2013 RotoRob All Pro Team
Marcel Reese was a nice threat out of the Raider backfield. (csnbayarea.com)
Today, we present our own picks for the 2013 NFL All Pro team.
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos: Manning’s 2013 was quite simply the greatest season ever put together by a quarterback, and no stat shows that more than his touchdown to interception ratio (55 scores to only 10 picks) — a feat that may never be matched.
Running Back
LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles: This pick’s pretty much a no brainer as Shady led the league in rushing by over 250 yards. And he’s a bit of a Kinect aficionado, to boot (see video below).
Fullback
Marcel Reece, Oakland Raiders: Not only is Reece an impressive blocker and receiver out of the backfield, he’s also a great fill in halfback every time the brittle Darren McFadden goes down, proven by a solid 4.7 yards per carry and highlighted by a 63-yard touchdown.
Wide Receivers
Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns: Gordon only needed 14 games this season to lead the NFL in receiving yards, and not just lead, but dominate, as his 1,646 were nearly 150 yards more than any other player.
Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos: Why Thomas? Oh let’s see…he was just the number one wideout on the most prolific offense in history. He put up 1,430 yards this year, and his 14 receiving touchdowns were bested only by a certain tight end, listed below.
Tight End
Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints: Graham’s whopping 16 touchdowns through the air should make for an interesting contract situation moving forward, as the Saints have already stated they won’t hesitate to place the Franchise tag on him.
Offensive Tackles
Trent Williams, Washington Redskins: Labeled immature early in his career, Williams has not only somewhat shaken that perception but last year he also overcame a team falling apart at the seams around him to put together what some experts believe was the best performance by a left tackle in the NFL in 2013.
Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns: The rock solid Thomas has started all 16 games each year since being drafted by the Browns in 2007.
Guards
Evan Mathis, Philadelphia Eagles: Regarded as a journeyman before arriving in Philly in 2011, Mathis has found a home and helped solidify a line that allowed McCoy to lead the league in rushing last year.
Ben Grubbs, New Orleans Saints: The Saints’ prize free agent acquisition in 2012 has been anything but a disappointment, starting all 32 games and giving quarterback Drew Brees the time he needs to make this offense hum.
Centre
Alex Mack, Cleveland Browns: If Trent Richardson couldn’t succeed with this offensive line then what on earth made the Colts think he’d be any better in Indy?
DEFENSE
Defensive Ends
Robert Quinn, St. Louis Rams: The third year pro out of North Carolina really blossomed in 2013, racking up 19 sacks and seven forced fumbles.
Greg Hardy, Carolina Panthers: While not quite reaching his self proclaimed goal of 50 sacks last year, 15 sacks were still good enough to set a new franchise record.
Defensive Tackle
Marcell Dareus /Kyle Williams, Buffalo Bills: Most teams just expect the big guys in the middle to chew up blockers and maybe stuff a run now and then. Buffalo, on the other hand, had these two combine for 139 tackles and 18 sacks while also freeing up space for their star rookie linebacker Kiko Alonso.
Outside Linebackers
Robert Mathis, Indianapolis Colts: It’s funny to remember that some experts believed Mathis only produced because of the threat of Dwight Freeney on the other side. Mathis’ NFL-leading 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles helped Indy win what was a surprisingly weak AFC South.
Vontaze Burfict, Cincinnati Bengals: Burfict continued to reward the Bengals for taking a chance on him, leading the league with 171 tackles in 2013.
Middle Linebackers
Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers: Kuechly was well deserving of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year honours in 2013, leading the feisty Carolina defense with 156 tackles and also picking off four passes.
NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco 49ers: Pairing up with fellow stud linebacker Patrick Willis, Bowman was fifth in the league with 145 tackles. We hope he can be the same player when he returns from an ugly looking knee injury sustained in the playoff loss in Seattle.
Cornerbacks
Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks: DeAngelo Hall may disagree, but in 2013 there was no cornerback feared more than Sherman. Not only did his eight interceptions top the NFL, but Sherman was also the emotional leader of the Legion of Boom, a secondary no offense wished to face.
Joe Hayden, Cleveland Browns: While four picks may not seem like All Pro numbers, we believe Hayden’s lack of interceptions is simply a result of the respect shown to him by quarterbacks not throwing in his direction.
Safeties
Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks: Always known as a playmaker, 2013 was no different for Thomas as he racked up five interceptions, two forced fumbles, and over 100 tackles to help lead the Seahawks to their first championship.
Jarius Byrd, Buffalo Bills: Buffalo would be wise to give three-time Pro Bowler Byrd a long-term extension after placing the Franchise tag on him in 2013.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker
Matt Prater, Denver Broncos: While you may not be impressed with Prater’s NFL record 75 extra points, it would be tough not to respect the bigger record he broke in 2013, when he nailed a 64-yard field goal.
Punter
Johnny Hekker, St. Louis Rams: Other punters may have had a longer average, but no others could boast a 44.2 yard net average like Hekker.
Returner
Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings: We get the feeling the Vikings have only scratched the surface of Patterson’s potential, and his two returns for touchdowns could be a sign of great things to come.
Now it’s your turn. Let us know in the comments below whether you agree or disagree with our picks.
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