It's hard to argue withthat list. But...How about Earl Morrall? He basically carried the team to the perfect season as the starting QB or Jake Scott.
Humbug...Czonka was better for the Fins than JT was...And I'm not so sure Zach wasn't better for the Fins than JT...
I have no quarrels with that list. It's an opinion, and not a horrible one at that. Zach was awesome, no doubt. Along with JT, they are the post-Dan dolphins. But he's missed a gang of games too. Well not that many, but he has. If someone else made a list, and flipped them, I wouldn't see a problem with that either. It's basically what each person values more importantly.
Czonka has to be the best, followed by Griese. I wouldn't put JT in the top 5. I'd put Zach ahead of him. I think those older guys are getting over-looked.
How Dwight Stephenson can be left off this list is puzzling. He's arguably the best player in NFL history at his position. Sure, he didn't play a glamor position, but based on success at his position he's definitely in the top 3 of all-time Dolphins, and an argument could be made for him as #1 truthfully.
I think Offerdahl could have been better for ZT, but for his longevity. Zach beats him out just on that alone....I think from a play standpoint, you couldn't live off the difference between the two though...
Myself I just do not believe Zach could last 5 years with that defensive line in front of him. Not taking anything from Zach, just to have to take the constant beating because no one can draw a double team would of really hurt his play.
The problem is Zach has excelled no matter what we've thrown at him. Everyone said that about switching to Saban's 3-4 defense...that Zach couldn't handle it. He ended up with perhaps the best two-year run in his entire career. And I'm sorry but Zach hasn't had a great set of defensive tackles sitting in front of him in Miami since...2002. Larry Chester was overrated, and that's saying a lot because he wasn't even rated that well. Tim Bowens wasn't really himself in 2003 and then never really played from 2004 onward. The Saban years DLs were helped by scheme and chemistry more than anything else and it wasn't a scheme that was very geared toward keeping people off Zach. I'm sorry but I'm tired of people criticizing Zach based on completely unprovable hypotheticals when those hypotheticals themselves keep having a knack for getting proven wrong. A special player is a special player, and Zach is special because he knows where to be and had the burst and balance to get there, before an offensive lineman can get to him. Zach over Offerdahl any given year, and as far as careers go...it's not even close because of Zach's longevity.
I would put JT right up with Csonka after Marino . Zach was a special player but we have had a couple of other MBs as good,Offerdahl and Buonoconti. Defenses did not make game plans around Zach while they always had to account for JT. He could dominate games as he often did . Csonka was another player defenses always had to account for . Of course Marino was always a player that defenses had to plan for. The rest were great role players but did not have as much impact IMO.
I definitely disagree with that statement. Defenses had to account for Zach Thomas, as much as you have to account for any linebacker in the game that isn't a rush linebacker. If defenses didn't have to account for Zach Thomas, then by that standard they also never had to account for Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, Keith Bulluck, etc.
Even with the overrated defensive linemen, Zach never had to contend with what John had to contend with. Plus the flaw in many people's idea about what they were saying with the 3-4 is that small inside linebackers will fail. Since the truth of the matter is that is not true, especially with superior instincts and a good defensive line and scheme. Zach is special, I do agree. I just thought John was better.
I think defenses had to make game plans around Zach. I do think offenses were more scared of JT than Zach.
It's the nature of the position though. Offenses get scared of guys that can terrorize the quarterback because that causes turnovers. A good MLB delivers a slower death, by shutting down the ground game and keeping the ball out of play over the middle of the field. In that way, Mike Singletary could play side by side with Jason Taylor, and Jason Taylor would still be the guy that offenses are more "scared" of.
You can add Jim Langer to that list. Two of the best Centers of all time. I would have to agree with Czonka, he had a huge impact on the Dolphins offense.
i am on the Stevensen band wagon. better than kooch certainly as far as miami o-lineman go. he was the premiere center in the NFL for years.
I think he is narrowing his attention to the late-Shula through the current time or he is not all that aware of the many greats that preceded Dan. For the record, I place Zach above Jason by a little bit. By all accounts, Zach is not a "natural" but overcame that to be one of the best LBs of our time -- he is obsessed to prepare -- to learn the game, to unselfishly teach others.. Jason is a "natural" and, while a dominate force, didn't have to put in the effort that Zach did to excel. They are both awesome and are the Dolphins of this "generation" but I question Jason's place as the second best Dolphin ever.
Where is Paul Warfield? Surprised not to see Ricky Williams on that list with the amount of unexplained man love he's been getting from Miami fans as of late
I agree. Zonk carried them to a SB win in 1973, especially in the SB itself when he just bulldozed the Minnesota defense.
i dunno man. #1 offense in the league, #1 defense in the league. a lot of people were doing the carrying those years. I asked my brother during a game last year, he's 12 years my elder and been around through some of the glory days...and i asked, "JT has got to be our best defensive player ever right?" And we both concluded that he was. That said, despite a rough off-season, i'm not going back on that. i think he's the best defensive player ever to suit up in Miami. so he's in the top 10. but #2, that i dont know. its a pretty far gap between Dan and everyone else anyway.
1. Marino 2. Csonka 3. Z.Thomas 4. Jason Taylor 5. Paul Warfield 6. Larry Little 7. Dwight Stephenson 8. Griese/Morrall 9. Dick Anderson 10. Richmond Webb
