2nd Annual NFL's 80 Most Impactful Players

80. Greg Jones, FullBack, JAX
Impact: Multi-Facted FullBack That Not Only Leads to Scoring, But Does Some Himself
Argument: Greg Jones is someone that I drastically underrated over the last couple of seasons by refusing to realize how truly good he is. Jones makes Jacksonville’s Backfield the best in the NFL based on it having three quality guys back there. Greg Jones can run with the ball, catch it, or simply plow guys over for Taylor and MJD to work with the ball. He raised MJD’s YPC by a whole .4 of a Yard and raised Taylor’s YPC a whole .9 Yards. That wasn’t even his most impressive accomplishment or impact last season. Jones was throwing key blocks on 13 of the duo’s 14 Touchdowns. Greg Jones, however, isn’t just a blocking FullBack. Jones, somewhat of a converted HalfBack until Jones-Drew arrived to down, is a capable runner, running for 9 Touchdowns and catching another 2 In his 3 last complete seasons. Jones is one of the few offensive players on this list that contribute to helping the scoring, and does it themselves. Jaguars fans, sorry that I ever doubted how good he actually was.


79. Mike Sellers, FullBack, WAS
Impact: Multi-Facted FullBack That Not Only Leads to Scoring, But Does Some Himself
Argument: Mike Sellers and Greg Jones are almost virtually identical except for that Sellers doesn’t have as much talent in the backfield or on the offensive line. With Mike Sellers in, Clinton Portis’ YPC rose by an entire Yard. Portis and Betts ran for a staggering 8 Touchdowns with Sellers throwing a key block of some sort on the play in 2007 and another staggering 8 Touchdowns in 2006. Over the past three seasons Sellers has caught 9 Receiving Touchdowns and ran for an additional 3 Rushing Touchdowns. Sellers was involved in, or brought about 28 of the Redskins’ TDs in the past three years. Sellers provides a FullBack that can touch the ball 28 times a season and takes it into the Endzone once every 7 touches. Mike Sellers isn’t my kind of FullBack (a traditional one), but there is a clear impact on the Skins offense when he gets in and he should be a security blanket for Portis and Campbell in the Passing and Running game for years to come


78. Brandon Marshall, Wide Receiver, DEN
Impact: Frequent Target For Young QB/Is The Wide Receiver Corp/Yards After Catch
Argument: I don’t think Marshall is as good as he is on paper, but I cannot deny that he IS the Broncos passing game. Not only is this replicated in terms of Yards that he produced on the field, but in terms of times he was thrown at. Brandon Marshall was thrown at a league leading 170 times. By comparison, the three next leading Targets for the Broncos were only thrown at 186 times total. Marshall accounted for 36% of Jay Cutler’s attempted passes. By comparison, Randy Moss, whom many thought was frequently Targeted in New England, only accounted for 27.5% of Tom Brady’s attempts. Essentially, what this means is that Marshall provided a reliable Target that merited more consideration in comparison to his teammates at Wide Receiver than all other Wide Receivers in the NFL . Reaffirming his ability after the catch, Marshall also managed to provide 36 of his 70 First Downs making a reception before the marker. That’s impact for you.


77. Tanard Jackson, Free Safety, TAM
Impact: Helped Resurrect Tampa Bay’s Vaunted Tampa 2 Defense.
Argument: I remember watching the NFL Network and them doing a 2007 Class Re-Draft at some point and seeing this guy’s name come up 7th overall. I said “who?!” I proceeded to look him up and they didn’t lie. Jackson almost single-handedly revived the Buccaneers’ Tampa 2 Defense. He contributed to both the pass and run Defense, and the Defense began to resemble the Buc Defenses of yesteryear. He was stout in coverage seeing few passes come his way, and when he did, he hit like a truck (ask Dallas Clark). He was good against the run in contributing 15 tackles against it in the box, plus an additional 8 against runs over 10 Yards. But Jackson’s impact is probably best witnessed in the Bucs’ Wildcard game against the Giants. Manning dinked and dunked 9-of-12 for 78 Yards and a TD on a 5-Yard screen pass to Jacobs prior to Jackson going down with a knee injury in the 2nd. The Giants then moved downfield. Jacobs immediately ran for a TD where the missing Jackson wasn’t, and Manning went 11/15 for 107 Yards.


76. TJ Houshmandzadeh, Wide Receiver, CIN
Impact: Gives Carson Palmer A Consistent Target In A Pass Heavy Offense.
Argument: Chad Johnson may be the flashy receiver. He may be the deep threat receiver. He may be the one that compile 1,300+ Receiving Yards annually… But TJ Houshmandzadeh is the cog in the WR Corp that provides something neither Chris Henry or Chad Johnson provided. Consistency. In 75% of his games Houshmandzadeh was Targeted eight times or more. He also provided the only reliable 3rd down receiver for Carson Palmer and was incredibly efficient in doing so; Targeted 44 times for 32 Receptions for 27 First Downs (which lead the league for 3rd Down Converting Receptions), 343 Yards and 2 Touchdowns, Houshmandazadeh was the key component of that Offense to keep the chains moving. Against the Blitz Housh was no slouch either. Bringing in 33 Receptions on 47 Targets for 351 Yards(123 After The Catch) and 5 Touchdowns. What makes this so impressive is that it wasn’t compiled in the slot or with a TD machine across from him. It was in 2 WR sets making moves for himself. When you’re targeted more than the #1 you’re doing something right.


75. Jason Peters, Left Tackle, BUF
Impact: A Young LT Who, When Fully Integrated Into The Offense, Can Be Effective
Argument: I’m going to give Peters the benefit of the doubt last season given the Right Side of the Line couldn’t run block at all. However, Peters did his job only Allowing 6 Sacks on the Season, as well as a very minimal 1 Hold. His 5 False Starts are disheartening, but knowing that a team who’s two QuarterBacks are both relatively young have a solid Left Tackle is an impact in and of itself. Peters also surrendered 0 Sacks over 9 Games at the Left Tackle position when transitioning to it in 2006 as well as was a key component as the Lead Block in two of Willis McGahee’s 2 Touchdowns. Though Peters took a small step back last season, knowing that you have a young and athletic Left Tackle that has allowed 6 Sacks over 25 games at the LT Position has got to have Coach - Jauron foaming at the mouth. If Peters can work with Marshawn Lynch to try and get more integrated into the run game then Jason Peters can very will become a top 5 Left Tackle, and being a top 5 Left Tackle is an impact all on it’s own.


74. Antoine Bethea, Free Safety, IND
Impact: Allows Bob Sanders To Do What He Does…
Argument: Everybody hinges on the notion that Bob Sanders “Makes the Colts Defense” by stopping the run. Let me just say that the only reason Sanders was capable of compiling 48 Tackles in the box last season is because of how well Bethea plays. Bethea has great range and is capable of covering the entire Deep 3rd of the Field. Bethea made plays 10,20 and 30+ Yards Downfield in the passing game, including 2 Interceptions on passes thrown over 10 Yards and another on a pass thrown over 30 Yards. However, Bethea is not just a one-dimensional pony. Bethea might be the actual “Eraser” of the Colts’ defense providing 11 Total Tackles against Runs that managed to get past both the Front 7 as well as Bob Sanders, thus making him the last line of defense. Additionally, while they might not have been Bob Sanders’ 48 Tackles in the Box, Bethea provided 25 Tackles In the Box Against The Run and was capable of reading the QB to stop receivers from getting Yards After The Catch. His 4 Interceptions, in addition to everything just stated, makes me think that Bethea deserves the title of “The Eraser”


73. Justin Tuck, Defensive Tackle/End, NYG
Impact: Ability To Play Defensive Tackle And Defensive End Effectively
Argument: With Michael Strahan’s retirement announced today Tuck’s impact is partially gone given that he’ll be starting next year. However, that doesn’t negate what he did last season, nor what he has the potential to do next season. Tuck saw situational spot duty last season that allowed Umenyiora and Strahan to see the bench to regain their stamina. Every team in the NFL does this, however, Tuck gave the Giants something that no other team had; A Reserve that gives you production equal to the Starter. Tuck provided a very good 48 Total Tackles against the Run from both positions and an additional 8 Stuffs. Tuck also produced 10 Sacks in his situational duty and didn’t need a lot of blitz situations to gain his Sacks. Tuck was arguably the most effective Giants Defensive Lineman because of his ability to make plays on the Right Side, Left Side and Middle of the Defensive Line. If Tuck can learn to make more plays vs. the run from the Defensive End position than the Giants defense isn’t in trouble next season all because of his impact.


72. Brad Butler, Right Guard, BUF
Impact: Most Productive Blocker For Bills’ Franchise Cornerstone Marshawn Lynch And The Offense in General
Argument: You might have heard me pumping up this guy all off-season, and while I may have gone a little overboard (I mean he needs to do it again), he’s worthy of a lot of the praise. Last week I sat down and watched extensive footage of Marshawn Lynch making sure to focus on Butler who was either blowing his man off the ball or getting blown back. There was no middle ground. The thing was even when he got blown back there were huge holes that were opening up for Lynch to run through. Running behind the left side Lynch was ineffective, and excluding a 56 Yard Touchdown he didn’t do well off Right Tackle too. However, Lynch was saved by Butler who led Lynch to a 5.1 Average behind him, as well as 3 Touchdowns. Not to mention 43% of Lynch’s First Downs. Overall, Butler accounted for around 33% of the Bills’ ground game’s first down, regardless of the aforementioned blocking method used to get it. That’s impact. If Butler can replicate last season he’ll be back, trust me.


71. Terence Newman, CornerBack, DAL
Impact: Consistent Great Coverage That When Present Makes The Entire Cowboys’ Secondary Better
Argument: For CornerBacks it is much harder to explain their impact on the field without metrics being available from the all three of the major parties until Late July/Early August. However, there are an elite few who’s play on the field is noticeable enough to get them on the list. Sure, Newman took away half the field in his 2005 Season where he didn’t allow a Receiver to reach the endzone and only allowed 30-some-odd completions. There is also his 2006 Season where he was beat for 3 Touchdowns, but only when playing in the disadvantaged slot. But Newman has been a mark of consistency at the CornerBack position for the past 3 seasons, especially when it comes to playing against Number 1 Wide Receivers/Flankers. In missing his first games since entering the league due to injury Newman showed how important he was. Without him the opposition presented a 93.71 QB Rating. With Newman in the lineup? A 70.2 QB Rating. Newman makes it hard to throw against him even though he’s on an island and is great near the LoS in coverage.


70. Luis Castillo, 3-4 Defensive End, SDG
Impact: 9 Less Yards Rushing Allowed Per Game/Record Preventer
Argument: I’ve been saying it for years that Aaron Smith and Luis Castillo were both vastly underrated and right behind Richard Seymour in skill. I think that last year, through missing time, both of them proved that they might actually be better. The difference in the Run Defense, on paper, with Castillo out isn’t truly indicative of how great a run defender he was last season, but they still show something. The Chargers allowed 1296 Rushing Yards in the 12.5 games that Castillo played (103 Yards Per Game) where as they allowed 728 over the 6.5 that he didn’t play (112 Yards Per Game). Additionally, Castillo contributed 27 of his 32 tackles against the run and a stuff. His impact is probably best witnessed in the Week 9 contest between the Chargers and Vikings though in which Adrian Peterson set a Single Game Rushing Record. However, in the first half, before Castillo went down Peterson only ran for 60 Yards and 1 TD on 15 carries. Without Castillo in he rattled off 230 Yards and 2 TD on 15 carries.


69. Adalius Thomas, 3-4 Outside LineBacker, NWE
Impact: Most Versatile 3-4 OLB in the NFL
Argument: Last season we expected Adalius Thomas to go to New York and be the most versatile Outside LineBacker in the NFL, 3-4 or otherwise. Unfortunately Bill Bellichick didn’t use him the way we thought he was going to be use. Sure he was brought in on blitzes and accumulated 6.5 Sacks, but what showcased his versatility and overall impact were his coverage abilities. Last season Thomas’ ability to play coverage was integral given that the other LineBackers on the team were respectively old and relegated to either pass rushing or defending the run. Thomas made plays on both the Left Side of the field and the Right Side. He was used at both Outside LineBacker positions and his ability to play both sides allowed Vrabel to line up on both sides and compile his 12.5 Sacks. Thomas also brought an amazing understanding of the game, realizing when to break off of his coverage and go after the QB to gain 3 of his 6.5 Sacks. Thomas was also stout vs. the run providing 41 Tackles against it and just set the tone from Week 2 on when he picked off Rivers and housed it 65 Yards.


68. Aaron Smith, 3-4 Defensive End, PIT
Impact: 60 Less Yards Rushing Allowed Per Game.
Argument: I’ve been saying it for years that Aaron Smith and Luis Castillo were both vastly underrated and right behind Richard Seymour in skill. I think that last year, through missing time, both of them proved that they might actually be better. It was through being absent that Aaron Smith showed his worth that went unnoticed by most of the nation. Smith contributed 27 of his 31 tackles against the run and 1.5 stuffs. Prior to Smith going down with a torn biceps, the Steelers Defense was undoubtedly the best in the NFL. They were 1st against both the pass and the run only allowing 794 Yards on the ground over 11 games (72 Yards Per Game). However, in the six games that the Steelers were to play without Smith last season, they surrendered 779 Yards against the rush, or 130 Yards Rushing per game. That is nearly a 60 Rushing Yards per game difference. Additionally, the Steelers allowed only 8 rushing Touchdowns on the season. Only 2 came with Smith in the lineup.


67. Wes Welker, Slot Receiver, NWE
Impact: Chain Mover For Most Prolific Offense In NFL History/Best 3rd Down Wideout in NFL History?
Argument: The fact that he is listed as “Slot Receiver” as opposed to “Wideout” should let you know why he is here. It’s easy to say “Wow, Wes Welker is amazing on 3rd down” after watching him go for 2 or 3 first downs on 3rd and whatever. It’s another thing to look it up and realize just how amazing Mr. Welker was. Yes, “Mr.” Welker. Sure, Randy Moss caught most of the TD Passes, contributed the most Receiving Yards and just set records, but Wes Wekler was just about as impressive, and while I’m not sure, I’d wager his 3rd down and Blitz efficiency numbers would be NFL Records. How efficient was he? He went an amazing 26 Receptions on 35 Targets on 3rd down for 22 First Downs, 314 Yards and 4 Touchdowns. Additionally, against the Blitz, Welker produced an outstanding 43 Receptions on 59 Targets for 25 First Downs, 473 Yards and 2 Touchdowns. That is coming up big when needed. He accounted for 24% of Brady’s Yards, 16% of his scores and 27% of his first down also coming up big in those aspects. Maybe Brady should’ve thrown to Welker at the end of the Super Bowl?


66. Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver, IND
Impact: The Future Of The Passing Game In Indy aka The Next Marvin Harrison
Argument: Marvin Harrison went down with a knee injury last season and many, myself included, thought that, while talented Reggie Wayne was no Marvin Harrison. Well, at least last year, Wayne showed the doubters wrong and is primed to become the Colts Flanker as opposed to Split End this upcoming season. Being Peyton Manning’s Flanker in and of itself is probably an impactful position, but being able to do it and put up 1,500 Yards and 10 Touchdowns is another. Wayne, though it’s a little too late given Peyton is in the latter half of his career, is developing the understanding that Harrison and Manning have that made Harrison top 10 overall on the list last year. Wayne provides the same options that Harrison provided(including the hands like glue, ability to make ridiculously athletic catches and the ability to be clutch on 3rd Down), however provides that is going to be able to work with a receiving cast that, opposite of him, isn’t exactly the best. Wayne’s ability to replace Harrison is such a large impact that I don’t think many understand.


65. Torry Holt, Wide Receiver, STL
Impact: A Guaranteed 1,180 Yards A Season
Argument: Torry Holt has to be the Wide Receiver that any QuarterBack in the NFL would want first. That doesn’t make him the most impactful though. Holt, however, provides a guaranteed 1,180 yards a season, regardless of whomever is at QuarterBack. Additional to these almost autonomous 1,180 yards is the fact that Holt is a lock for at least 14 Receptions over 20 Yards and at least 2 Receptions over 40 Yards when healthy and a resulting 60+ First Downs. Holt may not be the biggest game changing Receiver, nor is he the most explosive, however his top 3 set of hands and precise route running abilities are only rivaled by Marvin Harrison. The key difference, however, is that Holt is still playing consistently despite his knee injury. Torry Holt is the prototypical Elite NFL Wide Receiver, and does so without being a distraction to his team at any point. He lives up to his nickname of “Big Game” and will make any QuarterBack that plays with him a threat.


64. Antonio Cromartie, CornerBack, SDG
Impact: Turnover/Return Machine
Argument: First let me begin by stating that a CornerBack should not be judged, at least in terms of how great they are overall by Interceptions. With that said, you cannot ignore the impact of a turnover; regardless of how it comes about. Cromartie may not be the best coverage Corner or well-rounded Corner or even the best Corner on his team, but his counterpart will never have the impact of a Cromartie. Whether he makes the play himself or the ball is a part of a tip-drill, if it touches Cromartie’s fingertips it is going the other way. The Chargers had 8 Defensive and Return Touchdowns. Cromartie, single-handedly was responsible for 37% of them. He had an amazing 144 Return Yards from his interceptions and an additional 109 on his game-changing return that lead to Halftime in Week 9 against the Vikings. His impact is probably best shown in that Cromartie has quickly become a Rover-like player for the Defense either playing zone coverage or serving as an extra Safety who simply watches the QBs eyes. No other Corner is allowed to do that.


63. Maurice Jones-Drew, HalfBack/Kick Returner, JAX
Impact: Only Three-Headed Threat In The NFL
Argument: Sure, there are players in the league that catch for good Yardage and TDs. There are players that run for good Yardage and and TDs. There are even some that combine these two. Not to mention there are players who return kicks for good Yards and score. But nobody else in the league does all three and well. Maurice Jones-Drew’s impact is in that he gives the Jags something that no one else has and is their key cog. With all due respect to Fred Taylor, without MJD the Jags’ team as a whole would not be the same in 2/3rds of the game. Jones-Drew put up 2,237 All-Purpose Yards as a rookie and an additional 1,987 All-Purpose Yards as a second-year player. He’s also added an additional 26 All-Purpose TDs for the Jags in that span. This means that since entering the league Jones-Drew is responsible for 31% of the Yardage in the three aspects of the game he plays in, as well as 30% of the scoring for a team that has an impressive 88 Offensive/Special Teams TDs in he past two seasons. Not to mention he has 130 career First downs. 57 have come on 3rd down.


62. Julian Peterson, Outside LineBacker, SEA
Impact: Most Versatile 4-3 OLB in the NFL
Argument: Julian Peterson is an amazing player. It’s shocking that the NFC West would really have let him come to Seattle with Lofa Tatupu to form a unanimously top 5 LineBacking Corp based on having these two alone. By having Julian Peterson on your Defense you’re guaranteed a defender that can play the pass, defend the run, and rush the passer. Julian Peterson is the most consistant 4-3 OLB in terms of getting to the QuarterBack and continues this trend with his 9.5 Sacks last season. However, Peterson’s consistent abilities in coverage are unrivaled by any other 4-3 Outside LineBacker as he brought in 2 Direct Coverage Interceptions last season. He was capable of defending the pass at 3 Levels, At the Line of Scrimmage (where he got an Interception), In the Box and upwards to 20 Yards Downfield. He also gets at the run as evidenced by his 37 Tackles Against The Run and 4 Stuffs. Essentially having Peterson guarantees a versatile player who will provide 6 Sacks, 4 Stuffs, 6 Passes Defensed, and an Interception when healthy.


61. Marques Colston, Wide Receiver, NWO
Impact: 2nd Most Important Cog In Saints’ Offense
Argument: There were two high-profile, at least entering Mini-Camp, rookies from the Saints’ 2006 Draft Class that coach Sean Payton knew would make immediate impact. While both were impressive as rookies, only one has returned for an impactful 2007 season. Marques Colston played in limited games as a rookie due to injury and provided a rookie leading 1,000+ Yards, 70 Receptions and 8 Touchdowns and probably should’ve won the Rookie Of The Year Award. As if not to be outdone by the two individuals who garnered more votes, Colston proceeded to out produce his Rookie season as the other two guys’ numbers regressed. It’s no secret that Colston makes that offense tick, especially the WR Corp which isn’t exactly filled with great players. Colston nearly posted 100 Receptions as well as 1,200 Yards and 11 Touchdowns all amongst the top of the league. Colston provided a ridiculous 403 YAC. However, Colston’s most impressive feats were his ability to be efficient on 3rd Down against the Blitz. Against the Blitz Colston Caught 32 of 45 Balls for 360 Yards, 6 Touchdowns and 24 First Downs. On 4rd Down he Caught 21 of 32 Targets for 285 Yards, 4 TDs and 18 First Downs. Without him and his great hands the Saints O isn’t the same.


60. Donovan McNabb, QuarterBack, PHI
Impact: However He Plays Is How The Eagles Play…
Argument: Let me just say that the argument from last year still stands. The four years that he completed a season he was responsible for 75%,74%,71% and 72% of the Eagles Offense respectively and all except for one without a great Wideout. That is impact. However, last season proved that however good or bad McNabb plays is however good or bad the Eagles play. While “Mr. Do-It-All” Brian Westbrook was the MVP of the Eagles last season, McNabb was very important to their success. As McNabb started the season slow, so did the Eagles (a 2-4 Record to be exact). However, as McNabb began to resemble the McNabb of old prior to the Sports Hernia, the Eagles began to resemble the Eagles team that had won the Division 4 out of 5 Seasons. When McNabb posted a QB Rating of 85.0 or better the Eagles were 6-0. In the games where he posted a lower QB Rating than that they were 1-6. That is one strong correlation between the QB’s play and the team’s success.


59. Eric Steinbach, Left Guard, CLE
Impact: Arguably The Most Well-Balanced Guard In the League Since 2004.
Argument: Everybody likes to talk about how Joe Thomas only had “x amount of Sacks Allowed” but I can guarantee you that the number would’ve risen exponentially had Thomas not had an excellent Guard in Eric Steinbach next to him. Eric Steinbach, while having given up 13.25 Sacks since 2004, is much better than that number indicates. Steinbach was in Cincinnati from 2004 to 2006 where being an effective Pass Blocker was very important for that Offense to succeed. While he wasn’t the best Run-Blocking Guard in Cincinnati, Steinbach wasn’t exactly a bad Run Blocker. In those 3 years in Cincinnati Steinbach was a lead block for 1,213 Yards and 4 Touchdowns for Rudi Johnson. Last season, when having a good HalfBack behind him Steinbach was a lead block for 627 Yards on a 5.2 YPC average and 5 Touchdowns. Steinbach has been an incredibly important part in two teams over the past four years, both of which relied on good Pass Blocking with a combination of good Run Blocking as well. Steinbach delivered, and if last year is any indication, continuing to work side-by-side with Joe Thomas will allow him to flourish into a top 3 overall Guard.


58. Jason Witten, Tight End, DAL
Impact: Cowboys’ Offense Most Reliable & Consistant Target
Argument: While Owens makes the Cowboys Offense you can bet everything that you own that the Offense wouldn’t move without Witten. Making a comparison to a historical counterpart Owens is the Lynn Swann of the Cowboys Offense while Witten is the John Stallworth. Sure Owens is the flashy, famous and memorable of the two, but Witten is the consistent, reliable and hardnosed one. Jason Witten and T.O were both targeted 45 times against the Blitz and Witten was the superior of the two. He hauled in 32 Receptions to Owens’ 25 against the Blitz and provided 409 Yards to Owens’ 408 and 2 Touchdowns and 21 First Downs too. While Owens’ numbers while the Boys are Losing pail in comparison to his numbers while they’re Winning, Jason Witten’s numbers are vice-versa. While the Cowboys were losing or tied Witten caught 69 Receptions for 761 Yards, 3 Touchdowns and 39 First Downs compared to 27 Receptions, 384 Yards, 4 TDs and 17 First Downs while Winning. Witten keeps them in the game while not winning, and then puts the points on the board when they’re ahead to ice it.


57. Patrick Willis, Inside LineBacker, SNF
Impact: A True Sideline-to-Sideline LineBackers/Tackling Phenom/Game Changer
Argument: Let me start by stating that there are only three true dominant “Sideline-to-Sideline” LineBackers in the NFL, Jonathan Vilma, Nick Barnett and Patrick Willis. The term is thrown around too leisurely because few players actually make Tackles far away from the hashes, let alone makes actual big plays. Patrick Willis was an imposing force for a 49ers Defense was much better in real life than it was on paper. Willis totaled 107 Tackles Against HalfBacks in the Box, a number that is unrivaled in comparison to the rest of the Middle LineBackers in the NFL and did so as a 3-4 Inside LineBacker and 67(62%) of them came within 3 Yards of the Line of Scrimmage. Despite such a high total tackle number, Willis managed to fall just short of the elite guys in terms of percentage of tackles within 3 Yards despite them having much less tackles. While Willis doesn’t quite have what I would deem even average coverage abilities, he makes up for them by totaling 41 of his 173 tackles, a ridiculous 23%, along the sidelines. If Willis can become even decent in coverage you might see him job way up on this list.


56. Shawne Merriman, 3-4 Outside LineBacker, SDG
Impact: A Dominant Sack Machine
Argument: Say what you want about Shawn Merriman (He’s a cheater, He’s one-dimensional, He was inconsistent last year), but Shawne Merriman is a dominant Sack Machine that is possibly unrivaled in the NFL In his 3 NFL Seasons Merriman has Brought Down the QuarterBack 39.5 times for an average of 13 Sacks a season. He also averages 2.67 Forced Fumbles a season on those amazingly hard hits on the QuarterBack. Because Merriman is always charging the Line of Scrimmage he must always be accommodated for by the QuarterBack before the snap otherwise the Offense is taking a loss of yards. Merriman’s ability to crash the Line of Scrimmage also makes him somewhat of a force against the Run as well. However, where Merriman’s biggest impact lies is in that, while his sacks may seem inconsistent because they don’t happen over strings of games, they’re game changing. Out of the 23 games in which Merriman has recorded a Sack, 12 of them were Multi-Sack ones. So while Merriman may go strings of games without a sack, when he does get one it’s only a taste of blood and he’s probably coming back for more, which instills fears in the QB.


55. Bob Sanders, Strong Safety, IND
Impact: Slowly Redefining The Way That The Cover Two Is Played.
Argument: There seems to be two sides of the spectrum to Bob Sanders. Some think he’s overrated while others think he’s the best thing since sliced bread. I happen to be of the former constituate. However, that doesn’t mean he isn’t making an impact, and I don’t mean in that over-exaggerated ESPN-esque “He is the Colts Defense” aspect. I mean that Bob Sanders, while not exactly a Hybrid Safety, is conducting something similar. He’s redefining the way that a Cover-2 Safety plays Defense. We all know the premise of a Cover 2/Tampa 2 Safety, both Free and Strong, having expanded coverage duties. Perhaps this is why the six other guys at SS in a Cover 2 last season only averaged 33 tackles in the box against the run, where as Sanders provided 48. This is just part of the mounting evidence that Sanders is changing Tony Dungy’s Tampa 2 into something resembling a Cover 3 Shell regularly, where he plays shallow and Bethea has expanded coverage duties. He’s literally changed that Defense to fit him. Word has it the Colts are going to blitz more often next year too. You can bet he has a bit to do with it.


54. Chris Snee, Right Guard, NYG
Impact: Most Productive Blocker For Eventual Super Bowl Champ Giants.
Argument: Remember what I said about Brad Butler earlier? While Chris Snee might’ve had other competent blockers around him, he still produced very similar to Butler. Snee opened up holes for the bevy of HalfBacks that lined up for the New York “Football” Giants this season. The Giants employed a heavy dosage of Brandon Jacobs, Reuben Droughns, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw. These men rushed for 14 rushing touchdowns last season. Chris Snee was the Lead Block on 7 of those touchdowns. In other words, 50% of their scoring on the ground, all while only holding once. It is safe to say that Chris Snee had a favorable effect in the run game for the Giants. He wasn’t a slouch in pass protection either, only affording 1.5 Sacks on the season. Without this run game to power them through the regular season, the Giants very well might not have made it to the post-season, let alone won it all in the greatest recent game that I can remember.


53. Antonio Gates, Tight End, SDG
Impact: Chargers Only Great Receiving Threat And Promises 900 Yards and 9 TDs….
Argument: The value of 900 Yards and 9 Touchdowns a season from a Tight End is incredibly big. When you also figure in the fact that that Tight End is the primary receiving threat on their respective offense because the Wide Receivers aren’t exactly great, than you begin to realize that, while Gates isn’t the most important piece of the Chargers Offense, he’s very important. Truthfully, if Gates could block as well as the rest of the “Elite Four” at the Tight End position he’d probably be a lot higher than he is right now. However, what he has that the others doesn’t is unrivaled athleticism that places him on this list. Gates’ athleticism allows him to stretch the field vertically from the Tight End position! That’s ridiculous. Gates is the only Tight End targeted over 40 Yards downfield multiple times a season. The only time he wasn’t, 2005, he was targeted numerous times 30+ yards downfield, hence his abnormally high for a TE Average of 13.1 YPC. Perhaps best about Gates is that he is at his best on third downs, and it’s not because he’s trying harder, he just has a natural ability for producing on 3rd down.


52. Tommie Harris, Defensive Tackle, CHI
Impact: Dominant Pass Rushing Defensive Tackle
Argument: Harris is a freak of nature the likes of which hasn't been seen before. It's often you hear about Defensive Ends who collapse the pocket on QuarterBacks consistantly, but rarely do you hear it about Defensive Tackles. Ask any Bears fan and they'll tell you that Harris is the biggest component of their defense because his ability to get through the gap forces the QB to makes quick decisions, as well as gives Lance Briggs and Brian Urlachers holes to walk through for Sacks and Stuffs. When Harris wasn't playing in 06' the Bears Defense was clearly not as good as it was with him in the lineup. The argument that people make for Urlacher in regards to his making players around him better, unlike Urlacher, might be an actuality for Harris. He contributed 25 Total Tackles Against The Run as well as 3 Stuffs. In his strong suit, pass rushing, he contributed 8 Sacks, and did all of this with two major lower leg injuries that included knee problems and a strained hamstring. Harris is the only DT I know that can force a QB the opposite direction, chase them down, and still get the sack.


51. Vince Wilfork, 3-4 Nose Tackle, NWE
Impact: Most Important Cog In The Patriots Ability To Blitz And Stop The Run
Argument: Vince Wilfork is arguably the best 3-4 Nose Tackle in the NFL, though I give that honor to Casey Hampton, but there is no denying that he has the biggest upside of them all. You want to monitor the impact of a 3-4 Nose Tackle? Don’t do it with his tackle or sack totals, though Wilfork compiled 43 Tackles against the run alongside 2.5 Stuffs. Look at the success of the guys around them. Wilfork was a part of a Front 7 that had 29.5 stuffs against the run. Additionally, his ability to take away both A Gaps on a consistent basis resulted in the Patriots only allowing 4.26 Yards Up The Middle as Per PFO, and you can bet that number would be lower if the LineBackers were better. Additionally, his ability to eat up those Gaps allowed for frequent double teams on him, leaving an extra rusher free to total 30.5 of the Patriots 46 Sacks, or 66% of the total Sacks, from individuals not on the Defensive Line. Without Wilfork Samuel might not have numerous Interceptions, Vrabel numerous Sacks and Warren various stats.


50. Alan Faneca, Left Guard, NYJ
Impact: A Constant Wall To Run Behind/Best Cross-Pulling Guard In The League
Argument: Alan Faneca isn’t the best Guard in the NFL, though I had believed as much until last off-season. In fact, he is probably in the 5-10 range now. However, there are few Guards in the league that have an impact like him. Unlike the other Guards on here who are on here because the scoring opportunities they present, Faneca is on here because of his consistency and ability to almost always be a Lead Block for his respective team. From 2004 to 2007 Faneca’s strength was in being a Lead Block more than all the other Guards in the NFL. As a result, Faneca has produced averages of 4.5, 4.0, 4.6, and 4.1 Yards Per Carry dating back to 2004 in route to 1,829 Yards behind him as a Lead Block. Not to mention that over that span he has contributed as a Lead Block on 10 Touchdowns on his side, or an average of 2.5 per season. However, what made him the best Guard in the NFL was his, still to this day, unparalleled ability to pull across the Center and get out in front of his HalfBack clearing the way. He’s contributed an unrivaled 4 TDs(Regular Season) in doing so over the past four years.


49. Casey Hampton, 3-4 Nose Tackle, PIT
Impact: Keeps The Steelers 3-4 The Best Overall In The NFL
Argument: As stated previously, if you want to monitor the impact of a 3-4 Nose Tackle then don’t do it with their tackle or sack totals. Do it through looking at the success of the guys surrounding them to let you know how large of an impact they’re having. A 3-4 Nose Tackle is like a car crash. It is responsible for all the messiness up front, while the rest of the players, on both sides of the ball, funnel around it. Hampton was part of a Front 7 that compiled 25 stuffs against the run. Additionally, his ability to take away both A Gaps resulted in the Steelers only allowing 4.15 Yards Up The Middle as per PFO. Additionally, he directly impacted Larry Foote and James Farrior’s ability to get tackles near the LoS, allowing Foote to make 7 Stuffs, 3 Sacks and 22 Tackles 3 Yards or less away from the LoS and allowing Farrior to have 3.5 Stuffs, 6.5 Sacks and 24 Tackles 3 Yards or less away from the LoS. He’s the reason the Steelers had 22.5 of 36 Sacks, or 62%, from players not on the Defensive line. Hampton was no slouch himself either, providing 32 Tackles against the run and 2.5 Stuffs as well as Half a Sack. His Gap-eating ability is the reason the Steelers 3-4 is easily the most consistent of the 5 or 6 present in the NFL.


48. Pat Williams, Defensive Tackle, MIN
Impact: The NFL’s Best Defender Against The Run/History Setting Run Defender.
Argument: I shouldn’t even really need a long description for Pat Williams’ effect against the run. With all due respect to Kevin Williams, who is definitely more complete, Pat Williams’ single-dimension ability against the run is ridiculous. We don’t even need to remember that he helped lead the Vikings Defense of 2006 to the statistical title of “Greatest Run Defense in NFL History.” No, we can look at the fact that he led that Defense to another stout effect against the run as they finished first allowing only 72.1 Yards Per Game on the ground. Williams was the clear head of this attack with 10 solo stuffs on his own, but other players on the Vikings owe Williams for some of their success. Starting MLB E.J. Henderson totaled 62 tackles against HalfBacks in the box as well as an additional 12.5 stuffs against the run. This Vikings group totaled a ridiculous 60 stuffs against the run in comparison to a mere 36 sacks. His presence there shows that the other members of the front 7 are feeding of him.


47. Nick Barnett, Middle LineBacker, GNB
Impact: Well-Rounded LineBacker That Can Work Sideline-to-Sideline
Argument: Nick Barnett is a Sideline-to-Sideline MLB and a Coverage MLB… a rare mixture.Like many of the LineBackers that will be mentioned on this list, Barnett dominates a given area, but it expands beyond 7 yards laterally because he is capable of making plays along the sideline as evidenced by his 25 Total Tackles along the Left Sideline and his 12 along the Right Sideline. His Sideline-to-Sideline ability explains why his Tackle totals prior to 4 Yards gained are only at 25. However, Barnett is capable of providing getting to the Ball Carrier prior to a gain, evidenced by his 5 Stuffs. While his Passed Defensed numbers appear lackadaisical on paper, when looking at them, all but 1 were on well thrown passes, and his 2 Interceptions were from great plays on decent to well thrown balls and both times Barnett dissected the play. His ability to take away the pass within the 1 to 10 yard range, while not as impressive as Ryans’ or Urlacher’s abilities allowed AJ Hawk to flourish on the outside. His ability to take away Sub-12-Yard Routes allows the Packers to go Man with the Corners.


46. Charles Woodson, CornerBack, GNB
Impact: Without Him The Packers Defense Is Not The Same
Argument: In Week 13 during the highly touted matchup was between Al Harris and T.O., both of which were known for their physicality at their respective positions there was expected to be nothing but direct coverage. Unfortunately for Harris, Woodson couldn’t play in the game. As a result the Packers Defense had to do something they didn’t do at any other point in the year; Play an Exclusive Zone. The Packers Defensive Scheme was literally not the same. But Woodson isn’t just there to keep the Defense from predominately running Zone Coverage. Woodson, for the 2nd year in a row, provided one of the league’s best Success Rates per PFO. In fact, last season his Success Rate of 70% was the best amongst all Corners. Without Woodson’s consistent play over the past two years the Packers Defense would be very different. Woodson also provided 18 Tackles Against The Run. Not to mention that, since joining the Packers Woodson has provided 3 Defensive Touchdowns(33% of their Defensive TDs in that span), one which essentially beat the Redskins. Woodson’s also produced 13 Turnovers since joining the Pack.


45. Michael Roos, Left Tackle, TEN
Impact: Great Young Left Tackle That Is Vince Young’s Clutch
Argument: There have been a select few of us that have been lobbying for Michael Roos and the title of “Best Young Left Tackle” in the NFL. While I don’t agree with that anymore, I do acknowledge that Roos has a lot more responsibility than the other young guys. Roos has been in the NFL for 3 seasons and allowed a mere 13.5 Sacks over that span, despite having to deal with Vince Young and his indecisiveness in the pocket for 2 of those seasons. Roos is the reason that Young gets good Pass Blocking and even after the fact is that Roos is an excellent Lead Block for Vince Young when he takes off. In continuance of those minimal 13.5 Sacks, Roos has been a Lead Block for 2 Rushing TDs since 2005 from the HalfBacks. While he’s not getting it done for the HalfBacks, he does get it done for Young over the past two years, allowing Young to rush for 219 Yards and 3 Touchdowns. Michael Roos has been the staple of the Titans Offense In every aspect of the Passing Game since being drafted 41st Overall.


44. Ray Lewis, Middle LineBacker, BAL
Impact: Mr. Consistancy At The LineBacker Position/Unquestionable Leader
Argument: Until he retires Ray Lewis will provide the Ravens with his presence; the presence of arguably the best overall LineBacker in the NFL. Lewis’ understanding of the Xs and Os of football makes him a threat to any and every offensive coordinator in the NFL, especially when you consider the rest of his defensive teammates that you also must account for. Lewis had 77 Total Tackles Against The Run In The Box and an additional 3 beyond 10 Yards. However, despite the fact that he was so stout against the run, he was just as stout against the Pass. Lewis had 5 Direct Coverage Passes Defensed in route to 10 Total Passes Defensed and 2 Interceptions, 1 for a Touchdown. He also provided 2 Sacks, 2.5 Stuffs and 2 Forced Fumbles. Lewis’ understanding of the game and athletic ability, even at his age, seems to lead to an almost guaranteed couple of Sacks, Ints, FFs, and 100 Total Tackles. Perhaps best detailing his impact is his Goalline play where he compiled 6 Total Tackles, 3 PDs and an Interception.


43. Brian Urlacher, Middle LineBacker, CHI
Impact: Provides A Consistent Threat For Chicago’s Defense Up To 15 Yards Away From The Line of Scrimmage
Argument: Urlacher isn’t on here because of his overexaggerated coverage abilities, nor is he on here for his abilities as a leader. Brian Urlacher is a top impactful player in the National Football League because his presence at the MIKE LineBacker position gives the Bears a 17 Yard by 6 Yard area in where he can control the game. Urlacher’s 17 Yards begin 7 Yards in the backfield where he is capable of sacking the QuarterBack or stuffing the run, as evidenced by his 5 Sacks and 2.5(a career low) Stuffs. The remaining 10 Yards are from the LOS to 10 Yards away where he is capable of making Tackles close to the LoS(31 Tackles within 3 Yards and an Average Solo Tackle of 3.76 Yards) or down the field. The remaining 6 Yards are between the hash marks. However, contrary to popular belief, Urlacher does his best damage within 10 Yards of the LoS as evidenced by 67 Tackles(42 within the hashes), his 8 PDs, 4 Interceptions, including his Pick at the LoS for his first career TD in Week 17. By the way, Urlacher is best in coverage close to the line, not downfield.


42. Jammal Brown, Left Tackle, NWO
Impact: A Great Young Pass Blocking Left Tackle.
Argument: Drew Brees has taken an unusually large amount of Pass Attempts over the two seasons in which he has been a New Orleans Saint. In fact, he’s made 1,206 Attempts to be exact over that 2 year span. For some QuarterBacks that is three or four Seasons worth of attempts. Over those 2 seasons Brees has only be sacked 34 times. That is ridiculous no matter how you slice it. Some of that may be do to his quick release, but the numbers since coming to New Orleans say otherwise. Of those 34 Sacks you would expect most of them to be attributed to the Left Tackle, however, Brown has only Allowed 5 of those Sacks. When you’re going to be a Pass Heavy Attack like that in the NFL, you need a stout Offensive Line, and especially need a Great Pass Blocking Left Tackle. With Jammal Brown you are given that. He’s young and commits penalties, but when he becomes disciplined he could easily become the best LT in the NFL.


41. Kirk Morrison, Middle LineBacker, OAK
Impact: Most Important Part Of The Raiders Defense The Past Two Seasons
Argument: People point to Nnamdi Asomugha only being targeted 35 times last season and point out how "dominant" he was. The truth is that while he was great he wasn't dominant because QuarterBacks had upwards of 8 people to chose to throw against on any given play and Thomas Howard was one of them. He arguably did better than Asomugha given that Kirk Morrison is a Linebacker! Kirk Morrison is the only MLB in the NFL that is truly integral to the Passing Defense and is seen in coverage often. Despite this Morrison was the only legitimate threat in terms of the Raiders Run Defense, providing an incredible 85 Total Tackles Against The Run In The Box as well as 6 Stuffs despite his constant coverage responsibilities. His coverage, however, was the key cog in preventing passes over the middle and resulted in 3 Interceptions on well thrown passes and 6 Passes Defensed. More impressive is that they weren't coming in the box but upwards to 20 Yards downfield. Morrison may be the most underrated, undertalked about elite LineBacker in the NFL.


40. Brad Meester, Center, JAX
Impact: The Catalyst To The Jaguars’ Rushing Attack
Argument: I just want to get this off of my chest. Everyone needs to stop ignoring Brad Meester and watch a few Jaguars games next season. If they do so thn they will realize that Meester is the 2nd best Center in the NFL. However, how good you are doesn’t earn you a spot on this list. It’s how largely you affect the play of others, positively or negatively, around you and Meester does that. Over the past 2 seasons the Jaguars Duo of MJD and Fred Taylor have have run for 2,527 of the Jags’ 4,942 Yards up the Middle Of The Offensive Line. Over that same time span they ran for 25 Rushing Touchdowns up the middle as well. Only 273 of those Yards and 1 of those Touchdowns wasn’t with Brad Meester in. That means that, over the past two seasons, Meester has helped that awesome duo run for 24 Touchdowns and 2,300 Yards with his lead blocking and ability to shift Defensive Tackles either left or right. In short, he’s been accountable for 46% of the Jaguars’ rushing yardage over the past two seasons (though in all fairness Jones-Drew and Taylor do make some excellent moves when finally meeting guys at the 2nd level). I don’t care how you look at it, but if Meester was a Guard with those numbers he’d receive hype comparable to Hutchinson.


39. Jason Taylor, Defensive End, MIA(?)
Impact: Never Gives Up And As A Result Provides A Constant Force In The Front 7
Argument: Last season when writing up Jason Taylor’s impact one of the focal points I provided was that he never gives up because two of his plays late in the game put the Dolphins ahead to win the game. Well, Jason Taylor showed that inability to give up last season as well. Last season at Week 9 Jason Taylor made my Mid-Season Heel list for the Dolphins because at that point he wasn’t producing (Only 26 Tackles, 4 Sacks, 1 Stuff, 3 Forced Fumbles, 2 Recoveries and 1 Meaningless Int for a TD). Well, Taylor would later turn it on and produced an additional 29 Total Tackles, 7.5 Sacks, 3 Passes Defensed, 1 Fumble Recovery and 3.5 Stuffs over the final 8 games. Taylor never gave up on the Season like the rest of the team seemed to do. In fact, Taylor was an intergral part in Miami winning it’s only game of the season, against Baltimore, by getting to the QuarterBack two times, Defending a Pass and Stuffing the HalfBack once as well. His never give up attitude is why he finished the season better than most other DEs despite a weak start.


38. Troy Polamalu, Strong Safety, PIT
Impact: Versatile Safety With Strong Play In The Box And Downfield
Argument: The key knock on Troy Polamalu since entering the NFL has been that, while not horrible, his Deep Zone Coverage wasn’t exactly great. Troy shed that image last season, but unfortunately for him, developed another notion about him that prevents him from being higher on this list. Polamalu has become a Bob Sanders of sorts in that he has been injured a lot as of late, missing 9 games in the past two years and playing injured in a whole lot more. Polamalu, however was very stout in Coverage, despite injuries, being a key part of the Steelers attempt to integrate the Cover Two into their Defense by not allowing a pass over 25 Yards to be completed in his general area(except on a NYJ Flea-Flicker). Polamalu also contributed an additional 29 tackles in the box against the run and 2 stuffs despite only playing in 11 games. Polamalu, despite having a reduced Rover roll under Mike Tomlin still managed to be a force that opposing Offenses had to account for, whether it be in the Passing game 25+ Yards downfield or in the Box playing against the Run.


37. Haloti Ngata, 3-4 Defensive End, BAL
Impact: Ravens Defensive End That Does The Job Of 2/3rds Of The Line
Argument: The Baltimore Ravens don’t exactly have a stout Nose Tackle in Kelly Gregg, and as we all know the NT is the focal point of a 3-4. However, as Richard Seymour has proven an effective 3-4 Defensive End can compensate for the Nose by dominating in every aspect. This is exactly what Ngata does. It is Haloti Ngata who is responsible for the Ravens doing so well against the run. (Didn’t allow over 3.6 YPC in any direction). As per PFO, runs that went Left End only resulted in only 2.76 Yards Per Carry. However, you can also attribute excellent play at the Middle and Guard Trap (3.55 YPC) a result of Ngata’s ability to take away multiple Gaps. When Ngata is a DE he has proven to take away the weak side’s C and B Gaps, but he also has an impact on the weak side A Gap too. When he lines up at NT, something no other 3-4 End does, he effectively takes away both A Gaps as well as has an impact on one of the B Gaps. He’s the only D-Lineman that affects 3 Gaps on every play evidenced by his 59 tackles and 4.5 stuffs against the run.


36. Clinton Portis, HalfBack, WAS
Impact: Finesse Back With Workhorse Mentality That Will Go Off For Double Digit TDs
Argument: Clinton Portis gets very slept on. Whether you have him as a top 5 HalfBack or not even top 10 you have to realize one thing... Portis is a virtual lock for double digit Touchdowns and 1,300 Yards. When, as a HalfBack, your worst two seasons consist of you scoring 7 TDs I'd say that you're making your offensive coordinator happy. On a team that seems devout of a consistant scheme as well as any truly great skill position players, Portis manages to stand out and represent the franchise. Portis is an obvious finesse back that loves to run to the outside, however, he can get it done to the inside as well totaling 743 Yards on 214 Attempts up the middle and 5 Touchdowns. It doesn't sound impressive until you realize that Portis has been running in a system not fit for him for 3 of those 4 years. Also averaging 300 Receiving Yards a season brings his total to 1,600 From Scrimmage and 10 Touchdowns even if he has to be a workhorse to get it. Add his 3 Career Passing TDs and I would say Portis is very underrated.


35. Steven Jackson, HalfBack, STL
Impact: 100 Total Yards Per Game/4 Points Per Game Difference.
Argument: Steven Jackson might have undergone the largest fall out of anybody here. Remember last year on this list he was ranked number six on this list? Well he isn’t close this year. However, that’s not for a lack of effort. In fact, despite providing 39 less Yards From Scrimmage per game as well as 10 less touchdowns from scrimmage on the season, Jackson still retained two of the factors that landed him so high last season. Jackson still managed to produce 109 Yards From Scrimmage per start and 6 Touchdowns. The Rams Offense produced 3635 Offensive Yards and 22 Touchdowns with Jackson in the lineup. Jackson still provided 35% of the Rams Offense when he was in the lineup with his 1273 Yards From Scrimmage and represented 27.2% of their scoring with his 6 touchdowns. Let’s not forget that Jackson was playing with a groin injury ever since Week 1 and played behind an Offensive line that was the most makeshift one seen in decades.


34. Frank Gore, HalfBack, SNF
Impact: Prevented 49ers From Being Most Inept Offense in NFL History.
Argument: Let’s face it… the 49ers Offense wasn’t pretty. In fact, it was down right anemic. There is no football term to describe how bad this Offense was. However, there were two players on that Offense that managed to provide impressive seasons. They were, as one would expect, Vernon Davis and Frank Gore. Vernon Davis isn’t on this list, however, because he achieved most of his success in 3 Wide Receiver sets. Frank Gore, on the other hand, managed to produce for himself. Frank Gore rushed for 601 of his Rushing Yards (54%) out of the Single Back set. Additionally, with all do respect to Vernon Davis and the season he put up, Frank Gore was the entire 49ers Offense. In the 15 games that Frank Gore played in the 49ers produced 3,532 Offensive Yards. Gore produced 1,538 (43%) of them. Additionally, Gore accounted for 26% of the 49ers scoring in the 2006 season. Without a Frank Gore that Offense would’ve been the worst in NFL history.


33. Asante Samuel, CornerBack, PHI
Impact: A Potential 4 To 8 Forced Turnovers A Season
Argument: Samuel has always been one of my favorite players ever since I saw him pick off a Pennington pass, while off-balance and return it all the way to the house in his rookie season. For that reason he is this high on the list. Where as Cromartie may have more boom with his returns, Samuel has consistency on his side. Samuel also guarantees a CornerBack that, while not the greatest overall Corner, will prevent big plays from happening and not afford numerous Touchdowns on the season unless seeing opportunity for a big play. Samuel’s insertion into your lineup, just like the Eagles are hoping, automatically affords you turnovers and can change an average Defense into a great one. They key difference between Samuel and Cromartie, however, is Samuel’s ability to get to even well thrown balls and pick them. As mentioned last year, Samuel provides a mark of a consistent CornerBack that will stay healthy as well, something both teams he’s been signed with value.


32. Andre Johnson, Wide Receiver, HOU
Impact: Changes The Texans Offense By Adding A True Threat
Argument: This just in… Andre Johnson is good. Johnson played in all of nine games last season. Despite this he managed to be ranked 3rd on the team in Receptions, 1st in Receiving Yards and 1st in Touchdown Receptions. In only 9 games he accounted for the best season of the Texans’ Receivers that helped propel that Offense into a top 12 one, all while lacking a competent running game. Perhaps what was most impressive about Johnson was his efficiency. He was only thrown at 85 times, yet came down with 65 of them and only dropped 2 and produced 851 Yards and 8 Touchdowns in the process. Insane! Of those 20 that fell incomplete, only 6 were his fault for either falling down or not gaining separation from the DB. Johnson was very effective against the Blitz(16/23 for 277 Yards and 2 TDs) and was, not only the Texans’ best short threat at Receiver, but their best deep threat as well, providing 33% of their Receiving TDs despite a reduced season. There’s a reason the Texans went 2-5 without Johnson and 6-3 with him.


31. Steve L. Smith, Wide Receiver, CAR
Impact: A Scoring Threat Until His Knee Or Body Hits The Ground
Argument: I tend not to like the Steve Smith kind of receiver for the more traditional guys. I guess this is because for every Steve Smith there are a hundred Troy Williamsons. However, Smith’s ability to rise above the “little guy” notion and play bigger than his body is why he’s on this list. Smith is one of the few, if not the only Receiver that can scare a Defensive Back before the snap of the ball because he can run a route designed to catch the pass behind the LoS or one 40+ Yards in distance. Having Smith at Wide Receiver guarantees that you have a Receiver that can take it the distance any time as long as the whistle hasn’t blown as evidenced by his 476 Yards After The Catch last season or even 2 of his 3 TDs against Houston in Week 2. Despite Smith only hauling in 5 Passes where the ball was thrown more than 20 Yards last season he still produced 9 Catches that resulted in gains of over 20 Yards and 5 that resulted in gains over 40 Yards despite only bringing in 1 Pass where the ball was thrown over 40 Yards. Smith wasn’t given opportunities, he made them.


30. Ed Reed, Free Safety, BAL
Impact: A Potential 5 To 9 Forced Turnovers A Season And The Resulting Return Yardage
Argument: Ed Reed may not be the most versatile Safety in the NFL, at least since 2005, however Reed does provide a mark of consistency. Ed Reed is a guaranteed 5 to potential 9 Forced Turnovers in a Season, usually Interceptions. That’s because Reed is the greatest Zone Coverage Safety that the NFL has ever seen, and while all of his Interceptions don’t necessarily come from well thrown passes, Reed doesn’t exactly care. Reed can make Coverage Interceptions(3 last season) or he can take advantage of Errant throws, but regardless of the type, the one thing that he does better than all other Safeties in the NFL is to return these Picks for yardage. Excluding his injured 2005 season Reed averages 171 Return Yards a season… that is unrivaled. He even displayed return ability taking back a punt for a TD that he was a replacement at the last second for. Reed’s range 20+ Yards downfield is well known, but his range within the Box was good too with 5 PDs and 2 Interceptions. When the Ravens blitz Reed’s coverage is the key component. Reed takes away passing lanes at various levels of the Defense.


29. Tony Gonzalez, Tight End, KNC
Impact: Key Cog in Chiefs Varying Offenses For Past 8 Seasons/The Mark Of Consistency
Argument: Gonzalez ability to draw CornerBacks towards him to help out the mismatched LineBackers helped Eddie Kennison throw together a string of 800, 900 and 1,000 Yard Seasons. In fact, it’s already helping 2nd-Year Receiver Dwayne Bowe who put up 995 Yards as a rookie. Gonzalez is the 1st Receiving target for the Chiefs regardless of who the Offensive Coordinator is and what style of Offense they’re running. Being in the lineup allows even semi-talented Wide Receivers to produce good seasons resulting from single coverage due to guys being rolled over towards Gonzo. Gonzalez has always been a constant threat to get a first down. Throughout his career the ball has been throw his way 1,259 times and he has wracked up 530 First Downs out of those opportunities for a ridiculous 42%. What’s best about Gonzo though is his efficiency. While other Tight Ends in the “Elite Four” are constantly targeted in the upward 100s, Gonzalez has only been in that area three times in his career. Tony Gonzalez is the mark of consistency at any position in the NFL.


28. Chad Clifton, Left Tackle, GNB
Impact: A Dominant Pass Blocker In A Pass-Heavy Offense Every Year
Argument: Chad Clifton is arguably the best Left Tackle in the NFL based on the criteria of Pass Blocking and Concistancy. Since 2003 Clifton has only allowed 16 Sacks. That is, without question, the best margin over that span in the NFL. What makes this so impressive and impacting is that Clifton has always been a Green Bay Packer, where the passing game always came first under the regime of Legendary QB Brett Favre. Over that time period Brett Favre tossed the football up 2,766 times. This means that once for every 172 Dropback Attempts for Brett Favre. Clifton isn’t always a mauler, but he gets the job done and makes sure that people don’t touch the QuarterBack. Aaron Rodgers can rest easy next season knowing that, while he has to make the reads, he is going to have more time than most other QuarterBacks because of his Left Tackle. I can say that watching Clifton and Allen play each other two times next season is going to be fun to watch.


27. Joe Thomas, Left Tackle, CLE
Impact: Could Be The Top Young LT Capable Of Effective Run Blocking And Pass Blocking
Argument: Joe Thomas was selected #3 Overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. Many might argue that it too high to tackle a Tackle given the recent string of busts at the position. However, at least in his first season, Joe Thomas proved to be everything suspected and more. Thomas was a key cog in the Browns Offense that seemed to emerge out of nowhere and was so by keeping Derek Anderson upright. Joe Thomas afforded 4.25 Sacks on the season, 3 of which came in his first few games in which Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson rolled into the respective defenders. In other words, while Thomas wasn’t always dominating, he was keeping the defender at bay long enough for Anderson to simply toss it up. While Thomas wasn’t a lead block for any Touchdowns, as is to be expected when blocking for a PowerBack-based team, Thomas was run behind 18 times for 102 Yards. He got the job done for Cleveland in the pass game and worked efficiently with Eric Steinbach to form a young duo that could be the staple of the franchise for years.


26. DeMeco Ryans, Middle LineBacker, HOU
Impact: The Original Patrick Willis And On A ‘Good’ Defense
Argument: Everybody seems to fawn over the season that Patrick Willis just had, but people seem to forget that Ryans had a better rookie campaign in 06’. Sure his league-leading Tackle total wasn’t as high as Willis’, but his Sack, Stuff and FF totals were almost identical. The key difference, however, was that Ryans was stout in coverage. Ryans continued that stretch of dominance last season. Ryans dominated an 18 Yard by 6 Yard area. As explained with Urlacher 6 of the Yards are between the hash marks. The first 8 Yards for Ryans’ dominating area are the 8.5 Yards he averages per sack in getting to the QuarterBack, though he doesn’t get there as often as other elite Middle LineBackers. The remaining area of his dominance is encompassed from the Line of Scrimage, evidenced by his 34 Tackles under 3 Yards and an Average Solo Tackle of 4.1 Yards, to 10 Yards downfield, evidenced by his 74 total tackles in that range, and 51 in between the hash marks. Ryans also made plays well outside of this area such as a Direct Coverage Interception 20+ yards down the field and 2 PDs in that range.


25. Bobbie Williams, Right Guard, CIN
Impact: Has Been The Bengals Run Game For Multiple Years
Argument: Rudi Johnson put up 3 consecutive 1,300+ Yard, 12 Touchdown Seasons and was penciled in as a top 10 HalfBack by most individuals until last season, though I never agreed with that ranking. I say this because while his numbers were good, on paper, one had to watch Rudi Johnson play to realize that he was a product of two things; 1.) The Bengals Wide Receiving Threats and 2.) Most importantly, Bobbie Williams. Johnson produced his most attempts in 2004 behind Williams and came out with 33% of his Rushing Yards and 7 Touchdowns. In ’05 he produced 38% of his Rushing Yards behind Williams (on a YPC above 4.0 this time) but only 3 Touchdowns. Continuing this trend, in ’06 Johnson rushed for 9 Touchdowns and 36% of his Yards behind Williams on 4.6 YPC. While Johnson went down with injury last season he averaged 3.9 YPC and 1 Touchdown with an additional 6 Touchdowns as a Lead Block for Kenny Watson, who replaced Johnson. 26 Rushing Touchdowns as a Lead Block over a four year span is amongst the three best in the NFL and gives a guaranteed 39 Points Per Season. Unfortunately, he’s the clear weakest pass blocker in Cincy with 16.25 Sacks over that period with 2 Seasons of 7+ Sacks allowed.


24. Jeff Saturday, Center, IND
Impact: As Close To Perfection As A Center Can Get
Argument: I said it last year and I will say it again. Jeff Saturday is, far and away, the best Center in the NFL. Not only is he one of the better overall blockers, but he is the only true signal caller at the Center position too. Sure, most NFL Centers are given audible responsibilities and a captainship over their line, but only Jeff Saturday has control over a complicated, yet consistent, Offense such as this. Saturday has to keep up with Peyton Manning’s 3 potential play calls for every snap and read and react accordingly. Yet, it has not stopped him from only affording 5.25 Career Sacks, only being flagged for Holding 6 times and only False Starting 3 times. Knowing that you have a Center that can maintain his blocks for you, not be called for a penalty and can understand your confusing cadences is an impact in itself, however, when that Center is also the focal point of your blocking for the run game as well, then you have a true gem that makes an impact in every possible way. Addai, once again chose Saturday as a Lead Block on a majority of his rushes and averaged 4 per carry and 4 touchdowns, all while only being stuffed up the middle four times.


23. Kellen Winslow II, Tight End, CLE
Impact: The Most Important Cog In the Browns’ Offense.
Argument: I’ve got a secret to tell you. Braylon Edwards isn’t going to make this list. “Why” make you ask? Well, Kellen Winslow altering most of the coverages that Edwards sees is the large reason. Winslow is already a member of the “Elite Four” TEs in the game because he brings a complete game of pass catching abilities with effective run blocking. Winslow is the central cog that the Browns’ Offense cannot operate without. His superb underneath route running drastically alters the coverages that Edwards sees, allowing Anderson to hurl passes into single coverage and allow his 6’3’’ Receiver to make a play(or 16 if you know what I mean). Winslow is no slouch either, adding 82 receptions and a resulting 1,000 Yards and 5 TDs. Against the blitz he’s the go-to guy with his 32 receptions and 2 TDs on 61 Targets. He’s also a 3rd down specialist hauling in 18 first down receptions on 3rd down and making plays after the catch. However, his largest asset is spreading the field horizontally, having the most even route distribution I’ve seen in years. In short, he makes DA and Edwards look better than they actually are.


22. Steve Hutchinson, Left Guard, MIN
Impact: A Virtual Guarantee That Your Team Has An Effective Run Game
Argument: This just in, as if you didn’t know already, Steve Hutchinson is a run game in and of himself. While I feel Kris Dielman is the best Guard in the NFL Steve Hutchinson is a close 2nd only because he’s not exactly a stout pass blocker, but not horrible at it either. Hutchinson has been a Lead Block on 30 Touchdowns over the past four seasons, or a guaranteed 45 Points Per Season. That alone is an impact, however, his impact isn’t just in allowing ball carriers to get to the Endzone once inside the Redzone. Hutchinson has been a Lead Block for 2,018 Yards over the past 4 seasons, or roughly 504 Yards Per season, making him essentially a guaranteed Half-Thousand yard season by having him on the field. Additionally, over the past four seasons Hutchinson’s HalfBacks have averaged 6.5, 4.4, 4.4 and 5.0 Yards Per Carry behind him. Hutchinson is basically a guarantee for 30 or so First Downs, 45 Points Per Season and a Half-Thousand Yards. His impact is easily one of the biggest in the league. Over that time he has only surrendered 11.25 Sacks as well. Hutchison is also easily the most disciplined Lineman in the league, only being called for 2 False Starts in that span.


21. Kris Dielman, Left Guard, SDG
Impact: The Best Guard In The NFL With Loyalty That Is Unheralded
Argument: I had already had Dielman higher than all the other Guards in the league prior to even reading the story that I found today. However, after reading it, it places him that much higher. In a day where Guards are getting ludicrous contracts and defecting simply for money, Dielman was offered a role to be the Hutchinson replacement in Seattle. Opting to not take a $48.2
Million Contract from the Hawks he returned to San Diego for only, at max, $39 Million. That sort of loyalty is unheard of for Lineman in today’s NFL. Regardless of the contract he would’ve gotten Dielman is worth every penny. Dielman has only started for 3 Seasons. While I’ve previously mentioned two Guards who present incredibly high TD totals as a Lead Block over the past 4 Years,Dielman finishes 2nd on that list and by 1 Touchdown over Span, despite only playing 3 of the eligible 4 years. His average of 9 Touchdowns as a Lead Block per season is incredible and essentially guarantees he can help your HalfBack put up 54 Points Per Season. Over that 3 year span he has also allowed for 1,237 Yards to be gained behind him, or 412 a Season. His Pass Blocking(4.0 Sacks over 3 seasons) in combination with this run blocking dominance is what wins him the title of Best Guard in the NFL.


20. Carson Palmer, QuarterBack, CIN
Impact: A QuarterBack That Carries A Pass Heavy Offense/Leader of A Dysfunctional Team That Guides Them To Victory
Argument: Chad Johnson was constantly threatening to find a away to leave the Bengals this off-season and there was simply one thing you heard from Bengals fans… “If he leaves, so be it. We have Carson Palmer and TJ Houshmandzadeh”. They’re right. While having a Chad Johnson is normally a good thing, Carson Palmer is a QuarterBack with incredible intangibles that, given the right talent, can take a team to victories. In fact, Palmer reminds me of a young Peyton Manning, however, he’s learned the Xs and Os of the game much faster. Palmer is good for an automatic 3,800 Yards and 25 Touchdowns a season do to his understanding of Defenses. Something that stands out to me about Palmer is his ability to remain calm and not give up on the Bengals despite the fact that they’re managed so horribly. With all the team killers in that locker room, all the selfish players and all the criminals, Palmer simply shows up and plays and represents his team the best he can. Because of Palmer’s ability to show up on Gameday and just try and win the Bengals have gone 32-30 under his reign when they probably should’ve been no where near that.


19. Albert Haynesworth, Defensive Tackle, TEN
Impact: 98 Less Yards Rushing and 17 Less Points Allowed Per Game/Earned 2 Pro Bowl Bids For Titans
Argument: I probably shouldn’t even have to explain this one to you, seeing as how it was all over the National Media, but hey, I like to write detailed explanations (as if you don’t know by now). The Tennessee Titans returned to classic smashmouth football last season and it all started in the trenches. Eventually, it earned them a trip to the playoffs, and they owe it all to Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth probably should’ve been the Defensive MVP based on the name of the title. With him in the lineup for 14 games the Titans allowed only 1,032 Rushing Yards and 6 Rushing TDs. While he was missing 3 games due to a Hamstring injury, the Titans surrendered almost exactly half of that, 514 Rushing Yards, and an equal amount of Rushing TDs. They went from a stout Defense allowing 73 Rushing Yards and 15.5 Points Per game to one that allowed 171 Rushing Yards and 32.3 Points Per Game. Big Al also had 29 tackles against the run and 7.5 Stuffs. However, another one of his unnoticed feats was earning teammate Kyle Vanden Bosch, who had all of 1 sack and 12 tackles without him in the lineup.


18. Adrian Wilson, Strong Safety, ARI
Impact: Versatile Safety Worthy Of An 8 Point Per Game Difference.
Argument: Most people don’t get the opportunity to watch Adrian Wilson play out in Arizona so most just assume he’s a top Safety by looking at his statistics. Sure, they tell half the story, but actually watching him shows another. Wilson makes the Cardinals’ Defense actually look like a decent one. Wilson has an excellent mixture of In-Box play, Short Coverage and Deep Coverage. Wilson provided 27 Tackles against the run in the box despite only playing in 9 games and had an additional 2 Stuffs against the run directly up the middle. Wilson also made large strides in coverage last season, mainly 11+ yards down field where he was capable of applying two Coverage Interceptions while the Cardinals blitzed in his 9 game span. His ability to provide pressure off the edge wasn’t as showcased due to a shortened season, but his overall absence was apparent. With Wilson, in 9 games, the Cardinals surrendered 192 points (21.33 Per Game), but without Wilson, in 7 games, the Cards surrendered 204 points (29.14 Per Game)


17. Chris Samuels, Left Tackle, WAS
Impact: Most Well-Rounded Left Tackle In The NFL
Argument: Say what you want about Pass Blocking but Run Blocking is important too. In fact, when you take into consideration both Pass and Run Blocking Chris Samuels might be the best Left Tackle in the NFL. From the Left Tackle position, despite not exactly having a Great QuarterBack over a span of 4 years, Samuels has only allowed 18.5 Sacks. In fact, Samuels is one of the true absolute maulers on the Offensive line, with effective hand punches that just knock guys back or by throwing all his weight into it. Over that span he was only Flagged for Holding a total of 4 times. However, as stated, Samuels is well-rounded. He gets the job done in both aspects of blocking. This is evidenced by his 1,316 Yards As A Lead Blocker over the past 4 Seasons, or 329 Yards Per Season and has been a lead block on 13 Touchdowns or 3.25 A Season. I don’t know about you but 329 Rushing Yards, 3 TDs and only 4.5 Sacks Allowed Per Season is an incredibly large impact. Arguably the best amongst all LTs given that it’s two-folded.


16. Champ Bailey, CornerBack, DEN
Impact: Consistancy/Complete As Well As ShutDown Corner
Argument: This just in Nnamdi supporters… Champ Bailey is still better. Let’s face it... there wasn’t much to write home about Defensively for Denver last season. Even the immortal Champ Bailey looked lost at times last year, even giving up game winning touchdowns to receivers that were no-names at the time. However, Bailey is still consistent across his entire career. Coming off two seasons in which he put a proverbial blanket around the Endzone and kept people out, Champ didn’t do that as well this year, however, he did tie for the best success rate amongst all #1 CornerBacks starting the entire season as per PFO(however that’s because Asomugha didn’t have enough attempts to get charted). He also continued a reign of not allowing too much Yardage in direct coverage either and contributed 32 tackles against short runs continuing his reign as the best overall Corner in Football. Allowing 0 to 4 TDs a season is arguably the biggest impact on this list.


15. Adrian Peterson, HalfBack, MIN
Impact: The Future Of The HalfBack Position/Instantly Makes Your Offense Poten
Argument: What else can I say about this guy? Adrian Peterson is the only player in recent history to make me place them in the top 5 at their respective position after only 1 great season. Peterson stepped into the NFL and dominated almost from Day one. At the Halfway point(Week 9) he had set 3 Franchise Records and an NFL Record. He lead the league in rushing by well over 100 Yards too. Peterson made the Right Side of the Vikings Offensive Line look like they were competent. Actually he made them look great. Peterson was the definition of a “Big Play” guy, regardless of position. Peterson provided 43 Plays over 10 Yards and 14 Plays over 20 Yards in a 14 Game span and averaged 43.5 Yards Per Play Over 20 Yards (though they all didn’t go 40+). He also scored 7 times while doing so in route to being 38% of the Vike’s offensive scoring. That is the definition of “Big Play” and they’re as impactful as it gets. Peterson knew that the key to a successful offense was to set the tone from First Down, which he did with 665 Yards on First Downs. The thing that differs him from every other HalfBack is his collegiate style running. He jukes, spins, jumps and twists, not caring for his body. This is the new style of Halfback running we’ll be seeing in the near future… I guarantee it


14. Devin Hester, Kick Returner, CHI
Impact: Most Prolific Kick Returner in NFL History/Game Winner
Argument: I am a little embarrassed to say this, but it wasn’t until I had thought of 60+ players and written up 20 arguments for players that I had realized I’d forgotten a top 10 candidate in Hester. Let’s face it, barring injury there is no way that he doesn’t shatter a record that many thought impossible to break without at least 8 or so seasons under your belt. Unlike these other players, Hester’s impact cannot be measured in mere metrics or statistics other than a select few; field position, touchdowns and wins. Hester set an NFL record as a rookie, returned the Super Bowl opening kick that gave the Bears momentum for the first half(the only reason they were in the game), has since broken that record that he set, is 2 returns away from the all-time record and has single-handedly won the Bears a couple of games since coming into the league. Hester’s 13 TDs make him the most prolific scorer on the Bears outside of Robbie Gould and only bested by Rex Grossman by default all without ever starting on Offense.


13. Lofa Tatupu, Middle LineBacker, SEA
Impact: Most Complete Middle LineBacker In The NFL
Argument: A complete Middle LineBacker in itself is an impact enough. When you’re the most complete Middle LineBacker in the NFL that alone should let you know how much of an impact a player makes. Matt Hasellbeck may guide the Seahawks Offense, but as important as Hasselbeck to that Offense Tatupu is equally important to the Defense. Tatupu is stout against the run, evidenced by his 67 Total Tackles against HalfBacks, all of which occurred in the box, i.e. he doesn’t let the Back reach the second level. 27 of those 67 Tackles(40%) came within 3 Yards or Less of the LoS, giving Tatupu an astounding Average Solo Tackle 2.14 Yards away from the Line. His additional 7 Stuffs make him arguably the best MLB in the NFL against the Run. However, Lofa is probably top 3 against the pass as well. Tatupu contributed 4 Interceptions (3 coming in one game where it seemed like they were being thrown directly at him and the last sealing the victory) and unlike the other MLBs listed already, makes multiples plays against the pass more than 10 yards down the field. Tatupu’s impact against the Pass and Run is unrivaled and gives the Hawks limitless options on Defense.
*(Also now is the time to admit I erred in placing Barnett over Tatupu for the 1st team All Pro)*


12. Kerry Rhodes, Free Safety, NYJ
Impact: Only Young Safety in the NFL With Stout Man and Zone Coverage, In-Box Play, Blitzing, Run Support and Tackling
Argument: How can you not see an impact in that description alone, except for the fact that he’s not exactly a hard hitter, but it doesn’t exactly matter. Kerry Rhodes is, without a doubt and regardless of age, the best Safety in the NFL. He does everything you would want from a perfect hybrid Safety greatly except for hit hard. He takes away the run, evidenced by his 41 tackles against HalfBacks in the box and leading all Safeties with 6.5 stuffs from the FS position, but plays the pass extremely well too, shown via his 5 Interceptions, only one of which is it questionable that the pass wasn’t well thrown(and another tipped and caught on an athletic play). He’s a stout blitzer, and is capable of creating plays that put the anemic Jets into games they shouldn’t be in such as his Interception in the Dallas game and his Strip, Scoop and Score against the Giants where the Jets were completely out of it, then suddenly gained momentum. Having a Kerry Rhodes with even a half-decent front 7 results in a scare for even the Bradys and Mannings of the NFL. As Peyton Manning once said… “Watch Kerry! Watch Kerry!”


11. Matt Hasselbeck, QuarterBack, SEA
Impact: He Is The Seattle Seahawks’ Offense
Argument: No disrespect to my underrated CPOTY winner, Bobby Engram, but Matt Hasselbeck probably could have done well with just about any receiver in the starting lineup. That is the impact that this guy has and even when Shaun Alexander was the league MVP Hasselbeck’s presence had a great effect. Last season, getting the privilege to watch him more than I have in the past, I came to the realization that, while he is no Brady or Manning, he’s the 3rd best QB in the NFL. Despite having average, at best, players in the Backfield as well as a Corp of Wideouts that could rarely find the playing field, let alone put together good performances outside of Bobby Engram, Hass put up, statistically, his best season, as well as arguably his best season as a leader. The enemic, yet somehow top 10, Offense of the Seahawks was majorly do to you know who. He threw for 3,966 Yards and ran for another 86, giving him a 4,000 Yards From Scrimmage season. Those 4,052 Yards accounted for 72% of the Hawk’s Offense. His 28 Passing TDs (vs. a low 12 Ints) also accounted for 71% of the Offensive scoring for the Hawks.


10. Drew Brees, QuarterBack, NWO
Impact: A Complete QuarterBack That Will Provide A Stout Passing Attack Wherever He Goes
Argument: It took Drew Brees three seasons to rise to the level of an even semi-decent QuarterBack, but once he worked out his kinks he became an amazing QuarterBack that is undeniably top 8. Having a healthy and confident Drew Brees as your starting QuarterBack gives you a chance to win games from the get-go. Drew Brees has managed to guide the ball into the endzone 109 times over the past four years for an average of 27.25 Touchdowns From Scrimmage Per Season. What this means is that a Drew Brees lead Offense is going to at least score twice because of Brees’ decision making in at least 9 games of the season, if not more. Over the past four Regular Seasons Drew Brees-lead Offenses have put up a Ridiculous 23,153 Total Offensive Yards and 190 Offensive Touchdowns. Brees has been responsible for 67.2% of those Offenses’ Yardage Production in that span and, despite having dynamic players like LaDainain Tomlinson has been responsible for 109 of those 190 Touchdowns (57%). Wherever Drew Brees goes he is probably going to conduct a great Offense as long as they have semi-talented players. A Player that gives your team a winning sentimentality and can back it up with production is impactful no matter how you slice it.


9. Jared Allen, Defensive End, MIN
Impact: Possibly The Best Overall Player In Any Front 7 In the NFL
Argument: Jared Allen seemed to come out of nowhere right? I mean everyone knew of him, but they didn’t know he could, when properly motivated, be the best all-around threat in any front 7. All due respect to Jason Taylor, DeMarcus Ware and Julius Peppers, but Allen just seems to… get at it. Not only was Allen stout against the pass, as we all know, with an astounding 15.5 Sacks and 10 Passes Defensed, but he was capable against the run as well. To his side opponents only averaged 3.65 Yards Per Carry as he contributed 9 Stuffs against the run as well as 41 tackles against the run, and seemed to be one of the more consistent guys going hard at the end of the game. Allen just single handedly took away a team’s gameplan, stuffing the run 8 times on first down to cause long plays for 2nd and 3rd down plays, even 4th down where he would then do his damage against the pass. An even bigger blow to other teams is that he’d do it right before his Redzone, thus holding the opponent to field goals. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough in KC. Minnesota might be a different story though.


8. DeMarcus Ware, 3-4 Outside LineBacker, DAL
Impact: Possibly The Best Overall Player In Any Front 7 In the NFL
Argument: Did I not say last year that DeMarcus Ware would be universally considered the NFL’s best 3-4 Outside LineBacker with Wade Phillips coaching him? I think Ware cemented the fact that he’s in another league in comparison to all other 3-4 Outside LineBackers. Unlike most 3-4 Outside LineBackers Ware is also great in Coverage and Run Support. Ware is ridiculously good in Run Support, providing 58 Tackles on runs less than 10 Yards in length and an additional 3 on Runs over 10 Yards. He also produced 8.5 Stuffs. No other 3-4 OLB came close to those numbers. Ware produced 3 Passes Defensed, 2 of them in Direct Coverage. That was his sole “weakness” in his entire overall game. Ware also produced 14 Sacks good for 3rd in the League, while the Boys only sent more than 4 on 7 of them. Ware placed in the Top 3 for two of the major aspects of his skillset and was okay in coverage as well. Additionally, Ware was big on 3rd down with 4.5 Sacks, a Game-changing PD and a Stuff. In Short “D-Warewolf” is the best overall player in any Front 7 in the League and no 3-4 OLB is close to his skillset.


7. Nnamdi Asomugha, CornerBack, OAK
Impact: A CornerBack That Isn’t Thrown At In A Defense That Focuses On The Pass…
Argument: I’m just going to start off by stating that I think Asomugha’s season is a little overrated. I watched a good part of it while compiling this list and a lot of his season wasn’t because he was impassable on. It was because a few members of the Raiders secondary; Stewart Schweigart, Chris Carr, Fabian Washington and (somewhat) Michael Huff, were downright horrible against the pass. However, that doesn’t negate the season Nnamdi Asomugha had. In fact, it probably makes it more impactful knowing while those guys were making the Secondary look bad he was the only person playing with consistency. Nnamdi Asomugha was targeted 35 times last season and allowed completions on 15 of the attempts for a 41% completion percentage (Tops in the NFL). A season like that hasn’t been done since Primetime himself in 1995, however, I feel Prime’s season was better. Overall, though, Nnamdi had the biggest impact a Corner’s had in quite some time being thrown at just over twice Per Game and allowing less than 1 Completion Per Game. When you can compare your season to Neon Deion’s 95’ season you’ve got an impact.


6. Terrell Owens, Wide Receiver, DAL
Impact: T.O. Makes The Cowboys’ Offense.
Argument: I’m usually one to argue against this logic, but there is, in fact, a reason that this man was just paid a large sum of money, and its not the uncapped year. Whether you want to believe it or not, without T.O., the Cowboys Offense isn’t a top 5 one. However, with Owens to stretch the field it is another story. He and Jason Witten are the reason that you will not see Tony Romo on this list. Owens had incredible efficiency with the deep ball(thrown 40+ Yards), bringing in 5 of 8(Half of Romo’s attempts) for 212 Yards and 3 Touchdowns. Only one of those was a drop, IIRC. This shows he stretches the field for Jason Witten who was Targeted 40 times outside and away from the hashes despite that not being his strong point, allowing Romo two prominent options. However, I’ve failed to mention the most obvious impact; Romo has tossed 55 touchdown passes in the past two seasons and Owens has come down with a ridiculous 24 of them(43%). He has also accounted for 31%( 2,258/7,114) of Romo’s Passing Yards.


5. Brian Westbrook, HalfBack, PHI
Impact: The NFL’s Most Versatile Offensive Player/An Offense All In Himself
Argument: Despite the fact that Starting QuarterBack Donovan McNabb was rehabbing almost all of the season while playing the Eagles Offense managed to produce an amazing 5,729 Total Offensive Yards good enough to be the 6th best Offense in the NFL. Brian Westbrook, alone, contributed 2,104 of those yards or 36.7% of them. The Eagles Offense also scored 36 Touchdowns on the season and Westbrook was responsible for 12 of them (33%) all while playing on an injured knee most of the season and missing one game. This constituted Westbrook’s 2nd straight season with over 1,900 Yards From Scrimmage and 11 Touchdowns From Scrimmage, one of only two players to do so in that span. Westbrook’s 104 League-leading first Downs should be representative of how great he is. 28% of the time Westbrook had the ball in his hand it resulted in a first down. This whole paragraph can be best summed up in the revelation that Westbrook was the team’s leading Rusher and Receiver. Westbrook ended up with the ball in his hands 36.8% of all the Eagles Offensive plays and produced a resulting 32% of the Birds’ First Downs.


4. Randy Moss, Wide Receiver, NWE
Impact: The Most Dominating Wide Receiver(When Motivated)/Completely Changes An Offense.
Argument: Come on, The Patriots completely redesigned their offense around Moss. Without Moss’s presence on the field Welker wouldn’t be on this list. Moss was motivated last year and showed that when he is motivated no other Wide Receiver, perhaps in NFL History, can change a team and a game like he does. Moss’ presence in the lineup forced teams to regularly roll coverage over to him altering how they would’ve played the Patriots. Moss provided great and reliable play at every level including catching 40% of the Balls thrown 40+ Yards downfield and taking them for 310 Yards and 4 TDs and catching 81/121 passes thrown less than 20 Yards downfield for 884 Yards and 15 Touchdowns. Moss was unstoppable at every level in the air game, and as a result he freed the 3 other average Receivers on the Patriots up for very impressive seasons and caught a record breaking 46% of Tom Brady’s record breaking 50 Touchdown Passes despite being a decoy a lot. Despite this, he was effective against the blitz; targeted 72 times, catching 49, 9 for TDs, and 623 Yards. Heck Brady only threw 4 Passes to other Receivers more than 30 Yards downfield. He forced the Patriots to change an offense that had won them 3 Championships!


3. LaDainian Tomlinson, HalfBack, SDG
Impact: A Walking, Talking Offense In And Of Himself
Argument: What else is there to say about LaDainian Tomlinson? You know that when in your “Down Year” you can still outperform the rest of the League at your position that you are something special, something to be reckoned with, and just downright impactful. Come on, Tomlinson averages an absolutely asinine 16 Rushing Touchdowns, 1,521 Rushing Yards, 2 Receiving Touchdowns and 482 Receiving Yards Per Season. Some guys are lucky to get the Rushing Total or Touchdowns in a single season, let alone to get all four of those things and average them over the course of their careers. This means that, no matter how bad your Offense is, and let’s face it the Chargers’ Offense wasn’t always incredibly talented, LT guarantees you nearly 2,000 Yards Of Offense on the season and 108 Points. I don’t know how else I can describe this impact. It is quite arguable that nobody else in the NFL has that kind of an impact. I’ve never said this before, but it’s very possibly Tomlinson will retire as the Greatest of All Time.


2. Tom Brady, QuarterBack, NWE
Impact: Always Gives Your Team A Chance To Win A Championship/Rewriting The Record Books From Day One
Argument: It’s Tom Brady. Mr. Championship. Brady has been re-writing the record books ever since entering the league. When he first started he was rewriting the books for completion percentage over a six week span. In his first 5 seasons in the NFL he guided his team to 3 Super Bowl victories, and would proceed to take them to an AFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl in the two years to follow. Plain and simple if you have Tom Brady on your Offense and even a half-respectable defense than your team is a serious contender. I keep watching hoping that he’ll see even another 9-7 Season in order to not make the playoffs, but it just wont happen. With Tom Brady in your lineup, you’re guaranteed a win. He just wins games! But back to my first point, in continuance of his ability to rewrite the record books; Brady set about 9 QuarterBack records last season when finally given the reigns to a high powered offense. Tom Brady has proven he can do it all in this NFL, and his 2 Super Bowl MVP and 1 League MVP trophy show that. He can, very well and quite possibly, go down as the greatest to ever take snaps.


1. Peyton Manning, QuarterBack, IND
Impact: A Natural Born Leader That Will Always Provide Astounding Offensive Understanding And Resulting Production
Argument: Manning wins the No. 1 Spot because he has the same impact as Brady in providing his team with a chance to win a championship, but his understanding of the Xs and Os of the game far surpasses Brady’s In my opinion. While Brady had a Manning-esque Season last year, Manning had a Brady-esque Season. Despite the fact that Manning lost his primary receiver of 10 Years and was forced to work with a Corp that was slightly above average for 11 Regular Season Games, he continued to produce at a high level. Manning is a virtual lock for 4000 Yards and 30 Touchdown Passes and just doesn’t turn the ball over. When he produced amazing numbers it is because he is the mastermind of his own Offense as opposed to the product of it. I sit here looking at the breakdown and don’t understand how Manning threw for 4,000 Yards and 31 Touchdowns(and only 8 Interceptions except one game), yet somehow he did it. Manning proved that he is the Colts and that he and he alone can make an offense. All in all, Peyton Manning is scary and I shutter to think what he would’ve done at the reigns of the Pats’ Offense.

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Honorable Mentions
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Karlos Dansby, LineBacker, ARI
Ronde Barber, CornerBack, TAM
Ben Roethlisberger, QuarterBack, PIT
Fred Taylor, HalfBack, JAX
Julius Peppers, Defensive End, CAR
Amobi Okoye, Defensive Tackle, HOU
Mario Williams,Defense End, HOU
Plaxico Burress, Wide Receiver, NYG
Dwight Freeney, Defensive End, IND
Trent Cole, Defensive End, PHI
Kevin Williams, Defensive Tackle, MIN
Brian Dawkins, Free Safety, PHI