Best CB ever?

[Schmoopy1000]

Brady would be the best ever if he switched to CB. He was amazing at the combine

Didn't Ty Law go a whole season without giving up a TD or something like that? Maybe Brady taught him.

 

[sonnyblack65]

Didn't Ty Law go a whole season without giving up a TD or something like that? Maybe Brady taught him.

Wow I only thought Pats insiders knew that

 

[Clayton]

That's a pretty long span of time in sports. Name a player from that era who gets GOAT hype & isn't worthy of it.

Prime Time. Elway. Barry Sanders. Someone on the Niners except for Jerry Rice. Even my fellow STL Cardinal fans tend to overrate Ozzie Smith a bit historically. Its natural to overrate players from when you were younger but kids these days see Jordan like Bird and Magic and not the invincible icon that we remember

 

[Midnightangel]

Prime Time. Elway. Barry Sanders. Someone on the Niners except for Jerry Rice. Even my fellow STL Cardinal fans tend to overrate Ozzie Smith a bit historically. Its natural to overrate players from when you were younger but kids these days see Jordan like Bird and Magic and not the invincible icon that we remember

I'd argue that Sanders is the GOAT at RB.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

Wow I only thought Pats insiders knew that

secrets out.

In a world of offense, I like to pay attention to good defensive players. besides for a full time player, think it was the 1st time I heard of that happening.

 

[Wazmankg]

Prime Time. Elway. Barry Sanders. Someone on the Niners except for Jerry Rice. Even my fellow STL Cardinal fans tend to overrate Ozzie Smith a bit historically. Its natural to overrate players from when you were younger but kids these days see Jordan like Bird and Magic and not the invincible icon that we remember

Deion & Barry are in the conversation for GOAT and I've never heard anyone claim Elway is the GOAT. All fans tend to overrate icons from their teams regardless of era. Nothing new there. Jordan is the GOAT and Magic & Bird are both top 10. How would "kids these days" know better than people who actually watched them play in their prime ? I've been watching since the late 60s so I was already grown when Magic, Bird & Jordan hit the scene, fwiw.

 

[KnightAndDay]

Gonna have to go with Night Train Lane

 

[RoboticDreams]

It wasn't an easy choice as, like I said, I did my homework.

I had to go with Rod because he was an outstanding cover corner that could hit.

That being said, there really is no wrong answer on this.

Yes there is. Any answer that isn't Deion Sanders is wrong. Love him or hate him, he was the best cover corner to ever play.

I remember Rod Woodson getting juked out of his season by Barry Sanders. I enjoyed laughing at my brother for awhile when it happened.

Rod was very good but he was no Deion.

 

[RoboticDreams]

To me that help makes my point about how problematic it is to rank players from different eras. For example, if Deion played when teams were run-heavy offensively, do you think he'd even make the list of GOAT CBs?

Is this a serious question?

 

[UK Cowboy]

Prime Time. He'd be even more valuable in today's game

 

[jakedog56]

Prime Time. He'd be even more valuable in today's game

How would he be even more valuable today? The league is shifting towards being very physical in the initial 5 yard are but Saunders was the opposite of physical. He was great in coverage but about as physical as my grandma before her naptime.

 

[Wazmankg]

Yes there is. Any answer that isn't Deion Sanders is wrong. Love him or hate him, he was the best cover corner to ever play.

I remember Rod Woodson getting juked out of his season by Barry Sanders. I enjoyed laughing at my brother for awhile when it happened.

Rod was very good but he was no Deion.

When you have to qualify it by calling him a great cover corner you're already conceding something. I don't understand how so many here can dismiss the importance of making a tackle or simply being physical when assessing a DB. You don't think Deion would have brought Barry down 1 on 1 in the open field on that play do you ?

 

[Midnightangel]

When you have to qualify it by calling him a great cover corner you're already conceding something. I don't understand how so many here can dismiss the importance of making a tackle or simply being physical when assessing a DB. You don't think Deion would have brought Barry down 1 on 1 in the open field on that play do you ?

I don't know of any men that could have brought Barry Sanders down one on one.

 

[RoboticDreams]

When you have to qualify it by calling him a great cover corner you're already conceding something. I don't understand how so many here can dismiss the importance of making a tackle or simply being physical when assessing a DB. You don't think Deion would have brought Barry down 1 on 1 in the open field on that play do you ?

I wasn't making the point that Deion was capable of getting Barry down one-on-one, and Rod wasn't. That was just a little side point because I enjoyed being able to razz my brother a bit about his favorite player.

Deion is the best corner I've seen. Tackling is important but he wasn't so horrible at it, that it detracts that much from him overall. He was more unwilling than he was incapable. He still made tackles when he had to.

 

[TDs3nOut]

Is this a serious question?

Sure it is. A CB who is great in coverage, but a poor tackler, is increasingly a liability
to his team the more opponents run the ball. Prior to around 1980 teams ran (overall) more than they passed, so it certainly makes sense to question whether Deion would have been even an effective CB, let alone a GOAT candidate, had he played in the era when defenders had to tackle, regardless of how good they were at defending one receiver.

 

[TDs3nOut]

When you have to qualify it by calling him a great cover corner you're already conceding something. I don't understand how so many here can dismiss the importance of making a tackle or simply being physical when assessing a DB. You don't think Deion would have brought Barry down 1 on 1 in the open field on that play do you ?

Must be mere Deion fan boys who fail to understand that point.

 

[flaraider]

Lester Hayes didn't even make your poll? Pffft….

2× Super Bowl champion (XV, XVIII)
5× Pro Bowl selection (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984)
1× First-team All-Pro selection (1980)
5× Second-team All-Pro selection (1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984)
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
1980 NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Raiders single season leader in interceptions with 13

All those accolades and no gold jacket, just ain't right.

Lester wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but man he could ball, played his best in the biggest games, like Ray Guy he should get his jacket one of these days.

 

[Midnightangel]

All those accolades and no gold jacket, just ain't right.

Lester wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but man he could ball, played his best in the biggest games, like Ray Guy he should get his jacket one of these days.

Did some research and found he used a LOT of stickum. So much so that he's pretty much the reason it was banned. Maybe that's why he's not in?

 

[TDs3nOut]

Did some research and found he used a LOT of stickum. So much so that he's pretty much the reason it was banned. Maybe that's why he's not in?

Hayes and fellow Raider Freddie Biletnikoff, who were both great players, are probably more closely associated with stickum than any other players. I don't think that should be held against their achievements on the field, though, since stickum wasn't illegal when they played. Besides, the gloves that receivers and DBs now routinely wear didn't exist back in those days, but they presumably make it easier to catch the ball.

 

[flaraider]

Did some research and found he used a LOT of stickum. So much so that he's pretty much the reason it was banned. Maybe that's why he's not in?

LOL, you had to do research to find that out? Yes he did use or rather overuse stickum, much like Belitnikoff, and brought about it's banning, but I believe Fred got his jacket, Lester no, like I said, something wrong with that. The Hall of Fame is about the best players in the history of the game, and I think Lester belongs.