So whaddya say, fans? He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. Maybe there is still an NFL team in San Diego. In the 1950s and the days of 12-game regular seasons, he rushed for 3,078 yards, nearly 1,000 more than the runner-up. But Hadl had to do something to make the Packers think he was worth two armfuls of draft picks. The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. Brown earned seven Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro selection. It is difficult to rank Ken Anderson in this list if only because he is constantly referenced as being an underrated player. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. Incredibly, McDole started 97 of the next 98 games. WebJermaine O'Neal, Chauncey Billups and Peja Stojakovic are among the most underrated players of the 2000s. But Anderson was an extraordinary talent. Bottom line: The 49ers of the 1980s are remembered most for Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, coach Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense. Hes on the short list of running back leaders in yards per rush (4.6, 17th), touches (2,824, 25th) and yards from scrimmage (14,079, 35th) in NFL history. Most Underappreciated RBs of the 2000s. That's its own kind of recognition. It is easy to understand why he would come up when the topic is being addressed, but that he is not respected as one of the best to play the position is difficult to understand. A mauler of a right guard, Timmerman also was agile enough to escort Marshall Faulk on screens and sweeps. Poor Louis Wright has a hard time even making the Broncos' overcrowded All-Snub Team. He was usually the Bears' best rusher and receiver in his prime years, catching 40-50 passes per season from Mike Tomczak or the young Jim Harbaugh. While you may not put him in your top-tier of all-time great running backs, Anderson deserves more than a mention for a spot in the next tier of that imaginary list. Both of those seasons came, ironically enough, after Allen and Buddy were separated. He was an All-Pro for the Orange Crush defenses of the 1970s, and then he stuck around to play for the 1986 Broncos Super Bowl team. It would rank 16th all-time, except that if we allow Marshall's sacks into the record, we would have to make room for Deacon Jones, Mean Joe Greene and others. Drew Brees endured an average of just 24 sacks per season in Evans' All-Pro seasons, despite typically dropping back to pass over 650 times per year. Only if a player averages eight interceptions a season for ten consecutive years will some begin to recognize what Krause achieved during his career. Bowman is a four-time All-Pro and tremendous all-purpose linebacker who emerged as a stalwart leader for teams that otherwise might have packed it in before Labor Day. Then again, the fourth-round draft pick had no choice. Ryan needed surgery and was in constant pain for the rest of his career. That may be unfair to players like Robinson, Jerry Kramer and L.C. Ron McDole falls into that final category. Theyre the core players who are overshadowed by more well-paid, high-profile teammates and just plain pathetic, shameless self-promoters. One of the big Pro Bowl misses from 2015 is the player I think is the NFL 's Most Underrated. Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). If ever a geezer was meant to play with George Allens Over The Hill Gang, he was the one. Player B was a one-time MVP who played in two Pro Bowl games. Overall, the total still ranks ninth at the position. Reidel Anthony, Florida. Anchoring defenses with catchy names like the "Orange Crush?" "I wasnt the fastest guy, but I didnt mind having the defender at my hip," Ellard said per Yahoo Sports. Guy deserved to be inducted, no question about it, but the day passed long ago for Sean Landeta to receive his invite to Canton. That made Hull one of the first centers to make line adjustments on the fly. (Bonus point: Schlereth doesnt suck as a broadcaster on ESPN. He played the run with authority (721 career solo tackles). The 49ers are installing a new system and reshaping their roster. More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. Ellard moved on to Washington in 1994 and enjoyed a late-career renaissance, averaging 61 catches and 18.8 yards per reception over a three-year span in his mid-30s. The best teams in the AFL proved to be NFL-caliber, but the bottom of the league was populated with a nearly bankrupt franchise or two, so the best players clumped on the best teams and stood out from the crowd. Only kicker in NFL history to hit at least one FG Anderson does not get the credit he deserves for reasons that cannot be explained. David Garrard. Start with Adam Timmerman, who won Super Bowl rings with the Packers and Rams three years apart. Young was also a much better rusher who could find the end zone via his arm or by using his legs. Since the NFL has turned The Jaguars upset John Elway's Broncos and reached the AFC Championship Game as a second-year expansion team and then went on to three more playoff berths, culminating in a 14-2 season. Anderson is no Hall of Famerthe middle of his career is a morass of ordinary-at-best seasonsbut he was a pioneer and an innovator. Those who have knowledge of National Football League history are well aware of the more famous individuals who made their names and fame playing pro football. No one else is even close. He helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. The 2023 wide receiver class is one of the worst in recent memory, but there are some solid options on Day 2 for teams searching for complementary players. Dont let the numbers fool you Morgan wasnt a one-trick racehorse. July 24, 2020July 24, 2020 Koby83 Carson Palmer, Football, Matt Schaub, NFL, Quarterbacks Underrated. But three of his best seasons are not listed in the encyclopedias. McDole, nicknamed "The Dancing Bear" because of his boogie on the dance floor rather than his on-field footwork, was known as more of a run defender than a pass-rusher. He had to blanket a wide receiver in man coverage with no safety help on every play. A Super Bowl ring and two AFL championships. Teams kept doing something special to get their hands on Hadl. WebAll-Time Most Underrated NFL Players by Position. The easiest way to be overlooked by history is to replace a legend just after a franchise has peaked. Its easy to forget the Seahawks had some pretty good teams way back when, even a few playoff ones. Maybe Rivers takes his place among the all-time greats. He started for the Rams in their Super Bowl seasons at the beginning of his career and then earned Pro Bowl berths for Washington from 2009 through 2012 when he was in his mid-30s. There's a statue outside of Lambeau Field commemorating the Lambeau Leap, perhaps the most recognizable and beloved (except to Packers opponents) end-zone celebration in the NFL. Neal Anderson replaced Walter Payton. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. 4. Who knows what the NFL might have looked like then? Fletcher intercepted 23 passes and recorded 39 sacks as a do-it-all middle linebacker. Brett Favre may be the player most responsible for bringing spectacle and success back to Titletown, but Butler brought back celebration. Turned out he was skilled and driven enough to be a champion. "It pissed me off," Fletcher replied. Young started his career as the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year and ended it as a four-time winner of the Len Eshmont Award, the 49ers' team award for character and leadership. Not Fred Dean. So Anderson cranked out a few 1,000-yard seasons and played in some Pro Bowls, and that was that. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. Lofton was the first player in NFL history to accumulate 14,000 receiving yards. Mills was a USFL All-Star in all three seasons of the league's existence, and he led the Philadelphia and Baltimore Stars' Doghouse Defense (coached by Jim Mora) to a pair of league titles. Still don't understand why the writers don't respect it.". Oh, and Norton scored the final touchdown of the game on a 9-yard fumble return. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, acquired the 34-year-old Rams quarterback by, Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images, Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. To understand why he is not in the Hall of Fame, you must familiarize yourself with both the era he played in and the vagaries of Hall voting. WebThe 2023 wide receiver class is one of the worst in recent memory, but there are some solid options on Day 2 for teams searching for complementary players. This list begins with a quarterback who is preparing to play in the 2015 NFL regular season. Bottom line: One of the premier long-ball threats of any era, Stanley Morgan ranks 10th in yards per reception (19.2) and 39th in touchdown catches (72) on the all-time list. Lofton could stretch the field with his speed, and he also had some of the best hands of his time. While Kreig didnt possess fleet feet or a bazooka arm, he could read defenses and throw an accurate ball. Perhaps it's time we look back on how much of an impact he and his Jaguars had on the NFL two decades ago. That's not something to hold against a player. There are some out there who would say that a player who has been inducted into the Hall of Fame cannot possibly be underrated. Frank Ryan, QB, Browns. He's also among the top 100 in games started (83rd), interception return yardage (89th) and interception return touchdowns (31st). Smith produced nine 1,000-yard seasons in 10 years, including two 100-plus-catch seasons in an era when they were still relatively uncommon. Greenwood, but there are dozens of other great old players clamoring for their chance who didn't enjoy the glory of playing for a "team of the decade.". What Mason did have was a keen attention to detail and fanatical drive to succeed. No matter. The unfunny joke that has been Isaac Bruce not being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is one that is going to end soon. Bottom line: All Ken Norton could do was take down ballcarriers and collect Super Bowl rings. Both players were Pro Bowlers the previous year. As the Chargers faded, Rivers kept them in the wild-card picture and became the franchise's only recognizable public figure. 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Hes also among a select few to be a four-time Super Bowl champion. Former head coach Jim Mora has referred to Mills as the best player I ever coached. Along with being a talented defensive player, Mills was also respected for being one of the smartest defenders on the field during his career. Much of the Saints' offensive success in Evans' prime years is rightfully credited to Brees. The Bills were among the first teams to frequently operate without a huddle. Is it at all possible that any of these legends of the game could possibly also be some of the most underrated players in NFL history? Take a quick look at the long list of quarterbacks who have played for teams that host home contests indoors, and you will see how many of them failed to have careers anything close to that enjoyed by Brees over the years. Men such as Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor. For years, the team couldn't even harken back to its glory days properly, as Smith's Pride of the Jaguars induction was delayed until he was sober and no longer under house arrest. He's not the kind of player a wise organization sheds to cut expenses. That's a higher sack total than Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis. Maybe that victory gives them the psychological edge they need to beat the undefeated Patriots in their 2008 playoff rematch. 1. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. When London Fletcher retired after the 2014 season, Robert Klemko of The MMQBasked him if he was motivated by feeling underappreciated for most of his career. By the time the 49ers are great again, Bowman may be in his early 30s or on another team. Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. There, he led a relentless Redskins pass rush in their Super Bowl XXVI ambush. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. Wisniewski reached eight Pro Bowls and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Decade team for the 1990s, so he's not exactly obscure. Players like McDole are what all-time underrated lists exist for. Appreciate him for being that. Kenny Anderson may be the most "so underrated that he's overrated" player in NFL historya darling of the stat-head community and common first-guy-mentioned when Hall of Fame snubs come up. Sam Mills rises above the rest of the gritty linebacker pack, at least when it comes to being underrated, because three of his greatest seasons have been erased from history. He is Baltimore Ravens nose tackle Brandon Williams. Anderson went on to duel with Walsh and Montana's 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. Freelancer for multiple websites. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. in the mid-1960s to early '70s, chances are "Whichever one has Marv Fleming" would have been a correct answer. He had the speed to get to the edge and beat defenders down the sideline, the power to plow through tackles, the elusiveness to make things happen in the open field and receiving chops to rival contemporaries Roger Craig or Thurman Thomas. On this All-Underrated list, he is in very good company. Teams: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, Experience: 13 years (1950-59, 1963-64, 1966), AFL All-Star Game appearances: One (1963). After missing most of two years with injury, he returned in 1972 and led the NFL in TDs, yards, yards per attempt, and was an all-pro. Yet somehow, some way, Kolb never received a Pro Bowl invitation. Nope, not Charles Haley. He must either play for teams so good that they overshadow his accomplishments, or teams so bad that he had to do it all by himself. He finally won a Super Bowl ring as a backup for the Buccaneers. Bottom line: Few remember Glen Edwards as the fearless strong safety with the Steelers first two Super Bowl teams. Robinson was one of those players. In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. Teams: Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1993, 1995, 1997), Super Bowl championships: Three (1992, 1993, 1994). He intercepted 25 career regular-season passes and two more in the postseason. In their two Super Bowl seasons that followed, Young was a virtual nonfactor in the matchup. Thats what Krieg did best win football games. Seth Joyner is one of those athletes who is widely respected by fans of the team that he played for but who is also not always mentioned as being an underrated player. ), Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Super Bowl championships: Two (1974, 1975). 4,409 Rushing Attempts. It was the era of great defensive lines with catchy namesthe Rams had the Fearsome Foursome, the Cowboys the Doomsday Defense, the Steelers later added the Steel Curtain, and so forthand Marshall was the Ringo Starr of the Purple People Eaters, the guy who once ran the wrong way for a touchdown and was happy just to be in the band. Unlike many of Marshall's teammates, however, he wasnt an obnoxious self-promoter, which partly explained his absence from the NFC Pro Bowl roster that season. He is one of the best receivers in history, and he has the stats to back up such claims. Hence, the Campbell video. Hmmm. It takes more than mere greatness to be considered one of the most underrated players in pro football history. Ground rules: A max of three Pro Bowl invitations. Bottom line: Terrell Davis rushed for 2,008 yards in his momentous 1998 season, but look at the game films and you wont see him fake out many defenders or break many tackles. He also doesn't play in the shadow of a legend. The trade went how you might expect a lopsided midseason deal for an aging quarterback to go. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. But c'mon: 289 regular-season and postseason starts, 127 sacks and four Super Bowl appearances, yet the Hall of Fame turns up its nose at Marshall as just a pretty good defender with a long career? That makes sense: Both started their careers late, played with workhorse running backs, won a championship and had their careers curtailed by vicious hits. Outside of the incredible stats that Monk posted during his Hall-of-Fame career, is has to be noted Monk also never had the pleasure of playing with quarterbacks such as Joe Montana, Dan Marino or John Elway. Even pesky third-down backs and gritty fullbacks may seem underrated until you realize how many of them become local heroes. Were going to wrap up the 2. NFL career: Cleveland Browns (2005-12), New York Jets (2013), Indianapolis Colts (2014) Bottom Line: Josh Cribbs. Since Week 13, when he became the starter due to Jimmy Garoppolos broken foot, Purdy has the NFLs best passer rating (112.0), completing 68.3% of his passes for 8.1 yards per attempt, 13 touchdown passes, and just three interceptions. Evans is still playing at a high level; the Packers hope that he can do for Aaron Rodgers what he did for Brees. Bowman makes this list because he has the makings of a player who will be underappreciated historically. Coughlin gave Smith a tryout, then kickoff return duties, and then teamed him with Mark Brunell and Keenan McCardell to create one of the most dangerous passing attacks of the late '90s and early 2000s. You mean future Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace didnt block four guys all by himself? Allen has much in common with many others on this underrated list. WebThe highest-rated quarterbacks, wide receivers, edge rushers, running backs, cornerbacks, and defensive linemen were fine, as were the 99 club member additions and overall team There are certain statistics that one would imagine would immediately pop into the mind of a football fan. As good as Ellard was at the time, he almost was never mentioned in debates about the best at his position. The 6'2" Wright was renowned as a run-stuffing cornerbackthat's him tackling Walter Payton in the photobut he also intercepted 26 career passes, even though opposing quarterbacks spent much of his career avoiding him. Hadl played quarterback, halfback, defensive back and punter for the University of Kansas. Why is it that history has seemingly forgotten about Kevin Greene? There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. Modern centers don't get the credit they deserve. Anderson was the first quarterback to successfully orchestrate the beta version of Bill Walsh's West Coast offense for multiple seasons. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. Player: Emmitt Smith. And few were better at making opposing quarterbacks pay for mistakes. Teams: Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Houston Texans. These ideas that Marvin Harrison cannot be considered to be one of the greatest wide receivers in the history of the NFL all because he played with Peyton Manning need to be put to bed forever. Greene remains third all-time in the list of career NFL sacks, and 32-year-old Jared Allen is the only active player who is remotely close to catching Greene. His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. He was overshadowed by more famous teammates throughout his career. He arrived in Buffalo at the same time Marv Levy was revolutionizing NFL offense with the help of Jim Kelly, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas. He intercepted 34 passes for the Eagles and 54 in his career. The Lions drafted him as a running back. He started for an offensive line that helped Barry Sanders win two of his four rushing titles. The difference between the great and the all-time great is often a matter of timing and luck. Chandler Jones, Defensive Player of the Year awards? "When I was there, the thing we were missing was that explosive type of offense, and the new coach brought that in.". But so were teammates like Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Bobby Bell, Curley Culp and Jan Stenerud, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame. Don Hutson played multiple positions during his time, including defense and on special teams. Finally, at last, the cornerback was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl game as some kind of lifetime achievement award. Bottom line: Quick, name the winningest Seahawks quarterback before the Russell Wilson era. No, what youll see are lots of gaping holes the size of Boulder. Six All-Pro selections. Mason was frequently his team's most valuable offensive player, but he and Steve McNair made their short pitch-and-catch passes look a little too easy. He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. As much as there are people who would say that Cunningham remains an underrated quarterback, there are also some out there who would say that people have oversold how great he was during his career. He blitzed (20.5 sacks). C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. Still, even his long resume undersells his Mookie The Thief Blaylock made his mark on the defensive end, setting the pace for the steals race in 1996-97 and 1997-98, averaging 2.7 and 2.6, respectively. The weekend opened with the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. Mason's 95-catch, 1,200-yard seasons translate to 115-catch monsters in more pass-oriented schemes. WebMen such as Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor, Those who have knowledge of National Football League history are well aware of the more famous individuals who made their WebWhile every fan base is sure to have two or three names they feel are undervalued and worthy of this list, here are my current top ten underrated players in the NFL. The Bucs hired head coach Jon Gruden and won Super Bowl XXXVII the next season. Those who have knowledge of National Football League history are well aware of the more famous individuals who made their names and fame playing pro football. So it takes a remarkable streak of hard luck for a running back to make this list. WebKen Anderson is easily the most underrated quarterback of all time. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. Mason had seven seasons of at least 70 pass receptions, 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. It made the Bills of the early 1990s the greatest team to never win a Super Bowl. WebDeAngelo Hall was quietly one of the best defensive backs of the 2000s. There may be such a thing as too much blitzing, after all. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. And consider this: The one-time college triple-jumper played with a Pro Bowl quarterback (Jim Everett) in only one season. WebWe're a media page that has been highlighting an underrated player from every team in the NFL. That may tick him off. Now that's underrated. No reasonable person is going to confuse Ottis Anderson for being one of the top-five running backs in the history of the NFL, but he is nevertheless grossly underrated by far too many who follow the NFL. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". Karl Mecklenburg. They didnt do anything that Tobin Rote hadnt done a long time ago. Hall of Fame receiver Paul Warfield was on the receiving end of many of Ryan's touchdowns. Johnny Robinson's credentials make you want to drive to Canton, kick down the Hall of Fame's door and clear a spot for his bust yourself. He headed to Washington and moved from the weak to strong side. Dunn left Tampa Bay as a free agent after the 2001 season and headed to Atlanta, largely because of his relationship with Arthur Blank, the Falcons owner. He had one sack in four games, all Rams victories. The Hall of Fame has turned up its nose on all of them. Peppers will have to play three more seasons to catch Marshall, and Peppers' starts are non-consecutive. He was a participant in four Super Bowls and a member of two All-Pro teams. Today, most people know Mark Schlereth mostly as an The time when Landeta will no longer make such lists will arrive when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame, a day that cannot come soon enough. In an ideal world, every NFL playoff game is won or lost strictly by the players. "Even now I still get pissed off. He then led three fourth-quarter comebacks to bring them back to the playoffs in 1965. Wright earned a second-team All-1970s nod from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, even though several of his signature years were in the 1980s. Hudson, a two-time NFL MVP, was the dominant receiver in the league at a time when passing attacks were nothing near what they are in the modern game. Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. But no highlight clip of that play can be found on the internet. I still don't know that people gave me my due respect for my production. Hull started his professional career with the USFL's New Jersey Generals, where he helped Herschel Walker rush for 2,411 yards in one 18-game season. But run defense was king in the era when McDole played, and his 16-year career is littered with big plays: 12 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries, two touchdowns, three safeties and a pair of sacks in the 1966 AFL Championship Game. Tom Nalen protected John Elway in a pair of Super Bowl victories and helped trigger a zone-blocking revolution as part of Alex Gibbs' influential offensive lines. Arizona Cardinals: WR Andy Isabella. The least glamorous position on the field, a so-so team, a franchise moveWisniewski pulled three lemons on the recognition slot machine. Debates about the greatest pass-rushers in the history of the NFL will conjure up mentions of players such as Bruce Smith, Michael Strahan, Reggie White and others. These are the most underrated college football players of all time. Kenn is one of the NFL's all-time great players and leaders, and his impact ranges far beyond his playing career. Sometimes it's because they played next to even bigger stars and sometimes it's He is also infamous for admitting on ESPN Radio that he once purposely let Packers defender Sean Jones sack Scott Mitchell so the struggling quarterback would get knocked out of a game. does not get the love that is handed to other running backs is something that could make you scratch your head. Born: (2007, 2009, 2012), NFL Special Teams Player of the Year (2009), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team . Teams: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Pro Bowl appearances: Four (1979, 1980, 1986, 1987). Mostly Schlereth and sidekick Tom Nalen, who were masters of zone-blocking schemes, a major reason why Davis is in the Hall of Fame today. Teammates Alan Page and Carl Ellar were held in higher regard. Mills looks like just another local hero linebacker in the encyclopedias, albeit a good one. Actually, theres a simple explanation. Any defensive player breaking into the NFL in 2015 would love to be mentioned alongside such names when his career came to an end. And because versatility is his calling card, he'll never produce gaudy sack totals or climb any all-time leaderboards. Most seasons with 30 made field goals (7). Or as astute NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg scored it, "KO for Ken Norton.". He has started every game he has played in since 2014 (with four different franchises). Steve Wisniewski played guard on a Raiders team that moved in the middle of his career and was just good enough to remind you it was not in the same class as the great Raiders teams that preceded it. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). An undrafted quarterback out of the late Milton College (Wisconsin), Krieg got them to the postseason four times and the AFC championship game once. "That was my territory," Edwards recalled in The Palm Beach Post. The Pro Football Reference Similar Players tool compares Ryan's five-year peak to that of Joe Theismann. If McCree doesn't cough up that fourth-quarter pick, the Chargers beat the Patriots, and perhaps Philip Rivers leads a team that went 14-2 in the regular season to the Super Bowl. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. The list of players who are in that club includes Ray Lewis, Rodney Harrison, Brian Dawkins, LeRoy Butler and Ronde Barber. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining lists. We could just trudge onward to the next player right now. It's hard for a running back to be underrated. Tomlinson is fifth all-time in rushing yards, and he is third all-time in regular season touchdowns scored for all players and not just for running backs. Norton made the key play of the game in the second period, when he stood up Buffalo Bills back Kenneth Davis mere inches from the goal line. No modern coach suppressed passing offenses quite like Fisher, and no team produces offensive stats that look like they come from the early 1930s quite like the Ravens. "Stanley Steamer" could run every route and was hell on wheels with the ball in his hands. But the former NFL Man of the Year award winner and two-time All-Pro should not have had to wait so long. Brown did one thing terribly wrong in 18 NFL seasons, but for his teams to win as often as they did, he must have done an awful lot more right. Nothing screams underappreciated like rumors you're about to be traded to make room for a late first-round pick. Bottom line: Warrick Dunn overcame the murder of his mother, bouts with depression and 5-foot-9 size to have a successful 12-year NFL career. Randy Gradishar. LeRoy Butler, S, Packers. That he was part of The Greatest Show on Turf should not be a knock against him or a reason for keeping him out of the Hall of Fame. He once threw three touchdowns in a shutout victory in a title game. WebNFL Nostalgia: Ranking the Most Underrated Players in NFL History. In the nine seasons that Aaron Smith had double-digit starts, their D ranked among the top nine in yards allowed every time, but his consistent play went over the heads of many. Arizona Cardinals: Kelvin Beachum, OT. The NFL is now full of receivers like Mason, but few of them are as productive as he was for over a decade. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. It is a shame that he will never truly have his day in Canton, one that he deserved before he passed away. He didnt just take up space, either. Jim Marshall, DE, Vikings. That "something" was throwing for more than 29,000 yards and going to four AFL All-Star Games and a Pro Bowl with the Chargers and then leading the Rams to a 12-2 record in 1973. WebMost Underrated NFL Players of All Time These men did so much but received so little credit in return. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. Unless you live in Cleveland or are over 50, you probably have never heard of him. WebTaylors 2000s career included him playing with Jacksonville (2000-2008) and New England (2009), and he had some great all-around years as an NFL running back. Landeta is widely viewed by experts and fans as one of the best punters in the history of pro football, and the two-time Super Bowl champion was an All-Pro on six occasions. Numbers better than majority of RBs in history. Web#shorts #viral #dunk #edit #fyp #nfl #sports #sportsedits Dont know about you, but I want Mason on my retro fantasy league team. His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. It's not that Ellard, an Olympic-caliber triple-jumper with 4.4 speed, didn't know what he was doing. Stafford is an underrated quarterback who has also been a pillar of stability outside of his second season and this past year. In his prime, Wright was often mentioned in the same breath as Hall of Famers Mel Blount and Mike Haynes. Fleming was a reliable backup tight end/wide receiver who played with four Super Bowl-winners (and one NFL champion) in a dozen seasons. His .588 win percentage ranks second to Wilson in team history. Bottom line: The 1970s Steelers won four Super Bowls two with a power run game, two with a potent pass attack and who better than Jon Kolb to do the heavy lifting? He's the Rams' all-time leading rusher with almost 3,000 more yards for the franchise than Marshall Faulk or Eric Dickerson. With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. So LeRoy Butler, innovator of the Lambeau Leap, is excluded from his own statue. Butler is all but guaranteed to get lost in the shuffle. He picked off a dozen passes in his career two of them at 38 years of age an absurd number for a 6-foot-4, 265-pound lineman. If the soft-spoken scatback had been in the right place at the right time, he would have filled his one nagging void a Super Bowl title and the exposure that accompanied it. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. Hull never lived to see himself make a Hall of Fame semifinalist list, as he died of liver failure at age 50 in 2011. He may not have been as good as Jerry Rice or Randy Moss, but there is a solid argument to be made that Lofton is one of the ten best wide receivers in the history of pro football. "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He became an All-Pro playing blindside protector in an early 1990s run-'n'-shoot offense. But what peak years they were: 14- and 13-win seasons, annual playoff appearances, routine 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown seasons. Allen is trailing by 26 sacks as of the start of the 2015 regular season. Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Bottom line: Fred Taylor once tweeted, "I earned respect on the field. Taylor rushed for 1,000-plus yards in seven seasons. Steve Atwater. Bottom line: In his 15th and final season, the 36-year-old Ken Riley had eight interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns, one of the most incredible performances by an old man ever. 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