Last Football Post- The 10 Players You'd Want on Your Team

1. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers- Big Ben, with already his second Super Bowl win, is the best QB under 30. In my opinion is one of the best ever, but with this last win, literally yesterday, he has come from behind and won a game 18 times! The kids only been around a few years, but he's just as "clutch" as Tom Brady, if not more.

2. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals- Moss and Owens get all of the fame, but Fitzgerald is king in the NFL. A first round draft pick, the Cardinals were nervous that his 4.7 40 time wouldn't cut it against faster corners. He makes up for his average speed with his insane leaping ability and agility, Jerry Rice hands and his 6'3" 220 pound frame. Make no mistake, Kurt Warner is good but Fitzgerald was a bigger part of that Cardinals Super Bowl team--it sure wasn't that defense...

3. Chad Pennington, QB, Miama Dolphins- Pennington has a lifetime QB rating of 90, one of the best in the league, yet he was never looked upon as a superior QB because of his average arm and injury history, Pennington is no athlete, he has size 14 feet--lineman feet-- and his arm isn't strong by any stretch. The former Rhodes Scholar made up for his shortcomings with his brain and his accuracy. He's incredibly smart and very accurate, hitting his targets usually well over 2/3 of the time. My favorite player, I was heart broken when Parcells saw what I saw and took him to the Dolphins. If you need proof how good he is, just look how the Dolphins went from zero to hero with him as their only notable free-agent aquisition.

4. Peyton Hillis, FB/HB, Denver Broncos- Hillis, at 6'1" 250 is an absolute beast in the backfield. His freight train-like running style would make Brandon Jacob's piss his pants. Its rare a team has a fullback that can make the plays Hillis does, but he can block receive and run with the best half backs in the league. In the five games he started he rushed for 5 touchdowns, had a 5.0 rushing average and 343 yards on the ground. They lost him in the final weeks of the season with a leg injury, but if the Broncos can get a fast guy to complement Hillis they'd have the thunder and lighting that the Giants have.

5. Wes Welker, Slot WR, New Englad Patriots- Once cut from the Chargers and let go by the Dolphins, Welker came to the Pats as a special teams guy. In a poor preseason 2007 he was losing hope, but Belichick saw something and the Pats decided to slot him in the, well, slot and he quickly became Brady's favorite target, catching 112 passes in 2007. Moss gets the press but the Pats can't win without Welker. He's super fast, leading the league in YAC in '07 and he brought down another 111 passes in '08. Its too early to tell if the Pro Bowler is hall of fame material, but if he keeps playing like this for three to four more years he'll be a lock.

6. Alan Faneca, LG, New York Jets- Faneca is the best at his position hands down. The Jets signed him in 2008 and he quickly showed his worth by clearing lanes for Thomas Jones to add over a yard to his yards per carry. His run blocking is fantastic but his pass blocking is his strength and he keeps nose tackles in their spot and once in a while chips and rails the line backers with his plus speed.

7. Michael Turner, RB, Falcons- Adrian Peterson and Brandon Jacobs are very good, don't get me wrong, but Turner is the league's unsung hero. The stocky 244 pound Turner was always good for San Diego but the Falcons saw someone really good. He scored 17 touchdowns in '08 and rushed for second place in the league. He can do it all, break it to the outside, catch a pass or truck up the middle. Now that Dunn and T.J. Duckett are gone the Falcons might make the playoffs yearly with this guy.

8. Albert Hayneworth, DT, Tennessee Titans- That tightens defense was a wrecking ball for offensive lines in '08. Hayneworth had 6 sacks in '07 and then a league leading 8.5 (among defensive tackles) in '08. More of a passing threat, he can still block the run and made 51 tackles in '08.

9. Mike Vrabel, OLB, New England Patriots- Vrabel does it all, picks off passes, sacks the QB, and stops the run. He has 55 career sacks and 11 career picks over the eight seasons in which he started. A 3 time Super Bowl winner, he Bruschi and Colin dominated opponents in the red zone, and usually stopped dead in their tracks. Vrabel also can play offense, and the Patriots run a famous trick play when they're in a jam where Vrabel catches a goaline pass for a touchdown.

10. Brian Dawkins, FS, Philadelphia Eagles- Dawkins has been around forever, for twelve seasons he's been picking off opposing quarterbacks and destroying receivers that brashly come over the middle to catch a floater. He forced 6 fumbles in 2008, a number that Darren Woodson and Jon Lynch could only dream of. To me he's a sure fire Hall of Famer and I know I'm not the only one. He'll continue to make Terrell Owens shit his pants in 2009. If you're wondering why he wears that visor its because he suffers from migraines- yeah he's that hardcore.

Top 10 Offensive NFL Players Since 1990

The top ten best offensive players. All of them are in the HOF or soon to be. Some of them revolutionized their positions, but all of them were winners. Here's the best ever.

1. Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers, QB- This pick comes easily. Favre, throughout eighteen years, has led the league in touchdowns four times (and picks twice), yards twice and completions three times. He's the all time record holder in career passing touchdowns--and picks, exemplifying his gun-slinging style of play. A nine time Pro Bowler, 3 time MVP and 3 time first team All-Pro, Favre is one of the best ever.


2. Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers', WR;- Rice had a long career for such a demanding and athletic position. The 1998 Super Bowl MVP, a 13 time Pro Bowler and a 10 time first team All-Pro. He owns career records in nearly every possible statistical category for a wide receiver: yards from scrimmage, receiving touchdowns, total touchdowns, receiving yards a game, playoff appearances and all-purpose yards.

3. John Elway, Denver Broncos, QB- A 9 time Pro Bowler, Elway's career stats are nothing to write home about--especially his QB rating. For the first half of his career he was Jake Plummer, for the second he was Fran Tarkenton. Possibly the most clutch player ever, he led a floundering Broncos team to two Super Bowl wins, one of them he won almost single-handedly with passing touchdowns and a body-sacrificing dive into the endzone. Against the Falcons he was the 1998 Super Bowl MVP, and he's a hell of a guy on top of being a hell of a signal caller.

4. Tom Brady New England Patriots- Brady is my generation's version of Joe Montana. Like Elway the guy is a winner, especially when it counts. He took a lousy team, headed by a half-wit quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, and turned them into the best dynasty since the Steel Curtain. He holds the record for touch down passes in a season, but outside of 2007 he was never too flashy. Until Moss and Welker, his receiving core was the worst in the league-- headed by Deion Branch , Troy Brown and David Givens--some of the slowest receivers ever to get a starting job. He made his money with his smarts, toughness and dedication.

5. Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions- Sanders' career came to a very early halt, too early for me. In my opinion, and I know I'm not alone, he was the best player ever. Longevity is his only knock, but that guy was the heart and sole of the Lions, and since his retirement they haven't been a decent team. In the ten years that he played he made the Pro Bowl 10 times! He was a 6 time First Team All Pro and is third in career rushing yards--impressive for a guy that played a lot less than Smith or Faulk.

6. Dan Marino- Unfortunately for Danny, all of his records were broken by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady but he's still second in pass yards, pass attempts, passing touchdowns and passing completions. He's an incredible competitor and it was heartbreaking that he couldn't come home with a Super Bowl win, even with a perfect record in 1984.

7. Shannon Sharpe, TE, Denver Broncos- The guy with the biggest mouth in the business--so big he'd be a star in gay porn--Shannon Sharpe revolutionized the Tight End position and made it a position that holds legitimate down field threats. A superb athlete, he was unfortunately linked to Romanowski's steroid days, but even so, he's a 4 time first team All-Pro and an eight time Pro Bowler. He's incredible and a Super Bowl winner.

8. Emitt Smith, HB, Dallas Cowboys- Emmitt James Smith II was never a favorite of mine, and his fullback Daryl Johnston should probably be here more than Smith. Still, even though he was never a flashy runner like Sanders he too knew how to win with the flashy Cowboys. A Super Bowl winner and part of one of the best dynasties ever, led by Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Deon Sanders, Darren Woodson, he and Johnston. Before he retired he stole the rushing yards and rushing touchdowns records and seems to have a solid hold on them.

9. Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts- It seems just yesterday that Peyton was the kid out of Tennessee. Like Favre, Manning is a flashy quarterback and like Brady, he took a team of misfits and losers and turned them into a dynasty and Super Bowl winners. With one of the strongest arms ever, he's already fourth on the career TD pass list, and he's still only 32. He's an 8 time Pro Bowler and 4 time First Team All-Pro, and he's far from done.

10. Steve Young, QB, San Francisco 49'ers- After Montana left, the gayest city next to Provincetown was in tears. Luckily they got a fast and athletic QB out of Brigham Young (his ancestry founded the school). Originally drafted by the Bucs, Young was a Michael Vick before Michael Vick--making most of his value on the run. Then he met Jerry Rice in San Fran. That partnership made him an unstoppable force and the best QB to WR duo ever (Peyton to Marvin is pretty good too). A Super Bowl winner and a cool dude, he had to retire early because of his clock getting cleaned regularly.

10. Mike Alstott, FB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Alstott is tied with Young because he was by far the best FB ever. The only Full Back that could bust through tacklers and stomp them like cardboard boxes, Alstott was the heart and soul of the Bucks in the late 1990's through the early 2000's. His 58 touchdowns is unheard of among fullbacks and his career yardage is the best for the position ever. He was a 6 time Pro Bowler and a two time First Team All-Pro, but like Johnston, the truck had to leave due to constant neck injuries.

Just Missed- Willy Roaf, T, New Orleans Saints and a damn good one. Roaf spent most of his career with the Saints and he and Tony Boselli of the Jaguars were regular Pro Bowlers throughout the 90's. An 11 time Pro Bowler, Roaf is one of the best if not THE BEST, lineman ever.

Good but not Good Enough...Yet?

Neil Walker, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates- Walker's star has faded somewhat since he was moved from catcher to third. The fantastic athlete with the fantastic arm hasn't reached his very high potential yet. Somewhat of an underachiever his stats are average with a career OPS of .746, but like Ka'aihue he could break out any day now.

Daniel Valencia, 3B, Minnesota Twins- Valencia is another one of those mid-range prospects in the Twins system--they seem to be full of them but they're making it work--just look at their pitching rotation for god's sake. Valencia just missed my top 100, but his stats are still very good. In his career Valencia has slugged '485, and has slugged over .500 three times--only two hiccups bring his numbers down. The kid also knows how to get on base, he usually walks a good amount, but those numbers fell at AA--which isn't out of the ordinary. What keeps him out of the top 100 is his strikeouts. In only 472 ab's in rookie ball, he had 102 strikeouts! Red flags are going up faster than on the race track if he can't make contact against such inexperienced pitchers.



Aaron Hicks, CF, Minnesota Twins- Hicks, like Hosmer, is another kid I have yet to see in action--so I can't provide a very deep analysis. Just judging by his stats, and Baseball America deeming him the best athlete in the Twins' minor league system he's definitely a guy that would be in my top 50. He does two things that are rare among ball players, especially young ones: he takes a walk with the best of 'em and had a .409 OBP for the Gulf Coast Twins. On top of that he mixes his good bat with some speed. He's extremely young and won't be twenty until this October so he could grow and became awesome, or get grow and became lousy. It looks like the former, so watch him.



Andrew Lambo, 1B/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers- Lambo has awful character--he's a real asshole to be honest but he's a decent hitter. He was drafted as a center fielder out of Los Angeles' Newberry Park High School, but he's far too slow to stay there so he was moved to 1B. Lambo has been inconsistent in his professional career-- mashing a .959 OPS in the Dodger's rookie ball club but then at single A his OPS dropped 150 points. The good news is he finished the year very well with AA Jacksonville with an OPS 1.171 in 36 at bats in eight games. First base is always a hard one to judge because the players aren't usually very athletic but if Doug Mientkewicz still gets a contract then Lambo definitely has a chance to play in the MLB.

Eric Hosmer, 1B, Kansas City Royals- I did pledge to never rate a player I've never seen or even heard about and Hosmer is one of those players. His stats say that he should be rated in the top 50 to the top 20 range, so he's clearly very good.

Eric Young jr., 2B/CF, Colorado Rockies- A fellow fantasy leaguer made the argument that Young should be in the top 100. Although he made a good case, Young simply doesn't have the ceiling or numbers that a top 100 prospect has and won't compare to his dad outside of speed. Young has never hit .300 but in a season in single A he struck out over 100 times--something very scary for a lead off hitter facing singe A pitching. His defense is so bad that he made Chuck Knoblauch look like Ray Sanchez. The kid made 27 errors in 2/3 of a season in 2006 which is absolutely unacceptable. He didn't improve in 2007 and made another 25 so his coaches got tired of him and moved him to Center Fielder-- this is really what kills his ranking. Like Brett Gardner, he won't be collecting a .400 OBP against MLB pitching if he still doesn't break a .400 slugging percentage or doesn't make great contact, so that OBP will definitely drop as he goes up each level. His speed is probably one of the best in the minors or even the majors, so he could turn into a very good pinch runner or a Brett Gardner type of 4th outfielder.

Trevor Crowe, CF, Cleveland Indians- The soon to be twenty six year old Crowe was curiously rated by Baseball America as one of the top Indians' prospects going in to 2008. The kid has a .275 career batting average and a low .755 OPS, especially for an outfielder. He's gotten better at his defense every year, and has turned in to a good center fielder and a plus left fielder. If Melky Cabrera got a shot then so should Crowe. He's still a speedy base runner as well.

Tyler Colvin, Chicago Cubs, OF- Colvin, the former first round prospect, has been a big disappointment for the Cubs. Once thought to be a 20-20 guy, his star has faded as his patience faded as well. In his 3 years in professional ball hes struck out over a 100 times twice and his on base percentage is an absolutely dismal .316. The potential is still there and he has some decent speed and good power potential. His ceiling is kind of like last year's injured B.J. upton.