Your team's best player(s) people don't really know about

[poptart]

Third year safety Tyvon Branch.
Third year receiver Chaz Schilens.


Branch was 10th in the league last year in tackles.
The guy is smart, sturdy, and he packs a wallop.
He's not as good in coverage as he is handling the run, but he's coming along really well.
Borderline pro-bowler last year.
Very nice young player who you'll hear a lot more of.


Schilens going down with a foot injury in last year's pre-season was a HUGE loss, as he was showing himself to be the Raiders top offensive player.
He's big, fast, competetive, and he catches the ball well.
The Nation is countin' on him big time.
He, along with 2nd yr player L. Murphy (another competitor) should be fun to watch, with Campbell throwin' the rock.
If he stays healthy, look for Chaz to make a name for himself this year.

[DallasFanatic]

4th year running back Tashard Choice
10th year OL Kyle Kosier

Tashard could easily be a starter for any ball club, but he's stuck behind Felix and Barbarian. Tough to start his NFL career this way but it will only be another year or two before he finds himself a starting gig. He's an awesome presence in the locker room and can be credited with Dallas' final playoff run last year with his inspirational clubhouse speeches.

Kosier is an old timer but not too many people know his value to the offensive line. As a left guard he did a great job communicating with Flozell to help limit his false start penalities. Kosier will be tasked with bringing Free up to speed as Flozell's replacement. A very tough job, but one I believe he can handle.

[BSmack]

12th year DE Aaron Smith - His stat line is ugly, he's never been a sack machine, and he's only had more than 50 tackles once in his career. But his worth can best be measured by what happens when he is not on the field. Namely, the best run defense in the NFL becomes very, very ordinary. Smith has also been instrumental in the pro bowl campaigns of Joey Porter and James Harrison. Neither player would have had anywhere near the level of recognition were it not for Smith eating space in front of them.

3rd year QB Dennis Dixon - He played once last year and looked real good doing it. If he shows some ability early this fall, it is going to make it real easy for Ben's next mistake to be his last.

[Shoalzie]

If the Lions defense is going to turn the corner, they'll need DE Cliff Avril, LB Deandre Levy and DT Sammie Hill need to continue to take steps forward. I don't know how much run he gets league-wide but Louis Delmas is a rising star at the free safety spot. With a lot of new faces and the big additions of Suh and VandenBossche up front...I hope this is the beginning of this team's rise back to respectability. I'm not dumb to think this team is anywhere near the playoffs but I think they'll continue to become a tougher team to play against.

[Dinsdale]

3rd year QB Dennis Dixon - He played once last year and looked real good doing it. If he shows some ability early this fall, it is going to make it real easy for Ben's next mistake to be his last.

QQMF

Not as big as you'd usually like to see in an NFL QB, but he's definitely a rare combination of athleticism and intelligence. [/QQMF]

[Go Coogs']

LT Duane Brown - In his second year, he improved tremendously and helped Matt Schaub become the games leader in passing yards by keeping him upright. The dude is so athletic and light on his feet for 300 pounds. Could be named to a PB by the end of this year.

Bernard Pollard - an absolute beast for the Texans' defense last season. Picked him up off the streets after KC cut him. Apparently it was a wake up call for Pollard 'cus dude played with chip on his shoulder. Hopefully he can duplicate last year's performance this season, but without Cushing on the outside for 4 games I'm not sure how much that is going to expose the SS. We'll see.