T1B

Quarterback
1. Joe Montana
2. Otto Graham
3. John Elway


Running Back
1. Walter Payton
2. Jim Brown
3. Emmitt Smith


Receiver
1. Jerry Rice
2. Don Hutson
3. Steve Largent

3a. Lance Alworth


Coach
1. George Halas
2. Vince Lombardi
3. Paul Brown

3a. Bill Walsh
3b. Joe Gibbs
3c. Don Shula
3d. Tom Landry
3e. Bill Belichick
3f. Chuck Noll
3g. John Madden



React .... ?

poptart wrote:Quarterback
1. Joe Montana
2. Otto Graham
3. John Elway


Running Back
1. Walter Payton
2. Jim Brown
3. Emmitt Smith


Receiver
1. Jerry Rice
2. Don Hutson
3. Steve Largent

3a. Lance Alworth


Coach
1. George Halas
2. Vince Lombardi
3. Paul Brown

3a. Bill Walsh
3b. Joe Gibbs
3c. Don Shula
3d. Tom Landry
3e. Bill Belichick
3f. Chuck Noll
3g. John Madden



React .... ?

Under the category of top QB's I never saw play, I would replace Otto Graham with Johnny U

In the player category Only listing those I've seen Play

Quarterback
1. Joe Montana
2. John Elway
3. Tom Brady
3a. Marino

Running Back
1. Walter Payton
2. Barry Sanders
3. Emmitt Smith
3a. Ladanian Tomlinson
3b. Bo Jackson

Receiver
1. Jerry Rice
2. Steve Largent
3. Marvin Harrison

Scott--I read your lists before I read your first sentence...I thought you had lost your mind by leaving off Jim Brown on the running back list. I guess it all depends on who you have actually seen play. I think it's too easy to just look strictly at the numbers pick the best from who's ranked highest in the major categories.

I do have to ask, where's Brett Favre on that list? I'd put Favre in the top 3 or 4 of my QB list of those players I've seen play. I like the picks of Montana, Elway and Brady. Marino isn't objectionable but you have Marino...Manning has to come into the conversation as well.

Running backs, can't argue with the top 3...of the last 25 years or so, I don't think you can have anyone over Payton, Barry and Emmitt. Tomlinson is on his way to being great and Faulk has had a great career. Bo was a freak athlete but he just didn't play long enough for me to include him in the best of the best.

Wide receiver...it's Jerry and all the rest. I don't have any dispute with your top 3. I think Andre Reed and Tim Brown deserve some love as well but I wouldn't put them above three guys you have listed.

Good Point on Favre and He would rate 3a ahead of Marino. He just didn't come to mind for some reason.

since I've only seen Jim Brown in a few video clips, it's impossible for me to guage just how good he was. One thing about his era, though - D linemen were 230 and LB less than that and sure didn't run 4.4 40's. Not that it takes away from how good he was, just hard to say how that would play out in today's game.

I don't know if you ever saw Bo Jackson play, but the dude was just Flat out, the fastest, strongest RB I had ever seen. Everyone gushing about LJ right now - but he's nowhere near as explosive as Bo was. And it's not like the Raiders had Denver's zone blocking scheme or a hall of fame list of OL.

I have to laugh at some of these "Top 3" lists and responses. If you wanted to list 3a,b,c, etc make it a Top____ list. That said, in any list good names will always be left off.

Top 3 QB
Montana
Elway
Marino

Top 3 RB
Payton
Sanders
Brown

Top 3 WR
Rice
Largent
Monk

Top 3 Coach
Lombardi
Shula
Walsh

Cueball, do you really think Art Monk is the 3rd best receiver of all time .... ?
Geez, I think I could name 3 active receivers who are better than Monk.

For me, Favre would be somewhere between 4-7.

Scott's right about Bo.
The guy was in a class of his own.
Just unfortunate that he went down.

poptart wrote:Cueball, do you really think Art Monk is the 3rd best receiver of all time .... ?
Geez, I think I could name 3 active receivers who are better than Monk.

But Monk is not active now. He retired as the greatest receiver of his era. How can that work against him?

I wouldn't rate him as the greatest receiver of his era.
He had longevity, but there were a few guys in his era who were better players.

This is the beauty of ANY Top Whatever list, varying opinions. Monk should be in the HOF and should be on any Top ____ WR lists that go past 2

That's true, Cueball.
The 'best ever' topic always produces interesting opinions.

Monk played 16 seasons and made 3 pro-bowls.
Compared to current HoF receivers, that is a very low number.

In his 'era', I would rate J. Lofton (8 pro-bowls) and S. Largent (7 pro-bowls) as definitely better players.
C. Joiner (3 pro-bowls), is at least his equal.

Teammate Gary Clark made 4 pro-bowls and was arguably a better player .... but lacked Monk's longevity.

Also of Monk's era, Mark Clayton, Henry Ellard, and Irving Fryar are in a discussion with Monk, although I would rate Monk slightly higher than each of them.

You know, Mark Clayton had double-digit TDs numbers in 4 of his 11 seasons played, including 18 TDs in '84 .... wow.
Monk NEVER had a double-digit TD season in any of his 16 seasons played.
Hmmmmm..........



I've always supported Monk for the HoF, due mainly to him being the league's all-time reception leader at the time of his retirement.
I do think, however, that his case for the Hall gets weaker each year he doesn't make it.
There are a LOT of guys with a LOT of catches, due to the evolution of the passing game.

Quarterback
1. Joe Montana
2. Johnny Unitas
3. Terry Bradshaw


Running Back
1. Barry Sanders
2. Jim Brown
3. Walter Payton


Receiver
1. Jerry Rice
2. Steve Largent
3. Chris Carter



Coach
1. Vince Lombardi
2. Bill Bellichick
3. George Halas

Tight End
1. Kellen Winslow
2. Ozzie Newsome
3. Shannon Sharp

errrr

Tight End
1 and Only. Joy Novacek

Sin,
Troyetta Aikman

poptart wrote: There are a LOT of guys with a LOT of catches, due to the evolution of the passing game.

And if he were playing now, in this era of the evolved passing game, what would his numbers be? In HIS era, he retired as #1 all time. No brainer for the HOF.

I am very suprised to see Marvin Harrison only listed once. He might be the best pure route runner of his generation.