We are coming up on one week away from the NFL rookie premiere, possibly the biggest hobby event of the year, minus maybe the Super Bowl. This is the place where the rookies all put on their jerseys and take pictures for cards used all year long, including the controversial jersey swatches most of the companies also use.

The list of players has been released by a website named Fandeavor, although some of them may be subject to change, as there are only 36 of the usual 40 players. More coverage to come as we get closer, keep checking back.

Surprises:

Khalil Mack (Raiders LB) – Defensive guys RARELY perform well in the hobby, especially ones that dont have national followings in their college choice or a team following based on their draft slot. Mack has none of those, and though he may end up being great, it takes a Ray Lewis and Troy Polamalu career to retain value.

2014 Press Pass Khalil Mack Red Ink Inscription Auto

2014 Upper Deck Khalil Mack Auto Star Rookie

Dri Archer (Steelers WR?) – Archer is a guy that may end up strictly on special teams or something like that. He is a tiny player who can run like the wind, but doesnt look like he is going to be an impact guy right away. I dont like this pick as much, but the team affiliation helps.

2014 Upper Deck Dri Archer Auto Letter

2014 Upper Deck Dri Archer Auto Star Rookie

Michael Sam (Rams LB) – So far Sam is off the list, which is disappointing. Like Clowney, he has a national following and lots of interested parties, thus making him an attractive attendee. I would have liked to have seen him there, regardless of his talent level.

2014 Press Pass Showbound Michael Sam Auto Chrome

2014 Press Pass Michael Sam Auto Inscription

Here is the rest of the list:

Davante Adams
Dri Archer
Odell Beckham
Kelvin Benjamin
Blake Bortles
Tajh Boyd
Teddy Bridgewater
Ka’Deem Carey
Derek Carr
Jadeveon Clowney
Brandin Cooks
Eric Ebron
Mike Evans
Devonta Freeman
Jimmy Garappolo
Jeremy Hill
Carlos Hyde
Jarvis Landry
Cody Latimer
Marqise Lee
Khalil Mack
Johnny Manziel
Tre Mason
Jordan Matthews
AJ McCarron
Donte Moncrief
Aaron Murray
Paul Richardson
Allen Robinson
Bishop Sankey
Tom Savage
Austin Seferian-Jenkins
De’Anthony Thomas
Logan Thomas
Sammy Watkins
Terrance West

Every once in a while I start browsing the general football listings on eBay and I just wonder to myself how a player could sell for such low prices considering how good they are at their positions. Here are a few you should check out as the most undervalued players in the league.

Drew Brees

It is abundantly clear that Brees is not only one of the top QBs in the league, but a surefire hall of famer as well. He has broken record after record, and yet, he is still a relatively cheap auto when compared against similar levels of QBs. Brady may have won more SBs, but Brees has more records. Now, he does sign quite a bit, but that shouldnt hit home with him as much as it does.

2013 Topps Five Star Drew Brees Patch Auto

2013 National Treasures Drew Brees Auto Booklet Jumbo Patch

LeSean McCoy

If there is a challenger to Peterson as the top Running Back in the NFL, McCoy is that guy. The scary thing is that RBs as a whole are on a sharp decline, and his cards are taking the brunt of that newer phenomenon. Its crazy how little his cards are going for.

2013 Topps Five Star LeSean McCoy Auto Patch

2009 Exquisite LeSean McCoy Rookie Auto Patch

Demaryius Thomas

When it comes to position values, WRs are even further down the list than RBs, but slowly creeping up. Thomas has emerged into one of the best in the league not named Calvin Johnson, but his value is miniscule. I never thought he would be even close to Brandon Marshall when the Broncos drafted him as a replacement, but he has definitely shown me what’s up.

2010 Topps Chrome Demaryius Thomas Auto RC

2010 Topps Five Star Demaryius Thomas Auto RC

Joe Flacco

I know, I know, it takes a lot for someone to crack the top five QBs, but Flacco’s cards are priced so far below where he has been performing that it is pretty crazy. Dont forget, he won the Super Bowl in 2012, and that should entitle him to a bit more recognition in my opinion.

2013 National Treasures Joe Flacco Timeline Auto Patch

2013 Topps Five Star Joe Flacco Triple Patch Auto Logo Booklet

Jamaal Charles

Like McCoy, Charles has produced so consistently that he should be worth a lot more than he is. The only downfall was the time he missed with a torn ACL that damaged his notoriety a bit, but has bounced back better than ever.

2008 Exquisite and SPA Jamaal Charles Rookie Auto Patch Lot

2012 National Treasures Jamaal Charles Auto NFL Logo 1/1

AJ Green

There is no better example of the sag in value for position players outside of QB than AJ Green. Because he signs a lot, his autograph is worth little to nothing, despite being a tremendous receiver and perennial all star. I just dont get why more people only like putting their money into QBs.

2011 National Treasures AJ Green Rookie Auto Patch

2011 Topps Five Star AJ Green Auto Inscription

Bottom line, collector behavior continues to confuse me, but it does make more sense that the sheer number of products combined with the rarity of the signatures themselves are usually a huge factor.

I am already ridiculously excited for the new card year for the NFL, and I think everyone is feeling the palpable electricity surrounding a lot of the players and products that are already previewed and released. Here are a few of my reasons that everyone should be as excited as I am.

1. 2013 is OVER!

Man, talk about a down year and then some. I know I have beaten this topic into the ground, but I think this is one of the biggest reasons we should be pumped for the new season. Although I think the 2013 cards will bounce back when players start to break out this year, 2013 was a year to forget. New rookies and fresh perspectives should start to bring some new stuff that we havent seen for a while, mainly an interest from the secondary market. One can only hope.

Dont sleep on these though:

2014 Museum Collection EJ Manuel Framed Auto 20/20

2013 Five Star Cordarrelle Patterson Auto Book

2013 Contenders Eddie Lacy Auto Rookie Ticket

2. High End Can Flourish

It was pretty clear that there was a significant fear to go all out on high end in 2013 because the class could not support it, but this year that should change. I have already heard rumblings of the card companies pulling out all the stops to capitalize on a DEEP offense class with lots of skill players that will be impactful. We already know that Panini is going to bring Immaculate and Flawless over from basketball, which could be a very good thing, but we should also get some nice stuff from Topps and Upper Deck as well. Leaf has already shown what they can bring in their space, which has been quite impressive.

Here is what NFL has to look forwward to:

2013 Flawless Kevin Durant Auto Patch

2013 Immaculate Kobe Bryant Auto

3. Johnny Manziel Will Carry the Class

Even if he ends up being the backup (he wont be for long), he will carry a ton of value into the beginning of the season, as he is easily one of the more highly popular prospects since Tim Tebow and Andrew Luck. Although I dont believe he is going to be a superstar, I am excited to see what his NFL brand can bring to the hobby.

2014 Upper Deck Johnny Manziel Auto On Card

2014 Leaf Trinity Johnny Manziel Jumbo Patch Auto

4. There is a potential for 4-5 starting QBs from this draft class

Nothing drives excitement than a strong crop of QBs, and like 2011 and 2012, we are going to get quite the opportunity early on to see the true potential of the QB class. Outside of Manziel, there are potential starters in Bortles, Bridgewater, Carr and Savage, which means one of them will likely break out. Could be more. I like that a lot.

2014 Leaf Trinity Teddy Bridgewater Jumbo Patch Auto

2014 Leaf Trinity Blake Bortles Inscription Auto /15

5. The 2012 class continues to get stronger

Nothing says amazing like the class from two years ago, especially with Russell Wilson taking home the crown. Most of the guys are good signers, which makes it even better, and I think we are in store for another year of the guys from 2012 getting better and commanding higher prices. I think there is some serious potential for this class to end up as one of the best ever.

2012 Five Star Andrew Luck Robert Griffin III Dual Auto

2012 Contenders Russell Wilson Auto Ticket RC

I will be all in all year long, and I cant wait to see what this card year brings.

When Topps first released Five Star back in 2010, I was so happy that we were not going to have a break in years for pro products that have no stickers. In 2009, Upper Deck had lost their pro license, and with it, many products that were sticker free. Since that time, Five Star has remained the only product on the market that is made without the use of stickers, and that is the main reason why it is my favorite product of the year.

Why buy stickers when you can have the real thing? These are deals:

2013 Topps Five Star Aaron Rodgers Patch Auto

2013 Topps Five Star Drew Brees Patch Auto

2013 Topps Five Star Adrian Peterson Patch Auto

2013 Topps Five Star Ladanian Tomlinson Patch Auto

2013 Topps Five Star Dan Marino Auto Booklet

2013 Topps Five Star Peyton Manning Auto Inscription /10

As I have said for years now, collectors still find reasons not to embrace the product for what it is, citing outdated rookie card definitions and other stupid idiosyncrasies to say why the cards shouldnt be worth more than they are. National Treasures still remains the most valuable, despite the fact that Five Star has continued to be a better looking product for the last 4 years. It is infinitely frustrating to hear people say “Treasures has better patches,” when it should be painfully obvious that all the jerseys are not game worn. Its putting extreme value in a patch that was worn for less than three seconds at the rookie premiere (not exaggerating that, either). This makes absolutely no sense what so ever to me. Its literally the most valuable product solely by default. It shouldnt be that way, and we refuse to reward Five Star, even after it fulfills all the different desires that collectors have clamored for through the whole calendar year.

We bitch constantly about how much we hate sticker autographs, because for the most part, they dont look like a natural piece of sports memorabilia. Having each card personally signed by the athlete is a symbol of commitment to timely completion, and should be a status symbol for each product. Instead, collectors just pass right on buy, continuing to pay similar prices for cards that never are handled by the athletes. Shame on us. Seriously.

Throughout the five plus years on this blog, I have always said that design and look were the most important things that people should gravitate towards when building their personal collection. Its not about the size of a stupid patch on a card, especially when the card is horrendously composed and executed. What is the point of owning an ugly card? I just dont get it. Sure, beauty is subjective, but there are plenty of instances to showcase that even ugly ducklings can be valuable. Again, it fucking baffles me to no end. I have friends that are so drawn to shiny objects that they overlook blatant flaws in card design. How is this accepted by the general public?

My rallying cry has continued to focus on educating people that there is more than just jumbo patches and lazy design work out there. I have called collectors to action to speak with our wallets and reward the products that have exactly what we want. I know my voice is just a fart in the wind under most circumstances, but that is where everyone else needs to start proclaiming their opinion as well. We should never accept a company’s leftover trash, just because they put it on the shelf. Im firm on that. Five Star is everything that is good about design and autographs, and its time we get off our butts and figure out a way to demand similar effort in all products.

I am not saying all stickers are bad, because sometimes they are unavoidable. However, we need to step up and put some money where our mouth is for all hard signed stuff. Dont settle. Never settle.

Its rare in this hobby that a mainstream company comes out with a box that costs over 500 per. That price tag has been known to price people out of an entire print run of a product, as the cost is just too expensive for a good portion of the hobby. That being said, super high end is my favorite type of card, and I fully support more of it as long as it is fresh.

Here are some of the reasons why I love high end Baseball so much:

2013 Topps Five Star Sandy Koufax Auto

2013 Topps Five Star Mike Trout Auto Patch

2013 Topps Five Star Frank Thomas Auto Inscription
2013 Topps Five Star Bryce Harper Auto Quad Relic Booklet

Topps Dynasty is the newest baseball product and the first non-basketball product to break into the $1000+ category for “box” price. Even though each box is one card at 200, its five cards per case at 1000. That almost assumes this will be opened in case form.

The cards, as one could imagine, look absolutely stunning, and I could not be more happy to have more high end baseball in the pipeline. Unlike Basketball, where super high end is the norm, Baseball did not have a true “Exquisite” style product until the release of Five Star a few years ago.

The reason being, from what I gather, is that Baseball collectors are of a different breed than other sports, still having influence from the early days of the hobby. Although set collectors are becoming more and more of a tiny minority, giving way to hit collectors migrating from all sports, the influence still has an effect on each product's collector reception.

Five Star baseball was a huge step in progressing towards a higher end existence for the baseball hobby, but Topps has missed continually on providing a checklist worthy of a product of that type. Again, like Dynasty, the cards from Five Star are easily the best of the best in terms of design, but content has been widely panned.

I mentioned, back when Panini released Flawless, that it was not bringing anything unique for a box that costs as much as the product does. No logos, no ridiculous cards, just a bunch of autographs of good players packed into a box. I will say the same thing here, as Dynasty will need to have some sort of wow factor that Flawless never had, because without it, this will be just another blip on the radar as Five Star has sadly been.

Here is the scary thing. In basketball, there are a number of players that can easily generate $200 plus cards with very little effort, even when Lebron and Jordan are removed from the list. Add in a rookie class chased internationally, and its only easier to expect that people will not have an issue with getting some return. In baseball, there really arent many players who sign that can generate that kind of number. Mike Trout, at the moment is probably the most valuable Baseball player in terms of hobby value, but one guy does not a checklist make.

Topps continually proves that they have the best design team around, consistently delivering great looking cards, of which Dynasty fits the mold. I sincerely hope that 200 per card in a 5 card box, will live up to a standard being set, as there are great environmental factors that do not play well in a market like this.