THE NFL'S TEN MOST EXPENDABLE PLAYERS

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Expendable? Did you see the 2006 Rose Bowl?

[Ed's note: We're giving some love to outside sources, because we find this intriguing!]

Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com gave you his top 10 most indispensable players in the NFL. Here now: the opposite.

This list isn't meant to imply the players referenced are bad; in fact, some of them could be argued as the best at their position in the NFL. But, sometimes the best can be replaced. Steve Young replaced Joe Montana in San Francisco. Terrell Owens replaced Jerry Rice in the same town. Daphne Reid replaced Janet Hubert as the Mom on Fresh Prince! So believe it or not, people can be replaced!

Jeremy Shockey
Well, originally I would have never have thought to have put Shockey on this list, however, Kevin Boss did a great job filling in for Shockey last year, as evidence of the Giant's Superbowl victory and Shockey being traded to the Saints. Now, are the Giants better without the loudmouth tight end from "The U"&? Of course not. Nevertheless, he was replaced, and you can't deny that the team was better without Shockey down the stretch.

Clinton Portis
Speaking of loud-mouth players from "The U," Portis is undeniably a great running back. That said, the Washington Redskins could run the ball without Portis, as evidenced by the play of LaDell Betts last season during Portis' absence. Portis is certainly better than Betts, but Betts is a playmaker himself, and the Skins won't lose out on much if Portis, and his lady-like frame (relatively speaking), have to sit out a few games.

"Any Running Back Who Plays for Denver"
Portis managed to overcome the Broncos stigma by putting on a few more pounds and adjusting his running style, but most other Denver prodigies have struggled to do so. And even if there is the rare running back who comes out of that system to be decent somewhere else, they are always replaced…with ease, no less. The Broncos churn out running backs like butter on fat man's hotcakes. No position on Earth could be more readily replaceable than the Denver Broncos starting tailback.

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The girlfriend curse could be wrecking Reggie.

Reggie Bush
Reggie is a very versatile running back, but at this point in his career he has amounted to nothing more than a scat back. Sure, he has the juke moves, the receiving ability, and the ability to return kicks, but so did Tiki Barber early in his career, and he was belittled for being so one-dimensional. Tiki, however, eventually turned it around, but there are doubts about Bush's ability to do the same thing. He was given the opportunity to take the role of feature back last season after Deuce McAllister went down with an injury, and he failed miserably. He was so miserable that eventually Sean Payton had to put Aaron Stecker in as the tailback, and he looked 100x better than Bush did at the same position. So not only can Bush be replaced by the original starter, McAllister, but he can also be replaced by a guy who was hours away from being cut before the 2007 season. Bonus: the girlfriend curse!

Matt Leinart
Speaking of underperforming USC Trojans in the NFL, does this name ring a bell? Leinart was supposed to be the next "Joe Cool" if the Jets drafted him, instead he ended up in Arizona, where the weather is hot, and apparently, so is the seat for his quarterback position. Leinart had to relinquish his duties as quarterback during 2-minute drills and other crucial situations, making many people wonder why he was starting in the first place if he wasn't going to be trusted in high-leverage circumstances. Fortunately for Leinart, he got injured, and that question went away…at least for the rest of that season.

Vince Young
This list is not treating the NFL Draft Class of 2006 very well; while VY is playing the best of the three and would never be replaced, here's a simple fact: the Titans are often winning games in lieu of his play, and sometimes, in lieu of his presence. Kerry Collins is about as good as it gets with backup quarterbacks, and he can certainly stabilize the offense from some of Young's more eccentric playmaking decisions. But even though Young is expendable, don't expect that huge contract to be headed elsewhere anytime soon.

Wes Welker
Welker is a great player, so don't take any offense (Boston). However, one could probably replace Welker with 30 other NFL wide receivers who could do what he did with the type of coverage he saw. Have you ever seen someone catch 100 balls and never get double-teamed all season? He saw man coverage out of the slot, over the middle of field, often as the primary receiver, for 16 whole games. Almost any NFL wideout would thrive in that situation.

Terrell Owens
I'm not T.O. bashing here, but as good as he is, the Cowboys aren't much worse without him. First of all, you have to remember that before T.O. came over, the Cowboys were already a high flying offense without his services. Heck, T.O. saw it first hand with the Eagles when they killed them through the air early in 2005. Fast-forward, and even with T.O. on the roster, the Cowboys have had very big games without Terrell catching the ball at all. Of course, that was partially due to Owens' ability to draw double teams, but over the past two seasons, it was just as often a result of Terrell's dropping the ball or being injured. He is an amazing player and among the best receivers in the NFL, but would the Cowboys still average 250+ passing yards without him? Of course.

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Expendable? He probably wouldn't classify himself that way.

Roy Williams
This has to be the most expendable pro-bowler in the history of Pro-Bowlers. Williams is just not good at covering anybody. He can't cover wide receivers. He can't cover tight ends. And he can't even cover running backs. He is fast, but he has no wiggle in his hips whatsoever. The man should be playing linebacker, a position at which he would be extremely indispensable. However, he plays safety, where he is an absolute liability, and therefore, is very replaceable.

Adrian Peterson
I know you fantasy lovers are infatuated with Peterson's ability, but Peterson is an expendable player on the Vikings' roster with none other than Chester Taylor right there to replace him. Let's not go crazy, folks. As good as Peterson is, he has continually proven himself to be injury prone. On top of that, he slowed down last season, maybe as a result of the injury, or maybe just as a result of his own wreck-loose running style. Consider: Peterson averaged 5.6 yards/carry last year in 14 games. Taylor averaged 5.4 yards/carry in 14 games. If those numbers don't scream interchangeable on a long-term basis, what does?

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