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Wise Guy
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 202
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Updated: July 12, 2006
Team strong at DE, RB but lacks championship feel
By Jeremy Green
Scouts Inc.
Archive
With the structure of the NFL's salary cap, it is impossible to build a football team that consists of superstar players at every position. There are no New York Yankees in the NFL game. And even if you could build that team, it would be interesting to see how all those egos would mesh on one 53-man roster.
When my cohorts at ESPN.com told me that John Clayton was putting together an NFL "Dream Team," it really piqued my interest. Would he just take the best players that fit from a salary standpoint, or would he build his team with continuity and chemistry in mind?
Let's break down his roster and see if this really is "The Best Team Money Can Buy."
Any time you build a team, you have to start with the QB position. This is the guy you are going to build your entire offense around. This is your franchise player -- a guy who for years to come will be able to put your team on his back and carry it.
That being said, it is hard to agree with the selection of Peyton Manning as Clayton's QB. Sure, the numbers are great, but where are the championship rings? While Manning is very good under pressure and can be clutch at times, it is hard to fathom passing up Tom Brady, who may eventually go down as the best big-game QB in NFL history. While Brady's cap number for 2006 is $5 million more than Manning's, Brady's overall deal is not as lucrative and he has three more Super Bowl rings.
In terms of reserves, Matt Schaub is a solid backup who has played well with limited opportunities and Andrew Walter is unproven but has a lot of upside.
It has been said many times that you need an effective running game to win in late January. Well, there is no better pure RB in the NFL than LaDainian Tomlinson. When you talk about Tomlinson, you are talking about a guy with the total package. Sure, you could make a case for Larry Johnson or 2005 MVP Shaun Alexander, but neither of those guys is as skilled in the passing game as L.T. Tomlinson also produces behind a very mediocre offensive line, so just imagine what he could do behind this group.
Marion Barber and LenDale White are solid backups who can come off the bench and provide a spark. Barber proved in 2006 that if the starter goes down, he is more than capable of carrying the load. In White's case, he is a rookie who needs a little direction. I can't imagine a better teammate and role model than Tomlinson, who is one of the hardest-working players in the NFL at his position.
Also in this group, Darren Sproles would be the fourth RB and he is one of the better special teams players in the NFL.
With Manning at the controls, you need a solid group of WRs. I find it interesting that neither Marvin Harrison nor Reggie Wayne made the cut. When building this team, you have to take the salaries of the players and make them fit, but I wonder how comfortable Manning would be without at least one of his favorite targets.
However, it would be tough to go wrong with this starting trio. You have speed with Steve Smith and Santana Moss, and excellent size with Chad Johnson. One issue though: There surely aren't enough passes that can be thrown to keep this group satisfied. Smith has yet to warm to Keyshawn Johnson, so I am not sure how he would react to having to share the ball with far better players in Chad Johnson and Moss.
If this group can mesh, it would without question form the best trio of receivers the NFL has ever seen on the field at one time.
With so much money invested in the "Big 3" receivers, this is a group with very little depth. Roscoe Parrish is young and unproven, Dante Hall is more of a return man, and while David Tyree is one of the best coverage special teams players in the NFL, he offers very little as an offensive threat.
Speaking of playmakers, you need to look no further than Antonio Gates at the TE position. With Tony Gonzalez starting to show his age, there is no more versatile player as a TE than Gates. You can move him all over the field and create tons of mismatches. It should also be noted that Manning loves to use the TE, so in this offense, you could only expect Gates' numbers to improve.
Chris Cooley |
 Tight End
Washington Redskins
Profile |
2005 SEASON STATISTICS |
Rec |
Yds |
TD |
Avg |
Long |
YAC |
71 |
774 |
7 |
10.9 |
32 |
483 |
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Chris Cooley is a No. 1, but would obviously be a No. 2 with Gates on the same roster. Cooley is a versatile H-back type who can play many roles. He is a good blocker from the backfield and a guy who can make plays at all levels in the passing game.
Leonard Pope is a young developmental TE who has excellent size. At close to 6-foot-8, he is a guy who will eventually become a big factor in the red zone.
This is a solid TE group, but it should be noted that it is not a great blocking unit, so don't expect this offense to be able to run the ball down its opponents' throat to close out a football game.
Any solid NFL team has to be very good up front. This group of offensive linemen would fall into that category. The starting unit of LT Walter Jones, LG Eric Steinbach, C Jeff Saturday, RG Chris Snee and RT Jammal Brown provides a nice mix of size, athleticism and strength.
Jones is arguably the best LOT in the NFL, and Steinbach and Saturday are both top-five players at their positions. Both are extremely tough and smart. The right side of the line with Snee and Brown is not quite as experienced, but they are young players on the rise.
In terms of depth, this unit is solid. Michael Roos is a young player who can back up at ROT and play inside at OG. McNeil can back up at LOT. Spencer can play all three interior offensive line spots. However, Richie Incognito is a bit of mystery. Sure, the salary fits and he has some talent to work with, but he is also a player with some character issues going back to his college days. The offensive line is the most tight-knit group on any NFL team, so there would be some concern that Incognito would be a cancer to this unit.
I don't know that I am big believer, but it has been said many times that defense wins championships. To play effectively on defense, it has to start up front with the big fellas.
Clayton's defensive line is definitely a tale of two groups. On one hand, you have the defensive end position, featuring some excellent players and high motors in Dwight Freeney, Shawne Merriman, Mario Williams and Jared Allen. These are four upfield attacking-type DEs with nonstop motors who can get pressure on the QB.
The defensive tackles, on the other hand, are essentially the opposite. Tommie Harris is an upfield player who can attack gaps and make plays. After him, though, the rest of the group is a little questionable. Albert Haynesworth, Darnell Dockett and Vince Wilfork all have a ton of talent, but to this point have been nothing more than "flash" players. All three have the talent to dominate on a weekly basis, yet you rarely see it when you put on the tape. The last backup DT, Dusty Dvoracek, is a talented rookie, but had some off-the-field issues in college.
Over time it has been proven that to build a great LB group you need to mix a little finesse with power. This group of LBs fits that bill. Denver's D.J. Williams is one of the most underrated LBs in the NFL. He is a very good athlete who shows excellent sideline-to-sideline speed and range.
Moving over to the middle, there is no better bang for your buck than Lofa Tatupu. He is going into his second year and is one of the smartest MLBs in the NFL. He is a guy who will be able to get this entire defense lined up and you can bet there will be very few mental errors on that side of the ball.
On the weak side is Chicago's Lance Briggs. Even though he does not get a ton of headlines because he plays next to Brian Urlacher, he is one of the best WLBs in the NFL. He fits the bill in terms of price right now, but you can bet in 2007 (he's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season), that his salary cap number will skyrocket.
Karlos Dansby |
 Linebacker
Arizona Cardinals
Profile |
2005 SEASON STATISTICS |
Tot |
Ast |
Solo |
FF |
Sack |
Int |
87 |
69 |
18 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
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In addition to a strong starting cast, the unit also has solid depth. Arizona's Karlos Dansby is a No. 1 LB on most teams but with this group, he is a player who can fill a multitude of roles within the sub packages. The best thing he does is bring pressure via the blitz, so you know he is a guy who will get pressure on the QB. He is an excellent athlete who can get into passing lanes and is extremely disruptive versus the run and pass.
Fifth and sixth LBs Larry Izzo and Barrett Ruud are two players who can make a lot of plays on special teams.
The NFL has become a passing league; it is tough to win on a regular basis if you can't pressure the passer. The majority of pressure will come from the defensive line and the linebackers, but it never hurts to have a safety who can bring heat too. When you talk about getting pressure from the secondary, you have to talk about Pittsburgh SS Troy Polamalu. He is the most versatile safety in the NFL. He can play close to the line of scrimmage and in the deep halves and thirds of the field.
In the Colts' scheme, Bob Sanders plays close to the line. With this unit, he becomes a player who can roam and play in space. He is a player who shows excellent range. He has very good ball skills and is a playmaker.
In terms of bang for your buck, you will not find two better cornerbacks than DeAngelo Hall and Marcus Trufant. They excel in man coverage and are considered two of the better young shut-down type cornerbacks in the NFL.
Even though Charles Tillman and Corey Webster have started games in their careers, the most intriguing backup player in the secondary is Seattle's Jordan Babineaux. He does not see a great deal of playing time, but makes the most of his opportunities. He is a ball hawk and can take reps at both the cornerback and safety spots.
It is hard to win championships without a solid kicking game. Oakland punter Shane Lechler has a big-time leg. What makes him a special player, though, is that he also knows how to pooch punt and keep an opponent backed up.
Adam Vinatieri is one of the best clutch kickers in NFL history. He has three Super Bowl rings and played a large part in all of those big games. He is the best kicker in the NFL and will pay huge dividends for the Colts in 2006.
Like any roster, it is tough to describe what "The Best Team Money Can Buy" should look like. Sure, you need talent, but finding winners and the right chemistry is just as important.
While this roster is extremely talent laden, the one thing overall that it misses is that championship feel. Of the 53 players, there are only four (Vinatieri, Izzo, Wilfork and Polamalu) with championship experience. It's hard to win championships with guys who have never been there. |
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