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The football off-season is long and torturous so I decided to fill the void a little bit this year with some research and a big feature. I wanted to see what starting lineups in the NFL would look like if teams could only fill their roster with the players that are closest to their location.
Predictably, I discovered a similar study/article in the middle of doing it, but it was not as expansive as this one, so I chose to finish it. In case you are wondering how this directly relates to the Pac-12, I acknowledge that it is a bit of a stretch, but it does feature of ton of Pac-12 alums.
Below are the rosters with some notes, but before that, here are some general notes about how the teams were put together.
- Players were put as close to the home city of their team as possible. Even with Oakland and San Francisco I tried to put players on which city they were closer to as much as I could.
- Players were placed based on where they went to high school as opposed to birthplace. I felt this is key because if a guy is born in Chicago, but goes to high school in Atlanta, he is considered from Atlanta, not Chicago.
- I kept the New York teams separate and just randomly filled the teams with their local players.
- To help fill some rosters, I put this open to college players as well.
- There are a few players that I had to pull from a little out of their direct region.
- There are some players who retired in the past few months (or for some quite a few years), but I am still including these players. Let's say they would be inspired to play another year to represent for their city.
- For some really tough reasons, I not only had to pull out college players, but non-stars and even have them play other positions.
- Any key back-ups that I figured should be noted are in italics after starters.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
This squad is a shoe in to win the NFC West and probably the entire NFC. Try to stop an offense with Brees and Peterson (Dallas will welcome him back to the league) in the backfield, Welker, Crabtree, Wright and Gresham catching passes and this line leading the way. I won’t even get too deep into the defense that has a lights out linebacker group and a monster front with outstanding depth.
QB Drew Brees – Austin (Purdue) – Matthew Stafford, Nick Foles
RB Adrian Peterson – Palestine (Oklahoma) – Justin Forsett, Fred Jackson, Chris Ivory
WR Kendall Wright – Pittsburg (Baylor) – Terrance Williams
WR Wes Welker – Oklahoma City, OK (Texas Tech)
WR Michael Crabtree – Dallas (Texas Tech)
TE Jermaine Gresham – Ardmore, OK (Oklahoma)
T Trent Williams – Longview (Oklahoma)
G Louis Vasquez – Corsicana (Texas Tech)
C Justin Blalock – Plano (Texas)
G Russell Okung – Richmond (Oklahoma State)
T Jason Peters – Queen City (Arkansas)
DE Damontre Moore – Rowlett (Texas A&M) - Tony Jerod-Eddie
DT Gerald McCoy – Oklahoma City, OK (Oklahoma) – Kevin Williams
DT Bennie Logan – Coushatta, LA (LSU) – Casey Walker
DE Cedric Thornton – Star City, AR (Southern Arkansas) Ziggy Hood
LB Von Miller – DeSoto (Texas A&M) – Zavair Gooden, Emmanuel Acho
LB Derrick Johnson – Waco (Texas) – Daryl Washington, Curtis Lofton, Jerrell Freeman
LB Alex Okafor Pflugerville (Texas) – Mike Morgan
CB Aqib Talib – Richardson (Kansas) – Tarrell Brown
CB Charles Tillman – Copperas Cove (Louisiana-Lafayette)
S Kenny Vaccaro – Early (Texas) – Aaron Williams, Daniel Manning
S Tashaun Gipson – Dallas (Wyoming) - Michael Griffin
K Dan Bailey – Yukon, OK (Oklahoma State)
P Daniel Sepulveda – Dallas (Baylor)
New York Giants
This team is really hurt by having to split their roster with the Jets and the fact that the New York area is not great for football talent. They still have a very good running back, receivers/tight end and a decent offensive line. The defense is overall strong as well and would be one of the better units in the league.
QB Matt McGloin – West Scranton, PA (Penn State)
RB Ray Rice – New Rochelle (Rutgers)
WR Mohamed Sanu – Monmouth Junction, NJ (Rutgers)
WR Victor Cruz – Paterson, NJ (UMass)
WR Chris Hogan – Ramapo, NJ (Monmouth)
TE Greg Olsen – Wayne, NJ (Miami)
T Anthony Davis – Piscataway, NJ (Rutgers)
G Willie Colon – Bronx (Hofstra) – Oday Oboushi
C Jeremy Zuttah – Edison, NJ (Rutgers)
G Vladimir Ducasse – Stamford, CT (UMass)
T T.J. Clemmings – Paterson, NJ (Pittsburgh)
DE Muhammad Wilkerson – Linden, NJ (Temple)
DT B.J. Raji – Westwood, NJ (Boston College)
DE Vinny Curry – Neptune, NJ (Marshall)
LB Brian Cushing – Oradell, NJ (USC)
LB Junior Galette – Montvale, NJ (Stillman)
LB Tahir Whitehead – Newark, NJ (Temple)
LB Tamba Hali – Teaneck, NJ (Penn State)
CB Jason McCourty – Montvale, NJ (Rutgers)
CB Devin McCourty – Montvale, NJ (Rugers)
S Malcolm Jenkins – Piscataway, NJ (Ohio State)
S Mike Adams – Paterson, NJ (Delaware)
K/P Patrick Murray – Mahwah, NJ (Fordham)
Philadelphia Eagles
This seems like a pretty good, not great team to me. Ryan and McCoy would be a nice backfield and Ryan would have Colston and some promising young receivers to throw to. The defense would have some strong points at defensive tackle and cornerback and would overall be really good.
QB Matt Ryan – Philadelphia (Boston College) – Joe Flacco
RB LeSean McCoy – Harrisburg (Pittsburgh) – Bernard Pierce, Shonn Greene
WR Maques Colston – Harrisburg (Hofstra) – Jaelen Strong
WR Rod Streator – Burlington Township, NJ (Temple)
WR Kevin White – Emmaus (West Virginia)
TE Garrett Graham – Brick, NJ (Wisconsin)
T Justin Pugh – Council Rock (Syracuse)
G Jahri Evans – Philadelphia (Bloomsburg)
C Brandon Fusco – Harmony (Slippery Rock)
G Johnnie Troutman – Trenton, NJ (Penn State)
T Will Beatty – York (UConn)
DE Shaun Phillips – Willingboro, NJ (Purdue)
DT Sharrif Floyd – Philadelphia (Florida) – Devon Still
DT Jared Odrick – Lebanon (Penn State) – Jordan Hill
DE Derrick Morgan – Coatesville (Georgia Tech)
LB Mark Herzlich – Tredyffrin (Boston College)
LB Jameel McClain – Philadelphia (Syracuse)
LB Danny Lansanah – Harrisburg (UConn)
CB Brent Grimes – Philadelphia (Shippensburg)
CB Logan Ryan – Voorhees, NJ (Rutgers)
S Anthony Walters – Springfield (Delaware)
S Jeromy Miles – Winslow Township, NJ (UMass)
K/P Brandon McManus – Towamencin Township (Temple)
Washington Redskins
Russell Wilson would lead a team with a strong offensive line and solid receivers/tight ends. The defense would be one of the toughest in the league as well with Long, Mayo and Chancellor holding it down.
QB Russell Wilson – Richmond (Wisconsin)
RB Ben Tate – Snow Hill, MD (Auburn) – Rashad Jennings
WR Eddie Royal – Chantilly (Virginia Tech)
WR Torrey Smith – Falmouth (Maryland)
WR Percy Harvin – Virginia Beach (Florida)
TE Vernon Davis – Washington DC (Maryland)
T Duane Brown – Richmond (Virginia Tech)
G Doug Legursky – Beckley, WV (Marshall)
C Will Montgomery – Clifton (Virginia Tech)
G Don Barclay – Newport News (West Virginia)
T Morgan Moses – North Chesterfield (Virginia)
DE Andre Branch – Richmond (Clemson)
DT Kendall Langford – Petersburg (Hampton)
DT Ego Ferguson – Chatham (LSU) – Eddie Goldman
DE Chris Long – Charlottesville (Virginia)
LB Jerod Mayo – Hampton (Tennessee)
LB Akeem Jordan – Harrisonburg (James Madison)
LB Quinton Coples – Chatham (North Carolina)
CB Vontae Davis – Washington DC (Illinois)
CB Chris Crocker – Chesapeake (Marshall)
S Kam Chancellor – Norfolk (Virginia Tech)
S Antoine Bethea – Newport News (Howard)
K Nick Novak – Charlottesville (Maryland)
P Jeremy Kapinos – Springfield (Penn State)
NFC North
Detroit Lions
This seems like a decent middle-of-the road team. There is nothing truly remarkable about the team, but it is solid and deep across the board. Roethlisberger to Gates would be the calling card of their offense.
QB Ben Roethlisberger – Findlay, OH (Miami, Ohio)
RB Mark Ingram – Flint (Alabama) – Jonas Gray
WR Nate Washington – Toledo, OH (Tiffin)
WR Allen Robinson – Orchard Lake Village (Penn State)
WR Devin Funchess – Harrison (Michigan)
TE Antonio Gates – Detroit (Kent State)
T Jake Long – Lapeer (Michigan) – Joe Barksdale
G T.J. Long – Bloomfield Hills (Eastern Michigan)
C Jack Mewhort – Toledo, OH (Ohio State)
G Todd Herremans – Ravenna (Saginaw Valley State)
T Joe Staley Rockford (Central Michigan) – Eric Fisher
DE Jason Jones – Southfield (Eastern Michigan) – Mike Martin
DT Cullen Jenkins – Belleville (Central Michigan)
DT Johnathan Hankins – Detroit (Ohio State) – Tyrone Crawford
DE Kevin Vickerson – Detroit (Michigan State) – William Gholston
LB Connor Barwin – Detroit (Cincinnati) - Dan Skuta
LB Larry Foote – Detroit (Michigan) – Brad Jones
LB Lamarr Woodley – Saginaw (Michigan) – Frank Zombo
CB Alan Ball – Detroit (Illinois)
CB Brandon Carr – Flint Township (Grand Valley State)
S Jeff Heath – Lake Orion (Saginaw Valley State)
S Trenton Robinson – Bay City (Michigan State)
K Shaun Suisham – Wallaceburg, ON (Bowling Green)
P Brandon Fields – Toledo, OH (Michigan State)
Green Bay
This ended up being one of my favorite teams. The offensive line might be the best in the league, Romo could get the ball to crafty receivers and hand off to Gordon. On defense Watt will have to hold everything down, but he could give them a shot.
QB Tony Romo – Burlington (Eastern Illinois)
RB Melvin Gordon – Kenosha (Wisconsin)
WR Nick Toon – Middleton (Wisconsin)
WR Jared Abbredidis – Wautoma (Wisconsin)
TE Lance Kendricks – Milwaukee (Wisconsin)
TE Derek Carrier – Edgerton (Beloit)
T Joe Thomas – Brookfield (Wisconsin) – Doug Free
G Brandon Brooks – Milwaukee (Miami, Ohio) – Kraig Urbik
C Travis Frederick – Walworth (Wisconsin) – Peter Konz
G Kevin Zeitler – Milwaukee (Wisconsin)
T Ricky Wagner – West Allis (Wisconsin) – Gabe Carimi
DE Ben Gardner – Mequon (Stanford)
DT J.J. Watt – Pewaukee (Wisconsin)
DT Nick Hayden – Hartland (Wisconsin)
LB DeAndre Levy – Milwaukee (Wisconsin)
LB A.J. Klein – Kimberly (Iowa State)
LB Mike Taylor – Ashwaubenon (Wisconsin)
LB Nick Roach – Milwaukee (Northwestern)
CB Trae Waynes – Kenosha (Michigan State)
CB Alex Erickson – Darlington (Wisconsin)
S Chris Maragos – Racine (Wisconsin)
S Jim Leonhard – Tony (Wisconsin)
K Brett Hartmann – Menomonee Falls (Central Michigan)
P Brad Nortman – Brookfield (Wisconsin)
Minnesota Vikings
This team has some sneaky great units like the receiver and tight end group and is decent on the offensive line, but will simply not succeed with their backfield and defensive backfield.
QB Danny O’Brien – Minneapolis (Catawba)
RB Zach Zenner – Eagan (South Dakota State)
WR Eric Decker – Cold Spring (Minnesota)
WR Larry Fitzgerald – Richfield (Pitt)
WR Michael Floyd – St. Paul (Notre Dame)
TE Maxx Williams – Waconia (Minnesota) – John Carlson
T Seantrel Henderson – St. Paul (Miami)
G Ryan Harris – St. Paul (Notre Dame)
C Brad Meester – Parkersburg, IA (Northern Iowa)
G Tom Compton – Rosemount (South Dakota)
T Riley Reiff – Parkston, SD (Iowa)
DE Kyle Vanden Bosch – Larchwood, IA (Nebraska)
DT Ra’Shede Hageman – Minneapolis (Minnesota)
DT Beau Allen – Minnetonka (Wisconsin)
DE Karl Klug – Caledonia (Iowa)
LB Chad Greenway – Mount Vernon, SD (Iowa)
LB James Laurinaitis – Wayzata (Ohio State)
LB Ramon Humber – Champlin (North Dakota State)
CB Marcus Williams – Minnetonka (North Dakota State)
CB Marcus Sherels – Rochester (Minnesota)
S Craig Dahl – Mankato (North Dakota State)
S Dominique Barber – Wayzata (Minnesota)
K Adam Vinatieri – Yankton, SD (South Dakota State)
P Jon Ryan – Regina, SK (Regina)
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
A heavy contender to be the best team, just look at this receiver group… A.J. Green is the third-best receiver. Newton could assuredly tear up defenses with those receivers and a good offensive line. The defense is utterly stacked and could easily be the best in the league.
QB Cam Newton – Atlanta (Auburn) – Jameis Winston
RB Zac Stacy – Centreville, AL (Vanderbilt) – Mike Davis, Storm Johnson
WR Calvin Johnson – Tyrone (Georgia Tech) – Roddy White
WR Demaryius Thomas – Dublin (Georgia Tech)
WR A.J. Green – Summerville, SC (Georgia)
TE Jared Cook – Suwanee (South Carolina)
T Andrew Smith – Birmingham, AL (Alabama)
G Evan Mathis – Homewood, AL (Alabama) – Ben Grubbs
C Fernando Velasco – Wrens (Georgia)
G James Carpenter – Hephzibah (Alabama) – Clint Boling
T Cordy Glenn – Riverdale (Georgia)
DE Robert Quinn – North Charleston, SC (North Carolina) – Chris Clemons
DT Marcell Dareus – Birmingham, AL (Alabama) – Sammie Lee Hill
DT Josh Chapman – Hoover, AL (Alabama) – Robert Nkemdiche
DE DeMarcus Ware – Auburn, AL (Troy) – Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora
LB Justin Houston – Statesboro (Georgia) – Bruce Irvin
LB Karlos Dansby – Birmingham, AL (Auburn) – Daryl Smith
LB Robert Mathis – Atlanta (Alabama A&M) – Alec Ogletree
CB Byron Maxwell – North Charleston, SC (Clemson) – Corey White
CB Brandon Boykin – Fayetteville (Georgia) – William Gay
S Rashad Johnson – Sulligent, AL (Alabama)
S Eric Berry – Fairburn (Tennessee)
K John Kasay – Athens (Georgia)
P Sam Martin – Fayetteville (Appalachian State)
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers don’t have much at quarterback, but the team is pretty legit outside of that. The receiver group and the defensive front would be top notch.
QB Tyler Thigpen – Winnsboro, SC (Coastal Carolina)
RB Todd Gurley – Tarboro (Georgia)
WR DeAndre Hopkins – Central, SC (Clemson) – Hakeem Nicks
WR Alshon Jeffery – St. Matthews, SC (South Carolina)
WR Keenan Allen – Greensboro (Cal)
TE Dwayne Allen – Fayetteville (Clemson) – Heath Miller
T Xavier Nixon – Fayetteville (Florida)
G J.R. Sweezy – Mooresville (NCState)
C Jonathan Goodwin – Hopkins, SC (Michigan)
G A.J. Cann – Bamberg, SC (South Carolina)
T Willie Smith – Kenly (East Carolina)
DE Mario Williams – Richlands (NCState)
DT Vance Walker – Fort Mill, SC (Georgia Tech)
DE Julius Peppers – Bailey (North Carolina) – Devin Taylor
LB Sio Moore – Apex (UConn)
LB Brandon Spikes – Shelby (Florida)
LB Lawrence Timmons – Florence, SC (Florida State)
LB Nate Irving – Teachey (NCState)
CB Jonathan Joseph – Rock Hill, SC (South Carolina) – Tim Jennings
CB Coty Sensabaugh – Kingsport, TN (Clemson) – Stephon Gilmore
S Marcus Gilchrist – High Point (Clemson)
S Earl Wolff – Raeford (NCState)
K Chandler Catanzaro – Greenville, SC (Clemson)
P Ryan Quigley – North Myrtle Beach, SC (Boston College)
New Orleans
Peyton throwing the ball to Jones, Beckham Jr and Randle would be a nice little connection and with Forte running behind that front, he would have plenty of help in the running game. Combine that with a defense with pretty much no flaws and a deep and deadly front and you should have the best team in the NFL South.
QB Peyton Manning – New Orleans (Tennessee) – Eli Manning
RB Matt Forte – Slidell (Tulane) – Alfred Morris, Stevan Ridley
WR Julio Jones – Foley, AL (Alabama) – Mike Wallace
WR Odell Beckham Jr. – New Orleans (LSU) – Doug Baldwin
WR Ruben Randle – Bastrop (LSU) – Reggie Wayne
TE Ladarius Green – Pensacola, FL (Louisiana-Lafayette)
T Andrew Whitworth – West Monroe (LSU) – D.J. Fluker
G Josh Sitton – Pensacola, FL (UCF) – Trai Turner, Rishaw Johnson
C Rodney Hudson – Mobile, AL (Florida State)
G Ronald Leary – Baton Rouge (Memphis) – Gabe Jackson
T DeMar Dotson – Alexandria (Southern Miss) – Jordan Mills
DE Fletcher Cox – Yazoo City, MS (Mississippi State) – George Selvie, Tyson Jackson
DT Sen’Derrick Marks – Prichard, AL (Auburn) – Glenn Dorsey
DT Nick Fairley – Mobile, AL (Auburn) – Jason Hatcher, Antonio Johnson
DE Eugene Sims – Mise, MS (West Texas A&M) – Wallace Gilberry
LB Jamie Collins – Meadville, MS (Southern Miss) – Parys Haralson
LB C.J. Mosley – Theodore, AL (Alabama) – DeMario Davis
LB Barkevious Mingo – West Monroe (LSU)
CB Tyrann Mathieu – New Orleans (LSU) – Keenan Lewis, Captain Munnerlyn
CB Tramaine Brock – Long Beach, MS (Belhaven) – Tramon Williams
S Glover Quinn – Summit, MS (New Mexico) – LaRon Landry
S Eric Reid – Giesmar (LSU) – Mark Barron, Robert Lester
K Stephen Gostowski – Madison, MS (Memphis)
P Mike Scifres – Destrehan (Western Illinois)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I thought that this team would be better, but it is still pretty good. Love the receiver group that Bortles can throw to and the Pounceys on the line is nice. The defense would have a strong front and a lot of depth across the board.
QB Blake Bortles – Orlando (UCF)
RB Chris Johnson – Orlando (East Carolina)
WR Brandon Marshall – Winter Park (UCF)
WR Sammy Watkins – South Fort Myers (Clemson)
WR Riley Cooper – Clearwater (Florida)
TE Michael Gaines – Tallahassee (UCF)
T Jah Reid – Haines City (UCF)
G Mike Pouncey – Lakeland (Florida)
C Maurkice Pouncey – Lakeland (Florida)
G Tyler Moore – Clearwater (Florida)
T Max Starks – Orlando (Florida)
DE Dante Fowler Jr. – St. Petersburg (Florida)
DT Brodrick Bunkley – Tampa (Florida State) – Ryan Pickett
DT Ian Williams – Longwood (Notre Dame) – Terrence Cody
DE Kyle Wilber – Apopka (Wake Forest) – Jaye Howard
LB Danny Trevathan – Leesburg (Kentucky) – Aaron Lynch
LB D’Qwell Jackson – Seminole (Maryland)
LB Keith Rivers – Lake Mary (USC)
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – Bradenton (Tennessee State) – Nickell Robey
CB Drayton Florence – Ocala (Tuskegee) – Sam Shields
S Chris Clemons – Arcadia (Clemson) – Reggie Nelson, Brandon Meriweather
S Nate Allen – Cape Coral (South Florida)
K/P Matt Prater – Estero (UCF)
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Not a bad team. A nice offensive line to pound Murray and Jackson with and a decent caretaker QB in Fitzpatrick with a potential franchise guy in Hundley in the wings. I like the defensive line and really like the linebackers.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick – Gilbert (Harvard) – Brett Hundley
RB DeMarco Murray – Las Vegas, NV
RB Steven Jackson – Las Vegas, NV
WR Markus Wheaton – Chandler (Oregon State)
WR Hank Baskett – Clovis, NM (New Mexico)
TE Zach Miller – Phoenix (Arizona State)
T Taylor Lewan – Scottsdale (Michigan)
G Richie Incognito – Glendale (Nebraska)
C Lyle Sendelein – Scottsdale (Texas)
G Mike Pollak – Scottsdale (Arizona State)
T Andrus Peat – Tempe (Stanford)
DE Everson Griffen – Avondale (USC) – Billy Winn
DT Alan Branch – Albuquerque, NM (Michigan)
DE Cameron Jordan – Chandler (Cal) – Dion Jordan
LB Terrell Suggs – Chandler (Arizona State)
LB Brandon Marshall – Las Vegas, NV (Nevada)
LB Devon Kennard – Phoenix (USC)
LB Brooks Reed – Tucson (Arizona)
CB Prince Amukamara – Glendale (Nebraska)
CB Jalil Brown – Phoenix – (Colorado)
S Jared Tevis – Tucson (Arizona)
S Eric Hagg – Peoria (Nebraska)
K/P – Jeff Locke – Glendale (UCLA)
San Francisco 49ers
Could Brady turn this team into the new Patriots? He has some really nice tools at the skill positions, but would have some soft spots on the offensive line. The defense is a little aged up front and weak in the back, but I love the linebacker group.
QB Tom Brady – San Mateo (Michigan)
RB Doug Martin – Stockton (Boise State)
WR Julian Edelman – Redwood City (Kent State)
WR DaVante Adams – Palo Alto (Fresno State)
WR James Jones – San Jose (San Jose State)
TE Zach Ertz – Danville (Stanford)
T David Bahktiari – San Mateo (Colorado)
G Andy LeVitre – Felton (Oregon State)
C Evan Dietrich – Salinas (Idaho State)
G Paul Fanaika – Millbrae (Arizona State)
T Ty Sambrailo – Watsonville (Colorado State)
DE Jared Allen – Los Gatos (Idaho State)
DT Derek Landri – Concord (Notre Dame)
DE Andre Carter – San Jose (Cal)
LB Kiko Alonso – Los Gatos (Oregon)
LB Rey Maualuga – Eureka (USC)
LB Mason Foster – Seaside (Washington)
LB Scooby Wright III – Santa Rosa (Arizona)
CB T.J. Carrie – Concord (Ohio)
CB Trumaine Johnson – Stockton (Montana)
S T.J. Ward – Concord (Oregon)
S Dwight Lowery – Soquel (San Jose State)
K/P Justin Medlock – San Jose (UCLA)
Seattle Seahawks
Due to a population hub that is frequently becoming less and less blue collar, the Northwest doesn’t really produce a roster that would keep the Seahawks playing in Super Bowls, but this squad wouldn’t be a complete pushover. With some talent on the offensive line and Sankey and Stewart teamed with Locker, the Seahawks could pound the ball on offense and then build a defense around Suh and a lockdown corner in Desmond Trufant with an aging star at safety in Polamalu.
QB Jake Locker – Ferndale (Washington) – Derek Anderson
RB Bishop Sankey – Spokane (Washington)
FB Jonathan Stewart – Olympia (Oregon)
WR Jermaine Kearse – Lakewood (Washington)
WR Brandon Gibson – Puyallup (Washington State)
TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins – Gig Harbor (Washington) – Nate Burleson
T Jordan Gross – Fruitland, ID (Utah) – Mike Remmers
G David DeCastro – Bellevue (Stanford)
C Stephen Schilling – Bellevue (Michigan) Isaac Seumalo
G Paul McQuistan – Lebanon, OR (Weber State)
T Michael Roos – Vancouver (Eastern Washington)
DE Shea McClellin – Marsing, ID (Boise State)
DT Ndamukong Suh – Portland, OR (Nebraska)
DT Danny Shelton – Auburn (Washington)
DE Ropati Pitoitua – Lakewood (Washington State)
LB Myles Jack – Bellevue (UCLA)
LB Bryan Braman – Spokane (West Texas A&M)
LB Gabe Miller – Lake Oswego, OR (Oregon State)
CB Desmond Trufant – Tacoma (Washington)
CB Isaiah Trufant – Tacoma (Eastern Washington)
S Troy Polamalu – Winston, OR (USC)
K Rian Lindell – Vancouver (Washington State)
P Johnny Hekker – Bothell (Oregon State)
St. Louis Rams
This team has some really nice spots on defense such as the line and at safety, but also really lacks talent and depth as much as any team in this restructured league like offensive line, cornerback and receiver. I do like their depth at running back and having Maclin though, but overall, this is not a great team.
QB Blaine Gabbert – Ballwin (Missouri)
RB Montee Ball – Wentzville (Wisconsin) – Ezekiel Elliott
RB Peyton Hillis – Conway, AR (Arkansas)
WR Jeremy Maclin – Kirkwood (Missouri)
WR Chris Brooks – St. Louis (Nebraska)
TE Michael Hoomanawonui – Bloomington, IL (Illinois)
T Terron Armstead – Cahokia, IL (UAPB)
G Dan Connolly – Chesterfield (Southeast Missouri State)
C Allen Barbre – Granby (Missouri Southern State)
G Jermey Parnell – Gosnell, AR (Mississippi)
T Justin Britt – Lebanon (Missouri)
DE David Bass – St. Louis (Missouri Western State)
DT Sheldon Richardson – St. Louis (Missouri)
DT C.J. Mosley – Waynesville (Missouri)
DE Adrian Clayborn – Webster Groves (Iowa)
LB Will Compton – North County (Nebraska)
LB Chris Kirksey – Hazelwood (Iowa)
LB Kony Ealy – New Madrid (Missouri)
CB E.J. Gaines – Independence (Missouri)
CB Marvin McNutt – Florissant (Iowa)
S Jairus Byrd – Clayton (Oregon)
S William Moore – Hayti (Missouri)
K/P Neil Rackers – St. Louis (Illinois)
AFC East
Buffalo Bills
The Bills simply suffer from not having enough football players and their not well-populated region.
QB Mike Renaud – Ottawa, ON (Concordia)
RB Latavius Murray – Onondaga (UCF)
RB James Starks – Niagara Falls (Buffalo)
WR Mike Williams – Buffalo (Syracuse)
WR Naaman Roosevelt – Buffalo (Buffalo)
TE Chris Gronkowski – Buffalo (Arizona)
T Brandon Albert – Rochester (Virginia)
G Brandyn Dombrowski – Buffalo (San Diego State)
C Austin Pasztor – Tillonsburg, ON (Virginia)
G J.C. Tretter – Akron (Cornell)
T David Foucoult – LaSalle, QB (Edouorad-Montpetit)
DE Trevor Scott – Potsdam (Buffalo)
DT Stefan Charles – Oshawa, ON (Regina)
DE Doug Worthington – Athol Springs (Ohio State)
LB Chandler Jones – Union-Endicott (Syracuse)
LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar – Syracuse (Boston College)
LB Christo Bilukidi – Ottawa, ON (Georgia State)
LB Arthur Jones – Union-Endicott (Syracuse)
CB Corey Graham – Buffalo (New Hampshire)
CB Ellis Hobbs – Niagara Falls (Iowa State)
S Tyvon Branch – North Syracuse (UConn)
S Jon Corto – Orchard Park (Sacred Heart)
K/P Brett Kern – Grand Island (Toledo)
Miami Dolphins
A favorite to at least contend for the AFC title, this team is stacked at receiver and everywhere on defense. Could be better at quarterback and some other spots, but this team doesn’t have a real weakness.
QB Teddy Bridgewater – Miami (Louisville)
RB Giovani Bernard – Fort Lauderdale (North Carolina) – Frank Gore, Tre Mason
WR Antonio Brown – Miami (Central Michigan) – Andre Johnson
WR T.Y. Hilton – Miami ( Florida International) – Kelvin Benjamin
WR Anquan Boldin – Pahokee (Florida State)
TE Nick O’Leary – Palm Beach Gardens (Florida State)
T Orlando Franklin – Delray Beach (Miami) – Ereck Flowers
G Brandon Linder – Fort Lauderdale (Miami) – Brandon Washington
C Chris Myers – Miami (Miami)
G Joe Looney – Lake Worth (Wake Forest) – Davin Joseph
T Marcus Gilbert – Fort Lauderdale (Florida) – Sam Young
DE Elvis Dumervil – Miami (Louisville) – Israel Idonije, Ezekiel Ansah
DT Geno Atkins – Fort Lauderdale (Georgia) – Ed Stinson
DT Vince Wilfork – Lantana (Miami) – Pat Sims
DE Olivier Vernon – Miami (Miami) – Jonathan Massaqoui
LB LaVonte David – Miami (Nebraska) – Khalil Mack
LB Stephen Tulloch – Miami (NCState) - Denzel Perryman
LB Emmanuel Lamur – West Palm Beach (Kansas State)
CB Patrick Peterson – Pompano Beach (LSU)
CB Xavier Rhodes – Miami (Florida State)
S Antrell Rolle – Homestead (Miami) – Matt Elam
S Louis Delmas – North Miami Beach (Western Michigan)
K Cody Parkey – Jupiter (Alabama)
P Matt Bosher – Jupiter (Miami)
New England
Sorry Patriots, your dynasty is over in this experiment.
QB Matt Hasselbeck – Westwood (Boston College)
RB Jordan Todman – Dartmouth (UConn)
FB Anthony Sherman – North Attleboro (UConn)
WR Sean Morey – Marshfield (Brown)
WR Kory Sheets – Bloomfield, CT (Purdue)
TE Richard Rodgers – Shrewsbury (Cal)
T Sebastian Vollmer – Neuss, GE (Houston)
G Breno Giacomini – Malden (Louisville)
C MacKenzy Bernadeau – Waltham (Bentley)
G Menelik Watson – Manchester, UK (Florida State)
T Gosder Cherilus – Somerville (Boston College)
DE Mike DeVito – Nauset, ME (Maine)
DT Chris Baker – Windsor, CT (Hampton)
DT Terrance Knighton – Windows, CT (Temple)
DE Kendall Reyes – Nashua, NH (UConn)
LB Matt Shaughnessy – Norwich, CT (Wisconsin)
LB Bjorn Werner – Salisbury, CT (Florida State)
LB Dwight Freeney – Bloomfield, CT (Syracuse)
CB Will Blackmon – Warwick, RI (Boston College)
CB Amari Spievey – Middletown, CT (Iowa)
S James Ihedigbo – Amherst (UMass)
S Jamie Silva – East Providence, RI (Boston College)
K/P Steven Hauschka – Needham (NCState)
New York Jets
Just like the Giants, simply not enough talent going around for the Jets, but they still have a decent squad.
QB Mat Simms – Ramsey, NJ (Tennessee)
RB Knoshown Moreno – Middletown, NJ (Georgia)
RB Donald Brown – Red Bank, NJ (UConn)
WR Kenny Britt – Bayonne, NJ (Rutgers)
WR Miles Austin – Garfield, NJ (Monmouth)
TE Anthony Fasano – Vernoa, NJ (Notre Dame)
T Eugene Monroe – Plainfield, NJ (Virginia)
G Kevin Boothe – Queens (Cornell)
C Rich Ohrnberger – East Meadow (Penn State)
G Josue Matias – Union City, NJ (Florida State)
T D’Brickashaw Ferguson – Freeport (Virginia)
DE Corey Wooten – Ramsey, NJ (Northwestern)
DT John Jenkins – Meriden, CT (Georgia)
DT Stephen Bowen – Dix Hills (Hostra)
DE Dominique Easley – Staten Island (Florida)
LB Khaseem Greene – Elizabethtown, NJ (Rutgers)
LB Vincent Rey – Far Rockaway (Duke)
LB Trevardo Williams – Bridgeport, CT (UConn)
CB Dwayne Gratz – Piscataway, NJ (UConn)
CB Kyle Wilscon – Piscataway, NJ (Boise State)
S Will Hill – Jersey City, NJ (Florida)
S Steven Gregory – Brooklyn (Syracuse)
K/P John Carney – Hartford, CT (Notre Dame)
AFC West
Denver Broncos
I like this team a little bit more than I thought I did at first. They could pound with Asiata and pass to Woodhead out of the backfield with a decent offensive line and throw the ball to Jackson. The defensive front would be loaded and damn near impossible to run on, but this team would come undone in the back seven where the region just doesn’t produce NFL talent.
QB Brock Osweiler – Kalispell, MT (Arizona State)
RB Matt Asisata – West Valley, UT (Utah)
RB Danny Woodhead – North Platte, NE (Chadron State)
WR Vincent Jackson – Colorado Springs (Northern Colorado)
WR John Matthews – Littleton (San Diego)
TE Ryan Hewitt – Denver (Stanford)
T Nate Solder – Buena Vista (Colorado) – Tyler Polumbus
G Zane Beadles – Midvale, UT (Utah)
C Ryan Miller – Littleton (Colorado)
G Erik Pears – Denver (Colorado State)
T Phil Loadholt – Fountain (Oklahoma)
DE Calais Campbell – Denver (Miami)
DT Haloti Ngata – Salt Lake City, UT (Oregon) – Dwan Edwards
DT Star Lotulelei – South Jordan, UT (Utah) – Stephen Paea, Sealver Siliga
DE Lamarr Houston – Colorado Springs (Texas)
LB Paul Kruger – Orem, UT (Utah)
LB Dane Fletcher – Bozeman, MT (Montana State)
LB Kroy Bierman – Hardin, MT (Montana)
CB Derrick Martin – Westminster (Wyoming)
CB Colt Anderson – Butte, MT (Montana)
S Chris Prosinski – Buffalo, WY (Wyoming)
S Reed Doughty – Johnstown (Northern Colorado)
K/P Dan Carpenter – Helena, MT (Montana)
Kansas City Chiefs
This team has no quarterback, but with Sproles, Nelson, Green-Beckham and Paul, they could be pretty electric at skill positions even if their offensive line isn’t very good. The defense probably wouldn’t be anything special, but it is pretty solid for a non-major city.
QB Shaun Hill – Parsons, KS (Maryland)
RB Darren Sproles – Olate, KS (Kansas State) – Bryce Brown
WR Jordy Nelson – Riley, KS (Kansas State)
WR Dorial Green-Beckham – Springfield (Oklahoma)
WR Robert Meachem – Tulsa, OK (Tennessee)
TE Niles Paul – Omaha, NE (Nebraska) – Brandon Meyers
T Brandon Scherff – Denison, IA (Iowa) – Michael Bowie
G Mike Briel – Fayettesville, AR (Colorado State) – Spencer Long
C Tim Barnes – Hughesville (Missouri)
G Chad Rinehart – Boone, IA (Northern Iowa) – Alvin Bailey
T Donald Stephenson – Blue Springs (Oklahoma)
DE Justin Smith – Jefferson City (Missouri)
DT Jared Crick – Cozad, NE (Nebraska)
DT Sylvester Williams – Jefferson City (North Carolina)
DE Kameron Wimbley – Wichita, KS (Florida State)
LB Shane Ray – Shawnee Mission, KS (Missouri)
LB Arthur Brown – Wichita, KS (Kansas State)
LB Aldon Smith – Raytown (Missouri)
CB Chris Harris Jr. – Bixby, OK (Kansas)
CB Terrence Newman – Salina, KS (Kansas State)
S Darrell Stuckey – Kansas City, KS (Kansas)
S Ty Zimmerman – Junction City, KS (Kansas State)
K Josh Brown – Tulsa, OK (Nebraska)
P Sam Koch – Seward, NE (Nebraska)
Oakland Raiders
This team is all about the Rodgers/Lynch combo that never truly got to happen at Cal, but the only problem is that they would not be protected by the best offensive line as it is pretty sparse outside of Mankins and Leno. The good news is that they have an excellent second running option in Helu and solid receivers along with a tight end. The defense also has major issues up front, but does have an excellent linebacker group whose second unit is better than many starting units.
QB Aaron Rodgers – Chico (Cal)
RB Marshawn Lynch – Oakland (Cal)
FB Roy Helu Jr. – Danville (Nebraska)
WR Malcolm Floyd – Sacrament (Wyoming)
WR Brandin Cooks – Stockton (Oregon State)
WR Stevie Johnson – Fairfield (Kentucky)
T Bryce Harris – Tulare (Fresno State)
G Logan Mankins – Mariposa (Fresno State)
C Harvey Dahl – Fallon, NV (Nevada)
G Kenny Wiggins – Elk Grove (Fresno State)
T Charles Leno – San Leandro (Boise State)
DE Akiem Hicks – Fair Oaks (Regina)
DT Justin Bannan – Sacramento (Colorado)
DT Villiami Moala – Sacramento (Cal)
DE D’Aundre Reed – Sacramento (Arizona)
LB Lorenzo Alexander – Berkeley (Cal) – Donald Butler
LB Mychal Kendricks – Fresno (Cal) – Eric Kendricks
LB Lance Briggs – Elk Grove (Arizona) – Shaq Thompson
CB Asa Jackson – Sacramento (Cal Poly)
CB Marcus Peters – Oakland (Washington)
S Thomas DeCoud – Pinole (Cal) - James Sample
S T.J. McDonald – Fresno (USC)
K/P Joe Nedney – San Jose (San Jose State)
San Diego Chargers
This might be my favorite team. I just wish they had a better quarterback. My favorite part is the offensive line, you could hand off to Foster, Mathews, Vereen and Bush behind that offensive line and probably run over everyone. I also love the defense, which teams Sherman and Browner again with Weddle and has a great front seven.
QB Carson Palmer – Santa Margarita (USC) – Alex Smith, Matt Cassel, Marcus Mariota
RB Arian Foster – San Diego (Tennessee) – Reggie Bush
RB Ryan Mathews – Bakersfield (Fresno State) – Shane Vereen
WR DeSean Jackson – Long Beach (Cal) – Kenny Stills, Marqise Lee
WR Steve Smith – Los Angeles (Utah) – Robert Woods, Marvin Jones
TE Delanie Walker – Pomona (Central Missouri)
T Tyron Smith – Moreno Valley (USC) – Matt Kalil, Donald Penn
G Mike Iupati – Anaheim (Idaho) – Geoff Schwartz
C Ryan Kalil – Anaheim (USC) – Alex Mack, Max Unger
G Joel Bitonio – Long Beach (Nevada) – Max Snyder
T Ryan Clady – Rialto (Boise State) – Mitchell Schwartz
DE Jurrel Casey – Long Beach (USC)
DT Brandon Mebane – Los Angeles (Cal)
DT Mike Patterson – Los Alamitos (USC)
DE Tyson Alualu – Honolulu, HI (Cal)
LB Clay Matthews – Agoura (USC) – Malcolm Smith, Koa Misi
LB Bobby Wagner – Ontario (Utah State) – Manti Te’o
LB Vontaze Burfict – Corona (Arizona State) – Akeem Ayers, Anthony Barr
CB Richard Sherman – Compton (Stanford) – Alterraun Verner
CB Brandon Browner – Sylmar (Oregon State) – Jimmy Wilson
S Eric Weddle – Alta Loma (Utah) – Patrick Chung
S Rahim Moore – Los Angeles (UCLA) – Dashon Goldson
K Nick Folk – Sherman Oaks (Arizona)
P Bryan Anger – Camarillo (Cal)
AFC South
Houston Texans
This offense wouldn’t have the best line, but Luck handing off to Charles and tossing the ball to Bryant, Sanders, Evans, Amaro and Bennett would be unfair. The defensive line would be unbelievably stacked and Orakpo and Thomas would add star power in a back seven that surprisingly would not be very deep.
QB Andrew Luck – Houston (Stanford)
RB Jamaal Charles – Port Arthur (Texas) – Knile Davis, Charles Sims
WR Dez Bryant – Lufkin (Oklahoma State) – Brandon LaFell
WR Emmanuel Sanders – Belleville (SMU) – Josh Gordon
WR Mike Evans – Galveston (Texas A&M)
TE Jace Amaro – San Antonio (Texas Tech) – Martellus Bennett
T Lane Johnson – Groveton (Oklahoma) – LaAdrian Waddle
G Kelechi Osemele – Houston (Iowa State)
C Roberto Garza – Rio Hondo (Texas A&M-Kingville)
G Manny Ramirez – Houston (Texas Tech)
T Anthony Collins – Beaumont (Kansas)
DE Michael Bennett – Houston (Texas A&M) – Derrick Shelby, Brian Robison
DT Jonathan Babineaux – Port Arthur (Iowa) – Malcolm Brown
DT Michael Brockers – Houston (LSU) – Earl Mitchell
DE Jerry Hughes – Sugar Land (TCU) – Red Bryant
LB Sean Weatherspoon – Jasper (Missouri)
LB Craig Robertson – Stafford (North Texas)
LB Brian Orakpo – Houston (Texas)
CB Phillip Gaines – Converse (Rice) – D.J. Hayden
CB Terrence Frederick – Katy (Texas A&M)
S Earl Thomas – Orange (Texas) – George Iloka
S Quintin Demps – San Antonio (UTEP) – Andrew Sendejo
K Matt Bryant – Bridge City (Baylor)
P Thomas Morstead – Pearland (SMU)
Indianapolis Colts
This team is simply limited by how small of a region they have due to being penned in by other cities while not having a huge metro area themselves. Cutler would have a lot of trouble winning games with this roster.
QB Jay Cutler – Lincoln City (Vanderbilt)
RB Michael Bush – Louisville (Louisville)
WR Tandon Doss – Indianapolis (Indiana)
WR Courtney Roby – Indianapolis (Indiana)
TE Jack Doyle – Indianapolis (Western Kentucky)
TE Dustin Kelller – Lafayette (Purdue)
T Jeremy Trueblood – Indianapolis (Boston College)
G Zack Martin – Indianapolis (Notre Dame)
C Nick Hardwick – Indianapolis (Purdue)
G Kory Lichetensteiger Convoy, OH (Bowling Green)
T James Hurst – Plainfield (North Carolina)
DE Mathias Kiwanuka – Indianapolis (Boston College)
DT Chris Jones – Brownsburg (Bowling Green)
DT Ryan Baker – Indianapolis (Purdue)
DE Randy Gregory – Fishers (Nebraska)
LB Ryan Kerrigan – Muncie (Purdue)
LB Jaylon Smith – Fort Wayne (Notre Dame)
LB Mike Neal – Merrillville (Purdue)
CB Donald Washington III – Indianapolis (Ohio State)
CB Jaymar Johnson – Gary (Jackson State)
S Stevie Brown – Columbus (Michigan)
S Nathan Palmer – Elkhart (Northern Illinois)
K Jason Baker – Fort Wayne (Iowa)
P Steve Weatherford – Terre Haute (Illinois)
Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite being penned in by a lot of other NFL cities, this team is loaded with talent, primarily on defense. That defense, especially up front would be nasty.
QB Tim Tebow – Ponte Vedra (Florida)
RB LaGarrette Blount – Perry (Oregon) – Javorious Allen
RB C.J. Spiller – Lake Butler (Clemson) – Daniel Thomas
WR Eric Weems – Daytona Beach (Bethune-Cookman)
WR A.J. Jenkins – Jacksonville (Illinois)
TE Larry Donnell – Ozark, AL (Grambling State)
T Cameron Erving – Moultrie, GA (Florida State)
G Tre’ Jackson – Jesup, GA (Florida State)
C Bryan Stork – Vero Beach (Florida State)
G Ted Larsen – Palm Harbor (NCState)
T Laremy Tunsil – Lake City (Mississippi)
DE Cliff Avril – Green Cove Springs (Purdue) – Ricardo Mathews
DT Steve McLendon – Ozark, AL (Troy) – Letroy Guion, Louis Nix III
DT Linval Joseph – Alachua (East Carolina) – Timmy Jernigan
DE Leonard Williams – Daytona Beach (USC) – Allen Bailey
LB Geno Hayes – Madison (Florida State) – Ray Ray Armstrong
LB Sam Barrington – Jacksonville (South Florida)
LB Nigel Bradham – Crawfordville (Florida State)
CB Antonio Cromartie – Tallahassee (Florida State) – Rashean Mathis
CB Leodis McKelvin – Waycross, GA (Troy) – Champ Bailey
S J.J. Wilcox – Cairo, GA (Georgia Southern) – Bacarri Rambo
S Antonio Allen – Ocala (South Carolina)
K/P – Caleb Sturgis – St. Augustine (Florida)
Tennessee Titans
I love this team. Rivers could hand off to Williams behind a good offensive line and throw to Tate, Cobb and Matthews. The front of the defense would be beastly with Memphis locals holding it down.
QB Philip Rivers – Athens, AL (NCState)
RB DeAngelo Williams – Wynne, AR (Memphis)
WR Golden Tate – Hendersonville (Notre Dame)
WR Randall Cobb – Alcoa (Kentucky)
WR Jordan Matthews – Madison, AL (Vanderbilt)
TE Gary Barnidge – Bowling Green, KY (Louisville)
T King Dunlap – Brentwood (Auburn) – Tyson Clabo
G Ramon Foster – Ripley (Tennessee)
C Scott Wells – Brentwood (Tennessee)
G Garrett Reynolds – Knoxville (North Carolina)
T Michael Oher – Memphis (Mississippi)
DE Greg Hardy – Memphis (Mississippi)
DT Dontari Poe – Memphis (Memphis)
DT Dan Williams – Memphis (Tennessee)
LB Dont’a Hightower – Lewisburg (Alabama)
LB Patrick Willis – Bruton (Mississippi)
LB K.J. Wright – Olive Branch, MS (Mississippi State)
LB Quentin Groves – Greenville, MS (Auburn)
CB Trumaine McBride – Clarksdale, MS (Mississippi)
CB Jabari Greer – Jackson (Tennessee)
S Harrison Smith – Knoxville (Notre Dame)
S George Wilson – Paducah, KY (Arkansas)
K Shane Andrus – Murray, KY (Murray State)
P Dustin Colquitt – Knoxville, TN (Tennesse)
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
The offense is solid across the board, but far from spectacular and weak at quarterback. The defense is scary though and would be one of the best in the league.
QB E.J. Manuel – Virginia Beach, VA (Florida State)
RB Terrance West – Baltimore (Towson) – Lorenzo Taliaferro
WR Tavon Austin – Baltimore (West Virginia)
WR Brandon Coleman – Forestville (Rutgers)
WR Stefon Diggs – Gaithersburg (Maryland)
TE John Phillips – Hot Springs, VA (Virginia)
T Jermon Bushrod – King George, VA (Towson)
G Arie Kouandijo – Hyattsville (Alabama)
C Russell Bodine – Fork Union, VA (North Carolina)
G Edwin Williams – Hyattsville (Maryland)
T Cyrus Kouandijo – Hyattsville (Alabama)
DE Cameron Wake – Hyattsville (Penn State)
DT Randy Starks – Waldorf (Maryland)
DT Phil Taylor – Brandywine (Baylor)
DE Darnell Dockett – Burtonsville (Florida State)
LB Zach Brown – Columbia (North Carolina) – Jelani Jenkins
LB Navarro Bowman – Forestville (Penn State) – Erin Henderson
LB Paul Worrilow – Wilmington, DE (Delaware)
CB Joe Haden – Fort Washington (Florida)
CB Kyle Fuller – Baltimore (Virginia Tech) – Kyle Arrington
S Duron Harman – Camden, DE (Rutgers)
S Rodney McLeod – Hyattsville (Virginia)
K/P Adam Greene – Annapolis (Maryland)
Cleveland Browns
This is a team that doesn’t really have any strengths, but also doesn’t really have any weakness. Regardless, I don’t think it would be a very good team.
QB Brian Hoyer – Cleveland (Michigan State) – Connor Cook
RB Dan Herron – Warren (Ohio State)
WR Brian Hartline – Canton (Ohio State) – Devin Smith
WR Cecil Shorts – Cleveland (Mount Union)
WR Lance Moore – Westerville (Toledo) – Ted Ginn Jr.
TE Travis Kelce – Cleveland Heights (Cincinnati)
T Alex Boone – Lakewood (Ohio State)
G Rodger Saffold – Bedford (Indiana) – Hugh Thornton
C Jason Kelce – Cleveland Heights (Cincinnati)
G Rob Sims – Macedonia (Ohio State) - Jeff Lickenbach
T John Greco – Youngstown (Toledo)
DE Derek Wolfe – East Liverpool (Cincinnati)
DT Barry Cofield – Cleveland Heights (Northwestern)
DE Whitney Mercilus – Akron (Illinois)
LB James Harrison – Coventry (Kent State)
LB Paul Posluszsny – Aliquippa, PA (Penn State)
LB Justin Staples – Lakewood (Illinois)
LB Anthony Hitchens – Lorain (Iowa)
CB Micah Hyde – Fostonia (Iowa)
CB Bradley Fletcher – Youngstown (Iowa)
S Charles Woodson – Fremont (Michigan)
S Donte Whitner – Cleveland (Ohio State)
K Nate Freese – Strongsville (Boston College)
P Dave Zastudil – Bay Village (Ohio)
Cincinnati Bengals
Like Indianapolis, Cincinnati suffers from being too close to other NFL cities, but they would still be pretty decent. Bell would pound behind this offensive line and the defense would be built around Kuechly.
QB Brady Quinn – Dublin (Notre Dame)
RB Le’Veon Bell – Groveport (Michigan State)
WR Aaron Dobson – South Charleston, WV (Marshall)
WR Charles Johnson – Erlanger, KY (Grand Valley State)
WR DeVante Parker – Louisville, KY (Louisville)
TE Jeff Cumberland – Columbus (Illinois) – Brent Celek
T Zach Strief – Milford (Northwestern)
G Larry Warford – Richmond, KY (Kentucky)
C Nick Mangold – Kettering (Ohio State) – Eric Wood
G Andrew Norwell – Cincinnati (Ohio State)
T Mike Adams – Dublin (Ohio State)
DE Tank Carradine – Cincinnati (Florida State)
DT Jerel Worthy – Huber Heights (Michigan State) – Ray Edwards
DE Greg Scruggs – Cincinnati (Louisville)
LB Preston Brown – Cincinnati (Louisville)
LB Luke Kuechly – Cincinnati (Boston College)
LB A.J. Hawk – Centerville (Ohio State)
LB Trent Cole – Xenia (Cincinnati)
CB Will Allen – Huber Heights (Ohio State)
CB Bradley McDougald – Dublin (Kansas)
S Yeremiah Bell – Winchester, KY (Eastern Kentucky)
S Michael Mitchell – Ft. Thomas, KY (Ohio)
K Mike Nugent – Centerville (Ohio State)
P Kevin Huber – Cincinnati (Cincinnati)
Pittsburgh Steelers
This team has some serious weakness (like at QB), but is good on the offensive line and as one of the league’s best playmakers in Gronkowski. The defense is anchored by Donald and Revis and doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses.
QB Chad Henne – West Lawn (Michigan)
RB LaRod Stephens-Howling – Johnstown (Pittsburgh)
WR Andrew Hawkins – Johnstown (Toledo)
WR Tyler Boyd – Clairton (Pittsburgh)
WR Jonathan Baldwin – Aliquippa (Pittsburgh)
TE Rob Gronkowski – Woodland Hills (Arizona)
T Don Barclay – Harmony (West Virginia)
G A.Q. Shipley – Moon (Penn State)
C Stefen Wisniewski – Pittsburgh (Penn State)
G Corey Linsley – Boardman, OH (Ohio State)
T Brandon Fusco – Harmony (Slippery Rock)
DE Ishmaa’ily Kitchen – Youngstown, OH (Kent State)
DT Corey Peters – Pittsburgh (Kentucky)
DT Aaron Donald – Penn Hills (Pittsburgh)
DE Thomas Keiser – Wexford (Stanford)
LB Jon Condo – Philipsburg-Oscoela (Maryland)
LB Sean Lee – Upper St. Clair (Penn State)
LB Nathan Stupar – State College (Penn State)
CB Darrelle Revis – Aliquippa (Pittsburgh)
CB Darrin Walls – Pittsburgh (Notre Dame)
S Ryan Mundy – Pittsburgh (West Virginia)
S Barry Church – Penn Hills (Toledo)
K Robbie Gould – Mill Hill (Penn State)
P Pat McAfree – Plum (West Virginia)