Here is what an All Big 10 NFL roster might look like. The Big 10 had a lot of great talent to chose from, especially at some particular positions (like Offensive Line). After looking at the talent pool, I decided to go with a base 3-4 Defensive scheme and a base Ace offense with a power running scheme.
The Criteria
- The roster must be under the current salary cap of $167M
- We use the league average on rookie deals, which is 5 from 2014, 6 from 2015, and 9 from 2016.
- We will include one rookie from each round of the draft (were applicable)
- We will have a well rounded roster that includes role players and special teams
The Offense
Quarterbacks
| QBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady | Trevor Siemian | C.J. Beathard |
| NE | DEN | SF |
| $14M | $628K | $642K |
| Michigan | Northwestern | Iowa |
Taking the snaps for the All-Big 10 team is the GOAT, Tom Brady. He unanimously beat out another future Hall of Famer in Drew Brees; as well as a couple of 2012 draft picks, Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins. Backing up Brady is current Broncos starting QB, Trevor Siemian. Giving him an opportunity to sit and develop behind a guy like Brady could set up this team nicely for the future. The 3rd QB of the bunch is our first rookie of the roster, 49ers 3rd-round pick, CJ Beathard. He could also be the future this team if Brady stuck around for longer and Siemian was used for a big trade.
3 roster spots filled, 50 left
$15.27M Spent | $151.73M Left
Running Backs
| RBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel Elliott | Jordan Howard | James White |
| DAL | CHI | NE |
| $5.672M | $602K | $1.789M |
| OSU | Indiana | Wisconsin |
| Ameer Abdullah | ||
| DET | ||
| $1.133 | ||
| Nebraska |
I took the most advantage of rookie contracts at the running back position, with 3 of the 4 still on their rookie deals. This left me with one big name being left off the roster, Le’Veon Bell. But the almost $7M in cap saving allowed me to stack up the offensive line, leaving basically any of these 4 running backs more than capable of being a feature back. Elliott still gives us top 5 talent for rookie money. Elliott takes the primary 1st and 2nd down snaps, with Howard being his primary backup. White comes in as the passing down back. Abdullah could see some spot snaps also in passing downs (primarily in screen/open space scenarios), but would make his primary contributions on special teams.
4 roster spots filled, 46 left
$9.196M Spent | $142.534M Left
Wide Receivers
| WRs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Allen Robinson | Michael Thomas | Stefon Diggs |
| JAX | NO | MIN |
| $1.117M | $1.163M | $672K |
| Penn St | OSU | Maryland |
| Arrelious Benn | Curtis Samuel | Noah Brown |
| JAX | CAR | DAL |
| $935K | $1.173 | $483K |
| Illinois | OSU | OSU |
This offense would be a run first offense and see a lot of looks out of 2 TE sets, so I focused special teams and youth instead of depth at wide receiver. We start with the top 2 receivers in Allen Robinson and Michael Thomas. Speedster Stefon Diggs would line up in the slot in 3 wide sets, and provide the over-the-top, home run threat once teams start loading the box. Behind them is veteran Arrelious Benn, who would make the most of his contributions on special teams, and a pair of rookies from Ohio St, 2nd-round pick Curtis Samuel and 7th-round pick Noah Brown. Some notable veterans were left off the roster (again making way for the stacked offensive line and GOAT quarterback), Eric Decker, Ted Ginn, Kenny Britt, Torrey Smith, and Mohamed Sanu.
6 roster spots filled, 40 left
$5.543M Spent | $136.991M Left
Tight Ends
| TEs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vernon Davis | Lance Kendricks | Jesse James |
| WAS | GB | PIT |
| $3.333M | $1.775M | $667K |
| Maryland | Wisconsin | Penn St |
| Niles Paul | ||
| WAS | ||
| $2.208M | ||
| Nebraska |
Given the 2 TE offensive strategy of this teams, I added 3 starting caliber tight ends. We start with the veteran out of Maryland, Vernon Davis. He has shown with the Redskins this year that he is still a threat in the passing game while also being able to hold his own in the run game. Starting opposite him is former Badger, Lance Kendricks. Backing them up will be current Steelers’ starting tight end Jesse James. Niles Paul rounds out the bunch as a primary contributor on special teams, and can also see time in the backfield as an H-back.
4 roster spots filled, 36 left
$7.983M Spent | $129.008M Left
Offensive Line
| OL | ||
|---|---|---|
| T Joe Thomas | T Jack Conklin | G Marshal Yanda |
| CLE | TEN | BAL |
| $11.5M | $3.613M | $9.125M |
| Wisconsin | Michigan St | Iowa |
| G Richie Incognito | C Travis Frederick | T Rob Havenstein |
| BUF | DAL | LAR |
| $4.925M | $4.531M | $1.083M |
| Nebraska | Wisconsin | Wisconsin |
| G Graham Glasgow | C/G Stefen Wisniewski | |
| DET | PHI | |
| $720K | $1.358M | |
| Michigan | Penn St |
If you didn’t think so already, this is where this team gets ridiculous. There was a large group to pick from, but I tried to pick the best of the best without completely blowing the team budget. The group boasts 10 1st-team All-Pro honors and a total of 22 trips to the Pro Bowl. We start with future 1st-ballot Hall of Famer, Joe Thomas. At the other bookend, we have former Spartan, Jack Conklin, who had the impressive feat of making 1st-team All-Pro in his rookie season last year. At the guards, we have the Ravens perennial Pro Bowler, Marshal Yanda, and Richie Incognito, who has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last 2 years with Buffalo, resurrecting his career after the bullying scandal in Miami. Lastly at center, we have Wisconsin’s Travis Frederick, who a lot of people thought Dallas reached for in the 1st-round of the 2013 draft, but has proved to be an All-Pro anchor of one of the best offensive lines in football. Backing them up are a couple of young, starting caliber playhers in Havenstein and Glasgow, as well as vetern Stefen Wisniewski, who can provide support at both center and guard.
8 roster spots filled, 28 left
$36.855M Spent | $92.153M Left
Offensive Spending Breakdown
The offense accounted for only 45% of the overall team salary. This is due in large part to the rookie contracts at the running back and wide receiver positions. The stacked offensive line takes up almost half of the offensive budget at 49.2%. Add in the fact that Tom Brady alone takes up 18.7% of the offensive budget, and you can see how important those rookie deals for starting talent at skill positions can be.
The Defense
Defensive Line
| DL | ||
|---|---|---|
| J.J. Watt | Joey Bosa | Domata Peko |
| HOU | LAC | DEN |
| $14.061M | $5.88M | $3.3M |
| Wisconsin | OSU | Michigan St |
| Maliek Collins | Yannick Ngakoue | Beau Allen |
| DAL | JAX | PHI |
| $837K | $819K | $706K |
| Nebraska | Maryland | Wisconsin |
| Karl Klug | ||
| TEN | ||
| $2.469M | ||
| Iowa |
The pass rush for this All-Big 10 team is the next ridiculous piece of this roster. With the 3-4 base, we would see the greatest Texan of all-time J.J. Watt and last years’ Defensive Rookie of the Year, Joey Bosa, at the ends. Veteran big man Domata Peko would stuff up the interior, leaving room for the linebackers to roam. Former Cornhusker, Maliek Collins, will provide backup support at the nose, as well as lining up in the interior in heavy sets. Ngakoue would provide pass rush support for the defensive ends, while Karl Klug provides the backup run support on the outside. The most notable exclusion from this position on the roster is former Nebraska star, Ndamukong Suh. His $19.1M cap number (and general dirty player attitude) made him an easy cut from the roster.
7 roster spots filled, 21 left
$28.072M Spent | $64.081M Left
Linebackers
| LBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| T.J. Watt | Cameron Wake | NaVorro Bowman |
| PIT | MIA | OAK |
| $1.683M | $7.5M | $9.592M |
| Wisconsin | Penn St | Penn St |
| Ryan Shazier | Nathan Stupar | David Harris |
| PIT | NO | NE |
| $3.025M | $1.8M | $2.844M |
| OSU | Penn St | Michigan |
| De'Vondre Campbell | Damien Wilson | |
| ATL | DAL | |
| $681K | $732K | |
| Minnesota | Minnesota |
Linebacker is the next brightest spot for this All-Big 10 roster, with it’s top 2 contributors coming from linebacker-U, Penn St. We start on the inside with 4x 1st-team All-Pro NaVorrow Bowman as the commander at mike for this defense. Starting next to him in this 3-4 scheme is former Buckeye, Ryan Shazier. On the outside, we have the other previously mentioned Nittany Lion, Cameron Wake. Wake continues to fly under the redar as one of the most underappreciated pass rushers in the league over the past decade, signing with the Dolphins in 2008 after leading the CFL in sacks for 2 years with the BC Lions. He takes the lead at the jack linebacker position, primarily used as a pass rusher. Lining up at the other outside linebacker position is J.J.’s little brother, T.J. Watt. I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to have brothers starting next to each other, and Watt has proven to be a solid starter in the league after being drafted in the 1st-round by the Steelers this year. Backing up the interior is veteran David Harris, and former Golden Gopher, Damien Wilson. Fellow Gopher De’Vondre Campbell will spell the outside, with veteran Nathan Stupar providing the majority of his support on special teams. There were multiple quality exclusions from the roster, including Tamba Hali, Ryan Kerrign, Sean Lee, Lavonte David, Paul Posluszny, and Whitney Mercilus.
8 roster spots filled, 13 left
$27.857M Spent | $36.224M Left
Cornerbacks
| CBs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Logan Ryan | Jason McCourty | Bradley Roby |
| TEN | CLE | DEN |
| $8.667M | $2.344M | $2.212M |
| Rutgers | Rutgers | OSU |
| Desmond King | Sherrick McManis | Jeremy Clark |
| LAC | CHI | NYJ |
| $535K | $1.45M | $461K |
| Iowa | Northwestern | Michigan |
We have our first Scarlet Knights siting, with both starting corners coming from Rutgers. We start with current Titan, Logan Ryan, and move to former Titan, now Brown, Jason McCourty. Next we have current Broncos’ nickelback, Bradley Roby, who will fill the same position on this roster. Like with the wide receivers, we fill out the corners with a couple of rookies; 5th-round pick Desmond King, and 6th-round pick Jeremy Clark. Providing veteran support will be former Wildcat, Sherrick McManis. The biggest exclusion from this group is former Fighting Illini, Vontae Davis.
6 roster spots filled, 7 left
$15.669M Spent | $20.555M Left
Safeties
| Ss | ||
|---|---|---|
| Malcolm Jenkins | Micah Hyde | Duron Harmon |
| PHI | BUF | NE |
| $7.5M | $4M | $3.5M |
| OSU | Iowa | Rutgers |
| Montae Nickolson | ||
| WAS | ||
| $620K | ||
| Michigan St |
The safeties were a surprisingly good group of free safeties to choose from, and ultimately, former Buckeye Malcolm Jenkins earned the starting spot. Going opposite him at strong safety will be former Hawkeye, Micah Hyde. Backing up Jenkins will be current Patriot Duron Harmon, and backing up the strong safety will be our last rookie of the roster, 4th-round pick Montae Nicholson. The former Spartan has been impressive for the Redskins filling in after the disappearance of Su’a Cravens.
4 roster spots filled, 3 left
$15.62M Spent | $4.935M Left
Defensive Spending Breakdown
The defense accounted for 52.4% of the overall team salary. This is due in large part to the starting players on rookie contracts on the offensive side of the ball. The defensive line took up the biggest chunk, amassing 32.1% of the defensive budget. The overall majority of the money is in the front 7, which should be a powerful run stopping d, and provide an insane pass rush on opposing QBs.
Specialists and Head Coach
| ST and HC | ||
|---|---|---|
| K Robbie Gould | P Brad Nortman | LS Jon Condo |
| SF | JAX | OAK |
| $1.75M | $1.9M | $695K |
| Penn St | Wisconsin | Maryland |
| Head Coach | Adam Gase | Michigan St |
Former Bear, now 49er, Robbie Gould handles the field goal and kickoff duties. Current Jaguar Brad Nortman takes the punter position, receiving snaps from former Terrapin, Jon Condo.
Leading this All-Big 10 team will be current Dolphins head coach Adm Gase. Gase started his coaching career as an undergraduate assistant at Michigan State under Nick Saban.
3 roster spots filled, 0 left
$4.345M Spent | $590K Left
The Starting 22
Due to the Big 10 headquarters location, I’ve named this team the Rosemont Bears.
| Offense | |
|---|---|
| QB | Tom Brady |
| RB | Ezekiel Elliott |
| Z | Allen Robinson |
| X | Michael Thomas |
| TE | Vernon Davis |
| TE/Slot | Lance Kendricks/Stefon Diggs |
| LT | Joe Thomas |
| LG | Richie Incognito |
| C | Travis Frederick |
| RG | Marshal Yanda |
| RT | Jack Conklin |
| Defense | |
|---|---|
| DE | Joey Boas |
| NT | Domata Peko |
| DE | J.J. Watt |
| Sam | T.J. Watt |
| Mike | NaVorro Bowman |
| Will | Ryan Shazier |
| Jack | Cameron Wake |
| CB | Logan Ryan |
| CB | Jason McCourty |
| SS | Micah Hyde |
| FS | Malcolm Jenkins |
Team Breakdown
| School | # of Players |
|---|---|
| Illinois | 1 |
| Indiana | 1 |
| Iowa | 5 |
| Maryland | 4 |
| Michigan | 4 |
| Michigan St | 3 |
| Minnesota | 2 |
| Nebraska | 4 |
| Northwestern | 2 |
| OSU | 8 |
| Penn St | 7 |
| Purdue | 0 |
| Rutgers | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 9 |
Topping the list is, surprisingly, the University of Wisconsin, with 9. Second on the list is The Ohio St. And coming in third is linebacker-u, Penn St. Purdue was the only school not to be represented on the roster, with Drew Brees and Ryan Kerrigan just missing the cut.
As for the NFL teams included in this roster, the Dallas Cowboys had the biggest love for the Big 10, with 5 players represented on the roster. Unsurprisingly, the Patriots, as well as the Jaguars, fall in next with 4 a piece. 7 NFL teams are left unrepresented; the Giants, Seahawks, Cardinals, Buccaneers, Bengals, Chiefs, and Colts.
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