Better Defensiveback: Ed Reed or Ronnie Lott

[Non-Issue]

On 8/30/2018 at 3:29 AM, NFLExpert49 said:

The only hyperbole in this thread is Ronnie Lott being referred to as an "enforcer."

Lott never played SS for the 49ers. After his injuries made him no longer viable at corner, the team attempted to extend his career by making him a centerfielder, which it did (and subsequently ended Dwight Hicks's career in the process, as he wasn't cut out for corner). And from there you would frequently see him jump on top of piles and get his name called for doing absolutely nothing. 

And then any time a running play bounced wide to his side, or a pass was completed somewhere in his vicinity, you could count on him taking a great angle to the play, only to lead with his chest instead of the top of his pads and either bounce off the ball carrier or get dragged 5+ yards.

It's pretty ridiculous how Brian Bosworth gets tons of crap for getting trucked by Bo Jackson, but Lott not only got trucked by Bo Jackson, but by just about every back and tight end you can name. Heck, he even got juked out of his jock on a scramble by Troy Aikman in the 93 Cowboys/Jets game. 

The 49ers' enforcers during the Lott years were Carlton Williamson, Jeff Fuller, Chet Brooks, and Dave Waymer. 

Yes yes, and Walsh "knew Montana wasn't special and wanted to get rid of him." You're history of the NFL reads like a "What If..." comic book. It's an alternate reality. Hell... the part where you insist you actually watched these guys is an alternate reality. You made that abundantly clear when you didn't even know why the Niners brought Young in. Or that QBs traditionally started to break down around 30 back then. The amount of BS you spill is suffocating. 

Steve Atwater and Jack Tatum played FS their entire careers, champ. Not an enforcer... right?

"Heck, he even got juked out of his jock on a scramble by Troy Aikman in the 93 Cowboys/Jets game."

In his 13th season in the NFL? At 34 years old? After age and injuries had taken their toll? Shocker... 

[NFLExpert49]

23 hours ago, Non-Issue said:

Yes yes, and Walsh "knew Montana wasn't special and wanted to get rid of him." You're history of the NFL reads like a "What If..." comic book. It's an alternate reality. Hell... the part where you insist you actually watched these guys is an alternate reality. You made that abundantly clear when you didn't even know why the Niners brought Young in. Or that QBs traditionally started to break down around 30 back then. The amount of BS you spill is suffocating. 

Steve Atwater and Jack Tatum played FS their entire careers, champ. Not an enforcer... right?

"Heck, he even got juked out of his jock on a scramble by Troy Aikman in the 93 Cowboys/Jets game."

In his 13th season in the NFL? At 34 years old? After age and injuries had taken their toll? Shocker... 

Do you see the number after my username? I'm a 49ers fan and saw every game these guys ever played in. You're a Rams fan and barely saw either of them. You have zero clue what you're talking about and just regurgitate mainstream narratives, thinking that anybody who goes against what you saw in mainstream media must be wrong.

Aside from the fact that I already demolished your ludicrous claim that QBs started breaking down in their 30s back then (it's simply flat-out false), I made it abundantly clear why Steve Young was brought in based on actually knowing what I'm talking about, unlike you.

Bill Walsh wasn't crazy about Montana coming out, as noted by actual 49ers scouts such as Tony Razzano. You know, people who were actually there when they made the pick. He didn't view Montana as some kind of great while he had him. To Walsh, every player was replaceable, and quarterback was a position he was always looking at. He was Jon Gruden before Jon Gruden. That's where Gruden gets the QB musical chairs tendency from. 

Being able to make big hits does not make one an "enforcer." An "enforcer" would be a guy who actually plays in the box. That was not Lott. Lott was a centerfielder/ball hawk. You could frequently go a whole game and not even know he was playing. 

You might as well say Merton Hanks was an "enforcer." He made some big hits. He was also a lousy wrap-up tackler, just like Lott. Jerry Rice even once referred to Hanks as a "mini Ronnie Lott."