SportsCrack

Arma Drama: Possible QB Controversies for the 2008 season

Never in my years of watching football can I remember there being so many opportunities for a QB controversy. Nearly half of the teams in the league (12) have a potential QB controversy in the works -- and that’s by my estimations, you could probably up it to literally half if you tried hard enough.

By QB controversy, I mean that there is a realistic chance of the starter being replaced before the mid point of the season if he isn’t performing up to par. A team’s fans have a lot to do with this, mainly because if there are two quarterbacks of similar skill on the same team, they will always, always call for the other one should the starter falter. I like to equate it to a Madden franchise when you are in a similar situation. I can’t speak for everyone but the moment my starting QB throws more than one interception and I happen to be playing with a team with a decent backup QB, I’ll bench the starter in a heartbeat. Easy as pie.

It is interesting to note that the AFC South is the only division in the league without a brewing QB controversy. You could try and make a case for Sage Rosenfels as a threat to Matt Schaub but uh, you would probably fail miserably.

The AFC East comes in first with three teams harboring potential QB battles. The NFC North would have been tied with three, but I just couldn’t entertain the thought that Gus Frerotte could ever win anything, never mind a QB battle with an up and coming QB in Tarvaris Jackson. You’re the victor already in my book, T-Jax.

As a disclaimer, I am not an expert (although it‘s fun to pretend). Some of the following teams could ride their starting QB all the way to the Super Bowl for all I know -- so feel free to disagree vehemently in the comments, per usual.

The battle: Jake Delhomme vs. Matt Moore

If Delhomme can stay healthy, this shouldn’t really be an actual battle. But therein lies the problem. Delhomme just had Tommy John surgery and there is a 20-30% chance that he will re-injure his elbow, never mind the odds of him never being the Jake Delhomme that once led the Panthers to a Super Bowl. On the other side of the fence, Matt Moore’s 2007 season didn’t win any accolades , but he did appear to get into a groove in the final three games. It’s also worth noting it was his rookie season and very, very few QB’s have had fantastic rookie seasons. Even the elite ones (I‘m looking at you, Peyton).

Projected victor: Jake Delhomme

The battle: Brody Croyle vs. Damon Huard

The good news for Croyle is that he is still relatively young and will only get better as he learns to understand the game more through in game experience. The Chiefs also showed him a bit of confidence in not pulling a Packer and drafting a QB to watch over his shoulder for the entire season. On the Damon Huard front, he had a mediocre year at best last year, leading the team to a 4-6 record when he started. It would behoove the Chiefs to just run with Croyle who should prove this year whether or not he’s the real deal. They will not win anything with Huard at the helm.

Projected victor: Brody Croyle

The battle: J.P. Losman vs. Trent Edwards

Although the Bills don’t appear to want to give up on J.P. Losman as their franchise QB, they just might have to after Trent Edwards impressive performance last year. The team went 2-4 with Losman starting in 2007, with Losman throwing for 4 TD’s and 6 INT’s. Edwards steered the team to a 5-5 record, throwing for 7 TD’s and 8 INT’s. Edwards did all of the previous in his rookie year, whereas Losman disappointed yet again in his fourth year. Advantage: Edwards.

Projected victor: Trent Edwards

The battle: Jason Campbell vs. Todd Collins

After leading the Redskins to a 5-9 record, Jason Campbell suffered a season ending injury, allowing perennial backup Todd Collins to come in and lead the Redskins to four straight wins and a playoff bid. Even though this is one of the less likely situations to be a controversy since Jason Campbell is young and Todd Collins is… uh, not -- Collins still showed he could win last year. Whether or not it was a fluke or not remains to be seen, perhaps defenses didn’t have enough game tape on him -- he certainly didn’t take the Seahawks by surprise (the Seahawks romped them, 35-14). Barring a Campbell injury or a horrible, horrible span of games, Todd Collins looks to be a backup once more.

Projected victor: Jason Campbell

The battle: Matt Leinart vs. Kurt Warner

In the five games before breaking his collarbone, Matt Leinart failed to play anywhere near a franchise QB level. A 53.6 completion percentage with 2 TD’s and 4 INT’s just wasn’t what the front office (and the fans) expected of him. His five games were actually bogged down by him being replaced by Warner multiple times, who by all accounts gave them a better chance to win despite his age. While it’s anyone’s guess as to how Leinart would have done for the whole year had he not gotten injured, he likely wouldn’t have led the Cardinals to a winning record. Still, he’s only 25 and has the potential to lead the team to the promised land that is the NFL playoffs. Kurt Warner is 36.

Projected victor: Matt Leinart

The battle: Alex Smith vs. Shaun Hill

Granted Alex Smith battled an injury bug last year, but the games he did play in were anemic at best (and I should know, I had the misfortune of starting him on my fantasy team for the first 5 games). Through six, he “led” the team to a 2-4 record, throwing for 914 yards, 2 TD’s and 4 INT’s. His completion percentage was not great either, clocking in at 48.7% for the year. Meanwhile, Shaun Hill would throw for 501 yards, 5 TD’s, 1 INT and an impressive 68.4% completion percentage. Granted, the three games he played in were near the end of the year and they went 2-1 during his tenure, but he still showed he could play if given the chance. The 49ers may just have to come to terms with the fact that they struck out with their 2005 #1 draft pick. Smith was the number one pick overall, and if he hasn’t done anything by now, he’s not going to. End of story.

Projected victor: Shaun Hill

The battle: Rex Grossman vs. Kyle Orton

How the Bears brass was okay with these two players battling for the starting job for the upcoming season will never, ever make sense to me. Ever. Don’t bother trying to acquire a capable QB to run your offense, which was the sixth worst offense in the entire league. Why would you do that? While Grossman has had some success during his career, he is the quarterbacking equivalent of bipolar depression. He’s either going to throw for 2-3 TD’s and 250 yards, or he’s going to throw 4 picks and post a 38% completion percentage. I couldn’t deal with that from my quarterback if I were a coach… my head would explode. Kyle Orton on the other hand only played in 3 games last year but didn’t look much better. Although Orton did have a successful rookie year in 2005, he was demoted behind Brian Griese and Rex Grossman in 2006. The Bears apparently didn’t have too much faith in him. Out of the two, it would appear Orton is the lesser of two evils, although Grossman gives the offense a bigger upside. And hey, they still have him on the team so maybe they’re shooting for upside…

Projected victor: Rex Grossman

The battle: Josh McCown vs. John Beck vs. Chad Henne

It is worth noting that Josh McCown, who is listed as #1 on the Dolphins depth chart at the current moment, has never had a year in his six year career in which he threw more touchdowns than interceptions. That’s all you need to know about him. Highly touted rookie QB John Beck left much to be desired as well, putting up numbers that I will not go through the trouble to look up. He struggled, let’s just put it that way. Lastly, is rookie Chad Henne who when placed among the other two clearly stands out as the way to go. While the Dolphins may give Beck another chance, don’t expect McCown to start too much unless injuries demand it.

Projected victor: Chad Henne

The battle: Chad Pennington vs. Kellen Clemens

The new guard versus the old guard. Pennington, who had a resurgent year in 2006, regressed in 2007 due to injuries. At one point, Jets fans even cheered when he was injured and walking off the field because they were apparently ecstatic for the Kellen Clemens era to begin. At least that’s what I’m telling myself because it was such a classless thing to do. The team would go 3-4 under Clemens, who had some shining moments but generally looked like a first year quarterback should. The Jets can either go with Pennington, who likely gives them a better shot at the postseason, or thrust Pennington into the mentor role and throw Clemens back into the fire.

Projected victor: Chad Pennington

The battle: Aaron Rodgers vs. Brian Brohm

Rodgers, whose finally gotten his chance to start in the wake of Brett Favre’s retirement will be constantly checking his rear view mirror for Brohm. Although Rodgers is entering his fourth year in the league, he is still technically a rookie QB. This puts Brohm on a level playing field with him and depending on how things turn out, the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay might never begin. If Rodgers succeeds, the Packers situation would be eerily similar to the Browns. A capable starting QB who will always have a talented younger player waiting in the wings. Not too much fun for the starter, but for the team -- not a bad place to be.

Projected victor: Aaron Rodgers

The battle: Chris Redman vs. Joey Harrington vs. Matt Ryan

Joey Harrington has proven over the years that he is a career service QB. He can put up numbers but he cannot win and is best used in pinch situations or if you have no where else to turn. Chris Redman, whose career in Baltimore is best described as a learning experience, actually looked very good last year. In four complete games, although the Falcons went 1-3, he threw for 2,147 yards, 10 TD’s and 5 INT’s. Whether or not that performance will win him favor over rookie Matt Ryan remains to be seen. The Falcons best bet would be to throw Matt Ryan into the starting role and give him some on the job experience. I doubt they can go to the playoffs with Chris Redman or Joey Harrington at QB, so 2008 might as well be used as the year that Matt Ryan is forged into a professional QB.

Projected victor: Matt Ryan

The battle: Kyle Boller vs. Joe Flacco

Kyle Boller, like Joey Harrington, has proven he cannot be a starting QB for an entire year (or at least not a winning one). Joe Flacco, who was highly praised of during the draft looks to be the one for the job. As with the other rookie QB situations, it will all hinge upon how the Ravens organization wants to approach Flacco’s indoctrination into the NFL. They may start out with Boller to begin the season, but quickly switch to Flacco when it goes sour.

Projected victor: Joe Flacco

State of the Franchise: The Green Bay Packers

At the start of the 2007 season, many were claiming that Brett Favre had made a mistake choosing to come back and play one more year. There was no denying he was once a great player, one of the best QB’s to ever play the game -- but it was common belief that he didn’t have it in him anymore. He was throwing too many interceptions as evidenced by his 2005 and 2006 campaigns. In those two years he threw 38 touchdowns, versus 47 interceptions. His QB rating over that two year span was 71.8, the lowest two year span of his career, and it spawned speculation of his impending retirement.

Favre flirted with the idea, all the while hinting that he didn’t appreciate the Packers’ brass’ lack of enthusiasm for surrounding him with playmakers. Sure he had Ahman Green, but his starts were inconsistent due to injury. Donald Driver was always there, but no one would ever mistake him for a big time number one receiver. Javon Walker flashed some brilliance in 2004, but he then proceeded to miss the entire 2005 season with an ankle injury.

After attempting but failing to acquire Randy Moss and several other high profile players, Favre apparently felt that the Packers were at least trying to surround him with quality players so he tentatively returned for what would turn out to be his final NFL season.

Heading into the 2007, hopes were high in Green Bay because hey, it was Green Bay -- and anytime Brett Favre was your QB, no matter how past his prime he appeared to be, you still had a chance.

Packers fans would not be disappointed.

Many different factors went into why the Packers had such a successful year and the up and coming defense was arguably the most important one. Led by the veteran cornerback duo of Al Harris and Charles Woodson, ever improving young linebacker A.J. Hawk and Packer mainstay linebacker Nick Barnett, the Packers finished the season ranked 11th in total defense. The defensive line, anchored by Aaron Kampman was also a constant problem for opposing offenses. The defense would rank 6th in points given up per game with 18.2.

Another major reason for the Packer resurgence was rookie running back Ryan Grant’s emergence as a capable compliment to Favre’s rediscovered passing abilities. On just 188 attempts Grant would win his way into the hearts of Packers fans and fantasy waiver wire whores alike, rushing for 956 yards and 8 TD’s (averaging 5.1 yards per carry).

Oh, and Brett Favre didn’t have a bad season either. A strong case could be made that Favre’s 2007 season was the finest of his career -- with him passing for 4,155 yards and 28 TD’s (with just 15 interceptions). Even more impressive was his 66.5 percent completion percentage, the best that he has ever had to date. Favre looked youthful surrounded by the many youngsters on offense and more importantly, he looked like he was having fun playing football again. Such a thing is key for someone who went their whole career giving NFL Films A+ comedy material whenever he was miked up during a game.

The Packers would lose just 3 games during the 2007 season and seemed destined for a fairy tale showdown with the, until then, unbeaten New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. As with many things in life, things didn’t turn out how everyone wanted (well maybe they did in regards to the Patriots losing..) and the Packers would fall to the soon to be world champion New York Giants in a thrilling, chilly overtime NFC Championship game. Both the new, improved Favre and the old and graying Favre would show up for the Championship game, with the aging Favre being the victor in regards to his performance. He looked cold, sore and out of it at times during the game and the second of his two interceptions would clinch the Giants winning OT field goal. Exit stage left, Favre.

At the end of the season, after much speculation -- Brett Favre would retire from the game of football after 17 years of Hall of Fame performances and entertaining clips and highlights. All of Wisconsin (and to a lesser extent John Madden) was floored and distraught by the news. Many thought he would be back but up until the present day, it appears to be not so. It would appear we have seen the last of Brett Favre, sans Madden appearances.

With the exception of the Bubba Franks and Corey Williams departures and Brett Favre’s retirement the Packers team remains relatively the same. The bad thing is that they have an inexperienced quarterback set to try and fill in Favre’s shoes in Aaron Rodgers. He’s thrown less than 60 regular season passes and it’s really anyone’s guess how he’ll turn out. It’s not easy filling in Brett Favre’s shoes and the Packers didn’t make it any easier by drafting Brian Brohm, a very capable quarterback out of Louisville in the second round. Had Brohm entered the draft last year, it was likely he could have gone number one overall. However, even though he had his best year statistically his senior year, his team failed to compete. Add to that a poor combine performance and you have yourself the reason why he fell to the end of the second round, no matter how silly it may seem.

As if Rodgers life wasn’t hard enough preparing to take the reigns in the capital city of football and a skilled young rookie behind him on the depth chart, the Packers decided they needed yet another QB and took Matt Flynn in the seventh round. Talk about getting insurance. While Flynn isn’t really considered a threat for the starting job, it is a head-scratcher on why the Packers brass decided to completely shatter any confidence Rodgers may have kept in the wake of Favre’s retirement and reports of the Packers impending demise.

Poor decisions aside, there has been a Favre backup who has gone on to have a fantastic career: Matt Hasselbeck. While he didn’t take over the QB job in Green Bay, he did become a three time Pro Bowler for the Seattle Seahawks. Obviously, he’s accomplished most of this through hard work and skill but you have to wonder just how much Favre taught his young protégé in the two years he mentored him. Rodgers has had three years to tutor under Favre and to think he hasn’t learned a thing or two would probably make you incorrect.

Having sat on the Packers bench the past three years may have caused people to forget about Rodgers’ skills. I know he hasn’t started in a while, but the kid’s good! Unless he’s been doing absolutely nothing on the sideline the past three years (See: Jared Lorenzen), I think he should be a pretty good QB. I also don’t think Favre is the type who would let him slack off. Joke around and make fun of him? Yes. Sit by and watch him not study and work hard? Absolutely not.

Cue Rodgers’ college statistics!

Year	Team	Comp.	Att.	Comp. %	Yards	YPC	TD’s	INT’s
2003	Cal	215	349	61.6%	2,903	13.5	19	5
2004	Cal	209	316	66.1%	2,566	12.2	24	8
T o t a l s		424	665	63.8%	5,469	12.8	43	13

Not bad for someone who’s supposed to run the Packers into the ground. If Rodgers can keep his dignity after the draft fiasco the Packers had and focus on playing solid football, he has the talent around him to succeed. Veteran wide receiver Donald Driver is returning for his 31st season and 2007 breakout star Greg Jennings will be back as well. Rodgers will have the opportunity to start fresh with rookies Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley. Tight end Donald Lee looks ready to be the number one tight end after an impressive 2007 and rookie sensation Ryan Grant looks ready to continue making huge contributions via the running game.

The offensive line, which also remains relatively unchanged looks to protect Rodgers as they did Brett Favre last year, in which they surrendered a mere 15 sacks for the entire year. The good news is that Aaron Rodgers will be in an opportunity to succeed. The bad news is that every start, hell, every pass will be analyzed under a microscope both locally in Green Bay and nationally. If he can ignore these distractions and play to his skill level, he should be fine. If he plays QB like Aaron Rodgers rather than trying to play QB like Brett Favre, he’ll be fine.

As much as I disagree with the decision by the Packers front office to take two QB’s in the draft to back up one who has yet to play more than seven games, they did cover their ass quite well. Instead of pinning their hopes of a Brett Favre successor on one QB they decided to give themselves options. While this will work out should Aaron Rodgers falter, it’s going to be a slippery slope. It has QB controversy etched with a jagged knife all over it. The decision is either going to work out and one of the three young quarterbacks will grow and become the Packers new franchise QB or it will backfire in their faces and at least two will have started different games before Week 8. A media frenzy would then commence.

The best thing for the Packers to do is keep the job as Rodgers’ to lose. By the end of the pre-season, pick one of them and stick with it for better or worse until you know what you have. If they can stay away from the pitfalls of having too many intriguing options open at all times, they should be just fine. If not, you’re going to be hearing a lot of about the Packers starting quarterback ‘job’ this coming year.

NFL History 101: Top Running Backs

In yet another new feature, Sport Crack presents NFL History 101, in which I will discuss the history of the game… whether that be the top skill positions, top games, top anything. It’s my mission to bring you a history lesson that you most certainly will not fall asleep through. At least I hope not...

Anyway, first up: NFL History 101: Top Running Backs.

It’s gone by many names in it’s storied history. The running back. The tailback. The fullback. The halfback. Each one exhibit’s a certain mystique. Each one suggests that the player it is the title of is a game changer, a skilled athlete who can take punishment like no other position in sports.

To run the ball into a group of rabid behemoths 20-30 times a game takes a certain kind of player. Hell, it takes a certain kind of person. Many say that the quarterback is the heart of the team, but I say it’s the one who takes a beating play in and play out. I say it’s the one who is the target of a kill the man with the ball mentality of the opposing defense for about a third of the entire game.

There have been many men who have graced us with their athleticism and toughness in the storied history of the NFL. So many that it’s almost a travesty to try and classify each one into a list. It just doesn’t make any sense to try and rank them from best to almost best when each one had their own strengths and their own ways in which they entertained us through the various mediums we enjoyed them with.

How do you measure receiving yards versus career yards per game? What about the amount of touchdowns one scored? If you favor one, your limiting the other and it finally dawned on me that there was only one way to do this. To shit with rankings, let’s just take a look at the best running backs.

So in no particular order, here is a brief profile of the top running backs the NFL has ever seen. There’s no sense trying to rank them because it would do them an injustice. Until someone comes up with a formula to put all of their careers on a level playing field (which I‘m pretty sure will never happen…), it’s just no use. Stop trying to rank them! Just appreciate what they each did individually for the game of football!

As with everything I write, feel free to agree or disagree vehemently in the comments. It’s why I do it.

Jerome Bettis

Jerome Bettis, or “The Bus” as he was formally known as will go down in NFL history as a touchdown machine. His running style exhibited the traits of a bus in more ways than one… he could either run through you like road kill, or he could turn on a higher gear and run right by you. In 13 years (3 of which were with the Rams [and 2 of which of those were when the Rams were still in L.A.]) he racked up 13,662 yards and bowled his way through the goal line for 91 touchdowns. Nearly half those years he was awarded a trip to the Pro Bowl and he is fifth all time in career rushing yards and tied for tenth for all time touchdowns. To think that all that time he had asthma… amazing.

Career highlights: 6-time Pro Bowler & 2-time first-team All-Pro (13 year NFL career)

Walter Payton

Nicknamed “Sweetness” in college, Walter Payton would go on to have on of the finest careers the NFL had ever seen. Rushing for 16,726 yards and an astonishing 110 touchdown’s, Payton’s career is easily one of the best ever. Coach Mike Ditka even went so far as to say that Payton was the greatest football player he had ever seen, which is no small feat. Why the man was nicknamed Sweetness is up for debate. Some have said it was acronym for how he ran the ball (which was extremely aggressive). Others have said it stemmed from his easy going personality and still others have said it was because of the ease he played the game with. No matter what the case, The Sweetness will go down as one of the best rushers the game of football has ever seen.

Career highlights: 9-time Pro Bowler & 5-time first-team All-Pro (13 year NFL career)

Barry Sanders

Arguably one of the most thrilling, electric runners of all time, Barry Sanders was generally regarded as a human highlight reel. No matter where he touched the ball, or the situation of the defenders in his proximity, he was always a threat to bring it in for six. His 15,269 and 99 touchdowns is all the more impressive when you take into account that he never really had a capable offensive unit around him (not to mention his offensive lines…). Although his retirement before the 1999 season shocked the entire football world, his career stats and classy reputation put him into the conversation of best backs to have ever played the game.

Career highlights: 10-time Pro Bowler & 6-time first-team All-Pro (10 year NFL career)

Marshall Faulk

Perhaps the best “complete” back of all time, Marshall Faulk brought an entirely different dynamic to the running back position. He could kill you by rushing the ball but he could also kill you catching the ball out of the backfield. Not only do his 12,279 career yards with 100 rushing touchdowns put him on the map for one of the best backs, his 6,875 receiving yards with 36 touchdown’s finish the conversation. While not the best running back of all time, a strong case can be put up for Faulk to have been the most complete all around running back the NFL has or ever will see.

Career highlights: 7-time Pro Bowler & 3-time first-team All-Pro (12 year NFL career)

Jim Brown

Just nine years in the league and Jim Brown is proclaimed by many more knowledgeable than I as the best back to ever play the game. Sure, we can compare stats, but by pure athleticism and dominance, Brown makes a strong case as the best back to have played the professional game. In his mere nine years in the NFL, Brown rushed for 12,312 and 106 touchdowns. Not to mention, he was named to the Pro Bowl in all nine of his NFL seasons. His dominance, at a time when many NFL legends were born builds him a strong case for best ever. If he is or not is of no concern, because all that I need to know is that I was born 25 years too early, fore I never got to witness the force that was Jim Brown.

Career highlights: 9-time Pro Bowler & 8-time first-team All-Pro (9 year NFL career)

Curtis Martin

Curtis Martin’s career is often look at how he the player was looked at when he was playing. Sure, he was a great running back -- but look a little closer and you might just find a little more. 14,101 yards and 90 touchdowns are offset only by some of his inconsistent years. Not to mention he had perhaps one of the best rookie seasons of any running back in the history of the league. No matter what the case against Curtis Martin, he had himself a fantastic career and was a class act similar to Barry Sanders. He went about his business and did what he could to win. Because of this, he’s one of the best in my opinion.

Career highlights: 5-time Pro Bowler & 1-time first-team All-Pro (11 year NFL career)

Emmitt Smith

Regardless of the comparisons between he and Barry Sanders, and his new position as wordsmith on ESPN, Emmitt Smith had a fantastic career. While some will say he had the best career ever, it was certainly in part to the talent he had around him. None the less, Smith had skills, and those skills, surrounded by supreme talent or not, rushed for 18,355 yards and 164 touchdowns (most all time in both categories). Both of these accomplishments will be the mark to beat in the NFL for many years to come.

Career highlights: 8-time Pro Bowler & 4-time first-team All-Pro (15 year NFL career)

Marcus Allen

Yes, he played 16 years, but instead of knocking him for it -- why not give him a hand? The man had less than 100 attempts only twice in his sixteen year career and took an absolute beating en route to 12,243 yards and 123 touchdowns (second all time). A Marshall Faulk before their was one, Marcus Allen caught 587passes for 5,411 yards and 21 touchdowns. In conjunction with his rushing stats (which may be a bit low in the yards per game category) expose Allen as one of the most skillful, tough players to have ever played the game.

Career highlights: 6-time Pro Bowler & 2-time first-team All-Pro (16 year NFL career)

Eric Dickerson

A running back mercenary for hire if you will, Dickerson played for four different teams in his twelve year career. Not one to have scenery alter his play, Dickerson would rush for 13,259 yards and 90 touchdowns. When he retired, he was second all time in rushing yards behind Walter Payton. Unfortunately for him (but fortunately for us) the NFL was in an influx for talented all time rushers, with Jerome Bettis, Curtis Martin, Barry Sanders and Emmit Smith eventually passing him. Dickerson’s 90.8 yards per game remains one of the best all time averages in NFL history.

Career highlights: 6-time Pro Bowler & 5-time first-team All-Pro (12 year NFL career)

Franco Harris

12,120 and 91 touchdowns? A nine time Pro Bowler in thirteen seasons? A focal point in one of the best offenses who have ever played? Franco Harris is a legend in the NFL, never mind his lore in Pittsburgh. I’m not even from Pittsburgh and I get jitters watching him tear it up in the old school games with the Steelers. Maybe he was overshadowed by a bunch of other players on the same team, but Franco Harris had one hell of a career.

Career highlights: 9-time Pro Bowler & 1-time first-team All-Pro

John Riggins

Known as “The Diesel” to teammates and fans, John Riggins is arguably the best Redskins running back of all time. His pure grit and toughness led him to a respectable 1,352 yards and 104 touchdowns (sixth all time). In his fourteen year career, Riggins carried the ball nearly 3,000 times -- an amazing accomplishment considering his reckless abandon running style.

Career highlights: 1-time Pro Bowler & 1-time first-team All-Pro (14 year NFL career)

LaDainian Tomlinson

About to enter his eighth NFL season, L.T. is in position to strike as perhaps the greatest running back we have every seen. Already third on the list of career rushing touchdowns (with 115), Tomlinson is equally as dangerous on the ground as well. He has a 4.5 rushing average for his career and if he can hold up a mere two more years, he could very well jump into the Top 10 rushing yards of all time. While it may strike some as surprising to already name someone still playing as one of the best of all time, L.T. has shown that even if he retires tomorrow, he could be put into the conversation with ease. The reason I included him is because he is my generations premier back -- we are going to be talking about him 10, 20 years from now. So boys and girls who are under the age of 25 like me -- enjoy this man make history while you still can.

Career highlights: 5-time Pro Bowler & 3-time first-team All-Pro (7 year NFL career… and still going!)

Other notable backs: O.J. Simpson, Tony Dorsett, Franco Harris, Thurman Thomas

Again, this is not the end all be all list. If you feel that someone was left off of my list, you’re probably right! But state why in the comments, it’s why this site exist! And who do you think is THE best all time? Let the debates begin!!

(And what kind of writer would I be if I didn’t source the absolutely amazing http://pro-football-reference.com -- if you’re at all interested in football history, than go there. You will not leave.)

Barry Sanders: A Mini-Biography

When you think of Barry Sanders, you think of breathtaking runs and with good reason, Sanders is the product of some of the most breathtaking NFL clips of all time. Never big enough to run through people, Sanders would get around you another way: breaking your ankles. No other athlete that I have had the pleasure to watch has made me unconsciously drop my jaw like Barry Sanders. Even with some of the clips I’ve already seen, I will doubt that he’ll get through the swarm of defensive players. But he always does and it always amazes me. It certainly says something when you can wow people with a clip that they’ve already seen.

Born on July 16th,1968, in Wichita, Kansas, Barry David Sanders was the seventh of eleven children. You could even say he was the runt of the pack, his height never exceeding 5 feet 8 inches. None the less, he didn’t let his size dictate what sports he played, participating in basketball and football from a young age.

Because of his size, not many big time colleges wanted to take a chance with Barry, even though he had a very impressive (albeit short) running career his senior year. Barry would eventually select Oklahoma State University as his school of choice. Little did the Oklahoma State brass know at the time, but they were getting what would turn out to be one of the greatest college football running backs players of all time.

After sitting and watching Thurman Thomas his first two years at OSU, Barry finally got his chance to start his junior year when Thomas left to enter the NFL Draft. Not one to let an opportunity pass him by, Sanders had a season for the ages, racking up 2,628 rushing yards (3,249 total yards), 37 rushing touchdowns and a Heisman trophy. It was at this time that many people began to take notice of this up and coming young running back, yet there were still many doubters -- their main gripe with him being his small stature.

No one really knows why Barry left after just one year in Oklahoma State but it was perhaps because he felt he had nothing else to accomplish in college. The NFL was where the pros were and although the young Sanders was humble, he was never one to doubt his own skills. It would foreshadow his retirement a decade later, which would surprise everyone -- mainly because of the fact that it was so obvious that he still had miles left on his odometer. But Barry would do what Barry thought was the best for him and it is one of the reasons why he is one of the most respected NFL players of all time.

The Detroit Lions scouts apparently felt that Barry’s upside far outweighed the fact that he was so small, and they picked him with the number three overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. If only the Dallas Cowboys had decided to take Sanders with the number one overall selection, it would have changed the Emmitt Smith/Barry Sanders debate forever. But that’s neither here nor there -- the Detroit Lions selected Barry Sanders and he will likely go down as the best player in the franchises rocky history.

It was evident from Barry’s first year in Detroit that they had struck gold with their first round selection. Lions fans must have thought they were having flashbacks; in 1980 running back Billy Sims had an equally impressive rookie season, rushing for 1,303 yards and 13 touchdowns. It is there however, that the comparisons between the two cease. Barry’s rookie year, complete with nearly 1500 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns, would only prove as a launching point for what is perhaps the best running back career the NFL has ever seen.

Sanders would rush for at least 1,000 yards in each of his ten seasons in the league. Besides his injury plagued 1993 season (1,115 yards on 243 attempts, 3 TD‘s in 11 games) his lowest season rushing total was 1,352 yards. He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his 10 seasons in the NFL and participated in all of them except 1993 because of an injury. He was also named 1st Team All-Pro in 6 of his 10 seasons in the league.

While Sanders’ 1997 season is often talked about because of his absolute dominance (he rushed for 2,000 yards in 14 games) he had some other equally impressive years. The 1994 season saw him rush for 1,883 yards on 331 attempts for 7 TD’s. That equals out to be about 5.7 yards per rush, which is amazing when you consider the offensive line that he had blocking for him that (and arguably every single) year.

The Lions made the playoffs 5 of the 10 years that Sanders was playing. That is certainly saying something when you take a look at the talent (or lack thereof) that he had around him during that period of time. The offensive line was never any good and that much is common knowledge. One of the reasons he is said to have retired so early is because he was never given a decent blocking unit.

Although it is a disgrace to the likes of Herman Moore to say that Barry never had any other talented offensive players on the field with him. Many gifted players gave their all along with him to get the Lions a Super Bowl title. Unfortunately, they just never seemed to be good enough.
Barry also never had a legitimate threat at quarterback to force defenses to drop a couple of extra people back in case the Lions decided to pass. It’s absolutely amazing when you look at Barry Sanders' numbers and take into account his lack of a competent quarterback and skilled offensive line. This was the case for nearly his entire career.

Barry Sanders' retirement was caused by his disgust at his teams ownerships ability to surround him with competent players. Even Emmitt Smith has gone on record to say something on the matter:

With the exception of a few talented offensive players that graced the field along with Barry during his career, Barry Sanders was the entire Detroit Lions’ offense. It is difficult to argue otherwise.

A couple of months prior to the 1999 season, just a year or so removed from one of the greatest single season performances in NFL history, Barry Sanders announced his retirement by faxing a letter to his hometown newspaper in Wichita, Kansas.

Opinions vary on why he retired so suddenly, especially when he was so close to breaking the all time NFL rushing record. Was it his disgust with the Detroit Lions organization? Did he merely have no desire to play the game of football anymore? Barry has gone on record himself to say that he was sick of losing in Detroit and that it had robbed him of his competitive nature, the same nature that had rocketed him to the top of the NFL record books.

Although the timing was a surprise, the way it was done and perhaps the reasons it were done for echoed the characteristics Barry had exemplified his whole career. Classiness. Humbleness. Is it so surprising that the man who never celebrated a touchdown his entire career didn’t put much stake into a record? He just did not have the competitive drive anymore and because of that, he decided he could no longer play the game of football.

Just as he had come out of college early, he decided to retire early. His retirement has caused constant speculation on what would have been should he have played a couple of more years. By all accounts, barring injury, he would have shattered the career rushing yards record as well as many others. It also wouldn’t have made the case for the number one running back of all time a debate, it would have written in the name Barry Sanders and sealed the book shut for good.

Sources: http://pro-football-reference.com
http://nfl.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Sanders

A look back: The 2002 NFL Draft (with grades!)

After writing my recent article about grading NFL team’s first few draft picks my thoughts were triggered by a statement by our very own, Afraid of Ed Hochuli:


He was referring to how we give grades out on draft picks, but have absolutely no idea how they’ll turn out. Sure, we can predict what they’ll do. We can watch as much game tape and read as much stats as we want, but all we’re really doing is making an educated guess. We’re Nostradamusing the NFL Draft. Sometimes we’re right (See: Peyton Manning) and sometimes we are terribly, terribly wrong (See: Ryan Leaf).

So, I figured why not go back a couple of years and grade the drafts? I mean, I have a kid -- so my social life is effectively over, why not put my free time to good use?! I didn’t want to go back too long, about 5 years or so ago so that we have a better handle on where those picks are right now -- in what should be the prime of their careers. More importantly, we can get a handle on how teams did selecting players and what those players contributed to the teams future.

Please note that although I will take into account how a player contributed to the team that drafted him, I will also take into account how that player did on other teams as well. The draft is all about scouting, after all and the grades that follow are essentially a scouting mark based on the team's total number of picks and their overall performance.

First off, let’s get into some explanations of some statistics you‘ll be seeing (as if you couldn‘t figure it out on your own…):

Number of Pro Bowlers selected: Self-explanatory

Number of quality players selected: While I’m not going to completely define a ‘quality player’ or give term qualifying stats, let’s just say a quality player is someone who has had a fairly successful career since 2002 and is generally regarded as a good draft choice.

Number of busts (a.k.a. disappointments… let’s be nice): Selections within the first two rounds that a team wasted because they did not pan out at all for one reason or another.

Number of draft choices still actively playing in the NFL: The number of players selected that are still in the NFL and played in at least four games during the 2007 season.

Number of those choices still with the team that drafted them: Number of active draft choices who are still with the team that drafted them.

Number of quality late round picks: The number of players who are still doing or have made significant contributions and were selected in Round 4 or later.

Grades will take into account the preceding statistics as well as the intangibles, a la if the draft class had players who were key in a playoff or title run and the like. Since there was so much info I decided to break this up into three parts. Part one is the breakdown of the first ten teams’ drafts who selected in Round 1. Part two is will be the next ten and part three will be, you guess it, the final twelve teams. I wanted to do it all in one shot but it would have been way too big and I’m only human. As always, enjoy and feel free to discuss at length in the comments. Oh, and a special thanks to [User:AfraidofEdHochuli| AOEH] for giving me the idea in the first place.

First up, April 27th, 2002. The date of the 2002 NFL Draft and more importantly, the Houston Texans birthday!

Number of Pro Bowlers: 0

Number of quality players selected: 5 (David Carr, Jabar Gaffney, Chester Pitts, Fred Weary, Demarcus Faggins)

Number of disappointments: 0

Number of draft choices still actively playing in the NFL: 5

Number of those players still with Houston: 3 (Chester Pitts, Fred Weary, Demarcus Faggins)

Number of quality late round picks: 1 (Sixth rounder: Demarcus Faggins)

Breakdown: 2002 was the Houston Texans inaugural year in the NFL and because of this they got the first pick in each of the first six rounds (not to mention some other picks thrown in for good measure). While 5 of their 12 selections went on to have successful careers, David Carr was not the QB they thought he would be when they drafted him. While he wasn’t a bust by any means, the Texans would go on and neglect to get him any offensive line help and he would be sacked 249 times in his 5 year stint with the Texans. But for 2002, their draft went quite well and three of the five quality selections they took are still with the team.

Grade: C +

Number of Pro Bowlers: 1 (Julius Peppers)

Number of quality players selected: 3 (Julius Peppers, Deshaun Foster, Will Witherspoon)

Number of disappointments: 0

Number of draft choices still actively playing in the NFL: 3

Number of those players still with Carolina: 1 (Julius Peppers)

Number of quality late round picks: 0

Breakdown: The Panthers hit a home run with their first round selection of Julius Peppers. Generally regarded as a “freak” because of his combination of strength, speed and his incredibly long arms, Peppers would go on to have a Pro Bowl career for the Panthers. Carolina’s next two selections, Deshaun Foster and Will Witherspoon would both play key roles in the Panthers 2003 championship push. Unfortunately, the Panthers lost the Super Bowl that year to the New England Patriots, but that doesn’t make their first three picks in the 2002 Draft any less impressive.

Grade: A -

(OT)

Number of Pro Bowlers: 0

Number of quality players selected: 3 (Joey Harrington, Kalimba Edwards, Andre Goodman)

Number of disappointments: 0

Number of draft choices still actively playing in the NFL: 4

Number of those players still with Detroit: 0

Number of quality late round picks: 1 (Fifth rounder: John Owens)

Breakdown: Joey Harrington’s four years in Detroit were marred by mediocrity. At times, he looked he may be the man to save Lions football, yet at other times he looked like he belonged in Arena football. However he at least showed he had potential and is still in the league, albeit with a career high 77.2 QB rating (2007 with the Falcons). Second round selection Kalimba Edwards, while not a blue chip or anything, did make contributions on defense. The rest of their selections, save for Andre Goodman, didn’t quite pan out in the long run.

Grade: D +

Number of Pro Bowlers: 0

Number of quality players selected: 1 (Josh Reed)

Number of disappointments : 1 (Mike Williams)

Number of draft choices still actively playing in the NFL: 5

Number of those players still with Buffalo: 3 (Josh Reed, Ryan Denney, Coy Wire)

Number of quality late round picks: 3 (Third rounder: Coy Wire, Fifth rounder: Justin Bannan, Seventh rounder: Mike Pullico)

Breakdown: First round selection Mike Williams just did not work out at all. While generally a good run blocker, he was not as skilled at pass blocking and was cut by the team three years after he was drafted. Any time a first round pick (not to mention a Top 5 one) doesn’t work out, it sets the team back immensely. Unfortunately for the Bills, the rest of their draft didn’t go as well, with Josh Reed being the only real contributor to the team.

Grade: D -

Number of Pro Bowlers: 0

Number of quality players: 4 (Quentin Jammer, Reche Caldwell, Ben Leber, Justin Peele)

Number of disappointments: 1 (Toniu Fonoti)

Number of draft choices still actively playing in the NFL: 4

Number of those players still with San Diego: 1 (Quentin Jammer)

Number of quality late round picks: 2 (Third rounder: Ben Leber, Fourth rounder: Justin Peele)

Breakdown: The Chargers had a very productive 2002 draft, with Quentin Jammer panning out to be the anchor of the secondary for the defense, Reche Caldwell proving to be a skilled receiver (but never a number one), Ben Leber starting many games at linebacker, and Justin Peele proving to be a competent pass catching number two TE. Second round pick Toniu Fonoti, while a skilled player had injury problems and off the field issues that limited his stay in San Diego to a mere two years. You can’t really penalize San Diego for not foreseeing these problems at the time of the draft, though.

Grade: B +

Number of Pro Bowlers: 0

Number of quality players: 1 (Scott Fujita)

Number of disappointments: 2 (Ryan Sims, Eddie Freeman)

Number of draft choices still actively playing in the NFL: 2

Number of those players still with Kansas City: 0

Number of quality late round picks: 1 (Fifth rounder: Scott Fujita)

Breakdown: While Ryan Sims was not necessarily a bust, he certainly didn’t put up the numbers that a defensive lineman taken in the Top 10 should. In five seasons with the Chiefs he only had 75 tackles, 5 sacks and 1 interception. I’m even being nice and counting assisted tackles. The remainder of the Chiefs picks didn’t bode quite well, either. With the exception of Scott Fujita all of Kansas City’s picks did nothing to improve the team in any way. To add insult to injury, Fujita left after his third season with the team, leaving them with nothing at all to show for the 2002 draft at this point in time.

Grade: F

Number of Pro Bowlers: 0

Number of quality players: 2 (Bryant McKinnie, Brian Williams)

Number of disappointments: 0

Number of draft choices still actively playing in the NFL: 3

Number of those players still with Minnesota: 1 (Bryant McKinnie)

Number of quality late round picks: 1 (Fourth rounder: Brian Williams)

Breakdown: The Vikings first round selection of Bryant McKinnie is perhaps my favorite selection in the entire 2002 draft. In addition to being a fantastic blocker, he’s also been an absolute workhorse. He’s started every single Minnesota Vikings game since 2003. Every single one. The Vikings appeared to like him too, giving him a 7 year, $48.5 million dollar deal. Hopefully, nothing will come of his recent legal troubles. While most of the other picks paled in comparison to the McKinnie selection, the Vikings did find another gem in the fourth round: Brian Williams. Although he is currently on the Jacksonville Jaguars, he’s started every game he’s been able to when he’s not been injured (save for his rookie year). Although he’s not there, the Vikings still got a solid 4 years out of him.

Grade: B +

Number of Pro Bowlers: 2 (Roy Williams, Andre Gurode)

Number of quality players: 3 (Roy Williams, Andre Gurode, Antonio Bryant)

Number of disappointments: 0

Number of draft choices still actively playing in the NFL: 2

Number of those players still with Dallas: 2 (Roy Williams, Andre Gurode)

Number of quality late round picks: 1 (Sixth rounder: Tyson Walter)

Breakdown: The Cowboys struck gold with their first two selections in the 2002 draft, selecting two eventual Pro-Bowlers. Roy Williams wouldn’t waste any time, being sent to the Pro Bowl in just his second year. It took Andre Gurode a bit longer but he is currently on back to back Pro Bowl nominations for 2006 and 2007. Antonio Bryant was looking like a solid selection as well until he violated the NFL’s substance abuse policy in 2006. They also found a gem (but not a starter, apparently) in Tyson Walter in the sixth round.

Grade: A

Number of Pro Bowlers: 1 (John Henderson)

Number of quality players: 3 (John Henderson, Akin Ayodele, David Garrard)

Number of disappointments: 0

Number of draft choices still actively playing in the NFL: 3

Number of those players still with Jacksonville: 2 (John Henderson, David Garrard)

Number of quality late round picks: 2 (Third rounder: Akin Ayodele, Fourth rounder: David Garrard)

Breakdown: The Jaguars selection of John Henderson in Round 1 proved to be a great one, with Henderson becoming a 2 time Pro Bowlers in 2004 and 2006. He along with Marcus Stroud would ensure the Jaguars had one of the most feared defensive lines up until 2007. Third rounder Akin Ayodele would prove to be a workhorse linebacker and improved the Jaguars defense greatly while he was there. David Garrard wouldn’t get his time to shine until 2005 and would eventually be named the starting quarterback over Byron Leftwich. Garrard led the Jaguars to an 11-5 record and a wild card playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Grade: A -

Number of Pro Bowlers: 0

Number of quality players: 3 (Levi Jones, Matt Schobel, Marquand Manuel)

Number of disappointments: 0

Number of draft choices still actively playing in the NFL: 4

Number of those players still with Cincinnati: 1 (Levi Jones)

Number of quality late round picks: 2 (Third rounder: Matt Schobel, Sixth rounder: Marquand Manuel)

Breakdown: The tenth overall selection of Levi Jones in the 2002 Draft has proved to be a smart one. Save for an injury plagued 2006 season, Jones has started 74 out of 80 possible games. He was also a large part of Rudi Johnson’s 4,000+ yards from 2004-2006 and it could even be said he was key in Rudi’s Pro Bowl bid in 2004 as well. While Lamont Thompson contributed, he was released after one year with the team. Matt Schobel put in some work from 2002-2005, racking up 938 yards and 9 touchdowns. Marquand Manuel has also played sporadically with both the Bengals and several other teams who needed secondary help.

Grade: C +