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Ranking the NFL’s top 10 players; Did any Cowboys make the cut?
Jon Machota
On Wednesday night, the NFL Network aired the final part of their Top 100 players list. The ranking that’s voted on by the league’s players finished off with its top 10.
The list went as follows: 1.) J.J. Watt, 2.) Aaron Rodgers, 3.) Tom Brady, 4.) DeMarco Murray, 5.) Peyton Manning, 6.) Calvin Johnson, 7.) Andrew Luck, 8.) Antonio Brown, 9.) Marshawn Lynch, 10.) Rob Gronkowski.
I didn’t agree with some of the names and most of the order, so I decided to put together my own top 10.
Here you go.
1.) Aaron Rodgers. It was difficult to pick between Rodgers and Watt. You really can’t go wrong either way. If Rodgers was healthy at the end of last season, I think the Packers would’ve ended up winning the Super Bowl. He’s the best QB in the league and could hold that crown for a while. Last season’s stats: 4,381 yards, 38 touchdowns, five INTs.
2.) J.J. Watt. He’s the most valuable defender in the game. No player wrecks more havoc on opposing offenses than Watt. He’s athletic enough and strong enough to play any of the defensive line positions, and then he’s a red-zone threat on offense. Sacks over the last three seasons: 51.5. It’s wild to think how the Cowboys’ first-round pick in 2011 came down to Watt and Tyron Smith. Smith went 9 to Dallas. Watt went 11 to Houston.
3.) Tom Brady. You can’t have the four-time Super Bowl champ too far down the list. Even at 37 Brady is still getting the job done for the NFL’s top franchise. With New England trailing by 10 with 12 minutes to play in this year’s Super Bowl, Brady calmly led the Pats on consecutive touchdown drives, completing 13 of 15 passes in the process, including a pair of TD tosses. He’s certainly still elite.
4.) Calvin Johnson. Megatron was injured most of last season. He’ll also be 30 in September. Many are starting to believe that his best years are behind him. I’m not so sure that they are. Show me studies about receivers declining when they hit 30 and I’ll show you the numbers put up after 30 by Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, etc. Johnson has at least three more elite seasons left in him.
5.) Andrew Luck. A little high for Luck? Maybe. But it’s my list and I’m a believer. He has improved each season and appears headed to being the NFL’s next great QB. The Colts have won at least 11 games each season since drafting him No. 1 overall. Also, Luck is only 25 and he’s already won three playoff games. Last season: 4,761 yards, 40 TDs, 16 INTs.
6.) Ndamukong Suh. This was the player I disagreed with most on the NFL’s Top 100 list. Suh was ranked 24th. The game’s best defensive tackle and second most valuable defender is getting paid like one of the NFL’s top QBs for a reason. In March, he signed a six-year, $114 million contract with nearly $60 million guaranteed. In the playoffs against the Cowboys and the NFL’s best O-line: Two sacks, five QB pressures.
7.) Dez Bryant. Bryant came in at No. 15 on the players’ list, a ranking that caused him to tweet “lol” at the NFL Network’s official account. Bryant has been a monster since entering the league, especially when it comes to scoring TDs. The NFL’s top redzone threat has more receiving touchdowns (56) than any other player over the last five seasons. He’s knocking on the door of taking over as the league’s No. 1 WR.
8.) Marshawn Lynch. I’m still sitting here wondering how the Seahawks didn’t give the NFL’s top running back the football at the end of the Super Bowl. Since 2010, no NFL player has scored more touchdowns than Beast Mode’s 62. Since 2011, no running back has more rushing yards than his 5,357.
9.) Darrelle Revis. Football’s best shutdown corner came in at No. 17 on the NFL Network list, second to Richard Sherman among CBs. Since 2007 there hasn’t been a more consistent corner than Revis. Sherman usually stays on one side of the field. Revis shadows the other team’s top receiving threat, and he usually shuts them down.
10.) Rob Gronkowski. When he’s not out partying, Gronk is usually catching TDs. The NFL’s best tight end finished with 12 touchdown grabs in 2014. He also had a TD in each of New England’s postseason games. Week 8 against Chicago: Nine targets, nine catches, 149 yards, three touchdowns.
Jon Machota
On Wednesday night, the NFL Network aired the final part of their Top 100 players list. The ranking that’s voted on by the league’s players finished off with its top 10.
The list went as follows: 1.) J.J. Watt, 2.) Aaron Rodgers, 3.) Tom Brady, 4.) DeMarco Murray, 5.) Peyton Manning, 6.) Calvin Johnson, 7.) Andrew Luck, 8.) Antonio Brown, 9.) Marshawn Lynch, 10.) Rob Gronkowski.
I didn’t agree with some of the names and most of the order, so I decided to put together my own top 10.
Here you go.
1.) Aaron Rodgers. It was difficult to pick between Rodgers and Watt. You really can’t go wrong either way. If Rodgers was healthy at the end of last season, I think the Packers would’ve ended up winning the Super Bowl. He’s the best QB in the league and could hold that crown for a while. Last season’s stats: 4,381 yards, 38 touchdowns, five INTs.
2.) J.J. Watt. He’s the most valuable defender in the game. No player wrecks more havoc on opposing offenses than Watt. He’s athletic enough and strong enough to play any of the defensive line positions, and then he’s a red-zone threat on offense. Sacks over the last three seasons: 51.5. It’s wild to think how the Cowboys’ first-round pick in 2011 came down to Watt and Tyron Smith. Smith went 9 to Dallas. Watt went 11 to Houston.
3.) Tom Brady. You can’t have the four-time Super Bowl champ too far down the list. Even at 37 Brady is still getting the job done for the NFL’s top franchise. With New England trailing by 10 with 12 minutes to play in this year’s Super Bowl, Brady calmly led the Pats on consecutive touchdown drives, completing 13 of 15 passes in the process, including a pair of TD tosses. He’s certainly still elite.
4.) Calvin Johnson. Megatron was injured most of last season. He’ll also be 30 in September. Many are starting to believe that his best years are behind him. I’m not so sure that they are. Show me studies about receivers declining when they hit 30 and I’ll show you the numbers put up after 30 by Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, etc. Johnson has at least three more elite seasons left in him.
5.) Andrew Luck. A little high for Luck? Maybe. But it’s my list and I’m a believer. He has improved each season and appears headed to being the NFL’s next great QB. The Colts have won at least 11 games each season since drafting him No. 1 overall. Also, Luck is only 25 and he’s already won three playoff games. Last season: 4,761 yards, 40 TDs, 16 INTs.
6.) Ndamukong Suh. This was the player I disagreed with most on the NFL’s Top 100 list. Suh was ranked 24th. The game’s best defensive tackle and second most valuable defender is getting paid like one of the NFL’s top QBs for a reason. In March, he signed a six-year, $114 million contract with nearly $60 million guaranteed. In the playoffs against the Cowboys and the NFL’s best O-line: Two sacks, five QB pressures.
7.) Dez Bryant. Bryant came in at No. 15 on the players’ list, a ranking that caused him to tweet “lol” at the NFL Network’s official account. Bryant has been a monster since entering the league, especially when it comes to scoring TDs. The NFL’s top redzone threat has more receiving touchdowns (56) than any other player over the last five seasons. He’s knocking on the door of taking over as the league’s No. 1 WR.
8.) Marshawn Lynch. I’m still sitting here wondering how the Seahawks didn’t give the NFL’s top running back the football at the end of the Super Bowl. Since 2010, no NFL player has scored more touchdowns than Beast Mode’s 62. Since 2011, no running back has more rushing yards than his 5,357.
9.) Darrelle Revis. Football’s best shutdown corner came in at No. 17 on the NFL Network list, second to Richard Sherman among CBs. Since 2007 there hasn’t been a more consistent corner than Revis. Sherman usually stays on one side of the field. Revis shadows the other team’s top receiving threat, and he usually shuts them down.
10.) Rob Gronkowski. When he’s not out partying, Gronk is usually catching TDs. The NFL’s best tight end finished with 12 touchdown grabs in 2014. He also had a TD in each of New England’s postseason games. Week 8 against Chicago: Nine targets, nine catches, 149 yards, three touchdowns.
