Nick's Lists: Top 10 Wide Receivers of All Time (5-1)
We started yesterday our countdown of the top 10 wide receivers (slash flankers, slash slot backs, slash split ends) in NFL history...basically anybody who can catch the ball. Before we get into the top 5...we get into the honorable mentions (of course).
Gary Clark (Washington Redskins 1985-92; Arizona Cardinals 1993-94; Miami Dolphins 1995)-One of the original "smurfs" with Ricky Sanders and Art Monk, Gary Clark was the guy who had to keep an eye on going deep. Monk was Mr. Consistency, and Ricky Sanders was the guy who would run the intermediate routes. Next thing you know, Clark was racing toward the end zone.
Sterling Sharpe (Green Bay Packers 1988-94)-According to his brother Shannon's Hall of Fame induction speech, Shannon is not even the best football player in his family. This was of course a reference to his big brother, who isn't in the Hall of Fame, and may never get there because of the relative brevity of his career, but he was Brett Favre's favorite target after he was traded from Atlanta...and for good reason.
Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals 2005-)-Who knew the Bidwill's had that much coin to throw around? Fitz was recently rewarded with a $120 million contract with $50 guaranteed. The Bidwills have been nortoriously cheap throughout their tenure as owners (and the records usually reflect it), but if they want to be at all competitive in the coming years, there was no way they could let Fitz get away. When he had Anquan Boldin on his other flank, he was even more effective. However, Boldin wanted #1 money so he went elsewhere. We'll see how Fitz produces with Kevin Kolb throwing him the ball.
Terrell Owens (San Francisco 49ers 1996-2003; Philadelphia Eagles 2004-05; Dallas Cowboys 2006-08; Buffalo Bills 2009; Cincinnati Bengals 2010)-Look, as crazy as this guy is, he can catch, and get him in the open field, he is a constant threat to take it to the endzone. Most people will remember the Sharpie, the pompoms, the diva attitude in Philly, popcorn, "That's my quarterback!", and of couse this...
Tim Brown (Oakland Raiders 1988-2003; Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2004)-Consider Tim Brown to be the anti-Terrell Owens. He could do all the things that TO could, just without the diva antics.
Well, I bet you never wouldve thought that TO would grace the space of this blog did you, but I still laugh every time I see that clip. Alright, now that we've had our daily dose of comedy, let's get into the TOP 5 WIDE RECEIVERS IN NFL HISTORY!
5) Charley Taylor (Washington Redskins 1964-77)
From sikids.com
Charley Taylor and Bobby Mitchell were Sonny and Billy's two favorite targets in the late 60s and early 70s. While Mitchell was more of the catch and run threat who would pick his way through defenses, Taylor was the streaker who would just blow by everbody and wait in the endzone for everyone to catch up. Taylor actually entered the league as a running back, but switched to receiver in 1966. All he did that year was lead the league with 72 receptions for over 1,100 yards with a long of 86 and 12 TDs. He would never have another 1,000 yard receiver season again. Nevertheless, since switching to receiver, he caught at least 40 passes in every season except 1971 (limited due to injury). He caught 49 balls in 1972 as the Redskins earned their first Super Bowl berth. He would retire with 649 receptions, the most all time at that point in history. Of course that number has been passed numerous times since then, but every season that Taylor played was only a 14 games season. Give him 2 extra games a year and who knows how big his numbers would have been? After retiring, he entered coaching and was Joe Gibbs' wide receivers coach in the 80s and early 90s as the Redskins won 3 Super Bowls behind the strength of Taylor's Smurfs.
Buddy Ryan once said about Cris Carter, "All he does is catch touchdowns." Well, with all due respect to Buddy, if I had a guy on my team that only scored touchdowns, he'd be on my team in a heartbeat. Unfortunately for Buddy, and fortuneately for the Vikings, Carter had several off field issues that forced the Eagles to let him go in 1989. Needless to say he turned his life around. Now Cris Carter is knocking on the door of the Hall of Fame...and taking all taking all 130 of his touchdowns with him. Aside from taking up residence in the endzone, Carter had nearly 14,000 receiving yards and 8 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons (all with Minnesota). In 1998, he teamed up with a young and raw rookie out of Marshall by the name of Randy Moss. Together, Moss and Carter teamed with quarterback Daunte Culpeper to form one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history scoring 556 points (a record which was eclipsed by the 2007 Patriots). Carter also served as a mentor to Moss, using memories from his troubled past to help the young receiver. While teamed with Carter, Moss was a huge X-factor. After Carter retired, well, nevermind.
3) Steve Largent (Seattle Seahawks 1976-89)
From sportsillustrated.cnn.com
As the years go by, the number of games in a season grew, and more teams placed a higher emphasis on the passing game. The Seahawks were an expansion team in 1976 along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Seahawks to this day remain the furthest removed NFL franchise from the rest of the league. So in order to make noise in the league from Seattle, you had to do something pretty special. Steve Largent did just that, and to this day is the only Seattle Seahawk enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Largent was just another step in the evolution of the modern passing game (and was Jim Zorn's favorite target). When he retired in 1989 (just like Charley Taylor before him), he held most of the passing and receiving records at that time, and was the first receiver to eclipse the 100 touchdown barrier. His career receptions total of 819 was passed only 3 years after his retirement by the next receiver on our list. One final note on Largent was that he and Zorn were two of the union-busters in 1987, crossing the picket line before the union went back to work. Some big names back in those days crossed the picket lines, including Danny White and Joe Montana. After his football career, Largent entered a career in politics, serving in the House of Representatives from Oklahoma for 8 years, culminating in an unsuccessful attempt at running for governor of Oklahoma in 2002.
2) Art Monk (Washington Redskins 1980-93; New York Jets 1994; Philadelphia Eagles 1995)
Watch this...
I was fortunate to be there to watch this happen live. Art was inducted at the same time as Darrell Green, so I got a 2 for 1 Redskins special, well worth the trip to Canton. Art's standing ovation lasted 4 minutes before he got to start his speech. Art was never a man of many words, and in an era of divas like TO, Randy Moss, and Michael Irvin (why Irvin was inducted before Art Monk is a travesty that may never be properly explained), guys like Art usually get overlooked. He was first eligible for the Hall in 2000, the fact that it took 8 more years to get Art into the Hall in rediculous. In any event, just like Cris Carter just scored touchdowns, all Art Monk did was move the chains. The vast majority of his catches went for first downs. When Monk passed Largent with his 820th catch, it went for a first down. He was no stranger to the endzone either, scoring 68 times. He had 5 seasons of 1,000 yards receiving. Nobody can question Monk's toughness, hands, and willingness to run any kind of route into any kind of coverage. For several years the biggest knock on Monk's Hall of Fame resume was his lack of a "signature catch" (in the words of know-it-all Peter King). True, Monk never did score in the Super Bowl, nor did he have a spectacular playoff catch like Dwight Clark (but is Dwight Clark in the Hall of Fame?). However, he did get in the endzone in Super Bowl XXVI, only to have it overturned by that generation's version of instant replay...and yes it was the correct call, I've seen the play many times.
1) Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers 1985-2000; Oakland Raiders 2001-2004; Seattle Seahawks 2004)
From NFL.com
OK, so this one is a no-brainer. Jerry Rice has lapped the field when it comes to receiving. Even in today's pass happy NFL, Rice has set records that may very well NEVER be broken, and that's not really much of a stretch. Consider that he has 22,895 receiving yards, almost 8,000 ahead of 2nd place. His 197 TD receptions are 45 more than 2nd place. His 208 total TDs are 33 more than 2nd place. His 1,549 career receptions are 447 more than 2nd place. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is in Jerry Rice's league. He could just as easily go deep as he could catch a short pass across the middle and take it all the way. He could run the out-pattern, corner route, buttonhook, flanker screen, crossing pattern, post pattern, and of course the 9 route. Montana and Young were amazing passers in their own right, but have Jerry Rice to throw to made their jobs that much easier. Rice was the only 49er other than Joe Montana to win Super Bowl MVP in the 80s (XXIII). He played in 3 Super Bowls (2 with the 49ers and 1 with the Raiders), and scored TDs in every one. For 11 consecutive seasons he had 1,000 yards receiving, and in all but 2 of those had double digit touchdowns. At the end of the 2000 season, the 49ers expressed their desire to move in a different direction (Terrell Owens was starting to emerge as a star), so Rice signed with the Raiders in 2001, and had 2 more 1,000 yard receiving seasons. Probably the only knock on Rice as a football player was that he didn't know when to quit. After the 2002 season, his skills dropped off precipitously, but he kept making comebacks, including an ill-fated attempt to comeback with the Denver Broncos in 2005. His career unceremoniously ended when he was a camp cut that year. At that point he finally retired, and of course made the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
That will do it. I'm pretty sure that nobody will have any arguement with #1, but with #'s 2-10 I'm interested to know what you all think. I'd like to do at least one more countdown before the season starts on September 8th. Also, be sure to check out Lattanzi Land this weekend as Josh will be doing his NFL preview over Labor Day weekend, and yours truly will be a contributor! Go me.
I was sure I didn't need to mention one guy in this discussion until you left him off not only the top five, where he belongs, but didn't even give him an honorable mention; and at the risk of being a homer (though let's be honest, this is a fairly obvious top-5 guy), WHERE THE HELL is Marvin Harrison?
Are you serious with this, Nick? Where's your credibility? Marvin Harrison was regarded as the best WR of his generation (colloquially the post-Rice/Irvin period, though I know Rice floundered around in Oakland and Seattle for a while). For eight straight years - his era of superiority, and longer than the total careers of some of the unheard-of's you've got on your little list - Marvelous Marvin never caught fewer than 82 balls, never went for fewer than 1,113 yards, and never caught fewer than 10 touchdowns. In one of those years, he caught more balls than anyone had every caught (and more than anyone has ever since) in a season, obliterating the record by 20 with his 143 in 2002. He started eight straight Pro Bowls, was an All Pro eight straight years, won a Super Bowl (despite playing during the tainted Patriots era), and averaged 84.77 receptions per year during his career (which was a record-breaking 93 before injuries limited him to just 20 catches in 2007), just shy of the record of 85 set by "honorable mention" Sterling Sharpe. On top of that, he was a character player. He never got into trouble off the field, never brought sharpies onto the field, was never (noticeably) coked out like your boy Michael Irvin, and didn't have to bribe sportswriters after eight years of eligibility (you know it's true) to get into the Hall of Fame.
If Art "Overrated, Undeserving Hall of Famer" Monk "was no stranger to the endzone" with his 68 touchdowns, Marvin must have been who he was visiting when he dropped in, as he nearly doubled #2's total with 128 in 34 FEWER games. You want consistent reliability? Harrison is the only receiver to have a catch in every game in which he played (190). You want explosive record breaking? Harrison is the fastest receiver ever to reach the 700, 800, 900, 1,000, and 1,100 reception marks. Not a single guy who knows football would argue that if Harrison had Rice's longevity (Rice played 7 more years - although the last two or three were admittedly at a lower level), he would be the GOAT (and, to be fair, Rice's longevity, along with playing in the pre-salary cap era in which it was easier to win multiple Super Bowls, is the primary reason Rice IS considered to be the GOAT).
And you have Chris Collinsworth (who I love in the booth, don't get me wrong) and some guy named Bobby Mitchell on here? Pfft. I know you're a Redskin homer on this blog, but I reiterate: pfft.
@AK Two words, Kent...you of all people should know. Peyton. Manning.
Take #18 out of the equation, do you REALLY think Marvin gets half of the production that he had? End-o-story.
And to your claims of Redskins' homerism...have you read any of my other lists? A grand total of 2...count 'em...2 Washington Redskins were on them (Dexter Manley and Sammy Baugh...but even Baugh predates my parents).
Jerry Rice is disqualified. Here's how: Two words. Joe Montana. Want two more? Steve Young. It's the same logic you used to disqualify a guy who, had he gone the 7 extra years that Rice did, would be regarded as far and away the greatest WR of all time.
The following stats illustrating this point were taken from ESPN's player stats entries for each player.
Harrison averaged 5.8 catches per game, Rice averaged only 5.11. Harrison averaged 76.74 yards per game, Rice only 75.56. Harrison averaged .674 touchdowns per game, Rice only .65. (You notice a trend here? The GOAT is ONLY overshadowed by a guy who, according to Caputo's Corner, isn't even a top 15). Finally, Harrison averaged 3.99 first downs per game, Rice only averaged 3.52 (this one has to be qualified, however - 1985-1990 are omitted for Rice, and the denominator/amount of games are adjusted accordingly).
As per Redskin homerism - I know Marvin Harrison was an INFINITELY better WR than Art Monk was.
And here's another thought: if the second best WR in NFL history is solely the product of his QB, as you assert with Harrison and Manning, shouldn't his QB be higher than five on your all time QB list? Shit, if a no-talent hack like Marvin can best Jerry Rice's per-game numbers with Manning chucking him the ball, imagine what RICE would have done with Manning!
Something else occurred to me: Art Monk is essentially Hines Ward one generation earlier. Both play(ed) in offenses centered primarily on the run, and if I understand Monk's legacy correctly, he's the quintessential possession receiver. After all, "all [he] did was move the chains." But let's look at some numbers, shall we?
Monk played 224 games to Ward's 202 - a season and change. After this year, they will be about even.
Monk had 940 catches, Ward has 954. In 22 fewer games. OK, by this measure Monk isn't anywhere near Ward.
Monk had 12,721 yards over his career. Ward has 11,702. I never watched Monk much, but here's what I know about Hines Ward: he's pretty much the epitome of the move-the-chains possession receiver. Monk had some more yards, but it's negligible. Again, 22 more games - Ward's per-game average is actually a little higher.
Monk had 68 touchdowns, Ward has 83. Again, 22 fewer games for Ward and he blows #2 out of the water. No homerism my ass.
So where's Hines Ward, clearly a better wide receiver than #2, on this list?
OK...so perhaps I let a little homerism get to me by putting Monk at #2 (what do you have against Monk anyway?). But receiving statistics have gotten so inflated over the last decade that you can't judge a receiver based on statistics alone, you know that. If that were the case, nobody from before 2000 can be considered for a top 10 list. That's what made Rice's numbers so astounding. Even though Rice started when the evolution toward a more pass-focused offense was starting, his numbers...even by today's standards...are off the charts! Almost 8,000 more yards than your boy Harrison? Child please. Yes, Monk was in a run-first offense, but so was just about every receiver from the 80s and on back. It was guys like Monk and Rice (and Montana) that made the forward pass so en vogue for today's offenses. That's why you see 60-40 pass to run offenses when that would have been unthinkable 20 years ago. You have to keep in mind the era in which these guys played and not purely look at stats alone, and yeah, perhaps I let a little fandom get into me by putting Monk at #2, but A) it's my list (and read my other list before you send in the cavalry on my untainted homerism) and B) I knew receiver would be challenging because there are so many options. Who would be YOUR top 10...or I guess the more appropritate question would be who are your next 9 since I can guess who your #1 is?
I'm going to do something I don't do...agree with Andrew. Marvin Harrison should be in the top 5 based on his pretty crazy consistent production. Peyton made him better but he's definitely up in the top 5 all-time. I'd also like to put a plug in for at least an honorable mention, Issac Bruce. While had a few poorer years in the middle when he was injured, he was the focal point of "the greatest show on turf" and still ended up 9th all time for receiving touchdowns, 7th in receptions and 3rd in receiving yards. Also, he had one of the greatest years ever by a WR in 1995 with 119 receptions, 1781 yards and 13 TDs.
@Jim-I didn't know that leaving Marvin Harrison off the list would be that big of an oversight, haha. I had just always viewed him as a product of a prolific passer. I tried to look beyond the statistics (obviously) when putting this, and all my lists, together. I considered Harrison for a minute, then moved on because I figured if you take Peyton Manning out of the equation, does Harrison get the kind of numbers he did? I say no. Now, you could make the same argument (as Kent has tried to do) against Rice. Take Montana and Young out the equation, how much does Rice produce? A fair point, but if you consider what Rice did with those guys...like I said in the post, lap the field...it stands a fair chance that he would still hold all of the major receiving records (perhaps not by as wide a margin...but records are records). Kent argued tonight that Rice's success (and Montana's) is a result of the new (for the time) West Coast Offense...and there is merit to that, the Niners had been running it for several years before Rice was drafted in 1985. Teams had several years to make adjustments to it...and Rice only made them even more dynamic of an offense, despite adjustments other teams probably DID make.
Dustin’s Top Ten based on countless games, film study and research.
1. Jerry Rice Reasons we all know
2. Paul Warfield Most feared receiver of his time. Constantly double teamed. While stats are important, Warfield opened up the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins running games. It’s not how many catches he had but what he did with those catches. 13 years, 8,565 yards and 85 TDs in only 427 catches. Imagine his numbers if they threw him the ball more than four times a game. He averaged 20 yards per catch in seven straight seasons. Arguably, he is the best route running ever. If you have never heard of Paul Warfield, shame on you. Lastly, the NFL only played 14 game seasons during his career.
3. Marvin Harrison I think Kent covered this one.
4. Don Hutson (retired in 1945) Known as the inventor of pass routes. Held the TD catch record until 1989 with 99. In 1942, 74 catches 1211 yards and 17 touchdowns in 11 games. Oh, he also had 7 INTs on defense in 1942 and finished his career with 30 INTs. In 116 games, remember they played 12 games in the 30s and 40s, 488 catches, 7991 yards and 99 TDs. I guess that is why the NFL ranked Hutson as a top ten player of all time. Basically, Hutson did for Receivers as Sammy Baugh did for QBs,
5. Steve Largent Reasons stated above
6. Raymond Berry Another underrated Colts receiver. Another great route runner, who arguably had the best hands in the NFL history many experts have said. It was once said he could catch a bullet at night. Played only 14-game seasons. 631 catches, 9, 275 yards and 68 TDs. Best season in 1960; 74 catches 1,298 yards and 10 TDs. Oh he was also quite clutch in the post seasons too. Just look at who Unitas threw to during his 2-minute drill in the alleged “Greatest Game Ever Played”.
7. Lance Alworth Seven straight 1000-yard seasons in the 1960s and if you already didn’t know this; he also played in 14-game seasons. In 136 games, 542 catches, 10,266 yards and 85 TDs. If you don’t believe the stats, watch some film on him.
8. Randy Moss Reasons stated above
9. Charley Taylor A tough game-breaker who could move the chains, take a short route for a long game or go deep. This is not a slight on Art Monk who is a worthy Hall of Famer. But Taylor is the best receiver in Redskins History.
10. Don Maynard In 12 years (plus two games in a 13th years), Maynard had 633 catches 11,834 yards and 88 TDs. The lore of Joe Willie Namath came because of the outstanding production of Maynard.
Reasons why I give a nod to more older receivers is strictly because they played most of their years before the Mel Blount rule was instituted in 1978 and when teams ran the ball much of the time. These receivers were feared and were productive. Yes others were feared but this is my list. I look forward to here your thoughts. No disrespect to Nick because I enjoy these lists. Sports gives us a chance to debate different eras and I think Nick did a good job of looking in the past as well as evaluating the present. And Kent, your argument for Harrison makes a lot of sense, I’m glad you contributed with those so I did not have too. However, I wish you shared the same passion for guys like Warfield and Hutson. It tells me football didn’t exist to you prior to 1995.
@Dustin...no blatant homerism here...just looking for some good, clean, fun debate. Thanks for your contribution
PS...This is Nick...I don't know why it's making me post anonymously to my own blog. For some reason the Google Account is not working for me tonight...go figure.
I really hope this is a fake top 10 list... Dustin
ReplyDeleteDid I miss something? No Albert Connell!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI was sure I didn't need to mention one guy in this discussion until you left him off not only the top five, where he belongs, but didn't even give him an honorable mention; and at the risk of being a homer (though let's be honest, this is a fairly obvious top-5 guy), WHERE THE HELL is Marvin Harrison?
ReplyDeleteAre you serious with this, Nick? Where's your credibility? Marvin Harrison was regarded as the best WR of his generation (colloquially the post-Rice/Irvin period, though I know Rice floundered around in Oakland and Seattle for a while). For eight straight years - his era of superiority, and longer than the total careers of some of the unheard-of's you've got on your little list - Marvelous Marvin never caught fewer than 82 balls, never went for fewer than 1,113 yards, and never caught fewer than 10 touchdowns. In one of those years, he caught more balls than anyone had every caught (and more than anyone has ever since) in a season, obliterating the record by 20 with his 143 in 2002. He started eight straight Pro Bowls, was an All Pro eight straight years, won a Super Bowl (despite playing during the tainted Patriots era), and averaged 84.77 receptions per year during his career (which was a record-breaking 93 before injuries limited him to just 20 catches in 2007), just shy of the record of 85 set by "honorable mention" Sterling Sharpe. On top of that, he was a character player. He never got into trouble off the field, never brought sharpies onto the field, was never (noticeably) coked out like your boy Michael Irvin, and didn't have to bribe sportswriters after eight years of eligibility (you know it's true) to get into the Hall of Fame.
If Art "Overrated, Undeserving Hall of Famer" Monk "was no stranger to the endzone" with his 68 touchdowns, Marvin must have been who he was visiting when he dropped in, as he nearly doubled #2's total with 128 in 34 FEWER games. You want consistent reliability? Harrison is the only receiver to have a catch in every game in which he played (190). You want explosive record breaking? Harrison is the fastest receiver ever to reach the 700, 800, 900, 1,000, and 1,100 reception marks. Not a single guy who knows football would argue that if Harrison had Rice's longevity (Rice played 7 more years - although the last two or three were admittedly at a lower level), he would be the GOAT (and, to be fair, Rice's longevity, along with playing in the pre-salary cap era in which it was easier to win multiple Super Bowls, is the primary reason Rice IS considered to be the GOAT).
And you have Chris Collinsworth (who I love in the booth, don't get me wrong) and some guy named Bobby Mitchell on here? Pfft. I know you're a Redskin homer on this blog, but I reiterate: pfft.
@AK Two words, Kent...you of all people should know. Peyton. Manning.
ReplyDeleteTake #18 out of the equation, do you REALLY think Marvin gets half of the production that he had? End-o-story.
And to your claims of Redskins' homerism...have you read any of my other lists? A grand total of 2...count 'em...2 Washington Redskins were on them (Dexter Manley and Sammy Baugh...but even Baugh predates my parents).
Jerry Rice is disqualified. Here's how: Two words. Joe Montana. Want two more? Steve Young. It's the same logic you used to disqualify a guy who, had he gone the 7 extra years that Rice did, would be regarded as far and away the greatest WR of all time.
ReplyDeleteThe following stats illustrating this point were taken from ESPN's player stats entries for each player.
Harrison averaged 5.8 catches per game, Rice averaged only 5.11. Harrison averaged 76.74 yards per game, Rice only 75.56. Harrison averaged .674 touchdowns per game, Rice only .65. (You notice a trend here? The GOAT is ONLY overshadowed by a guy who, according to Caputo's Corner, isn't even a top 15). Finally, Harrison averaged 3.99 first downs per game, Rice only averaged 3.52 (this one has to be qualified, however - 1985-1990 are omitted for Rice, and the denominator/amount of games are adjusted accordingly).
As per Redskin homerism - I know Marvin Harrison was an INFINITELY better WR than Art Monk was.
And here's another thought: if the second best WR in NFL history is solely the product of his QB, as you assert with Harrison and Manning, shouldn't his QB be higher than five on your all time QB list? Shit, if a no-talent hack like Marvin can best Jerry Rice's per-game numbers with Manning chucking him the ball, imagine what RICE would have done with Manning!
ReplyDeleteSomething else occurred to me: Art Monk is essentially Hines Ward one generation earlier. Both play(ed) in offenses centered primarily on the run, and if I understand Monk's legacy correctly, he's the quintessential possession receiver. After all, "all [he] did was move the chains." But let's look at some numbers, shall we?
ReplyDeleteMonk played 224 games to Ward's 202 - a season and change. After this year, they will be about even.
Monk had 940 catches, Ward has 954. In 22 fewer games. OK, by this measure Monk isn't anywhere near Ward.
Monk had 12,721 yards over his career. Ward has 11,702. I never watched Monk much, but here's what I know about Hines Ward: he's pretty much the epitome of the move-the-chains possession receiver. Monk had some more yards, but it's negligible. Again, 22 more games - Ward's per-game average is actually a little higher.
Monk had 68 touchdowns, Ward has 83. Again, 22 fewer games for Ward and he blows #2 out of the water. No homerism my ass.
So where's Hines Ward, clearly a better wide receiver than #2, on this list?
OK...so perhaps I let a little homerism get to me by putting Monk at #2 (what do you have against Monk anyway?). But receiving statistics have gotten so inflated over the last decade that you can't judge a receiver based on statistics alone, you know that. If that were the case, nobody from before 2000 can be considered for a top 10 list. That's what made Rice's numbers so astounding. Even though Rice started when the evolution toward a more pass-focused offense was starting, his numbers...even by today's standards...are off the charts! Almost 8,000 more yards than your boy Harrison? Child please. Yes, Monk was in a run-first offense, but so was just about every receiver from the 80s and on back. It was guys like Monk and Rice (and Montana) that made the forward pass so en vogue for today's offenses. That's why you see 60-40 pass to run offenses when that would have been unthinkable 20 years ago. You have to keep in mind the era in which these guys played and not purely look at stats alone, and yeah, perhaps I let a little fandom get into me by putting Monk at #2, but A) it's my list (and read my other list before you send in the cavalry on my untainted homerism) and B) I knew receiver would be challenging because there are so many options. Who would be YOUR top 10...or I guess the more appropritate question would be who are your next 9 since I can guess who your #1 is?
ReplyDeleteI'm going to do something I don't do...agree with Andrew. Marvin Harrison should be in the top 5 based on his pretty crazy consistent production. Peyton made him better but he's definitely up in the top 5 all-time. I'd also like to put a plug in for at least an honorable mention, Issac Bruce. While had a few poorer years in the middle when he was injured, he was the focal point of "the greatest show on turf" and still ended up 9th all time for receiving touchdowns, 7th in receptions and 3rd in receiving yards. Also, he had one of the greatest years ever by a WR in 1995 with 119 receptions, 1781 yards and 13 TDs.
ReplyDelete@Jim-I didn't know that leaving Marvin Harrison off the list would be that big of an oversight, haha. I had just always viewed him as a product of a prolific passer. I tried to look beyond the statistics (obviously) when putting this, and all my lists, together. I considered Harrison for a minute, then moved on because I figured if you take Peyton Manning out of the equation, does Harrison get the kind of numbers he did? I say no. Now, you could make the same argument (as Kent has tried to do) against Rice. Take Montana and Young out the equation, how much does Rice produce? A fair point, but if you consider what Rice did with those guys...like I said in the post, lap the field...it stands a fair chance that he would still hold all of the major receiving records (perhaps not by as wide a margin...but records are records). Kent argued tonight that Rice's success (and Montana's) is a result of the new (for the time) West Coast Offense...and there is merit to that, the Niners had been running it for several years before Rice was drafted in 1985. Teams had several years to make adjustments to it...and Rice only made them even more dynamic of an offense, despite adjustments other teams probably DID make.
ReplyDeleteDustin’s Top Ten based on countless games, film study and research.
ReplyDelete1. Jerry Rice
Reasons we all know
2. Paul Warfield
Most feared receiver of his time. Constantly double teamed. While stats are important, Warfield opened up the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins running games. It’s not how many catches he had but what he did with those catches. 13 years, 8,565 yards and 85 TDs in only 427 catches. Imagine his numbers if they threw him the ball more than four times a game. He averaged 20 yards per catch in seven straight seasons. Arguably, he is the best route running ever. If you have never heard of Paul Warfield, shame on you. Lastly, the NFL only played 14 game seasons during his career.
3. Marvin Harrison
I think Kent covered this one.
4. Don Hutson (retired in 1945)
Known as the inventor of pass routes. Held the TD catch record until 1989 with 99. In 1942, 74 catches 1211 yards and 17 touchdowns in 11 games. Oh, he also had 7 INTs on defense in 1942 and finished his career with 30 INTs. In 116 games, remember they played 12 games in the 30s and 40s, 488 catches, 7991 yards and 99 TDs. I guess that is why the NFL ranked Hutson as a top ten player of all time. Basically, Hutson did for Receivers as Sammy Baugh did for QBs,
5. Steve Largent
Reasons stated above
6. Raymond Berry
Another underrated Colts receiver. Another great route runner, who arguably had the best hands in the NFL history many experts have said. It was once said he could catch a bullet at night. Played only 14-game seasons. 631 catches, 9, 275 yards and 68 TDs. Best season in 1960; 74 catches 1,298 yards and 10 TDs. Oh he was also quite clutch in the post seasons too. Just look at who Unitas threw to during his 2-minute drill in the alleged “Greatest Game Ever Played”.
7. Lance Alworth
Seven straight 1000-yard seasons in the 1960s and if you already didn’t know this; he also played in 14-game seasons. In 136 games, 542 catches, 10,266 yards and 85 TDs. If you don’t believe the stats, watch some film on him.
8. Randy Moss
Reasons stated above
9. Charley Taylor
A tough game-breaker who could move the chains, take a short route for a long game or go deep. This is not a slight on Art Monk who is a worthy Hall of Famer. But Taylor is the best receiver in Redskins History.
10. Don Maynard
In 12 years (plus two games in a 13th years), Maynard had 633 catches 11,834 yards and 88 TDs. The lore of Joe Willie Namath came because of the outstanding production of Maynard.
Reasons why I give a nod to more older receivers is strictly because they played most of their years before the Mel Blount rule was instituted in 1978 and when teams ran the ball much of the time. These receivers were feared and were productive. Yes others were feared but this is my list. I look forward to here your thoughts. No disrespect to Nick because I enjoy these lists. Sports gives us a chance to debate different eras and I think Nick did a good job of looking in the past as well as evaluating the present. And Kent, your argument for Harrison makes a lot of sense, I’m glad you contributed with those so I did not have too. However, I wish you shared the same passion for guys like Warfield and Hutson. It tells me football didn’t exist to you prior to 1995.
@Dustin...no blatant homerism here...just looking for some good, clean, fun debate. Thanks for your contribution
ReplyDeletePS...This is Nick...I don't know why it's making me post anonymously to my own blog. For some reason the Google Account is not working for me tonight...go figure.