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NFL's Most Overrated Players


Jet Nut

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This could open up some interest debate.  Let it rip!

 

Games, not names.

That's something that is often overlooked in the evaluation of NFL players, whether by fans, scouts, media or just about anybody.

 

We get caught up in the hype of a player who has the name and the reputation, but not the game. That's why each summer I put together a list of the NFL's Most Overrated and Most Underrated players.

The underrated list is easy to do. There are countless players who don't get the attention or due they deserve.

It's the overrated list that's tough.

But each year I pick one player from each team who I consider overrated and then come up with the league's most-overrated player.

That player this year is ... Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson .

Just kidding.

Wilson played himself off my list last year. While I don't think he's great like some, he's very good. But he's not the pick, so simmer down Wilson cult.

The pick for this year's most-overrated player is ... another Seattle player: safety Kam Chancellor .

He's a solid NFL safety, but his reputation would make you think he's Ronnie Lott in his prime.

Chancellor is a big hitter, which is why the highlight shows love him, but he has never been good in coverage and that was exposed even more last season. In the past four seasons, he has six interceptions and he doesn't do a great job when asked to cover tight ends.

The game has changed. Some 10 to 15 years ago Chancellor would have been an all-out star. But with offenses spread out, he's becoming more of a liability.

To be fair, he did hold out last season and missed two games, and never seemed to regain his form of a few years ago. I've always said I would take a cover player over a big hitter, which is why Chancellor is the guy who tops my list of the NFL's Most Overrated.

Here's the rest of the list:

ARI.pngArizona Cardinals

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Michael Floyd WR / Arizona Cardinals 

He caught 52 passes with six touchdowns, but the talent is there for so much more. He did come on late in the season with several 100-yard games, but this is an important year for Floyd with so many talented young receivers waiting their turn to do more.

ATL.pngAtlanta Falcons

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Mohamed Sanu WR / Atlanta Falcons 

The Falcons paid him a lot of money, but is he really anything more than a reliable second receiver? He has 152 catches in four seasons and just 11 touchdown catches. He's getting a lot of money for a guy who is just OK.

BAL.pngBaltimore Ravens

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Elvis Dumervil OLB / Baltimore Ravens 

Without Terrell Suggs on the other side commanding all the attention, Dumervil saw his sack numbers drop in a big way last season from 17 to six. Forced to play more on early downs, he struggled against the run. The Ravens have to hope he isn't coming to the end and he can bounce back with Suggs back on the field after missing last season with a torn Achilles tendon. 

BUF.pngBuffalo Bills

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LeSean McCoy RB / Buffalo Bills 

He had three 100-yard rushing games last season and missed the final two games, four overall, with hamstring and knee injuries. At 28, you have to wonder if the wear-and-tear on his body is starting to show.

CAR.pngCarolina Panthers

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Jonathan Stewart RB / Carolina Panthers 

Yes, he played well in two playoff games, but during the regular season he had just two 100-yard games and he averaged 4.1 per rush. That's not close to being good enough on a run-first team. He's not nearly as good as his reputation and injuries have hurt his production.

CHI.pngChicago Bears

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Alshon Jeffery WR / Chicago Bears 

When he's on the field, he's a good player -- not a top-five receiver. But availability has been a problem. He's started 16 games just once in his four seasons with the Bears and had only eight starts last season. That's probably why the Bears didn't give him a long-term extension, but rather put the franchise tag on him to make this a show-me season.

CIN.pngCincinnati Bengals

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Rey Maualuga MLB / Cincinnati Bengals 

He is the starter in the middle of their defense, but he doesn't run well enough anymore. He started 14 games last season, but his skills are eroding. He's still OK, but his lack of speed shows up on tape. Vincent Rey , who has been mostly a backup, is a better option now. 

CLE.pngCleveland Browns

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Joe Haden CB / Cleveland Browns 

His decline is one of the biggest mysteries in the league: What happened to Joe Haden ? Early in his career, he looked to be one of the rising stars at corner. But injuries have piled up and he hasn't been the same player he was early in his career even when he's been on the field. Now in his seventh season, he has to stay healthy and show he can still get it done outside. He did have ankle surgery after the season. 

DAL.pngDallas Cowboys

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Terrance Williams WR / Dallas Cowboys 

When Dez Bryant went down, Williams didn't step up as expected. He clearly showed he needs a player like Bryant to help him be successful. Yes, there were quarterback issues when Tony Romo went down, but he needed to do more than just catch 52 passes. 

DEN.pngDenver Broncos

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Russell Okung T / Denver Broncos 

He isn't close to being the player he was early in his career, yet the Broncos will count on him to step in and start at left tackle. Okung has battled injuries in recent years, missing 10 games in that span, including three last season for Seattle. The Broncos signed him as a free agent.

DET.pngDetroit Lions

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Riley Reiff T / Detroit Lions 

This former first-round pick struggled at left tackle last season, even though the Lions kept saying he was their long-term answer. Now with the drafting of Taylor Decker , he is moving to the right side with the hope that will help him improve his play. 

GB.pngGreen Bay Packers

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Randall Cobb WR / Green Bay Packers 

When Jordy Nelson went down in the preseason last summer, the idea was Cobb would be the go-to guy and show he could be a No. 1 receiver. That didn't work out. It was evident that he's clearly a better player when he has help outside. He's a good player, but last season showed he's not a No. 1 receiver. 

HOU.pngHouston Texans

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Vince Wilfork NT / Houston Texans 

When the Texans were struggling on defense early last season, Wilfork was a big reason why. He wasn't holding the point as he once did and his play was continuing the trend from New England on the downward spiral. He did play better later in the season when they cut his snaps, but he isn't nearly as good as his name would lead one to believe.

IND.pngIndianapolis Colts

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Anthony Castonzo T / Indianapolis Colts 

The Colts gave him an extension before the 2015 season, but his play tailed off some. I still think he can be a solid left tackle, but he wasn't as good last season as he was the year before. He did miss time with injuries.

JAC.pngJacksonville Jaguars

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Julius Thomas TE / Jacksonville Jaguars 

He signed a big contract last season and then missed the first four games with a thumb injury. It took him a while to get going, and he did catch 46 passes. But he averaged just 9.9 yards per catch. That's not good enough value for his contract. The 2016 season will be big for him personally.

KC.pngKansas City Chiefs

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Dontari Poe NT / Kansas City Chiefs 

Coming off back surgery, he didn't play up to standards last season. He had just one sack in 15 games after combining to get 10.5 the previous two seasons. This is a big year for Poe who is in a contract year.

LAR.pngLos Angeles Rams

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Greg Robinson T / Los Angeles Rams 

The second pick of the 2014 NFL Draft has really struggled in his two seasons with the Rams. He struggled with penalties and he hasn't improved in pass protection. The Rams thought it would take some time coming out of run-heavy Auburn, but he hasn't made the strides they expected. He did work some this offseason with LeCharles Bentley in Arizona on his technique, so maybe he can show improvement.

MIA.pngMiami Dolphins

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Mario Williams DE / Miami Dolphins 

Games, not names. That applies here. Williams, who was the first overall pick in the 2006 draft, is coming off a season in Buffalo where he flat-out dogged it. Unhappy with the scheme, he took plays off and seemed to lollygag through games. That's why he was released and is now with the Dolphins. Maybe a change of scenery will help, but he wasn't good in 2015. Games, not names.

MIN.pngMinnesota Vikings

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Kyle Rudolph TE / Minnesota Vikings 

He had 46 catches last season with five touchdowns, which isn't good enough for a player with his ability. In fairness to him, he was asked to stay in and block more to help compensate for a banged-up offensive line. But to look at him, you would expect more in the passing game. Maybe this will be the year.

NE.pngNew England Patriots

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Martellus Bennett TE / New England Patriots 

He dropped from 90 catches in 2014 to 53 last season. His yards-per-catch dropped from 10.2 to 8.3. That's not good for a player who turns 30 next March. That is a bit of a red flag. He's been a good player, but by the talk you'd think the Patriots acquired another Gronk when they landed Bennett. Not quite. He is a good blocker, which will help the run game.

NO.pngNew Orleans Saints

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Jairus Byrd FS / New Orleans Saints 

He remains the starter at free safety, but he hasn't come close to living up to the expectations the team had for him when he signed a big contract in 2014. He looks like a completely different player than the one we saw in his early years in Buffalo. Injuries have limited him to 17 games in two seasons with the Saints, but when he's been on the field he hasn't played well. It's been a bad signing so far.

NYG.pngNew York Giants

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Janoris Jenkins DB / New York Giants 

Even though he played some of his best football last season for the Rams, the Giants are paying him like he's a shutdown corner. The ability is there, but the constancy is not. He gambles too much at times and he is too aggressive in his tackling, causing misses. This is a chance for Jenkins to prove his talent and consistency have meshed for his new team.

NYJ.pngNew York Jets

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Ryan Clady T / New York Jets 

He has missed 30 games in the past three seasons for injuries, some of them major, and missed the entire 2015 season for Denver with a knee injury. Clady played all 16 games in 2014, but his play tailed off some from his early years. Even so, he will be the Jets left tackle this season. At 29, he still has time to get back to his Pro Bowl form.

OAK.pngOakland Raiders

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Marcel Reece FB / Oakland Raiders 

It's always interesting to see a guy go from underrated to overrated, which is what Reese has done in his career. He went to his fourth Pro Bowl last season, but had no business doing so. He seemed to be phased out of the offense last season. A few years back, his versatility was a big part of the Oakland offense, making him a fan favorite. Now he's overrated.

PHI.pngPhiladelphia Eagles

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Jason Peters T / Philadelphia Eagles 

He was once considered one of the best in the league, but age is starting to impact his play. He was hampered some by injuries last season and he did miss two games. But at 34, he isn't the player he used to be, even if some still think he is that. Maybe a change in coaching staffs will help.

PIT.pngPittsburgh Steelers

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Lawrence Timmons ILB / Pittsburgh Steelers 

Here's another player who was woefully underrated a few years back, but now is the opposite. At 30, he doesn't run like he once did and that showed up last season on tape. He was even taken off the field in some sub-packages, which hadn't happened for most of his career. He's still solid, but his play is falling off.

SD.pngSan Diego Chargers

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Orlando Franklin G / San Diego Chargers 

The Chargers signed him to a five-year, $36-million deal last spring and he certainly didn't play up to that last season. He missed six games with injuries and when he was on the field, he didn't look like a top-dollar guard. After playing so well for the Broncos in 2014, he needs to get back to that form in 2016 or he will likely be gone after the season.

SF.pngSan Francisco 49ers

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NaVorro Bowman ILB / San Francisco 49ers 

He deserves a ton of credit for getting back on the field after his awful knee injury in January of 2013. He missed all of 2014, but came back to play 16 games last season. He wasn't the same player, which is why he's on this list. There are some who actually think he was the same type of player he was before the injury. That's why he's here. I think that might happen this year.

SEA.pngSeattle Seahawks

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Kam Chancellor SS / Seattle Seahawks 

He sat out the team's first two games in a contract dispute and never seemed to regain his footing as the big-hitting safety in their secondary. He just wasn't the same player, and had problems at times in coverage, which has been his weakness for a while. Fans and media members get excited about his big hits, but he needs to improve his coverage skills and make more plays on the ball.

TB.pngTampa Bay Buccaneers

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Austin Seferian-Jenkins TE / Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

You see the talent, and you drool. So where's the production? If this kid ever gets focused, he has a chance to be a talented, pass-catching tight end. He had 21 catches last season, but he averaged 16.1 yards on those catches, which is telling in terms of his ability. He got sent out of practice during OTAs by coach Dirk Koetter, which might be a wakeup call.

TEN.pngTennessee Titans

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DeMarco Murray RB / Tennessee Titans 

While most people think his one-year stop in Philadelphia will turn out to be an aberration, I do not. I think his career is on the downside. He averaged 3.6 per carry last season and he's entering his sixth season. Running back careers go off a cliff. Is his?

WAS.pngWashington Redskins

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Josh Norman DB / Washington Redskins 

Norman is a good player. But he's not a great player. That's why he's on this list. He was perfect in the Carolina defense where corners can be hidden some behind the pass rush. It will be interesting to see how he plays on this Washington defense. Can he be more of a man-cover player?

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I agree with the majority of those choices.  Not sure about our guy, Clady is not viewed as a pro bowler by any means and we got him fairly cheap.  If I was to pick a guy from the Jets my choice would be Sheldon Richardson or perhaps Revis.  (Revis only becasue of his salary vs his play last year which was good, except for getting killed in two big games.)

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^

The difficulty with this list is in judging whether an injury will affect the player's performance going forward, or not.  Compare a player whose performance drops off not due to injuries, but due to age or some other factor.  They tend to be more a concern than someone who is injured but with no permanent ill effects.  Which is it with Clady?  I guess we will find out, but it's a bit much to in effect assume he will suffer a permanent ill effect.

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23 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

I agree with the majority of those choices.  Not sure about our guy, Clady is not viewed as a pro bowler by any means and we got him fairly cheap.  If I was to pick a guy from the Jets my choice would be Sheldon Richardson or perhaps Revis.  (Revis only becasue of his salary vs his play last year which was good, except for getting killed in two big games.)

Revis had the lowest completion rate in the game last year. If he was playing 10 yards off the LoS n giving up a ton of catches in a couple of games, then blame that on the defensive game plan, not Revis. We are just too spoiled after his 2009 season when he should've won the DPOTY. That type of production is extremely rare. He's still a top 3 CB if not THE top CB. 

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6 minutes ago, Big Blocker said:

^

The difficulty with this list is in judging whether an injury will affect the player's performance going forward, or not.  Compare a player whose performance drops off not due to injuries, but due to age or some other factor.  They tend to be more a concern than someone who is injured but with no permanent ill effects.  Which is it with Clady?  I guess we will find out, but it's a bit much to in effect assume he will suffer a permanent ill effect.

The other thing is, are we looking at numbers or impact on the game. Chancellor for example may not have the number or even versatility but he make a MAJOR impact on the game. The Hawks defense improved in a major way once he came back last season. The impact was immediate. 

Also, are we including what players get paid, or just the 'hype'. Just b/c a guy makes a ton doesn't nec. mean there's a ton of hype around him- or vice versa. Otherwise, the obvious choice would be Brock Osweiller as the most overrated player. Getting paid a ton of money and hasn't proved anything in the NFL. But, as we all know, he was signed on potential- for what he COULD become rather than what he is. 

Then lets look at Revis. He gets paid a ton but that is mostly because of his stellar resume and reputation. Year in and year out he is one of the top CBs. Yet, you could argue he is overrated b/c he is obviously on the decline and may not be worth the money he gets. 

 

Its a toss up- this is hard to judge without strict parameters. 

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I don't think salary plays a factor here.  Salaries are determined by a number of things, not all are for current worth.  

I think it's reputation vs actual worth from his contribution to a team 

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11 minutes ago, j4jets said:

Revis had the lowest completion rate in the game last year. If he was playing 10 yards off the LoS n giving up a ton of catches in a couple of games, then blame that on the defensive game plan, not Revis. We are just too spoiled after his 2009 season when he should've won the DPOTY. That type of production is extremely rare. He's still a top 3 CB if not THE top CB. 

He is paid like his play is the 2009 Revis, that is the point.  He got abused badly by Watkins in one game and Hopkins in another, I could care less what the scheme was he was getting beat.  Had a good year, had good stats, got beat like a rented mule in two big games.  For that you get paid very very well but not what we are paying him.  I'm a Revis fan but you could have put any jag CB out there for those two games and not noticed a difference.

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Just now, Beerfish said:

He is paid like his play is the 2009 Revis, that is the point.  He got abused badly by Watkins in one game and Hopkins in another, I could care less what the scheme was he was getting beat.  Had a good year, had good stats, got beat like a rented mule in two big games.  For that you get paid very very well but not what we are paying him.  I'm a Revis fan but you could have put any jag CB out there for those two games and not noticed a difference.

No, he's not being paid to play like its 2009.  Players pay is influenced by FA, supply & demand of a position that year, the position they play and what they've done historically.  I don't there's a person involved who believed we were getting the 2009 Revis.  

But as was said, he still is a top 2 or 3 CB.  Getting beat by 2 teams, by some of the leagues best doesn't make him overrated.  Everyone has those games.  Almost all more often than 2xs

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16 minutes ago, PepPep said:

The other thing is, are we looking at numbers or impact on the game. Chancellor for example may not have the number or even versatility but he make a MAJOR impact on the game. The Hawks defense improved in a major way once he came back last season. The impact was immediate. 

Also, are we including what players get paid, or just the 'hype'. Just b/c a guy makes a ton doesn't nec. mean there's a ton of hype around him- or vice versa. Otherwise, the obvious choice would be Brock Osweiller as the most overrated player. Getting paid a ton of money and hasn't proved anything in the NFL. But, as we all know, he was signed on potential- for what he COULD become rather than what he is. 

Then lets look at Revis. He gets paid a ton but that is mostly because of his stellar resume and reputation. Year in and year out he is one of the top CBs. Yet, you could argue he is overrated b/c he is obviously on the decline and may not be worth the money he gets. 

 

Its a toss up- this is hard to judge without strict parameters. 

I would think the metric is reputation.  Salary is related as a factor, as in did someone's performance drop off, but they get paid a lot on a long term contract.  But even then if the perception is in agreement with the fact of the drop off, I would assume that player is not overrated even if overpaid.

 

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12 minutes ago, Villain The Foe said:

 

@Jet Nut Who made this list? The fact that Russell Wilson was even on such a list (last year) gives me the indication that he's just an Andrew Luck worshipper. For Bowman to be on this list is insane as well. 

Wilson is underrated

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48 minutes ago, Jet Nut said:

No, he's not being paid to play like its 2009.  Players pay is influenced by FA, supply & demand of a position that year, the position they play and what they've done historically.  I don't there's a person involved who believed we were getting the 2009 Revis.  

But as was said, he still is a top 2 or 3 CB.  Getting beat by 2 teams, by some of the leagues best doesn't make him overrated.  Everyone has those games.  Almost all more often than 2xs

Revis was the highest paid Cb in the league last year  and takes up a big chunk of cap space.  That means he is expected to be the best and a shut down CB, he failed in two big losses last year.  Hey, he's still good, he's still a key player for us, but he was by no means revis island good last year.

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21 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

Revis was the highest paid Cb in the league last year  and takes up a big chunk of cap space.  That means he is expected to be the best and a shut down CB, he failed in two big losses last year.  Hey, he's still good, he's still a key player for us, but he was by no means revis island good last year.

Revis Island good was the best cover corner in the history of the game, those days are gone but he;'s still an outstanding corner and the best player in franchise history.  he had some bad moments last year but week 17 was on coaching.

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1 hour ago, Beerfish said:

He is paid like his play is the 2009 Revis, that is the point.  He got abused badly by Watkins in one game and Hopkins in another, I could care less what the scheme was he was getting beat.  Had a good year, had good stats, got beat like a rented mule in two big games.  For that you get paid very very well but not what we are paying him.  I'm a Revis fan but you could have put any jag CB out there for those two games and not noticed a difference.

How was Watkins in the first game? Why wasnt he beating Revis like a rented mule in that game? In the game against Houston, Hopkins pushed off to create separation on the 61 yard TD catch and even then Revis was within inches of batting away the pass. Without the push off, its an incomplete pass. The other 20yard TD came against Marcus Williams. A 5 yard catch came against zone coverage where Hopkins wasn't in his zone. Two catches came against tight coverages and perfect passes (one was a short one handed grab). So Revis gave up 4 catches for 98 yards, or 3 catches for 37 yards without the push off play. Not even close to "got beat like a rented mule".

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Just now, j4jets said:

How was Watkins in the first game? Why wasnt he beating Revis like a rented mule in that game? In the game against Houston, Hopkins pushed off to create separation on the 61 yard TD catch and even then Revis was within inches of batting away the pass. Without the push off, its an incomplete pass. The other 20yard TD came against Marcus Williams. A 5 yard catch came against zone coverage where Hopkins wasn't in his zone. Two catches came against tight coverages and perfect passes (one was a short one handed grab). So Revis gave up 4 catches for 98 yards, or 3 catches for 37 yards without the push off play. Not even close to "got beat like a rented mule".

and I don't think he was fully healthy last year.  I expect to see a better revis this year

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4 hours ago, Beerfish said:

Revis was the highest paid Cb in the league last year  and takes up a big chunk of cap space.  That means he is expected to be the best and a shut down CB, he failed in two big losses last year.  Hey, he's still good, he's still a key player for us, but he was by no means revis island good last year.

Actually, no.  Its not how it works. 

Unless you never want to sign a FA who isnt the best at his position.

Is Suh better than Watt?  Are any of the guys the Giants signed better?

Will any of them be better than Watt, produce more?  Nope, but they're being paid more by being in the right place at the right time.

All of this and we dont know how much Revis' injuries contributed to his half assed games.  He had no problems with Watkins in game 1

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5 hours ago, j4jets said:

How was Watkins in the first game? Why wasnt he beating Revis like a rented mule in that game? In the game against Houston, Hopkins pushed off to create separation on the 61 yard TD catch and even then Revis was within inches of batting away the pass. Without the push off, its an incomplete pass. The other 20yard TD came against Marcus Williams. A 5 yard catch came against zone coverage where Hopkins wasn't in his zone. Two catches came against tight coverages and perfect passes (one was a short one handed grab). So Revis gave up 4 catches for 98 yards, or 3 catches for 37 yards without the push off play. Not even close to "got beat like a rented mule".

Was it a push off? I thought the Hopkins play was a missed assignment. revis is fine, and a lazy but unsurprising choice given his contract. But if you're talking who was the most overrated jet from last year it has to be Ferguson. idk why clady is included here given he was hurt last year

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16 minutes ago, Jetsplayer21 said:

I would have said Ryan Fitzpatrick judging from this board.. However the rest of the nfl does not rate him well therefore he can't be overrated ?

He's not actually on the team. 

But great post, really.

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39 minutes ago, billo83 said:

Tom Brady because he is a cheater

This is the ******* winner.

Gutless Prisco choose Martellus Bennett.... lol, are you kidding me? How does he not pick Malcolm Butler, or any LBer not named Jamie Collins, or either of the OTs, or Legarrette Blount??? 

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10 hours ago, Jetsplayer21 said:

Try to follow... the topic is " nfl players " not " current jet players." Until Fitz announces his retirement, he is a "current player" in the NFL.. ?

The context for the article is that he chose the most overrated player on each team. 1 player, per team.

but please, tell me more...

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