One of my favorite sets of the year is always Topps flagship, if not only because the design is usually top notch. On top of that, Topps has been incredibly open to communication from collectors on how to make it better. So far, they have succeeded each year in doing so, adding more and more content to a product that already has a lot to it.

On twitter today and yesterday, Topps has previewed a number of new cards that will be making their debut in the product. Some of them I think are really cool, while others are showing some wasted potential due to how they were produced.

I am a big fan of the field general medal cards, as I always think that unique content in place of a single jersey card is becoming more and more necessary in some sets. The use of an actual medal for this year’s Quarterback heavy theme highlights how jersey cards can eventually be less of a focus. It takes a historic nickname for the QB position and brings it to the forefront with a great design. Additionally, to add autograph content on top of it is even better, and I think there are a lot of collectors who will not hesitate to smile when pulling this in their packs.

There are also milestone medallions that are making their debut this year, and I cannot argue with the way they look. Topps somehow found a way to get a large medallion on the card with a big player photo, all in the name of commemorating the records the players have set.

Furthering the QB theme, Topps added acetate cards to celebrate MVP achievements. Guys like Brady, Rodgers, and company will have clear die cut cards that I have become a huge supporter of for their recent usage. They are pretty simple in the design, as most acetate cards are, but I cannot argue with adding them to the mix. Hopefully there will be autograph parallels.

Lastly, we have a dual combination of more QB cards that could have been one of the best looking sets of the year. The first is the rookie reprint autos which I have often called for each and every year. Topps took the rookie cards of the game’s biggest names and is going to offer autographed reprints. However, they are all stickers, something that I have always stated is the opposite of what cards like this require to be special. I do like that they are using more recent subjects at least, Aaron Rodgers and the like are good examples.

The QB immortals subset is a simply designed card that makes a very distinct impression. I love white dominated cards, and these are just that. Topps previewed a bunch of them, but one in particular from Bob Griese looks hard signed. If there are more of these produced in a similar fashion, I am ON BOARD.