I've always had mixed feelings about the annual HBO series Hard Knocks. I watch it and I love it but I've always found something seriously wrong with it. It's intrusive, very intrusive, and I can't imagine any head coach wanting anything to do with being a part of it. Training camp is so important and having a film crew shadowing the coaches, players, and staff makes the process even harder. It helps that the film crew is that unbelievable group out of Mount Laurel Township, NJ. NFL Films. But even NFL Films doing their fantastic work has to get in the way. Even if they aren't physically in the way their presence has to be an added concern for everything that goes on during the all-important, team-building/creating time of training camp. An added concern that a coaching staff really doesn't need. Some of the most compelling moments of every season of Hard Knocks are those in which the players are cut. I've always been uncomfortable with these moments. These incredibly devastating moments are being shown to the world. How would any of us like having our life-long dreams shredded in front of millions of people? It's just not right. Because these devastating moments are so compelling they aren't going anywhere. Despite all of these complaints of mine I love Hard Knocks. It's fun to get to know the process. It's fun to get to know the players, coaches, and team personnel under that year's microscope. It's a fun show but I never want to see the Minnesota Vikings on it. I would love to be "a fly on the wall" of the Vikings training camp. Hard Knocks is the closest that I'll probably ever be to that "fly on the wall" but I don't like the idea of that sort of intrusion. I can't imagine Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer enjoying a film intrusion on his training camp. Even though he was a star of a couple of seasons of the series when he was an assistant coach.
Hard Knocks has become an NFL preseason staple and it's going to stay that way. If no team volunteers for it the league is going to force a team to do it. Nice. The league has developed some criteria for picking a team for the program. Only teams that 1) have a new head coach; 2) have been to the postseason in either of the last two years: or 3) or have served as the Hard Knocks subject within the last 10 years can so no. This year the teams that can't say no are the Saints, Bills, Bears, Jaguars, Raiders, Chargers, and Rams. No Vikings. That's good. It's one of the many good things about making the playoffs.
One of the many nuggets that has dropped out of the happenings at the Scouting Combine this week was the one that the Saints are bracing for the possibility of the league picking them as the team to be the subject of the next season of Hard Knocks. Lucky them.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Mayockisms
It's always a treat to listen to NFL Media's Mike Mayock talk draft prospects. His passion for football is obvious and infectious and his knowledge of the game is instructing. Mayock often uses the language of the scouting world to convey his thoughts on players. That's always entertaining. NFL.com provides a glossary of some of the scouting terms and phrases often uttered by Mayock, Mayockisms. Here are a few of those.
Road Grader:
An offensive lineman who is highly effective in driving a defender off the ball on a running play.
Natural Bender:
A flexible, athletic offensive or defensive lineman who bends at the knees, not the waist.
Downhill Thumper - LB:
A physical linebacker who attacks and plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
Heavy-Legged Waist Bender:
An offensive or defensive lineman who lacks the flexibility to dip his hips and bend at the knees, causing him to look heavy-legged.
High Motor Guy:
A player who displays tireless effort until the whistle on every snap.
Burp the Baby:
When a QB taps his hand on the football too long and throws late, allowing a defensive back to jump a route.
Gets Through Trash:
When a defender is able to successfully navigate through a mass of blockers and teammates and make a tackle.
Quicker than Fast:
A player who may not possess great 40 yard dash speed but has quickness that is effective in short areas.
Run the Arc:
When an edge rusher uses speed to run outside of an offensive tackle and then flattens his path to pursue the quarterback.
Bubble Butt:
An offensive or defensive lineman with a powerful lower body that provides speed and explosion.
Sand in the Pants:
An undersized lineman that possesses toughness but needs to add bulk and strength.
Taffy Pull:
Despite a flurry of activity, neither the offensive or defensive player gains a decisive advantage.
Power Step:
The inside foot of an offensive lineman, which closes the door to a defenders inside rush.
Dancing Bear:
A huge defensive lineman with the agility of a ballerina.
Phone Booth:
An offensive lineman with below-average feet that performs best in short areas.
Get-Off:
The initial explosion and quickness off the snap.
Space Player:
An offensive skill position player who typically excels in open areas due to athletic ability and speed.
Oily Hips:
An ability of an LB or DB to change direction quickly and efficiently.
Body Beautiful:
A ripped physique that even the other players talk about.
J.A.G.:
Just A Guy.
For some reason, I've always like "Heavy-Legged Waist Bender". It's just fun to say. I also like "Sand in the Pants" and "Burp the Baby." And referring to the tushy as a "bubble" is classic. It's been fun to watch Mike Mayock grow comfortable in his job. He used to be so serious, and he always will be serious about football, but he's much more relaxed now.So relaxed that he's been known to break out in song in recent years. He's even taken a stab at rapping.
Thank you Mike Mayock for all that you do.
Road Grader:
An offensive lineman who is highly effective in driving a defender off the ball on a running play.
Natural Bender:
A flexible, athletic offensive or defensive lineman who bends at the knees, not the waist.
Downhill Thumper - LB:
A physical linebacker who attacks and plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
Heavy-Legged Waist Bender:
An offensive or defensive lineman who lacks the flexibility to dip his hips and bend at the knees, causing him to look heavy-legged.
High Motor Guy:
A player who displays tireless effort until the whistle on every snap.
Burp the Baby:
When a QB taps his hand on the football too long and throws late, allowing a defensive back to jump a route.
Gets Through Trash:
When a defender is able to successfully navigate through a mass of blockers and teammates and make a tackle.
Quicker than Fast:
A player who may not possess great 40 yard dash speed but has quickness that is effective in short areas.
Run the Arc:
When an edge rusher uses speed to run outside of an offensive tackle and then flattens his path to pursue the quarterback.
Bubble Butt:
An offensive or defensive lineman with a powerful lower body that provides speed and explosion.
Sand in the Pants:
An undersized lineman that possesses toughness but needs to add bulk and strength.
Taffy Pull:
Despite a flurry of activity, neither the offensive or defensive player gains a decisive advantage.
Power Step:
The inside foot of an offensive lineman, which closes the door to a defenders inside rush.
Dancing Bear:
A huge defensive lineman with the agility of a ballerina.
Phone Booth:
An offensive lineman with below-average feet that performs best in short areas.
Get-Off:
The initial explosion and quickness off the snap.
Space Player:
An offensive skill position player who typically excels in open areas due to athletic ability and speed.
Oily Hips:
An ability of an LB or DB to change direction quickly and efficiently.
Body Beautiful:
A ripped physique that even the other players talk about.
J.A.G.:
Just A Guy.
For some reason, I've always like "Heavy-Legged Waist Bender". It's just fun to say. I also like "Sand in the Pants" and "Burp the Baby." And referring to the tushy as a "bubble" is classic. It's been fun to watch Mike Mayock grow comfortable in his job. He used to be so serious, and he always will be serious about football, but he's much more relaxed now.So relaxed that he's been known to break out in song in recent years. He's even taken a stab at rapping.
Thank you Mike Mayock for all that you do.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Receiving Favorites
There's a better than decent chance that the Minnesota Vikings draft a receiver in the early rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft. There might not be the obvious talent at the top of this draft that was present at the top of the past two drafts. That's hardly a criticism as the past two drafts were historically great. This class of receivers have some intriguing receiving talent and the Vikings might grab some of that talent early. The receivers are showing their skills today at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis today. After seeing those receivers run, jump, and catch here are some of my favorites.
1. Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh, 6'1" 197
I just love the way that Boyd catches the football. He makes it look so easy. So natural. He's physical. He gets the ball in a crowd. He didn't run a great 40, high-4.5, but that was probably expected. He's not a burner. He just a terrific receiver. Hopefully, teams pass on Boyd because of his speed and he's still on the board about two-thirds of the way through the second round. Boyd doesn't make most "Top-5 Receiver" lists but he's my favorite receiver in this class.
2. Josh Doctson, TCU, 6'2" 202
Doctson is a more explosive athlete than Boyd. I just prefer Boyd's receiving talents. That's not to say that Doctson's receiving talents are lacking. I'd be thrilled to see either in a Vikings uniform next year. Like Boyd, Doctson isn't a burner but he's still a terrific deep threat. With a 41-inch vertical he can go up and snatch the ball. He can probably do that better than any other receiver in this draft and it might be enough to keep him from even making it to the Vikings pick at #23.
3. Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi, 6'2" 221
Treadwell didn't run for really no reason other than he didn't want to run a slow time. Players shying away from taking part in drills always bothers me. Why not compete? A receiver is either fast or he's not and this isn't a particularly fast receiver class to start. Treadwell wasn't expected to be a fast receiver so not running probably does more harm than running slow. Treadwell is a big receiver. The sort of receiver that the Vikings don't have right now. He had a terrible leg injury in 2014 and I don't think that he was completely recovered last year. He was a game-changer before the injury and was a very good receiver after the injury. I think that Treadwell might be a physically ascending player right now. I've seen comparisons to Alshon Jeffery, DeAndre Hopkins and Demaryius Thomas. I'd take any one of those guys.
4. Kenny Lawler, Cal, 6'2" 203
I've seen more of Lawler than any other receiver in this draft class. I would have seen much more if not for the ridiculous pissing-match between AT&T/Directv and the Pac-12 Networks. The pathetic inability of those collections of clowns to agree on pretty much anything has kept most Cal games off of this Cal fan's television. But, that's a whole other story. Lawler has been Cal quarterback Jared Goff's go-to receiver in the red zone for three years. For reasons that were a complete mystery to me Cal rarely went to Lawler between the 20s but focused on him routinely in the red zone. Defenses knew that Cal was targeting Lawler when they got close to the end zone. They still couldn't stop him. That says something about his ability to get open and his ability to get the ball. He often secured the ball in spectacular fashion. He can fill a highlight reel. He also had a couple of bad drops in the Utah game last year. Those were a bit shocking as those were the only two drops that I can distinctly remember in his three years in Berkeley. His ability to make plays outside of the red zone are a mystery. I'd like to have seen Cal go to him down the field more. I'd like to have seen him run some deep routes. All I know for sure is that he's one of the best possession receivers in the draft. That's good to know. He could be a steal even as early as the third round.
5. Michael Thomas, Ohio State, 6'3" 212
Thomas always seemed to be "one of the other guys" at Ohio State. He was the other guy to Devin Smith, Ezekiel Elliott, and those quarterbacks in 2014. He was the other guy to Braxton Miller, Ezekiel Elliott, and those quarterbacks last year. Because of all of those other guys in college I'm thinking that his best football days have yet to be seen. Like Treadwell, he's a receiver with terrific size. I like what I've seen of him I just haven't seen enough of him.
Just because I don't have Baylor's Corey Coleman and Oklahoma's Sterling Shepard among the above five doesn't mean that I don't like them. I like both a great deal. I don't think that Coleman is even going to be available to the Vikings. As things stand now, I expect him to be the first receiver taken in the draft. I don't want to pigeon-hole any football player before he even steps on an NFL football field but I'm afraid that Shepard might be strictly a slot receiver and I think that the Vikings need an outside-the-numbers receiver.
One receiver that's something of a wildcard for me is Rutger's Leonte Carroo. He's also on the wrong side of 6' but he plays much bigger. He packs 211 pounds on his shade-under 6' frame so he's something of a bull. Some consider him a short Anquan Boldin. There's nothing wrong with that. My concern with Carroo is off the field. He shoved a woman to the ground last fall. Inflicting injuries. The assault charge that resulted was dropped after the victim decided not to pursue the case. Despite the charges being dropped this is a very serious concern.
This receiver class might not have the sparkle of the past two but I like them. There's some real nice talent.
1. Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh, 6'1" 197
I just love the way that Boyd catches the football. He makes it look so easy. So natural. He's physical. He gets the ball in a crowd. He didn't run a great 40, high-4.5, but that was probably expected. He's not a burner. He just a terrific receiver. Hopefully, teams pass on Boyd because of his speed and he's still on the board about two-thirds of the way through the second round. Boyd doesn't make most "Top-5 Receiver" lists but he's my favorite receiver in this class.
2. Josh Doctson, TCU, 6'2" 202
Doctson is a more explosive athlete than Boyd. I just prefer Boyd's receiving talents. That's not to say that Doctson's receiving talents are lacking. I'd be thrilled to see either in a Vikings uniform next year. Like Boyd, Doctson isn't a burner but he's still a terrific deep threat. With a 41-inch vertical he can go up and snatch the ball. He can probably do that better than any other receiver in this draft and it might be enough to keep him from even making it to the Vikings pick at #23.
3. Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi, 6'2" 221
Treadwell didn't run for really no reason other than he didn't want to run a slow time. Players shying away from taking part in drills always bothers me. Why not compete? A receiver is either fast or he's not and this isn't a particularly fast receiver class to start. Treadwell wasn't expected to be a fast receiver so not running probably does more harm than running slow. Treadwell is a big receiver. The sort of receiver that the Vikings don't have right now. He had a terrible leg injury in 2014 and I don't think that he was completely recovered last year. He was a game-changer before the injury and was a very good receiver after the injury. I think that Treadwell might be a physically ascending player right now. I've seen comparisons to Alshon Jeffery, DeAndre Hopkins and Demaryius Thomas. I'd take any one of those guys.
4. Kenny Lawler, Cal, 6'2" 203
I've seen more of Lawler than any other receiver in this draft class. I would have seen much more if not for the ridiculous pissing-match between AT&T/Directv and the Pac-12 Networks. The pathetic inability of those collections of clowns to agree on pretty much anything has kept most Cal games off of this Cal fan's television. But, that's a whole other story. Lawler has been Cal quarterback Jared Goff's go-to receiver in the red zone for three years. For reasons that were a complete mystery to me Cal rarely went to Lawler between the 20s but focused on him routinely in the red zone. Defenses knew that Cal was targeting Lawler when they got close to the end zone. They still couldn't stop him. That says something about his ability to get open and his ability to get the ball. He often secured the ball in spectacular fashion. He can fill a highlight reel. He also had a couple of bad drops in the Utah game last year. Those were a bit shocking as those were the only two drops that I can distinctly remember in his three years in Berkeley. His ability to make plays outside of the red zone are a mystery. I'd like to have seen Cal go to him down the field more. I'd like to have seen him run some deep routes. All I know for sure is that he's one of the best possession receivers in the draft. That's good to know. He could be a steal even as early as the third round.
5. Michael Thomas, Ohio State, 6'3" 212
Thomas always seemed to be "one of the other guys" at Ohio State. He was the other guy to Devin Smith, Ezekiel Elliott, and those quarterbacks in 2014. He was the other guy to Braxton Miller, Ezekiel Elliott, and those quarterbacks last year. Because of all of those other guys in college I'm thinking that his best football days have yet to be seen. Like Treadwell, he's a receiver with terrific size. I like what I've seen of him I just haven't seen enough of him.
Just because I don't have Baylor's Corey Coleman and Oklahoma's Sterling Shepard among the above five doesn't mean that I don't like them. I like both a great deal. I don't think that Coleman is even going to be available to the Vikings. As things stand now, I expect him to be the first receiver taken in the draft. I don't want to pigeon-hole any football player before he even steps on an NFL football field but I'm afraid that Shepard might be strictly a slot receiver and I think that the Vikings need an outside-the-numbers receiver.
One receiver that's something of a wildcard for me is Rutger's Leonte Carroo. He's also on the wrong side of 6' but he plays much bigger. He packs 211 pounds on his shade-under 6' frame so he's something of a bull. Some consider him a short Anquan Boldin. There's nothing wrong with that. My concern with Carroo is off the field. He shoved a woman to the ground last fall. Inflicting injuries. The assault charge that resulted was dropped after the victim decided not to pursue the case. Despite the charges being dropped this is a very serious concern.
This receiver class might not have the sparkle of the past two but I like them. There's some real nice talent.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Cap Space
The chaos of NFL free agency kicks off at 4 pm EST on March 9. Money should be flying as many teams have a lot of cap room to consume. The website sportrac does an excellent job of keeping track of each team's financial situation. The following is the available cap room for each of the 32 teams. The numbers are based on the expected salary cap of $154 million. That number is probably going to jump to about $156 million with the recent arbitration ruling that the NFL got a little creative with their bookkeeping. Basically, the NFL cheated the players of $100 million over the last three years and they got caught. That's just stupid. So each team will probably have a couple more million to spend than is listed below. The happiest about that are the teams at the bottom of the list.
Cap Space w/top 51 players($)
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 73,312,314
2. Oakland Raiders: 72,851,440
3. Chicago Bears: 59,199,330
4. Los Angeles Rams: 58,319,684
5. New York Giants: 56,473,688
6. San Francisco 49ers: 53,750,507
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 48,567,574
8. Tennessee Titans: 48,048,299
9. Cleveland Browns: 38,786,320
10. Cincinnati Bengals: 37,598,157
11. Detroit Lions: 32,733,562
12. Kansas City Chiefs: 31,434,301
13. San Diego Chargers: 30,783,377
14. Houston Texans: 29,569,427
15. Atlanta Falcons: 29,351,495
16. Carolina Panthers: 28,280,220
17. Philadelphia Eagles: 26,461,770
18. Indianapolis Colts: 23,952,811
19. Minnesota Vikings: 23,241,146
20. Seattle Seahawks: 22,017,781
21. New York Jets: 20,656,364
22. Green Bay Packers: 20,271,031
23. Arizona Cardinals: 18,405,977
24. Washington Redskins: 11,988,590
25. Denver Broncos: 11,046,411
26. New England Patrtiots: 10,372,766
27. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10,269,316
28. Dallas Cowboys: 9,359,100
29. Miami Dolphins: 7,402,761
30. New Orleans Saints: 6,551,494
31. Baltimore Ravens: 5,205,629
32. Buffalo Bills: -90,786
Those are ridiculous numbers. 6 teams with over $50,000,000 in cap space! It doesn't seem too long ago when the teams with the most cap space had about $20,000,000. And there weren't many teams that had that sort of room to spend. Most teams are managing the cap far better and then there's the little matter of the NFL simply raking in so damn much money. The players are seeing more of it now. At least when the owners aren't hiding it from them.
What are the Bills doing?
The Eagles have done an excellent job in the past few weeks of signing their own free agents. They signed franchise cornerstones Zach Ertz, Lane Johnson, Brent Celek, Vinny Curry, and Malcolm Jenkins before those players could even be tempted by other teams. The Eagles just have to get Fletcher Cox signed. He's the biggest "must-sign" of the bunch.
There should be some big contracts. No wonder Malik Jackson is supposedly seeking 12,000,000/year.
Cap Space w/top 51 players($)
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 73,312,314
2. Oakland Raiders: 72,851,440
3. Chicago Bears: 59,199,330
4. Los Angeles Rams: 58,319,684
5. New York Giants: 56,473,688
6. San Francisco 49ers: 53,750,507
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 48,567,574
8. Tennessee Titans: 48,048,299
9. Cleveland Browns: 38,786,320
10. Cincinnati Bengals: 37,598,157
11. Detroit Lions: 32,733,562
12. Kansas City Chiefs: 31,434,301
13. San Diego Chargers: 30,783,377
14. Houston Texans: 29,569,427
15. Atlanta Falcons: 29,351,495
16. Carolina Panthers: 28,280,220
17. Philadelphia Eagles: 26,461,770
18. Indianapolis Colts: 23,952,811
19. Minnesota Vikings: 23,241,146
20. Seattle Seahawks: 22,017,781
21. New York Jets: 20,656,364
22. Green Bay Packers: 20,271,031
23. Arizona Cardinals: 18,405,977
24. Washington Redskins: 11,988,590
25. Denver Broncos: 11,046,411
26. New England Patrtiots: 10,372,766
27. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10,269,316
28. Dallas Cowboys: 9,359,100
29. Miami Dolphins: 7,402,761
30. New Orleans Saints: 6,551,494
31. Baltimore Ravens: 5,205,629
32. Buffalo Bills: -90,786
Those are ridiculous numbers. 6 teams with over $50,000,000 in cap space! It doesn't seem too long ago when the teams with the most cap space had about $20,000,000. And there weren't many teams that had that sort of room to spend. Most teams are managing the cap far better and then there's the little matter of the NFL simply raking in so damn much money. The players are seeing more of it now. At least when the owners aren't hiding it from them.
What are the Bills doing?
The Eagles have done an excellent job in the past few weeks of signing their own free agents. They signed franchise cornerstones Zach Ertz, Lane Johnson, Brent Celek, Vinny Curry, and Malcolm Jenkins before those players could even be tempted by other teams. The Eagles just have to get Fletcher Cox signed. He's the biggest "must-sign" of the bunch.
There should be some big contracts. No wonder Malik Jackson is supposedly seeking 12,000,000/year.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Throwback Thuursday: Vikings At The Combine
Tomorrow is the first day of drills at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The offensive linemen and running backs will be taking the field. Punters and kickers too. So, here's a look back at the performances of current Minnesota Vikings when it was their time.
Perhaps because he played at Georgia Southern, running back Jerick McKinnon was a little bit of an unknown before he arrived in Indianapolis in 2014. He wasn't when he left. His performance then puts him among the Vikings leaders in all of the above categories but wingspan. And he can't do much about that one. The Vikings drafted him in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He's shown in his two seasons with the team that good things happen when the ball is in his hands.
Anthony Barr's agility is incredible. He's a 6'4" 255 lb linebacker. Players his size simply aren't supposed to post the sort of 3-cone and 20-yard shuttle times that he posted. And some people thought that he was just a pass rusher coming out of UCLA. He can do everything expected of a linebacker and many things that aren't expected. His future is so bright.
I'm excited to see the development of linebacker Edmond Robinson. He was a seventh-round pick out of itty-bitty Newberry College last year. He came into the NFL as a talented, but very raw football player. That tends to happen with players from the smaller colleges. Robinson played on special teams most of the season and some linebacker late in the season. His excellent broad jump shows great explosion and his wingspan is something that simply can't be taught. Ask McKinnon.
With his competitive nature it probably kills Adrian Peterson that he isn't on any of these lists. And he had a terrific combine. He's close. He ran a 4.4 at the 2007 Scouting Combine.
It's fun to look back at these numbers. Thanks to the fine folks at the Minnesota Vikings website for compiling the lists.
40-Yard Dash
1. Trae Waynes - 4.27 seconds
2. Mike Wallace - 4.28
3. Josh Robinson - 4.33
4. Cordarrelle Patterson – 4.37
4. Xavier Rhodes – 4.37
4. Terence Newman - 4.37
5. Jerick McKinnon – 4.38
Vertical Jump
1. Xavier Rhodes – 40.5"
1. Jerick McKinnon – 40.5"
2. Mike Wallace - 40.0"
3. Josh Robinson - 38.5"
4. MyCole Pruitt - 38.0"
4. Trae Waynes - 38.0"
4. Eric Kendricks - 38.0"
4. Terence Newman - 38.0"
5. Captain Munnerlyn – 37.5"
3 Cone
1. Josh Robinson - 6.55 seconds
2. Anthony Barr – 6.82
3. Jerick McKinnon – 6.83
4. Terence Newman - 6.88
5. Mike Wallace - 6.90
Broad Jump
1. Terence Newman - 11-4 (feet-inches)
1. Josh Robinson - 11-1
2. Jerick McKinnon – 11-0
2. Xavier Rhodes – 11-0
3. Mike Wallace - 10-9
4. Cordarrelle Pattersson – 10-8
5. Trae Waynes - 10-1
5. Edmond Robinson - 10-1
Bench Press
1. Linval Joseph – 39 reps
2. Everson Griffen – 32
2. Jerick McKinnon – 32
3. Zach Line - 26
3. B.J. DuBose - 26
3. Brandon Fusco - 26
3. Kenrick Elllis - 26
4. Shamar Stephen - 25
5. Scott Crichton - 24
5. Phil Loadholt - 24
20-Yard Shuttle
1. Terence Newman - 3.83 seconds
2. Josh Robinson - 3.97
3. Jerick McKinnon – 4.12
4. Antone Exum Jr. – 4.13
5. Anthony Barr - 4.19
Wingspan
1. T.J. Clemmings - 85.58"
2. Danielle Hunter - 83.28"
3. Kenrick Ellis - 83.00"
4. Edmond Robinson - 82.58"
3. Shamar Stephen – 81.48”
Perhaps because he played at Georgia Southern, running back Jerick McKinnon was a little bit of an unknown before he arrived in Indianapolis in 2014. He wasn't when he left. His performance then puts him among the Vikings leaders in all of the above categories but wingspan. And he can't do much about that one. The Vikings drafted him in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He's shown in his two seasons with the team that good things happen when the ball is in his hands.
Anthony Barr's agility is incredible. He's a 6'4" 255 lb linebacker. Players his size simply aren't supposed to post the sort of 3-cone and 20-yard shuttle times that he posted. And some people thought that he was just a pass rusher coming out of UCLA. He can do everything expected of a linebacker and many things that aren't expected. His future is so bright.
I'm excited to see the development of linebacker Edmond Robinson. He was a seventh-round pick out of itty-bitty Newberry College last year. He came into the NFL as a talented, but very raw football player. That tends to happen with players from the smaller colleges. Robinson played on special teams most of the season and some linebacker late in the season. His excellent broad jump shows great explosion and his wingspan is something that simply can't be taught. Ask McKinnon.
With his competitive nature it probably kills Adrian Peterson that he isn't on any of these lists. And he had a terrific combine. He's close. He ran a 4.4 at the 2007 Scouting Combine.
It's fun to look back at these numbers. Thanks to the fine folks at the Minnesota Vikings website for compiling the lists.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
The Combine
"Worst four days of my."
-Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway
-Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway
That was Greenway's response when he was asked about his NFL Scouting Combine experience from 2006. A lot has changed since then. A lot of the event is televised now. The number of requests for media passes to the event has exploded in the past decade. It's a big show now. Bigger every year. It's still as bad. if not worse, for the players. Greenway said that by the time he was finally on the field for the drills he was drained. The interviews, the poking, the inspecting, the inane questions. It's three full days of interrogations, both physical and mental, before a player even steps onto the field for drills.
The medical portion of the combine is often the most important part of it. The teams have to know if a player is healthy. If injuries, old and recent, are healed. Vikings safety Harrison Smith recently spoke of his 2012 combine experience.
"You have one doctor checking out your collarbone and shoulders and a doctor from another team checking out your knees and your ankles. Then they switch. It was something that I was told they were going to do, but hearing about it and going through it are two completely different things. It was really strange."
Whenever I hear about this sort of physical inspection I think of cattle, or any livestock, at an auction. The players become a side of beef. An object rather than a person. Smith adds that there's some solace in that every player is going through it with him.
The Scouting Combine is a funny thing. It's important. Especially the medical checks despite how it's done and how invasive it is. The weigh-ins. The interviews. Those are important. Most of the rest of the rest becomes more important than it should be. Whenever anyone thinks of the Scouting Combine they think of the on-field drills. The 40, the bench, the vertical jump, the position drills, etc. Every player trains for these drills specifically. Many players even drop out of school to do so. Football is now their job. Even for the players that have only a slight chance of even being drafted. These drills have become the NFL Scouting Combine. These drills are the reason that many fans tune into NFL Network's coverage of the Scouting Combine. These drills sometimes even convince an NFL decision-maker to draft a particular player far earlier than their actual football talent warrants. These damn drills often become more important than a player's 3-4 years of college football. It's funny. It's also a little sad. A football talent evaluator forgetting about football talent because a player runs fast or jumps high after training for a month or more to do just that. That's sad.
The NFL Scouting Combine is a very unique event. Harrison Smith calls it strange. It's probably the strangest job interview of which I'm aware. A job interview that will, in may ways, continue for the next two months. But it is unique. And it is an event. I think that it's become a big event for the fans, and as a result a big event for the NFL, for what it symbolizes. It's become the start of the next NFL season. The previous season has just ended and the fans are already hungry for the next one. There is no offseason in the NFL anymore. The Scouting Combine means that the draft is upon us even though it's still two months away. It takes at least two months to discuss all of the possibilities that the draft holds. Two months. The Scouting Combine. Pro Days. It all kicks off in Indianapolis today.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Flea Flicker 2016 Draft Position Rankings
Mike Mayock does it so why not me. Pay more attention to Mayock. Here's the Flea Flicker position rankings for the 2016 NFL Draft.
Quarterback
1. Jared Goff, Cal
2. Carson Wentz North Dakota State
3. Connor Cook, Michigan State
4. Paxton Lynch, Memphis
5. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State
Running back
1. Ezekiel Elliott
2. Derrick Henry, Alabama
3. Devontae Booker, Utah
4. Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech
5. Alex Collins, Arkansas
Receiver
1. Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi
2. Corey Coleman, Baylor
3. Josh Doctson, TCU
4. Michael Thomas, Ohio State
5. Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh
Tight end
1. Hunter Henry
2. Austin Hooper, Stanford
3. Jerrell Adams, South Carolina
4. Nick Vannett, Ohio State
5. Stephen Anderson, Cal
Tackle
1. Laremy Tunsil, Mississippi
2. Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame
3. Jack Conklin, Michigan State
4. Taylor Decker, Ohio State
5. Shon Coleman, Auburn
Guard
1. Cody Whitehair, Kansas State
2. Joshua Garnett, Stanford
3. Vadal Alexander, LSU
4. Christian Westerman, Arizona State
5. Sebastian Tretola, Arkansas
Center
1. Ryan Kelly, Alabama
2. Nick Martin, Notre Dame
3. Jack Allen, Michigan State
4. Evan Boehm, Missouri
5. Max Tuerk, USC
Defensive tackle
1. Sheldon Rankins, Louisville
2. Jerran Reed, Alabama
3. Vernon Butler, Louisiana Tech
4. A'Shawn Robertson, Alabama
5. Robert Nkemdiche, Mississippi
Defensive end
1. Joey Bosa, Ohio State
2. DeForrest Buckner, Oregon
3. Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky
4. Shaq Lawson, Clemson
5. Kevin Dodd, Clemson
-Buckner might double as the top interior defensive lineman as well
Linebacker
1. Myles Jack, UCLA
2. Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
3. Reggie Ragland, Alabama
4. Leonard Floyd, Georgia
5. Darron Lee, Ohio State
Cornerback
1. Jalen Ramsey, Florida State
2. Vernon Hargreaves, Florida
3. Eli Apple
4. Mackensie Alexander, Clemson
5. Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech
-Ramsey might double as the top safety as well
Safety
1. Karl Joseph
2. Darian Thompson, Boise State
3. Vonn Bell, Ohio State
4. Jeremy Cash, Duke
5. Jayron Kearse, Clemson
Quarterback
1. Jared Goff, Cal
2. Carson Wentz North Dakota State
3. Connor Cook, Michigan State
4. Paxton Lynch, Memphis
5. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State
Running back
1. Ezekiel Elliott
2. Derrick Henry, Alabama
3. Devontae Booker, Utah
4. Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech
5. Alex Collins, Arkansas
Receiver
1. Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi
2. Corey Coleman, Baylor
3. Josh Doctson, TCU
4. Michael Thomas, Ohio State
5. Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh
Tight end
1. Hunter Henry
2. Austin Hooper, Stanford
3. Jerrell Adams, South Carolina
4. Nick Vannett, Ohio State
5. Stephen Anderson, Cal
Tackle
1. Laremy Tunsil, Mississippi
2. Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame
3. Jack Conklin, Michigan State
4. Taylor Decker, Ohio State
5. Shon Coleman, Auburn
Guard
1. Cody Whitehair, Kansas State
2. Joshua Garnett, Stanford
3. Vadal Alexander, LSU
4. Christian Westerman, Arizona State
5. Sebastian Tretola, Arkansas
Center
1. Ryan Kelly, Alabama
2. Nick Martin, Notre Dame
3. Jack Allen, Michigan State
4. Evan Boehm, Missouri
5. Max Tuerk, USC
Defensive tackle
1. Sheldon Rankins, Louisville
2. Jerran Reed, Alabama
3. Vernon Butler, Louisiana Tech
4. A'Shawn Robertson, Alabama
5. Robert Nkemdiche, Mississippi
Defensive end
1. Joey Bosa, Ohio State
2. DeForrest Buckner, Oregon
3. Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky
4. Shaq Lawson, Clemson
5. Kevin Dodd, Clemson
-Buckner might double as the top interior defensive lineman as well
Linebacker
1. Myles Jack, UCLA
2. Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
3. Reggie Ragland, Alabama
4. Leonard Floyd, Georgia
5. Darron Lee, Ohio State
Cornerback
1. Jalen Ramsey, Florida State
2. Vernon Hargreaves, Florida
3. Eli Apple
4. Mackensie Alexander, Clemson
5. Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech
-Ramsey might double as the top safety as well
Safety
1. Karl Joseph
2. Darian Thompson, Boise State
3. Vonn Bell, Ohio State
4. Jeremy Cash, Duke
5. Jayron Kearse, Clemson
Monday, February 22, 2016
Happy Trails Jared Allen
"We call him the big cowboy."
-Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway
Jared Allen announced his retirement from football last week. As a cowboy. On a horse. Riding off into the distance. Hopefully we'll see him again because, gosh darn, the big cowboy is a lot of fun.
The NFL was always just a little more fun with Jared Allen in it. A lot of quarterbacks might not have thought so. I have memories as fresh as yesterday of Aaron Rodgers running for his life, of Josh McCown helpless after 3.5 sacks, of Dan Orlovsky running out of the end zone rather than dealing with Allen. Those 3.5 sacks of McCown on the final day of the 2011 season put Allen at 22 for that season. A half sack short of Michael Strahan's record.
Jared Allen was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft, traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 2008, signed by the Chicago Bears in 2014, traded to the Carolina Panthers after three games this past season. His last game was Super Bowl 50. That's a fine way to end a terrific 12-year NFL career. It would have been even better if the Panthers had won that Super Bowl. Allen's play and personality made him a fan favorite at each stop. The Panthers only had him for 14 games. They were probably better for it. I know that I loved watching him play for every snap of his six years with the Vikings. Fun times.
Allen's best years were with the Chiefs and the Vikings. No surprise there as those were his prime years. He racked up all but 7.5 of his 136 career sacks in those ten years. That's nearly 13 sacks in each of those ten seasons. He had 11 sacks or more each year from 2007-13. Officially, since sack totals have been an official stat since 1982, only five players have collected at least 11 sacks in at least five consecutive seasons.
Reggie White-9
Jared Allen-7
DeMarcus Ware-7
Lawrence Taylor-6
Bruce Smith-5
That's elite quarterback-sacking company.
Allen also had at least one sack in 11 consecutive games. No one but him has done that.
By the late-2000s the Minnesota Vikings had been looking for an outside pass rushing presence for more than a decade. The draft hadn't provided much help. Free agency hadn't provided much help either. In 2008 the Vikings were fortunate to have something of an "in" to the particulars of a certain, emerging, but frustrating defensive end in Kansas City. Vikings director of player personnel, on the legal side of things, Les Pico had been with the Chiefs. He knew that the often tenuous relationship, four-year relationship between Jared Allen and Chiefs management was at a breaking point. Allen's rookie contract was up and general manager Carl Peterson wasn't about to give a huge contract to a player that he simply didn't trust. Allen didn't much care for Peterson either. Despite being one of the top young pass rushers on the field Allen was quite a handful off the field. Allen had two DUIs about five months apart during the 2007 offseason. The Chiefs were tired of dealing with it. Pico knew it and he let the Vikings decision-makers know it. Allen's legal issues led to his being suspended for the first two games of the 2007 season. His first game back from that suspension just happened to be against the Vikings. He dominated the game. Vikings left tackle Bryant McKinnie looked helpless against Allen. 2 sacks, 8 tackles, and a forced fumble. He was a nightmare for the Vikings offense all day and his play was a big reason for the Chiefs 13-10 win. Despite missing those first two games Allen's 15.5 sacks that season lead the league. His first of two sack titles. The Vikings pursuit of Jared Allen might have started that day in Kansas City. The trade was finalized a few days before the 2008 NFL Draft. The Vikings traded a first and two third round picks to the Chiefs for Allen. Then they made their new pass rusher the highest-paid defensive player in the league. This was one of those unusual deals that worked out for everyone. The Vikings finally got their pass rusher. The Chiefs turned those picks from the Vikings into Branden Albert and Jamaal Charles. And Jared Allen actually lived up to that huge contract. It's rare that these big deals work out so well for everyone. It's really rare these days that a player sees the end of a huge, six-year contract without a single restructure. Allen lived up to the contract. And the Vikings honored that contract.
Jared Allen was a Viking for six years. And he was loved by everyone in Minnesota. It helps when you put up sack numbers like this.
2008: 14.5
2009: 14.5
2010: 11
2011: 22
2012: 12
2013: 11.5
For a team that had been starved for edge-rushing sacks since Chris Doleman's early days Allen was a revelation. He helped make the Vikings defensive line one of the most feared in the league. It was a blast to watch Allen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Ray Edwards/Brian Robison mess up the plans of opposing offenses. It was a great defensive line. The Vikings have had a few great defensive lines in the history of the franchise. This was one of the best. Allen's pass rushing off the edge was a big reason for that. Quarterbacks were on high alert every time they dropped back to pass.
More important than his play on the field Allen settled down off of it. He stopped drinking. He got married. He started a family. His "Wounded Warriors" charity took off. From a person that was one bad decision away from a tragedy just about every night he became an example for others. He still remained the fun-loving guy that brought smiles everywhere he went. He was still and always would be that "big cowboy."
As soon as a great football player retires there's an immediate debate as to his Hall of Fame worthiness. It's a debate that's better had five years later but it's nearly impossible to avoid. In my book, Jared Allen is a Hall of Famer. Maybe not the first year. Maybe he experiences a Michael Strahan-like wait of a year. Maybe he experiences a long wait like Kevin Greene but he shouldn't. All I know is that Jared Allen was one of the best, if not the best, pass rusher in the league for most of his 12-year career. His five-year stretch from from his first sack title in 2007 to his second in 2011 rivals the best five-year stretches of first-ballot Hall of Famers like Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, and Bruce Smith. As well as likely first-ballot Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware. At least in terms of sacks. It's ridiculous to compare any player to Taylor. He was an absolute game-changer. Allen's run defense will likely draw some criticism. I think that Allen played the run much better than his critics claim. He was an extremely versatile football player. He was simply asked to collect sacks and he clearly enjoyed doing so. He made some tremendously athletic plays in pass defense while dropping off the line in coverage. Allen just didn't make as many run stops with the frequency of White or Strahan. I'm not so sure that this should be as much a criticism as it is an observation of a particular team's strategy. The Chiefs and the Vikings just wanted Allen to get after that quarterback. But his run defense will most certainly come up in five years. Again, this is a debate that's better served when it's relevant.
For now, happy trails Jared Allen.
-Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway
Jared Allen announced his retirement from football last week. As a cowboy. On a horse. Riding off into the distance. Hopefully we'll see him again because, gosh darn, the big cowboy is a lot of fun.
The NFL was always just a little more fun with Jared Allen in it. A lot of quarterbacks might not have thought so. I have memories as fresh as yesterday of Aaron Rodgers running for his life, of Josh McCown helpless after 3.5 sacks, of Dan Orlovsky running out of the end zone rather than dealing with Allen. Those 3.5 sacks of McCown on the final day of the 2011 season put Allen at 22 for that season. A half sack short of Michael Strahan's record.
Jared Allen was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft, traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 2008, signed by the Chicago Bears in 2014, traded to the Carolina Panthers after three games this past season. His last game was Super Bowl 50. That's a fine way to end a terrific 12-year NFL career. It would have been even better if the Panthers had won that Super Bowl. Allen's play and personality made him a fan favorite at each stop. The Panthers only had him for 14 games. They were probably better for it. I know that I loved watching him play for every snap of his six years with the Vikings. Fun times.
Allen's best years were with the Chiefs and the Vikings. No surprise there as those were his prime years. He racked up all but 7.5 of his 136 career sacks in those ten years. That's nearly 13 sacks in each of those ten seasons. He had 11 sacks or more each year from 2007-13. Officially, since sack totals have been an official stat since 1982, only five players have collected at least 11 sacks in at least five consecutive seasons.
Reggie White-9
Jared Allen-7
DeMarcus Ware-7
Lawrence Taylor-6
Bruce Smith-5
That's elite quarterback-sacking company.
Allen also had at least one sack in 11 consecutive games. No one but him has done that.
By the late-2000s the Minnesota Vikings had been looking for an outside pass rushing presence for more than a decade. The draft hadn't provided much help. Free agency hadn't provided much help either. In 2008 the Vikings were fortunate to have something of an "in" to the particulars of a certain, emerging, but frustrating defensive end in Kansas City. Vikings director of player personnel, on the legal side of things, Les Pico had been with the Chiefs. He knew that the often tenuous relationship, four-year relationship between Jared Allen and Chiefs management was at a breaking point. Allen's rookie contract was up and general manager Carl Peterson wasn't about to give a huge contract to a player that he simply didn't trust. Allen didn't much care for Peterson either. Despite being one of the top young pass rushers on the field Allen was quite a handful off the field. Allen had two DUIs about five months apart during the 2007 offseason. The Chiefs were tired of dealing with it. Pico knew it and he let the Vikings decision-makers know it. Allen's legal issues led to his being suspended for the first two games of the 2007 season. His first game back from that suspension just happened to be against the Vikings. He dominated the game. Vikings left tackle Bryant McKinnie looked helpless against Allen. 2 sacks, 8 tackles, and a forced fumble. He was a nightmare for the Vikings offense all day and his play was a big reason for the Chiefs 13-10 win. Despite missing those first two games Allen's 15.5 sacks that season lead the league. His first of two sack titles. The Vikings pursuit of Jared Allen might have started that day in Kansas City. The trade was finalized a few days before the 2008 NFL Draft. The Vikings traded a first and two third round picks to the Chiefs for Allen. Then they made their new pass rusher the highest-paid defensive player in the league. This was one of those unusual deals that worked out for everyone. The Vikings finally got their pass rusher. The Chiefs turned those picks from the Vikings into Branden Albert and Jamaal Charles. And Jared Allen actually lived up to that huge contract. It's rare that these big deals work out so well for everyone. It's really rare these days that a player sees the end of a huge, six-year contract without a single restructure. Allen lived up to the contract. And the Vikings honored that contract.
Jared Allen was a Viking for six years. And he was loved by everyone in Minnesota. It helps when you put up sack numbers like this.
2008: 14.5
2009: 14.5
2010: 11
2011: 22
2012: 12
2013: 11.5
For a team that had been starved for edge-rushing sacks since Chris Doleman's early days Allen was a revelation. He helped make the Vikings defensive line one of the most feared in the league. It was a blast to watch Allen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Ray Edwards/Brian Robison mess up the plans of opposing offenses. It was a great defensive line. The Vikings have had a few great defensive lines in the history of the franchise. This was one of the best. Allen's pass rushing off the edge was a big reason for that. Quarterbacks were on high alert every time they dropped back to pass.
More important than his play on the field Allen settled down off of it. He stopped drinking. He got married. He started a family. His "Wounded Warriors" charity took off. From a person that was one bad decision away from a tragedy just about every night he became an example for others. He still remained the fun-loving guy that brought smiles everywhere he went. He was still and always would be that "big cowboy."
As soon as a great football player retires there's an immediate debate as to his Hall of Fame worthiness. It's a debate that's better had five years later but it's nearly impossible to avoid. In my book, Jared Allen is a Hall of Famer. Maybe not the first year. Maybe he experiences a Michael Strahan-like wait of a year. Maybe he experiences a long wait like Kevin Greene but he shouldn't. All I know is that Jared Allen was one of the best, if not the best, pass rusher in the league for most of his 12-year career. His five-year stretch from from his first sack title in 2007 to his second in 2011 rivals the best five-year stretches of first-ballot Hall of Famers like Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, and Bruce Smith. As well as likely first-ballot Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware. At least in terms of sacks. It's ridiculous to compare any player to Taylor. He was an absolute game-changer. Allen's run defense will likely draw some criticism. I think that Allen played the run much better than his critics claim. He was an extremely versatile football player. He was simply asked to collect sacks and he clearly enjoyed doing so. He made some tremendously athletic plays in pass defense while dropping off the line in coverage. Allen just didn't make as many run stops with the frequency of White or Strahan. I'm not so sure that this should be as much a criticism as it is an observation of a particular team's strategy. The Chiefs and the Vikings just wanted Allen to get after that quarterback. But his run defense will most certainly come up in five years. Again, this is a debate that's better served when it's relevant.
For now, happy trails Jared Allen.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Best NFL Scouting Combine Performances Of The Past Decade
The 2016 NFL Draft prospects start arriving in Indianapolis on Wednesday for the annual Scouting Combine. Interviews, weigh-ins and the all important medical checks kick off the proceedings. The on-field drills start Friday. It's an important event. Sometimes too important. No matter how much emphasis is put on it the performances are fun and often remarkable. NFL Media editor Jim Reineking listed some of the best Combine performances of the past decade on the league's website. Here are those performances.
1. Byron Jones
Jones (unofficially) set a new world record at last year's NFL Scouting Combine, jumping an astonishing 12 feet, 3 inches in the broad jump (the best in the combine in the past decade by eight inches!).
That distance is also believed to be a world record. Granted, the standing long jump hasn't been an Olympic event since 1912, so records aren't complete. Norwegian Arne Tvervaag is believed to have held the world record of 12-2 set on Nov. 11, 1968. American Ray Ewry, who won gold medals in the event in the 1900, 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games, had held the world record (11-4 1/2, set in 1904) before Tvervaag established a new mark in 1968.
Coupled with an impressive vertical jump (third-best at the combine in the past decade), Jones' draft stock jumped and he became a first-round selection.
2. Chris Johnson
Johnson's "modern" combine record of 4.24 seconds in the 40-yard dash has stood for eight years now. Last year, J.J. Nelson came within four hundredths of a second of matching Johnson's time. Two years ago, Dri Archer came the closest,clocking a 4.26-second 40.
The quest to break Johnson's 40 "record" has gotten to the point where Adidas is offering $1 million to any draft prospect who breaks it (one caveat, however: that record-setting prospect must be wearing Adidas cleats to be eligible).
3. Stephen Paea
While Johnson stakes claim to the "modern" 40 record, Paea owns the combine's bench-press record. Paea did a stunning 49 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at the 2011 combine. That is four more reps than the 45 posted by UTEP's Leif Larson at the 2000 combine, a mark that was tied in 2006 by Ohio State's Mike Kudla and again in 2010 by Arkansas' Mitch Petrus.
4. Vernon Davis
Davis posted an amazing time of 4.38 seconds in the 40 at the 2006 combine,best among all tight ends at the event in the past 10 years. On top of that 40 time, Davis vaulted above the competition in the vertical jump, going 10 feet, 8 inches, 10 inches better than the next best competitors in his position group. Davis' combine performance made him the fourth-highest tight end ever drafted.
5. Dontari Poe
At the 2012 combine, Poe showed the sort of athleticism that would be put to good use during the 2015 season when he became the heaviest player to ever score a touchdown in the NFL. Poe hadthe standout performance of that year's combine, posting a 40 time of less than five seconds at nearly 350 pounds. In addition to that speed, Poe showed his strength on the bench, doing 44 reps of 225 pounds to post the best number at that year's combine.
6. Darrius Heyward-Bey
There's something about the combine and prospects from Maryland. Three years after Davis' standout combine performance, Heyward-Bey had one of his own. Coming off of an honorable mention All-ACC season for the Terrapins, Heyward-Bey opted to enter the NFL draft early. His combine 40 time -- 4.3 seconds -- was best among the wide receivers. As they were wont to do, the Raiders were romanced by a prospect with speed. Heyward-Bey went No. 7 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, and was the first receiver selected. However, in four seasons in Oakland, Heyward-Bey failed to record a 1,000-yard season.
A year after Heyward-Bey's stellar combine, Maryland offensive lineman Bruce Campbell put forth an eye-popping performance, running a 4.85-second 40 at 6-foot-6, 314 pounds (the best among offensive linemen). Campbell parlayed that combine effort into a fourth-round selection by -- you guessed it -- the Raiders.
7. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
How do you rise from small-school prospect to first-round draft choice? Dominate at the combine. That's exactly what Rodgers-Cromartie did in 2008. He tied for the best broad-jump distance among defensive backs (with Aqib Talib), and posted the fourth-best 40 time (4.33). After a strong showing at the Senior Bowl, Rodgers-Cromartie built more draft momentum at the combine, and earned a first-round draft slot as a result.
With Rodgers-Cromartie, the breakout combine performance was actually a harbinger of things to come. He's been a two-time Pro Bowl selection and has played in two Super Bowls (one with theCardinals and another with the Denver Broncos).
8. J.J. Watt
Watt solidified his status as a first-round draft prospect with an extraordinary combine showcase. Watt was a top performer among his position group peers in every drill but the 40-yard dash.
Since his selection by the Texans in the draft, he's been running three-cone drills around NFL offensive linemen, registering 74.5 sacks in five seasons and establishing himself as one of the dominant defenders of his era.
9. Tavon Austin
Austin backed up a magnificent senior season with the Mountaineers by blazing a 4.34 40 time and boosting his draft stock at the 2013 combine. So smitten with Austin were the Rams that they traded up from the No. 16 overall spot to No. 8 to get the dynamic wide receiver. Unfortunately for the Rams, Austin hasn't exactly lived up to that lofty draft slot. His career-high for receiving yards and touchdowns is 473 and five, which were posted this season. He had a career-high 10 total touchdowns (five receiving, four rushing and one on a return) in 2015.
10. Tim Tebow
With an impressive on-field performanceand improved mechanics on his throwing delivery, Tebow was able to sway one team to make him a first-round selection, despite lingering concerns over his ability to perform as a pro-style quarterback. The Broncos traded up in the 2010 draft to get Tebow, who delivered a playoff win but was then traded once the team signed some quarterback named Peyton Manning.
Honorable mention: Pat O'Donnell
With all the pre-combine hoopla in 2014 surrounding Jadeveon Clowney andJohnny Manziel, it was a punter who stole the show (well, kinda). Specialists often opt out of the drills, but O'Donnell decided to put his athleticism on displayfor all to see. O'Donnell dropped a 4.64-second 40 (faster than Manziel's 4.68 40), but that wasn't the most impressive number he posted in Indianapolis. The punter did 23 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. That was two more reps than Clowney could do.
J.J. Watt is the only one that turned his sparkling Combine performance into a similarly sparkling NFL career. Chris Johnson started his career great, hit a wall, and returned to solid status last year with his third team. Dontari Poe is one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league. Vernon Davis, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Tavon Austin have had some fine moments. Some of those moments even brought back memories of the outstanding athleticism that they showed one day in Indianapolis. Byron Jones will have his chance to shine in the Dallas Cowboys secondary this year.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Overcompensation
Roger Goodell's compensation for 2014 was recently released. As usual, it's astonishing. The NFL commissioner received $34.1 million in 2014. It broke down like this:
Base salary: $3.5 million
Bonus: $26.5 million (a figure determined in 2013)
Pension and other deferred payments: $3.7 million
"other reportable compensation: $273,000
It's truly astonishing. That overcompensation was actually down a bit from the previous two years.
2013: $35 million
2012: $44.1 million
2011: $29.4 million
The 2011 total is a little interesting as that was the offseason of the lockout. That was the stretch of time in which Goodell ceremoniously, and with much publicity, accepted a salary of a single buck. It looks like he more than made up for those hard times. In his nine years as commissioner Goodell has made an average of $20 million a year and a total of $180.5 million. That's the very definition of overcompensation.
Goodell has hacked up just about everything that he's touched the last two years. And his compensation has increased! If an NFL player screwed up as much as Goodell has screwed up he'd find himself suspended, fined, perhaps even on the outside of the league entirely. In short, a player, coach, or even an owner would be punished in some form. Goodell is rewarded. It's simply astonishing.
The reason that Roger Goodell is still commissioner, and overcompensated, is that the 32 NFL owners love every single one of the 13 billion dollars that comes their way each year. Forbes even went so far as to suggest that Goodell might be underpaid. In an article cleverly titled Roger Goodell Might Actually Be Underpaid, contributor Alex Reimer compared what other sports commissioners earned relative to the annual revenue of their respective sports leagues. Goodell comes up roses in the comparisons. This angle might be an accurate one if you completely ignore the fact that no commissioner has done more to harm their league than Goodell. It also ignores the fact that the commissioner doesn't bring in all of those billions. The runaway success that is the National Football League brings in all of that money. It's the play on the field and all of the excitement that surrounds it. I wouldn't say that any monkey could run the league but perhaps a very clever one with excellent meet-and-greet skills could handle the job. The only thing that could slow the NFL's ever growing popularity is if the fans lose faith in the league. And Goodell is creeping real close to doing just that. Everything that comes out of 345 Park Avenue should be handled with skepticism. And that's not good.
Roger Goodell has to start earning his ridiculous compensation.
This year will be the last year in which the public will be privy to Goodell's annual earnings. Last April he said that the league would give up its tax-exempt status. The NFL has qualified as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit since 1942. In his statement he stated that the reason for this was that the tax-exempt status was "mischaracterized repeatedly". He's not wrong. A league raking in loads of money being considered a non-profit ruffled some feathers but what the ruffled people failed to understand was that the individual teams are paying the taxes on that money. Personally, I think that the league giving up the tax-exempt status had nothing to do with how others characterized that status. I think that it was so that they would no longer have to deal with the storm that hits with the annual reveal of Roger Goodell's overcompensation.
Base salary: $3.5 million
Bonus: $26.5 million (a figure determined in 2013)
Pension and other deferred payments: $3.7 million
"other reportable compensation: $273,000
It's truly astonishing. That overcompensation was actually down a bit from the previous two years.
2013: $35 million
2012: $44.1 million
2011: $29.4 million
The 2011 total is a little interesting as that was the offseason of the lockout. That was the stretch of time in which Goodell ceremoniously, and with much publicity, accepted a salary of a single buck. It looks like he more than made up for those hard times. In his nine years as commissioner Goodell has made an average of $20 million a year and a total of $180.5 million. That's the very definition of overcompensation.
Goodell has hacked up just about everything that he's touched the last two years. And his compensation has increased! If an NFL player screwed up as much as Goodell has screwed up he'd find himself suspended, fined, perhaps even on the outside of the league entirely. In short, a player, coach, or even an owner would be punished in some form. Goodell is rewarded. It's simply astonishing.
The reason that Roger Goodell is still commissioner, and overcompensated, is that the 32 NFL owners love every single one of the 13 billion dollars that comes their way each year. Forbes even went so far as to suggest that Goodell might be underpaid. In an article cleverly titled Roger Goodell Might Actually Be Underpaid, contributor Alex Reimer compared what other sports commissioners earned relative to the annual revenue of their respective sports leagues. Goodell comes up roses in the comparisons. This angle might be an accurate one if you completely ignore the fact that no commissioner has done more to harm their league than Goodell. It also ignores the fact that the commissioner doesn't bring in all of those billions. The runaway success that is the National Football League brings in all of that money. It's the play on the field and all of the excitement that surrounds it. I wouldn't say that any monkey could run the league but perhaps a very clever one with excellent meet-and-greet skills could handle the job. The only thing that could slow the NFL's ever growing popularity is if the fans lose faith in the league. And Goodell is creeping real close to doing just that. Everything that comes out of 345 Park Avenue should be handled with skepticism. And that's not good.
Roger Goodell has to start earning his ridiculous compensation.
This year will be the last year in which the public will be privy to Goodell's annual earnings. Last April he said that the league would give up its tax-exempt status. The NFL has qualified as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit since 1942. In his statement he stated that the reason for this was that the tax-exempt status was "mischaracterized repeatedly". He's not wrong. A league raking in loads of money being considered a non-profit ruffled some feathers but what the ruffled people failed to understand was that the individual teams are paying the taxes on that money. Personally, I think that the league giving up the tax-exempt status had nothing to do with how others characterized that status. I think that it was so that they would no longer have to deal with the storm that hits with the annual reveal of Roger Goodell's overcompensation.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Vikings Complete Coaching Staff
The Minnesota Vikings have finally completed their coaching staff. They hired Brent Salazar as their new strength and conditioning coach. While it might not grab the headlines like other coaching positions the strength and conditioning coach is important to a team's on the field success. Just ask the line of Vikings players that have suffered pectoral muscle injuries in the last couple of seasons. Phil Loadholt, Brandon Fusco, Brian Robison, Carter Bykowski, and Josh Robinson have missed as much as entire seasons with pectoral issues. Jerick McKinnon and John Sullivan suffered injuries or setbacks while lifting weights. It's tough to win games in the NFL when a team is missing players for reasons that could be avoided. Something had to change in the manner in which the Vikings players worked with weights. Former strength and conditioning coach Evan Marcus was let go and Salazar was hired. Hopefully he can keep the players on the field while also getting them stronger and improving their conditioning.
This will be Brent Salazar's first opportunity as head strength and conditioning coach. While it's his first shot at the top strength and conditioning job he's hardly lacking in NFL experience. His first taste of the league came as an intern with the Denver Broncos in 2005. He was hired as assistant strength and conditioning coach by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007. He's been there ever since. As an apparent testament to his coaching abilities he survived three coaching changes in Kansas City. He was hired by Herm Edwards, retained by Todd Haley, retained by Romeo Crenell, and retained by Andy Reid. Now, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has hired him for his first shot at the top spot.
The Vikings added three coaches since the 2015 season ended. Two of the changes were voluntary. They were forced to make the third. Mike Zimmer decided not to renew the contract of offensive line coach Jeff Davidson. Tony Sparano was hired to replace Davidson. Then there was the decision to make the change with the strength and conditioning coach. When Kirby Wilson was hired by the Cleveland Browns for their cleverly manufactured Running Game Coordinator position the Vikings were forced to find a new running backs coach. They filled the position by hiring Pat Schurmur to coach tight ends and moving previous tight ends coach Kevin Stefanski to running backs. And that completed the coaching staff of the Minnesota Vikings. Here it is.
Head Coach: Mike Zimmer
Offensive Coordinator: Norv Turner
Defensive Coordinator: George Edwards
Special Teams Coordinator: Mike Priefer
Quarterbacks: Scott Turner
Running backs: Kevin Stefanski
Receivers: George Stewart
Assistant receivers: Drew Petzing
Tight ends: Pat Schurmur
Offensive line: Tony Sparano
Assistant offensive line: Hank Fraley
Quality control-offense: Andrew Janocko
Defensive line: Andre Patterson
Assistant defensive line: Robert Rodriguez
Linebackers: Adam Zimmer
Defensive backs: Jerry Gray
Assistant defensive backs: Jonathan Gannon
Defensive assistant: Jeff Howard
Special teams assistant: Ryan Ficken
Strength and conditioning: Brent Salazar
Assistant strength and conditioning: Jeff Hurd
Assistant strength and conditioning: Chaz Mahle
This is a very experienced and interesting coaching staff. The additions of Pat Schumur and Tony Sparano bring in a lot of experience and new ideas. Zimmer strikes me as a coach that listens to his coaches without ever feeling threatened by them. He wants strong opinions and it looks like he probably has a room full of them. There's a lot of reasons to optimistic about the Vikings moving forward and the above coaching staff is one of them.
This will be Brent Salazar's first opportunity as head strength and conditioning coach. While it's his first shot at the top strength and conditioning job he's hardly lacking in NFL experience. His first taste of the league came as an intern with the Denver Broncos in 2005. He was hired as assistant strength and conditioning coach by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007. He's been there ever since. As an apparent testament to his coaching abilities he survived three coaching changes in Kansas City. He was hired by Herm Edwards, retained by Todd Haley, retained by Romeo Crenell, and retained by Andy Reid. Now, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has hired him for his first shot at the top spot.
The Vikings added three coaches since the 2015 season ended. Two of the changes were voluntary. They were forced to make the third. Mike Zimmer decided not to renew the contract of offensive line coach Jeff Davidson. Tony Sparano was hired to replace Davidson. Then there was the decision to make the change with the strength and conditioning coach. When Kirby Wilson was hired by the Cleveland Browns for their cleverly manufactured Running Game Coordinator position the Vikings were forced to find a new running backs coach. They filled the position by hiring Pat Schurmur to coach tight ends and moving previous tight ends coach Kevin Stefanski to running backs. And that completed the coaching staff of the Minnesota Vikings. Here it is.
Head Coach: Mike Zimmer
Offensive Coordinator: Norv Turner
Defensive Coordinator: George Edwards
Special Teams Coordinator: Mike Priefer
Quarterbacks: Scott Turner
Running backs: Kevin Stefanski
Receivers: George Stewart
Assistant receivers: Drew Petzing
Tight ends: Pat Schurmur
Offensive line: Tony Sparano
Assistant offensive line: Hank Fraley
Quality control-offense: Andrew Janocko
Defensive line: Andre Patterson
Assistant defensive line: Robert Rodriguez
Linebackers: Adam Zimmer
Defensive backs: Jerry Gray
Assistant defensive backs: Jonathan Gannon
Defensive assistant: Jeff Howard
Special teams assistant: Ryan Ficken
Strength and conditioning: Brent Salazar
Assistant strength and conditioning: Jeff Hurd
Assistant strength and conditioning: Chaz Mahle
This is a very experienced and interesting coaching staff. The additions of Pat Schumur and Tony Sparano bring in a lot of experience and new ideas. Zimmer strikes me as a coach that listens to his coaches without ever feeling threatened by them. He wants strong opinions and it looks like he probably has a room full of them. There's a lot of reasons to optimistic about the Vikings moving forward and the above coaching staff is one of them.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Throwback Thursday: Top-10 Coaches In NFL History
Rankings are fun. If you don't take them too seriously. It's just one opinion. Here's my opinion on the ten greatest coaches in NFL History.
1. Vince Lombardi
Lombardi won five NFL Championships in his nine seasons as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. That's an incredible concentration of football success. Lombardi lost the 1960 NFL title to the Philadelphia Eagles in only his second season. It was his Packers only championship game loss just as he promised it would be. It even looked like he had the Redskins turned around in his single season coaching in Washington.
2. Paul Brown
I've always been partial to Brown as I grew up with Cleveland Browns and All America Football Conference tales from my father. Brown's Browns played in his conference's championship game from 1946-55. An incredible ten-year run. He won seven of those ten games. 4 AAFC titles. 3 NFL titles. Beyond his on-field success Brown changed the way football coaching was done. Perhaps more than any other coach.
3. Bill Belichick
His Patriots dynasty is still going strong half-way through his second decade. That prolonged, season-to-season success and four Super Bowl titles puts him here. There are many talking heads that peg his five-year stint as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns as a failure. I've never quite understood that. He had the Browns heading in the right direction until everything fell apart during the season in which the move to Baltimore was announced. How anyone expected wins during that chaotic time is a mystery.
4. Bill Walsh
Walsh built a dynasty in San Francisco and he did it with Lombardi-like efficiency. The 49ers were a disaster and suddenly they were in the Super Bowl. At least it seemed sudden. His offense is still seen today through the generations of coaches that he mentored directly and indirectly.
5. George Halas
Halas officially coached the Chicago Bears to six NFL titles. 42 years separated his first title and his last. Two other titles were won on his watch when he wasn't officially coaching the team. Even when he wasn't physically on the sideline he was on the sideline. He was the Chicago Bears. He's still the Chicago Bears. He was there that day in Canton when this little idea for a professional football league became something more than an idea. George Halas might be the most important figure in the history of the league.
6. Don Shula
Shula won more games than any other coach. He won two Super Bowls. He coached in six Super Bowls. He even took a David Woodley-led Miami Dolphins team to the Super Bowl. That alone should put him higher on this list.
7. Curly Lambeau
Lambeau and Lombardi led the Packers to 11 of their 13 NFL titles. Lambeau's six titles ties him with Halas for most in history. It took Halas 44 years to win six. It took Lambeau 24 years to win six. All six were won over a 16-year period. About the only coach that won titles with such frequency was that other Packers coach.
8. Chuck Noll
Noll coached the Pittsburgh Steelers to a dynasty in the 1970s. This dynasty was one of the greatest and it came during one of the most competitive decades in league history. The Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys had their title moments and probably would have more if not for the Steelers.
9. Tom Landry
Landry had an incredible 29-year run as the Dallas Cowboys head coach. He may have won only two Super Bowls but he was in it just about every year from 1966-82. His Cowboys teams nearly kept Lombardi's Packers teams out of the first two Super Bowls.
10. Joe Gibbs
The most remarkable thing about Gibbs' coaching career is winning three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks. More often than not sustained football success comes with a nice pairing of coach and quarterback. Not many coaches have just taken the quarterback that they have and gone on and won a title. Gibbs did that three times.
Even though I think of Vince Lomabardi as the best coach I can understand just about any combination of the above ten. I can also understand the inclusion of these two.
Bill Parcells
John Madden
It's tough to leave out both. It actually feels wrong to leave out both. Parcells built winners just about everywhere he went. If Madden had managed to pull even one of those Super Bowls from the Steelers he'd probably be in my top-5. Those Raiders-Steelers games of the 1970s were outstanding football games.
One coach that I feel has been unfairly passed over by history is Buddy Parker. He should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Perhaps because he's been forgotten I wanted to put him on this list. Parker turned the Detroit Lions into a powerhouse in the 1950s. Something that's difficult to imagine these days. In only his second season as head coach he led the Lions to the NFL title in 1952. Repeated in 1953. And lost to the Cleveland Browns in the 1954 title game. The Lions won it all again in 1957. Parker wasn't around for that one as he shocked the football world by quitting at the start of training camp. He jumped to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had a winning record in his eight years with the Steelers. Something that no coach had managed to do in Pittsburgh in the previous three decades.
1. Vince Lombardi
Lombardi won five NFL Championships in his nine seasons as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. That's an incredible concentration of football success. Lombardi lost the 1960 NFL title to the Philadelphia Eagles in only his second season. It was his Packers only championship game loss just as he promised it would be. It even looked like he had the Redskins turned around in his single season coaching in Washington.
2. Paul Brown
I've always been partial to Brown as I grew up with Cleveland Browns and All America Football Conference tales from my father. Brown's Browns played in his conference's championship game from 1946-55. An incredible ten-year run. He won seven of those ten games. 4 AAFC titles. 3 NFL titles. Beyond his on-field success Brown changed the way football coaching was done. Perhaps more than any other coach.
3. Bill Belichick
His Patriots dynasty is still going strong half-way through his second decade. That prolonged, season-to-season success and four Super Bowl titles puts him here. There are many talking heads that peg his five-year stint as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns as a failure. I've never quite understood that. He had the Browns heading in the right direction until everything fell apart during the season in which the move to Baltimore was announced. How anyone expected wins during that chaotic time is a mystery.
4. Bill Walsh
Walsh built a dynasty in San Francisco and he did it with Lombardi-like efficiency. The 49ers were a disaster and suddenly they were in the Super Bowl. At least it seemed sudden. His offense is still seen today through the generations of coaches that he mentored directly and indirectly.
5. George Halas
Halas officially coached the Chicago Bears to six NFL titles. 42 years separated his first title and his last. Two other titles were won on his watch when he wasn't officially coaching the team. Even when he wasn't physically on the sideline he was on the sideline. He was the Chicago Bears. He's still the Chicago Bears. He was there that day in Canton when this little idea for a professional football league became something more than an idea. George Halas might be the most important figure in the history of the league.
6. Don Shula
Shula won more games than any other coach. He won two Super Bowls. He coached in six Super Bowls. He even took a David Woodley-led Miami Dolphins team to the Super Bowl. That alone should put him higher on this list.
7. Curly Lambeau
Lambeau and Lombardi led the Packers to 11 of their 13 NFL titles. Lambeau's six titles ties him with Halas for most in history. It took Halas 44 years to win six. It took Lambeau 24 years to win six. All six were won over a 16-year period. About the only coach that won titles with such frequency was that other Packers coach.
8. Chuck Noll
Noll coached the Pittsburgh Steelers to a dynasty in the 1970s. This dynasty was one of the greatest and it came during one of the most competitive decades in league history. The Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys had their title moments and probably would have more if not for the Steelers.
9. Tom Landry
Landry had an incredible 29-year run as the Dallas Cowboys head coach. He may have won only two Super Bowls but he was in it just about every year from 1966-82. His Cowboys teams nearly kept Lombardi's Packers teams out of the first two Super Bowls.
10. Joe Gibbs
The most remarkable thing about Gibbs' coaching career is winning three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks. More often than not sustained football success comes with a nice pairing of coach and quarterback. Not many coaches have just taken the quarterback that they have and gone on and won a title. Gibbs did that three times.
Even though I think of Vince Lomabardi as the best coach I can understand just about any combination of the above ten. I can also understand the inclusion of these two.
Bill Parcells
John Madden
It's tough to leave out both. It actually feels wrong to leave out both. Parcells built winners just about everywhere he went. If Madden had managed to pull even one of those Super Bowls from the Steelers he'd probably be in my top-5. Those Raiders-Steelers games of the 1970s were outstanding football games.
One coach that I feel has been unfairly passed over by history is Buddy Parker. He should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Perhaps because he's been forgotten I wanted to put him on this list. Parker turned the Detroit Lions into a powerhouse in the 1950s. Something that's difficult to imagine these days. In only his second season as head coach he led the Lions to the NFL title in 1952. Repeated in 1953. And lost to the Cleveland Browns in the 1954 title game. The Lions won it all again in 1957. Parker wasn't around for that one as he shocked the football world by quitting at the start of training camp. He jumped to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had a winning record in his eight years with the Steelers. Something that no coach had managed to do in Pittsburgh in the previous three decades.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Vikings Draft Possibilities
This is way too early but the draft season starts when the first Senior Bowl practice starts. And that was a couple of weeks ago. So, why not now. Here are the top needs of the Minnesota Vikings.
1. Offensive line
2. Receiver
3. Linebacker
4. Safety
Offensive line could occupy the top 2-3 spots. The offensive line has to improve. I actually like the Vikings receivers. They have a decision to make on Mike Wallace. He's under contract for 2016 but it's a mighty big contract. They might try to rework that contract. They might just release him and point that money elsewhere. Despite my appreciation of the Vikings receiver group they are missing one of those big, difference-making receivers that can win one-on-one battles with size, strength, and body position. Weak-side linebacker and safety are probably the only two undecided positions on the Vikings defense. There are contenders on the roster for those positions but no clear-cut favorites right now.
Here are some prospects that could fill the above needs.
Offensive line
Cody Whitehair, Kansas State
Jack Conklin, Michigan St.
Vadal Alexander, Baylor
Nick Martin, Notre Dame
Joshua Garnett, Stanford
Sebatian Tretola, Arkansas
Shon Coleman, Auburn
Jason Spriggs, Indiana
Receiver
Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi
Josh Doctson, TCU
Michael Thomas, Ohio State
Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh
Braxton Miller, Ohio State
Leonte Carroo, Rutgers
Re'Runnya Wilson, Mississippi State
It's unlikely that Treadwell is still available when the Vikings select at #23 but you never know.
Linebacker
Darron Lee, Ohio State
Leonard Floyd, Georgia
Su'a Cravens, USC
Deion Jones, LSU
UCLA's Myles Jack and Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith should be top-5 picks. Significant injuries suffered last season could cause them to drop in the draft but I seriously doubt it. Even if they do drop it might be a few spots to the top-10 range. But that's still far short of the Vikings pick.
Safety
Darian Thompson, Boise State
Jeremy Cash, Duke
Vonn Bell, Ohio State
Karl Joseph, West Virginia
You can never have enough corners or pass rushers these days. This draft is well stocked with defensive tackles. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Vikings take one of those defensive tackles early. Or a corner.
If I were to be so bold as to predict the Vikings first two picks at this early date I might go with this combo:
1. Cody Whitehair, G, Kansas St.
2. Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh
1. Offensive line
2. Receiver
3. Linebacker
4. Safety
Offensive line could occupy the top 2-3 spots. The offensive line has to improve. I actually like the Vikings receivers. They have a decision to make on Mike Wallace. He's under contract for 2016 but it's a mighty big contract. They might try to rework that contract. They might just release him and point that money elsewhere. Despite my appreciation of the Vikings receiver group they are missing one of those big, difference-making receivers that can win one-on-one battles with size, strength, and body position. Weak-side linebacker and safety are probably the only two undecided positions on the Vikings defense. There are contenders on the roster for those positions but no clear-cut favorites right now.
Here are some prospects that could fill the above needs.
Offensive line
Cody Whitehair, Kansas State
Jack Conklin, Michigan St.
Vadal Alexander, Baylor
Nick Martin, Notre Dame
Joshua Garnett, Stanford
Sebatian Tretola, Arkansas
Shon Coleman, Auburn
Jason Spriggs, Indiana
Receiver
Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi
Josh Doctson, TCU
Michael Thomas, Ohio State
Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh
Braxton Miller, Ohio State
Leonte Carroo, Rutgers
Re'Runnya Wilson, Mississippi State
It's unlikely that Treadwell is still available when the Vikings select at #23 but you never know.
Linebacker
Darron Lee, Ohio State
Leonard Floyd, Georgia
Su'a Cravens, USC
Deion Jones, LSU
UCLA's Myles Jack and Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith should be top-5 picks. Significant injuries suffered last season could cause them to drop in the draft but I seriously doubt it. Even if they do drop it might be a few spots to the top-10 range. But that's still far short of the Vikings pick.
Safety
Darian Thompson, Boise State
Jeremy Cash, Duke
Vonn Bell, Ohio State
Karl Joseph, West Virginia
You can never have enough corners or pass rushers these days. This draft is well stocked with defensive tackles. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Vikings take one of those defensive tackles early. Or a corner.
If I were to be so bold as to predict the Vikings first two picks at this early date I might go with this combo:
1. Cody Whitehair, G, Kansas St.
2. Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Franchise Tags?
Today is the first day that NFL teams can place franchise or transition tags on players that are set to become free agents. March 1 is the deadline for teams to use those tags. The use of these tags will effectively take many of the top prospective free agents off of the open market.
Teams aren't using these tags as much as they have in past years. That might be partly due to better planning, better salary cap management. It's mostly due to the recent salary cap increases. Teams have more money to spend. Five teams are projected to have more than $50 million in cap space. Two are projected to have over $70 million. Teams have been able to keep their players off of the open market the old fashioned way. By signing them. The number of tags has decreased from a high of 21 in 2012 to six in each of the last two years.
Here's some players that could, or should, get tagged sometime in the next two weeks. If team and player can't come to an agreement on a giant new contract. The preferred method of keeping a player.
Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
The Broncos don't currently have the available cap room to cover the linebacker franchise tag but they have to get something done with Miller. They will. At some point.
Josh Norman, CB, Carolina Panthers
Norman is at the top of his game. He and Luke Kuechly are the most important players on a very good defense.
Eric Berry, S, Kansas City Chiefs
Like Miller and Norman, Berry isn't going anywhere. All three players are critical to their team's defense. The fans would storm the Chiefs offices if Berry left town. The guess here is that he signs to a long-term contract before they have to use the tag.
Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears
Jeffery seemed to spend as much time on the sideline and in the trainer's room as he did on the field last year. Maybe if the Bears had gotten a chance to see what rookie receiver Kevin White could do they might be inclined to let Jeffery walk. White and Jeffery could form a devastating pair. Visions of that should be enough for the Bears to keep their big pass catcher and hope that both can stay on the field.
Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have a young, potentially terrific offense. Martin is a big part of that. The only thing that might keep a long-term contract from happening in the next two weeks is Martin's potential interest in a bidding war for his services. The Buccaneers can keep that from happening with the franchise tag.
Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami Dolphins
Vernon is one of the best defensive ends in the league. He might also be the least known. Perhaps that's due to lining up opposite Cameron Wake. The Dolphins would probably like to take some of the ridiculous money that they tossed at Ndamukong Suh and give it to Vernon. At least someone would then be earning their money.
Cordy Glenn, T, Buffalo Bills
Glenn isn't going anywhere. But the Bills have to do some maneuvering of the cap to afford him.
There's eight. Here's a couple more that could be tagged
Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins
In my book, Cousins is in an odd spot. He's shown enough to be the Redskins unquestioned starter heading into 2016. But I'm not so sure that he's shown enough to get that long-term, franchise quarterback contract. The franchise tag for a quarterback is projected to be $19.6 million. That's pretty steep. My guess is a mostly incentive-based contract that pays Cousins as he goes. If he excels, he's well compensated. If he fails, the Redskins aren't locked to him.
Muhammed Wilkerson, DE, New York Jets
It's stunning that a player as talented as Wilkerson might get away from the team that drafted him but the Jets have Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams at the position. That's an embarrassment of riches. And it might be enough for the Jets to see what they can get in a trade for Wilkerson. They might have to tag him now to see what they can get for him later.
Kickers and punters have been frequent tag targets in recent years. That's because the price is so reasonable for them. Here's some prospective free agent kickers and punters that could be tagged.
Kickers
Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
Greg Zuerlein, Los Angeles Rams
Josh Brown, New York Giants
Punters
Marquette King, Oakland Raiders
Bryan Anger, Jacksonville Jaguars
About the tags. From NFL.com
» The exclusive franchise tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position, or 120 percent of the player's previous salary, whichever is greater. The player's team has all negotiating rights to the player.
» The non-exclusive franchise tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position, or 120 percent of the player's previous salary, whichever is greater. The player can negotiate with other teams. The player's current team has the right to match any offer, or receive two first-round picks as compensation.
» The transition tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount that is the average of the top 10 salaries at the position. It guarantees the original club the right of first refusal to match any offer the player may receive from another team. The transition tag can only be used if the franchise tag is not used by a team in that year. Transition tags can be rescinded, but teams that rescind a transition tag cannot use it again until next season.
Teams aren't using these tags as much as they have in past years. That might be partly due to better planning, better salary cap management. It's mostly due to the recent salary cap increases. Teams have more money to spend. Five teams are projected to have more than $50 million in cap space. Two are projected to have over $70 million. Teams have been able to keep their players off of the open market the old fashioned way. By signing them. The number of tags has decreased from a high of 21 in 2012 to six in each of the last two years.
Here's some players that could, or should, get tagged sometime in the next two weeks. If team and player can't come to an agreement on a giant new contract. The preferred method of keeping a player.
Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
The Broncos don't currently have the available cap room to cover the linebacker franchise tag but they have to get something done with Miller. They will. At some point.
Josh Norman, CB, Carolina Panthers
Norman is at the top of his game. He and Luke Kuechly are the most important players on a very good defense.
Eric Berry, S, Kansas City Chiefs
Like Miller and Norman, Berry isn't going anywhere. All three players are critical to their team's defense. The fans would storm the Chiefs offices if Berry left town. The guess here is that he signs to a long-term contract before they have to use the tag.
Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears
Jeffery seemed to spend as much time on the sideline and in the trainer's room as he did on the field last year. Maybe if the Bears had gotten a chance to see what rookie receiver Kevin White could do they might be inclined to let Jeffery walk. White and Jeffery could form a devastating pair. Visions of that should be enough for the Bears to keep their big pass catcher and hope that both can stay on the field.
Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have a young, potentially terrific offense. Martin is a big part of that. The only thing that might keep a long-term contract from happening in the next two weeks is Martin's potential interest in a bidding war for his services. The Buccaneers can keep that from happening with the franchise tag.
Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami Dolphins
Vernon is one of the best defensive ends in the league. He might also be the least known. Perhaps that's due to lining up opposite Cameron Wake. The Dolphins would probably like to take some of the ridiculous money that they tossed at Ndamukong Suh and give it to Vernon. At least someone would then be earning their money.
Cordy Glenn, T, Buffalo Bills
Glenn isn't going anywhere. But the Bills have to do some maneuvering of the cap to afford him.
$
There's eight. Here's a couple more that could be tagged
Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins
In my book, Cousins is in an odd spot. He's shown enough to be the Redskins unquestioned starter heading into 2016. But I'm not so sure that he's shown enough to get that long-term, franchise quarterback contract. The franchise tag for a quarterback is projected to be $19.6 million. That's pretty steep. My guess is a mostly incentive-based contract that pays Cousins as he goes. If he excels, he's well compensated. If he fails, the Redskins aren't locked to him.
Muhammed Wilkerson, DE, New York Jets
It's stunning that a player as talented as Wilkerson might get away from the team that drafted him but the Jets have Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams at the position. That's an embarrassment of riches. And it might be enough for the Jets to see what they can get in a trade for Wilkerson. They might have to tag him now to see what they can get for him later.
Kickers and punters have been frequent tag targets in recent years. That's because the price is so reasonable for them. Here's some prospective free agent kickers and punters that could be tagged.
Kickers
Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
Greg Zuerlein, Los Angeles Rams
Josh Brown, New York Giants
Punters
Marquette King, Oakland Raiders
Bryan Anger, Jacksonville Jaguars
About the tags. From NFL.com
Explaining the tag
» The exclusive franchise tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position, or 120 percent of the player's previous salary, whichever is greater. The player's team has all negotiating rights to the player.
» The non-exclusive franchise tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position, or 120 percent of the player's previous salary, whichever is greater. The player can negotiate with other teams. The player's current team has the right to match any offer, or receive two first-round picks as compensation.
» The transition tag is a one-year tender offer to a player for an amount that is the average of the top 10 salaries at the position. It guarantees the original club the right of first refusal to match any offer the player may receive from another team. The transition tag can only be used if the franchise tag is not used by a team in that year. Transition tags can be rescinded, but teams that rescind a transition tag cannot use it again until next season.
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