Draft Evaluations?

Grading the drafts the day after or ever a week after is a pointless task. No one really knows the true impact until we've seen a few years on the field. Right now, every team has to like their drafts. They must have chosen those players for a reason. Right now, I think that the Rams, Giants, Eagles, Colts, Bears, Panthers, Bills and Texans all had terrific drafts. I liked all those drafts. I really liked the drafts of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I'll focus on those drafts. It's interesting to note that all but the Buccaneers made the playoffs last year. It looks like the strong got stronger.

Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have rarely protected quarterback Ben Roethlisberger very well. It's a good thing that he's excellent at making plays on the move. Teaming Stanford guard David DeCastro and Ohio St tackle Mike Adams with all-pro center Maurkice Pouncey may finally give Roethlisberger the protection he needs. Nose tackle Casey Hampton has had an excellent career. Unfortunately, he's nearing the end. Washington defensive tackle Alameda Ta'Amu will learn from Hampton and ease the transition. Ta'Amu is huge and active. Linebacker Sean Spence and Florida running back Chris Rainey help the Steelers' depth and special teams. Even in the Super Bowl years, the Steelers offensive line was a little weak. This draft changes that. It's amazing that they were able to haul in DeCastro and Adams.

Green Bay Packers
It's hard for me to believe that the Packers had the worst defense in the league. They have far too many playmakers for that to happen. No matter, it happened and they had to fix it. I think that they did. Their first three picks in the draft impress the most. USC defensive end Nick Perry could be scary. Pairing him with Clay Matthews will be a nightmare. Michigan St defensive tackle Jerel Worthy will tag-team nicely with BJ Raji. Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward will learn from one of the best in Charles Woodson. All three will keep the Packers from hanging out at the bottom of the defensive statistics again. Fifth round linebacker Terrell Manning will help as well.

New England Patriots
Much of the same things said about the Packers defense can be said about the Patriots defensive performance last year. All offense. No defense. Absolutely none. The Patriots took the same approach to changing that in the draft. All defense. Six of their seven selections were on the defensive side of the ball. First round selections of Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones and Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower were fantastic. Maybe illegal. Illinois safety Tavon Wilson and Arkansas defensive end Jake Baquette should play nice roles. Seventh round cornerback Alfonzo Denard could be a real steal. Like the Packers again, I don't see the Patriots at the bottom of the league's defensive statistics this year.

Cincinnati Bengals
Team owner Mike Brown must have been locked out of the Bengals draft room. I've always felt that he needs to be kept out of all personnel decision. He just doesn't know football like his father. This team has been a frequent, early picker in the NFL Draft. Poor drafting is what keeps them there. The Bengals, on paper on right now, may have had the best draft of all. If this draft, and last year's, is any indication, playoff appearances and late round selections will be the norm in Cincinnati. Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler, Penn St defensive tackle Devon Still, Rutgers receiver Muhamed Sanu, defensive tackle Brandon Thompson and Georgia tight end Orson Charles may all start next year. Adding six rookie starters to a playoff team is incredible. Six might be a stretch but the talent is there. They added one of all time favorite Cal players in receiver Marvin Jones in the fifth round. His smooth route running and hands might put him ahead of Sanu. Simply a great draft. The Bengals may have added significantly to their draft haul after they were done. They signed one of the most puzzling undrafted free agents in Arizona St linebacker Vontaze Burfict. There is little that Burfict can't do on the defensive side of the ball. Simply, he's a beast. He may also have to be heavily medicated to remain on the field. The NFL might frown on that. I remember a Minnesota Vikings-Washington Redskins game about six years ago. The late, great Redskins safety Sean Taylor came completely unhinged and essentially handed a close game to the Vikings. Successive unsportsmanlike conduct penalties changed that game. Eventually, Taylor got his life and football together and was starting to live up to his enormous potential. Unfortunately, his life was taken way too early. Burfict slaughtered his draft chances with his often out of control stunts on the field and baffling actions off the field since the end of his college career. If he can get his act together he can be a top-10 caliber player signed as a lowly undrafted free agent. It's little risk for the Bengals but it could pay off huge.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I found the 2011 Buccaneers to be one of the greatest mysteries of the past NFL season. They were way too talented to play so poorly. Coach Raheem Morris completely lost control of the team. It resulted in a nightmare season. Former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano seems to be the right person to get the team back on track. A talented team was bolstered by a nice free agency and a super draft. Alabama safety Mark Barron was quietly considered one of the elite players of the entire draft. Instead of battling with the Cleveland Browns for a shot at Alabama running back Trent Richards the Buccaneers grabbed a defensive difference maker in Barron and waited for the second round to grab a running back. Boise St's Doug Martin has drawn some comparisons to Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears. I actually see a little more of Baltimore Raven's Ray Rice in Martin. That would make Schiano happy as he coached Rice in college. He knows the potential impact of  incredibly versatile backs like Rice and Martin. Linebackers Lavonte David and Najee Goode could both see a lot of playing time as rookies. Mason Foster was very impressive as a rookie last year. Those three linebackers could combine for an excellent and very young group. The kind of group that changes an entire defense. The Buccaneers may do this year what I expected them to do last year. The NFC South already has two very strong teams in the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. They may soon have two more in Tampa Bay and the Carolina Panthers.

Those are the five drafts that stood out the most to me. One other draft stood out to me for an entirely different reason.

Seattle Seahawks
There's always been something a little shady about Seattle coach Pete Carroll. It's probably all about his time at USC. Despite producing awesome offensive linemen like Ron Yary and Matt Kalil, that place just smells wrong. The sleazy USC coach was filled nicely by Carroll and currently taken to a whole other level by Lane Kiffin. Maybe it's all due to this uncomfortable feeling about Carroll but the Seahawks draft just seemed a little off. Like the coaches and scouts in the Pacific Northwest just see a different kind of football. West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin was the first real surprise of the first round. Mike Mayock said that Irvin was the most natural pass rusher in the draft. Irvin strikes me as an amazing college pass rusher. There aren't many 245 lb defensive ends in the NFL. Those that are close to that weight are challenging the 6' height barrier. At 6'3", Irvin has a completely different frame. The Seahawks obviously see something in him and they would know far better than me whether Irvin can either bulk up or maintain his college level of play at his current weight. I love the selection of Utah St linebacker Bobby Wagner in the second round. Then the Seahawks again went a little squirrelly in the third round even though I really like the player that they selected. I was shocked when Pete Carroll, after signing free agent quarterback Tarvaris Jackson last summer, called out the Vikings for not giving Jackson a chance. It really wasn't Carroll's place to comment on how the Vikings handled their players. I've never heard of a coach make such a direct criticism like that. Especially when it looked as if Carroll was doing the very same thing to Charlie Whitehurst that he claimed the Vikings did to Jackson. He handed the starting job to Jackson last year and to show his confidence in his quarterback proceded to sign free agent Matt Flynn this spring. To further show confidence in his quarterback duo, Carroll used his third round pick on Wisconson quarterback Russell Wilson. Despite being short by almost any quarterback standards, Wilson is an excellent football player. He simply wins games. I have no idea how Carroll can spend a third on quarterback when he already has Jackson and Flynn. It's as if he's just adding quarterbacks simply for the sake of adding quarterbacks. I like Utah St running back Robert Turbin but the Seahawks already have a similar hard runner in Marshawn Lynch. There's nothing wrong with a little more of the same especially if it wears down a defense. I just expected something a little different. Florida defensive tackle Jaye Howard is a terrific player and I can see him making an early impact. I actually like the players that Seattle drafted. I just find them a bit of an odd fit. This draft could turn out to be one of the best drafts of all time. You can never really tell so soon after the selections are made. Maybe my feelings of this being an odd draft come solely from my uncomfortable feelings about Pete Carroll. I just don't trust that guy.

There it is. The Flea Flicker Evaluations of a few of the drafts. There's others that I like. These are the just the ones that stood out the most for a variety of reasons. Some of the strong teams didn't have to do much to grab my attention. They just did whatever was necessary to maintain a high level of play. One comment that I have to make in terms of draft evaluations, that I don't think a lot of critics/media talking heads get, is "value". They throw that word out a lot. "This was a 'value' pick." "There was a lot of 'value' in drafting a player here." "Value" in regards to pretty much anything, but in this case the draft, is really in the eye of the beholder. The "value" of any player can only be made by the team making the selection. If a team likes a player and they don't see that player making it to their next selection, they have to take him where they are. Sure, they can trade back and maybe add a few picks but there is never any guarantee in that. Teams draft players based on how they alone "value" a player. It doesn't matter the "value" that anyone else may put on that player. It's easy to sit back and lay judgement on something when your livelihood doesn't depend on it's success. Just sayin'.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be the presentation of my all too in-depth evaluation of the best draft of all. That of the Minnesota Vikings. Championship!

Draft Thoughts

I'll throw out more complete thoughts on the drafts that I liked as well as one that I found a little funky in a later Flicker, likely tomorrow. You'd expect teams that draft early would select terrific players and as a result bring home a terrific draft. It rarely works that way and that is why some teams always draft early. The strong teams draft late and always seem to draft well. They remain strong. At a quick glance, I really liked what the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers and New York Giants in this draft. I always hope that the Packers revert to the thinking that prompted them to draft Justin Harrell in the first round. Unfortunately, they don't seem too interested in making me happy.

First of all, I'm still not a fan of the three day prime time draft. With my work and me being in the Pacific time zone, it's difficult/impossible to get home in time to catch the proceedings live. The East coast is screwed too often with sports on TV to adjust things. So, it's only fair that the West coast suffers in this case. Roger Goodell and the NFL seem to think that every single football fan loves this setup. I don't see it changing anytime soon.

That ridiculous droid razr commercial should never have made it on the air. It was horrible once but after the one thousandth appearance I was screaming. My goodness, that was some piece of advertising. Who makes these things?

Maybe all the trades at the top of the first round hacked things up but the NFL Network's coverage was about three steps behind. There were occasions when there was a gridlock of picks made while they were playing around on the stage. I just think that it was a mistake to have the graphic at the bottom of the screen saying that the picks were in well before they were ready to announce them. In past years the coverage handled the interviews and camera time without a noticeable impact on the draft coverage. I wouldn't mind a return to that.

I loved seeing the former NFL players announcing their former team's picks in the second round. It was great to those players again. It was even better to see that so many are in such fantastic shape. Even players whose playing days were about fifty years ago, like Gary Collins and Roger Wherli, looked terrific. It was especially cool to see former Cal players Wesley Walker and Ken Harvey. From the 50-yard line, I saw Walker catch a touchdown pass from Joe Roth in 1975. That was a beautiful day in Berkeley and it was beautiful to see Walker again.

I was a little surprised by what seemed to be a lot of players selected from Nevada. It's likely a coincidence more so than a connection but I can't help but wonder if Colin Kaepernick brought more attention to the school. He got a lot of attention last year and as a result so did the school.

I was puzzled and amused when little Presbyterian College was on Cal's football schedule last year. I'd never heard of the Prebyterian College Blue Hose. Thankfully, Cal walked away with a win. I walked away amazed by a cornerback named Justin Bethel. I'm glad that the NFL noticed him too. The Arizona Cardinals selected an impressive football player when they took Bethel in the sixth round.

I love listening to Mike Mayock and Charles Davis talk about the draft and football. I'd love to hang out with them. Those two alone made it easy to put ESPN to sleep a few years ago. I enjoy the analysis of Michael Lombardi and Charley Casserly as well. Their actual experience in NFL front offices brings automatic respect. Casserly, in particular, is entertaining even if it's in an often goofy way. Rich Eisen is excellent as host. He can be a bit goofy as well. His rapport with players, past and present, as well as NFL decision makers is easily his best asset. It doesn't take much to maintain my interest in the draft but the NFL Network does a great job. Far better than ESPN ever did. Brian Billick, however, is a boob.

The anticipation for the draft is so great that it's often hard to see it end. Now, it's time to put it all together. Between now and September the teams are made. It's so wonderful to have OTAs and Mini-camps again. The lockout crapped on everything last year. I'm so glad that mess is in the past. Never again.

Draft Day Trades

Several factors play into a team trading picks in an NFL Draft. They might trade up for a player that they decide that they can not live without. That's likely the most common. Or, a team likes a player but figures that they can get him a little later. They drop back and gather a pick or more and still get the player that they like. Nearly all draft day trades deal with either side of those two scenarios. I have always found it interesting to pick through the trades and find the reason why. Most are obvious like the Dallas Cowboys jumping up to #6 for Morris Claiborne on the first day of this draft. The Washington Redskins falling to the demands of the St. Louis Rams for a shot at Robert Griffin III was pretty obvious as well. The Cleveland Browns giving up three picks to the Minnesota Vikings to simply move up one spot is surprising at first glance. Obviously, the Browns desperately wanted Trent Richardson. To the Browns it was worth those three picks to insure that no other team leaps over them to get to Minnesota's spot in the draft. They were so desperate to insure the selection of Richardson that they didn't even wait for the draft to start. The clock can bring out knee jerk reactions from some teams. The Browns made the trade with the Vikings about an hour before it all started. In turn, the picks that Minnesota received from Cleveland provided the means to make a trade to move back into the end of the first round. The Vikings, much to my giddiness, were very interested in Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith. I'd been worried that Smith wouldn't make it to the Vikings #3 pick in the second round. The Vikings had the same worry. They had to move back into the first round to get their player. They found a landing spot with Baltimore at #29. It cost a fourth round pick but they had that pick covered with the earlier trade with Cleveland. Was the trade necessary? It's interesting to note that the Denver Broncos traded their pick at #31 as soon as the Vikings brought Harrison Smith to Minnesota. With the recent retirement of safety Brian Dawkins the Broncos might have been looking to fill that void. A connection? We'll likely never know for sure but it's fun to speculate.

Round 1

Mike Mayock said that there would be no trades in the top-10 of the 2012 NFL Draft. I think that he was joking. There were six in the first seven selections. The Washington Redskins jump started the trading weeks ago when they gave the St Louis Rams a ton to move up to #2 to select Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. The Minnesota Vikings started the draft day trading about an hour early. The Vikings moved from three to four in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. In return the Vikings received the Browns' picks in the 4th, 5th and 7th. The Vikings still got their top choice in USC tackle Matt Kalil. Rumors had been floating for days, especially in that last day, that the Vikings preferred LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. My hunch is that the Vikings floated those rumors to get Cleveland and Tampa Bay bidding against each other. Each supposedly wanted Alabama running back Trent Richardson. It's all fun and games in the NFL Draft. It was a nice move by Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, in his first draft with the final say, to gain picks while still getting the player that he wanted all along. Just before the first round was about to end the Vikings were again on the clock. Spielman took advantage of the extra 4th rounder gained earlier in the day and traded a 2nd and a 4th for the Baltimore Ravens 1st round pick. With the 29th selection of the first round, the Vikings selected Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith. My hope was that the Vikings could select Smith with their pick in round 2. Clearly they didn't think that he'd still be available. Ironically, the team that I most feared would take Smith was in fact the Ravens.

So, the Minnesota Vikings cleared the first round with their new starting left tackle and new starting safety.
Welcome to Minnesota Matt Kalil and Harrison Smith.

Maybe Wake Forest receiver Chris Givens in the third today.

The trade that surprised me the most was the Dallas Cowboys trading with the St Louis Rams to jump from #14 to #6. The trade didn't surprise me so much as the player that they selected did. I assumed that they would be targeting Alabama S Mark Barron. Instead Morris Claiborne was the selection. He's a terrific player and a terrific selection. I just expected him to be gone before then.

Perhaps an even greater surprise was to see the New England Patriots trade up rather than down. They selected nice defenders in Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones and Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower. The Patriots defense got much better on the first day of the draft.

There's no way that Stanford guard David DeCastro should have been available for the Pittsburgh Steelers at #24. Lining him up next to center Maurkice Pouncey will keep quarterback Ben Roethlisberger safe from any rush up the middle. I expected DeCastro to be selected in the top third of the draft.

Oh, Andrew Luck went first overall to the Indianapolis Colts but everyone knew that.

Draft Day 2012

Today is the day that everyone has been looking forward to. Well, probably not everyone but a lot have been looking forward to it. Months of speculation and all those mock drafts will be a thing of the past. Until next year's draft, of course. Years of two-a-days, coaches and games has brought a fairly small number of people to the ultimate level of football competition. Over the next few days dreams come true.

The draft has always held great appeal to me. Championship teams are created through the draft. No matter how much money and attention is paid to free agency, it's the draft that is the true building blocks of football teams. The Minnesota Vikings have yet to build that championship team but they will. Maybe, hopefully, the players drafted over the next three days will be some of those building blocks. That is the major part of the appeal of the draft to me. I also love to see the kids realize the next step of their dreams. This is their opportunity. They have to understand that it's only an opportunity. Those that understand that best are usually the one's that excel in the NFL. The one's that take the opportunity for granted often fail. No matter how talented they are. An opportunity for a successful NFL career is only being handed to them. It's never given. They must see it that way. Few care about the round in which a player was drafted once the games start counting.

Best of luck to all the drafted and undrafted football players as they take their first steps in the NFL.

With the third pick of the 2012 NFL Draft the Minnesota Vikings select USC offensive tackle.
LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne would be cool too. Or trade down a couple of spots, collect a pick or two and still select Kalil or Claiborne.

Final Flea Flicker Mock Draft

Mike Mayock releases his mock draft today. So do I. Here's to franchise defining choices for all 32 teams. Especially the Minnesota Vikings.

1. Colts  Andrew Luck  QB  Stanford
2. Redskins  Robert Griffin III  QB  Baylor
3. VIKINGS  MATT KALIL  T  USC
4. Browns  Trent Richardson  RB  Alabama
5. Buccaneers  Morris Claiborne  CB  LSU
6. Rams  Justin Blackmon  WR  Oklahoma St
7. Jaguars  Stephon Gilmore  CB  South Carolina
8. Dolphins  Ryan Tannehill  QB  Texas A&M
9. Panthers  Michael Floyd  WR  Notre Dame
10. Bills  Riley Reiff T  Iowa
11. Chiefs  Luke Kuechly  LB  Boston College
12. Seahawks  Dontari Poe  Memphis
13. Cardinals  David DeCastro  G  Stanford
14. Cowboys  Mark Barron  S  Alabama
15. Eagles  Fletcher Cox  DT  Mississippi St
16. Jets  Michael Brockers  DT  LSU
17. Bengals  Melvin Ingram  DE/LB  South Carolina
18. Chargers  Jonathan Martin  T  Stanford
19. Bears  Quentin Coples  DE  North Carolina
20. Titans  Whitney Mercilus  DE  Illinois
21. Bengals  Dre Kirkpatrick  CB  Alabama
22. Browns  Courtney Upshaw  LB  Alabama
23. Lions  Michael Adams  T  Ohio St
24. Steelers  Cordy Glenn  T  Georgia
25. Broncos  Jerel Worthy  DT  Michigan St
26. Texans  Kendall Wright  WR  Baylor
27. Patriots  Shea McClellan  LB  Boise St
28. Packers  Doug Martin  RB  Boise St
29. Ravens  Dont'a Hightower  LB  Alabama
30. 49ers  Stephen Hill  WR  Georgia Tech
31. Patriots  Nick Perry  DE  USC
32. Giants  Devin Still  DT  Penn St
33. Rams  Brandon Thompson  DT  Clemson
34. Colts  Cody Fleener  TE  Stanford
35. VIKINGS  HARRISON SMITH  S  NOTRE DAME

The Bengals and Patriots are potentially strong teams that could really help themselves today. Two first round picks certainly help. The Bengals were one of the surprises last season. If they pull two starters out of the first round the Steelers and Ravens will no longer be alone at the top of the AFC North. For fairly valid reasons many doubt that the Patriots will keep both of their first round picks. The team trades picks so frequently. There are some serious defensive playmakers that should be available at the Patriots selections. McClellan, in particular, seems like a Belichick kind of football player. Smart and extremely versatile. McClellan and Perry or Clemson's Andre Branch could do wonders for a defense seriously lacking last year.

Draft Day Terms

From play calls to terminology, the language of football must sound ridiculous to many people. The draft brings out some of the most ridiculous. Here's a few of them to help you this week.

Dancing Bear-offensive lineman who moves his feet well

Knee Bender-showing good flexibility, particularly in the case of offensive linemen

Stock Rising-a player gaining in popularity among scouts and GMs in advance of the draft

Stock Falling-a highly regarded player is dropping down the draft boards

Hands Like Feet-terrible hands

Satellite Player-he plays well in space

Road Grader-a lineman who excels at run blocking

Throwing In a Phone Booth-able to use a compact throwing motion within a confined area

Tweener-a player that doesn't quite fit into one position

Jitterbug Runner-a running back with shifty moves

Bubble-the tushy, butt, derriere

There's so many more. Every year new terms pop up and they are usually fun but fairly ridiculous.

Mock Drafts

It's hard to imagine a time without mock drafts. I remember when they could be found only in the bigger, all sports, publications like Sports Illustrated, Sport and the Sporting News. I used to get all of them or at least flip through them at the newstand. Mel Kiper was the first person, that I know of, to concentrate solely on the NFL Draft. His annual books/guides became a draft bible. Before the Internet, before the thousands of draft magazines, Kiper had all the prospects in one place. In those days, I would only know the Pac-10 players and most of the players on the All-America teams. Maybe a handful of players from the best college teams. Those were bleak days.

Now, you can find out anything and everything about every draft eligible player. Now, everybody has a mock draft. Even the Flea Flicker. Most mockers have a new mock every day. Even the Flea Flicker. It's silly and addicting, all at the same time. Once you do one, you gotta do more. The silly thing about mocking is that they usually go wrong before you get past pick 10. I can't even imagine a mock being anywhere close to 100% correct. There's always surprises in the real draft. There's always trades. Neither of which can be predicted with any sort of accuracy. No one expected the Jacksonville Jaguars to select Cal defensive lineman Tyson Alualu with the tenth pick a couple years ago. No one could have guessed that the Atlanta Falcons would jump up nearly two dozen picks to draft Alabama receiver Julio Jones last year. It's difficult to predict that the Falcons would have the interest to give up what it would take to move up far enough to get Jones. It's near impossible to predict that it would happen. Still, mock drafts are all fun. They spice up draft interest during the near eternity between the end of the season and the draft. It's less than three months but it seems like forever. The mocks are simply around to get those with interest ready for the real thing.

Vikings Stadium

With the roller coaster ride that is the Minnesota Vikings new stadium quest, I've tried to refrain from bringing that mess to the Flea Flicker. Every bit of good news is quickly followed by mind-numbing political stupidity. The proposed stadium bill has to meander through a seemingly endless maze of committees in the House and Senate. My understanding of this process is that the committees are essentially there to edit, amend, and/or refine the bill before it is presented for a vote on the floor of both Houses. Over the  last couple of weeks the bill has passed successfully through a few of these committees. Each hurdle brings greater hope that this thing may finally get done. Well, that was all dashed last Monday when that particular committee of clowns voted against the bill, 9-6. The votes were supposed to be there but some promises weren't kept. The Vikings said that this would be the last attempt. There will be no new trip through the legislative mess next year. They've been told "next year" for too many years. The team can not remain financially competitive in the NFL with the outdated dump that is the Metrodome. Something has to be done this year or the Wilf family will have to sell or move the team. As much as I hate to see either I absolutely understand those actions. The politicians don't and I don't understand that. For some reason they'd rather do nothing. Instead of solving problems, dealing with issues, basically doing their jobs they'd rather do as little as possible and still keep their jobs. I swear, the hardest politicians work is to get elected that first time. It may also be the only time that they work. I'd be surprised if any have actually read through the stadium bill. If they had, they wouldn't ask the ridiculous questions that I have heard at some of the hearings. They simply don't grasp the reality that the Vikings could leave the state. Which is astonishing seeing as Minnesota has already lost professional basketball and hockey teams.

The happenings since Monday may have opened some eyes. The Vikings saying that they are through running in circles for legislative approval was followed by a Minnesota visit by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney. They came to stress the critical nature of this stadium situation. No threats needed to be issued. It seems that the sleep-walking politicians have finally opened their eyes. The stadium bill may have a new life as it passed a Senate committee on Friday. Everything's most certainly not fine as this has to get done in the next two weeks. The legislative session ends April 30. The Vikings and the NFL have made it clear that this session is the deadline. No vote will be interpreted as a "no" vote. The politicians may finally understand. They better.

Work needs to get done and the Flea Flicker says it gets done.

"7"

It certainly isn't a scientifically proven fact but it often seems to be the case that in any NFL Draft there are usually six elite prospects. That's not to say that player "7" is a hack and every player after is worse. It just seems that there are usually six players that clearly separate from the rest. This year, those players are Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, USC tackle Matt Kalil, Alabama running back Trent Richardson, LSU Morris Claiborne and Oklahoma St receiver Justin Blackmon. Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill could be drafted in that group simply because of the position that he plays. Talent-wise, he might be outside the top-20 but he's a quarterback so he shoots up the list. There are players like Alabama safety Mark Barron, LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers, Mississippi St Fletcher Cox and Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechley that may have better professional careers than the top-six players but right now they aren't in that elite group. It's funny how it works that way. What's not funny is that the Minnesota Vikings have picked at #7 way too often. One spot out of that elite six. The Vikings have had the seventh pick four times since 2002. The 2007 NFL Draft was one of those years and the Vikings got very, very lucky. The top-six that year were LSU quarterback Jamarcus Russell(!), Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson, Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas, Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams and LSU safety LaRon Landry. The Vikings hit the jackpot when the Arizona Cardinals decided that Penn St tackle was deserving of the fifth pick. That left the incredible Adrian Peterson sitting there for the very happy Vikings at pick #7. Thank you!

The Schedule

The 2012 NFL Schedule was released this past Tuesday. It's amazing that something so routine generates enough interest to demand a three hour chunk of time on NFL Network. It's three hours that you'll never get back. I was actually very interested in the schedule release. I just don't need to hear a bunch of people talking in April about possible big games this fall. Too much can change between now and then to accurately predict big games now. With the draft less than a week away there are far more important things to discuss for three hours. It's still exciting to see the Minnesota Vikings 2012 schedule. I'm sure that we're all in agreement on that. So, here it is.

Sep 9   Jacksonville
Sep 16 @Indianapolis
Sep 23 San Francisco
Sep 30 @Detroit
Oct 7   Tennessee
Oct 14 @Washington
Oct 21 Arizona
Oct 25 Tampa Bay-Thursday Night
Nov 4  @Seattle
Nov 11 Detroit
Nov 18 Bye Week
Nov 25 @Chicago
Dec 2   @Green Bay
Dec 9   Chicago
Dec 16 @St Louis
Dec 23 @Houston
Dec 30 Green Bay

There it is. The first thing that jumps out at me is the Week 11 bye. It's always better to have it late than early but somewhere in the middle is best. The schedule coming out of the bye is brutal and ridiculous. It actually looks like a mistake. All four games against the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears are in the final six weeks. I know that the NFL is trying to end the season with meaningful division games but this is a mess. The Vikings play both games against the Detroit Lions before they play one game against their other division foes. Spread it out, people! One other game that looks like a mistake is the game against the San Francisco 49ers. The last time the two teams played when their respective divisions were matched up, the game was in Minnesota. It should alternate and the game this year should be in San Francisco and I should be there. The Vikings have their one prime time game on a Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That game should bring a big TV audience. This year there will be Thursday night games nearly every week of the season and every team gets one. The NFL power people are thrashing the beauty of the Sunday schedule simply for money. Some people love the Thursday games. Except for Thanksgiving games, I'm not one of them. Speaking of Thanksgiving games, the lineup this year is a beauty:

Texans-Lions
Redskins-Cowboys
Patriots-Jets
Great day of NFL football

Every team gets at least one prime time game this year. Very democratic. Speaking of democrats, the big oddity of the 2012 schedule is the first game. The New York Giants face the Dallas Cowboys in the Kickoff Game. Due to the President's duties at the Democratic National Convention the game and the season will start on a Wednesday. As for the prime time games, ten teams have the maximum of five games. It's funny to see the Lions among those five teams. They've been bad for so long. It's nice to see general manager Martin Mayhew and head coach Jim Schwartz turn that team around. It makes things more difficult for the Vikings but I like seeing the NFC North become a strong division.

The NFL has come a long way since the days of commissioner Bert Bell working out the schedule at his kitchen table. Now a computer spits out 400,000 possible versions. It's then cut to 14,000. Those are perused and eliminated for inconveniences and the ridiculous to teams and networks. Like playing two division foes twice in the last six weeks.

I love seeing the schedule announced. The production is pumped up a little too much but it definitely brings the NFL season a little bit closer.

Throwback Thursday: Vikings Draft 2003

The Mike Tice years in Minnesota were an interesting time. He was and still is a fantastic offensive line coach. One of the best. As a former player he understands players. Sometimes his trust of players might have been a little too trusting. The players did a lot of stupid stuff under his watch. One thing that was always present was the effort on the field. That effort was always a lot higher than the talent. His marginal teams were in the playoff chase three out of his four years. In the one playoff appearance the Vikings upset the Green Bay Packers in one of the most memorable wins in team history. They were taken apart by the Philadelphia Eagles the next weekend but that Packers win will live forever. Another memory that seems to live forever is the unfortunate events at the 2003 NFL Draft.

The Vikings had the seventh pick in that draft. Good or bad, Mike Tice was an open book with the media. It was very well known that the Vikings were interested in a defensive tackle to pair with the emerging Chris Hovan. There were a bunch of defensive tackles that were expected to go high in that draft. Dewayne Robertson, Jonathan Sullivan and Jimmy Kennedy among them. The Vikings had their eye on another and were certain that they could get him later and add a few picks in the process. They were looking to trade back a few spots. The Baltimore Ravens, coached by former Vikings offensive coordinator Brian Billick, were sitting at ten. Tice and Billick coached together in Minnesota. Tice likely thought there was a level of trust and respect that Billick didn't share. The Ravens were looking for a quarterback and Byron Leftwich were on their radar. Jacksonville, at eight, shared the Ravens view of the Marshall quarterback. The Vikings and Ravens agreed to a trade. The Vikings comfortably sat back knowing that their defensive tackle would still be there. The next thing they saw was Jacksonville running to the podium with their choice of Leftwich. Carolina was right behind with their selection of Utah offensive tackle Jordan Gross. It looked like a parade and the Ravens weren't part of it. The Vikings fifteen minutes had expired and the Ravens hadn't phoned in the trade. Both teams have to confirm the trade with the NFL and the Ravens hadn't done so. The Vikings finally got to the podium with what turned out to be the ninth pick. They selected Oklahoma St defensive tackle Kevin Williams. He was the player that they wanted all along and he has proven every year to be a fantastic choice. In the long run the Vikings saved money in that Williams' first contract was based on being selected ninth rather than seventh. That was a little perk that appealed greatly to Vikings owner Red McCombs but was unsettling to Williams and his agent. The Ravens, sitting all innocent and still at 10, chose Arizona St pass rusher Terrell Suggs.

Watching this mess take place on TV was confusing and frustrating. Why were these teams picking before Minnesota? The ESPN commentators found it all very funny. They found it even more funny each year after. For Vikings fans, the joke was old immediately. The only thing that the Vikings did wrong was tryst that the Ravens would act professionally. Instead, the Tice-led Vikings were seen as buffoons. Last year, the Ravens and the Chicago Bears agreed to a trade at the end of the first round. The Bears ended up doing the very same thing that the Ravens did eight years earlier. They failed to phone in the trade. The Ravens cried foul and continued crying for days. Poor babies. A few days ago, NFL Network posted a poll of the most memorable draft day moments. The Vikings missed pick of 2003 was on that list. I can think of a few thousand memorable draft day moments before I come close to landing on that one. This one was old and forgettable as soon as it happened. But, that's just me.

Offseason Workouts

The new Collective Bargaining Agreement has brought a nosedive in the intensity of the offseason workouts. The owners probably don't care too much about it. The players like it seeing as they wanted it. The coaches absolutely hate it. If the current offseason is what it took to help get the CBA done, I love it. I remember long ago days when there were no offseason workouts at all. Days when the season ended the players left for offseason jobs. They didn't have time for offseason workouts. They also couldn't afford to not work when not playing football. The next time that the players touched a football would likely be at the next training camp in July. Ever since the players started earning the money that it took to make football a full time, year-round job, the coaches started calling for offseason workouts. I actually like the idea of offseason workouts. I like the idea of of players getting their timing down before the grind of training camp. I especially like the idea when the Minnesota Vikings' future is dependent on the development of a young quarterback like Christian Ponder. When I saw the conditions for offseason workouts under the new CBA, I was surprised. That's because of how much is taken out of the hands of coaches. I've always thought of football practices as the sole domain of coaches. They likely see it that way too. The only NFL people not involved in the CBA negotiations were the coaches. They had no voice and lost the most. They simply have to adapt.

Here's some of what the coaches and players have in front of them this offseason.

3-Phase, nine week process.

Phase 1: 2 weeks
              -only strength and conditioning coaches
              -physical rehab
              -no footballs, except QBs throwing to uncovered receivers
              -no helmets

Phase 2: 3 weeks
              -all coaches permitted
              -may include individual player instruction and drills
              -with offense and defense, but no offense and defense at the same time
              -special teams with no opposing units
              -no live contact
              -no one-on-one competition
              -no helmets

Phase 3: 4 weeks-total of 10 days of OTAs
              -max of 3 OTA days/week first 2 weeks
              -4 OTA days in 3rd/4th week
              -mandatory minicamp scheduled for other week
              -helmets may be worn, but no other pads
              -no live contact

-there are financial penalties for any violations of these conditions

Despite what anyone might think of the offseason workouts moving forward, it is far, far better than the offseason last year.

NFL Magazine

The NFL has had their own television network for a while. Now, they have their own magazine. Big surprise. I was skeptical of this little endeavor as the magazine bares a striking resemblance to ESPN the Magazine. That rag is a train wreck. I bought one issue back in 1998 just for an article on a Minnesota Vikings rookie wide receiver named Randy Moss. It was all presentation and no substance. I was never able to handle another issue. The NFL's attempt at print looked too much like ESPN's. Big, glossy cover with big-lettered "NFL" in the banner with little-lettered "Magazine" just below gave me the familiar chills. After ignoring three issues, I took a chance on issue four. I've read about a third and skimmed the rest. I have to admit that I was very wrong to judge a magazine by it's cover. It's the draft preview issue and it takes a far different stab at it than the usual, annual redundancy. I was pleased to see guest articles by the likes of Greg Cosell. His analytical work is tremendous. Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Boomer Essiason had an interesting piece on his own draft experience. A.G. Britton presented a different take on draft day by describing that of her son, Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Eben Britton. ESPN's Andrea Kremer wrote about spending the day with Deion Sanders back in 1989 when he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. It was one of her first assignments with ESPN. Very interesting articles that aren't your typical draft fare. The NFL people are presenting things in their new magazine that you can't find anywhere else. Any idiot can do a mock draft. I've done three already and probably have a couple more in the can. You can find player evaluations everywhere. Most of which are guesses at best. Sure, all of the draft stuff is fun. The mocks, the evaluations. But, everyone's doing it. You can find the NFL's own stab at it on their website. They took a different route in their magazine and it's refreshing. The NFL Magazine is taking advantage of their connections to real experiences. I'm looking forward to the rest of this magazine. I may even fill out that little subscription card tucked neatly in the pages of the magazine.

Another Signing!

For those keeping score, the Minnesota Vikings signed another free agent last week. Linebacker Marvin Mitchell was added to the growing bonanza in Minnesota.

Here are the new additions:

TE John Carlson
OL Geoff Schwartz
WR Bryan Walters
RB Lex Hilliard
FB Jerome Felton
CB Zack Bowman
CB Chris Carr
CB/R Nick Taylor
LB Marvin Mitchell

Mitchell played for the Miami Dolphins last year but his time with the head-hunting New Orleans Saints jumps out at Vikings fans. Yep, he was on that other sideline for the 2009 NFC Championship game. He'll be playing real football now. The Vikings lost some special teams impact when Kenny Onatolu left in free agency. Mitchell will likely fill that void.

Although none of the additions likely stands out, some starters may come out of this group. Carlson and 2nd-year tight end Kyle Rudolph will provide a potent combination for quarterback Christian Ponder. Schwartz should start at right guard. Felton could start at fullback. Bowman and Carr will battle for significant playing time in both base and nickel defenses. I'm hoping Walters has a similar career path as fellow San Diego Chargers castoff Wes Welker. If nothing else, the Vikings depth is much improved.

Spygate vs Bountygate

Many have tried to compare Spygate and Bountygate. The Patriots taping of their opponents signs is nothing like the Saints targeting their opponents health. The only thing that the two have in common is the attempt to illegally gain an advantage. Most acknowledge that what the Saints did is worse. Good thing. It's far worse. The comparisons are made more to argue that the punishment of the New Orleans Saints is too severe. Especially since Patriots head coach Bill Belichick wasn't suspended. Personally, I never thought that what the Patriots did was all that bad. You can sit on your ass in your living room and steal a team's signs. Even record them. You aren't guaranteed to get all of the signs but during the course of a game you can probably catch a bunch of them. It was just stupid of Belichick and the Patriots to do so. Roger Goodell had recently warned all teams against taping the opponents sidelines. The warning was probably aimed right at Belichick's team. The Patriots ran right through stupid when they taped the New York Jets sideline. The Jets were coached by former Patriots coach Eric Mangini. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly how it was being done. Belichick must have figured that his former student would be too indebted to ever blow that whistle. Mangini doesn't really care too much for stuff like that when he's no longer in the nest. The Patriots weren't just playing with fire. They were burning down their own castle. It can be debated whether the Patriots were really gaining an unfair advantage from these tapes. They must have since they were doing it for a while and a warning wasn't slowing them down. If they should be punished for anything it should be for being really, really stupid. The Saints were criminal. Targeting the health of players is wrong on about every level imaginable. Not only did they carry out this crap for three years, they lied about it for three years. The Saints claimed that no player was carted off the field. I guess that they are trying to say that having no victim means no crime. Well, their shenanigans did injure Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game. He returned to the game but the late hits, illegal hits changed that game. One could go so far as to say that the targeting of Favre got the Saints to the Super Bowl. Sean Payton is lucky that he likely has a job in the NFL after his suspension. The question shouldn't be whether the punishment of the Saints was too severe. It should be whether they were severe enough.

Polynesian Invasion

Occasionally you'll find a three hundred pound football player with nimble feet. Every three hundred pound Polynesian football player has nimble feet. It's just amazing how they move. The agility and quickness seen in players like Baltimore Ravens nose tackle Haloti Ngata and San Francisco 49ers guard Mike Iupati is remarkable. Players from the Polynesian Islands are the latest culture to embrace football and the game is better for it.

In his book, How Football Explains America, Sal Palantonio explains that "the latest immigrant culture to find a home in the game of American football comes from the Polynesian Islands." Vai Sikahema was the first NFL football player from the South Pacific island of Tonga. He was a dynamite special teams player for the Cardinals, Eagles and Packers. He explains why his and other island cultures found a natural fit in football. "It is because of the way the Polynesian culture is set up-the chiefs rule the villages. And they rule islands. Questions weren't asked or posed to the chief, or they were killed." The iron rule of the football coach wasn't foreign to the Polynesian athlete. Sikahema goes on to explain the warrior culture in the South Pacific islands. They are born into it and they live with it. The "battle to the death" mentality has always been welcome in football. The Polynesians have it and bring it to the game. Ceremonial dances have always been a part of Polynesian Island life. The nimble three hundred pounders grew up with the Haka and fire knife dances. Not only do their feet become nimble, the hand-eye coordination that is required in these dances produce a ready football player. It wasn't until recently that the world discovered that the Polynesian culture produced terrific football players. Huge, nimble Islanders have been invading football fields across America and there are more on the way. Then there's Troy Polamalu. He's probably a runt by island standards. Actually, by most standards. His quickness, tenacity and anticipation are incredible. He's everywhere. He's one of the best safeties to ever play the game. He's also one of the smallest Polynesians. It's scary if there's more his size.

Polynesian culture: great food, great celebrations, great football players.

Fishing For Tuna

If I lived in the New York area, I doubt that I could stomach the New York Post. It's difficult enough being a continent away. It's one of the tabloids posing as a newspaper. They care little for truth when chasing a story. A recent catch was the Tuna, Bill Parcells. The clowns at the Post reported that Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf made Parcells a "name your price" offer to coach and run the team. Cool story but the Post didn't say anything about when the offer was made. They reported it as if it just happened. They "claimed" that Parcells was using Wilf's offer as a bargaining chip in his possible recent talks with the New Orleans Saints. I have no doubt that Zygi Wilf had an interest in Bill Parcells. Wilf grew up as a New York Giants fan. Hiring the Tuna to coach his would be like a dream and two Super Bowl wins presents a nice resume. Wilf probably had a discussion, or more, with Parcells in 2006 before Brad Childress was hired. He probably checked in again last year before he hired Leslie Frazier. Either or both occasions may have included that "name your price" offer. Neither happened recently, if at all. It would be irresponsible for the Post to assume that Wilf would pursue Parcells while committed to Frazier and general manager Rick Spielman. The Post doesn't really care much about reporting responsibly. It's just ridiculous to report what might have happened in the past as something that happened recently. The Vikings have denied that any such talks have taken place recently. Recently! They wouldn't even have to respond if the reporter had done some work and fact checked the story. Now the "news" has percolated into much of the rest of the media. Carrying a Post story as a real story is as pathetic as the Post running the story in the first place. I guess that every one's out fishing.

Throwback Thursday: Drafting A Dynasty

I've always been amazed that the Chicago Bears pulled Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers from the same draft. It helped that they had the third and fourth picks of that 1965 NFL Draft. They had the sixth as well but Steve DeLong never had the same impact as his mates. Butkus and Sayers are Hall of Famers and are in the argument of the greatest of all time at their respective positions. Unfortunately, neither player ever made it to the post season. The Pittsburgh Steelers were nearly always in the post season in the '70s. That doesn't bring much surprise these days but it was a real shock then. The Steelers were pathetic for nearly all of their first forty years. That all changed when Chuck Noll was hired as head coach in 1969. Drafting future Hall of Famers became routine and the Steelers created a football dynasty. That winning tradition has continued to this day. The last forty years have made the first forty years a forgotten memory. It all started with the drafting of a defensive tackle named Joe Greene.

Chuck Noll had to change everything in Pittsburgh. His changes started with defense and his first draft choice was future Hall of Famer Joe Greene. This was the perfect person and player around which to build one of the NFL's great defenses. Defensive end L.C. Greenwood was added in the later roounds of the same draft. In 1970, the Steelers added two more future Hall of Famers . One became the offensive leader, quarterback Terry Bradshaw. The other was game changing cornerback Mel Blount. In 1971, only one Hall of Famer was added but he played like two, linebacker Jack Ham. Nearly half of the Steelers dominating defense was added in '71. In addition to Ham the rest of the "Steel Curtain" defensive line in tackle Ernie Holmes and end Dwight White joined the Steelers as well as safeties Mike Wagner and Glen Edwards. In '72, it was back to the offense with future Hall of Fame runningback Franco Harris. In '73, Blount's cornerback partner J.T. Thomas arrived. The 1974 Steelers draft may have been one of the best in league history. Four Hall of Famers were selected that year. Receivers Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, linebacker Jack Lambert and center Mike Webster. From 1969-74, the Steelers drafted nine Hall of Famers and nearly the entire fantastic defense that simply dominated the decade. The only defensive player not drafted during that period was drafted in 1963, linebacker Andy Russell. That six year window, starting with the hiring of Noll and drafting of Greene, may have brought in the greatest concentration of football talent ever seen in the league. It's especially amazing that it all came from the draft. That drafting resulted in four Super Bowl championships.

Whenever I think of how a team should be built I think of those Steelers teams. We live in a different era now. Free agency has changed a lot of things but it hasn't changed the best way to win championships. Drafting well will always be the key to that goal. Few free agents have really changed a team's fortunes. Reggie White, Deion Sanders and Drew Brees are on that short list. The biggest impact of most free agents has been in the dent in the salary cap. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafting from 1969-74 will always be the model to me.

Hines Ward

It was sad to see Hines Ward officially retire a few weeks ago. It was great to see that he retired wearing no other jersey than that of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That doesn't happen too often these days. Ward has always been one of my favorite football players. There may have been faster, more shifty receivers. Few had better hands. None blocked as well. Ward wasn't just a terrific receiver. He was a complete football player. If the Minnesota Vikings played the Steelers more often, maybe I wouldn't like him as much as I do. He could be a real pain-in-the-ass to play against. Many defensive players hated playing against him. Ward was a devastating blocker. For a receiver, that's remarkable. Offensive players have always had to have their head on swivel while crossing the defense. Ward turned that around. He put worries in the minds of defensive players. He would destroy defensive players when given the chance. There's no surprise that some defenders cried foul. They rarely like getting what they so routinely give. Offense can be physical too. Few did that better than Hines Ward. He was such a fun player to watch.

I'm hoping that young, physical receivers like Percy Harvin, Julio Jones and Miles Austin can carry on what Ward did so well. Keeping defenses from getting too comfortable. I'm going to miss watching Hines Ward play football. I'm just glad that his last playing days were in the same city as his first.

QB Camp

Jon Gruden's QB Camp on ESPN is one of the best pre-draft shows. Makes it a real shock that it's on ESPN. It's a good thing that the network has the ex-coach under contract. Gruden brings in soon to be NFL rookie quarterbacks for some film study and field work. He started the show last year with Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Andy Dalton and Ryan Mallett. If he had Christian Ponder on, I regrettably missed it. The show is excellent. Some seem to find Gruden's hyperactivity annoying but I have a hard time finding fault with someone that has such an obvious passion for football. He knows offensive football and he interacts well with the young quarterbacks. The show is getting more attention this year. Sports Illustrated's Peter King raves about it and even chose to watch the Robert Griffin III episode rather than watch the Kentucky-Kansas NCAA Championship Game last Monday. King shouldn't have felt too pressed to watch that first airing as ESPN replays each episode a bunch. This year Andrew Luck, Griffin, Brandon Weeden, Kirk Cousins, Brock Osweiler, Kellen Moore and Russell Wilson will be featured. I'm little surprised that Ryan Tannehill isn't part of the group. Maybe he'll pop up later. Last year Gruden unintentionally made Newton look like an idiot. At Auburn, Newton ran such a simplified, sign-based offense that when Gruden asked Newton to call out a play from his college days, he couldn't. Newton kind of waffled around the question. Auburn didn't use play calls. The poor quarterback couldn't verbalize something that wasn't verbal. Fortunately, it didn't kill Newton in the draft since he went first overall last year. Expected to go first overall this year, Andrew Luck was was at the other end of the spectrum. He rattled off plays, reads and adjustments as if he's been coaching offensive football for decades. The Indianapolis Colts are a very lucky franchise to be able to dump a legend in Peyton Manning and immediately grab a young one in the making. Luck gets "it." So does Jon Gruden with this series. The Flea Flicker says check it out.

Manning's Journey

The football lives of Peyton and Eli Manning couldn't have been more different this past year. One misses the entire terrible season and is dumped by the team after fourteen mostly terrific seasons together. The other leads his team to their second Super Bowl win in five seasons. The latter is cruising into perhaps the best years of his football career. The former is at a football crossroads.

Sports Illustrated's Peter King wrote a terrific article about the journey Peyton Manning took between his release from the Indianapolis Colts and his decision to play for the Denver Broncos. The media played a big role in the journey because they followed him everywhere. He often had to take ridiculous measures to avoid the wolves. Why can't they let a person be? The media would regularly be where they shouldn't and Manning, as he's always done on the field, would make decisions on the fly to avoid them. The media made a difficult decision even more difficult. They made something private way too public. Many have asked, fans and media alike, why Denver? Manning isn't one to join a team without doing the work to find the best place. He won't do it for money as many players routinely do. So, the better question is why not Denver? Personally, I thought that it would be San Francisco. That team just seems to be becoming a football monster. With head coach Jim Harbaugh and players like Patrick Willis, Justin Smith and now Randy Moss the 49ers have created a strong football workplace. When you look at Manning's three finalists (Denver, San Francisco and Tennessee) you find football people that likely connect well with the quarterback. John Elway, Jim Harbaugh and Mike Munchack. Each have unique a connection to Peyton Manning. Harbaugh preceded Manning as the Colts quarterback. Elway is a Hall of Fame quarterback that finally won Super Bowls late in his career much like Manning is trying to do. Munchack was starting his Hall of Fame career on a Houston Oilers team that just happened to have Archie Manning leading it. The move by Denver that likely sealed Manning's choice was one made by Elway. Instead of pushing Manning, Elway thought of how he'd have felt if the Broncos had dumped him late in his career. With those feelings in mind he treated Manning accordingly. That went a long way in Manning's decision process. The Broncos courting obviously worked as the 49ers and Titans did nothing to hurt their respective chances. He simply chose the Broncos.

The most interesting thing to me that came out of King's article involved a team that no one knew was in the chase, the Washington Redskins. They may not have known that they were even in it themselves. Manning learned of the Redskins trade with the Rams to likely draft Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III while he was visiting the Broncos. Elway told him. The interesting part was that Manning was shocked to hear of the trade. It sounds like the Redskins were on his short list of possible teams. This shoots holes in the thoughts of many that Manning wanted no part of the NFC East and his brother. Many felt that he'd avoid the NFC as a whole, yet San Francisco nearly had him. The media just never really understood who they were following.

It's a bit early to crown the Broncos as AFC West champs but some have. San Diego still has a bunch of talent. Kansas City was terrific two years ago but were rocked by injuries last year. Those players should be healthy now. New coach and decision makers in Oakland make the Raiders unpredictable. The Broncos made the playoffs with Tim Tebow throwing footballs with his feet. Peyton Manning makes them better but they still have to play the games.

Mock Draft 3.0

These damn things change everyday. Since the Minnesota Vikings draft so early each round I'm taking these mockers three picks past the first round. Here we go:

1. Indianapolis Colts  Andrew Luck  QB  Stanford
2. Washington Redskins  Robert Griffin III  QB  Baylor
3. MINNESOTA VIKINGS  MATT KALIL T USC
4. Cleveland Browns  Trent Richardson  RD  Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers  Morris Claibornre  CB  LSU
6. St Louis Rams  Justin Blackmon  WR  Oklahoma St
7. Jacksonville Jaguars  Melvin Ingram  LB/DE  South Carolina
8. Miami Dolphins  Ryan Tannehill  QB  Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers  Michael Floyd  WR  Notre Dame
10. Buffalo Bills  Riley Reiff  T  Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs  Michael Brockers  DT  LSU
12. Seattle Seahawks  Luke Kuechly  LB  Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals  David DeCastro  G  Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys  Mark Barron  S  Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles  Fletcher Cox  DT Mississippi St
16. New York Jets  Courtney Upshaw  Alabama
17. Cincinnati Bengals  Stephon Gilmore  CB South Carolina
18. San Diego Chargers  Cordy Glenn  G  Georgia
19. Chicago Bears  Dre Kirkpatrick  CB  Alabama
20. Tennessee Titans  Quentin Coples  DE  North Carolina
21. Cincinnati Bengals  Dontari Poe  DT  Memphis
22. Cleveland Browns  Kendall Wright  WR  Baylor
23. Detroit Lions  Michael Adams  T  Ohio St
24. Pittsburgh Steelers  Jonathan Martin  T  Stanford
25. Denver Broncos  Jerel Worthy  DT  Michigan St
26. Houston Texans  Stephen Hill  WR  Georgia Tech
27. New England Patriots  Nick Perry  USC  DE
28. Green Bay Packers  Andre Branch  DE  Clemson
29. Baltimore Ravens  Peter Konz  C  Wisconsin
30. San Francisco 49ers  Brandon Thompson  DT  Clemson
31. New England Patriots  Janoris Jenkins  CB  N. Alabama
32. New York Giants  Amini Silatolu G/T Midwestern St
33. St Louis Rams  Donta' Hightower
34. Indianapolis Colts  Coby Fleener  TE  Stanford
35. MINNESOTA VIKINGS  HARRISON SMITH  S  NOTRE DAME

There you go. For now.

Vikings Free Agency

The Minnesota Vikings dive into free agency 2012 was truly something to see. Here it is:

TE John Carlson
RB Lex Hilliard
FB Jerome Felton
OL Geoff Schwartz
CB Zack Bowman
CB Chris Carr
WR Bryan Walters
CB/WR Nick Taylor

Wow! Carlson is the only player that signed for more than one year (5 years). His contract is also the only one that might be called something close to lucrative. Nick Taylor was a basketball player at Florida International. He might be considered a longshot to even make it to training camp, let alone out of training camp. Despite the likely chuckles, I actually like what the Vikings have done. I'd like to see them add a safety (Melvin Bullitt?). The Vikings apparently looked to spend some cash on receiver Pierre Garcon as soon as free agency opened. They just didn't want to spend as much as the Washington Redskins did. Few do. The Vikings knew when to say when and stuck to their plan of spending wisely. Creating competition can be more productive than adding a star. Carr and Bowman will create competition at corner. As will Schwartz at guard. If the Vikings do draft USC tackle Matt Kalil, adding Schwartz may actually give the Vikings a very solid offensive line. One that's very young as well. Quarterback Christian Ponder should sleep easier and stay on his feet longer. Schwartz is the free agent that I'm most sure the Vikings will try to sign long term during or after the season. His future is bright and I hope that it's in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Vikings are a better team now than they were at the end of the season. They kept their few key free agents and signed some that will create competition at key positions and provide depth. No stars were added, although John Carlson could be, but they are in a nice place heading into the draft.

Wonderlic

The Wonderlic is the supposed intelligence test given to the football prospects at the Scouting Combine. It's a much easier version of the SAT and other standardized tests. The scores are supposed to be kept confidential but with the media these days they rarely are. The Wonderlic has been in the news the past few days because LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne scored a 4 and everyone knows about it.

The highest possible score on the Wonderlic is 50 so a 4 is extremely poor. I wouldn't have thought it possible if not for Vince Young  scoring a 6, maybe it was a 7, in 2006. That score was obviously released as well. Since the ridiculous reporting of the 4 it's been revealed that Claiborne has a learning disability. Poor academic scores and learning disabilities don't have to keep players from excelling on the football field. The movie "The Program" has a scene in which a meathead linebacker rattles off defensive checks based on offensive keys like a rocket scientist. This character knows what he's doing and so does Claiborne. He's played corner at an extremely high level in the SEC, a conference that's as close to the NFL in football talent as you can get and still be in college. Claiborne can play and a Wonderlic score of 4 isn't going to keep him from being drafted in the top-10 of the NFL Draft.

Claiborne's Wonderlic score has no business being made available to the public. I just don't get the jollies that drive the media. Players should just start refusing to take the Wonderlic. Players regularly refuse to take part in various drills at the Combine. Why not pass on the Wonderlic? If for no other reason they should pass on taking part because of the obvious inabilty to keep the scores confidential.

Throwback Thursday: Taxi Squad

Arthur "Mickey" McBride was the original owner of the Cleveland Browns, bringing the team into the new All America Football Conference in 1946. Among other ventures, McBride made his money in the taxi cab business. He owned the Zone/Yellow Cab Company. That company would play a significant role in the history of professional football. With some helpful advice, McBride made the wise choice of hiring Paul Brown as the head coach of his football team. From coaching high school football in the talent-rich Massilon/Canton area and Ohio State and the Great Lakes Naval Air Station, Brown had seen a bunch of football players in the Midwest. If he hadn't already coached the players, he likely coached against them. He had a fantastic eye for football talent. It was so good that he signed too much of that talent. For four years the AAFC battled the NFL for football players. Not only did Brown not want to release any of his talent to competitors in his own league, he certainly didn't want to make any available to the NFL. To avoid it all together he devised a secret plan with McBride. The players that were not quite ready for the big time would work for McBride as taxi drivers. Their work schedules were conveniently arranged so that they could report to League Park in Cleveland where the Browns just happened to practice. The "taxi squard" was born.

Lying Game

When it comes to the NFL and it's annual selection of college football players you just can't trust anyone. Especially this time of year. Everybody seems to be shooting straight from the College All-Star games through the Scouting Combine. Once the teams set their initial draft boards not a lot of truth is uttered until the NFL Draft. Through the start of free agency and especially the annual Owner's Meetings it's all lies. That's about two months of lies. The lies become a game. The teams that are uncomfortable with all this lying usually say nothing at all.

There were rumors that the Minnesota Vikings started spreading some lies about Oklahoma runningback Adrian Peterson just days before the 2007 NFL Draft. Peterson had broken his collarbone during his final college season. He injured the not-quite healed bone in the Fiesta Bowl. He checked out and performed at the Scouting Combine. Everything seemed fine with Adrian Peterson. The day before the draft rumors started flying that the collarbone wasn't healed. Further procedures might be needed to set the collarbone. The start of his rookie year could be shaky. Some teams apparently got nervous because a top-3 talent fell to Minnesota at #7. Peterson didn't fall far but he fell to the team that might have started it all. They selected the super back with little concern. All this is a rumor but someone did start a story that simply wasn't true and only one team ended up with Adrian Peterson.

Usually, teams lie about players that interest them. Absent that, teams say nothing about players that interest them. Whichever route, there's always deceit. This year the Indianapolis Colts and now the Washington Redskins have made it clear that quarterbacks are the choice at the top of the draft. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, in that order. Maybe not. That leaves the Vikings at #3 with a shot at the best non-quarterback in the draft. One day they like USC tackle Matt Kalil. The next it's LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. Maybe one day it's Justin Blackmon. Then they have the pick up for the highest bidder. I still say that the choice is Kalil. The Vikings will never say that before the draft. Lies are the game until that day.

Return of the USFL

The United States Football League is returning. Not like we remembered it. Just a little different. This time it has the blessings, even support of the NFL. The old USFL challenged the NFL. It only lasted three years, from 1983-1985, but it sure seemed longer. Maybe it's because the court battles lasted longer. This time, the USFL will serve as a minor league for players hoping to graduate to the big time. Jaime Cuadra has acquired the USFL brand and will serve as president and CEO of what he hopes to be an eight-team league set to begin play next spring in non-NFL cities. Long time NFL employee Jim Steeg will serve as a consultant. The name and the spring season are the only similarities between the two football leagues. Arena football, Canadian Football and the now defunct NFL Europe gave football players with a dream the chance to make it real. This new USFL will do the same. The league will be taking "anywhere from 1000 to 1800 kids and giving them a living wage, $3000-35000 per game, and give them unfettered access to the NFL. They will be paid by the league, to keep things under control," says Cuadra. The league will have an open-door policy with the NFL. The big league can come to practices. If they want one of the players, the little league won't stop them. The signing can only help both leagues.

Owners and venues are still to be determined. The constant passion for football will surely shake those out. The early list of possible host cities includes: Akron, Portland, San Jose, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Austin, Memphis, Raleigh-Durham, Birmingham, Omaha and Baton Rouge.

Football fans are a hungry bunch. This could whet their appetite. I always applaud anything that helps keep a football dream alive. Good luck Jaime Cuadra and his new USFL.

New Vikings DC

When the Minnesota Vikings hired Indianapolis Colts secondary coach Alan Williams as their new defensive coordinator not a lot was said. Maybe something at the bottom of the last page of the average sports section. He might be the Vikings most important addition of the offseason. I first became aware of Williams following the 2006 season. Mike Tomlin had just announced his coaching skills to the league as a first year defensive coordinator for the Vikings. He made such a statement that the Pittsburgh Steelers hired him as their head coach. Remarkable when you consider his great lack of experience. Not remarkable when you encounter his energy and enthusiasm. He is a striking presence. The Vikings needed a new defensive leader. Seeing what Tomlin did, I went looking for a similar coach. Young, eager, well versed in Tony Dungy's cover-2 defense. Not only was Williams similar to Tomlin, he looked like his clone. They were even teammates in college at William and Mary. Dungy got both of them started in the NFL as defensive assistant coaches with Tampa Bay. Dungy thought enough of Williams to bring him along to Indianapolis while Tomlin stayed. I figured that then Vikings head coach Brad Childress would see Williams as he saw Tomlin a year earlier. I was close. Right team. Wrong coach. Instead Williams Childress hired his Colts coaching comrade Leslie Frazier. No complaints there. When Frazier was looking for his defensive coordinator this year he looked to Indianapolis and Alan Williams.

Williams has spent over a decade coaching defensive backs. Good thing as the Vikings need a lot of help back there. They need serious help at safety. While he was in Indianapolis I was impressed with the level of play of rookies like Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers at cornerback. Williams seemed to get solid performance from his players right away. The Vikings might have some youngsters playing important rules next year. they have to learn fast. The Vikings defense was often lost last year. I hope that Williams can show them the way. Fred Pagac has returned as the linebackers coach. Mike Singletary will help him. Brendan Daly will bring new enthusiasm and passion to the defensive line. Secondary coach Joe Woods has been solid despite dealing with injuries and some marginal talent. Alan Williams needs to bring it all together.

Goodell

I can't believe that Roger Goodell has been in the commissioner's office for six years. Since he took over, Goodell's been in the news a bunch. I don't think that it's such a good thing to be hearing about the commissioner so much. Whenever he pops up it's usually due to something negative happening. Kinda like the New Orleans Saints bounty mess. We should only see the commissioner at the draft.

For a kid that sent job-seeking letters to the NFL offices and all 28 teams thirty years ago, Roger Goodell has come a long way. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank recently said that he could see Goodell as commissioner thirty years from now. He'd be 82 but I suppose that statement is more an example of the fond feelings that the owners have for the big guy than a statement based in reality. He's certainly made his mark. His heavy punishment of the clowns running things in New Orleans shows that he's not just after the players to stay in line.

I really like that Roger Goodell comes across as a fan running the NFL. It's really the first thing that struck me about him. He's kind of goofy. I'd like to have a beer with him. I know that he's always got the best interest of the league in mind in all that he does. I don't think that he's some power hungry fool only in it for himself. It's just that some of his goals run against his usual fan-first approach. He claims that fans want an 18-game schedule with only two preseason games. He says that fans want more football games that mean something. It's rare that I find a fan that agrees with the expanded regular season. I don't know where Goodell's collection of agreeable fans are. I've never met or heard of any of them. The 18-game goal seems more about the money than what's best for football. 16 games is pushing the bounds of human endurance. Goodell stresses safety of the players but he sure is willing to put them at risk in his quest for more. He really should listen to the players on this one. I also don't like his push for regular season games in Europe. He's all for the fans yet he'll strip one team's fans of a home game each year.

Despite my little complaints, I really like Roger Goodell and the job that he's doing as commissioner. The NFL is the most popular sport in the land, by far. He's not resting on that. I wish that he'd pump the breaks a bit on a couple of things. He should talk to me over a beer.