All-Time Football Team

So, with the NFL season soon to start, I've decided to put out my all-time football team. Like the previous baseball team posting, I'll limit myself to players whose rookie seasons were on or after my birth year. I'll be running this like the Pro Bowl rosters - starters and reserves, offense and defense. Here we go:

Offense:

Wide Receivers: Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers, Steve Largent, Seattle Seahawks. Rice is, of course, a no-brainer, as he's the most dominant wide receiver to ever play the game. Largent may seem to be an odd choice, given the other wideouts I could have here. But, the main reason why I chose Largent is that he's arguably the greatest possession receiver in the history of the NFL. He wasn't fast, and he didn't have great jumping ability. Rather, what he had was great hands and very precise routes. Reserves: Cris Carter, Minnesota Vikings, Art Monk, Washington Redskins.

Tight End: Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs. There may be a general outcry from people my age who remember Kellen Winslow. But, like Winslow, Gonzalez redefined the tight end position. Gonzalez is a great blocker (as evidenced by the rushing seasons both Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson have had), and is a great receiver. This is the same thing often said about Winslow, but the distinction between Gonzalez and Winslow is that Gonzo has done it better for longer. Reserve: Kellen Winslow, San Diego Chargers.

Tackles: Anthony Munoz, Cincinnati Bengals, Jonathan Ogden, Baltimore Ravens. Munoz is considered to be the best tackle ever to play the game, and Ogden is a current player who's beenm dominant at the position for several years. Reserve: Gary Zimmerman, Minnesota Vikings/Denver Broncos.

Guards: John Hannah, New England Patriots, Mike Munchak, Houston Oilers. Hannah is probably the best guard to play in the 1980s, and Munchak is probably the best all-around O-lineman of the 1990s. O-linemen aren't exactly the most glamorous of folks, so let's just say that these two were the best. Reserve: Randall McDaniel, Minnesota Vikings.

Center: Mike Webster, Pittsburgh Steelers. The late great Webster of Steel Curtain fame gets the nod over Dwight Stephenson of the fish. Reserve: Dwight Stephenson, Miami Dolphins.

Quarterback: Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers. I'm of the opinion that QBs need more brains than guts, so this is why Montana is at the top (and why dim-witted gunslingers like Favre and Marino aren't even listed as reserves). I'll grant that you do need the stats - passer rating, career touchdowns and yards - to make the list as a very good quarterback. But, to make the list as a great quarterback, you also need moxy, drive, strategy, and grace under pressure. Montana had that in spades. Reserves: John Elway, Denver Broncos, Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts.

Running Backs: Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions, Walter Payton, Chicago Bears. There have been a lot of great running backs over the past 36 years, but these two are the best. Sanders had the best vision and cut of any back, and Payton had the mix of speed and power. Reserves: Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys, Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers.

Kicker: Morten Andersen, New Orleans Saints. Did I have to really talk about a kicker? I don't think so.

Defense:

Defensive End: Bruce Smith, Buffalo Bills, Reggie White, Philadelphia Eagles/Green Bay Packers. The two best DEs of the late 80s to mid 90s. Smith was pure brutuality, and White had speed and strength. Reserves: Michael Strahan, New York Giants, Lee Roy Selmon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Defensive Tackles: Randy White, Dallas Cowboys, Dan Hampton, Chicago Bears. I'm cheating a little, as Hampton played both DE and DT, but these two were the best I've seen at the position. Reserve: Kevin Williams, Minnesota Vikings.

Linebackers: Junior Seau, San Diego Chargers, Mike Singletary, Chicago Bears, Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants. Like running backs, there are a lot of great linbackers to consider, but these three stand out. Seau's probably the best all-around linebacker of the group, Singletary's the best run stopper and defensive captain, and LT redefined the outside linbacker position. Reserves: Harry Carson, New York Giants, Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh Steelers, Andre Tippett, New England Patriots.

Defensive Backs: Mike Haynes, Oakland Raiders, Deion Sanders, Atlanta/Dallas/San Fran. Haynes was quiet, steady, and dominant; Sanders was flashy and quick. But, both were able to control their half of the field for several years. Reserve: Darrell Green, Washington Redskins.

Safeties: Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers, John Lynch, Denver Broncos. Safeties have to be able to cover a considerable amount of ground, break up pass plays, come up to help with the pass rush, and, most importantly, put the fear of God into offensive skill players. Lott was the best to do that - knocking down and knocking out wide outs, backs, and tight ends. Lynch comes in at a close second. Reserve: Jack Tatum, Oakland Raiders.

Punter: Ray Guy, Oakland Raiders.