Top Ten Linebacker Corps

June 24, 2008 at 1:11 pm | In Linebackers, Raiderhater's Articles | 11 Comments
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The re-emergence of the 3-4 defense will make linebackers and defensive lines harder to rank. Ultimately I think it just favors linebackers in the 3-4 and defensive lines in the 4-3.

10. San Francisco 49ers- Patrick Willis was the very deserving rookie of the year last year and certainly looks to be the real deal at this position. Manny Lawson was another draft pick, a couple of years ago, and has played very well so far. There are some questions inside with Tully Banta-Cain and Brandon Moore but both should play well in this system. The 49ers have some good depth with veterans Dontarrious Thomas and Jeff Ulbrich backing up.

9, Baltmore Ravens- Ray Lewis is a sure fire hall of famer who is certainly on the other side of his career. But, the fact that he doesn’t have to be the leading tackler or star of the team allows him to still be a very valuable commodity. Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott are both pro-bowl caliber linebackers in their own right. Jarrett Johnson is the youngest of the bunch, but should continue to learn and grow behind the others incredible talents.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers- James Farrior and James Harrison are the best inside twosome in a 3-4 system in the NFL. Harrison very aptly replaced Porter inside last year and maybe displayed even more athleticism. Unlike some other teams, Pittsburgh’s questions actually lie outside. Lamarr Woodley and Larry Foote both played well last year, but have a lot to prove. Pittsburgh’s best case scenario is that Lawrence Timmons and Bruce Davis both come along quickly this year, which could make this a top 3 team in the league.

7. Green Bay Packers- This is a solid defense from top to bottom and the Linebackers may be the most exciting position on the team. All good, all drafted by the Packers, all young. Brady Poppinga played very well last year despite a lot of people calling him a weak link in the preseason. Nick Barnett came back from injuries the previous year and showed why he is so valuable to the team. AJ Hawk earned the hype that surrounded him. Abdul Hodge is the #1 backup on the team and would start for many teams.

6. Kansas City Chiefs- A nice mix of young and experienced and the best unit on this team. Donnie Edwards continues to play well into the second half of his career. Napolean Harris has shown both the Raiders and Vikings that they made a mistake letting him go the past couple of years. Derrick Johnson is an excellent linebacker and probably, at this point, the MVP on the team.

5. Chicago Bears- Depending on who you ask, Brian Urlacher is either one of the best players in the league or one of the most overrated. I think he is somewhere in between leaning towards the former. I think Urlacher is motivated by victory and plays much better when the things around him are going well. Could be trouble this year. The Bears finally did the right thing and re-signed Lance Briggs. Briggs is a highlight machine and a very smart player. Hunter Hillenmeier kind of gets lost in the hype of the other players, but is good on his own. The problem on this team is depth, especially given the age of Urlacher.

4. San Diego Chargers- For the life of me I still can’t understand why Shawne Merriman got such a free pass for getting caught using a performance enhancing drug. Shouldn’t it have become even more of an issue when all of his stats went down after he got caught. Never the less, he is a great athlete and contributes a lot on defense. Shaun Phillips is also a really good linebacker and at least as athletic as Merriman. Stephen Cooper is the best athlete at the position, but needs to become a smarter player. Matt Wilhelm is a wild card and could lose his starter spot to veteran Derek Smith.

3. Seattle Seahawks- Like almost everybody on this roster, these guys have all flown under the radar in the great pacific northwest. Julian Peterson was a pro-bowl linebacker that the 49ers shouldn’t have let get away and played extremely well as a pass rusher for the Seahawks last year. Lofa Tutupu should quit drinking, but aside from that is a great guy. Seriously, he is a really good player. Leroy Hill is out of this world fast and has had a very good couple of years.

2. Dallas Cowboys- DeMarcus Ware is one of the two best outside rushers in a 3-4 in the league. He is the best to never get popped for using steroids. If healthy Zach Thomas is exactly the kind of leader this team needs on the defensive side of the ball and could actually rub off on the offensive side. Bradie James came along well last year, but may be holding the spot until the Cowboys are certain of Bobby Carpenter’s health and dedication. Greg Ellis is on his last days in the NFL, but Anthony Spencer should be able to step in for him.

1. New England Patriots- Yeah, Bruschi and Vrabel are old. They were old last year and this team went 16-0. Bruschi is a great on and off the field leader. Vrabel is a versatile player who has always been a perfect fit for this system. I will say though, that the most overstated annoying stat repeated ad nauseum during every red zone visit by the Patriots is that Vrabel has 10 catches for 10 touchdowns. Of course all of his catches were TD’s. It’s not like they’re throwing him 50 yard bombs or 10 yard slants that he takes the rest of the way. They’re all 1 yard TD’s. Anyway. Adailus Thomas actually underperformed a bit last year, but he is a great player. They may have also upgraded with the draft choice of Jerod Mayo to replace aging Junior Seau.

Jeff Winters

www.raider-hater-nation.com

Top Ten Wide Receiving Corps

June 24, 2008 at 12:15 pm | In Raiderhater's Articles, Wide Receivers | 6 Comments
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We are breaking down the top 10 receiving corps today. Not the top 10 wide receivers. I think a great wide receiving corps consists of three key elements. A deep threat, a possession receiver (big guy, red zone threat), and a quick slot receiver who can take a short pass over the middle and make a first down out of it every time. Tight ends are included here as well, although it’s tough to find a team that has a pro-bowl tight end and an elite set of ball catchers. Not enough passes to go around I guess. Let’s start the list.

10. Detroit Lions- The Lions make it with the expectation that they will keep Roy Williams on the team. Williams is a receiver who can do it all and if paired with a consistently accurate QB could really become an elite receiver in the NFL. Calvin Johnson had some injuries last year, but when he played he was one of the best looking young receivers around. Johnson was the guy I thought Oakland should have taken in 2006. Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald are two guys who can be great in the slot position, as both have tremendous after the catch ability. Dan Campbell is a veteran at TE.

9. Denver Broncos- Brandon Marshall was enough to get the Broncos on the list. I know he’s had some off the field issues, but I’m not factoring them in as there is no reason to believe Marshall doesn’t start game 1 this year. If you actually watched Broncos games this year then you will already know no receiver is better with the ball in his hands than Marshall. The Broncos also added some veteran depth, which they badly lacked last year at this position, in Samie Parker and Darrell Jackson. Jackson at one point was a very good receiver, before going to the 49ers last year. Brandon Stokely may be the greatest slot receiver of all time. Tony Scheffler is quickly becoming a very good TE, but needs to get open more consistently.

8. Cincinnati Bengals- Chad Johnson is not as good as he, and nearly everybody else, thinks he is. He is much more hype than substance. Even his nickname and celebrations suck. But, he is a very good number two guy. The number one guy on this team is TJ Houshmanzadeh. A very talented receiver who many announcers still can’t bother to learn how to say his name. I also think Andre Caldwell and Mario Urrutia could contribute this year, especially if Johnson is hampered by injuries.

7. Cleveland Browns- The Browns had the second most prolific passing game in the NFL last year. No reason to believe it shouldn’t be just as good or better with the addition of Donte Stallworth. Braylon Edwards came in to his own last year and is clearly the best player to come out of the top 5 in 2005. Joe Jurevicius is a terrific option at the slot position. Kellen Winslow, when healthy, finally showed what he is capable of on the field last year. The Browns may have the best four man option in the league. The only problem is the question marks. Will Stallworth be the guy who catches a touchdown per game or drops one? Will Winslow and Jurevicius stay healthy? Will Edwards continue to grow? Will Derek Anderson stay good? If all of these are in the affirmative, look for this team to score a lot of points this year.

6. Green Bay Packers- I was a little hesitant with this team. Will they be as good without Brett. Ultimately, I based it on their talent and the belief that they are good enough to give Aaron Rodgers a chance to succeed. Donald Driver is a veteran who seems to be able to get open whenever he chooses. Greg Jennings is a quickly rising young star at the position. The Packers also have a lot of depth and ,if Rodgers can gain the confidence in all of his receivers that Favre had, they will be tough to defend. James Jones and Ruvell Martin can easily fill in as starters. The Packers also made some key draft picks that should enable them to use even more weapons on the field, in Jordy Nelson and JerMichael Finley.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers- Ben Roethlisberger may have complained about them, but the Steelers receivers are actually quite good. I can’t stand Hines Ward because of the way announcers talk about him, but he is a great red zone receiver, especially for a man his size. Santonio Holmes has been good for Pittsburgh. Some knock hiim for not being worth a first round pick. If you look at the vast majority of receivers taken in the first round over the last decade or so, he actually far surpasses them. Nate Washington played well when called on last year. I think Limas Sweed may have been a steal late in the second round. Matt Spaeth and Heath Miller both are good receiving Tight Ends.

4. Dallas Cowboys- Terrell Owens is still one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. His talents to go deep or over the middle are enough to make this a top five receiving team. I don’t think Terry Glenn is a huge loss, especially since he barely played last year. Patrick Crayton played well last year and should continue to grow under T.O. I would say almost exactly the same thing about Sam Hurd, but then I would sound repetitive. Jason Witten and Tony Romo may have the best chemistry of any QB-TE combo in the league. Must be all the vacationing in Mexico together.

3. New England Patriots- They were the most prolific receiving unit in league history last year. Randy Moss set an all time record for touchdown reception in a season. I will point out as everyone seemed hesitant to do last year, that Rice had one less touchdown in four less games. I think the Patriots could suffer from the loss of Donte Stallworth. I’m not sure Jabar (I’m Shocked) Gaffney is as big a threat to open up the middle for Wes Welker. Chad Jackson has yet to make an impact on this team after being drafted early a couple of years ago. Kelley Washington and Ben Watson both actually underperformed last year, considering the explosion of this offense.

2. Arizona Cardinals- Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald are both still young and could easily be argued as the best one-two punch in the league. Neither has break away speed, but both have sure hands and great positioning ability. It’s scary to think what they could do if the Cardinals ever had consistency at the quarterback position. Early Doucet looked like a first round pick before injuries slowed him last year, if healthy he may actually be an upgrade over Bryant Johnson. Steve Breaston started to play more late last year. Leonard Pope is a very good receiving tight end and I think Ben Patrick has breakout ability if given the chance.

1. Indianapolis Colts- Hard to argue against them. They are consistently the best year in and out. Marvin Harrison is a future hall-of-famer and if injuries or rare guns from Belgium don’t slow him down he should be able to produce for a couple more years. When Harrison was out last year Reggie Wayne showed he was able to be a number one. Anthony Gonzales played very well last year and if he’s able to play the slot this year he should be even more of a factor. Dallas Clark is a great tight end and maybe, aside from Gates, the biggest deep threat at the position.

Top 10 Special Teams Units

June 24, 2008 at 12:11 pm | In Raiderhater's Articles, Special Teams | 9 Comments
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Today, We continue our look at the top units in the NFL. Our focus is on the unit that is becoming increasingly important in the league, the Special Teams

10. Baltimore Ravens- Speaking of teams that don’t score a whole lot. The Ravens still have Matt Stover at kicker who single handedly carried this team, scoring wise, to a Super Bowl. He is still reliable, although I hate watching him kick with that dumb pose he does. Yamon Figurs may be the fastest return man in the league and is bound to become a star at that position in the very near future. They also always have the added threat of putting Ed Reed back to return punts.

9. St. Louis Rams- Dante Hall is not what he used to be but he is still a very good return man. this is proven by the fact that he finished in the top 10 in both kick return average and punt return average. The Rams also signed one of the most consistently reliable kickers in the game during the offseason in Josh Brown.

8. New York Jets- Mike Nugent has not come close to earning the honor of being a kicker taken on the first day of the draft. That is the only reason this team isn’t ranked higher. They have four return men who would start at that position for almost any team in the NFL. Darrelle Revis, Brad Smith, Justin Miller and Leon Washington will all contend for pro-bowl honors this year on special teams.

7. Chicago Bears- Many people will think this is way too low no doubt. The fact of the matter is if I were ranking the top ten most exciting returners in the game Devin Hester would be number one. He has had 13 touchdowns in the past two years. Another fact is that the Bears had the lowest return average in the NFL and Hester had several fumbles that inevitably led to points for the other team. Hester is explosive but also very inconsistent. Robbie Gould is a good kicker who will get better with more experience.

6. Atlanta Falcons- The Falcons were a good return team last year who should only get better this year. Mike Smith has already told Atlanta newspapers that he is interested in having Jerious Norwood be the teams main return man. Norwood has an excellent mix of speed and elusiveness that would make him a seemingly perfect fit for this role. Adam Jennings is another option who possesses many of the same attributes. The Falcons also signed Jason Elam in the offseason. If the high altitude of Denver helped the stats of Elam over the past 15 years, the dome certainly is not going to hurt him.

5 New England Patriots- In an embarrassment of riches the Patriots are really good on special teams also. Ellis Hobbs and Wes Welker are more than enough at the return position, but I think you could see Chad Jackson doing some of that this year as well. Stephen Gostkowski did a good enough job of replacing Adam Vinatieri. I had to actually look up their punter because I barely remember seeing him. Chris Hanson…i’m not sure but he’s probably good.

4. Minnesota Vikings- The Vikings averaged nearly 25 yards per kick return last year and the inclusion of Chester Taylor on that unit this year seems a real possibility. Bernard Berrian, Maurice Hicks and Bobby Wade all have return experience as well. Ryan Longwell vastly improved a long suffering kicking game. The Vikings have the best return coverage team in the NFL.

3. San Diego Chargers- Nate Kaeding is a pro-bowl kicker who kicked at nearly 90% last year. Mike Scifres is an excellent punter. Darren Sproles is a big play threat at return as he proved in that Sunday night game against the Colts. You could also see Antonio Cromartie and Buster Davis involved in the return game more this year.

2. Houston Texans- This team returned four kickoffs for touchdowns last year, including a 104 yard return by Andre Davis. Davis and Jacoby Jones will share the load this year and both are superb return men. Kris Brown was an 87% kicker last year including 5 for 5 over fifty yards.

1. Cleveland Browns- Joshua Cribbs threw his name in the hat last year in the competition to be the new x-factor. He led the league in kickoff average and was second in punt returns. Cribbs scored three touchdowns and lacked the big mistakes that Hester made. Phil Dawson and Dave Zastudil are both veterans in the kicking game. Another reason this is the quickest rising team in the NFL.

Top Ten Secondary Units In NFL

June 24, 2008 at 12:04 pm | In Raiderhater's Articles, Secondary Units | 6 Comments
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We start today with a correction. The Denver Broncos did not take the first left tackle in the draft, they took the second. Sorry Jake Long. Today we move on to the corners and safeties. The difficulty level of breaking these down was actually really high. Stats rarely tell the story at this position. Interceptions are affected by quarterback pressure and the ability to stop the run. Star corners interceptions are often lower than they could be because they’re avoided by quarterbacks. So we have to, for the most part, judge purely on talent. Here goes.

10. Tennessee Titans- This team had 22 interceptions last year, second most in the league. Much of this was assisted by a very good defensive line, much of which they’ve lost, which is why they’re down at 10. They should still be a very good unit this year though. Nick Harper and Cortland Finnegan are both fast cover corners who aren’t afraid to play press and run. Their safety tandem is good too, with veteran Chris Hope and young Michael Griffin who is quick enough to play corner on some teams.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers- The Steelers gave up less than 6 yards per pass last year because of their ability to keep the play in front of them. They also had a completion against percentage of less than 30 on first down. That’s putting your defense in a good position on second and third. The corners aren’t all word but they are good enough. Ike Taylor and Deshea Townsend are both veterans who play to their ability every week. Ryan Clark was a nice upgrade at safety last year and really played well as almost a nickelback on some plays. I think Troy Polamalu is overrated. He makes plays yes, but he is caught out of position far too often. That being said, he is superior against the run.

8. Indianapolis Colts- They gave up less than six yards per pass, only 16 passing touchdowns and had 22 interceptions. All of this, despite the fact that their defensive line had a down year. The reason is incredible speed. Hughes, Hayden and Jackson may be the fastest corner trio in the league and that makes them a perfect fit for the Tampa 2 defense. Same for Bob Sanders who is terrific against the run and adequate against the pass. Antoine Bethea at times looks like a weak link but started to come into his own late in the season.

7. Baltimore Ravens- In years past I would have definitely ranked this team in the top 3. Samari Rolle is a little long in the tooth at this point and they could certainly stand to upgrade at the nickelback position. The rest of the unit are ball hawks though. Chris McAllister can get beat but he will also get 6-8 picks per year. Dawan Landry really came on last year and is proving to be a top safety in the league. Ed Reed is a little older also but he may still be the best all-around safety in the NFL.

6. San Diego Chargers- They may have been the best secondary in the league last year, especially with the arrival of Antonio Cromartie at cornerback. A ballhawk with blazing quick return speed. The interceptions will likely go down this year though, as teams have more video of him and are less likely to go his way. Quentin Jammer is a solid number two cornerback but not as likely to scare anybody. They lost Marlon McCree at safety which will hurt them this year. They go with the young Eric Weddle as his replacement. Clinton Hart is decent on the otherside.

5. Philadelphia Eagles- If this team could work things out with Lito Shepperd I’d make them number 1 or 2. I don’t understand why they don’t just keep all three and use them in a rotation. Why would the corners mind either, they wouldn’t be stuck on an island as often. Oh well, as it is they are still top five. Asante Samuel was probably the number one free agent on the market. Sheldon Brown is another pro bowl caliber corner on the other side. Brian Dawkins is older and probably in the last couple years of his career. That being said, when healthy I’m not sure he’s not just as good as the much more hyped Bob Sanders. If Sean Considine becomes a better tackler and/or they work out a way to keep Lito, this should be a spectacular secondary.

4. New York Jets- May seem like a stretch to some given their record last year but make no mistake this is an excellent secondary. The Jets were not a terrible defense last year and these guys were the main reason. Darrelle Revis and Justin Miller are outstanding cornerbacks. If the front seven can create pressure this year they will set the league on fire. Kerry Rhodes is a very good safety who could easily be a cornerback with his skill set. Abram Elam and Artrell Hawkins are the options at free safety and either should be able to excel in this system.

3. Oakland Raiders- Even the raiderhater has to give this unit props. Nnamdi Asomugha is the best draft pick the Raiders have made in a decade and an excellent cornerback who with one more good year could even be considered lock-down. DeAngelo Hall is way overrated, but as a number two corner he is an excellent option. Michael Huff moves to strong safety this year and should fit in there very nicely. Free safety is a little more up in the air, but Gibril Wilson should get that job and he was good enough to win a Super Bowl last year.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- A veteran group who are all pro-bowl worthy at their position. They only gave up 170 passing yards per game last year and that was in spite of the fact that they were very good against the run as well. Ronde Barber is great and has fantastic return skills. Philip Buchanon is as good a number two as their is. Jermaine Phillips and Tanard Jackson are as good a safety tandem as you’ll see playing both the pass and run.

1. Denver Broncos- There is no greater gap between number 1 and 2 at any position than there is between Champ Bailey and the number 2 corner in the league. Champ is a hall-of-famer and arguably the greatest corner in the history of the game. This is not bias. I do not proclaim every Bronco to be the best. I am an educated fan of the game and have watched the sport for 25 years…there was never a corner who could play the pass and run as well as Champ Bailey. Dre Bly had some trouble last year but most of that can be contributed to the lack of pass rush in Denver last year. Domonique Foxworth is a very good nickel. They have experience and depth at safety with John Lynch, Hamza Abdullah, Marlon McCree and Marquand Manuel. If Denver’s front seven can get at the passer no quarterback will succeed against this unit.

- raiderhater, Senior Contributer and Owner of raiderhater.wordpress.com

Top Ten Offensive Lines in Football

June 24, 2008 at 11:59 am | In Raiderhater's Articles, offensive lines | 9 Comments
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I want to break down the NFL by position over the next week or so. A couple of years ago NFL Live did this by ranking the teams at each position. I will do the same giving the Top 10 Offensive Lines, Defensive Lines, Linebacker Units, Secondaries, Receiving Corps, Running Backs, Special Teams and Quarterbacks. Clearly all of this is on paper and many teams will sneak up on us. So without further ado, here are the Top 10 Offensive Lines going into the 2008 season.

#10 – Cleveland Browns (AFC North)

What a difference a year makes. The Browns were one of the worst offensive lines in the league between 2004 and 2006. One very good offseason later I have the Browns in the top 10. The Browns ran for 118 yards per game last year and allowed only 19 sacks. They could easily be ranked much higher but with this whole team I am taking a cautious stance. I gotta see it twice. They are set up though. Kevin Shaffer hasn’t missed a game at right tackle in four years. Hank Fraley is a former pro-bowler and a starter since 2001 at center. Eric Steinbach has missed one game in four years. Joe Thomas could easily have been rookie of the year if only left tackle were a more glory filled position. The one question mark may be Ryan Tucker at right-guard as he has never started a full season. If these guys play to their potential the Browns offense should continue to grow.

#9 Denver Broncos (AFC West)

As much as many people feel the Denver running game has taken a step back, they ran for more than four and a half yards per carry and over 122 yards per game. The line also allowed less than two sacks per game. The Broncos defense is far more to blame for the lack of rhythm and production in Denver than the offensive line or the system. Which is why they are ranked this high. From center to right tackle all three guys started every game last year. Casey Wiegmann did so for the Chiefs. Between there and Chicago he has started 163 straight games. Tom Nalen could still start at center if healthy, and many feel he is a future Hall-of-Famer. Ben Hamilton returns from injury at left guard, where he is a long time Bronco Fave. Ryan Clady was the first Left Tackle taken in the 2008 draft. The Broncos will miss Matt Lepsis at left tackle as he is another future Hall-of-Famer who retired in the off-season.

#8 Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East)

This is arguably the strength of the Eagles offensive squadron. The tackle positions probably need to get younger in the future, but for now William Thomas and Jon Runyan are one of the better tackle combos in the league. Shawn Andrews and Jamaal Jackson are young and very good at Right Guard and Center respectively. Todd Herremans needs to play better at the left guard position but there is upward mobility there. The Eagles O-Line will look very good as long as Winston Justice doesn’t have to play the Giants.

#7 San Diego Chargers (AFC West)

Just look at Madden 2008. They’re all over 90 OVR. More to the point, they allowed only 24 sacks last year and ran for over 127 yards per game. They’re all back too, which is the main reason the Chargers are one of the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. McNeill, Hardwick, Dielman and Goff are all proven pro-bowl caliber players. Jeromey Clary at the Right Tackle is probably the biggest wild card, but showed very good potential last season.

#6 Indianapolis Colts (AFC South)

The Colts have given up fewer sacks than anybody in the league over the past five years. This is because they are excellent at drafting. Ugoh, Lilja, Saturday, Johnson and Diem are all home grown talents. Everytime they need somebody to step in and do the job, they have that guy ready. Ugoh was the best example of this last year. You can’t put up the kind of numbers the Colts have for nearly a decade now without solid O-Line work.

#5 New England Patriots (AFC East)

Some people are gonna have a problem with this. I understand their point. You can’t break every NFL offensive record imaginable without having a special offensive line. This team is proven to do one thing really well and that is pass block. I’m not so convinced that they are a great run blocking team. I would think Bill Belichick may agree with me. Why else did he become so pass happy last year? They only ranked 13th in the league in rushing per game. That is not entirely on the line because they weren’t asked to run block. If they prove more balanced this year I would consider myself proven wrong.

#4 New York Giants (NFC East)

This unit was one of the more surprising of the 2007 season and one of the biggest reasons the Giants won the Super Bowl. The Giants ran for nearly 130 yards per game and gave up less than 30 sacks despite having one of the most sackable quarterbacks in the league. David Diehl came into the season very heavily scrutinized and finally proved he was worthy of being a starting left tackle in the league. Seubert, O’Hara and Snee also vastly over-performed what many thought they were capable of. Kareem McKenzie is the veteran of the group and clearly had a very calming influence over his less experienced brethren. Not bad considering no first round picks, two undrafted free agents and one coach’s son in law.

#3 Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North)

Alan Faneca is going to be a huge loss. Yet, I think the Steelers should continue to do what they do best, excel in the trenches. There’s not a big name on the list but the Steelers have always excelled at filling their holes on the offensive line and I suspect this year will be no different. Smith, Hartwig and Simmons are reliable starters in the league. I think Willie Colon and Sean Mahey will fit into the Steelers running system perfectly. Pass blocking is a bigger worry, but Big Ben makes that pretty easy for his front guys.

David Garrard had a great season last year. Fred Taylor had a great season last year. Maurice

#2 Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South)

Jones-Drew had a great season last year. You can’t have all of these guys excel without the blockers being special. This team won a playoff game last year and still only had a pro-bowler because Willie Parker’s injury allowed Taylor to get in. So if I list the names Barnes,Manuwai,Meester,Williams and Pashos I won’t be too surprised if they don’t really register with many. This group is big,mean and physical and represent a throw back to the way football used to be played between the numbers. They dominated the Steelers front seven for much of the playoff game and held up well against the Patriots. This team is missing something but it is not on the line.

#1 Minnesota Vikings (NFC North)

It’s hard to judge their pass blocking because their quarterback is so inexperienced and at times inept. This team wants it’s identity to be the running game and no line in the league is even close to the Vikings at doing that. They are the only team in the NFL to run for more than five yards per carry  and had nearly a half yard more per run than any other team in the league. They had nearly 20 more yards per game than the other teams. Maybe the best left tackle in the league in Bryant McKinnie. Maybe the best left guard in the league in Steve Hutchinson. Maybe the best center in the league in Matt Birk. If they can continue to dominate and Jackson improves at QB this is a legitimate threat in the NFC.

- raiderhater, Senior Contributer at 3rd & Short and Owner of raiderhater.wordpress.com

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