Position by position ranking AFCN

[The Gipper]

Per Ourlads, here are the people that are slated as being starters for every position on the field among AFCN teams. You have each position, and each team's starter in alphabetical order of the team. First name on each list is the player from Baltimore, then Cincy, then Cleveland, then Pittsburgh.

Please state how you think these players rank from 1-4:

OFFENSE First. Defense on next post.

LWR...Torrey Smith.....AJ Green.....Andrew Hawkins.....Markus Wheaton

RWR...Steve Smith.....Mohamed Sanu.....Josh Gordon.....Antonio Brown

LT...Eugene Monroe.....Andrew Whitworth.....Joe Thomas.....Kelvin Beachum

LG...Kelechi Osemeli.....Trey Hopkins.....Joel Bitonio.....Ramon Foster

C...Jeremy Zuttah.....Trevor Robinson.....Alex Mack....Maurkice Pouncey

RG...Marshall Yanda.....Kevin Zeitler.....John Greco.....David DeCastro

RT...Ricky Wagner.....Andre Smith.....Mitchell Schwartz.....Marcus Gilbert

TE...Dennis Pitta.....Tyler Eifert.....Jordan Cameron.....Heath Miller

QB...Joe Flacco.....Andy Dalton.....Brian Hoyer.....Ben Roethlisberger

FB...Kyle Juszczyc.....Nikita Whitlock.....Chris Ogbannaya.....Will Johnson

RB.....Ray Rice.....Giovanni Bernard.....Ben Tate.....Leveon Bell

[The Gipper]

DEFENSE: (remember first name is Balt. then Cincy, then Cleve, then Pitt.) Please rank.

DE...Brandon Williams.....Carlos Dunlap.....Aytahba Rubin.....Cam Thomas

NT...Halati Ngata.....Domata Peko.....Phil Taylor.....Steve McClendon

DE...Chris Canty.....Wallace Gilberry.....Desmond Bryant.....Cameron Heyward

OLB...Terrell Suggs.....Jason Dimanche.....Paul Kruger.....Jason Worilds

ILB...C.J. Mosley.....Brandon Thompson.....Craig Robertson.....Ryan Shazier

ILB...Daryl Smith.....Rey Maualuga.....Karlos Dansby.....Lawrence Timmons

OLB...Elvis Dumerville.....Vontaze Burfict.....Jabal Sheard.....Jarvis Jones

LCB...Ladarius Webb.....Terence Newman.....Joe Haden.....Allen Carter

SS...Matt Elam.....George Iloka....Donte Whitner.....Troy Polamalu

FS...Darian Stewart.....Reggie Nelson.....Tashaun Gipson.....Mike Mitchell

RCB...Jimmy Smith.....Adam Jones.....Justin Gilbert.....Ike Taylor

P...Sam Koch.....Quinn Sharp.....Spencer Lanning.....Brad Wing

K...Justin Tucker.....Mike Nugent.....Billy Cundiff.....Shaun Suisham

PR...Jacoby Jones.....Brandon Tate.....Travis Benjamin.....Antonio Brown

KR...Jacoby Jones.....Brandon Tate.....Skrine/Hawkins.....Markus Wheaton

[Zombo]

Instead of ranking them, I am just going to pick who I think is the best player at each position:

LWR...Torrey Smith.....AJ Green.....Andrew Hawkins.....Markus Wheaton

RWR...Steve Smith.....Mohamed Sanu.....Josh Gordon.....Antonio Brown

LT...Eugene Monroe.....Andrew Whitworth.....Joe Thomas.....Kelvin Beachum

LG...Kelechi Osemeli.....Trey Hopkins.....Joel Bitonio.....Ramon Foster

C...Jeremy Zuttah.....Trevor Robinson.....Alex Mack....Maurkice Pouncey

RG...Marshall Yanda.....Kevin Zeitler.....John Greco.....David DeCastro

RT...Ricky Wagner.....Andre Smith.....Mitchell Schwartz.....Marcus Gilbert

TE...Dennis Pitta.....Tyler Eifert.....Jordan Cameron.....Heath Miller

QB...Joe Flacco.....Andy Dalton.....Brian Hoyer.....Ben Roethlisberger

FB...Kyle Juszczyc.....Nikita Whitlock.....Chris Ogbannaya.....Will Johnson

RB.....Ray Rice.....Giovanni Bernard.....Ben Tate.....Leveon Bell

[Zombo]

Instead of ranking them, I am just going to pick who I think is the best player at each position:

DEFENSE: (remember first name is Balt. then Cincy, then Cleve, then Pitt.) Please rank.

DE...Brandon Williams.....Carlos Dunlap.....Aytahba Rubin.....Cam Thomas

NT...Halati Ngata.....Domata Peko.....Phil Taylor.....Steve McClendon

DE...Chris Canty.....Wallace Gilberry.....Desmond Bryant.....Cameron Heyward

OLB...Terrell Suggs.....Jason Dimanche.....Paul Kruger.....Jason Worilds

ILB...C.J. Mosley.....Brandon Thompson.....Craig Robertson.....Ryan Shazier

ILB...Daryl Smith.....Rey Maualuga.....Karlos Dansby.....Lawrence Timmons

OLB...Elvis Dumerville.....Vontaze Burfict.....Jabal Sheard.....Jarvis Jones

LCB...Ladarius Webb.....Terence Newman.....Joe Haden.....Allen Carter

SS...Matt Elam.....George Iloka....Donte Whitner.....Troy Polamalu

FS...Darian Stewart.....Reggie Nelson.....Tashaun Gipson.....Mike Mitchell

RCB...Jimmy Smith.....Adam Jones.....Justin Gilbert.....Ike Taylor

P...Sam Koch.....Quinn Sharp.....Spencer Lanning.....Brad Wing

K...Justin Tucker.....Mike Nugent.....Billy Cundiff.....Shaun Suisham

PR...Jacoby Jones.....Brandon Tate.....Travis Benjamin.....Antonio Brown

KR...Jacoby Jones.....Brandon Tate.....Skrine/Hawkins.....Markus Wheaton

[The Gipper]

@douche-nozzle said:

Joe Thomas at left tackle is the only one where the Browns player is clearly better than the Steelers player. On the other hand these Steelers players are clearly better:

Antonio Brown....NOT when he is matched against Gordon, but yes, if when Gordon is suspended.

Pouncey...You must be smoking manure. Mack is better...and that is not my opinion but those of his fellow players.

DeCastro...DeCastro is unproven still. He may get there. It is about even with the veteran Greco...he may pass him.

Heath Miller...maybe once upon a time. Not now. Miller over the hill, Cameron just approaching the rise.

Ben....OK, sure

Leveon Bell...Ben Tate has had a more productive career. If you are lucky the two are even

But have another toke, it would take a lot to get those lungs full

Looks like you started smoking when you woke up. Actually I only see maybe 3 slots where the Steelers are clearly better...on the entire 26 person roster....and two of those are K and P and BR.

Even one of our weakest slots....the Craig Robertson ILB slot, cannot be give to the Steelers as they have Shazier, a rookie at that spot.

And no unproven rookie could ever be given the nod over a veteran.

In that regard, I guess the Steelers have to be given the edge at LG as they have a veteran there over our rookie Bitonio.

And THAT is about it.

[The Gipper]

So...Zombo gives the Browns the #1 slot at 12 positions, the Ravens get #1 at 8 positions, Bengals get 3 positions, Steelers get 2.

But Douchenozzle says that only Joe Thomas is a better player than any corresponding Steeler player.

Now, who do you think is right?

[The Gipper]

@the-gipper said:

Per Ourlads, here are the people that are slated as being starters for every position on the field among AFCN teams. You have each position, and each team's starter in alphabetical order of the team. First name on each list is the player from Baltimore, then Cincy, then Cleveland, then Pittsburgh.

Please state how you think these players rank from 1-4:

OFFENSE First. Defense on next post.

My effort at ranking them, though I don't know the qualities of every single player

LWR...Torrey Smith---2.....AJ Green---1.....Andrew Hawkins--t3.....Markus Wheaton--t3

RWR...Steve Smith--4.....Mohamed Sanu--3.....Josh Gordon--1.....Antonio Brown---2

(yes, Gordon being gone will elevate the others and put whomever the Browns have down to #4

LT...Eugene Monroe--3.....Andrew Whitworth--2.....Joe Thomas--1.....Kelvin Beachum--4

LG...Kelechi Osemeli--2.....Trey Hopkins--1....Joel Bitonio--4.....Ramon Foster--3

(any rookie starter gets the #4 slot until proven)

C...Jeremy Zuttah--4.....Trevor Robinson--3.....Alex Mack--1....Maurkice Pouncey--2

RG...Marshall Yanda--1.....Kevin Zeitler--2.....John Greco--t3.....David DeCastro--t3

RT...Ricky Wagner.....Andre Smith.....Mitchell Schwartz.....Marcus Gilbert Dead even across the board, I am not sure how these stack up

TE...Dennis Pitta--2.....Tyler Eifert--4.....Jordan Cameron--1.....Heath Miller--3

What happened to Gresham...did he go elsewhere? Sure, Miller used to be up there...not now.

QB...Joe Flacco--2.....Andy Dalton--3.....Brian Hoyer--4.....Ben Roethlisberger--1

FB...Kyle Juszczyc.....Nikita Whitlock.....Chris Ogbannaya.....Will Johnson again, dead even across the board

RB.....Ray Rice--4.....Giovanni Bernard--2.....Ben Tate--1.....Leveon Bell--3

Rice, like Heath Miller is a "used to be"

[Zombo]

@the-gipper said:

So...Zombo gives the Browns the #1 slot at 12 positions, the Ravens get #1 at 8 positions, Bengals get 3 positions, Steelers get 2.

But Douchenozzle says that only Joe Thomas is a better player than any corresponding Steeler player.

Now, who do you think is right?

I went with homer picks three times where I thought the competition was pretty even ... Tate, Bryant and Sheard.

Forgot the other corner, I will bold it now ... Jimmy Smith of the ravens.

[The Gipper]

@the-gipper said:

DEFENSE: (remember first name is Balt. then Cincy, then Cleve, then Pitt.) Please rank.

DE...Brandon Williams.....Carlos Dunlap.....Aytahba Rubin.....Cam Thomas

Give tie for 1 to Rubin/Dunlap....then Williams and Thomas tie for 3rd

NT...Halati Ngata-1.....Domata Peko-3.....Phil Taylor-2.....Steve McClendon-4

DE...Chris Canty--t3.....Wallace Gilberry-1.....Desmond Bryant--2....Cameron Heyward--t3

OLB...Terrell Suggs--1.....Jason Dimanche--4.....Paul Kruger--2.....Jason Worilds--3

ILB...C.J. Mosley--t3.....Brandon Thompson--1.....Craig Robertson--2.....Ryan Shazier--t3

As noted, Rookies right now get last place. I admit that by the middle of the year Mosley and Shazier may rise to the top of this heap.

ILB...Daryl Smith--4.....Rey Maualuga--2.....Karlos Dansby--1.....Lawrence Timmons--3

OLB...Elvis Dumerville--1.....Vontaze Burfict--2.....Jabal Sheard--3.....Jarvis Jones--4

LCB...Ladarius Webb--3.....Terence Newman--2.....Joe Haden--1.....Allen Carter--4

SS...Matt Elam--2.....George Iloka--4....Donte Whitner--1.....Troy Polamalu--3

Polamalu relying now on guile and reputation.

FS...Darian Stewart.....Reggie Nelson.....Tashaun Gipson.....Mike Mitchell another 4 way tie...vary little variance...maybe Nelso on top.

RCB...Jimmy Smith-1.....Adam Jones-2.....Justin Gilbert-4.....Ike Taylor-3

I think Gilbert has a chance to jump to the top of this fairly mediocre lot.

P...Sam Koch.....Quinn Sharp.....Spencer Lanning.....Brad Wing 4 way tie?

K...Justin Tucker.-1....Mike Nugent-3.....Billy Cundiff-4.....Shaun Suisham-2

PR...Jacoby Jones-3.....Brandon Tate-4.....Travis Benjamin-1.....Antonio Brown-2

KR...Jacoby Jones-1.....Brandon Tate-2.....Skrine/Hawkins.....Markus Wheaton last two tie for 3

[The Gipper]

Here are how my choices broke down:

#1s: Browns 9, Ravens 7, Bengals 5, Steelers 2 (gave Antonio Brown to them with knowledge that Gordon would be out

On last place, guess what? Each team got 4 #4 rankings.

[Comeonman]

Hey Douche Nozzle.... How many pro bowlers did the steelers have last year?

[The Gipper]

@comeonman said:

Hey Douche Nozzle.... How many pro bowlers did the steelers have last year?

Steelers had two players selected for the the Pro Bowl: Antonio Brown. Troy Polamalu

(No BR, the AFC had Brady, Manning, Luck, Rivers make it over BR)

Browns had 6: Haden, Thomas, Gordon, Mack, Cameron, and TJ Ward.

Browns lost Ward and will clearly lose Gordon. But the Browns replace Ward with Donte Whitner who also made the Pro Bowl.

A Pouncey did make it: brother Mike Pouncey of the Dolphins.

[Flyin J]

@the-gipper said:

Per Ourlads, here are the people that are slated as being starters for every position on the field among AFCN teams. You have each position, and each team's starter in alphabetical order of the team. First name on each list is the player from Baltimore, then Cincy, then Cleveland, then Pittsburgh.

Please state how you think these players rank from 1-4:

OFFENSE First. Defense on next post.

LWR...2.Torrey Smith.....1.AJ Green.....3.Andrew Hawkins.....4.Markus Wheaton

RWR...3.Steve Smith.....4.Mohamed Sanu.....1.Josh Gordon.....2.Antonio Brown

LT...3.Eugene Monroe.....2.Andrew Whitworth.....1.Joe Thomas.....4.Kelvin Beachum

LG...1.Kelechi Osemeli.....2.Trey Hopkins.....4.Joel Bitonio.....3.Ramon Foster

C...3.Jeremy Zuttah....4.Trevor Robinson.....1.Alex Mack....2.Maurkice Pouncey

RG...4.Marshall Yanda.....1.Kevin Zeitler.....3.John Greco.....2.David DeCastro

RT...4.Ricky Wagner.....1.Andre Smith.....2.Mitchell Schwartz.....3.Marcus Gilbert

TE...4.Dennis Pitta.....2.Tyler Eifert.....1.Jordan Cameron....3.Heath Miller

QB...1.Joe Flacco.....3.Andy Dalton.....4.Brian Hoyer.....2.Ben Roethlisberger

FB...4.Kyle Juszczyc....2.Nikita Whitlock.....3.Chris Ogbannaya....1.Will Johnson

RB.....2.Ray Rice....1.Giovanni Bernard.....3.Ben Tate.....4.Leveon Bell

[Flyin J]

@the-gipper said:

DEFENSE: (remember first name is Balt. then Cincy, then Cleve, then Pitt.) Please rank.

DE..3.Brandon Williams.....1Carlos Dunlap.....2.Aytahba Rubin.....4.Cam Thomas

NT...1.Halati Ngata.....2.Domata Peko....3.Phil Taylor.....4.Steve McClendon

DE...3.Chris Canty....2.Wallace Gilberry....1.Desmond Bryant.....4.Cameron Heyward

OLB..1.Terrell Suggs.....4.Jason Dimanche....3.Paul Kruger.....2.Jason Worilds

ILB...1.C.J. Mosley....3..Brandon Thompson.....4.Craig Robertson.....2.Ryan Shazier

ILB...3.Daryl Smith....4.Rey Maualuga....2.Karlos Dansby....1.Lawrence Timmons

OLB...1.Elvis Dumerville.....2.Vontaze Burfict....3.Jabal Sheard.....4.Jarvis Jones

LCB..2..Ladarius Webb....3.Terence Newman.....1.Joe Haden....4.Allen Carter

SS...3.Matt Elam....4.George Iloka...2.Donte Whitner....1.Troy Polamalu

FS..4.Darian Stewart....2.Reggie Nelson....3.Tashaun Gipson....1.Mike Mitchell

RCB...4.Jimmy Smith.....3.Adam Jones.....1.Justin Gilbert....2.Ike Taylor

P...1.Sam Koch.....3.Quinn Sharp....4.Spencer Lanning.....2.Brad Wing

K...1.Justin Tucker....2.Mike Nugent.....3.Billy Cundiff.....4.Shaun Suisham

PR...1.Jacoby Jones....4.Brandon Tate.....2.Travis Benjamin.....3.Antonio Brown

KR...1.Jacoby Jones.....3.Brandon Tate....2.Skrine/Hawkins.....4.Markus Wheaton

[Comeonman]

@the-gipper said:

Steelers had two players selected for the the Pro Bowl: Antonio Brown. Troy Polamalu

(No BR, the AFC had Brady, Manning, Luck, Rivers make it over BR)

Browns had 6: Haden, Thomas, Gordon, Mack, Cameron, and TJ Ward.

Browns lost Ward and will clearly lose Gordon. But the Browns replace Ward with Donte Whitner who also made the Pro Bowl.

A Pouncey did make it: brother Mike Pouncey of the Dolphins.

My point exactly. Absolutely absurd to say JT at left tackle is the only position we have better than theirs. No point in even trying to have a rational conversation with this idiot

[The Gipper]

Here is a bump for this thread. DoucheNozzle, or whatever he calls himself says that the rankings done here have been too skewed by "Browns Homer views". I certainly encourage any and all to give their opinions. I know there are some JFF fans currently posting.

They certainly should have a somewhat neutral point of view, give that a couple I know have said they have been Cowboy fans in the past.

Please, neutral people, contribute.

[The Gipper]

Not a position by position breakdown, but somewhat of a breakdown nevertheless:
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/four-downs/2014/four-downs-afc-north-0

[gftChris]

To be honest, the browns have their fair share of top-of-the-division talent. I'd pick Haden, Thomas and Mack clear above anyone in the division. I wouldn't trade anyone (from the division) for Gipson, Bitonio, Whitner, or Dansby. For sure, other teams have better talent in other positions, and I think it would be interesting to see a pro-bowl/playoff scenario with an all-star team from each division.

[gftChris]

AFCN would probably be a little short in the QB department though - Big Ben would be the guy, but he's not in the same tier as the likes of Brady, Rodgers, Manning and Luck. Still, with Green, Brown, Stevie Smith at WR, essentially the browns OL (healthy, then with Yanda for Greco), and a lucky dip of bell, hill and crowell at RB, the offense could do serious damage. And the D would be monster.

[Mudfly]

@douche-nozzle said:

And remember that the Browns defense continues to be falsely good in statistics because of how pathetic the Browns offense is. When the Browns offense is not a factor, the opposing team doesn't have to rack up stats against the Browns defense.

Thats a crazy statement....

A bad offense creates a better defense????.....Id say 100% the opposite....

Our bad offense has kept the D on the field and didn't allow them to rest....meaning they wear down and give up more yards.....and the opposing offense gets more stats because they have the ball all day....

Opposing team doesnt "have to rack up stats"???.....who ever heard of such a thing.....as if the other team doesnt even try, because they dont "have to"???

idiotic