Over the next few weeks, NFL Writer Pete Prisco will be starting his series of NFL player rankings, and we're looking for good Community offerings to compare/contrast with Pete's picks. If you're interested, we're looking for your Top 10 picks, complete with a short piece of commentary about each.
Here's a quick example of what we're looking for:
Offensive Tackles 1 Walter Jones - Seattle Seahawks Walter Jones is the epitome of durability, and there's no reason to think that shouldn't be the case again this year. Since being sixth overall in 1997, Jones has started 180 games. Over the course of that career, he's been selected as a seven-time All Pro and earned spots on nine Pro Bowl teams. He also helped make superstars out of Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck . When it comes to OT's, he's as solid as they come. 2 Joe Thomas - Cleveland Browns Entering his third season, Joe Thomas has quickly made a name for himself among the leagues best. At a lean 6'6" and 305, Thomas exemplifies the new, much more athletic linemen that are becoming the NFL standard. Thomas has made the Pro Bowl in his first two seasons, and at 24 years old, is the perfect corner-stone for any O-line.
3 Orlando Pace - St. Louis Rams The reason the term "pancake block" was invented, Pace has been a top player since, well, forever. He started games as a true freshman at Ohio State. He was a Lombardi Trophy winner, an Outland Trophy winner, a Heisman finalist and a first overall draft pick in 1997. In the NFL, Pace has been a seven-time Pro Bowler and has a Super Bowl champion. Although he's experienced some injury problems, he looks like he's ready to start his career anew after landing in Chicago. I know, the example above if for offensive tackles, but remember...
2. Andre Johnson. I really would like to put him first. I would. I'm a huge fan of Andre Johnson, and he doesn't have the luxury of having a guy like Boldin opposite him, and he doesn't even have Breaston as a slot receiver (Breaston could probably be a starter on at least ten teams). He also doesn't have Kurt Warner throwing to him. Johnson was clearly the best wide receiver for a good portion of 2008, posting double digit receptions in seven different games. He had four straight games with over 130 yards. My only knock on this guy is, halfway through the season, he had 3 touchdowns.
3. Randy Moss. Some say he's lost a step. I haven't seen it yet. I certainly didn't see it in 2007 when, at the young age of thirty, Moss had possibly the greatest year by a receiver in history (98 catches, 1,500 yards, 23 touchdowns). Oh, and did I mention that was his first year with Tom Brady?
4. Calvin Johnson. The Lions were terrible last year. That's the ONLY reason Johnson was not elected to his first Pro Bowl. He was fifth in the league for yards, with 1,331. He averaged 17.2 yards per catch - amazing. He was tied for Fitzgerald with 12 touchdowns, best in the NFL. He certainly earned a Pro Bowl.
5. Reggie Wayne. Wayne has very rarely put up amazing stats. However, he played the majority of his career behind future Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison. Harrison had some injuries in 2007, and Wayne caught 104 catches and had 1,510 yards (best in the league). What I like most about Wayne is he's incredibly consistent. Good speed, good routes, and good hands lead to solid game after solid game.
6. Steve Smith. Nobody is better after the catch than Steve Smith, and that includes YAC machine Wes Welker and the power/speed combinations like Andre Johnson or Anquan Boldin. Plus, despite being so much smaller than most receivers, Smith continues to produce. He won the Triple Crown (leading in yards, catches, and touchdowns) in 2003 and he's been one of the league's best receivers ever since. Bonus points for being incredibly fun to watch, with his circus-style catches and amazing hands.
7. Terrell Owens. Say what you want about the guy, it's hard to argue with Owens numbers - only Rice has caught more touchdowns. Maybe he'll finally learn to shut his mouth in Buffalo.
8. Brandon Marshall. I think he'll take a step back this year with Kyle Orton at the helm, but he's demanding to be traded, so who knows? I do know he's produced back-to-back seasons with over 1,200 yards. His touchdowns leave a little to be desired, but he gets enough catches (102 in 2007, 104 in 2008) that he'll improve in that area. Very tough receiver, too.
9. Anquan Boldin. He set the rookie record for receiving yards, and he's been a force since. He ran a pedestrian 4.71 at the NFL combine all those years ago, but it hasn't seemed to hurt him any - he's gone over 1,000 yards four times and has forty touchdowns in his short career. He and Fitzgerald are easily the best tandem of receivers in the league.
10. Roddy White. He had the best year of his short NFL career this past year with rookie Matt Ryan at the helm. Ryan should improve, and so should White. He could emerge as one of the league's better receivers, already putting together two solid years in 2007 and 2008. He was a Pro Bowl selection this past year, and the only thing that should prevent him from returning is the number of good receivers in the NFC (Fitzgerald, Boldin, Steve Smith, Calvin Johnson, Jennings, Driver, etc....)
Terrell Owens does deserve to be top 15 WR but I can never pick a guy who lead the league last season in drops to be top 10 WR. His bark is much more then his bite
....you are all probably wondering why I put Greg Jennings ahead of Calvin Johnson. Well, I think Johnson is overhyped. Yeah yeah I know he caught 12 TDs but where was the hype when Jennings caught 12 two years ago? Oh yeah that's right. He didn't get any. For some reason, people seem to think Johnson is the best after one year when Jennings has clearly been better the last two years. Not to mention Jennings had just as good as year as Johnson did with only 39 less receiving yards, 3 less touchdowns and 2 more receptions.
Johnson is clearly a very talented WR but all I think is that Johnson receives to much attention for one good year while Jennings doesn't receive any at all.
Perhaps I could rest my case there. But how about Wayne has five straight seasons with 1,000 yards and had more than 8 touchdowns (Jenning's career average) in 3 of those 5 seasons? How about Wayne averaging 72 catches a year, to Jennings' 59? How about Wayne fumbling 7 times on 576 catches, while Jennings fumbles 3 times on 178? How about Wayne being a three time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro, and a Super Bowl champion (he only caught two passes, but he did have a 53 yard touchdown).
Furthermore, Wayne is finally the best receiver on his team. When Wayne was younger, he had Marvin Harrison in his prime to compete with. Jennings' only competition has been 32 year old Donald Driver. Shouldn't the #1 guy, who happens to be a young deep threat, be more productive than a #2 receiver?
You can argue Jennings is top 10, but there's hardly an argument against Reggie Wayne.
Furthermore, Wayne is finally the best receiver on his teamSo is Greg Jennings.
When Wayne was younger, he had Marvin Harrison in his prime to compete with. Jennings' only competition has been 32 year old Donald Driver. and you didn't think it was going to be hard to compete with Driver? For crying out loud, he was Favre's #1 target for quite some time. It was going to be hard for anyone to take that away that role from him but Jennings did that.
Shouldn't the #1 guy, who happens to be a young deep threat, be more productive than a #2 receiver? Yes and that is what Jennings did. He was more productive then Driver last season. If you bother to look up the stats, you will agree with me.
Furthermore, Wayne is finally the best receiver on his team. When Wayne was younger, he had Marvin Harrison in his prime to compete with. Jennings' only competition has been 32 year old Donald Driver. Shouldn't the #1 guy, who happens to be a young deep threat, be more productive than a #2 receiver?
You can argue Jennings is top 10, but Love how you bash Driver there, so I'm going to give you a couple facts. First, Driver has five straight 1,000 yards seasons too just like Wayne!Reggie Wayne played eight seasons and Greg has played three seasons and Greg is more young so hes going to have that break out season also. Last year was Greg's first full year so don't give me 59 catches crap. Wayne first three seasons facts are 48 catches (59 Jennings), 633 yards (948 yards Jennings), and 3.66 touchdowns average (8 touchdowns Jennings). See you have no idea what your talking about. Look up facts before you give me that crap.
Let's see, i think Greg Jennings should be in the top 10 in around #9 but derik and nascarfan, you guys can't honestly have him right now ahead of the likes of Calvin Johnson and Andre Johnson. I don't think calvin is overhyped one bit, did you see how freaking ridiculous he played last year with the situation he was in?? He had 5 different quarterbacks throwing it to him this year, including freaking drew henson of all people. He literally carried that offense, beat triple teams constantly, and was tied for the league in touchdowns. The best quarterback he's had throwing to him was Jon Kitna, you know who greg jennings has had thrown to him?? Brett favre and Aaron Rodgers... not the worst set of quarterbacks to be throwing it to you. Lastly, calvin johnson is a freak of nature. Hell watch some of his highlights, and then compare the plays he's made to plays that some of the top tier wide receivers are made... he just wows you with some of the catches he comes up with.
Andre Johnson has been underrated his entire career, but has put up huge numbers with little quality at the qb position, maybe even worse than what calvin johnson has had. And the 12 touchdown season jennings had was impressive, but he also only had 53 catches, that season he made a lot of good plays, but Donald Driver still seemed like the #1... I just disagree with having him above either of those two guys.. hell Reggie Wayne at this moment i would probably put over him, though maybe not since he does have one of the best quarterbacks of all time in his prime throwing it to him... and so far greg jennings has outpreformed reggie wayne in terms of each of their first 3 years
I love how ignorant Packer fans are. Greg Jennings over Reggie Wayne? lol yeah right. Reggie Wayne started off slowly because in PEyton Mannigs offense (which is one of the most comlx offenses in NFL history) takes A LOT of time to develop. Reggie is the best route runner in the game hands down and has the best hands in the league not named Larry Fitzgerald. Reggie Wayne isn't a burner, he's not big, he's not strong but he is smart and precise in his route running and has incredible timing with Peyton Manning. Greg Jennings is top 10 i think but having Greg Jennings on there and not Reggie Wayne is almost too comedic for me to keep a straight face. I'm sure if Greg Jennings was not as quick and fast as he is he would be not even close to Reggie Wayne, likewise i Wayne was faster too then he leads the league in yardage. Just a hunch. Greg will be top 5 soon pack fans.... but for now Reggie is ahead of him good luck pack!
Ok let me start by saying that I make my predictions based on how teams performed the previous season, Off-season moves, and Returning players. So let’s get started on my rankings for this season
-Okay it’s obvious these standings are fueled by the return of Tom Brady to the explosive Patriots offense, but I think the Pat’s reign of complete dominance behind Brady has finally come to an end. The #1 spot in this division will no doubt be a battle between NE and Miami. Miami behind Tony Sparano is obviously a completely different team than that of 2 years ago. Powered by the Wildcat and with the addition of Multi-Talented Pat White to this formation Miami should definitely make a run this year. Buffalo should no doubt make #3 but I don’t see them competing with the powerhouse offense’s at the top of the division. Based on how Trent Edwards performs Buffalo should be looking forward to an 8-8 season at best, despite the addition of TO. I’m sorry to say but New York’s only chance is the defense behind Rex Ryan, the defensive Guru. With the loss of Favre that leaves an open battle between Sanchez and Clemens, but the loss of Laverneus Coles to the receiving core should take a bit of a hit on the offense. Rex Ryan should be looking forward to a rebuilding stage. All in all there should definitely be a battle at the top of this division.
AFC North 1. Pittsburgh Steelers* 2. Cincinnati Bengals/Baltimore Ravens* 3. Baltimore Ravens/Cincinnati Bengals 4. Cleveland Browns
-The Super Bowl champions should again be at the top of this division led by their dominating defense, despite the loss of Foote and McFadden. Although their Reign at the top is definitely in jeopardy due to their weak o-line and beat up backfield. Big Ben has proven he can take a beating in the past but how much can one person really take? Even with all of this it should still add up to a playoff berth for Pittsburgh. The #2 spot is questionable though, with Baltimore’s always dominating defense and the quickly maturing Joe Flacco running their ground and pound offense they could easily make a push for the wildcard spot. Though this push won’t be easy with the young and fresh Cincinnati team. Cincy no doubt had one of the best drafts, and have signed many key players this offseason. The additions of Tank Johnson, Row Williams, and Rey Maualuga, plus the return of Keith Rivers, should give the push this #13 ranked defense needed into the top 10 this season. On the offense’s side of the ball, a return of a healthy Carson Palmer, a happy and hungry Chad Ochocinco, a hopeful running game behind Cedric Benson, and the addition of Laverneus Coles to this great receiving core could quite possibly rejuvenate this once explosive offense. The Bengals could quite possible make a tough run for the wild card spot. Now there’s not really too much you can say about Cleveland this year especially with the undecided QB situation, an aging Jamal Lewis, an unhappy Braylon, the loss of Kellen Winslow, and a No-Name defense, Cleveleland should definitely be looking for a rebuilding stage behind Mangini.
-Indy should definitely be making its push back to the top of this division, despite the loss of Dungy. Last season’s MVP Peyton Manning returns as the leader of this offense with a refreshed receiving core. Reggie Wayne takes his rightful spot as #1 receiver and the young Anthony Gonzales moves up to #2. Don’t forget Peyton’s favorite target Dallas Clark at TE. Whether or not Indy’s defense performs or not Indy will no doubt make a run with a top 5 offense this season. A young team in Houston is finally ready to make a playoff run. A great defense led my Mario Williams takes the pressure off of the young explosive offense. A quickly developing Schaub has an amazing target in Andre Johnson, and will likely be a top 10 offense this year. With this solid team Houston should make a push for that wild card spot this year. Coming off of an amazing season Tennessee will be looking to repeat that success. An aging Kerry Collins should be running the show again this year, and the tandem of Chris Johnson and LenDale White will fuel their explosive running game. But with the defense’s loss of Haynesworth can they really have that same defense? Tennessee has a shot but I don’t see it happening in such a tough division this year. Jacksonville will finally have MJD providing the running game and David Garrard leading the offense at QB. This young team is looking at the start of their rebuilding and won’t be going anywhere any time soon.
- San Diego coming off a sub-par season will be looking towards a championship season. A healthy return of LT and Antonio Gates to the offense should provide that spark needed. Phillip Rivers coming off the best season of his career, leading the league in passer rating and tieing for touchdowns, should lead this offense in the right direction. The defense’s leader Shaun Merriman coming back health and the addition of the versatile Larry English to this dominate defense will fuel a no doubt top 10 defense this season. Kansas City’s addition of Matt Cassell could possibly help, but KC doesn’t really have the receiving core NE had for Cassell, who will definitely be looking to prove himself. Larry Johnson will be hungry and looking for a great season and this sub-par defense should look forward to an 8-8 season at best. Denver made a huge mistake in trading an unhappy Cutler, and getting practically nothing out of the deal, and with their star receiver Marshall wanting out now, not too much you can say about this team. An aging defense won’t perform too well this season, and this team doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Can Josh McDaniel’s turn this show around? Only time will tell. The Oakland Raiders…well let’s just leave it at that.
-Coming off a great season Philly will be looking towards a championship and this could be their year. With the addition of Jason Peters to the line, Jeremy Maclin to the already decent receiving core, and LeSean McCoy to tandem with a healthy Brian Westbrook Philly’s offense should be explosive this year. The loss of veteran Brian Dawkins may have dampened the defense a little bit but the strong secondary and D-Line of the Eagles should propel them to the top of their division. The New York Giants have a lot of potential, despite the weakened receiving core. Their dominating defense will keep them rolling this season. The return of Umenyiora opposite of Justin Tuck will provide a pass rush like no other to this stacked defense. Washington with the addition of Haynesworth and Orakpo, to compliment their great linebacker core and secondary should also have a great D. If Jason Campbell doesn’t get it done with the offense there’s always young star Brennen waiting to take the reins. Least of all there’s the Dallas Cowboys. No doubt in the toughest division in all the NFL the Cowboys has a pretty weak team. Besides DeMarcus Ware, there’s really no outstanding player on their defense, and the loss of Terrel Owens could really affect Romo’s performance this season.
NFC North 1. Minnesota Vikings/Chicago Bears* 2. Chicago Bears/ Minnesota Vikings 3. Green Bay Packers 4. Detroit Lions
-The Vikings are pretty much set at every position besides QB but that could soon change with the addition of Favre. With a solid passing game to fuel the explosive running of AP the Minnesota offense should be fine. Last year’s #1 rush defense could be at risk due to the Williams’ possible suspension, but all in all Minnesota should have a solid D. Chicago just added a young talented QB to fill their desperately needed position. A great RB in Forte should give the running game a big push, and the always solid D of Chicago will no doubt push the Bears back to the top. Green Bay’s performance this season is based on how well their transition to a 3-4 defense goes and if Aaron Rodgers can continue to play at the level he’s playing. A solid team in a tough division sums up this spot in the rankings. Finally there’s Detroit. Had a great draft and looks to be on the right path towards rebuilding this team.
-Atlanta has a great team that could quite possibly make a run for the big game this year. Young QB Ryan should be playing at the top of his game and RB Michael Turner will be looking to repeat his amazing 08 season. With the addition of veteran Tony Gonzales the passing game should be phenomenal going into the 09 season. Carolina has a solid team and a great tandem at RB with DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart. An unhappy Julius Peppers doesn’t look to good for this sub-par defense but as long as the offense holds up they should be able to look forward to a tough fought wild card. The Saints have one of the best passing attacks in the game behind Drew Brees, and Reggie Bush will be looking to come back healthy and prove himself this season, but with the very weak defense that only made a few additions, New Orleans will remain in the bottom of the conference. Now as Tampa Bay starts its rebuilding stage with the acquisitions of Kellen Winslow and Derrick Ward to this possibly strong offense they will be looking towards first round pick Josh Freeman at QB to propel this offense.
- Arizona will be looking for a repeat of last season’s success. QB Kurt Warner will return with his threats at WR including Larry Fitzgerald and possibly Anquan Bolden. A hopeful boost in the running game with the addition of Chris “Beanie” Wells will fuel this already explosive passing game. The Seattle Seahawks are looking forward to the healthy return of of QB Matt Hasselbeck to help their impaired offense. Also with the addition of WR TJ Houshmandzadeh this should aid in the offense. On the defensive side of the ball 1<sup>st</sup> round pick Aaron Curry will be teaming with veteran Lofa Tatupu to give the defense a much needed spark. The 49ers don’t have much to look forward to with an injury prone Gore at RB and an undecided QB but WR Michael Crabtree could have a great season still. Then there are the Rams. Finishing with one of the worst records in the league, and not making improvements in the offseason leads the Rams to another disappointing season in 09.
All in all these are my predictions for the 09 season, controversial as they may be.
Super Bowl Philadelphia Eagles-W San Diego Chargers-L
Ok let me start by saying that I make my predictions based on how teams performed the previous season, Off-season moves, and Returning players. So let’s get started on my rankings for this season
-Okay it’s obvious these standings are fueled by the return of Tom Brady to the explosive Patriots offense, but I think the Pat’s reign of complete dominance behind Brady has finally come to an end. The #1 spot in this division will no doubt be a battle between NE and Miami. Miami behind Tony Sparano is obviously a completely different team than that of 2 years ago. Powered by the Wildcat and with the addition of Multi-Talented Pat White to this formation Miami should definitely make a run this year. Buffalo should no doubt make #3 but I don’t see them competing with the powerhouse offense’s at the top of the division. Based on how Trent Edwards performs Buffalo should be looking forward to an 8-8 season at best, despite the addition of TO. I’m sorry to say but New York’s only chance is the defense behind Rex Ryan, the defensive Guru. With the loss of Favre that leaves an open battle between Sanchez and Clemens, but the loss of Laverneus Coles to the receiving core should take a bit of a hit on the offense. Rex Ryan should be looking forward to a rebuilding stage. All in all there should definitely be a battle at the top of this division.
AFC North 1. Pittsburgh Steelers* 2. Cincinnati Bengals/Baltimore Ravens* 3. Baltimore Ravens/Cincinnati Bengals 4. Cleveland Browns
-The Super Bowl champions should again be at the top of this division led by their dominating defense, despite the loss of Foote and McFadden. Although their Reign at the top is definitely in jeopardy due to their weak o-line and beat up backfield. Big Ben has proven he can take a beating in the past but how much can one person really take? Even with all of this it should still add up to a playoff berth for Pittsburgh. The #2 spot is questionable though, with Baltimore’s always dominating defense and the quickly maturing Joe Flacco running their ground and pound offense they could easily make a push for the wildcard spot. Though this push won’t be easy with the young and fresh Cincinnati team. Cincy no doubt had one of the best drafts, and have signed many key players this offseason. The additions of Tank Johnson, Row Williams, and Rey Maualuga, plus the return of Keith Rivers, should give the push this #13 ranked defense needed into the top 10 this season. On the offense’s side of the ball, a return of a healthy Carson Palmer, a happy and hungry Chad Ochocinco, a hopeful running game behind Cedric Benson, and the addition of Laverneus Coles to this great receiving core could quite possibly rejuvenate this once explosive offense. The Bengals could quite possible make a tough run for the wild card spot. Now there’s not really too much you can say about Cleveland this year especially with the undecided QB situation, an aging Jamal Lewis, an unhappy Braylon, the loss of Kellen Winslow, and a No-Name defense, Cleveleland should definitely be looking for a rebuilding stage behind Mangini.
-Indy should definitely be making its push back to the top of this division, despite the loss of Dungy. Last season’s MVP Peyton Manning returns as the leader of this offense with a refreshed receiving core. Reggie Wayne takes his rightful spot as #1 receiver and the young Anthony Gonzales moves up to #2. Don’t forget Peyton’s favorite target Dallas Clark at TE. Whether or not Indy’s defense performs or not Indy will no doubt make a run with a top 5 offense this season. A young team in Houston is finally ready to make a playoff run. A great defense led my Mario Williams takes the pressure off of the young explosive offense. A quickly developing Schaub has an amazing target in Andre Johnson, and will likely be a top 10 offense this year. With this solid team Houston should make a push for that wild card spot this year. Coming off of an amazing season Tennessee will be looking to repeat that success. An aging Kerry Collins should be running the show again this year, and the tandem of Chris Johnson and LenDale White will fuel their explosive running game. But with the defense’s loss of Haynesworth can they really have that same defense? Tennessee has a shot but I don’t see it happening in such a tough division this year. Jacksonville will finally have MJD providing the running game and David Garrard leading the offense at QB. This young team is looking at the start of their rebuilding and won’t be going anywhere any time soon.
- San Diego coming off a sub-par season will be looking towards a championship season. A healthy return of LT and Antonio Gates to the offense should provide that spark needed. Phillip Rivers coming off the best season of his career, leading the league in passer rating and tieing for touchdowns, should lead this offense in the right direction. The defense’s leader Shaun Merriman coming back health and the addition of the versatile Larry English to this dominate defense will fuel a no doubt top 10 defense this season. Kansas City’s addition of Matt Cassell could possibly help, but KC doesn’t really have the receiving core NE had for Cassell, who will definitely be looking to prove himself. Larry Johnson will be hungry and looking for a great season and this sub-par defense should look forward to an 8-8 season at best. Denver made a huge mistake in trading an unhappy Cutler, and getting practically nothing out of the deal, and with their star receiver Marshall wanting out now, not too much you can say about this team. An aging defense won’t perform too well this season, and this team doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Can Josh McDaniel’s turn this show around? Only time will tell. The Oakland Raiders…well let’s just leave it at that.
-Coming off a great season Philly will be looking towards a championship and this could be their year. With the addition of Jason Peters to the line, Jeremy Maclin to the already decent receiving core, and LeSean McCoy to tandem with a healthy Brian Westbrook Philly’s offense should be explosive this year. The loss of veteran Brian Dawkins may have dampened the defense a little bit but the strong secondary and D-Line of the Eagles should propel them to the top of their division. The New York Giants have a lot of potential, despite the weakened receiving core. Their dominating defense will keep them rolling this season. The return of Umenyiora opposite of Justin Tuck will provide a pass rush like no other to this stacked defense. Washington with the addition of Haynesworth and Orakpo, to compliment their great linebacker core and secondary should also have a great D. If Jason Campbell doesn’t get it done with the offense there’s always young star Brennen waiting to take the reins. Least of all there’s the Dallas Cowboys. No doubt in the toughest division in all the NFL the Cowboys has a pretty weak team. Besides DeMarcus Ware, there’s really no outstanding player on their defense, and the loss of Terrel Owens could really affect Romo’s performance this season.
NFC North 1. Minnesota Vikings/Chicago Bears* 2. Chicago Bears/ Minnesota Vikings 3. Green Bay Packers 4. Detroit Lions
-The Vikings are pretty much set at every position besides QB but that could soon change with the addition of Favre. With a solid passing game to fuel the explosive running of AP the Minnesota offense should be fine. Last year’s #1 rush defense could be at risk due to the Williams’ possible suspension, but all in all Minnesota should have a solid D. Chicago just added a young talented QB to fill their desperately needed position. A great RB in Forte should give the running game a big push, and the always solid D of Chicago will no doubt push the Bears back to the top. Green Bay’s performance this season is based on how well their transition to a 3-4 defense goes and if Aaron Rodgers can continue to play at the level he’s playing. A solid team in a tough division sums up this spot in the rankings. Finally there’s Detroit. Had a great draft and looks to be on the right path towards rebuilding this team.
-Atlanta has a great team that could quite possibly make a run for the big game this year. Young QB Ryan should be playing at the top of his game and RB Michael Turner will be looking to repeat his amazing 08 season. With the addition of veteran Tony Gonzales the passing game should be phenomenal going into the 09 season. Carolina has a solid team and a great tandem at RB with DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart. An unhappy Julius Peppers doesn’t look to good for this sub-par defense but as long as the offense holds up they should be able to look forward to a tough fought wild card. The Saints have one of the best passing attacks in the game behind Drew Brees, and Reggie Bush will be looking to come back healthy and prove himself this season, but with the very weak defense that only made a few additions, New Orleans will remain in the bottom of the conference. Now as Tampa Bay starts its rebuilding stage with the acquisitions of Kellen Winslow and Derrick Ward to this possibly strong offense they will be looking towards first round pick Josh Freeman at QB to propel this offense.
- Arizona will be looking for a repeat of last season’s success. QB Kurt Warner will return with his threats at WR including Larry Fitzgerald and possibly Anquan Bolden. A hopeful boost in the running game with the addition of Chris “Beanie” Wells will fuel this already explosive passing game. The Seattle Seahawks are looking forward to the healthy return of of QB Matt Hasselbeck to help their impaired offense. Also with the addition of WR TJ Houshmandzadeh this should aid in the offense. On the defensive side of the ball 1<sup>st</sup> round pick Aaron Curry will be teaming with veteran Lofa Tatupu to give the defense a much needed spark. The 49ers don’t have much to look forward to with an injury prone Gore at RB and an undecided QB but WR Michael Crabtree could have a great season still. Then there are the Rams. Finishing with one of the worst records in the league, and not making improvements in the offseason leads the Rams to another disappointing season in 09.
All in all these are my predictions for the 09 season, controversial as they may be.
Super Bowl Philadelphia Eagles-W San Diego Chargers-L
1.Larry Fitzgerald 2.Andre Johnson 3.Calvin Johnson 4.Steve Smith 5.Reggie Wayne 6.Brandon Marshall 7.Anquan Boldin 8.Randy Moss 9. Terrell Owens 10.Roddy White
Sorry Chad last year hurt you on the cusp Greg Jennings and Housh
1.LARRY FITGERALD 2.STEVE SMITH 3.RANDY MOSS 4.ANDRE JOHNSON 5.ANQUAN BOLDIN 6.CALVIN JOHNSON 7.REGGIE WAYNE 8.OCHO CINCO 9.HINES WARD 10.PLAXICO BURRESS Of course Plax will float of this list when and if he ends up in the pokey and Ocho deserves to be on here and he could end up higer if he comes back to his pre-injury times. But the top 3 won't change even though Boldin in my favorite receiver and I would take him any day of the week.
