This And That

It's way too early to be thinking about the 2014 NFL Draft. Training camps for the 2013 season haven't even opened. Still, the Minnesota Vikings have to draft safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix next year. He comes from that defensive back pipeline otherwise known as the University of Alabama. His name is actually Ha'Sean but I like Ha Ha better. It's just more fun. I'd love to see Ha Ha paired with Harrison Smith at the back of the Vikings defense. Ha Ha Ha! Actually, for the first time, in what seems like forever, the Vikings are actually doing pretty good at safety. Harrison Smith is going to be a star. Jamarca Sanford, Mistral Raymond, and Robert Blanton will take part in one of the most competitive, certainly the most contested, training camp battles to start opposite Smith. No matter what happens with the Vikings safeties I'll be watching Ha Ha Clinton-Dix this fall. Just for laughs.

Speaking of safeties, Sean Considine won a Super Bowl ring with the Baltimore Ravens. Like a lot of free agent veterans, he has yet to find a team to employ him this offseason. That hasn't stopped him from earning a living. He's partnered with Lance Headon of Headon's Meat Market in Creston, IL. They will debut their new business, Headon's & Considine's Mobile Meat Market, at Rockford City Market on July 19. Mmmm, meat.

Shad Khan joins Stan Kroenke and Malcolm Glazer as NFL owners who also own Premier League soccer clubs. Kroenke owns Arsenal. Glazer owns Manchester United. Khan now owns Fulham. Rich guys buying stuff.

"Still going at it. 49ers announced they claimed former Seahawks WR Charly Martin off waivers one day after Seattle claimed SF's long snapper."
                                              -Adam Schefter tweet
The 49ers and Seahawks are probably the most interesting rivalry in the league right now. They are two of the most talented teams on the field. Their off field rivalry is getting pretty heated too.

Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell says that his team can take the NFC West. His team is improved but I say that they are still looking up at three teams. But, I could be wrong.

Since the Mike Shanahan days, there always seems to be an interesting running situation in Denver. This year is no different. Willis McGahee is no longer there but there are still three backs that could start. Knowshon Moreno remains a puzzle. He has terrific talent but never seems to stay on the field long enough to show it. Ronnie Hillman seems like a smaller, change-of-pace back but I think that he can do more than that. I liked what he did at San Diego St. and I liked what he did in the playoffs against Baltimore. Then there is the rookie from Wisconsin, Montee Ball. You'd think that a running back that gained over 5,000 yards and scored an insane 83 touchdowns in college would be drafted long before the second round of the NFL Draft. He had 39 touchdowns in his junior year, alone. He also had nearly 700 touches his last two years of college. That's a lot of mileage. I like the Broncos backfield of  Moreno, Hillman, and Ball. The passing offense will be crazy explosive with Peyton Manning and one of the best receiving groups in the NFL. If any of the three backs, or as a group, produce a true running threat, the Broncos will be pretty scary.

Neil Clabo was the first Vikings punter that I can remember watching. For some reason, punting never really stuck in my mind in those early days. He only punted for the Vikings from 1975-77 but I remember him. So does the Greater Knoxville Hall of Fame. He was recently inducted into the exclusive group. Neil Clabo was a dynamite athlete at Farragut High School. He was team captain and All-State in football and basketball. He had his #12 jersey retired in football. He had his #50 jersey retired in basketball. He was considered the top prospect in Tennessee. Congratulations Neil Clabo.

New Orleans Saints rookie safety Kenny Vaccaro is getting recognized on the streets of his new hometown. The only problem is that he's being recognized as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Training camps open in a couple of weeks.