Top 5 of Each Position (Offense)

[lowlife]

Originally Posted by Caddy

There is a disturbing lack of Davin Joseph in this thread. The man is an absolute machine.

I laughed really hard because I was convinced this was a joke

[TACKLE]

Originally Posted by lowlife

Welker easily tops the slot list.

Over Cruz?

[Caddy]

Originally Posted by lowlife

I laughed really hard because I was convinced this was a joke

Davin Joseph > You

[scottyboy]

pffft, he's not even the best interior Olineman on the bucs

[Caddy]

Originally Posted by scottyboy

pffft, he's not even the best interior Olineman on the bucs

Unfortunately I think you mean Carl Nicks AND Jeremy Zuttah. :D

[Sportsfan486]

Anyone not putting Greg Jennings in their top 5 receivers is smoking something.

He does everything at an elite level.

[Caddy]

Originally Posted by Sportsfan486

Anyone not putting Greg Jennings in their top 5 receivers is smoking something.

He does everything at an elite level.

After the top 3 (AJ, CJ and Fitz) I think it's a lot harder to fill out a top 5.

[Bixby (Thumper)]

I'll give it a shot.

QB:
1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
4. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

I'm trying not to get too down or too high on players based on one season. Rivers is a bonafide stud with 119 TD passes, 17,597 passing yards, a 64.7% completion percentage and 8.4 YPA in the past four years. He's a stud despite last season's struggles (which IMO are VASTLY overstated). I'll need to see Stafford stay healthy and put up at least one more big year before I put him on this list. Eli needs to stop turning the ball over as much before I start putting him with the elites in the NFL (most turnovers in the NFL since he took over as the starter in NY), another year like last year would firmly entrench him amongst the top 5. Peyton needs to prove he's healthy.

RB:
To me, there is a pretty clearly defined group of elite backs: Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy, Arian Foster, Maurice Jones-Drew, Matt Forte, Jamaal Charles and Ray Rice. All of them are great but the new NFL isn't "three yards and a cloud of dust", its about being efficient, being explosive, being a weapon in space and in the receiving game. Being

1. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles
2. Arian Foster, Houston Texans
3. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
5. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens

I want to see how Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles come off those ACL tears before I put them over healthy stud running backs.

I think that CJ Spiller, DeMarco Murray and Trent Richardson are the three young runningbacks most likely to make the jump into this group in time. All three are explosive in both the running and passing game. But staying healthy is imperative, especially for DeMarco Murray.

WR:

1. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
3. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
4. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers
5. Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants

I want to see Victor Cruz and Jordy Nelson continue their success before we start handing out "top 5 receiver" to those guys. AJ Green and Julio Jones will both be on this list in time. For my money the five guys I listed are the best combination of reliability, year-to-year consistency and game breaking ability in the game.

I actually struggled with this. I wanted to put Jordy Nelson and Victor Cruz up high because they were great last year but we see receivers flame out after one season all the time and they completely smashed their previous numbers.

Greg Jennings is a guy who is often the forgotten man behind the flavor of the year receivers but year after year, there is Greg Jennings producing. And Hakeem Nick's playoff performance really put him over the top for me, he's been putting up solid numbers for the past two years in New York and he just went off in the playoffs to the tune of 28 receptions, 444 yards and 4 touchdowns in four playoff games. I don't think New York wins the title without him making plays.

And if only Kenny Britt could stay healthy... He's a boss.

TE:

1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Jimmy Graham
3. Vernon Davis
4. Antonio Gates
5. Jason Witten


OT:

1. Joe Thomas
2. Duane Brown
3. Michael Roos
4. D'Brickshaw Ferguson
5. Jared Gaither

When healthy, its Jason Peters by a mile. He had people thinking he was going to be the next Philadelphia Eagle hall of famer with his play over the last 3 years. Shame he tore his achilles. He's got the feet and athleticism to shut down anyone in pass protection, he's amazing in space and he's a bull-dozer in the running game who just absolutely mauls people. No one like him. He's in Joe Thomas' class as a pass protector and he's in a class all his own as a run blocker.

OG:
1. Carl Nicks
2. Marshal Yanda
3. Jahri Evans
4. Josh Sitton
5. Brian Waters

The Evan Mathis hype is so annoying. Other Eagles fans slobber all over him and say "OMG PFF HAD HIM #1" but I know what my eyes saw. My eyes saw a smart, fundamentally sound player who functioned well as a part of a unit but he wasn't an over powering road-grader at guard. He created little movement as a run blocker and he played left guard next to Jason Peters (the easier guard spot made even easier because he was playing next to Peters). NOT top 5. Good player, not great. One year wonder too.

I want to see Logan Mankins recover from that ACL injury.

C:

1. Nick Mangold
2. Chris Meyers
3. Alex Mack
4. Eric Wood
5. Jeff Saturday

Jeff Saturday is still the man.

[fenikz]

Originally Posted by Sportsfan486

Anyone not putting Greg Jennings in their top 5 receivers is smoking something.

He does everything at an elite level.

I entirely agree with you every year he gets underrated by fans/media but continues to keep producing, guys excel around him because he draws most of the attention from opposing coaches

[bigbluedefense]

Some quick hits

-Ray Rice is my 6th guy. He's basically a smaller version of Forte. Forte belongs on the list over him.

-I agree on what was said about Tom Brady. People don't realize that Pats team really didn't have that much talent. It was Brady, 2 TEs, Welker, and Wilfork. It's amazing what he did with that unit.

-Roddy White isn't on the list bc he had a down year. Ask Atlanta fans. He wasn't the same Roddy.

-Jennings wasn't on the list bc I was torn btw him and Nicks, and decided to go with Nicks bc that GB offense didn't miss a beat without Jennings. Jennings is no doubt a stud, and I'd say he's probably 5B to Nicks' 5A, but the homer in me picked Nicks bc of his production, and what he means to the offense in NY. Nicks is doubled on every play. Jennings bc of the spread they run can find himself in the slot against a LB/S zone. It's just harder to key on Jennings and take him out of the game.

-Here's the thing on Welker. I think too many ppl focus on what he isn't, instead of what he is. Yes, he's a slot WR. But a slot WR is arguably the most important WR on offense nowadays. He's the mismatch. And if he was so simple to cover, he wouldn't produce the way he does. Who else in that WR do you have to worry about? He's their only WR. Logically, you'd put your best CB on him. Yet he still produces. He's a gamer, it's time we stopped looking at him from a limitations standpoint and recognize what he is, which is a damn good WR that very few teams can stop. Not every WR has to be 6 5" and run a 4.3 to be great. Welker excels at what he does, and few if any teams can stop him from doing what he's asked to do.

-The reason why Roos and Stewart are not on the list is bc there is more competition at OT than there is at RG. They're better players, but face more competition at their respective position.

-I forgot Kleinsausser retired.

[Giantsfan1080]

Who cares if Rice is smaller? He's more productive.

[bigbluedefense]

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

Who cares if Rice is smaller? He's more productive.

How is he more productive? Forte was accountable for roughly 50% of Chicago's offense and plays behind a much worse offensive line. It's not like Forte is a scrub. He does everything Rice does, and better. I love Rice, but he doesn't do 1 thing in particular better than Forte. They're either even or Forte is better in every aspect of both of their games.

[Giantsfan1080]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

How is he more productive? Forte was accountable for roughly 50% of Chicago's offense and plays behind a much worse offensive line. It's not like Forte is a scrub. He does everything Rice does, and better. I love Rice, but he doesn't do 1 thing in particular better than Forte. They're either even or Forte is better in every aspect of both of their games.

They're very close but I'll give the edge to the guy who's led in the NFL in yards from scrimmage twice. I think Rice is a better receiver out of the backfield than Forte but whatever I guess it's splitting hairs.

[Bob Sanders Dreadlock]

Originally Posted by BaLLiN

I wouldn't put Cruz up there yet, Nicks has proven more and was more focused on by defenses. It was only late in the season Cruz was getting doubled, but he showed he could break the double. I'd say its pending.

Cruz still put up 1500 yards this year. Insane for a guy who had 17 yards in the first 2 games.

[bigbluedefense]

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

They're very close but I'll give the edge to the guy who's led in the NFL in yards from scrimmage twice. I think Rice is a better receiver out of the backfield than Forte but whatever I guess it's splitting hairs.

It is splitting hairs. It really is that close, that's why I went with Forte being bigger as the tie breaker. I had to break the tie somehow.

Honestly, it's another 5A and 5B scenario.

[killxswitch]

Originally Posted by Bixby

5. Jeff Saturday

Jeff Saturday is still the man.

Did you actually watch any Colts games since 2008? Mentally he is at the top still but physically he hasn't been good for several years.

[Giantsfan1080]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

It is splitting hairs. It really is that close, that's why I went with Forte being bigger as the tie breaker. I had to break the tie somehow.

Honestly, it's another 5A and 5B scenario.

The tiebreaker is easy! You went to Rutgers.

[bigbluedefense]

Originally Posted by Bob Sanders Dreadlock

Cruz still put up 1500 yards this year. Insane for a guy who had 17 yards in the first 2 games.

Cruz has to do it again though. 1 year doesn't make you a great player. He has potential, but it's too early to be a top 5 guy.

[bigbluedefense]

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

The tiebreaker is easy! You went to Rutgers.

Yeah. I'm gonna be honest. My dumbass just forgot about Rice and now I'm trying to justify it.

[whatadai]

Originally Posted by killxswitch

Did you actually watch any Colts games since 2008? Mentally he is at the top still but physically he hasn't been good for several years.

He's still good. Just not top 5 good.

[whatadai]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

Yeah. I'm gonna be honest. My dumbass just forgot about Rice and now I'm trying to justify it.

[mightytitan9]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

-The reason why Roos and Stewart are not on the list is bc there is more competition at OT than there is at RG. They're better players, but face more competition at their respective position.

.

Stewart is hands down the best RT in football. To not have him listed in the top 5 is a horrendous job.

You can argue anyone over Roos, personally from watching him I would take him over any LT in the NFL. But either way you look at it, he's still top 5

[Iamcanadian]

For the most part, I really like your rankings, however I do have a few problems with some OL selections. Nicks and Grubbs went into FA at a pretty young age so their teams didn't think all that well about them.
OC is another position where I think you could be off a bit. I'd rate Mack and Pouncey a bit higher.

Winston changed teams in FA and Tyrone Smith is moving to LT so I just don't think RT is a solid list. LT list looks pretty solid to me.
I completely agree with your QB rankings and think you are right on about Adrian Peterson. WR and TE look solid but don't ask me to rank FB's. That's a tough chore.

[mightytitan9]

I don't understand the fascination on Eric Winston, he's an average RT in this league. How many teams would cut "the best RT in football" because he was making 4m a year? Exactly. How come he only had limited interest in FA?

He was a good RT in a true zone blocking scheme, he'll be average for the chiefs

[HeavyLeggedWaistBender]

^Love it when people say "this" league. As if they're in it in any form themselves. :P

Anywhozers, I haven't seen Brandon Marshall on any ones list. Wussupwitdat?