New Season

The Scouting Combine can be seen as the kickoff of the new season. that's good news for pretty much every team but the New york Giants. The Super Bowl champs only get three weeks to enjoy it. I'm feeling the excitement build but I'm a little nutty like that. In the past, free agency started just days after the Combine. This year we have to sit around until March 13. This gives teams some extra time to deal with their own free agents.

As for the Combine, the offense had center stage over the weekend. The defenders and Rich Eisen get their shot today and tomorrow.

Here's some Flea Flicker thoughts from the weekend:

I'm completely sold on USC tackle Matt Kalil as the Minnesota Vikings first pick at #3. With the Indianapolis Colts likely taking Andrew Luck first overall and all the talk of the St Louis trading the #2 pick to a team drooling over Robert Griffin III, it looks like Kalil to the Vikings has a real good chance of happening. That would make Christian Ponder, Adrian Peterson and me very happy. If Kalil is gone, Oklahoma St receiver Justin Blackmon or LSU corner Morris Claiborne would be nice consolations.

Boise St quarterback Kellen Moore and Fresno St receiver Devon Wylie looked like a couple kids that crashed the festivities. They are both very good football players. I hope they get a shot.

It's kinda silly to have offensive linemen run anything longer than 10 yards.

Speaking of linemen, I don't see how any can have less than 25 reps on the bench press. There are receivers that can hit that.

Speaking of receivers, I hope that some team grabs Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd before he gets to #19 and the Chicago Bears. I don't really want Jay Cutler throwing to that guy. That could get scary.

I don't know how Georgia Tech gets receivers. They run a unique flex option offense that leaves receivers more as decoys and blockers. They run nearly every down yet they send receivers not backs to the NFL. Denver Broncos receiver and Vikings killer Demaryius Thomas was a first round pick out of Georgia Tech. Stephen Hill just had a combine performance that might have pushed him into the first round. Big, fast, nice hands.

Former Cal players, receiver Marvin Jones and tackle Mitchell Schwartz, helped themselves this weekend. I like Jones a lot. I was curious about his speed and he put up a nice 4.48. Schwartz had a puzzling college career. His freshman year was his best. From that performance I thought that he was on his way to becoming one of the best Cal linemen I've seen. Better than Todd Steussie and Tarik Glenn. Schwartz is huge and can move well. Neither can be taught. He'll get a shot.

Robert Griffin III is fast.

Andrew Luck put up workout numbers nearly identical to Cam Newton.

I'll never understand why players pass on working out in all or portions of the combine. The top three quarterbacks, Luck, Griffin and Ryan Tannehill, all chose not to throw. At least Tannehill had a real excuse. He was injured.

Real classy when Virginia Tech running back David Wilson showed up for his press conference in a suit and tie. No one could remember a player ever doing that.

I would love to see any of the following receivers as the Vikings second or third pick: Alshon Jeffery, Stephen Hill, Mohamed Sanu, Marvin Jones, Jeff Fuller, Jordan White. If Stanford's Chris Owusu could ever stay healthy, he'd be there too.

The Vikings need Matt Kalil, receiver, defensive tackle, linebacker, safeties and cornerback. That's a 3-13 team need list.

Congratulations to all the people involved with Undefeated on their Best Documentary Oscar last night. I can't wait to see that flick.