Established Player Apperciation Thread

[thenewfeature06]

Guys that come to mind.. during my time (born 91)

Ray Lewis, Brian Dawkins (the ray of the secondary I like to call him)
My favorite WR.. Randy ummm love Reggie Wayne and his old friend Marvin Harrison. Not a huge fan of Favre but I like to see guys play the game with passion.. Urlacher as well as Briggs..Peyton and Tommy

[killxswitch]

This is a shocker I'm sure, but I'll say Reggie Wayne.

- Hasn't missed a game since his rookie year in 2001 (played in 13/16 that year)
- 3 seasons with over 100 receptions
- 7 seasons with over 1000 yards
- 3 seasons with 10+ TDs
- 656 1st down receptions
- turns 34 this month and yet...
* Had the best game of his career vs. Green Bay this year, 13/212/1
* On pace for over 100 receptions and 1,730 yards! At 34 years old!
- Messed with New England as a free agent, only to return to Indy as a hero for what most assume was a lesser contract

For his career, he has 916 receptions for 12,465 yards and 71 TDs. He has been the ultimate possession receiver, but still somehow comes up with the big 20+ yard reception at the most critical of times. It is clear he will retire a Colt and I love him for it.

[Vox Populi]

I hate possession receiver as a description for a receiver. It implies so much negativity and emptiness in a player's game. Its a nice(?) way of saying someone is too slow to actually beat coverage down the field but they can run routes crisply enough to create small windows of separation for quick passing plays to pick up easy yards or shorter third downs. Thats not how I'd describe Reggie Wayne over his career, and the only reason I can think that hes beginning to be described as a possession receiver is because he doesn't do anything after the catch if there isn't open field in front of him.

[killxswitch]

Originally Posted by Vox Populi

I hate possession receiver as a description for a receiver. It implies so much negativity and emptiness in a player's game. Its a nice(?) way of saying someone is too slow to actually beat coverage down the field but they can run routes crisply enough to create small windows of separation for quick passing plays to pick up easy yards or shorter third downs. Thats not how I'd describe Reggie Wayne over his career, and the only reason I can think that hes beginning to be described as a possession receiver is because he doesn't do anything after the catch if there isn't open field in front of him.

I don't mean it as a negative at all. He's just not the "burner deep threat" that a guy like Megatron or Mike Wallace, or like Marvin Harrison was. At least not anymore, at one time he had enough speed to beat people deep. But that was never the strongest part of his game.

And I don't think the "small windows" part is accurate either as Reggie can shake anybody and get wide open.

[Vox Populi]

Originally Posted by killxswitch

I don't mean it as a negative at all. He's just not the "burner deep threat" that a guy like Megatron or Mike Wallace, or like Marvin Harrison was. At least not anymore, at one time he had enough speed to beat people deep. But that was never the strongest part of his game.

And I don't think the "small windows" part is accurate either as Reggie can shake anybody and get wide open.

That was kind of my point and I only responded at all because you said Reggie Wayne "has been the ultimate possession receiver" implying that it isn't just recently that his ability to go deep was weak which I know that you isn't true and is why I brought up my issue with the description.

I just think possession receiver is a lazy way of describing someone like Wayne who offers and has offered a lot more ability than just catching a ball reliably. Some people did the same thing with Torry Holt, Eric Moulds, Jimmy Smith, etc. when they got later on in their careers because they eventually slowed down and then got the label applied to them as if they were never really great receivers because it wasn't as obvious with athletic like freaks Randy Moss or Terrell Owens that they used to be much more explosive players who weren't known just for having great hands and running great routes.

[ChiFan24]

Charles Tillman. A million times Charles Tillman.

[SuperPacker]

Charles Woodson. Nick Collins. Donald Driver.

No bias involved here.

[Borat]

I still love watching Frank Gore dominate.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Borat

I still love watching Frank Gore dominate.

The Patron Saint of Jimbaugh

[The Alex]

Originally Posted by Smash28Dash34

2005 WR triple crown (1 of only 2 WRs in history to do that. -Jerry Rice

Sterling Sharpe, 1992. Speaking of which, he should be in the HoF.

http://www.pro-football-reference.co...S/SharSt00.htm

Also, Don Hutson did it 5 times including 4 consecutive years from 41-44.

[yo123]

Adrian Peterson is on his way to maybe his best season ever, 9 months after shattering his knee and without any semblance of a passing game whatsoever. So there's that.

[Caulibflower]

Reggie Wayne's a really good one for this thread. Always has been in somebody else's shadow in Indy, whether as the 4th wheel to Peyton, Edge and Marvin Harrison, or as Peyton's "default" no. 1 after Marvin Harrison was gone, to being the "savvy vet" with the new, mega-famous rookie QB.

[WCH]

Originally Posted by The Alex

Sterling Sharpe, 1992. Speaking of which, he should be in the HoF.

http://www.pro-football-reference.co...S/SharSt00.htm

Also, Don Hutson did it 5 times including 4 consecutive years from 41-44.

I remember when people used to debate Sharpe vs. Rice. At a certain point in time, people legitimately argued that Sterling Sharpe was better than Jerry Rice. That says a lot about Sterling.

[Raiderz4Life]

Don't really know of anyone currently on the Raiders other than Jano and of course Shane Lechler.

[Caddy]

Originally Posted by Rosebud

Lance Briggs, I actually think he's passed Derrick Brooks at this point. He's just been so consistently great for so long.

Briggs is fantastic and he deserves to be mentioned alongside DB, but I'm not sure if he is quite on that level.

[bigbuc]

Ronde Barber

[Denver Bronco56]

Originally Posted by WCH

I remember when people used to debate Sharpe vs. Rice. At a certain point in time, people legitimately argued that Sterling Sharpe was better than Jerry Rice. That says a lot about Sterling.

Never got to see him play, but I did go to USC and know of all of his college records and having been a lifetime broncos fan I knew of him through Shannon. and Sterling should be in the HOF, just like TD(sorry random rant) During his time in the NFL you could argue his dominance against any other WR

[SenorGato]

Andre Johnson and Vince Wilfork. Wilfork might be the greatest NT of all time when he's finished. Johnson gets lost in the shuffle of the many great WR talents of the past 15 years or so.

[bucfan12]

Ronde Barber. Dude is like the ageless wonder. I'm starting to wonder if he should have moved to safety earlier bc he looks like a natural and is still getting it done.

[Splat]

Tony Gonzalez still getting it done at age 36 is just ridiculous.

[bigbluedefense]

DeMarcus Ware. We're seeing a top 5 pass rusher of all time every week. There isn't a flaw to his game. He can do it all.

[AntoinCD]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

DeMarcus Ware. We're seeing a top 5 pass rusher of all time every week. There isn't a flaw to his game. He can do it all.

Yup. Guy is consistently overlooked for defensive awards, in part because what he does is so consistent and thus expected from him. This guy has pretty much been the best pass rusher in the NFL for the last 6 or 7 years. But he is also very good against the run and actually pretty decent when dropping into coverage. Sure fire hall of famer and likely to go down as one of the best ever. Which begs the question why Atlanta decided simply not to block him when he absolutely annihilated Matt Ryan last week in the second quarter

[TheFinisher]

I started getting into the NFL around 99-2000 when I was about 10 years old, around the same time these 2 guys were becoming superstars. I grew up watching and idolizing Randy Moss and Ray Lewis. Two names that opposing teams feared, and probably still fear to this day. I'll always associate them as being 2 of the greatest players to ever suit up, and the 2 greatest that I saw with my own eyes.

[bigbluedefense]

Ray Lewis in his prime was just unreal. The best MIKE to ever play the game is Ray Lewis.

That 2000 defense was the best I ever saw. Too young to remember the 86 Giants, 85 Bears, 70s Steelers. Sort of remember the 90 Giants. They were close to the 2000 Ravens though. LT was declining at that point, but still a force.

[UKfan]

Larry Fitz for me, the playoff games he had with Kurt Warner in that run to the Super Bowl for the Cards were just ridiculous. It's such a shame he has nothing much throwing to him now, but he has some of the best hands I have seen.