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.

[Ernie]

Good calls... esp Kirkland. What a beast

[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

[Ernie]

I think...because the game and players have evolved so much with strength, speed, agility,etc since the time that Ham and Lambert played... that you can't really make a "Head to head" comparison.

I think the only comparison you can really make is how dominant they were amongst their peers (who played in the same era).

[ramblinjim]

I'm not sure that Lake is underrated, at least not by Steeler fans. Darren Perry was a pretty good safety, David Little was a pretty good linebacker, Louis Lipps had some great years. I was always a fan of Deshea Townsend and Marvel Smith when healthy was a pretty darned good left tackle.

[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

[SidSmythe]

All the guys you mentioned weren't "underrated" except John Jackson. When you're talking "Underrated" he's at the top of the LIST.

You want to know how good J.J. was??? John Jackson use to eat Bruce Smith's lunch like no LT could ever do. that says a lot!!

[Shawn]

James Farrior.

[SidSmythe]

We're talking "underrated" here. James Farrior, Greg Lloyd, Yancey Thigpen, Levon Kirkland, etc. were never overlooked.

How About This List:

John Jackson - Excellent Left Tackle though undersized below 300 lbs.
Jason Gildon - He had a good career rushing the passer and accumulated sacks regardless of how his career fizzled out at the end.
Joel Steed - clogged up the middle, was as good as Casey Hampton.
Deshea Townshend - loved this guy.....was a great player and was an intregral part of our Superbowl championships
Adrian Cooper - Was a dominant blocker with amazing hands. Played behind Eric Green and got lost in a very boring Earhardt offense w/ no real QB to throw to him.

[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.

[Captain Lemming]

Adrian Cooper - Was a dominant blocker with amazing hands. Played behind Eric Green and got lost in a very boring Earhardt offense w/ no real QB to throw to him.

I will always remember one block he made on a long Foster run where he just DESTROYED somebody.

[SidSmythe]

I will always remember one block he made on a long Foster run where he just DESTROYED somebody.

Are you sure that wasn't Eric Greene's block on Shayne Conlon (Bills LB) chasing Foster down the sideline. That was almost as bad as Gary Jones hit on Don Beebe!! lol

[thor75]

I was always a Mark Bruener fan.