Best in the Biz: The Inside Linebackers

But I’m upset guys like DJ Williams, Curtis Lofton and yes even Kirk Morrison don’t get more love. In all honesty though, it’s Patrick Willis #1, Jon Beason #2, and the dogs can fight over the scraps for the remaining posiitons. There are a lot of good to borderline great ILBs in the league right now, and it’s a thing of beauty.

A nice hot Mountain Mike’s pizza and some cold beer while I anxiously awaited this list on NFL Network. All was going great until I barfed my pizza and beer up into my lap when Solly announced Bam Bam as #2. What a joke. Is he related to Ray Lewis? What a clown.

He is so much more to the Ravens Linebacking core then just free tackles and is so much better then his stats indicate.

The following quotes are from NFL scouts, coaches and front-office personnel, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

• “There was a play that Patrick Willis made against Tennessee in the fourth quarter in Week Nine. (Vince) Young is in the shotgun and they run a fake dive on an option (play), and Young goes left (in an attempt) to scramble for the first down on 3rd-and-5. Willis steps inside — as he has to do — they can hand off the dive (if he doesn’t). He sees the fake, steps — never crossing over or stepping toward line and shuffles with Young and goes to make the far-shoulder, head-across-the-body tackle. It almost looked like it was a tackling drill. Willis did it so perfectly at game speed — that’s what it usually looks like at half-speed. He is such a technically sound, great football player. For 99 out of 100 other linebackers, that is a first down. This was a three-yard gain. You cannot teach or draw it up any better than he can do it. If there is a better linebacker in football right now, I have not seen him.”

Citing Pro Bowls isn’t what I’d do since the Pro Bowl is a bit of a joke (and Ray does hold the record for most Pro Bowl selections by a ILB/MLB). The All Pro carries a bit more weight. They both were 1st team All-Pro last season (again, Ray holds the record for All Pro ILBs). Willis is on the rise while Lewis is in the twilight of his career, so I’d have them 1 and 2 respectively. However, I could understand why some may put Ray there because he’s still turning in good years at his age.

Beason’s 3rd. Fletched 4th for the reasons you pointed out. I’d put DeMeco Ryans 5th because he has been nothing short of consistent since he came into the league.

I have to agree (gulp) with Soloman on this one. He is the best MLB and we have to go off body of work. His defense won that championship for them and Willis jersey number is 52. Willis WILL be the gold standard when it is all said and done but for right now I cannot give the title to Willis right now. Ray Lewis knows how to run that defense. I would love to see him and Willis on the same team just for one season lol.

Not only can he fill a stat sheet, he’s a physical specimen. I’d love to see Ray Lewis try to rundown a WR from behind.

I think Ray Lewis gets the #1 nod (from the guys) because of his consistency and of how good that defense is. He’s able to put up those numbers with a good defense around him, as opposed to Patrick Willis who really had nothing around him so he got all the stats

Just my idea

must be related to Lewis or have ties to the Ravens,since it is obvious to everyone else that Willis is the best ILBer in the NFL. Lewis is still probably #2 but he is on the decline as Willis is still on the rise. When Willis is at his peak in a couple more years,he will be so much better than Lewis at his peak that even Wilcott will be embarrassed to lie about it.

He must not watch that much football because he list is ridiculous

1. Pat Willis
2. Jon Beason
3. Ray Lewis

I love Ray Lewis to death, sure fire hall of famer but this list should not be a career award it should who is the best right now in the league and that is Pat Willis followed Jon Beason. Pat is an all around player, he can play in run and pass defense and he is a sure tackler with amazing speed.

And remember this comes after the NFL network did a list of the top 5 TE’s and had VD at tied for 5th with Jermichael Finley, COME THE HELL ON. HOW IS VERNON DAVIS TIED FOR 5TH WITH JERMICHAEL FINLEY. HE IS IN THE TOP THREE, he has the best speed of any TE in the league and is the best blocker at the position and he is tied for 5th. I’m sorry a bit off topic but i hope i got my point across that these list are utter BS; anyone who knows real football will tell you that right now there is no better linebacker than Patrick Willis and that is not me being a homer that is fact and the stats back that up; he excelled in both the 43 and 34 and whatever the hell Mike Nolan was running when he was here

To me Patrick Willis is hands down the top Linebacker in the league. I swear, when people make these lists they do it inaccurately. They talk about who is the best in the league. but they always base it on past experience also.

Ray Lewis is good, but he needs to find a coaching staff to take him. All the lists remember what he has done, and none can project what he can do in the future, just he should be able to do, the older you get, that one hit that ends it all gets closer. Don’t get me wrong, I like Ray, but it’s time to hang up the cleats.

Lofa last played in 2007 (as you mentioned) automatically makes him ineligible.
Patrick willis……beast.

Having former players do most of the analysis may be better for ratings, but it sucks for ANALYSIS!! These guys are terrible. If I hear Davis, Wilcox, or Dukes make another misinformed projection I’m going to stop watching football news all together.

I think Wilcotts is considering more than just stats. Ray Lewis is the absolute, on-field leader of a really good defense (even if they slipped a little last season).

I haven’t watched enough of Beason or Ryans to make a judgment on anything but their stats, but I watched at least 4 ravens games last year and all the 49er games. My first instinct is to say that at this point in their careers it’s not even close, Patrick Willis is the best MLB in the league. His speed allows him to make plays that other LBs just can’t and he hits like a truck. But I think you can make a case for Ray, and that you can even make a case for him as long as he’s been in the league and as well as Willis is playing, is a testimony to how great a player he is. Bottom line, you’re never going to fool Ray Lewis and he makes an offense/QB look stupid at least a few times a game. He’s the closest thing to a defensive equivalent to Peyton Manning the way he moves his guys around pre-snap and his ability meet the RB in the backfield in goal line situations or when the game is on the line is supernatural. He’s also the mental, physical and spiritual (believe it or not) leader of that team more so than any other player in the league, yes including Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Ray Lewis has demanded excellence from team-mates with a do as I do mentality for over a decade, he reminds me of (Sergeant) Ronnie Lott in that way because Lott was also an in your face leader who didn’t allow other players on his team not to “sell out” as he put it. I think Willis is the better linebacker right now of the two, but personally, as long as Ray Lewis can still strap on his gear put the wood on someone, I’ll tune into pretty much any Ravens game (as long as the 49ers aren’t playing) especially their home games. Because in addition to everything else, Ray Lewis can also work his home crowd into a frenzy like no football player I’ve ever seen, and in that respect he reminds me of a great athlete from another sport – Terry Gene Bollea.

still think i’d go
1. Lewis
2. Willis
3. Beason
Simply for the fact what lewis does for that defense (QBing the defense). And the fact P Dub hasn’t tasted post season yet. However by the end of this year(after some postseason success) and when doing these FUN polls next year our own P Dub will be the unquestioned best defender in the game!

Cept for that I love the new list.