The Most Irreplaceable Player on Every NFL Roster

Dan Marino.

Jerry Rice.

Throughout the years, the NFL has seen countless players who were indispensable to their teams. In today's pass-happy NFL, no position is more important than the quarterback. Does that mean every quarterback is the most irreplaceable player on his team, though?

Come and see which player is his team's most important player.

Arizona Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald

This was a rather easy start.

The talented receiver is right up there with Calvin Johnson as one of the best receivers in the game. If he only had a Matthew Stafford of his very own, Fitzgerald's production might match Megatron's.

Arizona got themselves a future Hall of Famer when they landed Fitzgerald back in the 2004 draft after he successfully petitioned for draft eligibility. The talented receiver has not only been a stud for the team, he has been a great teammate and model citizen during his time in Arizona.

The Cardinals just spent their first round pick on Michael Floyd, who should be an excellent complement, but there is just no way he would be able to replace what Fitzgerald brings to the team.

Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan is not on the same level of irreplaceability as Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers, but he is vital to the Atlanta Falcons as they continue to build on their recent success.

Despite some playoff disappointments, the Falcons would not be sniffing the postseason without this franchise quarterback. Atlanta hopes Ryan is primed to take them to the next level in his fifth year at the helm.

Baltimore Ravens

Ray Lewis

Is there a more inspirational player in the league?

Father Time is catching up to Ray Lewis, but only in the form of a number. The leader of the perennially fearsome Ravens defense has defied the odds and continues to play at a high level, despite his age. He had 76 tackles last season, despite missing three games, and he was still the fifth-best inside linebacker according to Pro Football Focus.

All good things must come to an end, though. When Ray Lewis finally retires, the Ravens will be hard-pressed to replace his infectious intensity and leadership. 

Buffalo Bills

Mario Williams

How can a guy who has yet to play a down for his new team be irreplaceable?

For one, the Bills do not have another player who stands out as such—Ryan Fitzpatrick is not exactly a top-tier quarterback, and Fred Jackson has C.J. Spiller nipping at his heels.

For another, Williams just signed an incredibly rich contract to put pressure on Tom Brady and the rest of the AFC East twice a year, something they have lacked over the years.

Williams has a rather large obligation to live up to, and his $100-million contract automatically qualifies him as the most irreplaceable player on this Bills team. 

Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton

Considering who the Panthers had before Cam Newton, this is a no-brainer.

From the death throes of Jake Delhomme's career to Jimmy Clausen's utter failure to launch, the Panthers were ailing at the position. 

Thankfully for the Panthers, smile evaluation was of low importance as they took Newton in the 2011 draft and reaped the benefits immediately. Not only is Newton their franchise quarterback, he is their goal line back—he broke the all-time record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 14 as a rookie.

It is safe to say Carolina knows what it is like to try to find a quarterback, and they want nothing to do with having to find a replacement for Newton anytime soon.

Chicago Bears

Matt Forte

This was a close call. Jay Cutler was considered, but the Bears did just fine with the likes of Rex Grossman a few years ago. Brian Urlacher was considered—along with the likes of Ray Lewis—but the talented running back won out.

Chicago may have signed Michael Bush as Matt Forte insurance, but they will quickly find out how much Forte means to the offense if he chooses to hold out for a new contract.

When Bush took over for the injured Darren McFadden last season, he flew out of the gate, averaging over 5.2 YPC in his first two games. All in all, however, he averaged 3.8 YPC as a starter and during the season as a whole, including those two big games against Denver and San Diego.

Besides, the Bears have tried to back Forte up before and failed with the likes of Kevin Jones, Chester Taylor and Marion Barber. The fact that Forte has been literally irreplaceable in the past makes him the most irreplaceable this season.

Cincinnati Bengals

A.J. Green

Much like Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson, the Bengals found themselves a franchise receiver in Green. He was a big reason for Andy Dalton's success as a fellow rookie.

Just look at this year's rookie class. By many accounts, there was nobody at those elite levels--Justin Blackmon is a great prospect, but he is no A.J. Green or Julio Jones.

Green will give Dalton and the Bengals elite receiver play for years to come, and that is something NFL teams do not find every day. The Jaguars traded up for Blackmon and the Falcons did for Jones last year, which goes to show the value of a great receiver.

Cleveland Browns

Joe Thomas

Franchise left tackles do not grow on trees.

While Thomas is certainly irreplaceable, the fact that Cleveland's most important player is an offensive lineman is telling. Thomas is the league's best left tackle now that Jake Long has fallen off a bit due to injuries. If your team has the best player in the league at a position, he is probably the most irreplaceable player on your team.

Joe Haden was also a consideration here. The underrated cornerback is just behind the likes of Darrelle Revis. 

Dallas Cowboys

DeMarcus Ware

Apologies to Tony Romo, but he has not shown the ability to take the Cowboys to the next level. If quarterback is the most important position on the field, someone who can get to him on defense should be in the next spot on the list.

DeMarcus Ware does just that.

The Cowboys linebacker is an elite pass-rusher, leading all outside linebackers with 20 sacks, second only to Jared Allen's 24 overall. 

Teams simply cannot game-plan for Ware. Try to replace him on the Dallas defense. 

You cannot.

Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning

Any time you add a future Hall of Famer to your team that has something to prove, he instantly becomes the most irreplaceable player on your roster.

It helps that the Broncos did not have many other viable candidates.

The Broncos have stayed afloat for years with the likes of Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow quarterbacking the team, but John Elway hit a home run by convincing Manning to graduate from Colt to Bronco. 

Denver drafted Brock Osweiler as a developmental quarterback to sit and learn behind the legend, but he may not ever be able to replace Manning, even at the reduced level Manning might produce at this advanced stage of his career.

Detroit Lions

Calvin Johnson

Matthew Stafford is pretty vital to the Detroit Lions at this point, but a big reason why he produces so well is Johnson.

With apologies to Larry Fitzgerald, Megatron is without a doubt the best wide receiver in the NFL. How many Earthlings can run a 4.35 40-yard dash at 6'5" and 235 pounds?

It is his impossible combination of size, speed, athleticism and catching ability that makes him absolutely irreplaceable. Hopefully, for Detroit's sake, the Madden Curse will not force them to try.

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers

Is there any easier choice than this one?

The reigning NFL MVP did not win that award without good reason. Matt Flynn's Week 17 explosion notwithstanding, Rodgers is the reason Green Bay won the Super Bowl two years ago and why they remain a favorite for the foreseeable future.

Rodgers has a cannon arm that he can use with laser precision and timing. He is the best all-around quarterback in the game, just ahead of Drew Brees. The Packers would be hard-pressed to find a replacement for the Discount Double Check.

Houston Texans

Andre Johnson

The Texans have already lost their most irreplaceable player—Mario Williams. Johnson was the next best choice.

Arian Foster was a good candidate, but the Texans have a good handcuff in Ben Tate. That is not the case with Johnson, however. Houston may have drafted Devier Posey and signed Dwight Jones as an undrafted free agent, but Johnson is a rare talent at the position.

He may be getting on in years, but last season saw what could happen to Houston's offense without the talented receiver.

Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck

The Colts have lucked out over the past two decades, if you think about it. They were bad enough to land Peyton Manning in 1998, and his injury made them that bad once again, just in time for Andrew Luck to fall into their laps.

While it is tough to say a rookie is irreplaceable, Indianapolis' roster is devoid of anyone else who could take that mantle. Dwight Freeney is the next-best choice, but the Colts were even shopping him during the draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Maurice Jones-Drew

As tempting as it was to select Brian Anger (Jacksonville's new third-round punter), Jones-Drew is easily the team's most important player.

The workhorse running back has just Rashad Jennings—who is recovering from knee surgery—and DuJuan Harris as serious backups. 

It may seem like MJD has been around forever. However, he is just 27 years old, and he has only topped 300 carries twice. He is coming off a league-leading 1,606 yards rushing. He has a career 4.6 YPC.

There is no replacing this workhorse.

Kansas City Chiefs

Tamba Hali

It was a tight race on defense between Hali, Derrick Johnson and Brandon Flowers, but Hali wins out due to the importance of good pass-rushers.

The talented outside linebacker tallied 41 quarterback pressures according to Pro Football Focus, good for fourth in the league at that position. He also was tied for third in the league with 12 sacks and 45 tackles.

Good pass-rushers are at a premium in today's pass-happy NFL, and the Chiefs have a premiere player in Hali.

Miami Dolphins

Cameron Wake

Speaking of a premium at pass-rusher, the Dolphins just locked up their most irreplaceable player with a four-year, $49-million extension.

Wake may be 30, but he is easily their most important and irreplaceable player. He was by far the highest-rated 3-4 outside linebacker by Pro Football Focus. His value is masked by the fact he only tallied 9 sacks, but Wake's 52 quarterback pressures led the league. 

The former CFL star was Miami's pass-rusher last year. Jason Taylor was on his last legs, and they did not get much from anyone else. They finally got him some help in rookie Olivier Vernon, but without Wake, there would not be much hope of generating a pass rush in Miami.

Minnesota Vikings

Adrian Peterson

The Vikings got a huge franchise scare when Peterson tore his ACL at the end of last season. They have a decent backup in Toby Gerhart, but can anyone really replace the stud running back?

The answer is no.

Though Peterson is perhaps approaching an age of decline at 28, he is still one of the few elite running backs in the league. The workhorse must know how irreplaceable he is because, remarkably enough, he is on track to play on Week 1, despite injuring himself late last season.

Peterson is a rare breed at his position nowadays, making him that much more difficult to replace, if necessary.

New England Patriots

Tom Brady

Sure, Matt Cassel led the Patriots to an 11-5 record in 2008 after Tom Brady went down for the count at the hands of Patriots-nemesis Bernard Pollard. Does that mean Brady is easily replaced?

New England has Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer grooming behind Mr. Gisele Bundchen, but Brady is arguably the greatest quarterback of his generation, and he does not seem to be slowing down. It is hard to fathom the Patriots outscoring their opponents all of last year as their patchwork defense tried to figure things out.

Much like Manning, the 35-year-old Brady has a lot left in his tank, and he has something to prove after losing his past two Super Bowls. Anyone would have a tough time stepping into his shoes.

New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees

The reigning, record-breaking Offensive Player of the Year is perhaps the most irreplaceable of them all. After all, Brees officially put the 'S' in 'Saints' when he led them to a Super Bowl victory in 2009.

Brees not only broke Dan Marino's single-season yardage record, the good folks at the Elias Bureau are still trying to locate the remaining shattered pieces.

Can Chase Daniel do that?

The Saints are nothing without Brees, which is why they had better pony up and pay the man.

New York Giants

Eli Manning

The younger brother has supplanted the older, winning his second Super Bowl in five years as he thrives in his prime.

Without him, the Giants have no chance.

There is really very little to say here. Expectations were high for Manning ever since the fated 2004 draft—when the Chargers drafted Manning and subsequently traded him to New York—and his early-career struggles would have felled a lesser quarterback.

Good thing the Giants stuck with him through thin and thinner. They are two championships richer, and counting.

New York Jets

Darrelle Revis

With apologies to recently-acquired backup quarterback/special teams gunner Tim Tebow, Revis is the most important player on this team.

Among players with significant playing time, Revis held opposing receivers to a league-low 41.2 percent catch rate and opposing quarterbacks to a league-low 45.6 NFL rating when throwing at him.

Teams that throw at him do so foolishly, and he made them pay. The best cornerback combo is Revis and Antonio Cromartie of the Jets, but the former is carrying the latter in that duo.

Hence, he might stage another holdout this offseason.

Oakland Raiders

Sebastian Janikowski

There are some good players on the Raiders, yes, but after racking my brain trying to decide which one was the most irreplaceable, the obvious choice hit me: the kicker.

That tells you everything you need to know about the Raiders right now. Darren McFadden would be the guy here, but he has never played more than 13 games in a season, tallying just seven starts last year after injuring his foot.

Janikowski may not be the sexy choice, but he would be difficult to replace. He can nail the long field goals and boots kickoffs halfway into the end zone more often than not.

Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick

Trent Cole, pass-rusher extraordinaire and the top-rated 4-3 defensive end by Pro Football Focus, came in a close second here, but there is just no way the Eagles could replace the skill set Vick brings to the table.

It was hard to see Vick in this position back when he was released from prison in 2010, but he has ascended the ranks to become vital to his team after supplanting Donovan McNabb.

Expectations were high for Vick and the Eagles last season, but injuries and regression caused them to falter.

There were rumors that Philadelphia might make a run at Peyton Manning or move up to draft Ryan Tannehill, but could either of those really replace Vick at this stage of their careers? 

Pittsburgh Steelers

Troy Polomalu

Sure, Ben Roethlisberger is important to this team, but the Steelers were perennial contenders with the likes of Neil O'Donnell, Kordell Stewart, and Tommy Maddox.

Polomalu is vital to Pittsburgh's defense, more so than any other player. Without him due to injury, the Steelers defense was lost in 2009 and 2010. 

Here is an excerpt from an Associated Press article on USA Today from December, 2010:

"

During the last two seasons, the Steelers are 14-4 when Polamalu plays but 5-7 when he doesn't. He missed 11 games last season with a pair of left knee injuries.

"

If that is not clear enough, nothing will be.

San Diego Chargers

Philip Rivers

It is hard to imagine where the Chargers might have been in recent years were it not for Philip Rivers. We may have caught a glimpse of that last season. Rivers did not seem like himself, and it was a big reason why the Chargers missed the playoffs.

It was the first time Rivers and the Chargers missed the playoffs since 2007.

Whatever the reason for his malaise in 2011, the Chargers go as Rivers goes. This clearly makes him the most irreplaceable guy on his team.

San Francisco 49ers

Justin Smith

San Francisco has a fearsome defense, and it all starts with the man in the middle: Patrick Willis.

He got a running mate in NaVorro Bowman, however, who surpassed him in most statistical categories last season. Considering Willis has a viable replacement right on the roster, that puts Justin Smith front and center for this award.

Smith absolutely obliterated the competition, according to Pro Football Focus. He led the league with 39 quarterback pressures, and he was third with 48 tackles.

Drew Brees probably still has nightmares of Smith completely manhandling Jerrod Bushrod in the NFC playoffs last season. The "best player in the league at his position" rule applies here—Smith is utterly irreplaceable for the 49ers.

Seattle Seahawks

Chris Clemons

He may or may not eat Skittles, but Clemons has quietly become Seattle's best defensive player and perhaps their most important player altogether.

Marshawn Lynch can engage Beast Mode from time to time, but Clemons can get to the opposing quarterback. He tallied 45 quarterback pressures last season, good for third in the league.

Seattle did not have much else in the way of pass-rusher last season, to the point where they reached on Bruce Irvin in the 2012 draft.

St. Louis Rams

Chris Long

Where Chris Clemons was third in the league, Long was No. 1, with 58 quarterback pressures for the St. Louis Rams.

While the Rams' immediate future hinges on the success of former first-overall pick Sam Bradford, Long is a former top-five pick himself who is immensely important to that defense.

Long anchors the front four for the Rams, and there is really nobody who could replace him on that defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Josh Freeman

It is fairly simple math: the Bucs went 10-6 in 2010 when Freeman threw for 25 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, and they went 4-12 last year when he threw for 16 and 22, respectively.

It may seem odd that a quarterback like Freeman would be considered the most irreplaceable player on his team, but the Buccaneers have hinged their immediate future on him. If he can play like he did in 2010, they will bounce back from their terrible season.

At this point, nobody can replace Freeman and be effective. This season is all on him.

Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson

Hear me out here.

Yes, Johnson held out and came into the season out of shape, costing him and his fantasy owners dearly in terms of production.

Is there a player more electrifying than CJ2K when he is up to true form, though?

Tell me Javon Ringer or Jamie Harper—or anyone else, for that matter—is going to walk through that tunnel and do what Johnson did from 2008-2010. 

Besides, there are no better candidates on this Titans team. Cortland Finnegan is gone, and Jake Locker has not ascended to the throne yet.

Washington Redskins

Robert Griffin III

Whereas the Colts are simply devoid of talent around Luck, the case for Griffin's irreplaceability in Washington stems from the expectations being laid on the young quarterback's shoulders.

The Redskins practically mortgaged the farm in trading up to take Griffin, and his arrival in D.C. has the city abuzz with anticipation. Washington has been quarterback-starved since Mark Rypien led them to a Super Bowl victory in 1992.

Yes, the Redskins seemingly hedged their bet by drafting Kirk Cousins in the third round, but that talk is nonsense. They needed a backup, and Cousins is no Griffin.