Tag: Homegrown Legends

Dallas wins Homegrown Legends tournament bracket by an eyelash

Our virtual Cowboys roster, featuring Patrick Mahomes, Von Miller and Mean Joe Greene stands alone as Homegrown Legends tournament champs.

The Dallas Cowboys are champions once again — in a virtual sense, anyway.

Thanks to Cowboys Wire readers who voted in our Homegrown Legends tournament bracket over the past several weeks, we’re hoisting a metaphorical trophy. We scoffed when Dallas came in merely ranked No. 3 in the Power Rankings. After five rounds of voting, the true king was crowned.

When voting closed at noon ET on Oct. 9, our Dallas legends held a 51-49% advantage over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Representing Dallas and all of North Texas, our mission was simple. Using homegrown regional talent, we developed a starting lineup of pro football legends to match up against rosters representing the other 31 NFL teams. When your state coins the phrase, “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose,” it should go without saying that football runs through Texas forever.

But it wasn’t as simple as that. Texas is a huge state, so not all talent was available. The Houston area took a big chunk, claiming the AFC’s top seed (which was upset in the second round by the No. 8-seed Chargers). Still, our Dallas franchise of Homegrown Legends possessed a ridiculous arsenal of talent.

It started with being able to utilize North Texas schemes. The Wishbone offense is the brainchild of Fort Worth’s own Spud Cason. On defense, we deployed the 3-3-5 of former McMurry State assistant Joe Lee Dunn.

And the talent available fits our schemes like a glove.

Patrick Mahomes beat out Y.A. Tittle, Don Meredith, Sammy Baugh and Matthew Stafford for the chance to throw to Hall of Fame wideouts Charley Taylor and Tim Brown. Mahomes would get a ridiculous amount of man coverages to dissect, because defenses would be forced to crowd the box in hopes of containing star running backs Earl Campbell, Adrian Peterson and LaDainian Tomlinson. All on the field at the same time? Disgusting.

On defense, the three-man line of Mean Joe Greene, Bob Lilly and Harvey Martin would dominate — with Von Miller screaming off the edge. Mixed with blitzing from safety Jamal Adams, the pressure would be too much for opposing QBs, allowing cornerbacks Everson Walls and Aqib Talib to get interceptions on the regular.

It all came together in a string of dominant victories to navigate the NFC field, and then our crew toppled the John Elway-led virtual Chargers in the tournament championship. There won’t be a parade, but take a bow, Dallas and North Texas. No area has birthed a greater set of NFL superstars.

Championship result:

NFC No. 1 Dallas def. AFC No. 8 Los Angeles Chargers, 51-49%.

Semifinals results:

AFC championship: 8. Los Angeles Chargers def. 2. Miami, 56-44%.

NFC championship: 1. Dallas def. 3. Los Angeles Rams, 60-40%.

Third-round results:

AFC semifinals: 8. Los Angeles Chargers def. 12. Kansas City, 67-33%; 2. Miami def. 6. Pittsburgh, 52-48%.

NFC semifinals: 1. Dallas def. 5. Atlanta, 73-27%; 3. Los Angeles Rams def. 2. New Orleans, 53-47%.

Second-round results:

AFC: 8. Los Angeles Chargers def. 1. Houston, 67-33%; 12. Kansas City def. 13. Tennessee, 66-34%; 6. Pittsburgh def. 3. Cleveland, 61-39%; 2. Miami def. 10. Las Vegas, 74-26%.

NFC: 1. Dallas def. 8. Washington, 79-21%; 5. Atlanta def. 4. San Francisco, 52-48%; 3. Los Angeles Rams def. 6. Carolina, 73-27%; 2. New Orleans def. 10. Detroit, 67-33%.

First-round results:

AFC: 1. Houston def. 16. Denver, 62-38%; 8. LA Chargers def. 9. Buffalo 74-26%; 12. Kansas City def. 5. Jacksonville, 68-32%; 13. Tennessee def. 4. Cincinnati, 53-47%; 6. Pittsburgh def. 11. Baltimore, 83-17%; 3. Cleveland def. 14. Indianapolis, 70-30%; 10. Las Vegas def. 7. NY Jets, 62-38%; 2. Miami def. New England, 87-13%.

NFC: 1. Dallas def. 16. Minnesota, 76-24%; 8. Washington def. 9. NY Giants, 65-35%; 5. Atlanta def. 12. Tampa Bay, 58-42%; 4. San Francisco def. 13. Seattle, 67-33%; 6. Carolina def. 11. Arizona, 68-32%; 3. LA Rams def. 14. Green Bay, 64-36%; 10. Detroit def. 7. Philadelphia, 59-41%; 2. New Orleans def. 15. Chicago, 58-42%.

NFL Homegrown Legends

AFC rosters:

Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC

NFC rosters:

Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea

Vote: Homegrown Legends Tournament Bracket — championship round

VOTE: Touchdown Wire asks football fans to decide which city produces the best NFL talent — Los Angeles or Dallas.

Which cities and states produce the best football talent? It’s an age-old debate, and Touchdown Wire asks you to help determine the answer.

We’ve imagined NFL rosters for the ages composed of the greatest players who grew up in the areas of the 32 current franchises. Our selection methodology is explained in detail in this article.

Touchdown Wire columnist Doug Farrar revealed his power rankings for our 32 Homegrown Legends rosters, providing the seedings for an epic virtual tournament.

Here’s where you come in. Cast your vote below in the championship round of our Homegrown Legends tournament, and check back on Friday, Oct. 9, at approximately noon ET for the final result.

Semifinals results:

AFC championship: 8. Los Angeles Chargers def. 2. Miami, 56-44%.

NFC championship: 1. Dallas def. 3. Los Angeles Rams, 60-40%.

Championship round

Dallas vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Dallas Cowboys Homegrown Legends
Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group illustration

How Dallas can win: This matchup will be won in the trenches, where the Cowboys have a distinct advantage. The Chargers have standout tackles in Ron Mix and Gary Zimmerman, but the Cowboys defensive front of Mean Joe Greene, Bob Lilly, Harvey Martin and Von Miller can overwhelm just about any opponent. Chargers QB John Elway is one of the greatest passers in pro football history, but Dallas’ Patrick Mahomes might be the most talented player ever to play the position. In the backfield, whatever advantage Marcus Allen and Terrell Davis provide for the Chargers is negated by the Cowboys’ three-headed monster of Earl Campbell, Adrian Peterson and LaDainian Tomlinson. Los Angeles has a great X-factor in Tony Gonzalez, but Dallas safeties Jamal Adams and Yale Lary match up well on tight ends. Look for opportunistic CBs Everson Walls and Aqib Talib to lock down Chargers WRs Michael Thomas and JuJu Smith-Schuster and create takeaways. — K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire

Los Angeles Chargers Homegrown Legends
Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group illustration

How Los Angeles can win: John Elway knows a thing or two about winning a championship, having two Super Bowl wins under his belt. Opposing defenses must pick their poison against the Chargers — stack the box to contain RBs Marcus Allen and Terrell Davis or focus on limiting Michael Thomas, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tony Gonzalez in the passing game. QB John Elway is adept at reading defenses and exploiting their weaknesses. Patrick Mahomes headlines a Dallas offense that features the terrific backfield trio of Earl Campbell, LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson. But we like our chances with playmakers Junior Seau, Anthony Barr, Ronnie Lott and John Lynch. — Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire

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Semifinals results:

AFC championship: 8. Los Angeles Chargers def. 2. Miami, 56-44%.

NFC championship: 1. Dallas def. 3. Los Angeles Rams, 60-40%.

Third-round results:

AFC semifinals: 8. Los Angeles Chargers def. 12. Kansas City, 67-33%; 2. Miami def. 6. Pittsburgh, 52-48%.

NFC semifinals: 1. Dallas def. 5. Atlanta, 73-27%; 3. Los Angeles Rams def. 2. New Orleans, 53-47%.

Second-round results:

AFC: 8. Los Angeles Chargers def. 1. Houston, 67-33%; 12. Kansas City def. 13. Tennessee, 66-34%; 6. Pittsburgh def. 3. Cleveland, 61-39%; 2. Miami def. 10. Las Vegas, 74-26%.

NFC: 1. Dallas def. 8. Washington, 79-21%; 5. Atlanta def. 4. San Francisco, 52-48%; 3. Los Angeles Rams def. 6. Carolina, 73-27%; 2. New Orleans def. 10. Detroit, 67-33%.

First-round results:

AFC: 1. Houston def. 16. Denver, 62-38%; 8. LA Chargers def. 9. Buffalo 74-26%; 12. Kansas City def. 5. Jacksonville, 68-32%; 13. Tennessee def. 4. Cincinnati, 53-47%; 6. Pittsburgh def. 11. Baltimore, 83-17%; 3. Cleveland def. 14. Indianapolis, 70-30%; 10. Las Vegas def. 7. NY Jets, 62-38%; 2. Miami def. New England, 87-13%.

NFC: 1. Dallas def. 16. Minnesota, 76-24%; 8. Washington def. 9. NY Giants, 65-35%; 5. Atlanta def. 12. Tampa Bay, 58-42%; 4. San Francisco def. 13. Seattle, 67-33%; 6. Carolina def. 11. Arizona, 68-32%; 3. LA Rams def. 14. Green Bay, 64-36%; 10. Detroit def. 7. Philadelphia, 59-41%; 2. New Orleans def. 15. Chicago, 58-42%.

NFL Homegrown Legends

AFC rosters:

Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC

NFC rosters:

Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea

Vote: Homegrown Legends Tournament Bracket — conference championships

Vote for which cities and states produce the best football talent in the conference championship round of Touchdown Wire’s Homegrown Legends tournament bracket.

Which cities and states produce the best football talent? It’s an age-old debate, and Touchdown Wire asks you to help determine the answer.

We’ve imagined NFL rosters for the ages composed of the greatest players who grew up in the areas of the 32 current franchises. Our selection methodology is explained in detail in this article.

Touchdown Wire columnist Doug Farrar revealed his power rankings for our 32 Homegrown Legends rosters, providing the seedings for an epic virtual tournament.

Here’s where you come in. Cast your votes below in the conference finals of our Homegrown Legends tournament, and check back on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at approximately noon ET for results and the opening of voting in our championship matchup.

Third-round results:

AFC semifinals: 8. Los Angeles Chargers def. 12. Kansas City, 67-33%; 2. Miami def. 6. Pittsburgh, 52-48%.

NFC semifinals: 1. Dallas def. 5. Atlanta, 73-27%; 3. Los Angeles Rams def. 2. New Orleans, 53-47%.

AFC championship

2. Miami vs. 8. Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins Homegrown Legends
Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group illustration

How Miami can win: The Dolphins’ identity is rooted in having a spectacular athlete at quarterback and spacing the field with four career 10,000-yard receivers. Los Angeles simply doesn’t have the cornerbacks or the pass-rush to combat this formula, which should give Miami plenty of time and room to operate in the passing game. With the box stretched thin, Miami should be able to spring RB Frank Gore for chunk gains, too. Defensively, Miami offers a better pass-rush than the Chargers can block against — and although QB John Elway is a mobile passer, he’ll need his offensive linemen to play the game of their lives against Joey Bosa, Elvis Dumervil, Geno Atkins and Derrick Thomas. Having Patrick Peterson to lock down Michael Thomas helps Miami funnel extra attention to Tony Gonzalez as well. — Kyle Crabbs, Dolphins Wire

Los Angeles Chargers Homegrown Legends
Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group illustration

How Los Angeles can win: This will be the Chargers’ toughest task yet, but our team has the juice to get the job done. The Chargers’ offense should be able to stay balanced, despite the Dolphins’ stout front seven, behind Hall of Fame tackles Gary Zimmerman and Ron Mix. QB John Elway has a plethora pass-catching options in Michael Thomas, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tony Gonzalez. If Miami is able to limit the passing game, Terrell Davis and Marcus Allen will be eager to run the ball down their throats. Although the Dolphins boast a slew of weapons, the Chargers’ tenacious defensive core of Junior Seau, Anthony Barr, Clay Matthews III, Eric Allen, John Lynch and Ronnie Lott is capable of slowing down Lamar Jackson and Co. — Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire

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NFC championship:

Dallas vs. L.A. Rams

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Homegrown Legends, Round 3: Vote Peyton Manning’s Saints to beat the Rams

Peyton Manning and the New Orleans Saints are going down to the wire against Los Angeles in the Homegrown Legends Tournament semifinals.

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There’s just a day left to vote in Round 3 of the Homegrown Legends tournament, and the New Orleans Saints team of Louisiana superstars is all tied up with the Los Angeles Rams.

That’s not good enough. A loaded roster featuring two league MVP’s at quarterback (Peyton Manning) and at running back (Marshall Faulk), with Ed Reed captaining a defense boasting his Pro Football Hall of Fame peers Aeneas Williams and Fred Dean, should run the L.A. squad off the field. And that’s before we get into the all-world talents still playing today like Tyrann Mathieu, Devin White, Deion Jones, and Odell Beckham Jr.

Be sure to cast your vote so Manning and his team of fictional Saints can advance to the semifinals.

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Vote: Homegrown Legends Tournament Bracket — conference semifinals

Vote for which cities and states produce the best football talent in Touchdown Wire’s Homegrown Legends tournament bracket.

Which cities and states produce the best football talent? It’s an age-old debate, and Touchdown Wire asks you to help determine the answer.

We’ve imagined NFL rosters for the ages composed of the greatest players who grew up in the areas of the 32 current franchises. Our selection methodology is explained in detail in this article.

Touchdown Wire columnist Doug Farrar revealed his power rankings for our 32 Homegrown Legends rosters, providing the seedings for an epic virtual tournament.

Here’s where you come in. Cast your votes below in the conference semifinals of our Homegrown Legends tournament, and check back on Friday, Oct. 2, at approximately noon ET for results and the opening of voting in the conference championships.

Second-round results:

AFC: 8. Los Angeles Chargers def. 1. Houston, 67-33%; 12. Kansas City def. 13. Tennessee, 66-34%; 6. Pittsburgh def. 3. Cleveland, 61-39%; 2. Miami def. 10. Las Vegas, 74-26%.

NFC: 1. Dallas def. 8. Washington, 79-21%; 5. Atlanta def. 4. San Francisco, 52-48%; 3. Los Angeles Rams def. 6. Carolina, 73-27%; 2. New Orleans def. 10. Detroit, 67-33%.

AFC third-round matchups

8. Los Angeles Chargers vs. 12. Kansas City

Los Angeles Chargers Homegrown Legends
Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group illustration

How Los Angeles can win: Going up against a questionable Chiefs defense, the Chargers should be able to get on the scoreboard early and often — whether through the air with QB John Elway distributing the wealth to WRs Michael Thomas and JuJu Smith-Schuster or TE Tony Gonzalez, or on the ground with the dynamic duo of RBs Terrell Davis and Marcus Allen. Kansas City will look to win offensively with their best playmakers, RBs Barry Sanders and Gale Sayers, but they will face stiff resistance from LBs Junior Seau and Anthony Barr, along with the hard-hitting safety tandem of Ronnie Lott and John Lynch. — Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire

Kansas City Chiefs Homegrown Legends
Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group illustration

How Kansas City can win: On paper this looks like a tough matchup for the Chiefs. The Chargers have John Elway at QB, who tortured this franchise for over a decade. We’re also very familiar with the football prowess of Marcus Allen, Tony Gonzalez and Donnie Edwards. But no matter how many legendary players Los Angeles fields, look for the Chargers to choke, as that franchise has so many times before in big games. The Chiefs will look to dominate time of possession with elusive RBs Barry Sanders and Gale Sayers. Expect a big special teams play from Darren Sproles to put the game on ice for Kansas City. — Charles Goldman, Chiefs Wire

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Other matchups:

Mia vs Pit / Dal vs Atl / NO vs LAR

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Homegrown Legends Tournament, Round 2: Vote New Orleans to beat Detroit

A fictional team of New Orleans Saints natives like Peyton Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. is in Round 2 of the Homegrown Legends Tournament.

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A fictional team of New Orleans Saints players stocked with talent from around Louisiana would steamroll any other competition; we all know this. A combination of Peyton Manning, Marshall Faulk, Ed Reed, and Aeneas Williams doesn’t even cover half of the Hall of Fame-quality talent that would crowd that roster. We put together our Homegrown Legends picks earlier this year, which you can read in full at this link.

But to prove it, we’re on to Round 2 of the Homegrown Legends Tournament. New Orleans handled the Chicago Bears team in the opening round with ease, but now they have to contend with a feisty Detroit Lions squad.

Here is what New Orleans is up against, from Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon:

Detroit will have to win with ball control behind RB Jerome Bettis and play-action strikes from QB Jim Harbaugh to TE Antonio Gates and WR Andre Rison. The offensive line, led by Hall of Fame guard Joe DeLameilleure, can physically beat on the underwhelming Saints defensive front. On defense, all-time interception champ Paul Krause and CB Terry McDaniel will need to create a takeaway or two. The pass-rush, keyed by quickness from Bill Hewitt and blitzing from LB Carl Banks, must be effective to slow down an impressive Saints passing attack.

Be sure to vote in Round 2 of the Homegrown Legends Tournament.

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Vote: Homegrown Legends Tournament Bracket, Round 2

Vote for which cities and states produce the best football talent in Touchdown Wire’s Homegrown Legends tournament bracket.

Which cities and states produce the best football talent? It’s an age-old debate, and Touchdown Wire asks you to help determine the answer.

We’ve imagined NFL rosters for the ages composed of the greatest players who grew up in the areas of the 32 current franchises. Our selection methodology is explained in detail in this article.

Touchdown Wire columnist Doug Farrar revealed his power rankings for our 32 Homegrown Legends rosters, providing the seedings for an epic virtual tournament.

Here’s where you come in. Cast your votes below in the second round of our Homegrown Legends tournament, and check back on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at approximately noon ET for results and the opening of second-round voting.

First-round results:

AFC: 1. Houston def. 16. Denver, 62-38%; 8. LA Chargers def. 9. Buffalo 74-26%; 12. Kansas City def. 5. Jacksonville, 68-32%; 13. Tennessee def. 4. Cincinnati, 53-47%; 6. Pittsburgh def. 11. Baltimore, 83-17%; 3. Cleveland def. 14. Indianapolis, 70-30%; 10. Las Vegas def. 7. NY Jets, 62-38%; 2. Miami def. New England, 87-13%.

NFC: 1. Dallas def. 16. Minnesota, 76-24%; 8. Washington def. 9. NY Giants, 65-35%; 5. Atlanta def. 12. Tampa Bay, 58-42%; 4. San Francisco def. 13. Seattle, 67-33%; 6. Carolina def. 11. Arizona, 68-32%; 3. LA Rams def. 14. Green Bay, 64-36%; 10. Detroit def. 7. Philadelphia, x-x%; 2. New Orleans def. 15. Chicago, 58-42%.

AFC second-round matchups

1. Houston vs. 8. Los Angeles Chargers

Houston Texans Homegrown Legends
Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group illustration

How Houston can win: Good luck throwing the ball against a secondary composed of Lester Hayes, Emmitt Thomas, Darrell Green and Earl Thomas. The Texans defense creates a no-fly zone that generates coverage sacks with Bubba Smith getting after the quarterback and Simon Fletcher shutting down the run. Russell Okung and Steve Wisniewski pave the way for Thurman Thomas and Eric Dickerson to get chunk plays on the ground while also controlling the clock and tempo. — Mark Lane, Texans Wire

Los Angeles Chargers Homegrown Legends
Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group illustration

How Los Angeles can win: The Chargers can win through the air with QB John Elway distributing the wealth to WRs Michael Thomas and JuJu Smith-Schuster and TE Tony Gonzalez. Or the Bolts could rely on the ground game with RBs Terrell Davis and Marcus Allen. Pressuring Elway won’t be an easy task with Hall of Fame OTs Gary Zimmerman and Ron Mix in the way. Houston could have a difficult getting the run game going against LBs Junior Seau and Anthony Barr, along with the hard-hitting safety tandem of Ronnie Lott and John Lynch lying in wait. — Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire

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Other matchups:

KC vs Ten / Cle vs Pit / Mia vs LV // Dal vs Was / SF vs Atl / LAR vs Car / NO vs Det

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Vote for Chiefs to defeat Jaguars in Round 1 of the Homegrown Legends Tournament

The Kansas City Homegrown Legends team features the late Gale Sayers.

The best NFL players who hail from Kansas City and the surrounding area need your help, Chiefs Kingdom. Our all-star Homegrown Legends team features players such as the late Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders, Jordy Nelson, Justin Smith and other NFL legends. They’ve been pit against 32 other NFL teams in a bracket-style tournament.

In the first round, our heroes will face a Jacksonville Jaguars team quarterbacked by Tim Tebow and featuring NFL greats like Jack Youngblood and Brian Dawkins. Here’s what Doug Farrar’s power rankings had to say about the team’s from Jacksonville and Kansas City:

23. Kansas City

“The defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are led by their quarterback in the real world, but although John Hadl was no slouch, you’d certainly want to hand the ball off as much as possible if Barry Sanders and Gale Sayers were your running backs. Also, quarterbacks will not enjoy throwing the ball against a secondary featuring Roger Wehrli and Nolan Cromwell, two of the most underrated defensive backs of their eras.”

12. Jacksonville

“There really isn’t a weak spot on this team outside of the obvious quarterback problem; perhaps the virtual Jaguars could play T-formation as their base offense and hope to surprise their opponents.”

The Chiefs are already at a disadvantage based on Touchdown Wire’s power rankings, but so far they’re leading the Jaguars in the poll. Voting for the first round of the tournament ends at Noon ET on Friday, Sept. 25. You can vote for Kansas City to take down Jacksonville at the link below:

Vote: Homegrown Legends Tournament Bracket, Round 1

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Homegrown Legends Tournament, Round 1: Vote New Orleans to defeat Chicago

A team of all-time great New Orleans NFL players is set to face Chicago’s own Homegrown Legends, with Peyton Manning and Ed Reed in front.

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What would happen if each NFL team only recruited talent from a geographic perspective? And what if we could put together those squads from throughout pro football’s history? To take it a step further, which city would field the best team?

Our best guess: the New Orleans Saints. Louisiana has created together more great football players than the rest of the country put together, and that’s reflected in our Homegrown Legends roster. Peyton Manning would be throwing to Reggie Wayne and Odell Beckham Jr. when isn’t handing the ball off to Marshall Faulk, with Ed Reed commanding the defense.

Just look at how it was recapped in Touchdown Wire’s power rankings:

Mr. Manning will certainly be familiar with Reggie Wayne, and here, we finally get to answer the question, “What if the Colts hadn’t traded Marshall Faulk to the Rams after the 1998 season, his only year with Peyton?” You could be writing an alternate history of the NFL in the early 2000s there. We’ll make up for that here by giving Manning a truly ridiculous group of receivers. Maybe he can keep Odell consistent, too. Aside from that, imagine how amazing it would be to watch a secondary that had both Ed Reed and Tyrann Mathieu. Unfair to every opposing quarterback, to be sure.

Now we’re in Round 1 of the Hometown Legends tournament, with the No. 2 New Orleans squad matched up against the No. 15 Chicago team in the NFC bracket. We don’t mean any disrespect to Chicago’s all-time greats, but this is a contest New Orleans should walk away with.

Vote for New Orleans to take down Chicago by following this link.

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VOTE: Seahawks over 49ers in Homegrown Legends tournament

Cast your ballot and vote the Seattle Seahawks over the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the Homegrown Legends tournament.

The voting is now live for the first round of our Homegrown Legends tournament and this week features the Seattle Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers.

But before you cast your ballot, here’s a little background on the contest and a look at Seattle’s roster.

Homegrown Legends: Seattle’s greatest products come home as virtual Seahawks

Which cities and states produce the best football talent? It’s an age-old debate, and Touchdown Wire asks you to help determine the answer.

We’ve imagined NFL rosters for the ages composed of the greatest players who grew up in the areas of the 32 current franchises. Our selection methodology is explained in detail in this article.

Touchdown Wire columnist Doug Farrar revealed his power rankings for our 32 Homegrown Legends rosters, providing the seedings for an epic virtual tournament.

Here’s where you come in. Cast your votes below in the first round of our Homegrown Legends tournament, and check back on Friday, Sept. 25, at approximately noon ET for results and the opening of second-round voting.

Click here to vote the Seattle Seahawks to the next round!

Vote: Homegrown Legends Tournament Bracket, Round 1

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