He rose to Pro Bowl status playing left tackle for a single-back, Joe Gibbs-style 1980s offense. This includes a wide receiver that some younger fans may have never before heard of, and also multiple quarterbacks who are still playing in the NFL as of the posting of this piece. NaVorro Bowman trade rumors surfaced in early spring, only to be quickly squelched by new 49ers general manager John Lynch. If Mel Blount, Mike Haynes and teammate Lemar Parrish hadnt been in the same conference, Riley would have made more a few more Pro Bowl trips. 1. Jim Marshall, DE, Vikings. Hmmm. Jeff Saturday had to translate Peyton Manning's spur-of-the-moment audibles into protection schemes a split second before the snap. 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Teams: New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Pro Bowl appearances: Four (1979, 1980, 1986, 1987). Victory propelled Montana to superstardom, while defeat left the 32-year old Anderson to play out the string as a high-percentage passer for a rapidly disintegrating franchise. Once an arbitrary number of players from a historic team get enshrined, the committee moves on in search of underappreciated players from other franchises. He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. 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 But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. 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. It takes bad timing and bad luck. Terry Porter is another name that isnt remembered despite his The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. He took over as the Bears' featured offensive weapon after the Super Bowl Shuffle years. 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. Yes, Marshall amassed that sack total by playing foreverhe started270 games (plus 19 playoff starts) from 1961 through 1979. C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? Not Fred Dean. Lomas Brown played left tackle for four Lions playoff teams. But his Rams had a running back named Eric Dickerson and quarterbacks named Dieter Brock and Jeff Kemp. 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. He finally won a Super Bowl ring as a backup for the Buccaneers. There may be such a thing as too much blitzing, after all. For a few years, he was not only the best guard in the NFL, but the most important. 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.". Jerry Rice and John Taylor may have been the greatest receiving tandem of that era, but Ellard and Flipper Anderson were the most explosive pair of deep threats. 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. Joyner, who was beloved by supporters of the Philadelphia Eagles, is a member of the NFL 20/20 club for interceptions and sacks. 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. His 65 interceptions are fifth most in NFL history. One of the big Pro Bowl misses from 2015 is the player I think is the NFL 's Most Underrated. Smith wasnt a no-show on third-and-long, either. It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. He's the Rams' all-time leading rusher with almost 3,000 more yards for the franchise than Marshall Faulk or Eric Dickerson. WebMost Underappreciated QBs of the 2000s. It takes years of playing the wrong position for the wrong team in the wrong league at the wrong time. Rivers' excellence, longevity and ability to barely dodge immortality make him the John Hadl of his era. 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. And no Hall of Famers allowed. 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. He was a participant in four Super Bowls and a member of two All-Pro teams. There have been many better quarterbacks than Ryan in NFL history. Player A was a one-time Most Valuable Player who took part in four Pro Bowl games. Massive sports fan and soccer nerd. Unless you live in Cleveland or are over 50, you probably have never heard of him. Anderson became a footnote to the Ditka era, but fans who saw him play know he was far more than that. Guy deserved to be inducted, no question about it, but the day passed long ago for Sean Landeta to receive his invite to Canton. Along with the legendary Johnny Unitas, Rote probably did more to change the quarterback position than anyone in the pre-merger era even if so few know it. Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Pro Bowl appearances: Three (1997, 2000, 2005). Here on the All-Time Underrated List, it counts for a lot. Start with Adam Timmerman, who won Super Bowl rings with the Packers and Rams three years apart. 1. 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. Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. Bottom line: In the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, defensive ends were akin to smaller, more agile tackles run-stoppers first, pass-rushers second. More than one scout considered Turner to be too light to play linebacker, too slow to play defensive back. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". He headed to Washington and moved from the weak to strong side. He was arrested four times after his abrupt retirement. Butler's defensive accomplishments might have brought him to the cusp of immortality, but don't underestimate the power of that Lambeau Leap. Mark Schlereth. 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. If John Hadl is remembered for anything these days, it's for one of the most disastrous trades in NFL history. The linebacker ranks 17th in career solo tackles (1,130) and is the only player to be part of three consecutive Super Bowl champions. Karl Mecklenburg. He also scored 35 touchdowns on the ground in that span. No one else is even close. Maybe Rivers takes his place among the all-time greats. So Kenn basically had three careers. Let's face it: An entire All-Underrated Team can be assembled using only Broncos defenders. The least glamorous position on the field, a so-so team, a franchise moveWisniewski pulled three lemons on the recognition slot machine. 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. And they really deserve more love. Butler was the NFL's most dangerous all-purpose safety for much of the 1990s. 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. Bowman is coming off an Achilles tear in 2016. There's underrated, underappreciated and overlooked. And then there is Kent Hull, the first center to achieve greatness in a no-huddle offense. The statue portrays jubilant Packers fans in tundra-weather gear appearing to cradle a player who just pounced into the stands. 10. McDole was a starting defensive end for two of history's legendary defenses: the AFL champion Buffalo Bills of 1964 and '65 and Washington's "Over-the-Hill Gang" of the early 1970s. Teams: Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Super Bowl championships: Three (1991, 1997, 1998). The Colts accused Ryan of running up the score in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964. 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. Bruce found the end zone over 90 times in regular season play during his career, and he is one of five players in the history of the NFL to go for over 15,000 total receiving yards. Hes also among a select few to be a four-time Super Bowl champion. If you guessed both or neither one, youre wrong. The only lineman to start all four of those games was a workout warrior and routinely bench-pressed 550 pounds in his prime. Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). As a 31-year-old, no less. His career was cut short by injuries suffered in the first of those three Pro Bowls. How he slipped through the cracks for 13 years remains one of the unsolved mysteries in pro football. WebTop 10 most underrated NFL players: Justin Tucker, Keenan Allen deserve more recognition. Who do you believe is the most underrated player that played at least one year from There are certain statistics that one would imagine would immediately pop into the mind of a football fan. But three of his best seasons are not listed in the encyclopedias. That's where the politics of Hall voting come in. Years: 1990-2004. By the time the 49ers are great again, Bowman may be in his early 30s or on another team. He has already waited too long for that deserved honor. The trade went how you might expect a lopsided midseason deal for an aging quarterback to go. Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. 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. The Hall of Fame eluded Ellard for several reasons: comparisons to Rice, the Rams' move to St. Louis (it takes hometown writers and buzz to mount a campaign) and those five early seasons in a ground-and-pound offense. He became an All-Pro playing blindside protector in an early 1990s run-'n'-shoot offense. Why retain an expensive vestige of the last regime, or really the last three regimes? 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. He recorded four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 1988 through 1991, a rare feat at the time. Steven Jackson arrived in St. Louis just as the Greatest Show on Turf was deteriorating into the Most Miserable Slog in the Midwest. When the team inducted Smith into the Pride of the Jaguars ring of honor last year, it was the strange case of a moribund franchise honoring a former receiver still on parole for succumbing to the demons of addiction. The Adventures of Grim Reaper J is a Reminder to Do What You Love style | Charlie Kolbrener Johnnie Walker Collaborates With VANDYTHEPINK and 88Rising to Release Special Blue Label Bottle nft | ONE37pm Editors 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. WebDeAngelo Hall was quietly one of the best defensive backs of the 2000s. In his most prolific early season, he caught 54 passes for 811 yards and five touchdowns. The Bills were among the first teams to frequently operate without a huddle. Kolb set the Super Bowl standard for left tackles in Super Bowl IV, when he smoked undersized Minnesota Vikings end Jim Marshall like a bad cigar. They're the working stiffs who bust their butts at so-called lesser positions, on teams that are seldom seen on highlights shows, let alone national television. He then went on to start at left tackle for the playoff-bound Cardinals and 2000 NFC champion Giants. He reached the playoffs as a rookie backup in 2004 and a 32-year-old backup in 2015, but zero times in the decade in between. Maybe not, seeing as Nalen has not had much success. Men such as Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor. Ellard was an Antonio Brown-level talent in his prime, but his teams were in no hurry to get him the ball. Dunn finished his career with 15,655 all-purpose yards, 25th in league history, one of the best players never to be a champion. Finished his career was cut short by injuries suffered in the 27-0 championship rout of 1964 might. 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