Gil Brandt names the best 47 linebackers of all time

[BrianS]

If Kuechly has just a couple more seasons of his current excellence, he will be much higher on that list.  He's freaking amazing.

Sometimes I don't think we really appreciate the level of LB play the Panthers have seen for most of their existence.  Yes, Kuechly is the best of them, but we've had some really good LB's . . . Davis, Beason, Morgan, Witherspoon, Lathon, Greene, Mills . . . even our backups are good.  I hope that losing Al Holcomb doesn't blow that up for us.

[Mr. Scot]

Lathon in his prime looked like he was on track to be an all time great, then things just suddenly went off the rails.  Heck, when they did a "where are they now" a few years back, they couldn't even find him.

Always felt like there had to be a bigger story there but I'm guessing we'll never know what it was.

[mc52beast]

Looks like the Panthers will finally be represented in the HOF;

 

Steve Smith( Ravens or Panthers?)

Julius Peppers

Luke Kuechly ( whenever he retires)

[Mistuh Jones]

Um...  Wasn't swilling a SS? 

[h0llywood]

Do you guys think that Derrick Brooks was a better LB than Ray Lewis?

Ray's numbers were superior to Brooks.

[Mr. Scot]

29 minutes ago, Mistuh Jones said:

Um...  Wasn't swilling a SS? 

Nope.  3-4 linebacker.

Saints had a hellaciously good linebacking corps back then.  Mills, Swilling and Rickey Jackson all appear on this list, and they were all playing at the same time. It was crazy.

They had a nickname for that unit, but I've forgotten it.  Think it had the word "patrol" in there somewhere.

[Moo Daeng]

7 hours ago, DaveThePanther2008 said:

20 of the 22 ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame.  I don't think Urlacher is eligible yet.

Sounds like to me, he's a shoe in.

 

shoo in ;)

[Moo Daeng]

2 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

Lathon in his prime looked like he was on track to be an all time great, then things just suddenly went off the rails.  Heck, when they did a "where are they now" a few years back, they couldn't even find him.

Always felt like there had to be a bigger story there but I'm guessing we'll never know what it was.

Lathon only had one notably good season and that was the 96 season. Before he was just a good solid OLB. His career was cut short due to knee injury and surgery. He was out several years after being released here then tried to make a come back but didn't. Everything about his comeback attempt mentions knee concerns

[Mr. Scot]

Just now, Moo Daeng said:

Lathon only had one notably good season and that was the 96 season. Before he was just a good solid OLB. His career was cut short due to knee injury and surgery. He was out several years after being released here then tried to make a come back but didn't. Everything about his comeback attempt mentions knee concerns

Not just talking about his Panther days. Lathon was on his way to a stellar career before he ever came to Carolina.

There was more to it than just injury. But what, doubt we ever know.

[bababoey]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

Not just talking about his Panther days. Lathon was on his way to a stellar career before he ever came to Carolina.

There was more to it than just injury. But what, doubt we ever know.

When I was in college, my roommate use to work out with him some in the off season.  Yes I am old to.  He liked to drink, a lot.  He never mentioned anything about drugs, but I met Lamar once.  He was a really nice guy but you never saw him without some kind of drink in his hand.  I think it was the summer of '95 so after his first season here, before he tore his knee up again.  I don't know if he was a workout warrior or not, my roomate at the time never told me and I didn't ask because he was an asshole,  but if you tear you knee up the way he did and you sit around and drink instead of rehab and your already 31 years old.  Yeah, that might make the end of your career. 

[Mr. Scot]

14 minutes ago, bababoey said:

When I was in college, my roommate use to work out with him some in the off season.  Yes I am old to.  He liked to drink, a lot.  He never mentioned anything about drugs, but I met Lamar once.  He was a really nice guy but you never saw him without some kind of drink in his hand.  I think it was the summer of '95 so after his first season here, before he tore his knee up again.  I don't know if he was a workout warrior or not, my roomate at the time never told me and I didn't ask because he was an asshole,  but if you tear you knee up the way he did and you sit around and drink instead of rehab and your already 31 years old.  Yeah, that might make the end of your career. 

Sad to say that makes sense.

Thought it was pretty weird when they did the "where are they now" thing and couldn't find Lathon. Maybe he didn't want to be found given that his career didn't exactly end on a high note.

But man, when he was good, he was a sight to behold. He and Kevin Greene terrified opponents together.

[Johnny Rockets]

2 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

Nope.  3-4 linebacker.

Saints had a hellaciously good linebacking corps back then.  Mills, Swilling and Rickey Jackson all appear on this list, and they were all playing at the same time. It was crazy.

They had a nickname for that unit, but I've forgotten it.  Think it had the word "patrol" in there somewhere.

Dome Patrol - learned that on the Sam Mills football life thing or maybe an NFL Films segment. I had forgotten what a great group of LB's that was. 

[Mr. Scot]

39 minutes ago, Johnny Rockets said:

Dome Patrol - learned that on the Sam Mills football life thing or maybe an NFL Films segment. I had forgotten what a great group of LB's that was. 

Yeah, that's it. Couldn't remember for the life of me and didn't feel like looking it up.

[Mistuh Jones]

21 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

Nope.  3-4 linebacker.

Saints had a hellaciously good linebacking corps back then.  Mills, Swilling and Rickey Jackson all appear on this list, and they were all playing at the same time. It was crazy.

They had a nickname for that unit, but I've forgotten it.  Think it had the word "patrol" in there somewhere.

Hahahaha... man I totally got him confused with Pat Tillman for some reason. Must be getting senile?!