Adam Steele is back with some Wisdom of Crowds work. As always, we thank him for that.

In 2015 we ran a pair of Wisdom of the Crowd exercises, one for quarterbacks and one for running backs. Participation was high and the ensuing discussions were plentiful, so I decided to bring the idea back this year. First up are quarterbacks, but there will be new rules this time around. The previous edition asked voters to rank their quarterbacks 1-25, with points scored in linear fashion based on the ranking from each ballot. While that method was simple, it left a lot to be desired. Most notably, voters weren’t able to indicate the magnitude of difference between the QB’s on their lists, so the difference between 24th and 25th was worth the same as the difference between 1st and 2nd. That’s just plain wrong.

New Rules 1) Each voter will be allotted 100 Greatness Points to distribute to quarterbacks as he or she wishes, with a few caveats. 2) The maximum points given to a single QB may not exceed 25. 3) Ballots must include a minimum of ten quarterbacks, with a maximum of 40. 4) Points must be assigned as whole numbers.

Just as before, you are free to use whatever definition of Greatness you see fit. If you have trouble getting started, it’s helpful to list every quarterback that you consider Great, then distribute points based on the relative standing among the quarterback you listed. In order for this exercise to work properly, please submit your ballot before reading anyone else’s; we want each opinion to be as independent as possible. Your ballot will not be counted if the points don’t add up to exactly 100, although I will let you know and give you a chance for revision. Here is an example of how I’d like your ballot to look (of course yours may include more quarterbacks):

Player A 17 Player B 14 Player C 13 Player D 12 Player E 9 Player F 8 Player G 8 Player H 6 Player I 5 Player J 4 Player K 3 Player L 1

Commentary is welcome but not required, and please be respectful with any criticism you might have for another person’s ballot. The polls will stay open for one week, with an option to extend the deadline if participation continues to stay high throughout the week. Let’s get started!