NFL Network concluded the "Top 100 Players of 2013" on Thursday night by revealing the top 10:
10) Patrick Willis, LB, San Francisco 49ers
9) Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
8) Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans
7) Aldon Smith, LB, San Francisco 49ers
6) Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
5) J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
4) Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
3) Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions
2) Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos
1) Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Of course, the "Top 100" rankings stirred up plenty of controversy over the last few months. From Rodgers being just the third-best quarterback to Jimmy Graham and Tony Romo missing the cut altogether, grievances were wide-ranging. What was your biggest gripe with this year's countdown?
Jimmy Graham's omission was the biggest goof in this year's "Top 100" list. If you polled NFL GMs, he would be the top tight end for some, and among the top three at the position for everyone else.
This New Orleans Saints weapon provides a rare combination of size, speed and ball skills. He's a true difference maker and absolutely belonged on this list.
Ranking NFL players is a very difficult process. As a general manager and scout, I spent my whole career ranking players with a lot more information than I have at my disposal as a media member. The way to look at this list is that it's a good discussion topic. Here are some quick thoughts on the rankings:
» I would have had Aaron Rodgers as my No. 1 QB. And on the subject of quarterbacks, I would have ranked Russell Wilson over Cam Newton.
» Ed Reed at No. 18 was too high. As was Stephen Tulloch at No. 63.
» The rankings of Dwight Freeney and Logan Mankins had more to do with reputation than recent performance.
» Jimmy Graham and Tony Romo should be on this list.
» And my biggest complaint is Gerald McCoy being ranked 92nd, while Ndamukong Suh came in at No. 40. In the games I watched last year, McCoy was better than Suh.
The fact that a few rookie or first-year starters were so high made this list a little knee-jerky, if not a straight popularity contest. I love Andrew Luck, but the guy turned the ball over 23 times -- that shouldn't make him No. 23 on this list. He led several fantastic comebacks, but part of that was because he didn't play particularly well earlier in the game. His passer rating was 76.5. This is not to say Luck won't be a great player.
I am from the Kurt Warner school of thought. No rookie should be ranked among the top 10 quarterbacks. You have to do it for two years straight. Russell Wilson made my All-Under-25 Team, but 51 is pretty high for a guy who has 18 NFL starts. How about Colin Kaepernick (ranked 81st), who doesn't even have that many? A couple years ago, I suggested Michael Vick was ranked too high because he needed to do it for two years in a row (following his return from prison/suspension), and took some criticism in the process. We saw how that played out. Just make these guys earn it, that's all.
Lastly, Tony Romo not making the list is so ridiculous I'm not sure I have the proper response. I've never seen a player draw so much criticism for reasons that are overstated and sometimes delusional. I'm sure the Vikings, Titans and Raiders would all rather have Jacoby Jones (88) than Romo.
Well, there will never be a good explanation for why Jimmy Graham was left off the "Top 100" list. So ludicrous, in fact, it doesn't even warrant my attention. Instead, the one thing that really sticks with me is that Joe Flacco doesn't get the respect he deserves. Right or wrong, I tend to place more emphasis on a quarterback's worth in the playoffs, when the games are on the line. That's when Flacco rises to the occasion.
If you look at his last eight playoff games (five of which were played in hostile road venues), he's 6-2 with a 105 passer rating and 18 touchdowns against just two interceptions. That puts him in the top 10 for me -- not at No. 19.
A few rapid-fire musings:
» Aaron Rodgers shouldn't be behind any other QB.
» At No. 15, Robert Griffin III was ranked a little too high for a rookie.
» Cameron Wake (89) was too low, Stephen Tulloch (63) too high.
» But of course, the complete omission of Jimmy Graham -- at worst, the NFL's third-best tight end -- is plum loco. On the bright side, no one can accuse NFL Network of cooking the results.
We're a generation that loves lists. Ten worst reality show contestants ever? Yes. Top 20 TV shows of the 80s? Sure. Do some of these shows butcher their rankings? Of course. (How does no one at least mention "Manimal?") But that's inherent in lists. And it's why I have absolutely zero gripes with this list. It does exactly what all lists like this are supposed to do: create conversation and awareness. For instance, is Ed Reed way too high at No. 18? Of course he is. But that sparks debate. Look at the "Around The League" studs attacking the misdeeds like piranhas after Jerry O'Connell. That was probably my favorite NFL.com read of the week. I could feel their anger through the Internet. I've only seen the Jets fire up Dan Hanzus like this. Marc Sessler and Gregg Rosenthal lit their computers on fire after they posted their thoughts. It was awesome.
The NFL Network's "Top 100" list has become an offseason news item. And it's made for controversy and disagreement. It's a popularity contest. It's inconsistent. The wrong people vote. It omits great players. It embarrasses others by ranking them below pedestrian ones -- like everyone under Jacoby Jones. Actually, it's embarrassing that Jacoby Jones is even on this list. Seriously, did the players just say to themselves, "Oh yeah, I saw him catch that desperation heave from Flacco, and then those touchdowns in the Super Bowl. He has to be on the list." See, now I'm getting all wound up! And that's what is so much fun about this. Now I have to call Hanzus and decompress.
