Brandon Jacobs, RB, 49ers

FoxSports.com: NFL's Most Overrated Players in 2012

Jacobs has two Super Bowl rings and can still be an effective short yardage runner in this league, but his absence won’t be felt by the Giants this season. Rookie David Wilson will more than fill his void, as Jacobs wasn’t the same player he was last year as he was when he first emerged as a bona fide starting running back. He’s already injured, and San Francisco has a host of other running backs — younger, better ones — ready to go. I wouldn’t be shocked if he didn’t make much of an impact in 2012. - Peter Schrager (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

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Overrated in 201... If you’re going to put together an “overrated” and “underrated” list on anything, you have to properly define what the words mean. In the case of FOXSports.com’s “10 most overrated and 10 most underrated NFL players,” I’ve used the following criteria:

- Media hype and/or attention (Like Jeff George received as a No. 1 pick in 1990)
- Salary
- The reality of who the player is now, versus the perception of who he once was.

With no further ado, here’s this year’s list of 10 overrated players. - Peter Schrager (AP Photos)
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Troy Polamalu, S... There was, arguably, no more important defensive player to any one team than Polamalu was to the Steelers in the years 2006-10. But Polamalu’s not the player he once was. His 2011 season was average, at best, and after a career of being the first one in on every tackle, he looked a few steps slower and a lot less intimidating. He’s still a fan favorite and he still has a knack for the big play, but this is simply not the same guy who was leaping over the line of scrimmage and altering games for half a decade. - Peter Schrager (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Matt Ryan, QB, F... The easy quarterbacks to put on this list are Tim Tebow and Tony Romo. They get a ton of media coverage, and each player has only one career playoff win. Well, that’s one more than Matt Ryan. He’s considered an elite quarterback for reasons unbeknownst to me. He has two incredible wide receivers, a Hall of Fame tight end, a solid offensive line and a fleet of capable running backs. Yet, the Falcons have been embarrassed and blown out of the playoffs in three of the past four seasons. Ryan gets drooled over by the media (especially when his games are on national TV) and is one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in football. It’s time for him to step up and win a game that matters. - Peter Schrager (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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Nnamdi Asomugha,... Again, this isn’t saying Asomugha’s not a good football player. He just didn’t play the part of a top-three cornerback — as he long has been considered — in 2011. Victor Cruz lit him up in not one, but two games, earning Cruz the nickname of “Nnamdi Killer” by Michael Irvin. As it turned out, the Eagles’ pass defense was much worse than expected in their “Dream Team” season. In Oakland, he was left alone and told to lock down his opponent. In Philly last year, he was asked to wear multiple hats at once, and his performance took a step backward. Good player, great guy — just wasn’t as good as advertised last season. - Peter Schrager (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
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D’Brickashaw Fer... With all the attention given to the Jets' right tackle position this summer, it’s easy to overlook the fact Ferguson was mediocre at best in 2011. A top-five selection in 2006, Ferguson had a few strong seasons, anchoring the blind side of the Jets' offensive line, but he wasn’t very good last year and he has looked bad this preseason. The Jets’ offense has a lot bigger problems than Ferguson, but let’s not act like the guy’s an All-Pro left tackle. He’s not even close. - Peter Schrager (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
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Sidney Rice, WR,... Rice owes Brett Favre a lot of gratitude, and probably a dinner or two at some point down the line. Based on his performance as Favre's deep threat in Minnesota’s big 2009 season, Rice landed a monster contract in Seattle last offseason. He’s paid in the same ballpark as some of the NFL’s top receivers, having inked a five-year, $41 million deal. He hasn’t been healthy since 2009, and he’s not expected to be an elite receiver in 2012. Big money, big name, but what’s he done lately? - Peter Schrager (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
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Rolando McClain,... McClain was a top-10 pick two years ago and just doesn’t live up to his draft status or paychecks. He’s too often out of position and very rarely seems to make big plays. Raiders fans thought they were getting the next Ray Lewis when he was taken No. 8 overall out of Alabama. They’ve gotten a mediocre player who has shown no signs of All-Pro potential. - Peter Schrager (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Brandon Meriweat... A first-round pick of the Patriots in 2007, Meriweather is now on his third NFL team and is expected to make a difference with Washington. However, he has shown very little reason to believe that will be the case. In his final seasons with the Patriots, he was underwhelming. And last year with Chicago, he was a liability. Just because a guy went to The U and is drafted in the first round, does not mean he’s a standout player. - Peter Schrager (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Eric Winston, T,... Winston is a media favorite because he is always available for a good comment. He does the Sirius Satellite NFL radio shows, offers juicy quotes and is a good guy to be around. He was being talked about as an All-Pro player last year, though, and that just wasn’t the case. I caught heat when I said as much last December, but I must have been on to something. The Texans released him at the end of the 2011 season. You don’t release players whom you view as All Pros. - Peter Schrager (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)
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Brandon Jacobs, ... Jacobs has two Super Bowl rings and can still be an effective short yardage runner in this league, but his absence won’t be felt by the Giants this season. Rookie David Wilson will more than fill his void, as Jacobs wasn’t the same player he was last year as he was when he first emerged as a bona fide starting running back. He’s already injured, and San Francisco has a host of other running backs — younger, better ones — ready to go. I wouldn’t be shocked if he didn’t make much of an impact in 2012. - Peter Schrager (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Michael Crabtree... What has Crabtree ever done to be considered among the league’s best wideouts? I ask that knowing the answer — nothing. After being drafted 10th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, he was a training camp holdout and took a solid two seasons to really find his legs. He caught 72 balls last season but wasn’t a legitimate receiving threat that teams lost sleep over. He still isn’t. Look for his production to go down with the additions of Mario Manningham and Randy Moss to the lineup. - Peter Schrager (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Courtesy of FOXSports.com

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.