SI's Peter King Ranks His Top 500 NFL Players

Now I know that the only reason a sports writer makes a list is to cause discussion and debate, but even the top 25 on his list makes me want take my Sports Illustrated and use it to fill my Cat's litter box. Here is my take on who Mr. King has overrated and underrated in his top 100 of the top 500 players on his list of NFL stars.

I think I'll start at # 1 just for the sake or argument. Tom Brady would be my top player followed by Peyton Manning, but I can see both sides to this tired old debate. Manning means more to his team and Brady has accomplished more success, case closed.

Julius Peppers at # 4? Is Shawn Merriman being discriminated on due to his steroid suspension here? Peppers disappears too many times in games for me and had a down year last year. Merriman must be game planned around, and his combination of speed, agility, and non-stop motor makes him a top 5 player in my eyes and definitely gets a nod in my top 10.

Marc Bulger #18? I see his reasoning of only 8 INT's in 588 Attempts, but doesn't winning games for your team mean anything in a league where you only play a 16 game schedule?

Matt Hasselbeck #20? Quarterbacks are getting the attention on his list more so than wide receivers. Can you even believe the first wide out on this list Steve Smith at # 22?

The list goes okay for me until I see that Tony Gonzalez is all the way down at #43. It must be due to his age. Right? He keeps making plays even though the Chiefs have no receivers to help him get open, and to have Vince Young (#41) ahead of him at his stage in his career is a joke to me.

Then comes #45 where CB Nnamdi Asomugha is one spot ahead of Chargers LT Marcus McNeill. McNeill was a Pro Bowl Rookie on the offensive line. Any idea how much respect he must have earned to gain those votes in his first season from league veterans at the most valuable position on the O-line? I think most NFL GM's would take him over a cornerback.

Terrance Newman at #74 is way ahead of Lions WR Roy Williams at #90. King's reasoning is that Newman has no stats because no one throws at him. Yet, every time I watch the Cowboys secondary they're chasing opposing pass catchers down the sidelines and into the end zones on deep scores. Williams is a playmaker on a team that doesn't know how to get him the ball enough. Maybe super rookie Calvin Johnson will help him, and Johnson by the way is #63 already ahead of teammate Williams and Steelers leader Hines Ward (#94). I guess age is really holding alot of weight on his list?

To Be Continued.....

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