The word "Valuable" in the middle of MVP complicates things. It means that if you vote, you aren't voting for the best player in the league, necessarily, but the most valuable, which could be interpreted in about 17 million different ways.

What's value? Does that player's team have to be .500 or better? Do they have to be in the playoffs? Do they have to be considered a serious threat to win the Super Bowl? 

These are legitimate questions. After all, how much value could you possibly have if your team isn't even playing for the ultimate prize? Can you be good? Sure. But where's your value? Your team can miss the playoffs just as easily without you, bub. All you did was worsen your team's draft pick.

You could even say that a guy like Ken Lucas is the season's MVP, for not going ballistic when teammate Steve Smith punched him out in training camp. Lucas could have chosen to divide the locker room, hate Smith, and submarine team chemistry. But he didn't. And here the Panthers are with a first-round bye.

The point is, you can go anywhere you want with the word "valuable." If you go the NCAA basketball route, though, and just change it to Most Outstanding Player, things get simpler. You just take the best player of the year, and you give him a trophy, and there's nothing wrong with that. That seems like an appropriate and uncomplicated thing to do.

So if the award was called the MOP, here's my list of nominees, in alphabetical order.

Drew Brees. Broke the 5,000 yards passing barrier.
James Harrison. All over the place. A smart, aggressive player who came up with a ton of big plays.
Andre Johnson. The game's best receiver. More receptions than Welker, more yards than Fitzgerald.
Adrian Peterson. Won the league's rushing title. Nine fumbles hurt, though.
Troy Polamalu. Routinely makes game-changing plays in the secondary.
Ed Reed. Does the same.
Philip Rivers. League's best QB rating. As many touchdowns as Brees, but with six fewer interceptions.
DeMarcus Ware. League's sack leader, and maybe the only thing keeping the Cowboys defense even moderately respectable.
DeAngelo Williams. A monstrous 5.5 yards-per-carry average, an amazing second half to the season, and 18 rushing TDs.

If it were my ballot, I'd narrow it to a top three of Andre Johnson, Philip Rivers and DeAngelo Williams. I won't name my winner, though ... I'll leave that up to you to debate in the comments. Keep that "O" in the middle of MOP in mind. Your "V" has nothing to do with it.

Related: NFL League Issues