ESPNs Top 100 MVP Candidates

[Chris_Sanders]

Who are the most valuable players in the NFL? Let's stack the top 100 -- including 86 non-QBs

Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are the obvious MVP contenders, but we went 100 deep in this ultimate ballot. Where's Ja'Marr Chase? Saquon Barkley? Chris Jones?

www.espn.com

This should be fun on a Friday

Only 2 Cardinals out of 100 players...

Kyler Murray #11
Trey McBride #53

Ranking methodology was based on large variety of advanced analytics, PFF rankings, as well as feedback from NFL execs

 

[Chris_Sanders]

11. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Murray started hot, posting the second-highest QBR game by any quarterback this season (98.3) in Week 2 against the Rams. Through Week 10, Murray's 74.5 QBR ranked third, but he trailed off in the second half and finished ninth at 66.7.

Murray was extremely accurate this season, with a plus-2% completion percentage over expectation (seventh best) and a 13% off-target rate (eighth best). He had lower-than-average pressure and sack rates despite playing behind a midtier offensive line in pass block win rate. And while his 2.2% turnover rate was middling, it looks a little better considering that he didn't throw a dropped interception all season. Overall, it was an above-average season efficiency-wise, though it looked much stronger a few months ago.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

McBride was the #2 TE

 

[Goodyear Card]

Budda Baker was #97. https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/arti..._nfls_most_valuable_players/s1_16655_41594186

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Budda Baker was #97. https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/arti..._nfls_most_valuable_players/s1_16655_41594186

I must have missed him but good catch.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

For those without ESPN +

Nabors first, Thomas 2nd, McConkey 3rd from the rookie WRs.

Kyler was QB 9 with Chase and Jefferson above him

 

[Crimson Warrior]

My hope for K1 lies partly in the fact that now everybody on the planet, the media, coaches, teammates, himself, knows that he struggles terribly in the 2nd half of the season, especially in December.

It will be a media theme this offseason and throughout the 2025 regular season. He's going to be beaten over the head with it, and so will JG and DP to a lesser extent.

Can it be fixed? I don't know. But I bet some resources will be spent addressing it.

GD fix it Kyler. Get us over the hump.

 

[Stout]

11. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Murray started hot, posting the second-highest QBR game by any quarterback this season (98.3) in Week 2 against the Rams. Through Week 10, Murray's 74.5 QBR ranked third, but he trailed off in the second half and finished ninth at 66.7.

Murray was extremely accurate this season, with a plus-2% completion percentage over expectation (seventh best) and a 13% off-target rate (eighth best). He had lower-than-average pressure and sack rates despite playing behind a midtier offensive line in pass block win rate. And while his 2.2% turnover rate was middling, it looks a little better considering that he didn't throw a dropped interception all season. Overall, it was an above-average season efficiency-wise, though it looked much stronger a few months ago.

Translation: He's a wonderfully disciplined Checkdown Charlie.

 

[Stout]

My hope for K1 lies partly in the fact that now everybody on the planet, the media, coaches, teammates, himself, knows that he struggles terribly in the 2nd half of the season, especially in December.

It will be a media theme this offseason and throughout the 2025 regular season. He's going to be beaten over the head with it, and so will JG and DP to a lesser extent.

Can it be fixed? I don't know. But I bet some resources will be spent addressing it.

GD fix it Kyler. Get us over the hump.

I doubt it. To do anything significant about it, to develop different habits and approaches, he will have to change. He isn't giving daddy up as his main guru, so nothing will change. Until he actually wants and seeks different voices in the room, he will be who we thought he was and will not let himself off the hook.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

I doubt it. To do anything significant about it, to develop different habits and approaches, he will have to change. He isn't giving daddy up as his main guru, so nothing will change. Until he actually wants and seeks different voices in the room, he will be who we thought he was and will not let himself off the hook.

I mean, you must be correct about making changes since six years of failing in must win (playoff clinching/season saving) situations shows that whatever K1 is doing to prepare for those situations is not working.

As I know you know, we're really getting into deep waters when we start talking about a player's psychology. But to me it seems clear that what's holding K1 back is something above the neckline (and it's not IQ, I think he's plenty smart).

What's bothering someone's mental make up in certain situations has to be hard to identify and even harder to address though. I don't blame you for being skeptical.

 

[BirdGangThing]

I mean, you must be correct about making changes since six years of failing in must win (playoff clinching/season saving) situations shows that whatever K1 is doing to prepare for those situations is not working.

As I know you know, we're really getting into deep waters when we start talking about a player's psychology. But to me it seems clear that what's holding K1 back is something above the neckline (and it's not IQ, I think he's plenty smart).

What's bothering someone's mental make up in certain situations has to be hard to identify and even harder to address though. I don't blame you for being skeptical.

kyler did reboot his whole program - stayed in az and with his teammates - so the desire to improve is there - hoping he continues with it this off-season