Suppose the NFL one day says to it’s athletes “we are closed for business, you guys have to find jobs elsewhere.” That would really stink for the players, coaches, staffs, fans, and even the guys who sell churros at games. I might add that this is not out of the realm of possibility given the recent “incidents” involving just about everything to do with the NFL.
I have to warn you this is a hypothetical fantasy that you are about to read. It's one of those things you think of when it's late at night and you're just about to go to bed, but all of the sudden you think "wow...what if?" The talent that the NFL has on the field is unprecedented. Consider all of these guys were born into soccer instead of football (I’ll use ‘soccer’ to avoid confusion); here’s how I would set them up.
GK: Jimmy Graham
Graham, a college basketball star at the University of Miami, is one of the better athletes in the NFL. His recent emergence as the harbinger of the Saints' offense after just one year of college football is indicative to how skilled this guy really is. At 6'7, he has the stature of Fraser Forster but with a 38 and a half inch vertical leap also has the athleticism of Jerome Boateng (see this picture from Wednesday and tell me the German wouldn't make a great tight end)
RB: Patrick Peterson
Peterson embodies what a traditional fullback is all about. He is consensus world-class at his position, consistent, and has exceptional work rate. Not only is Peterson an accomplished defender, he is always dangerous on offense at times, like he would be in soccer, storming up the pitch and helping out on the attack at times. Peterson’s freakishly athletic abilities would only help him on set pieces, and his speed tracking is excellent. It’s also worth noting that the picture above, taken last season, will go down as one of the most iconic pictures in NFL history; a matchup of the game’s best corner and the game’s best receiver.
CB: JJ Watt
Standing 6’5, JJ Watt has exceptional height for the European game. He definitely has the size and strength…he is a beast put it that way. Watt is a captain on the Texans defense, which is led by this bullish pass rusher. His athleticism is freakish, and he can score touchdowns as he proved in week two. Of the two center backs, Watt is probably the less mobile, but the speed of Patrick Willis would more than cover for his lack of recovery speed on the soccer field.
CB: Patrick Willis
Like Watt, Willis is a captain on defense, and like Watt, is one of the finer players in the entire league. Willis is in the mould of a speedy sort of center back. At 6’1 and possessing tremendous pace, it isn’t uncommon to see Willis chase down wide receivers easily. He would make an outstanding center back, and would be a capable foil to the limited open-field mobility of Watt. His leadership on the field, his ability to cover for teammates, and general habit of simply not letting anyone past him.
LB: Richard Sherman
Regularly patrolling the left half of the defense, Sherman is adept at shutting down an entire flank, but he doesn’t follow the best receiver around the field. He is a spectacular defender no doubt, but for me would be the second best fullback on this team. However, he is an offensive weapon equipped with the ability to quickly turn defense into offense. A wide receiver and all-Pac-12 sprinter during his Stanford tenure, Sherman’s skill set and athleticism are world class, no doubt.
LDM: Earl Thomas
Earl Thomas’ role on the soccer field would be near identical to his role on the football field. Thomas isn’t the biggest guy at 5’10, but his ability to read the game and make plays would make him the perfect defensive midfielder. In Seattle’s zone defense, Thomas plays a centerfield role, always cleaning up and providing support for his teammates. On the soccer field, Thomas makes for the atypical security blanket to protect the back four, breaking up attacks and always strong in the tackle.
RDM: Peyton Manning (captain)
One wouldn’t necessarily think “defensive midfielder” when they think Peyton Manning, but his role on a soccer field would be similar to that of Andrea Pirlo. With proper protection from his midfield mate Thomas, Manning sits deep in the field and controls the flow of the game. His ability to read the defense and go elsewhere with the ball is impeccable, as is his leadership. Pirlo’s role doesn’t require him to make a lot of tackles or run a lot, so this position would suit the sheriff perfectly.
CAM: Andrew Luck
Imagine having the minds of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck in the same XI…scary thought. Luck gets the number ten role for his versatility in the offense. Luck can lower his shoulder and pick up short yardage, his speed is underrated in the open field, and is already one of the finest pocket-passers in the NFL. Since his freshman year at Stanford, Luck has been calling his own plays, so giving him the keys to the engine room in the attacking half wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
LAM: CJ Spiller
Assuming he is right footed, Spiller has the illusiveness and quickness to be an effective left-sided winger who can cut infield. Running between the tackles has never been Spiller’s strong suit, but his big-play potential always has defenses scrambling to contain his explosiveness. In this XI, Spiller would be given a license to cut inside and interchange with the mobile Andrew Luck, whose team mentality makes it no problem to sacrifice space for this tricky winger.
RAM: Chris Johnson
Johnson gets the spot in my XI solely because of his blistering pace. Johnson’s 4.24 40 yard dash is an NFL combine record, a number better than Theo Walcott’s 4.42 result. In his younger years, Johnson was a menace in the open field, gliding through challenges once he broke the first level of the defense. Johnson has the pace and acceleration to be a terror down the right wing, and the timing of his runs bodes well for beating the offside trap.
CF: Calvin Johnson
For fun, go tell a soccer coach you know of a guy that’s 6’5, runs a 4.5 40 yard dash, and can jump 42 and a half inches in the air and see what he says. Those are Calvin Johnson’s numbers from the NFL combine, and all those say is that this guy is a freakish athlete. He would be the perfect center forward because of his pace, understanding of diagonal routes and timing, and the fact that he’s an excellent finisher. It’s a consensus that Johnson is the finest receiver in the NFL, and his ticket to the hall of fame is likely already punched.
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