NFL All-Time Team

So back in December, I decided to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NFL by naming my all-time NFL team, selecting an actual 53 man roster.  This means that I had to decide things like selecting between a third QB, a 6th LB, a 10th DB, or a second return man, etc. As there are a ton of phenomenal NFL players, I selected my "second team" back then, which can be seen here.  Some surprising things to note from the second team are things like NFL career rushing leader is on the second team, and the offensive line and defensive ends are stacked.  The reasons for that will be shown here, when I will explain some of my picks for my first team.  Keep in mind that I am putting together an actual team, and not just listing who I think are the best players.

For the record, I understand that my selections may have a bit of recency bias.  I try to balance history against that bias, but I cannot unwatch all of the players that I have seen play.

As with similar posts - starters in all capital letters.  As a reminder, my second team QBs willbe listed under the 1st team.  

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks (3):  DAN MARINO, Joe Montana, Bobby Layne

                                 (2nd team - John Elway, Dan Fouts, Tom Brady)

I know, people think Brady is the GOAT, but Dan Marino could make every throw, to every part of the field, at any time.  His numbers were amazing, and just think what his numbers would be like if he played with today's rules, with a slot receiver and with a running back out in the pattern.  Ridiculous.  Can you imagine a team with Marino getting hurt and Joe Montana coming off the bench?  That is a steadiness that would put this offense over the top.  Bobby Layne might need an explanation.  That explanation is that he is simply my favorite non-Walter Payton player ever.  He is in the NFL and College Football Halls of Fame, and his number has been retired by the University of Texas and the Detroit Lions.  But, why he is my favorite player is this axiom:  "There are a million people who have claimed to have had a drink with Bobby Layne.  None of them are lying."  We need that guy on our team.

Running Backs (5):  WALTER PAYTON, JIM BROWN, Barry Sanders, Marshall Faulk,                                                   LaDanian Tomlinson

                                   (2nd Team - Emmitt Smith, Gayle Sayers, O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell, Marcus                                        Allen)

So, my 5 running backs need no explanation, but the question that will inevitably rise is, "Why is Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, on the second team?  Why, well let's look at the roster.  Nobody can argue with Payton, Brown and Sanders.  So, if I am going to round out my roster I only have Payton that can reliably catch a pass coming out of the backfield, so I need some multi-faceted backs, and who better fits that role than Faulk and Tomlinson?  Remember, I am making a team. Plus, if need be, Tomlinson could return kicks, and probably Sanders or Faulk as well, so we are safe if our team incurs an injury.  And no, Smith is not starting over Payton or Brown.

Wide Receivers (5):  JERRY RICE, RANDY MOSS, STEVE LARGEANT, Michael Irvin, Larry                                        Fitzgerald
                                    (2nd Team - Marvin Harrison, Art Monk, Lynn Swann, Chris Carter, Don                                                Hutson, Tim Brown)

Rice is the best NFL player of all time.  Seriously think about it.  If I ask who is the best QB ever, I will get 7 or 8 different answers.  If I ask the best running back ever, I will get 4.  Who is the best receiver and how big is the gulf between Rice and every one else?  As far ast starting Largeant, imagine him operating out of the slot with Rice and Moss on the outside.  Fitzgerald is not in the Hall of Fame yet, but he will be.  And, he has more career tackles than dropped passes.  That statistic is insane.

Tight Ends (3):  TONY GONZALEZ, Kellen Winslow, Antonio Gates

                            (2nd Team - Rob Gronkowski, Jason Witten, Ozzie Newsome)

Tony Gonzalez is the best tight end I ever saw play.  And I am a University of Miami fan.  Kellen Winslow is Senior, not Junior, and he played in a day in which the tight end was rarely used as a receiver, especially when compared to today's game.  Antonio Gates completes the former under-sized college power forwards to convert to tight end and excel part of the roster (with Gonzales).

Offensive Linemen (8):  ANTHONY MUNOZ (T), JOHN HANNAH (G), DWIGHT                                                                  STEPHENSON (C), LARRY ALLEN(G), JONATHAN OGDEN (T),                                                  Bruce Matthews (T), Randell McDaniel (G), Jim Otto (C) 

                                        (2nd Team, Art Shell (T), Jackie Slater (T), Gene Upshaw (G), Mike Webster                                            (C), Russ Grimm (G), Jackie Slater (T), Orlando Pace (T), Mike Munchak (G),                                         Larry Little (C))

If Jerry Rice is the best player in the NFL, if we take away our skill position bias, Anthony Munoz is probably the second best.  Ogden was a straight up monster.  Stephenson gets the nod because there is a reason that Dan Marino could always step up into the pocket and unleash his rocket-quick arm for a pass and not be touched.  Plus, center-quarterback familiarity doesn't hurt.  Larry Allen would come to the line yelling "Choo Choo" whenever a run play was supposed to come over his position, and still the defensive couldn't stop them.  Bruce Matthews played 19 years at every position on the line, giving the team some added depth.  Nobody was scarier than McDaniel and black visor, and Jim Otto is a Hall of Famer, and from the "U".

DEFENSE

Defensive Tackles (5):  WARREN SAPP, JOE GREENE, Cortez Kennedy, John Randle, Art                                                    Donovan

                                        (2nd Team - Merlin Olson, Randy White, Alan Page, Jerome Brown)

Warren Sapp and Mean Joe Greene together.  Wow.  Cortez Kennedy on first downs as a run stuffer, or possibly as a nose tackle on obvious passing downs.  John Randle was intimidating and Art Donovan was not only a Hall of Famer, but one of the world's best storytellers, which I want on my team.  Aaron Donald will be here soon.

Defensive Ends (4):  REGGIE WHITE, DEACON JONES, Bruce Smith, Julius Peppers

                                   (2nd Team - Charles Haley, Kevin Greene, Jack Youngblood, Chris Doleman)

Reggie White is a no-brainer starter.  Deacon Jones was a sack specialist before the kept the sack as a statistic.  No offensive lineman wanted to block Bruce Smith and for a 5 year span, even when Julius Peppers was not getting to the quarterback, he led the NFL in false starts and holdings against.  Sacks and penalties all bring the offese backwards.

Outside Linebackers (4):  LAWRENCE TAYLOR, KHALIL MACK, Jack Ham, Derrick Brooks

                                            (2nd Team - Ted Hendricks, Derrick Thomas, Andre Tippett, Rickey                                                          Jackson)

Lawrence Taylor, duh.  Most dominating linebacker of all time.  Mack is not far behind.  Mack was named to an All-Pro team as an outside linebacker AND a defensive end, DURING THE SAME YEAR!!!  Derrick Brooks was a standout leader of the Super Bowl winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jack Ham was a mainstay on the multi-Super Bowl winning 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers.

Inside Linebackers (5):  RAY LEWIS, MIKE SINGLETARY, Jack Lambert, Dick Butkus, Junior                                           Seau

                                          (2nd Team - Brian Urlacher, Bill George, Ray Nitshcke, Harry Carson)

Of course Ray Lewis.  Mike Singletary is also a no-brainer if a 3-4 is played.  Dick Butkus makes a total of 4 Chicago Bear Middle Linebackers on the first and second teams.  Jack Lambert might be the best player not starting on defense.  Junior Seau could play the run, rush the passers, and cover backs and tight ends out of the backfield.

Cornerbacks (6):  DEION SANDERS, ROD WOODSON, Charles Woodson, Darrell Green, Dick                                "Night Train" Lane, Lester Hayes

                                (2nd Team - Mel Blount, Aeneas Williams, Dick LeBeau, Herb Adderly, Willie                                        Brown)

Deion Sanders could take away an entire half of a field on his own.  And, if he intercepted a pass, he was always a threat to score.  Rod Woodson was a big corner that could cover.  Darrell Green was for years the fastest player in the NFL and has legitimate track speed, including a then NCAA record in the 100 and 200 meters.  Charles Woodson could also return kicks.  Night Train is one of the best nicknames ever, and he is fourth on the NFL's career interceptsion list with 68 (3 behind Rod Woodson), and Lester Hayes had some of the best hair, and stickum in NFL history.  Oh yeah, and he could cover too.

Safeties (4): RONNIE LOTT, ED REED, Paul Krause, Willie Wood

                     (2nd Team - Steve Atwater, John Lynch, Kenny Easley, Ken Houston)

Nobody should even try to argue about Lott and Reed.  Best safeties ever.  PERIOD.  They could hit, HARD, and they had 63 and 64 interceptions respectively, good for 7th and tied for 8th in NFL history.  Paul Krause is the career intereception record holder with 81.  Willie Wood was an 8-time pro bowler and 5 time ALL-Pro.  And, he must be good if I am willing to place a Packer on this team.  

Just a note - Sean Taylor should be on this team, if he wasn't shot by some punks trying to rob his house.  Crazily enough, they were robbing his house on a Sunday, thinking he would not be at home, but he was in Miami re-habbing an injury and didn't travel with the team that weekend.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker (1):  MORTON ANDERSON

                     (2nd Team - Adam Vinatieri)

Only the second pure kicker to be inducted into the Hall of Fame (George Blanda played quarterback and kicker and Lou Groza was a tackle and a kicker), he is second on the all-time points list to Vinatieri, and played for 25 season.

Punter (1):  RAY GUY

                     (2nd Team - Reggie Roby)

The only punter in the Hall of Fame.  That makes him our punter.

Returner (1):  DEVIN HESTER

                         (2nd Team - Brian Mitchell)

Devin Hester is easily the best returner in the history of the NFL.  Yes, others were just as fast, and others were a threat to score while also being a threat at other positions, but Hester excelled in the return game.  He knew how to set up blocks, and could see the entire field open up and not just the hole right in front of him.  His NFL records include:

Most combined special teams TD returns - 20 (14 punt returns, 5 kickoff returns, 1 missed FG return)

Most non-offensive TDs in a career - 20

Most kickoff and punt return TDs in a career - 19

Most punt return TDs in a career - 14

Most punt retun TDs in a season - 4

Most kickoff return TDs in a game - 2

Most combined return TDs in a season - 6

Most comined return TDs for a rookie - 5

Most comnined return TDs in a game - 2 (he did it twice)

Most non-offensive TDs in a season - 6 (he did it twice)

In 2013, Hester outran a cheetah in a race sponsored and developed by National Geographic.

Even more importantly, he is from Riviera Beach, Florida (the town where I live), played collegiately at the University of Miami (my favorite team), and played for the Chicago Bears (my favorite team) for most of his NFL career.

And, he is responsible for people remembering that a missed field goal can be returned if it stays within the field of play - leading to Auburn's famous Kick Six - and for the Dennis Green rant, "They are who we thought they were.  We let 'em off the hook!"

ROSTER ADJUSTMENTS

So, if anybody actually counted, that gives us a roster of 55 players.  I need to be down to 53 players.  

Here is what happened.

When I first constructed this list way back in December (at the time I posted my second team), I listed one of my first team inside linebackers as an outside linebacker accidentally.  He was most definitely an inside linebacker, not an outside linebacker, so I cannot even pretend that he is a hybrid.  When posting this team, I just pushed him over to inside linebacker, but without taking one of the inside linebackers off the team, because they all deserve to be on the team.  This gave me one extra roster player.  Now, go look at my inside linebackers.  Which one do I cut?  Seau is staying, and do YOU want to tell Jack Lambert or Dick Butkus that they are cut?  I didn't think so.  Plus, the linebackers would make excellent kick coverage, and kick return players, and even some punt coverage.  (Just so you know, that linebacker was Jack Lambert - see, definite inside linebacker).

Then, I intentionally kept 6 cornerbacks, thinking I could find another roster spot to free up somewhere.  And, obviously I didn't.  Plus, several of the corners would make excellent kick and punt coverage personnel as well.

So, I need to free up two spots.  Most teams don't keep 5 running backs anymore, but I am not dropping any of these five.  Payton, besides being the best running back ever, could kick or punt should Anderson or Guy be hurt during a game.  Brown and Sanders are, well, Brown and Sanders.  Same with Faulk and Tomlinson, so no go there.

One position that looks a bit bloated is the defensive tackle spot.  Five are kept on a lot of teams, but with a lot of 3-4 looks, especially on passing downs (I mean, we do want Lawrence Taylor, Khalil Mack and Reggie White all rushing at the same time, right?), we can get by with cutting one, so sadly, Art Donovan has to go.    Given the quality of the second teamers (Merlin Olson, Randy White, Alan Page and Jerome Brown) and given that Donovan played in an earlier day before the players all got bigger and stronger, I don't even have to make an adjustment to the second team.  So, Donovan is gone, and I need to cut one more player.

So, the next one should be easy, as I have 6 cornerbacks.  But, I don't want to cut any of them.  That would be hard to do, and virtually unjustifiable.  So I look to what else those players could do, if we needed them to adjust due to injuries in a game (I can always adjust rosters between games).  Could Charles Woodson play some safety if he had to?  He did play some late in his career, so Yes.  What about Rod Woodson?  With his size, and ball-hawking ability, he could play some zone free safety, but also cover some of today's tight ends running down the seam.  So, also yes.  This means Willie Wood goes.  Why?  Simply because he played for Green Bay.  I will place him on the second team, replacing Ken Houston.

Easy, now we have 53 players on the roster.

One additional note.  Steve Hutchinson should be on this list.  But, as a guard, I completely overlooked him.  I did not place him on my first team or my second team.  I did not list him as an honorable mention.  Why not?  Because he is a guard, and sometimes as good as offensive lineman are, they get overlooked.  Could he start on this team over Larry Allen and John Hannah?  Probably not.  Is he as good or better than Randall McDaniel?  Yes.  Which one of those two do I cut?  I am not doing those mental gymnastics, because then I would have to place Hutchinson or McDaniel as the starter on the second team, moving Gene Upshaw to backup (and no longer alongside Art Shell in the starting lineup) and then cutting Mike Munchak, and I don't want to have to do that.  Perhaps if this was an actual team and I was an actual GM I would do that.  Or, more likely, I would keep a 10th lineman and cut a RB or a LB.