top tacklers in the league

Discussion in 'Tennessee Titans and NFL Talk' started by Fry, Dec 29, 2006.

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  1. Fry

    Fry Welcome to the land of tomorrow!

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    it's an espn insider article, so i'll post the first six.

    http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/news/story?id=2706090

    "Today we want to look at the top tacklers in the NFL. Everyone misses on occasion, but these guys are about as consistent as they come.

    1. Ray Lewis, MLB, Baltimore Ravens
    He is a textbook tackler. He has excellent lower-body strength and plays with exceptional leverage, which allows him to explode into tackles. The one thing that makes Lewis special is that he is very consistent to wrap up. Once he gets the player wrapped up, he is very good at standing him up and getting him down to the ground. Due to his speed and range, Lewis can make tackles in the box or outside the numbers.

    2. Brian Urlacher, MLB, Chicago Bears
    He is a textbook tackler at middle linebacker. He has excellent form, plays with excellent leverage and is a guy who knows how to finish once he gets the ball carrier wrapped up. Like Lewis, Urlacher shows excellent range, which allows him to make tackles all over the field.

    3. London Fletcher-Baker, MLB, Buffalo Bills
    He does not have ideal MLB height, but he packs a punch like no other player at the position. Fletcher is short, which allows him to play with excellent knee bend and leverage. When he sets his sights on a ball carrier, he can explode and finish. The thing we love about Fletcher is that when he hits people he takes them in the other direction. You will rarely, if ever, see him get dragged by a back or receiver.

    4. Zach Thomas, MLB, Miami Dolphins
    When you talk about instincts, awareness and being in position to make a play, you are talking about Thomas. He is not the most explosive or physical tackler in the NFL, but he is a guy who is always around the ball. One of the things that makes Thomas a great tackler is his ability to avoid blocks at the point of attack. He does an excellent job of seeing through the line and reading the play, which allows him to beat blockers to a spot and get in excellent tackling position.

    5. Brian Dawkins, FS, Philadelphia Eagles
    Dawkins is the best-tackling safety in the NFL. To be a great tackler at safety, you must have excellent speed and range. Dawkins covers ground in the deep half of the field as well as any safety in the NFL. The other thing he does so well is take great angles to the football. You will not see the Eagles give up long TD runs because Dawkins is often the last line of defense and he is a sure tackler who can strike with force and finish with a solid wrap.

    6. Keith Bulluck, OLB, Tennessee Titans
    Due to being on an average team with a marginal overall defensive ranking, Bulluck, in our opinion, tends to fly below the radar. Bulluck has excellent size and is a long strider who can cover a lot of ground in a hurry. We love his sideline-to-sideline speed and range. He is a player who has a lot of passion for the craft and the game. Bulluck plays as hard as any player in the NFL at the OLB position."
     
  2. SupDawg

    SupDawg Guest

    Maybe TNThunder should read this.. :moon2: :grrhee:
     
  3. Gunny

    Gunny Shoutbox Fuhrer

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    why? he'd just undermine it, provide one example in six years and think he is right.
     
  4. giddyupzil

    giddyupzil Camp Fodder

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    They never said anything about his tackling or ability to fill the hole...
     
  5. titansfan9

    titansfan9 Camp Fodder

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    the whole article is about tackling- he's one of the top in the league, and as for filling holes and stopping the run game up the middle thats not his job, but he helps...
     
  6. Fry

    Fry Welcome to the land of tomorrow!

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    thats what the entire article is about...
     
  7. PhiSlammaJamma

    PhiSlammaJamma Critical Possession

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    Number speak for themselves. Bulluck Tackles.
     
  8. Vigsted

    Vigsted Starter

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    They're not even tackling about numbers, they're speaking strictly of tackling ability, so it's not even, as TNThunder would claim, because he makes all his tackles down field that he is in this top 5. He is in it beecause he's a technically sound tackler and can deliver a punishing hit as well.
     
  9. Overalls

    Overalls Starter

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    DeMeco has 10 more tackles overall and 24 more solo tackles. So by your reasoning Ryans is better than Bulluck. Thanks. He also has more solo tackles than anyone else on that list.
     
  10. Fry

    Fry Welcome to the land of tomorrow!

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    gotta do it more than once.
     
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