Merged: Jason Taylor best DE of his generation?/Hall of Famer ?

[Breed]

Career sacks:
Michael Strahan: 132.5 (200 games)
Simeon Rice: 121 (166 games)
Jason Taylor: 106 (156 games)
Jevon Kearse: 66 (97 games)
Dwight Freeney: 56.5 (79 games)
Julius Peppers: 53.5 (76 games)

Career forced fumbles:
Jason Taylor: 36 (156 games)
Simeon Rice: 34 (166 games)
Dwight Freeney: 27 (79 games)
Jevon Kearse: 25 (97 games)
Michael Strahan: 23 (200 games)
Julius Peppers: 17 (76 games)

Career total tackles:
Michael Strahan: 795 (200 games)
Jason Taylor: 610 (156 games)
Simeon Rice: 465 (166 games)
Jevon Kearse: 266 (97 games)
Julius Peppers: 255 (76 games)
Dwight Freeney: 178 (79 games)

Career tackles for loss:
Michael Strahan: 76 (200 games)
Jason Taylor: 53 (156 games)
Simeon Rice: 38 (166 games)
Jevon Kearse: 24 (97 games)
Dwight Freeney: 23 (79 games)
Julius Peppers: 23 (76 games)

Career interceptions:
Jason Taylor: 6 (156 games)
Simeon Rice: 5 (166 games)
Michael Strahan: 4 (200 games)
Julius Peppers: 3 (76 games)
Jevon Kearse: 1 (97 games)
Dwight Freeney: 0 (79 games)

Career passes defended:
Jason Taylor: 73 (156 games)
Simeon Rice: 57 (166 games)
Michael Strahan: 35 (200 games)
Jevon Kearse: 34 (97 games)
Julius Peppers: 31 (76 games)
Dwight Freeney: 10 (79 games)

Career defensive touchdowns:
Jason Taylor: 7 (156 games)
Michael Strahan: 3 (200 games)
Julius Peppers: 2 (76 games)
Dwight Freeney: 1 (79 games)
Jevon Kearse: 1 (97 games)
Simeon Rice: 0 (166 games)

Career safeties:
Jason Taylor: 2 (156 games)
Michael Strahan: 1 (200 games)
Julius Peppers: 0 (76 games)
Dwight Freeney: 0 (79 games)
Jevon Kearse: 0 (97 games)
Simeon Rice: 0 (166 games)

Career blocked kicks:
Julius Peppers: 5 (76 games)
Jason Taylor: 1 (156 games)
Michael Strahan: 1 (200 games)
Jevon Kearse: 1 (97 games)
Simeon Rice: 0 (166 games)
Dwight Freeney: 0 (79 games)

Peppers and Freeney are both still in their prime and have yet to reach the downside of their careers; so their seasonal averages will likely start going down after they hit 30. For this reason, Peppers/Freeney/Kearse have a big adavantage in seasonal averages. Kearse has been a great DE over his career, but he'll turn 31 in September with 'only' 66 career sacks. Kearse has already missed 31 games in his career due to injury, at this point it is very unlikley he plays another 40 games. Kearse will probably never reach 100 career sacks.

If you want longevity, Strahan is probably the best of the group. He'll turn 36years old this November and has been a top DE year after year. Peppers needs another 79 sacks in 124 games to match Strahan's career sack total in the same amount of games. Dwight Freeney needs another 76 sacks in 121 games to match Strahan's amount of sacks in the same number of games; even then Freeney will never come close to having the same number of tackles. Simeon Rice needs another 11.5 sacks in 34 games to reach the same number of career sacks in the same number of games, but Rice was never anywhere near as good in run support and has never had a defensive TD.

Sacks (seasonal average)
Simeon Rice: 11.66
Dwight Freeney: 11.44
Julius Peppers: 11.26
Jevon Kearse: 10.89
Jason Taylor: 10.87
Michael Strahan: 10.6

Tackles for loss (seasonal average)
Michael Strahan: 6.08
Jason Taylor: 5.44
Julius Peppers: 4.84
Dwight Freeney: 4.66
Jevon Kearse: 3.96
Simeon Rice: 3.66

Forced fumbles (seasonal average)
Dwight Freeney: 5.47
Jevon Kearse: 4.12
Jason Taylor: 3.69
Julius Peppers: 3.58
Simeon Rice: 3.28
Michael Strahan: 1.84

Total tackles (seasonal average)
Michael Strahan: 63.6
Jason Taylor: 62.56
Julius Peppers: 53.68
Simeon Rice: 44.82
Jevon Kearse: 43.87
Dwight Freeney: 36.05

Interceptions (seasonal average)
Julius Peppers: .63
Jason Taylor: .62
Simeon Rice: .48
Michael Strahan: .32
Jevon Kearse: .17
Freeney: 0

Passes defended (seasonal average)
Jason Taylor: 7.49
Julius Peppers: 6.53
Jevon Kearse: 5.61
Simeon Rice: 5.49
Michael Strahan: 2.80
Dwight Freeney: 2.03

Defensive touchdowns (seasonal average)
Jason Taylor: .72
Julius Peppers: .42
Michael Strahan: .24
Dwight Freeney: .20
Jevon Kearse: .16
Simeon Rice: 0

Seasonal averages
Jason Taylor: 62.56 tackles, 10.87 sacks, 5.44 tackles for loss, 3.69 forced fumbles, .62 interceptions, 7.49 passes defended, .72 defensive touchdowns

Michael Strahan: 63.6 tackles, 10.6 sacks, 6.08 tackles for loss, 1.84 forced fumbles, .32 interceptions, 2.80 passes defended, .24 defensive touchdowns

Simeon Rice: 44.82 tackles, 11.66 sacks, 3.66 tackles for loss, 3.28 forced fumbles, .48 interceptions, 5.49 passes defended, 0 defensive touchdowns

Julius Peppers: 53.68 tackles, 11.26 sacks, 4.84 tackles for loss, 3.58 forced fumbles, .63 interceptions, 6.53 passes defended, .42 defensive touchdowns

Dwight Freeney: 36.05 tackles, 11.66 sacks, 4.66 tackles for loss, 5.47 forced fumbles, 0 interceptions, 2.03 passes defended, .20 defensive touchdowns

Jevon Kearse: 43.87 tackles, 10.89 sacks, 3.96 tackles for loss, 4.12 forced fumbles, .17 interceptions, 5.61 passes defended, .16 defensive touchdowns

Taylor vs. Kearse

As I stated earlier, Kearse is very unlikely to ever put up 100 sacks during his career. Even if Kearse were able to match Taylor's seasonal average, he woudln't have the longevity to match Taylor.

Taylor by a landslide

Jason Taylor vs. Dwight Freeney

Jason Taylor's statistical advantages (seasonal): 26.51 tackles, .78 tackles for loss, .62 interceptions, 5.06 passes defended, .52 defensive touchdowns

Dwight Freeney's statistical advantages (seasonal): .79 sacks, 1.78 forced fumbles

Freeney will have to have a seasonal average of 89.77 tackles, 10.29 sacks, 6.23 tackles for loss, 1.87 forced fumbles, 1.25 interceptions, 13.09 passes defended and 1.25 defensive defensive touchdowns over the next 5 seasons (approx.) to match Taylor.

Freeney's actual seasonal average: 36.05 tackles, 11.66 sacks, 4.66 tackles for loss, 5.47 forced fumbles, 0 interceptions, 2.03 passes defended, .20 defensive touchdowns.

Jason Taylor also has 2 career safeties and 1 blocked kick; Freeney has never blocked a kick or forced a safety.

Advantage: Jason Taylor

Jason Taylor vs. Julius Peppers

Jason Taylor's statistical advantages (seasonal): 8.88 tackles, .6 tackles for loss, .11 forced fumbles, .96 passes defended and .3 defensive touchdowns.

Julius Peppers' statistical advantages (seasonal): .39 sacks, .01 interceptions

Peppers will have to have average 71 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, 3.8 forced fumbles, .6 interceptions, 8.4 passed defended and 1 defensive touchdown for the next 5 seasons (80 games) to match Jason Taylor's overall numbers.

Peppers' actual seasonal average: 53.68 tackles, 11.26 sacks, 4.84 tackles for loss, 3.58 forced fumbles, .63 interceptions, 6.53 passes defended, .42 defensive touchdowns

If Julius Peppers keeps going at the same rate, it will probably end up being a draw. That's a big if though...

Jason Taylor vs. Simeon Rice

Jason Taylor's statistical advantages (career): 145 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 16 passes defended, 7 defensive touchdowns, 2 safeties and 1 blocked kick.

Simeon Rice's statistical advantage (career): 15 sacks

Simeon Rice has played 10 more games than Jason Taylor.

Here are their seasonal averages

Jason Taylor: 62.56 tackles, 10.87 sacks, 5.44 tackles for loss, 3.69 forced fumbles, .62 interceptions, 7.49 passes defended, .72 defensive touchdowns

Simeon Rice: 44.82 tackles, 11.66 sacks, 3.66 tackles for loss, 3.28 forced fumbles, .48 interceptions, 5.49 passes defended, 0 defensive touchdowns

Advantage: Jason Taylor

Jason Taylor vs. Michael Strahan

Jason Taylor's statistical advantages (career): 13 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, 38 passes defended, 4 defensive touchdowns and 1 safety

Michael Strahan's statistical advantages (career): 26.5 sacks and 185 tackles

Strahan has played in 44 more games than Taylor. Here are their seasonal averages.

Jason Taylor: 62.56 tackles, 10.87 sacks, 5.44 tackles for loss, 3.69 forced fumbles, .62 interceptions, 7.49 passes defended, .72 defensive touchdowns

Michael Strahan: 63.6 tackles, 10.6 sacks, 6.08 tackles for loss, 1.84 forced fumbles, .32 interceptions, 2.80 passes defended, .24 defensive touchdowns

One last interesting note: Taylor has as many defensive touchdowns (7) as Strahan, Peppers, Freeney, Kearse and Rice combined.

 

[Brown42000]

You put a lot of work into this thread and it was worth it because the stats showed that JT is the best of his generation.

 

[igor79]

also, it seems taylor is even better playing in sabans system than he has been in years past, so it doesnt seem like he will decline as sharply as others...

 

[EAZY 0]

Taylor might be the best...i'd put Peppers rihgt up there with him though...

 

[EAZY 0]

i'd like to see what taylor could have done with saban as his coach his entire career

 

[rainmaker1313]

Great post! Lots of due diligence! A++++++++

 

[FinsAreLife]

well, im pretty sure that all six of em will have a chance at the hall of fame, you know strahan is getting in and so will rice, JT seems to be 3rd right now and then kearse....the other two have a ways to go but at the rate their going they seem to have a shot at it also.

 

[BuffaloSoldier2]

Though a Bills fan, I have a tremedous amount of respect for Jason Taylor. And he is certainly at the top of the list.

However, the one thing I found that was interesting is that all of those players listed (except Freeney, who's been close) is they all played in Super Bowls. Not trying to start anything, just found this interesting. :wink: Good info though.

And as good as these guys are, they couldn't hold Bruce Smith's jock.

 

[Breed]

Great post! Lots of due diligence! A++++++++

Thanks...

 

[ashraf-23]

wow that was really helpful good post btw Taylir is dominating and is continuing to if he keeps this up then he will be the best DE ever.

 

[WISfinfan13]

You should send this post into an espn talk show like pti or around the horn...See what the so called experts have to say...good work tho...

 

[adamprez2003]

Currently its between him and Peppers. Strahan was definitely included in the mix a few years ago

 

[Breed]

well, im pretty sure that all six of em will have a chance at the hall of fame, you know strahan is getting in and so will rice, JT seems to be 3rd right now and then kearse....the other two have a ways to go but at the rate their going they seem to have a shot at it also.

Give it another 5 years, I firmly believe Taylor will be #1 or 2.

 

[Shula Come Back!]

You put so much work into this that I have to agree with you...I would have anyway!

 

[Breed]

Though a Bills fan, I have a tremedous amount of respect for Jason Taylor. And he is certainly at the top of the list.

However, the one thing I found that was interesting is that all of those players listed (except Freeney, who's been close) is they all played in Super Bowls. Not trying to start anything, just found this interesting. :wink: Good info though.

And as good as these guys are, they couldn't hold Bruce Smith's jock.

It's hard to imagine that kind of dominance for that long. I have a hard time believing there will ever be a player that even approaches 200 sacks again. Smith played 18 years (279 games) and still managed 11.47 sacks, 70.19 tackles, and 2.64 forced fumbles every 16 games. Interesting note: Reggie White and Bruce Smith had a combined 3 defensive touchdowns :)