NFL Top 100

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon

There are 22 starters on offense and defense. To be in the Top 100 players, a guy needs to be one of the two or three best at his position because some positions - - such as QB, DE, and WR are going to be over-represented.

Based on performance in 2010, which Redskin was one of the top four at his position in the NFL? Only Orakpo comes close to that - - and I would not put him that high on the list of DE/OLBs.

Interior linebackers who should rate higher than London Fletcher: Patrick Willis, Brian Urlacher, Ray Lewis. But Bart Scott and Fletcher are in the top 60 active players in the NFL.

I disagree that Orakpo is a snub from this list. The ESPN top ten pass rushers list? Absolutely. Hard to manipulate reality to find 8 rushers more devastating than Orakpo, much less ten. Freeney, Peppers, Ware, Matthews, Trent Cole, Abraham, Hali and we can go either way on Jared Allen/Dumerville/Robert Mathis/Terrell Suggs/Osi Umeniyora vs Orakpo. Orakpo>Mario Williams/James Harrison/Lamar Woodley just in terms of getting to the quarterback. Maybe Cameron Wake should be here too? I don't see it yet.

With that said, every one of those players is a more complete player than Orakpo at this stage of his career. And Dumerville didn't make the top 100 either.

There's a point to be made here and it's that any team who accomplishes anything has one if not two top pass rushers on their team. We're not well off simply because we have Orakpo. Every playoff contender has an Orakpo (with the notable exception of the Pats and Jets). This is the logic behind the Kerrigan pick. In 2009, you needed a Brian Orakpo to even compete defensively. In 2011, you need Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan, and they both need to be healthy the whole season.