NFL All-Decade of the 2010's: Secondary

In this all-decade team, The secondary requires players who could match up against the diverse threats presented by offenses. Certain players will be picked because they present a different skill-set when compared to another. Redundancy in ability needs to be avoided.

For the Secondary, Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu will not be on the list. It can be argued that their best years came before 2010 and in any case, they are present on every list ever. Let's give other players a chance to shine.

Cornerbacks

CB1: Richard Sherman: He is not overrated. In fact, his presented skill-set is rare. 6-foot-3 press coverage cornerbacks and to an extent, press-man corners, in general, do not bring extraordinary ball skills to the table. Throwing deep against Sherman is like wanting to journey the desert expecting water to be stumbled upon. Foolish. In my time of watching football, out of any situation fielding  a player doing what he does best, Sherman successfully defending a deep ball is the outcome I'm most sure of. At 6-foot-3, he eliminates the physical freaks making the waves at wide receiver. He is the team's answer to the Calvin Johnson types.

CB: Darrelle Revis: Across from Sherman would be needed a corner who could defend the smaller receivers in the mold of Steve Smith, Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham; smaller receivers with tremendous lateral agility and plenty of deep speed, with advance release techniques which allow them to stay on the outside. Revis is a master technician. His hips and subsequently his ability to transition are sublime. He offsets Sherman in this category, as the latter can be beaten by the best of route runners. Revis is also strong enough and just tall enough to discourage jump balls. He's made a living by trying to pin receivers to the sidelines, taking away their height advantage.

Slot CB: Charles Woodson: To play slot corner comes the ultimate jack of all trade. Woodson is not what is thought of when dreaming up the typical slot corner, as he is taller and perhaps a tad stiffer than the average. His tackling, his timing on blitzes and his ability to dip around the corner brings a dimension not since reached by fellow nickel backs. His smarts also help him communicate with the rest of the defense.

Safeties

FS. Earl Thomas: A shoe-in pick a free safety. After J.J. Watt, Thomas is the player who is furthest ahead from his second place counterpart. Nothing can be said about Thomas that hasn't be said already. His intangibles take him far above his counterparts. Thomas has never missed a game. He is a player who does not tolerate the stench of losing. With his ability to read route combinations, gained with tireless film study, Thomas is the only player even considered at free safety.

SS: Kam Chancellor: Strong Safeties are dead. Chancellor represents -  along with recently acknowledged-as-star Harrison Smith - the last of a dying breed. Mixing enforcer traits with enough coverage skills to cover tight ends has become a rarity. Chancellor gets the nod.