2014-15 College Football Round-Up: Non-Power Five Conferences

The college football season is pretty much in the books (we only have one pretty important game left to play) and it's time to take a look back at how every team did this past season, as well as how my pre-season predictions played out. Over the course of the next few days, I will be rolling out each individual conference (except for today of course....) and a brief synopsis on how every team did. Today will be a special day though because instead of looking at just one conference, I will be combining the non-BCS qualifying schools (otherwise known as the "little guys" of college football) all together. It might be a lot of information for you to take in at once, but that's how we roll here at the Ultimate Football Blog.........

2014-15 College Football Round-Up

Non-Power Five Conferences

Division I Independents

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Record: 8-5

My Predicted Record: 10-3

Bowl: Music City Bowl vs. LSU (Won 31-28)

Brigham Young University Cougars

Record: 8-5

My Predicted Record: 10-3

Bowl: Miami Beach Bowl vs. Memphis (Lost 48-55)

Navy Midshipmen

Record: 8-5

My Predicted Record: 8-4

Bowl: Poinsettia Bowl vs. San Diego State (Won 17-16)

Army Black Knights

Record: 4-8

My Predicted Record: 5-8

Bowl: No bowl game

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Mountain West Football

1st

Boise State Broncos

Record: 12-2 (7-1)

My Predicted Record: 12-2 (9-0)

Bowl: Fiesta Bowl vs. Arizona (Won 38-30)

2nd

Colorado State Rams

Record: 10-3 (6-2)

My Predicted Record: 7-6 (5-3)

Bowl: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Utah (Lost 10-45)

3rd

Utah State Aggies

Record: 10-4 (6-2)

My Predicted Record: 9-5 (6-2)

Bowl: New Mexico Bowl vs. UTEP (Won 21-6)

4th

Air Force Falcons

Record: 10-3 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 7-6 (3-5)

Bowl: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs. Western Michigan (Won 38-24)

5th

San Diego State Aztecs

Record: 7-6 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 7-6 (5-3)

Bowl: Poinsettia Bowl vs. Navy (Lost 16-17)

6th

Nevada Wolfpack

Record: 7-6 (4-4)

My Predicted Record: 7-6 (6-2)

Bowl: New Orleans Bowl vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (Lost 3-16)

7th

Fresno State Bulldogs

Record: 6-8 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 8-6 (6-3)

Bowl: Hawaii Bowl vs. Rice (Lost 6-30)

8th

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

Record: 4-9 (3-5)

My Predicted Record: 3-10 (2-6)

Bowl: No bowl game

9th

New Mexico Lobos

Record: 4-8 (2-6)

My Predicted Record: 3-9 (1-7)

Bowl: No bowl game

10th

Wyoming Cowboys

Record: 4-8 (2-6)

My Predicted Record: 4-8 (2-6)

Bowl: No bowl game

11th

San Jose State Spartans

Record: 3-9 (2-6)

My Predicted Record: 4-8 (3-5)

Bowl: No bowl game

12th

UNLV Rebels

Record: 2-11 (1-7)

My Predicted Record: 2-10 (1-7)

Bowl: No bowl game

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Mid-American Conference Football

1st

Northern Illinois Huskies

Record: 11-3 (7-1)

My Predicted Record: 12-2 (8-1)

Bowl: Boca Raton Bowl vs. Marshall (Lost 23-52)

2nd

Toledo Rockets

Record: 9-4 (7-1)

My Predicted Record: 9-4 (7-1)

Bowl: GoDaddy.com Bowl vs. Arkansas State (Won 63-44)

3rd

Western Michigan Broncos

Record: 8-5 (6-2)

My Predicted Record: 2-10 (1-7)

Bowl: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs. Air Force (Lost 24-38)

4th

Bowling Green Falcons

Record: 8-6 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 11-3 (7-2)

Bowl: Camellia Bowl vs. South Alabama (Won 33-28)

5th

Central Michigan Chippewas

Record: 7-6 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 6-6 (5-3)

Bowl: Bahamas Bowl vs. Western Kentucky (Lost 48-49)

6th

Ohio Bobcats

Record: 6-6 (4-4)

My Predicted Record: 8-5 (5-3)

Bowl: No bowl game

7th

Ball State Cardinals

Record: 5-7 (4-4)

My Predicted Record: 5-7 (3-5)

Bowl: No bowl game

8th

Akron Zips

Record: 5-7 (3-5)

My Predicted Record: 6-7 (5-3)

Bowl: No bowl game

9th

Buffalo Bulls

Record: 5-6 (3-4)

My Predicted Record: 8-5 (5-3)

Bowl: No bowl game

10th

Massachusetts Minutemen

Record: 3-9 (3-5)

My Predicted Record: 0-12 (0-8)

Bowl: No bowl game

11th

University of Miami-Ohio Redhawks

Record: 2-10 (2-6)

My Predicted Record: 2-10 (1-7)

Bowl: No bowl game

12th

Eastern Michigan Eagles

Record: 2-10 (1-7)

My Predicted Record: 2-10 (1-7)

Bowl: No bowl game

13th

Kent State Golden Flashes

Record: 1-10 (0-7)

My Predicted Record: 5-7 (3-5)

Bowl: No bowl game

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Conference USA Football

1st

Marshall Thundering Herd

Record: 13-1 (7-1)

My Predicted Record: 13-1 (7-1)

Bowl: Boca Raton Bowl vs. Northern Illinois (Won 52-23)

2nd

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Record: 9-5 (7-1)

My Predicted Record: 8-5 (6-2)

Bowl: Heart of Dallas Bowl vs. Illinois (Won 35-18)

3rd

Rice Owls

Record: 8-5 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 7-6 (4-4)

Bowl: Hawaii Bowl vs. Fresno State (Won 30-6)

4th

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Record: 8-5 (4-4)

My Predicted Record: 4-8 (3-5)

Bowl: Bahamas Bowl vs. Central Michigan (Won 49-48)

5th

University of Texas-El Paso Miners

Record: 7-6 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 1-11 (0-8)

Bowl: New Mexico Bowl vs. Utah State (Lost 6-21)

6th

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

Record: 6-6 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 8-5 (7-1)

Bowl: No bowl game

7th

Old Dominion Monarchs

Record: 6-6 (4-4)

My Predicted Record: 4-8 (2-6)

Bowl: No bowl game

7th

University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers

Record: 6-6 (4-4)

My Predicted Record: 3-9 (1-7)

Bowl: No bowl game

9th

University of Texas San-Antonio Roadrunners

Record: 4-8 (3-5)

My Predicted Record: 11-3 (9-0)

Bowl: No bowl game

10th

Florida International Golden Panthers

Record: 4-8 (3-5)

My Predicted Record: 2-10 (0-8)

Bowl: No bowl game

11th

North Texas Mean Green

Record: 4-8 (2-6)

My Predicted Record: 8-5 (7-1)

Bowl: No bowl game

12th

Florida Atlantic Owls

Record: 3-9 (2-6)

My Predicted Record: 4-8 (4-4)

Bowl: No bowl game

13th

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

Record: 3-9 (1-7)

My Predicted Record: 4-8 (2-6)

Bowl: No bowl game




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Sun Belt Conference Football

1st

Georgia Southern Eagles

Record: 9-3 (8-0)

My Predicted Record: 4-8 (3-5)

Bowl: No bowl game

2nd

Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns

Record: 9-4 (7-1)

My Predicted Record: 9-4 (7-1)

Bowl: New Orleans Bowl vs. Nevada (Won 16-3)

3rd

Appalachian State Mountaineers

Record: 7-5 (6-2)

My Predicted Record: 2-10 (1-7)

Bowl: No bowl game

4th

Texas State Bobcats

Record: 7-5 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 4-8 (3-5)

Bowl: No bowl game

5th

Arkansas State Red Wolves

Record: 7-6 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 8-5 (7-1)

Bowl: GoDaddy.com Bowl vs. Toledo (Lost 44-63)

6th

South Alabama Jaguars

Record: 6-7 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 6-7 (7-2)

Bowl: Camellia Bowl vs. Bowling Green (Lost 28-33)

7th

Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks

Record: 4-8 (3-5)

My Predicted Record: 7-6 (7-1)

Bowl: No bowl game

8th

Troy Trojans

Record: 3-9 (3-5)

My Predicted Record: 6-6 (5-3)

Bowl: No bowl game

9th

New Mexico State Aggies

Record: 2-10 (1-7)

My Predicted Record: 3-9 (2-6)

Bowl: No bowl game

10th

Idaho Vandals

Record: 1-10 (1-7)

My Predicted Record: 3-9 (2-6)

Bowl: No bowl game

11th

Georgia State Panthers

Record: 1-10 (0-8)

My Predicted Record: 2-10 (1-7)

Bowl: No bowl game

Slammin' Stevie Cook's NCAA Championship & NFL Divisional Playoff Picks!

Hi, hello & welcome to what many people say is the greatest weekend of the sporting year, NFL Divisional Playoff Weekend! I'm Slammin' Stevie Cook, and the argument for this weekend being the best has been strengthened this year with the addition of college football's playoff final. We'll talk about that along with your four titanic NFL struggles this week, but before we do that...

Well...

Do I really need to talk about the Bengals losing? It's been the same story for four years now. Really, it's been the same story since 2005, we just changed a couple of the main characters four years ago. I had to work on Sunday afternoon and missed the game, but I wasn't even mad when I saw the schedule six days before. I knew what was going to happen. The Colts would win & win big. Andy Dalton might do something, he might not. The Bengals defense wouldn't stop Andrew Luck on their best day, and if they had less than that you could forget about it. Foregone conclusion. I get people asking me about Marvin Lewis & if he's a good coach, and Andy Dalton & if he's a good QB. I'd say they're both good, but not great. They're not going to get you to the next level, that's been clearly established over the last four years. They are what they are, and the Bengals are what they are. They're good enough to get into the playoffs, but when the lights shine bright & everything is on the line, they wilt.

And some will say "Oh but if they had A.J. Green & Jermaine Gresham they would have had a chance!" Nah. Gresham is a non-factor & Green also wilts in these situations. Result would have been the same. The sad thing is that many Bengals fans, myself definitely included, are at the point where we can't even get mad about it. We know what's going to happen. They lose to Jets teams. They lose to Texans teams led by T.J. Yates. If they ever had a chance at winning a playoff game it was last year when they hosted the Chargers, a team that is equally good at choking at important moments. Ain't no freaking way they were going to Indy & beating Andrew Luck. Nobody with half a brain thought that was a possibility.

The Bengals will come back next year with mostly the same stuff. If they're lucky it will result in a first round exit. That's the ceiling. They won't be part of THE BEST WEEKEND IN SPORTS. And it's kind of better that way, since I can sit back as an unbiased observer & simply enjoy good football. We've got eight good teams left, even if one of them has a .500 record. Let's break it down, shall we?

Ravens at Patriots (-7): A team that's noted for winning road playoff games vs. a team that's been known for being upset in the playoffs.



I said it last week...as much as I didn't like the Ravens during the regular season, it's a team that could make some serious noise during the playoffs. They just hang around & win football games. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO, like some wrestler used to say. Seriously, what happened to Mark Henry? I usually hear when wrestlers get injured, but he disappeared & I didn't hear a damn thing. And it's not like it's easy to make Mark Henry go away. That's a big fella. And it's not like it's easy to make Joe Flacco go away during the playoffs. This is when our boy makes his moolah. Even if the Patriots win this game, the Ravens will make them earn it. Ain't no way they're getting blown out. As much as some simple people want to believe the Karma Police will kick in on the Ravens for...reasons, we all know that life isn't about what you deserve.

Panthers at Seahawks (-11):The Carolina Panthers have now won 8 games this season & have an overall record of 8-8-1. Hey, they're no longer under .500! They probably will be after this week, but for now they're at .500! That's something, right? They've won five straight games including last week's game with Arizona. That's all fine & dandy, BUT I'M AFRAID I'VE GOT SOME BAD NEWS!

They get to play the Seahawks this week. In Seattle. The Seahawks have won seven straight & look like the team to beat right now. Now, the last time these two teams played it was a 13-9 game in Carolina. So 11 points might seem a bit steep...but it's in Seattle. Yeah, I know this isn't the greatest analysis of all time, but some games just don't warrant it, you know? The Seahawks should take this one & it won't be very exciting. You have my permission to spend your Saturday night ignoring this game. I probably won't ignore it because I don't have a social life.

Cowboys at Packers (-6): Not the first time these franchises have met in the playoffs, and it probably won't be the last. It is the first time they've met in the playoffs with these quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers is known for being pretty clutch. Tony Romo, not so much. But this year's been a different story...Romo, Dez Bryant & DeMarco Murray along with a very good offensive line have been one of the best offenses in the NFL, and in a stat that will likely be repeated a time or two before & during this game, the Cowboys are undefeated on the road this season. That makes them a very dangerous team heading into Lambeau against a QB that says he's going to play, but he doesn't know how.

The good news for Green Bay, and the reason I think they end up winning this game, is the fact that the Cowboys have the 28th most sacks in the league. They don't get a tremendous amount of pressure on the QB. They do get a lot of interceptions, but Rodgers doesn't throw a lot of those no matter what condition he's in. I do think the Packers win, but the Cowboys will keep it close & will have a chance at winning late.

Colts at Broncos (-7): The worst thing about the NFL rules being friendly to quarterbacks is that young QBs get zero time to adjust. They're either good right away or they're complete bums. My friend Voodoo Penguin tells me that SVP & Russeillo are the two smartest men in radio, but this week I heard them say that Andrew Luck wasn't good because he couldn't beat New England or Denver in the playoffs. Um, what? Y'all are gonna sit here & tell me that Andrew Luck isn't a good QB because he can't beat the 2 best teams in the AFC with worse WRs & RBs than PEYTON MANNING & TOM BRADY have? You gotta be out of your mind if you think I'm gonna believe that.

This is the problem that all young QBs face now. My main man Dustin James is already trying to lower peoples' expectations on Marcus Mariota because he knows how these people are. I know his fight because I fought it last year with Teddy Bridgewater. I lost, because for some reason people think that Mike Mayock's opinion matters more than mine, but he wound up in the perfect situation in Minnesota with smart coaches that know what he is & know what he can be, and have his back. So I'm glad I lost, and glad that Mike Mayock's opinion that Johnny Manizel is a better QB than Teddy Bridgewater based on their pro days carried the day in the NFL draft.

The thing is...even I would admit that Andrew Luck is worlds ahead of my man Teddy. This kid is freaking insane. Anybody questioning whether or not Andrew Luck is going to be one of the great QBs in the NFL going forward needs to have their head checked. As my best friend since kindergarden said to me this week, would it be fair if the Bengals traded Dalton, Gio Benard & Jeremy Hill for Luck? I'd say probably not. Andrew Luck was considered the best prospect since John Elway, and he's lived up to that hype. Colts fans are lucky. They had Peyton, sucked for a year, and got Andrew Luck. That's like when the San Antonio Spurs sucked one year & got Tim Duncan. The Colts will be great eventually, once they surround Luck with enough talent. Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if they beat Denver this week, and if they did, it would be a changing of the guard.

 But, I feel obligated to tell you to pick the Broncos this week. Peyton Manning's had some time to rest, and when you're 38 years old and playing quarterback in the NFL rest is a very good thing. Peyton will have one more great run before his retirement, and this playoff season might be it.

Ohio State vs. Oregon (-6.5): You know, if the BCS was still in play we'd be getting Alabama vs. Florida State for the National Championship. The SEC Champion & the undefeated defending National Champion. We would have bought it. Instead we got a playoff, and it was as awesome as we hoped it would be. TCU & Baylor fans might disagree, but the Big 12 should have decided which one of y'all was better, and what we've gotten has worked pretty well. Oregon took care of Florida State, & Ohio State upset Alabama in one of the greatest college football games we've seen in recent memory. People already want to expand it to eight or sixteen, and it'll probably happen at some point, but in my opinion this four-team playoff has been the best thing to ever happen to college football. You have to limit the number of teams involved in order to make it special. The debate makes it fun. I'm sure I'll disagree if the Louisville Cardinals make it up to the #5 slot, but at this point in time four teams works. The bowl system isn't broken, all the good teams get a special game to feel special, and we get a true national champion. No matter what Big 12 fans think.

As for the two teams that made it in, I can't hate on either of them. Even though Oregon hasn't won a national championship yet, they've definitely made an impact on college football & the way it's played. As a Louisville guy I can respect a school that's trying to break a tradition of irrelevance in football. Oregon isn't Michigan or Notre Dame or Alabama. They don't have a bunch of mythical national championships they can claim. But they've been really good for a bunch of years now, they do a hell of a job of recruiting the West Coast, and they set the standards as far as uniforms go thanks to their man Phil Knight. I don't like all of them, but the kids do. And frankly, when I go shopping for shoes every few years it seems like Nike has the most comfortable shoes for me. So I'm not going to sit here & hate on Nike doing things in college football, even if Adidas gives my alma mater some pretty cool uniforms. I like Oregon & what they bring to the table.

At the same time, it's tough to go against Ohio State. They keep losing quarterbacks & they keep doing what they do. That was a QB3 going against the SEC's best team & beating them. How can you not appreciate that? In an era where I'm supposed to believe that one wide receiver not playing means the Cincinnati Bengals can't win a playoff game, the OSU Buckeyes beating Alabama with a QB3 is quite the thing. I'm also predisposed to like teams that the Cincinnati market sells short, and OSU falls in that category because they think they have a major football program with the Cincinnati Bearcats. LULZ. They got out of the Big 10, a league which we found out was underrated during bowl season when their teams started beating some Big 12 & SEC teams. And it's only going to get tougher with Jim Harbaugh going to Michigan & getting that program back in shape. Urban Meyer vs. Jim Harbaugh? Sign me up!

The problem with picking this game is that Oregon isn't involved in close games...even when the games are close. Florida State played them close for a half. Then the third quarter happened & they were out of contention. Oregon can put points on a team quicker than anybody. That's why I say you have to bet on Oregon, even if Dustin James is trying to work the humble gimmick. The game can still be close, but the Ducks will go on a run at the end that makes you think it wasn't. As somebody that lives on the border of Ohio I'd like those people to be happy, but I just don't see it happening.

Last Week: 2-2

Playoff Record: 2-2

Regular Season Record: 126-124-6

NFL Weekend Hangover

Power rankings expert Jeremy Lambert is back with some hot takes on the NFL. This is the reason you come to this blog people....


Instead of doing Playoff Power Rankings for the Ultimate Football Blog, I’ve decided to do something I’m calling NFL Weekend Hangover where I’m just going to vomit a bunch of words on certain topics pertaining to Wild Card Weekend. Somebody hold my hair.

Blame Lindley, Not The Panthers

Did the 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers deserve to a host a playoff game against the 10-6 Arizona Cardinals? Probably not. But that’s not their fault. They won their division, which means they made the playoffs over more deserving teams in tougher divisions. It’s not the Panthers fault that they and the rest of the NFC South sucked all season before they finally turned things around in the final month while the rest of the division continued to suck.

Let’s be honest, even if that game was in Arizona, the Panthers were going to win. Not only were they fantastic on the road in their final two road games of the season, but, and this is very important….THE CARDINALS WERE STARTING RYAN LINDLEY! The only reason they scored  14 points is because the Panthers punt team sucks and Jericho Cotchery broke off his route.

I’m fine if you’re upset that the Panthers hosted the game despite the losing record. I’m even fine if you’re upset that the Panthers got into the playoffs despite the losing record. But don’t tell me that the outcome would’ve been any different had they played in Arizona or anywhere else in the world. As long as the Cardinals were starting Ryan Lindley, the Panthers were winning that game.

Unfair To Andy Dalton

I’m not a big Andy Dalton supporter mainly because I think gingers are pretty useless people and there seems to be some belief that Dalton was the best QB to come out of 2011 draft, but constantly blaming him for the Bengals playoff struggles is pretty unfair. Dalton wasn’t great against the Indianapolis Colts, but look at the circumstances. The Colts were always going to stack the box and force Dalton to beat them. It’s tough to beat a team when you’re missing your best receiver and your top tight end.

Dalton was on the road and the underdog in three of his four playoff games. He also has Marvin Lewis as his head coach. The Bengals weren’t going to win on Sunday. Not only did Todd Bergman jinx them, but the Bengals just aren’t as good as the Colts. That was proven earlier in the season and proven again this past weekend. It’s not Dalton’s fault that Andrew Luck is a better quarterback with better receivers and a better coach.

Don’t blame Andy Dalton for his lack of playoff success. Blame his ginger genes.

That Picked Up Flag

The Detroit Lions didn’t lose to the Dallas Cowboys because the refs called pass interference against the Cowboys and then decided to pick up the flag, taking away the Lions first down and shifting the momentum in favor of the home team. It certainly didn’t help their collapse, but it wasn’t the sole reason for their loss.

This all falls on Roger Goodell and his flip-flopping in the front office. Goodell is supposed to lead by example as commissioner of the league. The refs are a direct reflection of Goodell and if he can’t make a concrete decision, how can the refs be expected to make one? Sure, the Lions got screwed with the pass interference call that wasn’t. But the Cowboys got screwed with Ndamukong Suh playing. So don’t blame the refs for screwing up that call, blame Goodell.

Joe Flacco In The Playoffs, Man

I don’t think Flacco is worth the money the Baltimore Ravens paid him following their Super Bowl victory and his regular season numbers back that up. But in the playoffs, Flacco transforms into someone else. He isn’t the best QB in the league like his coach says, but I have a hard time doubting him in the playoffs.

Flacco might have the best arm in football, and that’s huge come playoff times. The more big plays you get out of your quarterback, the better chance you have to win. Flacco can make the big play with his arm. Even if he doesn’t connect with a long bomb, there’s always a chance that the receiver can draw a pass interference call.

I don’t know if Flacco can go into New England and beat the Patriots like he did in 2012, especially since this Ravens team isn’t as good as the Super Bowl team, but it’s really tough for me to pick against Flacco right now. Just look at his numbers in his last four postseasons, including this past weekend’s game against the Steelers. He’s 7-2 with 2,271 yards passing, 20 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Flacco might not win this weekend, but he’ll definitely keep the Ravens in the game.

Concussions Cost Steelers

In the fourth quarter of the Steelers/Ravens game with the Steelers down 15, Ben Roethlisberger exited the game with an apparent concussion. A few plays later, with Bruce Gradkowski under center, Heath Miller had to be taken out of the game due to what looked to be a concussion.

Roethlisberger sat out three plays before returning as Pittsburgh had the ball on the Baltimore 14 with a chance to cut the lead to one score. On his first play back, he threw an interception. The Steelers defense blocked a Ravens punts on the ensuing possession to pick up a safety, giving them the ball back with 1:57 remaining, down 30-17. A comeback seemed unlikely and all hope was erased when Heath Miller fumbled the ball after a fourth down completion.

Just to recap: Roethlisberger and Miller were removed from the game with what looked to be concussions. They both returned after sitting on the sidelines for less than 15 minutes and ended up making mistakes that cost their team a chance at victory.

Why were they allowed back in the game? Because this is the playoffs and the NFL doesn’t actually care about player safety no matter what they say. The Steelers should’ve help Roethlisberger and Miller out of the game, even if they passed whatever farce of a concussion test that was issued. Anyone with a 15” standard definition TV could see that those two players weren’t all there. But they were sent back out on the field because they wanted to play and no one had the balls to stop them.

Ranking the Free Agent's for 2015 (Defense)

The NFL regular season is over and it's time for non-playoff teams to start thinking about improving their teams. The best way for an NFL team to upgrade their team is through the NFL Draft, and that's no secret. It's best to draft a talent that fits the scheme that a coach has in place, and grabbing a young player who you can develop and mold into the player you want is an ideal situation for everyone involved. However, the draft isn't the only way to upgrade your team immediately. The other way you can upgrade your team's personnel is through free agency. I'm not a big free agent guy myself. I don't think filling your team with players that other team's coined "not worthy of being here", is the best way to build an immediate winner, but sometimes you can find some real gems in the free agent world (Denver getting Emmanuel Sanders last year for example) that can pay off tremendously. Anyway, here are my current free agent rankings. This list will be updated as teams continue to release players:


(Props to ProFootballFocus.com for helping with this list)

Dustin James' 2015 NFL Free Agent Rankings (Defense):

Edge Defenders

1. Justin Houston (Kansas City Chiefs)

2. Derrick Morgan (Tennessee Titans)

3. Jason Pierre-Paul (New York Giants)

4. Jason Worilds (Pittsburgh Steelers)

5. Jerry Hughes (Buffalo Bills)

6. Pernell McPhee (Baltimore Ravens)

7. Brandon Graham (Philadelphia Eagles)

8. Jabaal Sheard (Cleveland Browns)

9. Arthur Moats (Pittsburgh Steelers)

10. Brian Orakpo (Washington Redskins)

Other Free Agents: James Harrison (Pittsburgh Steelers), Dwight Freeney (San Diego Chargers), Brooks Reed (Houston Texans), Anthony Spencer (Dallas Cowboys), Sam Acho (Arizona Cardinals), Osi Umenyiora (Atlanta Falcons), Marcus Benard (Arizona Cardinals), Greg Hardy (Carolina Panthers), George Johnson (Detroit Lions), Dan Skuta (San Francisco 49ers), Andy Studebaker (Indianapolis Colts), O'Brien Schofield (Seattle Seahawks), Akeem Ayers (New England Patriots), Lawrence Sidbury (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Austen Lane (Chicago Bears), Dezman Moses (Kansas City Chiefs), Jermaine Cunningham (New York Jets), Adrian Clayborn (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Jarius Wynn (Buffalo Bills), Cliff Matthews (Atlanta Falcons), Trevor Scott (Chicago Bears), C.J. Wilson (Oakland Raiders), John Abraham (Arizona Cardinals). Derrick Shelby (Miami Dolphins), Darryl Tapp (Detroit Lions), George Selvie (Dallas Cowboys), Kroy Biermann (Atlanta Falcons), Larry English (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Quentin Groves (Tennessee Titans), Tyson Alualu (Jacksonville Jaguars), Corey Wootton (Minnesota Vikings)

Interior Defensive Lineman

1. Ndamukong Suh (Detroit Lions)

2. Stephen Paea (Chicago Bears)

3. Damon Harrison (New York Jets)

4. Jared Odrick (Miami Dolphins)

5. Terrance Knighton (Denver Broncos)

6. Dan Williams (Arizona Cardinals)

7. Nick Fairley (Detroit Lions)

8. Tyrunn Walker (New Orleans Saints)

9. Cedric Thornton (Philadelphia Eagles)

10. Sealver Siliga (New England Patriots)

Other Free Agents: Tommy Kelly (Arizona Cardinals), Tom Johnson (Minnesota Vikings), C.J. Mosley (Detroit Lions), Cory Redding (Indianapolis Colts), Ricardo Mathews (San Diego Chargers), Leger Douzable (New York Jets), Karl Klug (Tennessee Titans), Kenrick Ellis (New York Jets), Corey Peters (Atlanta Falcons), Greg Scruggs (Seattle Seahawks), Travian Robertson (Washington Redskins), Josh Price-Brent (Dallas Cowboys), B.J. Raji (Green Bay Packers), Chris Neild (Washington Redskins), D'Anthony Smith (Seattle Seahawks), Fili Moala (Indianapolis Colts), Kevin Williams (Seattle Seahawks), Alan Branch (New England Patriots), Terrence Cody (Baltimore Ravens), Alameda Ta'amu (Arizona Cardinals), Clifton Geathers (Pittsburgh Steelers), Kevin Vickerson (Kansas City Chiefs), Christo Bilukidi (Baltimore Ravens), Mitch Unrein (Denver Broncos), Demarcus Dobbs (Seattle Seahawks), Ishmaa'ily Kitchen (Cleveland Browns), Andre Fluellen (Detroit Lions), Pat Sims (Oakland Raiders), Lawrence Guy (Baltimore Ravens), Da'Quan Bowers (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Letroy Guion (Green Bay Packers), Dwan Edwards (Carolina Panthers), Alex Carrington (St. Louis Rams), Ryan Pickett (Houston Texans), Devon Still (Cincinnati Bengals), Colin Cole (Carolina Panthers), Sione Fua (Cleveland Browns), Mike Patterson (New York Giants), Ahtyba Rubin (Cleveland Browns), Tim Jamison (Houston Texans), Brandon Deaderick (New Orleans Saints), Jerrell Powe (Houston Texans), Jarvis Jenkins (Washington Redskins), Nick Hayden (Dallas Cowboys)

Linebackers

1. Rolando McClain (Dallas Cowboys)

2. Brandon Spikes (Buffalo Bills)

3. Geno Hayes (Jacksonville Jaguars)

4. Craig Robertson (Cleveland Browns)

5. Lance Briggs (Chicago Bears)

6. Jasper Brinkley (Minnesota Vikings)

7. Justin Durant (Dallas Cowboys)

8. Jason Trusnik (Miami Dolphins)

9. Parys Haralson (New Orleans Saints)

10. Mark Herzlich (New York Giants)

Other Free Agents: Akeem Dent (Houston Texans), Ashlee Palmer (Detroit Lions), Nate Irving (Denver Broncos), Jonathan Freeney (Miami Dolphins), Kaelin Burnett (Tennessee Titans), Kelvin Sheppard (Miami Dolphins), Larry Dean (Buffalo Bills), Chris White (New England Patriots), Colin McCarthy (Tennessee Titans), Heath Farwell (Seattle Seahawks), Moise Fokou (New Orleans Saints), Sean Weatherspoon (Atlanta Falcons), Stevenson Sylvester (Buffalo Bills), Will Herring (St. Louis Rams), Rey Maualuga (Cincinnati Bengals), Andrew Gachkar (San Diego Chargers), Jason Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Desmond Bishop (San Francisco 49ers), David Harris (New York Jets), Spencer Paysinger (New York Giants), Chase Blackburn (Carolina Panthers), Nick Bellore (New York Jets), Josh Bynes (Detroit Lions), Jamari Lattimore (Green Bay Packers), Darryl Sharpton (Chicago Bears), Michael Morgan (Seattle Seahawks), Jeff Tarpinian (Houston Texans), Jacquian Williams (New York Giants), Jonathan Casillas (New England Patriots), Jerrell Freeman (Indianapolis Colts), D.J. Williams (Chicago Bears), Mason Foster (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Bruce Carter (Dallas Cowboys), Steven Johnson (Denver Broncos), Malcolm Smith (Seattle Seahawks), Casey Matthews (Philadelphia Eagles), Emmanuel Lamur (Cincinnati Bengals), Dane Fletcher (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Ramon Humber (New Orleans Saints), Josh Mauga (Kansas City Chiefs), J.T. Thomas (Jacksonville Jaguars), Larry Foote (Arizona Cardinals)

Cornerbacks

1. Kareem Jackson (Houston Texans)

2. Chris Culliver (San Francisco 49ers)

3. Sterling Moore (Dallas Cowboys)

4. Brandon Flowers (San Diego Chargers)

5. Perrish Cox (San Francisco 49ers)

6. Rashean Mathis (Detroit Lions)

7. Tramon Williams (Green Bay Packers)

8. Antonio Cromartie (Arizona Cardinals)

9. Patrick Robinson (New Orleans Saints)

10. Antwon Blake (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Other Free Agents: Chris Cook (San Francisco 49ers), Brandon Harris (Tennessee Titans), Josh Gordy (Indianapolis Colts), Josh Thomas (Detroit Lions), Charles Tillman (Chicago Bears), Mike Harris (New York Giants), Javier Arenas (Atlanta Falcons), Alan Ball (Jacksonville Jaguars), Aaron Ross (Baltimore Ravens), Teddy Williams (Jacksonville Jaguars), Danny Gorrer (Baltimore Ravens), Davon House (Green Bay Packers), Byron Maxwell (Seattle Seahawks), Walter Thurmond (New York Giants), Justin Rogers (Washington Redskins), Jarrett Bush (Green Bay Packers), Mike Jenkins (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Tony Carter (Denver Broncos), Terence Newman (Cincinnati Bengals), R.J. Stanford (Miami Dolphins), Sherrod Martin (Jacksonville Jaguars), Brice McCain (Pittsburgh Steelers), Sherrick McManis (Chicago Bears), Chimdi Chekwa (Oakland Raiders), Darius Butler (Indianapolis Colts), Carlos Rogers (Oakland Raiders), Zackary Bowman (New York Giants), James Dockery (Carolina Panthers), Tarrell Brown (Oakland Raiders), Josh Wilson (Atlanta Falcons), Kyle Wilson (New York Jets), Cassius Vaughn (Detroit Lions), Buster Skrine (Cleveland Browns), Chris Owens (Kansas City Chiefs), Jimmy Wilson (Miami Dolphins), Leonard Johnson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Phillip Adams (New York Jets), Robert McClain (Atlanta Falcons), Bradley Fletcher (Philadelphia Eagles), Ike Taylor (Pittsburgh Steelers), Antoine Cason (Baltimore Ravens), Charles Godfrey (Atlanta Falcons), Chykie Brown (New York Giants), E.J. Biggers (Washington Redskins), Shareece Wright (Tennessee Titans)

Safeties

1. Devin McCourty (New England Patriots)

2. Tashaun Gipson (Cleveland Browns)

3. Patrick Chung (New England Patriots)

4. Dawan Landry (New York Jets)

5. Mike Adams (Indianapolis Colts)

6. Da'Norris Searcy (Buffalo Bills)

7. Nate Allen (Philadelphia Eagles)

8. Darian Stewart (Baltimore Ravens)

9. Will Hill (Baltimore Ravens)

10. Sergio Brown (Indianapolis Colts)

Other Free Agents: Jeromey Miles (Baltimore Ravens), Jim Leonhard (Cleveland Browns), Kurt Coleman (Kansas City Chiefs), Jaiquawn Jarrett (New York Jets), Danieal Manning (Houston Texans), Kendrick Lewis (Houston Texans), Jeron Johnson (Seattle Seahawks), Jamarca Sanford (New Orleans Saints), Dwight Lowery (Atlanta Falcons), Isa Abdul-Quddus (Detroit Lions), Rodney McLeod (St. Louis Rams), Rahim Moore (Denver Broncos), Stevie Brown (New York Giants), Sean Richardson (Green Bay Packers), Robert Golden (Pittsburgh Steelers), Duke Ihenacho (Washington Redskins), Colt Anderson (Indianapolis Colts), Tommie Campbell (Jacksonville Jaguars), Delano Howell (Indianapolis Colts), Ray Ventrone (San Francisco 49ers), Johnson Bademosi (Cleveland Browns), Louis Delmas (Detroit Lions), Taylor Mays (Cincinnati Bengals), Major Wright (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Danny McCray (Chicago Bears), Larry Asante (Oakland Raiders), Kelcie McCray (Kansas City Chiefs), Brandon Meriweather (Washington Redskins), Chris Conte (Chicago Bears), Quinton Carter (Denver Broncos), Will Allen (Pittsburgh Steelers), Charles Woodson (Oakland Raiders), C.J. Spillman (Dallas Cowboys), Quintin Demps (New York Giants), Marcus Gilchrist (San Diego Chargers), Ron Parker (Kansas City Chiefs), Brandian Ross (Oakland Raiders), Antrel Rolle (New York Giants), George Wilson (Tennessee Titans), Ryan Clark (Washington Redskins)