25 players predicted to have a breakout season

25- Kareem Jackson, Texans, CB
24- Donald Brown, Colts, RB
23- Ben Tate, Texans, RB
22- Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers, DT
21- Tim Tebow, Broncos, QB
20- T.J. Ward, Browns, FS
19- Anthony Armstrong, Redskins, WR
18- Cliff Avril, Lions, DE
17- C.J. Spiller, Bills, RB
16- Michael Crabtree, 49ers, WR
15- Charles Johnson, Panthers, DE
14- Tramon Williams, Packers, CB
13- Jimmy Graham, Saints, TE
12- Vontae Davis, Dolphins, CB
11- Curtis Lofton, Falcons, MLB
10- Jonathan Stewart, Panthers, RB
9- Carlos Dunlap, Bengals, DE
8- Eric Berry, Chiefs, SS
7- LaGarrette Blount, Buccaneers, RB
6- Joe Haden, Browns, CB
5- Mike Wallace, Steelers, WR
4- Sam Bradford, Rams, QB
3- Sean Smith, Dolphins, CB
2- Ryan Matthews, Chargers, RB
1- Josh Freeman, Buccaneers, QB

List from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/697743-2011-nfl-predictions-25-under-the-radar-players-poised-to-breakout-this-year#/articles/697743-2011-nfl-predictions-25-under-the-radar-players-poised-to-breakout-this-year

without meaning to be contrare, didn't Josh Freeman, Mike Wallace, Joe Haden and to maybe a slightly lesser extent LaGarrette Blount have breakout seasons last year? ?

That's what I thought as I typed up the list, but it's not my opinions, and just wanted to see what everyone else thought of the list.

The writer did try to give justifications.
Freeman: Despite a tremendous sophomore campaign, Josh Freeman is still hovering below the national radar. Sure, most NFL fans know who he is, but few seem to grasp how good he is. Last season, he threw for nearly 3,500 yards and posted an amazing 25:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Wallace: What more does Mike Wallace have to do? Statistically, the Steelers wide receiver has already broken out. He caught 60 passes for nearly 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2010, yet he is not even the most recognizable name in his own receiving corps. Wallace is arguably the league's deadliest deep threat, and he might have been one of 2010's biggest Pro Bowl snubs. With another amazing season, Wallace will definitely emerge as a star, and perhaps the face of Pittsburgh's offense.
Haden: Some might already consider Browns cornerback Joe Haden a star. As a rookie in 2010, he intercepted six passes and racked up 64 tackles, but was hardly recognized for his incredible season. Perhaps Cleveland's struggles and small-market location restricted Haden from surfacing as a star, but another season like his first should have him in the Pro Bowl. (Side note: Mike Holmgren's first draft class as Cleveland's football czar is shaping up to be a great one: Haden, Ward, McCoy)
Blount: Through the first five weeks of the 2010 season, LeGarrette Blount recorded just 10 carries for 30 yards. The controversial rookie looked like nothing more than depth chart fodder for Tampa Bay before he exploded for 997 yards and six touchdowns over the final 11 games of the year. Although some speculated they might, the Bucs chose not to pursue a running back during the Draft. With Cadillac Williams slated for free agency, Blount is in line to assume Tampa Bay's primary rushing duties. And if 2010 is any indication, Blount could soon be Pro Bowl bound.

El Capitan wrote:without meaning to be contrare, didn't Josh Freeman, Mike Wallace, Joe Haden and to maybe a slightly lesser extent LaGarrette Blount have breakout seasons last year? ?

Eric Berry anyone ?

You would say that but I agree Grizzly, made it into the NFL top 100 players voted for by the players, one of very few rookies in the list as far as I'm aware.

Eric Berry has definitely lived up to the massive hype before last years draft, I would say he is already one of the top 5 safeties in the league, and will probably the outright best within the next few seasons. Just an all round amazing defensive back

I would say Lofton is the most established player on the list, he’s maybe underrated but not about to break out.
I’m hoping Dunlap can be the DE we’ve been missing for a while he was excellent in the second half of last year and has all the tools to a quality end.
Crabtree needs to step up, he’s been ok but he needs to show more.

Hate to bring more hate but you mentioned a few people who have had break out seasons in: Lofton (centre of the falcons defence), Berry made the pro boel as a rookie, Mike Wallace stablished himself as the Steelers first WR, nd Bradfor and Freeman have shown they are good (unless you mean they will be pro bowl). Like your Avril pick as with, now i recon, the best DT pair he will be very good.

Crabtree not this season, but next i think. But Ryan Matthews is another good shout with perhaps Sproles leaving.

bambamwillis wrote:Eric Berry has definitely lived up to the massive hype before last years draft, I would say he is already one of the top 5 safeties in the league, and will probably the outright best within the next few seasons. Just an all round amazing defensive back

Are you basing that on Reed and Polamalu being retied? The only person i can see stopping him if the both retire is Landry if he can stay fit. Mybe Mayweather, and a massive outside bet that Mays turns out well in coverage and is a beast. Notice massive outside bet.

Yeah basing that on after Reed and Polomalu, those 2 are so far ahead its practically impossible for any player to surpass them, that being said, if I had to bet on any other safety being their equal I would probably choose Berry based on the little I saw of him in college and last year.

Whenever thinking about top safeties I am reminded of how Sean Taylor was lost from the game so young, he could have been one of the greats and I only ever saw highlights of his play

AdZacO wrote:Hate to bring more hate but you mentioned a few people who have had break out seasons.

Not my list so feel free to have a go at who is included, I don't agree with everyone in included in the top 25, but for those I disagree with it seemed from what I read of the writers explanations it was more that they weren't well known or he feels they could go on to do even better. For example in the explanation for his choice of Wallace, he says he just thinks if he manages another season like the last one he could become the face of the Steelers offence, and if I remember the explanation of Bradford, it wasn't that he thought Bradford's season was poor it but he felt he can do better this year I believe he predicted a 4000 yard season for Bradford.

bambamwillis wrote:Eric Berry has definitely lived up to the massive hype before last years draft, I would say he is already one of the top 5 safeties in the league, and will probably the outright best within the next few seasons. Just an all round amazing defensive back

Spot on.
I'm never biased Derby, I always try to remian balanced but this guy is the real deal and was a major reason why our secondary made such improvements last season.
Have you any idea how bad we were in 08/09 ?

Someone mentioned Crabtree ?
I think the guy has proved that if you wanna spend 4 months with your finger up your bum holding out for an extra couple of million bucks, then you'll not only lose credibility but the chances are you'll never be the player you should be.
Message to all rookies - stop being prima donas, get on the practice field, learn the game, put up some performances then start asking for the dollar....

Grizzly wrote:
I'm never biased Derby, I always try to remian balanced

Someone mentioned Crabtree ?
I think the guy has proved that if you wanna spend 4 months with your finger up your bum holding out for an extra couple of million bucks, then you'll not only lose credibility but the chances are you'll never be the player you should be.
Message to all rookies - stop being prima donas, get on the practice field, learn the game, put up some performances then start asking for the dollar....

The sentence of "You would say that " was intended as a joke hence I followed it up with "but I agree Grizzly" so I apologise if this caused offence, I would like to believe all of us on here are capable of being unbiased.

That will be even more important this year as it's likely some of the preseason is missed due to the lockout, so missing time in order to get a big contract isn't the best of ideas if your hoping to prove to the fans you were worth the pick.

Absolutely no offence taken Derby, I saw the joke.
We need a 'joke fully understood' smiley....

Grizzly wrote:Absolutely no offence taken Derby, I saw the joke.
We need a 'joke fully understood' smiley....

I was worried you hadn't.

I'm not the quickest on the uptake Derby but not the slowest either - like to think I've improved since backing over the points Steelers/Jags a few years ago, the more the market kept dropping the more I kept playing overs.
Shoulda checked the updated weather forecast
9-0 Jags

Ha, bet you thought you were going to be a very rich man!

Pr4wn - I originally played over 34.5 and kept pressing right down to 31.5 at which point I smelt a rat, checked the weather and the game was in doubt because of a storm that was brewing.
Safe to say I watched the first quarter and wrote the bet off - could even have 0-0 at H/T.
One of the lower points of my punting career....

I might get into the betting a bit this year. I've got a bit more cash than I did last year so I'll have a flutter or two. May just start by predicting the winners of so-called easy-to-predict game in an accumulator if that works?

Someone I know won £40K on an £5 accumulator bet last season. Predicted 14 results in 1 week, with a couple of games going heavily against the odds. So you never know!

Looks like I should get into betting, though I might not go for a 14 game accumulator, just start small at first. I also need to put a bet on the Super Bowl, the last two I've been right and immediately thinking how much I could have made, and then what it could be spent on.

Thing is Derby, you're a student and rule #1 of gambling is "nly bet what you can afford to lose".

It also depends on when you bet. Betting on the SB winner before the season starts gives you better odds than the day before the game. And the odds improve on an accumulator the more results you include. You may have better luck dropping a little on multiple games than an accumulator that needs say 10 games all to come in.

Though with the Packers, you may well have got better odds mid season than at the start!

When (IF !) the season gets nearer I'll put the odds and some recommendations up - not that I want to encourage people into gambling just for awareness.

And if you can't afford it DO NOT GAMBLE ! ! !

14 team accas would not be my sort of bet but fair play to the guy who picks up £40k, I stick to individual games and the odd double/treble.
NFL betting these days is so comprehensive it's unreal, betting on total sacks, first downs, punting yards, turnovers, sacks, TD shirt numbers, rushing yards, completed passes and a million other markets. If you put the time in and do your homework you can make money - thankfully I'm a hell of alot better at it now than I was a few years ago, the Packers superbowl win paid for all my 2011 holidays !

Pr4wn, I know which is why I'll only be betting small amounts and I'll hopefully save most of my earnings, though I may get carried away by the "Well I won £30 last week so if I bet that straight away technically I've not lost any money" argument.

Skins I'm not good enough to predict a winner at the start of the season, if I'm certain on a couple of results I'll try an accumulator.

I think I'll also set up a simple prediction league for us all when the season comes around too, so we can see who's best at predicting without anyone losing any money.