NFL Network added a pair of Broncos to its list of the top 100 players in 2012 on Wednesday night’s show. Quarterback Peyton Manning came in at No. 50, despite missing the entire 2011 season with an injury. Cornerback Champ Bailey became the highest ranking Bronco on the list thus far at No. 46.
“I always think there’s room to grow, so I’m never content with where I am,” Bailey said. “I’m just trying to go out every year and earn the respect of my peers.”
Former Broncos safety Brian Dawkins, who retired earlier this year, was in studio to discuss Bailey’s ranking.
“You knew he was going to bring it every play,” Bailey said about Dawkins. “Whether it’s practice or the film room, it didn’t matter. He was going to bring it 100 percent. Dawkins is one of a kind. I was just blessed to have a couple years with him. I wish I could have had my whole career with a guy like him.”
Manning’s ranking elicited plenty of conversation around the league since he didn’t play a snap during the 2011 season.
“I know what I see in practice,” Bailey said about Manning. “I know he looks good in practice. Only game time will really tell what he’s going to do, but I have all the confidence in the world that we’re going to get the best Peyton Manning that we’ve seen for the past few years. I don’t expect anything less than that and I’m looking forward to a great year with him.”
Previous Broncos to make the list include running back Willis McGahee (98), Elvis Dumervil (68) and Von Miller (52).
What do you think of Bailey’s ranking? Should he have been higher on the list? How about Manning?
-Stuart Zaas
Tags: Champ Bailey, Peyton Manning
I think Bailey’s spot on the list is fair…………and still pretty damn respectable for a vet who’s been playing at an elite level for as long as he has. Congrats Champ and I wish you nothing but an awesome season coming up. Stay healthy and play hard and lead our D to greatness. I hope there’s a ring for you in the near future here with the broncos!
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7990126/peyton-manning-denver-broncos-wrs-struggle-long-layoff
Sorry if this has been posted prior… Let’s hope its ‘Rust’ and not ‘Fatigue’ after 1 week… Glad to see Deck and PM putting in an extra 15 minutes
and PM placing #50 on the countdown is a sad indictment on todays game… so wussified that a guy that takes zero snaps was considerd a top 100 player… Spluh
And for the bunched panties brigade this is the simple explanation for my post…
Lack of nerves equals muscle weakness; Muscle weakness equals easily fatigued by simple prolonged activities… No way to know for sure so note the word ‘hope’… Just something to keep an eye on… and we could be lucky and maybe Peyton was just ‘Rusty’ after his four day weekend… (doesn’t look real good though…)
and furthermore… if it is ‘Rust’ coming off a four day weekend that would be fairly human… Is ‘the neck’ Human after all? I’d heard so many good things here you’d think he was SuperHuman… hopefully we were simply watching the alter ego of PM known as ‘Old Man’ing’ and he’s lulling us into a false sense of security!!!
Congrats Champ, I believe the D is the heart of a team and you have a lot of heart. Think you should of been higher but at least I’m glad you made it. Come on Turtle, give the neck a break. JK
I agree turtle that PM should’ve been left off the list since I thought the list was based on the play of players last year. He didn’t play a snap so how he can be on the list is beyond me. Here’s to hoping he’ll be at the top of next years list though!
And I wouldn’t read too much into the “rust.” It’s still pretty darn early into workouts to be concerned. From what I read it was more about the timing being off than fatigue anyways. But only time will tell.
Morning Broncos Country!
Turtle…sorry to inform you, but you are now “The Neck”s 2nd biggest critic…
http://m.nfl.com/news/09000d5d8296f040/
Hmmm… There are 45 players better than Champ? Seems a little low to me. I mean, he should have been in the top 32, IMO
Reports about particular players or units struggling during organized team activities always should be taken with a heroic dose of salt. There have been just a handful of practices to date, and players — particularly quarterbacks and receivers — are still getting to know one another. An example of what players are working on at this point of the offseason can be found in Joel Dreessen discussing how he’s thankful to have these workouts so he can get used to Manning’s cadence at the line of scrimmage.
An excerpt from this article- http://m.nfl.com/news/09000d5d82973762/peyton-manning-eric-decker-working-on-their-rapport/
Congrats to Champ and the other Broncos that cracked the list (wierd they credit us with manning and Tebow with Jets when its the year in play they are grading). I guess I can understand. Just wierd.
Manning shouldn’t have made the list … at all. But then again this stupid list doesn’t have any real specification or definition on what its looking at or how it grades. Is it the best 100 in the game as of 2011 season? Or is it the best 100 in the game based on 2011 performance … me thinks its the former. Anyway, all irrelevant. This list is about as meaningful as the pro bowl, useless but glad to see your favorite team represented.
“The Neck” as he appears to have come to be known will be what he will be. For better or worse, we will learn soon enough. I haven’t followed much PM news or Broncos news for that matter. But Ill probably be more into it come training camp and preseason.
Later Days,
TRB out…
Turtle…
There was nothing about fatigue that was happening. It was just a few routes where Decker and Manning weren’t on the same page. He had surgery to clean out some bad nerves from his neck so that his neck could get stronger. Right now is not the time to worry during the off season. If there is a time to worry it will be doing the regular season when he is being hit. As far as Mannings neck situation goes, the Front Office has already stated how impressed they are with how far along Manning is. I would say Manning is at 85-90% right now and it is quickly improving.
Also please let me explain to everyone about the top 100 of 2012. I have listened to the analysts and the people who made the list say that this is a list NOT regarding last season but regarding who would be the top 100 players at the end of the 2012 season. Hence, Manning should be on the list and should be in the top 10 in my opinion! IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LAST YEAR!!! They already had a list earlier this year that reflected on the players based on the 2011 season.
lol, these so called “lists” are a bunch of balogny anyways and should only be taken with a grain of salt. Like TRB said, it’s nice to see our players on it, but it doesn’t really mean a hill of beans at the end of the day. MMMMM balogny and beans……….I’m getting hungry! lol
wow! some people NEVER have anything positive to say. Sad really.
Here’s something positive…………..repost from earlier:
killerkod says:
May 31, 2012 at 7:25 am
Good Morning Broncos Nation! (JUST KIDDING!!!) LMAO
Well, it’s another day of OTA’s and another day closer to the season! Getting more and more excited as the days go by. I firmly believe that we can easily have a top 5 O, of not top 3 and easily a top 10 D, if not top 5 in the league. That combination to me just spells success and will guide us to our first winning season since what, 2006?
GO BRONCOS!
Recommend the Rich Eisen interview with Brian Dawkins. That was fun! Connect through NFL.com
So, not only is Turtle a lawyer, he’s also a doctor. Sounds like a big ” I miss Tebow” crybaby. Why does he get on here just to gripe about Peyton, who by the way, would easily have made top 10 if not for his injury. Turtle, get a clue. PM is great and TT is expendible.
Sometimes flowers smell nice and sometimes they smell obnoxious. And sometimes there’s a bee on them and you don’t really want to smell them at all.
Afternoon Broncos Country! I think the list is acurate but everyone is entitlled to their own opinions, Peyton on there I think was fair, Im happy to see Champ is on there and his interview was awosme he just has the drive still after 14 years in the NFL and he did talk about moving over to saftey BUT he is not ready yet which is good in order to play at your best u have to think u are the best, and I bealieve he is still is the best shutdown corner in the NFL today.
I’m confused……….I thought Tebow was supposed to be the starter entering training camp? LMAO!
LOL Kod
Congratulations Champ !! Agree sndvl…he should be ranked higher.
I agree with everyone that agrees with me.
There is one BIG reason Champ Bailey is better than Darrelle Revis.
Revis might end up holding out AGAIN for a new contract with more money. Something I dont think Champ has ever done.
Also the fact Revis is even talking about holding out shows he isnt a team leader or a team player. Its all about Revis. Unlike Champ who is both a team leader and team player.
Agreed AB Champ is a classy player, no doubt, with Revis it is all about him he like a TO except on D, and Revis is a hiporcrite anyway.
They should tell Revis he can have a new contract when he is not afraid to tackle Tebow!!
I’d bet Champ can tackle Tebow!!! LOL
KK – you ought not to post that. It reveals the shame of JE. Some folks say things and what they say means something. Other folks – not so much. Just goes to show ya!!!
IMO Champ should be top 20!!! He is still the premier shut down corner in the league!! But none the less congrats anyways.
Nobody can cover like Champ!!!
Champ can tackle anything. Covering is a job of any CB what separates the chumps from the champs (get it?) is tackling. And champ is all aces.
whats the saying again? Water covers 2/3s of the earth and champ covers the rest? lol
This should be a very good team … will take a while to get into rhythm like any QB but if the best QB imo to ever play the game should be anywhere close to where he used to be and his arm can last a season and post season in his old age, plus our additions and we should go really far. Tebow faithful to the end but im very curious to see how this unfolds but much like the Heat, might take a year to get going,
TRB
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/137a4d43f6354b95
Here is the full Hatfield McCoy miniseries online. Haven’t had time yet myself
Very interesting outlook on how the NFL might look in they had the NBA draft lottery.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82979373/article/what-if-the-nfl-employed-an-nbastyle-draft-lottery
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d829787ed/article/sealver-siliga-currently-on-broncos-firstteam-defense
Dont know if this was posted before or not.
http://www.history.com/shows/hatfields-and-mccoys/videos
This link should work a little better.
By the way the Top 100 players isnt based off of last years performance. It is voted on by the players as prediction of sorts as who they think will be the top 100 players for this upcoming season.
Really, and current players think PM will only end up being a top 50 next year? LOL
I guess so DB. Its very clear they base it on their performance for the upcoming year if you watch the show.
I know AB – just emphasizing the irony.
“some people say things and what they say means something. and some folks- not so much!”
you werent talking about yours truly were you db? nah… the hatfield and mccoys is every bit as good as i thought it’d be. great little series. but like most shows, the ones that are true are usually best. like they say- ‘you cant make this stuff up’
and i think manning is fine on the list. if its a list about where they think players are gonna be at the end of 2012 then you gotta say its hard to say exactly. manning may need a year to get back to form. he missed a year and had surgery on his neck. so not knowing, they gave him 50 based solely on how great he’s been. i for one know that he will be fine by game 6 at the latest. and although most people who missed an entire season wouldnt even be on the list, most people arent peyton manning. and we got him. arent we the lucky ones… ALL HAIL ‘THE NECK’!!
They just don’t know about ‘the Neck.’!!! LOL
referring to JE
The Hatfield vs McCoys was very interesting. I didnt know a thing about it before watching that show.
LBF didnt you see that according to Turtle that Manning is Superhuman so he should be fine. Lol Where is B F E to emphasize that Manning is a GOD lol
I think B F E got banned again. I cant post his name together again.
*and like most shows*
hm. i wonder what b f e did now? wierd.
Turtle, you are so bitter. I mean if the top 100 list is just something fun for the fans, why do you have such an attitude about Peyton being on it. They said last night while i was waiting to watch Champ that it is a list of the current top 100 players. It is not a list of the best players from last season. So, are there 49 better players RIGHT this second better than Peyton Manning? probably not. So, I think he should be higher. But it’s more fun to just listen to them debate it and I’m sure Manning could care less. He knows how good he is. You are just going to have to see it for yourself before you stop being so bitter I guess.
DP article link posted twice on previous blog by OT and myself. Good article AB.
THIS is hilarious! http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2012/05/31/internet-watch-manningtebow-gotye-cover-parody-video/13846/