If it looks like part seven of the list and smells like part seven of the list, by golly, it is part seven of the list. Today’s installment of The Grand List, or: the top 1000 players ever (or something like that) covers players 850-810. That’s 41 players, because why does it have to make sense. I hope you like special teams. ^[1]Also, major thanks to Mr. Tom Nawrocki for writing some beautiful words about players 846, 831, 829, and 813.

Previous articles in the series

The Grand List, part 1: Includes honorable/special mentions and players 1000-990.
The Grand List, part 2: Includes players 989-965.
The Grand List, part 3: Includes players 964-940.
The Grand List, part 4: Includes players 939-901.
The Grand List, part 5: Includes players 900-876.
The Grand List, part 6: Includes players 875-851.

Alright then, let’s get to it.

The List, Continued

850. Ed Danowski (1934-1941)
Quarterback
New York Giants

Danowski only had 1100 action plays in his NFL career, but he made them count. He doesn’t even qualify for leaderboards, but his +1552 total adjusted yards above average (VAL) would rank 74th in history if he did. Probably the most accurate passer of his era outside of Baugh, he led the league in completion rate twice and had a three-year run in which his Cmp%+ figures were 183, 200, and 199. ^[2]See the explanation of Cmp%+ under the heading “Explanation of the Advanced Passing table,” if you aren’t familiar. His Giants made it to four title games, winning two of them. In his first championship appearance, Danowski had a pick on defense and both a passing and rushing touchdown on offense as the Giants humbled the undefeated Bears. When New York beat Green Bay, Danowski threw for two scores and a 122.7 passer rating.

849. Robert Smith (1993-2000)
Running Back
Minnesota Vikings

To begin his career, Smith just couldn’t seem to stay healthy. In fact, for his first four seasons, he only played in 41 of a possible 64 games. However, once he was able to stay on the field, he was a dynamic threat who added valuable speed to his offense. Playing with a trifecta of talented receivers and one big armed quarterback after another, Smith used his sprinter speed and open field talent to take advantage of the space afforded to him. Beginning in his fifth season, he averaged 1682 scrimmage yards and 8 touchdowns per 16 games and boasted a healthy 5.00 yards per carry. When he had opportunities to shine in the playoffs, he made the most of them, posting 93 yards per contest in his eight starts. At the age of 28, following his most productive season as a pro, Smith chose to walk away early rather than limp away late.

848. Ray Renfro (1952-1963)
Wide Receiver
Cleveland Browns

Rabbit Renfro, so called for his blazing speed, was Cleveland’s home run hitter. He began his career as a raw prospect bouncing between rushing and returning duties, even leading the team in rushing when Marion Motley’s body finally betrayed him. When Paul Brown found a place for him as a deep threat, Renfro became a valuable piece of an explosive offense. He averaged 19.6 yards per catch for his career, maxing out at an absurd 28 yard average in 1957. While he retired with a modest 281 receptions, he made the most of them, scoring a touchdown on every 5.6 catches. Renfro limped away from the game with three Pro Bowls, two title, and a pair of bad knees. ^[3]Despite his numbers looking pedestrian at face value, Renfro actually had five seasons with over 1000 True Receiving Yards and another over 900. In his five year peak, he averaged 1245 TRY per season.

847. Wes Chandler (1978-1988)
Wide Receiver
San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers

The stat-loving crowd who frequent this site probably best know Chandler as the guy who had an insane run in 1982 when he posted 129 yards per game. It’s true, his 1982 season was huge. In just eight games, he had 49 catches for 1032 yards and 9 touchdowns. Given it was a nine game season, his line prorates to a remarkable 87-1834-16. He was also great in the playoffs that year, hauling in 11 passes for 162 yards in two contests. His total season performance is the tenth best TRY season in history – and one of only four to come after the merger. But he was more than a hot streak in an innovative offense during an abbreviated season. He was a terrific receiver and Pro Bowler with the Saints before joining the Chargers. The year he played for both teams, he averaged 71.3 yards per game with New Orleans and 71.4 with San Diego. Chandler had four other seasons with over 1000 TRY, three other seasons with a Pro Bowl invitation, and another season as an all pro.

846. Bo Jackson (1987-1990)
Running Back
Los Angeles Raiders

For the purposes of this list, it’s important to separate Bo the Legend from Bo the Player. While his legend is worthy of the Hall of Fame, as a player, Bo was more promise than performance. Playing baseball all summer long, Jackson was never able to get into more than 11 games in a season, and he lasted only four years before the hip injury ended the football part of his career. When he did make it onto the field, though, he was a marvel, a tank with sprinter’s speed, averaging 5.4 yards a rush (second all-time among running backs, behind only Marion Motley) and being named to the Pro Bowl after the 1990 season despite playing only ten games. He was a home-run hitter on the football field, too: There have been fewer than 50 rushes of 88 or more yards in NFL history, and Bo is the only man with three of them.

845. Christian McCaffrey (2017-Present)
Running Back
Carolina Panthers

Son of Denver folk hero Ed, McCaffrey combines the quick change of direction ability of a young Shady McCoy with the receiving skills of his old man. After being eased into his role as a rookie, the young back has produced at one of the highest rates in history. He was an all pro last year, after becoming just the third player in history to post a 1000-1000 season. On top of that, his league-best 2392 yards from scrimmage was the sixth best mark ever. ^[4]The top five: O.J. Simpson 1975, Chris Johnson 2009, Jim Brown 1963, Marshall Faulk 1999, and Walter Payton 1977. With Cam Newton unhealthy for two games and absent for the rest of them, the Panthers were forced to trot out the duo of So What and Who Cares to start 14 games. This left McCaffrey as the lone serious threat on the offense, and his valiant effort in a lost season is commendable. McCaffrey has 5443 yards on offense through three seasons. Only LaDainian Tomlinson, Eric Dickerson, Jamal Lewis, and Chris Johnson rate higher.

844. Keith Brooking (1998-2012)
Linebacker
Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos

Brooking could play outside or middle linebacker in a 4-3 or inside linebacker in a 3-4. He was most at home in the middle, but he flourished wherever he played. In the classic mold of Mike Singletary, Brooking was a tackling machine, leading the league in tackles in 2003. He was good enough in coverage not to be a liability, but his skill set was certainly better for his own era than it would be for this era. Brooking made a handful of Pro Bowls and two all pro teams with the Falcons before seeming to mail it in. A move to Dallas revitalized his play for a short while.

843. Bob Breunig (1975-1984)
Linebacker
Dallas Cowboys

Sort of a Brooking of his day, Breunig was smart and instinctive but not particularly athletic. He was able to maximize his physical talent through study and hard work, allowing him to get that split second head start to a spot his legs wouldn’t have gotten him on their own. With three Pro Bowls, an all pro selection, a championship win, and peer testimonials lauding his toughness and leadership, his résumé is solid and has stood the test of time. Breunig could possibly be higher, but I mentally docked him a bit for playing behind that line and in Landry’s flex defense that seemed to make linebackers look better than they were.

842. Karlos Dansby (2004-2017)
Linebacker
Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals

Dansby never made a Pro Bowl and was only once named a second team all pro, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he wasn’t a terror on defense. It didn’t seem to matter the uniform he donned, who played beside him, or who coached him – he was consistently great against both the pass and the run. If you needed a guy to dog the quarterback, he could do it. Cover backs and tight ends without much help? He could do that too. Make big plays? He was incredible in that regard. In fact, Dansby is among the best in recent history at reacting to and stopping a receiver behind the line of scrimmage. In the Pro Football Focus era, he leads all players with 395 run stops. ^[5]The PFF era only dates back to 2006, but that still includes some heavy hitters at the position. The company defines stops as a tackle that results in a failure for the offense. He has three separate seasons with two defensive touchdowns. Teams didn’t have to sacrifice consistency or playmaking when they added him to the roster.

841. Gary Anderson (1982-2004)
Kicker
Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers

The thing about kickers is that they tend to be inconsistent and mostly interchangeable. Because they wash out so quickly, it’s impressive when a guy can hold down a starting job for over a decade. Anderson held it down for two decades. And by held it down, I mean he was named the second team all decade kicker for both the 1980s and the 1990s. Despite playing the first 13 years of his career in cold and windy Three Rivers Stadium, he remained one of the most accurate kickers of his era. When he moved to a dome team, he had a season for the ages, making all of his field goals and extra points. Even after adjusting for playing in a dome, it remains one of the most valuable kicking seasons in the Football Outsiders database. Anderson is remembered for his lone miss in the playoffs, which is an unfortunate truth for all too many at the position.

840. Otis Sistrunk (1972-1978)
Defensive Interior
Oakland Raiders

Sistrunk could play end in a 3-4 or defensive tackle in a 4-3. In his final season, he even took on responsibilities at nose. He wasn’t exceptionally quick or exceptionally strong, but he had a good enough balance of both to be an effective interior rusher. With a good first step and effective hand usage, Sistrunk was able to rack up several seasons of double digit sacks. His route to stardom was unusual, having gone from high school to the Marines before earning a starting spot with the Raiders. With a Pro Bowl and an all pro nod, as well as a spot on Dr. Z’s 1973 All NFL team, Sistrunk is undoubtedly the finest product ever to come out of the University of Mars.

839. Ray Wietecha (1953-1962)
Center
New York Giants

Wietecha wasn’t the best player on the great New York Giants lines of his era, but he was the glue that held it together. A coach after retiring from play, his strong mind came in handy when executing his responsibilities as the man who called blocking assignments before the snap. He made four Pro Bowls and five all pro teams, won a title, and never missed a game in his ten year career. Wietecha wasn’t overpowering like a Mike Baab, and he didn’t have the quickness of a young Tom Nalen, but he fought tooth and nail to execute his call, and he seemed to have a great understanding of angles.

838. Pepper Johnson (1986-1998)
Linebacker
New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Detroit Lions

Johnson was not stellar in coverage, but he was a superb run stopping linebacker. He could knife through the line to make tackles in the backfield, and he could break down and make sure tackles one on one. A heady player with intelligence some would call instinct, he had a fan in Bill Belichick. After coaching him as the defensive coordinator for the Giants, Belichick took on the head coaching job for the Browns and brought Johnson into the fold as soon as he got the chance. Johnson made a Pro Bowl with both teams, won two rings in New York, and was a consensus all pro in 1990.

837. Keith Bulluck (2000-2010)
Linebacker
Tennessee Titans, New York Giants

One of the more talented athletes to play the Will spot, Bulluck looked to be the AFC’s answer to Derrick Brooks when he came into the league. While he didn’t quite live up to that (as few ever have), he was nonetheless an incredible linebacker. He possessed rare speed that allowed him to play sideline to sideline, chase down plays from behind or to the opposite side of the field, and hold up well in coverage. My favorite game from Bulluck came on Monday Night Football in 2007 against the Saints. Facing a dynamic offense with one of the greatest passers in history, he picked off three passes and made another two stops after the catch.

836. Rick Casares (1955-1966)
Running Back
Chicago Bears, Washington, Miami Dolphins

After fulfilling his military obligations, Casares began his professional career in style, scoring an 81 yard touchdown on his first career carry. He was a bruiser, at 6’2″ 225, but he was nimble and could run in the open field. His forte, however, was smashmouth football. A Golden Gloves boxer in his youth, Casares was tough and liked dishing out a beating on defenders. Of course, that style of play takes its toll on a man, and he lost quite a bit of his power and burst after about 28. He still continued to produce on the ground, but his contributions as a receiver became almost nonexistent. His peak is what got him here, and at his peak, he was a beast. That was most clear in 1956, when he outgained the next closest runner by 22% and had 40% more touchdowns than the next back. At the time, his rushing yardage total 1126 was 20 yards short of the single season record.

835. Jason Hanson (1992-2012)
Kicker
Detroit Lions

I have often described Hanson as Adam Vinatieri on a bad team. What I mean by that is the two kickers were statistically about the same, but Hanson didn’t have the opportunity to build his legacy in the postseason with career defining kicks. Where the comparison falls apart, of course, is that Hanson spent a significant portion of his games kicking in a dome and didn’t have the same knack for having his misses come in lower leverage situations. Nonetheless, he was incredibly accurate on field goals and also did a solid job on kickoffs.

834. Stephen Gostkowski (2006-Present)
Kicker
New England Patriots

Ghost had some pretty big shoes to fill when his legendary predecessor left town, but he did better than anyone could have hoped. Despite playing in balmy New England (and a guaranteed game in Buffalo and East Rutherford), Gostkowski maintained a high level of play, consistently ranking near the top of the league in accuracy. He is also one of the best kickoff specialists ever, providing the Patriots with invaluable hidden yardage four fourteen years. While he didn’t end up with the lore of Vinatieri, he leaves Foxboro with three all pro nods and as many Super Bowl rings.

833. Bill Thompson (1969-1981)
Safety
Denver Broncos

Thompson began his career as a good cornerback and ended it as a great strong safety. A true playmaker, he had 40 interceptions for 784 yards and 3 scores during his career. He added another 175 yards and 4 touchdowns on fumble recoveries. As a rookie, he led the AFL in both kickoff and punt return average, and he managed to do so without scoring a touchdown. It wasn’t all about getting the ball in his hands, however. Records are incomplete, but Thompson made at least 25 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. All three of his Pro Bowl selections came after the age of 30, which isn’t too common.

832. Garo Yepremian (1966-1981)
Kicker
Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Miami Arrows

Like Anderson, Yepremian is most remembered for one unfortunate play. Unlike Anderson, it was an all-time blooper that made its way onto seemingly every lowlight reel ever created. Also unlike Anderson, Yepremian’s teams overcame the gaffe and still won a title. Yepremian was terrific for his career, earning all decade honors for the 1970s. Among kickers with 100 or more attempts, he was the sixth most accurate in history by Chase’s methodology in 2015. When he retired in 1981 as the fifth most accurate kicker in history, among the four above him, only Toni Fritsch was within 100 attempts of Yepremian’s 313.

831. Dwight Clark (1979-1987)
Wide Receiver
San Francisco 49ers

Clark was a little bit of an accident, discovered when Bill Walsh went to scout Clemson quarterback Steve Fuller but was more impressed by the receiver he was working out with. The 49ers ended up taking Clark in the 10th round of the 1979 draft, seven rounds after Joe Montana. The Catch made Clark famous, but his best year came the next season, in the strike-shortened 1982 campaign, when he led the NFC in catches while averaging more than 100 receiving yards per game, and was named first team All-Pro. Dr. Z even named him the league’s top player for that season. A big (6’4, 212), strong possession receiver, Clark led Montana’s 49ers in receiving yards five straight years before being overtaken by a rookie named Jerry Rice.

830. Carroll Dale (1960-1973)
Wide Receiver
Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings

Often incorrectly labeled as a tight end, Dale never really assumed a role that resembled a tight end. Instead, he was a flanker who more closely resembled a slot receiver today. I think it’s important to state that up front because his production would be extraordinary for a tight end, whereas it was merely great for a wide receiver. Regardless of role or nomenclature, Dale was a fantastic player who played a key role for three title teams. He had good speed, though not on the level of a Renfro or Warfield, and helped keep defenses honest and unable to key off on the feared Lombardi run game. Playing in a run-heavy scheme in the sixties didn’t do much for his numbers, but proper context makes them stand out more. In his best seven seasons, Dale’s TRY figures were: 1543, 1309, 1301, 1285, 1071, 984, and 934. He also had at least 123 yards in three consecutive postseasons.

829. Jim Bakken (1962-1978)
Kicker
St. Louis Cardinals

Jim Bakken was, with the possible exception of Mark Moseley, the last great straight-ahead kicker. He was named the NFL’s All-Decade Kicker for the 1960s, and almost repeated in the 1970s, when he missed the first team by one vote to Garo Yepremian. His numbers don’t look strong compared to contemporary kickers – he had exactly one field goal of more than 50 yards in his entire career – but by the standards of his era, he was deadly accurate. Bakken opened his career by making 221 of his first 222 extra points, and kicked seven field goals in one game in 1967, a record that wasn’t broken for 40 years. Even after the soccer-style kickers came to the league, Bakken made All-Pro in 1975 and 1976.

828. Marques Colston (2006-2015)
Wide Receiver
New Orleans Saints

It’s easy to dismiss the achievements of Colston as a product of playing his entire career with the most accurate passer in history on a team that consistently ranked at or near the top of the league in pass attempts. While that is true, it is also true that he played with a quarterback who spread his targets around perhaps more than any other in history. Despite the target distribution in the Saints offense, Colston was the clear number one guy for Brees. He didn’t put up the most jaw-dropping numbers, but he was excellent at moving the chains, converting for first downs on over 71% of his receptions. While he wasn’t that fast by NFL standards, he was big and strong with sure hands, capable of boxing out defenders to secure passes. Whether he was playing on the outside or in the slot, Colston excelled at attacking intermediate and deep areas of the field. He never sniffed a Pro Bowl, but he was a great receiver who produced at an even higher level in the playoffs and snagged a ring for his efforts. ^[6]Colston has seven seasons with at least 1000 TRY. Only 52 players in history can say that.

827. Santana Moss (2001-2014)
Wide Receiver
Washington, New York Jets

With a compact frame, Moss was both fast and explosive. He maintained a solid yards per catch average despite being force fed nonsensical Jason Campbell screen passes for four years of his prime. His 2005 season earned him his only Pro Bowl nod, but it still flew under the radar. Playing on a Washington squad that didn’t pass much – or particularly well – with a past-his-prime Brunell at the helm, Moss gained 44.3% of his team’s receiving yards (1483) on his way to 1806 TRY. Only a top five all time season from Steve Smith kept Moss from leading the league that year. ^[7]Moss also surpassed the 1000 mark four other times and the 900 mark thrice. Prior to that, he posted one of the better punt return seasons in recent memory, when he turned 25 tries into 413 yards and a couple of scores.

826. Todd Gurley (2015-Present)
Running Back
St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams

At his best, Gurley is among the most talented running backs in history. He is a throwback to the turn of the century when size-speed freaks were ubiquitous. With an explosive initial burst, he was get to top speed quickly, turning small holes into big gains and big holes into touchdowns. Gurley is a solid receiver out of the backfield, once gaining 788 yards through the air on his way to leading the league in yards from scrimmage. While he hasn’t proven to have a special talent for breaking tackles, he has shown the ability to consistently fall forward through contact. That (in addition to usage, of course) plays a big role in Gurley scoring 70 touchdowns through five years of his career. Only Shaun Alexander (72), Emmitt Smith (75), and LaDainian Tomlinson (80) found their way into the end zone more through their first half decade.

825. Thomas Morstead (2009-Present)
Punter
New Orleans Saints

Generally, punters will be good at kicking the ball really hard and really far, or they will be good at placing the ball in the right spot and giving the coverage team time to do their jobs. With Morstead, you don’t need to choose. He can boom it on the rare occasion a Payton-Brees led offense stalls, and he can keep it under control if he has to punt from midfield. ^[8]I don’t generally condone punting from midfield, but punters don’t get to make that choice and can only do the best job they can with the situation in which they find themselves. With a solid 4.5 second average hangtime, he limits returns well, and he also boasts an excellent inside-20 to touchback ratio. Of his 630 tries, 373 have landed inside the 20 or resulted in a fair catch, while just 308 have ended in a touchback or return.

824. Bobby Joe Green (1960-1973)
Punter
Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers

Green was among the best ever at mitigating return damage. He had a big leg and put up good gross averages, but more importantly, he appeared to rate near the top in net average on a yearly basis. Though records are inconclusive, he also didn’t appear to kick too many touchbacks. Green had a quick first step that helps him get punts off quickly, leading to him only suffering three blocks in his 14 years. he did all this despite playing all his home games in Chicago or Pittsburgh and playing a significant chunk of his away games against modern-day NFC North foes before they sported lavish domes. ^[9]When Green played, the Vikings, Lions, and Packers were part of the NFL West and, later, the NFC Central.

823. Forrest Blue (1968-1978)
Center
San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Colts

Blue didn’t spend a long time on top, but at his peak, he was as good as just about any center ever to play. From 1971-74, he made four Pro Bowls and three all pro first teams. Having converted to center from tackle, he didn’t look the part. He was 6’6″ with long arms and had to pay close attention to technique in order to maintain leverage against shorter interior defenders. Following his fourth straight all star season, he was traded to Baltimore in order to sure up protection for superstar quarterback Bert Jones. However, organizational turmoil knocked that off the rails, resulting both in Blue spending the last four years of his career as a backup and in the Colts losing valuable draft capital.

822. Rodney Holman (1982-1995)
Tight End
Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions

Holman was a steady if unspectacular receiver. His numbers don’t do him justice, as his offense just didn’t use him as much as his skill warranted. Regardless, he managed to produce six seasons of 500 TRY, which I believe is a fair threshold for good production at the tight end position. He earned three Pro Bowl spots and a pair of all pros, in large part because he wasn’t just a receiving threat. Despite being relatively small for the position, Holman was an excellent blocker, capable of driving a lineman out of a play, sealing the edge, picking off a defender in space, or staying in to help in pass pro.

821. Jimmy Graham (2010-Present)
Tight End
New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers

Whereas Holman was in every sense a traditional tight end, Graham is not. First, although he has been designated a tight end by his teams (perhaps solely to save money), Graham has maintained that his usage is closer to that of a wide receiver. Even a cursory glance at his game will support that. He produces like a top receiver. With five seasons over 900 TRY (my threshold for solid WR1 production) and a max of 1508, his numbers are in line with those of wide outs. So is his blocking, which is as bad as its reputation – though not bad for a wide receiver. A tall former basketball player with excellent body control and good speed, Graham has been lethal from the slot and posed matchup problems for most defenses. He could be higher on the list if he didn’t spend his entire career with Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

820. Jim Mitchell (1969-1979)
Tight End
Atlanta Falcons

Mitchell was a traditional tight end on a bad team in a defense-dominated era. His top passers were Bob Berry, Bob Lee, and Steve Bartkowski. That type of combination doesn’t tend to add up to solid production, but Mitchell produced anyway. He had two seasons with over 900 TRY, along with several other productive years. Like a George Kittle of his day, Mitchell was among the best ever after the catch. Once he got the ball in his hands, it was curtains for defenders trying to bring him down. It wasn’t uncommon to see him carrying a crew of tacklers on his back like Spike running through the secondary of the Little Giants.

819. Vernon Davis (2006-Present)
Tight End
San Francisco 49ers, Washington, Denver Broncos

Davis is arguably the most impressive physical specimen ever to play the position, with scary size-speed measurables. He was stuck on some awful teams and in some uninspired schemes that likely hurt his overall numbers. However, he did have two seasons with 13 touchdown – among tight ends, only Gronk and Jimmy Graham have bested that mark. Davis had inconsistent hands but came up big in his first five postseason games, averaging 109 yards and a touchdown per contest. The Catch III was the defining moment of his career.

818. Greg Olsen (2007-Present)
Tight End
Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears

Olsen has some of the best hands in the business. Not just currently, but ever. And it’s a good thing, because his quarterbacks haven’t been the most accurate passers, and Newton, in particular, threw with great velocity. Olsen is a dedicated and precise route runner and is tough after the catch. Often the top target on a team bereft of talent at the wide receiver position, he was the first tight end in history to post three consecutive seasons of 1000 receiving yards. In the postseason, Olsen has been even more productive, increasing his yards per game output by 25 yards. ^[10]I know, I know. Sample size. After a trio of Pro Bowls and a pair of all pro seasons, he has left Carolina to join forces with by far the best passer ever to team with him, and we get to see if the sunset can be held off just a little longer.

817. Daunte Culpepper (1999-2010)
Quarterback
Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Sacramento Mountain Lions

Culpepper, at least in my research, seems to be one of the most unfairly criticized quarterbacks in recent history. Often held up to Drew Brees as a point of comparison because the Dolphins signed Culpepper over the future HOFer, and having much of his on-field success attributed to Randy Moss, the man rarely gets his due. Go back and watch the man play. He was built like a tank and ran like a fullback, trucking defenders to pick up first downs. His arm seemed to be bionic, as he effortlessly flicked deep strikes over the top – often to Moss, of course. Culpepper was phenomenal when healthy, posting two MVP-level seasons (2000 and 2004) in his first five years as a starter. In the latter, only a Rushmore type year from Peyton Manning kept him from getting the award. He led the league in yards and trailed only Manning in touchdowns and ANY/A, and he did it with Jermaine Wiggins and Nate Burleson leading his team in catches. ^[11]Among qualified quarterbacks, Culpepper ranks 60th in VAL (2090) and 51st in TAYP+ (105).

816. Mark Stepnoski (1989-2001)
Center
Dallas Cowboys, Houston/Tennessee Oilers

Stepnoski was on the smallish size for a center (and he appeared even small surrounded by his Great Wall teammates), but he was a master of his craft. He was quick firing out of his stance, able to quickly get his shoulder pad on the hips of defenders and redirect them. That quickness also translated to the open field, where he was adept at picking off roaming linebackers. In the pass game, he was solid in protection and skilled at countering the hand moves of rushers. Stepnoski perfected the nuances of the position and used his artistry to help bring two Super Bowl trophies to Dallas before moving to the Oilers to protect an old Chris Chandler and a young Steve McNair.

815. Cookie Gilchrist (1954-1967)
Running Back, Kicker, Linebacker
Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Sarnia Imperials, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen

Standing 6’3″ and playing around 250 pounds, Cookie was as big as many of the linemen blocking for him. Somehow, when he ran, he seemed even bigger than that. The fleet footed behemoth punished hapless tacklers for having the gall to think they could bring him down. He retired as the AFL’s fifth leading rusher, but he was so much more than that. By the time he started, he was already 27. He led the league in rushing in two of his first three seasons and came in third in the other. Cookie also led all backs in touchdown runs in each of his first four years (three in Buffalo, one in Denver). He would make this list based solely on what he did in America, but prior to that, he completely dominated the CFL in an era when that actually meant something. During his six seasons in the great white north, he was an all star five times. In 1960, Gilchrist was given postseason honors as both a running back and a linebacker. He was a great player, but he was an even greater voice for change. His list of teams is long due to constant conflicts with management. Those conflicts nearly always stemmed from him taking principled stances on civil rights issues.

814. Sam Baker (1953-1969)
Punter, Kicker
Philadelphia Eagles, Washington, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns

Baker still stands among the best ever at limiting yardage after returns. Rather than outkicking his coverage to show off his big leg, he put the ball where it needed to go to give his coverage team the best chance to make a play on the returner. Because of this, he topped all punters in net average in four separate seasons. He kicked outside, often in fairly cold weather, and still fared well. Baker earned trips to four Pro Bowls, but he deserved at least three more. If people don’t know how to pick the right punters now, imagine how bad it was half a century ago. On top of his punting prowess, Baker is also among the best kickers ever, posting excellent efficiency numbers for his era.

813. Tobin Rote (1950-1966)
Quarterback
Green Bay Packers, San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, Toronto Argonauts

Tobin Rote was pretty much the Packers’ only weapon when he joined them in 1950, a fullback-sized (6’3, 211), scrambling quarterback out of Rice who led the team in rushing yards three times. The passing took longer to develop, but he led the NFL in touchdown passes in 1955 and 1956. In 1956, when he made the Pro Bowl, Rote totaled 29 touchdowns rushing and passing, an NFL record up to that point. With Bart Starr in hand, the Pack sent Rote to the Lions to back up Bobby Layne. When Layne broke his leg late in the 1957 season, Rote took over for the playoffs, beating the Browns in the NFL championship 59-14 for the Lions’ last-ever title. After three years in the CFL, Rote joined the Chargers in 1963 – and ended up winning another title while being named AFL MVP at the age of 35. ^[12]Among qualifying quarterbacks, Rote ranks 124th in VAL (-27) and 136th in TAYP+ (100).

812. Doug Williams (1978-1989)
Quarterback
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington, Oklahoma/Arizona Outlaws

Statheads know that Williams is among the greatest quarterbacks in history at avoiding sacks, but he was so much more than that. The expansion Buccaneers were an atrocity. After starting their franchise run off 2-26, they drafted Williams and were in the postseason a year later. In fact, Tampa Bay made the playoffs three times in the five years Williams started. Despite leading a talent starved offense to the postseason thrice and maintaining an ANY/A+ of 107 over those five seasons, Williams remained the 40th highest paid quarterback in a 28 team league. When he asked for fair compensation, Tampa let him go – they wouldn’t see another winning season for 15 years. He ended up in Washington, by way of the USFL, where he had one of the greatest Super Bowl performances ^[13]By total adjusted yards over average (VAL), it ranks eighth among Super Bowl quarterbacks, at +217. Names above him include Joe Montana, Steve Young, Tom Brady, and Troy Aikman. Also Jim Plunkett and … Continue reading in history, breaking the yardage record (340) and finishing the game with 11.00 ANY/A. Williams only played in 95 NFL games, but it was institutional racism – not a lack of talent or production – that is to blame. In fact, he may be too low on the list. ^[14]Among quarterbacks with at least 1500 combined regular and postseason plays, Williams ranks 68th in career VAL (1750) and 40th in TAYP+ (107).

811. Mike Evans (2014-Present)
Wide Receiver
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ever since his days of college ball, Evans has been using his large frame and enviable wingspan to erase the inaccuracy of those throwing him the ball. Not one to waste his time on the short stuff, he is a chain mover through and through. He has turned his receptions into first downs a hair under 80% of the time, which is remarkable in this era defined by shorter passing concepts. That isn’t to say he can’t rack up the yardage too. Even after accounting for his pass friendly era and occasionally pass heavy teams, Evans has exceeded 1000 TRY in all but one season of his career (when he had 983), including two over the elite 1400 mark.

810. T.Y. Hilton (2012-Present)
Wide Receiver
Indianapolis Colts

Entering the league with highly touted quarterback Andrew Luck, Hilton immediately provided the young passer with a big play connection. While Luck’s career was plagued by injuries before ending early and unceremoniously, Hilton was almost always available and produced consistently, regardless of who took the snaps under center. Although he isn’t going to be mistaken for Jerry Rice, his route running has become more refined throughout his career, and few in recent history have been better on deep routes. Discounting his rookie year and his last season shortened by injury, he has exceeded 1000 TRY every year, including three campaigns over 1400.