Top 10 Players

[JoeCool#5]

On the brink of NFL network's top 10 (of its top 100), ESPN's expert panel decided to chime in on its top 10 prior to NFL network's final release.

Here is the link
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfceast/post/_/id/27930/power-rankings-top-10-nfl-players

One word... Wow.

[1/28/01]

Wow.....this is laughable!!!!!! Completely!!!! Wow!

[RavensAllTheWay]

The top 3 are QBs and there's a tie at 10 (11 players)...wow

[gabefergy]

Its not a great list...way to heavy on offense. However, I would say the only players that really dont belong are Big Ben and Mike Vick.

[JoeCool#5]

[quote name='gabefergy' timestamp='1309314930' post='701969']
Its not a great list...way to heavy on offense. However, I would say the only players that really dont belong are Big Ben and Mike Vick.
[/quote]
Reed and Ray-Ray didnt even get a vote by the panel. Pretty messed up when you consider even Matt Ryan received a vote.

[1/28/01]

[quote name='JoeCool#5' timestamp='1309315120' post='701971']
Reed and Ray-Ray didnt even get a vote by the panel. Pretty messed up when you consider even Matt Ryan received a vote.
[/quote]
Yeah, that part was hilarious......Matt Ryan as a Top 10 Player? Not Top 10 QB, but PLAYER?!?!?!? Bahahahaha!!!

[gabefergy]

[quote name='JoeCool#5' timestamp='1309315120' post='701971']
Reed and Ray-Ray didnt even get a vote by the panel. Pretty messed up when you consider even Matt Ryan received a vote.
[/quote]

Yeah, the fact that someone thinks Matt Ryan is a top 10 player is laughable.

I think Ed Reed or Ngata could be on this list, but it would be a stretch to consider Ray Lewis, as much as I love him, to still be a top 10 player.

[flynismo]

All I needed to hear was that Ryan got a top 10 vote. The Ryan nut-riding has gone too far.

[ROH522155]

Somebody actually put Matt Ryan 2nd. Some sort of sick joke right??

Oops nevermind that was his total score

[Gordo52]

Crazzyyyy! Smfh!

[PurpleReign92]

As far as the NFL.com goes I like Ngata at 3rd best player in the NFL.
I think that sounds about right to me...

[Radinho84]

i am not so sure about those lists. i mean the top five players in the league should be manning, brady, clady, ngata, johnson (andre). those are all the best at their positions. (except for brady. he is the second best but manning has his own level...). they have all a huge impact on their teams and if one of them having a really bad day it is hard for their teams to win that day....

matt ryan getting a vote is such a joke. i mean come on. that bull.... has to stop. it´s getting boring...

[lowrider]

This list doesn't really surprise me at all. QB's are the most important position in the NFL. And that fact can't be argued. But I have two problems with this list.

1. Troy Polamalu being number 5 and the only defensive player on this list, but when the debate of Reed vs Polamalu is discussed, everyone always talks about how even they are. I think Polamalu is a great player, and probably deserves to be up there, but if Polamalu is up there, Reed should be up there.

2. The fact that even one guy voted for Matt Ryan in the top ten is just sad. But I discredit that individual more than this list.

Other than that, I don't think the list is that crazy. Ray is past his prime and isn't the same in coverage. Reed has injury problems which hinder him. Ngata is a DT which is a less important position in people's eyes. Suggs isn't as good as some of the best pass rushers in the league although he can cover receivers and rb's and some of the best rushers can't.

[PWNEDbyDEANO]

Replace Roethlisberger with Reed, take Ryan's and a few of Vick's votes away from them and give them to Revis/Andre Johnson and that list is passable.

As it stands, Vick has just one season worthy of any real mention and Ryan hasn't truly established himself as an elite QB yet, let alone top ten player in the league. SMH.

[ellicottraven]

Total and utter nonsense! Matt Ryan??? Give me a break people... I am hereby a step away from cancelling my insider subscription! This forum can come up with a more sensible and unbiased top 10, qualitatively far superior to that of ESPN!

[sliceanddic3]

Still haven't figured out why the media's in love with Ryan. If he deserves to be in the Top 10, then so does Flacco...

[hawkprey]

Ray was voted into the top 20 of all time but he's not in the top 20 of 2011?

[ryan23945]

probably one of the worst lists ever compiled imo, terrible

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='hawkprey' timestamp='1309620166' post='703172']
Ray was voted into the top 20 of all time but he's not in the top 20 of 2011?
[/quote]

That's not inconceivable. He's obviously had a phenomenal career but there are players around the league playing better ball than him right now, including some at his position and on his own team .

[hawkprey]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' timestamp='1309650199' post='703264']
That's not inconceivable. He's obviously had a phenomenal career but there are players around the league playing better ball than him right now, including some at his position and on his own team .
[/quote]

I think people expected him to slow down more than he has. Ray's not as fast but his increased knowledge of the game has almost made up for it. He's put more games away than Beason and Willis this year, and being 5th in tackles among LBs on a team that was run on the 3rd fewest times in the league still speaks volumes.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='hawkprey' timestamp='1309651098' post='703266']
I think people expected him to slow down more than he has. Ray's not as fast but his increased knowledge of the game has almost made up for it. He's put more games away than Beason and Willis this year, and being 5th in tackles among LBs on a team that was run on the 3rd fewest times in the league still speaks volumes.
[/quote]

I won't argue against any of that. Still, in my opinion, he isn't among the very best anymore. He's very good and is still capable of game-changing plays but the tackles for loss and plays in coverage aren't as common.

[hawkprey]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' timestamp='1309651423' post='703268']
I won't argue against any of that. Still, in my opinion, he isn't among the very best anymore. He's very good and is still capable of game-changing plays but the tackles for loss and plays in coverage aren't as common.
[/quote]

To me the leadership factor puts him over the top. He makes the players around him better because he controls the defense like a quarterback, and he does that now just as well as he ever has. Ray's still in great shape and can do everything he used to except run as fast.

I also don't see how any other linebacker is better than him currently, and to say he is the best linebacker makes him worthy of a top 10 spot because (take away the QB position and the QBs who will make the top 10) linebackers occupy 20% of football players, do they not? Then he should be one of 5 non-QBs to make the top 10.

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='hawkprey' timestamp='1309652150' post='703272']
To me the leadership factor puts him over the top. He makes the players around him better because he controls the defense like a quarterback, and he does that now just as well as he ever has. Ray's still in great shape and can do everything he used to except run as fast.

I also don't see how any other linebacker is better than him currently, and to say he is the best linebacker makes him worthy of a top 10 spot because (take away the QB position and the QBs who will make the top 10) linebackers occupy 20% of football players, do they not? Then he should be one of 5 non-QBs to make the top 10.
[/quote]

Not to say Ray doesn't make players better but how tangible is that? I've seen him tell the ILBs besides to crash the line before the play even started and get people in position but we've also seen players on D, specifically the ILBs, make boneheaded mistakes at times.

The fact that he can't run as well as he used is pretty major.

You may not see it but others do. I'm not saying their opinions are gospel but they actually study film to draw conclusions. If we're talking strictly ILBs, I feel guys like Willis, Mayo, Timmons and Beason are definitely ahead of Ray and there are a few others one could argue in favor of as well. In terms of rush LBs, you have players like Harrison, Ware, Hali, Suggs(if you consider him one), Wake and others that are arguably more effective than Ray in what they're asked to do.