Most Minnesota Vikings fans are very pleased with their team's draft. They should be. It's not often that a team ends up with three first round selections. When the players chosen with those selections are thought to be the top one or two at their respective positions, the happiness grows. Florida's Sharrif Floyd was the top defensive tackle in the estimation of many. Florida St. cornerback Xavier Rhodes was the second or third at his position. Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson was #1 or #2 through most of the pre-draft process. The Vikings were very fortunate. They were also very aggressive. As is usually the case, many fans have to bitch about something. Some Vikings fans were disappointed with the team trading all of their Day 2 picks despite those picks making the selection of Patterson possible. Those fans mostly loved the trade on Thursday. They hated it a day later when they had nothing to do. Many fans had their favorite players. When the Vikings neglected to select those players, those fans protested loudly. One of those players was Tennessee Tech receiver Da'Rick Rogers. Some fans wanted him taken as early as the second or third round. The fact that the Vikings had traded away those picks likely added to the fan's frustration. It's interesting that Rogers was passed over on all 254 draft selections. Rogers was thought of so highly that no NFL team decided to spend a draft pick on him. The "must have" receiver signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent. There was grumbling over several things that the Vikings did or didn't do but one selection drew more complaints than the rest.
The Minnesota Vikings drafted nine players in the 2013 NFL Draft. In the fifth round they selected UCLA punter Jeff Locke. A punter?!? It doesn't matter that Locke was probably the best punter in the draft. It doesn't matter that his left-footed boots might prove to be difficult for returners to handle. It doesn't matter that he can also kick off effectively. All that matters is that Locke is a punter and fifth round picks are for football players. The funny thing about all this bitching is that it is all so familiar. I heard the very same thing last year when the Vikings spent a sixth round pick on Georgia kicker Blair Walsh. Fans tore the Vikings apart for "wasting" a sixth round pick on a kicker. The 2012 NFL Draft produced franchise cornerstone players in tackle Matt Kalil and safety Harrison Smith. Several other players started games and provided an early and consistent impact. Walsh might have had the best season of them all. He was the best kicker in the league last year. He was invited to the Pro Bowl and more significantly was named All-Pro. It can be argued that he had the greatest kicking season ever. His impact was felt immediately. In the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Walsh made a 50+-yard field goal to force overtime. He kicked the game winner in the extra period. No one is complaining about the drafting of a kicker in the sixth round now. You'd think that the fans might have learned something last year. No, they are doing the same bitching about a punter this year that they did about a kicker last year. The Vikings had Ryan Longwell as their kicker when they drafted Walsh. An older, yet still extremely accurate kicker. His kickoffs were short. He was automatic from 45-yards and in, but the 50-yarders were a little iffy. The Vikings have Chris Kluwe punting now. He's younger than Longwell was last year but he's still on the wrong side of thirty. Statistically, Kluwe is the best punter in team history. He's still punting very well but he did have a rough couple game stretch in the middle of the season. Kluwe is also one of the most intelligent, interesting, and outspoken players in the NFL. His comments on equal rights and same sex marriage has done more to bring the NFL into the 21st century, on a social level, than any other person. His views and the manner in which he presents them is remarkable. The Vikings should be proud to have him. On a personal level, I hate that the Vikings drafted a punter. Kluwe is one of my favorite players. Even if he is "only" a punter. On a football level, drafting a punter is an excellent move. If Locke proves to be an improvement over Kluwe, great. If the presence of Locke forces Kluwe to step up to the competition and keep his job, great. Either way, the Vikings are improved at an often ignored aspect of the game. Field position is one of the most important aspects of any football game. The team that wins the field position battle often wins the game. The punter is one of the prime weapons in tilting the field position edge in your team's favor. This is the first threat that Kluwe has ever faced for his job. I hope that he steps up. No matter what happens in this punting battle, the Vikings will come out of it a better team. That's more than many teams get out of their fifth round pick.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Nice Drafts
I don't believe in grading drafts immediately following the draft. It's a sad thing to do. Instead I will mention some of the teams that had drafts that I liked. Some I liked because I liked the players that the team drafted. They players may not have been the popular among the "talking heads" but they were players that I liked. Some I liked because of the way the team attacked a particular need. Some I just liked for no particular reason at all. Here we go.
Atlanta Falcons
-the Falcons are a tremendously talented team. Their performance since general manager Thomas Dimitroff was hired and his subsequent hiring of coach Mike Smith has been steadily improving. The Falcons have a strong base. This offseason has taken up apart the Falcons cornerback position. They didn't mess around trying to fix this position in the draft. They traded up in the first round to select Washington corner Desmond Trufant. They added Southeastern Louisiana corner Robert Alford in the second. I love both picks. Both should start immediately. Starting two rookie corners is a gamble but I'd take that gamble with these two.
Baltimore Ravens
-the Super Bowl champs will look a lot different in defending their title. They lost the heart of their defense when Ray Lewis retired and Ed Reed left as a free agent. They also lost three other starters on defense. They replaced some of that talent before the draft in free agency. I like the Ravens draft for the defensive talent that they added in the first three rounds. Florida safety Matt Elam and Kansas St. linebacker Arthur Brown, in particular, will make an early impact. Brown was one of my favorite players, let alone linebackers, in the entire draft. In the third round, the Ravens found a small school sleeper that I think will be a keeper in Missouri Southern defensive tackle Brandon Williams.
Buffalo Bills
-I liked a bunch of the Bills draft picks. Several "talking heads" ripped the Bills for drafting Florida St. quarterback E.J. Manuel in the first round. Those critics are idiots. If the Bills liked Manuel they had to draft him there. Even if he made it out of the first round he wouldn't have been available for long in the second. I think that Manuel has a decent amount of Daunte Culpepper in the way that he plays the quarterback position. USC receiver Robert Woods is ready for the NFL right now. He may not be fast. He may not be real big. Hands, routes, movement. He has every necessary skill that an effective NFL receiver has to have. Oregon linebacker Kiko Alonso simply likes to hit things. He's also pretty decent in pass coverage. Woods may not have a lot of speed, but Texas receiver Marquise Goodwin has a lot of it. The Bills got him too. Nevada safety Duke Williams was a real nice addition.
Cincinnati Bengals
-there was a time, not long ago, that one could disregard the Bengals draft without even taking a look at it. The organization was a mess. They've been making some real nice draft decisions lately. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green got some nice offensive help with the first two picks in Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert and North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard. Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead in the sixth round adds to what has become a nice running back group. The Bengals found some defensive help in the second round with one of the most intriguing players in the draft in SMU defensive end Margus Hunt.
Green Bay Packers
-the Packers attacked the running back position much like the Falcons attacked cornerback. I expected the Packers to draft Alabama back Eddie Lacy in the first round. They got him in the second. They didn't stop there. They added a change of pace in UCLA's Jonathan Franklin in the fourth. The Packers have a running game.
New Orleans Saints
-I thought that Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro was one of the safest picks in the draft. I just feel that he'll impact the Saints secondary just like he did at Texas. He'll start week one and I think that his impact will be immediate. Arkansas-Pine Bluff tackle Terron Armstead shocked a lot of people at the Scouting Combine with his athleticism. He might be a bit of a project but the talent is there. Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins is a load. It might be real tough to run up the middle in New Orleans. Oklahoma receiver Kenny Stills is a quick, tough receiver. Drew Brees will like this guy.
New York Jets
-there was a lot of booing of the Jets picks at the draft. I just don't get those guys. They seem to boo just because they do. Alabama corner Dee Milliner and Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson were fantastic additions to the defense in the first round. West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith was real nice value in the second round. He's a talented thrower despite the criticism many have dumped on him. He has a future with the Jets and I can't really say that about Mark Sanchez or any of the other half dozen quarterbacks on the roster. Kent St. offensive lineman Brian Winters can play several positions on the line and play them well.
Pittsburgh Steelers
- the Steelers just kept drafting players that I liked. Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones might not test well but he's dynamite on the football field. He fits the way that the Steelers play defense so well that it should be illegal. Michigan St. running back Le'Veon Bell can be a bull with the ball. The Steelers lost receiver Mike Wallace in free agency. They drafted a receiver so much like Wallace that they share the same initials. Oregon St. receiver Markus Wheaton was another of my favorites at the position. The only thing that kept Syracuse safety Shamarko Thomas out of the first round was his 5'9" height. He's a missile on the field.
San Diego Chargers
-it doesn't seem that long ago that the Chargers had arguably the most talented team in the league. They've fallen from that pedestal over the last couple of years. This draft will go a long way to improve the talent on the team. Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker will keep quarterback happy and on his feet. Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o is a leader and an incredibly instinctive football player. He'll get even better when he can finally put the circus behind him. Cal receiver Keenan Allen is a first round talent. The Chargers got him in the third. The only thing that Allen can't do on a football field is run fast. Cal corner Steve Williams will likely start out as a nickel back and eventually do much more.
Tennessee Titans
-I think that the Titans found five early starters in this draft. It started with Alabama's terrific guard Chance Warmack. He'll move defenders around early and often. The Titans traded up in the second to keep Tennessee receiver Justin Hunter in the state. This guy could turn into the top receiver in this draft. He's tall, 6'4", and very fast. He's got some work to do but he could be fantastic. Connecticut corner Blidi Wreh-Wilson is a big corner. He's also a very good corner. Missouri linebacker Zaviar Gooden can fly. Cal center Brian Schwenke may not look impressive but he's technically sound and simply does everything right.
The best draft was easily that of the Minnesota Vikings but I'll probably be mentioning the particulars of that draft way too often over the coming months.
Atlanta Falcons
-the Falcons are a tremendously talented team. Their performance since general manager Thomas Dimitroff was hired and his subsequent hiring of coach Mike Smith has been steadily improving. The Falcons have a strong base. This offseason has taken up apart the Falcons cornerback position. They didn't mess around trying to fix this position in the draft. They traded up in the first round to select Washington corner Desmond Trufant. They added Southeastern Louisiana corner Robert Alford in the second. I love both picks. Both should start immediately. Starting two rookie corners is a gamble but I'd take that gamble with these two.
Baltimore Ravens
-the Super Bowl champs will look a lot different in defending their title. They lost the heart of their defense when Ray Lewis retired and Ed Reed left as a free agent. They also lost three other starters on defense. They replaced some of that talent before the draft in free agency. I like the Ravens draft for the defensive talent that they added in the first three rounds. Florida safety Matt Elam and Kansas St. linebacker Arthur Brown, in particular, will make an early impact. Brown was one of my favorite players, let alone linebackers, in the entire draft. In the third round, the Ravens found a small school sleeper that I think will be a keeper in Missouri Southern defensive tackle Brandon Williams.
Buffalo Bills
-I liked a bunch of the Bills draft picks. Several "talking heads" ripped the Bills for drafting Florida St. quarterback E.J. Manuel in the first round. Those critics are idiots. If the Bills liked Manuel they had to draft him there. Even if he made it out of the first round he wouldn't have been available for long in the second. I think that Manuel has a decent amount of Daunte Culpepper in the way that he plays the quarterback position. USC receiver Robert Woods is ready for the NFL right now. He may not be fast. He may not be real big. Hands, routes, movement. He has every necessary skill that an effective NFL receiver has to have. Oregon linebacker Kiko Alonso simply likes to hit things. He's also pretty decent in pass coverage. Woods may not have a lot of speed, but Texas receiver Marquise Goodwin has a lot of it. The Bills got him too. Nevada safety Duke Williams was a real nice addition.
Cincinnati Bengals
-there was a time, not long ago, that one could disregard the Bengals draft without even taking a look at it. The organization was a mess. They've been making some real nice draft decisions lately. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green got some nice offensive help with the first two picks in Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert and North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard. Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead in the sixth round adds to what has become a nice running back group. The Bengals found some defensive help in the second round with one of the most intriguing players in the draft in SMU defensive end Margus Hunt.
Green Bay Packers
-the Packers attacked the running back position much like the Falcons attacked cornerback. I expected the Packers to draft Alabama back Eddie Lacy in the first round. They got him in the second. They didn't stop there. They added a change of pace in UCLA's Jonathan Franklin in the fourth. The Packers have a running game.
New Orleans Saints
-I thought that Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro was one of the safest picks in the draft. I just feel that he'll impact the Saints secondary just like he did at Texas. He'll start week one and I think that his impact will be immediate. Arkansas-Pine Bluff tackle Terron Armstead shocked a lot of people at the Scouting Combine with his athleticism. He might be a bit of a project but the talent is there. Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins is a load. It might be real tough to run up the middle in New Orleans. Oklahoma receiver Kenny Stills is a quick, tough receiver. Drew Brees will like this guy.
New York Jets
-there was a lot of booing of the Jets picks at the draft. I just don't get those guys. They seem to boo just because they do. Alabama corner Dee Milliner and Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson were fantastic additions to the defense in the first round. West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith was real nice value in the second round. He's a talented thrower despite the criticism many have dumped on him. He has a future with the Jets and I can't really say that about Mark Sanchez or any of the other half dozen quarterbacks on the roster. Kent St. offensive lineman Brian Winters can play several positions on the line and play them well.
Pittsburgh Steelers
- the Steelers just kept drafting players that I liked. Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones might not test well but he's dynamite on the football field. He fits the way that the Steelers play defense so well that it should be illegal. Michigan St. running back Le'Veon Bell can be a bull with the ball. The Steelers lost receiver Mike Wallace in free agency. They drafted a receiver so much like Wallace that they share the same initials. Oregon St. receiver Markus Wheaton was another of my favorites at the position. The only thing that kept Syracuse safety Shamarko Thomas out of the first round was his 5'9" height. He's a missile on the field.
San Diego Chargers
-it doesn't seem that long ago that the Chargers had arguably the most talented team in the league. They've fallen from that pedestal over the last couple of years. This draft will go a long way to improve the talent on the team. Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker will keep quarterback happy and on his feet. Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o is a leader and an incredibly instinctive football player. He'll get even better when he can finally put the circus behind him. Cal receiver Keenan Allen is a first round talent. The Chargers got him in the third. The only thing that Allen can't do on a football field is run fast. Cal corner Steve Williams will likely start out as a nickel back and eventually do much more.
Tennessee Titans
-I think that the Titans found five early starters in this draft. It started with Alabama's terrific guard Chance Warmack. He'll move defenders around early and often. The Titans traded up in the second to keep Tennessee receiver Justin Hunter in the state. This guy could turn into the top receiver in this draft. He's tall, 6'4", and very fast. He's got some work to do but he could be fantastic. Connecticut corner Blidi Wreh-Wilson is a big corner. He's also a very good corner. Missouri linebacker Zaviar Gooden can fly. Cal center Brian Schwenke may not look impressive but he's technically sound and simply does everything right.
The best draft was easily that of the Minnesota Vikings but I'll probably be mentioning the particulars of that draft way too often over the coming months.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Sorta Final Draft Thoughts
Welcome back to the 2013 NFL Draft Minnesota Vikings.
I liked Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly's presence as draft analyst on NFL Network. I saw him at the AT&T Golf Tournament at Pebble Beach this past February. He looks like a little leprechaun. It's funny how some of these coaches that seem to be such a presence on the sideline are actually quite small. Kelly is the perfect coach for Notre Dame.
LSU coach Les Miles followed Kelly on the set. There's something a little shady about Miles.
Stanford coach David Shaw joined the panel in the fifth round. He had to sit next to Miles but he brought some sanity to the set. I like Shaw a lot. It's a damn shame that he has to be coaching at Stanford. The NFL will be calling on him.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley had to wait through the first two days of the draft. He didn't have to wait long on the third day. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the first pick of the fourth round.
Quarterbacks Ryan Nassib of Syracuse and Tyler Wilson of Arkansas followed Barkley in the fourth round. This wasn't a friendly draft for quarterbacks.
I was so pleased to see South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round. It's the perfect pairing. Lattimore is recovering from a brutal knee injury. With the 49ers terrific talent and depth there's no rush to get him on the field. He may be ready by the start but he doesn't have to be. Lattimore is the most talented back in this draft. Some might say that's not saying much seeing as there were none taken in the first round. Lattimore would be the most talented back in most drafts. He's a tremendous football player. He's also one of the good guys in sport. When his leg went where it shouldn't this past season against Tennessee, BOTH benches emptied to see him off the field. It was an incredible moment. One that I've never seen. When Lattimore did what he could at his Pro Day, the coaches and scouts in attendance gave him a standing ovation. He has the respect of everyone that meets him.
I think that the 49ers really scored in the fourth round. Before they drafted Lattimore they added Louisiana Tech receiver Quinton Patton. His presence in the fourth round was a real surprise to me. I thought that he could be selected as early as the second. Patton was one of the most pro-ready receivers in the draft. Like USC's Robert Woods, Cal's Keenan Allen, Clemson's DeAndre Hopkins, pretty much the only thing that Patton can't do on the football field is run real fast. Like those other receivers, he's fast enough. Nice picks for the 49ers.
The Green Bay Packers depend on the amazing throwing skills of quarterback Aaron Rodgers to win games. The little running that they do to move the ball has been pieced together by a seemingly endless parade of backs. Whenever one gains some momentum he's injured. The last consistent running presence in Green Bay was found with Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung. The Packers made some real nice moves in the draft to change that trend. They drafted Alabama power back Eddie Lacy in the second round. For a change of pace they added UCLA back Jonathan Franklin a couple of rounds later. Lacy doesn't have a lot of moves but he provides a real push in the right direction. As a Cal fan, I'm not disappointed at all to see Franklin in the NFL. As a Vikings fan, I am disappointed to see him play his professional games in Green Bay. With Rodgers, the Packers will always be a passing team but they may now have a threatening running game.
I've long been a big fan of the name Barkevious Mingo. I'm now a fan of Jamoris Slaughter. And, he's a safety. Perfect. Both are now football players for the Cleveland Browns.
With their selection of UCLA punter Jeff Locke in the fifth round, the Vikings kicked off a run on punters and kickers. The specialists are getting more respect in the draft than they ever have before.
Congratulations to tackle Ryan Jensen. He was selected by Baltimore at the end of the sixth round. I thought that I had heard of every NFL player-producing school there is, even D-II schools. I've never heard of Colorado St.-Pueblo. Jensen wasn't invited to the Scouting Combine. That was due more to the level of competition that he faced than his level of play. Still, Jensen was on the mind of NFL scouts. Obviously, since he was drafted.
What goes around comes around. The Vikings traded their sixth round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In return the Vikings received the Bucs' sixth and seventh round picks. That seventh round pick was part of the bushel of picks that the Vikings sent to the New England Patriots way back on Thursday night for the pick that brought Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson to Minnesota. The Vikings used that boomerang pick to select Florida St. defensive tackle Everett Dawkins. The Vikings started the 2013 NFL Draft with a defensive tackle from Florida, Shariff Floyd, and ended it with a defensive tackle from Florida St.
The Vikings entered the draft with a great need at middle linebacker. I think that they might have filled that hole in the seventh round with Penn St. linebacker Michael Mauti. I knew that he had much of his college career wrecked by three ACL injuries. I knew that he was a talented player that couldn't stay on the field. I really didn't know a thing about Michael Mauti. After seeing some video, I'd like to see Mauti lead the Vikings defense for the next decade. He's a leader and the way that he kept leading a Penn St. program that was rocked by an unthinkable disaster was simply inspiring. He had such an impact on the Nittany Lions that when he was out with his third ACL injury this past season the team wore "42" decals on their helmets to honor their leader. He can play some terrific football too. If Michael Mauti can stay healthy, the Vikings got a steal in the final round.
The SEC produced about a quarter of the 254 drafted players.
The conference also produced 2/3 of the Vikings first round selections.
Congratulations to all the new NFL players. Special congratulations to Mr. Irrelevant Justice Cunningham. Tight end. South Carolina. Now an Indianapolis Colts professional football player
It's not over for those that weren't drafted. It's now Undrafted Free Agent time. A bunch of players will still have that shot at the NFL. John Randle took that path. He's in the Hall of Fame.
I liked Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly's presence as draft analyst on NFL Network. I saw him at the AT&T Golf Tournament at Pebble Beach this past February. He looks like a little leprechaun. It's funny how some of these coaches that seem to be such a presence on the sideline are actually quite small. Kelly is the perfect coach for Notre Dame.
LSU coach Les Miles followed Kelly on the set. There's something a little shady about Miles.
Stanford coach David Shaw joined the panel in the fifth round. He had to sit next to Miles but he brought some sanity to the set. I like Shaw a lot. It's a damn shame that he has to be coaching at Stanford. The NFL will be calling on him.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley had to wait through the first two days of the draft. He didn't have to wait long on the third day. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the first pick of the fourth round.
Quarterbacks Ryan Nassib of Syracuse and Tyler Wilson of Arkansas followed Barkley in the fourth round. This wasn't a friendly draft for quarterbacks.
I was so pleased to see South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round. It's the perfect pairing. Lattimore is recovering from a brutal knee injury. With the 49ers terrific talent and depth there's no rush to get him on the field. He may be ready by the start but he doesn't have to be. Lattimore is the most talented back in this draft. Some might say that's not saying much seeing as there were none taken in the first round. Lattimore would be the most talented back in most drafts. He's a tremendous football player. He's also one of the good guys in sport. When his leg went where it shouldn't this past season against Tennessee, BOTH benches emptied to see him off the field. It was an incredible moment. One that I've never seen. When Lattimore did what he could at his Pro Day, the coaches and scouts in attendance gave him a standing ovation. He has the respect of everyone that meets him.
I think that the 49ers really scored in the fourth round. Before they drafted Lattimore they added Louisiana Tech receiver Quinton Patton. His presence in the fourth round was a real surprise to me. I thought that he could be selected as early as the second. Patton was one of the most pro-ready receivers in the draft. Like USC's Robert Woods, Cal's Keenan Allen, Clemson's DeAndre Hopkins, pretty much the only thing that Patton can't do on the football field is run real fast. Like those other receivers, he's fast enough. Nice picks for the 49ers.
The Green Bay Packers depend on the amazing throwing skills of quarterback Aaron Rodgers to win games. The little running that they do to move the ball has been pieced together by a seemingly endless parade of backs. Whenever one gains some momentum he's injured. The last consistent running presence in Green Bay was found with Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung. The Packers made some real nice moves in the draft to change that trend. They drafted Alabama power back Eddie Lacy in the second round. For a change of pace they added UCLA back Jonathan Franklin a couple of rounds later. Lacy doesn't have a lot of moves but he provides a real push in the right direction. As a Cal fan, I'm not disappointed at all to see Franklin in the NFL. As a Vikings fan, I am disappointed to see him play his professional games in Green Bay. With Rodgers, the Packers will always be a passing team but they may now have a threatening running game.
I've long been a big fan of the name Barkevious Mingo. I'm now a fan of Jamoris Slaughter. And, he's a safety. Perfect. Both are now football players for the Cleveland Browns.
With their selection of UCLA punter Jeff Locke in the fifth round, the Vikings kicked off a run on punters and kickers. The specialists are getting more respect in the draft than they ever have before.
Congratulations to tackle Ryan Jensen. He was selected by Baltimore at the end of the sixth round. I thought that I had heard of every NFL player-producing school there is, even D-II schools. I've never heard of Colorado St.-Pueblo. Jensen wasn't invited to the Scouting Combine. That was due more to the level of competition that he faced than his level of play. Still, Jensen was on the mind of NFL scouts. Obviously, since he was drafted.
What goes around comes around. The Vikings traded their sixth round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In return the Vikings received the Bucs' sixth and seventh round picks. That seventh round pick was part of the bushel of picks that the Vikings sent to the New England Patriots way back on Thursday night for the pick that brought Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson to Minnesota. The Vikings used that boomerang pick to select Florida St. defensive tackle Everett Dawkins. The Vikings started the 2013 NFL Draft with a defensive tackle from Florida, Shariff Floyd, and ended it with a defensive tackle from Florida St.
The Vikings entered the draft with a great need at middle linebacker. I think that they might have filled that hole in the seventh round with Penn St. linebacker Michael Mauti. I knew that he had much of his college career wrecked by three ACL injuries. I knew that he was a talented player that couldn't stay on the field. I really didn't know a thing about Michael Mauti. After seeing some video, I'd like to see Mauti lead the Vikings defense for the next decade. He's a leader and the way that he kept leading a Penn St. program that was rocked by an unthinkable disaster was simply inspiring. He had such an impact on the Nittany Lions that when he was out with his third ACL injury this past season the team wore "42" decals on their helmets to honor their leader. He can play some terrific football too. If Michael Mauti can stay healthy, the Vikings got a steal in the final round.
The SEC produced about a quarter of the 254 drafted players.
The conference also produced 2/3 of the Vikings first round selections.
Congratulations to all the new NFL players. Special congratulations to Mr. Irrelevant Justice Cunningham. Tight end. South Carolina. Now an Indianapolis Colts professional football player
It's not over for those that weren't drafted. It's now Undrafted Free Agent time. A bunch of players will still have that shot at the NFL. John Randle took that path. He's in the Hall of Fame.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Second Day Draft Thoughts
Grading a draft hours after the picks are made is more stupid than doing mock drafts. No one can properly grade a draft an hour later, a week later. Even a month later. No player has played a game. CBS Sportsline's Pete Prisco slapped the Buffalo Bills with an "F" for drafting Florida St. quarterback E.J. Manuel with the sixteenth pick of the first round. Prisco says that Manuel is no Cam Newton. I'm not sure why he has to be but even Cam Newton wasn't Cam Newton an hour after he was selected first overall in 2011. Well, Cam Newton was Cam Newton but he wasn't Cam Newton the professional quarterback until he played some NFL games. Let E.J. Manuel step on a football field before labeling him a failure. I give Pete Prisco an "F" for premature grading.
With Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei still on the board, the Carolina Panthers took all of 30 seconds to get their pick in.
I'm still a little stunned that the Minnesota Vikings found Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd still available when their turn came up at #23 in the first round. Stunned and very happy.
Some Vikings fans are grumbling that the team spent too much to move back into the first round to select Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. They did give up a lot. A 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 7th is a lot to give up for one pick at the bottom of the first. Having extra picks allows teams to spend if there's a player that they really like. The Vikings entered the draft with eleven picks. They could afford to move up nearly an entire round so they did. General manager Rick Spielman dictated the Vikings draft rather than letting it come to him. I really think that the bitchy fans were more upset about not having anything to watch yesterday.
The Vikings gone fishin' yesterday.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley and Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib had the day off as well.
Congratulations to Manti Te'o for his draft selection by the San Diego Chargers. They even traded up to get him in the second. The team that Junior Seau likely made Hawaii's team is a perfect fit for Te'o. He finally gets a chance to put this circus behind him and he can finally concentrate on football. Best of luck to him.
I think that I like new New York Jets general manager John Idzik. I didn't really know much about him beyond the fact that he spent about twenty years in the personnel side of football before he finally got a shot at running a team. He deals with the media really well which has to be a chore in any city, let alone New York. Any general manager of a team with quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, and now Geno Smith is going to get a lot of dumbass questions from the media. Idzik dealt with those questions smoothly and with humor yesterday.
That Jets press conference was the longest that I've ever seen head coach Rex Ryan go without speaking.
Not only did the Chargers do well to draft Te'o in the second they got a real steal in the third with Cal receiver Keenan Allen. He can do anything on a football field but run real fast. Despite not having great timed speed, Allen has always been fast enough. He's a first round talent and the Chargers are going to be real happy.
With Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker in the first, Te'o in the second, and Allen in the third, I like the Chargers draft.
Another draft that I like is that of the St. Louis Rams. That is only if Georgia linebacker Alec Ogeltree can stifle his demons and let his incredible athleticism shine. West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin was their big offensive addition but I thought that it was a smooth move to add Austin's smooth receiving teammate Steadman Bailey in the third. Quarterback Sam Bradford is going to be happy with both Mountaineers.
Tennessee had a terrific draft. Alabama guard Chance Warmack, Tennessee receiver Justin Hunter, Connecticut corner Blidi Wreh-Wilson, and Missouri linebacker Zaviar Gooden should all make significant contributions. If quarterback Jake Locker takes a big step in his develpoment, the Titans could make a run at Houston and Indianapolis in the AFC South.
The Super Bowl champs made some nice moves in the first two days. Safety Ed Reed and linebacker Ray Lewis are future Hall of Famers and pretty much impossible to replace. The Ravens tried in selecting Florida safety Matt Elam in the first and Kansas St. linebacker Arthur Brown in the second. Missouri Southern defensive tackle Brandon Williams also adds to the defense. These are three excellent football players.
Despite not having a single pick on the second day, I love what the Minnesota Vikings have done in the 2013 NFL Draft.
I had Alabama running back Eddie Lacy penciled in for the Green Bay Packers in the first round. They were smart to wait as they were able to grab him in the second.
It was surprising to see only three receivers selected in each of the first two rounds. It's a passing league. Receivers should be flying off of the board. Despite the lack of numbers at the top of the draft there are a lot of real nice receivers in this draft. They just don't have that size-speed combination that so many teams desire. Robert Woods and Keenan Allen are tremendously skilled, polished and ready receivers. Woods goes to the Bills in the second. Allen to the Chargers in the third. Markus Wheaton has more of the speed that teams like but not much of the size. He went to the Steelers in the third. Terrance Williams is a tremendously polished receiver from Baylor. As pro-ready as any receiver in the draft. The Cowboys got him in the third. There was a little run on the receivers in the third when four were selected over a span of six picks. That brought the numbers up to eleven receivers selected during the first two days.
After skipping the fun yesterday, the Vikings have to wait through another 22 picks before they are on the clock today. I'm hoping for linebackers A.J. Klein of Iowa St. and/or Khaseem Greene of Rutgers.
With Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei still on the board, the Carolina Panthers took all of 30 seconds to get their pick in.
I'm still a little stunned that the Minnesota Vikings found Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd still available when their turn came up at #23 in the first round. Stunned and very happy.
Some Vikings fans are grumbling that the team spent too much to move back into the first round to select Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. They did give up a lot. A 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 7th is a lot to give up for one pick at the bottom of the first. Having extra picks allows teams to spend if there's a player that they really like. The Vikings entered the draft with eleven picks. They could afford to move up nearly an entire round so they did. General manager Rick Spielman dictated the Vikings draft rather than letting it come to him. I really think that the bitchy fans were more upset about not having anything to watch yesterday.
The Vikings gone fishin' yesterday.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley and Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib had the day off as well.
Congratulations to Manti Te'o for his draft selection by the San Diego Chargers. They even traded up to get him in the second. The team that Junior Seau likely made Hawaii's team is a perfect fit for Te'o. He finally gets a chance to put this circus behind him and he can finally concentrate on football. Best of luck to him.
I think that I like new New York Jets general manager John Idzik. I didn't really know much about him beyond the fact that he spent about twenty years in the personnel side of football before he finally got a shot at running a team. He deals with the media really well which has to be a chore in any city, let alone New York. Any general manager of a team with quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, and now Geno Smith is going to get a lot of dumbass questions from the media. Idzik dealt with those questions smoothly and with humor yesterday.
That Jets press conference was the longest that I've ever seen head coach Rex Ryan go without speaking.
Not only did the Chargers do well to draft Te'o in the second they got a real steal in the third with Cal receiver Keenan Allen. He can do anything on a football field but run real fast. Despite not having great timed speed, Allen has always been fast enough. He's a first round talent and the Chargers are going to be real happy.
With Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker in the first, Te'o in the second, and Allen in the third, I like the Chargers draft.
Another draft that I like is that of the St. Louis Rams. That is only if Georgia linebacker Alec Ogeltree can stifle his demons and let his incredible athleticism shine. West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin was their big offensive addition but I thought that it was a smooth move to add Austin's smooth receiving teammate Steadman Bailey in the third. Quarterback Sam Bradford is going to be happy with both Mountaineers.
Tennessee had a terrific draft. Alabama guard Chance Warmack, Tennessee receiver Justin Hunter, Connecticut corner Blidi Wreh-Wilson, and Missouri linebacker Zaviar Gooden should all make significant contributions. If quarterback Jake Locker takes a big step in his develpoment, the Titans could make a run at Houston and Indianapolis in the AFC South.
The Super Bowl champs made some nice moves in the first two days. Safety Ed Reed and linebacker Ray Lewis are future Hall of Famers and pretty much impossible to replace. The Ravens tried in selecting Florida safety Matt Elam in the first and Kansas St. linebacker Arthur Brown in the second. Missouri Southern defensive tackle Brandon Williams also adds to the defense. These are three excellent football players.
Despite not having a single pick on the second day, I love what the Minnesota Vikings have done in the 2013 NFL Draft.
I had Alabama running back Eddie Lacy penciled in for the Green Bay Packers in the first round. They were smart to wait as they were able to grab him in the second.
It was surprising to see only three receivers selected in each of the first two rounds. It's a passing league. Receivers should be flying off of the board. Despite the lack of numbers at the top of the draft there are a lot of real nice receivers in this draft. They just don't have that size-speed combination that so many teams desire. Robert Woods and Keenan Allen are tremendously skilled, polished and ready receivers. Woods goes to the Bills in the second. Allen to the Chargers in the third. Markus Wheaton has more of the speed that teams like but not much of the size. He went to the Steelers in the third. Terrance Williams is a tremendously polished receiver from Baylor. As pro-ready as any receiver in the draft. The Cowboys got him in the third. There was a little run on the receivers in the third when four were selected over a span of six picks. That brought the numbers up to eleven receivers selected during the first two days.
After skipping the fun yesterday, the Vikings have to wait through another 22 picks before they are on the clock today. I'm hoping for linebackers A.J. Klein of Iowa St. and/or Khaseem Greene of Rutgers.
Friday, April 26, 2013
First Round Thoughts
Fifteen years ago the Minnesota Vikings selected Randy Moss after a draft day freefall. Yesterday the Vikings selected Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd after a similar fall to #23. He was was expected to be off the board before we hit pick #5. His difficulties in his youth seemed to be a thing of the past. I'm not sure why it would come back to haunt him on the day of the draft. Those bad days of the past turned into a great day for Floyd and the Vikings yesterday. Floyd will learn from one of the best in Kevin Williams. The Vikings got real lucky with Sharrif Floyd. Lucky that he was there and lucky that he could be playing with a chip on his shoulder.
Two picks later the Vikings looked to defense again with the selection of Florida St. corner Xavier Rhodes. At 6'2" and 210lbs, Rhodes is a big corner. With similar-sized Chris Cook the Vikings can now better match up with big NFC North receivers like Detroit's Calvin Johnson and Chicago's Brandon Marshall.
Just when it seemed like the Vikings were through for the night they were on the clock again at #29. They traded pretty much the rest of their draft (2nd, 3rd, one of their two 4th's, and one of their three 7th's) to New England to get one of the most explosive offensive players in the draft. That's the cost of moving up nearly an entire round. Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson will fill much of the playmaking lost when the Vikings traded Percy Harvin to Seattle. Patterson can return kicks and turn slants into long touchdowns. He even ran from the backfield and threw the ball a time or two in college. If not for some maturity issues, Patterson could have been a top-15 pick. He's a top-10 talent. The Vikings brought in free agent Greg Jennings for his receiving skills as well as for his leadership and mentoring. Jennings may be as important to Patterson's development as Cris Carter was to Randy Moss fifteen years ago.
The Vikings had a first round haul of Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes, and Cordarrelle Patterson. Incredible. There were moments this offseason when all three were expected to be selected in the top third of the first round but things always shake out differently as the months go by.
Last year, the Vikings traded back into the first round to select Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith at #29. Smith had an excellent rookie season. Here's hoping that a trade to #29 works out as well again.
The Vikings have tomorrow off. They won't pick again until pick #23 in the fourth round. They still have five picks left so they didn't trade their entire draft to get Patterson.
I guess that the Vikings weren't interested in Manti Te'o. They passed on him three times.
I really don't see how anyone can boo a draft pick. Some of the responses are brutal. Nice greeting before these kids even step on the field. No one knows the player that these kids will become seconds after they are drafted. It's a mystery as to how New York Jets fans could find a reason to boo the selection of Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. He's a beast.
I'm surprised that tackle-hungry teams like San Diego and New Orleans couldn't come up with a better trade than the one that Oakland accepted from Miami to move up ten spots to #3. That was the last spot to get one of the top three tackles. Oakland was desperate for more picks so they would have taken pretty much anything. They did. Only a second. That's all it took to move those ten spots. That was far less than St. Louis gave up to Buffalo to move up eight spots to #8.
All offensive linemen and pass rushers through through seven picks. The most explosive player in the draft, West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin, broke that run when the Rams made that trade to jump to #8. Six offensive linemen were taken in the top eleven picks. Big guys ruled the top of the draft.
I was fairly shocked to see the top defensive tackles drop a little. Sheldon Richardson was the first to the Jets at #13. Then Star Lotulelei to Carolina a pick later. Sharrif Floyd happily dropped into the Vikings lap.
I really like the New Orleans Saints selection of Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro. He might have been the safest pick outside of the offensive linemen. I think that he's going to be a terrific player.
49ers traded up for a nice safety too. LSU's Eric Reid. They probably had to get ahead of St. Louis at #22 to have a chance at Reid. Nice move.
First QB? Florida St.'s E.J. Manual. The Bills selected Manual with the 16th pick. I think that West Virginia's Geno Smith, USC's Matt Barkley, Syracuse's Ryan Nassib, and North Carolina St.'s Mike Glennon will have a better day today.
Clemson's DeAndre Hopkins was one of my favorite receivers in this draft. As Mike Mayock said, watch the Clemson-LSU bowl game. He took over that game. The Houston Texans got a fantastic receiver to line up opposite Andre Johnson.
After about a hundred first round trades last year there were only five yesterday.
I like seeing the big guys get a lot of attention on draft day. They rarely get much once the games start. There were only four offensive skill position players selected. West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin, Florida St. quarterback E.J. Manuel, Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert, and Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
Good luck to all 32 brand new NFL players.
Good luck to all those still waiting. Once the games start it doesn't matter when you were drafted.
Two picks later the Vikings looked to defense again with the selection of Florida St. corner Xavier Rhodes. At 6'2" and 210lbs, Rhodes is a big corner. With similar-sized Chris Cook the Vikings can now better match up with big NFC North receivers like Detroit's Calvin Johnson and Chicago's Brandon Marshall.
Just when it seemed like the Vikings were through for the night they were on the clock again at #29. They traded pretty much the rest of their draft (2nd, 3rd, one of their two 4th's, and one of their three 7th's) to New England to get one of the most explosive offensive players in the draft. That's the cost of moving up nearly an entire round. Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson will fill much of the playmaking lost when the Vikings traded Percy Harvin to Seattle. Patterson can return kicks and turn slants into long touchdowns. He even ran from the backfield and threw the ball a time or two in college. If not for some maturity issues, Patterson could have been a top-15 pick. He's a top-10 talent. The Vikings brought in free agent Greg Jennings for his receiving skills as well as for his leadership and mentoring. Jennings may be as important to Patterson's development as Cris Carter was to Randy Moss fifteen years ago.
The Vikings had a first round haul of Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes, and Cordarrelle Patterson. Incredible. There were moments this offseason when all three were expected to be selected in the top third of the first round but things always shake out differently as the months go by.
Last year, the Vikings traded back into the first round to select Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith at #29. Smith had an excellent rookie season. Here's hoping that a trade to #29 works out as well again.
The Vikings have tomorrow off. They won't pick again until pick #23 in the fourth round. They still have five picks left so they didn't trade their entire draft to get Patterson.
I guess that the Vikings weren't interested in Manti Te'o. They passed on him three times.
I really don't see how anyone can boo a draft pick. Some of the responses are brutal. Nice greeting before these kids even step on the field. No one knows the player that these kids will become seconds after they are drafted. It's a mystery as to how New York Jets fans could find a reason to boo the selection of Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. He's a beast.
I'm surprised that tackle-hungry teams like San Diego and New Orleans couldn't come up with a better trade than the one that Oakland accepted from Miami to move up ten spots to #3. That was the last spot to get one of the top three tackles. Oakland was desperate for more picks so they would have taken pretty much anything. They did. Only a second. That's all it took to move those ten spots. That was far less than St. Louis gave up to Buffalo to move up eight spots to #8.
All offensive linemen and pass rushers through through seven picks. The most explosive player in the draft, West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin, broke that run when the Rams made that trade to jump to #8. Six offensive linemen were taken in the top eleven picks. Big guys ruled the top of the draft.
I was fairly shocked to see the top defensive tackles drop a little. Sheldon Richardson was the first to the Jets at #13. Then Star Lotulelei to Carolina a pick later. Sharrif Floyd happily dropped into the Vikings lap.
I really like the New Orleans Saints selection of Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro. He might have been the safest pick outside of the offensive linemen. I think that he's going to be a terrific player.
49ers traded up for a nice safety too. LSU's Eric Reid. They probably had to get ahead of St. Louis at #22 to have a chance at Reid. Nice move.
First QB? Florida St.'s E.J. Manual. The Bills selected Manual with the 16th pick. I think that West Virginia's Geno Smith, USC's Matt Barkley, Syracuse's Ryan Nassib, and North Carolina St.'s Mike Glennon will have a better day today.
Clemson's DeAndre Hopkins was one of my favorite receivers in this draft. As Mike Mayock said, watch the Clemson-LSU bowl game. He took over that game. The Houston Texans got a fantastic receiver to line up opposite Andre Johnson.
After about a hundred first round trades last year there were only five yesterday.
I like seeing the big guys get a lot of attention on draft day. They rarely get much once the games start. There were only four offensive skill position players selected. West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin, Florida St. quarterback E.J. Manuel, Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert, and Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
Good luck to all 32 brand new NFL players.
Good luck to all those still waiting. Once the games start it doesn't matter when you were drafted.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Throwback Thursday: Middle Hole
When the Minnesota Vikings entered the NFL in 1961 their fellow midwest teams and current division foes were loaded at middle linebacker. Some of these football players were among the best that ever played the position. And, middle linebacker was a fairly new position in 1961. As soon as the middle guard moved off of the defensive line in the the 1950s, we had the middle linebacker. When the Vikings entered the league the position was still in it's adolescence. The most accomplished teams seemed to have the new team surrounded. The Chicago Bears had Bill George and he would give way to Dick Butkus. The Detroit Lions had Joe Schmidt. The Green Bay Packers had Ray Nitschke. All four would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Some consider Butkus among the best football players to ever step on the field. Along with Sam Huff of the New York Giants, George, Butkus, Schmidt, and Nitschke set the parameters for the middle linebacker position. The new position had become the leader of the defense almost immediately. In order to catch up with the rest of the league the Minnesota Vikings had to find their defensive leader. Fortunately or unfortunately, the template for that position was all around them.
Some teams are known to always be strong at certain positions. The Vikings have had a nice run of receivers, until recently, throughout their history. They've always had good to great centers. Defensive tackle might be where they truly shine. Alan Page and John Randle are in the Hall of Fame. Kevin Williams could join them there. Keith Millard was one of the best football players in the game for a couple of seasons. If injuries hadn't derailed his career, he'd be in Canton in a heartbeat. The Chicago Bears run at middle linebacker has been among the greatest of any team at any position. Before Bill George, Bulldog Turner was one of the great football players at any position but his linebacker position wasn't thought of as today's middle linebacker position. So, we go from Turner to George to Butkus. There's three Hall of Famers. Then, the Bears take a couple of years off and finally bring in Mike Singletary. There's another Hall of Famer. Oh, then the Bears hit a real drought until they find Brian Urlacher. It shouldn't take much more than five years after his retirement that he joins Turner, George, Butkus, and Singletary in the Hall of Fame. While the Vikings don't come close to that kind of run at any position, they have actually had a bunch of nice middle linebackers. 1960s NFL football was a very violent brand of football. Especially compared to our cautious current days. Lonnie Warwick was a loaded missile in the middle of the Vikings defense. If not for all the brilliant middle linebackers all around him, Warwick might be better know today. Butkus overshadowed him throughout their careers. It's not hard to be overlooked when Butkus is just a little south of you. The presence of Nitschke and Schmidt didn't help much either. Warwick gave way to perhaps the most talented middle linebacker in Vikings history, Jeff Siemon. He had the Pro Bowls if not the name recognition. He might be best known to the more observant of Vikings fans as one of the few Vikings players that showed up for Super Bowl XI. There were very few tackles that he didn't make that day. Siemon was followed by Scott Studwell. Siemon might have been the most talented Vikings middle linebacker, Studwell was simply the best. It might be a stretch but Studwell might one day see Canton recognition. 9 Pro Bowls. 3 All-Pros. He's also an all time Viking. He played his last game in 1990 and he's still working for the Minnesota Vikings. He's been in the front office since he stepped off of the field. He's moved up through the personnel department to his current position as director of college scouting. Jack Del Rio, Ed McDaniel, and more recently E.J. Henderson have had good to great seasons in the middle of the Vikings defense. Now, for the first since, maybe, 1961 the Vikings have no one in the middle. If the Minnesota Vikings had to take the field today, middle linebacker is the one position that really has no one written in pencil, let alone ink.
With two first round picks today in the 2013 NFL Draft the Minnesota Vikings will likely use one on a middle linebacker. Manti Te'o? Arthur Brown? Kevin Minter? Maybe Kiko Alonso or A.J. Klein later on? Who knows? My guess is Te'o. My hope is that his name can run with the names of the great middle linebackers that the Vikings have had in the past and the incredible middle linebackers that they have faced.
Some teams are known to always be strong at certain positions. The Vikings have had a nice run of receivers, until recently, throughout their history. They've always had good to great centers. Defensive tackle might be where they truly shine. Alan Page and John Randle are in the Hall of Fame. Kevin Williams could join them there. Keith Millard was one of the best football players in the game for a couple of seasons. If injuries hadn't derailed his career, he'd be in Canton in a heartbeat. The Chicago Bears run at middle linebacker has been among the greatest of any team at any position. Before Bill George, Bulldog Turner was one of the great football players at any position but his linebacker position wasn't thought of as today's middle linebacker position. So, we go from Turner to George to Butkus. There's three Hall of Famers. Then, the Bears take a couple of years off and finally bring in Mike Singletary. There's another Hall of Famer. Oh, then the Bears hit a real drought until they find Brian Urlacher. It shouldn't take much more than five years after his retirement that he joins Turner, George, Butkus, and Singletary in the Hall of Fame. While the Vikings don't come close to that kind of run at any position, they have actually had a bunch of nice middle linebackers. 1960s NFL football was a very violent brand of football. Especially compared to our cautious current days. Lonnie Warwick was a loaded missile in the middle of the Vikings defense. If not for all the brilliant middle linebackers all around him, Warwick might be better know today. Butkus overshadowed him throughout their careers. It's not hard to be overlooked when Butkus is just a little south of you. The presence of Nitschke and Schmidt didn't help much either. Warwick gave way to perhaps the most talented middle linebacker in Vikings history, Jeff Siemon. He had the Pro Bowls if not the name recognition. He might be best known to the more observant of Vikings fans as one of the few Vikings players that showed up for Super Bowl XI. There were very few tackles that he didn't make that day. Siemon was followed by Scott Studwell. Siemon might have been the most talented Vikings middle linebacker, Studwell was simply the best. It might be a stretch but Studwell might one day see Canton recognition. 9 Pro Bowls. 3 All-Pros. He's also an all time Viking. He played his last game in 1990 and he's still working for the Minnesota Vikings. He's been in the front office since he stepped off of the field. He's moved up through the personnel department to his current position as director of college scouting. Jack Del Rio, Ed McDaniel, and more recently E.J. Henderson have had good to great seasons in the middle of the Vikings defense. Now, for the first since, maybe, 1961 the Vikings have no one in the middle. If the Minnesota Vikings had to take the field today, middle linebacker is the one position that really has no one written in pencil, let alone ink.
With two first round picks today in the 2013 NFL Draft the Minnesota Vikings will likely use one on a middle linebacker. Manti Te'o? Arthur Brown? Kevin Minter? Maybe Kiko Alonso or A.J. Klein later on? Who knows? My guess is Te'o. My hope is that his name can run with the names of the great middle linebackers that the Vikings have had in the past and the incredible middle linebackers that they have faced.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Still New Draft Format
This will be the fourth year of the "Prime Time Draft." I'm not sure if it's really considered new anymore but I'm still not completely adjusted to it. I spent over 25 years enjoying weekend drafts so anything else is a tough sell. I still don't like the switch but I don't see it going back anytime soon. The NFL loves a big show. No matter how big it is they want to make it bigger. Then they put it on prime time.
I'm more accepting of the prime time draft now than I was that first year. Mostly because I have to accept it but I also like the break after the first round. It's nice to have some time to regroup after a round, especially the first round. This format gives the teams a break of nearly a day. It's nice for the fans. It's gotta be nice for the teams. Maybe it gives teams time to get into or out of the top of the second round. It also gives the teams an opportunity to parade their new top picks in front of the fans and the media before the draft continues Friday evening. My main issue with the prime time draft comes from coordinating the draft with work. Some people do have jobs outside of their interest in football. Surprising, but true. On the west coast, the first round starts on Thursday at 5:00pm. That's not too bad. The second round starts on Friday at 3:00pm. That is bad. I know that the NFL has to balance the best start times for all the time zones but 3:00 is rough. Leaving work early isn't always an option. We do what we can. Thank goodness for DVR. One convenient thing with the prime time draft is finishing the entire selection process on Saturday. It allows for the rest of the weekend for the signing of undrafted football players.
With the incredible popularity of the NFL Draft these days, it's difficult to imagine that there was a time when the whole thing was done in relative private, on weekdays. There was no NFL Network, ESPN, or Interent. You might get updates on the radio for your local team. You'd have to wait for the newspapers the next day to find anything on your favorite, out of your market, team. Maybe a decade from now, my much loved weekend drafts will be forgotten like the lonely weekday drafts of long ago. Maybe by then prime time drafts won't still be new.
I'm more accepting of the prime time draft now than I was that first year. Mostly because I have to accept it but I also like the break after the first round. It's nice to have some time to regroup after a round, especially the first round. This format gives the teams a break of nearly a day. It's nice for the fans. It's gotta be nice for the teams. Maybe it gives teams time to get into or out of the top of the second round. It also gives the teams an opportunity to parade their new top picks in front of the fans and the media before the draft continues Friday evening. My main issue with the prime time draft comes from coordinating the draft with work. Some people do have jobs outside of their interest in football. Surprising, but true. On the west coast, the first round starts on Thursday at 5:00pm. That's not too bad. The second round starts on Friday at 3:00pm. That is bad. I know that the NFL has to balance the best start times for all the time zones but 3:00 is rough. Leaving work early isn't always an option. We do what we can. Thank goodness for DVR. One convenient thing with the prime time draft is finishing the entire selection process on Saturday. It allows for the rest of the weekend for the signing of undrafted football players.
With the incredible popularity of the NFL Draft these days, it's difficult to imagine that there was a time when the whole thing was done in relative private, on weekdays. There was no NFL Network, ESPN, or Interent. You might get updates on the radio for your local team. You'd have to wait for the newspapers the next day to find anything on your favorite, out of your market, team. Maybe a decade from now, my much loved weekend drafts will be forgotten like the lonely weekday drafts of long ago. Maybe by then prime time drafts won't still be new.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Spring Game
I was a little surprised to see that the Alabama Spring Game was on ESPN this past weekend. I shouldn't have been surprised. Spring Games are huge in some parts of the country. Alabama is certainly one of them. The defending National Champions are looking for their next title. Even if they were crappy, they would still draw a crowd. Alabama is far from crappy. And, they did have a crowd at that Spring Game. I remember real games in which Cal's 80,000-seat Memorial Stadium was a third full. Alabama's Spring Game had a bigger crowd. Amazing. The cool thing about places like Tuscaloosa, Columbus, Knoxville, Baton Rouge, and some others is the knowledge of the football fans. They love their football. They also know their football. I learned that when I was sitting among 100,000 football fans in Ann Arbor in the mid-90s for a Michigan-Penn St. game. It seemed that every one of those 100,000 actually knew what they were watching on the field. I especially enjoyed a conversation about a young Michigan cornerback that might see some playing time on offense in the coming years. That cornerback's name was Charles Woodson. He would see some time on offense and he would go on to win the Heisman Trophy for his versatility. I've sat in Memorial Stadium so many times thinking that I was surrounded by people startled from a nap, stunned to find that they are at a football game. Like Alabama, Cal's Spring Game brought a crowd. Unlike Tuscaloosa, it wouldn't take long to count the crowd in Berkeley.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Flea Flicker Final! Mock Draft
Well, here's the last one of these damn things. Until next year.
1. Kansas City Chiefs Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M
2. Jacksonville Jaguars Dion Jordan LB Oregon
3. Oakland Raiders Sharif Floyd DT Florida
4. Philadelphia Eagles Geno Smith QB West Virginia
5. Detroit Lions Eric Fisher OT Central Michigan
6. Cleveland Browns Dee Milliner CB Alabama
7. Arizona Cardinals Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma
8. Buffalo Bills Chance Warmack G Alabama
9. New York Jets Ziggy Ansah DE BYU
10. Tennessee Titans Star Lotulelei DT Utah
11. San Diego Chargers D.J. Fluker OT Alabama
12. Miami Dolphins Jonathan Cooper G North Carolina
13. New York Jets Tavon Austin WR West Virginia
14. Carolina Panthers Sheldon Richardson DT Missouri
15. New Orleans Saints Jarvis Jones LB Georgia
16. St. Louis Rams Kenny Vaccaro S Texas
17. Pittsburgh Steelers Cordarrelle Patterson WR Tennessee
18. Dallas Cowboys Eric Reid S LSU
19. New York Giants Tyler Eifert TE Notre Dame
20. Chicago Bears Alec Ogeltree LB Georgia.
21. Cincinnati Bengals Barkevius Mingo DE LSU
22. St. Louis Rams Bjoern Werner DE Florida St.
23. Minnesota Vikings Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame
24. Indianapolis Colts Sylvester Williams DT North Carolina
25. Minnesota Vikings DeAndre Hopkins WR Clemson
26. Green Bay Packers Eddie Lacy RB Alabama
27. Houston Texans Keenan Allen WR Cal
28. Denver Broncos Desmond Trufant CB Washington
29. New England Patriots Xavier Rhodes CB Florida St.
30. Atlanta Falcons D.J. Hayden CB Houston
31. San Francisco 49ers Margus Hunt DE SMU
32. Baltimore Ravens Jonathan Cyprien S Florida International
As the real thing gets closer I'm thinking more and more that the Minnesota Vikings will select defensive players with both of their first round picks. Although DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, and USC's Robert Woods are, by far, my favorite receivers in this draft and receiver is a real need, defensive tackle and corner might have greater value at #23 and #25. Plus, there will be terrific receivers still available with their second round pick. Receivers like Oregon St.'s Markus Wheaton and Marshall's Aaron Dobson. If receiver isn't one of the first round choices, I like D.J. Hayden or Sylvester Williams paired with the Te'o pick.
The real draft better get here soon or I might push through another one of these suckers. But, that would just be silly.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Thorpe's Remains
It's always disturbing to hear of a legal fight over the remains of a loved one. Bill and Richard Thorpe have fought that fight. The two surviving children of the great Jim Thorpe and his second wife won a critical ruling Friday that could clear the way for the remains of their father to finally come home. When Thorpe died without a will in 1953, third wife Patricia Thorpe made a deal with two merging Pennsylvania towns in the Poconos, Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk, to have the town named for her husband. Jim Thorpe's remains have been kept for the past six decades in a burrough-owned roadside memorial along the Lehigh River. Despite starring at Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, it's likely that Jim Thorpe never set foot in the town that would one day bear his name.
Thorpe's children just want their father returned to the Sac and Fox land of his youth in central Oklahoma. Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania might be called Jim Thorpe to honor the man but it's also called Jim Thorpe for selfish, economic reasons. The area has no ties to the man. The area simply wanted a tourist appeal. People used Thorpe his entire life. People continued and continue to use Thorpe following his death. Jim Thorpe's life was such a sad one when it should have been one of celebration. He was a phenomenal athlete. People loved the athlete but never really cared about the man. Maybe, that was because he was Native American. We'll haul him out for the "show" but stick him on a reservation when he's not entertaining. Everyone took advantage of him. His demons didn't really do him any favors but he never seemed to get a chance to gain any traction. His entire life was a fight. Thorpe and his family have been fighting for something for a century. They spent decades fighting for the 1912 Olympic medals that never should have been taken from him. His sons had to fight to get their father's remains buried where they always should have been. Fortunately, it looks like they've won both fights.
Thorpe's children just want their father returned to the Sac and Fox land of his youth in central Oklahoma. Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania might be called Jim Thorpe to honor the man but it's also called Jim Thorpe for selfish, economic reasons. The area has no ties to the man. The area simply wanted a tourist appeal. People used Thorpe his entire life. People continued and continue to use Thorpe following his death. Jim Thorpe's life was such a sad one when it should have been one of celebration. He was a phenomenal athlete. People loved the athlete but never really cared about the man. Maybe, that was because he was Native American. We'll haul him out for the "show" but stick him on a reservation when he's not entertaining. Everyone took advantage of him. His demons didn't really do him any favors but he never seemed to get a chance to gain any traction. His entire life was a fight. Thorpe and his family have been fighting for something for a century. They spent decades fighting for the 1912 Olympic medals that never should have been taken from him. His sons had to fight to get their father's remains buried where they always should have been. Fortunately, it looks like they've won both fights.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
No Backs!
Next week, some team will likely draft a quarterback in the first round. It will be due more to a team's need than the quality of this quarterback draft class. Last year, quarterbacks went first and second in the draft. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III would be drafted at the top of any draft. Ryan Tannehill was also drafted in the top-10. Brandon Weeden was taken before the first round was done. If teams knew then what they know now, Russell Wilson would have joined those four quartebacks in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. This year's quarterback group leaves a whole lot to be desired when compared to the amazing class of 2012. If a quarterback gets a first round call next week, West Virginia's Geno Smith will likely be the one. Florida St's E.J. Manuel could be. Some team might fall for USC's Matt Barkley or Syracuse's Ryan Nassib. Some might like the 6'7" giant from North Carolina St., Mike Glennon. Who knows? It's a quarterback-driven game and some teams are so desperate to find that quarterback that they will force one into the first round. The great need for quarterbacks and the void found in this draft forced teams to find one through trades and free agency. Kansas City traded for Alex Smith. Arizona traded for Carson Palmer. Oakland traded for Matt Flynn. Bufflao added Kevin Kolb. Those moves eased the pressure for those teams of having to find a passer early in the draft. Some teams still will. I'm guessing that Geno Smith goes somewhere in the top half of the first. Another quarterback or two, Barkely and Manuel?, might be grabbed when a team, or two, at the top of the second trades back into the bottom of the first.
Most people have come to acknowledge that this draft is lacking at quarterback. Especially when we are still in the glow of last year's quarterbacks. It seems to be skipping the attention of many that we might go through the entire first round without hearing the name of a running back. That hasn't happened since 1963. Fifty years! Alabama's Eddie Lacy is at the top of most running back lists. Wisconsin's Montee Ball, UCLA's Jonathan Franklin, and North Carolina's Giovani Bernard follow closely. There's some talent there but each has enough questions to make the first round unlikely. Franklin impressed me at UCLA. As a Cal fan, he was a pain. As a football fan, he was a versatile back, dangerous back. He'll find a home in the NFL. The wildcard is South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore. He might have been a top-10 pick if not for a gruesome knee injury last season. When healthy, he's brilliant. I wouldn't be surprised if someone takes a chance on him in the second but a round or two later is more likely.
This draft really is lacking in offensive skill position players at the top of the draft. Even receiver is lacking at the top. A handful will be first round picks but probably none in the top-10. Maybe, none in the top half. For the first time that I can recall, linemen will dominate the stage early Thursday night. It's a strange draft. No backs. This is the year for the big guys.
Most people have come to acknowledge that this draft is lacking at quarterback. Especially when we are still in the glow of last year's quarterbacks. It seems to be skipping the attention of many that we might go through the entire first round without hearing the name of a running back. That hasn't happened since 1963. Fifty years! Alabama's Eddie Lacy is at the top of most running back lists. Wisconsin's Montee Ball, UCLA's Jonathan Franklin, and North Carolina's Giovani Bernard follow closely. There's some talent there but each has enough questions to make the first round unlikely. Franklin impressed me at UCLA. As a Cal fan, he was a pain. As a football fan, he was a versatile back, dangerous back. He'll find a home in the NFL. The wildcard is South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore. He might have been a top-10 pick if not for a gruesome knee injury last season. When healthy, he's brilliant. I wouldn't be surprised if someone takes a chance on him in the second but a round or two later is more likely.
This draft really is lacking in offensive skill position players at the top of the draft. Even receiver is lacking at the top. A handful will be first round picks but probably none in the top-10. Maybe, none in the top half. For the first time that I can recall, linemen will dominate the stage early Thursday night. It's a strange draft. No backs. This is the year for the big guys.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Tangled Webb
Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Joe Webb has gotten something of a raw deal since his team's 2012 season ended with a first round playoff loss at Green Bay. Starting quarterback Christian Ponder's season had ended a week earlier in a playoff-clinching win against that same Packers team. Ponder injured his elbow during the game. Despite taking all of the first team snaps in practice, Webb's start in the playoffs seemed uncomfortably sudden. It started well. The Vikings received the opening kickoff. Behind Webb's read option and all-Everything back Adrian Peterson, the Vikings offense sailed down the field. They stalled in the red zone and settled for a field goal. That 3-0 lead didn't last long and the Vikings offense remained stalled for pretty much the rest of the game.
A win against the Packers in the playoffs at Lambeau would have been a major surprise but the Vikings surprised all season. In a team loss, Webb received much of the blame for that loss. Outside of that first drive and some plays later in garbage time, he didn't play well. As a result of that performance, finding a backup quarterback became an offseason priority. They found that quarterback when they grabbed Matt Cassel as soon as the Kansas City Chiefs released him. It's unfortunate that one poor performance killed the Vikings faith in Joe Webb as a quarterback. His play was magnified by the playoff stage. In his three year career, he's had a handful of real game chances, including two starts. One meant something. The other didn't. He was fantastic in the one that didn't. He's come off the bench in several games and played well. Basically, he's played well every chance that he's had but the last one. That last one will apparently define him as a quarterback.
Webb is a fantastic athlete. The Vikings drafted him as a receiver in 2010 after a terrific college career as a quarterback at Alabama-Birmingham. Then Vikings head coach Brad Childress had Webb throw at his first mini-camp and kept him at quarterback. Webb has a unique skill set. He could be like Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III, and Colin Kaepernick. He's got that kind of talent. He doesn't have the throwing skills of those other three quarterbacks. He's got nice touch on his throws but he doesn't have it consistently. The Vikings tried a "Blazer" package with Webb. This was their version of the "wildcat" named for his college team. This attempt to take advantage of his unique movement skills.was pathetic. It fooled no one. Webb's football career, certainly his Vikings career, is on a ledge. There's been some mention of a move back to receiver this offseason. It would be a good move. He has too much natural talent to be left standing on the sideline or released. I've long thought that he could be a football player similar to former Cleveland Browns returner/receiver Josh Cribbs. Both were small college quarterbacks. Both are fantastic athletes. Get Webb on kick and punt returns. He can sure run. He's elusive with nice vision. He could be electric as a returner. Find a few pass routes that he can run well. His 6'4" height and tremendous leaping ability could work nicely in the red zone. Just get him involved in the offense. He doesn't need to run all the routes. Just find a few that can give him a presence in the offense. That presence will make the "blazer" more effective. A gadget play never works if there's no surprise element to it. If Webb has an on-field presence, the defense won't know that something's up when he enters the game.
Outside of his last game, I like what Joe Webb has done as a quarterback. Despite that, I don't think that he's an NFL quarterback. I don't think that he has the consistency to be effective week after week. I do think that he's an NFL football player. I think that he can make an impact as a returner. I think that he can make an impact as a receiver. I think that he can make an impact with some read option/gadget plays. I also love his enthusiasm. He always seems to be having fun. I've rarely seen a backup quarterback with his energy on the sideline. He's very involved in the game without actually being in it. I'd like to see the Vikings find a way to get Joe Webb into the game.
A win against the Packers in the playoffs at Lambeau would have been a major surprise but the Vikings surprised all season. In a team loss, Webb received much of the blame for that loss. Outside of that first drive and some plays later in garbage time, he didn't play well. As a result of that performance, finding a backup quarterback became an offseason priority. They found that quarterback when they grabbed Matt Cassel as soon as the Kansas City Chiefs released him. It's unfortunate that one poor performance killed the Vikings faith in Joe Webb as a quarterback. His play was magnified by the playoff stage. In his three year career, he's had a handful of real game chances, including two starts. One meant something. The other didn't. He was fantastic in the one that didn't. He's come off the bench in several games and played well. Basically, he's played well every chance that he's had but the last one. That last one will apparently define him as a quarterback.
Webb is a fantastic athlete. The Vikings drafted him as a receiver in 2010 after a terrific college career as a quarterback at Alabama-Birmingham. Then Vikings head coach Brad Childress had Webb throw at his first mini-camp and kept him at quarterback. Webb has a unique skill set. He could be like Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III, and Colin Kaepernick. He's got that kind of talent. He doesn't have the throwing skills of those other three quarterbacks. He's got nice touch on his throws but he doesn't have it consistently. The Vikings tried a "Blazer" package with Webb. This was their version of the "wildcat" named for his college team. This attempt to take advantage of his unique movement skills.was pathetic. It fooled no one. Webb's football career, certainly his Vikings career, is on a ledge. There's been some mention of a move back to receiver this offseason. It would be a good move. He has too much natural talent to be left standing on the sideline or released. I've long thought that he could be a football player similar to former Cleveland Browns returner/receiver Josh Cribbs. Both were small college quarterbacks. Both are fantastic athletes. Get Webb on kick and punt returns. He can sure run. He's elusive with nice vision. He could be electric as a returner. Find a few pass routes that he can run well. His 6'4" height and tremendous leaping ability could work nicely in the red zone. Just get him involved in the offense. He doesn't need to run all the routes. Just find a few that can give him a presence in the offense. That presence will make the "blazer" more effective. A gadget play never works if there's no surprise element to it. If Webb has an on-field presence, the defense won't know that something's up when he enters the game.
Outside of his last game, I like what Joe Webb has done as a quarterback. Despite that, I don't think that he's an NFL quarterback. I don't think that he has the consistency to be effective week after week. I do think that he's an NFL football player. I think that he can make an impact as a returner. I think that he can make an impact as a receiver. I think that he can make an impact with some read option/gadget plays. I also love his enthusiasm. He always seems to be having fun. I've rarely seen a backup quarterback with his energy on the sideline. He's very involved in the game without actually being in it. I'd like to see the Vikings find a way to get Joe Webb into the game.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Throwback Thursday: The NFL Schedule
The NFL will again reveal the 2013 schedule on TV. This will, of course, be done on the league's very own network. "The Perfect Schedule '13." Riveting. The only thing that's a mystery about the schedule is the "when" of the matchups. The "who" and the "where" has been known since the end of the season. Much of each year's schedule is actually known for years. I love football but I seriously question the need to have a program devoted solely to the release of each year's schedule. The NFL makes everything a big show.
It seems like NFL teams have been playing a 16-game schedule forever. It seems that way because the league has played a 16-game schedule for the past 36 years. That's including the two seasons, 1982 and '87, that were shortened by labor issues. This is by far the longest stretch that the NFL has maintained the same number of games each season.
Here's how the number of games per season has broken down through NFL history:
1935-36 12 games
1937-42, 1946 11 games
1943-45 10 games
1947-60 12 games
1961-77 14 games
1978-present 16 games
Prior to 1935, the NFL did not have a set schedule as teams scheduled their own games. Teams played as few as eight and as many as sixteen games, some against independent professional, amateur, and even college teams. By 1926 the league tried to make the schedule a little more uniform but teams still played from eleven to fifteen games per season, depending on the number of teams in the league.
I was initially disappointed when the league went to the 16-game schedule after the 1977 season. I just liked the football symmetry of 14 games and 28 teams. 16 games destroyed that. I eventually got used to the new schedule. The numbers even work nicely now. 32 teams. 4 teams in 4 divisions in each conference. 16 games. It works.
Going to 18 games, Goodell's dream, would be a mistake. It's too much football. Who would have thought that would be possible? 18 games, with the potential for four more in the playoffs, is just too brutal. Greed shouldn't be the motive. 16 games is fine.
It seems like NFL teams have been playing a 16-game schedule forever. It seems that way because the league has played a 16-game schedule for the past 36 years. That's including the two seasons, 1982 and '87, that were shortened by labor issues. This is by far the longest stretch that the NFL has maintained the same number of games each season.
Here's how the number of games per season has broken down through NFL history:
1935-36 12 games
1937-42, 1946 11 games
1943-45 10 games
1947-60 12 games
1961-77 14 games
1978-present 16 games
Prior to 1935, the NFL did not have a set schedule as teams scheduled their own games. Teams played as few as eight and as many as sixteen games, some against independent professional, amateur, and even college teams. By 1926 the league tried to make the schedule a little more uniform but teams still played from eleven to fifteen games per season, depending on the number of teams in the league.
I was initially disappointed when the league went to the 16-game schedule after the 1977 season. I just liked the football symmetry of 14 games and 28 teams. 16 games destroyed that. I eventually got used to the new schedule. The numbers even work nicely now. 32 teams. 4 teams in 4 divisions in each conference. 16 games. It works.
Going to 18 games, Goodell's dream, would be a mistake. It's too much football. Who would have thought that would be possible? 18 games, with the potential for four more in the playoffs, is just too brutal. Greed shouldn't be the motive. 16 games is fine.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
RIP Pat Summerall
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Pat Summerall yesterday. He was best known for his 22-year broadcasting partnership with John Madden. His impact on my football life came before that. Prior to sharing a broadcast booth with Madden, Summerall was paired with Tom Brookshier. As the lead CBS team, they introduced me to the Minnesota Vikings. They may have only done a few Vikings games but it felt like they did them all. Every Sunday it was Summerall and Brookshier for me. That eventually became Summerall and Madden. For the first thirty years of my football life, Summerall's was the voice that I knew best.
Pat Summerall was part of the NFL for fifty years. His first ten were as a player. He was an end on both sides of the ball but he was better known as a kicker. He was the kicker for the excellent New York Giants teams from 1958-61. He played in three NFL Championship games, including the 1958 "Greatest Game Ever Played" title game. It was his 49-yard field goal in a snowstorm against the Cleveland Browns that made the Giants presence in that game possible. As an offensive and defensive end as well as the kicker, he had the unique opportunity to be in the respective meeting rooms of the offense and the defense. In 1958, the offensive and defensive coaches for the Giants were Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry. Summerall realized the significance of the football and life lessons that he was learning from two of the greatest coaches the game has ever seen. It led to his authoring a book about what he learned from those two coaching greats.
Pat Summerall meant a lot of things to a lot of people. He introduced me to the Vikings and football, in general. Most importantly, he was a great friend to everyone that he knew. As I read more and more football history the more Summerall pops up. He seemed to walk in every football circle. Everyone knew him. Everyone was his friend. He had time for everyone, from fans to players of every generation to commissioners to leaders in all fields. His life was remarkable in all the people that knew him and the incredible number that called him their friend.
RIP Pat Summerall. I will always hear his voice calling Vikings games.
Pat Summerall was part of the NFL for fifty years. His first ten were as a player. He was an end on both sides of the ball but he was better known as a kicker. He was the kicker for the excellent New York Giants teams from 1958-61. He played in three NFL Championship games, including the 1958 "Greatest Game Ever Played" title game. It was his 49-yard field goal in a snowstorm against the Cleveland Browns that made the Giants presence in that game possible. As an offensive and defensive end as well as the kicker, he had the unique opportunity to be in the respective meeting rooms of the offense and the defense. In 1958, the offensive and defensive coaches for the Giants were Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry. Summerall realized the significance of the football and life lessons that he was learning from two of the greatest coaches the game has ever seen. It led to his authoring a book about what he learned from those two coaching greats.
Pat Summerall meant a lot of things to a lot of people. He introduced me to the Vikings and football, in general. Most importantly, he was a great friend to everyone that he knew. As I read more and more football history the more Summerall pops up. He seemed to walk in every football circle. Everyone knew him. Everyone was his friend. He had time for everyone, from fans to players of every generation to commissioners to leaders in all fields. His life was remarkable in all the people that knew him and the incredible number that called him their friend.
RIP Pat Summerall. I will always hear his voice calling Vikings games.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
"Draft Re-Dos"
A lot of stupid stuff is done in the name of football fun. Mock drafts are a complete waste of time but they can be a ton of fun. Anyone that thinks that they can accurately predict the actions of 32 teams is out of their mind. Most mock drafts come off the rails before we are even out of the top-10 of the draft that counts. But, most can't stop writing out the damn things. I've already published four and I've thought out dozens more. The stupidity of mock drafts fades when compared to "draft re-dos." A "draft re-do" is just what the name says. A year, preferably more, after a draft, some maniac goes through all 32 picks of the first round and "re-does" the draft based on what we now know of the players. Correct those mistakes. It's sad enough to predict a draft. It's way beyond sad to correct a draft once it's in the books. Any Minnesota Vikings fan would love to go back and correct the mess that was the 2005 NFL Draft. The Vikings had two first round picks and wasted them on South Carolina receiver Troy Williamson and Wisconsin defensive end Erasmus James. Any list of the worst picks in team history likely includes both of those terrible picks. It's sad but you can't "re-do" a draft. It's stupid to even do it for fun. The 2007 NFL Draft is often "re-done." Probably by the Oakland Raiders faithful. Their team chose LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first pick of the draft. Not only was that pick a complete disaster, Russell was chosen with Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson, Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas, Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, Mississippi Linebacker Patrick Willis, and Pitt corner Darrelle Revis still on the board. That was a dynamite draft. It wasn't for the Raiders. They are often given Peterson in draft "re-dos." They can't have him. If your team drafted poorly, a draft "re-do" can't make you feel anything but worse. There's enough torture in being a football fan. I'm not sure why anyone would want to provide more. It's best to forget sad drafts. I've tried to forget that 2005 draft but some nights it's tough. I recently noticed that someone wasted their time "re-doing" the 2011 NFL Draft. I didn't waste my time by taking a closer look but I did notice that Colin Kaepernick was given to Buffalo. That does nothing to change the fact that the Bills have Kevin Kolb at quarterback now. The author of that "re-do" could have better wasted his time predicting the weapons that the Bills might provide for Kolb in the upcoming draft rather than dwelling on that draft. Predicting a draft is fun but a little stupid. Changing a past draft that can't be changed is just plain stupid.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Flea Flicker Mock Draft v4.0
With less than two weeks until the NFL Draft it's time for another one of these suckers.
1. Kansas City Chiefs Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M
2. Jacksonville Jaguars Dion Jordan LB Oregon
3. Oakland Raiders Sharif Floyd DT Florida
4. Philadelphia Eagles Geno Smith QB West Virginia
5. Detroit Lions Dee Milliner CB Alabama
6. Cleveland Browns Ziggy Ansah DE BYU
7. Arizona Cardinals Eric Fisher T Central Michigan
8. Buffalo Bills Chance Warmack G Alabama
9. New York Jets Jarvis Jones LB Georgia
10. Tennessee Titans Star Lotulelei DT Utah
11. San Diego Chargers Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma
12. Miami Dolphins Jonathan Cooper G North Carolina
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Xavier Rhodes CB Florida St.
14. Carolina Panthers Sheldon Richardson DT Missouri
15. New Orleans Saints Kenny Vaccaro S Texas
16. St. Louis Rams Tavon Austin WR West Virginia
17. Pittsburgh Steelers Cordarrelle Patterson WR Tennessee
18. Dallas Cowboys DJ Fluker OL Alabama
19. New York Giants Tyler Eifert TE Notre Dame
20. Chicago Bears Alec Ogeltree LB Georgia.
21. Cincinnati Bengals Barkevius Mingo DE LSU
22. St. Louis Rams Bjoern Werner DE Florida St.
23. Minnesota Vikings Manti Te'o LB Notre Dame
24. Indianapolis Colts Sylvester Williams DT North Carolina
25. Minnesota Vikings DeAndre Hopkins WR Clemson
26. Green Bay Packers Eddie Lacy RB Alabama
27. Houston Texans Keenan Allen WR Cal
28. Denver Broncos Desmond Trufant CB Washington
29. New England Patriots Eric Reid S LSU
30. Atlanta Falcons Datone Jones DE UCLA
31. San Francisco 49ers Margus Hunt DE SMU
32. Baltimore Ravens Jonathan Cyprien S Florida International
Not much has changed since v3.0. I've been stuck on Hopkins and Te'o as the Vikings two first round picks for a while now. Hopkins, Keenan Allen, and USC's Robert Woods are my favorite receivers in this draft. I'd love to see the Vikings come out of the first round with one of those three. If they want one of them, they'll have to draft them in the first because it's highly unlikely that any of the three will be there for their pick in the second. That being said, I would not be disappointed if the Vikings went defense with both first round picks. I really like Kansas St. linebacker Arthur Brown if they aren't on board with Te'o. Cornerback and defensive tackle are big needs too. I'd still be smiling if the Vikings waited for a receiver like Oregon St.'s Markus Wheaton or Marshall's Aaron Dobson in the second or third. The great thing about this draft is that there's nice depth at receiver, defensive tackle, and corner. All Vikings needs. Getting closer....
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Not-So-Speedy Allen
As with Aaron Rodgers and Marshawn Lynch, I watched receiver Keenan Allen play football in Berkeley for one season less than I would have preferred. Cal doesn't have many players that are NFL-ready in three years so when they do I prefer that they stay another year. But, that's not for me to decide. Rodgers and Lynch were ready for the big leagues. So is Keenan Allen.
Too much is being made of Allen's fairly slow 40 times at his very own pro day last week. 4.7-4.75 over 40 yards is blazing for an offensive lineman but receivers are expected to jog those times. Allen wasn't jogging. He suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee late in the 2012 season and aggravated that injury in January while training for the NFL Scouting Combine. As a result, he wasn't able to run at the combine or at Cal's pro day. That left NFL personnel people to wait until last week to answer the question, "how fast is Keenan Allen?" He didn't show much speed. While his knee is now sound, he has yet to regain his explosion and, trust me, he does have plenty. That explosion will come but Allen will never really be considered fast. He'll be fast enough. He was fast enough in college. He'll be fast enough in the NFL. People should rely more on game tape than a stop watch.
Keenan Allen is the best receiver that I've seen at Cal since Wesley Walker. That's going back nearly 40 years. Better than Sean Dawkins or DeSean Jackson. Allen has running back skills with the ball in his hands. Great vision and toughness. That aspect of his game separates him from most receivers. His physicality draws comparisons to Anquan Boldin but Allen is a better runner with the ball in his hands. His running skills may create the one real issue that I have with his game. He has great hands but he can get careless with his pass catching. I feel that he is so intent on running with the ball that he neglects to catch it first. He was Cal's most dynamic offensive threat. At times he was their only offensive threat. Perhaps he felt that he had to score on every touch for Cal to have a chance. Big-time players want to make big-time plays, always. But, receivers should always keep in mind that they can't do a thing without the ball. Actually, they can still make an impact without the ball through their blocking. Many receivers shy from that task. Allen, with his Anquan-like physicality, is an effective downfield blocker.
Keenan Allen didn't "wow" people last week. If people expected a fast time then they didn't watch Allen's game tape. If they didn't like what he did in his three years at Cal, they're not going to like him at all. It's their loss. The only thing that Allen's 40 time this week really showed is the condition of his knee. It showed nothing of his true speed. Even completely healthy, Allen's 40 time shows nothing of his game speed. If his running this week drops him in the draft, I hope that it drops him to the Minnesota Vikings pick in the second round, #52 overall. It won't drop him that far but I can dream. I wouldn't complain at all if the Vikings selected him with one of their two first round picks. Any team that drafts Keenan Allen will be happy that they did.
Too much is being made of Allen's fairly slow 40 times at his very own pro day last week. 4.7-4.75 over 40 yards is blazing for an offensive lineman but receivers are expected to jog those times. Allen wasn't jogging. He suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee late in the 2012 season and aggravated that injury in January while training for the NFL Scouting Combine. As a result, he wasn't able to run at the combine or at Cal's pro day. That left NFL personnel people to wait until last week to answer the question, "how fast is Keenan Allen?" He didn't show much speed. While his knee is now sound, he has yet to regain his explosion and, trust me, he does have plenty. That explosion will come but Allen will never really be considered fast. He'll be fast enough. He was fast enough in college. He'll be fast enough in the NFL. People should rely more on game tape than a stop watch.
Keenan Allen is the best receiver that I've seen at Cal since Wesley Walker. That's going back nearly 40 years. Better than Sean Dawkins or DeSean Jackson. Allen has running back skills with the ball in his hands. Great vision and toughness. That aspect of his game separates him from most receivers. His physicality draws comparisons to Anquan Boldin but Allen is a better runner with the ball in his hands. His running skills may create the one real issue that I have with his game. He has great hands but he can get careless with his pass catching. I feel that he is so intent on running with the ball that he neglects to catch it first. He was Cal's most dynamic offensive threat. At times he was their only offensive threat. Perhaps he felt that he had to score on every touch for Cal to have a chance. Big-time players want to make big-time plays, always. But, receivers should always keep in mind that they can't do a thing without the ball. Actually, they can still make an impact without the ball through their blocking. Many receivers shy from that task. Allen, with his Anquan-like physicality, is an effective downfield blocker.
Keenan Allen didn't "wow" people last week. If people expected a fast time then they didn't watch Allen's game tape. If they didn't like what he did in his three years at Cal, they're not going to like him at all. It's their loss. The only thing that Allen's 40 time this week really showed is the condition of his knee. It showed nothing of his true speed. Even completely healthy, Allen's 40 time shows nothing of his game speed. If his running this week drops him in the draft, I hope that it drops him to the Minnesota Vikings pick in the second round, #52 overall. It won't drop him that far but I can dream. I wouldn't complain at all if the Vikings selected him with one of their two first round picks. Any team that drafts Keenan Allen will be happy that they did.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
How Much Is Enough?
I've pretty much had it with the Seattle Seahawks. They just keep loading up on Minnesota Vikings players. The Seahawks traded for receiver Percy Harvin to start the offseason. Now, they have added cornerback Antoine Winfield. It's not just that they have added Vikings players. It's that they have added some of my favorite Vikings players. Harvin and Winfield this year. Sidney Rice before that. Linebacker and special teams ace Heath Farwell too. Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was in Seattle for about a year after he left Minnesota. Why can't the Seahawks sign Vikings players like Ray Edwards and Bryant McKinnie. A couple of players that are more pain in the ass than real assets. Seattle even grabbed Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell when he became available in 2010. Going further back, you can add Hall of Fame defensive linemen Carl Eller and John Randle as former Vikings that Seattle added at the end of their careers. The Seahawks dependence on Vikings players is leaning toward parasitic. When's it going to end?
Rice, Harvin, and Winfield hurt the most. Rice chased the money. Harvin forced a trade. The Vikings actually released Winfield for economic reasons. They went that route to free up some room under the salary cap to re-sign tackle Phil Loadholt as well as sign Green Bay Packers receiver Greg Jennings. Winfield's role in the Vikings defense was being reduced but he was still one of the best slot corners in the league. They wanted to bring him back at a lower contract but he obviously didn't want that. It's a damn shame.
Seattle bothers me most because of their sketchy head coach. I just don't trust Pete Carroll. He even spent some time with the Vikings in the late '80s. Seattle can keep him. Carroll left USC a step ahead of the law. Anybody that leaves a job in far worse shape than he found it can't be trusted. The mess that he left was of his making. Now that he's started his little collection of Vikings players I like him even less.
It certainly doesn't ease the pain now but I can take some enjoyment in the Vikings stealing Ahmad Rashad from the Seahawks nearly 40 years ago. Rashad had a terrific career in Minnesota. If he had spent his entire career catching passes from Fran Tarkenton he might be in the Hall of Fame. More recently, the Vikings stole guard Steve Hutchinson with the infamous "poison pill" contract. Brilliant! Seattle still hasn't recovered from that fiasco. The Seahawks bumbling then might even be the reason that the they have such a great need for Vikings players now. Who knows? Rashad could have been a Hall of Famer. Hutchinson should be a Hall of Famer.
Rice, Harvin, and Winfield hurt the most. Rice chased the money. Harvin forced a trade. The Vikings actually released Winfield for economic reasons. They went that route to free up some room under the salary cap to re-sign tackle Phil Loadholt as well as sign Green Bay Packers receiver Greg Jennings. Winfield's role in the Vikings defense was being reduced but he was still one of the best slot corners in the league. They wanted to bring him back at a lower contract but he obviously didn't want that. It's a damn shame.
Seattle bothers me most because of their sketchy head coach. I just don't trust Pete Carroll. He even spent some time with the Vikings in the late '80s. Seattle can keep him. Carroll left USC a step ahead of the law. Anybody that leaves a job in far worse shape than he found it can't be trusted. The mess that he left was of his making. Now that he's started his little collection of Vikings players I like him even less.
It certainly doesn't ease the pain now but I can take some enjoyment in the Vikings stealing Ahmad Rashad from the Seahawks nearly 40 years ago. Rashad had a terrific career in Minnesota. If he had spent his entire career catching passes from Fran Tarkenton he might be in the Hall of Fame. More recently, the Vikings stole guard Steve Hutchinson with the infamous "poison pill" contract. Brilliant! Seattle still hasn't recovered from that fiasco. The Seahawks bumbling then might even be the reason that the they have such a great need for Vikings players now. Who knows? Rashad could have been a Hall of Famer. Hutchinson should be a Hall of Famer.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Greatest Play?
So, in an NFL online poll, DeSean Jackson's walk-off punt return touchdown against the New York Giants of a couple of years ago was voted the "greatest play" of all time. Are you kidding me?!? That's the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard. Seeing the results of same of these polls, that's saying something. I suppose that the results have more to do with the likely age of the voters and the incredibly short attention span of people in general. If it's not recent, it's forgotten. I could come up with several hundred plays before I land on Jackson's return. Here's a few that were greater and more historically significant:
-Nagurski to Grange touchdown pass in the 1932 Championship playoff.
-name recognition alone is high but this play and that game changed the NFL and football
-speaking of Nagurksi, any run by the man against the Packers Clarke Hinkle. Now, that's football!
-John Unitas at the end of a game.
-Mike Stratton's "hit heard round the world" on Keith Lincolin in the 1964 AFL Championship
-Chuck Bednarik's hit on Frank Gifford
-Don Hutson. Period.
-John Mackey's run through the Lions defense
Dante Hall and Devin Hester had returns as game changing as Jackson's. The timing of Jackson's adds some juice but it doesn't make it the "greatest of all time." San Francisco 49ers back Garrison Hearst's 96-yard run in overtime against the New York Jets had the same "walk-off" aspect to it. Both are great plays. But, the greatest? No way. These are greater:
-the Immaculate Reception
-the very unfortunate, AND ILLEGAL, Roger Staubach "Hail Mary" touchdown pass to Drew Pearson
-any run by Gale Sayers and Barry Sanders
-the Catch
-Dan Bunz's goal line tackle of Charles Alexander in Super Bowl XVI
Great plays in Super Bowls and championship games make many plays memorable so I'm surprised that the memory challenged voters forgot these recent great plays in Super Bowls:
-David Tyree's helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII
-Mario Manningham's sideline catch in Super Bowl XLVII. Eli Manning's throw was greater than the catch.
-Santonio Holmes TD game-winning touch catch in Super Bowl XLIII
-James Harrison's goal-line to goal-line interception return to end the first half of Super Bowl XLIII
I'd pick all these plays over Jackson's return. I'd also pick nearly every Cris Carter reception. Carter was a pass-catching artist.
As with the "greatest" anything, it's all subjective. And, all in fun. Football is fun.
-Nagurski to Grange touchdown pass in the 1932 Championship playoff.
-name recognition alone is high but this play and that game changed the NFL and football
-speaking of Nagurksi, any run by the man against the Packers Clarke Hinkle. Now, that's football!
-John Unitas at the end of a game.
-Mike Stratton's "hit heard round the world" on Keith Lincolin in the 1964 AFL Championship
-Chuck Bednarik's hit on Frank Gifford
-Don Hutson. Period.
-John Mackey's run through the Lions defense
Dante Hall and Devin Hester had returns as game changing as Jackson's. The timing of Jackson's adds some juice but it doesn't make it the "greatest of all time." San Francisco 49ers back Garrison Hearst's 96-yard run in overtime against the New York Jets had the same "walk-off" aspect to it. Both are great plays. But, the greatest? No way. These are greater:
-the Immaculate Reception
-the very unfortunate, AND ILLEGAL, Roger Staubach "Hail Mary" touchdown pass to Drew Pearson
-any run by Gale Sayers and Barry Sanders
-the Catch
-Dan Bunz's goal line tackle of Charles Alexander in Super Bowl XVI
Great plays in Super Bowls and championship games make many plays memorable so I'm surprised that the memory challenged voters forgot these recent great plays in Super Bowls:
-David Tyree's helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII
-Mario Manningham's sideline catch in Super Bowl XLVII. Eli Manning's throw was greater than the catch.
-Santonio Holmes TD game-winning touch catch in Super Bowl XLIII
-James Harrison's goal-line to goal-line interception return to end the first half of Super Bowl XLIII
I'd pick all these plays over Jackson's return. I'd also pick nearly every Cris Carter reception. Carter was a pass-catching artist.
As with the "greatest" anything, it's all subjective. And, all in fun. Football is fun.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Throwback Thursday: Two Geniuses and a Ballboy
As with the lack of respect shown to any high school substitute teacher, the New York Giants assistant coach had no hope of bringing the team's offensive meeting room to order. But when the bespectacled offensive coach entered the room and simply cleared his throat, all fell silent.
Pat Summerall leaned over to Don Heinrich and asked, "Who the hell is that?"
"That's Lombardi," Heinrich replied, "and you'll know soon enough."
It's amazing now that there was a time when Vince Lombardi was an unknown offensive coach. That was the case in his 1958 introduction to Summerall. Lombardi would be called an offensive coordinator today. Even more amazing is that the Giants unknown defensive coach then was Tom Landry. Lombardi and Landry are football coaching icons. Thinking of them as unknown assistant coaches is like thinking of Bill Walsh as Paul Brown's slappy in Cincinnati and Bill Belichick as Ted Marchibroda's gofer in Baltimore. It just doesn't feel right.
1956-63 is considered the "golden years" of New York Giants football. They won it all in 1956. They played for it all in five of the six seasons from 1958-63. Only missing the title game in 1960. Jim Lee Howell was the head coach. He'd be the first to admit that Lombardi and Landry were the ones that actually coached the players. It's impossible to imagine a head coach today giving the freedoms to his assistants that Howell easily gave his brilliant assistant coaches. He never felt threatened by them and constantly acknowledged their skills and where the credit belongs. In fact, the head coach claimed that he was only there to make sure that the footballs were properly inflated. Howell was hired as head coach in 1954. He had the difficult task of replacing his own coach, the legendary Steve Owen. Tom Landry was already there as a player/coach but was made a full-time coach. Howell's first external hire was grabbing Vince Lombardi from Red Blaik's Army team. Howell's first order of business for his coaches was to catch the Cleveland Browns. Paul Brown's Browns were the NFL's dominant team as soon as they joined the NFL, after the folding of the All-America Football Conference, in 1950. The new kids on the block were the best kids on the block. The Browns played in every NFL title game from 1950-55. They won championships in 1950, '54, and '55. The schemes developed by Lombardi and Landry were done with the Browns in mind. Being in the same Eastern Conference, the Browns success was at the expense of the Giants success. The rivalry between the two teams became the NFL's best in the 1950's. It only took two years for the two Giants assistants to get past the Browns. They were helped by the retirement of Browns quarterback Otto Graham following the 1955 title game. Still, everything came together for the Giants in 1956. Frank Gifford was the perfect back for Lombardi's power sweep/option attack. Gifford was the NFL's MVP that season. Landry's defense, led by rookie middle linebacker Sam Huff, was brilliant. The position of middle linebacker was arguably a Landry creation and Huff played it perfectly. For the first time in an NFL stadium there were chants of "defense,defense, defense...." The Giants were on top of the football world. The unknown assistant coaches were becoming known. Lombardi's last game with the Giants was the 1958 NFL Championship game against the Baltimore Colts, the "Greatest Game Ever Played." The Green Bay Packers grabbed him. That went so well that the Super Bowl trophy is named after the former Giants assistant coach. Landry's last game with the Giants was the 1959 NFL Championship game, also against the Colts. The expansion Dallas Cowboys grabbed him. He became a fixture in Dallas for an amazing 29 years. His Cowboys won five Conference and two Super Bowl titles. The two unknown coaching assistants that shared the same sideline in New York in the '50s were on opposite sidelines for two classic Conference Championship games a decade later. Lombardi won both. Howell retired following the 1960 season. Allie Sherman, who took over the offense from Lombardi, took over for Howell. The team that Howell, Lombardi, and Landry built played in three straight NFL Championship games from 1961-63. The Giants lost the first two to Lombardi's Packers.
There's no denying the football brilliance and historical significance of Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry. For nearly 35 years, one or both were cornerstones of the NFL. History has not been as kind to Jim Lee Howell. I've been guilty of too easily dismissing his importance to those great New York Giants teams. One of the most impressive aspects of Howell was that he simply didn't care if he got credit for the wins. He'd rather take the blame for a loss than take credit for a win. Fortunately, those Giants teams had far more wins than losses. Howell did far more than pump up the footballs. He should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply for managing the egos and demands of his assistant coaches. The ability of head coaches to manage and delegate authority is more appreciated today. Head coaches in the first half of the NFL's existence did much more scheming and teaching. With only a few coaches on a staff, they had to. Jim Lee Howell was one of the first, if not the first, head coaches to limit his duties to delegating and game managing. It was Howell that decided to send Pat Summerall out to kick about a 50-yard field goal against Cleveland in something of a blizzard in 1958. A field goal that he made to force a playoff against the same Browns team a week later. A field goal that would eventually put them in the 1958 NFL Championship game. A field goal attempt that was strongly opposed by Lombardi and Landry.
Pat Summerall leaned over to Don Heinrich and asked, "Who the hell is that?"
"That's Lombardi," Heinrich replied, "and you'll know soon enough."
It's amazing now that there was a time when Vince Lombardi was an unknown offensive coach. That was the case in his 1958 introduction to Summerall. Lombardi would be called an offensive coordinator today. Even more amazing is that the Giants unknown defensive coach then was Tom Landry. Lombardi and Landry are football coaching icons. Thinking of them as unknown assistant coaches is like thinking of Bill Walsh as Paul Brown's slappy in Cincinnati and Bill Belichick as Ted Marchibroda's gofer in Baltimore. It just doesn't feel right.
1956-63 is considered the "golden years" of New York Giants football. They won it all in 1956. They played for it all in five of the six seasons from 1958-63. Only missing the title game in 1960. Jim Lee Howell was the head coach. He'd be the first to admit that Lombardi and Landry were the ones that actually coached the players. It's impossible to imagine a head coach today giving the freedoms to his assistants that Howell easily gave his brilliant assistant coaches. He never felt threatened by them and constantly acknowledged their skills and where the credit belongs. In fact, the head coach claimed that he was only there to make sure that the footballs were properly inflated. Howell was hired as head coach in 1954. He had the difficult task of replacing his own coach, the legendary Steve Owen. Tom Landry was already there as a player/coach but was made a full-time coach. Howell's first external hire was grabbing Vince Lombardi from Red Blaik's Army team. Howell's first order of business for his coaches was to catch the Cleveland Browns. Paul Brown's Browns were the NFL's dominant team as soon as they joined the NFL, after the folding of the All-America Football Conference, in 1950. The new kids on the block were the best kids on the block. The Browns played in every NFL title game from 1950-55. They won championships in 1950, '54, and '55. The schemes developed by Lombardi and Landry were done with the Browns in mind. Being in the same Eastern Conference, the Browns success was at the expense of the Giants success. The rivalry between the two teams became the NFL's best in the 1950's. It only took two years for the two Giants assistants to get past the Browns. They were helped by the retirement of Browns quarterback Otto Graham following the 1955 title game. Still, everything came together for the Giants in 1956. Frank Gifford was the perfect back for Lombardi's power sweep/option attack. Gifford was the NFL's MVP that season. Landry's defense, led by rookie middle linebacker Sam Huff, was brilliant. The position of middle linebacker was arguably a Landry creation and Huff played it perfectly. For the first time in an NFL stadium there were chants of "defense,defense, defense...." The Giants were on top of the football world. The unknown assistant coaches were becoming known. Lombardi's last game with the Giants was the 1958 NFL Championship game against the Baltimore Colts, the "Greatest Game Ever Played." The Green Bay Packers grabbed him. That went so well that the Super Bowl trophy is named after the former Giants assistant coach. Landry's last game with the Giants was the 1959 NFL Championship game, also against the Colts. The expansion Dallas Cowboys grabbed him. He became a fixture in Dallas for an amazing 29 years. His Cowboys won five Conference and two Super Bowl titles. The two unknown coaching assistants that shared the same sideline in New York in the '50s were on opposite sidelines for two classic Conference Championship games a decade later. Lombardi won both. Howell retired following the 1960 season. Allie Sherman, who took over the offense from Lombardi, took over for Howell. The team that Howell, Lombardi, and Landry built played in three straight NFL Championship games from 1961-63. The Giants lost the first two to Lombardi's Packers.
There's no denying the football brilliance and historical significance of Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry. For nearly 35 years, one or both were cornerstones of the NFL. History has not been as kind to Jim Lee Howell. I've been guilty of too easily dismissing his importance to those great New York Giants teams. One of the most impressive aspects of Howell was that he simply didn't care if he got credit for the wins. He'd rather take the blame for a loss than take credit for a win. Fortunately, those Giants teams had far more wins than losses. Howell did far more than pump up the footballs. He should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply for managing the egos and demands of his assistant coaches. The ability of head coaches to manage and delegate authority is more appreciated today. Head coaches in the first half of the NFL's existence did much more scheming and teaching. With only a few coaches on a staff, they had to. Jim Lee Howell was one of the first, if not the first, head coaches to limit his duties to delegating and game managing. It was Howell that decided to send Pat Summerall out to kick about a 50-yard field goal against Cleveland in something of a blizzard in 1958. A field goal that he made to force a playoff against the same Browns team a week later. A field goal that would eventually put them in the 1958 NFL Championship game. A field goal attempt that was strongly opposed by Lombardi and Landry.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The Further Hall of Fame Case for Alex Karras
So, I'm reading Vince Lombardi and W.C. Heinz's football classic Run To Daylight. It's about the six days of preparation for the next game. There's always a next game. Lombardi's preparation for that next game brings into focus one of the most disruptive and unappreciated football payers that the game has ever seen, Alex Karras.
The night after thumping the Chicago Bears 49-0, Lombardi lies in bed unable to sleep. He's not kept awake by thoughts of the game that his team just won. He's kept awake by thoughts of the next game.
"...seeing the other people who are coming in next Sunday with the best defensive line in the league, with that great middle linebacker...."
Lombardi doesn't mention the team by name but I know right away that he's thinking about the Detroit Lions. He only had to mention the line and the linebacker and I knew. Run To Daylight is about a week of preparation during the 1962 season. Lombardi's Green Bay Packers won their second title at the end of that season. That Packers team was just starting on it's path to legendary status but the Lions always gave them fits. The Lions gave a lot of teams fits. If not for the Packers, the Lions might have won some titles of their own. The cause of those fits were the linebacker, Joe Schmidt, and a defensive line led by Alex Karras. Schmidt is in the Pro Hall of Fame. Karras is not. He should be.
Much of Alex Karras' NFL career was during my lifetime. None of it was during my awareness of the game. I first learned of his greatness from my father. I might have been the only kid that I knew that was aware of Karras' spectacular "pre-Mongo" career. As I learned more about the history of the NFL, I learned more about the incredible football career of the Detroit Lions fantastic defensive tackle.
Alex Karras was a nightmare for offensive lines. When the Hall of Fame voters get together to talk of the merits of the players that played before 1970, they should drop the statistics and instead listen to the opponents and teammates of those players. As well as the coaches, like Lombardi that had to game plan for them. Players and coaches of the late '50s and through the '60s speak so highly of Alex Karras that you assume that he's honored in Canton. His play was so great that it's remarkable that he was pretty much blind on the football field. He couldn't see without his glasses and he didn't wear them on the field. He reacted to movement and colors. He would attack the movement of whatever color he wasn't wearing. Incredible. The player of recent years that most reminds me most of Karras is Warren Sapp. Both were just a disruptive force in the middle of the defensive line. Just relentless in rushing the passer and in pursuit. Offenses had to account for both players on every snap. As Lombardi worried about Karras all week in 1962, coaches worried about Sapp. Warren Sapp was elected to the Hall of Fame this year. It was his first year of eligibility. Alex Karras passed in 2012 without ever receiving his proper recognition.
I think that Alex Karras has been kept out of the Hall of Fame for his 1963 gambling suspension. It was a trumped up charge from the start. His betting was among friends and on games in which the Lions weren't involved. It was small time. Betting for fun rather than profit. But, he associated with some unsavory characters in Detroit and new commissioner Pete Rozelle had to make a statement. The gambling excuse loses merit when you consider that Packers running back Paul Hornung was also suspended in 1963 for the very same offense. I guess that you can't have a Hall of Fame without the "Golden Boy." Hornung actually does deserve his spot in Canton. Alex Karras deserves to be honored there as well.
As Lombardi says,
"That 71 is just a great tackle."
The night after thumping the Chicago Bears 49-0, Lombardi lies in bed unable to sleep. He's not kept awake by thoughts of the game that his team just won. He's kept awake by thoughts of the next game.
"...seeing the other people who are coming in next Sunday with the best defensive line in the league, with that great middle linebacker...."
Lombardi doesn't mention the team by name but I know right away that he's thinking about the Detroit Lions. He only had to mention the line and the linebacker and I knew. Run To Daylight is about a week of preparation during the 1962 season. Lombardi's Green Bay Packers won their second title at the end of that season. That Packers team was just starting on it's path to legendary status but the Lions always gave them fits. The Lions gave a lot of teams fits. If not for the Packers, the Lions might have won some titles of their own. The cause of those fits were the linebacker, Joe Schmidt, and a defensive line led by Alex Karras. Schmidt is in the Pro Hall of Fame. Karras is not. He should be.
Much of Alex Karras' NFL career was during my lifetime. None of it was during my awareness of the game. I first learned of his greatness from my father. I might have been the only kid that I knew that was aware of Karras' spectacular "pre-Mongo" career. As I learned more about the history of the NFL, I learned more about the incredible football career of the Detroit Lions fantastic defensive tackle.
Alex Karras was a nightmare for offensive lines. When the Hall of Fame voters get together to talk of the merits of the players that played before 1970, they should drop the statistics and instead listen to the opponents and teammates of those players. As well as the coaches, like Lombardi that had to game plan for them. Players and coaches of the late '50s and through the '60s speak so highly of Alex Karras that you assume that he's honored in Canton. His play was so great that it's remarkable that he was pretty much blind on the football field. He couldn't see without his glasses and he didn't wear them on the field. He reacted to movement and colors. He would attack the movement of whatever color he wasn't wearing. Incredible. The player of recent years that most reminds me most of Karras is Warren Sapp. Both were just a disruptive force in the middle of the defensive line. Just relentless in rushing the passer and in pursuit. Offenses had to account for both players on every snap. As Lombardi worried about Karras all week in 1962, coaches worried about Sapp. Warren Sapp was elected to the Hall of Fame this year. It was his first year of eligibility. Alex Karras passed in 2012 without ever receiving his proper recognition.
I think that Alex Karras has been kept out of the Hall of Fame for his 1963 gambling suspension. It was a trumped up charge from the start. His betting was among friends and on games in which the Lions weren't involved. It was small time. Betting for fun rather than profit. But, he associated with some unsavory characters in Detroit and new commissioner Pete Rozelle had to make a statement. The gambling excuse loses merit when you consider that Packers running back Paul Hornung was also suspended in 1963 for the very same offense. I guess that you can't have a Hall of Fame without the "Golden Boy." Hornung actually does deserve his spot in Canton. Alex Karras deserves to be honored there as well.
As Lombardi says,
"That 71 is just a great tackle."
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Red Ravens Football
It's never a surprise to find that an NFL player came from one of the SEC schools, USC, Wisconsin, Ohio St., or any of the other college football factories. It's expected. Every player has a story and an original route to the highest level of football. It's really not often that a path includes a stop at a junior college. If it happens, I'm starting to become less surprised to find Coffeyville Community College as that stop. If a high school football player, with NFL dreams, has to go the j.c. route, putting on the uniform of the Red Ravens is no setback at all. Many NFL players have called Coffeyville, Kansas home for a year, or two.
North Carolina's Sylvester Williams is one of the top defensive tackles in the 2013 NFL Draft. He'll likely be drafted somewhere in the latter half of the first round. Williams is a former Coffeyville Red Raven. Lousiana Tech's Quinton Patton is one of the most pro-ready receivers in the draft. He should be drafted before the third round. Patton is a former Coffeyville Red Raven. Mark Beard started two games at tackle as a sophomore for the Georgia Bulldogs. He's on his way to living his NFL dreams. Red Raven. David Cooper started all 12 games at middle linebacker in his first year at Indiana. Red Raven. He's even closer to the NFL. Defensive back Briean Boddy is just getting started on his dream at Minnesota. Red Raven. Coffeyville is a football pipeline to 4-year colleges and often the NFL to many football players.
Red Ravens currently in the NFL:
Ryan Lilja Kansas City Chiefs
Jonathan Joseph Houston Texans
Reggie Nelson Cincinnati Bengals
Paul Soliai Miami Dolphins
Devin Thomas Detroit Lions
Dashon Goldson Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Larry Asante Indianapolis Colts
James Carpenter Seattle Seahawks
Brandon Mosley New York Giants
Brandon Jacobs still looking for work
Coffeyville has been a stop on the way to the NFL for a while. Former players Leonard Little, Tracy Scroggins, Akin Ayodele, Keith Traylor, Siran Stacy, Mel Gray, Mike Rozier, and Jeff Wright were all Red Ravens. Gary Busey was too but he didn't play in the NFL.
Some colleges don't even have the NFL numbers that Coffeyville Community College can boast. It's pretty amazing. I'm not sure if the number of football players going the junior college route has changed over the years. I know that grades often make the decision for many of the hopefuls but I also know that many colleges will find a way to get their player if he has the talent. A 4-year college will pursue any player that has NFL talent. If junior college is part of a player's path to the NFL, I'm a little surprised but I'm no longer surprised if Coffeyville is that junior college.
North Carolina's Sylvester Williams is one of the top defensive tackles in the 2013 NFL Draft. He'll likely be drafted somewhere in the latter half of the first round. Williams is a former Coffeyville Red Raven. Lousiana Tech's Quinton Patton is one of the most pro-ready receivers in the draft. He should be drafted before the third round. Patton is a former Coffeyville Red Raven. Mark Beard started two games at tackle as a sophomore for the Georgia Bulldogs. He's on his way to living his NFL dreams. Red Raven. David Cooper started all 12 games at middle linebacker in his first year at Indiana. Red Raven. He's even closer to the NFL. Defensive back Briean Boddy is just getting started on his dream at Minnesota. Red Raven. Coffeyville is a football pipeline to 4-year colleges and often the NFL to many football players.
Red Ravens currently in the NFL:
Ryan Lilja Kansas City Chiefs
Jonathan Joseph Houston Texans
Reggie Nelson Cincinnati Bengals
Paul Soliai Miami Dolphins
Devin Thomas Detroit Lions
Dashon Goldson Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Larry Asante Indianapolis Colts
James Carpenter Seattle Seahawks
Brandon Mosley New York Giants
Brandon Jacobs still looking for work
Coffeyville has been a stop on the way to the NFL for a while. Former players Leonard Little, Tracy Scroggins, Akin Ayodele, Keith Traylor, Siran Stacy, Mel Gray, Mike Rozier, and Jeff Wright were all Red Ravens. Gary Busey was too but he didn't play in the NFL.
Some colleges don't even have the NFL numbers that Coffeyville Community College can boast. It's pretty amazing. I'm not sure if the number of football players going the junior college route has changed over the years. I know that grades often make the decision for many of the hopefuls but I also know that many colleges will find a way to get their player if he has the talent. A 4-year college will pursue any player that has NFL talent. If junior college is part of a player's path to the NFL, I'm a little surprised but I'm no longer surprised if Coffeyville is that junior college.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Headhunters
This isn't about George Trafton, Hardy Brown, Jack Tatum, and Andre Waters or any of the other on the field headhunters throughout the history of football. No, this is about the growing reliance among college athletic directors on the use of search consultants to find their coaches. These consultants now operate as the conduit for some of the best coaching jobs in the country. Fees generally range from $30,000 to $90,000 for a Division I football coach search. I hadn't really thought about this trend until Cal athletic director Sandy Barbour took this route to find a replacement for Jeff Tedford. I realize that many things fill the plates of athletic directors. I just assumed that finding coaches for their school was one of those things. In the recent couple of years, Cal has come close to dropping a handful of sports programs. Technically, they did drop the programs but the programs saved themselves. While even $90,000 may not seem like much when talk of money on a university scale is in the millions, it's still a nice chunk of change. A chunk of change that can be better used elsewhere. It can be better used elsewhere because I could have come up with a list of coaching possibilities for Barbour. In fact, I did come up with a list of coaches that included the same coaches that Cal was known to have interviewed. This list included Cal's current head football coach Sonny Dykes. Pretty much everybody's dream candidate was Boise St. coach Chris Peterson. Any idiot could have placed him on their list. Former San Jose St. and current Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre and Fresno St. coach Tim DeRuyter seemed like automatic choices. Dykes too. It was easy to put together a list without "consultant" advice and it didn't cost even $30,000 to do so. One of these search consultant firms placed Jim Harbaugh at Stanford a few years ago. Wow! Genius! Harbaugh was a coach of interest as soon as he entered the field. But, Stanford's coaching choices prior to Harbaugh made it fairly obvious that finding a decent one was beyond them. They needed help.
Headhunters have been a part of the employment world for decades. It's no real surprise that headhunters would pop up in the football world. With today's media overload there are no coaching unknowns. While I think that spending close to $100,000 on an external coaching search is a waste, it must have some merit. So many schools are doing it. They can't be spending that much money simply because they can. Can they? Apparently the consultants can go deeper in their background checks. They can find the skeletons if they're there. Using consultants also provides the athletic directors with some cover if a hire doesn't work out. That's not very optimistic. If Sonny Dykes becomes the second coming of Pappy Waldorf, but with Rose Bowl wins, then that's fantastic. It shouldn't have taken external consultants to bring Dykes and Cal together but maybe it did. Sandy Barbour still had the final decision. She obviously felt that she needed some help getting there.
Headhunters have been a part of the employment world for decades. It's no real surprise that headhunters would pop up in the football world. With today's media overload there are no coaching unknowns. While I think that spending close to $100,000 on an external coaching search is a waste, it must have some merit. So many schools are doing it. They can't be spending that much money simply because they can. Can they? Apparently the consultants can go deeper in their background checks. They can find the skeletons if they're there. Using consultants also provides the athletic directors with some cover if a hire doesn't work out. That's not very optimistic. If Sonny Dykes becomes the second coming of Pappy Waldorf, but with Rose Bowl wins, then that's fantastic. It shouldn't have taken external consultants to bring Dykes and Cal together but maybe it did. Sandy Barbour still had the final decision. She obviously felt that she needed some help getting there.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Back in the Bay Area
Only two years ago cornerback Nnambi Asomugha was the biggest free agent in the shortened 2011 offseason. The Philadelphia Eagles signed him to a huge 5-year, $60 million deal. At least $25 million was guaranteed. Things didn't exactly go very well for Asomugha or the Eagles in the two years since that big day. It was a puzzling signing as Asomugha never quite fit in the Eagles zone-based secondary. The Eagles were in the process of putting together their "Dream Team." Instead of accomplishing that the team pretty much lost their minds. It's showed on the field ever since.
This past week the San Francisco 49ers signed Asomugha to a much smaller contract than the one that he signed two years ago. This one is only a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $3 million. In this era of greed it's remarkable that Asomugha wanted no guaranteed money. These days it seems that guaranteed money is the only thing that players want. Nnambi Asomugha is a classy guy. He must be ecstatic to be back in the Bay Area. His college days were spent in Berkeley. The first seven years of his professional career were spent in Oakland. There he established himself as the best corner in the game. Now, he's on the other side of the bay. Big plus, he's no longer in Philadelphia.
I'm happy for Nnambi Asomugha. The 49ers are, by far, the best team that he's ever been on. It's his best chance for a championship. Asomugha is one of my favorite Cal football players. He's been a fantastic player on the field. He's been even better off of the field. His impact in the community has always been great and far reaching. The Asomugha Foundation operates two primary programs. Orphans and Widows In Need (OWIN) and the Asomugha College Tour for Scholars (ACTS). Through OWIN, Asomugha and his family provide food, shelter, medicine, vocational training, literacy efforts, and scholarships to widows and orphans victimized by poverty and abuse in Nigeria. For ACTS, Asomugha teams up with students from Bay Area and Los Angeles area high schools on college tours across the country. About the time that Asomugha reached an agreement with the 49ers he was keeping himself busy by driving Bay Area students to tours of Cal and Stanford. Since 2009, Asomugha has participated in former President Bill Clinton's Global Initiative. Nnambi Asomugha is a difference maker in all that he does.
I think that Asomugha will be a nice fit for the 49ers defense. It will certainly be a better fit than he found in Philadelphia. The 49ers got better with the signing and Asomugha got closer to that Super Bowl ring than he's ever been before.
This past week the San Francisco 49ers signed Asomugha to a much smaller contract than the one that he signed two years ago. This one is only a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $3 million. In this era of greed it's remarkable that Asomugha wanted no guaranteed money. These days it seems that guaranteed money is the only thing that players want. Nnambi Asomugha is a classy guy. He must be ecstatic to be back in the Bay Area. His college days were spent in Berkeley. The first seven years of his professional career were spent in Oakland. There he established himself as the best corner in the game. Now, he's on the other side of the bay. Big plus, he's no longer in Philadelphia.
I'm happy for Nnambi Asomugha. The 49ers are, by far, the best team that he's ever been on. It's his best chance for a championship. Asomugha is one of my favorite Cal football players. He's been a fantastic player on the field. He's been even better off of the field. His impact in the community has always been great and far reaching. The Asomugha Foundation operates two primary programs. Orphans and Widows In Need (OWIN) and the Asomugha College Tour for Scholars (ACTS). Through OWIN, Asomugha and his family provide food, shelter, medicine, vocational training, literacy efforts, and scholarships to widows and orphans victimized by poverty and abuse in Nigeria. For ACTS, Asomugha teams up with students from Bay Area and Los Angeles area high schools on college tours across the country. About the time that Asomugha reached an agreement with the 49ers he was keeping himself busy by driving Bay Area students to tours of Cal and Stanford. Since 2009, Asomugha has participated in former President Bill Clinton's Global Initiative. Nnambi Asomugha is a difference maker in all that he does.
I think that Asomugha will be a nice fit for the 49ers defense. It will certainly be a better fit than he found in Philadelphia. The 49ers got better with the signing and Asomugha got closer to that Super Bowl ring than he's ever been before.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Concussion Litigation
Months ago, Brett Romberg, Patrick Chukwurah, and Pat White had all signed on to the always growing ex-player concussion litigation against the NFL. More recently, each has signed an NFL contract to play football again. It's pretty clear that if given the choice of fighting the NFL over concussions in professional football or playing professional football, a football player will accept the risks of playing the game.
The head trauma litigation against the NFL really should be dropped. Everyone that has ever strapped on the pads and put a helmet on their head has known the risks That's why they were strapping on the pads and putting the helmet on their head. For over 150 years, everyone associated with the game has known the risks. Football was nearly banned in the early 1900's. The reason was mostly due to all the damn head injuries. To say that the overseers of the game were ambivalent to the dangers of the game is naive. As the game has evolved so has the helmet. Unfortunately, the players took it upon themselves to use that evolving helmet as a weapon. While the NFL owners are guilty of being greedy. They really aren't stupid. Well, most aren't. They know that any threat to the game is a threat to their money. Head trauma is a serious threat to the game. NFL owners have known it for nearly 100 years. So have the players. Despite all that we know now about the lasting effects of head trauma, players will still play with concussions if the decision is theirs. They should accept some of the blame rather than putting it all on the owners in the form of a lawsuit.
If the NFL is guilty of anything in this mess, it's not providing enough after-football assistance to the players but they're never going to part with some of their money unless they're forced to. NFL Players Association is guilty of this neglect as well. They failed to look after the former players. I've never understood how former head of the NFLPA Gene Upshaw could do so little for his fellow former players. He was sitting pretty with a huge, multi-million dollar salary while his former teammates and opponents suffered. No wonder there was relative labor peace during the '90s. The owners didn't have to pay much in player benefits. Even if they weren't forced to assist with the post playing career issues of the players they should have. The players really did give their bodies and minds so that the owners could make money. If they had, the owners might not be in this pickle.
Even before Romberg, Chukwurah, and White signed their new contracts, I didn't think that the player's lawsuit was a strong one. Player's will play if given the choice. I'm not sure how they are victims when they gladly accept the risks. The specifics of head trauma are still being researched but the dangers of banging the brain around have been known since the first Roosevelt was President. It's not new and neither is the player's willingness to play.
The head trauma litigation against the NFL really should be dropped. Everyone that has ever strapped on the pads and put a helmet on their head has known the risks That's why they were strapping on the pads and putting the helmet on their head. For over 150 years, everyone associated with the game has known the risks. Football was nearly banned in the early 1900's. The reason was mostly due to all the damn head injuries. To say that the overseers of the game were ambivalent to the dangers of the game is naive. As the game has evolved so has the helmet. Unfortunately, the players took it upon themselves to use that evolving helmet as a weapon. While the NFL owners are guilty of being greedy. They really aren't stupid. Well, most aren't. They know that any threat to the game is a threat to their money. Head trauma is a serious threat to the game. NFL owners have known it for nearly 100 years. So have the players. Despite all that we know now about the lasting effects of head trauma, players will still play with concussions if the decision is theirs. They should accept some of the blame rather than putting it all on the owners in the form of a lawsuit.
If the NFL is guilty of anything in this mess, it's not providing enough after-football assistance to the players but they're never going to part with some of their money unless they're forced to. NFL Players Association is guilty of this neglect as well. They failed to look after the former players. I've never understood how former head of the NFLPA Gene Upshaw could do so little for his fellow former players. He was sitting pretty with a huge, multi-million dollar salary while his former teammates and opponents suffered. No wonder there was relative labor peace during the '90s. The owners didn't have to pay much in player benefits. Even if they weren't forced to assist with the post playing career issues of the players they should have. The players really did give their bodies and minds so that the owners could make money. If they had, the owners might not be in this pickle.
Even before Romberg, Chukwurah, and White signed their new contracts, I didn't think that the player's lawsuit was a strong one. Player's will play if given the choice. I'm not sure how they are victims when they gladly accept the risks. The specifics of head trauma are still being researched but the dangers of banging the brain around have been known since the first Roosevelt was President. It's not new and neither is the player's willingness to play.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Draft Invites
For the past couple of drafts the NFL has invited a whole flock of the draft prospects to be on hand at in New York City. In the league's eyes the more players holding up jersey's, putting on caps, and sharing awkward man hugs with Commissioner Goodell the better. This year is no different. Nineteen have RSVPed. Oregon defensive end Dion Jordan and USC quarterback Matt Barkley have yet to commit. Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o didn't want the chaos that's been following him to follow him to New York. Despite the tears shed by the NFL it was probably a good decision by Te'o.
The following players will be at Radio City Music Hall April 25th, waiting to hear their name:
Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel
Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd
West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith
Florida St. quarterback E.J. Manuel
Alabama guard Chase Warmack
Florida St. defensive end Bjoern Werner
North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper
Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson
Florida St. cornerback Xavier Rhodes
West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin
SMU defensive end Margus Hunt
LSU defensive end Barkevius Mingo
Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner
Oklahoma tackle Lane Johnson
BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah
Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro
Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker
Central Michigan Eric Fisher
Florida St. Menelik Watson
No running backs are invited. That doesn't seem quite fair. Besides the lack of backs the one thing about this list that jumps out at me is the number of players from Florida St. There was a time when many Seminoles were drafted in the first round but that was a while ago. With a 12-2 record, a top-10 ranking, and four players expected to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, the Seminoles might be back.
With the first round being the only round on the first night of the draft not going in the first really sucks. Here's hoping that none of the draft attendees are still waiting to be called on April 26th.
The following players will be at Radio City Music Hall April 25th, waiting to hear their name:
Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel
Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd
West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith
Florida St. quarterback E.J. Manuel
Alabama guard Chase Warmack
Florida St. defensive end Bjoern Werner
North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper
Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson
Florida St. cornerback Xavier Rhodes
West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin
SMU defensive end Margus Hunt
LSU defensive end Barkevius Mingo
Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner
Oklahoma tackle Lane Johnson
BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah
Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro
Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker
Central Michigan Eric Fisher
Florida St. Menelik Watson
No running backs are invited. That doesn't seem quite fair. Besides the lack of backs the one thing about this list that jumps out at me is the number of players from Florida St. There was a time when many Seminoles were drafted in the first round but that was a while ago. With a 12-2 record, a top-10 ranking, and four players expected to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, the Seminoles might be back.
With the first round being the only round on the first night of the draft not going in the first really sucks. Here's hoping that none of the draft attendees are still waiting to be called on April 26th.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Throwback Thursday: Greatest NFL Draft Class
It's about ten years too early to truly judge the Minnesota Vikings 2012 NFL Draft. Based on their rookie year, the class looks terrific. Nine of the ten picks made the team. Six of the nine started some or all of the games. Two, tackle Matt Kalil and kicker Blair Walsh, ended their rookie season in Hawaii at the Pro Bowl. Having two first round picks certainly helped the talent level. Kalil and safety Harrison Smith look like cornerstone players. As great as that class seems right now, it has a long, long way to go before it can stand next to the best draft classes. It's hard to imagine any class matching the greatest of all time.
I've thought about great draft classes when I realized that the Chicago Bears added Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers in the 1965 NFL Draft. They pulled two Hall of Famers in one draft. Incredible. Both players are in any conversation of the greatest players at their respective positions. The Bears didn't add much beyond Butkus and Sayers in that draft. Jim Nance and Frank Pitts made their impact in the American Football League having never played for the Bears. The Baltimore Ravens 1996 NFL Draft brought in Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis. Ogden was just elected to the Hall of Fame. Lewis will be there in five years. There are probably other drafts by other teams that were highlighted by a couple of Hall of Famers. None of those come close to what the Pittsburgh Steelers did in the 1974 NFL Draft. The Steelers had a few terrific drafts around that time. Four Super Bowl titles were the result of some super drafting. What they did in 1974 was beyond super. It should have been illegal.
Rd
1 Lynn Swann
2 Jack Lambet
4 John Stallworth
4 Jimmy Allen
5 Mike Webster
Swann, Lambert, Stallworth, and Webster are honored in Canton. None of the other players drafted beyond round 5 played more than a season with the Steelers. They didn't need to. The Steelers did add safety Donnie Shell as undrafted free agent. He may not have received the honors of his classmates but he had a real nice career with the Steelers. The four drafted stars of 1974 were added to a young core of Steelers that included fellow future Hall of Famers Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount. With that kind of talent it's no surprise that the Pittsburgh Steelers would win four of the next six Super Bowls. These drafts were incredible. None more than the class of 1974. If there was ever a greater draft, I haven't seen it. Perhaps the Vikings 2012 class will one day challenge it.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The First Guru
Everyone is a draft guru these days. If they aren't one they rely on one that claims to be. There was a day when there was only one. Mel Kiper, Jr. came from humble football beginnings. It's pretty common now for someone to turn a hobby into a business. It wasn't as common in the early '80s. It was even more rare to see it happen in football. Outside of being a fan, Mel Kiper, Jr. really had no background in football. Being a fan was all that it took. He watched every game that he could. There was no satellite television then. Cable television was just getting started. There was no youtube. His hands were tied compared to today. He did it all on his own. He created something pretty great. He created hope in every football fan that couldn't throw a pass or tackle a back. Because of Mel Kiper, Jr. there's now draft gurus everywhere.
Kiper's draft publications have been the draft bible for so many for nearly 35 years. For much of that time it was the only draft publication on the market. Now, every sports magazine seems to have one. Most suck but that's due to a lack of passion. It takes about ten seconds of viewing to see that most of these poser magazines are spewing the words of others. Maybe even the word's of Kiper. Most of these draft magazines are just thrown together knowing that many draft fans grab everything that they see. They do so for one simple reason. They absolutely can not get enough. I've always respected Kiper's work because he puts so much into it. I've read his work consistently over the years. I check his mock drafts and player profiles. I've never purchased his publications. I frequently disagree with his opinions. But, heres the thing, there is no consensus on football player projections. There never will be. People simply see different things. Five people can report on the performance of a player's Senior Bowl practice and you'll hear five wildly different, even opposing, views. It's pretty crazy. I really like Mike Mayock, Charles Davis, and several of the other NFL Network draft guys but I don't always agree with them. I watch the draft on the league's network because I prefer the personalities there. Despite my somewhat frequent disagreements with Kiper, he's the only personality that I miss from ESPN's coverage. His hair is remarkable. Still.
I've heard rumors that Kiper's publications are coming to an end. ESPN is apparently demanding more of his time. He could have others do the leg work to keep his "draft bible" running. With his name, it would sell. My guess is that he if he can't do the work that those little books require he won't do them at all. I respect that as I've always respected his work. For the first time, I purchased his draft publication. Every year, for over 30 years, I've debated buying his publications. I just never have. I guess that the thought of it coming to end made it seem like the thing to do now. I look forward to reading his little blue book. I'll watch the NFL Draft on NFL Network but Mel Kiper, Jr. will be there by my side.
Kiper's draft publications have been the draft bible for so many for nearly 35 years. For much of that time it was the only draft publication on the market. Now, every sports magazine seems to have one. Most suck but that's due to a lack of passion. It takes about ten seconds of viewing to see that most of these poser magazines are spewing the words of others. Maybe even the word's of Kiper. Most of these draft magazines are just thrown together knowing that many draft fans grab everything that they see. They do so for one simple reason. They absolutely can not get enough. I've always respected Kiper's work because he puts so much into it. I've read his work consistently over the years. I check his mock drafts and player profiles. I've never purchased his publications. I frequently disagree with his opinions. But, heres the thing, there is no consensus on football player projections. There never will be. People simply see different things. Five people can report on the performance of a player's Senior Bowl practice and you'll hear five wildly different, even opposing, views. It's pretty crazy. I really like Mike Mayock, Charles Davis, and several of the other NFL Network draft guys but I don't always agree with them. I watch the draft on the league's network because I prefer the personalities there. Despite my somewhat frequent disagreements with Kiper, he's the only personality that I miss from ESPN's coverage. His hair is remarkable. Still.
I've heard rumors that Kiper's publications are coming to an end. ESPN is apparently demanding more of his time. He could have others do the leg work to keep his "draft bible" running. With his name, it would sell. My guess is that he if he can't do the work that those little books require he won't do them at all. I respect that as I've always respected his work. For the first time, I purchased his draft publication. Every year, for over 30 years, I've debated buying his publications. I just never have. I guess that the thought of it coming to end made it seem like the thing to do now. I look forward to reading his little blue book. I'll watch the NFL Draft on NFL Network but Mel Kiper, Jr. will be there by my side.
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