The Cream of the Crop!

Now that the 2009 season is over for every team but the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, it’s a good time to look at the best players out there that can help your team. Each position will have two choices, Free Agents and incoming Rookies. Certain NFL teams may require a veteran at a certain position while others may be looking to get younger, our job here is to show you the options that we feel are the best for each. Ready? Begin!

Quarterback
Vet – Chad Pennington
Rook – Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame)
Analysis – This isn’t a big year for Quarterback help. Some names that may be tossed around are Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick. The Rumor Mill has been spinning on those two ever since the Eagles were beaten soundly by the Cowboys. Kyle Orton of the Broncos is a Restricted Free Agent but after McDaniels traded away Jay Cutler we think he will hold onto Orton for at least one more year. In Miami, Chad Henne showed he can he be a reliable and talented QB and the reigns are now his. So, that leaves Pennington who is an Unrestricted Free Agent as the best available unless your QB needy team is able to swing a deal for either McNabb or Vick. As far as the Rookies coming in Jimmy Clausen is tops. He has all the tools, size and is used to playing in a Pro Style offense in Notre Dame. He should be the first QB taken in the draft. St. Louis, you’re on the clock!

Running Back
Vet – Ronnie Brown (UFA – CBA)
Rook – C.J. Spiller (Clemson)
Analysis – There are some big names whose future decides on the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Ronnie Brown is one of those. If the Owners and Players agree on a new Agreement than Brown becomes a Free Agent, if they don’t and it is an uncapped year then Brown has a 5 million dollar option that kicks in and he remains with the Dolphins for one more season. For right now, we are hoping their is a new agreement before next year starts and therefor are putting Brown on the market. If there isn’t a new deal, then the best Veteran would be Chester Taylor. As far as Rookies, CJ Spiller is a game-breaker pure and simple. He can come right in and play on offense and special teams. He returns kicks, punts and runs the ball very well. His speed is tremendous. For awhile now I’ve been calling him Chris Johnson 2.0!

Wide Receiver
Vet – Terrell Owens
Rook – Dez Bryant (Oklahoma St.)
Analysis – TO gets the nod as a purely “Unrestricted” player, however Brandon Marshall is a Restricted Free Agent who probably will be on the move. Anytime you’re suspended when your team needs to win to get into the playoffs it’s not a good sign. Marshall will be tendered at the cost of a 1st and 3rd Round pick, a steep price for one player but a team like Miami, Baltimore or Washington may be willing to pay it. For the Rookie side, Dez Bryant was suspended for violations in his senior year at Oklahoma St. but scouts all still consider him the best prospect, he is 6-2 and 220 pounds and catches everything his way. He has better speed than Marshall but isn’t a big, Bryant will be a good WR in the NFL.

Tight End
Vet – Ben Watson
Rook – Jermaine Grisham (Oklahoma)
The New England Patriots have had the luxury of Watson’s pass catching skills for many years now and it will be interesting to see if they let him walk. He is a very good blocker and pass catcher, with speed to stretch the seam. Remember in 2005 he caught Champ Bailey from behind! Out in Oklahoma a young man named Grisham had an unfortunate knee injury that sidelined a very promising collegiate career. Similar to Bryant, that year off hasn’t changed him on draft boards. Jermaine has all the tools to be an All Pro Tight End in the NFL, with great size and soft hands. It will be interesting to see how the time away has effected him, if at all.

Offensive Lineman
Vet – Bobbie Willams
Rook – Russell Okung (Oklahoma St.)
Analysis – If Kevin Mawae were younger he would be the pick, if Chad Clifton was healthier he might be the pick but neither are so we are going with Bobbie Williams. WHO? A Guard from the Bengals who has helped rejuvenate Cedric Benson’s career. Williams is a force on the interior and if your teams needs a Vet who can blow open holes in the run game and help protect your QB, Williams is your guy. For Okung, he is simply a beast of a Left Tackle. He has good feet and athleticism and that is very important to that position. He has the run blocking skills to play the Right Tackle position and pass blocking ability to be a Left Tackle at the next level. He should be the first Lineman taken but a Lineman from Idaho is making a name for himself, I’m talking to you Mike Iupate!

Defensive End
Vet – Julius Peppers
Rook – Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech)
Analysis – We all know who Julius Peppers is, some experts say he is overrated (like Peter King for example) but here, he is special. 10.5 sacks and the key is relentless pressure. He is always playing on the other side of the line of scrimmage. That is what a DE is supposed to do, collapse the pocket from the outside and make the QB step up into the DT’s who are collapsing from the middle. Peppers will demand a big contract but he could add instant POP to your team! On the Rookie side, there are three guys that I like, Derrick Morgan, Jerry Hughes and Carlos Dunlop. Morgan is probably the most ready for the NFL, Dunlop has the best experience in playing in big games but Hughes has the best raw tools to be Special! After talking to scouts and NFL players, some believe that Hughes could be very special, if he goes to a team like Indianapolis who likes smaller DE. For all around players that fit any scheme, Morgan is the guy and will probably be the first taken but all three should go in the 1st Round.

Defensive Tackle
Vet – Vincent Wilfork
Rook – Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska)
Analysis – The Patriots are probably going to resign Wilfork, at least that’s what are led to believe after they allowed Richard Seymour to exit stage left. That was done to free up money for Wilfork right? Well, maybe – maybe not. If your team needs a DT and is willing to throw some Albert Haynesworth type money at Wilfork you might be seeing a very large man in the middle of your favorite Defensive Line. As far as the Rookies, Suh is the best Defensive Tackle to come out of college since Tommie Harris. Suh often is mentioned in the same breath as Warren Sapp and that right there speaks volumes of this kids talents. If he makes it past the 2nd overall pick in the 1st round, the two teams really really messed up and the Buccaneers will have themselves the next Warren Sapp!

Linebackers
Vet – Karlos Dansby
Rook – Rolando McClain (Alabama)
Analysis – This is a down Free Agent year for Linebackers and Dansby leads that crew. Karlos is very solid but not spectacular. He does everything well but nothing exceptional. Most teams will probably look to the draft to fill LB positions for 2 reasons. 1. Going young on Defense is always a good thing 2. Linebackers can make an immediate impact. Since Julius Peppers won Defensive Rookie of the Year every winner since has been a Linebacker including this season when former USC and current Houston Texan LB Brian Cushing won the award. With guys like McClain and Brandon Spikes in the mix your team could add a tackling machine who will come in on day one and start. McClain manned the middle for the best Defense in the country and is very versatile. He can play MLB in a 4-3 or ILB in a 3-4. He can blitz, tackle and cover very well. He has size and speed to boot. Should be a top ten pick in the draft, are you listening Denver Broncos?

Safety
Vet – Darren Sharper
Rook – Eric Berry (Tennessee)
Analysis – Yes, Sharper is getting up there in years but the fact of the matter is he is still very productive. He had a ton of Interceptions this year for the Saints and found the End Zone 3 times. If you have a young nucleus of guys in the secondary than Sharper is just the Veteran presence that would add huge value to the roster. On the Rookie side, Eric Berry is the cats meow. He is simply on of those special players that any team would love to have. If the draft shakes out the way we think it will (more of that to come) than Berry will be taken 3rd to the Buccaneers. He would be the 1st Safety taken that high in the Draft since Bennie Blades went to the Seahawks. Berry will give the D’ Coordinator a ton of flexibility. He can roam Centerfield, Blitz off the edge, come up in run support, play tight man coverage and more. He is a tireless worker and has the tools to do it all. Other Safeties that will have an impact are Taylor Mays (who is actually bigger and faster than Berry but had a down year in 09) and Earl Thomas, both of whom could go in Round 1.

Cornerback
Vet – Dunta Robinson
Rook – Joe Hayden (Florida)
Analysis – On the Vet side it was a toss up between Robinson and Leigh Bodden of the Patriots. Bodden played better this year than in the past but Robinson has overall better tools. The problem with Robinson is injury. He has trouble staying on the field and to be honest, that decreases a man’s value in the open market. Dunta is a former 1st Round pick and might find his groove with a new team, his days in Houston however should be over. Down in Florida there is a shutdown Cornerback named Joe. Mr. Hayden is one of the best players on the Gators no named Tebow but in all honesty he will be a better pro. Hayden has great cover skills, fluid hips, runs very well and has a great knack for the ball. Depending on the team (Cleveland) Hayden will probably start right away and by years end will be covering the best the NFL has to offer.

Kickers
Vet – Stephen Gotkowski
Rook – Aaron Pettrey (Ohio State)
Analysis – Kickers are never noticed until they do something bad, like miss an important kick. This season’s playoffs we have seen numerous guys miss important kicks. The good news is there are a few good kickers to be had. Guys like Shane Graham, Neil Rackers, Stephen Gotkowski and Sebastian Janikowski are all available. As far as Rookies go, it’s always hard to judge how collegiate kickers will handle the pressure of the NFL, for now we will go with Pettrey who has shown good range making a couple beyond the 50 yard mark.