Top 5 General Managers In The NFL

Top 5 General Managers In The NFL
M.D. Wright
11.1.09

A subjective list to be sure, and a lot of GMs have moved to other teams of late. However, this list is more reflective of the past few years.

1. BILL POLIAN. Indianapolis Colts.



He's the best in the game by far. He's been doing it for seemingly forever, and draft after draft consists of shrewd moves that continually to surround QB Peyton Manning with weapons during his 12 year career.

2. JERRY REESE. New York Football Giants.



Assumed the reigns from Ernie Accorsi in 2006 and hit the ground running. He's had nothing but great drafts, a couple of shrewd trades (including getting a 2nd and 5th Round picks from New Orleans for Jeremy Shockey). Most of the playmakers on the current Giants squad are Reese draft picks, free agent signees and trades.

3. SCOTT PIOLI. Kansas City Chiefs.



Pioli looked like a genius in New England. Secretly, people think it was all Belichick. However, Pioli has made moves that are going to set Kansas City up to be successful in the long run once they turn the corner late this year and next year.

4. JOE BANNER. Philadelphia Eagles.



THE ABSOLUTE BEST CAPOLOGIST IN THE NFL. He has worked the salary cap for the Iggles for years and they are one of the best run franchises in the league as a result. Shrewd trades and making the most out of perennially low draft positioning should be noted.

5. MIKE TANNENBAUM. New York Jets.



Mikey T. gets a lot of flack for the Mangini and Favre mess and probably deservedly so for the most part, but he's made some excellent picks which have returned the Jets to relevance. Also fleecing the Browns not once (picks for Shonn Greene) but TWICE (backups and low pick for Braylon Edwards) in the same year has to count for something.

Honorable Mention: Ozzie Newsome, Jerry Angelo, AJ Smith (the only guy who can be on both the best AND worst list).

Worst 5 Owners In The NFL

Worst 5 Owners In The NFL
M.D. Wright
11.1.09

Worst is 1 on this list. It needs no explanation, just names, teams, pictures and typical MDW conjecture.

1. AL DAVIS. Oakland Raiders.



He's still stuck in the 70s. I feel bad for Raider fans. SOMETIMES.

2. DENISE DEBARTOLO YORK & JOHN YORK. San Francisco 49ers.



She only inherited the team because her brother was in the clink. He doesn't know anything about football.

3. RANDY LERNER. Cleveland Browns.



What is his plan for owning this team? They haven't improved one iota since re-entering the NFL in 1999.

4. MIKE BROWN. Cincinnati Bengals.



They were terrible for years and now have a decent team in 2009 after running "Oz" for a few years. Even with their current success this season, they've had decades of questionable moves under the Brown family in general.

5. DANIEL SNYDER. Washington Redskins.



In a way, he doesn't belong here, because he actually wants to win -- spends the money to bring in the players he thinks can help the team win; just minus the results. This is 10 years in for Snyder and the Redskins look WORSE than they did when he bought the team. Something's wrong with that whole scenario given what respect I've had for Snyder for not being a cheapskate (I will say giving $100M to a DEFENSIVE TACKLE -- whose impact is limited -- was a questionable move, however).

Dishonorable Mention: Tom Benson - New Orleans Saints, Paul Allen - Seattle Seahawks.

Top 5 Team Owners In The NFL

Top 5 Team Owners In The NFL
M.D. Wright
11.1.09

This is a subjective list. Winning, paying players what is necessary to win and putting your team in great environments both from a practice facility and game stadium perspective counts for a lot here. Meddling, poor choices in GMs, coaches (if the team's owner makes that move himself) detract from candidacy for this list.

1. JERRY JONES. Dallas Cowboys.



Like him or not, he built the greatest sports arena ever this year. He has a state of the art practice facility and has been willing to spend money (however misguided at times) to ensure that his team was always the most talented on the field and in the best position to win. They haven't in years, but that's not reflective upon Jones.

2. JOHN MARA & STEVE TISCH. New York Football Giants.



Mara and Tisch continue the legacy of consistency, class and character that their fathers, also co-owners of the team, built for decades prior. They have one of the best GMs in the league and set an example for other owners to follow.

3. DAN ROONEY. Pittsburgh Steelers.



The Steelers have had three coaches. IN FORTY YEARS. That's consistency. They have always done the same thing from ownership down to the field. The owners were pioneers in integrating the league. The coaches -- Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin -- all ascribe to the same game philosophy: swarming Steel Curtain defense, steady QB play and a pound-it-out running game. And they've done it better than anyone since 1970.

4. JEFF LURIE. Philadelphia Eagles.



Since Lurie purchased the team, the Eagles have done nothing but win NFC East titles and NFC Championships -- even appearing in a Super Bowl in 2004. They probably manage the salary cap better than anyone in the NFL.

5. BOB KRAFT. New England Patriots.



The Patriots virtually dominated the NFL landscape in the 2000s, but being caught for cheating detracts from too much credit being given for simply being great.

Honorable Mention: Jim Irsay - Indianapolis Colts, The Residents of Green Bay, Wisconsin - Green Bay Packers, Woody Johnson - New York Jets.

Top 5 Point Guards In The NBA (2009-2010 Edition)

Top 5 Point Guards In The NBA (2009-2010 Edition)
M.D. Wright
11.1.09

It's the number one guy and everyone else. But for the sake of the list, I have to put five guys here and a few honorable mentions without naming half the players in the league ha.

1. CHRIS PAUL.



It's this guy, any everyone else. He does it all dynamically. Reminds me a lot of 1980s Isiah Thomas (and for those who only know him for ruining the CBA, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks -- that's actually a HIGH COMPLIMENT).

2. RAJON RONDO.



It baffles me why Boston doesn't jump at the opportunity to extend this guy before waiting last minute (as they have, as of Nov. 1, 2009). He is so versatile. His "J" will come. He has excellent command of the ball and of the game in general. He is still learning when to score and when to just dish it, but he's been the reason why the Celtics have been so consistently good these past 2+ years -- not their "superstars" (two of whom are at that point of no return physically and age-wise; but don't tell that to C's fans).

3. TONY PARKER.



He disgusts me, but this is his 8th season of leading this Spurs team. There's something to be said about that, especially with an aging lineup that can't just go out and outscore anyone. There's something to be said about your point guard in a situation like that; serving as a calming and steadying influence.

4. DERON WILLIAMS.



He has the build and court vision that it takes to be a potentially great point guard. He can score at will and shoot it from deep. He shoots a good percentage at the line and doesn't do anything that costs his team. That's what you want in a point guard.

5. DEVIN HARRIS.



He's all the Nets have. There has to be something said for that.

Honorable Mention: Derrick Rose (developing a "J"), Jose Calderon, Rodney Stuckey, Gilbert Arenas.

Top 5 Middle Linebackers In The NFL (2009 Edition)

Top 5 Middle Linebackers In The NFL (2009 Edition)
M.D. Wright
11.1.09

The Quarterback of the defense. The glamour/spotlight of all the defenders -- and the one with the most responsibility. The Top 5 of this bunch includes some of the best athletes in ALL of sports. They have to be able to run, cover sideline to sideline, stop the run, get downfield and tackle adroitly.

1. PATRICK WILLIS.



Best LB in the league from the "Mike". Meets every criteria mentioned above and an absolute joy to watch if you love defense or played defense in your day.

2. DEMECO RYANS.



Too bad he's on a somewhat porous Texans defense and isn't on national TV at all (the Texans have only been featured in prime time once in his career). But I've watched him many games make play after play. And not those El Cheapo games with 20 tackles when your team gets blown out and you're trailing TEs and WRs downfield. But making plays at the line of scrimmage, stops for loss and getting downfield in coverage. I love it.

3. JON BEASON.



Jon Beason plays the game like absolutely hates everyone on the offensive side of the ball.

4. RAY LEWIS.



STILL LITERALLY KNOCKING DUDES' HEADS OFF AFTER 14 SEASONS.

5. JONATHAN VILMA.



The Saints scheme doesn't center around him making all the plays like it did when he was with the Jets, but he still covers tons of ground out there. The unquestioned leader on the Saints defense that includes secondary maven Darren Sharper.

Honorable Mention: Stephen Tulloch, London Fletcher, Barrett Ruud, EJ Henderson, Antonio Pierce.

Top 5 Safeties In The NFL (2009 Edition)

Top 5 Safeties In The NFL (2009 Edition)
M.D. Wright
11.1.09

Like the DT position, safety is the same -- free safeties and strong safeties are going to be considered alongside each other. Besides, the best safeties play all over the field.

1. ADRIAN WILSON.



Adrian Wilson FROM?!?! High Point, NC. This guy never gets his due. He's like Aeneas Williams. Won't appreciate him until his career is over. Williams was one of the best CBs ever and Wilson, while not one of the best safeties ever, IS playing like it this year. He is a ballhawk. He plays at the line in the box like a linebacker at 6'3" 230 lbs and has the coverage skills to cover anyone on the field.

2. DARREN SHARPER.



Gets by on guile alone and makes it look easy in the process.

3. BRANDON MERIWEATHER.



FROM?! The U. He is another in the long line of great secondary players from the University of Miami. A ballhawk (like all the others from that school) and plays bump and run like some of the greats from the 90s like Troy Vincent, Sam Madison, Bobby Taylor and Pat Surtain.

4. TROY POLAMALU



The stark difference ALONE between the way the Steelers play on defense when he's in the lineup versus when he is not is enough to have him here.

5. ED REED.



The best ballhawk maybe ever. That is the only reason he is here, because he is the Deion Sanders of tackling. But INTTDs are game-changing like TD passes and 57 yard punt returns, so he belongs.

Honorable Mention: Kerry Rhodes, Quintin Mikell, Brian Dawkins.

Top 5 Defensive Tackles In The NFL (2009 Edition)

Top 5 Defensive Tackles In The NFL (2009 Edition)
M.D. Wright
11.1.09

To be clear up front, I'm considering guys who play Nose Tackle in a 3-4 alignment in with the rest of the standard Defensive Tackles in a 4-3 look.

1. JAY RATLIFF.



This guy is an absolute MANE. I've seen him do things that I've never seen DTs do. I've seen him in a zone blitz scheme drop DEEP into coverage and be covering a receiver in the end zone. I've seen him run down many runs from RBs, WRs and TEs. He stuffs the run and is almost unblockable one on one. He's the most disruptive guy I've seen at DT this year by a smidge over...

2. DARNELL DOCKETT.



Darnell Dockett FROM?!?! He led Florida State and the ACC in stops for loss when he was in college, so what he's doing now is no surprise. The thing is, people don't know, because the Cards are rarely on national TV. I watch the Cards about 2 out of every 3 games they play. Dockett absolutely OWNED Chris Snee and Shaun O'Hara when they played the New York Giants in Week 7. There were times he was double-teamed and beat both guys to make a play in the backfield. All shades of what he did at FSU.

3. VINCE WILFORK.



I hate the Patriots, but watch this guy. Look how mammoth he is (pause). How does he move that quickly? How does he factor so disruptively in both the run and pass defense? If you love defense like I do, you've got to love watching Vince Wilfork man the "A" gap every week. He takes on double teams like they're nothing.

4. KEVIN WILLIAMS.



Still underrated by some, by some strange factor or another. He is svelte compared to most DTs and he moves like it. He gets great leverage in the "B" gap and, combining with Pat Williams, he provides a massive push from the Vikings' defensive front four.

5. KRIS JENKINS.



Was having a great 2009 before tearing up his knee again. He anchored the Jets defense much like he had the Panthers' defense for years prior to coming to New York last season. In Rex Ryan's defense, Jenkins has two-gap responsibility and freed up the Jet linebackers to make plays all over the field.

Honorable Mention: Pat Williams, Fred Robbins, Albert Haynesworth, Cullen Jenkins, John Henderson, Marcus Stroud.