Right now its kind of hard to tell who the best Middle Linebacker in the NFL is. Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis have always been on the top. But young Jonathan Vilma has emerged as one of the best. Heres my rankings1. Brian Urlacher2. Jonathan Vilma3. Ray Lewis4. Mike Peterson5. Nick Barnett
I like Vilma a lot, I actually think last season he was the DPOY, and ill definately agree hes emerging, but Ray Lewis is still the best man defender. I'll comment on Urlacher who is very overrated. He gets a lot of tackles, and also sacks. But he leaves players open many times, and is a very bad linebacker in a pass defense. He is pretty good as a rush defender, but his lack of passing skills make him still not the player of Vilma or Ray. Look beyond the stat sheet.
I currently am going to say Ray Lewis. I dont know if it is just because I see him play a lot on t.v. more then any other team or what not but the presence that he brings to the game and the Ravens team itself is amazing. He really has the juice and adrenaline that many teams in the NFL need. Pumped up before everygame. I dont care if they knwo that they have been eliminated from the playoffs or not he goes out there game in and game out and is consistantly dominant. And I don't say Brian U. just because he was hurt recently and I am still on the fence as far as him v.s. Lewis would be.
Zach Thomas is good but these past few years to me he has been slipping. If you would have asked me this question 3 years ago I would have to agree and add him to the list but it is understandable why he isnt on there.
I was referring to your statement of him slipping, which is not true. He had a great year, his best year since his rookie season last year.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (celticspride58 @ Jul 4 2006, 09:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>But it is all about consistency he has not been that consitant v.s. someone like Ray Lewis.</div>Zach Thomas has been consistant every year he has been an NFL middle linbacker. You know what you will get from him most seasons, as he patrols from sideline to sideline and is in on almost every tackle. He has also not been injured the past two years, and sat out huge portions of the season. As for the list, i think Al Wilson is a top 5 middle linebacker in the league, ahead of both Patterson and Barnett.Ray Lewis is no longer the best in the NFL, and until he can prove he can stay healthy and on the field i won't say that he is the best in the NFL. The Ravens tried to switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 this season to take advantage of a middle linebacker that "patrols the field better than anyone." Well Lewis got hurt in the 6th week of the season, and while on the field didn't do anything overly productive. The Lions tore up the Baltimore defense for 35 points, the Titans went for 25, and in the opening week of the season the Colts went for 24 points on the Ravens. This was all while Ray Lewis was on the field. Lewis is not as fast sideline to sideline anymore, and really is starting to be like Seau, a leader and not a primary linebacker anymore. I actually think it would be better for Baltimore to split middle linebacker time between him and Bart Scott who has proved to be a very good middle linebacker in the NFL. I would put Vilma, Urlacher and Thomas all three over Ray Lewis at this time.
Tedy Bruschi was definately not as good as he used to be last year, after coming back. So he doesn't crack the list.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (yankshater213 @ Jul 6 2006, 04:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>He may not be the best, but Tedy Bruschi is damn good, probably the most underrated MLB in the game.</div>hahahha dear god no!lol.he is one of the most over rated players in my opinion.the media had a fat crush on him.listen to this.http://eod.liquidviewer.com/wgr-od/wgr/20051031_bruschipbp-1.wma
