Top players of different categories since new alignemnt era

[fallforward3y+]

Best overall QBrew Brees
Best QB under pressurerew Brees
Best Reading/Decisions QBeyton Manning
Best Big Play QB:Brett Favre
Best Extending Play QB:Ben Roethlisberger,Michael Vick
Best Running QB:Tim Tebow
Best Power Back:Brandon Jacobs,Michael Alstott
Best Elusive Back:LaDanian Tomlinson,Reggie Bush
Best Home Run Back:Willie Parker,Chris Johnson,Adrian Peterson
Best Clock Control/First Downs Back:Selvin Young,Frank Gore,Willis McGahee,Ahmad Bradshaw(back when he did forward spins)
Best Overall WR:Andre Johnson,Calvin Johnson
Best Great Catches WR:Reggie Wayne,Brandon Lloyd,Larry Fitzgerald
Best Deep Ball WR:Randy Moss,DeShaun Jackson,Mike Wallace
Best Route Running WR:Marvin Harrison,Torry Holt,Wes Welker
Best Short Pass WR:Steve Smith,Eddie Royal
Strongest WR:Anquan Boldin,Brandon Marshall,Andre Johnson
Best Blocking TE:Jason Dunn
Best Receiving TE:Antonio Gates,Tony Gonzalez,Jason Witten
Best Pass Blocker:Walter Jones,Orlando Pace,Jake Long
Best Run Blocker:Steve Hutchinson,Alan Feneca,Nick Mangold
Best Pass Rusher:Michael Strahan,Dwight Freeney,Julius Peppers
Best Run Stuffer:Kevin Williams,Casey Hampton,Vince Wilfork,Jamal Williams
Best In the Box LB:Jerod Mayo,Ray Lewis,Brady James,James Farrior
Best Angle Tackling LBatrick Willis,Navarro Bowman,Takeo Spikes
Best Overall LBatrick Willis,Navarro Bowman
Best Cover Corner:Champ Bailey,Al Harris,Terrence Newman,Chris McAllister
Best Ballhawk:Ed Reed,Asante Samuel,Troy Polamalu,Darren Sharper
Best Tackling DB:Quinton Jammer,Antoine Winfield,Lawyer Milloy,Michael Lewis,John Lynch

yes, I know..more than one on most, but on some of them who can really pick a clear cut 1...ignore smiley faces, they got in there by accident

[theMileHighGuy]

Is this a list that you assembled or did you get it somewhere??

A lot of those guys are retired, some for quite a while... and some just don't make sense.

Smith and Royal best short catch WR? Welker? Stokes? and there are 3 starters right now that are better runners than Tebow.

[fallforward3y+]

I assembled it...perhaps I should have been more specific for short passes...I meant best for catching basically a dump off pass and making yards out of it..I think your thinking of the category I wrote as "route runner"..forgot about Welker, he should have been in that category..stokes is good, but not tops

I know many are retired, its meant to be the best who've played since 2002, since all NFL teams were in the league.

Tebow is the best running QB, because he can actually run like a real RB, taking on tacklers and what not....the option QBs usually only run when there is a wide open lane

[theMileHighGuy]

I do miss Selvin Young, always thought he had a ton of potential.

You at least gotta put Champ with the best tackling DBs. I've seen him miss maybe a handful of tackles his whole career.

[fallforward3y+]

I do miss Selvin Young, always thought he had a ton of potential.

You at least gotta put Champ with the best tackling DBs. I've seen him miss maybe a handful of tackles his whole career.

Me too, I liked him. I put him on the clock winder backs list because of what he did well-fall forward while being tackled. That's how you eat clock and pick up key first downs. Defenders are going to tackle you if they are disciplined, so go for yards while being tackled..he was the best at that..its just not something that really catches anybody's eye..but its a rare skill..if your a guy where tackling you does not mean stopping you it can prove quite helpful

As for Champ, well he's a good tackler..I wouldn't say hes as good as Winfield and Jammer though..but he is good

Since the term "shut down corner" can be seen as a bad label, I'd just like to clarify what I meant by cover corner...I simply meant the best corner at covering, no indication on whether or not they could tackle

[BroncoFanNC]

RG3 had more yards, yards per attempt, TD's, and less fumbles than Tebow did as a starter.

Newtons rookie stats are also better than Tebow as a starter (same categories).

Only one he beats is Russel Wilson.

Yet all of those guys are better QB's than Tebow, so if the catagory is Running QB Tebow should be 3rd or 4th, even if you just look at the running and throw out the QB part.

Every RB in the NFL is not a power guy looking for contact. There are plenty of finesse RB's.

If the category is QB who mimics a power running back (both running and passing ), then sure, give it to Tebow.


Short pass, AKA the screen?

Welker is king of screens. Also you have Percy Harvin. But Welker is probably the undisputed screen guy.

[PManningTKO]

Under pressure Drew Brees? Nah ... I'd take Big Ben or Eli.

[beastlyskronk]

You really couldn't think of anyone to put over Jerious Norwood? He had 10 total TDs in 6 seasons, he was hardly a homerun threat because he could never stay on the field.

[fallforward3y+]

RG3 had more yards, yards per attempt, TD's, and less fumbles than Tebow did as a starter.

Newtons rookie stats are also better than Tebow as a starter (same categories).

Only one he beats is Russel Wilson.

Yet all of those guys are better QB's than Tebow, so if the catagory is Running QB Tebow should be 3rd or 4th, even if you just look at the running and throw out the QB part.

Every RB in the NFL is not a power guy looking for contact. There are plenty of finesse RB's.

If the category is QB who mimics a power running back (both running and passing ), then sure, give it to Tebow.


Short pass, AKA the screen?

Welker is king of screens. Also you have Percy Harvin. But Welker is probably the undisputed screen guy.

Your missing the point, the point is that Tebow is the only QB who will run when he will be hit before the first down marker. RG3,Newton,Wilson will only run when there is a wide lane, that's not a real runner. I realize QBs aren't expected to be legit runners, but the category is running QB so if there is somebody who is one, and he's the only one..it goes to him

Rushing average is meaningless for a QB if he only even runs it when he knows he can get a big chunk, and of course its throwing out the QB part that goes without saying..the category was which QB is the best runner

Harvin and Welker are good, but I'd take Royal on a short dunk pass. Royal is a guy who I'd want to dunk it too even if somebody was in front of him. He would either evade him, or make sure he gets a decent pickup by falling forward if he is caught. Welker is good, but in NE its all about the system..if not for that system he wouldn't be as good at them. As for Harvin, well..not everybody can make the list.

[fallforward3y+]

Under pressure Drew Brees? Nah ... I'd take Big Ben or Eli.

You may have misunderstood what I meant by pressure. I meant pressure as defensive lineman/blitzers in his face, not pressure as in playoffs/clutch situations.

If your referring to that, then there is only one answer, Eli Manning. However for pressure as I was referring to, Eli isn't very good.

As for Big Ben, well he's the play extention king, and used to be the game winning drive king. Now however, he isn't very good in game winning drive situations...He threw the pick vs Dallas, failed vs Bengals, threw the pick vs Denver..couldn't lead them in the SB back in '10...I remember when I first saw him fail to lead one vs the Jets in 2010..it was the first time I had ever seen him fail...I wonder what happened to him, he used to be automatic

[fallforward3y+]

You really couldn't think of anyone to put over Jerious Norwood? He had 10 total TDs in 6 seasons, he was hardly a homerun threat because he could never stay on the field.

That's not taken into account, this isn't about who was able to be there every game, or who would be the best fantasy player. Its about who was the best in that specific category, and for hitting a home run from the backfield he was always a threat..and a great one. He was the fastest back in his draft, and everyone knew that if you let him get past the safety that was it..there was no catching him

Darren McFadden or Willie Parker could have sufficed though..they are/were certainly up there

[beastlyskronk]

That's not taken into account, this isn't about who was able to be there every game, or who would be the best fantasy player. Its about who was the best in that specific category, and for hitting a home run from the backfield he was always a threat..and a great one. He was the fastest back in his draft, and everyone knew that if you let him get past the safety that was it..there was no catching him

Darren McFadden or Willie Parker could have sufficed though..they are/were certainly up there

He averaged a TD every 57 carries. He wasn't a big play threat, he was fast there's no doubt about that, but he had no vision to see the holes to hit the homeruns. I followed his career very closely (had high hopes for him) so I know him very well. Tatum Bell was a bigger homerun threat. There have been a lot of RBs that have been bigger homerun threats than Norwood.

Also he wasn't the fastest RB in the draft, Reggie Bush was faster than Norwood.

[fallforward3y+]

He averaged a TD every 57 carries. He wasn't a big play threat, he was fast there's no doubt about that, but he had no vision to see the holes to hit the homeruns. I followed his career very closely (had high hopes for him) so I know him very well. Tatum Bell was a bigger homerun threat. There have been a lot of RBs that have been bigger homerun threats than Norwood.

Also he wasn't the fastest RB in the draft, Reggie Bush was faster than Norwood.

I believe that Norwood had a few hundredths of a second on Bush. Bush was the quickest back in the draft.

I agree that he didn't live up to his potential, but he was definitely a home run threat when he played. Tatum Bell was not a better home run threat than he was. He may have had a higher TD/carry ratio but that has much more to do with who gets goal line carries. Norwood didn't get those, because he wasn't very good at short yardage.

[beastlyskronk]

I believe that Norwood had a few hundredths of a second on Bush. Bush was the quickest back in the draft.

I agree that he didn't live up to his potential, but he was definitely a home run threat when he played. Tatum Bell was not a better home run threat than he was. He may have had a higher TD/carry ratio but that has much more to do with who gets goal line carries. Norwood didn't get those, because he wasn't very good at short yardage.

Even then he only had 4 TD runs of 20 or more yards out of those 7 TDs, while Tatum Bell had 5 TD runs of 20 or more yards.

[beastlyskronk]

Either way CJ Spiller and Jamaal Charles should both be up there