OT: NFL 100's Top 10 WRs
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1208215591858786304?s=20
The NFL is putting out lists of the top position players to commemorate the league's 100th season. Apparently they've got memory problems in their old age, because Calvin Johnson was left off the list of the 10 best receivers in league history. I don't care how early he retired, it's a joke to not include him in a top five of the NFLs best WRs. Not putting him in the top ten is just insanity. Meanwhile, there are multiple guys from the 40s and 50s who would be accountants today who did make the cut.
December 21st, 2019 at 12:22 AM ^
Charles woodson didn't make the top defensive back list either.
December 21st, 2019 at 9:20 AM ^
Surely they just misspelled his first name.
December 21st, 2019 at 12:26 AM ^
I understand players from 50 years ago would get annihilated today, but it's a good way to learn some history of the game and if a list was confined to the last 20 years or so it'd be kinda lame.
December 21st, 2019 at 6:57 AM ^
To me, it is not about how said player would fare today. Otherwise due to better nutrition, training... You'd end up with a team of guys who all played recently. Whose to say how any of these players would have fared had they grown up in a different era. It should be about how said player fared against his generation of players.
Different sport, more directly impacted by equipment and not the end all be all stat, but in 1968 Jack Nicklas had a driving average of 276 yards. It led the tour. 324 leads the tour today, average is around 300 and 276 would barely make the top 250. 276 yard driving average is near today's top on the ladie's tour.
December 21st, 2019 at 10:23 AM ^
I assume the point of a list like this was to determine how dominant someone was in comparison to the era in which they played.
I've watched some old Super Bowl games and there are LBs from the 1970s who couldn't play Division I ball today. There are also Pro Bowl WRs today who wouldn't make the team because they would never get off a jam with the pre-1978 rules. It's all relative.
Johnson was an excellent player, but top 10 of all time at his position? It's certainly debatable.
December 21st, 2019 at 10:40 AM ^
Then they'd play HB. That's a stupid comparison. Few players today couldn't dominate back then, they are 100X better athletes. We can acknowledge old players too but don't go lying about the athletes of today. Kickers and punters today could play skill positions back then. Pat McAfee would have been a kickass linebacker back then honestly.
December 21st, 2019 at 12:33 AM ^
Top 5 is arguable, I can think of 3 guys definitely over him largely because of longevity. But the most talented WR I've ever seen. Moss had that original H/W/S thing going on, but Megatron won on deep balls and short routes which made him unstoppable.
December 21st, 2019 at 11:00 AM ^
Megatron will never get the credit he fully deserves, same for Sanders, because of who the lions are.
As far as most talented....others may have a more impressive body of work or have played more consistently...but if I could have one WR to play one game and know he would be at the top of his game I think Randy Moss is probably the best WR ever. Others may be as talented as he was, but don't think anyone was more talented. If it weren't for the off field stuff and some of the lazy on the field stuff, he would be the greatest.
December 21st, 2019 at 12:50 AM ^
Tacopants is the best WR
December 21st, 2019 at 12:53 AM ^
That's a given. His height was a match up nightmare.
December 21st, 2019 at 1:39 AM ^
Why would Calvin motley be in the top 10?! You may be a Detroit homer, but there is liter no objective reason for him to be in the top 10 other than being a physical freak. He’s not listed in the top 25 all-time receptions; not listed in the all-time too 25 yards per game. He never won a playoff game; and, obviously never won a super bowl.
Lions fans conflate his raw talent with excellence. He was no Jerry Rice.
,
December 21st, 2019 at 1:51 AM ^
It didn't say 10 best receivers to win a playoff game or Super Bowl.
December 21st, 2019 at 1:55 AM ^
Quoting team accomplishments in a discussion of individuals is a terrible idea. And he's not going to be in those top 25 lists because he retired early. As a measure of talent, Calvin Johnson is easily one of the best to play WR in the NFL and it's not even close.
December 21st, 2019 at 2:36 AM ^
Cool and fair point. Sooooo...can you provide any reason he’s a top 10 receiver?
December 21st, 2019 at 9:22 AM ^
4th in NFL history in yards per game, set the single season record for yards and I have eyes that I used to watch him play. Keep in mind this list is also missing Terrell Owens. Which is also a joke.
December 21st, 2019 at 11:24 AM ^
Per game stats are elevated by shorter careers because one avoids the natural wane in ability with age.
Calvin Johnson was a physical marvel but was inconsistent given the natural ability he had; somewhat reminds me of Eric Dickerson in that regard. Honestly, I would rate Julio Jones as a better receiver. They are from a fairly contemporary group and similar career span at this point.
Harrison vs TO is a pretty interesting debate and they played during the same era. Harrison was a piece on one of the best offenses to play the game. He played many games indoors and had less pressure given all the weapons around him. TO had better numbers but was a distraction and dropped a fair number of passes.
Steve Largent is the one change I would make. I watched that era more than any other and felt he was overhyped back when he was active. I could see replacing him with someone else.
December 21st, 2019 at 10:25 AM ^
Calvin played for the LOINS! 2.5 strikes against him from the start.
December 21st, 2019 at 6:33 AM ^
Of course today's athlete is better than those from decades ago, but I'm assuming they are basing this off of the player's impact during the era he played. We didn't see many of these guys so it can get frustrating to see who got left off.
Heck, I just looked at the 6 safeties elected into this and I honestly never heard of 4 of them. This exercise makes for good talk radio and gives us some history of the NFL. It is way too subjective to get fired up over the snubs.
December 21st, 2019 at 8:18 AM ^
Calvin is not a top 10 all-time.
December 21st, 2019 at 10:12 AM ^
I'm okay with him not being on this list because of his relatively short career, but he changed the game in a way Harrison certainly didn't. There had never been a receiver like him before. He was Randy Moss plus 30 pounds, which made him unstoppable in the red zone, on slants, crossing routes, and deep passes.
Plus, he got this treatment in the playoffs:
December 21st, 2019 at 8:33 AM ^
My top 10 in no order.
Randy Moss
Fred Blietnikoff
Terrell Owens
Ed McCafferey
Jerry Rice
Al Toon
Wayne Chrebet
Steve Largent
Larry Fitgerald
Issac Bruce
Sorry, but other than physical capabilities, Johnson is not close to any of these guys if I'm drafting an all-wr team.
December 21st, 2019 at 9:04 AM ^
Chrebet and McCaffrey? Hahahahahahahaha
To quote Randy Moss...c’mon man!
December 21st, 2019 at 9:57 AM ^
Gee, I wonder what trait Chrebet and McCaffery have in common that Calvin Johnson does not. . .
December 21st, 2019 at 10:43 AM ^
Yeah, same trait that I don't have. That does not matter to me. Some of my best friends are white. Sorry that matters to you.
Johnson could never go over the middle like those guys and get killed over and over again and hang on to the ball. Johnson played in a way easier time to be a wr.
December 21st, 2019 at 11:31 AM ^
I was talking about playing in NYC. Weird that’s where you went with this, though.
December 21st, 2019 at 9:25 AM ^
Ed McCaffrey: 13 seasons, 565 receptions, 7400 yards, 55 TD
Calvin Johnson: 9 seasons, 731 receptions, 11,600 yards, 83 TD.
What are you high on?
December 21st, 2019 at 10:44 AM ^
Yes, Johnsons stats are better, but the style of offense was way different back then. Also, I put my top 10 I would pick. I didn't look up any stats while doing that and the stats still don't change my mind.
December 21st, 2019 at 11:28 AM ^
So I've got one person in here telling me that his talent didn't matter and his stats don't do it, and another saying his stats don't matter. Where am I?
December 21st, 2019 at 10:00 AM ^
^Found the Jets fan.^
December 21st, 2019 at 10:13 AM ^
no marvin harrison lol
December 21st, 2019 at 11:22 AM ^
Isaac Bruce wasn't even the best WR on his team. C'mon man with some of these dudes!
December 21st, 2019 at 10:08 AM ^
My problem with everyone saying that you can’t have so many recent WR is that they had no problem having damn near every D lineman come from the 70’s. If the goal is to spread it out then that shouldn’t have happened.
December 21st, 2019 at 5:56 PM ^
I think a lot of that is attributable to DTs being judged less by stats, and more by play, which allows DTs from the 70s to get in, whereas WRs are heavily rated by people looking at stats. Also, as regards stats like most yardage in a season, I think at the least, you need to work in a way to adjust for the increased number of games in the season.
December 21st, 2019 at 11:25 AM ^
Anyone feel Champ Bailey should be listed somewhere? I’m not great on knowing who the best in history were/are, but I always loved him and his play.
December 22nd, 2019 at 2:10 PM ^
OP you are completely wrong. Calvin is in no way in the top 10 WRs all time. Stop the hyperbole...its not insanity in any way. He simply did not have that great of a career to be in the top 10.