The first episode of the "Top 100 Players of 2013" indicated a possible Baltimore Ravensbias in the voting. The second episode confirms it.
Ranked No. 87 and No. 88 on the list: Ravens safety Bernard Pollard and wide receiver Jacoby Jones. We know that players get extra attention after winning the Super Bowl, but this is ridiculous.
Pollard is only 28 years old and yet the Ravens released him after the season. It wasn't because he had a huge salary either; he was due less than $3 million in 2013. The Ravens simply chose not to keep him. The Tennessee Titans picked up Pollard on a low-cost, one-year contract. This isn't to pick on Pollard; his toughness helped the Ravens win a Super Bowl title. But he wasn't one of the top 100 players in the playoffs, much less the entire NFL. He's about to join his fourth team in six years.
Seeing Pollard on the rankings makes me wonder how many Ravens got a vote. It's hard to explain any other reason why he would land here. Jacoby Jones' spot also is a surprise. Jones had an excellent year returning kicks and leads the league in "NFL AM" airtime, but he gained 406 yards as the team's third receiver last year.
Compare Jones and Pollard to the two names after them on the list: the Miami Dolphins' Cameron Wake and the Seattle Seahawks' Percy Harvin. Wake has been one of the best pass rushers in football for years. Harvin was arguably an MVP candidate before he got hurt last year. Harvin is the type of guy who teams trade draft picks for and hand big contracts to. Other players listed between Nos. 81 to 90 such as Logan Mankins, Lance Briggs and Steve Smith have all made multiple Pro Bowls.
Perhaps the Ravens' inflation will end with this episode. But at this rate, we're going to be crowning Jameel McClain as the No. 1 player of 2013.
Other notes:
» London Fletcher's steady career is reflected in his ranking. The Washington Redskins linebacker was ranked No. 87 last season; now he's No. 86.
Top 100 Players of 2013
Make sure you vote for the Top 100 players of 2013. Voting ends May 31. Get your vote in. More ...
» Smith had a big fall from No. 35 to No. 84. That was a function of the Carolina Panthers' record more than anything because he played very well last year.
» Charles Woodson can't find a team to sign him, but he's ranked No. 85. His body just isn't cooperating at this stage of his career.
» Wake is one of the most underrated players in the NFL. You can make the case he's been one of the 10 best defensive players in the NFL over the last three seasons.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
