DT- Aubrayo Franklin SF- One of the best run-stoppers in the game. Constantly takes on double teams to free up Patrick Willis to make plays. In fact, Willis has made a public plea for the 49ers to re-sign Franklin in the off-season.
DT- Kelly Gregg Bal- Very good player. Doesn't get the press of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, or even line mate Haloti Ngata. He's an unsung hero, who had 63 tackles and three sacks for one of the best run defenses in the league.
DE/OLB- Aaron Schobel Buf- Tough choice for this spot. Considered Will Smith and Calais Campbell, as well. Schobel wins the day due to his versatility. He had 10 sacks, an interception, three forced fumbles, and 56 tackles in a talented defense decimated by injuries. On a 4-3, I'd have Schobel play end, and 3-4 linebacker.
OLB- Tamba Hali KC- I considered Shaun Phillips, but he has more notoriety than Hali. Too bad he plays for the Chiefs, or he'd gave a greater following. Good thing for Kansas City is they can build the 3-4 around his skill-set. He 8.5 sacks, 62 tackles, and four forced fumbles.
ILB- David Harris NYJ- Another player snubbed from the Pro Bowl. He's a jack-of-all-trades. Top ten in the league with 127 tackles, and supplemented that with 5.5 sacks, two picks, and two forced fumbles on the best defense in the league. There are fabulous players not named Darrelle Revis in New York.
MLB- James Laurinaitis StL- An Ohio State linebacker with actual contributions to an NFL franchise. All kidding aside, he's had a monster season with 120 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one recovery. Yes, I have two inside linebackers, but that's because there are numerous 3-4 and 4-3 teams.
CB- Leon Hall Cin- Tough call between him and Jonathan Joseph for the number one corner, but his numbers are slightly better. He tied for fifth in the league with 6 picks, was third in the league with 24 passes defensed, and had 71 tackles to boot.
CB- Jonathan Joseph Cin- Considered Sheldon Brown, but Joseph has played a cut above this season. He was tied for fifth in interceptions, fifth in passes defensed, and 69 tackles.
FS- Brandon Meriweather NE- The Patriots have been passed on to death, so this pick seems counter-intuitive, but he's one of the guys they're building around on that side of the ball. He's had five picks, two forced fumbles, 83 tackles on the season.
SS- Bernard Pollard Hou- New England & Kansas City fans will hate this pick for different reasons. Pollard has a knack for being around the ball. He had 102 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 4 interceptions, one forced fumble, and three recoveries. Very quietly put up a solid season.
No comments:
Post a Comment