Board 8 > Board 8 National Football League League (B8NFLL) Season 9: The Offseason

(+) Yeah! (+)

If two seasons in the books are of any indication, Knighton becomes another in the long string of players who have good individual production but don't seem to be making a positive impact for the team. The Chiefs have fielded bottom-half defenses in his two seasons despite him getting after the opposing QB on a consistent basis. The Chiefs are currently slated to have no more than one long starter on defense, so this could be a telling season for Knighton and what he means to the Kansas City defense.

Reid was excellent as a backup QB to Jake Delhomme, but in his lone season as a starter, he failed the test of whether or not he could be the long-term starter. The AI is extremely impatient in this game, and they moved on to Josh Freeman last season and presumably Ryan Tannehill this season. Still, being a star backup is far from the worst-case scenario.

The Lions OL was uncharacteristically healthy last season as Staley never tallied a start. He did play all 16 games and recorded 7 blocks against 1 sack. His short-term future with the Lions is probably not at LT with a high-rated and just 33 years old Kevin Shaffer in front of him, but I'm sure that the injuries will pile up and we'll see just how good of a player he is, especially since he's going to be presumably blocking for career backup Jason Campbell or rookie E.J. Manuel.
---

#10 Overall Picks

HB Reggie Bush (S2 by Saints/Lightning)
QB Paul Thompson (S3 by Bills)
HB Romance Taylor (S4 by Raiders)
RT Tavita Thompson (S5 by Packers)
DT Jerrell Powe (S6 by Cowboys)
QB Alex Walton (S7 by Saints/Lightning)
DT Ndamukong Suh (S8 by Dolphins)

Taylor > Powe > T. Thompson > Suh > P. Thompson > Walton > Bush

Fumbles are an issue for Taylor, but other than that, he's poised to become the next Edgerrin James. For those who weren't around in the early seasons, James was basically the best player in the NFL for a 3-4 year period. Overall, I'd say that James' B8NFLL career is the best after Jags' SS Michael Lewis, but that's not relevant. Taylor took his game to the next level as a member of the Jets. Based on how his career has unfolded, I'd say that he's going to be trouble for the AFC East and anyone else who dares oppose him well into his 30s.

Powe doesn't have the high sack totals of his interior partner Ryan Walker, but he's no slouch in that department, he hasn't missed a game, and he has recorded multiple FFs+FRs in every season. He will be destroying the Gs and Cs of the NFL for a long time still.

T. Thompson has two seasons where he has been an impenetrable wall to opposing defenders and two seasons where his fragile body betrays him. I'm sure it has been frustrating for Kora and now Tange, but he's still a top-level OT when healthy.

Suh was the #3 DT behind Marcus Stroud and Darwin Walker last season and still managed to record 4 sacks and a FR in limited action. Now both are gone, and he's expected to be the #1 guy on a defense that also lost its star MLB. Let's see if he can do more with less.

P. Thompson never played a down for stevr's Bills, but stevr always has bad things to say about Paul. Thompson though put up a respectable career line for the Bills going 543-905, 5591 yards, 44 TDs, 31 INTs. He just never took advantage of an elite OL and one of the best WR corps in the game in the Han and AI era of the Bills. He had a forgettable season as the Broncos starter in S7 but is still in the hunt to start for them Week 1 this season if he can beat out Ryan Perrilloux and Byron Leftwich.

Walton may be forever known as the QB the Saints (now Lightning) took one pick before Matt Ryan. After incumbent Eli Manning's lost most of S7 to injury, Walton stepped in and was terrible. He earned LVP by his peers. While starting six games due to an Eli injury in S8, he showed vast improvement as a passer and was a finalist for Breakout Player of the Year. I have a feeling that he won't be starting for the Lightning in five seasons, but I do seem him as a starter somewhere.

Bush has never had a 1000 yard season. He has started double-digit games just twice. He has five seasons of 5+ fumbles. His career high in rushing TDs is 5. He's a damn good receiver out of the backfield, but man, what a frustrating career he's had. He's stolen close to $50 million from the Saints and Panthers during his career, so his digital self gets no sympathy from me. Nor does Emerald because I told him to sign Courtney Lewis or trade for Lonta Hobbs instead
---

KCF0107 posted...

For a DT who has 111 tackles and 30 sacks in his career, Walker having 0 career FFs is simply bizarre, but

this got cut off, but I was going to say that the Cowboys' D has improved dramatically since he came on board, so it's also possible that we can add run-stuffer to his resume.
---

Hey no so fast, Russell was the top overall prospect in that draft and he fell to 10.

I specifically remember you being upset with everyone for letting him fall to me at 10.

It was a good pick at the time, but obviously didn't work out overall, but in the moment it was the steal of the first round.
---

KCF0107 posted...

P. Thompson never played a down for stevr's Bills, but stevr always has bad things to say about Paul.

What?! I've always said bad things about Brady Quinn, but Thompson was only on my team for a year where Hasselbeck was the clear starter and I think Thompson might have been 3rd or so on the depth chart.

I've never had any reason to say anything about him!

Jukkie posted...

Hey no so fast, Russell was the top overall prospect in that draft and he fell to 10.

I specifically remember you being upset with everyone for letting him fall to me at 10.

It was a good pick at the time, but obviously didn't work out overall, but in the moment it was the steal of the first round.

I meant unusual in the events that led up to his selection. I totally understand drafting Russell to a team where a 31 or 32 year old Drew Brees had been quite the up and down QB and just came off a postseason where he threw 13 INTs, including 6 in the Super Bowl.

And what I meant by not knowing what was going through your head, I meant what you must have felt when the two players that you were targeting were gone in two selections just before you.
---

theawesomestevr posted...

KCF0107 posted...

P. Thompson never played a down for stevr's Bills, but stevr always has bad things to say about Paul.

What?! I've always said bad things about Brady Quinn, but Thompson was only on my team for a year where Hasselbeck was the clear starter and I think Thompson might have been 3rd or so on the depth chart.

I've never had any reason to say anything about him!

Whenever Thompson's name came up in live sims for the Broncos or in game summaries, you always ridiculed him. Once I told you he was the QB who replaced Tom Brady, I'm pretty sure that you despised him solely based on that.
---

#11 Overall Picks

CB Jimmy Williams (S2 by Redskins)
RE Mario Williams (S3 by Bears)
HB Erik Haw (S4 by Bengals)
WR DeSean Jackson (S5 by Seahawks)
DT Callahan Bright (S6 by Panthers)
QB Matt Ryan (S7 by Panthers)
FS Reshad Jones (S8 by Raiders)

Ryan > Jones > M. Williams > J. Williams > Haw > Bright > Jackson

Ryan had in my opinion the best rookie season at QB and he followed that up by basically having the same season. Is anyone going to complain about trotting out a starting QB who throws for 3000+ yards, 23 TDs, and 15 INTs on 60+% passing? The only way you answer no is if you still expect current-day real life NFL stats or are impossible to please.

Jones, a surprise high selection of the S8 draft had an incredible season. The Raiders' pass D improved to a Top 5 unit with Jones being the sole newcomer in the secondary who actually played on defense (CB Tony Carter only played as a returner). FSs are not known for sexy statlines, especially rookies, but Jones tallied 42 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 INTs. Only five FSs had 40+ tackles and at least 5 sacks+INTs. Those other four have a combined 39 years in the NFL.

On the opposite side of Lawrence Jackson is Mario Williams. They have played and started every games of their career, whether it be with the Chicago, Richmond, or now Los Angeles Bears. Jackson has been the superior player, but Mario is no slouch. He had one dud of a season (S5 where he had just 3 sacks and no FFs+FRs), but he's been a steady performer otherwise. He's just overshadowed.

I traded down like four times in that first NFL draft as head of the Seahawks. I realized that I had no chance for Will Blackmon, but grabbing the best-available CB in Jimmy Williams would have been considered a reach. I gathered a bunch of mid-round picks, and one or two are still with the team. However, I would take that all back to not trade down with the Redskins. I did not consider them to be targeting Williams, but I was wrong, and they clearly made the better selection.

Williams was a good coverage guy who would often get the assignments of a SS. He is now the active leader in sacks by a CB with 12. He has paired that with 8 FFs and 7 INTs. His INTs have dropped when he was traded to the Titans, but the rest of his stats have gone up. Maybe he just wants to obliterate the ball carrier instead of being a man-to-man guy. I don't blame him for not wanting to undertake an exercise in futility.
---

Haw had a huge breakout year in S6 with 1400 rushing yards and 14 TDs, but he hasn't come anywhere near close to replicating that. He's just as effective grinding out yards, and he has never missed a game. It's just that his carries wildly differ from year-to-year. In his best season, he had 333 carries. In the other four seasons, here are his carry totals: 108, 123, 258, 201. He wasn't a starter in those first two seasons, but in his most recent two, he's been the victim of an offense that can't gain first downs and a defense that can't force their opponents to punt (or turn the ball over).

Bright is coming off a season where he eclipsed his highs in tackles by 16 (34 to 50), sacks by 5 (5 to 10), and recorded 2 FFs and 1 FR when he had 0 of his in his first two seasons. He's in a contract year, so if he repeats what he did last season, chances are this won't be the last time he makes $8 mil in a season.

It's uncanny how much B8NFLL DeSean is like the real life one. He is a true deep threat, averaging over 15 YPC in every season and has the second-highest career mark among active WRs. Yet, he's never eclipsed 800 yards in a season despite Carson Palmer throwing for 3000+ yards each season DeSean's been there. DeSean's only missed three games in his career, yet he has never led the Seahawks in receiving. He's been #1 on the depth chart in each of the past three seasons. I have no idea why DeSean doesn't have greater stats. It isn't like the ball is being distributed around that much. DeSean, WR Charles Rogers, and TE Matt Spaeth get most of the targets. I think we need to hire a private investigator.
---

#12 Overall Picks

SS Darnell Bing (S2 by Seahawks)
HB LenDale White (S3 by Broncos)
DT Justin Ostrowski (S4 by Chiefs)
WR Mario Manningham (S5 by Colts)
WR Fred Rouse (S6 by Ravens)
RT Andre Smith (S7 by Broncos)
HB LeGarrette Blount (S8 by Chiefs)

Manningham > Smith > Bing > White > Blount > Rouse > Ostrowski

A surprise Offensive Rookie of the Year winner (Kirby Freeman was the overwhelming favorite if there were Vegas odds attached), Manningham was more known for his elite return abilities as the Colts' QB situation was always in flux with its mediocre play. After the Colts' top WRs have retired in recent years (David Boston being the most recent), Manningham was forced to be the #1 guy, and he delivered. Him and former Browns #1 pick Brian Johnson immediately clicked and Manningham ended the season with 71 receptions for 885 yards and 10 TDs. The Colts narrowly missed out on the playoffs, but discovering that you have a star in the making has that sting a little less.

Smith has not allowed a sack in his career. Granted, he hasn't made a start, but he has 39 blocks to no sacks allowed as a super sub. With Walter Jones having just retired and first round pick Matt Kalil's rating unknown, Smith (used from a pick that the Bills gave them to sign RFA SS Lewis Baker) might man LT this season and with his production, I'd say that the front office and coaching staff are hardly worried.

So Bing was the selection that I ended up making for the Seahawks after my gamble to acquire draft picks and still get Jimmy Williams blew up in my face. Now Bing has been far from awful. He has played every game in his career, and he has started all but 16 of them when he lost his starting job at the end of the preseason in S4. He's not much a factor in the FF or FR department, but he's a quality cover SS and averages over 50 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 INTs a season. It does't appear that he's making much of an impact on the defense as it alternates being a Top 10 to Bottom 10 defense every season despite Bing being a constant.

White is a complete non-factor in the passing game and has averaged 4.0 or more YPC only once in his career, but he has fumbled the ball 0 or 1 times in all but one of his seasons. He has a shot at being a starter with incumbent Browns HB Carl Stewart coming off his worst season. White is still only 28 but in HB years, the time is nearing for his gradual decline until retirement.

Through eight seasons, Chiefs HB Domanick Davis has played and started all 16 in four of them and less than 10 in another four. With father time catching up to the 32 year old, it's best to brace for an injury. Last year's backup HB Brandon Jackson nearly led the team in rushing. If it won't be Davis this season, it will be probable #2 HB and S8 first round pick LeGarrette Blount. He barely played last season, but he's in line for a much bigger workload this season. Let's see what he can do.

Through three seasons, Rouse has 73 receptions for 861 yards and 3 TDs. That shouldn't please anyone. If you are okay with a 12th overall pick performing like a poor slot receiver, then there's something wrong with you.

Ostrowski: 5 seasons, 0 starts, 27 tackles, 3 sacks, 0 FFs or FRs. I think he's looking at Ravens DT Babatunde Oshinowo for a mid-career resurrection. Oshinowo had 3 starts in 4 seasons with the Colts and produced 22 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 FF. He was then signed by the Ravens and has turned into 6th highest-rated DT in the game.
---

I swear I had at least one season where my giants sucked enough to have had a pick.
---

You twice traded picks that would have been mentioned. One was a #10 pick where the Dolphins took DT Suh. Another I think was one of the #11 picks that the Panthers used to select either Ryan or Bright.
---

Man, I have no recollection of this
---

I am fairly certain it was the Ryan pick
---

You acquired G Grey Ruegamer and moved down six spots. There might have been more to it than that.

In our trade you acquired an extra early-mid round pick to go from 10 to 18.
---

I dreamt last night that the Panthers made the super bowl but lost adam jones, so I somehow acquired will blackmon the day before and it helped me beat the patriots. To quote patrick star:
"The machinations of my mind are an enigma"

Edit: I also dreamt that I was aj green playing in the digital super bowl for the panthers. Wut?
---

Why did it have to be the Patriots...
---

Because I hate them so I guess my subconscious couldn't think of a better team to beat than them!
---

You just know the best when you see it.
---

#13 Overall Picks

QB Omar Jacobs (S2 by Ravens)
MLB Kai Parham (S3 by Browns)
FS Ko Simpson (S4 by Vikings)
ROLB Willie Williams (S5 by Lions)
WR Selwyn Lymon (S6 by Bills)
CB Adam Gray (S7 by Bears)
WR Golden Tate (S8 by Broncos)

Parham > Simpson > Lymon > Jacobs > Williams > Gray > Tate

Parham sat behind Anthony Simmons to begin his career, but Parham played like a high-end backup. He was poised to succeed Simmons but after the latter's retirement, Parham was moved to OLB where he's been an absolute beast. In there seasons at LOLB, he's had 196 tackles, 21 sacks, 2 INTs, 4 FFs, and 5 FRs. Parham has never missed a game in his career.

Simpson, the second-highest-rated rookie after LE Brick Massey, has had a steady career and has grouped up with CB Devin Hester and SS John Howell to provide the Vikings with a consistently stingy secondary. Simpson has recorded between 47-57 tackles every season, and at least 1 sack, INT, and FF+FR. He's even had two seasons of 4 sacks, 4 INTs, and 2 FFs+FRs. Because Parham has done the bulk of his damage in recent years, I am gave the top spot to him, but Simpson is a very close #2.

Lymon has improved as a passer and returner each season under three different primary starting QBs. The gold standard of elite WR/KR/PR combos is Pumpkins' Ted Ginn, but Lymon has already surpassed similiar WRs like the previously mentioned Derek Hagan and Mario Manningham. It's only a matter of time before he surpasses the Giants' Antwaan Randle El and Jaguars' Greg Lewis and challenge Ginn.

Among QBs who entered the league in the inaugural season or later, Jacobs is in the Top 5 of lowest INT%, and that includes last season when he had arguably the worst B8NFLL season by a QB (5.51 INT % in S8). Jacobs, along with former QB Chad Pennington and 49ers QB Ben Roethlisberger, has twice led the NFL in fewest INTs among qualified passers. Last season was as much of an aberration as you will find. There is no reason to expect anything other than what he did in his first five seasons as a starter (sat behind Billy Volek rookie year).

Williams hasn't been the same since a phenomenal rookie season (54 tackles, 11 sacks, 2 INTs, 3 FFs), and the Lions' defense has spiraled downward possibly more than any other team since then as well. He hasn't sucked by any stretch, but his numbers resemble those of a prototypical starting OLB and not the monster he once was.

Gray is tough to evaluate because I don't recall how the Bears' passing D was in his first season, and with his minuscule stats, it is imperative to know how the unit has fared with him in it. They were a top-half passing D last season in a division with the #1 passing attack (Lions) and another high-octane offense (Vikings), so I will err on the side of saying that Gray has worked out well enough even if the stats only prove that he isn't a playmaker.

Tate was outplayed by fellow rookie WR Buster Ellerbee, a man taken five rounds after Tate. While rookie WRs rarely have impactful seasons, Tate hasn't started off on the right foot.
---

#14 Overall Picks

RE Eric Henderson (S2 by Eagles/Pumpkins)
LT Doug Free (S3 by Texans/Pioneers)
QB Rhett Bomar (S4 by Hawks)
RT Lyndon Murtha (S5 by Bengals)
QB Jake Christensen (S6 by Colts)
MLB Korey Norton (S7 by 49ers)
LT Trent Williams (S8 by 49ers)

Norton > Williams > Free > Christensen > Murtha > Henderson > Bomar

Through two seasons, Norton has 172 tackles, 14 sacks, 3 INTs, 3 FRs. The 49ers had to reset at MLB after Jim Nelson (now their D-coordinator) and Sam Cowart retired in the same offseason, but the 49ers have hit on all their 1st round picks S4. Norton could turn out to be the best of them all.

The 49ers have among the oldest starting OL in the league. After spending seven straight 1st round picks on the defense, it was time to target the OL. Williams rewarded the 49ers with 34 blocks against 2 sacks in 16 games (2 starts) and helped HB Tatum Bell rush for the most yards in NFL history.

Free's rating does not match up with his production. He sat behind Orlando Pace and Tarik Glenn who have started 14+ games every season. In relief, he was a quality sub. He got an opportunity to start at G and has held down a starting gig the past three seasons. In those three seasons, he has 79 blocks against 24 sacks allowed. That's not acceptable as a pass-blocker, but as a run-blocker, he has helped pave the way for some great seasons from Willis McGahee, including a two-season stretch (S6 and S7) where McGahee had 3533 rushing yards on 4.7 YPC with 27 rushing TDs. With the shift to a more athletic QB in Russell Wilson, perhaps his faults will be mitigated enough to see him keep his ranking as the 3rd best 14th overall selection in the B8NFLL Draft.

Christensen has never played a full season as a starter. He backed up Byron Leftwich his rookie season. He won the starting job his second season only for it to end after eight games. He backed up Brian Johnson last season. He had a promising rookie season, a great start his second season, and was miserable his third season. The Colts' strength has always been their defense, but Christensen is the most promising QB that they've ever had. In weak crop of #14 overall picks, that's good enough to land in the middle.

Murtha has played a full season only once, and with a career statline of 167 blocks against 36 sacks, he's nothing more than an average pass-blocker. He has a higher rating as a pass than run-blocker (one of two incumbent Bengal OL starters with that distinction), so he probably can only make a minor claim to helping the Bengals employ an above-average-to-good running attack.

It's remarkable that Henderson is among the 12 first round picks from the first draft to still be with his team. His rating is only 73, and his only two starts came in S6. His career splits are pretty funny. He has two seasons of not playing a game (not injury related). He has three seasons where he has 3 sacks. He has two season with no sacks and 2 FFs. At least you know you will have one of three outcomes for Henderson, with two of them being perfectly fine for a backup DE.

Bomar was drafted to backup and potentially succeed the glass man known as Chad Pennington, but Pennington missed only two starts as a Hawk. In limited action, Bomar showed noting to suggest he should be the heir apparent to Pennington, so he left and was picked up by the Packers after injuries piled up at the position. Tange was so unimpressed that he decided to completely change his offensive strategy.
---

These are awesome reads, especially for those of us who don't know the full draft history.

#15 Overall Picks

ROLB A.J. Hawk (S2 by Raiders)
CB Demetrice Webb (S3 by Rams)
TE Zach Miller (S4 by Dolphins)
LE Rhyan Anderson (S5 by Chiefs)
RT Branden Albert (S6 by Pumpkins)
LT Joe Thomas (S7 by Titans)
QB Andrew Luck (S8 by Bears)

Albert > Webb > Miller > Hawk > Luck > Thomas > Anderson

I hesitated putting Albert at #1, however I think that he's done enough to justify placement over Webb and Miller. He has given up 10 sacks in each of his three seasons. He's also recorded 70+ blocks in each of his three seasons, so aside from 70+ blocks being a very high figure that puts him in elite company among all OL, maintaining a 7:1 block:sack ratio is very good when you consider that the he was asked to help salvage a team that had only experienced losing seasons up to that point. The Pumpkins haven't had a losing season since.

Webb earns the distinction of being the only first round pick not to sign with the team that drafted them. Fenny and the Jets snapped him up where's he has been ever since. He's been an integral part of some elite defenses (Jets have primarily been a defensive team), including two that led the team to the AFC Championship and Super Bowl in consecutive seasons. He's also had a trio of seasons with 4+ INTs and multiple FFs+FRs. Pretty damn great for getting an extra first round draft pick without having to sacrifice any players or draft capital.

Taken in the same draft as Greg Olsen, Miller's development far exceeded Greg's, but just like Olsen, Miller isn't a true receiving TE. His value comes with his versatility and durability. He has played and started all 80 games since he entered the league, and he is the fifth-best blocking TE, which has helped the Dolphins have a good running game year in and year out. Even if he will likely never be a finalist for TE of the Year and the Dolphins never have an elite running game, the decision to trade up for Miller was a good one for the franchise.

Hawk's career has been all over the place. There is no pattern to his production, but he has produced every year as a starter. One year, he has 7 sacks, 3 INTs, and 2 FFs. Another year, he has 0 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 FF, and 5 FRs. He was in some bizarre turn a backup in S6 and S7 to an OLB that I honestly couldn't tell you who it was. D.D. Lewis maybe? It isn't anyone currently on the team. If the Raiders were a better team in his career (last season was their first playoff appearance and winning record), and if he didn't have basically two seasons wiped out for no apparent reason, he would be challenging for Webb and Miller's spots, but make no mistake, this is a strong #4 placement.

I am very curious about Luck's tenure with the Bears. It's looking like he will take over for Carr in S10. He barely played in S8, so it's not worth mentioning. What is worth mentioning is that it appears that a most of the Bears' weapons on offense are on the verge of retirement. HB Chris Brown's best years are probably behind him and TE Eric Johnson + WR Javon Walker might retire after this offseason.

So I guess that I forgot that Stan had Thomas start Week 1 in each of his two seasons. I was already expecting to slot him low given the quality of careers of other players here, but through two seasons, Thomas has put up a statline that's worse than Albert has put up in any of his seasons (70 blocks, 14 sacks allowed).

Backup DEs have the least appealing stats out of anyone. Anderson had 2 sacks and a FR his rookie season sitting behind Kevin Carter and Junior Siavii. Then he sat behind Chris Kelsay and Junior Siavii. Then he sat behind Baraka Atkins and Junior Siavii. Then his Chiefs career ended all the while collecting a handful of tackles and 1 sack in those non-rookie seasons. Maybe he can still carve out a semi-respectable backup role like Eric Henderson somewhere.
---

KCF0107 posted...

Lymon has improved as a receiver and returner each season under three different primary starting QBs.

Corrected
---

KCF0107 posted...

Whenever Thompson's name came up in live sims for the Broncos or in game summaries, you always ridiculed him. Once I told you he was the QB who replaced Tom Brady, I'm pretty sure that you despised him solely based on that.

Hm, it seems plausible that I mentioned him when trash-talking the Broncos who beat me in Week 17, but I don't even like Tom Brady! And I'm not sure what role he'd play in my like/dislike of a different QB anyhow!

I certainly have never mentioned Thompson's name in a negative light enough to warrant any attention! Brady Quinn is a bum! Brady Quinn I tell you! All the time in fact! If there's one thing I ought to be remembered for in this league outside of being an incredible GM who lifted the hapless Bills from their woeful existence and turned them into a perennial contender, it's my firm stance on Brady Quinn being a bum!

#16 Overall Picks

QB Brad Smith (S2 by Bengals)
RT Daniel Inman (S3 by Redskins)
HB Lynell Hamilton (S4 by Seahawks)
HB Markus Manson (S5 by Raiders)
LE Eugene Germany (S6 by Wildcats)
MLB Jerod Mayo (S7 by Pumpkins)
MLB Aaron Curry (S8 by Browns)

Inman > Germany > Curry > Hamilton > Manson > Mayo > Smith

Inman is far and away the best OL taken in a B8NFLL draft, and he has a great case to be called the best draft pick in B8NFLL history. Having two fewer seasons than OL from the inaugural season, he is third among active OL in career blocks (538), one of a few statistics that has only been recorded since the league began. He has given up 28 sacks in six seasons. The next highest block total by someone who has allowed fewer sacks is 377. I want to say that Inman has been on the ballot for OL of the Year every season in his career. If not for a fantastic rookie year by HB Adrian Peterson, Inman would have likely been named Offensive Rookie of the Year, and we've only had one or two other OL rookies put on the ballot. If he is one of the cuts the Redskins have to make to get under the in-game cap (I doubt he will be), I implore every single user to bid on his services. He will be worth every penny.

I feel for Germany. He's now the only member of the Wildcats DL with a rating above 80, and he's had two seasons of 13 sacks in a three season career thus far. He's actually been in the playoffs, so at least he has that going for it, but to be on Bottom 5 defenses these past two seasons has to be demoralizing.

stuntman always intended for Curry to switch to OLB, and much like War's earlier to decision to make Kai Parham an OLB, the move paid off immediate dividends. A Defensive RotY candidate with 62 tackles, 6 sacks, 1 INT, and 1 FR, Curry looks to improve upon that with a season akin to what Novorro Bowman of the Jets just pulled off.

Hamilton is a great HB...when healthy. The former Offensive RotY (Madden chose him, users chose HB Darius Walker) has a career YPC of 4.2 and has averaged over 1300 yards per 16 games. The problem is that he's played a full 16 games only once, and at least 10 games just two other seasons. That's a shame too because he's a Top-10 pass-blocking HB, so Carson Palmer could have totally used him. There's no reason to believe that the remainder of his career will be any less filled with untimely injuries.

Manson will likely overtake Hamilton if a repeat of last season occurs. Manson too has a bit of an injury history, but he still suits up for at least 10 games a season. He has a fumbling issue, but makes up for it with a career 4.5 YPC and is a threat as a receiving option out of the backfield. With the Raiders team and offense trending upward, odds are Manson will overtake Hamilton as he enters his third season as a starter.

Mayo has the best chance to shoot up the leaderboard. He studied behind Jeff Ulbrich his rookie season, and showed he was a capable starter at MLB with Ulbrich next to him at OLB. Now, Ulbrich's gone and depending on Nick Perry's rating, Mayo might be the senior leader of the LB corps. Now's the time for him to shine.

Smith is consistently mediocre. Worse is that he has a lengthy injury history that was unbearable early in his career. He does have one great season, where he threw for 2751 yards, 23 TDs, and 13 INTs with 653 rushing yards, but he also coughed up the ball 7 times and completed just 55.8% of his passes. If you take that season out, he averages right around 2000 passing yards and 300 rushing yards and otherwise has a career 74:76 TD:INT ratio. Being in the final year of his contract, I won't be surprised if he's in a new uniform for S10. His ratings do suggest he should be much better than this, so maybe a change of scenery will help another team draw upon Smith's untapped potential.
---

#17 Overall Picks

CB Justin Wyatt (S2 by Bears)
FS Will Herring (S3 by 49ers)
HB Arian Foster (S4 by Saints/Lightning)
LT Eugene Monroe (S5 by Ravens)
MLB James Laurinaitis (S6 by Steelers)
WR Jeremy Maclin (S7 by Giants)
WR Victor Cruz (S8 by Redskins)

Monroe > Laurinaitis > Maclin > Herring > Wyatt > Foster > Cruz

Monroe began his career posting 178 blocks against a microscopic 5 sacks. 5 sacks! He didn't simply regress toward the mean in his fourth season, he was thoroughly mediocre (might be too nice of a word) after recording a career low 46 pancake blocks and more alarming, allowing 11 sacks. Everything that could have gone wrong with the Ravens offense last season did go wrong, so I'm fully expecting Monroe to go back to his dominating ways.

Laurinaitis has an impressive start to his career. Like A.J. Hawk, his production is all over the place, but he's always making plays. With 264 tackles, 17 sacks, 2 INTs, 5 FFs, and 7 FRs through his first three seasons, the Steelers will still be in good hands when handing the reins to the defense to Laurinaitis after Lavar Arrington retires.

While still likely a couple seasons away from becoming a starter, Jeremy Maclin has "Future Perennial Pro Bowler" all over him. Recording over 1000 yards with 10 TDs and a bonus return TD in two seasons as a strict slot receiver and backup returner is mighty impressive. Now to just play the waiting game as the 33 year-old Antwaan Randle El and 31 year-old Martin Nance wind down their fine careers.

Herring is hanging in there. Playing and starting 93 out of a possible 96 games shows his durability, but he's no playmaker. Through six seasons, he has 1 sack, 10 INTs, 6 FFs, and 5 FR. It could be worse, but seeing the Broncos select Tom Zbikowski 27 picks later and record 4 more sacks and 7 more INTs while providing elite coverage ability as FS has to sting a little.

Wyatt was taken with a pick that the Bears received from the Browns in exchange for WR Terrell Owens. Wyatt played for some truly awful Bears defenses, started five games (all in his rookie season), but was good for 3 INTs in each of his first three seasons as an ace slot corner. The Bears released him before his rookie contract was up. He has been a free agent ever since (he's 29 years old and has a 74 overall rating).

Foster was one of three HBs taken in the first round by the Saints in consecutive years. They also had Reggie Bush for some of those seasons, so needless to say, it was hard to get opportunities. Over 70% of his career carries came in S7 where he did rush for 1062 yards and 6 TDs to go along with 47 receptions for 353 yards. Other than that, he's done nothing. He was traded to the Raiders where he is the top backup to Markus Manson. I doubt that will be a career-changing move, but who knows.

Cruz will now step into the #2 spot. Unfortunately, the carousel at QB will likely make it difficult for him to develop after a weak rookie season for a slot WR (12 receptions for 178 yards, 0 TDs). I will need to see some results and consistency before having any sort of faith in Cruz.
---

I really have been blessed with good position players.
---

#18 Overall Picks

LT Andrew Whitworth (S2 by Jets)
SS Bernard Pollard (S3 by 49ers)
HB Jamario Thomas (S4 by Steelers)
WR Derrick Williams (S5 by Panthers)
CB Derek Cox (S6 by Seahawks)
QB Sam Bradford (S7 by Browns)
HB Jonathan Stewart (S8 by Giants)

Thomas > Whitworth > Pollard > Bradford > Stewart > Williams > Cox

There was no competition for the best 18th overall pick. Thomas has three total fumbles in the past four seasons, and since becoming a full-time starter two seasons ago, he's put up 3308 rushing yards and 14 TDs. He's not much of a factor in the passing game, but this former NCAA rushing yards leader has shown the Steelers' brass that they made the right decision in benching the now-retired Brian Westbrook in favor of him.

Whitworth had an excellent start to his career in New York. He had a two-year stretch where he had 126 blocks to 11 sacks allowed. Then, he lost his starting job to Oliver Ross. Then he grew to dislike the Jets and did not wish to re-sign with them. He signed a mega contract with the Panthers and has been decent. His first season in Carolina was similar to his best seasons as a Jet. Last season though was a disaster. He gave up a career high 9 sacks despite only playing in 10 games. He's being paid like a Top-10 OT, so he, like many players below him, will need to have a bounce-back season.

Much like Herring, Pollard has been a mainstay on the 49ers secondary for a long time. He had started all 80 games to begin his career but suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 of S8. He too didn't provide gaudy stats and has six career sacks, INTs, FFs, and FRs. To make matters worse, the 49ers selected a SS later in that same draft who outperformed Pollard and is now a higher-rated player playing for the Pioneers. That SS, Jessie Daniels, currently has 12 career sacks and 11 career INTs and FRs.

Bradford had a great rookie season where he would have completed a B8NFLL rookie record 64.8% if he was a qualified passer. His sophomore season couldn't have been much worse as he became a LVP candidate. WR Steve Smith's career will probably end after this season or next, so he needs to take advantage of throwing to one of the best active WRs to build up his rating to withstand having to throw to a much weaker crop of WRs assuming VI doesn't do anything with it.

The Giants' current stable of HBs includes two rookies and Stewart. Prior to any moves the Giants might make, the "vet" is looking like he will be given the unenviable task of replacing Edgerrin James. Since Stewart entered the league at an accelerated age, the time is now for the Giants to see where Stewart fits into their future plans.

Williams has been thoroughly outplayed by Ryan Sampson, a WR that the Panthers took in the round after Williams in the same draft. Williams does have a return TD to his name, but he is the team's third-best returner...at WR! Now that long-time Panther Deion Branch is gone, Williams is the current favorite to win the open starting job opposite Derek Hagan. He needs to take advantage of the opportunity or that "Bust" label might become a permanent fixture to his name.

Cox became a starter for the first time last season. The Seahawks' D went from the top-half of the league to the Bottom 10. Connection? I can't say for certain, but I wouldn't doubt it!
---

I didn't mean to not sign Reams.

But I might not when you put my backfield situation in that light. Might be a good opportunity to let the young backs grow.
---

Jamario Thomas has been a beast for me, pretty sure he's missed games and still racked up heavy yards. He isn't someone I'd have taken via draft myself too as I don't take RBs high. Although maybe as in my first season I had no idea the value of positions in the draft.

Laurinaitis has worked out really well for me too. Seems I do well drafting MLBs as the 3 I've taken have all jumped up a lot in rating since drafting them. Both Tufts and McClain have leaped up a lot and have produced too. Although nobody has matched what Vrabel did for me in his final season!

Eddv posted...

I didn't mean to not sign Reams.

I have it written down to PM you the contract that he's seeking when we begin free agency, so I will still do so and you can decide if you want to go after him or not.
---

Mighty kind of you, I will have to consider it alongside my two other spending priorities and see what I can come up with.
---

KCF0107 posted...

So I guess that I forgot that Stan had Thomas start Week 1 in each of his two seasons. I was already expecting to slot him low given the quality of careers of other players here, but through two seasons, Thomas has put up a statline that's worse than Albert has put up in any of his seasons (70 blocks, 14 sacks allowed).

Well that's not encouraging! Especially as he was one of those rare OT ORotY nominees you mentioned! Albeit it was a weak class but still!

Unless I am mistaken, only two user teams haven't signed a single rookie with just under 48 hours remaining.
---

#19 Overall Picks

QB Charlie Whitehurst (S2 by Packers)
RE Jay Moore (S3 by Raiders)
WR Robert Meachem (S4 by Packers)
FS Kent Hicks (S5 by Bears)
QB Josh Portis (S6 by Vikings)
ROLB Koa Misi (S7 by Hawks)
CB Kareem Jackson (S8 by Dolphins)

Whitehurst > Misi > Hicks > Portis > Meachem > Moore > Jackson

Kora is one of the nicest people on B8, but he loathed Whitehurst. In his return PM for signing UFAs the year Whitehurst's contract was up, Kora placed Whitehurst under not "Not Resigning" but something along the lines of "Kill With Fire". Whitehurst though has had an underrated career with posting a positive TD:INT ratio in every season. He might have only led the Packers to one playoff berth and no playoff wins, but this was a good pick.

Misi had a stellar rookie season that saw him win Def RotY by Madden and tie with Korey Norton in the user vote. His sophomore season was an injury-plagued one, but once he returned after missing the first nine games, that Hawks D and team returned to their playoff team form from the season before. With the Hawks D undergoing a youth movement, Misi might be the second-most important player on a Hawks team that is looking to reclaim the AFC West.

Sitting behind Chris Hope his rookie season, Hicks has improved statistically each year as a starter, culminating in a 36 tackle, 3 INT, 2 FF season last year on the first Bears' squad to register a winning record. As was the case with CB Adam Gray, I did not pay attention to the direction of the Bears' pass D, but I am going with the idea that it has improved during Hicks' tenure.

In his first season as a starter, Portis led an offense with one other starter under 30 (FB Mike Cox) to a Top 5 offense and a playoff berth. A Breakout Player of the Year finalist, the dual threat QB barely left the field. Health is always a concern for dual threat QBs, something that has plagued nearly every starting dual threat QB in the league. I have seen too many QBs be exposed as just another flash in the pan that I will need to see him do it again this year to be sold on him.

Kora selected Meachem using the first draft pick he acquired when I traded up to select TE Zach Miller. Meachem came in with one of the three highest ratings for a 1st round WR, but you wouldn't guess that based on his performance. A starter from Week 1 of his rookie season, Meachem averages, if we exclude S8 which only strengthens my argument, 52 receptions for 683 yards and 3 TDs a season. This was with Whitehurst and Tyrod Taylor. Now he will be catching balls from Rex Grossman. I'm not convinced that a change in scenery will make a positive difference.

Moore was a starter his first two seasons, and we can only hope that he was a run-stuff DE with just 6 sacks, 1 FF, and 1 FR in 31 starts. After that, the Raiders went after DEs hard in free agency and Moore has sat on the bench since, recording one sack. I feel really shitty when I draft players for users and not even their first round pick turns out. This is the first of two Raider 1st round picks in this draft where I whiffed.

I thought Jackson didn't play at all in his rookie season, but I guess that he might have played special teams as he recorded a lone tackle. He was drafted with the intention of being the slot corner, but Patrick Peterson (previously known as Jake Tyree) outplayed him during the preseason and saw his rating skyrocket in a Pro Bowl year to where the only way Jackson will see playing time on defense will be via 4 WR sets or injuries to the players in front of him. With the CBs in front of him being 28, 25, and 24 years of age, he's looking at being a career backup as long as he's in Miami.
---

#20 Overall Picks

QB Reggie McNeal (S2 by 49ers)
RE Ray Edwards (S3 by Packers)
HB Bobby Washington (S4 by Packers)
CB Jamal Lewis (S5 by Cougars/Patriots)
LT Duke Robinson (S6 by Chiefs)
CB Captain Munnerlyn (S7 by Seahawks)
LT Anthony Castonzo (S8 by Steelers)

Robinson > McNeal > Edwards > Castonzo > Washington > Munnerlyn > Lewis

In a part-time starting gig in his rookie season, Robinson had 54 blocks against 8 sacks allowed. He won the starting LT position the following season and has 96 blocks against 2 sack allowed since. That 48:1 block:sack ratio is tops in the league in during that time among OL with at least one start.

McNeal was the surprise pick of the first draft in terms of landing spot. The 49ers had a 90-something, 24-year-old Ben Roethlisberger as their QB. There was no way that McNeal was going to start there except as an injury replacement. After his rookie deal expired, he signed with the Patriots. He sat behind current 49ers third-stringer Patrick Ramsey before getting the starting job in his sixth season. For a scrambling QB, his completion % is high sitting in the low 60s, but he isn't as prolific as a runner as his peers, and has severe fumbling issues. Still, he seems to have the offense moving in the right direction. I don't think they are doing that in spite of McNeal. He's having some sort of positive impact on the turnaround.

Edwards had the simultaneously enviable and unenviable position of being drafted to the Packers. On one hand, he got to learn behind two of the top DEs in the game in John Abraham and Dwight Freeney. On the other hand, because he was behind two of the top DEs in the game, so his chances of starting were not good. He has never missed a game through six seasons but has one start. In S6 and S7, he had 5 sacks , 3 FF, and 1 FR, so he at least has some high production for a DE in recent seasons as reason for optimism.

Castonzo played in 9 games (starts), and had 20 blocks against 3 sacks. With such a small sample size, I'm not sure how to evaluate Castonzo as a player, but in a weak crop of draft picks, this seems like an easy spot to slot him.

Washington is the longest-tenured HB on the Panthers, but he has always been the #2 HB. First it was DeShaun Foster. Next, it was Reggie Bush. He has had a season with a YPC at 4.0 or above, so it isn't like he deserved to be the starter. He is still under contract for three more seasons, so unless something happens in the meantime, his contract will expire after his age-29 season. 15 of the 32 top-rated HBs on each team are in their 30s, so it isn't out of the question that he will open a season as a starter somewhere in his career. Hell, with Bush's history, it could even be this season!

Munnerlyn became a starter for the first time last season on a Seahawks D that regressed hard. He did record 4 INTs, but with the trainwreck that was the S8 Seahawk season, I'm not sure that counts for much.

Sometimes, the AI does make what appears to be panic picks because something in their code makes them choose a specific position. I am fairly certain that Lewis was not a projected 1st round pick when the Cougars took him at 20. He lasted three seasons, tallying 25 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 INTs, 0 FFs, and 0 FRs in 33 games and 16 starts. Lewis has an argument for worst 1st-round pick ever, but he is 73 and 28 years old if anyone wants to give him a second chance in free agency.
---

#21 Overall Picks

QB Brady Quinn (S2 by Broncos)
WR Courtney Taylor (S3 by Jets)
QB Ben Mauk (S4 by Colts)
MLB Taylor Smith (S5 by Redskins)
FS Tyvon Branch (S6 by Lions)
QB Tyrod Taylor (S7 by Packers)
QB Matthew Stafford (S8 by Vikings)

T. Taylor > Mauk > Smith > Branch > C. Taylor > Quinn > Stafford

Tyrod is the most dynamic QB to enter the league since Vince Young. I'd say his ceiling is even higher! He has elite ball carrying skills as a QB and has fumbled just once in his career. If he can take the next step as passer and stay healthy (started 16 of 32 games in his career), I think he will be considered an elite QB.

Mauk has yet to start in his career, but he has an excellent track record in relief. Before joining the Patriots, he had a career 109.9 passer rating with 8 TD passes and no INTs on 63% passing. He was then punished for joining the dark side with throwing his first INT and a 45.8 passer rating on the season. Now thrust into the starting role with the Ravens, there has to be no pressure following up on Omar Jacob's infamous S8.

Smith went to Redskins on a draft-day blunder by me, which Jukkie was a good sport about, but it worked out well for the Redskins. A rare pass-rushing MLB who in his career has 8.9 tackles per sack, Taylor has been backing up for Brian Urlacher since he arrived in D.C. With Urlacher 35 now and dealing with his fair share of injuries in recent years, Taylor is the future and maybe even the present for the Redskins at MLB.

Much like the Lions' D as a whole, things haven't been the same for Branch since the Lions won the SB in S6. After a Pro Bowl rookie season that saw him haul in 5 INTs, Branch has 2 INTs since. He is now arguably the leader of that secondary, and with Ohalete at SS likely in his final season, he needs a bounceback season so things don't look so grim for next season.

C. Taylor's career is similar to Robert Meachems except the former did have a great year when the Jets made the Super Bowl. If not for an otherworldly year from Browns WR Terrell Owens (I say this almost every year with a WR), Taylor would have led the NFL in receiving YPC. 70% of his career TDs came in that season.

Quinn was spectacular in relief of Matt Hasselbeck for the in S7 and had a great S5 with the Broncos as well. Other than that, he's been an underwhelming QB with four seasons of neutral or negative TD:INT ratios and sub-60% completion percentages. At least he can take solace that he's had a better career here than in real life.

With Portis' year, it is unlikely that Stafford is going to be a franchise QB in Minnesota. He did go 14-19, 164 yards, 2 TDs, but with such a small sample size and possibly no future in Minnesota, it's hard to put him anywhere but last.
---

God I would love that from Tyrod

Also, shout out to I-Dowling for being the top-rated CB on my team without playing a down in the league
---

He might do better with Grossman! Guy he is replacing had a similar rating and was posting like 1000 ish yards and quite a number of TDs a year. Granted he was like the only WR on the team with zero back up

#22 Overall Picks

LE Loren Howard (S2 by Giants)
CB Antonio Cromartie (S3 by Dolphins)
CB Johnathan Joseph (S4 by Giants)
LT Matt Hardrick (S5 by Texans/Pioneers)
CB Avery Atkins (S6 by Browns)
HB Chris Johnson (S7 by Colts)
LT Russell Okung (S8 by Jaguars)

Howard > Atkins > Cromartie > Joseph > Hardrick > Okung > Johnson

If Howard isn't the best draft pick (between him and Daniel Inman), then he's at least the best reach. I distinctly remember Eddv's strategy asking for a DE in R1. The two DEs with first round grades were already gone, so he got Loren Howard with a 3rd round grade. He sat behind I want to say R-Kal Truluck his rookie season, but he has since blossomed into arguably the best all-around DE in the game. Oddly enough, his worst seasons statistically were the seasons the Giants won Super Bowls, but in his 7 year career, he has 251 tackles, 58 sacks, 1 INT, 7 FFs, and 8 FRs, and provides elite run defense. He's just 28 years old and could very well reach 500 tackles, 100 sacks, 15 FFs, and 15 FRs in his career. That would be quite the accomplishment for a DE.

Ordering the three CBs was tough. I went with Atkins first because he is the most consistent stat-wise and the Browns Pass D is better with him in the lineup than Cromartie or Joseph are with their teams. Cromartie is second because he's had the best seasons, but also hasn't appeared to be as integral to his team's success as Atkins. Joseph has the most recent seasons of eye-catching stats, but he also seems to have the least impact on his team's success.

Hardrick, as was mentioned with Doug Free, just never had a chance to start at OT with Pace and Glenn in front of him and kept losing out on G spots. He has a career mark of 63 blocks against 7 sacks allowed.

With the way the Jags' OL has retooled and developed, Okung might never get a chance to start outside of injury replacements. His 15 block, 3 sack rookie season was far from special. There's nothing else to say about him.

Incumbent HB Steven Jackson has had a massively disappointing career with the Colts. It doesn't help that the OL is among the league's worst (if not at the bottom), but Jackson's career yards per game is pitiful, especially since his career high is 1036 yards while having played four full seasons. You would have thought that Johnson would get more playing time as a result, but a TD-less start to his career and the Colts drafting LeSean McCoy in the Top 10 a year ago, I don't think Johnson will truly get a chance to see what he can do in Indianapolis.
---

Loren Howard has been the backbone of my team - I can't imagine being around without him right now after all these retirements.
---

#23 Overall Picks

LOLB Pierre Woods (S2 by Bills)
HB Selvin Young (S3 by Saints/Lightning)
WR Dwayne Jarrett (S4 by Jets)
RT Reggie Youngblood (S5 by Jaguars)
QB Ben Olson (S6 by Giants)
QB Colin Kaepernick (S7 by Wildcats)
WR Dez Bryant (S8 by Chiefs)

Jarrett > Olson > Youngblood > Woods > Kaepernick > Bryant > Young

Unlike Courtney Taylor, the selection of Jarrett, the second-straight Jet 1st rounder spent on a WR, has been a huge success. Even with an entire season lost to injury, Jarrett has more outproduced Taylor and last season had 78 receptions for 1046 yards and 9 TDs. He had a similar season two years ago. He has done well with a declining Matt Hasselbeck and a Drew Brees on his fourth team. I'd say that they needed him more than Jarrett needed them.

Through two seasons as a starter, it appears that you know part of what you will get with Olson. Despite an elite set of weapons at his disposal, his YPA will always be paltry and a substandard completion % for a pure passer. However, if he routinely has seasons within the vicinity of last season with 20 more TDs than INTs, I'm sure that many wouldn't care about the other holes in his game.

Youngblood had been a little wild to start his career, but he really settled down to record 67 blocks against 6 sacks in a Pro Bowl S8. If there were more, steady players picked at #23, I would definitely slot him lower, but he's among the few that have had success in a full season, and he's had two (rookie season had him record 70 blocks, albeit with 15 sacks allowed).

A failed OLB in Buffalo, Woods has turned into an above-average DE. Most OLB-to-DE switches don't work out well on the stat sheet because of how one-sided the newly-made DEs tend to be, but Woods is coming off a season where he had 6 sacks, 3 FFs, and 1 FR. That's not Pro Bowl level, but it is getting somewhere. In a division where the winner went 6-10, he's going to have six games to show that he can be a great DE.

Using yet another comparison, Kaepernick's career path has basically mirror Alex Walton's. Kaepernick was thrust into action early due to an injury to the starting QB. Kaepernick was horrible and was, along with teammates, on the ballot for LVP. Kaepernick responded by having a vastly better sophomore season as the incumbent starter continued to deal with injuries. The Wildcats' offense is far superior to the Lightnings', and Vick is older than Eli Manning, so Kaep is in the better position.

Bryant had 12 receptions for 166 yards, 2 TDs in his rookie season with Marc Bulger at the helm. This is a totally unpredictable Chiefs offense with a new starting QB whose strengths and weaknesses hardly overlap with Bulger's. HB Domanick Davis has four seasons of starting all 16 games and four other seasons starting 9 or fewer. Top WR T.J. Houshmandz retired over the offseason, leaving four mid-range WRs to compete for much of the targets. I have absolutely no idea what things are going to look like for the Chiefs. Without anything that I feel I can set as a foundation, I can't even begin to think how Bryant will perform or develop.

Much like Arian Foster, Young has a career sparse with activity except for one season that accounts for more than half of his touches and yards. He is now buried on the Broncos depth chart. I wouldn't expect hearing his name much in S9 or maybe even for the rest of his career.
---

#24 Overall Picks

LT Eric Winston (S2 by Cowboys)
QB Brian Brohm (S3 by Raiders)
LE Chris Harrington (S4 by Rams)
DT William Morrisey (S5 by Vikings)
RE Calais Campbell (S6 by Dolphins)
WR Mike Wallace (S7 by Broncos)
DT Gerald McCoy (S8 by Steelers)

Campbell > Morrisey > Wallace > Harrington > McCoy > Winston > Brohm

Campbell has started off his career starting all 16 games while providing 8+ sacks and 2+ FFs+FRs in each season. He is coming off his best season with 9 sacks and 3 FFs+FRs, yet it was S7 when he made the Pro Bowl. He along with LE Travis Johnson headline a DE corps that has been brutal to opposing OTs for many seasons. At just 25, Campell intends to do so for a decade longer.

Morrisey had waited patiently for his chance to start, and when he was given the nod in S7, the Vikings have fielded Top 10 defenses in each season. A behemoth of a man at 349 lbs, Morrisey uses his deceptive speed to go along with his incredible strength to record 21 sacks in 32 starts. Relative to their offense, the Vikings' defense is young and Morrisey at 27 years of age can continue to do a lot while not having to be asked of much.

The Broncos have had one great WR in their history, and it was Peter Warrick. Once he retired, they've had a weak slate of WRs where it seemed like nobody was trying to separate themselves and become a bona fide #1 WR. I don't know if he become a true #1 WR, but Wallace's short career certainly suggests that he's going to give it all his might after accounting for almost half of the Bronco's receiving yards among WRs.

Harrington has done whatever the Rams have asked him to do. They've asked him to be a starter in S6 and S8, and he's given them 22 sacks and 3 FFs in those season. They've asked him to be a rotational DE, and he's provided a consistent pass rush (5 sacks in those other three seasons) while remaining injury-free. He is expected to remain on the bench this season.

McCoy is in a good situation. The Steelers' D has a nice mix of youth and veteran presence that's great on talent. If this were real life and his in-game stats translated to it, he would be ill-suited for being a 3-4 NT (rookie first rounder Odrick would be excellent). Fortunately for McCoy and the Steelers, there is no such thing as a player being better or worse suited for a defensive alignment.

Winston hasn't played in more than 10 games since S3, and he doesn't record many blocks, but he certainly doesn't let his blocking assignment get to the QB. He's allowed just 15 sacks in 44 starts across seven seasons. The bad news is that as a Steeler, he has allowed 11 sacks in 18 starts. Suddenly, things don't look as encouraging.

Brohm's rookie season went great as he had 18-25, 186 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT for a 116.0 passer rating. The passer rating has dropped every season since, including a pathetic S8 where he went 27-65, 351 yards, 1 TD, 6 INTs. The Seahawks were hit hard with injuries, but that doesn't excuse for that. His career as a starter is likely done.
---

#25 Overall Picks

CB Reuben Houston (S2 by Texans/Pioneers)
CB Ashton Youboty (S3 by Steelers)
QB Brian Johnson (S4 by Browns)
CB Jamario O'Neal (S5 by 49ers)
LE Doug Worthington (S6 by Falcons)
LT Ryan Clady (S7 by Browns)
QB Brock Osweiler (S8 by Rams)

O'Neal > Houston > Worthington > Youboty > Clady > Johnson > Osweiler

O'Neal's employment status, ability to keep a previously aging 49ers defense from completely cratering, and multiple skills keep him above Houston. I find it hard to make an out-of-work CB for multiple seasons take the top spot. O'Neal was the basically the start of overhauling the 49ers as their core was on the verge of retirement. I give him a lot of credit for making sure the 49ers D did not turn into the next Titans or Wildcats (sorry for dragging them into this Stan and prof). Given the health of #1 WR Todd Walker, O'Neal is very capable of returning kicks in a pinch has returned one for a TD in his career. He may not have had an exciting career to date, but what he has done is enough to be considered the top #25 selection in my book.

Houston was actually a pretty solid #2/slot corner for the Texans, including one that made the playoffs. In his four years with the team, he had 11 INTs, 3 FFs, and 6 FRs. There aren't many corners that will do that in a four-season stretch. The problem is that he never developed, and the overall rating of a player does play a significant role in the AI's algorithm on who to resign or not. He hasn't played since his rookie contract ran out, but the 75 overall, 30 year-old would certainly like another shot.

It's hard for me to accept that DEs can have such low tackle totals. Worthington started 16 games and had just 18 tackles. If you add his 9 sacks, that makes it 27 total takedowns, not even two a game. You would think that with the higher focus on running attacks than in real life, DEs would be closer to an OLB than a CB. That aside, putting up 9 sacks in your first season as a starter after Jevon Kearse went to an injury in the preseason is admirable. Now that Kearse retired, I want to see if Worthington can expand his game. If not, I can't see him dropping down these rankings, but if he can, he can potentially reach the top.

I know that CBs have small stats compared to let's say LBs and SSs, but Youboty routinely finishes with tackle totals in the mid-teens and has just 1 FF to his name. He did add 3 INTs last season, but that was to a mediocre Steelers team. He will presumably take over the slot corner role after being a starter the past two seasons, so maybe that is what he and the Steelers need.

Clady hasn't allowed his QB to get pressured much, but with consecutive sub-40 block seasons to start his career, it doesn't appear as if he's doing enough to give this offense a jolt that seems to getting colder. With the only expected change to be at FB, Clady will really need to break through in his third season.

I thought Johnson had a better career than he did despite knowing that most of his action has come from being the Colts starter in S8 and has Sam Bradford's injury replacement for the Browns in S7. He did start off S8 as a dark horse MVP candidate as he shredded opposing defenses. He fell back down to earth as he was both inefficient and turnover-prone, which caused the Colts' offense to plummet and their season to crater, losing 6 of 7 at point to make a late surge too little, too late. Still, the talent is there, but with his glaring flares, his ceiling and floors are not what anyone would look for in a franchise QB.

Buried on the depth chart as a rookie, Osweiler could have a chance to get some snaps this season, but I have to assume that #2 overall pick Ryan Tannehill has a much higher rating than everyone and will be given the starting job. Call this an incomplete for now.
---

#26 Overall Picks

QB Darrell Hackney (S2 by Falcons)
QB Sam Keller (S3 by Dolphins)
ROLB Wesley Jefferson (S4 by Lions)
HB LaMarcus Coker (S5 by Broncos)
LOLB DeAndre Levy (S6 by Dolphins)
FS Eric Berry (S7 by Panthers)
LE Michael Johnson (S8 by Hawks)

Keller > Coker > Berry > Johnson > Levy > Jefferson > Hackney

Most starting QBs do not follow the same path as Keller. Excluding the QBs who were already there when the league began, they tend to either start Week 1 of their rookie seasons or they sit behind someone else and eventually become the starter elsewhere. Keller didn't become until as third season as he sat behind Trent Dilfer and Kerry Collins (now his OC). He has had his way with NFL defenses. He leads all active QBs in YPA. He has the highest career passer rating and completion % among QBs who entered the league in S2 or later. He's also fourth in TD passes, and he is less than 10 away from the leader, Chris Leak, despite starting in 30 fewer games. Not bad for the fifth QB taken in the 2007 B8NFLL Draft.

It was long thought that the Broncos 1st round HB from an earlier season, LenDale White, would succeed Tiki Barber and be the Broncos future star HB, but it is Coker who is the face of the Broncos' offense now. With the second-highest career YPC (4.6) among those with 750+ carries, it is more likely that Coker's success has helped the Broncos' OL development than the other way around. While they will likely lean on him less as their passing game is showing signs of life, the Broncos' offense will continue to center around Coker. He's the 18th-rated HB in the game, but he plays like a Top 5 HB.

I don't know how you go from 51 to 28 tackles in a single season, but if the "cost" is to record 5 INTs, nobody would argue that Berry regressed. At the age of just 23, Berry partners with the 31 year-old Jonathan Vilma and 29 year-old Claude Wroten to give the Panthers an elite player at each section of the defense. For a team with depth issues on the defensive side of the ball, they will need players like Berry to continue being playmakers to put the Panthers in the playoff discussion.

Everyone wants different things for their players. Some prefer certain positions to others, which typically means they value different stats and styles of players to others. When it comes to DE, I prefer the all-around player to the feast-or-famine sack artist. Loren Howard and Calais Campbell are the 9th and 10th-rated DEs respectively, but in my eyes, they are the top two because they both sack the QB and stuff the run with equal authority and are prone to picking up multiple FFs and FRs in a season. I have the feeling that Michael Johnson can become that guy in an underrated Hawks defense. He will be asked to replace Shaun Ellis, so we can get a taste of what kind of DE Johnson will become.
---

You could honestly order Levy and Jefferson any way you want. Both are career backups. Levy's tackle rate is far higher than Jefferson's while Jefferson sacks the QB at a higher clip. Levy has a better nose for the football with higher FF and FR totals despite playing in two fewer seasons. I sided with Levy because he's at least still playing with the team that drafted him and is still in line to become a starter.

It is with a heavy heart that I must tell everyone that Hackney did not make the cut last season when Madden does the seasonal purging of free agents. I have mentioned many times that we will never see a team like the inaugural season Redskins. The same goes for the S4 Falcons. In S4, Hackney was the starting QB for the Falcons and had a season every bit as bad as Omar Jacobs did for the Ravens last season. This Falcons team had the worst record in the league the season before, so when I tell you that they had Bottom 10 offenses and defenses to go along with a league-worst turnover differential and opponents outscoring them by 80+ points, you'd probably think they picked near the top of the draft again right? What if I told you that the Falcons went 9-7, earned a wild card spot, and won a playoff game beating the Vikings in Minnesota? Well, that's what happened and nothing about that makes sense at any level. Hackney sucked but goddamn do I appreciate the memories!
---

#27 Overall Picks

DT Claude Wroten (S2 by Lions)
WR Santonio Holmes (S3 by Cardinals/Wildcats)
CB Zachary Bowman (S4 by Ravens)
QB Graham Harrell (S5 by Falcons)
RE Raymond Henderson (S6 by Buccaneers)
WR Michael Crabtree (S7 by Rams)
LT Jared Valdheer (S8 by Buccaneers)

Wroten > Bowman > Crabtree > Henderson > Valdheer > Holmes > Harrell

Wroten has shifted gears a bit as he's about halfway through his career. He started his career as a true disrupter, accumulating sacks and FFs+FRs. In what coincided with the decline of the Lions defense, he assumed a more demanding role as his tackles skyrocketed, sacks flatlined, and FFs+FRs evaporated (75% of his FFs+FRs occurred in his first four seasons). I don't think that he's any lesser of a player than he used to be. He's just different, and I wonder how things will change playing for a new team.

A ballhawk and a shutdown CB, Bowman is any WR's nightmare. After beginning his career sitting behind Ronde Barber, Asante Samuel, and Terence Newman (Newman is still playing in real life!), Bowman quickly surpassed both of them. He's had at least 3 INTs each season as a starter, and he's known to being a bit of a thumper with an unusually high amount of FFs throughout his career. What was once a deep CB corps is now a little thin, but with a rock like Bowman, I'm sure the Ravens will be fine.

Despite the Rams starting one of the lowest-rated QBs last season, Josh Freeman, Crabtree saw significant improvement from year one to year two. With the Rams starting WRs at 31 and 32, he will have to wait his like Maclin in New York, but with a better QB situation likely coming this season and with the Rams having a historically potent offense, an even bigger year 3 might be looming.

While Henderson has yet to record a FF or FR playing in Aaron Schobel's shadow, he has improved his tackle and sack total every season. The Bucs' D was either the worst or second-worst among playoff teams last season, and a couple of those starters are now gone. It may not be a rating improvement, but the defense could see a unit improvement with Henderson on the D-line.

Valdheer is in a fight to be the Bucs LT this season and could probably compete for LG as well. He had 5 blocks against 0 sacks in rookie season, so there's not much to go off of. For as prolific as the Bucs' offense is, their offensive line has seen better days with Flozell Adams having just retired and Matt Light a free agent. Assuming there are no changes, the Bucs will need the left side of the line to do its best to act like nothing has changed.

When you have six seasons under your belt, saying your rookie season was your best is never a good sign. I forget if Isaac Bruce or Eric Moulds were still active then (I want to say at least one was), so it was a surprise to see Holmes win a starting job as a rookie. He wasn't spectacular by any means, but 40 receptions for 565 yards and 3 TDs is great for a rookie WR in a Michael Vick offense. He never started another game after that as he sat behind I have to assume Bruce or Moulds and then later Gonzie Massey. His work in the slot leaves a lot to be desired as he routinely hauled in right around 20 passes for 200-something yards. He saw a return to rookie form last season, but I don't think that will be replicated again this season.

Harrell is the third of three failed 1st round QBs by the Falcons. He's the worst of the bunch because he didn't win a playoff game as their starter (Hackney) or have a mediocre season as the full-time starter (Henne). He just sat on the bench and gave the Falcons a pocket passer with a barely 50% completion percentage in low activity.
---

Btw KCF these summaries are really insightful and just plain awesome, keep em comin
---

WalkingWiki posted...

Btw KCF these summaries are really insightful and just plain awesome, keep em comin

---