Field Yates, ESPN Insider 9y

Ranking the top five rosters in the NFL

NFL, Green Bay Packers

Building an NFL roster is anything but algorithmic. The surest way to be competitive -- from a roster construction standpoint -- is to find a franchise quarterback. Today's landscape of quarterbacks shows that is much easier said than done, in a variety of ways. Just three projected starting quarterbacks -- Eli Manning of the Giants, Sam Bradford of the Eagles and Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Jets (who wasn't expected to start until recently) -- are entering the final year of their contracts. Teams with good quarterbacks ensure those quarterbacks don't slip out of their grasps. Even teams with quarterbacks with something to prove -- the Bengals, Dolphins and 49ers, for example -- make early investments in those quarterbacks to fortify the most important spot on the roster.

Although quarterback is the most important spot, so much more goes into sustaining success: coaching, scouting, weekly preparation and a strong roster at other positions. In a recent survey of ESPN's NFL team, an anonymous vote was conducted to evaluate hundreds of NFL players, with the criteria being dominance at their positions.

Using the #NFLRANK list as a starting point, below are the top five rosters in the NFL, factoring in positional value.

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