in the closing minutes of the super bowl that gave his team the lead, a signature moment that I can't recall Gore ever having (I could be forgetting something here). His overall playoff numbers are tremendous (expanded out to a 16 game season, his averages are 101 catches, 1675 yards and 18 TDs) and as noted above, he was one of the top 5 WRs in the league for a long, long time. Gore has been a solid RB for a long, long time, big difference. All they have in common is that they are skill players who've played for a long time without winning a super bowl. Fair or not, the fact that Fitz has played his entire career in Arizona (Gore is on his 4th team) is another point in his favor. They definitely do not have the same HOF case.

 

[Kliq]

Fitz was an 11 time pro-bowler to just 5 for Gore. The one time Fitz was paired with a good QB he made the super bowl on one of the greatest playoff runs for a WR of all time: 4 games, 30 catches, 546 yards, 7 TDs. He had a 65 yard TD catch in the closing minutes of the super bowl that gave his team the lead, a signature moment that I can't recall Gore ever having (I could be forgetting something here). His overall playoff numbers are tremendous (expanded out to a 16 game season, his averages are 101 catches, 1675 yards and 18 TDs) and as noted above, he was one of the top 5 WRs in the league for a long, long time. Gore has been a solid RB for a long, long time, big difference. All they have in common is that they are skill players who've played for a long time without winning a super bowl. Fair or not, the fact that Fitz has played his entire career in Arizona (Gore is on his 4th team) is another point in his favor. They definitely do not have the same HOF case.

I really disagree. I like Fitzgerald (who doesn't?) but he has always been a little overrated while Gore has always been a little underrated. They both have 9 1,000 yard seasons, and in this era, 1,000 yards as a rusher is more impressive than 1,000 yards as a receiver. Fitzgerald has more pro bowl nods, but that doesn't mean that much to me, especially because there are more pro bowl spots for WRs, and in this era of 10,000 pro bowl alternates, what does a pro bowl selection even really mean?

Fitzgerald probably had a better absolute peak, but I'm not sure how long he was a top five WR, probably like 2007 to 2011. He led the league in catches twice and TD receptions twice, there is less black ink on his resume then you would think. Gore's playoff numbers are still very good, expanded over 16 games, are 1,300 yards and 10 TDs.

The "one time he had a good QB" is also an exaggeration. Warner had 4 1/2 good seasons with Arizona, and later Carson Palmer had 2 1/2 very good seasons in Arizona as well. Fitzgerald certainly had a shittier QB situation than a lot of HoF wideouts, but it wasn't like he was with a bunch of bums the entire time. On the flip side, out of a few Harbugh years and one year when Luck was healthy in Indy, Gore didn't play in many good offenses during his career.

Gore on four teams doesn't mean anything; part of the story of his career is that teams wrote him off as a old and he was still able to keep running on new teams.

Career AV:

Gore: 125
Fitzgerald: 126

Fitzgerald was probably a better player, but the gap is minimal and their HoF cases are very similar. Fitzgerald is more marketable and has more playoff highlights so people assume he has a much better case, but he really doesn't.

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

I think with Gates he was never a complete TE because his blocking left a lot to be desired. He was an amazing receiver and weapon in the red zone. There is no question in my mind that he is a top 10 TE of all time even considering the inflated numbers for the era he played in. I believe though he didn’t make the list because of his atrocious blocking.

Yeah, this. No offense meant to Kenny, but I’d never even consider Gates for this. He was a great receiver but he couldn’t and didn’t block for shit. Comes part and parcel with being a TE.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Yeah, this. No offense meant to Kenny, but I’d never even consider Gates for this. He was a great receiver but he couldn’t and didn’t block for shit. Comes part and parcel with being a TE.

That's crazy. Gates was a horrible blocker to start his career. But he became a perfectly adequate blocker in the second half of his career.

And are we going to pretend that Winslow was some roadpaver on the line? Was Gates a Gronk, Sharpe, or Kittle type of blocker? No. He wasn't even a Witten or Gonzalez level blocker. But the dude wasnt fucking Jimmy Graham or Dallas Clark out there. Coupled with his ridiculous receiving career, I think he absolutely had a case as a top 5 all-timer.

 

[Euclis20]

I really disagree. I like Fitzgerald (who doesn't?) but he has always been a little overrated while Gore has always been a little underrated. They both have 9 1,000 yard seasons, and in this era, 1,000 yards as a rusher is more impressive than 1,000 yards as a receiver. Fitzgerald has more pro bowl nods, but that doesn't mean that much to me, especially because there are more pro bowl spots for WRs, and in this era of 10,000 pro bowl alternates, what does a pro bowl selection even really mean?

Fitzgerald probably had a better absolute peak, but I'm not sure how long he was a top five WR, probably like 2007 to 2011. He led the league in catches twice and TD receptions twice, there is less black ink on his resume then you would think. Gore's playoff numbers are still very good, expanded over 16 games, are 1,300 yards and 10 TDs.

The "one time he had a good QB" is also an exaggeration. Warner had 4 1/2 good seasons with Arizona, and later Carson Palmer had 2 1/2 very good seasons in Arizona as well. Fitzgerald certainly had a shittier QB situation than a lot of HoF wideouts, but it wasn't like he was with a bunch of bums the entire time. On the flip side, out of a few Harbugh years and one year when Luck was healthy in Indy, Gore didn't play in many good offenses during his career.

Gore on four teams doesn't mean anything; part of the story of his career is that teams wrote him off as a old and he was still able to keep running on new teams.

Career AV:

Gore: 125
Fitzgerald: 126

Fitzgerald was probably a better player, but the gap is minimal and their HoF cases are very similar. Fitzgerald is more marketable and has more playoff highlights so people assume he has a much better case, but he really doesn't.

A lot of it is perception vs reality, but if the perception is that he's a much better player (more than twice as many pro-bowl nods despite playing alongside a pro-bowl QB just twice in 16+ seasons, a terrific super bowl) then I'd say he has a much better HOF case. Calling Fitz a perennial pro-bowler would be accurate (7 years straight, 10 times in 11 years), and even in the age of 10,000 alternates, 11 selections is incredible. Only 15 players in history have more than that, and all of them are either in the HOF or will be as soon as they are eligible (Brady/Manning/Brees). He's also led the league in TDs twice and receptions twice. Gore hasn't lead the league in anything, ever. He's the definition of solid but unremarkable. The annual NFL top 100 players (as voted by players) debuted in 2011 when both were either at the top or slightly past their primes, and Fitz has been on the list all 9 times (ranked as high as #7). Gore has been on the list just 4 times and not since 2014, ranking as high as 28. They just aren't on the same level, and I think it's wholly unremarkable that Fitz is seen as a slam dunk while Gore is a slightly harder case.

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

That's crazy. Gates was a horrible blocker to start his career. But he became a perfectly adequate blocker in the second half of his career.

And are we going to pretend that Winslow was some roadpaver on the line? Was Gates a Gronk, Sharpe, or Kittle type of blocker? No. He wasn't even a Witten or Gonzalez level blocker. But the dude wasnt fucking Jimmy Graham or Dallas Clark out there. Coupled with his ridiculous receiving career, I think he absolutely had a case as a top 5 all-timer.

No, Winslow wasn't a road paver but he revolutionized how the position was played by being an elite weapon in the receiving game. I'll take a step back and agree he should be considered, but I think they did a pretty good job nailing the 5 that deserved it and I'd put Sharpe over Gates as well.

 

[Marciano490]

Gates is a big dude. Why was he such a bad blocker? Technique or disinterest or lack of strength?

 

[Kliq]

A lot of it is perception vs reality, but if the perception is that he's a much better player (more than twice as many pro-bowl nods despite playing alongside a pro-bowl QB just twice in 16+ seasons, a terrific super bowl) then I'd say he has a much better HOF case. Calling Fitz a perennial pro-bowler would be accurate (7 years straight, 10 times in 11 years), and even in the age of 10,000 alternates, 11 selections is incredible. Only 15 players in history have more than that, and all of them are either in the HOF or will be as soon as they are eligible (Brady/Manning/Brees). He's also led the league in TDs twice and receptions twice. Gore hasn't lead the league in anything, ever. He's the definition of solid but unremarkable. The annual NFL top 100 players (as voted by players) debuted in 2011 when both were either at the top or slightly past their primes, and Fitz has been on the list all 9 times (ranked as high as #7). Gore has been on the list just 4 times and not since 2014, ranking as high as 28. They just aren't on the same level, and I think it's wholly unremarkable that Fitz is seen as a slam dunk while Gore is a slightly harder case.

Yeah I know, Fitzgerald is viewed as a better player than Gore, which explains the pro bowl nods and top 100 rankings. That doesn’t mean statisticaly they weren’t similar players, because they really are. Fitzgerald has just been overrated and Gore underrated.

If your argument is just going to be “But Pro Bowls!” I’m not really going to buy it.

 

[Captaincoop]

I'd take Bavaro over several of those guys.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Gates is a big dude. Why was he such a bad blocker? Technique or disinterest or lack of strength?

I'd guess a large part of it had to do with the fact he never played college football (which makes his success that much more insane).

 

[Euclis20]

Yeah I know, Fitzgerald is viewed as a better player than Gore, which explains the pro bowl nods and top 100 rankings. That doesn’t mean statisticaly they weren’t similar players, because they really are. Fitzgerald has just been overrated and Gore underrated.

If your argument is just going to be “But Pro Bowls!” I’m not really going to buy it.

Statistical comparisons in football are difficult enough (there are 11 guys on offense and one's numbers depend heavily on the ability of the other ten guys), but when the two players are at different positions, it's almost worthless. The pro-bowl is voted on by fans, coaches and players, and the top 100 ranking is players. When all three groups say one guy has been consistently and at the top of the league and the other guy has occasionally been up there, it matters.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

Gates is a big dude. Why was he such a bad blocker? Technique or disinterest or lack of strength?

Like Kenny said, he never played college football, and wasn't drafted. He went to Michigan State initially, and wanted to play football for Saban and basketball for Izzo, but Saban wanted him to only play football, so he left and then bounced around a couple schools, before ending up at Kent State and having an excellent basketball career there. After college, he wasn't getting any interest from the NBA, so he tried out as an unrestricted free agent for the Chargers and the rest as they say...

He basically came into the NFL as a basketball player with a big body, who could jump and catch. Blocking is all about technique, and he just didn't have any experience with it. He got better at it as his career went on, but I wouldn't say he was ever in the top 20 of blocking tight ends during his career.

Gore and Fitz are both HOF'ers. Full stop. I think Gore gets undervalued a bit because he's never really been "explosive." He blew out his ACL twice at the University of Miami, and has always been a workhorse, as opposed to a home run hitter. Chicks dig the long ball though, so to speak, so he was never flashy or the guy you said "Damn, look at him go." He had a 41 yard run this year, which is his longest run since 2014. But his longevity and consistency, on some pretty bad teams, is pretty incredible.

On the flip side, Gore was drafted in the 3rd round, Fitz was the 3rd overall pick. He was an absolute stud at Pittsburgh, and when he's been healthy, he's been as good as any receiver to ever suit up, IMO. I'll be pretty shocked if he doesn't make the top 100 list.

 

[InstaFace]

Just perused the Wikipedia article on this all-time team. Was amused to see the 6 NFL coaches on the 26-person selection committee: Belichick, Madden, Vermeil, Shula, Dungy, and Dick LeBeau. How much time do you think the rest of them spent telling Shula to STFU? And surprised at LeBeau's inclusion, he must be a real NFL history buff - he was only a head coach for 3 years, which I guess speaks to how highly regarded he was as a DC, not unlike Wade Phillips.

 

[Super Nomario]

Just perused the Wikipedia article on this all-time team. Was amused to see the 6 NFL coaches on the 26-person selection committee: Belichick, Madden, Vermeil, Shula, Dungy, and Dick LeBeau. How much time do you think the rest of them spent telling Shula to STFU? And surprised at LeBeau's inclusion, he must be a real NFL history buff - he was only a head coach for 3 years, which I guess speaks to how highly regarded he was as a DC, not unlike Wade Phillips.

LeBeau also played a dozen years in the NFL, so he's got a variety of perspectives here.

 

[Al Zarilla]

Just perused the Wikipedia article on this all-time team. Was amused to see the 6 NFL coaches on the 26-person selection committee: Belichick, Madden, Vermeil, Shula, Dungy, and Dick LeBeau. How much time do you think the rest of them spent telling Shula to STFU? And surprised at LeBeau's inclusion, he must be a real NFL history buff - he was only a head coach for 3 years, which I guess speaks to how highly regarded he was as a DC, not unlike Wade Phillips.

Ah, Shula is kind of revered. The other coaches probably help change his bib when it gets covered with tapioca.

 

[djbayko]

The NFL social media team accidentally leaked the 10 WRs.

Spoiler: Don't click if you don't want to know.

View: https://i.imgur.com/f65GEbC.png

 

[Marciano490]

I’ve heard of five of those guys.

 

[CaptainLaddie]

Absolutely absurd.

 

[Koufax]

Raymond Berry? Really? Julian Edelman is just as good.

 

[BaseballJones]

Hate to go here but Antonio Brown has to be on a short list of best receivers ever. His production is just insane. And this vote happened before all the AB insanity.

 

[Marciano490]

Hate to go here but Antonio Brown has to be on a short list of best receivers ever. His production is just insane. And this vote happened before all the AB insanity.

Plus he didn’t kill a guy like Marvin. Doesn’t Michael Thomas deserve some consideration, or is it too early in his career?