Greatest DE of All Time

[PDay8810]

Merlin Olsen and Mean Joe Greene come to mind. I'll say Alan Page.

all three were d-tackles

 

[Clayton]

This topic is always weird because of the whole 4-3 DE, 3-4 OLB, 3-4 DE thing.

Reggie White is the safe answer but after that its a bit tricky. I'd still take someone like Von Miller over anyone in the modern game.

 

[Ojb81]

Defensive ends? As in, a 4-3 alignment? As far as thr best defensive end/tackle category, gotta be Mean Joe, no disrespect to Reggie

 

[PhoenixEagles1]

To think the Giants passed on Reggie White in the US FL supplemental draft. They almost had Reggie and LT. Man...

 

[Iggloo]

Except Joe Greene was a defensive tackle. LC Greenwood and Dwight White were the Steel Curtain DEs.

Sad that a Steelers fan wouldn't even know this.

Regarding the question, it's always hard to compare guys across eras. White was the best in my lifetime, in terms of an all around DE who could take over a game and disrupt the run as well as the pass.

Deacon Jones may have been just as good in his own way. He did benefit from different rules as he could do his patented head slap which would be a 15 yard penalty every time today.

 

[Nosferatu]

Jack Youngblood should be in the conversation.

 

[douggie]

all three were d-tackles

Shit. I was thinking defensive linemen. Defensive end would have to be Bruce Smith or Charles Haley.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

He was pretty good. I just mentioned him because his name is very fun to say.

 

[Davis_Mike]

From who I have watched play, Reggie & Bruce are at the top.

 

[Nosferatu]

Doleman is up there as well

 

[Battlelyon]

In my opinion it's Reggie White.

 

[Battlelyon]

I'm one season alone, Deacon Jones had 100 solo tackles, 100 in 12 games. None of these other clowns came close to that feat, he was stopping shit before the lbs even had a chance to make a play.

 

[Ojb81]

Except Joe Greene was a defensive tackle. LC Greenwood and Dwight White were the Steel Curtain DEs.

Sad that a Steelers fan wouldn't even know this.

Regarding the question, it's always hard to compare guys across eras. White was the best in my lifetime, in terms of an all around DE who could take over a game and disrupt the run as well as the pass.

Deacon Jones may have been just as good in his own way. He did benefit from different rules as he could do his patented head slap which would be a 15 yard penalty every time today.

Thats why I asked for clarification, since people were posting all sorts of D-tackles' names, dipshit.

I'll take Bruce Smith as a pure d-end.

 

[Battlelyon]

Hard to say after Reggie.

Deacon clearly benefitted with the head slap. Darn shame they didn't keep sack totals when many great ones played.

Back in his day, few were better than Harvey Martin.

Bullshit, he did nothing against the rules.

 

[Battlelyon]

Except Joe Greene was a defensive tackle. LC Greenwood and Dwight White were the Steel Curtain DEs.

Sad that a Steelers fan wouldn't even know this.

Regarding the question, it's always hard to compare guys across eras. White was the best in my lifetime, in terms of an all around DE who could take over a game and disrupt the run as well as the pass.

Deacon Jones may have been just as good in his own way. He did benefit from different rules as he could do his patented head slap which would be a 15 yard penalty every time today.

Yep, Deacon was nothing without the head slap.

 

[TJL]

Joe Greene

 

[Battlelyon]

A lot of people don't know what position Joe Greene played.

 

[Battlelyon]

Best DT/DE teammates

 

[Sir Robin Of Camelot]

David Jones. He set the bar. You can make a legitimate argument for Reggie White. After those two, there are a whole lot of variables. But it's one of those two.

 

[Battlelyon]

When you are able to tackle a qb