Whos the best Linebacker in the NFL today?
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Whos the best Linebacker in the NFL today?
POLL: Best LB
| Ray Lewis |    |
21% | (5) |
| Brian Urlacher |    |
54% | (13) |
| Patrick Willis |    |
8% | (2) |
| Jonathan Vilma |    |
0% | (0) |
| London Fletcher |    |
0% | (0) |
| Shawne Merriman |    |
17% | (4) |
Taylor8766
10/13/08 9:52:40AM
Who do you think is the best out of these choices.
Bowen50
10/13/08 10:29:19AM
that is a good list but there are a bunch of other guys that deserve to be on it. Nick Barnett, AJ Hawk, Antonio Pierce, David Harris, Zach Thomas, Demarcus Ware. Ray Lewis is getting kind of old and isn't as good as he used to be. The best 2 on the list are Urlacher and Merriman and Urlacher is a much better overall linebacker than Merriman is.
emfleek
10/13/08 10:32:50AM
Posted by Bowen50
Zach Thomas
Posted by Bowen50
Ray Lewis is getting kind of old and isn't as good as he used to be.
You mentioned Zach Thomas as being one of the best in today's game but then you say Ray Lewis is getting old and isn't as good as he used to be.
Thomas is 35.
Lewis is 33.
Thomas doesn't even belong in the discussion of TODAY'S great linebackers, in my opinion.
Twenty20Dollars
10/13/08 11:04:23AM
Lewis is the best there is no leader like him on the ravens. Also i was reading in the lastest espn mag and they were talking about tackling and they had him at the best tackler in the game.
pv3Hpv3p
10/13/08 11:05:41AM
Even if they're old... Urlacher and Lewis are still probably the two best today...
Demarcus Ware and Merriman are guys that are already on the map, but I can see taking the place of the two great linebackers mentioned above as the best in the game...
While you have guys like Willis and Ryans that are the future of the great linebackers...
I also have to mention James Harrison... He flies under the radar alot and is easily one of the best outside linebackers in football...
For me it's hard to say, you can have a guy like Ernie Simms on a shitty defense and he's not going to make big waves in the league... But a mediocre linebacker in a solid D can turn into a star...
Demarcus Ware and Merriman are guys that are already on the map, but I can see taking the place of the two great linebackers mentioned above as the best in the game...
While you have guys like Willis and Ryans that are the future of the great linebackers...
I also have to mention James Harrison... He flies under the radar alot and is easily one of the best outside linebackers in football...
For me it's hard to say, you can have a guy like Ernie Simms on a shitty defense and he's not going to make big waves in the league... But a mediocre linebacker in a solid D can turn into a star...
CantAndleDaRiddum
10/13/08 11:06:35AM
brian urlacher
ask this question in 2 years & the answer will be patrick willis
ask this question in 2 years & the answer will be patrick willis
40ouncetofreedom
10/13/08 12:04:42PM
Posted by pv3Hpv3p
I also have to mention James Harrison... He flies under the radar alot and is easily one of the best outside linebackers in football...
So does Farrior...And Lamar Woodley is turning into a stud as well..
DCRage
10/13/08 12:57:36PM
Still Ray Lewis. Might've said Merriman had it not been for the serious injuries.
casey64
10/13/08 3:08:44PM
Brian is probly the best today.IMO
bigbubbano23
10/13/08 3:19:29PM
ray lewis def, he brings the tenacity
Bowen50
10/13/08 3:45:01PM
Posted by emfleek
Posted by Bowen50
Zach Thomas
Posted by Bowen50
Ray Lewis is getting kind of old and isn't as good as he used to be.
You mentioned Zach Thomas as being one of the best in today's game but then you say Ray Lewis is getting old and isn't as good as he used to be.
Thomas is 35.
Lewis is 33.
Thomas doesn't even belong in the discussion of TODAY'S great linebackers, in my opinion.
i understand that but his age isn't showing as much as Lewis'. Both of them are still really good but a lot of these younger players like Patrick Willis, AJ Hawk, and Shawne Merriman are catching up to them. regardless they still deserve to be part of the discussion.
gartface
10/13/08 5:51:53PM
I'd go with Brian Urlacher, because Shawn Merriman is a 3-4 system linebacker that blitzes almost all game. Urlacher, Lewis, Vilma, Willis, Fletcher, then Merriman maybe. I'd put Demeco Ryans above Shawn Merriman as a linebacker.
Believe-in-judo81
10/13/08 8:14:54PM
Posted by emfleek
Posted by Bowen50
Zach Thomas
Posted by Bowen50
Ray Lewis is getting kind of old and isn't as good as he used to be.
You mentioned Zach Thomas as being one of the best in today's game but then you say Ray Lewis is getting old and isn't as good as he used to be.
Thomas is 35.
Lewis is 33.
Thomas doesn't even belong in the discussion of TODAY'S great linebackers, in my opinion.
Zach Thomas had potential to be an all time great, but played pretty recklessly and suffered a fair number of nasty concussions, and has otherwise struggled with injuries pretty often through his career. Had he taken more care in how he hit guys (Led with his helmet less, etc.) and managed to stay healthy I think he would for sure have been a real legend when he's all said and done. As iit stands, he's still a very good player, just not what he may have been.
Edit: The other guys: As a Steelers fan I'm definitely fond of Farrior and Harrison too, both immensely talented backers, and Patrick Willis and Demarcus Ware are two guys who are on par to have amazing Hall of Fame careers as well.
But the one guy to come about fairly recent who I think is really special and whom I truly enjoy watching is Nick Barnett. He's only in his Sixth Season and has already put up numbers a lot of guys don't do in three or four more than that. Immensely talented guy just coming into his prime who I think may be the premier middle linebacker for the next four or five seasons. Funny how his name seems to get lost in the mix more regularly than a lot of the other top guys playing his position.