I know it's been a while since I've posted something, but this just popped in my head; creating a "true" all-decade team, meaning one completely made up of players who played every year of the 2000 decade, and interestingly, it's easier than I thought it would be.
Before I start, here is the official NFL 2000s All-Decade Team (first team only):
QB: Peyton Manning
RB: LaDainian Tomlinson
(RB: Edgerrin James)
FB: Lorenzo Neal
TE: Tony Gonzalez
WR: Marvin Harrison
WR: Randy Moss
Tackles: Walter Jones and Jonathan Ogden
Guards: Alan Faneca and Steve Hutchinson
Center: Kevin Mawae
DE: Dwight Feeney and Michael Strahan
DT: Warren Sapp and Richard Seymour
LB: Derrick Brooks, Ray Lewis, and Brian Urlacher
CB: Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson
S: Ed Reed Brian Dawkins
K: Adam Vinatieri
P: Shane Lechler
KR: Josh Cribbs
PR: Dante Hall
Of this list, 25 players are still active, and 15 played the entire decade. On that note, here goes my list:
QB: Peyton Manning
No diversion from the official list here. In fact, the second team quarterback, Tom Brady, played the entire decade, too. To be honest, I was not a fan of Peyton Manning at all, until a couple years ago, but now he is just so commanding on the field that he is the best quarterback in the league, bar none.
RB: LaDainian Tomlinson
Again not differentiating from the official list here. L.T. was a rookie in 2000.
FB: Tony Richardson
I was originally not going to have a fullback, however I remembered the accomplished and lengthy career of Richardson and decided to go ahead and put him in. Has blocked for Marcus Allen, Priest Holmes, Larry Johnson, Chester Taylor, and Thomas Jones (not all at the same time though!)
WR: Terrell Owens, Randy Moss
Although I'm not a huge T.O. fan, he has been around since '96, and played every season this decade. Randy Moss was voted to the second team, mainly because of his "dark years" with the Raiders, but he has been around since '98.
TE: Tony Gonzalez
Again, no diversion from the official list. He was hugely productive in every year this decade, too.
Offensive Linemen: Walter Jones, Flozell Adams, Alan Faneca, Mike Goff, and Kevin Mawae.
I grouped all o-linemen together, but I managed to find two guards, two tackles, and a center who were "all-decade" guys. Even though Mawae only played in six games in 2005, he is going on his 17th season in the league (remember him with the Seahawks way back when?) Mike Goff started seven games this past season, but started more than a dozen in the other nine years of the decade. Was a third round pick of the Bengals in 1998. Flozell Adams has played with one team in his (continuing) 13-year career - the Cowboys.
Defensive Linemen: Jason Taylor, John Abraham, Cornelius Griffin, Grady Jackson
I guess my all-decade defense will be a 4-3, as is the NFL's. The only guy I took from the official list is Jason Taylor. I did not even know Grady Jackson was still around, I remember him as a Raider in the late-90s and early last decade, I guess he's younger than I think he is. He's definitely a journeymen player, mainly because he's shown up to multiple camps overweight (he's officially listed at 345). Griffin was a rookie in the Giants' Super Bowl blunder against the Ravens, and has managed to stay with the Redskins since '04, despite a volatile front office. Abraham was an all-pro wa-ay back in 2001. He had 16.5 sacks in 2008, too.
Linebackers: London Fletcher, Ray Lewis, and James Farrior
Lewis and Urlacher are on the official team. London Fletcher is my favorite NFL defensive player. He has played in all but one game this decade. Why it took him until this year to make a Pro Bowl really baffles me, and even then, it was as an alternate. Urlacher would have made the cut, but because of his injury this past season, he isn't eligible. And what isn't there to say about Ray Lewis? He's made six all-pros in the oughts and one in the 90s and there really is no end in sight for him. Farrior was an all-pro in 2004 and a pro bowler in '08. Junior Seau could have easily been on a real all-decade team for the 90s and 00s (he was a rookie in 1990), however has only been a backup lately, so he also doesn't make my cut.
Defensive Backs: Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Brian Dawkins, and Darren Sharper
Two safeties, two corners. I was tempted to pick Ty Law over Woodson, but he played very little this year, and therefore I wasn't inclined to pick him for my all-decade team. Darren Sharper is another workhorse player who started a whole bunch of game in the oughts, much to my delight. Was an all-pro all the way back in 2000, however he lead the league in interceptions this year with nine, which was the same number he had in 2000. Did you know that Brian Dawkins has been around since '96? I do now.
Kicker: Jason Hanson
I'm a devout Belichick-era Patriots hater, therefore I couldn't stand myself if I picked Adam Vinatieri as my kicker. Hason has played with one team - the Lions - for the past 18 seasons!
Punter: Jeff Feagles
Feagles has played in the NFL for 22 seasons now, and probably is the best directional punter ever. I'm not saying that Shane Lechler didn't deserve his recognition, I just felt like being different.
Returners: Ahman Green and Derrick Mason
Green was another player who I had to be reminded by the internet that he was, in fact, still active. He was a returner early on in his career and did it rather unsuccessfully this year with the Packers. Unfortunately, kick and punt returner is a rather non-descript decision, and usually they don't last too long (Dante Hall, first team punt returner and second team kick returner, was in the league for nine seasons). And Josh Cribbs, while a sensation, has only been in the league the past five seasons. Derrick Mason led the league in all-purpose yards in 2000 (662 punt returning, 1132 kick returning, 895 receiving, and one rushing), and thus was an all-pro, although he has not touched a kick-off or punt since 2004, he is an "all-decade" returner.
In hindsight, it's interest to note how many players actually lasted and were successful in every year of the 2000s decade, especially some of the skill position guys (there are a ton of receivers who lasted a long time). All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with this roster
22 April 2010
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