Bleacher Report - Articles by Carter Johnson

Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, and Others: Top 10 Wide Receivers to Watch in 2008

Carter Johnson — Sun, 18 May 2008 13:27:59 -0400

Here are my Top 10 Wide Receivers:

1) Randy Moss

2) Reggie Wayne

3) Larry Fitzgerald

4) Terrell Owens

5) Braylon Edwards

6) Wes Welker

7) Plaxico Burress

8) Marques Colston

9) Chad Johnson

10) Steve Smith

Randy Moss is the best receiver in the league as of now. Breaking the touchdown record put him over the stellar Wayne. Moss's ability to make the difficult catch in double coverage also puts him over. He did seem to be in a slump during his tenure as a Raider, but has shown up again. Look for another good season next year.

Reggie Wayne broke out last year with the absence of Marvin Harrison, and now it's his time to shine in Indianapolis. He led the league in receiving last year with 1,510 yards. With Peyton Manning throwing him the ball, he will always excel.

Larry Fitzgerald is a great playmaker. The play he made in the end zone at the end of the half against the 49ers last year was terrific. He has incredible jumping ability and great body control. Now that Matt Leinart is becoming a good quarterback, Fitzgerald will only get better.

Terrell Owens is a great player, no matter how much I hate him. He has the ability to separate from opposing DBs, and make incredible catches. Romo is also becoming a great quarterback, and the Cowboys have a great team to back Owens up.

Braylon Edwards is my favorite receiver to watch. He can almost catch any pass thrown to him. He is quick and deceptive, and that is what I like in a receiver. Look for him to continue to make spectacular catches, one right after another.

Wes Welker is so quick and agile, he deserves to be in the Top 10. With defenses doubling Moss so often, Welker is left open on short routes all the time. Tom Brady is so accurate that he can sneak a pass to Welker at any time.

Marques Colston and Plaxico Burress are both big strong receivers that are threats in the end zone. I give Colston the edge over Burress, because he has a more consistent quarterback throwing to him in Drew Brees.

As I have said in the past, this is only my opinion and I really want to know what you all think.

NFL: Top 10 Running Backs Going Into The 2008 Season

Carter Johnson — Sun, 18 May 2008 07:39:52 -0400

Here are my top 10 running backs going into the 2008 season:

1) LaDainian Tomlinson

2) Willis McGahee

3) Adrian Peterson

4) Brian Westbrook

5) Willie Parker

6) Jamal Lewis

7) Clinton Portis

8) Stephen Jackson

9) Marshawn Lynch

10) Laurence Maroney

Here's my reasoning.

LaDainian Tomlinson is still one of the greatest backs in league history. He did see a decline from his MVP season in 2006 to 1,474 yards. He held the San Diego Chargers together in 2007 and will again in 2008. He has tremendous play-making ability and that will never change.

Adrian Peterson and Willis McGahee are interchangeable at Nos. 2 and 3. I give McGahee No. 2 because of his durability and ability to run against great teams. He tore apart the Patriots and almost ended the perfection. He ran well last year and will do even better once the passing game gets set up with Joe Flacco at the helm of the offense.

Adrian Peterson is a tremendous player. His brutal running style makes him so hard to tackle and makes defenders have nightmares. He was on course to crack 2,000 yards rushing before the knee injury late in the season. As the Vikings become a better team, Peterson will only get better. If Adrian can stay injury-free and with help from Taylor, he will excel.

In my opinion Brian Westbrook is the most versatile player in the league since the retirement of Marshall Faulk. He has had 500-plus yards in both receiving and rushing for the past four years. His receiving threat out of the backfield makes him most dangerous. If he were a better runner between the tackles, he might even take McGahee's spot. He is small and quick and very dangerous.

With the season-ending knee injury of Willie Parker, his stock has dropped. I believe if he had stayed healthy the whole season, he would be in second place on almost every board. He has incredible speed and has been coined "Fast Willie." He also does his fair share of crushing blows to make the defender fear him. Look for him to excel this year with the continuing rise of the Steelers.

Jamal Lewis and Clinton Portis are getting old and inconsistent. Ever since Lewis broke 2,000 he has not been very solid. With the upstart Browns, this could be Lewis' chance to excel.

Stephen Jackson would be higher if not for the terrible state of the St. Louis Rams. He is a great playmaker on a terrible team. Lynch and Maroney are two young backs starting to develop into great players.

If there were a No. 11 spot on my board, Marion Barber would get it. He is a great bruising back with a lot of potential. With the departure of Julius Jones, the Barber will have sole ownership of the backfield.

As always, this is my own opinion, and I would love to hear what you all think.

My Top Ten NFL Teams

Carter Johnson — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:24:56 -0400

These are my top ten teams in the NFL as of right now.

1) New England Patriots

2) Indianapolis Colts

3) New York Giants

4) San Diego Chargers

5) Jacksonville Jaguars

6) Seattle Seahawks

7) Tennessee Titans

8) Philadelphia Eagles

9) Cleveland Browns

10) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Yes, I know you think I am just saying the Patriots because I am a Patriots fan. That is true, but there is undeniable evidence to prove it. If you win a record 16 regular games in a row you deserve it, even if you lost in the Super Bowl.

Look for the Patriots to shrug off the post-losing the Super Bowl effect with the reigning MVP and hardly any losses on the roster. Yes, Asante and Gay were losses, but that is nothing Bill Belichick cannot handle. He'll probably just switch some no-name player to become great.

The New York Giants kind of deserve this spot but I do not believe it. I think they got lucky. The Colts are always terrific. Payton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks in the league now, behind Tom Brady, of course. The Colts did not lose very many players and will have players returning to the lineup like Marvin Harrison. The Colts have had good starts to the last three years, going undefeated until like Game 10 or 11.

I give the Giants this spot because they won the Super Bowl and all. You can't drop them too far with Eli Manning finally turning into the quarterback he was predicted to be. They did lose some players on defense with Kamika Mitchell and Gibril Wilson, but the bulk of the team is still there.

The Chargers are still on the rise. With Philip Rivers coming off a knee injury, it will be a tough start. But no one can go against LaDainian Tomlinson, the MVP from 2006. He will be big. Look for them to go far, maybe even to the Super Bowl.

The Jags are a great team. David Garrard is a great quarterback with tremendous leadership ability. With the tandem at running back with Jones-Drew and Taylor, they will be hard to beat. They have a stingy defense but lack depth. If the Jags can snag a quality wide receiver, they will be even better.

Now comes the hard part. The last five are a toss up. They can be changed and switched any way you please. Look for the Browns to continue to get better and become an elite team in the league. It is the same with the Titans. Once Vince Young's talent is redefined and he gets some good wide receivers the Titans will be great.

I really believe the AFC has complete control of the NFL, and this will only continue.

Thanks for your time, and leave some comments on what you think.

New England Patriots: The Patriots Have Reached Perfection On The Field and Off.

Carter Johnson — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:03:21 -0400

No one can deny that the Patriots have had perfection on the field. The 16 regular season wins says it for itself. But the Patriots have achieved perfection on another field and another time. In the NFL Draft.

First i'll start will a background on their recent 1st round picks:

2001-Richard Seymour

2002- Daniel Graham

2003-Ty Warren

2004- Vince Wilfork, Ben Watson

2005- Logan Mankins

2006- Laurence Maroney

2007- Brandon Meriweather

2008- Jerod Mayo

Now look long and hard at this list.

Of these nine players, three of them have gone to the Pro Bowl. Seven of these players will be on the starting squad of the 2008 Patriots.

Even the ones that do not have a pro bowl appearances are still very valuable to the team. Many have won multiple Super Bowls for example Richard Seymour has three rings. Each and everyone of these players (excluding Mayo and Graham) had a large role in the perfect 2007 season.

The Patriots are one of the best clubs in the NFL when it comes to drafting. Period. These players are some of the best at their positions. Not to mention the Asante Samuels and Dan Koppens taken on the second day.

When it comes time for the Patriots to pick a college player they don't go for the most stellar athlete or the player who had terrific stats; they focus on who will excel in the New England system.

Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli do a tremendous job when it comes to the draft. They may pick a certain player just to change his position. For example Brandon Meriweather. He was chosen as a Strong Safety and was moved all around the defense to play Free Safety and Corner.

That brings up another subject. The Patriots are excellent in moving players around. Bill Belichick has had Troy Brown, a Wide Rreceiver, playing anything from Corner to Quarterback. Coach Belichick just has an eye for versatility.

You never know with the Patriots or with any draft. Will you steal the next Tom Brady or pick a dud in the first round. That is the beauty of the Draft. It is all about chances and the trust you have in the players you pick.