The King
07-17-2009, 12:11 PM
But this guy doesn't think so... I encourage anyone with a bleacher report login, to tell this guy whats up.
One of the hardest things to do in the NFL is predict, before the season, which teams will earn the right to keep playing on through the winter months.
Making the playoffs requires a lot of things of a football team: determination, hard work, skill, management of egos, and luck.
The last one plays a particularly pronounced role in one facet of NFL life: injuries.
They strike early and often (just ask Tom Brady) in the league and, at any moment, a player's career can be dashed in one play. It's the sad truth of the NFL.
But an injury to even the most important player does not necessarily doom a team's season. (again, ask Tom Brady's replacement, Matt Cassel)
Great teams are always preparing for the worst, and while no team, player, or fan should ever wish for an injury, a team must always be prepared by stocking every roster spot with as much talent as possible.
With that, I'd like to point out who, in my opinion, are the most talented players in the league who wait in the wings, ready at a moment's notice to step into the limelight.
The idea of a "backup" in the NFL is never really set, though, especially as "platooning" has taken hold across the league. For instance, some of the most successful backfields in the game today are comprised of not even one or two star backs, but a whole group who share the load.
Many hands make light work, as they say. So I've tried to take that into account as much as possible and go with players who also do their work on special teams, only in specific game situations, or have to make the most of limited touches on the ball.
But that just makes the list more debatable, which is half the fun.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/219179-five-ready-to-shine-the-best-backups-in-the-nfl
One of the hardest things to do in the NFL is predict, before the season, which teams will earn the right to keep playing on through the winter months.
Making the playoffs requires a lot of things of a football team: determination, hard work, skill, management of egos, and luck.
The last one plays a particularly pronounced role in one facet of NFL life: injuries.
They strike early and often (just ask Tom Brady) in the league and, at any moment, a player's career can be dashed in one play. It's the sad truth of the NFL.
But an injury to even the most important player does not necessarily doom a team's season. (again, ask Tom Brady's replacement, Matt Cassel)
Great teams are always preparing for the worst, and while no team, player, or fan should ever wish for an injury, a team must always be prepared by stocking every roster spot with as much talent as possible.
With that, I'd like to point out who, in my opinion, are the most talented players in the league who wait in the wings, ready at a moment's notice to step into the limelight.
The idea of a "backup" in the NFL is never really set, though, especially as "platooning" has taken hold across the league. For instance, some of the most successful backfields in the game today are comprised of not even one or two star backs, but a whole group who share the load.
Many hands make light work, as they say. So I've tried to take that into account as much as possible and go with players who also do their work on special teams, only in specific game situations, or have to make the most of limited touches on the ball.
But that just makes the list more debatable, which is half the fun.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/219179-five-ready-to-shine-the-best-backups-in-the-nfl