NFL's Top 100 List Further Proves Lewis Is OverRAYted

With the lockout still crapping on any joy we fans could possibly have in the NFL offseason, there has been one football-related nugget worth keeping up with: NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2011. The series has been a topic of much debate, and I'm sure we all expected that debate to intensify when the top 10 was revealed over the weekend.

While I could nitpick many of the top 10 choices, only one really set me off.

Ray Lewis.

Before I get going here, I want to make this clear: I don't hate Ray Lewis. Nor do I think he's anything less than a no-brainer, first ballot Hall-of-Famer and one of the greatest inside/middle linebackers in NFL history.

But there's no way you can tell me with a straight face that right now 36-year-old Ray Lewis is better than Darrelle Revis or Troy Polamalu in their prime. No way is Lewis the fourth best player in the NFL (and the best overall defender) when one could make the case that at this stage in his career, he's just the fourth best player on his own defense.

This isn't 2000. In case you haven't noticed, it's been 10 years since that historic Super Bowl run in Baltimore.

While I'll grant Lewis fans that old No. 52 has been as good as ever the last three years, I'll also point out that he's also had far more help than he's had since 2000. Ed Reed (also ranked a bit high on the list at No. 5), Haloti Ngata (underrated at No. 17) and Terrell Suggs (No. 40) joined Lewis on the Top 100. QB Joe Flacco also made the list at No. 90 and is easily the best QB they've had since Lewis was drafted in '96.

However, I can't help but feel like Lewis gets a tad bit overrated because everyone gets so swept up in his incredible intensity. His pregame dance moves are every bit as legendary as his leadership abilities. He seemingly preaches to his teammates and to every open mic within range of his voice. He treats football like life and death, some sort of religious experience or a combination of the two. That obviously plays well with fans and media types alike.

While I can see the appeal, I personally find it to be pretentious and borderline maniacal. But maybe that's just me.

Again...I'm not saying that the Ravens defense isn't one of the best or that Lewis isn't one of the best defenders in the game. Just that in 2011, they're not THE best.

Personally, I'd put Patrick Willis (No. 23 on the Top 100 list) ahead of Lewis on the list of the league's best inside/middle 'backers. Regardless of whether you agree, you have to admit that at a bare minimum, he's in the conversation with Lewis if this is truly about who's better today and not a career achievement award. You'd also have to include Jonathan Vilma (No. 37), Brian Urlacher (No. 49), Jerod Mayo (No. 62) and Jon Beason (No. 95). I'm sorry, but there's no way Lewis is that far ahead of the pack at his position.

And that's just if we're talking inside linebackers. If we include outside 'backers, I'd put guys like Demarcus Ware and Clay Matthews ahead of Lewis. Open it up beyond position, and there's no way I'm not putting Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees over Ray-Ray. If I had a vote, I'd probably rank him somewhere around 11 or 12.

I'm sure many will disagree with my take (especially those reading this within driving distance of the Inner Harbor). I know full well that having Lewis off my top 10 of 2011 altogether likely puts me in a large minority. Agree or disagree, I just hope we can all base our opinion of Lewis on what happens on the field now and not what happened a decade ago.