Some Draft Favorites

The first big event of the NFL Draft evaluation cycle is the Senior Bowl. The game is tomorrow in Mobile, Alabama. For scouting purposes, the practices for the college all-star game are more important than the game. Most of the people doing the evaluating have already returned home. It’s very early in the draft evaluation process but I’ve already formed a wish list of draft favorites for the Minnesota Vikings. 

This offseason, the Vikings will need to fill out a roster depleted by free agent departures. They also need to get a bit younger. The difficult part in accomplishing both is that the Vikings currently hold only three picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

1.

5.

5.

That’s it. 

As soon as the Compensatory Picks are distributed, the Vikings are expected to get a third for last offseason’s free agency loss of Kirk Cousins. So, four picks. That isn’t a lot of draft resources to fill out the roster or get younger. A trade back with the first-round pick to gain a few additional picks would be an expectation rather than a surprise. 

As for specific needs, four positions stand out. 

Interior Offensive Line

Running Back

Defensive Line

Cornerback

With significant salary cap space, I expect the Vikings to fill some of those needs in free agency. In particular, I expect them to prioritize the interior offensive line. Whether that’s targeting one elite guard (Trey Smith) or two slightly less expensive guards remains to be seen. No matter what they do in free agency with that area of need or the other three positional needs, it doesn’t prevent me from forming favorite players at each of the four positions. Here are some of those early favorites.

Interior Offensive Line:

Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

Tyler Booker, Alabama

Clay Webb, Jacksonville State

Running Back:

Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

Devin Neal, Florida

Cam Skattebo, Arizona

R.J. Harvey, Central Florida

Dylan Sampson, Tennessee

Fortunately for the Vikings, and all teams in need of a running back, this draft is loaded at the position.

Defensive Line:

Walter Nolen, Mississippi

Derrick Harmon, Oregon

Joshua Farmer, Florida State

Jordan Phillips, Maryland

Darius Alexander, Toledo

Cornerback:

Jahdae Barron, Texas

Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina

Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame

Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky

Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State

Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech

Cobee Bryant, Kansas

Mac McWilliams, Central Florida

Nohl Williams, California

With the likely four draft picks, it’s tough to imagine the Vikings being able to draft four of the above. One can dream. Here’s a dreamy four. 

Clay Webb

Devin Neal

Derrick Harmon

Nohl Williams

There’s no way the Vikings would be able to select those four with a first-, third-, and two fifth-round picks. So, a trade back in the first round for at least a couple more Day 2 picks would be necessary. 

It’s so early in the draft evaluation process but favorites are forming.

NFL Titles

Counting only Super Bowl trophies as a way of tallying titles is what most in the media and nearly all fans do these days. They skip over the 46 NFL titles that came before the first Super Bowl. That's just lazy. It's as if the league started with that first Super Bowl. That first Super Bowl wasn't even called the Super Bowl when it was played. Neither was the second. But that's beside the point. All titles count. Despite what comedian Bill Burr seems to think, the NFL does count all titles. The teams that won titles that don't include Roman numerals sure count them. You can bet that the Arizona Cardinals count the two titles that they won while they were in Chicago. With the 124th NFL title set to be contested in just over a week, here's the tally of which team has won each of the previous 123 NFL titles.

1.   Green Bay Packers: 13: 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966(I),
       1967(II), 1996(XXXI), 2010(XLV)
2.   Chicago Bears: 9: 1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1963, 1985(XX)
3.   New York Giants: 8: 1927, 1934. 1938, 1956, 1986(XXI), 1990(XXV), 2007(XXXII),  
       2011(XLVI)
4.   New England Patriots: 6: 2001(XXXVI), 2003(XXXVIII), 2004(XXXIX), 2014(XLIX),
       2016(LI), 2018(LIII).
4.   Pittsburgh Steelers: 6: 1974(IX), 1975(X), 1978(XIII), 1979(XIV), 2005(XL), 2008(XLIII)
6.   Washington Redskins: 5: 1937, 1942, 1982(XVII), 1987(XXII), 1991(XXVI)
6.   Dallas Cowboys: 5: 1971(VI), 1977(XII), 1992(XXVII), 1993(XXVIII), 1995(XXX)
6.   San Francisco 49ers: 5: 1981(XVI), 1984(XIX), 1988(XXIII), 1989(XXIV), 1994(XXIX)

9.   Kansas City Chiefs: 4: 1969 (IV), 2019(LIV), 2022(LVII), 2023(LVIII)

9.   Detroit Lions: 4: 1935, 1952, 1953, 1957
9.   Philadelphia Eagles: 4: 1948, 1949, 1960, 2017(LII)
9.   Cleveland Browns: 4: 1950, 1954, 1955, 1964
9.   Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts: 4: 1958, 1959, 1970(V), 2006(XXXI)
14. Cleveland/LA/St. Louis Rams: 4: 1945, 1951, 1999(XXXIV), 2021(LVI)
14. Oakland/LA Raiders: 3: 1976(XI), 1980(XV), 1983(XVIII)
14. Denver Broncos: 3: 1997(XXXII), 1998(XXXIII), 2015(L)

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2:  2002 (XXXVII), 2020(LV)
17. Canton Bulldogs: 2: 1922, 1923
17. Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals: 2: 1925, 1947
17. Miami Dolphins: 2: 1972(VII), 1973(VIII)
17. Baltimore Ravens: 2: 2000(XXXV), 2012(XLVII)
22. Akron Pros: 1: 1920
22. Cleveland Bulldogs: 1: 1924
22. Frankford Yellow Jackets: 1: 1926
22. Providence Steam Roller: 1: 1928
22. New York Jets: 1: 1968(III)
22. New Orleans Saints: 1: 2009(XLIV)
22. Seattle Seahawks: 1: 2013(XLVIII)

Other Leagues:

All-America Football Conference
1. Cleveland Browns: 4: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949

American Football League
1. Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs: 3: 1962, 1966, 1969
2. Houston Oilers: 2: 1960, 1961
2. Buffalo Bills: 2: 1964, 1965
4. San Diego Chargers: 1: 1963
4. Oakland Raider: 1: 1967
4. New York Jets: 1: 1968

Technically, the Minnesota Vikings have won an NFL title (1969). Unfortunately, they went on to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV. So, it doesn't really count for much and it's easily forgotten. A consolation is that the Vikings will forever have claim to the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy. The traveling trophy that was supposed to go to the league champion from 1933-69 had been missing for about six decades. It was recently discovered. The important piece of NFL history was found disassembled in some damn closet in the Green Bay Packers facilities. For some reason, the Packers feel that they have claim to the trophy. They reassembled the trophy they broke and lost and put it on display in their museum. As the final winners of the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy, the Vikings should finally hold the trophy they won but never held. As the final winners of the Thorp, it should be in the Vikings museum. If nothing else, the trophy should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One place it should not be is with the team that broke and lost it. 

Like the Vikings, the Baltimore Colts won an NFL title but lost the Super Bowl that followed. The Colts beat the Cleveland Browns in the 1968 NFL Championship but were upset by the New York Jets in Super Bowl III. 

Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Wish List

ESPN’s Matt Bowen released his ranking of the Top 50 NFL Free Agents. Not all of the 50 will actually be available when teams can start tampering on March 10. Some might be re-signed by their current teams. Some might be slapped with the franchise tag. For the purpose of this Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Wish list, I’m assuming that all of the 50 will be available. Here are some of the most dreamy with their ranking on Bowen’s list.

Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Wish List

2.   Trey Smith, G, Kansas City Chiefs

4.   D.J. Reed, CB, New York Jets

10. Osa Odighizuwa, DT, Dallas Cowboys

16. Milton Williams, DT, Philadelphia Eagles

19. Will Fries, G, Indianapolis Colts

30. Mekhi Becton, G, Philadelphia Eagles

31. Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Los Angeles Chargers

38. James Daniels, G, Pittsburgh Steelers

41. Teven Jenkins, G, Chicago Bears

44. Paulson Adebo, CB, New Orleans Saints

That list reflects the Vikings obvious offseason needs. The most glaring need for improvement is on the interior of the offensive line. Defensive line and cornerback aren’t far behind. If they improve those three position groups in free agency, it’ll give the Vikings great flexibility in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

The Vikings will have substantial salary cap space. It isn’t the sort of space that allows them to just toss dollars at any and all available free agents. They also have decisions to make on their own free agents. Part of my free agency wish list includes re-signing cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and safety Camryn Bynum. 

Dream Offseason:

Re-sign:

Byron Murphy Jr.

Camryn Bynum

Sign:

Trey Smith

Milton Williams

Paulson Adebo

A dilemma in forming this dreamy offseaon is whether to target Trey Smith for one guard spot or two of the “cheaper” free agents for both guard spots. Signing Smith will require re-setting the guard market. He’ll come out of this as the highest-paid guard in the league. The Vikings might be able to sign Will Fries and James Daniels for perhaps a little more than just Smith. When thinking about this dilemma, I can’t help but recall the 2006 offseason. The Vikings went all in at improving the interior of the offensive line by signing Steve Hutchinson to a market-setting deal. It made all of the difference. Hutchinson was probably the team’s MVP in 2006. Each following season was a steady climb to 2009. The Vikings were the best team in the league that season and should’ve been in Super Bowl XLIV to prove it. Hutchinson was outstanding throughout his time in Minnesota as he played is way to a Hall of Fame bust in Canton. I can see Trey Smith having a similar impact on the offensive line. For that reason alone, I lean towards signing Bowen’s #2 free agent. 

I tend to avoid monkeying around with actual numbers when formulating a dream offseason. There’s so many ways to Tetris salary cap numbers into place. That’s especially true when a team has at least $60 million and potentially as much as $80 million to manipulate. I’ll let Vikings cap wizard Rob Brzezinski do the real work. All I can really do is dream about the possibilities. I do know that the Vikings will be active in free agency. That should make March 10 and the days that follow a lot of fun. 

Pro Football Writers Season Awards

The Pro Football Writers of America announced their awards last week for the 2024 NFL Season. These awards get far less attention than the AP awards that are announced during the NFL Honors broadcast but they are no less significant. 

PFWA NFL Awards

Most Valuable Player

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

Offensive Player of the Year

Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Defensive Player of the Year

Patrick Surtain II, CB, Denver Broncos

Rookie of the Year

Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Jared Verse, LB, Los Angeles Rams

Coach of the Year

Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings

Executive of the Year

Brad Holmes, Detroit Lions

Assistant Coach of the Year

Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions

Comeback Player of the Year

Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Most Improved Player of the Year

Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings

2024 PFWA All-Pro Team

Offense

QB-Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

RB-Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles; Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

WR-Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals; Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

TE-Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

C-Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs

G-Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos; Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs 

T-Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions; Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Defense

DE-Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns; Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals 

DT-Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers; Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs

OLB-Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos; T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers 

MLB-Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers 

CB-Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans; Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos

S-kerby joseph, Detroit Lions; Xavier McKinney, Green Bay Packers

Special Teams

PK-Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers 

P-Jack Fox, Detroit Lions

KR-KaVontae Turpin, Dallas Cowboys

PR-Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos

ST-Brendan Schooler, New England Patriots

Due to his dirty ways, Lions safety Kerby Joseph has no business being on any team of honor. 

Current Minnesota Vikings Coaching Staff

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores interviewed with three of the teams looking for a new head coach. Those three teams were the Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and Jacksonville Jaguars. All three teams went in a different direction. Perhaps it was due to Flores’ still-pending lawsuit against the league and a few teams over hiring practices. Perhaps it was simply due to those teams preferring another coach. Who knows? The New Orleans Saints are the lone team still looking for a new head coach. As long as there’s an open job there’s a chance Flores gets the head coaching shot that he deserves. Despite that possibility, it looks like the Vikings will have their outstanding defensive coordinator around for another season. That’s a very good thing. 

Teams have been interested in other Vikings coaches. Quarterback coach Josh McCown also interviewed for the open Jets job. Assistant quarterback coach/Assistant offensive coordinator Grant Udinski has interviewed for a few of the available offensive coordinator jobs. Defensive backs/Pass game coordinator Daronte Jones has interviewed for a couple defensive coordinator jobs. We’ll see if those lead to a job offer. So far, it looks like the Vikings might keep the coaches that coached the team to a 14-4 season. 

Current Minnesota Vikings Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Kevin O’Connell

Assistant Head Coach/Outside Linebackers: Mike Pettine

Offensive Coordinator: Wes Phillips

Defensive Coordinator: Brian Flores

Special Teams Coordinator: Matt Daniels

Offense:

Quarterbacks: Josh McCown

Assistant Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Quarterbacks: Grant Udinski

Senior Offensive Assistant: Chris O’Hara

Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs: Curtis Modkins

Receivers: Keenan McCardell

Assistant Receivers/Quality Control: Tony Sorrentino

Pass Game Coodinator/Tight Ends: Brian Angelichio

Offensive Line: Chris Kuper

Assistant Offensive Line: Shaun Sarrett

Pass Game Specialist/Game Management Coordinator: Ryan Cordell

Quality Control: Derron Montgomery

Offensive Assistant: Ben Ellefson

Assistant to the Head Coach: Henry Schneider IV

Defense:

Defensive Line: Marcus Dixon

Assistant Defensive Line: Patrick Hill

Inside Linebackers: Mike Siravo

Assistant Inside Linebackers: Thad Bogardus

Defensive Backs: Daronte Jones

Safeties: Michael Hutchings

Defensive Assistant: Imarjaye Albury

Quality Control: Lance Bennett

Special Teams:

Assistant Special Teams: Dalmin Gibson

Flea Flicker Conference Championship Predictions

It’s the Final Four! Here are some guesses at the big games.

Washington Commanders @ Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: Commanders

The Commanders continue their magical run. 

Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: Bills

Josh Allen finally gets to the Big Game. After about 30 years, the Bills finally return to the Big Game. 

NFL Head Coach Churn: Then There Was One

With regards to this year’s edition of the NFL’s Head Coach Churn, the past 48 hours have been interesting. The Las Vegas Raiders hired a coach that’s nearly twice the age of the coach the Chicago Bears hired. The Jacksonville Jaguars obliterated the intended purpose of the Rooney Rule to hire the coach they prized all along. They even fired their general manager to get him. Yesterday, the Jaguars, Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys found their new head coach. Only one team is coach-less. The New Orleans Saints are still looking for their next head coach. Here’s the current tracking of this year’s head coach and general manager churn. 

Chicago Bears

Fired Head Coach Matt Eberflus midseason

Head Coach:

Hired Ben Johnson, Lions OC

After interviewing about 20 candidates, the Bears went with coach they had probably targeted all along. 

Dallas Cowboys

Head Coach Mike McCarthy’s contract was not renewed

Head Coach:

Hired Brian Schottenheimer, Cowboys OC

Jacksonville Jaguars

Fired Head Coach Doug Pederson after the season. General Manager Trent Baalke was finally fired this week. 

Head Coach:

Hired Liam Coen, Buccaneers OC

General Manager Interview Requests:

The Jaguars are just getting started. Apparently Coen gets to hire the team’s next GM. Nice perk for his first job. 

Las Vegas Raiders

Fired Head Coach Antonio Pierce and General Manager Tom Telesco

Head Coach:

Hired Pete Carroll, former Seahawks HC

General Manager:

Hired John Spytek, Buccaneers Assistant GM

The Raiders are the only team with a first-year head coach older than their owner. 

New England Patriots 

Fired Head Coach Jerod Mayo

Hired Mike Vrabel, former Titans HC

The Patriots fired one of their so they could hire one of their own. 

New Orleans Saints

Fired Head Coach Dennis Allen midseason

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Joe Brady, Bills OC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Mike Kafka, Giants OC

Kliff Kingsbury, Commanders OC

Mike McCarthy, former Packers and Cowboys HC

Kellen Moore, Eagles OC

Darren Rizzi, Saints Interim HC

David Shaw, former Stanford HC

Anthony Weaver, Dolphins DC

The Saints are the only team without a head coach. Seeing as Aaron Glenn is the only coach they’ve interviewed that’s taken a job, they have their pick of the rest of their targets. It’s a damn shame that Glenn was probably the coach they had targeted. 

New York Jets

Fired Head Coach Robert Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas midseason 

Head Coach:

Hired Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Like the Bears, the Jets interviewed nearly 20 coaches and hired the one they probably targeted all along. Seeing as Glenn was drafted by the Jets in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft, this feels right. 

General Manager Interview Requests

Mike Borgonzi, Chiefs Assistant GM

Trey Brown, Bengals Senior Personnel Executive 

Thomas Dimitroff, former Falcons GM

Ray Farmer, Rams Senior Personnel Executive 

Brian Gaine, Bills Assistant GM

Mike Greenberg, Buccaneers Assistant GM

Ryan Grigson, former Colts GM

Alec Halaby, Eagles Assistant GM

Darren Mougey, Broncos Assistant GM

Jim Nagy, Reese’s Senior Bowl Executive

Lance Newmark, Commanders Assistant GM

Louis Riddick, ESPN Analyst

Jon Robinson, former Titans GM

Chris Spielman, Lions Special Assistant

Jon-Eric Sullivan, Packers VP of Player Personnel

It sounds like Darren Mougey has the job. 

Tennessee Titans

Fired General Manager Ran Carthon

Hired Mike Borgonzi, Chiefs Assistant GM 

Vikings Futures Revisited

Four teams continue their football fun this weekend. Unfortunately, the Minnesota Vikings aren’t one of them. They are firmly in the offseason. Instead of preparing for a big football game they are doing procedural things like signing their head coach to a contract extension. Among those procedural things is the signing of players to reserve/futures contracts. Days after the season ended, the Vikings signed 12 players to such contracts.

Brett Rypien, QB

Zavier Scott, RB

Lucky Jackson, WR

Thayer Thomas, WR

Henry Byrd, G

Marcellus Johnson, OT

Leroy Watson, OT

Jonathan Harris, DL

Max Tooley, LB

Gabriel Murphy, OLB

Kahlef Hailassie, CB

Reddy Steward, CB

All but corners Kahlef Hailassie and Reddy Steward were on the Vikings practice squad during the season. Hailassie was on the Cleveland Browns roster the last two seasons. Steward spent the 2024 season on the Chicago Bears practice squad. 

Reserve/futures contracts are contracts that secure players in the moment but are more for the future. In the case of the players signed by the Vikings, the contracts are for the 2025 season. For now, they are secure on a Vikings reserve list and can’t negotiate with other teams. The only limit to the number of players signed to reserve/futures contracts is the 90-man roster limit of the following season. For the players, it takes away the potential uncertainty of free agency. For the teams, it’s a mechanism to fill out the bottom of the roster. While the players involved usually have a long road to NFL stardom, gems can be found. Gabriel Murphy might be one of those for the Vikings. As an undrafted rookie, he was flashing often in training camp. An injury derailed his pursuit of a roster spot. He was on injured reserve for most of the season but did get some late, important opportunities. 

Since the early signing flurry, the Vikings signed four more players to reserve/futures contracts. 

Jeshaun Jones, WR

Trevor Reid, OL

Ambry Thomas, CB

Nahshon Wright, CB

Seeing as the Vikings have four corners currently scheduled to be free agents in March, it should be no surprise that four of the reserve/futures signees are corners.

Receiver Trishton Jackson and tight end Nick Muse have been on the Vikings roster in some fashion for a few years. Jackson opted to sign a reserve/futures contract with the Arizona Cardinals. Nick Muse was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles. Last week, his 2024 season was over. This week, his 2024 season continues in the NFC Championship game. 

NFL Head Coach and General Manager Tracker

The annual NFL Head Coach and General Manager Churn continues to churn. There once were seven open head coach jobs. Now there are four. The Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, and New York Jets have their new head coach. It also looks like they have the coach they targeted from the start. If that’s the case, the Bears and Jets each wasted the time of nearly 20 coaches when Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn were their targets probably from the moment they fired coaches midseason. The Patriots just skipped through the Rooney Rule obligations and grabbed Mike Vrabel as soon as possible. As for the general managers, initially there were three openings. The Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders have their new general managers. The New York Jets are closing in on theirs. A fourth opening popped up yesterday. The Jacksonville Jaguars finally rid themselves of Trent Baalke. Now, they are looking for a new head coach and a new general manager. How Baalke got a second job and kept it will forever be a mystery. Here’s where each of the teams are in their various searches. 

Chicago Bears

Fired Head Coach Matt Eberflus midseason

Hired Ben Johnson, Lions OC

After interviewing about 20 candidates, the Bears went with coach they had probably targeted all along. 

Dallas Cowboys

Head Coach Mike McCarthy’s contract was not renewed

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Leslie Frazier, Seahawks Assistant HC

Kellen Moore, Eagles OC

Robert Saleh, former Jets HC

Brian Schottenheimer, Cowboys OC

Jacksonville Jaguars

Fired Head Coach Doug Pederson after the season. General Manager Trent Baalke was finally fired yesterday. 

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Joe Brady, Bills OC

Liam Coen, Buccaneers OC

Brian Flores, Vikings DC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Patrick Graham, Raiders DC

Ben Johnson, Lions OC

Todd Monken, Ravens OC

Kellen Moore, Eagles OC

Robert Saleh, former Jets HC

Steve Spagnuolo, Chiefs DC

General Manager Interview Requests:

The Jaguars are just getting started. 

Las Vegas Raiders

Fired Head Coach Antonio Pierce and General Manager Tom Telesco

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Pete Carroll, former Seahawks HC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Ben Johnson, Lions OC

Vance Joseph, Broncos DC

Todd Monken, Ravens OC

Ron Rivera, former Panthers and Commanders HC

Robert Saleh, former Jets HC

Steve Spagnuolo, Chiefs DC

General Manager:

Hired John Spytek, Buccaneers Assistant GM

New England Patriots 

Fired Head Coach Jerod Mayo

Hired Mike Vrabel, former Titans HC

The Patriots fired one of their so they could hire one of their own. 

New Orleans Saints

Fired Head Coach Dennis Allen midseason

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Joe Brady, Bills OC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Mike Kafka, Giants OC

Kliff Kingsbury, Commanders OC

Mike McCarthy, former Packers and Cowboys HC

Kellen Moore, Eagles OC

Darren Rizzi, Saints Interim HC

David Shaw, former Stanford HC

Anthony Weaver, Dolphins DC

New York Jets

Fired Head Coach Robert Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas midseason 

Hired Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Like the Bears, the Jets interviewed nearly 20 coaches and hired the one they probably targeted all along. Seeing as Glenn was drafted by the Jets in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft, this feels right. 

General Manager Interview Requests

Mike Borgonzi, Chiefs Assistant GM

Trey Brown, Bengals Senior Personnel Executive 

Thomas Dimitroff, former Falcons GM

Ray Farmer, Rams Senior Personnel Executive 

Brian Gaine, Bills Assistant GM

Mike Greenberg, Buccaneers Assistant GM

Ryan Grigson, former Colts GM

Alec Halaby, Eagles Assistant GM

Darren Mougey, Broncos Assistant GM

Jim Nagy, Reese’s Senior Bowl Executive

Lance Newmark, Commanders Assistant GM

Louis Riddick, ESPN Analyst

Jon Robinson, former Titans GM

Chris Spielman, Lions Special Assistant

Jon-Eric Sullivan, Packers VP of Player Personnel

Tennessee Titans

Fired General Manager Ran Carthon

Hired Mike Borgonzi, Chiefs Assistant GM 

Minnesota Vikings, Kevin O’Connell Agree To Contract Extension

Yesterday, the Minnesota Vikings and Kevin O’Connell agreed to a contract extension. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed. The compensation is sure to be substantial. O’Connell is and will be the head coach of the Vikings for the foreseeable future. 

There was never a doubt. It was inevitable. Despite clown reports and speculation that there was tension in the building and that O’Connell could be had by any team with high-end draft picks to spend, this agreement was the only possible outcome. The Vikings found their head coach in 2022 and he’s here to stay.

The list of accomplishments in O’Connell’s three years with the Vikings is significant:

-34-17 record 

-won 30 games quicker than any coach in team history

-first Vikings coach to have multiple 13-win seasons

-two 13-win seasons with different quarterbacks

-helped create a culture and environment that’s the envy of the league

If not for an injury-ravaged 2023 season, O’Connell’s three-year win total likely would’ve inched closer to 40. Only the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, and Detroit Lions have won more games than the Vikings since O’Connell was hired. The only knock to his great head coaching start is an 0-2 playoff record. That’ll change about a year from now. 

His work with the 2024 Vikings might’ve earned him the league’s Coach of the Year award. He’s certainly in the running for it. 

Next up is a contact extension for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The Vikings future is in good hands. With O’Connell firmly in place and J.J. McCarthy ready to take over the team, the Vikings future is as bright as it’s ever been. 

First Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft

There once was a day when crafting a team’s mock draft took a lot of time, research, and paper. Those days are long gone. With the various mock draft simulators out there, crafting a team’s mock draft is way too easy. It’s so easy that it can become addicting. This is my first Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft of the mock draft season. 

The Vikings currently hold three draft picks. Those picks are a first and two fifths. A third-round Compensatory Pick is expected to boost their picks to four. Here’s an early guess at those four picks.

1. Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi

3. Mello Dotson, CB, Kansas

5. Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State

5. Kaden Prather, WR, Maryland

I believe that the Vikings will throughly address the interior of the offensive line in free agency. Fixing that area is the team’s biggest offseason need. If that goes as hoped, defensive line and cornerback will likely be the top draft needs. Walter Nolen would be a nice start on the defensive front. Mello Dotson should help the secondary. Two picks over the first two nights of the draft isn’t a lot but it’s what they have.

Running back could be the draft’s most intriguing position for the Vikings. If they fix the offensive line and address the defensive line and cornerback in free agency, I could easily see the Vikings grab a running in the first round. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty would be a dream. Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson or North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton could be targets with the 24th pick. For this mock draft, I have the Vikings waiting until Day 3 for their running back. Kaden Prather’s 6’4” size would be a nice addition to the receiver room. Maybe he could follow in the footsteps another fifth-round receiver out of Maryland, Stefon Diggs. 

Until the next one. 

Knee-Jerk Minnesota Vikings Offseason

It’s been less than a week since the sad end of the Minnesota Vikings season. It’s probably too early to think about next season but here’s a knee-jerk look at what should be an active offseason. Without a quarterback getting an out-sized portion of the salary cap, the Vikings will be able to do some serious shopping. Here’s a too early, knee-jerk look at a possible offseason. 

The Vikings have a significant number of players currently scheduled to become free agents in March. Of that number, most shouldn’t cost much to retain. Two will.

Byron Murphy Jr.

Cam Bynum

The hope here is that the Vikings manage to keep both players. Byron Murphy Jr. played his way into the Pro Bowl in his second season in Minnesota. Cam Bynum has been a mainstay in the back of the Vikings defense for three years. Each have earned a decent next contract. Hopefully, it’s with the Vikings.

Now comes a spending spree. 

The interior of the offensive line is priority #1. The Vikings can go about this rebuild in a few different ways:

1. 3 new players

2. 2 new guards, keep Garrett Bradbury

3. 1 new guard, new center, keep Blake Brandel

Since last Monday, I’ve flipped and flopped between the three. Most often, I favor #2. Garrett Bradbury’s strengths have always been his smarts, quickness, and agility. It’s his lack of bulk and strength that often gets him in trouble. With J.J. McCarthy stepping in as quarterback of the Vikings, Bradbury’s smarts and knowledge of the offense will be an asset. If the guard positions are filled as hoped, this year will be the first year that Bradbury has lined up between skilled football players. So, two new guards. My dream offseason starts with this guy:

Trey Smith

Trey Smith has three rings as an integral part of a Kansas City Chiefs offensive line. I doubt that the Chiefs can afford to keep him. I know the Vikings can. I believe that he is and will be their top free agent target. After Smith, there are a few guards that are candidates to be the Vikings second guard. 

Teven Jenkins

Mekhi Becton

Robert Jones

For this knee-jerk offseason, I’m going with Teven Jenkins.

After the interior of the offensive line, defensive tackle and cornerback probably top the Vikings offseason needs. The two potential free agents that top my wish lists at those positions:

Milton Williams, DT, Philadelphia Eagles

Paulson Adebo, CB, New Orleans Saints

If my dreams come to be, the following will be Vikings next season:

Trey Smith

Teven Jenkins

Milton Williams

Paulson Adebo

It’ll probably take very large contracts to land Trey Smith and Milton Williams. Smith will be the highest paid guard in the league. Hopefully, he’ll do for the current Vikings what Steve Hutchinson did for the Vikings when he was signed about 20 years ago. A deal for Williams will probably be within reach of the most richly compensated defensive tackles in the league. Teven Jenkins won’t be nearly as expensive but he won’t come cheap. Paulson Adebo missed nearly all of the 2024 season with a broken femur. Signing a player coming off an injury is a risk. I believe that Adebo is worth the risk. He was an ascending player before the injury. 

Now comes the draft.

The Vikings currently have only three picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Those three picks are a first and two fifths. The Vikings are expected to receive a third-round Compensatory Pick to boost the number of picks to four. For the purpose of this knee-jerk offseason, I’m only focusing on the first- and third-round picks. It’s too early in the draft process to consider the fifth-round picks. 

1. Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi

3. Devin Neal, RB, Kansas

While I don’t see running back as free agent need, I do see the position as a significant draft need. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty would be a dream first-round pick. It’s far more likely that he’s selected among the first 12 picks than drop to the Vikings pick at 24. This draft projects as a strong running back draft. There are a couple running backs, other than Jeanty, I could see the Vikings considering at 24. Perhaps Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson or North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton. At the moment, I like an impactful defensive lineman in the first and a running back in the third. 

In this knee-jerk offseason, I have the Vikings improving the trenches on both sides of the ball. The game starts there. To insure a strong foundation, the Vikings must improve those areas. 

Minnesota Vikings Free Agents

The Minnesota Vikings offseason started about four weeks too early. Still, it’s started. With significant salary cap space, it should be a very active offseason. That activity starts with addressing the team’s own free agents. They have a bunch of them.

Minnesota Vikings Free Agents

Cam Akers, RB

Jonathan Bullard, DL

Cam Bynum, S

Sam Darnold, QB

Dan Feeney, G

Stephon Gilmore, CB

Shaquill Griffin, CB

Kamu Grugier-Hill, LB

Theo Jackson, S

Aaron Jones, RB

Daniel Jones, QB

Patrick Jones II, OLB

Fabian Moreau, CB

Nick Mullens, QB

Johnny Mundt, TE

Byron Murphy Jr., CB

David Quessenberry, OT

Brandon Powell, WR

Dalton Risner, G

Cam Robinson, OT

Trent Sherfield Sr., WR

Jerry Tillery, DL

Jihad Ward, OLB

Ryan Wright, P

Much of the free agent attention is on the quarterbacks. Shocking. It’s always about the quarterbacks. For me, the Vikings free agents talk starts with Cam Bynum and Byron Murphy Jr. I’d like to see both back. I’d also like to see Harrison Smith back. He’ll celebrate his 36th birthday in a couple weeks. If Brian Flores returns as the Vikings defensive coordinator, I could see Smith returning. If Flores gets one of the available head coach jobs, I expect Smith to retire. That’ll be a sad day for all Vikings fans. He’s been a brilliant football player for every one of his 13 seasons in Minnesota. 

Now, how about those quarterbacks? From Week 1 to Week 17, Sam Darnold played his way to a lucrative contract with one of the quarterback needy teams. The Vikings are not one of those teams. The Kwesi Adofo-Mensah - Kevin O’Connell regime have been building since they were hired in 2022 to this moment. They have the opportunity to move forward with a hand-selected, highly-drafted quarterback on a rookie deal. This is J.J. McCarthy’s team now. I’m hoping that Daniel Jones can be signed to a contract similar to the contract that Darnold signed last season. The Vikings need a veteran quarterback to backup and assist McCarthy. I hope that quarterback is Jones. 

After Bynum, Murphy, and hopefully Jones, there are a number of free agents that it’d be nice to have back.

Cam Akers

Jonathan Bullard

Theo Jackson

Johnny Mundt

Trent Sherfield Sr.

Jerry Tillery

Jihad Ward

The Vikings have a lot of free agents. They have a lot of decisions to make. I think that most of those decisions are pretty easy. Fortunately, those decisions aren’t mine to make. 

Flea Flicker Divisional Round Predictions

Eight teams are alive in the NFL playoffs. Four teams will move on to the Conference Championship. Here are guesses at the Divisional Round games.

Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: Chiefs

I’m not sure if the Texans have played like many expected all season. Perhaps the closest was the second half of their Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs just find a way to win postseason games.

Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions

Pick: Lions

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Commanders win. The Lions defense is terrible. I’m guessing the Lions offense does enough to edge the young Commanders.

Los Angeles Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: Rams

The Rams are peaking at the right time as the Eagles seem to be in the midst of another late season fade. 

Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills

Pick: Bills

I can see this game going about a hundred different ways with each team winning a fair share. I’m not sure if I’m picking the Bills because I want them to win or if I think they’ll win. 

NFL Head Coach and General Manager Tracker

The annual NFL Head Coach and General Manager Churn continues to churn. One of the six teams looking for a new head coach has found one. None of the three teams looking for a new general manager has found one. Interviews are a daily event until all of the positions are filled. Here’s where each of the teams are in their various searches. 

Chicago Bears

Fired Head Coach Matt Eberflus midseason

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Thomas Brown, Bears Interim HC

Matt Campbell, Iowa State HC

Pete Carroll, former Seahawks HC

Brian Flores, Vikings DC

Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame HC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Ben Johnson, Lions OC

Mike Kafka, Giants OC

Kliff Kingsbury, Commanders OC

Mike McCarthy, former Cowboys HC

Todd Monken, Ravens OC

Drew Petzing, Cardinals OC

Ron Rivera, former Commanders and Panthers HC

David Shaw, former Stanford HC

Arthur Smith, Steelers OC

Adam Stenavich, Packers OC

Mike Vrabel, former Titans HC

Anthony Weaver, Dolphins DC

Dallas Cowboys

Head Coach Mike McCarthy’s contract was not renewed

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Leslie Frazier, Seahawks Assistant HC

Kellen Moore, Eagles OC

Robert Saleh, former Jets HC

Jacksonville Jaguars

Fired Head Coach Doug Pederson

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Joe Brady, Bills OC

Liam Coen, Buccaneers OC

Brian Flores, Vikings DC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Patrick Graham, Raiders DC

Ben Johnson, Lions OC

Todd Monken, Ravens OC

Kellen Moore, Eagles OC

Robert Saleh, former Jets HC

Steve Spagnuolo, Chiefs DC

Las Vegas Raiders

Fired Head Coach Antonio Pierce and General Manager Tom Telesco

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Pete Carroll, former Seahawks HC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Ben Johnson, Lions OC

Vance Joseph, Broncos DC

Todd Monken, Ravens OC

Robert Saleh, former Jets HC

Steve Spagnuolo, Chiefs DC

General Manager Interview Requests:

Chad Alexander, Chargers Assistant GM

John Spytek, Buccaneers Assistant GM

Jon-Eric Sullivan, Packers VP of Player Personnel

Sheldon White, Steelers Director of Pro Scouting

New England Patriots 

Fired Head Coach Jerod Mayo

Hired Mike Vrabel

New Orleans Saints

Fired Head Coach Dennis Allen midseason

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Mike Kafka, Giants OC

Kliff Kingsbury, Commanders OC

Mike McCarthy, former Packers and Cowboys HC

Kellen Moore, Eagles OC

David Shaw, former Stanford HC

Anthony Weaver, Dolphins DC

New York Jets

Fired Head Coach Robert Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas midseason 

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Joe Brady, Bills OC

Brian Flores, Vikings DC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Jeff Hafley, Packers DC

Vance Joseph, Broncos DC

Mike Locksley, Maryland HC

Josh McCown, Vikings QB Coach

Matt Nagy, Chiefs OC

Ron Rivera, former Panthers and Commanders HC

Darren Rizzi, Saints interim HC

Rex Ryan, former Jets and Bills HC

Bobby Slowik, Texans OC

Arthur Smith, Steelers OC

Steve Spagnuolo, Chiefs DC

Jeff Ulbrich, Jets Interim HC

Mike Vrabel, former Titans HC

Joe Whitt, Commanders DC

General Manager Interview Requests

Mike Borgonzi, Chiefs Assistant GM

Trey Brown, Bengals Senior Personnel Executive 

Thomas Dimitroff, former Falcons GM

Ray Farmer, Rams Senior Personnel Executive 

Brian Gaine, Bills Assistant GM

Mike Greenberg, Buccaneers Assistant GM

Ryan Grigson, former Colts GM

Alec Halaby, Eagles Assistant GM

Darren Mougey, Broncos Assistant GM

Jim Nagy, Reese’s Senior Bowl Executive

Lance Newmark, Commanders Assistant GM

Louis Riddick, ESPN Analyst

Jon Robinson, former Titans GM

Chris Spielman, Lions Special Assistant

Jon-Eric Sullivan, Packers VP of Player Personnel

Tennessee Titans

Fired General Manager Ran Carthon

General Manager Interview Requests:

Matt Berry, Seahawks Senior Director of Player Personnel

Matt Borgonzi, Chiefs Assistant GM

Ian Cunningham, Bears Assistant GM

Thomas Dimitroff, former Falcons GM

Ed Dodds, Colts Assistant GM

Terrance Gray, Bills Director of Player Personnel

Catherine Hickman, Browns Assistant GM/VP of Football Operations

Reggie McKenzie, former Raiders GM 

John Spytek, Buccaneers Assistant GM

Jon-Eric Sullivan, Packers Vice President of Player Personnel

Minnesota Vikings Sign 13 Players To Futures Contracts

Whether it comes in not making the playoffs or losing in the playoffs, there’s often a feeling of disbelief when a season comes to a disappointing end. For me, the end of a Minnesota Vikings doesn’t start to feel real until they start signing players to reserve/futures contracts. They did that yesterday. 

The Vikings signed 13 players to reserve/futures contracts. 11 of the 13 players were on the Vikings practice squad during the season.

Brett Rypien, QB

Zavier Scott, RB

Lucky Jackson, WR

Thayer Thomas, WR

Henry Byrd, G

Marcellus Johnson, OT

Leroy Watson, OT

Jonathan Harris, DL

Travis Bell, DL

Max Tooley, LB

Gabriel Murphy, OLB

Gabriel Murphy is the key signing here. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent last spring, he was a standout in training camp. He was playing so well that it was forcing good, but tough, roster discussions. Unfortunately, an injury put Murphy on injured reserve for most of the season. That put those tough roster decisions off for a later date. Upon his return for the last quarter of the season, he was an occasional game day activation and saw some playing time. He’s a promising football player and it’s a good thing that his return for another season is secure. 

The Vikings looked to the rosters of other teams for two of the 13 reserve/futures signings. 

Kahlef Hailassie, CB

Reddy Steward, CB

Kahlef Hailassie spent the past two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He may have caught the attention of Vikings decision-makers when the team scrimmaged with the Browns during training camp. Undrafted last spring, Reddy Steward spent his rookie season with the Chicago Bears. He played in one game. 

Reserve/futures contracts are contracts that secure players in the moment but are more for the future. In the case of the 13 players signed yesterday by the Vikings, the contracts are for the 2025 season. For now, they are secure on a Vikings reserve list and can’t negotiate with other teams. The only limit to the number of players signed to reserve/futures contracts is the 90-man roster limit of the following season. For the players, it takes away the potential uncertainty of free agency. For the teams, it’s a mechanism to fill out the bottom of the roster. While the players involved usually have a long road to NFL stardom, gems can be found. Gabriel Murphy might be one of those. 

2025 NFL Draft Order (so far)

The Minnesota Vikings playoff run ended about four weeks too soon. Sadly, it’s now the offseason for them. With the Wild Card round of the playoffs now done, 24 picks are set in the 2025 NFL Draft.

2025 NFL Draft Order

1.   Tennessee Titans

2.   Cleveland Browns

3.   New York Giants

4.   New England Patriots

5.   Jacksonville Jaguars

6.   Las Vegas Raiders

7.   New York Jets

8.   Carolina Panthers

9.   New Orleans Saints

10. Chicago Bears

11. San Francisco 49ers

12. Dallas Cowboys

13. Miami Dolphins

14. Indianapolis Colts

15. Atlanta Falcons

16. Arizona Cardinals

17. Cincinnati Bengals 

18. Seattle Seahawks

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

20. Denver Broncos

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

22. Los Angeles Chargers

23. Green Bay Packers

24. Minnesota Vikings 

With the early exit from the playoffs, the Vikings secured the 24th pick in the first round. For anyone that watched the team’s final two games, it’s real clear that the interior of the offensive line is in dire need of improvement. It’s not the only need. Here’s a real early look at the Vikings needs heading into the offseason. 

Interior offensive line

Defensive line

Cornerback

Running back

Safety

I believe that at least one guard will be priority #1 in free agency. Trey Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs is a dream addition. The Vikings simply can not skip through another season with low-budget attempts at filling their interior offensive line. Center Garrett Bradbury has his strengths. Smarts, agility, and quickness are among them. Size and strength aren’t. Perhaps larger and more skilled guards on either side will maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. At least, that’s the hope. Otherwise, all three positions need to be fixed. 

Currently, the Vikings hold only three draft picks (a first and two fifths). That meager number should be helped a bit by a third-round compensatory pick. With limited draft capital and significant salary cap space, I expect the Vikings to be very active in free agency. They have a fairly large number of free agents. Of those, cornerback Byron Murphy Jr, and safety Cam Bynum are the closest to must re-signs. Hopefully, both are back. If they are, cornerback and safety become less of a need. 

A very early hypothetical Vikings free agency:

Re-sign:

Byron Murphy Jr., CB

Camryn Bynum, S

Sign:

Trey Smith, G

Milton Williams, DT

another guard

I’m not sure if that’s financially feasible but something close to this dream free agency would give the Vikings draft flexibility at #24. 

24 is eight spots too early. I was hoping that these offseason thoughts would be necessary for another month. 

Vikings - Rams

There was a Wild Card playoff game played last night. Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams. It was originally scheduled to be played at Sofi Stadium. The terrible fires in Southern California forced the game to be moved to the home stadium of the Arizona Cardinals. Only one of the teams appeared to have adjusted to the changes and showed up for the game. With a score of 27-9, the Rams are moving on to the Divisional Round. The Vikings are heading home and left to wonder how it all went so wrong. 

That was a brutal way to end a fun season. The Vikings won 14 games and lost four games. In a peculiar twist, they lost to only two teams. They lost to the Detroit Lions and Rams over four days in October. They lost to the Lions and Rams over eight days in January. Other than that, the Vikings were a perfect 14-0. The games in October were competitive. The Lions needed a late field goal to win. The Rams needed a late, famously missed facemask penalty to secure the win. The games in January were not competitive. Over the last eight days, the Vikings lost to the Lions and Rams by a combined score of 58-18. 12 of those 18 points were from field goals. After a regular season of scattered explosive plays and robust scoring, the Vikings offense ended the season exposed, vulnerable, and inept. 

The Vikings won 14 games as a team. A fun team. It isn’t right to point fingers over the failures of the last eight days. Still, it’s inevitable. Sam Darnold was solid and often brilliant in leading the Vikings through a fun 14-3 regular season. He was signed last offseason to be a placeholder this season. First-round pick J.J McCarthy was supposed to take over next season. Darnold’s strong, months-long play was forcing a re-think of that plan. I expect that his play over the past two games has put an end to that re-think. The scattered, scared play that plagued his early years with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers reappeared. Over eight days, he looked nothing like the quarterback of the previous four months. But it wasn’t all Darnold. The offensive line hasn’t been a strength all season. Things got even worse after left tackle Christian Darrisaw was lost for the season against the Rams in October. Over the last two games, the offensive line has been a sieve. Calling the interior of the offensive line a sieve would be generous. Darnold has been under siege. The Rams sacked him a playoff-record nine times. The Vikings won 14 games as a team. While it’s easy to point fingers, they lost these past two games as a team. 

Still, moving forward, priority #1 for the Vikings is an overhaul of the interior of the offensive line. I also think that Darnold’s play behind the woeful line makes the decision to move to McCarthy a little easier. 

Troy Aikman said during the broadcast that a playoff loss wrecks a season. He’s wrong. A playoff loss, especially a brutal playoff loss, stings. It’ll sting for a while. Unfortunately, I know the feeling well. About a half century of it. I’ve enjoyed my lifetime of Vikings football. I enjoyed this season. The 2024 Minnesota Vikings were a very fun team. This disappointing loss takes nothing away from that. Now, I look forward to the 2025 Minnesota Vikings. 

Minnesota Vikings Postseason History

Tonight, the Minnesota Vikings will play the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs. It will be their 32nd appearance in postseason. Sadly, the Vikings have never won that final game. Here’s a look at their postseason history.

Playoff Record Summary:

Appearances: 32

Games: 52 games, 21-31

Wild Card Round: 15 games, 7-8

Divisional Round: 23 games, 10-13

Conference Championship: 10 games, 4-6

Super Bowl: 4 games, 0-4

1968:

Divisional: @ Baltimore Colts, lost 14-24

1969:

Divisional: Los Angeles Rams, won 23-20

Conference Championship: Cleveland Browns, won 27-7

Super Bowl: Kansas City Chiefs, lost 7-23

1970:

Divisional: San Francisco 49ers, lost 14-17

1971:

Divisional: Dallas Cowboys, lost 12-20

1973:

Divisional: Washington Redskins, won  27-20

Conference Championship: @ Dallas Cowboys, won 27-10

Super Bowl: Miami Dolphins, lost 7-24

1974:

Divisional: St. Louis Cardinals, won 30-14

Conference Championship: Los Angeles Rams, won 14-10

Super Bowl: Pittsburgh Steelers, lost 6-16

1975:

Divisional: Dallas Cowboys, robbed 14-17

1976:

Divisional: Washington Redskins, won 35-20

Conference Championship: Los Angeles Rams, won 24-13

Super Bowl: Oakland Raiders, lost 14-32

1977: 

Divisional: @Los Angeles Rams, won 14-7

Conference Championship: @Dallas Cowboys, lost 6-23

1978: 

Divisional: @Los Angeles Rams, lost 10-34

1980:

Divisional: @Philadelphia Eagles, lost 16-31

1982:

Wild Card: Atlanta Falcons, won 30-24

Divisional: @Washington Redskins, lost 7-21

1987:

Wildcard: @New Orleans Saints, won 44-10

Divisional: @San Francisco 49ers, won 36-24

Conference Championship: @Washington Redskins, lost 10-17

1988:

Wildcard: Los Angeles Rams, won 28-17

Divisional: @San Francisco 49ers, lost 9-34

1989:

Divisional: @San Francisco 49ers, lost 13-41

1992:

Wild Card: Washington Redskins, lost 7-24

1993:

Wild Card: @New York Giants, lost 10-17

1994:

Wild Card: Chicago Bears, lost 18-35

1996:

Wild Card: @Dallas Cowboys, lost 15-40

1997:

Wild Card: @New York Giants, won 23-22

Divisional: @San Francisco 49ers, lost 22-38

1998:

Divisional: Arizona Cardinals, won 41-21

Conference Championship: Atlanta Falcons, lost 27-30

1999:

Wild Card: Dallas Cowboys, won 27-10

Divisional: @Los Angeles Rams, lost 37-49

2000:

Divisional: New Orleans Saints, won 34-17

Conference Championship: @New York Giants, lost 0-41

2004

Wild Card: @Green Bay Packers, won 31-17

Divisional: @Philadelphia Eagles, lost 14-27

2008:

Wild Card: Philadelphia Eagles, lost 14-26

2009:

Divisional: Dallas Cowboys, won 34-3

Conference Championship: @New Orleans Saints, lost 28-31

2012:

Wild Card: @Green Bay Packers, lost 10-24

2015:

Wild Card: Seattle Seahawks, lost 9-10

2017:

Divisional: New Orleans Saints, won 29-24

Conference Championship: @Philadelphia Eagles, lost 10-27

2019:

Wild Card: @New Orleans Saints, won 26-20

Divisional: @San Francisco 49ers, lost 10-27

2022:

Wild Card: New York Giants, lost 24-31

2024: 

   ?

My Time All - Time Los Angeles Rams Team

In advance of Minnesota Vikings games I’ve been selecting All-Time teams of that week’s opponent. The Vikings play the Los Angeles Rams tomorrow night in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs. It’s the second time this season that the two teams have played. The Vikings lost to the Rams in an October Thursday night game. Hopefully, this big game has a better result. To avoid doing something I’ve already done here’s something different. This is an All-Time Los Angeles Rams team made up of players that played during my time as a Vikings fan. 

Offense

Quarterback 

Kurt Warner

Running Back

Marshall Faulk

Fullback

Cullen Bryant

Wide Receivers

Harold Jackson

Isaac Bruce

Tight End

Tyler Higbee

Tackles

Orlando Pace

Jackie Slater

Guards

Tom Mack

Dennis Harrah

Center

Rich Saul

Defense

Defensive Ends

Jack Youngblood

Kevin Carter

Defensive Tackles

Merlin Olsen

Aaron Donald

Linebackers

Kevin Greene

Jack Reynolds

Isaiah Robertson

Cornerbacks

LeRoy Irvin

Jerry Gray

Safeties

Nolan Cromwell

Dave Elmendorf

Special Teams

Kicker

Jeff Wilkins

Punter

Johnny Hekker

Returner

Az-Zahir Hakim

Flea Flicker Wild Card Predictions

The NFL Playoffs kick off today. Here are some guesses at the Wild Card games.

Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Vikings

The Vikings must rebound from their worst game of the season. 

Denver Broncos @ Buffalo Bills

Pick: Bills

The Broncos got into the playoffs by beating the “B” team of the Kansas City Chiefs. They’ll get no such help from the Buffalo Bills.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens

Pick: Ravens

The Ravens roll.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston Texans

Pick: Texans

I’m not sure if the Texans ever played to the expectations many had for them this season. Here’s a guess to them finally playing close to those expectations.

Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: Packers

This is a prediction to get the Vikings a home game in the Divisional round. 

Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Commanders

This is a further attempt to get the Vikings a home game. 

Flea Flicker 2024 Awards

With the NFL’s 2024 regular season in the books and the playoffs about to start, it’s time for some Flea Flicker Awards. 

Most Valuable Player

Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

Offensive Player of the Year

Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Defensive Player of the Year

Andrew Van Ginkel, OLB, Minnesota Vikings

Comeback Player of the Year

Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals 

Coach of the Year

Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Jared Verse, OLB, Los Angeles Rams

All-Pro Team

Quarterback

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Running Back

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles 

Fullback

Patrick Ricard, Baltimore Ravens

Wide Receivers

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Tight End

Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

Offensive Tackles

Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions

Offensive Guards

Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs

Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons

Center

Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs

Defense

Edge Rushers

Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns

Andrew Van Ginkel, Minnesota Vikings

Interior Defensive Linemen

Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs

Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles

Linebackers

Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers

Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens

Cornerbacks

Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos

Derick Stingley, Houston Texans

Safeties

Xavier McKinney, Green Bay Packers

Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens

Special Teams

Kicker

Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Punter

Logan Cooke, Jacksonville Jaguars 

Kick Returner

KaVontae Turner, Dallas Cowboys

Punt Returner

Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos

Core Special Teamer

Trent Sherfield Sr., Minnesota Vikings

Long Snapper

Andrew DePaola, Minnesota Vikings

Throwback Thursday: Pennsylvania Switcheroo

Here's a Throwback to a Flicker originally posted on February 21, 2011. It's about the "moving" early days of the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. For some reason this little NFL franchise tale has been on my mind. 

As my interest in football, and its history, has grown over the years, I've found many fascinating little nuggets. Some of the most fascinating involve the paths franchises have taken to form the league we know today. The paths taken by the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers may be the most fascinating of all.

The Steelers, called the Pirates initially, and the Eagles started innocently enough in 1933. That innocence would be shattered eight years later. In the first two decades of the NFL's existence, all teams struggled. All teams carried financial concerns. Most teams had performance concerns. The Eagles and the Steelers/Pirates had both. With their decades-long recent success, it may be difficult to think of the Steelers as a struggling team. The first 40 years were pretty much the exact opposite of the last 50. Pirates owner, Art Rooney, had reportedly lost as much as $150,000 over the first 8 years. Perhaps the name was the problem. To hopefully inspire a public connection to the team, Rooney changed his team's name to the Steelers in 1940. The Eagles weren't doing much better as the '40s opened. deBenneville (let's call him Bert) Bell was a rich kid with a passion for football. In owning the Eagles, he satisfied the latter at the expense of his father's money. Bert Bell was to become such an important figure in the league's history that it's a bit surprising how close he was to losing it all.  Even in those tough, naive early days, Bell made an impact on the league as the players selection draft (the NFL Draft) was his idea.

As Bell and Rooney were facing difficult choices, Alexis Thompson wanted a piece of the football game. Thompson, ironically, was the heir to the Republic Steel Corporation fortune. Preferring Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, Thompson first tried to buy the Eagles. Bell passed. So, Thompson tried the Steelers. Rooney was reluctant. Somewhere, somehow, Bell got the idea of Rooney selling the Steelers and then using that money to buy a half-ownership of the Eagles. According to Rooney, "Bell did all the dickering." Thompson bought the Steelers for about $160,000. Rooney then bought a 50% share of the Eagles for $80,000. Everything seemed fine. However, 4 months later, Thompson had not opened offices in Pittsburgh. It didn't seem that Thompson cared much for doing business in Pittsburgh. Fearful of his hometown losing its football team, Rooney proposed what his son, Dan, referred to as a "switcheroo." Rooney/Bell would trade the Eagles to Thompson for the Steelers. It was more a switch of cities than teams. No cash or other considerations were involved.  Thompson clearly preferred Philadelphia over Pittsburgh. Rooney and Bell actually picked their "favorite" players from the two teams to form the new Steelers team. Roughly half of each team switched to the other. Both reconfigured teams struggled in their first season, 1941, with the Steelers finishing 1-9-1 and the Eagles finishing 2-8-1. The Eagles won and tied in the match-ups of the two teams. The Steelers managed the first winning season in franchise history the following year as they finished with a 7-4 record in 1942. The Eagles stumbled to a 2-9 record. WWII jumbled the rosters and the league. The financial and player demands of the War years forced the Eagles and Steelers to join forces and form one team in 1943, the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Steagles. Better days were on the way. By the end of the decade, the Eagles were a powerhouse, winning championships in '48 and '49. For the Steelers the winning, a lot of winning, was still about thirty years away.

Franchise movement and changes were fairly common in the first few decades of the league.  In my opinion, none was as crazy as the "switcheroo" of the Steelers and Eagles. The current Colts' franchise history is kind of wacky, but that's for another day. NFL franchises are tracked kind of like pink slips.  Franchises are sold to another owner or back to the league (It's been quite a while since this has happened.) but the franchise can be tracked through different cities or incarnations. With that in mind, the team that we now know as the Pittsburgh Steelers, winners of 6 Super Bowls, was the Philadelphia Eagles from 1933-1940. The team that we now know as the Philadelphia Eagles were once the Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers. Fascinating stuff.

NFL’s Head Coach Churn

The annual NFL Head Coach Churn has begun. For a few sad teams it started with a midseason firing. Three teams fired their head coach during the season. Two more teams fired their head coach within a day of the completion of the regular season. The Las Vegas joined the churn yesterday. Six head coach vacancies is a pretty light number. It feels like there’s often seven or eight, at least. Here are the six teams taking part in the this year’s NFL Head Coach Churn and an attempt at tracking those team’s interview requests.

Chicago Bears

Fired Matt Eberflus midseason

Interview Requests:

Joe Brady, Bills OC

Pete Carroll, former Seahawks HC

Brian Flores, Vikings DC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Ben Johnson, Lions OC

Mike Kafka, Giants OC

Todd Monken, Ravens OC

Drew Petzing, Cardinals OC

David Shaw, former Stanford HC

Arthur Smith, Steelers OC

Anthony Weaver, Dolphins DC

Mike Vrabel, former Titans HC

The Bears requested and were denied an interview with Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Fired Doug Pederson on Monday

Interview Requests:

Joe Brady, Bills OC

Liam Coen, Buccaneers OC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Patrick Graham, Raiders DC

Ben Johnson, Lions OC

Todd Monken, Ravens OC

Kellen Moore, Eagles OC

Robert Saleh, former Jets HC

Las Vegas Raiders

Fired Antonio Pierce yesterday. 

Interview Requests:

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Ben Johnson, Lions OC

New England Patriots 

Fired Jerod Mayo on Sunday

Interview Requests:

Ben Johnson, Lions OC

Pep Hamilton, former Colts and Texans OC

Byron Leftwich, former Buccaneers OC

Mike Vrabel, former Titans HC

New Orleans Saints

Fired Dennis Allen midseason

Interview Requests:

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Mike Kafka, Giants OC

Kellen Moore, Eagles OC

David Shaw, former Stanford HC

Anthony Weaver, Dolphins DC

New York Jets

Fired Robert Saleh midseason

Interview Requests:

Joe Brady, Bills OC

Brian Flores, Vikings DC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Vance Joseph, Broncos DC

Matt Nagy, Chiefs OC

Ron Rivera, former Panthers and Commanders HC

Darren Rizzi, Saints interim HC

Rex Ryan, former Jets and Bills HC

Bobby Slowik, Texans OC

Arthur Smith, Steelers OC

Mike Vrabel, former Titans HC

Minnesota Vikings Week 18 Superlatives

The Minnesota Vikings closed the 2024 season against division rival Detroit Lions. With both teams entering the game with sparkling 14-2 records, it was billed as one of the best matchups in regular season history. The winner of the game would win the NFC North and earn the NFC’s #1 seed. It was a big game. For three quarters it was a one-score game. Then it wasn’t. The Lions rose in the fourth quarter. The Vikings wilted. If it wasn’t for the Vikings defense, the score would’ve much worse than the one-sided 31-9 score that it was. The disappointing game didn’t yield many superlatives. Here’s an attempt at picking some. 

Offensive Players of the Game

Aaron Jones, RB

Cam Akers, RB

After 16 games of solid to spectacular play, Sam Darnold saved his worst game for the biggest game. He was high on most of this passes. He missed open receivers all over the field. He looked rattled in the pocket. He looked unsure at the snap. The Vikings had four opportunities in the red zone. Three of those were first-and-goal. They scored zero touchdowns. One thing missing in those opportunities were rushing attempts. Seeing as Aaron Jones and Cam Akers had some success running against the Lions defense, that was surprising. Akers’ 58-yard run on the first possession of the second half put the ball on the Lions five-yard line. The Vikings only ran once on the four plays that followed the big run. Two of those plays were from the two-yard line. 

Jones’ numbers:

10 carries 

45 yards

Akers’ numbers:

6 carries 

65 yards

With Darnold’s struggles, the entire offense was out of sync. If there were any positives on that side of the ball, it came from the run game.

Defensive Players of the Game

Jonathan Greenard, OLB

Andrew Van Ginkel, OLB

For the first three quarters, the Vikings defense was the game’s best group. Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel were the game’s best players. Both players made splash plays. Both players made plays all over the field. 

Greenard’s numbers:

5 tackles

1 sack

2 tackles for loss

Van Ginkel’s numbers:

7 tackles 

1 tackle for loss

Van Ginkel nearly pulled off what could’ve/should’ve been the play that flipped the game for the Vikings. 

Early in the fourth quarter, he perfectly read a Lions screen pass attempt. He got a hand on the ball and had it in his hands with about 70 yards of open field in front of him. The ball slipped through his hands. At the time, the Lions led 17-9. The Vikings could’ve tied the score and gained the momentum edge. Van Ginkel has made this play before. I was certain that he’d done it again. Nope. This game didn’t play that way.

Vikings - Lions

What was that? This Minnesota Vikings - Detroit Lions game was for the NFC North title and the NFC’s #1 seed. Two 14-2 teams battling in one of the greatest regular season matchups ever. It didn’t play that way. The Lions took all the good things with a 31-9 win. The difference in the game was Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.

Considering the modest expectations that most had for the Vikings this season, this was the sort of game many expected from Sam Darnold. Who knows what went wrong. He looked off from the start. He often took snaps to zeroes on the play clock. He looked rattled and unsure in the pocket. He sailed passes to open receivers. Throughout the broadcast, Cris Collinsworth raved about the Lions defense. It didn’t look like it was the defense to me. Darnold had time. He had open receivers. He looked like the young, inexperienced quarterback that was seeing ghosts with the New York Jets. Through 16 games, Darnold played like the quarterback that the Jets hoped they were getting when they selected him with the third pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. For the final game of the regular season, the biggest game of the season, he looked like the quarterback that struggled mightily with the Jets and Carolina Panthers. Prior to this big game, his worst game as the Vikings quarterback was probably Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That game was bad because of the three red zones interceptions that he threw. That game was bad because of the reliance on four field goals to win the game. The Vikings were horrible in the red zone against the Jaguars. They were worse in last night’s big game. The Vikings had four red zone possessions against the Lions. Three of those were inside the 10. Six points. The Vikings scored six points when they had the opportunity to score 28. Six points! Justin Jefferson torched Amik Robertson and was wide open in the end zone. Darnold sailed the ball over his head. Jordan Addison was wide open in the flat. Darnold either didn’t see him or ignored him. Who knows what went wrong in this game. If the Vikings don’t figure it out, they won’t be in the playoffs long.

For just over three quarters, the Vikings defense looked like they might do enough to make up for the offense’s failures. With the Lions leading 17-9 early in the fourth quarter, Andrew Van Ginkel got a hand then his hands on a Jared Goff screen pass. A wide open field was in front of him. It was going to be an easy touchdown. I was already celebrating the game-changing play. It was going to be a touchdown that potentially tied the score and gave the Vikings a huge dose of momentum. The ball dropped through Van Ginkel’s hands. Within about five minutes of that potential game-flipping play, a one-score game became a three-score game. For three-quarters of the game, the Vikings defense completely frustrated the Lions explosive offense. The final quarter was the opposite. The Lions sailed down the field. With each failed Vikings offensive possession, the time of possession really started to lean the Lions way as the game entered the fourth quarter. The Vikings defense finally started to falter. 

Ultimately, the Vikings team failed in this game. They played nothing like the team that earned an opportunity to play for the division title and #1 seed. So, it’s off to Los Angeles and a wildcard playoff game against the Rams. It’s interesting and perhaps concerning that the Vikings two losses earlier in the season came in back-to-back games against the Lions and Rams. At least this time the Vikings have more than three days to recover from a loss to the Lions. The Vikings-Rams wildcard matchup is Monday night. Sam Darnold has a full week to get right. 

My Time All - Time Detroit Lions Team

In advance of Minnesota Vikings games I’ve been selecting All-Time teams of that week’s opponent. The Vikings play division foes twice. To avoid doing something I’ve already done here’s something different. This is an All-Time Detroit Lions team made up of players that played during my time as a Vikings fan. 

Offense

Quarterback

Matthew Stafford

Running Back

Barry Sanders

Fullback

Dexter Bussey

Wide Receivers

Calvin Johnson

Herman Moore

Tight End

Charlie Sanders

Offensive Tackles

Lomas Brown

Penei Sewell

Offensive Guards

Rob Sims

Bob Kowalkowski

Center

Frank Ragnow

Defense

Defensive Ends

Al “Bubba” Baker

Robert Porcher

Defensive Tackles

Doug English

Ndamukong Suh

Linebackers

Mike Cofer

Chris Spielman

DeAndre Levy

Cornerbacks

Lem Barney

Darius Slay

Safeties

Bennie Blades

Glover Quinn

Special Teams

Kicker 

Matt Prater

Punter

Sam Martin

Kick Returner

Mel Gray

Flea Flicker Week 18 Predictions

Week 18! That’s too damn many games. The NFL should be looking into reducing the number of games. Not increasing. Anyway, here are some guesses at the games being played in Week 18.

Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions

Pick: Vikings

The biggest game of the week is the final game of the week. Nearly everyone had the Lions winning the NFC North. Nearly no one had the Vikings challenging the Lions for the division title. 

Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens

Pick: Ravens

Saturday is AFC North Day. All four teams are playing. The former Browns cruise past the current Browns for the division title.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Bengals 

The Bengals stun the Steelers and hope for some help on Sunday.

Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons 

Pick: Panthers 

The Panthers have been frisky down the stretch. 

Washington Commanders @ Dallas Cowboys

Pick: Commanders

This has to be Mike McCathy’s final game as the Cowboys head coach. Then again, it’s the Cowboys. 

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

Pick: Packers

The Packers cruise to a sparking 12-5 record and third place in the NFC North. 

Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans 

Pick: Texans

The Texans roll. 

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts

Pick: Colts

The Colts do what they should’ve done last week against the Giants. Win.

Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots

Pick: Bills

If the Bills want to win this game, they will. 

New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: Eagles

If the Eagles want to win this game, they will.

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Buccaneers

The Buccaneers win the NFC South.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos 

Pick: Broncos

The Broncos should score more than the Chiefs “B” Team.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders

Pick: Chargers 

The Chargers roll.

Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Rams

The Rams are in the playoffs. The Seahawks aren’t. Perhaps only pride is at stake in this game.

Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets

Pick: Dolphins

If the Dolphins can play better in the New Jersey cold than they did in the Green Bay cold, they should win.

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals

Pick: Cardinals

Another game with only pride riding on it. 

The Pro Bowl Rosters Are Out!

The Pro Bowl rosters were announced yesterday. I was beginning to wonder when that might happen. With this weekend’s games being the last of the NFL regular season, it had to be soon. It was yesterday. The Minnesota Vikings placed six players on the NFC roster.

Sam Darnold, QB

Justin Jefferson, WR

Jonathan Greenard, OLB

Andrew Van Ginkel, OLB

Byron Murphy Jr., CB

Andrew DePaola, LS

Some Vikings Pro Bowl notes:

-all but Darnold were named as starters

-Darnold, Greenard, Van Ginkel, and Murphy made the Pro Bowl for the first time

-this is Jefferson’s fourth Pro Bowl

-this is DePaola’s third Pro Bowl

-Darnold, Greenard, and Van Ginkel were signed as free agents last offseason

-Murphy was signed as a free agent in 2023

-Jefferson is the only 2024 Pro Bowler drafted by the Vikings

-six is the largest Vikings Pro Bowl contingent since 2009

Seven Vikings were selected as Pro Bowl alternates:

C.J. Ham, FB (1st)

Garrett Bradbury (3rd)

Josh Metellus (3rd)

T.J. Hockenson (4th)

Brian O’Neill (4th)

Trent Sherfield, ST (4th)

Harrison Phillips, DT (6th)

2024 Pro Bowl Rosters

NFC

Offense

(*-starter)

Quarterback 

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions*

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings

Running Back

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles*

Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

Fullback

Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers*

Wide Receiver

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings*

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions*

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders

Tight End 

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers*

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

Offensive Tackle

Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles*

Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions*

Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Offensive Guard

Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles*

Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys*

Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons

Center

Frank Ragnow, Detroit Lions*

Cam Jurgens, Philadelphia Eagles 

Defense

Defensive End

Nick Bozo, San Francisco 49ers*

Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys*

Rashan Gary, Green Bay Packers

Interior Linemen

Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles*

Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants*

Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Outside Linebacker

Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota Vikings*

Andrew Van Ginkel, Minnesota Vikings*

Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams

Inside Linebacker

Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers*

Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles 

Cornerback

Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears* 

Byron Murphy Jr., Minnesota Vikings*

Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers

Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks

Free Safety

Xavier McKinney, Green Bay Packers*

Strong Safety

Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals*

Brian Branch, Detroit Lions

Special Teams

Long Snapper

Andrew DePaola, Minnesota Vikings*

Punter

Jack Fox, Detroit Lions*

Kicker

Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys*

Return Specialist

KaVontae Turpin, Dallas Cowboys*

Special Teams

KhaDarel Hodge, Atlanta Falcons*

AFC

Offense

Quarterback

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills*

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Running Back

Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens*

Joe Mixon, Houston Texans

Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts 

Fullback

Patrick Ricard, Baltimore Ravens*

Wide Receiver

Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals*

Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns*

Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens

Tight End

Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders*

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs 

Offensive Tackle

Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills*

Laremy Tunsil, Houston Texans*

Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers

Offensive Guard

Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts*

Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs*

Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Center

Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs*

Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens 

Defense

Defensive End

Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns*

Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals*

Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders

Interior Linemen

Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers*

Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs*

Nnambi Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens

Outside Linebacker

Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos*

T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers*

Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers

Inside Linebacker

Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens*

Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis Colts

Cornerback

Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans*

Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos*

Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens

Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns

Free Safety

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers*

Strong Safety

Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens*

Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers

Special Teams

Long Snapper

Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville Jaguars*

Punter

Logan Cooke, Jacksonville Jaguars*

Kicker

Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers*

Return Specialist

Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos*

Special Teams

Brenden Schooler, New England Patriots*