Opening Day

The NFL's 2015 league year kicked off yesterday.

Yesterday was supposed to be the first day that NFL teams could sign free agents that didn't play for them in 2014. Supposed to be. Teams have been cheating since the opening of the "Legal Tampering" window. The moments leading up to and away from the 4PM ET start of free agency were simply nuts. Twitter exploded. The New Orleans Saints traded tight end Jimmy Graham and a fourth round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for center Max Unger and a first round pick. Before that could be digested properly the Baltimore Ravens traded defensive tackle Haloti Ngata for draft picks. Before that could be properly digested the St. Louis Rams traded quarterback Sam Bradford to the Philadelphia Eagles for quarterback Nick Foles. The trade included some concoction of draft picks most likely cooked up by that squirrrely elf Chip Kelly. Then Jake Locker retired.

After that flurry of trade activity all of the illegal activity that took place over the past couple of days was gradually made official.

I remember the days when free agents actually visited with a team before signing. Those were the days.

Darrelle Revis is back with the New York Jets. He got his ring and returned to the team that drafted him. He's going to make a lot of money.

One "under the radar" signing that I liked was the Oakland Raiders signing of running back Roy Helu.

Jason Worilds retired too.

The biggest name to walk away from the game earlier than expected was Patrick Willis. He joined Jim Brown as the only player to make seven straight Pro Bowls and never play a game after the age of 30. Willis should be in Canton in five years. He was the best at his position for nearly a decade.

Minnesota Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman told everyone that the team would open free agency waiting "in the weeds." He didn't lie.

Since the weekend the Vikings have re-signed:
Tom Johnson, DT
Cullen Loeffler, LS
Joe Berger, G
Matt Asiata, RB
made a tender offer to restricted free agent tackle Mike Harris,

The Vikings did a fine job of taking care of their own free agents. Then they kinda joined what was left of the free agency race.

signed:
Shaun Hill, QB

visit:
Andrew Gachkar, LB
-a contract is supposedly close and he will visit Thursday.

That's it!

And Vikings fans everywhere proceeded to lose their minds.