Who do you consider to be the most overrated player(s) at their position in NFL history?

[billrooter]

17 hours ago, Rico said:

Walter Payton. Granted, the Bears were boring af until 1985, so I didn’t pay them much mind.

Rico your fishing aren't you? Walter Payton was amazing and literally carried very bad Chicago Bears teams. I do agree Ruben Brown was overated and made alot of pro bowls he shouldn't have 🙂

Edited July 22, 2022 by billrooter

[billrooter]

19 hours ago, BIGFOOTspaceman said:

 

He wasn't that good of a baseball player either

Can't believe the Bo Jackson mention is getting so much push back when there are knuckle heads in here suggesting that Tom Brady and Emmitt Smith are over rated.

Bo Jackson is one of the best running backs I have ever seen play, looking at some of his stats (amazing ypc) don't suggest that but for his very short and limited career he was a stud!

[billrooter]

17 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I'm just not a huge Emmit fan.  I watched him play and never thought he was nearly as talented as Gale Sayers, OJ, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders or some of the other elite backs of my lifetime.

 

Yes, he was good.  He also benefited from a good supporting cast.  That, and his longevity, made him the top rusher of all time.  

  There were quite a few running backs that I believed were better than Emmit, but where he trumped everybody is was durability and toughness. He racked up alot of carries in college before he even got in the nfl, wish I could have seen Thurman just 1 year behind an OL the caliber of Dallas' though.

[Big Turk]

18 hours ago, Rico said:

Walter Payton. Granted, the Bears were boring af until 1985, so I didn’t pay them much mind.

 

Walter Payton has the highest RB Pro Football Reference Hall of Fame Monitor score in NFL history, almost 40 points higher than Jim Brown. While not the be all end all, it does a good job comparing RBs to each other through various eras.

 

If anything this would make him underrated.

[Dopey]

Josh Allen.

The other Josh Allen.🤣 Number 7pick overall and is averaging 6.8 sacks a year.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Dopey

[Stanley Lombardi]

Kyler Murray.

[I'm Spartacus]

On 7/21/2022 at 1:35 PM, BillsFanThru-N-Thru said:

First name that came to mind was Zach Thomas MLB of the Dolphins.  He made a lot of plays but to me most seemed like they were 4-5 yds down field.  Made Pro Bowl for the amount of tackles but was never a game changer IMO

Excellent thought here. Never thought Zach Thomas was that great. Never understood all the props he got.

[GoBills808]

Nnamdi Asomugha is probably the most overrated player in NFL history

[GunnerBill]

18 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

Nnamdi Asomugha is probably the most overrated player in NFL history

 

That is a good shout.

[wppete]

On 7/21/2022 at 7:08 AM, TBBills said:

DeShawn Watson  230million fully Guaranteed...

[The Frankish Reich]

On 7/21/2022 at 2:54 AM, Doc Brown said:

William "The Fridge" Perry.  Cool nickname.  Iconic Super Bowl run on an iconic team.  Never made a pro bowl.  Only 27.5 sacks in 10 seasons.  Joe Namath, Terry Bradshaw, and Troy Aikman if we're going QB's.

Joe Namath is a good one. I was too young to pay attention to the SB victory, but I did catch a lot of him in the early 70s. When he was on, he could make some remarkable throws. But even accounting for his era and the huge differences between then and now in the passing game, he had a pretty mediocre career overall. Joe Ferguson retired with a better passer rating, and their careers overlapped significantly.

[Bill from NYC]

On 7/21/2022 at 2:41 PM, Coastie said:

Ken Anderson is the proof of what you say. Their careers overlapped so no concerns about eras, Anderson completed 59% of his passes for 197 touchdowns and 160 interceptions and he is not in.

And the man could also run! He was a GREAT QB.

 

[Food_Pyramid_Wrong]

Odell Beckham Jr.

[Coastie]

16 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

And the man could also run! He was a GREAT QB.

 

Years ago i used to joke the reason Boomer Esiason wore number seven was because he was half the QB Anderson was.

[Bill from NYC]

On 7/21/2022 at 2:55 PM, Buffalo716 said:

Emmit Smith isn’t the first or last running back to run behind a amazing line 

 

Having an amazing Line doesn’t Make you the four time rushing leader, Or two time yards from scrimmage leader, or 3 time TD cha

Yeah an amazing line can get you started but you need real talent to finish it… The hogs of the Redskins had an amazing line for a long time too… They didn’t have anybody lead the league in rushing or touchdowns or average… let alone 4 times

 

Yes but that Dallas OL was just (imo) the  best ever. The entire line was great but Erik Williams was the best RT in the history of the NFL. Often Smith would run 6 or 7 yards before he was touched but as you say, he did have the talent to finish those runs. Now, do I think that Smith would have put up HOF numbers on a team with an average OL? No. In fact, he would have been murdered on most Bills teams.

 

Wrt the Redskins, Riggins was GREAT while running behind them. When he got to the Redskins, he was no longer the speedster that he was in college, or even on the Jets but he was as strong as an ox. Still, he did need the great OL to give him that head of steam.

 

Btw, Larry Czonka wasn't so great when he left Miami and no longer ran behing Larry Little and Bob Kuchenberg, 2 GREAT guards. 

 

The OL was responsible for many HOF RBs but as others have said, Sanders pretty much did it on his own.

[without a drought]

Brian Moorman.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

On 7/21/2022 at 1:10 AM, Big Turk said:

For me, the one I always come back to is Eddie George at RB.

 

Everyone remembers him as some great back, but the truth is he was mostly garbage, averaging 3.6 YPC over his career and only averaging over 4 YPC twice, which were both barely over at 4.1.

 

His last 4 years in the NFL were 3.0, 3.4, 3.3 and 3.3 YPC. And it's not like he has his carries lowered. He was well over 300 each of those first 3 seasons, with 132 his last year in the league. He just didn't have it anymore at that point, and went from slightly below average player to should not be in the NFL player.

 

Those are replacement level numbers.

 

Yeah he put up yards most seasons but only because he was given huge numbers of carries every year. I mean if you get 315 carries and end up at under 1000 yards, that's really tough to do.

 

Speaking of George's, what about Jeff??  To me he was hyped more than Eddie George.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

25 minutes ago, without a drought said:

Brian Moorman.

With that avatar of yours, it's only fitting that a Matt Groening mob does you in.

[Big Turk]

2 hours ago, without a drought said:

Brian Moorman.

 

He was only over hyped in Buffalo because he was one of the best players on the team. That says a lot about how putrid some of those teams were.

[Albany,n.y.]

On 7/21/2022 at 7:41 AM, BuffaloRebound said:

For the Bills… McGahee and Watkins.  These guys were supposed to be transcendent talents,  Even before the knee injury, I think McGahee’s speed was mostly hype.  And Watkins wasn’t particularly big and couldn’t go up and get the ball in the air.  

The only people who overrated these 2 are the 2 dumb GMs who drafted them.  

[Albany,n.y.]

On 7/21/2022 at 10:11 AM, Royale with Cheese said:

 

Namath's stats:

- 50% completion percentage

- TD/INT ratio 173/220.  That is just awful

- 65.5 career QB rating

Different era.  If you think Namath's stats are awful, take a look at our own Wall of Fame QB Jack Kemp:  

46.7 % completion percentage

TD/INT ratio 114/183, worse than Namath

57.3 career QB rating.

[Big Turk]

13 hours ago, Dopey said:

Josh Allen.

The other Josh Allen.🤣 Number 7pick overall and is averaging 6.8 sacks a year.

 

So you are saying Josh Allen is the most overrated linebacker in NFL history? I find that really difficult to take seriously let alone actually believe.

[Buffalo716]

47 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

So you are saying Josh Allen is the most overrated linebacker in NFL history? I find that really difficult to take seriously let alone actually believe.

Look at his username

[Buffalo Junction]

14 hours ago, Dopey said:

Josh Allen.

The other Josh Allen.🤣 Number 7pick overall and is averaging 6.8 sacks a year.

That average goes up if you factor in that he missed half of 2020 after being IR’d with a knee injury he tried playing with for four games, and he missed a game or two last year with Covid. 

[Royale with Cheese]

1 hour ago, Albany,n.y. said:

Different era.  If you think Namath's stats are awful, take a look at our own Wall of Fame QB Jack Kemp:  

46.7 % completion percentage

TD/INT ratio 114/183, worse than Namath

57.3 career QB rating.

Ewwww

[That's No Moon]

On 7/21/2022 at 10:22 PM, BUFFALOBART said:

...Best thing that I can say about Harris, is that he picked me up hitch hiking, on I-80, outside of Shippensburg, Pa.  in 1973. Other than that, F the Steelers...

Unless they moved Shippensburg that's I-81 😉

[Nelius]

History is tough. Asomugha's name came to mind as well especially after Shady roasted him recently.

 

It's hard to pick somebody who retired still overrated, it seems like people typically course correct over time. For example, the half decade or so where people thought Jay Cutler was good was a mistake because he was clearly a checked-out douche canoe at best. The mental was never there, at any point. They burned his jerseys here in Denver when he left. Leveon Bell is another example. Probably hard for many to overrate him now but boy was he considered top tier for awhile.

 

I always thought Aikman was overrated and he might legitimately still be.

 

Lastly I personally find Brandin Cooks overrated in a weird way. Is he talented and does he put up stats? Of course, but they guy just kind of has a history of being nearly invisible on mediocre to bad teams and somehow cobbles together 1k seasons without really doing anything. Like a modern Stevie Johnson. He's maybe the 6th best WR from that 2014 draft. I don't think many consider him to be top tier but he's always mentioned alongside some much better names in fantasy circles, etc. I think he's closer to a Robby Anderson than a Davante Adams personally.

[Nelius]

On 7/21/2022 at 12:20 PM, Rico said:

Walter Payton. Granted, the Bears were boring af until 1985, so I didn’t pay them much mind.

 

Wow I think this might be the most interesting reply in the thread. Is this from personal experience? I was 7 when he retired so have no experience watching the guy live but the numbers really don't support this. I could even buy the Emmitt is overrated argument over this, although I personally think his durability counts. Genuinely curious

[BobbyC81]

On 7/20/2022 at 10:18 PM, JayBaller10 said:

If Eddie George was a Cowboy during those years and Emmitt Smith ran for the Oilers/Titans, how do you think the production would’ve fared for each player in their new environment? Would Emmitt still be as highly regarded as Eddie George was while running behind an inferior line? I think Eddie George behind that Cowboys OL would’ve been scarier than Emmitt Smith. Just my opinion.

How about Barry Sanders behind that Dallas line?

[BobbyC81]

On 7/21/2022 at 6:40 AM, Lieutenant Aldo Raine said:

I'm going with Lamar Jackson.  Obviously very talented, but I think he gets so much hype because people (media) get uncomfortable to criticize him due to the whole "play WR" thing etc.  Yet, when most people hype him up, the first thing often referenced is his ability to "run".  And when teams are able to bottleneck his ability to run or get ahead in games, he's not near as successful.  Bottomline: if he was required to play in a more traditional system would he be as good?  

I am not a Lamar Jackson fan but why WOULD YOU play him in a  “more traditional system”?

 

That was a pet peeve of mine for years.  Until recently, GMs, scouts, coaches and talking heads would look at a running QB or one playing in a certain college system and say “he’s not a fit for a pro system”.  Finally some coaches adapted their systems to the QB and we have some awesome passing offenses today.

[Chicken Boo]

On 7/21/2022 at 7:48 AM, Not at the table Karlos said:

Emmitt Smith and it's not even close. 

 

Go look at Emmitt's numbers year to year.  While he may have benefitted from a great line, he himself was a beast!  It was a great combination.

 

His durability alone, given his usage, is something to behold.

[noacls]

Jerry Hughes 4.8 sacks per year average and all the stupid penalties. 

[Rico]

3 hours ago, Nelius said:

 

Wow I think this might be the most interesting reply in the thread. Is this from personal experience? I was 7 when he retired so have no experience watching the guy live but the numbers really don't support this. I could even buy the Emmitt is overrated argument over this, although I personally think his durability counts. Genuinely curious

If you look at his stats, he was awesome… consistently productive for a very long time, game after game. Like I said though, those Bears teams for me were hard to watch, very very boring. They were mediocre for the most part until the year before they won it all in 1985. So I will acknowledge his numbers, but I won’t put him near the top of best RBs I have seen over the years, simply because I didn’t watch him too much, there was almost always a better game on. What I did see, I can’t take the career, but I will take the best years of say OJ over him.

[Not at the table Karlos]

4 hours ago, Chicken Boo said:

 

Go look at Emmitt's numbers year to year.  While he may have benefitted from a great line, he himself was a beast!  It was a great combination.

 

His durability alone, given his usage, is something to behold.

I have many times. My friends and I were bored and debating running backs not that long ago. We watched every carry for the top 15 backs on rushing list. 

[Big Turk]

7 hours ago, Nelius said:

 

Wow I think this might be the most interesting reply in the thread. Is this from personal experience? I was 7 when he retired so have no experience watching the guy live but the numbers really don't support this. I could even buy the Emmitt is overrated argument over this, although I personally think his durability counts. Genuinely curious

 

If it is his experience is falsely remembered. Payton is by far the highest ranked RB in PFR's Hall of Fame Monitor rankings(not the be all end all, but pretty good) at like 216 and the next closest is Jim Brown at 177. Then Sander and Emmitt Smith also in the 170s.

 

How can a man be overrated when he is far and away the highest ranked player in NFL history at his position? If anything he is UNDERRATED.

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

4 hours ago, noacls said:

Jerry Hughes 4.8 sacks per year average and all the stupid penalties. 

 

As great of a teammate and member of the community as Jerry had been in his 9 seasons in Buffalo I think you are mostly correct. He did have the two 10 sack seasons his first two years here and I think that is what really made him a fan favorite throughout throughout his entire 9 years here. Without those initial two seasons I'm not sure he would have lasted more than a few years here. And yeah it seemed like you could always count on one 5 yard offside penalty every game from Hughes.

[Irv]

1. Joe Namath
2. Eli Manning
3. On TBD - Da’Rick

[Since1981]

Most of the Dallas cowboy skill players  after 1992

SEE Troy Romo Dak any RB

[McBean]

On 7/21/2022 at 6:17 AM, BIGFOOTspaceman said:

NFL History - Bo Jackson....This guy did next to nothing in his short four year career.

 

Buffalo Bills History - Duke Williams and Christian Wade

 

Mike Jasper for Bills

 

Terry Bradshaw for most overrated outside of Bills.

[MJS]

Joe Namath. Threw more INT's than TD's and lost more games than he won.