NFL Top 100 season is finally here, and with the exciting and argument-provoking list of football superstars come the inevitable debates among players about their respective rankings.
Similarly to Madden ratings, which have already stirred up some frustration amid the NFL universe, these rankings don't really mean anything. You don't gain any salary benefits if you're a top-10 player, nor will your production suddenly increase due to a lofty ranking. However, unlike Madden ratings, the NFL 100 is voted on by the players, meaning the level of respect you get from the league is on display here. That counts for something, and probably hits home a little harder if you feel neglected.
Take three-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen, for example. The Chargers wide receiver was featured on the first batch of NFL 100 rankings, coming in at No. 77 on the list. He beat out some top receivers, like the Seahawks' D.K. Metcalf and the Bears' Allen Robinson (who, in my opinion, will perpetually be underrated), but ultimately wasn't happy with where he ended up.
It does make sense to be frustrated. He was ranked within the top 50 in both 2018 and 2019, with a ranking of No. 38 last season, and put up practically identical stats last year with less effective QB play from Philip Rivers. He was third in the NFL with 104 receptions and sixth with 1,199 yards, enough to make his third consecutive Pro Bowl.
Allen took his frustration a step further, calling out three top-tier receivers in the process.
Well, I should say he called out two top-tier wide receivers. Chris Goodwin, who Allen tagged in the post, looks to be a man riding a quad. Tampa Bay Bucs WR Mike Evans, who Allen tagged in the post and is teammates with the intended target of Allen's tweet (Chris Godwin) later called out Allen for his mistake and added his two cents.
Chris Godwin then reacted, too, cracking a joke about Allen's typo and saying that "Chris Goodwin ain’t better than me either."
We expect that Goodwin's cell phone notifications are blowing up right about now.
In terms of who the best receiver is, it's hard to definitively say. If Pro Football Focus grades and metrics hold a lot of weight -- and to many people, myself included, they do -- then Allen is letting his pride get the best of him. Chris Godwin (No. 2), Tyreek Hill (No. 4) and Mike Evans (No. 7) were all featured in the PFF Top 10 receivers from the 2019 season. Allen was not. However, guys like Terry McLaurin and A.J. Brown both made that list as well, and you'd be hard-pressed to find too many football fans that are already willing to call a 2019 rookie like McLaurin a "better receiver" than Allen.
Allen was a snub on another recent wide receiver list from a respected source. Chris Simms revealed his top 10 at the position last week. Though Chris Godwin is left off this list, Simms doesn't think that any wide receiver in the league is better than Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs' speedster who was a part of Allen's latest Twitter call-out.
Notable snub Davante Adams reacted to his exclusion from the list and Allen was quick to share the sentiment.
What do you think? Does Keenan Allen deserve to be featured higher on the NFL 100 list and within a list of the top-10 receivers? Let us know on Twitter @RDCSports!
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