Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

75th Anniversary was Nitschke, Butkus, Lanier, Hendricks, Ham, Lambert, and LT. I'm guessing that Sam Huff was a very-near-miss. As for "since-'94"...Derrick Thomas, Junior Seau, and Ray Lewis first come to mind (forgive/correct me if I'm missing anyone). Who gets added in 2019?

Considering the changes to the All-Pro team(s) who knows what "slots" the voters of 2020 will be trying to fill.

I'd like to see the division of the current representatives broken into MLB (Nitschke, Butkus, Lanier, Lambert) and OLB (Hendricks, Ham, Lambert, and LT) at the very least...
And, considering the eras, there may be room for an "ILB" (Inside Linebacker in a 3-4) and the modern "Pass Rush Specialists" in addition to a "traditional" linebacker.

My point being, if the voters are told to choose "a linebacker" Ray Lewis (for example) will be in the running.
But if they're told to pick a "Pass Rush Specialist his name probably wouldn't come up.

With only 3 OLB's, I feel there should be room for one more. Junior Seau and Derrick Brooks are the first two names that come to mind, even though Seau kind of bounced around. Thomas is not a real candidate, IMO.

Ray Lewis is a worthy addition, but I can't see 5 MLB's on this team. So who does Lewis replace? Definitely not Butkus. Nitschke doesn't have a lot of accolades, but that happens when your career overlaps with Bill George, Joe Schmidt, and Butkus.
I feel like Willie Lanier is underrated. I used to downplay Lambert's career, since he was playing behind the Steel Curtain, but he was quite effective after the defensive line had retired. He made 5 straight All Pro teams beginning in 1979.

If they're keeping just the generic category of "linebackers" and not splitting the group into OLB and ILB, I say you add Lewis to the existing 75th anniversary group. If he replaces someone... I would take out Hendricks.

I'd say Thomas isn't close, he was just totally one dimensional.

I think Seau gets underrated due to being mired out in SD all those years, but those late 90 Charger run defenses have every claim to be as good a run D as the early 2000's Ravens. IN 98, 99 and 2000 the Chargers allowed 2.7, 3.1 and 3.0 YPC respectively, 99, 2000 and 01 the Ravens were 3.1, 2.7 and 3.4. In Seau's 13 year Charger run they averaged 3.5 ypc, in Lewis' first 13 with Baltimore they averaged 3.4 ypc, and I think you can argue that Lewis was surrounded by more front 7 talent than Seau.

I'd love to find a way to get Seau, Lewis and Brooks on the team. I'd probably sacrifice Nitschke for Lewis, it's so close between Hendricks and Seau, I do think Brooks is with Jack Ham as one of the greatest 43 OLB's ever.

Brian Urlacher.

Shame on me! How could I possibly forget to mention Brooks & Urlacher, especially Brooks who very well may be #1 of the "since '94"s. That's what happens when someone's criminally underrated. Heck, when casual fans think back of that Tampa D they likely think of (more-popular) Sapp first; then maybe Lynch next. They always got most of the hype, and here I - momentarily - fell for it.

Yes, I agree, LBs should be placed in groupings; and no reason to not add more than one in 2019 while, at the same time, keeping in the 7 already in.

NWebster wrote:I'd say Thomas isn't close, he was just totally one dimensional...

Unless they have a "Rush Specialist" position in which case Thomas (and a slew of others) again becomes relevant.