We have unfortunately hit the real off-season of the NFL. The draft and free agency are over and there are few things less exciting in the world of football then voluntary OTAs. In the last few weeks, the headlines have included Johnny Manziel’s Vegas trip, Dan Marino joining the concussion lawsuit, then leaving the concussion lawsuit hours later and my personal favorite headline, Aaron Rodgers lost 13 pounds from doing yoga. So I couldn’t think of a better time to release my skill position player ranking list. This is a “what have you done for me lately” league so this list will follow the same guidelines. A player’s career long success will always be a factor but I am going off of their more recent success and failures. So without further adieu, I give you the list.
QB:
1. Peyton Manning: Numbers don’t lie, even at 38 Manning continues to shatter records. The Super Bowl loss hurt Manning’s chances at greatest of all time but his 2013-14 record breaking MVP season keeps the conversation alive.
2. Drew Brees: Even after finishing last season with over 5000 yards passing for the 4th time and sporting a 104.7 QB rating, Brees was stuck behind the Manning shadow. That being said Brees continues to put up elite numbers and keeps the Saints in the Super Bowl conversation every year.
3. Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers would have been at number 2 but his injury cost him the majority of the 2013-14 season. The fact the Packers made the playoffs without him was nothing short of a miracle…and Eddy Lacy. The Packers are a favorite of mine to go deep into the postseason in 2015 and compete with the Seahawks and 49ers to win the NFC.
4. Phillip Rivers: Rivers deservingly won comeback player of the year after the Chargers finally decided to give him weapons to work with. Putting him in front of Brady may raise some eyebrows but again, numbers don’t lie. Compared to Brady, Rivers finished the regular season with almost 10 more touchdowns and the same amount of interceptions. He also had a higher QB rating, completion percentage, and yards per attempt average.
5. Tom Brady: The reason I believe Brady is this low on my top 5 is not his fault. He is a victim of Bill Belichick’s refusal to pay large sums of money for talent. The Patriots leading receiver was Julian Edelman who barely broke 1,000 yards and only had 6 TDs. At best Brady only has 2-3 more years to be on this list or even in the league. If I’m Belichick I must be blind to not look at the blue prints over in Denver. Hall of Fame QB + good offensive Line + 2-3 Pro Bowl receivers= Record Breaking offense. Sure easier said than done and then there is the even more important defensive side of the ball but really…Danny Amendola, your not even trying any more.
T-5. Andrew Luck: Yeah I took the easy way out and out a tie for 5th. Andrew Luck does more in the Colts offense then any of the other young star QB crop of Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick, and RGIII. Luck’s numbers are not mind blowing but they show a QB that makes smart decisions and does not turn the ball over. But the most important stat that Luck has backing him is the only one that really matters, wins. He took the colts from first overall pick to Super Bowl sleeper in just 2 years.
6. Russell Wilson 7. Matthew Stafford 9. Colin Kaepernick 10. Ben Roethlisberger
RB:
1. Adrian Peterson: Adrian Peterson continues to succeed with virtually nothing else for opponents to game plan for. He is the Vikings entire offense.
2. LeSean McCoy: McCoy will some day be at the top of this list because I don’t think there is a more athletically gifted running back in the league. As a Redskins fan that hurt to say but it is true. Foles would not have had half the success he did if teams were not worried about McCoy. He also led the league in rushing yards and averaged over 100 yards a game.
3. Marshawn Lynch: Lynch edged out Charles for the number 3 spot because of the Super Bowl win. Most Lombardi’s are credited to the quarterback but this one belongs to the Seattle defense and Lynch. Not to discredit Wilson but this is a run first offense and without beast mode the Hawks don’t even make it to the Super Bowl.
4. Jamaal Charles: Andy Reid is the greatest thing to ever happen to Charles. He loves to run the ball and Charles is one of the best at it. He is a deadly weapon running and catching the ball. He averaged 5 yards a carry in 2013 and played almost as important a role as Lynch did in Seattle. Without Jamaal Charles the Chiefs offense drops to the bottom half of the league.
5. Matt Forte: Forte has fallen in and out of the “household name” crowd of running backs but he deserves a lot of the credit for the Bears offensive success. He is almost a more effective weapon as a receiver out of the backfield in the screen game but he can also get the tough yards. Again, he ran for over 1,000 yards and averaged 4.5 yards a carry. If the Bears used him more he could climb this list.
6. Eddy Lacy 7. Alfred Morris 8. Frank Gore 9. Demarco Murray 10. Ryan Mathews
WR:
1. Calvin Johnson Jr.: He is the Lions offense. He beat the Madden Curse. He broke Jerry Rice’s record and he might be the first to ever reach 2,000 yards receiving. I will even go as far to say that Calvin Johnson Jr. will go down as the best receiver of all time when he retires.
2. Josh Gordon: Josh Gordon was the lonely highlight of the Browns last season. He led the league in receiving yards by over 200 yards. He averaged 117.6 yards a game. The second closest was Calvin Johnson with 106.6 and after him the third closest was Antonio Brown with only 93.7. I left out Julio Jones and Justin Blackmon who only played a few games so they don’t count.
3. Dez Bryant: Maturity issues aside, Bryant is the most gifted player on this list besides Calvin Johnson Jr. When he wants to, he dominates defenders all over the field. His ability to catch the ball in traffic is unparalleled. His numbers are not elite yet but his ability is, if he can get a stable offense in place he jumps up a spot on the list.
4. Andre Johnson: At the age of 32, Johnson continues to post 1,500 yard seasons even with 3 different incredibly sub par quarterbacks running the offense. If Johnson can get off the sinking (completely submerged) ship that is the Houston Texans he could push a contender to the top. Unfortunately for Johnson his cap hit makes that a very unlikely scenario.
5. Demaryius Thomas: Imagine the roller coaster Thomas has been on throughout his career with the Broncos. Taken in the first round only to later hear Tim Tebow’s name called by his new team a few picks later. And now he is catching record breaking passes from Peyton Manning. Thomas is the ultimate benefactor of Manning in Mile High but he deserves a lot of the credit for their offensive success. His ability to get yards after the catch might just be the best in the league.
6. A.J. Green 7. Brandon Marshall 8. Julio Jones 9. Antonio Brown 10. Alshon Jeffery
TE:
1. Jimmy Graham: The only TE with over 1,000 yards receiving and even more impressive was his 16 touchdowns. He is the number one receiver in New Orleans and besides Drew Brees is also their best player.
2. Rob Gronkowski: He has all of the talent and ability of Jimmy Graham and most of the time has the stats to back it up. His only problem is staying healthy and it’s a big one. If he could play all 16 games I don’t know who would be number 1.
3. Vernon Davis: Davis is a freak athlete and is a key part of the 49ers offense. His 13 touchdowns and 850 yards keep him near the top of this list.
4. Julius Thomas: A year ago no one knew who Julius Thomas was. It is no coincidence that as soon as Manning comes to town and Thomas gets into the lineup he explodes on the scene as a top tight end. That being said he rose to the challenge and was a key part of what will go down as the best offense of all time.
5. Antonio Gates: Gates already had a Hall of Fame resume before this season but it looked like his career was coming to an end in 2012. But in 2013, he had another break out season and was a huge part of Phillip Rivers winning comeback player of the year. Staying healthy was also key.
6. Jordan Cameron 7. Jason Witten 8. Greg Olson 9. Charles Clay 10. Jordan Reed
Comment with your opinions or questions of why players went were they did. Also stay tuned for the Defensive Positions Ranking list.
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