Keefe Presents: Top 10 Wide Receivers

Time now to turn our attention to the best players on the football field, the most athletic guys in the locker room, and the most dynamic personalities in the sport, the wide receivers. Some, if not many, of these WRs will likely end up on the All-Time Top 10 list for the position, but this is simply today's 10 best.

Disclaimer: Again, if everything was equal: QB, coach, running game, 2nd receiver, O-line, etc., these would be the 10 best receivers in football.

1. Andre Johnson, Texans

2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals

3. Calvin Johnson, Lions

4. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins

5. Anquan Boldin, Ravens

6. Reggie Wayne, Colts

7. Roddy White, Falcons

8. Miles Austin, Cowboys

9. Terrell Owens, Bengals

10. Steve Smith, Panthers

Honorable Mention: Greg Jennings, Packers; Hakeem Nicks, Giants; Randy Moss, Titans; Chad Ochocinco, Bengals; DeSean Jackson, Eagles.

I know what you're thinking, Steve Smith? And not last year's pro bowl Steve Smith from the Giants either. I stand by it. There are some great receivers in this league, and Panthers Steve Smith is as good as any of them. His stats this year are garbage, but so would Jerry Rice's in Carolina. You know who has taken the snaps this year for the Panthers? Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen, Tony Pike, and Brian "I was literally a stay-at-home Dad-3-days-before-my-last-start St. Pierre. Give me a break.

Besides Reggie Wayne, none of the guys in my Top 10 play for an elite quarterback. If you base the QB's off my rankings, I believe Brady, Manning, Brees, Rivers, and Rodgers are elite. Randy Moss still makes my honorable mention list, but honestly its tough to keep him there. It's been a terrible season for him in not 1, not 2, but 3 places.

Mike Wallace of the Steelers didn't crack my Top 15, but the way he's going he could be Top 7 Top 5 in a couple years.

What does your list look like, let the debate begin.

Next up: Tight Ends

-Keefe

Terrell Owens Is Having a Season

Perhaps my favorite professional football player of all-time, Terrell Owens, is putting together what could be a career year at the age of 36. (He'll be 37 next month.) Many wrote off TO following his tough season in Buffalo (55 rec., 829 yards, 5 TDs). Well look who's back.

Owens already has as many catches in 8 games this season as he did in 16 games a year ago, and more touchdowns, 7 to 5. Last year it was Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Brohm, but mainly it was people saying TO = Too Old. Hold the phone. Owens is back where he belongs, as an elite receiver in the NFL.

Look at the numbers. 8 games played.

Receptions: 55 (3rd in NFL)
Receiving Yards: 770 (3rd in NFL)
Receiving Touchdowns: 7 (T-4th in NFL)

If he keeps the same pace (a big "if" I get it) he would set career highs for both catches and yards, pretty incredible.

Also, who would have thought that of the two guys closest to Jerry Rice's record for TD receptions (197), Randy Moss (153) and Terrell Owens (151), that it would be TO, despite being 3 years older would have a better chance (if there really is any chance) of breaking one of Rice's insane records.

The way Moss was playing with the Patriots coupled with Owens' year in Buffalo it looked as though Moss would leave TO in the dust, but wait up just a minute. Owens joined Moss and Rice this past Monday as the only 3 players in league history to catch at least 150 TDs. Check out how he celebrated that accomplishment.



-Keefe