Throughout this series, I’ll look at the players I’d most want if I were starting an NFL team. In some scenarios, that might include college players. This takes into account performance to date, raw ability, salary, age, and experience. The 11 groups are as follows:
Offense – QB, RB, WR, TE, OT, Interior O-Line
Defense – Edge Defenders (Pass-rushing Outside LB + 5-techniques + 4-3 DEs), Interior D-Line (Nose Tackles and most 3-techniques), Coverage Linebackers (3-4 Inside LB + some 4-3 cover Outside LB) , Cornerbacks, Safeties
This week, I’ll evaluate and rank the most important position in sports.
Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are two of the game’s best quarterbacks.
(1) Aaron Rodgers (32): Struggled to his worst season in terms of efficiency and air yards without his top WR in 2015, but there’s little doubt he’s still the best combination of talent, intelligence, prime years remaining, and performance to date. Even among the highest paid players in the NFL, Rodgers probably remains underpaid.
(2) Russell Wilson (27): The only concern with Wilson is how he’ll hold up over time as a player who runs so much and plays behind a substandard offensive line. Could easily evolve into a deadly spread/timing-based QB over time. (3) Cam Newton (27): If Cam stops taking the beating he saw in Week 1, he could emerge as the LeBron James of this era– a player with the most unique blend of physicality the league has seen. His precision is a question as he ages into his 30s. (4) Andrew Luck (27): He’s proven to be much more erratic than expected and more injury-prone than someone his stature ought to be, but I’d roll the dice with Luck continuing to improve as he gains confidence in his line and ultimately fulfill his longtime promise as The Next Great QB. (5) Ben Roethlisberger (34): Time is ticking away a bit on Big Ben, but his size and proven ability is undeniable. (6) Tom Brady (39): For one or two seasons, Brady is in the top 2. You have to expect that at some point time will catch up to him, but as my faceless buddies on Twitter say, you never can quite count out Touchdown Tom. (7) Philip Rivers (34): Rivers has regressed a tad in the past few years (rating and ANY/A have declined or plateaued) and will be 35 in December, but the numbers in the face of a spate of awful injury luck for the Chargers have been solid. With a new start and a fresh set of decent weapons, Rivers would have as good a chance as anyone outside the top tier in the next 5-7 years to hoist the Lombardi. (8) Drew Brees (37): The three-year difference is what separates Rivers ever-so-slightly from Brees, who’s been the better QB throughout their respective careers. (9) Matthew Stafford (28): Stafford’s career trajectory has careened from prodigy to bust, but his performance in the post-Megatron era has illustrated his ability and leadership. His athleticism and arm talent have never been questioned, so long as he can stay upright. (10) Derek Carr (25): Carr has already looked every bit the part of a franchise talent, putting up Riversian efficiency numbers despite his youth. Although Amari Cooper is one of the best young players in the league, Carr would get the job done anywhere. (11) Marcus Mariota (22): His athleticism, intelligence, and leadership at just 22 years of age are all top-notch, but Mariota is buried on one of the league’s worst offensive groups, led by one of its worst coaches. This guy has all the tools to be great, despite his poor showing thus far (last among starting QBs thus far in PFF’s rankings). (12) Jameis Winston (22): I get the sneaking suspicion Winston will always be somewhat erratic, but his physical tools and command of the offense are undeniable. We might be looking at a young Cutler. (13) Eli Manning (35): He’s older, but Manning has proven good enough to quarterback multiple champions on different kind of teams and hasn’t regressed at all into his 30s with a skill set that isn’t reliant upon his legs. He’s also never missed a game. (14) Carson Wentz (23): You don’t want to make too much of a three-game sample, but at the very least Wentz has shown that the NFL game won’t be too big for him after a few years in Fargo. I’d roll the dice on him ascending rapidly as a 23-year old with experience in a pro-style offense and handpicked by a new front office and coach. (15) Andy Dalton (28): Coming into 2015, with 64 starts in his back pocket, we all thought we knew what Dalton was. Then his performance took a major turn last year, as the Red Rifle halved his interception rate percentage, while dramatically improving his yards/attempt and passer rating. If he can continue his ascent — or even just sustain those rates– despite the losses of Jay Gruden, Hue Jackson, Marvin Jones, and Mohamed Sanu over the past two years, he’ll have convinced me he deserves to rise up this list. (16) Joe Flacco (31): #Elite– we’ve seen what he can do when he’s peaking. (17) Blake Bortles (24): He’s shown brief flashes, but it’s getting tougher to believe in Bortles with every passing start. (18) Carson Palmer (36): Old and declining, but might have another championship-level year or two left in that arm (19) Tony Romo (36): If he could ever just stay healthy, Romo is good enough to lead a champion. (20) Jimmy Garoppolo (24): We know he can get the job done at a high level. (21) Kirk Cousins (28): He’s given his glimpses of high-volume ability, but also makes a lot of mistakes. (22) DeShone Kizer (20): Give me the high potential of the devil we don’t know over some we’ve seen. (23) Matt Ryan (31): The devil you know. We’ve seen enough; Matty Ice just isn’t that good. (24) Dak Prescott (23): Like Wentz, same sample size concerns but also “game isn’t too big for him” acknowledgment. (25) Alex Smith (32): You know what you’re getting. Is it enough? (Best of the Rest) Watson, Hundley, Bridgewater, Cutler, Rosen, T. Taylor, Tannehill, Rudolph, Siemian, Lynch, Goff Tweets by RealTheUnderdog
| Cleveland Browns Ray of Sunshine Subscribe on iTunes November 13, 2017 |
| Episode 9- But 8th in the East Subscribe on iTunes November 13, 2017 |
| BLITZcast #372 Subscribe on iTunes September 21, 2017 |
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