The Best Wingman Ever?

[flynismo]

I jacked this idea after someone made the comment that Mase is the best #2 ever.

In the modern era, there have been some great #2's....

Randy Moss as a rook, then Cris Carter later on, over in Minny.
Reggie Wayne in Indy playing Robin to Marvin Harrison's Batman.
Anquan Boldin in AZ.
Issac Bruce was Torry Holt's wingman back in the Greatest Show on Turf days.
Donald Driver during Favre's glory years in GB.
Wes Welker over in NE.
T.O. playing second banana to Jerry Rice (gotta love it!!)

...and so on....

Its practically a who's who of NFL recievers.

So, who gets your vote for the best #2 ever?

[Ed_Reed_Pick_Six]

Hmm, you've listed some great options.

I'm going with Reggie Wayne though. Merely because I wasn't a football fan when Bruce was a Ram; or Moss at the Vikings.

Savvy route runner, amazing hands - ever reliable. Perennial Pro Bowler, Superbowl winner.

So I'll say Reggie Wayne. He sure does have a mighty fine QB throwing to him though!

[BloodRaven]

Houshmandzadeh was no slouch either...

[ravens__]

I have to go with Owens as #2 to Jerry Rice.

[1/28/01]

I'd have to say Pippen behind Jordan.....oh wait, wrong board.

I guess I'm gonna go with Wayne. Dudes a stud - period!

[robbcs3]

Toss up between welker and boldin

[EdReedFTW]

TO. When you're good enough to set a single game reception record opposite the greatest receiver ever, that says something. Then probably Moss in the Billick years.

[Ed_Reed20]

I really don't think Q could be considered a #2 till 2009. For a long time, he and Fiztgerald were 1 and 1A.

I'd have to go with Isaac Bruce as the best complementary WR of the modern era. He's quietly compiled a HOF career and I'm sure the debate concerning who was better between he and Torry Holt during their time in St.Louis was never-ending.

[T-ray]

I really don't think we can include Boldin OR Welker as number 2's. Boldin was a 1( type of reciever to Fitzy-G's 1 (a). Wes Welker also is much better as a slot reciever than a number 2. So I'd have to go with either Isaac Bruce, Reggie Wayne, or Randy Moss. The player I choose is Moss, because he was just a beast in his early years, and he had the right type of Qb to throw it to him with a big arm and mobility in Daunte Culpepper.

[Ed_Reed20]

Looking at the stats, Bruce and Holt shared a 1 and 1A existence too.

[T-ray]

Bruce and Holt complemented each other, so yeah, I guess they are 1a and 1b recievers also. Good point Reed.

[BuckWilds]

Goose was the best wingman ever (he got Meg Ryan!). May God rest his soul.



But seriously, I've got to mention Delaware State product John Taylor. Rated by ESPN (yeah, I know) as the 25th greatest draft steal of all time, John Taylor played an excellent #2 to Jerry Rice's #1. Is it a stretch? Sure. Is it a chance to mention another college in Delaware? Yupper.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='Zhamtao' date='07 June 2010 - 12:28 PM' timestamp='1275928138' post='418812']
Goose was the best wingman ever (he got Meg Ryan!). May God rest his soul.



But seriously, I've got to mention Delaware State product John Taylor. Rated by ESPN (yeah, I know) as the 25th greatest draft steal of all time, John Taylor played an excellent #2 to Jerry Rice's #1. Is it a stretch? Sure. Is it a chance to mention another college in Delaware? Yupper.
[/quote]

Taylor was nasty. I didn't watch him play but have some 9er DVDs and he made some ridiculous plays. Here's a small sample(notice who he beats on the first play):

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtIXamqDSrQ[/media]

Alvin Harper was another great #2 WR and complemented Michael Irvin perfectly with those great 90s Cowboys teams.

[Purple Nurple]

[quote name='Zhamtao' date='07 June 2010 - 12:28 PM' timestamp='1275928138' post='418812']
Goose was the best wingman ever. May God rest his soul.
[/quote]

Beat me too it. RIP Gooseman.

[EdReedFTW]

[quote name='Zhamtao' date='07 June 2010 - 12:28 PM' timestamp='1275928138' post='418812']
Goose was the best wingman ever (he got Meg Ryan!). May God rest his soul.



But seriously, I've got to mention Delaware State product John Taylor. Rated by ESPN (yeah, I know) as the 25th greatest draft steal of all time, John Taylor played an excellent #2 to Jerry Rice's #1. Is it a stretch? Sure. Is it a chance to mention another college in Delaware? Yupper.
[/quote]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwNWviK5z0Q[/media]

[flynismo]

[quote name='T-ray' date='07 June 2010 - 11:18 AM' timestamp='1275927512' post='418803']
I really don't think we can include Boldin OR Welker as number 2's. Boldin was a 1( type of reciever to Fitzy-G's 1 (a). Wes Welker also is much better as a slot reciever than a number 2. So I'd have to go with either Isaac Bruce, Reggie Wayne, or Randy Moss. The player I choose is Moss, because he was just a beast in his early years, and he had the right type of Qb to throw it to him with a big arm and mobility in Daunte Culpepper.
[/quote]

Thing is, we have to go by the depth chart, not what we think a player would be better at...we know that Boldin is as good as any receiver in the league....but thats the whole point of the thread!

[Alexir]

Move topic to other nfl teams?

[The King]

I'm gonna go with Wes Welker. He adds a serious threat across the middle and underneath while Randy Moss stretches the field and makes the big play. Other teams have #2 WRs that are more talented in general, but none of them offer the complement that Wes Welker does.

[flynismo]

[quote name='The King' date='07 June 2010 - 01:35 PM' timestamp='1275935720' post='418861']
I'm gonna go with Wes Welker. He adds a serious threat across the middle and underneath while Randy Moss stretches the field and makes the big play. Other teams have #2 WRs that are more talented in general, but none of them offer the complement that Wes Welker does.
[/quote]


Thats an interesting take on it....Welker's skill set is certainly in stark contrast to Moss'.

What I dont get about NE is that last year, they seemed to b taking the greatest deep threat the game has ever known and trying to turn him into a Wes Welker type receiver.

It's not hard to figure out how to use Moss to his fullest.
Tell him to run down the sideline as fast as he can.
Throw the ball as high and far as you can.
Chest bump Randy after the TD.
Repeat.

[ed.s52]

I know I'm a Ravens fan but back in the 80's Swann and Stallworth tore it up fhe Steelers. If we are talking best ever I have to put Lynn Swann in the conversation.

But for me its a toss up between Wayne and Bouldin, with a close 2nd being Swann or Bruce

[ed.s52]

[quote name='flynismo' date='07 June 2010 - 11:20 AM' timestamp='1275938426' post='418904']
Thats an interesting take on it....Welker's skill set is certainly in stark contrast to Moss'.

What I dont get about NE is that last year, they seemed to b taking the greatest deep threat the game has ever known and trying to turn him into a Wes Welker type receiver.

It's not hard to figure out how to use Moss to his fullest.
Tell him to run down the sideline as fast as he can.
Throw the ball as high and far as you can.
Chest bump Randy after the TD.
Repeat.
[/quote]

I'm likin that explanation right now

[flynismo]

Personally, I dont think Randy was a #2 long enough to win the award. Cant give it to him based on one year, even if he did break records.

Same with T.O., sans the broken records (unless you count his intolerable behavior as a "broken record".)

Isaac Bruce was excellent in his prime, but not as good as a few of the remaining options.

Alvin Harper...same story.

Ditto Donald Driver.

And once again, same with Wes Welker...especially since he didnt do it for as long as the others.

For me, it comes down to one of two guys...

Either Reggie Wayne or Anquan Boldin.

Both are sure handed, rack-up-the-yardage players who are nearly impossible to single cover.

But the similiarities seem to end there...
Wayne is like a finely tuned Lotus Esprit..the payoff comes via finesse and savvy. The end result is a work of art, but you have to work harder to achieve your goal.
If Wayne is a Lotus, then Boldin would be a Viper. Raw, visceral, primal, brutal...every encounter with this machine is a full blown war. But war takes it's toll on the soldier, and you always have to worry about how long he'll survive...much like the Viper is a blotched downshift away from retirement.


I'll take the Viper. In purple.

[XxSizzleXx]

Tim Brown with Jerry Rice.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='XxSizzleXx' date='07 June 2010 - 03:40 PM' timestamp='1275939651' post='418922']
Tim Brown with Jerry Rice.
[/quote]

Amen. Brown is one of my favorite players of all time. He and Rice complemented each other well, even as geezers.

[Ravenmore74]

I like to say Artest behind Kobe Bryant.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='Ravenmore74' date='07 June 2010 - 05:22 PM' timestamp='1275945746' post='418984']
I like to say Artest behind Kobe Bryant.
[/quote]

If anyone's Kobe's wingman, it's Gasol.

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

question, does the wingman have to in his prime? or can it be the best WR to ever be in the #2 slot, even if he was on the decline at the time. Because if the question is who is the best WR ever to play in the #2 spot based on their entire career regardless of what point they were in their career (early on and ascending to greatness, or on the decline) it definitely changes things. In that sense it's almost impossible to argue against Jerry Rice being the best to ever play as a #2 since he is hands down (atleast in my opinion) the best WR to ever play, and did play as the #2 at later points in his career.

i think the best WR combo, even though both were past their prime is Jerry Rice and Tim Brown in their time with the Raiders. They weren't the most effective tandem, because both were declining at the time, but in my opinion are the two greatest to ever play together, with Tim Brown being the best WR

If it doesn't have to be a #2 WR, just the #2 option, I go with the Kellen Winslow of the SD Chargers.

If it has to be a #2 WR, and in the prime of their career I am going with Chris Carter>Randy Moss, Stallworth>Swann, TO>Rice, Fitz > Boldin or Moss>Welker.

It's a great argument, and tough to make a definitive answer as their have been so many great tandems and difficult to define what makes a #2 the greatest. Is it on sheer numbers alone? Is it their effectiveness in complimenting the #1?

There are easily 8 or more that you can make a great argument for and any disagreement is only opinion. I think any of the posts made so far are great answers and difficlt to dispute...

[XxSizzleXx]

[quote name='Ravenmore74' date='07 June 2010 - 03:22 PM' timestamp='1275945746' post='418984']
I like to say Artest behind Kobe Bryant.
[/quote]
bruuuuutal

[ravensfolife]

My buddy that went out with a fugly girl so I could get with her friend.....wait what kinda wingman ya'll talking about?