Throwback Thursday: All-Time NFL Team

Recent postings of all-time favorite players and the, now annual, debate of best ever NBA player got me thinking about my All-Time NFL Team. A friend of mine recently posted his All-Time NFL Team. He probably did the right thing by limiting the team only to players that he had seen play. That's probably the best way to do it. I can read everything available about the players before my days and I can watch all of their highlights but it isn't the same as actually seeing them play. In their days. So, here are the best players that I've seen play. Or the best players of my days. In my opinion.

Quarterback
Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Deciding between Brady and Joe Montana was probably the most difficult decision on the team.

Runnning Backs
Walter Payton, Chicago Bears
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

Receivers
Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers
Cris Carter, Minnesota Vikings

Tight End
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

Tackles
Art Shell, Oakland Raiders
Jonathan Ogden, Baltimore Ravens

Guards
John Hannah, New England Patriots
Randall McDaniel, Minnesota Vikings

Center
Dwight Stephenson, Miami Dolphins


Defensive Ends
Reggie White, Philadelphia Eagles/Green Bay Packers
J.J. Watt, Houston Texans

Defensive Tackles
Alan Page, Minnesota Vikings
Joe Greene, Pittsburgh Steelers

Linebackers
Jack Ham, Pittsburgh Steelers
Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears
Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants

The middle linebacker decision was nearly as difficult as quarterback. Jack Lambert, Ray Lewis, and Mike Singletary were serious contenders. I watch every Vikings game so there's a lot of Bears game film in my head. That decided the debate because I've seen few players wreck an offense's intentions like Urlacher. There were too many Vikings-Bears games that I felt were decided by a play, or plays, made by Urlacher. No one played the cover-2 middle linebacker position better.

Cornerbacks
Mike Haynes, New England Patriots/Oakland-LA Raiders
Deion Sanders, Falcons/49ers/Cowboys...

Safeties
Kenny Easley, Seattle Seahawks
Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens

Four Vikings players. That feels light.