Ryan made three Pro Bowls, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple of guys named Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr. Tom Jackson. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. Regardless of the Cardinals struggles, Dierdorf was a star. While under the radar, Bates has emerged as one of the better all-around safeties in football. You will find some familiar Hall of Fame snubs on this list (like Jim Marshall, pictured above), but also plenty of players who were even snubbed from the Hall of Fame snubs, plus some current players who aren't getting their due. If the quarterback got rid of the ball before getting crushed, it was up to Allen to make a play. He then became a staple of trivia questions and All-Time Worst Trades listicles, as the Lawrence Welk trade overshadowed an even more impressive moment in Hadl's transaction history. Whether they were disrespected by the media, or scrappy fan-favorites, every NFL team has had a selection of players that didnt get the attention they deserved. Bottom line: Derrick Mason was among the shrewdest, most precise route runners of his time. Antoine Griezmann is known for his excellent left foot and can score and create goals with it; hence, he is one of the best left-footed midfielders. The NFL is now full of receivers like Mason, but few of them are as productive as he was for over a decade. Henry Ellard spent the first five seasons of his NFL career returning punts and putting up humdrum receiving stats. Photo by JOHN CAPUTO/AFP via Getty Images, ST. LOUIS, MO CIRCA 1980: Ed Jones #72 of the Dallas Cowboys gets blocked by Dan Dierdorf #72 of the St. Louis Cardinals during an NFL football game circa 1980 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. Jordi Alba. What Mason did have was a keen attention to detail and fanatical drive to succeed. WebDespite being just 20-years-old, Pedri has become a key player for Barcelona The midfielder names his former teammate Lionel Messi as the 'best' ever He hopes to There would not be another exchange of current Pro Bowlers in the NFL until the Broncos and Redskins exchanged Champ Bailey and Clinton Portis in 2004. Passing wasn't really their thing. There are no official sack statistics before 1982, but the Minnesota Vikings credit Jim Marshall with 127 career sacks. Bottom line: Quick, name the winningest Seahawks quarterback before the Russell Wilson era. As Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase earn praise for helping bring competitive football back to Cincinnati, safety Jessie Bates is a huge reason for the Bengals turnaround on defense. Johnny Robinson's credentials make you want to drive to Canton, kick down the Hall of Fame's door and clear a spot for his bust yourself. The start to his career is Hall of Fame worthy and includes a Super Bowl championship while with the New England Patriots. But the former NFL Man of the Year award winner and two-time All-Pro should not have had to wait so long. Let's take a look at the the five most underrated footballers of all time. Both Courtland Sutton and teammate Tim Patrick could easily make this list together as neither player is discussed nearly enough. A new generation of superstar left tackles entered the league as Brown was peaking, and he spent the latter half of his career bouncing from team to team as Tony Boselli, Willie Roaf, Orlando Pace, Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones turned the blindside protector into an almost glamorous position. Jerry Hughes has been a consistent pass rusher and important piece to the Buffalo Bills defense. Bates has still developed into a leader in the Bengals secondary and arguably their best player on defense. 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. WebFive players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. The most similar current player to Anderson is Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell, but Bell plays in a modern offense that amplifies his production instead of suppressing it. Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. The Rams eventually acquired Jim Everett and opened up their offense, transforming Ellard into one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). He blitzed (20.5 sacks). 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Perhaps Hull would be in the Hall of Fame if the Bills had won even one Super Bowl. Get this: Ten of those seasons were spent with either the Vince Lombardi Packers or Don Shula Dolphins. Sam Mills rises above the rest of the gritty linebacker pack, at least when it comes to being underrated, because three of his greatest seasons have been erased from history. And Jackson spent a generation as a pre- and postgame show staple, which puts him in a whole different category. Twenty years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the marquee organizations in professional sports, and Jimmy Smith was one of their brightest stars. No matter. The problem with Dierdorf is he played for a lot of bad Cardinals teams. But few cornerbacks spent more of their careers in the crosshairs than Allen. But none accomplished more than Ryan while receiving less acclaim. A lifelong Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Davids 10-year career has been about consistency and productivity. Pro Bowl? His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. In his most prolific early season, he caught 54 passes for 811 yards and five touchdowns. Ogbah improved against the run while putting up a career-high in both sacks (9) and QB hits (21). WebDuring the next few weeks, we here at NFL.com will unveil our Most Underrated and Overrated Players of All Time for all 32 teams and allow users to determine their The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. Raphael Guerreiro - Borussia Dortmund. He headed to Washington and moved from the weak to strong side. Fred Warner gets a lot of attention at linebacker for the 49ers, but Dre Greenlaw flies under theradar as a young playmaker quickly on the rise. At 67 Buckner also has a wide arsenal of pass rush moves to pressure the quarterback. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. Young started his career as the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year and ended it as a four-time winner of the Len Eshmont Award, the 49ers' team award for character and leadership. Even unspectacular ones manage to rack up a few 1,000-yard seasons and get drafted early in fantasy leagues. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports By Sam Monson May 13, The easiest way to be overlooked by history is to replace a legend just after a franchise has peaked. Robertson's Rams made a habit of reaching the playoffs every year and losing to the Vikings or Cowboys. Juszczyk knows his role and is a winning player that will always fight to win those tough yards. The most underrated player on all 32 NFL teams Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard (20) runs with the ball while being tackled by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters (24) in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. He led his team to an NFL championship. Mills followed Mora to New Orleans and led the Dome Patrol linebacking corps, which brought the Saints franchise its first playoff appearances. During his nine seasons in Buffalo, Hughes has emerged as a leader while registering double-digits in QB hits every season but one. Or as astute NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg scored it, "KO for Ken Norton.". Bottom line: Wilber Marshall was the most athletic and versatile linebacker with the legendary 1985 Bears defense he often replaced the celebrated Mike Singletary in pass situations. They say you know an offensive lineman is doing a great job when his name is rarely brought up, but its time Moton is talked about more for his success. Jones topped the 100 career sack total in week one of 2021, a five-sack day that tied a Cardinals franchise record and set a personal career-best. An all-underrated team like this one can get flooded with Zach Thomas, Hardy Nickerson, Tommy Nobis and Tedy Bruschi types if we don't get a little choosy. Super Bowl championships: Four (1966, 1967, 1972, 1973). Sanders was an extremely Pro Football Reference rates him at near a Pro Bowl level well into his 30s. In Super Bowl IX, Edwards killed a drive and darn near Vikings intended receiver John Gilliam on a hellacious hit near the goal line. Young played for the teams that slowly slid from George Seifert to Steve Mariucci to oblivion. Yet somehow, some way, Kolb never received a Pro Bowl invitation. In both New England and Arizona, Jones has wreaked havoc on quarterbacks, demonstrating versatility as a 3-4 OLB and 4-3 DE. During his first four seasons, three with the Ravens and one in Oakland, Waller caught just 18 passes on 29 targets while also being suspended all of 2017. I still don't know that people gave me my due respect for my production. Dont know about you, but I want Mason on my retro fantasy league team. Ken Griffey Jr.? When London Fletcher retired after the 2014 season, Robert Klemko of The MMQBasked him if he was motivated by feeling underappreciated for most of his career. Without Kenn, there might not be free agency in the NFL, to say nothing of limitations on practice conditions and other initiatives that make pro football less dangerous than it was decades ago. The 6'2" Wright was renowned as a run-stuffing cornerbackthat's him tackling Walter Payton in the photobut he also intercepted 26 career passes, even though opposing quarterbacks spent much of his career avoiding him. An ever-growing backlog of outstanding safeties is queuing up outside Canton, as Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed will soon joinJohn Lynch and Brian Dawkins. Bottom line: Warrick Dunn overcame the murder of his mother, bouts with depression and 5-foot-9 size to have a successful 12-year NFL career. The converted all-purpose athlete became one of the fathers of modern quarterbacking. Bottom line: The Greatest Show On Turf boasted so much star power you couldnt tell the other Rams without a program. Super Bowl championships: Two (2005, 2008). He was one of the first true slot receivers of 21st-century NFL offenses. His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. Ryan was Jim Brown's quarterback and then Leroy Kelly's quarterback. By the time the 49ers are great again, Bowman may be in his early 30s or on another team. McDole's Bills defenses held opponents to fewer than 3.1 yards per carry across three consecutive seasons. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. ", Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl appearances (AFL All-Star Game): Two (1965, 1967). He started for an offensive line that helped Barry Sanders win two of his four rushing titles. On this All-Underrated list, he is in very good company. Still, Allen rarely gets respect as a true number one wideout. Mostly Schlereth and sidekick Tom Nalen, who were masters of zone-blocking schemes, a major reason why Davis is in the Hall of Fame today. To make our list, a player must contribute to a winning effort while putting up bad stats, misunderstood stats or no stats. David was a crucial component of the Bucs defense during their playoff run in 2020 that culminated in a Super Bowl victory. Hall of Fame receiver Paul Warfield was on the receiving end of many of Ryan's touchdowns. Related:Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time. But the diminutive Brees would not have been able to lead the Saints to a Super Bowl and several seasons as top contenders without a clean pocket, particularly right in front of him. It's Bryant Young, whorecorded 89.5 sacks for the 49ers, 23 more than Haley. There may be such a thing as too much blitzing, after all. Bottom line: OK, kids, lets play Name That Hall of Famer. Bowman is coming off an Achilles tear in 2016. Mason had seven seasons of at least 70 pass receptions, 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. Fletcher followed Gregg Williams from coaching stop to coaching stop, serving as the sometimes controversial, always effective defensive mastermind's field marshal. But McCree did fumble. "It was tough, but I was happy for those guys," Dunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The linebacker ranks 17th in career solo tackles (1,130) and is the only player to be part of three consecutive Super Bowl champions. 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. Roberston is the guy getting head-butted in the sternum and knocked backward by Campbell before the running back's jersey gets torn off.
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