NFL's Most Elite Player Rewarded

The Detroit Lions Wide Receiver is the league's most elite player and he was rewarded for that today. Johnson signed a record, 7 year contract extension Wednesday, totaling $132 million. $60 million of the contract is guaranteed. He is now the hired paid player in the NFL and the Lions feel it is well worth it. The deal is a win-win for both the Lions and Johnson. Johnson was scheduled to be a cap hit of $21 million this year and had he received the franchise tag in 2013 he would be awarded 120% of that $21 million for that  season. The new deal pays Johnson a significantly less amount per year, especially in the first two years, giving the Lions some much needed room under the salary cap to sign other free agents.

The question now remains is Calvin Johnson worth all this money? The answer is simply, YES. Normally I would not recommend investing a record amount of money into a Wide Receiver but with Calvin Johnson their is an exception to the rule. First, Johnson is the best Wide Receiver in the game, without question. Johnson led all Receivers in yards, yards/game and touchdowns in 2011. But its not just statistics that make Johnson the best receiver in football. Johnson is the best athlete in football. There is no other human in professional sports that posses the athletic combination of elite skill, size, speed, and strength as Johnson. At 6foot 5, 236 pounds, Johnson is still able to run an elite level 40 time at 4.3 seconds. His ability to catch the ball in difficult areas on the field makes him an impossible match-up for all NFL Corner Backs. Teams are forced to double and sometimes triple team Johnson, where he still continues to make plays and free up space for his teammates. Johnson is just entering the prime of his career and it is scary too think about the type of numbers that he and emerging Quarterback Matthew Stafford will put up in the years to come. Another thing to like about Johnson is that he is a class act. He does everything for the team and never complains or gets in trouble off the field. In an era of loud mouth Wide Receivers, Johnson is refreshingly humble.

So, YES... Calvin Johnson is definitively worth a record setting contract, as he is sure to set records on the field as well.      

Defensive Elite

So far the majority of this blog has discussed elite level offensive players in the NFL. I have heard concerns from you the follower and I agree, defense wins championships and I need spend more time discussing the defensive aspect of the NFL. Every year come playoff time it is obvious that teams need elite level defensive players to win big games. What makes a championship team like this years Giants is when you have elite level players working as one cohesive unit to stop the opposition, even if they are the great Tom Brady.

That said, here are my thoughts on 5 of the elite level defensive players in the NFL. These are players who teams rely on to make plays and stop the opposition every game. An elite player on defense change an offenses entire game plan and that's what these guys can do.

                                         
  Troy Polomalu

Troy Polomalu has been a main stay on the Steeler Defence since 2003 where he was drafted in the 1st round. Polomalu has led the Steelers to 3 Superbowl's, winning 2. He is a 7 time pro bowler and a 5 time all pro. He had the best season of his career in 2010 and was named the NFL's defensive player of the year. He was also named to the 2000's all decade at the safety position. Polomalu's speed and intensity make him a great player in his ability stop both the run and the pass as well make big plays on the ball.




Darrelle Revis
Darelle Revis is the leagues best cover corner and as such he has received the nickname Revis Island. Revis has proven he can cover any receiver in the NFL in a 1on1 match-up. This allows the Jets to rush quarterback more than most teams because they know Revis just won't be beat. Revis was named Defensive Player of the year in 2009. Since that time he has been named to the Pro Bowl and the All Pro team every year.




Haloti Ngata

Haloti Ngata is the leagues best Defensive Tackle. Teams are constantly forced to double team Ngata, which he normally, freeing up the rest of the Ravens Defence. It has been Ngata's presence over the past 5 years that has kept the Ravens at an elite status for so long. Ngata has been named to the All Pro team from 2008-2011. He has also had been named to 3 Pro Bowl teams. Statistics are not as prevalent for a Defensive Tackle but watching one Ravens game you can tell the Haloti Ngata is an elite defensive player.




Jared Allen

Jarred Allen has become the NFL's most prolific pass rusher this season. He led the league in sacks in 2011 and 2007 and was named to 4 Pro Bowl and All Pro teams. Allen constantly disrupts other teams offence as he is constantly in the face the opposing Quarterback.

Vote For Your Favourite Defensive Player in the NFL

                                                                                                                    

Manning Up For Grabs

As of Monday one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL was released by the team he called home for over a decade. The Indianapolis Colts had to make a tough business decision and release Peyton Manning due to an impending $28 million bonus that Manning would be owned on March 8th. The Colts were unwilling to keep Manning and pay him the enormous amount of money because of health issues with Manning as he missed the entire 2011 season with nerve damage in his neck. Manning says he is ready to play but at 36 years old the Colts aren't willing to risk this uncertainty.

As a result of Manning missing the entire 2011 season the Colts finished in last place and were awarded the 1st overall pick in the April's upcoming draft. Therefore the Colts are given the opportunity to draft Stanford's Andrew Luck, who has been termed a, "once in a generation type of quarterback." This was another reason as to why the Colts were willing to let Manning go.

Peyton Manning has been one of the leagues best players over the past decade and has statistically been the leagues best quarterback in the regular season. He is a remarkable talent, a great leader, a coach on the field and a great person to have in your community. Assuming Manning is going to be healthy in 2012 he will instantly make whomever signs him into a top contender. So that begs the question; Where will Manning go?

Manning is a free agent and has the ability to essentially chose any tram in the league to play for. Of course money, the team's ability to be competitive and the city in which they play in will all be major factors for Manning as he makes his decision. Manning has plenty of money and would likely want to play for a team that can provide him with an opportunity to win another Superbowl before he retires. Here are some possible landing spots for Manning.

The window of opportunity is closing for the New York Jets to win a Superbowl. The team has had long playoff runs in 2 of the last 3 seasons however have failed to achieve their coaches goal of a Superbowl. Some blame young Quarterback Mark Sanchez as the team has had a stout defense and an impressive running game. Manning could be just the short term fix this veteran team needs to get over the hump. New York is also a huge market that demands results on the field that Manning will be able to provide for this big city.

The Miami Dolphins may also have a shot at landing Manning. The team has money and is obviously a destination of quality living. The Dolphins have a solid defense and some play makers on offence. The one thing they've been missing since Dan Marino departed is an elite quarterback. Manning is that and his presence on Miami would turn them into an instant playoff contender.

The Denver Broncos proved last season that you can succeed in football without having a quality quarterback, imagine if they had one? The Tim Tebow story was cute but as the season went on it became obvious that Denver was only winning games because they had an elite defense and an elite running game. Add in Manning and all aspects of their team become elite. Manning is the type of quarterback that would instantly make Denver into a top Superbowl contender. The only question is does the team have the courage to replace the league hero in Tebow with Peyton Manning.

DeSean Jackson; Elite?

Similar to one of my previous blogs about Lions DE Cliff Avril, I will again be discussing the franchise tag. This time it deals with Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson as he was awarded the team's franchise tag on Thursday. Just to recap if a team is unable to sign a player to a long term contract when they become a free agent they are allowed to use the franchise tag on them. This gives power to the team, however it significantly compensates the player as they are awarded a 1 year contract worth the average salary of the top 5 players at their position. Therefore the Eagles have decided to keep Jackson around for at least 1 more season, however they will be forced to pay him quite a high salary. The Eagles will owe Jackson somewhere in the $10 million range for the 2012 season.

Again this raises the question; Is DeSean Jackson an elite WR and does he deserve a salary among the top 5 in the league?

My answer is simply NO! In 2011 Jackson had 58 receptions, for 961 yards and 4 Touchdowns. (NFL.com) He also missed 1 game due to a violation of team rules. With those numbers Jackson failed to rank in the top 10 in the league in any of the major statistical categories for wide receivers. His team, The Eagles, the so called dream team at the beginning of the season, also failed to make the playoffs. Jackson had a much better 2010 season, however he still failed to rank in the top 10 in any of these major categories. Therefore how can the Eagles justify paying Jackson a top 5 salary? ... They Can't!

The only thing Jackson is elite at is returning punts. Teams fear Jackson's speed as he is one of the few players in the league who can return a kick for a TD at any point in the game. In 2010 the Giants found this to be very costly.

So if Jackson's not a top 5 Receiver than who is?
Here's a quick list: based on stats, talent, potential and their contribution to their teams success
1) Calvin Johnson
2) Larry Fitzgerald
3) Wes Welker
4) Greg Jennings
5) Roddy White