Chase Stuart
Footballguy
From the PFR blog:
, so here's the very quick explanation.The number in parentheses is the player's age that season; the second number is a very approximate guess at his average value during his best seasons. Then based on a player's age (28-30 = very good, really young or really old = bad) and his APPROXIMATE value at his peak (18 = excellent; 10 = good; 5 = bad), I gave a score to each player for each age. Note that repeat seasons are deleted -- so the '85 Bears won't show up here since the '87 Bears had the exact same LBs and they ranked higher. And why are they ranked higher? Because Singletary at 29, Marshall at 25 and Wilson at 30 are assumed to be better than Singeltary at 27, Marshall at 23 and Wilston at 28. Actual production in any given season is not considered. This is not a look at the best LBs ever, or the best LB corps ever. Just a look at the best set of great linebackers playing at their best seasons for the same team.
As for approximate value, note that it's very approximate. All I'll say is it's better than any other method of ranking defensive players. But it's far from perfect. E.g., Swilling's peak value is 19.0 while LT's peak value is 18.0. Taylor was the better player, of course; the only thing I'll say about the approximate value system is generally, a group of players with a rating of 19.0 will be better than a group of players with a rating of 15.0. Certainly any one player at 18 can be better than any one player at 19.
Enough talk; here's the list. Starting with the 4-3 LBs:
And the 3-4 LBs
More methodology discussion available here. I know you guys won't read that, though
, so here's the very quick explanation.The number in parentheses is the player's age that season; the second number is a very approximate guess at his average value during his best seasons. Then based on a player's age (28-30 = very good, really young or really old = bad) and his APPROXIMATE value at his peak (18 = excellent; 10 = good; 5 = bad), I gave a score to each player for each age. Note that repeat seasons are deleted -- so the '85 Bears won't show up here since the '87 Bears had the exact same LBs and they ranked higher. And why are they ranked higher? Because Singletary at 29, Marshall at 25 and Wilson at 30 are assumed to be better than Singeltary at 27, Marshall at 23 and Wilston at 28. Actual production in any given season is not considered. This is not a look at the best LBs ever, or the best LB corps ever. Just a look at the best set of great linebackers playing at their best seasons for the same team.As for approximate value, note that it's very approximate. All I'll say is it's better than any other method of ranking defensive players. But it's far from perfect. E.g., Swilling's peak value is 19.0 while LT's peak value is 18.0. Taylor was the better player, of course; the only thing I'll say about the approximate value system is generally, a group of players with a rating of 19.0 will be better than a group of players with a rating of 15.0. Certainly any one player at 18 can be better than any one player at 19.
Enough talk; here's the list. Starting with the 4-3 LBs:
Code:
BAL-2006 Ray Lewis (31): 20 Adalius Thomas (29): 15.6 Bart Scott (26): 13GNB-1963 Ray Nitschke (27): 15.6 Bill Forester (31): 16 Dan Currie (28): 14.3CHI-1987 Mike Singletary (29): 17.6 Wilber Marshall (25): 18.3 Otis Wilson (30): 11KAN-1972 Willie Lanier (27): 17.3 Bobby Bell (32): 16 Jim Lynch (27): 13.3CHI-1959 Bill George (30): 18 Joe Fortunato (29): 15.3 Larry Morris (26): 10.3PIT-1978 Jack Ham (30): 17 Jack Lambert (26): 18 Loren Toews (27): 8.66CHI-2007 Brian Urlacher (29): 19.3 Lance Briggs (27): 15.6 Hunter Hillenmeyer (27): 7CHI-1955 Bill George (26): 18 Joe Fortunato (25): 15.3 George Connor (30): 12.3PIT-1980 Jack Lambert (28): 18 Jack Ham (32): 17 Robin Cole (25): 9.66RAM-1976 Isiah Robertson (27): 17.6 Jack Reynolds (29): 12.6 Jim Youngblood (26): 11.3GNB-1968 Dave Robinson (27): 14.3 Ray Nitschke (32): 15.6 Lee Roy Caffey (27): 13PHI-1954 Chuck Bednarik (29): 20.6 Bucko Kilroy (33): 14 Wayne Robinson (24): 11.3PIT-1979 Jack Lambert (27): 18 Jack Ham (31): 17 Dirt Winston (24): 8.66BAL-2001 Ray Lewis (26): 20 Peter Boulware (27): 11.3 Jamie Sharper (27): 10.3RAM-1975 Isiah Robertson (26): 17.6 Jack Reynolds (28): 12.6 Ken Geddes (29): 10.3RAM-1967 Maxie Baughan (29): 15.6 Myron Pottios (28): 12 Jack Pardee (31): 11.6BAL-1972 Mike Curtis (29): 16 Ted Hendricks (25): 17 Ray May (27): 8.66BAL-1973 Mike Curtis (30): 16 Ted Hendricks (26): 17 Stan White (24): 10CHI-1970 **** Butkus (28): 15.6 Lee Roy Caffey (29): 13 Doug Buffone (26): 9.33ARI-1994 Wilber Marshall (32): 18.3 Seth Joyner (30): 13.6 Eric Hill (28): 7.66PIT-1976 Jack Ham (28): 17 Jack Lambert (24): 18 Andy Russell (35): 13.6TAM-1999 Derrick Brooks (26): 19 Shelton Quarles (28): 10 Hardy Nickerson (34): 14.6GNB-1974 Ted Hendricks (27): 17 Fred Carr (28): 12 Jim Carter (26): 9DAL-1967 Chuck Howley (31): 16.3 Lee Roy Jordan (26): 13 Dave Edwards (28): 9.33CLE-1952 Bill Willis (31): 18.3 Tommy W. Thompson (25): 14 Walt Michaels (23): 13
Code:
NOR-1990 Pat Swilling (26): 19 Sam Mills (31): 17 Rickey Jackson (32): 14.6 Vaughan Johnson (28): 11.6PIT-1995 Greg Lloyd (30): 17.3 Kevin Greene (33): 16.6 Chad Brown (25): 14.3 Levon Kirkland (26): 13BAL-2003 Ray Lewis (28): 20 Adalius Thomas (26): 15.6 Peter Boulware (29): 11.3 Ed Hartwell (25): 8.66PIT-2003 James Farrior (28): 14.6 Jason Gildon (31): 14.6 Joey Porter (26): 14 Kendrell Bell (25): 10.3BAL-2004 Ray Lewis (29): 20 Adalius Thomas (27): 15.6 Ed Hartwell (26): 8.66 Terrell Suggs (22): 13.3DEN-1979 Randy Gradishar (27): 16 Tom Jackson (28): 13.6 Bob Swenson (26): 11.6 Joe Rizzo (29): 9DEN-1981 Randy Gradishar (29): 16 Tom Jackson (30): 13.6 Bob Swenson (28): 11.6 Larry Evans (28): 7OAK-1979 Ted Hendricks (32): 17 Phil Villapiano (30): 13.6 Rod Martin (25): 13 Monte Johnson (28): 8.66PIT-1997 Greg Lloyd (32): 17.3 Levon Kirkland (28): 13 Jason Gildon (25): 14.6 Earl Holmes (24): 9.66NYG-1991 Lawrence Taylor (32): 18 Pepper Johnson (27): 13.3 Carl Banks (29): 11 Gary Reasons (29): 7PIT-1982 Jack Lambert (30): 18 Jack Ham (34): 17 Robin Cole (27): 9.66 Loren Toews (31): 8.66BAL-2007 Ray Lewis (32): 20 Bart Scott (27): 13 Terrell Suggs (25): 13.3 Jarret Johnson (26): 5.66OAK-1978 Ted Hendricks (31): 17 Phil Villapiano (29): 13.6 Monte Johnson (27): 8.66 Willie Hall (29): 7.33PIT-1991 Greg Lloyd (26): 17.3 Hardy Nickerson (26): 14.6 David Little (32): 9.66 Bryan Hinkle (32): 9DET-1993 Pat Swilling (29): 19 Chris Spielman (28): 12 George Jamison (31): 7.66 Dennis Gibson (29): 6.66NYG-1988 Lawrence Taylor (29): 18 Carl Banks (26): 11 Pepper Johnson (24): 13.3 Harry Carson (35): 13.3PIT-2000 Jason Gildon (28): 14.6 Levon Kirkland (31): 13 Earl Holmes (27): 9.66 Joey Porter (23): 14NYG-1990 Lawrence Taylor (31): 18 Pepper Johnson (26): 13.3 Carl Banks (28): 11 Steve DeOssie (28): 4PIT-1999 Jason Gildon (27): 14.6 Levon Kirkland (30): 13 Earl Holmes (26): 9.66 Carlos Emmons (26): 9PIT-2006 Joey Porter (29): 14 James Farrior (31): 14.6 Larry Foote (26): 9 Clark Haggans (29): 7.66DEN-1980 Randy Gradishar (28): 16 Tom Jackson (29): 13.6 Larry Evans (27): 7 Rob Nairne (26): 7.33PIT-1992 Greg Lloyd (27): 17.3 Hardy Nickerson (27): 14.6 David Little (33): 9.66 Jerrol Williams (25): 5.33NYG-1983 Harry Carson (30): 13.3 Lawrence Taylor (24): 18 Brad Van Pelt (32): 9.66 Brian Kelley (32): 9DEN-1982 Randy Gradishar (30): 16 Tom Jackson (31): 13.6 Larry Evans (29): 7 Jim Ryan (25): 8DEN-1989 Karl Mecklenburg (29): 15.6 Simon Fletcher (27): 10 Michael Brooks (25): 10.6 Rick Dennison (31): 8.33
it-1978 3 13.8 Jack Ham (30): 17 Jack Lambert (26): Loren Toews (27): 8
IT-1976 Jack Ham (28): 17 Jack Lambert (24): 18 Andy Russell (35): 13.6Maybe I'm missing something here.
