NFL awards season My ballot for the major individual honors

sharonorn

The following item is excerpted from :This week, I filled out a ballot for , as I do every year. Being the tech wiz I am (40,000 unread emails), I thought I sent it. But apparently, the lazine s that produces a full inbox can lead to future emails not going out. (You've been warned.)And so I emailed Peter King my ballot late, after I realized it was never sent, and he said that since the story was already publishing, he couldn't squeeze my votes in. But he suggested I use what I sent him in my notes this week. So I'm doing that here, while adding some opinion from guys who scout on the pro level for good measure.The MMQB rules are to list a top five for each award, and throw in comments on some of them. Here ya go!MOST VALUABLE PLAYER:1) , QB, : Without his top weapon going into the season, a revamped line and a backfield that lacked real depth, Newton carried the through a number of shootouts. The most valuable quarterbacks are the ones who make up for deficiencies for their teams as the season goes on. Newton most certainly did that.2) , QB Dikembe Mutombo Jersey , : An AFC pro scouting director said, "The mark of an elite QB is his ability to make those around him better, even when presented with very little. There hasn't been a better offensive game conductor, regardle s of instruments at his disposal, than Brady over the past two years. He has been able to navigate through an injury minefield while keeping the relevant."3) , DE, : There might not be a player in football who's better at his job -- it's mind-blowing the numbers that Watt piles up, as much as he plays on the interior. An AFC exec added, "all the while getting doubled, at times tripled, chipped, and always the focal point of the offensive game plan."4) , QB, .5) , RB, : Minnesota was considered a potential playoff team before the year -- but very few would've had them outdistancing the for the NFC North crown. And Peterson, at age 30, carried the ball 39 more times than any back in football.COACH OF THE YEAR:1) Andy Reid, : The team's best offensive player () was lost for the year, and the best defensive player () mi sed a month. And somehow, 1-5 became 11-5. "He evolves his plan around the team," an NFC personnel exec said. "It's not his scheme, but how he gets the most out of what he has."2) Ron Rivera, : This isn't merely because of the team's 15-1 record, although that doesn't hurt. It's also Rivera's ability to navigate situations like the fiasco last season, and how he's kept a steady hand on the wheel this season as Carolina has proven it can win the shootout just as proficiently as it can outpoint its opponent in a slugfest. Very few head coaches have the pulse of today's young athlete like Rivera does.3) Mike Zimmer, : Another coach who guided his team through the tall gra s of a bad situation in 2014, and saw the team pull intangible benefits from that in 2015. Everything we heard for years about the a sistant coach Zimmer -- as a person, as a teacher and as a leader -- has proven true about the head coach Zimmer. As our AFC exec put it, "If anyone has really 'led' their team to succe s, and showed them how to win, it's Mike Zimmer."4) Jay Gruden, : The quarterback decision is the big one here. Gruden has been determined to have the program in Washington that's a meritocracy, and he's felt all along that Cousins is his best signal caller. But he also incorporated new coaches like Joe Barry and Bill Callahan to his staff, and helped a new GM carry out a vision for a tougher, more physical team. "The guy has gone from the Arena League to OC to head coach in the NFL of a team that was going in multiple directions," our NFC personnel exec said. "And he found a way to make guys wanna play for him."5) Bill O'Brien, .ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR:1) Todd Haley, offensive coordinator, : Pittsburgh was without for five games, for five games, for the whole year, and has seen and land on IR. And yet, the are third in the NFL, and first in the AFC, , and still seem to have room to grow in the playoffs. "Todd did a very good job adjusting his play calling and game planning with and in the lineup," said an NFC pro scouting director. "His ability as a play caller is the top reason that Pittsburgh is the team that scares people in the playoffs.2) Sean McDermott, defensive coordinator, : Yes, they have big-time talents at corner and linebacker and defensive tackle, but this unit has undergone serious attrition over the last three years because of cap i sues. And in the midst of all of that, Carolina seems to have established not just a standard but a tradition of strong play on that side of the ball, which has a lot to do with McDermott.3) Hue Jackson, offensive coordinator, : Cincinnati finished , but this is about more than the numbers. It's about a new mindset from a quarterback (), and the development of young players (like and ), and the ability to withstand the shots as they keep coming.4) Wade Phillips, defensive coordinator, .5) George Godsey, offensive coordinator, .EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR Nathan Knight Jersey :1) Scot McCloughan, general manager, : In 12 short months, McCloughan changed the face of a laughingstock by adding a draft cla s with a handful of tough, smart contributors, rewarding decorated vets like and , and bringing in bargain free agents (). "Scot has done a nice job of bringing football back into focus in Washington," said the NFL pro director. "His evaluation prowe s has been evidence with the value they've found in draft picks and their free-agent signings. But as much as anything else, this is about being willing to go to the owner and tell him the truth about his quarterbacks."2) Mike Maccagnan, general manager, : They mi sed the playoffs, but just barely, and being able to get a starting quarterback and No. 1 receiver, in and , who get you to 10 wins for sixth- and fifth-round picks, respectively, is staggering. Drafting also gives the team roster flexibility going forward with stars and . "Mike hit the ground running after being hired and did a very good job of filling voids on their roster," said the NFC pro director. "They have a really good mix of young and veteran players. With Todd Bowles as the coach and Mike handling personnel, the NYJ are shaping up to be a viable AFC contender for years to come."3) Steve Keim, general manager, : It's like every other week, there's another star emerging, and that's because, over the last three years, there isn't a team with a better personnel record than Arizona. "His relationship with his head coach and willingne s to buck trends in terms of age, size and character helped him build a team that's scary," our NFC personnel exec said. "His understanding that his coach can handle a team helps him take the right chances."4) Dave Gettleman, general manager, : Our AFC pro director explained it like this, "From repeatedly being pa sed over for GM jobs, to being counted out in his first few years, along with a rookie head coach, Dave's been a master chef whose unwavering patience has yet again paid off. His methodical manner in constructing a championship-caliber unit should serve as a blueprint to owners about being given the time and understanding in building a team -- that slowly cooked meals taste better than the microwaved one."5) Nick Caserio, director of player personnel, .OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:1) , RB, : Yes, he mi sed three games and was a part-timer in another. No, his 1,106-yard season wasn't a record-breaker. But no other rookie pa sed the eye test like Gurley did this year. The nearly made it to .500 without much to speak of at the quarterback position, and a lot of transition on the line. The reason why? The former Georgia star, who should only get better with time. Next year, of course, he won't be coming off a torn ACL.2) , QB : Lovie Smith didn't have to hand leadership to his quarterback -- Winston took that naturally. With the rookie swiftly proving how ready he was for the pro game, offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter was able to progre sively open the playbook, and the Bucs surged in midseason as a result. "This kid proved to everyone that he has matured," said the NFC pro director. "His ability as a leader of men is second to none. He'll need to continue to improve on his decision making on the field, but TB has found the cornerstone of the franchise for the next 10-plus seasons."3) , WR, .4) , OG, .5) , WR/PR/KR, .DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:1) , CB, : Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton trus