What's The Key To Starting An NFL Team?

If I asked ten different people what position they would build their NFL franchise around, I would probably get ten different answers.  What makes sports so fun to me is that EVERYTHING can be debated.  Who's the greatest quarterback of all time?  That questions alone could call for hours of debate.

So, here goes nothing.  First off, I want to thank John Kincade of ESPN Radio for asking this question last week before the NFL draft began.  It really got me thinking. If the NFL were to wipe the slate clean for your favorite team, and were to turn the reins of building that team over to you as the new General Manager...how would you build your team?  Are you a "defense wins championships" kinda person, or do you think the key to the Lombardi Trophy is through a Payton-esque running back?  It's your team...tell me what you'd do?

Here's my philosophy...

For me, when I hear the phrase "defense wins championships," I cringe.  Defense is no doubt one of the most important facets of the game.  If you're team is giving up 40 points a game, odds aren't gonna be on your side to put up more W's than L's.  Over the last few years, there have been a few instances of championship teams that relied heavily on their defense to help them win the Super Bowl.  Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and even last year's champions, the Green Bay Packers come to mind.  In only one of those instances, however, do I believe defense was the reason the team was named Super Bowl Champions, and that team was the 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens.

When you look at the last six teams to win the Super Bowl, they all have one common factor that I believe gets overlooked by some.  That common factor is what I would build my NFL franchise around.

An intelligent quarterback.

The last six Super Bowl winning quarterbacks all have that "something" that not all quarterbacks have, and that is the ability to break down the game as it happens.  The mistakes they make are few and far between.  Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Roethlisberger again, and Tom Brady twice are the six quarterbacks that have combined to win the last eight Super Bowls.

Some may argue that Eli Manning makes far too many mistakes at times, but if you've watched any New York Giants games over the last two seasons, many of the mistakes made by Eli could very easily be placed on the shoulders of his receivers.  That being said, Eli took a very average receiving corps to the Super Bowl and knocked off the undefeated New England Patriots back in 2008.

So, for me...that's the key factor I would look for when building my NFL franchise.  If you don't have an intelligent quarterback leading your offense, it will be very difficult for your defense to do what it's truly supposed to do, and that's defend a lead.  If your quarterback isn't able to keep his offense from going three and out consistently, your defense will be an awfully tired unit, unable to catch it's collective breath.

Let me have it.  Tell me what you would do if you were starting your own NFL team.