Is Rodney Harrison best safety ever?

[workhorse]

Ronnie Lott is the best all-time. Ed Reed is the best right now.

Agreed.

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[PATRIOT64]

Let's not try and pretend as if Branch didn't have an amazing game. He tied a Super Bowl record. He earned it.

Yeah I saw no Patriots fans complain when Branch was named MVP of the game and could not care less who got the award..But now that Deion is an Ex-Patriot and Rodney still is here we are complaining Rodney didn't get it?

Come on homies,please be unbiased now and pretend its 3 years ago and Deion is still here,shall we?

 

[shakadave]

Lott is still king, but Rodney should go into the Hall of Fame.

Ditto that. Rodney has the 25-25 stat (may even reach 30-30) but also so many intangibles.

 

[RoughingthePasser]

The best ever?
No
At least not yet-he's not done yet.

One of the best?
Yes-definately.
I can't wait to play Tenn.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Rodney could be one of the best ever. It depends on how you define "best ever". If you combine his play, his leadership, his drive to win, and his ability to make big plays at important times over a long carrer, then he has to be in the top 10. That would make him one of the best ever.

And he is not done yet. Barring another freak injury, I expect Rodney to have a very good year in 2007.

I couldn't agree more. Stats on tackles and INTs somewhat miss the point of the effect the "best" safeties in the game have.

Receivers fear the "best" safeties... they leap for the ball with a little less gusto, knowing that a bone rattling hit is about to come their way... taking their eyes off the ball for just a second, possibly dropping the ball, preventing the "best" safety from even racking up a tackle.

Consider the fact that year in year out Rodney is voted by his peers as the "dirtiest" players (when I don't think the facts show him as being penalized more than others) and I think you'll understand that, indeed, Rodney is feared by receivers and is in the realm of the "best" safeties, regardless of stats.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

Ronnie Lott was better than Rodney, though I really can't say I ever recall Lott flattening a pulling tackle who outweighed him by 100 lbs and was on the move as Rodney did in the Freeze Bowl against TN.

I don't get why Reed's mentioned in the same vein as Lott and 37. Totally different players. Reed's style of play IMHO is more comparable to Kenny Houston who's another HOF safety.

 

[BWareofDWare]

Ronnie Lott was better than Rodney, though I really can't say I ever recall Lott flattening a pulling tackle who outweighed him by 100 lbs and was on the move as Rodney did in the Freeze Bowl against TN.

Lott had the tip of his pinky finger amputated late in the 85 season because he didn't want to risk missing more games because of the injury. He had no problem going against guys he was giving up size to.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

Lott had the tip of his pinky finger amputated late in the 85 season because he didn't want to risk missing more games because of the injury. He had no problem going against guys he was giving up size to.

Yeah, and I was hardly questioning Lott's toughness. Hell, I still remember the Raiders v Chefs game when both Okoye and Ward were running roughshod on the Raiders' D and just barreling over would be tacklers. Lott, who gave away some 20-30 pounds, delivers a hellacious hit on Ward and wobbles off to the sideline because he's clearly dazed. The camera shot on the bench confirms this as a close up on Lott reveals his eyes are all over the place and unable to focus. The guy sniffs some smelling salt and is in the very next play delivering hits on Okoye who's even bigger than Ward. Still, as tough of a SOB as Lott was and is, I still don't recall Lott flattening an offensive tackles with a head of steam. I'm not saying Rodney's a bigger hitter or a tougher player. Just citing something that still amazes me to this day.

 

[jcdavey]

I love the Rodster - But his career will not even come close to Ronnie Lott a 10 time pro bowler.

Roy Williams and Ed Reed right now are the top safeties and John Lynch was pretty good too in his younger days and is still a tough hard hitting guy out there...Rodney would probably make the top 10 best ever in some opinions.

roy williams gets burnt more than any "upper echelon" safety i've ever seen play, i'd take an injured rodney over him any day of the week, unless harrison couldn't get on the field

 

[jcdavey]

Let's not forget that Harrison should have been able to add Super Bowl MVP to his resume as well, but was snubbed in favor of Branch.

that's true, harrison was mvp worthy that game