NFL Debate #68: Most surprising Breakout Star

[Cory]

Go.

[Cory]

For me its Steve Smith. Everyone else is a product of circumstance. Oliver because Matthews/Brown are hurt, Tate because Megatron went down in a pass heavy offense and Forsett because of the Ray Rice suspension.

Steve Smith was kinda wrote off, hes too old, Flacco/Ravens passing game is meh.....and hes been dominating, and out shining another talented, younger/faster WR in Torrey Smith.

[Jon]

Mine is a tie...

Le'Veon Bell out of Pittsburgh continues to impress me each week. He does damage on the ground and catching passes out of the backfield. He got off to a rough start this season with the marijuana incident, but he has put that on the back burner and has emerged as a real star for the Steelers.

My other nom goes to DeMarco Murray. This is a player that has shown flashes of brilliance is his first 3 seasons in the league, but has been hammered down by injuries. Last season he narrowly eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark in 14 games... and this season he's about to surpass it in 8 games. He has surpassed Tony Romo and Dez Bryant as the best players on the team and has at times carried their offense on his back. He has broken out as a full fledged elite running back in the NFL this season.

[Jimmy Helmsley]

This one is tough.  Murray isn't a break out star for me.  Neither is Steve Smith.  They have had their time in the past.  Tate looks really good.  Jon mentioned that some of the others are circumstantial, but thats usually how the break out stars come in the NFL.  For me, it'd be Forsett.  Rice went down.  He overtook Pierce.  He has been consistent most of the season.  He