NFL Preseason: Davone Bess and 10 Players Who Mean Most to Their Teams

We're officially in Week 2 of the NFL preseason. Amongst the story lines of this young NFL season have been set upon more known commodities such as Mike Vick, Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow.

What a lot of people don't focus their attention on is the unheralded players of this league. These are guys that aren't stars and probably never will be stars, but are so integral to their teams' success that the teams that they play on wouldn't be the same had these players never slipped on their jerseys.

Here are 10 players that are absolutely essential to their team.

Miami Dolphins: Davone Bess

Davone Bess is not the best receiver on the Dolphins; that title obviously belongs to Brandon Marshall. But it can be argued that Davone Bess is as essential to the Dolphins as Brandon Marshall is.

The Dolphins don't have any legit receivers behind Marshall and Bess. Hartline has potential and had his moments last year, but he has yet to prove that he deserves a spot in the starting offense.

Although Davone Bess' size and skillset would seem to indicate that he best belongs as a slot receiver, the guy just continues to produce.

In his best season to date, Bess posted stats of 79 receptions for 820 yards and five TD's, ranking in the top five in the AFC for total receptions. Bess isn't a big play receiver (his longest catch was for 29 yards), but he is the epitome of a possession receiver. He simply moves the chains.

If Bess wasn't on the Dolphins, knowing their mediocre QB situation, Henne wouldn't have a safety blanket in Bess. I think it's safe to say that they would be in a worse situation.

Baltimore Ravens: Vonta Leach

Vonta Leach is a fullback. Unless your name is Mike Alstott, chances are nobody knows who the hell you are if you're a fullback. But Leach is the best in the business at his position.

Leach cleared the way for undrafted first year starter, Arian Foster, to lead the league in rushing in 2010 and become maybe the most unexpected rushing champion of all-time.

Leach's services were desired by five different teams, including the Texans, in July of 2011, but he ultimately chose the Ravens to pave the way for another young right back, Ray Rice.

Leach became the highest paid fullback in the league when the Ravens gave him a three-year contract worth 11 million.

New York Giants: Hakeem Nicks

Want to know why the Giants let Steve Smith walk like it wasn't a big deal? Yes, Smith's injury had  a lot to do with it.

But the reason why the Giants were so comfortable with allowing their former No. 1 receiver who posted over 1,000 yards as recently as 2009 walk to their division rival, the Eagles, was because of Nicks' emergence in 2010, in filling in for Smith.

Smith was your prototypical possession receiver; not flashy, but very consistent. Nicks is not only consistent; he also has big play ability.

Nicks posted 79 receptions for over 1,000 yards and 11 TD's in 2010.

Expect Nicks and Manningham to pick up where they left off in 2010 and make Giants fans go "Steve who?".

New York Jets: Brandon Moore

Brandon Moore gets overshadowed by Ferguson and Nick Mangold, his Pro Bowler teammates, on the New York Jets offensive line that has paved the way for the top rushing attack of 2009, and the second best rushing attack in 2010 with a 32-year-old washed up running back leading the charge.

Moore is one of the most underrated guards in the entire NFL. He may never be named a multiple time All-Pro and he won't be remembered after he retires, but without Moore, the Jets rushing attack would not be the same.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Lawrence Timmons

Lawrence Timmons is overshadowed by his linebacking teammates James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley. Harrison and Woodley are the offensive linebackers in Pittsburgh's blitz-heavy 3-4 scheme that consistenly rack up double digit sacks on a year to year basis.

Timmons is just the guy that makes all of the tackles.

Timmons had 135 tackles last year, which put him seventh amongst all linebackers in the league.

Timmons won't put up double digit sacks because that's not his role, but if you need a stop in the running game, there aren't many that are better than Timmons.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman

On the youngest team in the NFL in 2010, Josh Freeman led the Bucs to a 10-6 record by throwing 25 touchdown passes and six INT's. He also had the 12th lowest percentage of INT's thrown in NFL history.

His best receiver? Mike Williams. No, not that Mike Williams.

Freeman had one of the best seasons of any QB in the NFL last year, and nobody cared because he played for a team with no stars and he was overshadowed by Tom Brady's magnificent MVP season.

If Freeman is to have another year in 2011 as he did in 2010, it would be a mistake to underrate this guy yet again in 2012.

Green Bay Packers: Tramon Williams

Charles Woodson may get all of the acclaim in the defensive backfield of the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, but most Packers fans will tell you that Tramon Williams is the best defensive back on the Packers.

Williams is an absolute ballhawk. He led the team with six INT's and was one of the league leaders in INT's.

Without Tramon Williams, the Packers wouldn't be such a sound defensive team.

Philadelphia Eagles: LeSean McCoy

LeSean McCoy is the one of the top young running backs in the NFL. If it wasn't for Arian Foster, he could be considered the top young running back in the NFL today.

McCoy has so much talent, but what's often forgotten is that he's not just a great running back, but he's a great pass catching back.

McCoy ranked eighth in the NFC with 78 receptions. He was fifth in the NFC in rushing yards and averaged 5.2 yards a carry. Only two starting backs posted a higher yards per carry average than that.

In an offense featuring Vick and DeSean Jackson, McCoy will continue to be an unheralded back. But it doesn't take away the fact that he's a top tier running back.

Denver Broncos: DJ Williams

DJ Williams has been one of the most underrated linebackers since his arrival in 2004.

In the Defensive Rookie of the Year race, former University of Miami teammate Jonathan Vilma beat Williams out for that award. Williams has never played in a Pro Bowl and has never been an All-Pro, yet, he's posted four seasons of 114 plus tackles in his seven seasons in the NFL.

Williams, along with Bailey, are the glue that holds the Broncos defense together. Denver's defense has been bad for the past four seasons, which has kind of undervalued Williams' impact at the linebacker position.

Buffalo Bills: Steve Johnson

OK, this guy is kind of a known commodity. But it's for all of the wrong reasons.

Johnson was fifth in the AFC in receptions, third in the AFC in TD's and was the reason why after several mediocre seasons by Lee Evans, the Bills were finally comfortable letting him go.

Steve Johnson is a physical receiver who has a knack for making grabs in the end zone, something Evans was never consistent at.

Johnson, with an Ivy League QB named Ryan Fitzpatrick, is one of the top 10 receivers in this league. I'd say that's an accomplishment.