Top 10 NFL Acquisitions That Have Lived Up to the Hype
It's easy to become judgemental when a trade is first offered over the table. For the most part, when a trade is first heard of, NFL fans go in to two stages of thought—concern followed by possibility.
In the 2010 regular season, the NFL marked a new chapter in it's history, as not only did a new decade kick off in New Orleans over a month ago, many new faces were added to new places, in an effort to revamp teams one way or another.
Whether it was Donovan McNabb's acquisition by the Washington Redskins, or LaDainian Tomlinson's free agency signing by the New York Jets, it was clear from the very beginning that this year's regular season would have a little added flavor in comparison to previous years.
Like everything in the NFL though, these trades and team moves were of course unpredictable. Not even God himself could have determined the outcome, but fortunately, the following "Top 10 Player Acquisitions That Have Lived Up to the Hype" details the positive moves seen thus far in 2010.
10. Jason Taylor
1 of 10
2010 Stats: 16 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles.
Jason Taylor was always the man in Miami. Although the big-time playmaker did stray for a single season in 2008 to test the waters of the Washington Redskins, the Dolphins' face of the franchise always featured No. 99's face, even if past greats such as Dan Marino overshadowed it.
Like a firework in a New Year's Eve parade, Jason Taylor's inevitably fuse blew with Miami. Sure, a huge altercation never unfolded between fans and player, however, when the Dolphins played host to Taylor's new team the New York Jets three weeks ago, the ovation wasn't all that positive to begin with.
In the game against his former team, Jason Taylor recorded a large sack on quarterback Chad Henne, that saw boos rain down from the rafters. Not only was this display expected, it also highlighted how great a player Jason Taylor still is, 14 years into his career.
Chances are, Jason Taylor won't be around for much longer. Like Brett Favre, the issue of "Will he play again?" continues to pop up each and every offseason, even though it fails to receive as much attention as the Favre saga does, particularly towards August.
For Jets fans, Jason Taylor has been a solid pickup. His numbers may not be that of Clay Matthews or Osi Umenyiora right now, but for an old timer, I think you can agree that Taylor has performed reasonably well.
Better yet, Jason Taylor has also solidified the linebacker position in New York. Not that Rex Ryan's defense needed any more star power, but Jason Taylor has been every bit impressive in his later years, as he was when he was young.
9. Jahvid Best
2 of 10
2010 Stats: 241 yards, 4 touchdowns.
It's not all that rare to see a rookie running back excel in the NFL, but when Jahvid Best burst onto the scene in Detroit this season, most fans were ready and willing to witness a show like no other.
In typical Jahvid Best fashion, the former California Golden Bear didn't disappoint.
On the season, Jahvid Best has been well worth the Lions' second pick. With 241 yards on the year and four touchdowns, Jahvid Best has managed to maintain decent stats in a time that sees Detroit minus its favored starting quarterback, Matt Stafford.
For the record, some may say that Jahvid Best hasn't been all that flattering on the ground game. But once again Jahvid Best has left little to the imagination, accumulating 254 yards receiving and one touchdown.
These type of efforts for a rookie go without saying. Sure, it helps the Lions immensely, but in the long run it also spells a very successful career for a player that has been struggling with turf toe, yet continues to push on in some kind of Emmit Smith style fashion.
Perhaps in ten years time, we'll look back and regard Jahvid Best a better running back than Barry Sanders. OK, so it may be a little early for that, for now though, let's just wallow in how great a pickup Jahvid Best has been for the determined Detroit Lions.
8. Sam Bradford
3 of 10
2010 Stats: 1,159 yards, 6 touchdowns, 8 interceptions.
To keep the rookie trend going, we take a look at St. Louis Rams starting quarterback Sam Bradford, who has managed to keep his dream of turning the Rams woes around, by recording two big time wins this season.
When Sam Bradford kicked off his campaign in St. Louis, people criticized the rookie's high attempt rate against the Minnesota Vikings. However, although this could be viewed as a negative, it also managed to portray an eagerness to win, something that is favorable for the Rams as a franchise moving forward.
In terms of impressiveness, Sam Bradford's stats now say it all. Five weeks into the season No. 8 has already broken the 1,000-yard mark, and continues to roll along nicely, even if the Rams are struggling.
With this in mind though, Bradford does now face some testy times, considering that his go to wide receiver Mark Clayton has been ruled out for the season with a torn patellar tendon.
The Rams have been looking for a big-time draft pick to set them up for the future, and Steve Spagnuolo has clearly found just that. Wins may be a fair way away, but the Bradford bandwagon has lived up to the hype in more ways than one so far.
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7. Terrell Owens
4 of 10
2010 Stats: 476 yards, 2 touchdowns.
OK, so maybe Terrell Owens' stats don't do him justice. But what does say a lot about the Cincinnati Bengals newest recruit, is the fact that Owens is now a much more mature wide receiver in the later stages of his career.
To put it lightly, the Bengals have looked mediocre this season. Currently Marvin Lewis' men sit at 2-3 on the year, and have struggled to maintain consistency after losing to the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Throughout all of the Bengals' issues though, Terrell Owens has come out seemingly on top. Last week against Cleveland, Owens recorded his first touchdown catch, and continued that trend against Tampa Bay in Cincinnati's 21-24 loss.
Aside from figures and stats, Terrell Owens looks to be a lot more mature. When the Browns toppled the Bengals, Terrell Owens was accused of blaming the defense, only to appear on Twitter to clear the situation up.
Maybe this is due to age, or perhaps Terrell Owens now realizes from his mild free agency scare, that he can't let this opportunity slip.
Most importantly, the Bengals now need Terrell Owens to start scoring, as Cincinnati is struggling immensely under Carson Palmer. T.O's play has been above average the past two weeks, so expect to see him continuing to excel in the future, as he once again makes his acquisition seem intelligent.
6. Shaun Hill
5 of 10
2010 Stats: 1,218 yards, 8 touchdowns, 7 interceptions.
An unlikely player steps in at the No. 6 slot, as Shaun Hill has managed to fly under the radar in the past weeks due to Detroit's losing ways.
To rewind to the beginning of the season, dull days seemed to be in store for Detroit following the loss of Matt Stafford. While this scenario hasn't changed all that much, one beacon of light has come from the quarterback position, considering that Shaun Hill has managed to carry the team on his shoulders ever so quickly.
As long as we are sharing the love, much of Shaun Hill's performance has been due to a solid team effort. It's fair to say that Hill wouldn't be in the position he is right now if it wasn't for Jahvid Best and Calvin Johnson, even though the Lions have recorded just one win on the season.
If luck played a factor for Detroit, than so be it. No one expected Shaun Hill to arrive from San Francisco and be thrown in the deep end in Detroit, and to be frank, no one expected Shaun Hill to perform so well either.
His 1,218 yards speak for itself, and although Hill's interception numbers have been high, he has managed to rally against teams such as Green Bay and Minnesota quite well.
It's questionable to say that big things are in store for this nine-year player, but Matt Stafford now has a little competition in The Motor City.
5. Anquan Boldin
6 of 10
2010 Stats: 363 yards, 3 touchdowns.
The Baltimore Ravens entered the offseason in need of a wide receiver, and heading toward September, John Harbaugh had seen his request granted by the signing of Anquan Boldin.
Just about everybody is familiar with Anquan Boldin's days in Arizona. Under head coach Ken Whisenhunt, Anquan Boldin managed to enforce the Cardinals two-headed wide receiver beast quite nicely, particularly in the team's 2008 Super Bowl run.
But as nicely as things worked out down south, Boldin's arrival in Baltimore raised a few questions.
As it stands, the most important query was in regard to whether or not Anquan Boldin could develop into the number one receiver role, and compliment Joe Flacco in the passing game.
To answer the question now, Anquan Boldin has done just that. With 363 yards on the year and three touchdowns, Anquan Boldin started the season red hot, and has managed to help the Ravens attain a 4-1 record in the AFC North.
Better yet, Joe Flacco seems a lot more comfortable under center. Gone are the days of no wide receiver threat, and we arrive in the Boldin era, accompanied by Todd Heap in the passing game.
The Ravens love it, and if this trend continues, Baltimore can easily make a push for the Super Bowl. Steeler Nation mightn't like it, but hey, Anquan Boldin has been worth every cent so far in 2010.
4. Julius Peppers
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2010 Stats: 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception.
Let's face it, Julius Peppers in Chicago was always going to work out. Despite Jay Cutler's new and improved ways, at the end of the day, the Bears are and always will be a defensively driven football team.
So what better way to amp up Chicago, then by bringing in one of the most famous playmakers in NFL history?
In Julius Peppers' days with the Carolina Panthers, sacks certainly weren't unheard of. In Chicago, this theory is also true, as already the big man has recorded two sacks in the Bears' 4-1 season that includes wins over big time opponents.
Currently Julius Peppers is in his ninth year as a player, but funnily enough isn't showing any signs of slowing down. Against Carolina, Peppers got in the head of Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen, and against a determined New York Giants side, No. 90 also rattled Eli Manning.
It's no secret that this trend will continue, and finally the Bears defense looks great. There's not much else to say here other than that Julius Peppers has been a fantastic signing, and one that could see the Bears surprisingly win the NFC North if things continue as planned.
3. Brandon Marshall
8 of 10
2010 Stats: 340 yards, 1 touchdown.
Forget Brandon Marshall's stats, it's what the Dolphins latest signing has been able to do on the field with Chad Henne that makes him a standout.
As disappointing as the Dolphins' 2-2 record is in the AFC East, Miami's chemistry on the field has endured a massive boost since the beginning of this season.
Of course, much of this is due to Henne, Ronnie Brown and others, but it's plainly obvious that Marshall's contributions to the team have been duly noted by fans and analysts league wide so far.
In the Dolphins loss to the New York Jets three weeks ago on Sunday Night Football, Henne and Marshall both combined for a big day. A loss was the ultimate fate, but at times it appeared that the duo of Henne and Marshall could turn the game around in Miami's favor.
Moving forward, this is definitely the duo of the future. Similar to Terrell Owens, Marshall has stayed away from the tabloids, something that he was accustomed to in Denver, and has managed to focus solely on football.
Has it worked?
It seems like it, even though 340 yards and one touchdown is quite dismal.
As for staying on the same page with the team though, Brandon Marshall will be a key factor if the Dolphins are to start winning again soon.
2. LaDainian Tomlinson
9 of 10
2010 Stats: 435 yards, 3 touchdowns.
To think that LaDainian Tomlinson's career was dead and buried in San Diego is almost a distant memory.
In the beginning, when Rex Ryan first announced that he was targeting Tomlinson, a small ounce of fear struck Jets fans. Not only would L.T's acquisition affect Shonn Greene stats wise, it was also a costly pay check if Tomlinson was to ultimately fail in New York.
Luckily for the Jets and Rex Ryan though, Tomlinson has paid off, and more to the point, has out muscled Shonn Greene in the figures so far this season.
Last week against the Buffalo Bills, LaDainian Tomlinson was an all-out force: 133 yards and two touchdowns on the day, LaDainian Tomlinson then went on to show flashes of his old Charger brilliance that had been lost in recent years.
To add the icing on the cake, L.T. also played a factor against the Minnesota Vikings this past Monday night. Although no touchdowns were recorded, Tomlinson was the cause of many Jets first downs, as he further highlighted the Vikings' poor run defense.
A great pick up?
Of course.
Call him old, call him worn out, Tomlinson only strives off of more criticism. Sure, he may not be back to his San Diego form just yet, but New York truly has been the best thing for Tomlinson, considering how rejuvenated his career looks.
1. Donovan McNabb
10 of 10
2010 Stats: 1,315 yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 interceptions.
Who would have thought that the Washington Redskins would be atop the NFC East, following big time wins over Dallas, Philadelphia and Green Bay?
Yes, the Washington Redskins have achieved their goal. Mike Shanahan has turned this team around, and to give credit where credit is due, the Redskins latest winning ways have been mostly due to the brilliance of Donovan McNabb on a weekly basis.
In comparison to other quarterbacks, McNabb may not be the most gifted player, and lord knows he isn't the most consistent. However, he simply gets the job done at the end of the day, and makes the big time plays in order to post the W.
For the Redskins to be 3-2 on the season, brings a great deal of confidence not only into the team, but McNabb.
Hopefully for the Redskins No. 5 continues to light it up, and perhaps the NFC East will simply collapse beneath Washington, considering how questionable Dallas, Philadelphia and New York are playing on a weekly basis.
It was always a question of how McNabb would pan out in a totally new environment, and it's fair to say he has excelled in every way imaginable.
Applauded by Philadelphia fans to begin the game was memorable, but there should be many more important moments in McNabb's Washington Redskins career.
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