Offensive Rookie of the Year Panthers QB Cam Newton Cracks the Top 100 List at No. 40
“Definitely not. I just want to be given a contract where I rank amongst some of the top running backs. Not the top-paid or the highest-paid or anything like that. I just want to be recognized as one of the best.” – Bears RB Matt Forte on if he is looking to be the highest-paid running back in the NFL
NFL Network’s The Top 100: Players of 2012 Presented by Buffalo Wild Wings continued on Wednesday, unveiling players #40-31 as determined by current NFL players:
40. Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers, QB
39. Victor Cruz – New York Giants, WR
38. Ndamukong Suh – Detroit Lions, DT
37. Steven Jackson – St. Louis Rams, RB
36. Charles Woodson – Green Bay Packers, CB
35. Steve Smith – Carolina Panthers, WR
34. Tamba Hali – Kansas City Chiefs, LB
33. Matt Forte – Chicago Bears, RB
32. Jahri Evans – New Orleans Saints, G
31. Eli Manning – New York Giants, QB
To view video of each player, vote on each player ranking and interact with other fans, visit:
http://www.nfl.com/top100/2012
Following The Top 100: Players of 2012, Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (No. 33) and New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (No. 39) joined NFL Network analysts Willie McGinest, Heath Evans and Brian Billick on The Top 100: Players of 2012 – Reactions Presented by Buffalo Wild Wings show.
Below are quotes from Wednesday’s edition of The Top 100: Players of 2012 – Reactions:
– “I’m very honored to be on the list this year. I’m glad I made it. Last year I felt a little snubbed; I felt like I should have made it. I’m glad I just made it this year.” – Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte on his No. 33 ranking
– “Definitely not. I just want to be given a contract where I rank amongst some of the top running backs. Not the top-paid or the highest-paid or anything like that. I just want to be recognized as one of the best.” – Forte on if he is looking to be the highest-paid running back in the NFL
– “Definitely not. I love to compete and I train hard and work hard so that I can be considered amongst the top running backs. For six guys to be ahead [of me], I don’t know about that. I feel like maybe if I would have made it through the season I might have been top 10 on the [top] 100 players list.” – Forte on if there are six running backs in the NFL who are better than him
– “It’s a tremendous honor to even be on this list no matter what the number is. Thirty-nine, I can’t believe it especially stemming from where I was at last year. So to be 39, it feels pretty good.” – New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz on his No. 39 ranking after not making last year’s list
– “I just have to fight to remain consistent and to prove that I wasn’t just a one-season wonder; [that] I just wasn’t a guy that popped up.” – Cruz on what he has to fight for and prove in 2012
– “Most definitely. Teams have to account for both of us and any time we’re both on the field together, it’s hard to just key-in on one guy. He’s definitely one of the best in the league to me and then us together we pack a powerful one-two punch. Hopefully we can stay together a very long time.” – Cruz on if he and Hakeem Nicks (No. 90 on list) are the best wide receiving tandem in the NFL
– “He’s become more of a student of the game and it showed. You hear his teammates talking about it. He was the true leader, he was consistent. With all of the injuries and everything going on with that team, he was the main guy that kept everything going.” – Willie McGinest on Giants quarterback Eli Manning (No. 31)
– “With regards to where he is with the other quarterbacks, this puts him in the elite category and he clearly deserves that.” – Brian Billick on Eli Manning’s No. 31 ranking
On NFL.com the following video clips from The Top 100: Players of 2012 – Reactions are available for viewing:
– The players say there are 30 players who rank ahead of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Does Manning deserve more respect?:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/new-
– Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton cracked the list at No. 40. Is that too high, or too low? The analysts discuss:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/
– NFL Network analysts Brian Billick, Willie McGinest and Heath Evans debate which running back should rank highest on the Top 100 list:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-
– Actor, director and musician Ice-T appears in-studio to discuss the New York Jets and how he would rank the top players in the league:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/new-
Below is complete list of players ranked #100-31:
100. Chris Johnson – Tennessee Titans, RB 65. Roddy White – Atlanta Falcons, WR
99. Ryan Kalil – Carolina Panthers, C
98. Willis McGahee – Denver Broncos, RB 63. LaMarr Woodley – Pittsburgh Steelers, LB
97. Donald Penn – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, T 62. Justin Tuck – New York Giants, DE
96. D’Qwell Jackson – Cleveland Browns, LB 61. Philip Rivers – San Diego Chargers, QB
95. Tim Tebow – New York Jets, QB
94. Marshawn Lynch – Seattle Seahawks, RB 59. Jake Long – Miami Dolphins, T
93. Cortland Finnegan – St. Louis Rams, CB 58. Jonathan Vilma – New Orleans Saints, LB
92. John Kuhn – Green Bay Packers, FB 57. Trent Cole – Philadelphia Eagles, DE
91. Tony Romo – Dallas Cowboys, QB
90. Hakeem Nicks – New York Giants, WR 55. Patrick Peterson – Arizona Cardinals, CB/PR
89. Dwight Freeney – Indianapolis Colts, DE 54. Brian Cushing – Houston Texans, LB
88. Michael Turner – Atlanta Falcons, RB 53. Tony Gonzalez – Atlanta Falcons, TE
87. London Fletcher – Washington Redskins, LB 52. Von Miller – Denver Broncos, LB
86. Darren Sproles – New Orleans Saints, RB 51. Brian Urlacher – Chicago Bears, LB
85. NaVorro Bowman – San Francisco 49ers, LB 50. Peyton Manning – Denver Broncos, QB
84. Chris Long – St. Louis Rams, DE
83. Fred Jackson – Buffalo Bills, RB
82. Joe Thomas – Cleveland Browns, T
81. Vince Wilfork – New England Patriots, DT 46. Champ Bailey – Denver Broncos, CB
80. Jordy Nelson – Green Bay Packers, WR 45. Vonta Leach – Baltimore Ravens, FB
79. Nnamdi Asomugha – Philadelphia Eagles, CB 44. Jason Babin – Philadelphia Eagles, DE
78. Derrick Johnson – Kansas City Chiefs, LB 43. Vernon Davis – San Francisco 49ers, TE
77. A.J. Green – Cincinnati Bengals, WR 42. Jason Peters – Philadelphia Eagles, T
76. Carl Nicks – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, G 41. Matthew Stafford – Detroit Lions, QB
75. Jason Witten – Dallas Cowboys, TE
74. Joe Flacco – Baltimore Ravens, QB
73. Johnathan Joseph – Houston Texans, CB 38. Ndamukong Suh – Detroit Lions, DT
72. Lance Briggs – Chicago Bears, LB
71. DeSean Jackson – Philadelphia Eagles, WR 36. Charles Woodson – Green Bay Packers, CB
70. Michael Vick – Philadelphia Eagles, QB 35. Steve Smith – Carolina Panthers, WR
69. Carlos Rogers – San Francisco 49ers, CB 34. Tamba Hali – Kansas City Chiefs, LB
68. Elvis Dumervil – Denver Broncos, LB 33. Matt Forte – Chicago Bears, RB
67. Joe Staley – San Francisco 49ers, T 32. Jahri Evans – New Orleans Saints, G
66. Earl Thomas – Seattle Seahawks, S 31. Eli Manning – New York Giants, QB
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