The NFL's Top 100 Players

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

I like the write-ups, but I think it would of been a lil better if the guy who came up with the list explained at the end of each player's write-up why he puts that player their in comparison to his peers....

[RazorStar 4,025]

It'd be difficult to really explain why 59 should be over 58, and stuff like that, but I'll go over how I got to my rankings. I divided each player into their positions and ranked them. After that I had a certain amount of players who were definitely top 100 (about 70), players on the borderline (50 or so), and then guy who had no shot of being on there, (I didn't list very many of those)

 

After that I put the 5 guys I thought were at the bottom, sorted them out till I got an order I liked, put in the next 5 guys, sorted those, and generally went in that order, sorting them out until I got a list I could be comfortable with. I didn't think Aubrayo Franklin and Suh were that far apart (95 and 92), while I thought Jahri Evans was quite a bit better than Kris Dielman (77 and 96).

[RazorStar 4,025]

Ladies and Gentlepeople, The next installment of my awesome 100% correct top 100 player's list is in the books. Updated. Whatever, here you go!

 

http://www.thegridironpalace.com/tgpsite/2011/07/03/nfls-top-100-players-60-51/

[Anthony 78]

This is actually why I registered. Been keeping an eye on the countdown. Some good choices and great write-ups on the players.

 

Now for the first rant.

 

I love Eric Weddle, of course, but if the chargers tried to trade Weddle for Clay Matthews straight up, the league probably wouldn't approve it unless San Diego sweetened the pot with more players, cash, or draft picks. In just two years in the league, Matthews has matched Weddle is Pro-Bowl appearances, was a near miss for defensive rookie of they year, and fell just short of Polamalu for NFL defensive player of the year honors for 2010. Weddle is good at what he does, but I just think Matthews is at a whole different level, with room to rise even further before his career is done.

 

Nonetheless, good stuff, Razor.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Well, DMac wanted me to explain more about the ranking of my picks, so I'll go over the positions who have players represented in a large enough degree. Every Position has at least 2 players remaining, so I'll do a part two for every position already mentioned. So...

 

Quarterbacks

 

7th: 74. Matt Schaub

8th: 93. Tony Romo

9th: 100. Matt Ryan

9th: 100. Joe Flacco

 

So, I'm sure you can guess the top 6, and I'm not going to spoil their order. This is definitely the second tier of Quarterbacks in this league. Other quarterbacks who were considered for this list were Josh Freeman and Eli Manning. Regardless of Eli's super bowl ring, he threw a lot of picks last year, and while not all of them are his fault, he's never broken out of second tier play and it's really difficult to justify a position ahead of the other guys on this list. This is Josh Freeman's first year with some serious success in this league, and I am very hard on one year wonders to begin with. However he has shown a lot of potential and another strong year can push him further up the list. I will point to Daunte Culpepper's career and say to be warned.

 

Now onto the guys on this list, I put Schaub ahead of all of them because of the sheer dominance he puts through the air. He's got a strong team around him, but he definitely makes the most of it and he isn't being carried by team, his chemistry with the guys around him makes them better. Unfortunately his defense leads him to playing a lot riskier than he should. He doesn't have the backing of a defense than can stop scoring like Indianapolis, New England or Baltimore or anything, so he isn't afforded the dink and dunk. Despite his aggressive play, he still only threw 12 interceptions.

 

Tony Romo is just slightly ahead of the third year quarterbacks tied at 100. While Flacco has had more team success in the playoffs, he can't pull it together in the second season. Ryan hasn't had team or personal success in the playoffs, but he's shown serious moxie in the regular season and can pull off close games, which lead to the Falcons amazing record last year. Aside from one game against Cincinnati, Flacco had an amazing year last year, and has shown gradual improvement. What sets Romo apart from those two is a bit more experience, a team that revived around his play (Cowboys were horrible in the Carter/Bledsoe years), and a consistent output week in and week out. He's doesn't rely on the dink and dunk like Ryan does, and he's not a statue in the pocket like Flacco is.

 

But yeah, you're gonna see a large gap between these guys and the first tier of quarterbacks.

[RazorStar 4,025]

This is actually why I registered. Been keeping an eye on the countdown. Some good choices and great write-ups on the players.

 

Now for the first rant.

 

I love Eric Weddle, of course, but if the chargers tried to trade Weddle for Clay Matthews straight up, the league probably wouldn't approve it unless San Diego sweetened the pot with more players, cash, or draft picks. In just two years in the league, Matthews has matched Weddle is Pro-Bowl appearances, was a near miss for defensive rookie of they year, and fell just short of Polamalu for NFL defensive player of the year honors for 2010. Weddle is good at what he does, but I just think Matthews is at a whole different level, with room to rise even further before his career is done.

 

Nonetheless, good stuff, Razor.

 

Nice post Anthony. Here's my rebuttal, since I welcome these arguments. Weddle is playing the same position as Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed, two guys who will pretty much always make the pro bowl. On the other side, who does Clay have for competition at his position? DeMarcus Ware of course, but no 4-3 outside linebackers will ever get the notice or sacks they need to get a pro bowl so that leaves a pretty limited field to choose from. What makes me list Weddle ahead of Matthews is his multi-dimensional ability. Clay Matthews is a great pass rusher. he has a myriad of moves and has great leverage, but against the run he disappears. I also feel like he was really riding his 6 sack start, and didn't quite have the impact he should have later in the year. Weddle isn't quite as dominant in any phase of the game as Clay is, which is why they are close, but in coverage he's pretty good, against the run he's above average, and though he isn't sent on the blitz that often, he can still make an impact.

 

I do agree that Clay has a ton of potential and if he puts it all together there won't be any doubt to put to his name. He's carrying the Matthews legacy well, I think.

[RazorStar 4,025]

I'll skip the skill positions and move straight to offensive line.

 

Tackles

5th: 59. Kareem McKenzie

6th: 71. Eric Winston

7th: 80. Marshal Yanda

8th: 94. David Stewart

 

So you'll notice that all of these guys are Right Tackles, generally the more bruising companion to the finesse Left Tackle. Each of these 4 guys stand out in different ways, but all provide excellent blocking for their runningbacks. David Stewart is a pure mauler and road grader, but I feel that his pass pro isn't quite as the other three guys ahead of him. Marshal Yanda has beautiful versatility and can slide into most positions on the line, but he was a great fit at Right Tackle for the Ravens. Eric Winston has constantly been the Texans best offensive lineman, opening holes for guys like Arian Foster, Steve Slaton, Ron Dayne, while being Matt Schaub's best pass protector. If David Carr had a guy like him earlier in his career, he might not be the sack scared wuss we know today. Kareem McKenzie definitely stands out, since he's been playing at a high level for a long time, and he uses his strength to dominate some of the best pass rushers in the game right now. His Pass Protection is among the best for Right Tackles, and he gives Eli a lot of time in the pocket. The same can't be said for Eli's blindside tackle, which explain the high amount of interceptions. Anyway, there will be some Left Tackles later on this list, don't worry.

Edited July 10, 2011 by RazorStar

[RazorStar 4,025]

Guards

 

4th: 54. Josh Sitton

5th: 77. Jahri Evans

6th: 96. Kris Dielman

 

Immediately on this list you'll see two guys who are starting to get a bit of notice by the popular media, Jahri Evans had a great year in 2009, but fell down to earth a bit in 2010. His Pass blocking skill is amongst the best in the game regardless, and Drew Brees is lucky to have him on his Right Side. It's very weird for a team to get better pass pro from it's guards, instead of it's tackles. Kris Dielman barely made my list, but he's been a mauler for years, leading the way for LT in years past, and now doing a great job with Mike Tolbert and Ryan Mathews. He's a tough SOB, I'll tell you that much. And the guy who finished 4th on my guards list is Josh Sitton, the Packers Right Guard. He's not known for his run blocking skill as much, but he's not blocking for skilled runningbacks most of the time. However, he does an excellent job protecting Aaron Rodgers from harm. He was one of the few guards who did not allow a sack on the season, and he's only improved from his humble starts in 2009. He's shown a lot of potential and he could easily move up this list in the future, he's heading into only his 4th year in the league.

Edited July 10, 2011 by RazorStar

[RazorStar 4,025]

Centres

 

3rd: 52. Jeff Saturday

4th: 66. Ryan Kalil

5th: 87. Andre Gurode

 

So, let's begin talking about these guys. Andre Gurode used to be terrible, absolutely awful. His snaps were like shotgun fire, his blocking was subpar at best, and he got stomped on by Albert Haynesworth. However, things started changing after that. His snaps went to the QB, he became ruthless and attacked defensive tackles on blocks, and he really looked like a guy worthy of a second round pick. He hasn't let down Romo very often in the pass game, and if the Dallas Backfield was any good, they'd be pounding out yards behind his big body.

 

Ryan Kalil was drafted in 2007, and was considered by scouts to be one of the top players in the draft, but because his position he slid to 59th overall. He has the ability to open up holes for the Carolina running backs, and he does a solid job protecting his quarterbacks, but it's not a refined strength to his game yet. He's still a way away from the cream of the center class, but he is living up to his billing as a strong run defender and leader on the carolina offensive line.

 

The third guy here is longtime veteran Jeff Saturday. A lot of the Colts make my list because they dominate in a single facet of the game, while having weakness in other parts, but because they do their primary role so well, I'm willing to make an exception. Jeff Saturday is far and away the best overall pass protecting center of the past twenty years or so. It takes a lot of brains to comprehend the insanity of a peyton Manning offense with 30 audibles a play, but Jeff seem to never fail the snap. When that's done perfectly, he's always in position to let Peyton step up and make his easy throws, time and time again. He almost never gets beaten for a sack and is the underrated cog in the high flying Colt offense. He does have a weakness in game, which I did mention, and that is he's not that great opening up holes for the running game. Not that the Colts run the ball, but you know... it's a thing.

 

I'll get to the defense eventually.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Defensive Ends 4-3 and 3-4

I'm treating the Ravens as a 4-3 because screw it, it's pretty much their main defense.

 

6th: 57. Dwight Freeney

7th: 68. Cullen Jenkins

8th: 81. Terrell Suggs

9th: 85. Charles Johnson

 

So maybe the hardest player to explain on this list is Charles Johnson, so I'll do that first. His skills as a pass rusher are tremendous, and they've only improved over time. Without Julius Peppers on the other side, Charles really shined, posting 11.5 sacks in his first year as a starter. He's shown the potential in his rookie and sophomore years, but when he was given the opportunity to start, he blew expectation out of the water. He was a key cog on 3rd down, and his ranking on the list might only be diminished because this is his first year as a starter.

 

Suggs is the next guy on the list, and while he's performed near elite level a lot, 2010 was a really big year for him. 11 sacks in the regular season, and he brought his A game to the post season, with another 5 sacks in two games. He's a big playmaker for them, and really an underrated cog in their offense, with Ed Reed missing a few games, and Ray Lewis slowing down, Suggs really stepped up, not only in pass rush, but in stopping the run as well.

 

Cullen Jenkins is the next guy, and as a 3-4 DE, you don't really get the opportunity to compile stats, unless you've got one of the geniuses of the 3-4 utilizing your talents to the max. Jenkins hit his career high in Sacks, and he did it in 11 games. He's been moved around Green Bay's schemes his entire career, having some experience as a 4-3 DE and 4-3 DT, but he's really found a niche in the 3-4 for his talents. He plays a bit like a typical Tampa 2 Under Tackle, but he's quick enough to battle with Tackles instead of Guards, which allows players like Raji to attack in the middle, and Claymaker to hit guys on the outside. He's a really versatile player and deserves a lot of love for what he does as a standout 3-4 DE.

 

Dwight Freeney is the final guy in the second half of the top 100, and he's here for one reason, let's not get ahead of ourselves, he's a pass rusher, pure, plain and simple. He's a dominating force in that regard, and that's enough to get him a spot on the list, but he isn't versatile enough to get into the top tier of defensive ends.

 

I'll do up Defensive Tackles next. They include 3-4 Nose Tackles of course.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Aaron Smith needs to be on this list. You suck at this.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Aaron Smith has been less than healthy for a while, and his impact hasn't been felt as much. Two years ago he'd probably have a spot on here, but he's getting old now.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Next installment will be up later today. Probably after I get back from muh movie

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

The next installment of TGP's Top 100 has been released. As always, thanks all of those who volunteered to help with the write-ups.

 

The index in the OP has also been updated to include the most recent addition.

Edited July 11, 2011 by Shaq

[RazorStar 4,025]

You have a picture of D'Brick where the Mario Williams one should be.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

The next installment of the NFL Top 100 List has been updated....

 

 

AND WHAT'S THIS?

 

 

The Top 100 is evolving?

 

 

 

Your Top 100 no has honorable mentions!

 

 

Check out both new articles, today! Thanks to all those who helped put this together.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Defensive Tackles and Nose Guards

 

3rd: 34. Kyle Williams

4th: 41. Richard Seymour

5th: 51. Vince Wilfork :Patriots:

6th: 58. Jason Jones

7th: 76. Barry Cofield

8th: 82. Brandon Mebane

9th: 92. Ndamukong Suh

10th: 95. Aubrayo Franklin

 

So this is quite a list of players. I'll start with Kyle Williams as he is probably the most unknown of these guys, being on the Bills. He was asked to played Nose in the 3-4, and Over in the 4-3 as the Bills schizophrenic scheme forced him to be versatile. While many of the decent defenders on the Bills struggled, like Posluszny, and Whitner, Williams really took advantage and constantly attacked the middle like a madman. Only one player really had the strength to put him off his game in both collapsing the pocket and stopping the run. He has a combination of youth, previous dominance shown in games prior to this year and opportunity to truly shine in Southern Ontario.

 

Richard Seymour and Wilfork you both know of their dominance, Seymour has brought the mindset of winning to an underrated Oakalnd Defense, and made the whole greater than the sum of their parts, while Wilfork has constantly been a threat in the middle for the rest of the AFC since he came into the league. Jason Jones gets a nod because of his continued excellence in rushing the passer, and while stopping the run is not his strength, he does more than an adequate job at that.

 

Barry Cofield is an often forgotten piece of the Giants defensive line, with Tuck and the rest defensive ends making the highlights, Barry is just getting his bad fat body into the middle, disrupting the defense even further, and really drilling the interior offensive lines he faced with the lessons of the mighty Spags and the lighting fast reflexes of a taser.

 

Moving onto a really underrated player, Brandon Mebane is a player who is only appreciated when he goes missing. When he's there, all of the Seahawk linebackers are making plays in the backfield, and the pass rush on either side of him is vastly improved. When he's gone, the Seahawks get bent over a table on defense. He doesn't get to the quarterback often, but his presence grows opportunities for other players, like Chris Clemons and Raheem Brock, known retreads before coming to Seahawks and putting up 10+ sack seasons.

 

You know about Suh, he's raw with a ton of talent, and while a lot of his sacks can be attributed to luck, he still got pressure on the QB every game he played, and took by far the most snaps for any defensive tackle in the league. On the other side, AUbrayo Franklin may be just a run stuffer, but he's a damn good run stuffer. Ask any team they faced how they did running up the middle, and they'll say they didn't. Because Aubrayo Franklin was hungry for Double stuffed Oreos.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Outside Linebackers (I grouped 4-3 and 3-4 guys together)

 

4th: 35. Cameron Wake

5th: 40. LaMarr Woodley

6th: 47. Tamba Hali

7th: 55. Daryl Smith

8th: 62. Clay Matthews

9th: 72. Lance Briggs :Patriots:

10th: 88. David Hawthorne

11th: 89. Jon Beason

12th: 91. James Anderson

13th: 97. D.J. Williams

 

It's gonna be really hard to do this set since I have so many OLB's on this list, but I'll try. D.J. Williams makes the list for his versatility, consistency, and Jack of All Trades nature. It does not hurt to be these things in the NFL, but it's not enough to exceed these other guys. He'll be a Weakside Backer in the fall. James Anderson and Jon Beason play very well off each other, Anderson gets gritty at the LOS, providing a great blitz option, while Beason hits hard against the back, and drops into coverage beautifully, and can compliment from either the middle or the weak side depending on the health of other linebackers on their team.

 

David Hawthorne is another highly aggressive SAM Backer who completely emasculates the other high drafted linebackers on his team. He's a fearless run stopper and great leader by example. Lance Briggs, you know what he does, I don't need to elaborate. Clay Matthews seems low to some, but I think this placing is accurate of his skills. He's an amazing pass rusher, but a 3-4 OLB needs to set the edge as well. While his pass rushing is varied and impressive, his play against the run is akin to Jared Allen. Still he's an incredibly explosive and smart player with more potential gain ahead oh him.

 

Daryl Smith is the second best 4-3 OLB on this list, and really should be nicknamed something like the drive killer, or "Easily the best player on this defense"... but nobody watches Jaguars games so nobody cares about David. Daryl. He might not be a sacker, interceptor, or balls out crazy like other linebackers on this list, but he's smart, composed, and on third down, he's gonna be the guy making the stop, it's uncanny how many times he was in on the play on third down, his intelligence is impressive, and he's shown the ability to play other linebacker spots on the confused Jaguars defense.

 

If you want to understand why I have Tamba where he is, just read Shaq's writeup, he does more justice than I ever would. LaMarr Woodley is the next 3-4 OLB after him, and while Hali was truly a master pass rusher, Woodley was maybe not as good there, but his coverage skill is impressive for his position, and he's actually asked to cover in the LeBeau Zone Blitz scheme so that's a positive. He's also strong against the run, a mainstay for Pittsburgh defenders. He may be overshadowed by the former DPOY opposite him, but Woodley is just as skilled a pass rusher as Harrison is.

 

The last player on this list so far, is Cameron Wake. I imagine a lot of you think this is too high for a guy who only got his first full time starting year in 2010, but he has shown time and time again, whether in College, CFL, or the NFL, he is the best pure pass rusher in the game, bar none. He turns his pressures into sacks, which very few players can claim, he guarantees negative plays for opposing teams, his moveset is incredible, and he's practically a 4-3 Defensive End with the amount of snaps he takes just gunning it. His ability against the run is actually above average, while he won't blow you away like some other guys he gets the job done. I wouldn't be able to tell you if he covered well or not, since he hardly ever relents from his vicious assault on opposing QB's.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Cornerbacks

 

3rd: 36. Champ Bailey

4th: 49. Antoine Winfield

5th: 64. Brandon Flowers

6th: 65. Tramon Williams

7th: 75. Asante Samuel

 

SO there are only a few corners on my list, which I think makes sense, it's the hardest position to play well and to play consistently. Asante Samuel makes the list by virtue of being a true turnover ace, and his skills in pass coverage are practically the best in the game. He isn't higher because his tackling is akin to a 4 year tackling a grown man, pathetic and hilarious to watch. Tramon Williams has worked his way up from being an UDFA in 2006 to one of the best cover corners in the league. With Charles Woodson on the other side, he's targeted fairly often, but he makes short work of opposing receivers, only allowing 56 catches on 123 targets according to PFF. He plays great in press coverage and man coverage, and he's not too bad in zone either.

 

The next three guys on the list have one thing in common, balance ability against the run and pass, these are the most physical corners in the game who can cover worth a damn. Champ is highest of these players because of his peak performance, and incredibly slow tail off. Winfield is next, his peak was never where Champ's was, but he's always played great football and hardly noticed for his effort. He's also been overshadowed because he started his career in the frozen hell of Buffalo. Flowers is the last of these players if only for his lack of experience, and large change in play from dominant at the start of the year to merely above average near the end of it.

[badgers 380]

30-21 coming up any time soon?

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

30-21 coming up any time soon?

 

I posted it in the other thread. Coming tomorrow, or Sunday at the latest. Don't want the list to be overshadowed by FA news and articles.

[RazorStar 4,025]

As a reminder, Stevo you still have two topten writeups to send to me... and I need to find someone for another one, since everyone seems to be snubbing me on the guy.

[badgers 380]

I might have already snubbed you, but if I haven't, I'll attempt a write up for him.

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

So..uh, what happened to this?