Build Your Dream Team (49ers)

Most likely not an accurate list regarding best players, just players I remember playing really well.

QB: Joe Montana
RB: Frank Gore
FB: Tom Rathman
WR: Jerry Rice
WR Terrell Owens
TE: Vernon Davis
LT: Joe Staley
LG Guy Mcintyre
C: Jesse Sapolu
RG: Roy Foster (biased because I met him)
RT: Harris Barton

4-3
LE: Pierce Holt
DT: Bryant Young
DT: Justin Smith
RE: Charles Haley
WLB: NaVorro Bowman
MLB: Patrick Willis
SLB: Keena Turner
LCB: Deion Sanders
RCB: Eric Davis
FS: Ronnie Lott
SS: Tim McDonald

P: Andy Lee
K: Phil Dawson
KR Dexter Carter
PR Deion Sanders

Anyone that picks Steve Young over Joe Montana needs their head examined.

Originally posted by Willisfn4life:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
Young over Montana?

I think it depends on what generation you grew up on. Steve Young was a terrific quarterback, and if that's what you know, it's what you know. People that didn't get to really watch Joe and more or less know him by reputation can't really appreciate what a remarkable talent he was.

Fair point, but for those of us who got to watch them both....Young = greatness....Montana = The best to ever laced them up.....EVER!!!

QB Blaine Gabbert
RB Kevan Barlow
WR Marlon Moore
WR Ashley Lelie
TE Bear Pascoe

Joe
Jerry
Ronnie

Everything falls into place after those three.

The point of this thread isn't to build a 49ers team with the best players of all time, although you can take that approach, but to build a team of your favorite 49ers players of all-time

OFFENSE:

JOE MONTANA

TOM RATHMAN; RICKY WATTERS

BRENT JONES

HARRIS BARTON; RANDY CROSS; FRED QUILLAN; ROY FOSTER; KEITH FAHNHORST

JERRY RICE; TERRELL OWENS; DWIGHT CLARK

PR: JOHN TAYLOR
PK: GARY ANDERSON


DEFENSE:

CB: DEION SANDERS; ERIC WRIGHT

FS: RONNIE LOTT
SS; CARLTON WILLIAMSON


4-3: DEAN - BYOUNG - JUSTIN - HALEY

BOWMAN - WILLIS - NORTON

Originally posted by Hoovtrain:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:

Originally posted by Hoovtrain:
3-4 D
DE-smith
NT-Carter
DE-Young
ILB-Willis
ILB-Norton/Bowman (sorry can't decide)
OLB-Haley
OLB-Smith/Dean(sorry can't decide)
CB-Wright
CB-Sanders
S-Lott
S-Hicks

I might argue a few positions but I'd take this D and be very happy as well! Have to love that DL!

So many good players to choose from coupled with I have watched every 49er SB team play. I kind of felt dirty putting Sanders in there since he was only here 1year but he was so dominant that year and was a key player in one of the most dominant teams ever. Out of curiously what changes would you make?

When you consider length of career with the niners it could be very different. Sanders was the best cover corner ever to play the game, so I would leave him on, but sadly because they had some excellent CBs who played most of their careers with the niners. Might put Lott at both CB and S. Many older players would have to be on the list...but it would be difficult because they were not on great teams--RC Owens, Fahnhorst, Gene Washington, Bruce Taylor, Tittle, Frankie Albert, Abe Woodson...even Jack Reynolds.

No, so many great players over the years--some played both ways like Albert, should they get consideration? Argh! Fun to look down the rosters once in a while and see all those wonderful names. Even Earl Cooper was one of my favorites! And the DL you have is exceptional, but then Hardemann? Hart?

I will say the list should take into consideration transformational players (Sanders, J Smith, Willis, Albert, Montana), team strength (80s players had a much better team), and players who are the best in their years (could go by awards). OK...I punt but this has been fun!

Edit: it's sad to look at the list of 9ers top receivers for each year...RC Owens, Parks, Washington, Clark, Rice, Owens and then a black hole!

Originally posted by 9moon:
OFFENSE:

JOE MONTANA

TOM RATHMAN; RICKY WATTERS

BRENT JONES

HARRIS BARTON; RANDY CROSS; FRED QUILLAN; ROY FOSTER; KEITH FAHNHORST

JERRY RICE; TERRELL OWENS; DWIGHT CLARK

PR: JOHN TAYLOR
PK: GARY ANDERSON


DEFENSE:

CB: DEION SANDERS; ERIC WRIGHT

FS: RONNIE LOTT
SS; CARLTON WILLIAMSON


4-3: DEAN - BYOUNG - JUSTIN - HALEY

BOWMAN - WILLIS - NORTON

Indeed, I like this. However, I would go with Jeff Fuller at SS, Jesse Sapolu at C and Roger Craig at FB with Ricky Watters at RB.

Originally posted by dtg_9er:

Originally posted by Hoovtrain:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:

Originally posted by Hoovtrain:

3-4 D
DE-smith
NT-Carter
DE-Young
ILB-Willis
ILB-Norton/Bowman (sorry can't decide)
OLB-Haley
OLB-Smith/Dean(sorry can't decide)
CB-Wright
CB-Sanders
S-Lott
S-Hicks

I might argue a few positions but I'd take this D and be very happy as well! Have to love that DL!

So many good players to choose from coupled with I have watched every 49er SB team play. I kind of felt dirty putting Sanders in there since he was only here 1year but he was so dominant that year and was a key player in one of the most dominant teams ever. Out of curiously what changes would you make?

When you consider length of career with the niners it could be very different. Sanders was the best cover corner ever to play the game, so I would leave him on, but sadly because they had some excellent CBs who played most of their careers with the niners. Might put Lott at both CB and S. Many older players would have to be on the list...but it would be difficult because they were not on great teams--RC Owens, Fahnhorst, Gene Washington, Bruce Taylor, Tittle, Frankie Albert, Abe Woodson...even Jack Reynolds.

No, so many great players over the years--some played both ways like Albert, should they get consideration? Argh! Fun to look down the rosters once in a while and see all those wonderful names. Even Earl Cooper was one of my favorites! And the DL you have is exceptional, but then Hardemann? Hart?

I will say the list should take into consideration transformational players (Sanders, J Smith, Willis, Albert, Montana), team strength (80s players had a much better team), and players who are the best in their years (could go by awards). OK...I punt but this has been fun!

Originally posted by 4everFaithful:

The point of this thread isn't to build a 49ers team with the best players of all time, although you can take that approach, but to build a team of your favorite 49ers players of all-time

In that case id go the following(Young's my favorite, but IMO Joe was better):

QB-Steve Young
HB- Ricky Watters
FB- Tom Rathman
WR- Jerry Rice
WR- John Taylor
WR-Terrell Owens (for 11 and 20 personnel)
TE- Brent Jones
TE- Vernon Davis (for 12 and 22 personnel)
LT- Joe Staley
LG- Guy McIntyre
C- Jesse Sapolu
RG- Roy Foster
RT- Harris Barton

DE- Justin Smith
DT- Bryant Young
DT- Dana Stubblefield
DE- Charles Haley

OLB- Tim Harris.
ILB-Patrick Willis
ILB- NaVarro Bowman
OLB- Julien Peterson

CB- Deion Sanders
CB- Eric Wright
S- Tim McDonald
S- Ronnie Lott

Originally posted by kelpie70:

Originally posted by 9moon:
OFFENSE:

JOE MONTANA

TOM RATHMAN; RICKY WATTERS

BRENT JONES

HARRIS BARTON; RANDY CROSS; FRED QUILLAN; ROY FOSTER; KEITH FAHNHORST

JERRY RICE; TERRELL OWENS; DWIGHT CLARK

PR: JOHN TAYLOR
PK: GARY ANDERSON


DEFENSE:

CB: DEION SANDERS; ERIC WRIGHT

FS: RONNIE LOTT
SS; CARLTON WILLIAMSON


4-3: DEAN - BYOUNG - JUSTIN - HALEY

BOWMAN - WILLIS - NORTON

Indeed, I like this. However, I would go with Jeff Fuller at SS, Jesse Sapolu at C and Roger Craig at FB with Ricky Watters at RB.

Jeff Fuller was a star in the making at SS before getting injured, I really couldn't put him up there because of the time frame and the fact that both Williamson and McDonald were just better in my opinon..

as for Roger at the FB position, he only played 2 to 3 YEARS as a true FB.. rookie year in 1983, 1984 season and 1985 was the year he played both HB AND FB position..

Sapolu I didn't think was any better than Cross at both OG and C.. but, that's just me..

Joe vs Steve also comes down to what you want in a QB...in the modern era where a QB is asked to be more mobile and athletic I can definitely see the argument for Steve. Nothing against Joe...but his style game, the stat lines he put up it is starting to slide into the baseball stats arguments. It was a different era, the rules were different. You start to question could he do now what he did then? Steve's game is much more comparable to the modern QB...in fact you could say he was the prototype for what a team wants out of a passer to this day.

Would I personally still go with Joe? Yeah...I think big game, ice water veins and legit field general skills outweigh so many things and Joe had all of that on a level of nobody since. But I don't make the call lightly...if you put Steve Young on the field behind any of the Patriots teams we have watched or put him up in Denver during the Manning era...multiple titles get won no question.

Originally posted by PhillyNiner:
Joe vs Steve also comes down to what you want in a QB...in the modern era where a QB is asked to be more mobile and athletic I can definitely see the argument for Steve. Nothing against Joe...but his style game, the stat lines he put up it is starting to slide into the baseball stats arguments. It was a different era, the rules were different. You start to question could he do now what he did then? Steve's game is much more comparable to the modern QB...in fact you could say he was the prototype for what a team wants out of a passer to this day.

Would I personally still go with Joe? Yeah...I think big game, ice water veins and legit field general skills outweigh so many things and Joe had all of that on a level of nobody since. But I don't make the call lightly...if you put Steve Young on the field behind any of the Patriots teams we have watched or put him up in Denver during the Manning era...multiple titles get won no question.

Only disagreement with this is the definition of athletic. Montana was an All-State B-Ball player in HS, so his nimbleness and balance were exceptional. He wasn't as fast but he had other qualities that fall into athletic for me--vision, agility, mental toughness, physical toughness, etc.