Top 100 NFL Players

With all this talk about top 100 in my past few posts, I decided to start doing my own top 100 list for the 3 major sports. These lists will be based on value provided the rest of this upcoming season. For instance, Ronde Barber is not eligible because he will not play in 2014. Past accomplishments factor in, but it isn't an all-time list, so a guy like Ed Reed will not be in the top 10, eventhough he is arguably the best player of today over his career. Finally, no players linked to PEDs will be included, so no Jarvis Jenkings, Aquib Talib, Joe Haden, etc. from me.

Richard Sherman also fails to make the list. Sherman tested positive for PEDs. Sure, he won his appeal, but we have heard the chain of custody appeal before. It is a strange appeal and the last guy to do it got caught later on. I think we may be dealing with a similar thing with Sherman. Innocent until proven guilty, but he was caught. 6 Seahawks not including him have been caught since 2011 also, so its not like the culture there is really against PED use.

I also didn't include guys like Sam Bradford and Kirk Cousins that I am 100% confident will be franchise quarterbacks because they haven't produced on the field as much as they will. No current rookies either, they haven't stepped onto an NFL field yet.

100. Trent Richardson               Cleveland Browns            RB
99. Matthew Stafford                Detroit Lions                    QB
98. Tramon Williams                 Green Bay Packers          CB
97. Torrey Smith                       Baltimore Ravens             WR
96. Jermaine Gresham               Cincinnati Bengals             TE
95. Lavonte David                     Tampa Bay Buccaneers    LB
94. Ike Taylor                            Pittsburgh Steelers           CB
93. Lawrence Timmons              Pittsburgh Steelers            LB
92. Ndamukong Suh                  Detroit Lions                    DT
91. Jerrell Freeman                    Indianapolis Colts             LB
90. Darren Sproles                     New Orleans Saints         RB
89. Will Montgomery                 Washington Redskins       C
88. Danieal Manning                  Houston Texans                S
87. Jerod Mayo                         New England Patriots       LB
86. Logan Mankins                    New England Patriots      OG
85. Perry Riley                           Washington Redskins       LB
84. Phillip Rivers                        San Diego Chargers         QB
83. Brandon Mebane                 Seattle Seahawks             DT
82. Jason Pierre-Paul                 New York Giants            DE
81. Julius Peppers                     Chicago Bears                  DE
80. Tim Jennings                        Chicago Bears                 CB
79. Michael Vick                       Philadelphia Eagles           QB
78. Chad Greenway                   Minnesota Vikings            LB
77. Champ Bailey                       Denver Broncos                CB
76. Jason Witten                        Dallas Cowboys               TE
75. Heath Miller                         Pittsburgh Steelers            TE
74. Marques Colston                  New Orleans Saints         WR
73. Steve Johnson                      Buffalo Bills                      WR
72. London Fletcher                  Washington Redskins         LB
71. Cameron Wake                   Miami Dolphins                  DE
70. Dwayne Bowe                     Kansas City Chiefs            WR
69. Roddy White                       Atlanta Falcons                  WR
68. Frank Gore                         San Francisco 49ers           RB
67. Chris Long                          St. Louis Rams                   DE
66. Dashon Goldson                 Tampa Bay Buccaneers      S
65. Donald Penn                       Tampa Bay Buccaneers      OT
64. Mario Williams                    Buffalo Bills                       DE
63. CJ Spiller                            Buffalo Bills                       RB
62. Demariyus Thomas             Denver Broncos                WR
61. Duane Brown                     Houston Texans                 OT
60. Dez Bryant                         Dallas Cowboys                WR
59. Jimmy Graham                   New Orleans Saints            TE
58. Jamal Charles                      Kansas City Chiefs            RB
57. Collin Kaepernick               San Francisco 49ers           QB
56. Joe Stahley                          San Francisco 49ers          OT
55. Cam Newton                       Carolina Panthers              QB
54. Tony Gonzalez                    Atlanta Falcons                   TE
53. Geno Atkins                        Cincinnati Bengals               DT
52. Russell Wilson                     Seattle Seahawks               QB
51. Robert Griffin III                 Washington Redskins          QB
50. Andrew Luck                      Indianapolis Colts               QB
49. Andy Dalton                       Cincinnati Bengals                QB
48. Ed Reed                             Houston Texans                  S
47. Marshal Yanda                   Baltimore Ravens                OG
46. Anquan Boldin                     San Francisco 49ers          WR
45. Antonio Cromartie              New York Jets                    CB
44. Alfred Morris                      Washington Redskins           RB
43. Doug Martin                       Tampa Bay Buccaneers        RB
42. NaVorro Bowman              San Francisco 49ers             LB
41. LeSean McCoy                  Philadelphia Eagles                RB
40. Ben Roethlisberger              Pittsburgh Steelers                QB
39. Charles Tillman                    Chicago Bears                      DB
38. Terrell Suggs                        Baltimore Ravens                 LB
37. Max Unger                          Seattle Seahawks                  C
36. Vincent Jackson                   Tampa Bay Buccaneers       WR
35. Reggie Wayne                      Indianapolis Colts                WR
34. Brandon Marshall                 Chicago Bears                     WR
33. Marshawn Lynch                 Seattle Seahawks                  RB
32. Earl Thomas                        Seattle Seahawks                  S
31. Patrick Peterson                  Arizona Cardinals                 CB
30. Justin Smith                        San Francisco 49ers              DL
29. Julio Jones                          Atlanta Falcons                     WR
28. BJ Raji                               Green Bay Packers               DT
27. Clay Matthews                   Green Bay Packers               LB
26. Darrelle Revis                     Tampa Bay Buccaneers        CB
25. Aldon Smith                      San Francisco 49ers               LB
24. Vince Wilfork                    New England Patriots            DT
23. Matt Ryan                          Atlanta Falcons                     QB
22. Larry Fitzgerald                  Arizona Cardinals                 WR
21. Andre Johnson                   Houston Texans                   WR
20. DeMarcus Ware                 Dallas Cowboys                   DE
19. AJ Green                           Cincinnati Bengals                 WR
18. Luke Kuechly                    Carolina Panthers                  LB
17. Von Miller                         Denver Broncos                    LB
16. Ray Rice                           Baltimore Ravens                  RB
15. Arian Foster                      Houston Texans                    RB
14. Joe Thomas                      Cleveland Browns                 OT
13. Trent Williams                  Washington Redskins             OT
12. Eli Manning                      New York Giants                  QB
11. Patrick Willis                    San Francisco 49ers               LB
10. Vernon Davis                   San Francisco 49ers               TE
09. Tom Brady                      New England Patriots             QB
08. Joe Flacco                        Baltimore Ravens                  QB
07. Drew Brees                      New Orleans Saints              QB
06. Haloti Ngata                     Baltimore Ravens                  DT
05. Peyton Manning               Denver Broncos                    QB
04. Aaron Rodgers                 Green Bay Packers               QB
03. Adrian Peterson                Minnesota Vikings                RB
02. JJ Watt                            Houston Texans                    DE
01. Calvin Johnson                 Detroit Lions                        WR

Most Underrated Players In the NFL

My underrated athlete list for the NFL will not include kickers. Enjoy!

Quarterback
Andy Dalton                   Cincinnati Bengals
Dalton was so underrated and undervalued out of college that he fell to the second round. There were actually quite a few people that thought the Bengals were wrong to trade Carson Palmer and turn the keys over to Dalton. He then went on to lead the Bengals to the playoffs, and returned this past season. Two seasons with two playoff appearances, but people refuse to talk about him when discussing successful QBs in the NFL.


Runningback
Alfred Morris                
Washington Redskins
This guy fell to the 6th round! He had one of the most productive seasons last year, but he was a 6th rounder. Following his awesome season, Morris was snubbed from the Pro Bowl. One of the class acts in the NFL, I think people will start taking more notice of Morris soon.

Wide Receivers
Anquan Boldin              
San Francisco 49ers
Vincent Jackson           
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Steve Johnson               
Buffalo Bills
I heard on NFL Network recently that Dez Bryant was the #2 receiver in the league, which would seem to make every receiver not named Calvin Johnson overrated. However, these three ultra productive receivers are who I thought of most.
Anquan Boldin is an old school receiver that does everything. He blocks, he goes across the middle, he breaks tackles, and he catches the ball in traffic. The guy also had a touchdown and 100 yards receiving on the biggest stage of them all. What was the reward for Anquan Boldin? Being traded for a 6th round pick. Really? All one of the best receivers is worth is a 6th rounder. Boldin could push the 49ers over the top to win the Super Bowl this season.
Vincent Jackson was originally left off the Pro Bowl roster despite nearly 1400 yards receiving. Jackson had the very inconsistent Josh Freeman throwing to him and still got no love. The guy is a top 5 receiver, but was ranked #52 in the NFL Top 100, more than 10 receivers were rated better than Jackson. Absolute disrespect. Not as bad as Boldin, but close.
Steve Johnson was not even ranked in the Top 100. He had 1000 yards, almost 80 catches and he wasn't even ranked. Who was this guy's QB? Steve Johnson is going to be known all around football this year.

Tight End
Heath Miller                   
Pittsburgh Steelers
Miller is perhaps the best blocking tight end in the NFL, but analysts were going nuts that he was ranked the 97th best player by his peers. I understand if you don't think he's the best blocking tight end, but the guy can play. To me he belongs on the list and is a valuable member of the Steelers offense.


Offensive Tackles
Trent Williams                     Washington Redskins
Andre Smith                         Cincinnati Bengals
Andre Smith has been called an overweight and out of shape bum his whole career. I think Andy Dalton is just happy this guy is on his team, because he is a great blocker. The guy is one of the best players not just lineman in the league. The Bengals are lucky to have him.
Trent Williams is a top 3 tackle in the game and in my opinion a top 40 player. He was only ranked the 99th best player by his peers though. If I had to pick any tackle in the league, I might pick Williams.

Guards
Rodney Hudson                      Kansas City Chiefs
Marshal Yanda                       Baltimore Ravens
Rodney Hudson is a great guard that can play any position on the line, but he rots on the bench for an awful Kansas City team. The guy can't even get playing time there, talk about underrated.
Marshal Yanda is the best guard in football, but is rarely recognized for it. He is another guy that wasn't on the top 100. Baltimore appreciates Yanda, but not sure too many other people do.

Center
Max Unger                              Seattle Seahawks
Unger is the best lineman in football, but much like Williams was ranked far too low in the top 100. Unger was ranked #95, behind players like Percy Harvin (who is hurt again) and Aaron Hernandez.

Defensive Ends
Chris Long                               St. Louis Rams
Everson Griffen                        Minnesota Vikings
Chris Long is known mostly just as Howie's kid which you think might make him overrated, but it is just the opposite. Long is looked over, possibly because he is the son of a Hall of Famer. I am not sure about that, but I know that Chris Long is one of the best defensive ends in football.
Everson Griffen only started one game and got little time, but his production in that time was awesome. Griffen had 8 sacks during the year and 1 in the postseason, outproducing a majority of starters in the league. Griffen could be an above average starter were he with another team. In a year or two, he could get a big contract to do just that.

Defensive Tackles
Haloti Ngata                              Baltimore Ravens
Brandon Mebane                       Seattle Seahawks
Haloti Ngata may have been the Ravens best player last year. I actually think that he was, other than Flacco. He is an absolute monster in the middle of that Baltimore defense. How many people think he is that dominating presence though? Everyone gave all the credit to Ray Lewis. This season they will realize that Haloti Ngata is the heart and soul of that defense. Don't forget that San Francisco nearly came back when Ngata got hurt in the Super Bowl.
Mebane had 3 sacks and helped anchor one of the best defenses in football. The secondary may not have had the same effect in Seattle if not for the pressure from Mebane and company. He is a force in the middle of that defensive line for Seattle.

Linebackers
Jerrell Freeman                        
Indianapolis Colts            
Lavonte David                          
Tampa Bay Buccaneers    
Thomas Davis                          
Carolina Panthers                
Jerrell Freeman was so underrated that he played in the CFL for three seasons. He came back to the NFL this season to lead the Colts with 145 tackles. 90 of Freeman's tackles were solo tackles.
Lavonte David had 20 tackles for a loss, which was the most by a rookie since 2001. David also had 139 tackles to lead the Bucs. Despite all of that, David was left off the Pro Bowl roster.
Thomas Davis had 105 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception, but wasn't talked up much. He also did all of this in 15 games only (3 of which he didn't start). How does a guy with that production not start every game? Well, you can see why the Panthers aren't very good with decisions like that.

Cornerbacks
Ike Taylor                                  
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tony Carter                                
Denver Broncos
Ike Taylor doesn't have the stats or the recognition, but he has the performance. Taylor is a fantastic corner. Ike held AJ Green (a top 3 WR) to 1 catch when the Steelers played the Bengals. When Taylor was hurt against the Bengals, during the other matchup Green had 10 catches for over 100 yards. That is a staggering change in production with Ike out of the lineup.
Tony Carter is a really solid backup that would be starting for most teams. When Carter got more time like the Week 10 matchup with Carolina, he produced. Carter had an interception and a touchdown in that contest. If he got more time, and he will likely with Bailey getting older, he may produce a lot more.

Safeties
Danieal Manning                           Houston Texans                  FS
Jordan Babineaux                          Unsigned                             SS
Jordan Babineaux was one of the most productive safeties last year, and he can't even get a contract. He also couldn't crack the top 100 despite the production. Babineaux was the best defensive player the Titans had last year. He had 96 tackles and an interception. However, Babineaux may be the most underrated because he can't find a team.
Danieal Manning forced three fumbles last year, had 2 picks, a sack, and even scored a touchdown. His emergence was one of the main reasons that Houston was able to fight for the top seed out West last year. Teaming up with Ed Reed, they could make the top safety duo in the league and lead Houston to the next step.

-Noland

Avengers of Sports

Jenna and I went to see the Avengers last night. She will have a movie review up on Monday @ itsjustcalledspicy. Yesterday, I thought after I saw the movie about who is most like the Avengers in sports. Here is what I came up with.

Captain America - Peyton Manning

Captain America is my favorite superhero. He is the fearless leader of the Avengers. Cap always does what he is supposed to do and isn't too quick to take credit for what happens. Others respect him and he loves his country. Who better represents Cap than the man who calls his own plays and always makes those around him look good. Manning is about as All-American as you can get. Everyone seems to like Manning as well.

Iron Man - Cal Ripken Jr.

I know Ripken doesn't play anymore, but is there anyone who represents Iron Man better than him. Ripken is baseball's Iron Man. Heck, Ripken already has the Iron Man nickname. The guy seemed like he was not of this world. I mean seriously 2,632 consecutive games. The guy was amazing.

Hulk - Haloti Ngata

Ngata is the person I think who best lives up to the Hulk's catch phrase. Hulk Smash. The dude is an animal at nose tackle. Ngata smashes the opposing offensive line, just as he smashes quarterbacks and runningbacks.

Hawkeye - Drew Brees

Is there a more accurate passer than Drew Brees? There may be, but there are not too many. The dude is accurate as can be. He is like an assassin or like Hawkeye from the Avengers. Dude throws bullets.

Thor - Clay Matthews

Just look at Clay Matthews. Matthews looks exactly like Thor. He probably could have played Thor in the movie. He is a powerful linebacker that scares the opposition. Has the ability to crush the people on the opposite side of him.

Black Widow - Alicia Sacramone

In the Avengers, the Black Widow is incredibly flexible and athletic. She does a lot of quick, athletic moves, kind of like a gymnast. A gymnast like say Alicia Sacramone. Sacramone if you remember was on our last summer Olympic team. She performed great for the good ol' USA.

Nick Fury - Mike Tomlin

Just like Fury, Tomlin led a team of superstars while Tomlin was in Pittsburgh. Fury helped choose and lead the team in order to save the world. Tomlin did his deed in order to win the Super Bowl.

-Noland