Gil Brandt's All Time Safety List

[JoeyFlex5]

could also be referred to as: "NFL safeties for an idiot, by an idiot"

http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000000816254/gil-brandts-top-nfl-safeties-of-all-time

5. Ronnie Lott, laughable that he isnt top 2
4. Ed Reed, see above, hes the other of the 2
3. Ken Houston, before my time, but 2 spots better than Lott?
2. Troy Polamalu, nobody in their right mind considers Polamalu superior to ed reed
1. Emlen Tunnell, who? he may have been great, but cmon, the NFL in the 40s and 50s did not have the GOAT safety, the NFL in that era wasnt built for a safety to be the GOAT. to even make the top 10 you should have at the absolute earliest played in the SB era.

 

[ThatsMyJoeTerback]

You know if Lott isn't at least top 3 that Gil had lost all of his credibility.

 

[ALI624]

You see any of his other lists they are all horrible. Zeke in the top 30 after 1 year. Ray Lewis 8th etc.

 

[Rav'n Maniac]

Gil be smokin too much gonja, mon.

 

[rossihunter2]

I think Gil Brandt is overdue a suspension from goodell for breaking the drug policy

 

[Truth]

 

[Willbacker]

Well lets see.

Ed Reed 12yrs 9 ProBowls 5 AllPro 64 INTs.
Troy Polamalu 12 yrs 8 ProBowls 2 AllPro 32 INTs.

I understand Polamalu was more an up in the box safety but seriously....... Ronnie Lott is hands down the best safety I've ever seen play. He did everything!!! Brandt got the top5 bass ackwards.

 

[RavensMania]

You know if Lott isn't at least top 3 that Gil had lost all of his credibility.

Lott is the greatest safety of all time.

 

[redrum52]

This list is dumpster juice.

 

[Somerset Ravens]

I find it hard to believe that Ronnie Lott is not number one on this list. It seems strange to have Emlen Tunnell and even Houston being compared with Lott, Reed and Polamalu. Football has changed so much over the years that I don't see any validity to the comparison.

 

[RL52TheGreatest]

1. Lott
2. Reed

After this and his LB list, Gil Brandt can't be taken seriously.

 

[jboy19]

Gil Brandt just doesn't want you to forget that he was alive in the 1940's and hasn't changed how he views the NFL since then.

I don't have any issues with Polamalu- in fact I actually respect the man and loved watching him play. But to consider him a better safety than Reed takes some serious mental acrobatics. Reed was one of the smartest players in NFL history and had the athletic gifts to back that up. Even though he couldn't make tackles after 2010, he still made a huge impact in how teams played against him. Polamalu was a fun player to watch and definitely a HOF player but he never really provided the same problems in coverage for offenses- see Super Bowl XLV.

 

[cobrajet]

IMHO, you could make a case for Ed Reed or Ronnie Lott for #1. If you like the big hits and tackles, then Ronnie Lott is your guy. If you like amazing interceptions and return yardage, then Ed Reed is your man. Personally I say, 1A and 1B over #1 and #2, since they are in another league over everyone else on the G.O.A.T. safety list.

 

[balfan23]

1 - Reed
2 - Lott
3 - Polamalu

Bias on #1 ... maybe, he is my all time favorite Raven ... but it isn't far fetched.

 

[purplepittabread88]

Troy, although I respect him was no where near the player Reed was. Yes he made plays, but he did not come close to striking fear like Reed did. Reed would have been the legend he is on any team. The Steelers needed an amazing supporting cast and one of the best D coaches in history. He had amazing reflexes but got picked apart by good quarterbacks. He made his career off crappy and rookie qbs, something not a lot of people realize. Reed however, went stride and stride with guys like Manning and Brady. Reed> Troy

 

[Oldfaithful]

Ed is a once in a lifetime type of player, where you can find something close to Troy over the years. Ed single-handedly took half the field away all by himself because the opposing team's offensive coordinators would have to look for him, otherwise they were going to get burned. It's different from Ray, who had the better career, but Ray is a once in a generation type player. You can find ILBs on Lewis' level in close to every era(Butkus, Singleterry, Willis, Kechuley(I butchered two of these, I'm sorry)). Name another player who was capable of what Reed did? You can't. There will never be a another Ed Reed. Brandt is a fool

 

[RavensMania]

I used to say, having Reed on the field was like having too many men on the field as he was always in more than one place at one time. I agree with @cobrajet that Reed and Lott to me are 1a and 1b.

 

[usmccharles]

Well lets see.

Ed Reed 12yrs 9 ProBowls 5 AllPro 64 INTs.
Troy Polamalu 12 yrs 8 ProBowls 2 AllPro 32 INTs.

I understand Polamalu was more an up in the box safety but seriously....... Ronnie Lott is hands down the best safety I've ever seen play. He did everything!!! Brandt got the top5 bass ackwards.

Not to mention the yards and TDs Reed had. That being said, this is still one of the best plays ive seen by a defensive player.



But this why Reed was awesome

 

[Sooky]

I would put Lott #1 but definitely would put Reed at #2. May be Raven bias but there were some late years of Polamalu where he wasn't ever the same. I know Reed left and stunk outside of Baltimore but when he was on the field in purple he was the biggest playmaker in the league by far. I love Ray Lewis' passion for the game but tbh I think Reed had a bigger impact on those defenses when he was here than most people think. Definitely my favorite player to watch ever.

 

[Militant X 1]

Lott, Polamalu and Reed were ALL great safeties but quite different imo.

Lott was a bruiser.

Polamalu was a anticipator

Reed was a finesser