The NFL's All-Overrated Team: Part Two. (2015 Edition)

Back in 2013, I did a similar list to this...
And boy was I right.

In case you didn't read the last one or just don't feel like remembering or you like being difficult, here's a reminder.

In order to be considered overrated, you have to be considered pretty damn good. I'm not gonna crack down on the third year corner that is considered "meh" by fans of the team.
The guys I'm writing about here are pretty talented, and I'm only targeting the guys who get... just way too much credit for what they supposedly do.

Now, I'm going to ask you a very serious favor.
I know how NFL fans.
I know, I know you are very passionate, and some of you do this weird thing where you live vicariously through your team.
Looking at you, 14 year old me, crying after a playoff loss.
There's a chance that I might talk smack about your favorite football player on here.
And first, I'd like to say.
Haha.
Just kidding.
First, it's my opinion, I'm entitled to mine, as you are entitled to yours, and I would love to debate our opinions foolishly until the end of time.
It's like crossfit.
I think crossfit is stupid.
Then again, I don't look anywhere near as good as Seth Rollins.
Ya dig?
Secondly, I'm gonna be harsh.
I'm sorry, but the players I'm going to mention, they're beloved by hundreds of thousands.
I don't need to build them up, everyone else has already done that, I'm coming after these players, trying to show you why I think they get too much credit.
So if you, and by you, I mean "RavensFan2011" wants to launch a bunch of personal attacks, because I sprinkled some kryptonite on Superman, I'm gonna be more irritated than bothered.

Let's be real, Charles Johnson is a product of his system.
His stats took a huge hit when Greg Hardy was suspended, and despite getting a respectable 8.5 sacks last seasons... That's not the same production he had put up in the previous two seasons, when he put up 23.5 sacks.
Honestly, he's a low profile player, where only serious NFL fans have heard of this guy anyway. He's been overshadowed by Hardy and Kuechly for years, and I don't have high hopes for him heading into 2015.

Okay, now, while Brockers isn't necessarily overrated as an individual, he is overrated by proxy.
What do I mean by that?
"The St. Louis Rams have the best defensive line in football"
"Most guys want one great defensive linemen, the Rams have four"
"The Rams have more starting caliber defensive linemen than they can use at any time"

See what I mean?
Playing next to Robert Quinn and Chris Long has it's benefits.
If you're putting two guys on each lineman... and there are only five offensive linemen...
They're either using tight ends to help or the defensive tackles are getting one on one with the center.
And yet...
Last year, Brockers was overshadowed by a rookie.
Aaron Donald broke out for 9 sacks while Brockers...
Only registered two.
If Brockers is really such an elite talent at the position, then that should've been it, right?
Quinn, Brockers, Donald, Long?
Works with me.
Well apparently it didn't work with Jeff Fischer, because he went out and brought in Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley in the off-season.

Far too often, with defensive players anyway, guys seem to get a profile boost based on the talent around them.

CALM DOWN.
JUSTIN HOUSTON IS A FINE PASS RUSHER.
WE SAW AS MUCH.
Ahem. Sorry.
We saw as much in 2012 and 2013, when he had 10 and 11 sacks.
He's got good size, good speed, and he fits the defense perfectly.
Overall, he's a pro bowl caliber player.
Well... He went above and beyond in 2014, registering 22 sacks, coming freakishly close to the record for sacks in a season.
Annnnnnd, maybe not so coincidentally, this happened during a contract season.
And he. cashed. in.
I mean, seriously cashed in.
Like he changed his name to Seth Rollins and cashed in.
He came home with a six year, 101 million dollar contract.
ONE HUNDRED AND ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
If you subtracted 100 million dollars from that contract?
It's still one million dollars.
Think about that.
Nobody in the world does anything important enough to earn 101 million dollars.
Obviously, this made Houston the highest paid defensive player in the league.
But...
Is he the best defensive player in the league?
Has he carried his team to success like Luke Kuechly?
Has he redefined the culture of a franchise like Richard Sherman?
Has he disrupted game plans like JJ Watt?
Ah... JJ Watt.
Obviously, these two get compared quite often.
And it's fair.
They had similar stats.
But for a minute, let's consider something.
Dontari Poe, Mike Devito, Derrick Johnson, and Tamba Hali.
Those are a few of the other incredibly talented players in that Kansas City front seven.
Do the same in Houston.
They added Vince Wilfork in the off-season, but... before that, Watt was carrying that defense.
He was wreaking all that havoc in Houston by himself.
And one more thing, he's not in a pass rush friendly OLB position.
Watt is a 3-4 defensive end.
He's supposed to hog offensive linemen so those OLB's can get open. He's not supposed to generate pass rush on his own.
Let alone have 20 sacks.
Let alone have 20 sacks twice.

So, is Houston good?
Yeah, maybe even really good.
But I'll have to see him do it for more than one season before he's even in the same conversation as JJ Watt.

I get it, it's not fair to say that a second year player is overrated.
But...
Honestly, I don't see what the big deal aboust C.J. Mosley was last year.
His stats were middle of the park, registering a respectable number of tackles, a few sacks, and a couple picks.
But... This guy was considered the favorite for defensive rookie of the year when Khalil Mack was second in the league in tackles for a loss.
This guy has been called the "second coming of Ray Lewis".
Really?
I don't remember Ray Lewis getting destroyed in coverage like Mosley was, especially against Rob Gronkowski.
And I didn't see him really clog the run lanes like a Kuechly or David would.
And frankly...
Look who he was playing with.
He played in a front seven with guys like Chris Canty, Terrell Suggs, Daryl Smith, Courtney Upshaw, and Elvis Dumervil...
How are you only middle of the pack when you play with a group like that?
Mosley is a talented player, and in time, he might become the face of the Ravens defense.
But for me? I really wasn't blown away, and I didn't see him do anything that Rolando McClain wasn't in Dallas.

I feel like I'm a bit late with this.
Don't get me wrong, I've been saying Peterson was overrated for quite some time, but now I feel like it's almost common knowledge.
Patrick Peterson, in many ways, is the second coming of Deion Sanders.
He's really fast, he can play some wide-out, he's a talented returner, and he just doesn't tackle.
And believe it or not, that stuff can get you pretty far in life...
In the NFL anyway.

Imagine, you're a corner.
You're a corner playing shorter, slower, and less talented guys in high school and college.
It doesn't matter if your coverage is good, you are fast enough to compensate and make a play on the ball.
Patrick Peterson made a pretty good run of it.
Well...
In the NFL, they're a lot taller, a lot faster, and a lot more talented.
And it's showed.
Well. Actually, instead of trying to explain this myself, I'm going to A. Let the best corner in the league break it down, and then B. Show you a rookie breaking him down.

Again! I return to bash the stars of my favorite team.
Let me start by saying...
Charles Woodson is a first ballot hall of fame player.
I mean, where do the accolades even begin?
In college, he won literally all of the hardware.
All-American? Twice.
Bronko Nagurski? Yup.
Chuck Bednarik? Yup.
Jack Tatum? Yup.
Jim Thorpe? Yup.
National Champion? You betcha.
Most impressively, he became the first, and only defensive player to ever win the Heisman.
From there, he hit the ground running.
He won defensive rookie of the year.
He's a seven time all-pro, eight time pro-bowler, defensive player of the year, and Super Bowl champion.
Perhaps most impressively, Woodson is the only player in NFL history with at least 60 interceptions and 20 sacks.

So how could I possibly call this legend overrated?
Because...
Well...
He's not that legend anymore.
While statistically, 2014 was a solid season, recording the most interceptions he's had in a season since he lead the league in 2011, and had a career high in tackles... Scratch that, he lead the team in tackles. He even registered a sack!
But... On the field?
It didn't really help the team.
They were still 16th against the ass and 23rd against the run.
Even with the switch to safety, a much more conservative position, Woodson didn't impact the team as much as someone who got two all-pro votes should have.

The Seahawks have had arguably, the best secondary in history over the last few years.
A rotating door at corner number two has complimented Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, and Earl Thomas as the Seahawks have won the last two NFC Championships.
Why has Seattle been successful?
Why has the defense been so dominant?
Well... If we had the answer, they wouldn't be so dominant.
In order to have success against the Seahawks, you have to really spread them out, try and exploit them by passing underneath and taking risky throws down the field (I mean... Not against Sherman).
Regrettably, the weak link of the Legion of Boom is probably Kam.
While he's known for his absolutely ridiculous hits.
Hold on, before I continue, let's just flash back to the hit that set the tone for one of the most lopsided Super Bowl wins in history.

That's a nasty hit.
And let's be honest, he's known for them.
He's arguably the best hitter at his position.
But here's the thing...
If he wants to hit hard, he can play linebacker.
The reality is... For a second team All-Pro player...
He's just not very good in coverage...
He gets burned quite often, and honestly, if we have to blame a consistent starter for letting the Patriots come back in the Super Bowl, why not blame the guy responsible for preventing yards after the catch?
Sherman is the best corner in the NFL.
Thomas is the best free safety in the NFL.
Is Kam the best strong safety in the NFL?...
Eh...