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Locks in bold; probables in regular type; best guesses in italics
Player RUSH RUYDS YPC REC RYDS YPT TD T/TD FPLT 2365 10650 4.5 458 3375 5.0 129 21.9 2176.5Alexander 2168 9433 4.4 214 1511 4.6 112 21.3 1766.4James 2480 10064 4.1 357 2665 4.5 71 40.0 1698.9T. Barber 1966 9513 4.8 444 3927 5.6 58 41.6 1692.0A. Green 1880 8422 4.5 361 2831 5.0 69 32.5 1539.3Holmes 1456 6664 4.6 283 2598 5.3 85 20.5 1436.2Lewis 2120 9105 4.3 190 1613 4.6 58 39.8 1419.8Portis 1710 7715 4.5 205 1688 4.9 67 28.6 1342.3F. Taylor 1862 8760 4.7 216 1759 5.1 46 45.2 1327.9Dunn 1820 7559 4.2 316 2614 4.8 51 41.9 1323.3
Zach Thomas? I'm not sure I see Willis or Ryans making the All Decade Team.
You're probably right. Brooks should probably be there for me instead of Ryans.
You could make a case for Thomas over Bulluck, but I think all of the guys I picked are better than Zach when they're at their best.
True, but that's not how I look at a prospective All-Decade team. To me the question is not who had the best stats during the decade, but rather who were the best players at a particular position during the decade. I think Willis is probably one of the top 6 backers of the decade. That's why he gets the nod. It's the same reasoning for including guys like Peterson, Mario, and Dorsey.
I like Mathis a lot. But I don't think he's ahead of either of those guys. Possibly Newman but definitely not Trufant.
Surprised no Ryans or Haynesworth. Seems you were leaning a bit toward older players and I'm not sure when they each hit their wall.Rice and Glover seem like they're most likely to be edged out by someone by the end of the decade.good list though
Personally, I really wanted to include Ryans as he's one of my favorite current players, but it's difficult to guess whether or not he'll continue his pace. If he does, he's certainly in the conversation. The guys that I listed I felt had proven that they could get the nod. I think London Fletcher is one of the decade's most underrated players.
I think there's a host of interesting linebackers who might make a case with two more stellar seasons and bump Thomas or Urlacher out of those spots. Ryans is certainly one of them. But I don't think there's a strong enough argument that Ryans or Willis or those kind of players will have had as big an impact as the other ILBs on my list just yet.Haynesworth has had one dominating half season -- in a contract year no less -- but he's in that group that can make a strong argument with another two consistently good seasons. Glover isn't a lock, but he's had a very consistent career (when used to his strengths). Rice had 78 sacks this decade, which is pretty impressive. Still, you're right, there's a whole host of characters that could put up 35 sacks over the next two seasons and make Rice just another guy.
I agree that Fletcher is very underrated and his big play stats compare favorably to Zach Thomas'. He's probably too underrated to end up on this list, though, since he's never received a post-season accolade. I'd bet a guy like Tedy Bruschi would get more votes from those with a ballot than Fletcher, for example.
Marino did not make an all-decade team, either.
LOL! Not even close.There's more to playing CB than making splashy interceptions.How many starting CBs do you know that haven't given up a TD for an entire season?See Newman-2005, and that's only the preface. Too many QBs are afraid to throw to his side, and for good reason.Just for comparison's sake, in Deion Sanders' 5 years with the Cowboys, he had 17 Ints. In Newman's 5 years? 16.Interceptions are nice, but the position is more about "holding down the corner."Back to the film room for you.
QBs aren't afraid to throw at Newman. He's targeted a lot more than you'd think. Football Outsiders checked out target stats through their game charting project and concluded that the only CBs in the league that QBs actually avoid are Champ Bailey and Nnamdi Asomugha.Andy Herron said:
I'd be interested in seeing that link.
Asomugha is another player I really like although I wonder if teams don't target him because they know they can run the ball at will on the Raiders defense.
So would I, but nonetheless I don't know how telling a "game charting project" would be.I've been a Newman fan since he was drafted (had him pegged for the pick myself), and I see every Cowboys game.Many times QBs won't even bother to look to his side, let alone throw there.Regardless, whether they avoid him or not, for a CB to go thru an entire NFL season and not give up a TD is unheard of.That's the guy I want on my team, and why I wear his jersey on gamedays. #41
Aaron Glenn did that for one season, I think, with the Jets.So would I, but nonetheless I don't know how telling a "game charting project" would be.I've been a Newman fan since he was drafted (had him pegged for the pick myself), and I see every Cowboys game.Many times QBs won't even bother to look to his side, let alone throw there.Regardless, whether they avoid him or not, for a CB to go thru an entire NFL season and not give up a TD is unheard of.That's the guy I want on my team, and why I wear his jersey on gamedays. #41
I figured you would. I would have provided the link when I first posted, but Football Outsiders was down at the time. Here you go. I'll quote the relevant section:
Read the rest of the link, too, though, because it also has some data on Newman that's relevant to the discussion.
The Raiders faced 439 passes vs. 486 runs. It was one of the most unbalanced ratios in the league, but it's not like other teams just didn't pass on Oakland. Despite this, Asomugha didn't even face enough attempts to qualify for Football Outsiders' DB rankings.
Unheard of? It happened again the very next season. In 2006, Bailey didn't give up a single score (and, as icing on the cake, he also allowed the lowest ypa against in the league and posted almost as many passes defensed/interceptions as he had receptions allowed).Not allowing a single score is a great feat, but it's not like it's unheard of. And even if it was, that would mean that 2005 was a great season, but a single great season does not an all-decade team warrant.So would I, but nonetheless I don't know how telling a "game charting project" would be.I've been a Newman fan since he was drafted (had him pegged for the pick myself), and I see every Cowboys game.
Many times QBs won't even bother to look to his side, let alone throw there.
Regardless, whether they avoid him or not, for a CB to go thru an entire NFL season and not give up a TD is unheard of.
That's the guy I want on my team, and why I wear his jersey on gamedays. #41
O.K., so it's a very rare occasion as opposed to "unheard of."And no, one season does not warrant all-decade team status, but Newman has been consistant throughout his career. Even playing through injuries as he did last year.I figured you would. I would have provided the link when I first posted, but Football Outsiders was down at the time. Here you go. I'll quote the relevant section:Read the rest of the link, too, though, because it also has some data on Newman that's relevant to the discussion.The Raiders faced 439 passes vs. 486 runs. It was one of the most unbalanced ratios in the league, but it's not like other teams just didn't pass on Oakland. Despite this, Asomugha didn't even face enough attempts to qualify for Football Outsiders' DB rankings.Unheard of? It happened again the very next season. In 2006, Bailey didn't give up a single score (and, as icing on the cake, he also allowed the lowest ypa against in the league and posted almost as many passes defensed/interceptions as he had receptions allowed).Not allowing a single score is a great feat, but it's not like it's unheard of. And even if it was, that would mean that 2005 was a great season, but a single great season does not an all-decade team warrant.So would I, but nonetheless I don't know how telling a "game charting project" would be.I've been a Newman fan since he was drafted (had him pegged for the pick myself), and I see every Cowboys game.
Many times QBs won't even bother to look to his side, let alone throw there.
Regardless, whether they avoid him or not, for a CB to go thru an entire NFL season and not give up a TD is unheard of.
That's the guy I want on my team, and why I wear his jersey on gamedays. #41
I really, really liked most of your list, but I found it funny that you held Freeney's lack of run support against him, but not Rice's. Of the two, I'd say that Freeney has shown himself to be a more able run defender when called upon. He plays in a scheme that tells him not to even worry about the run a lot of the time, but I'd still call him less of a liability against the run.Actually, if you want to see some VERY interesting numbers... check out Football Outsider's line yards for 2006. Indy actually allowed the fewest yards per attempt of any team in the league on runs around the left end- their historically bad run defense was mostly the product of how soft they were up the middle. Freeney can be directed wide of plays, but the one thing he has going for him is he certainly denies RBs the corner.
I'm a big Newman fan, too. I think he's one of the best CBs in the league. I just think that two phenomenal seasons and a couple of solid-but-unspectacular seasons (which is what I have him down for so far this decade) do not warrant all-decade status. Not even close. Not when you've got guys like Chris McAllister who have just as many seasons that were just as spectacular, with a lot more solid seasons sprinkled in for good measure.Newman's a great CB, but he doesn't belong on this list over Bailey, Barber, McAllister, Law, Charles Woodson (who I think has had too many terrible seasons to go along with his amazing seasons to be included), or possibly even Sam Madison or Troy Vincent.O.K., so it's a very rare occasion as opposed to "unheard of."
And no, one season does not warrant all-decade team status, but Newman has been consistant throughout his career. Even playing through injuries as he did last year.
Hey, I was just trying to make a case for him. I'm a fan, obviously.
Pretty much nailed it.
