DeMarcus Ware: Big Scary Monster.
Our NFL positional rankings series continues today with the our quest to rank the top 5 Outside Linebackers. A good mix of players shows up here, highlighting a talent-laden position. Some of the freakiest athletes in the NFL reside out here on the edge: this is prime Big Scary Monster territory. Lots of ‘em out there. These guys are called upon to do so many things, doing only one of them well just doesn’t cut it. Four of our bloggers ranked their respective top 5′s below. Once again the FLY makes an indefensible choice or two, while Cadiz manages yet again to foil my good intentions regarding consistency of presentation. Read on, enjoy, and please register your thoughts in the comments section below. Now…GET YOUR HELMET ON!!!
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2010 COMPOSITE NFL OLB RANKINGS (Vote Points)
T1: DeMARCUS WARE, JAMES HARRISON (14)
3: LANCE BRIGGS (10)
4: LAMARR WOODLEY (8)
5: TERRELL SUGGS, ELVIS DUMERVIL (4)
6: SHAWNE MERRIMAN (3)
7: BRIAN CUSHING (2)
8: BRIAN ORAKPO (1)
INDIVIDUAL STAFF RANKINGS
Ryan Burns
1. DeMARCUS WARE: The most persuasive evidence yet of 2 things: 1) Somewhere, a secret government experiment has gone horribly right. 2) Jerry Jones funded it.
2. JAMES HARRISON: Not only did he win me a marvelous prop bet with that little 100-yard touchdown return in Super Bowl XLIII, but he has also been Defensive Player of the Year. If I’m facing the Steelers’ D, I find two things immediately: #42 and #92. His numbers were down a bit last year but I think that was a simple product of the general turmoil suffered by the Pittsburgh defense. He’s getting up there, but still scary as an ambien on Elm Street.
3. LANCE BRIGGS: The more astute Bears observers have long recognized Lance Briggs, not Brian Urlacher, as the top defender in Chicago. Briggs is a tackling machine, and might be the most well-rounded of this group.
4. BRIAN CUSHING: I know, I know. But you won’t convince me that Barry Bonds wasn’t a great hitter, either. I know what I saw. And the question is who is the best outside linebacker in the league, not who do I want parenting my kid. Big play after big play after big play, he instantly changed the nature of the Texans’ defense. Ferociously competitive and a student of the game. And as with pitchers in baseball, let’s not pretend some of those guys blocking him weren’t on something, too.
5. TERRELL SUGGS: I debated this slot awhile, with Elvis Dumervil, #57 Jr, and Lamarr Woodley under consideration. Bottom line? Suggs is the guy who scares me the most if I’m under center or behind the fullback as we line up. He is the one guy who I’m convinced might actually eat his prey on the football field.
Sen Sogah
1. JAMES HARRISION: Former NFL Defensive MVP. Should have been Super Bowl MVP. Unstoppable pass rusher. Unblockable in the run game. Part of what is always a top NFL defense.
2. DeMARCUS WARE: Now, I happen to be an expert on Ware, having watched him chase NFC East QB’s for the past 5 years. He is the closest thing that we will ever see to LT. If you don’t pick him out before the snap, he will be picking you up off the turf.
3. ELVIS DUMERVIL: Basically a DE playing OLB. In the league for four years and is putting up ridiculous sack totals. This is what OLB’s are known for these days. In the 3-4 defense you have to be able to get to the quarterback, and he is one of the best.
4. LANCE BRIGGS: The Bears defense has suffered some slippage over the past few years, but he hasn’t. He is still one of the strongest and fastest OLB’s in the game. Another year, another 100 tackles. Briggs produces and if the defensive line can stay healthy in front of him, he’ll continue.
5. BRIAN ORAKPO: I’m going off the board here. Lamarr Woodley was also in consideration, but I love Orakpo. Loved him in college, and he carried that right ino his first year in the big leagues. I see no limit for his talents. 6’3″ , 260 and run like the wind. Block him if you can.
Jason Anderson
1. LAMARR WOODLEY: Do you want to try and block him? I didn’t think so. And he’s just getting started.
2. DeMARCUS WARE: It’s not fair that someone this big can be that fast.
3. LANCE BRIGGS: I swear he’s made of concrete.
4. JAMES HARRISON: Is age starting to catch up with him?
5. ELVIS DUMERVIL: The little engine that could. Still no respect after sacking anything that moved in 2009.
Cabeza de Vaca
These are strange and uneasy times indeed! 4-3, 3-4 what are we fighting for? Nowadays, I can¹t tell the difference between an outside Linebacker and a Defensive End. Can You? I don¹t know who is putting his hand down and who is dropping back in coverage. Maybe LANCE BRIGGS and BRIAN CUSHING are bonafide, big time outside linebackers but as long as these five dudes below are listed as OLBs I got a pick them. You can reverse the order, throw it up, throw it down, turn it sideways, backwards, I don’t care. They are equals in my eyes. (Editor’s Note: OK, then. Each gets equal 3rd-place points from Cabeza de Vaca in our composite above.) They possess the same unstoppable forces that make me laugh to think back to an NFL before the arrival of the man who spawned this alien-hybrid-beast, Mr. Lawrence F. Taylor. I give you now, without further commentary, his offspring:
5. SHAWNE MERRIMAN
4. TERRELL SUGGS
3. DeMARCUS WARE
2. LAMARR WOODLEY
1. JAMES HARRISON
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