Choosing my own all-time NFL starting lineup

Choosing my own all-time NFL starting lineup

The NFL is about to enter its 100th season, and there are sure to be many activities, festivities, and announcements surrounding the momentous occasion. One of those announcements I hope will be releasing a list of the top 100 players in league history, which I’m sure will stir up much debate.

Inside the Hashes has already started the speculation. One of my fellow ITH writers, Thomas P. Bruan, Jr., put together an all-time starting lineup earlier this week. I respect the choices and the thought and research that went into their selection, but I thought I would try this, too.

In respect to Mr. Braun, I will select a completely different lineup. Hopefully, someone will find a way to put the rosters together and simulate a game between the teams and see who will really come out on top.

Quarterback - Tom Brady

Choosing the greatest player in any sport is a daunting task. Look at all the Jordan vs. LeBron debate in the NBA. Then you have Ruth vs. Aaron vs. Mays in baseball, Gretzky vs. Howe vs. Orr in the NHL and Pele vs. Maradona in soccer. In football, the debate is between Braun’s choice, Joe Montana and my (reluctant) selection, Tom Brady, who led the Patriots to eight Super Bowls, winning five. While Montana had the greatest receiver of all-time Jerry Rice and Pro Bowlers Dwight Clark, John Taylor and running back Roger Craig to throw to, Brady’s best receiver, Randy Moss, spent less than four seasons with New England, and All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski had his share of injuries. Brady spread the ball around to possession receivers Troy Brown, Deion Branch, Wes Welker, and Julian Edelman. Despite my dislike of his team, I give the nod to Brady.

Running Backs - Barry Sanders and/or LaDainian Tomlinson

While it’s surprising that both of us left all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith off our teams, he did have one of the best offensive lines ever to run behind. I’m not sure whether I want to use a 1980s traditional fullback or the even more nostalgic split-back setup so I will try both. Braun chose the impressive Walter Payton as his back so I will go with the equally shifty Sanders. He is third all-time with 15,269 yards and 99 touchdowns in just 10 seasons and retired before the game took a toll on his body. He put moves on defenders that some fans (especially me) could not even accomplish in video games. Tomlinson ranks sixth with 13,684 yards and is second with 145 touchdowns. LT was also dangerous as a receiver, with his 624 catches ranking third all-time among backs behind Larry Centers and Marshall Faulk.

Fullback - Larry Csonka

Brown is definitely the best choice here, but the bruising Csonka was an offensive star on two Dolphins championship teams, including the perfect squad in 1972. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro, who had 8,081 yards and 64 touchdowns.

Wide Receivers - Larry Fitzgerald, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce, and Cris Carter

Fitzgerald has the second-most yards in history (16,279), to go along with 1,303 catches (third) and 116 touchdowns (sixth) while playing on some bad Cardinals teams. The 11-time Pro Bowler also has nine seasons with 1,000 or more yards. Despite his sometimes prickly attitude, T. O. produced on the field. He finished his 15-year career with 1,078 catches, 15,934 yards (third) and 153 scores (third). Bruce was the offensive catalyst on a Rams team that was called the “Greatest Show on Turf.” He is fifth all-time with 15,208 yards and ranks just outside the top 10 in receptions and scoring catches. Carter could be a calming influence on Owens like he was with Randy Moss in Minnesota. Carter is sixth with 1,101 receptions, and ESPN’s Chris Berman was right, “all he does is catch touchdowns,” ranking fourth with 130 in his career.

Tight End - Tony Gonzalez

This is the position I have the biggest disagreement with Braun. Rob Gronkowski was great when he was on the field, however, he had way too many injuries to be considered the greatest of all-time. Gonzalez is second all-time with 1,325 catches, sixth with 15,127 yards and tied for sixth with 116 touchdowns. Those totals are all tops at the position, but I would probably also take Jason Witten and Antonio Gates over Gronk as well.

Tackles - Ron Yary and Forrest Gregg

Yary was the first offensive lineman to be drafted with the top pick of the NFL Draft (in 1968). He went on to become a seven-time Pro Bowler, a six-time All-Pro and also played in four Super Bowls. With apologies to Baltimore Colts legend Jim Parker, I will choose Gregg, who passed away earlier this year, as the other starter. He won three NFL titles and three more Super Bowls as a member of the Packers and Cowboys. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler and a seven-time All-Pro. Gregg was an NFL iron man, playing in 188 straight games. Also, one of the greatest defensive players of all-time, Deacon Jones (who is on Braun’s team) said of Gregg “he was the best drive blocker I’ve ever seen.”

Guards - Bruce Matthews and Larry Allen

Braun took the best two here in John Hannah and Gene Upshaw, so I have to improvise. Matthews started at least one season at all five offensive line positions over his 19-year career with the Oilers/Titans franchise. He was a 14-time Pro Bowler, a seven-time All-Pro, and he played in Super Bowl XXXIV. His 296 games played are the second-most by a non-kicker in NFL history (Jerry Rice 303). Allen went to 11 Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro six times. He helped pave the way for the triplets (Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin) and won a championship with the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX.

Center - Jim Otto

So many good choices, but only one can be selected. Chuck Bednarik was a star on both sides of the ball with the Eagles. Mel Hein was an NFL MVP in 1938 and was arguably the best player in the first half of the 20th century. Dwight Stephenson was on the way to becoming a superstar when a left knee injury forced him to retire after just eight seasons. Instead, I will go with Otto, who was a 12-time Pro Bowler and a 10-time All-Pro in 15 years with the Raiders. The Oakland original played in Super Bowl II and retired just before the club won its first title in 1976.

Defensive Ends - Bruce Smith and Gino Marchetti

Braun went old school with Deacon Jones, so I had to counter with Marchetti, who Parker, himself a Hall of Famer, called “the greatest player I ever played with.” Marchetti, who passed away on April 29, was an 11-time Pro Bowler and a seven-time All-Pro. He won two championships with the Baltimore Colts, but broke his leg in the fourth quarter of the 1958 title game, called the “Greatest Game Ever Played.” Braun’s choice, Reggie White, is second with 198 career sacks, so I had to go with Smith, who tops the list with 200 (although to be fair, both Jones and Marchetti would have more if sacks was actually a stat when they played). Smith was an 11-time Pro Bowler, an eight-time All-Pro and a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. He was a part of a Bills team that went to four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s.

Defensive Tackles - Bob Lilly and Merlin Olsen

I chose two players who, like Braun’s pick of “Mean Joe” Greene, were members of the NFL’s 75th Anniversary team. Lilly was an 11-time Pro Bowler, a seven-time All-Pro, and he was a member of the NFL’s all-decade teams in both the 1960s and ’70s. He was a part of the Super Bowl VI championship team, and he started all of Dallas’ 164 games over his 14-year career. Before starting a career as an actor and broadcaster, Olsen was a 14-time Pro Bowler and a five-time All-Pro with the Rams.

Outside Linebackers - Jack Ham and Junior Seau

In order to counter Braun’s inclusion of Jack Lambert on the inside, I went with Ham, his teammate on the Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s. Ham is an eight-time Pro Bowler and a six-time All-Pro. He was on four championship teams and had 32 interceptions. Seau was a 12-time Pro Bowler, a six-time All-Pro, and he helped the Chargers reach Super Bowl XXIX.

Inside Linebackers - Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary

Fans of “Da Bears” will be happy that two of their best are in this lineup. Butkus was one of the most fearsome and intimidating players in NFL history. The man called “The Animal” was an eight-time Pro Bowler and a five-time All-Pro on some bad Chicago teams. A right knee injury forced Butkus to retire after nine seasons, but he was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and his 27 fumbles recovered was tied for the most on defense at the time of his retirement in 1973. Singletary was a high-energy player who donned his Bears jersey a decade after Butkus. He was a 10-time Pro Bowler and a seven-time All-Pro. “Samurai” was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and part of the Super Bowl XX-winning team coached by Butkus’ former teammate, Mike Ditka.

Cornerbacks - Rod Woodson and Mike Haynes

Woodson started as a kickoff and punt returner before becoming one of the best ball-hawking corners in NFL history. He was an 11-time Pro Bowler, a six-time All-Pro, and his 71 interceptions rank third all-time. Although Woodson spent 10 seasons in Pittsburgh, he won his only title with the Ravens (Super Bowl XXXV). Haynes was one of the best cover corners of the 1980s. He split his 14-year career equally between New England and Oakland. The nine-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro won Super Bowl XVIII as a member of the Raiders.

Safeties - Emlen Tunnell and Steve Atwater

Tunnell, known as “The Gremlin,” is second all-time with 79 interceptions in 14 years. The nine-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro won two titles, one each with the Giants and Packers. Braun went with Ronnie Lott, so I had to go with a hard-hitter as well, so here’s Atwater. The eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro won a pair of titles with the Broncos in the late 1990s.

Punter - Shane Lechler

Braun took the only Hall of Famer at the position in Ray Guy so I will take his modern equivalent. Lechler’s 47.6-yard average per punt is the highest in NFL history. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, a six-time All-Pro, and he led the league in punting average five times.

Kicker - Stephen Gostkowski

My counterpart selected Adam Vinatieri, a worthy choice from his time in New England and Indianapolis so I will grab his Patriots replacement. Gostkowski has 1,743 points (Vinatieri tops the all-time list with 2,600, but he has played a decade longer), and he has led the league in scoring five times. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro and three-time champion. Gostkowski has hit 87.4 percent of his field goals, which is third among eligible kickers in NFL history.

Kickoff/Punt Returner - Brian Mitchell

Braun’s choice of Devin Hester is easily the most dynamic kick and punt returner in NFL history. I thought about picking Joshua Cribbs, but Mitchell is the better choice for punt returns. He is the all-time leader with 14,014 kickoff return yards (nearly double Hester’s total of 7,333) to go along with four touchdowns (Hester had five). He had 1,000 or more yards nine times. Mitchell also tops the NFL’s career punt return yards list with 4,999 (Hester is third with 3,695). However, Mitchell “only” has nine punt return scores to Hester’s 14.

Special Teams - Steve Tasker

Tasker is the preeminent player on special teams. He was selected to seven Pro Bowls and was a member of the Bills’ four straight AFC Championship teams.

So there is my all-time NFL starting lineup. Let the debate begin!

-By: Kevin Rakas