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FN SuperBowl Tourney Week 3: Which three 25 year old (or younger) players would you build a team around?


If I'm starting a new team with 3 players from the age of 25 or younger then there are 3 positions I have to consider, and take the best at those positions:

QB: Derek Anderson has proven to be the spark that has lifted the Browns to their 3-3 season so far.

With 1496 yards and 14 touchdowns, he's keeping the Browns in the game and Quinn on the bench.

RB: Adrian Peterson (MN Vikings) is just what a new team would need. He's a triple threat with an explosive running game, catching out of the backfield, and also as a KR/PR.

He has 607 yds. on 96 carries which averages out to 6.3 a carry. Peterson showed he's a game breaker vs. the Bears last week.

LB: It's important to have a young defensive leader. So I'm picking Barrett Ruud. He's young, and leading the league with 62 tackles.

He also has several passes defensed, 1 pick, and more importantly, 3 forced fumbles with 2 recovered. Ruud would be the leader of my new team's defense.


Ok these were 3 tough decisions. I am choosing to pick a QB, RB, and a LB.

QB ??? I will go with you and pick Derek Anderson. I am picking him because of what a great start to the season he is having. I considered Jay Cutler, Phillip Rivers ( yes he is 25 ), and Vince Young, but in the end I choose Anderson because of his numbers this year. Take a look at his numbers

PCT : 54.9
Yards : 1496
TD : 14
INT : 8
Rate : 88.9

He has to learn to stop throwing incomplete passes and INT.

RB ??? I agree with your pick here also. Adrian Peterson. Here is also having a great start to the season and is only 22 years old. He leads the league in rushing with 607 yards. He is averaging like 6.3 yards an attempt. That is insane. I also considered Joseph Addai, Ronnie Brown, Maroney, and Lynch.

LB ??? I am going to go with Shawne Merriman. Do you remember the insane year he had last year. He had 17 sacks in 12 games. That is crazy good. Here is having a pretty good start this season also. He has 5.5 sacks already. And yes he is 23 years old. I think he is a better linebacker and leader than Barrett Rudd. He is the captain of the defense.


So we're in agreement with all but one pick.

Ruud is having a breakout year on a dominating defense. He's out-tackling everyone in the league, including his teammate, pro bowler Derrick Brooks.

I'll take a young LB who can lead the way with tackles on a team that is already loaded with veteran pro bolwers like the Bucs any day of the week, and twice on gameday.

Merriman's a good choice. But his production has slowed this year with the rest of the team's progress.

Merriman doesn't even lead his own team with sacks (T-Shaun Phillips) let alone the league.

Merriman is tied at 96th in tackles with a mere 29, 22 are solo.

He also only has 1 forced fumble, Zero INT's, and gives no help in passes defensed.

Merriman is mono-dimensional in that he only helps rushing the passer. You will essentially be forced to run a 3-4 defense and you'd have to build your roster accordingly.

Ruud on the other hand can fit in nicely at the Mike LB and assist in all facets of defense with tackling, forcing fumbles, and even in pass protection.


Merriman is the better Linebacker and leader. He is just a machine. He makes the whole defense run.

Merriamn does effect the passing game. When he rushes the QB, he forces the QB to throw the ball quicker and can force incomplete passes and INTs. That is how Shawne Merriman effects the passing game.

You said that Rudd does everything on defense. Well that is kind of wrong. Barrett Rudd has record 0 SACKS this year. So he does not do everything.

It is great the Rudd is 1st in tackles. Well Merriman is 2nd in sacks. He is be hind by 0.5 sacks. So he is barely behind.

In Merriman's 1st 23 games of his career, he has record 32.5 sacks.

I rather have a leader and captain like Merriman.

Merriman effects the game a lot. All of that does not come up on the stats sheet. So you cannot see on the stats sheet all that Merriman does. He does much more.

Merriman is also young, so I do not know why you said Rudd is young because you have to pick a young player in this throwdown.

You said that Rudd helps out in pass protecting. I do not understand how he helps in pass protection.

How does Merriman effect you building your team? I do not understand.


You can have the team captain. It's just a title, and you get to choose heads or tails at the beginning of the game.

Merriman is tied in 6th place for sacks with Ware, Tuck and his teammate Phillips with 5.5 Sacks. He's still 1.5 away from leading, which at less than a sack a game does not bode well.

As I mentioned before. Merriman is great if you want to run a 3-4. But that means that you have to load up on LB's, and find wide body DE's and a very large NT to mold your D around Merriman.

It might be worth it, but the personnel would be harder to find than a 4-3 or Cover 2 Defense.

Ruud is far more versatile. He tackles, he defends passes, so you know he already drops into coverage to help his team, not just rush the passer. Ruud also makes plays for his team with interceptions and forced fumbles which he recovers. He's multi-dimensional, and a leader by his actions, not sack celebration dances.

Ruud would fit nicely into any Defense whether it was a Cover-2, 4-3, 4-6 or even an ILB in a 3-4. This is why he would be the ideal candidate for an expansion team.


Well it looks like the Chargers defense is working. He looks to be doing great and so is their defense.

How won???t it be worth it? You would definitely want Merriman on your team. He brings the desire to win and leadership to your team.

As I said before Merriman does help the pass defense. When he rushes the QB, he forces the QB to throw quicker than he wants to and can force a bad pass or an INT. So stop saying he does not help the pass. That is how he helps that pass defense.

What Merriman does on the field is more impressive than what Rudd does on the field. Merriman is just an absolute sacking machine. He had 17 sacks in 12 games last season. How do you not want that on your team?

The captain of the defense makes some decision. He helps out the other players on that defense and he motivates the other players and brings pride to his team.

You said that Rudd helps his team with INTs. Well he has had 1 INT in 38 career games. So he really does not help out in that department.

Merriman gets around 1 sack per game this year, but last year he got more than 1 sack per game. That helps.

Comments (11)

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I'd take Thomas Howard at LB. Much more of an impact player at LB.

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I don't vote for 'roids. Vote in for Oso.

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Merryman paid the price. So give him his due. vote to the philly guy.

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Good TD once again Phillyman. Too bad it didn't count toward the tourney. But it's always good practice regardless.

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But then that's why I like tourneys. I get a better class of opponent most times. Public TD's usually invite knuckleheads to take over and make stupid arguments. Anway...talk to ya later. Go Flyers! ;)

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5-1 baby!!! they look really good

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Can either one of you tell me what happened earlier with a "TD" between me and this Matt13?

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so this doesnt matter anymore???

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No. We're re-seeding into a double elimination tourney.

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