Teams: Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Super Bowl championships: Three (1991, 1997, 1998). His franchises just kept ending up on the wrong side of history. Ryan was Jim Brown's quarterback and then Leroy Kelly's quarterback. The Rams acquired him from the Chargers in 1973 in exchange for defensive end Coy Bacon. But his Hall of Fame candidacy has been stuck in semifinalist limbo. 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. Teams: Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals. Guy deserved to be inducted, no question about it, but the day passed long ago for Sean Landeta to receive his invite to Canton. Not every NFL star gets the love they deserve. Arizona Cardinals: WR Andy Isabella. Why is it that history has seemingly forgotten about Kevin Greene? Lets not forget they also dominated with cold-blooded efficiency at the other side of the ball, where Keena Turner was rarely out of position at right outside linebacker. In two Super Bowl trips, Bahr didnt miss a kick three field goals, six PATs. Super Bowl championships: Four (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989). Men such as Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor. According to Pro Football Reference, he was flagged for 14 accepted holding penalties in 187 career games, little more than one per season. Cunningham is widely regarded as one of the best running QBs in the history of the NFL, but his ability to make plays with his arm should not be ignored. Spoiler alert: Of course it is. Do people not recognize Rob Gronkowski as a great tight end just because he has had Tom Brady as his quarterback? Ryan made three Pro Bowls, but All-Pro status was blocked by a couple of guys named Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr. They didnt allow a sack in 84 pass attempts. 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. No matter what the two-time All-Pro accomplished, he could never be Jerry Rice, who cast a long, tall shadow in the same conference. in the mid-1960s to early '70s, chances are "Whichever one has Marv Fleming" would have been a correct answer. If he started his career a decade earlier or a decade later, Young would have anchored the defense for one of history's great teams or helped push the Harbaugh 49ers over the top in the Super Bowl. It didnt help that he had ordinary quarterbacks named Tony Eason and Steve Grogan to throw him the ball. But Brown was a unique and underappreciated player for over a decade on a team that nearly revolutionized the way football is played. That voter meant every fanbase has a beloved old defender, renowned for his toughness and leadership, that they swear belongs in the Hall of Fame. These men did so much but received so little credit in return. With Warfield hurt nearly all of that season, Ryan helped make a Pro Bowler out of receiver/punter Gary Collins. He was a Pro Bowl regular, two-time All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1971. Maybe he wasn't the best defender on the field for any one play, but he stayed on that field for an entire generation. 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. chants for the best players who didnt get their just dues over the years. 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. 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. Let's hope the fame doesn't go to his head. If Isiah Robertson is famous at all, it's for being "posterized" by Earl Campbell in one of the most famous NFL Films highlights of all time. Nope, not Charles Haley. He arrived in Buffalo at the same time Marv Levy was revolutionizing NFL offense with the help of Jim Kelly, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas. But Hadl had to do something to make the Packers think he was worth two armfuls of draft picks. Shaun Alexander's production plummeted when Hutch left Seattle in 2006. C'mon, who doesn't love Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert? Web12) Steve Hutchinson: He was the top overall lineman in the NFL for several years, irrespective of position. He has been named to eight Pro Bowl squads. Efficient? David Garrard. "Because when the ball was thrown, I knew I had better ball skills and would go up and get it.". When Da Bears bean counters refused to pay up two years later, Marshall was the odd man out again. This list begins with a quarterback who is preparing to play in the 2015 NFL regular season. One look at the logjam forming outside the entrance to Canton tells you Wisniewski isn't moving up the ladder anytime soon. Player A passed for 27,928 yards and 194 touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns with mostly very good teams and one great one. Ryan would blitz between five and eight defenders, plus some water boys and maybe a few boo birds from the 700 level of Veterans Stadium. Marshall cant get his name even on the preliminary Hall of Fame ballot. Many of those catches occurred down the field, with Anderson serving as a de facto possession receiver. By the time the 49ers are great again, Bowman may be in his early 30s or on another team. 3. He was an iron man for a powerhouse franchise that reached four Super Bowls while playing many of their home games in arctic conditions. Bottom line: For 16 seasons, Henry Ellard wreaked havoc as a pass receiver and punt returner. He's rarely mentioned as an all-time great. Jackson then moved on to Atlanta just after the collapse of the Mike Smith playoff teams but before the rise of the current Dan Quinn contenders. Hmmm. They were the Yale football of the NFL, their glory years moldering in history books. WebNFL Nostalgia: Ranking the Most Underrated Players in NFL History. "No one was going to catch no ball.". Defensive Player of the Year awards? Mason also caught 49 postseason passes and was one of the game's best return men for a few years. 5. His 42-yarder in the 1990 NFC championship game rates as one of the greatest clutch kicks in league history. Slot specialists such as Julian Edelman and Victor Cruz are now considered valuable components to the modern passing game. He was usually the Bears' best rusher and receiver in his prime years, catching 40-50 passes per season from Mike Tomczak or the young Jim Harbaugh. Hes on the short list of running back leaders in yards per rush (4.6, 17th), touches (2,824, 25th) and yards from scrimmage (14,079, 35th) in NFL history. Both players were Pro Bowlers the previous year. Dunn left Tampa Bay as a free agent after the 2001 season and headed to Atlanta, largely because of his relationship with Arthur Blank, the Falcons owner. Then it was off to Carolina, where he earned an All-Pro selection for leading the Panthers to the NFC Championship Game as a second-year expansion team during his age-37 season. Those who have knowledge of National Football League history are well aware of the more famous individuals who made their names and fame playing pro football. Robertson is so poorly remembered that it was hard to find a decent photo of him in our archives. Hull started his professional career with the USFL's New Jersey Generals, where he helped Herschel Walker rush for 2,411 yards in one 18-game season. Rivers lacks several quarterback prerequisites for enshrinement: playoff glory, all-time records and, most importantly, momentum from a regional fanbase and media. A fresh take on sports: the biggest news and most entertaining lists. He played in the run-'n'-shoot offense, which means he was on an island against the NFL's best pass-rushers on every snap for a half-decadeno tight end flanking him, no blocking back behind him. "Hate to say it, but I do believe I should be there (in Canton)," Marshall once said. He is also infamous for admitting on ESPN Radio that he once purposely let Packers defender Sean Jones sack Scott Mitchell so the struggling quarterback would get knocked out of a game. Theyre the flat-liners whose drop-dead consistency gets lost with average-to-bad teams, in smaller markets, with brain-challenged organizations that have little, if any, history of success. Young was also a much better rusher who could find the end zone via his arm or by using his legs. MVP-caliber seasons (1,528 yards, 90 receptions, 16 total touchdowns in 2006) early in his career gave way to annual 1,100-1,200 yard, low-touchdown grinds as the Greatest Show Rams retired one by one and the team fell to 2-14 and 1-15. But there is no player; fans themselves get to "leap" into the statue for photo ops. Anderson does not get the credit he deserves for reasons that cannot be explained. Anderson's 1,000-yard seasons came in a primitive offense with a rudimentary passing game. But run defense was king in the era when McDole played, and his 16-year career is littered with big plays: 12 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries, two touchdowns, three safeties and a pair of sacks in the 1966 AFL Championship Game. His career was cut short by injuries suffered in the first of those three Pro Bowls. Even so, Smith was pretty much a well-kept secret outside Pittsburgh despite meeting or approaching Pro Bowl standards for almost a decade. In his most prolific early season, he caught 54 passes for 811 yards and five touchdowns. James Lofton is one of many cases of players being in the Hall of Fame and nevertheless being vastly underrated when compared with others who played the position. Teams: Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins. In his prime, Wright was often mentioned in the same breath as Hall of Famers Mel Blount and Mike Haynes. 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. Sideways. Frank Ryan, QB, Browns. WebDeAngelo Hall was quietly one of the best defensive backs of the 2000s. Fitzgerald has played on some lackluster offenses. No matter. The system helped make Hall of Famers of Kelly, Reed and Thomas. 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. There are some out there who would say that a player who has been inducted into the Hall of Fame cannot possibly be underrated. Jackson finished his career with 11,438 rushing yards (18th all-time) and 15,121 total scrimmage yards (21st all-time). 4. Ron McDole falls into that final category. The 49ers drafted linebacker Reuben Foster at the bottom of the first round. Who do you believe is the most underrated player that played at least one year from Rote was the first quarterback who regularly beat defenses with his legs as well as his arm. Years: 1990-2004. His stardom was spread among three teams, robbing him of local hero status (or Hall of Fame momentum) in any one city. Bottom line: Terrell Davis rushed for 2,008 yards in his momentous 1998 season, but look at the game films and you wont see him fake out many defenders or break many tackles. As the Chargers faded, Rivers kept them in the wild-card picture and became the franchise's only recognizable public figure. But don't write him off as some 1960s product of the system. Debates about the greatest pass-rushers in the history of the NFL will conjure up mentions of players such as Bruce Smith, Michael Strahan, Reggie White and others. 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