I AM WE ARE
Banned
1. Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions) – Last season, Johnson was once again the most-dangerous player in the NFL. He averaged 17.8 yards per catch, third best in the league, hauled in an 87-yard reception and scored 12 touchdowns. These numbers are par for the course for the best weapon in the game.
2. DeSean Jackson (Washington Redskins) – Jackson scares the opposition because he can beat them so many ways. For the most part, it’s through the air, where he’s developed into one of the league’s best receivers. But the occasional reverse can also be deadly, as can his ability to return punts as well as anyone in football.
3. Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons) – During each of his three seasons in the NFL, Jones has had at least one catch of 80 yards or more; that’s a staggering display of big-play ability, something the Falcons desperately missed last season when injuries limited him to only five games.
4. Josh Gordon (Cleveland Browns)– He led the league in receiving yards with 1,646, a total he achieved through big chunks, as Gordon was second in the NFL in average yards per reception with 18.9. He also posted the league’s longest reception of the season, hauling in a 95-yard highlight in Week 13. He’d be a massive loss for the Browns.
5. LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles) – The best display of McCoy’s home-run ability was last season’s showdown against Detroit in a Philadelphia blizzard. That day, he had 219 yards rushing and scored a pair of touchdowns. But his ability to strike quickly helped turn a 14-0 second-half deficit into a 34-20 victory.
6. Demaryius Thomas (Denver Broncos) – Peyton Manning certainly knows how quickly DT can strike on the field; he’s thrown plenty of bubble screens to his wide receiver that have gone from a short gain to an 80-yard touchdown in the blink of an eye. Leading the league in yards after the catch is evidence of Thomas’ ability.
7. Alshon Jeffery (Chicago Bears) – Throw it up and hope for something good to happen; that’s what Bears quarterbacks seemed to do on occasion last season, relying on their second-year wide receiver to bail them out of a jam with acrobatic grab after acrobatic grab.
8. A.J. Green (Cincinnati Bengals) – Given that he’s the go-to guy in Cincinnati’s offense, the player Andy Dalton looks for every time the Bengals need a first down, Green doesn’t have a gaudy per-catch average. But with 18 receptions for more than 20-yards, including an 82-yard grab, it’s clear he’s not just a possession receiver.
9. Percy Harvin (Seattle Seahawks) – Anyone who watched Super Bowl XLVIII knows what kind of an impact Harvin can have on a game. In the first half, he threw the Broncos defense for a loop with a couple of big plays on end-around runs. And then, he put the dagger in Denver with a kick return TD to start the second half.
10. Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs) – Workhorse running backs aren’t supposed to average 5 yards per carry; they have too many plunges on third-and-one to maintain that kind of pace. But Charles, who had 1,287 yards on 259 attempts last season, did just that; that’s because he posts one big play after another.
11. Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys) – As Bryant becomes more and more of a chain-mover in Dallas’ offense, his yards per reception continue to drop. But that can be a little deceiving. After all, few who saw his 79-yard grab in 2013 or any of his 13 touchdowns don’t think he’s a big-play guy.
12. Jimmy Graham (New Orleans Saints) – Kenny Stills probably wants to appeal this decision, given that he led the league in 2013 with a 20.0 yards per catch average. But everyone knows that the player on the Saints roster who is the most dangerous is their talented tight end. He’s can score from anywhere on the field.
13. Torrey Smith (Baltimore Ravens) – Through the first three seasons of his career, Smith has primarily been a home-run hitter, but the type that comes off the bench in the ninth inning as opposed to one who is consistent enough to be in the lineup every day. That’s slowly starting to change, however, as be becomes a more well-rounded receiver.
14. Cordarrelle Patterson (Minnesota Vikings) – In terms of all-around threats, few in the NFL were as dangerous last year as the Vikings rookie. He scored four touchdowns through the air, three on the ground and two on kick returns, earning a spot in the Pro Bowl in just his first season.
15. Victor Cruz (New York Giants) – Last season was a disaster all around for the Giants, a free fall in the standings that seemed to take down everyone at once. Thus, too much emphasis shouldn’t be put on Cruz’s numbers. Instead, look at what he did in 2011, when he averaged 18.7 yards per catch and hauled in a 99-yard touchdown.
16. Andre Ellington (Arizona Cardinals) – Plenty of people are going to be shocked by this selection, as Larry Fitzgerald has been the big-play guy in Arizona for years. But last season, this rookie running back emerged as the home-run hitter for the Cardinals, averaging a league-best 5.5 yards per carry
2. DeSean Jackson (Washington Redskins) – Jackson scares the opposition because he can beat them so many ways. For the most part, it’s through the air, where he’s developed into one of the league’s best receivers. But the occasional reverse can also be deadly, as can his ability to return punts as well as anyone in football.
3. Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons) – During each of his three seasons in the NFL, Jones has had at least one catch of 80 yards or more; that’s a staggering display of big-play ability, something the Falcons desperately missed last season when injuries limited him to only five games.
4. Josh Gordon (Cleveland Browns)– He led the league in receiving yards with 1,646, a total he achieved through big chunks, as Gordon was second in the NFL in average yards per reception with 18.9. He also posted the league’s longest reception of the season, hauling in a 95-yard highlight in Week 13. He’d be a massive loss for the Browns.
5. LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles) – The best display of McCoy’s home-run ability was last season’s showdown against Detroit in a Philadelphia blizzard. That day, he had 219 yards rushing and scored a pair of touchdowns. But his ability to strike quickly helped turn a 14-0 second-half deficit into a 34-20 victory.
6. Demaryius Thomas (Denver Broncos) – Peyton Manning certainly knows how quickly DT can strike on the field; he’s thrown plenty of bubble screens to his wide receiver that have gone from a short gain to an 80-yard touchdown in the blink of an eye. Leading the league in yards after the catch is evidence of Thomas’ ability.
7. Alshon Jeffery (Chicago Bears) – Throw it up and hope for something good to happen; that’s what Bears quarterbacks seemed to do on occasion last season, relying on their second-year wide receiver to bail them out of a jam with acrobatic grab after acrobatic grab.
8. A.J. Green (Cincinnati Bengals) – Given that he’s the go-to guy in Cincinnati’s offense, the player Andy Dalton looks for every time the Bengals need a first down, Green doesn’t have a gaudy per-catch average. But with 18 receptions for more than 20-yards, including an 82-yard grab, it’s clear he’s not just a possession receiver.
9. Percy Harvin (Seattle Seahawks) – Anyone who watched Super Bowl XLVIII knows what kind of an impact Harvin can have on a game. In the first half, he threw the Broncos defense for a loop with a couple of big plays on end-around runs. And then, he put the dagger in Denver with a kick return TD to start the second half.
10. Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs) – Workhorse running backs aren’t supposed to average 5 yards per carry; they have too many plunges on third-and-one to maintain that kind of pace. But Charles, who had 1,287 yards on 259 attempts last season, did just that; that’s because he posts one big play after another.
11. Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys) – As Bryant becomes more and more of a chain-mover in Dallas’ offense, his yards per reception continue to drop. But that can be a little deceiving. After all, few who saw his 79-yard grab in 2013 or any of his 13 touchdowns don’t think he’s a big-play guy.
12. Jimmy Graham (New Orleans Saints) – Kenny Stills probably wants to appeal this decision, given that he led the league in 2013 with a 20.0 yards per catch average. But everyone knows that the player on the Saints roster who is the most dangerous is their talented tight end. He’s can score from anywhere on the field.
13. Torrey Smith (Baltimore Ravens) – Through the first three seasons of his career, Smith has primarily been a home-run hitter, but the type that comes off the bench in the ninth inning as opposed to one who is consistent enough to be in the lineup every day. That’s slowly starting to change, however, as be becomes a more well-rounded receiver.
14. Cordarrelle Patterson (Minnesota Vikings) – In terms of all-around threats, few in the NFL were as dangerous last year as the Vikings rookie. He scored four touchdowns through the air, three on the ground and two on kick returns, earning a spot in the Pro Bowl in just his first season.
15. Victor Cruz (New York Giants) – Last season was a disaster all around for the Giants, a free fall in the standings that seemed to take down everyone at once. Thus, too much emphasis shouldn’t be put on Cruz’s numbers. Instead, look at what he did in 2011, when he averaged 18.7 yards per catch and hauled in a 99-yard touchdown.
16. Andre Ellington (Arizona Cardinals) – Plenty of people are going to be shocked by this selection, as Larry Fitzgerald has been the big-play guy in Arizona for years. But last season, this rookie running back emerged as the home-run hitter for the Cardinals, averaging a league-best 5.5 yards per carry
i can sense the pain in his post 
