Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

...to start a franchise with (not necessarily who you think is "best player ever"), who would it be?

My initial thought is Johnny Unitas because in today's game you've got to have a great QB, right? Besides, I cannot imagine the type of numbers in the current NFL a quarterback would produce that in his era threw 32 touchdown passes in 12 games and touchdown passes in 47 straight games- when the rules were heavily slanted towards the defense.

Of course, we want to give Unitas the benefits of modern weight training and conditioning in order that he might bulk up to around 210 lbs, which would make him right around the same weight (and height) as Drew Brees. In my opinion, Unitas would have a field day in today's wide open and pass happy NFL- provided he is surrounded by the right talent of course.

Brown. Jim Brown.

(In keeping with my "not just a name" theme:
Arguably one of the 2 or 3 best players in the history of the game.
I thought of others like LT or Nomellini or Marchetti or Jerry Rice but, even in today's game a running back can dominate when all else is equal.
Plus, he's just a bad, bad man.)

(Other honorable mentions: Joe Greene, Tom Brady or Joe Montana, Walter Payton.... it'd be hard to go wrong with any of those guys...
Fun exercise.)

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Other honorable mentions: Joe Greene, Tom Brady or Joe Montana, Walter Payton.... it'd be hard to go wrong with any of those guys...
Fun exercise.)

I thought about including some honorable mentions or second choices as well. Many of mine include:

Reggie White
Lawrence Taylor
Deacon Jones

In today's NFL, rushing the quarterback is almost as paramount as QB play!

Lynn Swann
John Stallworth

Swann and Stallworth, obviously, never had opportunity to put up the same type of 'crazy' numbers of modern wide receivers. The two played the first four of their prime years when the league played 14 games and defense dominated; when the schedule was changed to 16 games and the rules started to move more in favor of offense (in 1978), the Steelers stilled ran more than they passed.

I would love to see what type of numbers Swann and Stallworth might have put up if both had spent the better part of their prime years with Peyton Manning as their quarterback. Or better yet, have Swann and Stallworth replace Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt during the 'Greatest Show On Turf' era Rams!

Hope I am not breaking any rules by mentioning so many players but... how about Jack Ham?

Defenses in the modern NFL are gravitating more and more towards lighter and more mobile linebackers that can both cover the tight end and running back coming out of the backfield. Who better to do that than Ham, whom was widely regarded as one of the best linebackers of his era for his coverage abilities.

Today, however, I see Ham as an ILB as opposed to OLB and play a role somewhat similar to Sean Lee of the Cowboys. Put Ham in a current NFL weight room and I see him bulking up by 10 lbs to 235.

Tarkenton...Elway...Steve Young...Marshall Faulk...

Tom Brady....and all I do is Win....for a long time.

Tim Couch ...

Hard not to choose a QB. This link ranks the positions about how I was thinking (QB, WDE/WOLB depending if you play 3-4 or 4-3, LT, CB): http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... o-returner

QB: Sammy Baugh
DE: Deacon Jones (Could I play him on the weak side? Wouldn't he get even more sacks that way?)
LT: Cal Hubbard
CB: Dick Lane

Since I'm not sure how Baugh would do against modern competition, I think I'd go Jones or Lane.

ok I'm going to go waaaay outside the box here. If I had to pick any player to start a franchise in that era that he played in. I'll go with Jim Thorpe.