TO
150.) Terell Thomas, CB, NYG
The Giants have a secondary with basically revolving doors all over the place. Corey Webster is the more known quantity, but Terell was the better player. Thomas was great on third down, and great in run support from the cornerback position. He got better as the year went on which is unlike most Giants. Terell Thomas has a bright future ahead.
149.) Chris Long, DE, STL
Howie's boy had done little since being drafted #2 in 2008. Well, that all changed in 2010. Long piled up 8.5 sacks, and was second in the league in hurries as per Football Outsiders numbers. Chris Long was always said to have had a relentless motor. That was his big thing coming out of college, that he'll be the next "Jared Allen" and in 2010, he mostly was.
148.) Sam Bradford, QB, STL
I don't like to put two players on the same team back-to-back. Not sure why, but anyway, Sam Bradford is probably ranked too low, but that's only because he secretly was way overhyped last year. Out of the recent good rookie QB's, only Mark Sanchez put up worse stats in his first year. I realize most of those guys (Roethlisberger, Flacco, Ryan) had better pieces around him, but Bradford was a bit overhyped. I think he's a future star, but that's quite a far bit away.
147.) Michael Griffin, S, TEN
Michael Griffin was a machine this year. He still has a tendency to get beat deep, but man was he great in 2010. He had the picks. He had an insane amount of tackles (which I should note for Griffin and everyone else, tackles should be taken with a grain of salt) for a safety. He had over 10 passes defended. The Titans pass defense fell off at the end of the year, but it wasn't Griffin's fault.
146.) Zach Miller, TE, OAK
I really underranked Zach Miller, who I should have realized was putting up pro bowl numbers with JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski throwing to him, but he was more consistent in 2010 with Campbell throwing to him. Miller's drops went down, and he was a better target in the red zone. Also, his blocking has improved. For a team that has been so mediocre, Al Davis has drafted his fair share of really good players.
145.) Tony Romo, QB, DAL
Yeah, after further review, he belonged on the list. I couldn't justify putting Carson and Sam Bradford on this and not having Romo. I will say that he was quietly not great before he got hurt. He threw 7 picks in 6 games, and his yards per completion was under 11 (which is not good for a good QB). With Dez healthy now he should get better, but Romo's 31. He's peaked. Thankfully, that peak can be pretty high.
144.) Cliff Avril, DE, DET
Yes, he benfitted from Ndamukong Suh being next to him, but Avril was great in 2010. He had 8.5 sacks, but also had 23 more hurries and pressures. He was the Lions best DE, and really you could make the case that he made Suh's life easier. Avril has been a great rotational DE for a couple years, and he finally took his game to that next level.
143.) Anquan Boldin, WR, BAL
I'll admit that since Flacco likes to throw deep more he's not really in the best offense for his skill, but you can make the case that Anquan, in year one away from Fitz (year 1 of his overall career was also without Fitz), had his second worst year. It shows just how good he is that he can stay on the list, but his catches fell off, his yards fell off, and it wasn't like he was hurt. Strange year.
142.) DeAngelo Williams, RB, CAR
DeAngelo, much like Romo, didn't have a great year before he got hurt, but before the game that he eventually got hurt in he was averaging 4.7 ypc. DeAngelo suffered from his o-line dropping off a bit and nagging injuries. I expect him to rebound really well in 2011, especially if he leaves Carolina, which he probably will to major bank.
141.) Aubrayo Franklin, NT, SF
Aubrayo Franklin is a true NT. He doesn't get sacks and barely gets tackled, but other than Wilfork, there is no NT who is double teamed as much as Franklin. Also, most of the time that he does make plays they are for big losses and big plays. He's really unblockable. In my time writing about him right now, I realize I probably underranked him.
140.) Brent Grimes, CB, ATL
By football outsiders "stop rate" statistic, Brent Grimes was the 3rd best corner. By their yards per pass statistic, Grimes was the 4th best corner. As you can see, Grimes ranks well with the statheads. He was the Falcons only good player in their secondary, and that presence alone made them a top-half pass defense. Good, good player.
139.) Matt Forte, RB, CHI
He had a very similar year to Peyton Hillis, except for the fact that he was better to less fanfare. Matt Forte had a career best 4.5 ypc, and an insane for a running back 10.7 yards per catch receiving on 50 catches. Matt Forte did all of this behind an o-line that is average at best. Jay Cutler doesn't have great receivers, but he has a star at running back.
138.) Marcedes Lewis, TE, JAX
Marcedes Lewis was always a tease, a physically gifted tall tight end. He was a tease no more in 2010, dropping barely any passes and hauling in 10 tds. Marcedes Lewis was a true tight end. He was a great security blanket for Garrard and the best red zone presence of any tight end in the NFL.
137.) Brandon Albert, G, KC
KC has a long line of great lineman over the last 20 years, and Albert is probably the most unknown and underrated. Albert's bruising interior rush blocking really paved the way for Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, who produced the league's best rushing attack. Branden Albert was one of Carl Peterson last best draft picks.
136.) Brandon Marshall, WR, MIA
Much like Boldin, Marshall wasn't the same player in a new situation. Boldin went from Warner to Flacco. Marshall's drop in QB play wasn't as bad (Orton to Henne), but his drop off was more precipitous. His yards per game went down. His catches per game was down. His TDs went way down. Marshall also had four huge games and then a bunch of middling ones.
135.) Charles Johnson, DE, CAR
Through nine games, Charles Johnson was not anything special. The next seven, Charles Johnson made a great Julius Peppers impression, with 8 sacks and 15 pressures. Charles Johnson wasn't the guy who was supposed to replace Peppers (Everrette Brown was) but he's the guy who has done it.
134.) Curtis Lofton, MLB, ATL
Lofton didn't really get any better in 2010 which is why he took basically a 30 spot drop. That said, that level was already pretty high. Curtis Lofton was a prototyplical 4-3 MLB. He's a steady player who's become this generations Jeremiah Trotter. He'll make all the plays he should make, but probably never rise to that all-pro level.
133.) Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG
Not sure how he usurped Jacobs' starting role (in a weird role reversal, Bradshaw had the heavier workload while Jacobs had the better ypc), but it worked really well in the 2010. Bradshaw carried the workload and quietly had a huge year, getting into the end zone 8 times and his receiving really improved. He has to work on his fumbles though.
132.) LaMarr Houston, OLB, OAK
Rolando McClain was supposed to be the star (and he wasn't bad), but LaMarr Houston became it. LaMarr Houston supplied great pressure rushing up the middle, but more than that was the best run stopper the Raiders have had in a long, long time. Almost all of his run stops were close to the line, showing that he was great at plugging up gaps. He's a true player.
131.) Jeff Saturday, C, IND
Jeff Saturday isn't the run blocker he once was, and his pass blocking has dropped off a bit, but Saturday is still one of the more cerebral and better centers in the NFL. The Indy line has had tremendous upheaval the past couple years and Saturday has been able to keep it in check.
130.) Barry Cofield, DT, NYG
Cofield had a monster year at DT. His 40 tackles as a defensive tackle are amazing, as he's mostly used to suck on blockers. Cofield was active in pass rush as well. He's due for a monster contract for 2011. It took him a while to really get going but Cofield has finally become the player he was supposed to after the Giants drafted him in 2006.
129.) Stanford Routt, CB, OAK
Stanford Routt is the reason why I'm not too scared that Nnamdi is gone from Oakland. Stanford Routt was rated the number three cornerback in the NFL in both success rate in Football Outsiders' rankings and yards per pass. Routt also covered a lot of the better receivers since the Raiders kept Nnamdi on one side. Routt has a bright future.
128.) Steven Jackson, RB, STL
In reality, Steven Jackson didn't have a great year by his standard. It was his lowest yards per game since his second season and the first time in his career his yards per carry was under 4. Either way, for just being a solid player year after year and finally having a good team again, he merits a spot. Steven Jackson faced more 8 man boxes than ever and still ran hard each week. I hope for his sake he's still playing great when Bradfor matures into a playoff QB.
127.) Jason Babin, DE, TEN
Jason Babin had a great 2010 for the Titans, racking up 12.5 sacks countless more pressures and led the NFL in QB hits. That said, he's really a one year wonder. I will say this, Jeff Fisher and Jim Washburn had a great ability to coach up d-lineman. Washburn is gone to Philly, but Munchak was one of his guys so Babin should continue to play really good in the future.
126.) Sebastian Vollmer, T, NE
One year is a fluke. Two years is a trend. Vollmer was a stud again in 2010 and is all set to take over the left side (I'm assuming - although they might give that to Nate Solder). He was a bit overhyped as a rookie as he was often given help, but he was left one on one a lot in 2010 and pass blocked great. One of Belichick's best finds in recent years in the draft.
125.) Josh Freeman, QB, TB
I couldn't have been more wrong about Josh Freeman when I intially saw him play. His first year was not very good, but then again, that was with a bad team with no targets and a new coaching staff. One year of continuity, and Freeman was great. His amazingly low interception rate probably isn't sustainable, but he's great at never putting the ball in risk.
124.) Tyson Clabo, T, ATL
Tyson Clabo again played all 16 games and again played them all well. I'm not sure why the Falcons don't play him on the left side and insist to play him on the right, but he's great at pass blocking anyway. Clabo graded the road which led to a nice resurgence for Michael Turner. Tyson Clabo is criminally underrated, and if he played LT, he would be top-100.
123.) Marques Colston, WR, NO
Colston had an odd year. In a lot of ways, he was worse than in 2009, as his yards per catch fell by nearly three yards and his TDs fell. Then again, he was better in that he had fewer drops and more yards per game. Marques Colston is still a great possession receiver and works well with Drew Brees. He's quietly putting up one of the better resumes of any WR in the NFL.
122.) Rashard Mendenhall, RB, PIT
Mendenhall's yards per carry fell, but every other part of his game got better. He got more durable as well as better in the red zone. Mendenhall also became better at blitz pickup, making him impossible to leave off of the field. Mendenhall also has the great distinction of being the most randomly placed player to keep his place, going from 123 in 2010 to 122.
121.) Antoine Cason, CB, SD
The Chargers defense was surprisingly really good in 2010 and Cason was a big part of that surprise. It took Cason three years to develop, but man did he develop in year three, with great coverage week after week. He was among the league leaders in pass defeats as well as yards allowed per pass. Cason also defended 17 passes and 57 tackles from the CB position. Great, great year.
120.) Sidney Rice, WR, MIN
Hard to really talk about his 2010 as he was injured for most of it and then had to deal with the corpse of Brett Favre and then Joe Webb. Rice didn't have a great year, obviously, but still was explosive when he got healthy, having a 16.5 yards per catch. Since this isn't a one year list, I still like Rice overall. He should become a Free Agent, and a rich one.
119.) Stephen Tulloch, MLB, TEN
Guess who quietly was among the top-5 in tackles in the NFL? Stephen Tulloch was long in the shadow of his similarly-sounding teammate Keith Bullock. It's safe to say he should be making a name for him self by now. Stephen Tolluch has been as consistent as any LB in the NFL during his career, and at 25, he's just starting to peak.
118.) Jay Cutler, QB, CHI
Jay Cutler has no offensive line early in 2010. He has no great receiver. He has an offensive coordinator who leaves his lineman on an island. Knowing all of this, Jay Cutler had a pretty good year. He was good in clutch situations. He was totally unfairly excoriated for his MCL injury in the 2010 NFC Championship game and I hope that that doesn't become a lasting adjective for him.
117.) Eric Weddle, S, SD
Just like his secondary-mate Antoine Cason, Weddle was a past first round pick yet to do anything of note. Well, that is over. Weddle was great in 2010, playing great run support from the safety position and even improving his coverage. Weddle is now the premier SS in free agency, and honestly, one of the better SS in the league. There is no player I want more to be a Colt.
116.) Kyle Williams, NT, BUF
Kyle Williams just gets better and better each year. This was also the first year that Williams was put at the nose (the Bills used to play a 4-3), and he was downright dominant at times, with 5.5 sacks and 54 tackles from the nose. Williams was a very deserving 2nd team all-pro in 2010 with Buffalo and is the anchor to Buffalo's defense.
115.) Osi Umenyiora, DE, NYG
I think there is this sentiment that Osi is past his prime and had a bad year in 2010. Totally wrong. Osi Umenyiora was more of a rotational pass rusher, but he put up 11.5 sacks. Two years off his ACL injury, Umenyiora seems fully healthy. I hope he solves his spat with the Giants, because its fun to see all those talented DEs that the Giants have run down QBs.
114.) Michael Turner, RB, ATL
After suffering the "Curse of 370" in 2009, Turner rebounded with a nice 2010. He was insanely durable, rarely missing series, and still was a force in the red zone. Turner really has to improve his pass catching abilities. I don't know what it is but his reception numbers are laughable. Maybe Matt Ryan just never wants to throw him the ball.
113.) DeMeco Ryans, MLB, HOU
I know he only played 6 games and wasn't at his peak when he did play, but there is no way I can drop him more than this. DeMeco Ryans has proved over his career that he is a tackling machine and his presence in the lineup usually improves the Texans run defense tremendously. Plus, without him, the Texans defense went to holy hell.
112.) Elvis Dumervil, OLB, DEN
I basically should get him off the list as well. Dumervil missed all of 2010 with an ACL, but it felt unfair to Wally Pipp him out of the Top 200. You can measure his ability in that without him rushing off the edge, Denver's pass defense was comically bad. He'll be moving to a new position in 2010 as a DE in John Fox's 4-3, so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts.
111.) D'Brickshaw Ferguson, T, NYJ
I think Brick gets a little overhyped by the media, but he did have a great 2010. D'Brickshaw's blocking on Mark Sanchez's blind side kept the Sanchize mostly upright, and the Jets were one of the best teams running around LT in the NFL. Other than Mangold, with the rest of the line really green or really old, it will be up to him to keep the continuity.
110.) Antoine Bethea, S, IND
Just like defensive mate Brackett, Bethea's play was down a little from 2009 (for nearly every member of the 2010 Colts this is true). However, it isn't age but mostly the fact that he had to play with 20 different SS and CBs through the year. Bethea was a rock, keeping the unit respectable. God Knows what the Colts defense would be if Bethea were to ever get hurt.
109.) Todd Harremens, G, PHI
For some reason he doesn't get the publicity, but while his higher profile LT fell apart in the WIdl Card game, Harremens played solidly then and all season. The Eagles had the best run game in the NFL in 2010, and that wasn't solely because of Michael Vick. Harremens continues to be one of the better nameless guards in the NFL.
108.) Daryl Smith, OLB, JAX
Daryl Smith led the league in "defeats" in 2010, as per Football Outsiders. Defeats are plays made on defense that result in negative yardage for the opposition, or a turnover or a failed third down conversion. Daryl Smith, again, was the best in the league at this in 2010, and he's been a good player for a couple of years now.
107.) Miles Austin, WR, DAL
Without Romo throwing him the ball, Austin took a bit of a step back. Pretty much all of Austin's numbers' dropped in 2010, which should be noted was partly due to the fact that more and more teams were learning how to defend him in his new #1 WR role in 2010. That said, he's still a top flight pass catcher, and his numbers when Romo was there were just as good as they were in 2009.
106.) Andrew Whitworth, T, CIN
Not much went right for Cincinnati in 2010, but Whitworth continues to be a surprisingly consistent, quality pass blocker for Palmer's blind side. The Bengals have a black hole of crap at interior line, but at least Palmer doesn't have to worry too much about the blind side OLB's killing him.
105.) Matt Ryan, QB, ATL
Matt Ryan definitely improved in Year 3, and his 4th quarter play was commendable. That said, I don't know where to really rank him. At times, I really see a lot of Peyton Manning in him, the way he commands the line of scrimmage, audibles and has a great feel for the position. However, he doesn't seem to have the tools that Manning has. His ypa and ypc are really low for a top flight QB. It might be a function of having just one legitimate WR target.
104.) Charles Godfrey, S, CAR
If you are surprised by the number of Carolina Panthers players on the list, all fresh off of a 2-14 campaign, then I should tell you this. The 2010 Panthers were one of the more talented 2-14 teams ever. Godfrey had a great year, picking off 5 passes and making 69 tackles in his first year of playing SS. He's played just three years, so he could get better.
103.) Shaun Phillips, OLB, SD
The man who used to be the 2nd best "Shau(w)n(e)" on his team, Phillips finally did great on his own registering 11.5 sacks (a career high) and playing better when dropping into coverage. Merriman could never really play coverage when he dropped, but Phillips is quite good at it. He's 29, so he's probably peaked, but I would say he's passed Merriman's career at this point.
102.) Charles Tillman, CB, CHI
It's absolutely stunning that Tillman has never made a pro bowl, as he's been a very good player for a number of years. 2010 was his best season since 2006. He was really active defending passes and played really good zone coverage. Tillman was also great at coming up and snuffing out run plays. The Bears defense is talented, but Tillman is still one of their best players.
101.) Ben Grubbs, G, BAL
Another nameless man at a nameless position, 4th year pro Ben Grubbs was awesome in 2010, playing great blocking against Casey Hampton, Vince Wilfork and many more in the AFC in 2010. He's actually been a really strong player for the Ravens for years, and it's time this man, just like the one at 102, makes a pro bowl. Someone's paving holes for Ray Rice, and he's the best lineman the Ravens have (yes, better than Blind Side himself, Oher).
Coming up next, 100-76.
