Checking In With The Top 100

The NFL Network revealed the #30-21 ranked players in their countdown of the best 100 players entering the 2015 season. This week's group of ten football players is a very good one. So good that it's a surprise that at least twenty players are ranked ahead of each one of them. Each of the ten is among the best at their position.

Here are the players ranked #30-21:

30. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
29. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills
28. Gerald McCoy, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. Justin Houston, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
26. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Joe Thomas, T, Cleveland Browns
24. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Miami Dolphins
23. Joe Haden, CB, Cleveland Browns
22. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
21. Earl Thomas, S, Seattle Seahawks

Teams tend to keep the sort of players that are found among the best in the league. In that sense it's a bit of a surprise to see two of the above players entering the 2015 NFL season with new teams. Former Eagles runner LeSean McCoy was traded to the Bills. Former Lions troublemaker Ndamukong Suh followed the money to the Dolphins as a free agent. If Suh wasn't such a troublemaker he'd probably find himself ranked in the top-10 of this list every single year. He's that talented and that much of a pain-in-the-ass.

I really expected to see Gerald McCoy and Justin Houston ranked closer to #15 rather than in the late 20s. Joe Haden and Earl Thomas as well. Actually, I wouldn't have been all that surprised if these were the players that were numbered #11-20.

It's good to remember that this Top 100 list is voted on by the players. Instead of some yahoo at a desk the voters are picking the best among the players that they actually face on the field. A year or two ago the appearance of then Miami Dolphins tight end Charles Clay on the list drew a great deal of criticism from several desk-bound yahoos. I'd much rather listen to Luke Kuechly explain why Clay is so difficult to defend than some yahoo bitch about his inclusion. After all, who really knows best? It's the player's list and the best thing about it is that it includes the player's comments on the best of their peers.

Twenty more players. Can't wait!