What would it look like if the AFC North joined forces?

Starting Quarterback:  Carson Palmer
I am sure i’ll get some slack for this one, especially from fellow Steeler fans, but I think Carson Palmer is still the better quarterback. Sure my top 10 list doesn’t show that, but that’s also playing some other factors. This, however, is the make or break year for Carson Palmer. His past record still holds high in my book which is why I would give him the nod as of today. But another disappointing season and his stock will drop greatly for me.

Wide Receivers: Chad Johnson, Derrick Mason, and Santonio Holmes
Chad Johnson is the obvious number one here. Antics, distractions, and everything else aside, he is the best WR in the AFC North. TJ might have cracked this list if he was still here, but he saves me the choice of a tough decision between him and Derrick Mason.

Then we have Santonio Holmes, and some of you may be asking, “What? No Hines Ward?” and in that regards two things came to mind. We already have Chad Johnson, and Derrick Mason as your every down wide receivers. While every team needs 3, Hines is a horrible match for that 3rd “gunner” spot. That spot would be perfect for the very speedy and very agile Santonio Holmes, which is why he got the spot.


Running Back: Willie Parker
Ok, so I had this one slotted as Willis McGahee but continually found myself looking back up at it. This one is a toughie. It comes down to Parker, Lewis, and McGahee. My slam on Lewis is he will be 30 going into this season which is like 60 in running back years, and last season we clearly saw the decline. Parker and McGahee fought injuries throughout the regular season but both had somewhat productive seasons. I guess the nail in the coffin which had me change this is Willie Parkers performance in the playoffs. Against the red hot San Diego Chargers, and now fully recovered from his season long nagging injuries, Willie Parker shows us how bad we’ve missed him running for 146 yards in just 27 attempts (a 5.4 avg) and two touchdowns. 

While there is no clear winner on this one, I give Willie Parker the go ahead at this point. Yes I am a Steeler fan so sue me!


Fullback: Le’Ron McClain
I am definitely adding a fullback to this team, not only because McClain is a BEAST, but I am a huge proponent of needing one to have a successful running game. And the Ravens clearly demonstrated this finishing 4th in the league in rushing, with McClain being a huge factor in that success.

Offensive Line: Cleveland Browns
I am a firm believer that an offensive line needs cohesiveness as well as a decent amount of talent to be successful in football. If you look at some of the best college teams year after year, you only have to look at the experience of their offensive line to see why. Sure a little bit of talent doesn’t hurt, but the offensive line needs to function as a unit, which is why I decided not to pick and choose the best individuals in the AFC North and go with the obvious standout in our division. That would be the Cleveland Browns.


Tight End: Heath Miller
Heath Miller separated himself from the pack this season. He is not only an excellent receiver, with great hands and crisp pass routes, but he is one of the best run blocking Tight Ends in the league. Not many Tight Ends in this league can seal of an edge better than Heath Miller.


Defensive Ends: Haloti Ngata, Aaron Smith
This one was pretty simple. Ngata’s stock is growing to be one of the best in the league. Yes, I slid him to DE but he has some pretty good experience there and would be just as dominant.

Next I have Aaron Smith, though often unnoticed, he is one of the most key parts to the Steelers defense. With him in the starting line the Steelers went 34 consecutive games without giving up a 100 yard rusher. The second he went down, the Steelers gave up 2. With him on this line, the Steelers run defense is impenetrable.

Nose Tackle: Casey Hampton, Sean Rogers
The Nose Tackle position is a funny one. We’re obviously going 3-4 here, but the two top picks at this position both are not 3 down lineman. They generally come out for passing downs, mainly to catch a breather. While I would take Casey Hampton as the #1 choice, he will need someone to fill in for him from time to time, and rotate on passing downs. No one better than my close #2 choice, Shaun Rogers.


Right Outside Linebacker: James Harrison
Again a no brainer here, he is the current NFL Defensive MVP, and one of the most impossible linebackers to block. No much I can say about James Harrison that people don’t already know, except for you hate playing against him.


Middle Linebackers: Ray Lewis, James Farrior
Two seasoned veterans crack the lineup in middle of the linebacking core. Both sure tacklers, which both play an important part for their respective teams run defense. Ray Lewis has that speed that can stretch the field and man the middle and lay some punishing hits, while James Farrior can hit the holes, spot the gaps, and stop any running back dead in his tracks.

The youngsters Rivers and Timmons are definitely looking up on this one, but the vets take this one undoubtedly.


Left Outside Linebacker: Terrell Suggs
Terrell Suggs gets the nod here, but only by a hair. LaMarr Woodley only has 1 season under his belt, and while it may have been an impressive one amounting over a third of Suggs career sack total, Suggs is a consistent force who has been the best outside linebacker the Ravens have had for some time.

Plus he gets a sympathy vote for taking a brutal shot from Hines Ward, to which he is still crying about. (<3 Raven fans)


Cornerbacks:  Ike Taylor, Brandon McDonald, Leon Hall
Surprisingly, this is a pretty weak spot for the AFC North. Going into this list I thought our defense would be stellar, but there is no real breath taking, must have, superstar corner on the list. Yes Taylor, McDonald, and Hall are good picks, and maybe we could of squeezed someone else in over one of these three, but overall an above average group of cornerbacks in the division. 

Strong Saftey: Troy Polamalu
As we get down to the Saftey part of the list, it’s pretty much a given who these two are going to be. Troy Polamalu, with his sheer athleticism is one of the biggest individual forces in NFL today. Whether he is breaking up run plays in the back field, leaping over the line to sack a quarterback, or dropping back into coverage, every quarterback in the league must account for where he is on the field at all time. Not many players in this league demand that kind of respect.


Free Saftey: Ed Reed
Reed and Polamalu on the same team would be the scariest thing in the history of the NFL. What’s the yin to Polamalu’s yang? A Free Saftey who is an outstanding center fielder and has a knack for the football. Who better than the best in the league? Ed Reed coming off an amazing season, just seems to always be in the right place at the right time. He just has a sense for where the ball is going to end up and is always there to make the game changing play.


Punter: Dave Zastudil
Booming kicks over 60 yards year after year definitely gets some respect in my book. Especially in the AFC North where field position is critical, Zastudil does a great job at giving the opposing offenses horrible field position. Now only if his defense could keep them there......


Kicker: Shayne Graham
Well Matt Stover was my obvious choice here as I believe he’s the Ravens leading scorer and recently voted as the Ravens “all-time” player, but to my surprise he is no longer a Raven? You mean I don’t get to see that funky back facing stance anymore? Well, that sucks...

So then I have Graham and Reed. Reed has been pretty clutch kicking an impressive 89% in Hines Field, which is arguably one of the worst stadiums to kick in. Opposing teams are an embarrassing 74%. But then I look at Graham numbers over the last few seasons, and he’s no chump himself, and its not like he’s kicking in a dome in Cincy either. Based on percentages alone, I gave the spot to Graham.