Tag: top 100 players

Bears LB Roquan Smith lands at No. 84 on Top 100 Players of 2022

Bears LB Roquan Smith checked in at No. 84 on the Top 100 Players of 2022, which feels like too low a ranking.

Bears linebacker Roquan Smith has established himself as one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Unfortunately, he’s been vastly underrated — apparently both by analysts and his peers.

Smith has landed at No. 84 on NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2022, which marks his debut on the Top 100 list. But it feels far too low a ranking, especially considering Patriots quarterback Mac Jones came in right behind him.

Smith is coming off another impressive outing in 2021. Last season, Smith totaled 163 tackles (4th in NFL), 12 tackles-for-loss (4th among linebackers), 27 pass tackle stops (1st), had a 3.6 missed tackle percentage (2nd) and a 76.8 passer rating allowed (7th for LBs).

Unfortunately, Smith is currently locked in a contract dispute with the Bears, where he recently requested to be traded after revealing he feels like he’s being disrespected by the new regime.

It’s likely just a negotiating tactic by Smith, who previously expressed his desire to finish his career with the Bears. I guess we’ll see if it ends up working out for him.

New general manager Ryan Poles said his intentions remain to sign Smith to an extension, although he’s going to ultimately do what’s best for the team.

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Bears RB David Montgomery lands at No. 98 on Top 100 Players of 2022

Bears RB David Montgomery is finally getting the respect he deserves. Montgomery has landed at No. 98 on the Top 100 Players of 2022.

Bears running back David Montgomery is one of the NFL’s most underrated players. But it seems like he’s garnering respect from his peers.

Montgomery has clocked in at No. 98 on NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2022.Ā It’s Montgomery’s first time appearing on the Top 100 but hopefully not the last.

Montgomery has been the primary back since being drafted by the Bears back in 2019, which included logging his first 1,000-yard rushing season in 2020. He was on pace for his second straight 1,000-yard campaign before being sidelined for four games with a knee injury. Montgomery finished his 2021 season with 225 carries for 849 yards (3.8 YPC) and seven touchdowns.

Montgomery will once again be the featured back in Luke Getsy’s offense, which will be a run-heavy scheme. But Montgomery will be sharing the workload with Khalil Herbert and possibly Trestan Ebner, similar to what we’ve seen in Green Bay with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.

Montgomery is in the final year of his rookie deal, but he’s not worried about a contract extension right now. We’ll see if he factors into the Bears’ future plans.

But for now, it’s good to see Montgomery get the respect he deserves.

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DK Metcalf is only Seahawk to make Pete Prisco’s top 100 players list

Wide receiver DK Metcalf is the only member of the Seattle Seahawks to land on CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco’s top 100 players list for 2022.

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Ouch.

Wide receiver DK Metcalf is the only member of the Seattle Seahawks to land on CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco’s top 100 players list heading into the 2022 NFL season.

“He is physically one of the most impressive receivers in the league,” Prisco writes. “He had 75 catches last season with 12 touchdowns. Imagine if he played in a pass-first offense?”

Two former Seahawks did make Prisco’s list, however – Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, who makes his debut in orange at No. 42, and Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner way down near the bottom at No. 93.

Seattle safety Quandre Diggs and wide receiver Tyler Locket earned honorable mentions.

Ouch.

Click here to read Prisco’s full list.

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ESPN snubs Jaguars from top-100 players list

The Jags were one of just two teams without a representative in ESPN’s rankings.

Last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars had one player crack ESPN’s top 100 list for the NFL: edge rusher Josh Allen, who ranked 91st heading into 2020. But this time around, no Jacksonville players earned that distinction. Despite having several players near the top of the league at their position, such as center Brandon Linder and linebacker Myles Jack, ESPN left those players off the list this time around.

The Jags were one of just two teams without players on the list, alongside the Philadelphia Eagles. ESPN Jaguars reporter Mike DiRocco explained why that was the case.

The franchise has been bleeding talent for years, but particularly from that 2017 team that had a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in the AFC title game. Jacksonville’s Pro Bowlers that season (defensive endĀ Calais Campbell, linebacker Telvin Smith, defensive endĀ Yannick Ngakoue, cornerbackĀ A.J. Bouye, defensive tackleĀ Malik JacksonĀ and cornerbackĀ Jalen Ramsey) are either out of the league or with other teams.

The Jaguars have not been able to replace that level of talent despite drafting in the top five the past three years. The team didn’t pick up the fifth-year option on 2018 first-round pick defensive tackleĀ Taven Bryan. Then, 2019 first-round pick Allen followed a 10.5-sack season as a rookie with an injury-filled sophomore year and finished with 2.5 sacks. Jacksonville’s two 2020 first-round picks — cornerbackĀ C.J. HendersonĀ (who isĀ potentially on the trade block) and defensive endĀ K’Lavon ChaissonĀ — both had disappointing rookie seasons.

Aside from Jack and a couple of starters on the offensive line, every starter from the 2017 team that went to the AFC Championship is now gone. The Jags are a full-on rebuilding team, and they have one of the youngest rosters in football. With a talented pair of young receivers, a rookie quarterback, and youth all over the defense, Jacksonville likely won’t be left off lists like these for too much longer.

Cowboys News: La’el Collins update, substitute coordinators for Sunday, Dak is left off a big list

Cowboys coaches aren’t worried about Collins’s stinger, Kellen Moore will sit out Sunday, Dak Prescott is MIA from the Top 100 players list. | From @ToddBrock24f7

It’s an eventful weekend for the Cowboys as training camp 2021 comes to an end. One of the team’s big men has thrown one final scare into the staff, but no one seems too concerned about his prognosis. Just the same, he won’t play in the final preseason game; he’ll be sitting this one out along with about 30 of the other starters. Those players aren’t the only ones who’ll be watching from the sides when Dallas plays Jacksonville; the team will have substitute offensive and defensive coordinators as well… but for different reasons.

After Sunday’s game, it will be all about final roster cuts. We’ve got predictions on who makes the 53, while also keeping an eye on other players who’ll suddenly be looking for employment. A talented quarterback has himself a new team; that’s one less option for Dallas should they choose to upgrade their backup plan. We’re looking ahead to next year, too, and wondering if Michael Gallup will really be a bargain. We’re profiling a few names Cowboys fans should know, from their new long snapper to two talented linebackers to a hopeful at fullback. Jerry Jones is talking about Tony Romo’s Hall of Fame chances… and the current Cowboys quarterback is inexplicably left off a pretty major list. Here’s the News and Notes to close out training camp.

One Wisconsin Badger is one of ESPN’s ‘top 100 players for 2021’

One Wisconsin Badger is one of ESPN’s ‘top 100 players for 2021’

On a national landscape with the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Georgia and more powerhouses, it’s rare we see a Wisconsin Badger towards the top of any national ranking list.

Well, ESPN recently released their ‘top 100 players for 2021‘ and one current Wisconsin Badger made the list.

If you ask me, there are a few more that deserve recognition. But coming in at No. 81 on the list is inside linebacker Jack Sanborn.

Sanborn enters his senior season with two high-caliber seasons under his belt, combining in 2019 and 2020 for 21 games played, 132 tackles, 13 tackles-for-loss, 6.5 sacks, 4 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles.

The inside linebacker rotation of him and Leo Chenal is set to be one of, if not the best in the Big Ten this season.

Contact/Follow usĀ @TheBadgersWireĀ on Twitter, and like our page onĀ FacebookĀ to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

Alvin Kamara again ranks top-15 on NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2021 list

Alvin Kamara again ranks top-15 on NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2021 list

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Alvin Kamara’s peers across the NFL still don’t seem to understand just how great of a player he is. When he isn’t running through their tackles he’s leaping over them or sprinting around them. There almost aren’t enough words to describe the New Orleans Saints superstar.

“Bruh, he’s different bruh,” gushed former teammate Jared Cook after Kamara’s long grab-and-go touchdown embarrassed the Green Bay Packers defense. “He was made in a lab, bruh. He’s not human.”

Kamara clocked in at No. 14, as voted on by his fellow players around the league, tying his highest ranking on the NFL Network Top 100 so far. Here’s where he has been placed before:

  • 2021: 14
  • 2020: 42
  • 2019: 14
  • 2018: 20

And that’s still too low. Let’s see how high Kamara climbs with another big season. This year he’s joined by fellow Saints standouts Cameron Jordan,Ā  Demario Davis, Michael Thomas, Terron Armstead, and Marshon Lattimore.

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Bears OLB Khalil Mack lands at No. 23 on Top 100 Players of 2021

Khalil Mack is the second Bears player to land on NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2021.

Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack remains one of the fiercest defenders in the NFL, as evidenced by his peers voting him to the Top 100 Players of 2021.

Mack is the second Bears player to appear on the Top 100 countdown, clocking in at No. 23. That’s four spots lower than his No. 19 ranking a year ago. Wide receiver Allen Robinson landed at No. 87 on the list.

Last season, Mack totaled 47 tackles, nine sacks, 13 quarterback hits, 16 hurries, three forced fumbles, three passes defensed, one interception and one safety. He was also voted to the All-Pro second team.

While Mack’s stats weren’t flashy, his contributions have always been more than what’s depicted in the box score, as evidenced byĀ Pro Football FocusĀ ranking him as the league’s best edge rusher heading into 2021.

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Trey Hendrickson ranked ahead of ex-Saints teammates on NFL Network’s Top 100

Trey Hendrickson ranked ahead of ex-Saints teammates on NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2021:

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Tying for the second-most sacks in the NFL does a lot to boost your reputation. That’s the case for Trey Hendrickson, the former New Orleans Saints pass rusher who signed a lucrative contract with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency. He clocked in at No. 73 on NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2021, as voted on by the players.

That alone isn’t too surprising, in a vacuum. Hendrickson took over several games last year thanks to his natural athleticism, which allowed him to bend and dip under bigger, slower blockers. It’s good to see him recognized for breaking out in such a big way.

But how in the world is he ranked ahead of his old teammate Terron Armstead, who beat him in practice every single day for four years? Armstead was ranked — for the first time in his career, showing how bunk this list is — all the way down at No. 79. Hendrickson himself wouldn’t say that he’s a better player than Armstead is right now or last season.

To figure out how we got here, just look at the voting process. Players around the league are given an NFL Films ballot with 20 open spaces to fill out with who they consider to be the best. Those votes are then counted and ranked based on how often each name is listed and where they’re ranked, which creates the top-100 list. Hendrickson clearly turned enough heads to make the list, but you’ve got to wonder what more Armstead could have done over the years to make the cut. And, yeah: it’s a bad system that creates gaffes like this.

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Marshon Lattimore makes NFL Network’s Top 100 Players for the third time

Saints CB Marshon Lattimore makes NFL Network Top 100 Players of 2021

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Bang: the first member of the New Orleans Saints has been recognized on NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2021 list, with cornerback Marshon Lattimore clocking in at No. 86. It’s the third time that Lattimore has made the cut in four years as a pro, as voted on by his peers around the league.

When asked who the best defensive back to cover him throughout his prolific rookie season, Minnesota Vikings receiver and LSU Tigers fan-favorite Justin Jefferson replied: “I would have to say Lattimore.”

While Lattimore’s numbers took a hit last season — hurt by some early-season gaffes and penalties — he played well enough to earn a Pro Bowl nod, and now he’s been praised again. When he’s at his best, there isn’t a corner better in this league. He’s in a contract year while playing on his restructured fifth-year option, so there’s quite a payday waiting on him next offseason if Lattimore finally turns in a consistent season.

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