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Matthew Stafford nearly falls out of Top 100 list

It's that time of year again.

NFL Media has solicited opinions from across the league to determine "The Top 100 Players of 2014," as selected by the players themselves.

You might recall Adrian Peterson topping the "Top 100" list last year. We'll probably get a new No. 1 this time around, though you'll have to sit tight for a couple of months to find out who wears the imaginary crown.

For now, we can discuss Nos. 100 to 91 on the list, revealed Saturday night on NFL Network. The biggest surprise in this group is Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who comes in at No. 100. It appears NFL players, like many people who follow the sport, are starting to have doubts as to whether Stafford is a legitimate franchise quarterback.

Stafford was ranked 76th on this list in 2013 and 41st in 2012. This is not the preferred trajectory in this exercise.

A few other notes from 100 to 91:

» Who took the biggest plunge in the bottom 10? That would be Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, who dropped 57 spots from 41 to 98. You can lose consciousness from a plunge like that. Like Stafford's dip, this makes sense. Witten appeared to be in decline last season.

»Brent Grimes recovered from a torn Achilles tendon to play at a Pro Bowl level for the Miami Dolphins in 2013. Players get what kind of achievement that was, which explains Grimes showing up at 95.

» What does Matt Forte have to do to get some damn respect around here? The Chicago Bears veteran was one of the best running backs in football last year, recording nearly 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns. The guy is an absolute stud and should be in the top 50 easily. Not cool, guys.

*The "Around The League Podcast" wraps up the draft by picking our winners and losers. *

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