The dream team: sure, it's just a fantasy, but if we were putting together the perfect franchise, here's how each position would look

YOU SETTLE INTO YOUR plush executive chair and hoist your feet comfortably onto your mahogany desk. Then your secretary comes charging into your office. "The NFL commissioner just called!" she says excitedly. "He said that we've been granted an expansion franchise and can pluck the best position groups off any team in the league with no salary cap constraints."

"That's great news," you reply. "Thank you, Ms. Kournikova."

OK, so ifs just a dream. But building such a dynamic team is intriguing even if it's only in your imagination. Which groups of players would you select? The choices are clean.

QUARTERBACK: Green Bay Packers

Who needs a depth chart when Brett Favre is available to be the cornerstone of your franchise? Football is the quintessential team sport, but this future Hall-of-Famer is an exception. He has single-handedly been the heart and soul of the Packers for a decade.

Three MVP trophies and a Super Bowl ring are testament to his greatness, but his remarkable toughness might be his most amazing asset. Favre owns the NFL record for most consecutive starts by a quarterback, besting Ron Jaworski's mark of 116 games by more than two full seasons.

In 2001, Favre became the first player in NFL history to throw for 3,000 yards in 10 straight seasons--and he did so with his patented flair, rocket arm, and gambler's mentality.

"Every time I see him, he does things that I have not seen him do before, and it's still utterly amazing," says Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Greg Blache. "You could make a highlight film on this guy every week."

RUNNING BACK: St. Louis Rams

Favre is even more dangerous with a running game. That's why we'll head to St. Louis to secure the dynamic duo of Marshall Faulk and Trung Canidate. Both are versatile, lightning-quick playmakers who help give the Rams the most explosive offense in NFL history.

Faulk, a regular in the Pro Bowl, combines speed, power, and elusiveness. He led the Rams to the Super Bowl championship in 1999 and was named the NFL MVP in 2000 after setting a league record with 26 TDs. Faulk also excels as a receiver in the Rams' fastbreak offense.

"Marshall is the piece that really makes everything go," says St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner. "He's so versatile. People have to key on him, which allows the other guys to have some one-on-one coverage to get open. He creates a lot of havoc."

Though he's inexperienced, Canidate is practically a carbon copy of Faulk. The 2000 first-round pick is a well-built power back with blazing speed. He is capable of spelling Faulk when needed.

WIDE RECEIVER: St. Louis Rams

There's no need to leave St. Louis to continue building the world's most dominant offense. How fast are Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, and Az-Zahir Hakim? Wily Coyote used to chase the Rams receivers before he decided it would be easier to catch the Roadrunner.

These wideouts routinely average more than 15 yards per catch. They didn't even need a quarterback to strike on one occasion in 2001, as Hakim tossed a 51-yard TD pass to Bruce against the New Orleans Saints. And with possession receiver Ricky Proehl added into the mix, Louis becomes that much more potent.

"They're very dangerous," says Saints safety Jay Bellamy. "If you don't stay on top of them, the Rams can run up the score on you quickly."

Bruce is the most decorated of the four. A smooth, fluid route-runner, the big-play specialist caught a 73-yard TD pass from Warner with just under two minutes remaining to give the Rams a 23-16 victory Over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl 34.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Pittsburgh Steelers

A police escort couldn't create more open lanes for "the Bus" than the Pittsburgh offensive line, which helped Jerome Bettis top the 1,000-yard mark for the sixth straight season since he was traded to the Steelers in 1996.

Left guard Alan Faneca, a 6'5", 300-pounder who possesses speed and quickness, leads the group. Pittsburgh's 1998 No. 1 draft pick is considered the unit's best run-blocker, while left tackle Wayne Gandy excels in passing situations.

Former Detroit Lions first-round pick Jeff Hartings anchors the line at center after replacing perennial Pro Bowler Dermontti Dawson. Right guard Rick Tylski (ankle) and right tackle Marvel Smith (knee) have both played through injuries in 2001.

Thanks to the prowess of the line, the Steelers were able to weather injuries to Bettis and Mark Bruener, one of the league's top blocking tight ends, to remain a dominant rushing team. Backups Oliver Ross and Keydrick Vincent provide excellent depth.

DEFENSIVE LINE: New Orleans Saints

We'll need a hand to build our defense, so the logical place to start is in New Orleans, where Norman Hand teams with La'Roi Glover to form one of the league's top tackle tandems. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better run-stuffer than Hand and a more talented pass-rusher than Glover at the tackle position.

Left end Darren Howard didn't come close to matching the 11 sacks he recorded last season as a rookie, but defensive coaches insist he's playing even better. Right end Joe Johnson is one of the most complete players at his position in the game. Pass-rush specialist Charlie Clemons and reserves Martin Chase and Willie Whitehead are also reliable contributors.

The Saints' front four means everything to the defense. It produced 10.5 of the Saints' 17 sacks in one two-game stretch in December. The ability of Hand and Glover to wreak havoc in the backfield occupies multiple blockers and therefore gives Johnson and Howard more opportunities.

LINEBACKER: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers employ a 3-4 defense, which gives us a talented starting trio and a top reserve when we swipe outside linebackers Jason Gildon and Joey Porter and inside linebackers Kendrell Bell and Earl Holmes from Pittsburgh.

Gildon and Porter have rushed the passer consistently well, and Holmes is one of the league's top run-stuffers. Bell, a rookie from Georgia, emerged as FOOTBALL DIGEST's Defensive Rookie of the Year after replacing departed flee agent Levon Kirkland.

Bell was selected 39th overall in the draft after the Steelers traded up to get him. Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Tim Lewis has called Bell "the best rookie I've ever seen."

In November, Bell became only the second player in NFL history to earn back-to-back NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors. "He's had a tremendous impact in the league and been a big contributor on this team," says Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher.

SECONDARY: Miami Dolphins

There's a great safety tandem on the Bears with Mike Brown and Tony Parrish and an excellent cornerback duo on the Atlanta Falcons with Ashley Ambrose and Ray Buchanan. But there's no better overall secondary than in Miami, where safeties Brock Marion and Brian Walker team up with cornerbacks Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain.

Throw a pass against this group and the ball could be heading in the opposite direction in a hurry. Last season Walker had seven interceptions while Marion, Madison, and Surtain each had five. It marked the first time since 1981 that an NFL team had at least four players with five or more interceptions.

This year, Marion was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after intercepting two passes and forcing and recovering a fumble in a late-season thrashing of the Indianapolis Colts. That type of play in the secondary sums up a team that relies on its playmaking defense to win games.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Oakland Raiders

The easiest decision in picking our dream team comes here. Where else but Oakland can you find two booming legs and an all-pro receiver who dabbles as a return specialist?

Punter Shane Lechler and kicker Sebastian Janikowski have both excelled since being drafted by the Raiders last season. Then there's Tim Brown, who is no longer a primary return specialist but was nonetheless named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a punt 88 yards for a TD against the Kansas Cit Chiefs. It was Brown's first punt return for a TD in eight years, the second-longest such span in NFL history.

HEAD COACH: Too Close to Call

Coaching a team with so much talent would appear to be easy, but with only one football to spread around, it actually might be difficult. Then again, we're so confident of winning the Super Bowl with the juggernaut we've put together that it doesn't matter who paces the sideline.

For old time sake, a personal favorite would be Hank Strum, Buddy Ryan, or John Madden. At least the press conferences would be entertaining.

But since our choices are limited to today's head coaches, we have a tie: Pittsburgh's Cowher, Chicago's Dick Jauron, Oakland's Jon Gruden, and Steve Mariucci of the San Francisco 49ers.

No, it doesn't really matter. Maybe we'll let Ms. Kournikova choose the coach.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Century Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group