That was too late for me.
I started (and finished) working on my list for the best players of the last decade about a month ago, maybe longer. (what is time, anyway, was April 3 four days ago or 29 years?) So I thought now that the league's official list is out, what better time than now to compare and provide some incredibly unqualified analysis.
The NFL/Pro Football Hall of Fame 2010s All-Decade Team
Read that^^^. Now, it's my turn.
Clayton's NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
First Team Offense
QB Tom Brady, RB Adrian Peterson, RB LeSean McCoy, WR Julio Jones, WR Antonio Brown, TE Rob Gronkowski, OT Joe Thomas, OT Tyron Smith, G Jahri Evans, G Marshal Yanda, C Maurkice Pouncey
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| You hate to see it, but what better choice is there? (Adam Glanzman/Getty) |
Every player on my first team ended up on the NFL's all-decade squad; although the NFL hasn't designated first or second team that I've yet seen, it's safe to say that the four unanimous selections (Brady, Peterson, Thomas and Yanda) would not only be on that first team list, but are also destined for Canton.
As for the rest of this segment of my list, Shady McCoy definitely deserves a spot as a first team member seeing as he's the only guy to rush for over 10,000 yards from 2010 through 2019. The wide receivers, in my mind, are no-brainers as well. I think we've taken Jones for granted over the past few seasons, but as recently as 2018 he was the league's receiving yards leader. Brown, despite his insane antics over the past few years, has had his place on this roster solidified for about three years as well.
I'll be the first to complain about the stratosphere in which most people put Gronk while talking about his place in football history, but there's no denying no one was more dominant at the tight end position this decade. I'm a little less confident in my job grading offensive linemen (my second team list will give proof to that), but Smith, Evans, and Pouncey were without question among the game's best in the 2010s.
First Team Defense
DE J.J. Watt, DE Cameron Jordan, DT Geno Atkins, DT Aaron Donald, LB Von Miller, LB Bobby Wagner, LB Luke Kuechly, CB Richard Sherman, CB Patrick Peterson, S Earl Thomas, S Eric Weddle
I know you're not supposed to root for your team's rivals, but I absolutely love the career the NFL's unanimous selection at defensive end has put together to this point. Watt, Donald and Miller have been wrecking balls; perhaps even more impressively none of them were pro players when last decade began. Drafted in 2011, 2014 and 2012 respectively, none of those three forces of nature needed a full 10 years to make his mark on football. I can only hope they all are around well into the 2020s (J.J., if you need to rest, I can think of two games a season you don't have to play in).
The legendary Seattle defense of the mid 2010s has three very deserving representatives on this first team. One of my biggest disappointments in football is that Wagner, Sherman and Thomas could only manage to get one Super Bowl championship together. The Seahawks should have been the past decade's dynasty, not those guys up in Foxborough.
Rounding out the list, it's a shame Kuechly needed to retire this offseason. It took him just 80 percent of the 2010s to lead the league in tackling for the decade. Perennial Pro Bowler Atkins is a worthy member of the list as well, though is perhaps underappreciated and at risk of being lost among the other superb defensive tackles throughout history once he retires. Peterson and Weddle are both workhorses; while Peterson came in with a bang, had a small beef with Sherman, then calmed down while still producing, Weddle may still be an understated star of the game (I know I don't often give him the credit he's due).
First Team Specialists and Head Coach
K Justin Tucker, P Johnny Hekker, KR Cordarrelle Patterson, LS Morgan Cox, HC Bill Belichick
When the Baltimore Ravens came to Nashville for a date with the Titans in 2018, I was shocked and impressed to see so many fans walking around town in purple number nine jerseys. I used it as trash talk fodder at the time (wow, your team is so bad one of the top selling jerseys is your KICKER?), but it really goes to show the impact the only unanimous special teams selection to the all-decade team has had. The metric I used to rank the decade's placekickers added together a player's made field goals and field goal percentage; at 265 made kicks and over 90 percent accuracy, Tucker led the league in both categories in the 2010s.
One of the league's most celebrated punters, Hekker was also an easy choice for this list. No one has been as dynamic returning kickoffs this decade as Patterson has been. Long snapper was not a position listed in the official all-decade team, but if it were I'd have no doubt Tucker's ball-hiker Cox would have been a member of the league's all-decade squad. In his place, the league included punt returner Tyreek Hill, not a great person but dynamic on the field nonetheless.
It is only fitting that the head coach of this squad is the one who made it to eight straight conference championships in the 2010's and half of the decade's Super Bowls. It's truly annoying that we'll have to wait another seven years before Belichick has broken Don Shula's record for wins as a head coach and then retires. We can only hope none of those future wins come in the postseason. If they do, check back in 2030 and we may end up with the only three-time member of an NFL all-decade team.
Second Team Offense
QB Aaron Rodgers, RB Frank Gore, RB Marshawn Lynch, WR Larry Fitzgerald, WR Demaryius Thomas, TE Jimmy Graham, OT Jason Peters, OT Andrew Whitworth, G Zack Martin, G Mike Iupati, C Alex Mack
The second team is where my list really differs from the league's. So for this section I'll just highlight the differences. But first, the players we had in common. Two-time MVP and once-upon-a-time Super Bowl champion Rodgers, the NFL's third all-time leading rusher Gore, and living legend Fitzgerald all made both mine and the league's list. Lynch is there too, mostly so he won't get fined. Peters, Martin and Mack are the offensive linemen about whom the league's panel and I see eye to eye.
Our first difference of opinion comes at the wideout position. Calvin Johnson was a beast of a player and worthy of inclusion; his 1,964 yards receiving in 2012 might be a single season record for an incredibly long time. However, I ended up leaving him off my list thanks to the fact he only played for six seasons in the 2010s. Thomas wasn't as dominant as Megatron, but he stuck around and kept producing all decade long.
Tight end was another position at which I valued longevity; albeit, Travis Kelce was for the last half of the decade arguably no more of a threat at the position than Graham was for the first half. That Graham's production lasted all decade long should juuust bump him above Kelce. I do hope Kelce puts together several more stellar seasons, earning him perhaps a spot on my all-20s team and definitely a gold jacket once he hangs them up.
Joe Staley at tackle over my selection of Whitworth is agreeable; I've been a lowkey Whitworth fan for a while now, so I think personal bias was as much a reason as any for me ranking him higher. Guard, however, is a position at which I think I got it unequivocally right and the league's panel didn't. Iupati only trailed Logan Mankins by one Pro Bowl at the position last decade; Iupati's advantage comes in the fact that unlike Mankins, the NFC West stalwart was a consistent starter for nine of the decade's ten seasons as compared to six (or really five and a half) for the Patriots' big man.
Second Team Defense
DE Calais Campbell, DE Jason Pierre-Paul, DT Ndamukong Suh, DT Haloti Ngata, LB Clay Matthews, LB Terrell Suggs, LB NaVorro Bowman, CB Aqib Talib, CB Darrelle Revis, S Malcolm Jenkins, S Harrison Smith
There were a lot more discrepancies on the defensive side of the ball. Campbell, Suh and Revis are the three players on my second team that made the NFL's all-decade squad. Joining Campbell and Suh as all-decade linemen are Julius Peppers and Fletcher Cox. Peppers, a future Hall of Famer, played primarily as a linebacker during his three years in Green Bay, while JPP was an end exclusively until the very tail end of the decade. Ngata made two all-pro teams last decade compared to just one for Cox, but tackle is another position in which my choice and the official one could both be the correct player.
With the exception of Patrick Willis, I don't like any of the league's selections at linebacker that differ from my own. Chandler Jones played defensive end much more than he played 'backer during the 2010s; superstar Khalil Mack's DE-to-LB ratio is smaller, but he didn't play linebacker full-time until the trade to Chicago two years ago. As far as Willis is concerned, his early retirement counted against him as several previously mentioned players' retirements counted against them. He was such a dominant force before he hung them up, however, that he came close to making my cut.
At defensive back, the players aren't the only difference between my list and that of the NFL. As opposed to two pairs of cornerbacks and two pairs of safeties, the league's all-decade roster includes two pairs of cornerbacks, one pair of safeties, and a pair of non-position-specific defensive backs. Eric Berry was the league's third safety. The cancer survivor and 2015 comeback player of the year missed out on my list because in four of his nine seasons in the league, Berry appeared in six or fewer games. Jenkins, meanwhile, missed just seven games in the entire decade.
The league's defensive back selection of Chris Harris was ranked as my fifth-best cornerback of the decade, meaning he just missed the list. Their other defensive back was Tyrann Mathieu. I had him ranked quite a bit lower as just a safety. Interestingly enough, 2014 retiree and 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Troy Polamalu was a strong candidate for my safety list; he eventual fell in well behind Smith, who made his first of five straight Pro Bowls the year after Polamalu's retirement.
Second team Specialists and Head Coach
K Stephen Gostkowski, P Andy Lee, KR Devin Hester, LS Don Muhlbach, HC John Harbaugh
The Patriots' Gotskowski, like several other New England team members to make the All-2010s roster, was an easy choice for this list. He was second in made field goals last decade and third in field goal percentage (Josh Lambo of the Chargers and Jaguars was just .2 percent more accurate, but in a five-year span compared to Gostkowski's full decade). The NFL's career leader in punt return touchdowns deserved inclusion in his second all-decade team; Hester was a second-teamer in the 2000s as well.
Shane Lechler followed up the 2000s, in which he was the decade's best punter, with another nod by the Hall of Fame and league. The NFL's all time leader in punting average joins Hester as a two-time all-decade team member. With a full decade of stats compared to Lechler's eight seasons, I gave Lee the edge on my list as he led Lechler last decade in both punt yards and yards per punt.
The NFL's all-decade roster included the great utilitarian Darren Sproles as both a punt returner and a "flex" player on offense. My selection at long snapper, Muhlbach appeared in every game last decade for the Lions, earning two Pro Bowl nods along the way.
The league and I differ at the 2010's second best head coach. While their choice of Pete Carroll is respectable, I gave Harbaugh the edge on my list. I twisted the stats to fit my bias on this one for sure, but I like the job Harbaugh has continued to do in Baltimore over that which Carroll has been doing in the Pacific Northwest. Yes, Harbaugh has appeared in one fewer Super Bowl, but he wouldn't have passed on first and goal.
That's it for this comparison and analysis. Thanks as always to pro-football-reference.com. I'd be lost without it.
Also, if you're looking for fun during the quarantine, I'd recommend checking out my friends at The Escape Game. If you click here, you can shop their store and I get a small cut of whatever you buy!
I've got a MUCH bigger NFL-related project coming up by the end of the month. Stay tuned!
I'll be the first to complain about the stratosphere in which most people put Gronk while talking about his place in football history, but there's no denying no one was more dominant at the tight end position this decade. I'm a little less confident in my job grading offensive linemen (my second team list will give proof to that), but Smith, Evans, and Pouncey were without question among the game's best in the 2010s.
First Team Defense
DE J.J. Watt, DE Cameron Jordan, DT Geno Atkins, DT Aaron Donald, LB Von Miller, LB Bobby Wagner, LB Luke Kuechly, CB Richard Sherman, CB Patrick Peterson, S Earl Thomas, S Eric Weddle
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| Watt. A. Stud. (Wesley Hitt/Getty) |
The legendary Seattle defense of the mid 2010s has three very deserving representatives on this first team. One of my biggest disappointments in football is that Wagner, Sherman and Thomas could only manage to get one Super Bowl championship together. The Seahawks should have been the past decade's dynasty, not those guys up in Foxborough.
Rounding out the list, it's a shame Kuechly needed to retire this offseason. It took him just 80 percent of the 2010s to lead the league in tackling for the decade. Perennial Pro Bowler Atkins is a worthy member of the list as well, though is perhaps underappreciated and at risk of being lost among the other superb defensive tackles throughout history once he retires. Peterson and Weddle are both workhorses; while Peterson came in with a bang, had a small beef with Sherman, then calmed down while still producing, Weddle may still be an understated star of the game (I know I don't often give him the credit he's due).
First Team Specialists and Head Coach
K Justin Tucker, P Johnny Hekker, KR Cordarrelle Patterson, LS Morgan Cox, HC Bill Belichick
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| The most accurate placekicker in NFL history. (Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY) |
One of the league's most celebrated punters, Hekker was also an easy choice for this list. No one has been as dynamic returning kickoffs this decade as Patterson has been. Long snapper was not a position listed in the official all-decade team, but if it were I'd have no doubt Tucker's ball-hiker Cox would have been a member of the league's all-decade squad. In his place, the league included punt returner Tyreek Hill, not a great person but dynamic on the field nonetheless.
It is only fitting that the head coach of this squad is the one who made it to eight straight conference championships in the 2010's and half of the decade's Super Bowls. It's truly annoying that we'll have to wait another seven years before Belichick has broken Don Shula's record for wins as a head coach and then retires. We can only hope none of those future wins come in the postseason. If they do, check back in 2030 and we may end up with the only three-time member of an NFL all-decade team.
Second Team Offense
QB Aaron Rodgers, RB Frank Gore, RB Marshawn Lynch, WR Larry Fitzgerald, WR Demaryius Thomas, TE Jimmy Graham, OT Jason Peters, OT Andrew Whitworth, G Zack Martin, G Mike Iupati, C Alex Mack
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| Phenomenal cosmic power, itty bitty trophy case. (Chris Keane/Associated Press) |
Our first difference of opinion comes at the wideout position. Calvin Johnson was a beast of a player and worthy of inclusion; his 1,964 yards receiving in 2012 might be a single season record for an incredibly long time. However, I ended up leaving him off my list thanks to the fact he only played for six seasons in the 2010s. Thomas wasn't as dominant as Megatron, but he stuck around and kept producing all decade long.
Tight end was another position at which I valued longevity; albeit, Travis Kelce was for the last half of the decade arguably no more of a threat at the position than Graham was for the first half. That Graham's production lasted all decade long should juuust bump him above Kelce. I do hope Kelce puts together several more stellar seasons, earning him perhaps a spot on my all-20s team and definitely a gold jacket once he hangs them up.
Joe Staley at tackle over my selection of Whitworth is agreeable; I've been a lowkey Whitworth fan for a while now, so I think personal bias was as much a reason as any for me ranking him higher. Guard, however, is a position at which I think I got it unequivocally right and the league's panel didn't. Iupati only trailed Logan Mankins by one Pro Bowl at the position last decade; Iupati's advantage comes in the fact that unlike Mankins, the NFC West stalwart was a consistent starter for nine of the decade's ten seasons as compared to six (or really five and a half) for the Patriots' big man.
Second Team Defense
DE Calais Campbell, DE Jason Pierre-Paul, DT Ndamukong Suh, DT Haloti Ngata, LB Clay Matthews, LB Terrell Suggs, LB NaVorro Bowman, CB Aqib Talib, CB Darrelle Revis, S Malcolm Jenkins, S Harrison Smith
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| Former bad-boy Suh cleaned up his act as the decade went on. (Leon Bennett/Getty) |
With the exception of Patrick Willis, I don't like any of the league's selections at linebacker that differ from my own. Chandler Jones played defensive end much more than he played 'backer during the 2010s; superstar Khalil Mack's DE-to-LB ratio is smaller, but he didn't play linebacker full-time until the trade to Chicago two years ago. As far as Willis is concerned, his early retirement counted against him as several previously mentioned players' retirements counted against them. He was such a dominant force before he hung them up, however, that he came close to making my cut.
At defensive back, the players aren't the only difference between my list and that of the NFL. As opposed to two pairs of cornerbacks and two pairs of safeties, the league's all-decade roster includes two pairs of cornerbacks, one pair of safeties, and a pair of non-position-specific defensive backs. Eric Berry was the league's third safety. The cancer survivor and 2015 comeback player of the year missed out on my list because in four of his nine seasons in the league, Berry appeared in six or fewer games. Jenkins, meanwhile, missed just seven games in the entire decade.
The league's defensive back selection of Chris Harris was ranked as my fifth-best cornerback of the decade, meaning he just missed the list. Their other defensive back was Tyrann Mathieu. I had him ranked quite a bit lower as just a safety. Interestingly enough, 2014 retiree and 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Troy Polamalu was a strong candidate for my safety list; he eventual fell in well behind Smith, who made his first of five straight Pro Bowls the year after Polamalu's retirement.
Second team Specialists and Head Coach
K Stephen Gostkowski, P Andy Lee, KR Devin Hester, LS Don Muhlbach, HC John Harbaugh
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| Perhaps the only proof Devin Hester was ever a member of the Seahawks. (Todd Kirkland/Getty) |
Shane Lechler followed up the 2000s, in which he was the decade's best punter, with another nod by the Hall of Fame and league. The NFL's all time leader in punting average joins Hester as a two-time all-decade team member. With a full decade of stats compared to Lechler's eight seasons, I gave Lee the edge on my list as he led Lechler last decade in both punt yards and yards per punt.
The NFL's all-decade roster included the great utilitarian Darren Sproles as both a punt returner and a "flex" player on offense. My selection at long snapper, Muhlbach appeared in every game last decade for the Lions, earning two Pro Bowl nods along the way.
The league and I differ at the 2010's second best head coach. While their choice of Pete Carroll is respectable, I gave Harbaugh the edge on my list. I twisted the stats to fit my bias on this one for sure, but I like the job Harbaugh has continued to do in Baltimore over that which Carroll has been doing in the Pacific Northwest. Yes, Harbaugh has appeared in one fewer Super Bowl, but he wouldn't have passed on first and goal.
That's it for this comparison and analysis. Thanks as always to pro-football-reference.com. I'd be lost without it.
Also, if you're looking for fun during the quarantine, I'd recommend checking out my friends at The Escape Game. If you click here, you can shop their store and I get a small cut of whatever you buy!
I've got a MUCH bigger NFL-related project coming up by the end of the month. Stay tuned!
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