After an exciting 2014 NFL season, it is now time for the Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. However, the night before will be the 2015 NFL Honors. The league will give out numerous awards and name the NFL Hall of Fame Class of 2015. This writer will not predict the Hall of Fame but, rather, who deserves to win each award.
NFL.com Fantasy Player of the Year: DeMarco Murray (Running Back, Dallas Cowboys)
DeMarco Murray was the cornerstone for any fantasy team he was on. He led the league in rushing with 1,845 yards and also had 13 rushing touchdowns. He was also a factor in the passing game, posting a total of 416 receiving yards. Murray was the top back in fantasy and was on many championship-winning teams.
Also in Consideration: Antonio Brown (Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers), Le'Veon Bell (Running Back, Pittsburgh Steelers)
AP Coordinator of the Year: Gary Kubiak (Offensive Coordinator, Baltimore Ravens)
Gary Kubiak did an outstanding job transforming this Ravens offense. He helped revive veteran running back Justin Forsett's career and helped quarterback Joe Flacco to his best regular season. Kubiak is now the head coach of the Denver Broncos because of how well he performed in only one season with the Ravens.
Also in consideration: Teryl Austin (Defensive Coordinator, Detroit Lions), Todd Bowles (Defensive Coordinator, Arizona Cardinals)
AP Comeback Player of the Year: Rob Gronkowski (Tight End, New England Patriots)
Rob Gronkowski was injured for almost all of the 2013 season. He has all the talent in the world but could never seem to stay healthy. In 2014, that changed. He was by far the best tight end in the league and posted gaudy numbers: 82 receptions for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. No longer was he missing about half the season for forearm and knee injuries. He has returned to his throne as the top tight end in the league.
Also in consideration: Justin Forsett (Running Back, Baltimore Ravens), Rolando McClain (Inside Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys)
AP Coach of the Year: Bruce Arians (Arizona Cardinals)
Bruce Arians was masterful this season for the Cardinals. He sustained numerous injuries to key players, including losing starting quarterback Carson Palmer and backup Drew Stanton for the season. He led the team to the playoffs behind a stellar defense and a great running game led by Andre Ellington. Nobody thought the Cardinals had a shot in the NFC West before the season, but they proved the doubters wrong. Now only if they could stay healthy.
Also in consideration: Bill Belichik (New England Patriots), Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks)
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year: Aaron Donald (Defensive Tackle, St. Louis Rams)
This award was the hardest to pick. Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Khalil Mack and Ravens inside linebacker C.J. Mosley were both deserving of this award also. However, Aaron Donald gets the slight edge for the number of splash plays the athletic defensive tackle made. He finished the season with nine sacks, which was the most of all rookies and 20th in the NFL. He also made the Pro Bowl in his first season, which is a sign of what's to come. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Donald actually played better than fellow defensive tackle superstars Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions and Gerald McCoy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That is some elite company.
Also in consideration: Khalil Mack (Outside Linebacker, Oakland Raiders), C.J. Mosley (Inside Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens)
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year: Odell Beckham Jr. (Wide Receiver, New York Giants)
What more can be said about Odell Beckham, Jr.? He made the greatest catch of all time on primetime television and posted insane stats week in and week out. He missed the first four games of the season but still posted 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. That's a touchdown per game. An even crazier stat, as pointed out by Kevin Patra of NFL.com, is that Beckham did not even pass 44 yards receiving in his first three games. That means he averaged 133.2 yards per game in his final nine. This award was actually closer than one would have thought since Cowboys offensive guard Zack Martin was a first-team All-Pro. However, Beckham had the greatest rookie season for a receiver since Randy Moss. See Beckham's incredible catch here.
Also in consideration: Zack Martin (Offensive Guard, Dallas Cowboys), Joel Bitonio (Offensive Guard, Cleveland Browns)
Pepsi Rookie of the Year: Odell Beckham (Wide Receiver, New York Giants)
Beckham wins over Aaron Donald for his insane stats and what he did in the video above.
Also in consideration: Aaron Donald (Defensive Tackle, St. Louis Rams), Zack Martin (Offensive Guard, Dallas Cowboys)
AP Defensive Player of the Year: J.J. Watt (Defensive End, Houston Texans)
This was by far the easiest award to choose. J.J. Watt is simply not a human being. Before the season, he signed a six-year contract extension worth $100 million. He is currently the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback based on yearly salary. He proved to the Texans that he is worth every penny. He finished the season with 78 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 1 safety, 4 forced fumbles, 1 interception that he returned for a touchdown, 5 fumble recoveries, 1 fumble returned for a touchdown, and 10 passes defensed. He became the first player in NFL history to have multiple 20+ sack seasons.
Also in consideration: Justin Houston (Outside Linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs), Richard Sherman (Cornerback, Seattle Seahawks)
AP Offensive Player of the Year: Aaron Rodgers (Quarterback, Green Bay Packers)
Rodgers was simply the best quarterback in the league this season. He may not have posted the best stats, but he got the job done when his team needed him most. He threw for 4,381 yards and 38 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions. --Five! This award was pretty close with Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, but Rodgers gets the slight edge.
Also in consideration: DeMarco Murray (Running Back, Dallas Cowboys), Le'Veon Bell (Running Back, Pittsburgh Steelers)
AP NFL MVP: J.J. Watt (Defensive End, Houston Texans)
Giving the NFL MVP to a defensive player does not happen often. In fact, it has occured only twice since the Associated Press began awarding the NFL MVP in 1957 (Alan Page of the Minnesota Vikings in 1971 and Lawrence Taylor of the Giants in 1986). However, Watt is certainly a once-in-a lifetime type of player. Including his outrageous defensive stats above, he also caught three passes on three targets for three touchdowns! Those playes were on OFFENSE! He can do it all. He scored five total touchdowns this season as a defensive end/tight end and also posted 20.5 sacks. He may not win the MVP because of the Heisman rule -- award only quarterbacks -- but he certainly deserves it the most.
Also in consideration: Aaron Rodgers (Quarterback, Green Bay Packers), DeMarco Murray (Running Back, Dallas Cowboys)
Share your opinions. Whom do you think should win the awards? Comment below.