Courtesy of CBSSports... https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...elers-offense-ravens-defense-dominate-roster/ QB - Ben Roethlisberger RB - Leveon Bell, Joe Mixon WR - Antonio Brown, A.J. Green, Jarvis Landry TE - Jesse James, David Njoku OT - Alejandro Villanueva, Marcus Gilbert OG - Marshall Yanda, David DeCastro C - Maurkice Pouncey Edge - Myles Garrett, Cam Heyward Interior DL - Geno Atkins, Brandon Williams OLB - Jamie Collins, Terrell Suggs ILB - C.J. Mosley, Preston Brown CB - William Jackson III, Joe Haden, Mike Hilton S - Eric Weddle, Tony Jefferson Spec - Sam Koch, Justin Tucker, Jabrill Peppers
I guess that: 1) Vance McDonald will be hurt most of the season. 2) James is going to make one hell of a leap this season to top the division over the likes Njoku, Eifert, and Hurst...............or maybe starting TE for EVERYONE ELSE is hurt for a large portion of the season and James is last man standing on a team loaded with weapons so that teams just ignore him entirely.
Jarvis ain’t all AFCN. Boswell will take over as kicker this season. JuJu will replace Jarvis Edmunds will replace a Raven. TE definitely will be different
Great feeling looking at the offensive players listed above. A very bad feeling looking at the defensive players.
Sigh. I have to do this. If he's ranking based on talent, there's no way Jimmy Smith doesn't make it. Yes, he's injury prone and only played 12 games last season........but he played 12 at a higher level than any other CB in the division, while also playing on a strained achilles (before it finally tore). I'd have let the injury explain his non-entry if Yanda and his 3 games played weren't included on the list. Yanda is clearly, imo, the best guard in football, but I'd have completely understood if injury kept him off. Also, I was one of the people that was huge on Williams Jackson in the 2016 draft and was pissed Cincy drafted him (but happy they did it one pick before Pittsburgh who drafted Burns with the very next pick). The kid is going to be a monster. I also don't know if I agree with Brandon Williams being on the list
He WAS at one point.........but not anymore a few weeks from turning 34. Coming off injury or not, at this point I'd take the 1st team All-Pro playing for his division rival.......coming off his finest season yet and still improving. Few guards in the league can move like DeCastro. He is in his prime, and the unquestioned best player on their line, and best at his position. The only other guard I MIGHT take over him at this point is Zack Martin.
When you say Yanda "was" the best at one point, I have to assume you mean the last time he played. Because he was the best the last time he played and we've seen nothing to say otherwise. He's definitely older, but this isnt the first year that I've been told Yanda cant be considered the best because he's a year older. And in those previous years, he's just come out and been the best.
I actually read some stuff last year that suggested he wasn't playing as well as he had in the past. Can't say I really took the time to dig into it but it was out there.
Last year, you may be right about actually, but he only finished two game. I recall he was already somewhat hurt in the offseason. I was more thinking of 2016 with my previous comment
I meant 2013-2015 to be specific. He was one of few bright spots on a mediocre 2016 OL, but I don't think he's as physically dominant or as mobile as he once was.......understandably so at nearly 34. Just think for now that claim of "best guard in the NFL" has been earned and transferred to DeCastro/Martin at this point. They're both VERY mobile, and equally as good in run/passing game. When you define what you want as an ideal NFL guard in today's game.......they're it. They can't just be inside maulers anymore. Not saying Yanda isn't anymore, just maybe not where he was a few years ago still in his prime (26-32 for most OL).
