to borrow from Wyote's thread about best OL....just curious what everyone's choice would be for best DL....with a Caveat: no deceased players...so no Reggie White and no Jerome Brown...that makes it too easy....

DE: Hugh Douglas
DT: Fletcher Cox
DT: Andy Harmon (or Hollis Thomas)
DE: Clyde Simmons

Reggie??

EDIT:

First, I posted my response after reading thread title and looking at list without having read anything else in the OP.  Second, I agree with pgcd3 that a list without Reggie (or Jerome for that matter) just doesn't seem right regardless of whether they are currently alive or not.  

Sorry I can't do a list without Reggie.  The deceased players thing seems completely arbitrary

We should do a best DL in Eagles history, no deceased players, players who wore prime numbers or had summer birthdays.

47 minutes ago, pgcd3 said:

Sorry I can't do a list without Reggie.  The deceased players thing seems completely arbitrary

I know...that makes it much harder doesn't it because Reggie White and Jerome are no brainers in these sorts of lists...

1 hour ago, time2rock said:

Reggie??

EDIT:

First, I posted my response after reading thread title and looking at list without having read anything else in the OP.  Second, I agree with pgcd3 that a list without Reggie (or Jerome for that matter) just doesn't seem right regardless of whether they are currently alive or not.  

right, that's what makes it more challenging...it's like saying who is the (next best) WR in the NFL (after Jerry Rice)....

No deceased players???

Why not???

Reggie white.

Jerome Brown.

Fletcher Cox.

Clyde Simmons.

There really shouldn't be much debate 

Reggie is considered the best DE ever to play.

Jerome Brown was multiple All pro.

Fletcher Cox multiple all Pro and super bowl winner and if not for some dude named Aaron Donald would have won DPOY in 2017, but cox got a super bowl so...

Clyde Simmons led the league in sacks one year was a 2 time all pro had 3 100 tackle seasons and two more of 96 and 98 not to mention 3 ints and 4 total return Tds 

Hugh Douglas, fuller, Cole or whoever else don't come anywhere near any of those numbers 

For Now the top 4 are those guys and it really shouldn't be much of a debate 

 

 

Taking Reggie and Jerome is taking out half of the 4 best DL to ever play for the eagles.

 

Taking those two out.

Clyde.

Cox.

Harmon.

Cole.

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, flyerdog said:

I know...that makes it much harder doesn't it because Reggie White and Jerome are no brainers in these sorts of lists...

but then it is not the best DL in Eagles history

Carl Hairston never gets the appreciation he deserves. Damn good player in the Vermeil era. 

Not saying he should be on this list, but he should at least get some consideration. Yet no one ever seems to mention his name. 

Now try to make the list with linemen whose last names begin in vowels only. It makes it so much harder.

3 hours ago, downundermike said:

but then it is not the best DL in Eagles history

so true...maybe it should be the best Eagles DL (without Reggie and Jerome!!!) 

 

11 minutes ago, Kz! said:

Now try to make the list with linemen whose last names begin in vowels only. It makes it so much harder.

only if you include 'Y' 

2 hours ago, Kz! said:

Now try to make the list with linemen whose last names begin in vowels only. It makes it so much harder.

Well, Victor Abiamiri comes to mind.

I think it should be lineman who didn't wear jerseys in the 90s.  

 

Brandon Graham - 55
Carl Hairston - 78
Ken Clarke - 71
Trent Cole - 58

 

Hairston moves to the 3-technique in a 4 man front.  Clarke to the nose.

When fans look back on Jerome Brown, they tend to revise history a bit. He was an absolute stud in 1991, which unfortunately was his final year. But his first couple seasons would have worried today's fans. He showed flashes of greatness and then would notably take plays off. In his defense, teams didn't really deploy rotations like they do today, which may have really helped him. After his 3rd year, he really seemed to get serious. What happened was tragic, but it has helped his legend grow. People conveniently forget the frustrations of his early years. Cox' career is still going on and when all is said and done, he may actually prove to be the best pure DT we've had. It would have been interesting to see Cox surrounded by White, Pitts and Simmons in their primes, It also would have been interesting to see him play 90+% of the snaps and its effect on his play. All in all, it's very hard to compare Cox to Brown because of the circumstances. Brown has had the best single season, IMO, but Cox has been nearly as disruptive in multiple seasons. 

1 hour ago, FranklinFldEBUpper said:

Well, Victor Abiamiri comes to mind.

Don't forget Honey Beau Beau

56 minutes ago, brkmsn said:

When fans look back on Jerome Brown, they tend to revise history a bit. He was an absolute stud in 1991, which unfortunately was his final year. But his first couple seasons would have worried today's fans. He showed flashes of greatness and then would notably take plays off. In his defense, teams didn't really deploy rotations like they do today, which may have really helped him. After his 3rd year, he really seemed to get serious. What happened was tragic, but it has helped his legend grow. People conveniently forget the frustrations of his early years. Cox' career is still going on and when all is said and done, he may actually prove to be the best pure DT we've had. It would have been interesting to see Cox surrounded by White, Pitts and Simmons in their primes, It also would have been interesting to see him play 90+% of the snaps and its effect on his play. All in all, it's very hard to compare Cox to Brown because of the circumstances. Brown has had the best single season, IMO, but Cox has been nearly as disruptive in multiple seasons. 

While I agree to a point, let's not forget Jerome had 10.5 sacks in 1989.

Jerome is like Nirvana, a really good band that didn't have enough time to prove they were overrated because they died at their peak .

 

the Reggie White narrative reminds me of a book I read once about Jerry Rice...the author was in a bar once and a few guys were discussing WRs and who was the "best"

These guys kept throwing out names of famous players

the author was mystified that not one mentioned Jerry Rice...finally the group agreed that "____________ was the best WR....AFTER Jerry Rice"

so it goes without saying that Reggie was/is a no brainer

 

sorry to make you guys work it a little

 

27 minutes ago, flyerdog said:

the Reggie White narrative reminds me of a book I read once about Jerry Rice...the author was in a bar once and a few guys were discussing WRs and who was the "best"

These guys kept throwing out names of famous players

the author was mystified that not one mentioned Jerry Rice...finally the group agreed that "____________ was the best WR....AFTER Jerry Rice"

so it goes without saying that Reggie was/is a no brainer

 

sorry to make you guys work it a little

 

Well next time just write White's name in INK for the LDE spot and then leave the other 3 spots open for discussion.  If its the best DL in Eagles' history, and White isn't named, then it isn't the best DL in Eagles' history.    But, why limit it to "no deceased".   That caveat seems to have been designed just to eliminate two of the best DL in the franchise's history.   

 

 

BTW... I'd say that Cox edges out Brown for best DT in team history.  Brown was amazing, but he only played in one system (Buddy's 46) and for a very limited amount of time, whereas Cox showed a significant amount of scheme flexibility starting with the 4 man front under Reid, then the 3 man front with Chip, and then back to the 4 man front with Schwartz... not to mention his longevity, and rightly or wrongly, bringing home the Lombardi gets an extra nod as well.

10 hours ago, Utebird said:

No deceased players???

Why not???

Reggie white.

Jerome Brown.

Fletcher Cox.

Clyde Simmons.

There really shouldn't be much debate 

Reggie is considered the best DE ever to play.

Jerome Brown was multiple All pro.

Fletcher Cox multiple all Pro and super bowl winner and if not for some dude named Aaron Donald would have won DPOY in 2017, but cox got a super bowl so...

Clyde Simmons led the league in sacks one year was a 2 time all pro had 3 100 tackle seasons and two more of 96 and 98 not to mention 3 ints and 4 total return Tds 

Hugh Douglas, fuller, Cole or whoever else don't come anywhere near any of those numbers 

For Now the top 4 are those guys and it really shouldn't be much of a debate 

 

 

Taking Reggie and Jerome is taking out half of the 4 best DL to ever play for the eagles.

 

Taking those two out.

Clyde.

Cox.

Harmon.

Cole.

 

 

 

 

 

I think Graham is better than Cole. His commitment to run defense is so underrated

19 minutes ago, Aerolithe_Lion said:

I think Graham is better than Cole. His commitment to run defense is so underrated

Cole was no slouch against the run and yeah graham is really good against the run.

3 hours ago, brkmsn said:

When fans look back on Jerome Brown, they tend to revise history a bit. He was an absolute stud in 1991, which unfortunately was his final year. But his first couple seasons would have worried today's fans. He showed flashes of greatness and then would notably take plays off. In his defense, teams didn't really deploy rotations like they do today, which may have really helped him. After his 3rd year, he really seemed to get serious. What happened was tragic, but it has helped his legend grow. People conveniently forget the frustrations of his early years. Cox' career is still going on and when all is said and done, he may actually prove to be the best pure DT we've had. It would have been interesting to see Cox surrounded by White, Pitts and Simmons in their primes, It also would have been interesting to see him play 90+% of the snaps and its effect on his play. All in all, it's very hard to compare Cox to Brown because of the circumstances. Brown has had the best single season, IMO, but Cox has been nearly as disruptive in multiple seasons. 

I think there is truth to this. I remember Brown's rookie year and there being some talk about him being kind of disappointing. And in two of his other four years, he was a bit plump and out of shape and didn't really play as well as he did in his other years. In '89 and '91 he was great, though, so that's what most folks tend to remember. But I clearly recall him kinda having an off year in '90. 

How about the most underrated DL?...

Mike Mamula
Hollis Thomas
Darwin Walker
Brandon Whiting

Probably should just do a top 53

On 6/7/2021 at 9:59 AM, pgcd3 said:

Sorry I can't do a list without Reggie.  The deceased players thing seems completely arbitrary

How about thinking of those 2 as a given - so give the next 4.