Is Ray Lewis really a top 5 linebacker?

[lightsout]

Hear me out. I am a Ray Lewis fan in terms of the way he plays. Great talent, certainly a hall of famer. Now, having said that, let's really look at this objectively.

A lot of people I know are trying to say that Ray is the greatest linebacker to play the game. Some say, while he's not the best linebacker in general, he is the best Mike LB to every play the game.

I think it's rather stupid, when talking about positions, to specify outside or inside linebacker (to me it's like saying LG or RG. Same position, slightly different roles based on the play).

So, here is my top 5 LBs of all time, as of this second (no particular order, but I'll try to put them in order from top down):

Lawrence Taylor

Dick Butkus

Jack Lambert

Mike Singletary

Ray Nitschke

Can anybody here honestly say Ray Lewis is better than any of those 5? Not to mention guys like Junior Seau, Jack Ham, Bill George, etc., who were amazing LBs as well.

[frash.exe]

i don't think anybody beats LT

ffs joe gibbs created a new position just because of him

[nickzz]

i think you definitely need to make the distinction between ilbs and olbs.

ray is the best mlb of all time

[KillerKat]

He has the most all-pro selections for a MLB in NFL history. And yes there is a great difference between MLB and OLB.

[Falcons1stPanthers2nd]

Tommy Nobis.

Dick Butkus

Willie Lanier

Mike Singletary

Joe Schmidt

I have ray at 6. Speaking MLB specifically.

[Delhommey]

Ray Lewis is London Fletcher with a lot of hype.

[BigSyke]

ray is great buddy and yes he is the best middle linebacker in history.

then when you add his leadership ability in the locker room.........its not even close.

see alot of people go on how they feel about rays past...if you look at play and stats you will know hes the best.

i bet you any amount of money any one who says ANYTHING CRITICAL about ray is mad that he is not in prison or dead from those bullets. haters gone hate. lol :lolu:

[Peppers90 NC]

the ravens rode his emotional leadership to a championship, yes he is one of the best MLB ever. he has done it for about 15 seasons. 3-4 OLBr should be compared more to DE's, i think it's fair to distinguish them because their on the field duties are so different.

[Peppers90 NC]

oh, and you think it's fair to say these LBr's most of us probably never saw play a game is better than Ray Lewis who is playing now when the game is 20xs the level what it used to be?

[French Navy]

oh, and you think it's fair to say these LBr's most of us probably never saw play a game is better than Ray Lewis who is playing now when the game is 20xs the level what it used to be?

what

[Peppers90 NC]

what

don't worry about it

[Falcons1stPanthers2nd]

oh, and you think it's fair to say these LBr's most of us probably never saw play a game is better than Ray Lewis who is playing now when the game is 20xs the level what it used to be?

Players were tougher back then too.

[Varking]

Players were tougher back then too.

And players were smaller and slower back then too with less rules to hurt defenders today. Today Ray Lewis plays against guys who are stronger, bigger, faster than most of the players back then. The rules today favor offense so much that its harder to be a defender now than it was when those guys played. Factor in leadership and there might never have been a MLB quite like Ray. You guys are boasting about the past like the above user without thinking about how much different it is now.

Plus, those linebackers racked up tackles and such while playing in an NFL that catered much more to running. That is more opportunities for tackles. Ray Lewis had to play in the passing era so he had less opportunities to make plays at the line of scrimmage like some of those older guys.

[Falcons1stPanthers2nd]

And players were smaller and slower back then too with less rules to hurt defenders today. Today Ray Lewis plays against guys who are stronger, bigger, faster than most of the players back then. The rules today favor offense so much that its harder to be a defender now than it was when those guys played. Factor in leadership and there might never have been a MLB quite like Ray. You guys are boasting about the past like the above user without thinking about how much different it is now.

Plus, those linebackers racked up tackles and such while playing in an NFL that catered much more to running. That is more opportunities for tackles. Ray Lewis had to play in the passing era so he had less opportunities to make plays at the line of scrimmage like some of those older guys.

Yeah. So there was also no HGH and steroids like today either. You are boasting about the present without giving proper credence to the past. I judge a players greatness by how much they dominate their ERA. Not getting into hypothetical what if he played in the 2000s. That's not the point. They played when they played. You act like i'm hating Ray. I could give two shits. I'm just not stroking his cock like some of you. If everyone was slower and smaller back then it was an even playing field.

Less rules to hurt defenders? Refs don't call poo on Ole Ray anyway.