The Doc's 2009 All-Overrated Team
Every year, I see certain players go to the Pro Bowl that simply
shouldn't be there. We've all seen it, guys who were great three years
ago are still making trips to Hawaii because of their play in 2006. We
call this phenomenon the "familiarity factor" and we're all guilty of it
- fans, sportswriters, coaches, and players. During the 2007 season,
Mario Williams ran circles around the likes of Aaron Schobel and Kyle
Vanden Bosch, yet he was held back because the other two had made it
before.
I got the idea to do this after seeing
Wes Welker selected to the 2009 Pro Bowl. Don't get me wrong, I like the
diminutive hard-nosed receiver, but a slot, usually check-down, receiver
should not be in the all-star game. Granted, the number of catches were
impressive, but his 10.3 yards per catch and 3 receiving touchdowns were
anything but. In actuality, Randy Moss, Vincent Jackson, Hines Ward, and
Derrick Mason should have all been considered before Welker.
These "snubs" occur in every
sport, and the NFL is no different. However, in this article, we'll take
a look at some of the more overrated players in the league. Guys whose
numbers are bloated for the system they play in or are simply recognized
for years gone by. The roster below isn't necessarily composed of
players who made the 2009 Pro Bowl, but guys who simply get too many
headlines for their "accomplishments."
Offense
Quarterback - Eli Manning,
New York Giants: I had
Brett Favre penciled into this spot until he finally declared that he
wasn't coming back this year. However, Eli makes a strong case for this
honor because of his sub-standard completion percentage and yards per
attempt. If he didn't play in New York, he would only be known as
Peyton's little brother.
Running Back - Thomas Jones, New York Jets: the seemingly always disgruntled
running back has been in the upper echelon of running backs, but he's
never been spectacular. Answer me this, if you can think of a signature
run, you let me know.
Fullback - Le'Ron McClain, Baltimore: plain and simple, he's not a fullback.
Wide Receiver - Wes Welker, New England: see above
Wide Receiver - Terrell Owens, Buffalo: his whining and crying for the
football is played out. Not only does he kill locker rooms, he throws
his quarterbacks under the bus even though he's always been in the top
five of the league in dropped passes.
Tight End - Dallas Clark, Indianapolis: it's not as much for his play as it is
his constant presence on the injured list. If he ever completes a full
16-game schedule, I'll be absolutely amazed.
Tackle - Jason Peters, Philadelphia: he's a good run-blocker, but the 6 year,
$60 million dollar contract is certainly not indicative of a guy who
gives up just under a sack a game.
Guard - Leonard Davis, Dallas: when Davis signed a record-setting
contract with the Cowboys before the 2007 season, I thought it was a
huge mistake, literally and figuratively. One of the big knocks on Davis
has been his lack of conditioning and toughness, and he has yet to
improve in either area.
Center - Jeff Faine, Tampa Bay: he's one of the top-5 paid offensive
lineman, but he's only played a full 16-game season once.
Guard - Robert Gallery, Oakland: he was supposed to be the next great
tackle when he was drafted in 2004 and is still paid like it.
Unfortunately, he didn't work out in the anchor spot and he's not doing
any better at guard. His lack of core strength allows him to be pushed
around by defensive tackles.
Tackle - Flozell Adams, Dallas: I don't think I've ever seen a player get
called for more penalties that Adams. In addition, he's simply too slow
to handle speed-rushers and his drive-blocking has deteriorated over the
past few years.
Defense
End - Robert Mathis,
Indianapolis: I know this
will be a controversial pick and I'm ready for the venomous emails I'll
get from Indianapolis fans, but the fact is, he's a one-trick pony. He
gets pushed back or caught out of position on running plays and is
sometimes out of control on the pass rush. In addition, he benefits
greatly from playing on the other side from one of the best pass rushers
in the game, Dwight Freeney.
End - Julius Peppers, Carolina: another controversial pick. His talent and
physical ability could never be questioned, but his attitude is a
different story. He just seems to lack interest in the game at times -
whether he's pouting about his contract situation or simply taking plays
off. It's sad, really. He could be one of the most dominating players in
the history of professional football if he played with intensity all the
time.
Tackle - Shawn Rogers, Cleveland: for a guy who could be stellar in a 3-4 or
4-3 defense, he sure does a great job at being totally mediocre and
cashing checks.
Tackle - John Henderson, Jacksonville: I hate to use a cliche, but he's a
mountain of a man who plays like a molehill. He has all of the tools to
be an agile run-stuffing interior lineman, but he disappears too easily
in big games.
Linebacker - Joey Porter, Miami: anyone who thinks he's on this list
because of his annoying personality is absolutely right. Seriously, he's
a one-trick pony. He loves to rush the passer, which is good in the 3-4,
but he contributes nothing to stopping the run, a must for any
linebacker.
Linebacker - Brian Urlacher, Chicago: he's got great speed and athletic
ability, but he's not strong enough to play the middle linebacker
position, and like Henderson, he's simply not there in primetime. The
praise that is heaped on him every year is surprising because he's just
not that good. I think he benefits from playing that particular position
in Chicago.
Linebacker - Bart Scott, New York Jets: the Jets have invested a large sum of
money in Scott, and maybe I'm wrong since his former defensive
coordinator is the guy who recruited him, but I think he benefitted
greatly from playing next to Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. Now that he'll
be the focus of opposing offenses, I think he'll really struggle to
shine.
Cornerback - Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay: this hurts because he's been one of my
favorite players since he's come into the league, but he's made several
Pro Bowls as a product of the Tampa Two. If Barber was drafted by
another team, he probably would have been out of the league five years
ago. He's a ball hawk, but he's never been able to cover man-to-man.
Cornerback - Dre Bly, San Francisco: for a guy who's made it to a few Pro Bowls
and is one of the most highly paid defensive backs in football, he
sure does get beaten like a drum a lot. Deion Sanders used to make up
for his lack of fundamentals and knowledge of the game with his
exceptional physical skills, and I've always felt like Bly tries to do
the same....unsuccessfully.
Safety - Ken Hamlin, Dallas: for a borderline Pro Bowl free safety, he sure
does spend a lot of time trying to chase down wide receivers from
behind.
Safety - Michael Huff, Oakland: the number seven overall pick in the 2006
draft suffers because he's a "tweener." He's too stiff to be a corner or
cover safety, and not big enough to sufficiently support the run.
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