A FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK IS HARD TO FIND

Without question, the most difficult position to play in all of sports is Quarterback in the NFL. That’s why the good ones are hardly ever traded in the prime of their careers (apparently Josh McDaniels believes that franchise quarterbacks grow on trees). They face more pressure than any athlete in any other sport. Their team success or failure is often dictated by their play. Quarterbacks are the highest paid players in the NFL, and with good reason. They are the leaders or the engines that make the team go. The quarterback handles the ball on virtually every offensive play and has more influence on the outcome of the game than any other player on the field. For these reasons, the fate of the head coach is often directly tied to the success of the quarterback. Therefore, the primary goal of each and every NFL team is to have a good player under center. Who is the best quarterback in the league? Who is the worst quarterback in the league? Where do the rest of them rank?

For answers to those questions, scroll down and check out STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY’s!!!! 2009 QUARTERBACK RANKINGS. These rankings are for the 2009 season only and are subject to change next year. The players were ranked based on one simple criteria. I simply asked myself, “If I was running an NFL team and could have any quarterback in the league, who would I choose?”

#1 Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts) – This is an easy choice for #1. He is arguably the smartest football player in the league today. He call his own plays, has a rocket arm, works harder on preparation that any player I have ever seen, and will end his career (if he stays healthy) owning all of Brett Favre and Dan Marino’s passing records. He has one Super Bowl ring and three MVP’s (so far). To put in perspective how good this guy is, he was the league’s MVP last year after arguably his worst season since his rookie year. Love him or hate him, he is the best in the game today, and definitely in the discussion of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.

#2 Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – This guy is living the life that all men dream of. He plays quarterback and gets to throw the ball to Randy Moss for a living, is filthy rich (although he is underpaid, but that will change this year), and married to a super model. He is also one of the best in the league today. There are some that would even place him above Manning. Although I disagree, I couldn’t really fault anyone for feeling that way. Personally, I think Manning is better because he calls his own game, has a much better arm, and has never been caught cheating. True, Brady has more championships, but we all know that a special assist to those titles go to the Patriots video staff. That being said, he is still great, and deserves to be ranked this high. On a serious note, there are some questions about Brady going into this season. He is returning from the first major injury of his career, and he is also playing behind an offensive line that has not been quite right since the Giants took their manhood in the Super Bowl a couple of years back. I truly hope he can stay upright this year, because no quarterback (not even the great Tom Brady can get the ball to Randy Moss from his back).
Honestly, the first two were easy. No one who knows anything about football can really debate them. Some people may want to swap them, and I won’t argue with that. However, neither player can be placed below #2.

Now the real fun begins, because the players ranked #3 thru #7 can all have an argument made in their case for them to be #3. Here’s how I see it.

#3 Phillip Rivers (San Diego Chargers) – I know some people will disagree with this, but I truly feel that Rivers is the best quarterback in the NFL not named Manning (Peyton) or Brady. Simply put, there isn’t a throw on the field that he can’t make. He has a strong enough arm to get the ball into tight spots when needed, yet can still throw it with touch when the situation calls for it. Rivers also throws a great deep ball. He has developed into a good enough passer to make the Charger’s receivers appear to be much better than they actually are. He also makes great decisions with the football and throws very few interceptions. On top of all of that, he is also Built Ford Tough. It is well chronicled how he played in the AFC title game with a torn ACL and then was ready for the start of the next season. I don’t know any other quarterback who could’ve done that. I am also picking Rivers to finish second to Adrian Peterson, if he tops 2,000 yards rushing, in the league MVP voting this season. If Peterson does not top 2,000 yards, Rivers will be the MVP.

#4 Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) – What would have ever happened to him if the Chargers had never drafted Phillip Rivers? Up until that point, he was simply an average quarterback. Now, he is far from average. He has the quickest release in the NFL, which also means that he very rarely gets sacked. This makes him an offensive linemen’s dream. He also makes very good decisions with the football. It has been a long time since I have seen a quarterback use all of his receivers the way that Brees does. He makes is seem as though the Saints don’t have a go to receiver (and maybe they don’t) because he does such a great job of getting the ball to whoever is open on any given play. Sean Payton loves to throw the football all over the place, and Brees is a player that can be depended upon to make sure that it reaches its intended target. His numbers are inflated because Payton has an allergic reaction to run plays, but he is still among the best.

#5 Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles) – In my opinion he has the toughest job in the entire NFL. He is quarterback in a town that loves to hate its star athletes. The fans in Philly were disappointed when they drafted him (they preferred Ricky Williams, how’d that turn out?) and they are still complaining ten years later. The knock on Donovan is that he hasn’t won the big game. That is true, but how many times has he really had a team good enough to win it all? If you look at the NFL playoffs as a gunfight, Donovan has basically arrived with a slingshot every year, except for the 2004-2005 season when they reached the Super Bowl. They lost that game to the Patriots’ video staff. We all saw what he can do when he has a legit wide receiver. Aside from that year, he has virtually single handedly taken them to the NFC title game on a regular basis. Name the quarterbacks who can say that they have gone deep into the playoffs more often than McNabb. That being said, he is ranked this high because he is an extremely accurate passer with a very strong arm. Great pocket presence, and enough speed to take off and get the first down and occasionally break a long run when needed. To all of the McNabb haters, I simply say, you will miss him when he’s gone. (P.S. to all of the Philly fans that were counting on Vick to replace McNabb this season, you had better enjoy watching McNabb this year. I’m guessing that Vick didn’t play on the prison football team, because he has quite a bit of rust to knock off. I still think that he will be fine in the long run, but he is seeing first hand, just how difficult it is to play at the NFL level after a two year layoff.)

#6 Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) – I’m guessing that he never heard the phrase, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” Because he takes waaayyy to many hits. Most quarterbacks have an internal clock in their head that let’s them know when to get rid of the ball before being hit. HIS IS BROKEN! He should really spend some time with Drew Brees discussing ways to avoid sacks. I really don’t know how much longer his body is going to hold up. He gets hit an awful lot on the football field (I have seen him completely laid out more than a couple of times), and he has also survived a horrific motorcycle accident in which he broke his face. I sure hope he figures it out and can stay upright, because when he does, he is a great football player. This guy is the definition of CLUTCH. If I was down four, with two minutes left and needed a touchdown to win the game, I would want him at quarterback. Not Manning, Brady, Rivers, Brees, or McNabb. I WOULD WANT BEN ROETHLISBERGER LEADING MY TEAM ON THE FINAL DRIVE! Nothing rattles him. If he hasn’t been knocked out of the game already, this is the guy that you would want in crunch time. He may not be as good of a quarterback or as polished as the previous five players on this list, but he is definitely the most clutch.

#7 Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals) – This is the prototype. If you were making training videos for drop-back passing, he would be the star. His footwork is perfect, his accuracy is amazing, and he has a cannon for an arm. Not only can he make every throw on the field, he can throw it in such a way to allow the receiver to catch it in stride and continue to run. The Bengals are going to surprise a lot of people this season, and #9 will be the primary reason why. He is going to have a huge season.

#8 Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears) – Without question, JAY CUTLER HAS THE BEST ARM IN THE NFL! There are those who would argue that Manning (Peyton), Palmer, Russell, or even Favre may have the strongest arm in the league. To them I say, If Jay Cutler had one of their arms, he would kill himself. His arm strength is reminiscent of Favre or Marino in their primes. That arm strength will come in handy playing in the windy city. Chicago finally has a quarterback, and trust me, they will love watching this guy play. He is one of my favorite quarterbacks to watch, because he throws the ball so effortlessly. Fans of the Denver Broncos are going to take one look at Kyle Orton this season and immediately realize that franchise quarterbacks don’t grow on trees. They had one, and now Chicago has one. This guy makes me wish that the NFL still had the quarterback challenge, because it would be fun to watch just how impressive his arm is in comparison to his colleagues. I would not be surprised if Cutler is #1 in the 2012 quarterback rankings. He is that good now and he still has quite a bit of room to get better. The sky is truly the limit for this guy.

#9 Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) – No Favre, No problem. That is what Packer players and fans have been saying ever since Aaron Rodgers became the team’s starting quarterback. While he may not have Favre’s arm or his Wrangler jeans collection, Rodgers is quickly making the league realize why the Packers quickly closed the door behind Favre when he first retired. They thought Rodgers was ready, and they were correct. The only problem that I have with Rodgers is the fact that he is the anti-Roethlisberger when the game is on the line. If I’m not mistaken, last season Rodgers threw interceptions in four different games on potentially game-winning drives. If he keeps that up, he really does have a chance to be the next Brett Favre. All jokes aside, if he begins to play big in the fourth quarter of games, Rodgers can cement his status as a top ten quarterback in the NFL.

#10 Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals) – The ageless wonder is still getting it done. It doesn’t hurt that he has the best group of receivers in the league. Warner is the best quarterback in the league against the blitz. Whenever there is a blitz, he always finds the hot receiver before they can get to him. Now that he has corrected his fumble problems, Warner is once again one of the best in the league. I hope that Matt Leinart is taking notes, because Warner is a great player to learn from.

#11 Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys) – This guy has to be the most careless quarterback with the ball in his hands in the NFL. He has all the talent in the world. If he gets serious and takes care of the ball he will definitely be a top five quarterback in the league for a very long time. Will he be committed to taking care of the football? I guess we will see. By the way, he will have a much better season this year without T.O. This will definitely be a case of addition by subtraction.

#12 Eli Manning (New York Giants) – Eli Manning has greatly improved since his rookie year in the league. As a matter of fact, it can honestly be said that he has improved each year that he has been in the league. This year we will see what he is really made of, because he will be playing without the most accurate marksman in New York City. Eli will definitely miss his security blanket. While Manning was never the most accurate passer in the league and will never be mistaken for his big brother, Plaxico was able to turn most of those wild throws into complete passes. Will he be able to put the ball on the money to his new group of young and less-talented receivers? This season will answer those questions. I do now one thing for sure. He will be better this year than he was last year, because he has a strong work ethic and seems to improve every year.

#13 Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) – This guy does not get rattled. The thing that I like most about Ryan is the fact that he does not have an ego on the field. What I mean is that he knows that Michael Turner and the Falcons running game is their bread and butter, and he is smart enough to rely on it and allow the run to set up the pass. You will never see him checking out of perfectly good run plays into bad pass plays. He also makes good decisions and doesn’t throw balls that should not be thrown. He has set the bar for future rookie quarterbacks. He also has a better than average arm.

#14 Matt Schaub (Houston Texans) – Great player. WHEN HE ACUTALLY PLAYS! The Texans always go as his health goes. I love his skill set, but I hate the job that his personal trainer is doing. If he stays healthy, the Texans will make the playoffs this year. If he stays healthy for the next few years, he will definitely be considered a top ten NFL quarterback.

#15 David Garrard (Jacksonville Jaguars) – What happened? I thought he would be a good quarterback for a long time. Was I wrong? Was he a one-year wonder? There are a lot of questions surrounding Garrard. He is a very talented player that is very smart with the football. However, he is yet to take that step to elite status and quite frankly, I don’t know if he ever will. Has he maximized his potential? I don’t think we will get any answers this year because Jacksonville will be a very bad football team (I still can’t figure out why Torry Holt signed there). This will probably be Jack Del Rio’s last season as the head coach, which means that the new coach could want to bring in a new quarterback. This year could indirectly be a make or break one for Garrard. If he isn’t great, he can begin the next phase of his career. As a backup quarterback (which would actually be going back to where he started).

#16 Chad Pennington (Miami Dolphins) – This guy gets more from his ability than any player in the NFL. He has no arm strength, yet is always able to get the ball where it’s supposed to be. He can quickly grasp offenses and does an excellent job of reading defenses. If he had an arm, he would easily be in the top ten. Last season, the Jets discarded him like yesterday’s trash for the next player on this list. I bet they regret that decision.

#17 Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings) – Since Favre has come back (we think), I keep hearing people say that the Vikings only need him to manage the game. THAT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO ME! Why on earth would they pay a player $12 million to simply manage the game? Has Brett Favre ever been a game manager? Brett Favre is a player who is going to either win games for you or lose games for you. This is who you signed. Favre is going to make some great plays and he will probably lead the league in interceptions again. He is what he is. At this point in his career, I can’t justify ranking him any higher than #17 and I definitely can’t rank him above Pennington who clearly outplayed him last season. For Brad Childress’ sake, I hope your $12 million game manager is what you thought he would be. If not, you will certainly face the same fate that Eric Mangini had to face last season.

#18 Jason Campbell (Washington Redskins) – Very talented player, but plays as if he is afraid to make mistakes. Can you really blame him? He plays for an organization that has tried to replace them every chance they get. He rarely throws interceptions, but he also rarely makes big plays. For the first time since high school, Campbell will be in the same offensive system for two consecutive years. I hope that will lead to consistent play from Campbell. I really feel bad for Campbell because the Redskins will definitely be on a mission to replace him again next season if they don’t win the Super Bowl (and they definitely won’t). In this tough housing market, I hope that you are renting and didn’t buy.

#19 Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle Seahawks) – When healthy, he is a good player. Nothing more, just a good player. There really isn’t anything special about him. He gets hurt about as much as Matt Schaub, and is simply a good player on the rare occasions that he is healthy.

#20 Trent Edwards (Buffalo Bills) – Solid player who will be the next victim of T.Ozilla. Edwards is a smart player with good size and a strong arm, but he tends to become very inconsistent as the season wears on. I like his skill set, but he is not a strong player for an entire season. Maybe this will be the year that it all comes together. On second thought, no it won’t.

#21 Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens) – I really didn’t understand all the fuss about Flacco last season. He was decent and nothing more. The Ravens won because of their defense and running game. He did very little to contribute. True, he was good for one deep ball (which he throws very well) every two games, but that was about it. I found the comparisons between him and Matt Ryan laughable, because Matt Ryan is so much better than him that it isn’t even funny. The defense really covered up all of the holes in his game. He has a lot of work to do, but he does have all of the tools and is off to a good start.

#22 Kerry Collins (Tennessee Titans) – Dependable veteran who does not lose games for you. He may not lead you to victory, but he keeps the team close enough to allow the defense and running game to lead you to victory. He is also good enough to keep Future Hall of Famer, Vince Young on the bench. Which says a lot about both Kerry and Vince.

#23 Matt Cassell (Kansas City Chiefs) – One year wonder? Who knows. Last year he stepped into the perfect situation and played quite well. But now he is in Kansas City and he doesn't have Randy Moss. How good is Cassell? No one knows. The Chiefs either know or hope that he is special, considering the fact that they signed him to a $63 million contract this off-season.

#24 Jake Delhomme (Carolina Panthers) – At this point Jake is simply keeping the seat warm for the next quarterback. If Michael Vick returns to form, look for him to land here. Jake is done. He must have some pictures of coach John Fox in some compromising situations. That is the only way that I can explain him not only keeping his job, but also getting a contract extension.

#25 Shaun Hill (San Francisco 49er’s) – There is nothing pretty about his game. His delivery isn’t great and he throws a bad ball, but he GIVES THE 49ER’s A BETTER CHANCE TO WIN THAN ALEX SMITH! That being said, I don’t know if beating out Smith says very much.

#26 JaMarcus Russell (Oakland Raiders) – Strong arm, but wrong organization. I truly don’t know if the Raiders have the correct coaching staff or organizational infrastructure to bring along a young quarterback. If he ever reaches his potential, the rest of the league had better watch out. The problem is that at this point it has proven to be nothing more than potential.

#27 Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) – The first time I watched him play as a freshman at Georgia, I turned to my wife and said, “He is going to be the first pick in the draft in three years.” As it turned out, I was right. He is a big guy with a tremendous arm. He is the closest thing to Jay Cutler in the league right now (as far as raw ability). That being said, he is still a rookie. Although he played his college ball in the NFL Southeast division, he will soon find out that there are no creampuffs on the NFL schedule. You won’t get to play Central Michigan and Georgia Southern the week before a big game. As a matter of fact, the Lions are Central Michigan by NFL standards. Stafford will quickly find out that the one game on the NFL schedule each year that you have the best chance to win in the one against “BYE.” Every other game will be a dogfight. If you don’t believe me, just ask your teammates. Trust me, THEY KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO WIN IN THE NFL. Stafford has all of the tools to be a good one, and with good coaching and experience he will one day be an elite NFL quarterback.

#28 Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) – Sanchez could very well be this year’s Joe Flacco. That’s because the Jets should have a dominant defense this year and simply ask him not to throw the games away. If he manages not to lose many games, the media will treat him like the best rookie since Matt Ryan. However, looking at him as a player, he does have some flaws and shows great potential as well. It was hard to gauge his talent in college because he played on a team with All-Americans at basically every position, so all he had to do was distribute the football and stay out of the way. His arm is average by NFL standards and he will get caught up in the moment and try to make a big play when nothing is there. This year, I expect him to be a game manager and take on more responsibility as he grows with the offense. Long term, I see him being a better than average NFL quarterback. Nothing special, but good enough to keep the Jets from drafting a quarterback for the next 5 – 6 years. He is definitely an upgrade over the scrub they have backing him up.

#29 Marc Bulger (St. Louis Rams) – It really was the system. Mike Martz really made Bulger appear to be better than he really was. Come to think of it, he has been pretty bad since Martz was fired. There was a time when Bulger appeared to be on the cusp of becoming an elite quarterback. Fortunately his agent was smart enough to capitalize on the hype. He did get paid, but the return on that investment has been basically non-existent for the Rams. The Rams will in all likelihood be drafting either Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy with the first overall pick of the 2010 NFL draft. He will probably be released this upcoming off-season, or he will start the season next year to ease the transition for the rookie. Long story short, this guy is done.

#30 Byron Leftwich (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – Leftwich has gone from first round pick with promise to journeyman in a matter of three short seasons (and he isn't even 30 years old). Health has basically been his problem. It’s almost like he is made of glass, because he completely shatters every time he gets hit. The fact that he has the longest windup in NFL history does not help his case at all. It’s almost like watching Hideo Nomo pitch. He takes so long to get the ball out of his hands once he decides to throw it that it is ridiculous. He does however have a great arm, which is put on display about five seconds after he decides to throw the ball. This is his last shot as a starter. If he isn’t successful, he will begin the second half of his career as the next Charlie Batch (permanent backup).

#31 Kyle Orton (Denver Broncos) – The innocent bystander in the Jay Cutler v/s Josh McDaniel feud will be unfairly linked to Cutler for the rest of his career. Simply put, he isn’t a very talented player. If McDaniel is the offensive genius that he thinks that he is, he may turn Orton into an average quarterback. He is really going to hate being compared to Cutler who is on the cusp of elite status for the rest of his career.

And now, the worst starting quarterback in the NFL today is….

#32 Brady Quinn (Cleveland Browns) – Quinn is probably the most over-hyped quarterback to come out of college in years. He is entering his third NFL season and is yet to become the unquestioned quarterback of the Cleveland Browns. He has not dominated the competitions between himself, Derrick Anderson, or even Charlie Frye. People assumed that he would be a good pro based on the fact that he played for Charlie Weiss at Notre Dame. But let’s look at that for what it was. He never won a big game or a game that Notre Dame wasn’t favored in during his college career. Also as it turned out, Weiss really wasn’t an offensive genius. He simply used his NetFlix account more than anyone else during his time in New England. Quinn simply isn’t that good, and obviously new coach Eric Mangini agrees because he hasn’t named a starter in Cleveland (at the time this blog was written) and we are six days away from the opener. If Quinn was really any good, he would be the unquestioned starter because he is a first round pick that they had to make a draft day trade to get.

AND NOW FOR MY BALLER AND SCRUB OF THE WEEK:

BALLER: University of Geogia, Oklahoma State University, University of Alabama, and Virginia Tech Football Teams – I would like to commend all of you for opening the college football seasons against REAL OPPONENTS! I get sick and tired of seeing these lopsided college games on opening weekend. Seeing Florida and USC open up against glorified high school teams is a waste of television airtime. All four of you play in tough conferences, yet are not afraid to open the season against a tough non-conference team. Kudos to you. I wish more schools would follow your lead.

SCRUB: LeGarrette Blount (University of Oregon) & Byron Hout (Boise State University) – Both of you are scrubs this week for very different reasons. First of all, I would like to give Mr. Hout a little bit of advice. There is no reason to talk trash AFTER A FOOTBALL GAME IN WHICH YOUR TEAM WON! There is enough trash talking and hitting going on during the game to make it totally unnecessary to seek out a player to taunt him after he played a terrible game. But in the event that you decide to anyway, KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!!!! Any football player that talks trash with his helmet in his hand deserves to get knocked out. Here is where I would usually quote Smokey (Chris Tucker) from the movie Friday, but remember this is a family blog. Also, you should be given some sort of suspension as well, and the conference still has the option of handing down one. I guess the coach didn't suspend you because he figured that getting knocked out on national television was punishment enough. Trust me that clip will live forever (on STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!)

As for LeGarrette Blount, you have got to learn that there are simply some things that you can’t do. You cannot throw a punch on the opening night of the college football season on national television and not expect to be severely punished. I know that Hout was wrong for seeking you out to talk trash, but young man you are going to deal with much worse than that as you go through life. That one punch (although it was beautiful) cost you a boatload of money. You have gone from a sure fire second round draft pick with first round potential, to an undrafted free-agent if you are lucky. Truthfully, I don’t have a problem with you being suspended for the entire season, because an example had to be set to prevent this type of behavior from becoming the norm. Also, this is the only way that I believe that you would learn that THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT YOU JUST CAN’T DO! To those of you who think that his punishment was too severe, just think about what would happen if you knocked out a co-worker for saying something to you when you were upset. You will be fired, no questions asked. I rather him learn this lesson as a college student, than in the real world.

If for some reason, Blount is not picked up by an NFL team next year, he should really consider a career in boxing, because that punch was on the money and dropped a 300 plus pound football player in full padding (minus the helmet). That is indeed impressive. (Please see video clip below.)

MY FAB FIVE

****Disclaimer: We are now in the month of August. This is significant because NFL training camps have officially started, and the football season is quickly approaching. I am going to be completely honest with you, I LOVE FOOTBALL!!!! This means that until next February when the Eagles and Patriots meet in the Super Bowl, about 92% of the entries on this blog will be football related (primarily NFL, but I will talk about the kiddies running around on campus as well). Basically, what I’m saying is that it’s time to GET INTO FOOTBALL MODE, and no one will bring you football insight and opinions better than STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!****

Before I start, I would like to apologize to my regular readers for leaving you hanging for so long. I know that it has been a month since my last post, but it has been quite the busy month. I celebrated a birthday (thanks to my wife for a wonderful dinner and my family for celebrating with me). I also finished another semester of my MBA Program (the workload for summer classes is intense to say the least), and I have changed jobs (which we all know is a job in itself). The last month was definitely worth all of the hard work, because I am one semester closer to my Master’s Degree and I absolutely love my new job. Thank you for your patience and I will try to keep the prolonged absences to a minimum in the future, because I MISSED YOU GUYS!!!!

NOW, LET’S GET TO IT!!!!

There are 1,696 active players each week in the NFL. The fact that these select athletes are playing on Sunday’s tells you just how good they are. Now everyone in the NFL is not a superstar or even a great all-around player, there are those who are role players that simply do a particular job well enough to earn a living at it. For example, Kevin Faulk (of the New England Patriots) has been a third down back for virtually his entire career. This is because he is excellent at picking up blitzes, running draw plays, and catching screen passes. Being able to do these jobs well has allowed him to earn a great living as a NFL player for the past decade or so. There are also players like Keith Brooking (formerly of the Atlanta Falcons and now of the Dallas Cowboys) who has become the best tackler beyond the first down marker in the entire NFL. His role is to get burned by all running backs and tight ends that he has the misfortune of covering and waiting until a player gets the first down and then tackling them. He does it so well that he has made a living doing this for the last ten years.

There are also those players that I consider to be very good players. These players cause opposing coaches to account for them in their game plans, and will have long productive careers and even make multiple Pro Bowls. These players include such guys as Reggie Wayne, Hines Ward, Clinton Portis, Lance Briggs, and John Abraham just to name a few.

Then there is the group of players that are basically walking Hall of Famer’s. These players have Hall of Fame credentials and it is just a matter of time until they are enshrined in Canton. Examples of players that fall into this group are Ray Lewis, Terrell Owens, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Tony Gonzalez.

These are only examples of the players that I believe fall into these specific categories. There are many more that could easily be put into each. Also, you may have noticed that I have not included any quarterbacks (nor will I include any in the list that follows) because it is virtually impossible to compare the quarterback position with the other positions on the field. They are just measured differently than everyone else. However, I will be doing my annual quarterback rankings before the season kicks off.

You may have wondered why I didn’t mention certain players as my examples of future Hall of Famer’s. They were omitted because they are not only future Hall of Famer’s but they are also THE TOP FIVE PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE TODAY (regardless of position, but not including quarterbacks for the reasons mentioned above). I know that this will be a controversial list because I am choosing only five players out of the entire league, and some of you will certainly disagree. That being said I AM STANDING BY MY LIST, and I invite you to challenge it. However, if you disagree, you must tell me why and who you would take off of my list. I look forward to your feedback.

Now, the moment you have all been waiting for. STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY’s TOP 5 PLAYERS IN THE NFL ARE:

#5 DeMarcus Ware (Outside Linebacker – Dallas Cowboys) – He is simply a beast and the unquestioned best outside linebacker in the NFL. He has played 4 seasons and has 53.5 SACKS! For those not good at math, that is an average of 13.375 per season. He had 20 IN 2008 ALONE! The best thing (or worst thing if you play quarterback) about this guy is that he is only 27 years old, which means that he is just entering the prime of his career. He is a sure fire Hall of Famer, and has a serious chance at passing career sack leader Bruce Smith on the all time sack list. He currently has 9 more sacks that Smith had after four years. Also, Bruce Smith never had more than 19 sacks in a season, and he only did that once. So barring injury, I like DeMarcus’ chances. (Play the video below to see DeMarcus in action).



To be perfectly honest, I briefly considered Shawne Merriman for this spot. Then I remembered this (see video below) and quickly remembered that DeMarcus is better.




#4 Larry Fitzgerald (Wide Receiver – Arizona Cardinals) – I have been a huge Fitzgerald fan since his college days at Pittsburgh. He is a beast. If it wasn’t for the guy two spots ahead of him on this list, he would be the best receiver in the entire NFL. He is 6’3” and a rock solid 217 pounds. This size allows him to catch all jump balls that are thrown anywhere in the state in which he is playing, and also run through defensive backs like they are the banners that high school football teams break through before games. His hands are impeccable, possibly the best in the game. He also catches the ball with one hand (right or left, it doesn’t matter) better than most receivers catch it with two hands and their chest. The only knock on Fitzgerald is that he doesn’t have blazing sub 4.3 40-yard dash speed. Have you ever seen him get caught from behind? I sure haven’t, which must mean that he is fast enough. (Play the video below to see Fitzgerald in action).




#3 Adrian Peterson (Running Back – Minnesota Vikings) – I’ve never seen a power back that could run this fast. He actually prefers to run over defenders (the exact opposite of Shaun Alexander) than run around them. But sometimes just to keep his Madden speed rating up, he simply runs by people. He is without a doubt the best running back in the NFL. He is so good, I can’t even think of the second best running back in the NFL off the top of my head. He makes everyone else look average. It’s like he is Michael Jordan and the NFL defenses that he plays against are Craig Ehlo. He averages over 5 yards per carry, which means that he gets a first down every two carries. The most amazing thing about Peterson’s production is the fact that he plays on a team with a young (although he will be good) quarterback and basically no talent at wide receiver (Percy Harvin will be a good addition this season). So, basically he faces a minimum of 8 players and usually 9 or even 10 players in the box on every play. Yet he still dominates! He is only 24 years old, so if he can stay healthy (that is a big if considering his college career), he still has 6 amazing years left. Let’s just sit back and enjoy. (Play the video below to see Peterson in action).




#2 Randy Moss (Wide Receiver – New England Patriots) – No disrespect to Jerry Rice, but RANDY MOSS IS THE BEST RECEIVER IN NFL HISTORY! He simply has more natural ability than anyone to ever play the position. He is an inch taller than Fitzgerald, and DOES HAVE THE BLAZING SPEED! (ask DeAngelo Hall) He simply makes catches that other human beings simply do not have the physical ability to make. As far as I am concerned HE IS NOT HUMAN! He cannot be defended. I have seen him beat triple coverage to catch a pass with his forearm. Who else can do that? I’ll give you a minute to think about it……. Still thinking?....... OK, I will give you the answer. NO ONE! Oh by the way, he also holds the single season touchdown record with 23! What more can I say? (Play the video below to see Moss in action).



By the way, as the video in the top right corner of the screen shows, Randy Moss also influenced the name of the blog. (Please see the video below for more).




AND NOW, THE BEST PLAYER IN THE NFL (regardless of position, but not including quarterbacks) is……… drum roll please………

#1 ED REED (Free Safety – Baltimore Ravens) – I have never seen a defensive player control the game the way Ed Reed does. Truthfully, I don’t even know what position he plays. NFL.com lists him as a Free Safety, but you rarely see him consistently lined up in one place, yet he always seem to be lined up in the right place. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that the Ravens actually had plays in their defensive playbook called “Ed Reed Interception”, “Ed Reed Forced Fumble”, “Ed Reed Fumble Recovery”, and “Ed Reed Touchdown Return”. Whenever the Ravens need a turnover, he makes it. If the offense is struggling, he simply takes it upon himself to score touchdowns on the defensive side of the ball. If that isn’t enough, whenever the Ravens need a key punt return and they send Reed out to be the return man, he simply takes it to the house. I often wonder why quarterbacks ever throw the ball in his general vicinity. Apparently he wonders the same thing (see video below). He is also tough as nails, hits like a Mack truck, has better hands than most NFL receivers, has a nose for the end zone, and obviously understands offenses and reads routes better than most quarterbacks. He is also arguably the best receiver in the NFL once he gets the ball in his hands. He is hands down, THE BEST PLAYER IN THE NFL!!!! If you disagree (and you are entitled to your opinion), YOU ARE WRONG!!!! (Play the videos below for more on Ed Reed).





**SPECIAL SHOUTOUT: CONGRATS TO MY HOMEBOY AND REGULAR STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! READER AND CONTRIBUTOR CARL ON HIS ENGAGEMENT! I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY FOR YOU AND THE LITTLE LADY!**


AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK


BALLER: Josh Willingham (Washington Nationals Outfielder)- As most of you know, I am not the biggest baseball fan in the world. That being said, very rarely will I honor a baseball player with my highest weekly honor as the Baller of the Week. For that to happen, he must do something truly special. This past week, Josh Willingham hit TWO GRANDSLAMS IN ONE GAME!!!! That is special and will earn you Baller of the Week status. Although Willingham is not a household name and plays for the worst team in baseball, he truly did do something special. He definitely deserves to be this week’s Baller of the Week. Where his career goes from here is anybody’s guess, but at least he has this honor that no one can take from him.

SCRUB: LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Nike – This may be a little late because I have been on blog vacation, but after GETTING DUNKED ON BY Xavier's Jordan Crawford at HIS BASKETBALL CAMP, LeBron and/or the people at Nike decided to confiscate the tape of the dunk. First of all, everyone who plays basketball at a high level for a long time will eventually get dunked on. It’s like how every quarterback will throw an interception, every pitcher will give up a homerun, and I have never met a running back that never fumbled the football. Therefore it was totally weak of you to go all A-ROD (about your image) and try to hide the tape. You know that we live in the era of YouTube and camera phones, so you know someone else was recording besides the cameraman. The tape was going to eventually leak, and guess what, IT DID!!!! (Please see below). But seriously LeBron, Jordan Crawford? WOW! I could see if it was a player destined for NBA stardom, but it was Jordan Crawford! Honestly, until this happened I wouldn’t recognize him if he was on TV in uniform, with his name on the screen in a graphic below him. He got you, so let him have his moment. It was very weak of you and/or Nike to try to hide that tape.



This week, I am adding another award. You have seen the Baller and Scrub of The Week, but now I would like to award my SCRUB OF THE MILLENIUM AWARD. This award can only go to one person, and I bet you know who it is….

SCRUB OF THE MILLENIUM: Brett Favre (“Retired (maybe) NFL Quarterback”) – Come on, did you really think I was going to write this entire entry without taking a shot at my favorite Diva? If you did, shame on you and you obviously don’t pay attention to the blog. After creating a media circus and being in the spotlight all off-season, THE DIVA has decided to “stay retired”. Since throwing the interception that cost the Packers a chance at going to the Super Bowl, THE DIVA has held a tearful press conference to retire (which was very weak by the way), then decided he was bigger than the NFL and the Packers and that he wanted his old job back. The Packers MANNED UP! and decided not to allow the tail to wag the dog, and continue to kiss Brett’s rear and give him what he wanted. They were tired of his DIVA behavior. He had also contemplated retirement and had the organization on pins and needles for the previous couple of seasons before the 2008 season. Not only did they not welcome him back, they also blocked him from going to the team of his choice. Instead of playing for the Vikings, THE DIVA was traded to the Jets, where he again led the league in interceptions and missed the playoffs. Not only did they miss the playoffs, they lost to Chad Pennington (the player the Jets got rid of to make room for Favre) and the Miami Dolphins in the game to determine the Division Championship. Poetic Justice!

After the season, THE DIVA retired again. He later, decided that he wanted to play again, this time for the Vikings. Viking’s coach Brad Childress immediately ended his relationship with his current quarterbacks to go after an older woman. Poor Brad, he didn’t know that THE DIVA was a tease who liked attention, but had commitment issues. Brad should have kept his crush on the low until he was sure he got the girl, so not to hurt the feelings of his backup plans. But being head over heels like he was, he went all in, AND GOT PLAYED!!!! After having surgery and working with the Viking’s training staff and coaches during the summer, THE DIVA decided not to play after all. So now, THE DIVA IS back in Mississippi riding a tractor in a pair of Wrangler jeans, while Brad is buying candy and flowers for his current quarterbacks and telling them that he wanted them all along. Kinda like what Diddy had to do when he went back to his longtime girlfriend after Jennifer Lopez dumped him. The DIVA has struck again and it is really annoying how all of these NFL teams and media types keep fawning over this guy.

Truthfully I don’t understand all of the hype over Favre. I know that he has thrown for a gang of yards and touchdowns, but he has also thrown for a gang of interceptions (the most in NFL history). Last time I checked, he also had the same amount of Super Bowl victories as Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson (where's the love for them?). He is also almost 40 years old. HE IS DONE! If you don’t believe me, look at how last season ended. I know, some people will claim the injury excuse. But if he was injured, he shouldn’t have been playing. Also, if he was injured at 39, why do think that he will remain healthy at 40. It just doesn’t make sense. Brad Childress and the Vikings got played, and they deserved it.

THE BIGGEST DIVA IN THE NFL

By looking at the title of this entry, you’re probably thinking that I’m talking about Terrell Owens (WRONG!!!!), or Chad Johnson (WRONG!!!!), or maybe even DeAngelo Hall (WRONG AGAIN!!!!). Although all of these players are well-known Diva’s, none of them qualify as the BIGGEST DIVA IN THE NFL. That distinction belongs to none other than the tractor-riding, King of the Cheese Heads himself, Mr. Brett Favre.

It pains me to look at Brett Favre as a Diva, because I have always looked at him as the ultimate tough guy. He has been under center for 275 consecutive games (counting playoffs). That means that he has always been dependable and there for his team, despite injuries or turmoil in his personal life. That certainly isn’t Diva behavior. As a matter of fact, I felt honored to be able to see him play in person. I was at the Georgia Dome on November 13, 2005 to witness Favre and the irrepressible Samkon Gado beat the Atlanta Falcons. For those who play Fantasy Football, that was the game that made Samkon Gado the hottest commodity on the waiver wire (he had 103 yards and 2 touchdowns on 23 carries and also 1 touchdown reception). Although I admire Brett, and acknowledge that he is a certain first ballot Hall of Famer, I must call a spade a spade. HE IS THE BIGGEST DIVA IN THE NFL.

What makes Brett Favre a Diva? The fact that he has been contemplating retirement FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS!!!! So for three straight years, Brett Favre got the full behind kissing treatment from the media, the NFL, and most noticeably his biggest fan Troy Aikman. For a guy who is the face of a TEAM, he seems to enjoy having all of the attention on HIMSELF. The hype started early. I remember watching the NFL Schedule Release show (what can I say, I love the NFL) on the NFL Network prior to the 2005 season. They were already selling the fact that “Brett Favre’s last game” will be televised on the NFL Network. On the day of the game, they even had a live broadcast of the pre-game show from Lambeau Field, complete with the dramatic scene of Favre coming on set and giving Steve Mariucci (his former QB coach) a hug. The Diva behavior continued after the game, with his victory lap around the stadium to take in all the love from the fans (he did a great job of making it look like he was actually retiring). Then suddenly, he said GOTCHA to everyone and decided to play again. He then went through the same song and dance after the 2006 season before playing again in 2007. Then after the 2007 season he finally decided to retire.

Now, the Diva has decided that he would like more attention. There are reports that say that Favre wants to comeback. If these reports are true, Brett Favre is essentially continuing to hold the Packers hostage and making it all about him, yet again. The Packers now have their backs against the wall in the court of public opinion. Although Ted Thompson (General Manager) and Mike McCarthy (Head Coach) don’t want to be known as the people who turned away Brett Favre, it is obvious that they are ready to move on without him. As a matter of fact, one report stated that his agent contacted the Packers about a possible return, and was told that the team had already moved on. In addition to that, they also scheduled his jersey retirement ceremony for the first game of the season and drafted not one but two quarterbacks in the recent NFL draft. Also, notice that no one from the Packers has stood behind a microphone and said, “We would love to have Brett Favre back.” If the Packers really wanted Brett Favre back, don’t you think that someone would say so.

It is not unusual for a professional athlete to struggle with the idea of retiring, and there are many cases where athletes actually retire, then decide to play again. I don’t have a problem with that, because everyone should have the right to change their mind. What I do have a problem with is when a player purposely holds a franchise hostage year after year, for his own selfish reasons. Brett Favre has long been looked at as the ultimate Packer, a great leader, and a great teammate. I for one, think that perception is not reality in this case. There have been many instances where he has proven not to be a great teammate and definitely not a leader. Along with his constant waffling about retiring or playing, I also point to two instances that show the real Diva in Brett Favre. The first being his refusal to serve as a mentor to Aaron Rodgers after Rodgers was drafted in 2005. I think that this is ridiculous because he knows that Rodgers is no threat to replace MR. PACKER in Green Bay, so why not help him learn the ropes in case he is forced into action due to an injury or you ACTUALLY RETIRING. The second instance occurred after the 2004 season. Javon Walker (a then Packer wide receiver) was threatening to hold out for a new contract. After having a breakout season (89 catches, 1,382 yards, 12 touchdowns), Walker wanted to renegotiate his contract. That is when the Diva himself, broke a man-law, and interfered in another player’s contract situation by speaking out against Walker holding out and trying to get a new contract. A good teammate never does that. His comments essentially turned the whole state of Wisconsin against Javon Walker.

Brett Favre is an all-time great and certainly a delight to watch each Sunday. He is definitely the KING OF THE CHEESE HEADS. Although he is universally loved (I am a huge fan of him on the field), we must look at him as we do all other NFL players. If any other player did the things that he has done, such as hold his team hostage each year and speak out about another players contract situation, he would be vilified by all sports fans. Favre is no different.

He has really backed the Packers into a tough spot. Everyone affiliated with the Packers know that having Favre gives them a better chance to win than not having Favre, but I’m sure that his yearly song and dance is getting old. There is a simple solution to this situation that should satisfy all parties involved. They should welcome him back with open arms, but with a totally redone contract. They should give him a two-year deal at his current pay rate, with one condition. That condition is that he must return for the second year of the contract or pay back his entire salary from the first year of the contract. This will allow Favre to continue his pursuit for a second Super Bowl ring and pad his records. The Packers will also be protected against Favre’s Waffling Version 2009. He will have the option of either giving them a two year commitment or playing for free.

As much as we all like (or love in the case of Troy Aikman) Brett Favre, we must look at the situation objectively and admit to ourselves that HE IS THE BIGGEST DIVA IN THE NFL, whether he has earned the right to be or not.