Most underrated modern era Steelers

[sick beats]

LB - Greg Lloyd - Sure many of us loved him and know how good he was, but I don't think he gets enough love for how great he was. We all hear about how great Ham and Lambert were (and they were darn good) but in my opinion, Lloyd was even better than those guys but no one mentions him among Steeler greats.

OT - John Jackson - Stud LT that no one seems to remember. He was really good.

OT - Justin Strzelczyk - Seemingly lost his mind in how he killed himself, but this guy was a stud O lineman.

RB - Frankie Pollard. He played on some of the worst Steeler teams since 1970's but he was much better than given credit for.

WR - Yancey Thigpen. In his prime, when he was healthy (which was about every other year) he was a top 5 WR in the league. Most don't recall just how good this guy was. He ended up getting a boat load of $ from TN and never did anything since.

Eric Green - He was kind of an immature @ss when playing for the Steelers (rumored to have had big party the night before the AFCC game, which Pgh was upset by SD), but he was immensely talented. He would have been even better if he dropped 20 lbs.

CB - Dwayne Woodruff. He wasn't as good as Mel Blount or Rod Woodson, but that's about it; he was as good or better than every other CB we have had. At almost 6' and 200 lbs, he was big and fast. Very good player.

LB - Chad Brown. We forget how good he was, because he took the $ and went to Seattle, where he didn't do much. But he was wicked good in Pgh.

DE - Orpheus Roye - Much underrated DE who left for the Browns. But this guy was solid and good.

S/CB - Carnell Lake - Yes, most would say he is a good player, but he was beyond good; he was great. How many safeties can fill in for a CB and do a great job like Lake did? When his teams were in their prime, he, Woodson or Lloyd could make game-changing/winning plays when they needed it. He was phenomenal.

FS - Ryan Clark - Yes, his play slipped last year and his style became inept under new rules and interpretation of refs, but before that, he was playing at a very high level. I am glad he is not coming back now, but a few years ago, he was playing lights out football.

[Ernie]

Aaron Smith... one of the very best DE's in the league for a number of years.. Monster..

[RussBII]

Levon Kirland - ILB - I loved watching that big ass guy plug the middle.

Kimo Von Olehoffen - DE - <cough> Carson...

Tim Lester/John L Williams/Dan Kreider - FBs - The Bus was the best with someone in front. Although, I don't know if i remember Williams blocking... I'm missing someone here.

[Slapstick]

Tim Lester/John L Williams/Dan Kreider - FBs - The Bus was the best with someone in front. Although, I don't know if i remember Williams blocking... I'm missing someone here.

Jon Witman

[Ernie]

Good calls... esp Kirkland. What a beast

[sick beats]

Good calls... esp Kirkland. What a beast

The reason I didn't have #99 on my list is because he was fairly highly touted when he was here, so I didn't think he was underrated. Also, his last two seasons were not that good because he took excessive weight for a LB to new, unproductive levels. it was amazing how fast he remained for his first several years, but then he just got too damn fat, and he wasn't as good. I was pissed at Cowher for allowing that to happen. He was too buddy buddy with Levon when he should have told him those extra 30 lbs were not acceptable. He proved that at 265 he got it done. But not at 295.

[steelblood]

LB - Greg Lloyd - Sure many of us loved him and know how good he was, but I don't think he gets enough love for how great he was. We all hear about how great Ham and Lambert were (and they were darn good) but in my opinion, Lloyd was even better than those guys but no one mentions him among Steeler greats.

Lloyd was better than Ham or Lambert? That might be a tough sell. I will say for about 2-3 seasons Lloyd was probably the most feared OLB in the game. He was quick, mean, and strong. He forced a lot of fumbles and even picked off some passes showing he was a complete linebacker. However, I don't know that he was even better (more productive) than James Harrison was. Harrison might be the most complete 3-4 OLB we've ever had. Lloyd was primarly known as a pass rusher. He did get a lot of pressures. But, he only finished his career with 54.5 sacks in 139 starts. I'm not sure you can call those numbers elite. Harrison had 66 sacks in 105 starts. Sure, those were different decades and there was more passing in the 2000s, but Harrison's numbers are probably better. Harrison's FFs per start are also similar to Lloyd's. Harrison also had the best season every for a Steelers 3-4 OLB when he recorded 16 sacks, a pick, 7 FF, and a safety to go along with 90 or so tackles.

As far as Ham or Lambert go, the comparison is more difficult because they played different positions and statistics were not kept for things like FF or Sacks until the early 80s. Are you old enough to have watched them play in their prime or are you going from the few old highlights they show. Because, I can tell you that Jack Ham was the best outside linebacker in football for several years. His range and coverage skills were unparalleled. He wasn't the strongest guy, but he was the smartest and most instinctive linebacker you've ever seen. And Lambert was perhaps twice as intimidating and intense as Lloyd was. Lambert wasn't big, but every hit was a demolition, every moment was pure intensity. And, unlike Lloyd, Lambert was great for a decade. Like I said, they didn't keep all the stats like they do now. But, I know Lambert had six interceptions twice. Think about that. 6 would be insane for a MLB now. But, in the running era of the late seventies and early 80s, those were very impressive numbers. He was also a tackling machine, a great blitzer and fumble inducer (too bad they didn't keep track of sacks and FF until the end of his career). Lambert was a sight to behold.

I loved Lloyd as a player. In my book, he belongs in the conversation with the great lin

[Captain Lemming]

Lloyd was primarly known as a pass rusher.

This is just wrong. Lloyd was a machine against the run. Without question MUCH better defending the run than as a pass rusher. Heck K Greene was a FAR better pass rusher than Lloyd was.

Lloyds sacks were just memorable (punishing and violent) which is why that perception exists.

I do agree JH is the best 3/4 LBer we have had.

DMVP season JH was "LT at his best" great in my opinion.

The two Jacks were easily best for a career, but neither was as dominant as JH was at his very best.

[steelblood]

This is just wrong. Lloyd was a machine against the run. Without question MUCH better defending the run than as a pass rusher. Heck K Greene was a FAR better pass rusher than Lloyd was.

Lloyds sacks were just memorable (punishing and violent) which is why that perception exists.

I do agree JH is the best 3/4 LBer we have had.

DMVP season JH was "LT at his best" great in my opinion.

The two Jacks were easily best for a career, but neither was as dominant as JH was at his very best.

Never said he wasn't a violent tackler or good against the run. In fact, I said he was complete OLB. But, come on, he was known as a pass rusher. That was his identity and that was what he was born to do.

[sick beats]

Never said he wasn't a violent tackler or good against the run. In fact, I said he was complete OLB. But, come on, he was known as a pass rusher. That was his identity and that was what he was born to do.

IDK, I think he was all around good. I recall watching him just in on one play after another, making tackles all over the field, whether it be tackling backs or whomever. I also loved the fact that he kept the entire team in line. Story goes, that some rookies were complaining on the work outs being too long, and Greg snapped at them, "We don't talk like that here. I don't want to hear you say anything like that again," and they never did. We might need some of that kind of fired up leadership right about now. I think that is one thing we are lacking, to be honest. Troy is a quiet leader. Clark is gone. Woodley never was much a leader. I think it's on Heyward to fill that roll; he was the leader on D at OSU. We had no problem with team attitude with Lloyd, Greene, Woodson, Lake....but I feel we are lacking now. Harrison in his prime offered some of that. If he came back, could he offer it now? Maybe.