Welcome to 94WIP's G.O.A.T. of Broad Street, where we will finally determine who the greatest athlete in Philadelphia sports history is. Remember, in order to qualify, the athlete must have played in Philadelphia in the last 50 years (1970). Please cast your vote here to help us decide!
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The task of cutting down the list of amazing players that have suited up for the Eagles to just 10 is not an easy one. As we try to decide who the G.O.A.T. of Broad Street is this month on 94WIP, however, it had to be done.
To start my list, I wrote down every player I thought had a legitimate argument to be in the top 10. They might not be in my top 10, but if someone put them in their top 10, I wouldn't fight it. That list of players was 24 players long for me. I listed the players that didn't make my top 10 in the "just missed" section below.
Below is my list of 10 best Eagles of all time, sticking to the G.O.A.T. of Broad Street guidelines that the player had to play for the team over the last 50 years.
Make sure you vote for who you think the G.O.A.T. of Broad Street is by clicking here.
1. Reggie White: There aren't many more impressive stats in all of sports than Reggie White finishing with more sacks (124) than games played (121) for the Eagles. It was a story when White didn't get a sack. That really says it all, especially considering he played during a time where teams didn't throw the ball nearly as much as they do now. The Eagles have had plenty of great players, but White gets the top spot — and it might not even be that close.
2. Donovan McNabb: The best quarterback in franchise history and the best player on the best stretch of football in the franchise's history. McNabb has his haters, but he turned the Eagles into what they are today, and the Eagles were a Super Bowl contender every year he was under center. Not many quarterbacks can say that.
3. Brian Dawkins: Perhaps the most popular player in the history of the franchise, Dawkins is what Eagles fans want their players to be — elite, tough, physical, plays hard and really, really cares. A Hall of Fame player at a position where it is tough to get in, Dawkins finished his career with 37 interceptions, 36 forced fumbles and 26 sacks — a sign of just how often he made game-changing plays.
4. Seth Joyner: It is a joke that Joyner isn't in the Hall of Fame. The hard-hitting linebacker finished with 100-plus tackles in six-straight seasons from 1988 to 1993, and totaled 37 sacks, 21 forced fumbles and 17 interceptions in his Eagles' career. Joyner could do it all from the linebacker position.
5. Harold Carmichael: The next two on this list are very close, but Carmichael gets the nod because he has the most receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in franchise history. The fact he put up the numbers he did while playing in a league that focused on running the ball makes his stats that much more impressive. It is a travesty he wasn't inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame sooner.
6. Mike Quick: Quick actually averaged more receiving yards-per-game than Carmichael in his career, despite playing with an older Ron Jaworski and a young, not yet in-his-prime Randall Cunningham. If Quick played in 180 games like Carmichael, instead of just 101, he would likely be the career leader in all of the major categories. You can debate which one goes ahead of which, but both were elite, Hall-of-Fame level receivers.
7. Jerome Brown: There is absolutely no denying that Brown is one of the best players to ever suit up for the Eagles. His stats over 65 games don't jump off the page, but it was Brown who created havoc up the middle and helped both Reggie White and Clyde Simmons get some of the sacks they did. Brown tragically passed away at the age of just 27-years old due to a car crash in 1992.
8. Zach Ertz: Ertz should end his career higher on this list, and there is a very good chance he ends it in the Hall of Fame as well. Ertz will almost certainly become the team's all-time leader in receptions, and holds the NFL record for catches in a season by a tight end. The Eagles' Super Bowl victory has plenty of memorable moments, but somehow perhaps the most important — the game-winning touchdown catch by Ertz— gets overlooked. It is hard to imagine any player going down as a better tight end in franchise history, or any player wearing No. 86 ever again.
9. Jason Peters: "The Body Guard" has protected Eagles' quarterbacks since 2009 at an All-Pro, Pro-Bowl level. He has certainly dealt with some injuries over his 11 seasons with the Eagles, but for the 140 games he did suit up, it is hard to argue any offensive tackle played at a higher level in franchise history. It will be weird to not see Peters suiting up on Sundays in midnight-green this fall.
10A & 10B: Brian Westbrook and Jason Kelce: Is it a bit of a weak move to put 11 players in my top 10? Yes, but no list of the best Eagles of all time feels complete without either Kelce or Westbrook. Westbrook is arguably the best running back in the history of the franchise and gets the nod over McCoy because he has more yards-from-scrimmage, while almost making an impact in the return game. Kelce gets on because he is not only the best center of all time, but is slowly building a Hall-of-Fame case and let's be honest — his Super Bowl speech matters.
Just missed the cut: Brandon Graham, Nick Foles, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Wilbert Montgomery, Tra Thomas, Clyde Simmons, Fletcher Cox, Bill Bergy, Trent Cole, Eric Allen, Troy Vincent, Randall Cunningham
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
