"I think we were drafted in the same class, right? Is he a 2000 guy? I haven’t heard anything about him since then," Urlacher said. "I saw him on a TV show with a bow tie on, though. So I know him better for how he dresses than what he does on a football field. Look, guys are going to talk. I’ve definitely had a lot worse things said publicly from guys, so I can live with it."
- Brian Urlacher
Let's compare the two linebackers since 2008.
Games | Tackles | Tkles/Gm | Sacks | Int. | FF | |
Dhani Jones | 48 | 354 | 7.4 | 4.5 | 1 | 3 |
Brian Urlacher | 33 | 221 | 6.7 | 4.0 | 3 | 2 |
This stems from Brian Urlacher's insecurity by being excluded from Dhani Jones' personal top-ten linebacker list and the NFL Network guys asking why Brian Urlacher wasn't on the list. "When was the last time Urlacher got off a block?", Jones responded. Now if you go back further throughout their careers, Urlacher is by far the more established. It just so happens that Jones has been the more productive in the past three seasons. Although in the end, we're pretty sure the guys are just having fun with each other.
Really, for the love of god, this lockout has to end.
Why The Bengals Will Come In Last
The next batch of NFL Network's Top 100 NFL Players of 2011 were released Sunday. With ten players remaining, the Bengals have one player in the Top 100 with Terrell Owens at number 91. The same guy that isn't expected to play until November while recovering from an ACL injury that required surgery. The same Terrell Owens that's not even expected to be with the Bengals in 2011.
So far the Browns have two players, the Ravens four and the Steelers three. We doubt the Bengals will breach the top-100, unless the votes favor Andrew Whitworth heavily as the best offensive tackle in football.
Why The Top 100 NFL Players Of 2011 Is Frequent
And that's another thing. Jake Long is currently listed as the best offensive tackle in football in the Top 100 NFL Players of 2011. And the best offensive tackle is only valued as the 28th best NFL player. The best guard, Logan Mankins, ranks 39th. The best center, Nick Mangold, is listed at 47th. The best tight ends on this list are guys that moonlight as wide receivers -- like Antonio Gates, Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez.
According to this list, the trenches and blocking for ball carriers is clearly a dying art that so few care about.