Ed Reed Leads List of NFL Network's Top 5 Safeties
by Bruce Raffel on Jul 3, 2009 4:10 PM EDT
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Who better at looking at and coming up with the Top 5 Safeties in the NFL than former safety (and cornerback), as well as former Baltimore Raven (and Pittsburgh Steelers) Rod Woodson? Woodson, now with the NFL Network, disected the position as well as the transition from corner to safety, the differences therein, and lays out his opinions of the best in the league. While he leaves out a couple of really good ones, the top two are not in question, as the Steelers' Troy Polamalu and the Ravens' Ed Reed have a stranglehold on the position.
Technically, both play different positions in their teams' respective defensive backfields, with Polamalu playing strong safety and Reed as the Ravens' free safety. However, when ranking them, Reed deserves the top spot for his incredible playmaking abilities every time he touches the ball.
Check out the video from the NFL Network by clicking here.
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Check out the article’s comments. The Steelers fans come out in full force to whine about Reed taking the number one spot.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
I'm sure...
the whining would have came from your side if the ranks were flipped. Clearly, you cannot really 100% compare the two. Therefore, putting one above the other is like comparing oranges to apples as the best fruit.
by John Stephens on Jul 7, 2009 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Not true, you can compare them
You can compare ANY two players, when speaking about who’d you rather have on your team. Look at this: Who would you rather have? Adrian Peterson or Peyton Manning? Different positions but some would choose one or the other. Same here. I like Reed and think most people would take him over Troy regardless of where on the field they line up. Silly argument.
aka 'Rexx'
Most people on a Ravens board would, of course, take Reed. If this post were on BTSC it’d be flip-flopped the other way. To have that poll on here is what is silly.
My point is you cannot argue who is better between two players at different positions. You just cannot. Yeah, you might want to have one on your team more than the other, but that does not answer who is better.
Who is better, Shaq or Kobe? Well my team needs a big guy. So Shaq is the better player?
by John Stephens on Jul 7, 2009 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8111b08b&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true
In a related story, Ray Lewis just cracks into Bucky Brooks’s top five interior linebackers in the league.
The 10-time Pro Bowler still plays at a high level after 13 years in the league. A menacing hard-hitter with superb instincts, Lewis still flies to the ball with reckless abandon. Though his speed and athleticism have declined as he has aged, Lewis’ ability to produce big plays hasn’t waned.
It’s good to see our guys getting some well-earned respect in the media.
Water covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Ed Reed covers the rest.
Go to BaltimoreRavens.com
to see the Top Tacklers in the game and Ray is only #7 and one guy says he’s only good if he has a clean shot! WTF?
aka 'Rexx'
What I dont like
Is that these two are completely different players, yet everyone compares them for some reason
Reed does things Polamalu doesnt. Polamalu does things Reed doesnt. Does this make either of them any worse than the other?
Ones a FS – much more coverage play, ones a SS, much more run defense. 7 ints for Polamalu at SS makes him very good, but 9 ints at FS makes Reed very good as well
I think the argument doesnt really fit. But ill tell you one thing, these two guys will be paying next to each other for many more pro bowls together.
Bleeding Black and Gold since 1989 baby, Blitzburgh is back, time for a repeat!
Agreed, but
Reed, regardless of position, is much more of a game changer than Troy and for that reason alone, I say most teams would choose Ed over him if they had to choose.
aka 'Rexx'
I coulda swore I saw a certain #43 changing the AFC North Championship last year.
by John Stephens on Jul 7, 2009 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, correct Steeler fan
Polamalu made the play that pretty much decided the game. He was good in that game and you won this game and the SB. You happy now. Are you saying that one play is the difference between Troy and Ed? Crazy argument and pointless comment.
aka 'Rexx'
Yes extremely pointless.
Because I was not giving an example of who was a game changer at the most recent point on the biggest stage of the year. Completely irrelevant. Forget I made that point.
by John Stephens on Jul 7, 2009 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions
As a steelers fan I gotta stick by troy, he’s a much harder hitter and closes on the ball carrier alot quicker. Reeds better at coverage and when he gets his hands on the ball he’s very dangerous (didn’t troy prove he could also run them back in the afc championship) but those moments aren’t as often as troy simply being involved in the play. They’re both great safties that any team would love to be in the position of having to choose one or the other.
top 2 hmmmm
I think the best and was up and coming the same time ed reed and polamalu was none other sean taylor who was a game changer like reed and smack the taste out of your mouth like troy!!!!!!
We'll never know, but...
…he was in the mold of an Ed Reed and could have made an incredible combo w/ LeRon Landry for a sucky Redskins team.
Notice how many votes that Troy is getting here. I guess the Steelers love is showing by their coming here to vote for their guy. I guess I wouldn’t complain to have either on my team, as I’m sure 30 other teams wouldn’t. However, I’m curious who other teams fans would choose between the two of them if they have one pick?
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Jul 5, 2009 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Reed is the game-changer
Polamalu definitely deserves number 2 (damn Steelers…), but how many points has Polamalu scored per season in his career? Polamalu may be a hard-hitter, but Reed is no light-weight. Playing through a spinal-cord injury is no small task, and it’s no wonder he didn’t want to stick his nose into too much of the fray this past season, but he still got into the endzone multiple times. In the past, my favorite replays of Reed haven’t been the interceptions, but the hits he lays on guys. Best in my opinion: Laying out Seahawks’ receiver Nate Burleson over the middle (47 seconds in).
On the first day, Chuck Norris created God. But the day before that, Matt Wieters created Chuck Norris and the calendar.
by oriolesfan151 on Jul 12, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Damn it I am ready for the season and tailgate!…still looking for an old RV to paint purple. i’ll find it and the Beatdown guys can autograph it. looking for an old school 70’s little bus. i just hope it doesn’t break down in the city after a night game…like that movie with Emilio Estavez traveling through hood. lol.
"Judgement Night"
I am surprised someone else besides me watched that…
One of Jeremy Piven’s very early and very good roles, and Denis Leary is wonderful in his evilness; beyond that, not much else there.
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