1. Larry Fitzgerald- When will this guy get a quarterback again? Is uncoverable when he actually has good receivers around him as well. This is how Steve Smith used to feel before Cam Newton came around, except Smith still doesn't have all that good wideouts around him quite yet.

2. Andre Johnson- Statistically the best, but the game goes beyond stats. He isn't quite at Fitzgerald's level, but the distance between them is almost negligible.

3. Calvin Johnson- Matthew Stafford would be nothing without this bro to bail him out.

4. Steve Smith CAR- Strong, solid hands, fast, agile, intense, and uncoverable. There may not be a more talented receiver than Smith, but I might be a little biased when it comes to my favorite NFL player. I think not, as there are several scouts who would agree with his top 5 ranking having watched him terrorize defenses. If you disagree, just watch the 2005 and 2008 seasons and look at his top 5 yard per route run ranking. Newton is alright, but he is yet another overhyped rookie, and the guys around him don't alleviate all that much pressure. Still, Smith has shown that the numbers are there provided his quarterback can actually throw the ball.

5. Reggie Wayne- Nobody else on the team is hurt more by the loss of No. 18.

6. Roddy White- Definitely a top-flight receiver in the NFL today.

7. Greg Jennings- I don't get why some people think he is a top 5 receiver, but he's pretty close to that. Another YAC monster on the Pack who is a versatile receiver.

8. Brandon Marshall- As you can see, these rankings haven't changed much from a month ago. Marshall may not be your favorite player, but there is no denying that he is arguably the most talented possession receiver in the game. Imagine what he would be able to do with a steady quarterback situation.

9. Mike Wallace- The most efficient receiver in the league, but he really isn't all that skilled. Still, I have to reward deep threats who deserve this. Again, a lot will be explained in the next Football Talk post (whenever that may be).

10. Kenny Britt- Was tearing it up before a crushing injury hit him, but he will definitely be back for some more. This guy can play it up with the best of them. Hell, he is one of the best of them.

Still the best

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: Brandon Marshall, Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, Kenny Britt, Mike Wallace, Steve Smith, Cam Newton, Roddy White, Greg Jennings, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald

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10/2011 Detroit Lions Top 20 Players

October 19th 2011 15:53

1. WR Calvin Johnson- Really the only reason why this offense functions. Stafford's fine, but he would be half the player with Johnson. Of course that goes with most QBs, but Stafford isn't really all that good. He's above-average- which isn't bad- but nothing more; he's overrated by a lot of guys.

2. DE Cliff Avril- Yeah, the underrated Avril is their second best player. To tell you the truth, the Lions aren't really that talented. You may think I am underrating Suh, but the young tackle has a lot to prove. For as great as he is as a pass rusher, Avril is better. One other thing, Avril isn't a liability against the run.

3. DT Ndamukong Suh- A little overrated, but he is still a beast.

4. DT Corey Williams- Loses too much credit because of Suh, as he is just as good as the sophomore sensation. Did I also say that the Lions are overrated as a team and playing over their heads? Like, their offense has only one strength, and that's a passing offense that should be described exactly how I said Matt Stafford is as a player; above-average, but nothing more. Defensively, the front seven is great; but the secondary sucks.

5. QB Matthew Stafford- There really wasn't that much of a choice.

6. LB Stephen Tulloch- He's getting lucky in coverage this year, but I never doubt the guy as a run-stuffer.

7. LB Justin Durant- The only thing he's good at is stopping the run, but boy does he mess with running backs.

8. S Louis Delmas- The only strength in the secondary. Chris Houston is alright, but Delmas is the only guy who you can truly call "good". And even then, he really isn't that good.

9. LT Jeff Backus- The only solid player on a very poor line that got destroyed- as expected- by the Smiths.

10. DE Kyle Vanden Bosch- He really needs to improve though, because he has been pretty bad these past two seasons.

11. TE Brandon Pettigrew- He drops everything and is an overrated player, but he's better than the guys behind him on this list.

12. LB DeAndre Levy- At least he isn't their best linebacker anymore. That's not a knock on Levy, but my knock is that he is above-average at best.

13. DT Sammie Hill- Underrated player who is yet another guy on the line overshadowed by Suh.

14. CB Eric Wright- While he isn't such a good player in coverage, Wright is one of the best corners in the league against the run. As far as physical corners go, Wright is probably in the top ten.

15. S Amari Spievey- Schwartz, I'm still waiting for that breakout you promised me. He's been OK, but I think he still has something to prove.

16. QB Shaun Hill- He actually isn't that much worse than Stafford, but he is worse.

17. WR Nate Burleson- He can catch and run routes, what more do you want?

18. DE Lawrence Jackson- I'm running out of ideas.

19. DT Nick Fairley- Yeah, this is definitely a "potential" ranking.

20. RB Jahvid Best- I really tried to avoid putting him on this list, but I ran out of ideas. He can catch and is explosive, but he is a terrible running back overall. Why? It's only because he just isn't very good at actually consistently getting yardage! Simply put, he can't run! This is a guy who averages three yards per carry, and this isn't a statistical fluke either. The line may be bad, but they aren't that bad to make Best a 3 YPC guy automatically.

Overrated, but still pretty good

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9/2011 WR Rankings

September 24th 2011 13:50

1. Larry Fitzgerald
2. Andre Johnson
3. Calvin Johnson
4. Reggie Wayne
5. Steve Smith CAR
6. Roddy White
7. Greg Jennings
8. Brandon Marshall
9. Kenny Britt
10. Mike Wallace
11. Miles Austin
12. Santonio Holmes
13. Marques Colston
14. Jeremy Maclin
15. DeSean Jackson
16. Vincent Jackson
17. Anquan Boldin
18. Mike Williams TB
19. Steve Smith PHI
20. Hakeem Nicks
21. Lance Moore
22. Sidney Rice
23. Santana Moss
24. Brandon Lloyd
25. Dwayne Bowe
26. Braylon Edwards
27. Johnny Knox
28. Dez Bryant
29. Wes Welker
30. Austin Collie
31. Mario Manningham
32. Steve Johnson
33. Earl Bennett
34. AJ Green
35. Percy Harvin
36. Jordy Nelson
37. Malcolm Floyd
38. Pierre Garcon
39. Nate Washington
40. Davone Bess
41. Hines Ward
42. Robert Meachem
43. Mike Thomas
44. Donald Driver
45. Lee Evans
46. Julio Jones
47. James Jones
48. Antonio Brown
49. Jordan Shipley
50. Derrick Mason

Musgrave must use him more

Week 3 Picks

Bengals over 49ers
Panthers over Jaguars
Lions over Vikings
Titans over Broncos
Browns over Dolphins
Eagles over Giants
Saints over Texans
Patriots over Bills
Ravens over Rams
Jets over Raiders
Chargers over Chiefs
Packers over Bears
Cardinals over Seahawks
Falcons over Bucs
Steelers over Colts
Redskins over Cowboys (To make this more interesting)

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2011 Week 1 Preview: Lions and Chiefs

September 9th 2011 15:36

While the best game on Sunday is between the Ravens and Steelers, there are still some other noteworthy matchups coming up. One of these games that you should tune into involves the Bucs and Lions.

Both of these teams were once regarded as two of the worst teams in the NFL, but they have both made remarkable turnarounds and have become solid teams. The Bucs were last year's feel-good story, and many people have tabbed the Lions to make the playoffs. While I think the Lions are overrated and there are far too many people saying that they are a sleeper team for them to actually be a sleeper team, they are much-improved.

I think Calvin Johnson is going to have a fun day against a Bucs secondary that doesn't have a cornerback who can keep up with him. Aqib Talib isn't a bad player by any means, but coverage isn't exactly his forte. He's more of a big-play corner, and those are the kinds of guys that Johnson can beat. I think the play of the Bucs safeties will be key, but the secondary won't get much help from an awful pass rush.

Honestly, I don't have high hopes for Jahvid Best as a starting running back. Best is an extremely inefficient rusher who only provides tangible value as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Jerome Harrison should be their starter, with Keiland Williams getting some carries here and there. Harrison is a pretty good back overall, and the Lions need to take advantage of a very weak opposing run defense.

This is going to be fun. Like, for real. The Lions defensive line is going to just bash an offensive line that downright sucks. Detroit possess one of the best defensive lines in the game, while the Bucs O-Line is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Even if Nick Fairley doesn't play, the Lions have six legit defensive lineman who are all capable playing at a more than adequate level.

On the bright side for Tampa, this passing game could really do some damage if Freeman doesn't led the pressure affect him too much. The Lions linebackers are all superb against the run, but none of those guys can cover anybody. Kellen Winslow and Mike Williams could potentially have monstrous days against one of the worst secondaries in the NFL. Eric Wright is the only cornerback on their roster worth starting, and I could also see Arrelious Benn beginning a potential breakout season with a nice game on Sunday.

To me, it is amazing how great LeGarrette Blount was last season with such a great line. However, I think he has a down week against a top run-stopping unit, even though he has tons of talent and moves. Blount is already one of the better backs in the league, but this is going to be a passing game.

This is going to be another tightly contested game, but I have the Lions taking this game 27-20 with Cliff Avril having a huge game against a far inferior opponent in Jeremy Trueblood.

Facing the Bucs

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL Predictions, Mike Williams TB, Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount, Kellen Winslow, Jeremy Trueblood, Arrelious Benn, Aqib Talib, Calvin Johnson, Nick Fairley, Jerome Harrison, Cliff Avril, Eric Wright

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8/2011 Team Scope: Detroit Lions

August 15th 2011 15:19

The Detroit Lions have certainly helped themselves again this offseason, but I still don't think they are a playoff team just yet. While the return of Matthew Stafford will certainly be a boost to this offense, I think the Lions are overrated offensively.

Mikel LeShoure figured to be an important piece in Detroit's offense, but we won't be able to see how he fits in this year. Jahvid Best is a mediocre back, and I think Jerome Harrison will win the starting job. He isn't a special player by any means, but Harrison is a better rusher than anybody on this roster

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2/2011 Top 75 Wide Receiver Rankings

February 26th 2011 14:29

1. Larry Fitzgerald- Still put up big numbers with nightmare QB carousel. Can catch absolutely anything. Has height, leadership, and athleticism.
2. Andre Johnson- Speed, height, and athleticism. Nuff said.
3. Brandon Marshall- If only he was reunited with Cutler

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