Football is an incessant game of evolution. With the changes in the game, specific player’s skillsets are more useful in the modern era than they would’ve been 15-20 years ago. For example, would’ve Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts been as successful 20 years ago as they are today? With the rise of the outside running game and the increase in volume of the passing game, Running Backs with speed and receiving ability have become more valuable than ever. That makes you think, would some players who were stars in the old days be even more impactful if they played in today’s league? There are just some players who were meant to play in the modern NFL but happened to play a long time ago. In this article, we’ll review a list of players of former NFL stars and explain what makes them more suitable for the modern league.
We’ll be going over the best offensive ones today, and part two will be released as there are a ton of these kinds of players. This list doesn’t go in any specific order. Use promo code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Please gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.
Mike Vick is perhaps the most obvious QB on this list so it made sense to start with him. Before Lamar came along, fans unanimously agreed that Mike Vick was the most electrifying runner ever to step the field at QB. Also, this guy could throw a football from the field outside the stadium. Recently, in the NFL, physical traits have mattered more than ever at QB. That is because it’s become far easier to develop raw QBs with the evolution of technology and coaching. With Vick’s elite arm and world-class athleticism, god only knows what kind of player he would be today. In Vick’s days, most of his rushing yards came from scrambles. His rushing ability would’ve been even more valuable in a league that has adopted designed runs. While he took the league by storm in the 2000s, it’s safe to say he would’ve won an MVP had he played today.
How could I make this list without mentioning Randall Cunningham, the ‘OG dual threat’? Cunningham oozed all of the physical traits you desire out of a QB. He had size, a rocket arm, and outstanding running ability. Even in the old days, this guy was as entertaining to watch as anyone. He loved to attack downfield, which opened up the field for him as a rusher. If he could play out of pistol and run read options, the sky would be the limit for Cunningham. Just watch his highlight reel if you haven’t already. He’d make incredible throws off his back foot or off-platform regularly. That’s something teams have started to value recently with all of these play-action passing concepts we see today. Cunningham was practically a player out of the future. I realize he’s considered an all-time legend, but just imagine how utterly dominant he’d be in today’s league.
Steve ‘Air’ McNair, similar to Cunningham, had freakish physical traits and was as entertaining as they came back then. After watching his highlights, what stuck out was how hard it was to sack this guy. McNair was also fast and elusive, with a sturdy frame at 230 lbs. The physical traits make him more desirable in today’s league, and he had to fight through countless injuries. With modern medicine and better ways of treating injuries, he would’ve likely had a more extensive career had he played today. He won an MVP, but who knows how impressive a career he would’ve had if it weren’t for injuries. He only played 13 seasons and missed a reasonable amount of time. If injuries hadn’t hindered him, McNair probably would’ve been a Hall of Famer. He tragically died in 2009, but fans from that era will never forget his legacy.
Warren Moon had one of the most fascinating careers on this list. Despite having a successful collegiate career, NFL teams viewed him as a Receiver, not a QB. After not getting drafted, he was forced to play in the Canadian league, where he succeeded and eventually got signed by the Oilers. Moon had immense arm talent with one of the tightest spirals ever. He was a classic gunslinger. In today’s NFL, Moon would’ve easily gotten drafted top-ten just based on his physical traits. He proved the league wrong, becoming the first-ever black QB to make the Hall of Fame. The nine-time pro bowler was sensational back then, but would he have been even more remarkable had he played today?
I’m going to refrain from any political views here and just strictly talk about the football side of Colin Kaepernick. It’s not my place to talk politics. This is the first player I’ve watched live on the list. Kaepernick was a unique but highly gifted QB. We all remember how fast he was, but some don’t recall how incredible his arm talent was. It wasn’t until right after he exited the league that physical traits became more relevant in the NFL. Had he gotten paired with one of these bright offensive play-callers with modern technology, he could’ve become a true star rather than a flash in the pan. This one may come as a surprise since he didn’t play too long ago, but the principle of this article still applies to him.
LaDainian Tomlinson is one of my all-time favorites and one of the players that got me to love football. L.T. was one of a kind, with essentially every vital trait you look for in an RB. At the ideal size for a halfback, Tomlinson was extraordinarily agile and explosive. His terrific receiving ability would make him perfect in a modern offense. Like Bijan Robinson, he had a natural feel for catching the ball. Additionally, he was as patient and intelligent as they come. He had a knack for making people miss in space. Now, offenses love getting their playmakers in space instead of running up the middle back in the early 2000s. Yes, L.T. is considered an all-time great, but you can’t deny he would be even better under a coach like Shanahan or Andy Reid.
Teams currently in the league look for the precise skillset that Reggie Bush had. That would be an explosive and twitchy third down back. Bush was known for being an elite return man, but people forget how insane of an RB he was coming out of college. He had a historic game at USC where he put up 500+ all-purpose yards. No Running back was as electric as he was coming out. Pair him in our pass-heavy league now, and he could’ve become a consistent all-pro. With all the gadget plays and trickery teams love to do nowadays, his skillset would’ve been maximized.
You might not be familiar with Brian Westbrook if you didn’t watch football in the early 2000s. Like the previous two guys, Westbrook was a menace in space. He wasn’t the fastest nor the most explosive, but he’d find crafty ways to make people miss in the open field. His balance and ability to break arm tackles was something else. In his nine years playing, he nearly reached 4,000 receiving yards along with 6,335 rushing yards and 71 total TDs. He was the ultimate versatile weapon for an offense. In the 2000s, he was considered a stellar player, but this is someone who would genuinely be a household name in today’s NFL.
Even though Herschel Walker was dominant back then, it’s hard to make this list without mentioning him. He doesn’t fit the billing of this modern-day scatback but was instead just one of the freakiest athletes ever to play sports. Yes, not just football; this guy had Olympic-level athleticism. He was bigger, faster, more explosive, and, more importantly, more determined than any other player on the field. What’s fascinating about him is that he was overweight and unathletic as a child. Coming out of college, he was one of the first stars to join the USFL, but he’d later get drafted by the Cowboys. He had immense success, but who knows the kind of production he would’ve had with modern medicine and the running schemes we have now. This is someone who easily could’ve been the best player in the league right now, and it’s a shame he played in the 80s as he never won any big-time awards.
Thurman Thomas was one of the first-ever scattback prototypes in football. At 5’9″and 200 lbs, Thomas didn’t have the size advantage, but he made up for it by being a phenomenal receiving back. In the 80s and 90s, these receiving backs weren’t valued too much. Known for making tough catches and creating yards after the catch, he would’ve been a creative play-caller’s favorite weapon out of the backfield today. He rushed for over 12,000 yards but never became a household name. If he played today, where teams particularly look for backs like him, he’d be a fan favorite.
Donald Driver holds a special place in my heart. When I first started watching football, I remember he particularly stood out for some reason during the Super Bowl vs. Pittsburgh. He had this aggressive nature to him, coming down with unreal catches and making sensational plays after the catch. One thing many don’t know about Driver is that he was an Olympic high jumper. The fact he was only 6’0″ didn’t matter as he could elevate higher than anyone else. Not many players optimize the phrase ‘my ball bitch’ mentality like he did. Driver was a Packer legend but would probably be considered an all-time legend with what teams look for in Receivers now.
With the evolution of the Shanahan-style offense, someone like Hines Ward sticks out as someone who would thrive in that system. Ward was this big, ultra-physical player who was exceptional at creating yards after the catch. His unworldly run blocking makes him even more valuable in a Shanahan-style offense. The Shanahan offense loves the outside zone running game, where it’s critical for Receivers to block. Ward is widely considered the most fantastic run blocker ever at Receiver. His impact as a blocker was akin to a Tight End. If he played today, you can be sure he would’ve ended up with Shanahan or one of his disciples.
Sterling Sharpe, Shannon Sharpe’s brother, is a forgotten legend whose career got cut short by injuries. The man had blistering speed and was a serious RAC threat. He had all of the traits you look for in modern Receivers. In the 80s and 90s, he was considered one of the best in the league, but after seven years, he had a freak incident that ended his career. If you compare Sterling’s stats from those seven years to the all-time best Receivers, he stacks up well. It’s safe to say he would have been on his way to the Hall of Fame had he kept playing. Not only is his skillset perfect for the modern league, but who knows with modern medicine if his career would’ve ended that short. It’s one of the greatest what-if stories in the NFL and a sad one, to say the least.
Shannon Sharpe was easily one of the most entertaining Tight Ends ever. He gave a touching speech about his brother when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Back in the ’90s and early 2000s, Tight Ends that were big and could block were the commodity. Shannon was undersized at 6’2″, 228 lbs, and wasn’t known for blocking. He was basically a big Receiver who could do a little bit of everything on offense. These players were viewed as outliers back then but are now much more helpful and popular. Since his time, teams have started to love using these hybrid Tight End/ Receiver types, and that’s why Sharpe would be even better today. It may seem weird to say that, as he’s a Hall of Famer, but he’d be dazzling to watch today.
Herman Moore is not widely recognized as an all-time legend, and people have forgotten his dominance in the 90s. Moore was ‘mossing’ people before that term even existed. He was known for practically catching everything thrown his way. When he first got into the league, he had massive drop problems but would go on to have some of the best hands ever. From what I read, his eyesight was abysmal, and this was fixed at some point after he joined the Lions. It appears he just got contact lenses, which allowed him to see the ball better and, in turn, made him a dominant player. Being 6’4″ with some of the best-contested catch ability ever would make him an animal in today’s league.
Like Antonio Brown, David Boston was a troubled but ridiculously talented Receiver. His story is fascinating, and he embodies everything teams look for in modern Receivers. While driving one night, a high-speed chase occurred, and the runaway driver from the incident just happened to crash into Boston and his teammate. Following the incident, he thought he was fine, but it turned out he had nerve damage from the accident. Due to that, he got put on a regimen to help him recover. It appears this regimen was some sort of steroids, and this led him to become more athletic.
In addition, he went from being a quiet and reserved character to an outspoken and loud personality. Following the recovery regimen, he became faster and bigger and had one outstanding season. To go along with that, he got a DUI for driving while high on cocaine. After 2001, his steroid use reportedly got out of hand, and his play dramatically fell off. After his fall off, the Chargers would sign him to a seven-year, 47-million dollar deal, where his play continued to regress. He eventually tested positive for steroids and would go on to get arrested again several times. Due to that, he never became what he formerly was, and it remains one of the most tragic stories in all of football. For a more comprehensive story on Boston, watch the FlemLo Raps video called “He Worked Out SO Hard It Ended His Career! What Happened to David Boston.”
What makes certain offensive linemen more valuable in today’s league than 30 years ago is how athletic they are. Bruce Matthews is one of the most agile guards ever to play and would be a staple in a Shanahan-style offense. The Shanahan-style offense is predicated on stretching the field horizontally in the run game and requires athletic offensive linemen to block in space. Additionally, the screen game has become much more popular. He also had excellent positional versatility, which is far more valuable today. Matthews would flourish in one of these schemes, and it’s a bummer he played in the gap and power scheme days of the league.
Will Shields is one of the most outstanding puller blockers of all time. He would obliterate people in open space. He’d be a fan favorite in a league that loves to run screens today. Shields played in 12 consecutive pro-bowls and had unreal highlight blocks. That is someone one of these wide-zone teams would love to have. Shields is a Chief legend, although he may have been even more prevalent had he played today.
Not many players on this list made as incredible of a play as Larry Allen made one time. In addition to being massive and capable of mauling guys, he possessed world-class speed for a Guard. There is a clip of him running down a DB who picked the ball off and making a game-saving tackle. Having a speed similar to a DB is simply unheard of now in the NFL. He was a true freak of nature. I can only imagine how valuable his athleticism would be today. You could argue he’s the single most athletic O-Linemen ever. While he’s undoubtedly a throwback player, you can’t argue he would be a little more valuable today.
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