Which player in the NFL is an absolute cannot lose to injury player?

[WhiZa]

Manning is the obvious choice, but some sleeper picks are Addai (the colts lack even more depth at RB than QB), Benson, and Schaub.

 

[37Harrison]

For the Pats, Saints, Colts, Rams (I think Bulger is very underrated) and Bengals it has to be the QB.

Bills = Schobel
Jets = Mangold (replaced Mawae and was stellar)
Dolphins = JT
Chargers = Gates
Ravens = Ed Reed
Jaguars = Henderson
Cheifs = LJ
Broncos = Bailey
Panthers = S. Smith
Browns = ??
Steelers = Ward
Texans = D. Ryans
Titans = First choice Pac-man but he already took care of that one so V. Young
Raiders = Sapp
Cowboys = Glenn
Giants = Strahan
Eagles = McNabb (Westbrook a close second and they were lucky w/Garcia last year)
Redskins = Taylor
Bears = Urlacher
Lions = Johnson (yes even before he plays a game)
Packers = Driver
Vikings = Pat Williams
Falcons = (ONLY because Schaub is gone) Vick
Bucs = Bryant (only half-joking here)
Cardinals = Fitzgerald or Boldin
San Fran = Gore
Seahawks = Alexander

 

[WhiZa]

For the Browns I'd say Jamal Lewis. There is not much experience behind him and that's the last thing a rookie QB needs is an inexperienced RB to hand off to.

 

[DaBruinz]

I thought this would be an interesting question to see who in here thinks is so important and valuable to a team so much that if that person would end up on IR before the season started that team would virtually have no chance at a Super Bowl championship.

Is there any irresplacable player or players that you think would absolutely destroy a teams hope of winning it all?

I can really only think of three guys that absolutely cannot be replaced and whose respective teams championship hopes would perish into the sunset.

Those 3 guys IMO are...

Tom Brady (Cassell is not the answer,at least right now and as I see it)

Peyton Manning (no way does Indy do anything without the 'cut that meat' man behind center)

Ladanian Tomlinson (I have no hope that Rivers would be able to do it with a less than adequate set of receivers and Turner would be a good replacement but definately not enough.

Your views?

Honestly, I think Turner would be able to pick up the slack for LdT the way that Rhodes did for James in 2002.

I have to agree with others, Drew Brees is another one. And with the way that things have shaken out, McNabb is irreplaceable now because Garcia is gone.

I think Shaun Alexander being lost would make the Seahawks predictable and one dimensional.

 

[drpatriot]

McNabb is irreplaceable now because Garcia is gone.

I don't know about that. They drafted Kevin Kolb in the second round, and he could end up being pretty good. It's nothing certain, but it could work out better than expected if he is out.

 

[AllabouttheVinces]

64, that's a great question. Your 3 choices are the ones that came to mind before I even got to your answer - Brady, Manning, Tomlinson. I'd add Hasselbeck, cuz Seattle is toast without him. Brees and Palmer are great choices.

Giants fans are about to learn about life without Tiki, and it's gonna be ugly.

Jets fans, think about your great resurgence in 2006. It wasn't about "Mangenius", it was about the return of Chad Pennington. Kyle Boller didn't belong in the league, and he was starting in 2005. They've got better backup now, but they're a 6 win team without Chad.

 

[zoostation]

On the Patriots, I think we're screwed if Wilfork goes down. He is extremely underrated because he's surrounded by two top-ten DE's, but he may the best lineman on the team. He is a VITAL component of the 3-4, and the fact of the matter is, we have no one else who can play nose for long periods of time.

Warren too!

 

[Boston Jay]

Two out of three of the D-linemen out? = SCREWED

 

[gomezcat]

I'm not sure he is indispensable, but I thought the Bears' D dropped quite significantly in performance when Tommie Harris was out. The Indy O line handled them with little trouble, I thought.