Mike Iupati

[racepug]

Mike Iupati has officially retired after spending his entire playing career in the N.F.C. West. I have him down as the top 49ers LG of all time (edging Guy McIntyre out). Any dissenters?

[JuggernautJ]

I would be curious to know how you rated Randy Cross and Bruno Banducci...

Iupati was good but I don't know that he was 17th-overall-in-the-2010-draft good...
Jesse Sapolu (like Cross played Center as well as guard) is another worthy candidate.
Woody Peoples... there are lots of good guards over the Niners' history.

How did you arrive at one rating higher than the others?

Edit: I didn't notice at first that you specified LEFT Guard...
I think Cross played right guard and idk about the others.

[Jay Z]

McIntyre played 5 years at LG for the Niners and made the Pro Bowl every year.

Iupati played 5 years at LG for the Niners and made the Pro Bowl 3 years and All Pro one year.

Iupati was a 1st round draft pick, McIntyre wasn't. I suppose Iupati was a better prospect, but he still didn't make the PB those first two years.

McIntyre had one year at RG for the Niners, and more years as a sub. Depends if you give credit for those other years. Some people will give informal credit if the player moved to another team and continued to play well. Peak versus career.

I'd have to dig deeper into the Pro Bowl and All Pro competition, I guess.

What was the deal with Ray Brown? He sat around for seven years, barely played, got hurt, then suddenly turned it on and played for 20.

[rhickok1109]

Frankly, I think the search for "best ever" at any position for any team is generally fruitless. I can think of a handful of exceptions, Jim Brown and Walter Payton chief among them, but with almost all the others there are many claimants, a lot of room for argument, and no objective way of deciding.

[racepug]

Frankly, I think the search for "best ever" at any position for any team is generally fruitless. I can think of a handful of exceptions, Jim Brown and Walter Payton chief among them, but with almost all the others there are many claimants, a lot of room for argument, and no objective way of deciding.

For many positions and teams I think you're correct but I think there are some players who are obviously head-and-shoulders above others to play a position for a given team. Tom Brady is a good example of that, I think. I'd argue that Drew Brees is, without question, the best QB the Saints have ever had (even given the era he plays in). I'd also give the nod to Adrian Petersen at RB for the Vikings (although there's a good case to be made for Chuck Foreman, as well).

[racepug]

I would be curious to know how you rated Randy Cross and Bruno Banducci...

Iupati was good but I don't know that he was 17th-overall-in-the-2010-draft good...
Jesse Sapolu (like Cross played Center as well as guard) is another worthy candidate.
Woody Peoples... there are lots of good guards over the Niners' history.

How did you arrive at one rating higher than the others?

Edit: I didn't notice at first that you specified LEFT Guard...
I think Cross played right guard and idk about the others.

Banducci played RG as well (according to Pro Football Reference). Mr. Crippen has done a "scouting report" of Mr. Banducci, I believe.

[Gary Najman]

I haver always thought that the late John Ayers, the 49ers starting LG from 1979 through 1986, was very underrated.

[JuggernautJ]

I haver always thought that the late John Ayers, the 49ers starting LG from 1979 through 1986, was very underrated.

I was thinking of Ayers as we were discussing only LEFT Guards.... good call Teo.
I don't know, though... I played line on the sandlot and whether I was left or right didn't make too much difference to me... I cared a lot more about who was opposite me than on which side I was on.

I think it would be more appropriate to consider who were the two (or more) best guards as opposed to the best left and right guard... but that me.

[Brian wolf]

I concur ... Ayers might have been more physical than Cross without the pulling ability. Their line was tough but undersized and I believe Brady had better blocking over his career than Montana. Its doubtful that Brady like Montana, will have any off linemen in the HOF, but Matt Light and Logan Mankins have cases, along with Cross, if not Ayers.

[JuggernautJ]

And any discussion of the offensive line of that era requires a mention of their coach Bobb McKittrick:
"Bobb saw a run of 16 strait seasons with ten or more wins. He was on board for 13 NFC West Championships, and all five Super Bowl victories."

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/373 ... ers-legend
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobb_McKittrick