We have done this exercise for each of the last seven years now, but if this is your first time hearing about it, you might be asking what in the world a Survivor Squad is. And that's a pretty good question. Here's the answer: It's our attempt to build the best possible 32-man roster using one representative and only one representative from each NFL team.
We fill out our roster with a head coach, offensive and defensive coordinator, quarterback, running back, perimeter and slot receivers, two tight ends, an offensive "flex" player, five offensive linemen, two edge rushers, two interior defensive linemen, two linebackers, a defensive front "flex" player, perimeter and slot corners, a deep safety, a box safety, a defensive back "flex" player, a punter, a kicker and a return man. To make things more challenging on myself (and to avoid essentially reprinting the same article year after year), I unilaterally declare every player and coach who made any of the previous years' rosters off limits for this year's exercise. That list includes a whole lot of people: 192 of them, to be exact.
They're all listed in each section so you can see who was ineligible for be selected for the roster. When we do this exercise, we always prioritize flexibility. Just like NFL teams, want to be as multiple as possible in all aspects of the game.
Players who can help in both the run and pass game are prioritized, as are those with positional versatility. So, pass-catching running backs, receivers who can play on the perimeter or in the slot, tight ends who can catch passes and work as blockers, offensive linemen who are equally good at pass- and run-blocking, defensive linemen who can flex to the edge or inside, linebackers who excel against the run and the pass, corners who can play inside and out, and safeties who can drop down into the box, play up high or slide to the slot were all things that we looked for in building this year's team. But teams still tend to go as far as their quarterbacks take them, and the best teams put their quarterback in the best position possible to succeed while making things as difficult as possible for the opposing team's signal-caller.
So, in all toss-up decisions, the tie was broken in favor of whichever player or coach would help our offense throw the ball efficiently and explosively or help our defense stop the opposition from doing the same. All that said, a couple quick notes before you get to the reveal of the full roster: Without further ado, let's walk through our squad. Payton has a career 184-108 record and a Super Bowl in his back pocket.
He's one of the best and most innovative offensive minds in NFL history, and he's coming off a 14-3 season where he finally ended the Chiefs' streak of winning the AFC West. The Broncos have improved in each of his three seasons. McDaniel, like Payton, is one of the best offensive minds in the league.
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