So, in the end, Carson Palmer made it.

On the NFL Network's annual top 100 list, the quarterback's huge 2015 season earned him No. 12 on the rankings, joining teammate Patrick Peterson (at No. 18) in the top 20 as what I would expect to be the final two Cardinals in the countdown. The top 10 players are announced next week.

Barring a top 10 surprise, the Cardinals ended up with six players on the list: Calais Campbell, Chandler Jones, Tyrann Mathieu, Larry Fitzgerald and then, of course, Palmer and Peterson.

While this list isn't the end-all-be-all, it shows the respect the players on the Cardinals' roster have across the league. You can argue about where the players were ranked, of course. I can't say I've paid close attention to where the non-Cardinals are, although at first glance I don't know if there are 17 players worthy of being ahead of Peterson after the season he had in 2015, but again, that's what June and July are for -- debate in the dead of the offseason. (It's fair to wonder if Peterson was ranked too high last year.)

But it was good to see Palmer on the list. It's his first appearance since the list came out and since he was discussed as an MVP candidate, it was kind of a no-brainer. When your quarterback is considered among the top 12 players in the league, your team is probably in pretty good shape.