Most Consistently Productive NFL Players Over The Last Five Seasons

JOHN BREITENBACH

JULY 9, 2016

The NFL is obsessed with present performance, but the truly great players couple production with longevity. Taking the field every week is not easy in a sport as physical as football. The most consistent players are able to play through the pain barrier, and are also lucky enough to avoid major injuries. Consistency also requires a minimum standard of performance. The best players can be counted on for at least a solid outing every week.

With these qualifiers in mind, here is a list of the most consistently-productive players over the last five years.

1. Joe Thomas, LT, Browns
Joe Thomas’ cumulative +312.4 grade over the past nine years may never be matched by another tackle. He has missed just one snap in that span. Thomas is the best pass-protecting tackle currently plying his trade in the NFL, ranking in the top 10 in pass-blocking efficiency in each of his nine pro seasons. He has not ranked outside the top five in that metric since 2008. In the past five seasons, he has only graded negatively in pass protection on seven occasions, finishing with 22 perfect games out of 80. Thomas has never been the most dominant run-blocker, but he is still mightily effective, currently holding a +113.9 cumulative career grade. Team success has eluded the league’s best tackle, but that shouldn’t diminish his personal accolades.

2. J.J. Watt, DE, Texans
Watt’s dominance has been well-documented, but his career to this point deserves some context. Despite playing on the interior, Watt’s numbers leave him streets ahead of the NFL’s best pass-rushers over the past five years. In total, he has 85 sacks, 151 hits, and 195 pressures to go with 44 batted passes. Watt has disrupted one out of every seven passing snaps he has been on the field for to this point in his career; discount his rookie season, and that jumps to once in every five passing snaps. Since 2012, Watt has recorded only six negatively-graded games.

3. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals
Larry Fitzgerald is one of the NFL’s iron-men, playing at least 90 percent of snaps in each season since 2007. Only in 2012 did Fitzgerald’s performance leave a little to be desired. Overall, though, in a five-year span, he has caught 34 touchdowns from 420 receptions for 5,400 yards, dropped just 15 passes, and broken 53 tackles. He graded negatively in only two games last season, helping Arizona to the NFC Championship game.

4. Marshal Yanda, G, Ravens
Another NFL entrant in 2007, Marshal Yanda has quietly dominated the pro game for the past nine seasons. Yanda’s cumulative +300.2 career grade makes him our most-consistent guard. Although never blessed with outstanding athleticism, he forged an All-Pro career through hard work and physicality. He has been a top-five run-blocking guard in every season aside from 2012 (when he finished 15th), bullying defensive lineman in the Ravens’ zone scheme. Although not his strength, Yanda can hold his own in pass protection. He has given up only nine sacks, 15 hits, and 60 hurries over the past two seasons. Kelechi Osemele recently got the big payday from Oakland, but Baltimore was wise to invest in their right guard instead.

5. Drew Brees, QB, Saints
A shoulder injury looked like it might prematurely end Brees’ career at one point. The Chargers moved on from him in favor of Philip Rivers, forcing him to take his talents elsewhere. The Saints have been rewarded for their gamble, however, with one of the best quarterbacks of the current generation. Brees’ has a +329.4 cumulative grade since joining New Orleans, including an incredible +75.9 grade in 2011. Over the past nine years, he has thrown for 46,772 yards, completed 67.8 percent of his passes, and notched 341 touchdowns. He has a QB rating of 99.5 in that span. Brees has not graded outside the top 10 at his position since PFF began grading games (2007). At 37 years old, the legend is showing no signs of decline.

6. DeMarcus Ware, OLB, Broncos
Despite often appearing hurt, Ware rarely allows injuries to keep him off the field. He remains a dominant pass-rusher, complementing Von Miller perfectly on the Broncos’ Super Bowl-winning defense. Ware has an astonishing 243 knockdowns (sacks and hits) in nine seasons, proving his longevity over the past decade. Over the past half-decade, he has 62 sacks, 58 hits, and 180 hurries. That stat line is a good career for most players. Consistency has eluded Ware against the run, but that negative pales in comparison to the terror he’s inflicted upon opposing quarterbacks.

7. Richard Sherman, CB, Seahawks
Sherman will likely go down as one of the biggest draft steals in NFL history. The fifth-round pick adjusted to the NFL immediately, recording the 10th-highest coverage grade amongst corners as a rookie. He has only improved from there, recording a +90.9 cumulative grade in his five NFL seasons. Sherman has allowed a career NFL passer rating of only 46.5, a completion percentage of only 47.0, picked off 28 passes, and added a further 50 pass deflections. He has only recorded a negative grade in 13 outings since his rookie year, finishing with nine straight positive game grades to end 2015. At just 28, Sherman has plenty of good seasons left in him.

8. Eric Weddle, S, Ravens
Weddle enjoyed an outstanding career in San Diego before signing with the Ravens this offseason. There are some indications that he might be on the decline after recording his lowest season grade since 2008, but a new environment could lead to a resurgence. Aside from 2015, where he ranked a perfectly-respectable 12th among NFL safeties in terms of overall grade, Weddle has not finished outside our top five at the position. Regardless of a potential decline, he has been the league’s most consistent safety over the past five seasons. In that span, Weddle has allowed only five touchdowns, picked off 13 passes, and deflected another 17. Weddle has given up an average QB rating of only 70.0 since 2011. Reliability is essential at the safety position—where mistakes can be crippling—making his consistency all the more impressive. We’re not convinced one of the NFL’s best safeties is finished quite yet.

Colts scouts open up about Austin Blythe

By Michael Kaskey-Blomain
June 30, 2016

The Colts selected Austin Blythe in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Blythe was a four-year starter at Iowa, and impressed scouts enough throughout his collegiate career to make it to the professional level.

Earlier this off-season, some Colts scouts expressed what they saw in Blythe to Colts.com:

T.J. McCreight (Director of College Scouting): “The leverage that takes to be a wrestler shows up on tape. The toughness, the tenacity, another player that we really liked. We picked four offensive linemen and we didn’t feel like we wanted to fix that position half way. We wanted to fix it all the way. After picking four linemen and picking four guys that have character, have position flexibility, you feel really good after we left on Saturday night that we picked four offensive linemen. With Austin, he can play guard, he can play center. He just has versatility and is smart. And he comes from a program where they really learn how to play offensive line.”

Todd Vasvari (Assistant Director of College Scouting): “Super smart. Super tough. Athletic. The wrestling background really helps. I think he had 188 wins in high school. I think he had 134 pins out of those 188 wins. He’s a three-time state champ. His freshman year, he finished runner-up. I asked him what happened the other 50 or so matches where he didn’t pin somebody. He said, ‘I either messed around with the guy or it was forfeit.’ Again, I think the leverage, the balance and his intelligence really help him and I think he’s going to be a good player. If you asked him before the draft, he would have said he was the best center in the draft. He really believes that.”

Matt Terpening (National Scout): “We saw him live against Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship game. Michigan State has some really good front seven players and this guy held his own in a really big game.”

At ‘Quarterback U,’ Bernie Kosar was the finest the ‘Canes ever had

By GARY SHELTON
June 29, 2016

Once, it was Quarterback U.

Perhaps, it will be again.

With senior Brad Kaaya at the controls, and with coach Mark Richt in charge, the University of Miami could harken back to the days of Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta.

In those days, it was the quarterback who held things together as UM won its national titles. Testaverde and Torretta won Heismans.

Lately, it hasn’t been the same for the team of the position. But as Kaaya enters the season, you can only wonder how high on the list he might get.

Here, in Quarterback Week at the St. PetersBlog, we rank the top 10 Miami has had to offer:

1. Bernie Kosar (1983-1984): The true run of excellence of the Miami Hurricanes started in 1983, and with Kosar. Kosar led the team to its most memorable win, a 31-30 upset of Nebraska, for the national title. Kosar would finish fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting before leaving for the NFL, as the No. 1 overall choice in the NFL draft.

2. Vinny Testarverde (1982-1986): It would be unfair to remember Testaverde for his NFL career. Testaverde won the Heisman in 1986 and led his team to the No. 2 ranking. Testaverde threw five interceptions in the national title loss to Penn State.

3. Gino Torretta (1989-1993): Torretta was a member of two national title game, and won the Heisman in 1992.

4. Steve Walsh (1985-1988): Walsh was 23-1 as a starter while at Miami, including a championship in 1987. He finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was a No. 1 draft pick in the NFL Supplemental draft.

5. Jim Kelly (1979-1982): In the days before titles, Kelly – an NFL Hall of Famer – was the quarterback for the Hurricanes. Kelly threw 33 touchdown passes, setting himself up to be a No. 1 draft pick by the Buffalo Bills.

6. Ken Dorsey (1998-2002): Dorsey was 38-2 with the Hurricanes, winning a national championship and finishing second another year. He finished third and fifth in the Heisman race. In his career, he threw 86 touchdown passes.

7. Craig Erickson (1987-1990): Erickson was good enough to finish eighth in the Heisman Trophy. He started for two seasons. He was drafted twice by the NFL, in the fifth round by the Eagles in 1991 and the fourth round by the Bucs in 1992.

8. George Mira (1961-1963): Mira was an early star with Miami, finishing fifth and 10th in the Heisman Trophy race. His son, George Jr., later played linebacker for the Hurricanes. He was drafted in the second round by San Francisco and played eight seasons in the NFL.

9. Brad Kaaya (2014-present): Kaaya, still going with the Hurricanes, has received some light buzz for this year’s Heisman. If he can finally get his team past FSU, it has a puncher’s chance to contend in the ACC.

10. Brock Berlin (2003-2004): Berlin transferred in from the University of Florida and had two solid years for the ‘Canes. He was 19-5 and finished second for Player of the Year. He led Miami to a 38-33 comeback win over Florida (UM trailed 33-10 in the third period)