NFL Most Valuable Positions

[FishSticks]

Jeez this is all so subjective and team dependant. The importance of players depends on a lot on the system they are in, obv.

I think it's tough to put LT that far above other line positions. Naturally it's the premier line position, but if a team has a dominant RT and LG they can have a great line with any reasonable LT. An o-line is crucial for sure, but they're really playing as a unit out there.

OLB depends on whether or not it's a 3-4 or a 4-3 and you're talking hybrid guys - I mean, are Shawne Merriman and Adalius Thomas really like the least important guys on their teams?

[gehrig]

http://www.drafthistory.com/positions/c.html

i dont really know much about the nuts and bolts of football but i think that link is pretty strong evidence that centers arent that valuable. i know the draft isnt perfectly efficient or anything but its hard to believe that GMs are [censored] up THAT badly

[Jeff W]

Center is way too high. Salaries are the best place to start for position rankings and DEs for example are paid much more than Cs--highest paid Center is earns about the same as the 20th highest paid DE IIRC. Assuming NFL free agent market is relatively efficient, we can conclude that DEs are the more valuable position.

[Jeff W]

Average draft position(specifically something like #position X drafted in round 1-2 or the like and average position in that round) is another good tool for evaluating relative value of the positions.

[gehrig]

[ QUOTE ]
Center is way too high. Salaries are the best place to start for position rankings and DEs for example are paid much more than Cs--highest paid Center is earns about the same as the 20th highest paid DE IIRC. Assuming NFL free agent market is relatively efficient, we can conclude that DEs are the more valuable position.

[/ QUOTE ]
the problem with using salary is that it overrates positions that age well bc they spend less of their career signed to rookie contracts

im guessing that the aging patterns for different positions are different enough to make salaries off by a lot

altho there are also problems with using the draft

[BadBoyBenny]

With the exception of QB I don't think it makes sense to to do this. There are several combinations of scheme and talent distribution that can provide winning formula. It also matters who your divisional opponents are and what strengths they have that you need to counter.

Also IMO the NFL CBA promotes a market that is really inefficient so average salary is not as indicative as it should be.

[Needle77]

I'm a complete OL homer, it's really all I watch when I watch football games is the OL play. It's by far the most complex and interesting part of football, so I prolly overrate it from time to time. But a center is just way to valuable. He makes all the line calls and does have the difficult job of doing 2 things at once, snapping/blocking. Yeah its second nature by the time he's in the NFL but it can't be overlooked.

Centers that play defense that are mostly 4-3's find themselves double down on DT's and having to reach 2nd level LB's, or trying to block 2i's crashing gaps. The average NFL fan prolly has no idea how difficult that is. Not to mention, if you are playing a 3-4, that 0 technique is going to be the hardest player on the field to block.

Yeah DE's are paid big bucks, but those are mostly pass-rushing DE's that everyone feels they need. It's just a demand on the position. I'm sure if you asked a NFL coach what position he would rather have with an elite player, C or DE, I guarentee 28/32 would say C.

[DrewDevil]

QB >>>>>>>>>>>>&g t;>>>>>> everything else.

[TheNoodleMan]

[ QUOTE ]

I think it's tough to put LT that far above other line positions. Naturally it's the premier line position, but if a team has a dominant RT and LG they can have a great line with any reasonable LT. An o-line is crucial for sure, but they're really playing as a unit out there.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is no such thing as a dominant RT in the NFL. Unless you have a left handed QB, you put your best T on the left. Theoretically a team could have 2 dominant tackles and play one at RT, but he'd have to be a very young player on his rookie contract or else they'd be in cap trouble.

[THAY3R]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm sure if you asked a NFL coach what position he would rather have with an elite player, C or DE, I guarentee 28/32 would say C.

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Dude, lol.