NFL fans have gotten used to praising Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers. These players have been the cream of the NFL quarterback crop for years.

But a shift in the landscape is coming, if it isn't here already. In the video above, I look at five signal-callers who are staking a claim to enter the conversation as some of the best quarterbacks around. From Matt Ryan, who has been on the cusp of greatness for some time, to Alex Smith, who has spent his career as everyone's favorite whipping boy, these five should start getting their due for the work they are doing on the field.

It's easy in this day of 5,000-yard seasons and record-setting offensive performances to forget all the little things that go into playing the quarterback position. From making protection calls at the line to making play-call adjustments to get the offense out of bad plays, these guys are doing most of the little things right.

Of course, no player is perfect. It's easy to see a Ryan screen pass go for a pick-six or Andy Dalton throw two game-killing interceptions and talk about how they aren't as good as I'm making them out to be above. But pull back and look at their full body of work, and I think you'll find that the five guys listed above are doing great work at the game's most difficult position.

Let me know in the comments below who you think should be included who may have been left off and who I've included who you think should have been left off. I'm sure this will be done in a calm, reasoned and respectful way. Enjoy.