I?ve been drawn into a few debates recently about ?quienes mas macho? in NFL history. I?m not normally a sucker for those subjective poo flings, but it did get me thinking about my own personal football dream team. I?m 37 now, but my legitimate football cognizance only dates back to about 1982. I remember watching games and a lot of players from the late 70s, but I didn?t really understand the game well until I started playing it and voraciously devouring books about it around 4th grade. So this list is essentially spanning the last 28 years, give or take. A little more background that might help explain some of my subjectivity: I grew up in Cleveland, but as a Lions fan. I was also a huge USFL fan and carried that love over to the Mora-era Saints. I value consistently very good production/play more than I value great-but-inconsistent or shorter-term play, yet I?m also not wowed by all-time stat metrics that measure longevity as much as greatness. I?m not a big fan of players that I consider products of their NFL environment, which gets me thinking about doing a ?most overrated players? list in the near future. Frequent readers know who the QB and RB on that team are already. Anyhow, the list: QB--Peyton Manning over John Elway. Manning gets strong consideration as the best player regardless of position and is a no-brainer choice for me as the starter. Elway was a dynamic winner that sacrificed his own stats in order to win two Super Bowls. RB--Eric Dickerson and Walter Payton over Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, and Marshall Faulk. I only caught the tail end of Sweetness, but he could do things I haven?t seen anyone else replicate. Dickerson ran with such power and a much better YPC than Smith in their respective primes, and did so with a lesser O-line and QB to help him. Faulk would be my 3rd down back. Barry was incredible but had way too many negative runs. I truly regret not having seen Jim Brown other than via NFL Films. WR--Jerry Rice and Randy Moss over Torry Holt, Marvin Harrison, and Larry Fitzgerald. Rice set the bar unbelievably high and remained hyper-productive to age 40, when he should have quit. Moss possesses such a complete package of physicality, hands, and that incredible burst that has made him largely uncoverable when he wants to be. Holt is the best route-runner I?ve seen and mastered the most complex receiving assignments the game has known, but Moss is a little better in my mind. Harrison helped make Manning (and vice-versa) and his hands were impeccable, but again Moss offered more to me. Fitzgerald has a chance to pass them all. TE--Tony Gonzalez over Antonio Gates and Shannon Sharpe. One of the toughest choices. Gonzalez gets the edge for his ability to sustain true greatness for a longer time, though Sharpe burned brighter at their peaks. I actually find Gates a tad overrated, but the fact that every GM annually clamors for ?a tight end that can do for us what Gates does for San Diego? and his numbers are outstanding. Apologies to Ozzie Newsome, who was Gonzalez before offenses knew what to do with a talent like that. OT--Anthony Munoz and Willie Roaf over Jackie Slater and Orlando Pace. I remember Munoz dominating everybody he faced for a long time, not just beating guys but taking away their will to try. Roaf was the best blind-side pass blocker of my lifetime; I watched every game he played and saw him get beat wide exactly twice. Slater is woefully underappreciated by most folks, and the best right-sider I can recall watching. Pace also deserves more respect than he gets, though his peak time is shorter. OG--John Hannah and Bruce Matthews over Randall McDaniel and Steve Hutchinson. I missed a good portion of Hannah?s career, but I still remember him being incredible on the move and tenacious. Bruce Matthews is in my top 5 players of the Super Bowl era regardless of position, and his versatility makes him a must-have for this squad. This position was the easiest to pick, both starters and reserves. C--Dermontti Dawson over Dwight Stephenson. Admittedly a tough position to gauge. Stephenson was the best in my mind, but Dawson was close in skill and did it for a lot longer. Ask me in 3 more years and I bet Nick Mangold is in the argument. I missed too much of Mike Webster?s illustrious career to include him. DT--John Randle and Warren Sapp over Michael Dean Perry and Casey Hampton. I like tackles than can both collapse the interior of the OL and stuff the run. Randle and Sapp did that better than anyone else. MDP is another guy that doesn?t get near the credit he deserves and is my ideal 3-4 RDE. Hampton gets the nod for 0-technique nose tackles. DE--Bruce Smith and Reggie White over Michael Strahan, Howie Long, Richard Dent, and Dwight Freeney. White and Smith are legends that each dominated for well over a decade and were more than just pass rushers. The depth at this position is spectacular, arguably the best of any position. OLB--Derrick Thomas and Lawrence Taylor over Rickey Jackson, Ted Hendricks, and Andre Tippett. Another position where two names stand above a whole host of exceptional talents. LT belongs in the top 5 regardless of position and is all the more impressive knowing what we do about his off-field behavior. Hendricks might seem an odd choice, but when I was first learning football I was captivated by his style and how he was impossible to block and that has always stuck in my mind. This position is also chock full of overrated players. ILB--Mike Singletary and Jack Lambert over Junior Seau and Harry Carson. Iron Mike is almost inarguable as much for his intensity as his incredible on-field acumen. When I was a beginning player, every defensive player on the playground wanted to be Jack Lambert, and it helps that he?s a northeast Ohio guy. Patrick Willis might crack this list in another couple of years. CB--Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson over Mike Haynes, Champ Bailey, and Darrell Green. Another very deep position with two all-time greats that stand a head above everyone else. Deion is unparalleled in man coverage, but Woodson was the better all-around player. Rod Woodson remains the greatest college player I?ve ever seen regardless of position. S--Ronnie Lott and Ed Reed over Tory Polamalu, Joey Browner, and Deron Cherry. Lott is clearly the best, though I love Reed?s playmaking ability. If Browner would have played longer he would be much more highly regarded. Cherry was a personal favorite but not the impact player of the others. K--Morten Andersen over Matt Stover. Andersen belongs in the Hall of Fame when he?s eligible, perhaps the only kicker I would argue belongs. Stover once made 44 consecutive 4th quarter FGs, the longest such streak by double digits. P--Shayne Lechler over Ray Guy. The numbers don?t lie--Lechler bests Guy (and everyone else!) in every statistical metric. Andy Lee is closing in on Guy quickly. Jeff Risdon is RealGM's senior football writer and can be reached at jeff.risdon@realgm.com