Hypothetical 2016 Olympic Team

[MHSL82]

This is not my list, I got it from NFL.com. It's a guess on who we should send if football were ever an Olympic sport (four years from now. We have a bit more to talk about now that training camp started, but it still is the offseason.

The NFL season is almost here and I could not be happier. The Arizona Cardinals will face the New Orleans Saints in the Hall of Fame Game on Sunday, and every weekend between then and late January will feature some kind of football activity. Life is about to get very good.

The Games of the XXX Olympiad are under way in London, and here's a look at what the Olympics would be like with America's game included.

But to keep our minds occupied in the interim, we have the Olympic Games, which are a great alternative. When I see what some of the incredible athletes competing in these games are capable of, I think some of them would fit well on the football field.

Of course, the NFL boasts its share of incredible athletes. While American football is a long shot to ever be included in the Olympic Games (as my colleague Albert Breer has documented), the United States could certainly produce an awe-inspiring squad. Just for the sake of discussion, what if the gods of international competition were to smile on our sport and add it to the 2016 Olympics, which are to be held in Rio de Janeiro? What would American football's version of a "Dream Team" (sorry, Philadelphia Eagles) look like that year?

Things might change between now and then, but I took my best guess and assembled a potential roster, made up exclusively of NFL players, for Team USA to take to Rio in 2016. Remember, these players will not necessarily be All-Pro in 2016, but they would give the United States its best chance to win gold.

QB: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
Newton is big, fast, powerful and has an amazing arm. All are qualities that would make him worthy of the Olympic stage.

RB: Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns
Richardson possesses unique power and an ability to break tackles that should make him one of the top backs in the league four years from now.

TE: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
Is there a more impressive player in the NFL right now? In four years, Gronk will have four more Pro Bowl appearances under his belt, and he'll still be carrying tacklers down the field.

TE/H-back: Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints
Graham is a premier athlete who will also have made many additional Pro Bowl rosters by the time the next Games roll around. Graham has rare athletic skill and would be a natural fit for this team.

OT: Nate Solder, New England Patriots
Solder is an extremely gifted athlete with a rare combination of size and speed, like many Olympians. He has the versatility to play either tackle position.

OT: Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
Smith will be entering his prime when the 2016 Games kick off, and should have matured into one of the best tackles in football. He's another versatile performer who can play on either side.

OG: Amini Silatolu, Carolina Panthers
Silatolu is a big man who can move defenders off the ball. He has great feet and the versatility to tangle with the world's best.

OG: Brandon Brooks, Houston Texans
Brooks was not invited to the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine. But he would be invited to the 2016 Olympics, thanks to his great size, speed and power.

C: Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pouncey family includes two NFL centers who would be worthy of joining this Olympic team, but Maurkice has a slight edge over twin brother Mike (who is currently with the Miami Dolphins).

WR: Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers
Speed will be essential against international competition. Whether Wallace is with the Steelers or another team in 2016, he will still boast blazing speed.

WR: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
Green, who broke out during his rookie season in 2011, should be one of the best pass catchers in the NFL in 2016.

P: Bryan Anger, Jacksonville Jaguars
Anger is a power kicker who can control field position with the incredible hang-time and distance he gets on his punts.

KR: Jacoby Ford, Oakland Raiders
The Raiders are a great repository of Olympic-caliber speed, and Ford is a dangerous return man.

DE: Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants
Pierre-Paul is fantastic. Four years from now, he'd likely be worthy of captaining the U.S. team and even carrying the Olympic torch.

DE: Chandler Jones, New England Patriots
He was my favorite defensive end in the 2012 NFL Draft, in part because of his rare speed, arm length and rushing ability. He'd be an easy choice for the 2016 team.

DT: Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
Suh might not have had his best season in 2011. However, I do expect him to dominate this year and continue dominating for the next three.

DT: Marcell Dareus, Buffalo Bills
As a rookie in 2011, Dareus showed that he has every trait a tackle needs to be truly great. He will continue to improve and should become a real force in the NFL by 2016.

OLB: Von Miller, Denver Broncos
Miller can do everything a linebacker must: rush, set the edge and make plays against the pass. He clearly showed as a rookie in 2011 that he'll be a star for many years to come.

OLB: Aldon Smith, San Francisco 49ers
As great as Smith was last year, he has the potential to be even better in the future. I could see him earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors one day, demonstrating that he would belong on this squad.

MLB: Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
Willis is at the top of his game right now. He should still be one of the NFL's best linebackers when it would be time to pick a team for Rio.

CB: Patrick Peterson, Arizona Cardinals
Peterson is big, strong and excels in man-to-man coverage. He is also dynamic with the ball in his hands as a returner. He was great as a rookie in 2011, and I expect him to just keep improving.

CB: Jimmy Smith, Baltimore Ravens
I love big corners. Smith (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) has plenty of size, but he also has the rare speed to beat receivers down the field. He is one of the most talented athletes in Baltimore; I expect him to be a great corner in 2016.

S: Louis Delmas, Detroit Lions
The rock behind the Lions' impressive front seven, Delmas can strike fear in receivers attempting to come over the middle.

S: Mark Barron, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Barron can cover, he can hit and he's a great tackler. He will make an immediate impact with the Bucs in 2012, and would be a force for Team USA.

K: Matt Prater, Denver Broncos
Age is never a major concern for kickers, but they must have a powerful leg. Prater will be nearly 32 when the 2016 Olympics kick off, but I'm not worried about his ability to boot the ball long and true.


NFL Olympics: Cam Newton could power 2016 'Dream Team' - NFL.com

 

[MHSL82]

My thoughts would be is that we should send the worst team that we could possibly send and still win, because who wants Patrick Willis injured or worn out by football season? Or more accurately, we should send all the players that are good so our opponents are tired by season's start. (Injuries, to me, are no fun, even for other teams.) But since, it's just a hypothetical, what do you guys think of this list? Who should be replaced?

 

[deep9er]

IMO.....questionable if Willis is still one of the top ILB's four years from now? 2016 would be entering his 10th season, and he'd be early 30's?

i'm not saying he'll be completely done, a lousy player, etc., but will he still be an elite ILB? cause we'd only send the very best NFL wide ILB's.

 

[I_am_1z]

I'd change up near all of the skill positions...
QB - Stafford
RB - Richardson
TE - Jimmy Graham
TE/H-Back (What?) - Aaron Hernandez
WR - Julio Jones
WR - AJ Green
KR -Patrick Peterson
OLB - Aldon Smith
ILB - Navarro Bowman
CB - Richard Sherman
CB - Janoris Jenkins
S - Eric Berry
S - Mark Barron

 

[numone9er]

Roger Goodell: Football might become Olympic Sport | News | NFL.com

It's only a matter of time. I for one would be stoked to add other countries in the mix. Should it be like soccer with a world cup, all participating countries in the same league, Or a seperate league entirely like basketball?

 

[deep9er]

Roger Goodell: Football might become Olympic Sport | News | NFL.com

It's only a matter of time. I for one would be stoked to add other countries in the mix. Should it be like soccer with a world cup, all participating countries in the same league, Or a seperate league entirely like basketball?

sorry but i just don't see it? American football just doesn't have enough interest worldwide? the clear evidence is NFL Europe.

Basketball has a LOT of interest worldwide, including pro leagues in euorpe and asia. there's also a lot of semi-pro leagues in these countries.

there's even more interest in baseball worldwide, but even baseball didn't make it?

 

[numone9er]

sorry but i just don't see it? American football just doesn't have enough interest worldwide? the clear evidence is NFL Europe.

Basketball has a LOT of interest worldwide, including pro leagues in euorpe and asia. there's also a lot of semi-pro leagues in these countries.

there's even more interest in baseball worldwide, but even baseball didn't make it?

64 teams worldwide play this sport now! I played baseball through High School and love the sport, but compared to football it is so boring to watch. Football provides a lot more excitement and the games always sell out over seas. I'm not expecting it to be in the Olympics anytime soon, but i do expect more countries to start playing it at a higher level very soon.

Goodell made this statement which makes me wonder...

"It's a response to the tremendous fan reaction and the growth of the game. If we can continue to grow the game there and have the fan reaction that we have, there very well may be a franchise in London."

Right now our league is perfectly set at 32 teams. If there is an addition of an L.A. team (without a purchase of another NFL franchise) i think pressures will increase to add at least 7 more teams to make all divisions equal. Within the next couple of years i think we will be seeing the sport grow even more.

 

[imac_21]

Roger Goodell: Football might become Olympic Sport | News | NFL.com

It's only a matter of time. I for one would be stoked to add other countries in the mix. Should it be like soccer with a world cup, all participating countries in the same league, Or a seperate league entirely like basketball?

Football isn't going to become an Olympic sport.

Sorry, I'd like to rephrase.

AMERICAN football isn't going to become an Olympic sport. There is exactly one country in the word that plays it with any sort of regularity. If for some reason it were to become one, NFL players likely wouldn't go. Why would players and owners risk losing a player like Cam Newton or Andrew Luck to a season ending injury (or career) to win a tournament a Div 3 school could win (not an all star team, just a school). You're much more likely to see a sport like rugby or cricket in the Olympics.

 

[imac_21]

64 teams worldwide play this sport now! I played baseball through High School and love the sport, but compared to football it is so boring to watch. Football provides a lot more excitement and the games always sell out over seas. I'm not expecting it to be in the Olympics anytime soon, but i do expect more countries to start playing it at a higher level very soon.

Goodell made this statement which makes me wonder...



Right now our league is perfectly set at 32 teams. If there is an addition of an L.A. team (without a purchase of another NFL franchise) i think pressures will increase to add at least 7 more teams to make all divisions equal. Within the next couple of years i think we will be seeing the sport grow even more.

64 teams, or 64 countries?

I hope you aren't including Canada as one of the countries. Canadian Football is a different game. I also wonder how many of those countries have natives playing, or Ex-pats that have moved there from the US for business or military reasons.

It just isn't going to happen. The Olympics are run by Europeans. They aren't going to add a sport just to give the Americans another gold medal every 4 years.

Baseball and softball weren't internationally successful enough to justify staying in the olympics. Football doesn't stand a chance.

 

[RedneckNiner]

On the Patrick Willis Angle... I think Ray Ray has proved that you can be a bad bad man late in your career at LBer

 

[numone9er]

Football isn't going to become an Olympic sport.

Sorry, I'd like to rephrase.

AMERICAN football isn't going to become an Olympic sport. There is exactly one country in the word that plays it with any sort of regularity. If for some reason it were to become one, NFL players likely wouldn't go. Why would players and owners risk losing a player like Cam Newton or Andrew Luck to a season ending injury (or career) to win a tournament a Div 3 school could win (not an all star team, just a school). You're much more likely to see a sport like rugby or cricket in the Olympics.

I was actually talking about what countries around the world should do with the sport of football. I think it will eventually be in the Olympics if "Countries" around the world start getting leagues together via one of the options I've already listed.

 

[numone9er]

64 teams, or 64 countries?

I hope you aren't including Canada as one of the countries. Canadian Football is a different game. I also wonder how many of those countries have natives playing, or Ex-pats that have moved there from the US for business or military reasons.

It just isn't going to happen. The Olympics are run by Europeans. They aren't going to add a sport just to give the Americans another gold medal every 4 years.

Baseball and softball weren't internationally successful enough to justify staying in the olympics. Football doesn't stand a chance.

64 teams, or 64 countries?

I can't remember if that was a typo or not. It said it in the article 64 teams or Countries, but for some reason the article isn't working or was taken off right now, so i can't give you an answer on that atm.

I hope you aren't including Canada as one of the countries. Canadian Football is a different game.

I wouldn't expect it to be exactly like the version we are used to in America, much the same as International Basketball is different from the NBA. I don't watch Canadian Football, so i don't know exactly how different it is, but i would expect it to be more like the NFL version.

 

[DoobieKeebler]

I don't watch Canadian Football, so i don't know exactly how different it is, but i would expect it to be more like the NFL version.

Geez, Im imagining what an "international" version of football would be like, and it could get weird. As for your question, here is a side-by-side breakdown of the rules for American vs Canadian football. The website is Canadian, so when explaining American rules they blended/combined/confused/plain gotten a few things wrong, but IMO this is one of the more concise left side vs right side comparison of differences.

Another good and equally weird example of one of the differences of CFL rules are how FGs are handled. A missed FG can give the kicking team a point, but the ball is live, so the defense can remove the ball from their own end zone to.... you know what, just watch the clip below.




(stolen from another place breaking down CFL vs NFL rules)

 

[MHSL82]

Geez, Im imagining what an "international" version of football would be like, and it could get weird. As for your question, here is a side-by-side breakdown of the rules for American vs Canadian football. The website is Canadian, so when explaining American rules they blended/combined/confused/plain gotten a few things wrong, but IMO this is one of the more concise left side vs right side comparison of differences.

Another good and equally weird example of one of the differences of CFL rules are how FGs are handled. A missed FG can give the kicking team a point, but the ball is live, so the defense can remove the ball from their own end zone to.... you know what, just watch the clip below.




(stolen from another place breaking down CFL vs NFL rules)

Wow, I know everything takes awhile to get used to, but I feel that I would NOT ever come around to liking those rules. With the chances of games being decided by those things, I don't think I'll ever watch Canadian Football. I have a feeling that if football ever became Olympianized, it would be like that and none of the guys I like would be on the team. It would be worse than the Pro-Bowl with how many "injuries" arise to avoid it. Players wouldn't really want to refuse at first because it's representing your country, but then they would eventually refuse it by being "injured". Plus, if it were our rules, and even if not, we wouldn't need the best out there. We'd win and it would be boring. Europe is not going to add another American Gold sport.

 

[deep9er]

64 teams worldwide play this sport now! I played baseball through High School and love the sport, but compared to football it is so boring to watch. Football provides a lot more excitement and the games always sell out over seas. I'm not expecting it to be in the Olympics anytime soon, but i do expect more countries to start playing it at a higher level very soon.

Goodell made this statement which makes me wonder...



Right now our league is perfectly set at 32 teams. If there is an addition of an L.A. team (without a purchase of another NFL franchise) i think pressures will increase to add at least 7 more teams to make all divisions equal. Within the next couple of years i think we will be seeing the sport grow even more.

i would DON'T want more than 32 teams

 

[Bemular]

i would DON'T want more than 32 teams

I would love to see the league more geographically balanced by whatever means it takes -

 

[mem49er]

Boo to diluting the talent....

 

[imac_21]

I was actually talking about what countries around the world should do with the sport of football. I think it will eventually be in the Olympics if "Countries" around the world start getting leagues together via one of the options I've already listed.

It won't. It just won't.

 

[Bemular]

It won't. It just won't.

I completely agree with this and the rest of your posts in this thread - Football will not be an Olympic sport, at least not during the lifetimes of anyone on this board and certainly not at a professional level - Not going to happen.

 

[Bemular]

Goodell made this statement which makes me wonder...

Right now our league is perfectly set at 32 teams. If there is an addition of an L.A. team (without a purchase of another NFL franchise) i think pressures will increase to add at least 7 more teams to make all divisions equal. Within the next couple of years i think we will be seeing the sport grow even more.

The bold reads like a reference to acquiring the UFL; which, if the recent contract signed by the UFL is a harbinger, then it is just a matter of time before it happens.