10 hungriest players: Watch for McNabb

Roger Rotter / FOXSports.com
Many pro athletes pride themselves on performing their best every game, but few manage to consistently excel at their highest level. Many will go to great lengths to increase their physical capabilities and mental acuity with extensive weight training, various exercises and film study.

Others find strength from motivation, using it as the extra stimuli to reach greater heights or meet expectations once set. They could be facing the prospect of a new contract, or the need for public redemption after a disappointing season. They may have felt slighted on draft day or free agency and want to prove the naysayers wrong. Those scenarios scream for players to reach inside for extra inspiration and play better than ever.

Whether motivated by greed, vanity or heart, these are the NFL's 10 hungriest players for the upcoming season.

1. Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia

Few players have endured as much public scrutiny as McNabb on the account of one player. Former Eagles receiver Terrell Owens consistently questioned McNabb's leadership publicly after the 2005 Super Bowl loss. Owens also accused McNabb for being tired when the Eagles offense struggled near the end of the final quarter.

A sports hernia ended McNabb's 2005 season after nine games, making him one of the NFL's biggest disappointments. The Eagles finished a woeful 6-10 after making the playoffs for five consecutive seasons. McNabb also had his best passing season when Owens was his primary target in 2004. Now McNabb has a chance to erase any doubts about his play or his leadership, and lead the Eagles back to the playoffs.

New Baltimore quarterback Steve McNair looks to make amends after he was traded by Tennessee. (Greg Fiume / Getty Images)

2. Steve McNair, QB, Baltimore

McNair was asked to leave Tennessee's workout facility when he reported to off-season practices. The Titans wanted his contract situation resolved first by restructuring his deal. An arbitrator later ruled that McNair was correct in his actions, but the damage had already been done. McNair felt slighted after spending his entire 11-year career with the Titans and leading them to the Super Bowl in 2000. Tennessee decided to trade McNair to despised rival, Baltimore. Now McNair looks for redemption with the Ravens and rebound from an acrimonious off-season. What better way for payback than lead Baltimore to the playoffs?

3. Matt Leinart, QB, Arizona

This Heisman Trophy winner would have likely been the first pick in the 2005 draft if he made himself eligible. Without a pro team, Los Angeles media and public treat the USC stars like celebrities. When draft day arrived in April, Leinart expected that he would be one of the first picks, going to another big market like New York. But 10 teams bypassed Leinart before he was picked by the small market of the lowly Arizona Cardinals, and he lost the additional millions that arrive with a top pick and the public adulation of a big city.

If injury-prone starter Kurt Warner becomes hurt again, watch Leinart attempt to prove his detractors wrong as early as this season. He's already the quarterback of Arizona's future, blessed with one of the league's best receiving duos, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.

4. Larry Allen, OG, San Francisco

This mammoth guard is one of the most decorated linemen of his era. He made the NFL's All-Decade team for the 1990s and has been named to the Pro Bowl 10 of his 12 seasons with Dallas. He also became just the third player in history to be named a Pro Bowler at more than one position when he made the team as a tackle in 1998.

Though he made the Pro Bowl again last year, he was criticized by Bill Parcells during the season and the free agent was let go by Dallas. He signed with San Francisco in the off-season and has already made a big impact on San Francisco's mediocre rushing attack with his powerful blocking and aggressive demeanor. He's an excellent fit with new running back starter Frank Gore's physical style. Watch San Francisco transform from a passive running game into a powerful ground attack.

Corey Dillon is doing his best to remain New England's featured running back over first-round pick Laurence Maroney. (Al Bello / Getty Images)

5. Corey Dillon, RB, New England

Dillon is currently past his prime in his early 30s, an age where few runners excel. He's undergone extensive physical pounding by carrying a whopping 2,419 times in nine seasons. His average per carry dropped significantly last season, falling to a poor 3.5 average from an impressive 4.7 mark. Rather than waiting to see if Dillon can rebound from his injuries, head coach Bill Belichick drafted Laurence Maroney in the first round in an attempt to revive the Patriots' struggling ground game.

To combat last year's decline, Dillon has worked out religiously this off-season in order to regain his running success. Everyone knows Maroney is New England's running back of the future. Now the question is how soon? The 10-year veteran is already fighting hard to push back Father Time and remain the opening day starter and beyond for just this season.

6. Mike Bell, RB, Denver

This undrafted rookie running back didn't see the nice signing bonuses given to highly touted first-rounders like New England's Laurence Maroney, Carolina's DeAngelo Williams and Indianapolis' Joseph Addai. But he may be the only opening day starter of those three. He's impressed coach Mike Shanahan so much that he leapfrogged ahead of two veterans to become the team's No. 1 running back on the depth chart. He's outperformed one of last year's featured backs, Tatum Bell, in the preseason games.

Bell has shown to be an excellent fit with Denver's zone blocking where the runner makes one cut and heads upfield. Shanahan already made a rushing star of a sixth-round pick Terrell Davis. Now he looks to take it one step further with an undrafted back. Watch Mike keep fighting to keep his job and progress quickly with hard work and sheer determination.

7. Terry Glenn, WR, Dallas

After performing above expectations by finishing 11th among all wide receivers in yards (1,136) in 2005, Glenn may have expected to remain Dallas' No. 1 receiver. But owner Jerry Jones paid castoff Terrell Owens big dollars to become the primary pass-catcher. However, Glenn has the advantages of playing with Drew Bledsoe for one year and has earned head coach Bill Parcell's trust by posting his best career seasons in New England and Dallas under his watch.

Glenn already has seen Owens miss most of training camp by sitting on the sidelines and riding a bicycle. When Glenn elected to sit out practice, he received a stern lecture from Parcells to jump back on the field. He appeared especially motivated for a preseason game, grabbing a spectacular, acrobatic 10-yard touchdown, and explicitly expressing his pleasure. Watch Glenn do everything he can to reclaim the No. 1 wide receiver role.

8. Ahman Green, RB, Green Bay

Green was recently regarded as one of the league's top runners, compiling five straight seasons of 1,000 rushing yards. This was highlighted by his best year in 2003 when he ran for 1,883 yards, caught 50 passes for 367 yards and scored 20 touchdowns. After Green's season ended after five games last season with a leg injury, Green Bay used five more running backs to replace him as injuries continued to deplete the depth chart.

Green's unsuccessful season hurt even more in the pocket book as he was finishing the last year of his contract. The nine-year veteran was given the security of just a one-year contract, making considerably less than previously. As Green Bay sported the league's third-worst rushing attack last year in a dismal division, watch Green attempt to resurrect the team's offense and his own career.

9. Chester Taylor, RB, Minnesota

Chester Taylor aims to capitalize on his role as Minnesota's starting running back after playing backup in Baltimore. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Running back LaMont Jordan served as Curtis Martin's understudy for four seasons with the Jets before being given a chance to be the full-time starter for the Raiders. He exploded onto the NFL scene by totaling 1,588 yards for the league's ninth-highest total despite missing the final two games. He also added nine scores in becoming one of the top all-around backs last year.

This season, one running back who was signed from free agency as a previous backup is Minnesota's Taylor. The fifth-year running back will be given the chance to prove he can be an all-around runner and emerge as a weekly starter. The Vikings plan to make Taylor the featured back and utilize him both in running and receiving. Former Eagles offensive coordinator and new Vikings head coach Brad Childress will likely use Taylor in a role that he used similar for Brian Westbrook in Philadelphia. Westbrook's best season came in 2004 when he totaled 1,515 yards and scored nine touchdowns, giving an idea of the production Childress generated for this role.

10. Ronnie Brown, RB, Miami

The 2005 NFL draft's No. 2 overall pick is being giving the featured back role after sharing the duties with Ricky Williams last season. He also shared responsibilities at running back when he played for Auburn. This time, head coach Nick Saban is giving him the chance to become one of the top rushers in the league. Watch for Brown to prove he can handle the full-time chores and flourish in that role.