Bad Idea

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has spent pretty much every day since his selection in the 2014 NFL Draft working to learn his new offense. He moved to his new home pretty much as soon as Roger Goodell read his name in Radio City Music Hall. He's been working ever since. Just when he's getting into the meat of the offseason workouts, he's called away to Los Angeles and the NFL Rookie Premiere. It started Thursday and runs through today. This isn't even the Rookie Symposium that is mandatory for all NFL newbies. This is something put on by the NFL Players Association that invites forty of the rookies. I have no idea how the forty are determined. Bridgewater is included but Anthony Barr is not. Barr was the Vikings first pick in the draft and the ninth pick overall. No other Vikings rookie were invited to this Rookie Premiere. Here are the forty that were invited:

• Davonte Adams, WR – Green Bay Packers
• Dri Archer, RB – Pittsburgh Steelers
• Odell Beckham, Jr., WR – New York Giants
• Kelvin Benjamin, WR – Carolina Panthers
• Blake Bortles, QB – Jacksonville, Jaguars
• Tajh Boyd, QB – New York Jets
• Teddy Bridgewater, QB – Minnesota Vikings
• Ka’Deem Carey, RB – Chicago Bears
• Jadeveon Clowney, DE – Houston Texans
• Brandin Cooks, WR – New Orleans Saints
• Eric Ebron, TE – Detroit Lions
• Mike Evans, WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Devonta Freeman, RB - Atlanta Falcons
• Jimmy Garoppolo, QB – New England Patriots
• Jeremy Hill, RB – Cincinnati Bengals
• Carlos Hyde, RB – San Francisco 49ers
• Jarvis Landry, WR – Miami Dolphins
• Cody Latimer, WR – Denver Broncos
• Marqise Lee, WR – Jacksonville Jaguars
• Khalil Mack, LB – Oakland Raiders
• Johnny Manziel, QB – Cleveland Browns
• Tre Mason, RB – St. Louis Rams
• Jordan Matthews, WR – Philadelphia Eagles
• A.J. McCarron, QB – Cincinnati Bengals
• Donte Moncrief, WR – Indianapolis Colts
• Aaron Murray, QB – Kansas City Chiefs
• Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB – Seattle Seahawks
• Paul Richardson, WR – Seattle Seahawks
• Allen Robinson, WR – Jacksonville Jaguars
• Bishop Sankey, RB – Tennessee Titans
• Tom Savage, QB – Houston Texans
• Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Connor Shaw, QB – Cleveland Browns
• De’Anthony Thomas, RB – Kansas City Chiefs
• Logan Thomas, QB- Arizona Cardinals
• Khyri Thornton, DL – Green Bay Packers
• Sammy Watkins, WR – Buffalo Bills
• Asa Watson, TE – New England Patriots
• Terrance West, RB – Cleveland Browns
• Avery Williamson, LB – Tennessee Titans

It sure is heavy on offensive players. 10 quarterbacks? Sounds like a marketing thing more than a football thing. We have a quarterback taken with a sixth-round compensatory pick in Tajh Boyd and no room for a linebacker taken with the ninth pick in the draft. Ok.

The 40 rookies will take part in seminars that will cover:

Financial planning

Brand building and awareness

Group player rights

Social media practices

Several former and current NFL players, such as Daunte Culpepper and Jamaal Charles, will be speaking. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and NFLPI President Keith Gordon will also be on hand. I'm sure that some great things will be discussed and the players included will benefit greatly. I just don't understand why this is done separate from the NFL Symposium. Similar topics are discussed there. It doesn't seem right that these 40 get special attention on topics that are crucial to all of the rookies. It's not like these players are representatives from each of the 32 teams. Some teams have no players represented. Most importantly, this event is scheduled at the same exact time that most every team in the league is holding their OTAs. They could have waited until after these practices are completed. There's no reason for these rookies to miss this critical work with their teams. They could have waited until the month break between OTAs and training camp. Or, how about this. They could have not held this event at all. The Rookie Symposium takes care of all this and more. Plus, all of the rookies are included.

And, Bridgewater is missing crucial snaps. 

Vikings Defensive Line

For most of the past decade the Minnesota Vikings have had one of the best defensive lines in the league. It started in the middle with tackles Kevin and Pat Williams. Those two anchoring the inside gave the Vikings the best run defense in the league. Jared Allen and Ray Edwards pressured the passer from the outside. It was a complete and dominant defensive line that peaked in 2009. Edwards left first when he chased the big money in free agency. Brian Robison replaced him and has been mostly an overall improvement. Pat Williams wasn't re-signed following the 2010 season and has never been replaced. Kevin Williams and Jared Allen remained until they played their last game for the Vikings when the 2013 season ended. For a team that has known several great defensive linemen, four are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Kevin Williams and Jared Allen are among the best. They will be missed. It will be strange seeing the Vikings defense without #93 and #69 on the field. It's a whole new defensive line in Minnesota.

It's difficult to believe that Brian Robison is the old man of the line. It feels like he just cracked the starting lineup. He's been very good to often terrific since he replaced the inconsistent Edwards. Everson Griffen finally gets his shot at the spot dominated by Allen for the last six years. Many scoffed when the Vikings signed Griffen to a large contract extension this offseason. I doubt that the critics of his signing took the time to see him play. They must have looked only at his statistics. It's tough to get playing time when Allen rarely came off the field. When Griffen was on the field good things happened. He has the natural athletic ability to be a special player. Defensive tackle Linval Joseph was the Vikings big offseason signing. The Vikings have never been able to replace the interior presence of Pat Williams. Joseph is the first one skilled enough and big enough to do so. Shariff Floyd was the top pick last year. He gets his shot this year and has huge shoes to fill. He's replacing Kevin Williams. A defensive line of Everson Griffen, Shariff Floyd, Linval Joseph, and Brian Robison has the potential to approach the play of the great Vikings lines of the past. But, the real strength of the defensive line might be found in the depth and the rotation that results from it.

Head coach Mike Zimmer showed as the defensive coordinator in Cincinnati that he prefers to employ a defensive line rotation. That's a big change in Minnesota. Jared Allen and Kevin Williams rarely left the field. Free agent addition Corey Wootton and third-round pick Scott Crichton will rotate with Robison and Griffen at end. All of the Vikings defensive ends have seen time on the interior of defensive lines. They are verstile. They can stop the run. They can rush the passer with speed and strength. From the outside and inside. The defensive ends will occasionally see the presence of #1 pick linebacker Anthony Barr on their shoulder. He was a top-10 pick in the recent draft mainly for the tremendous pass rush potential he showed in college. Zimmer likely has a lot of plans for the very talented Barr. One of those is as an end in pass rushing situations. The depth at defensive tackle is much less set. Fred Evans has provided nice depth for a while. He's even started at times. Tom Johnson was another free agent addition. He provides some position flexibility as he also has some experience playing on the outside. Chase Baker had some nice moments at the end of last season. Shamar Stephen has potential as a late-round draft pick. The guess here is that the only set spots are Joseph and Floyd as the starters. The competition for the two or three backup tackle spots is wide open. Evans, Johnson, and Baker might have the edge now based solely on experience. However, none has experience with Zimmer's defense. One player does. Kheeston Randall was signed to a future's contract a few days after Zimmer was hired as head coach. Randall played for Zimmer in Cincinnati. He might have the head start over the other tackles.

Mike Zimmer's coaching and defensive expertise has ignited a great deal of hope for the season. The Vikings projected starters, and expected depth on defensive line adds to that hope. Griffen, Floyd, Jospeh, and Robison have the talent and potential to approach the play of the Vikings great line of Allen, Williams x2, and Edwards. The depth and line rotations of the Vikings new line gives them the chance to be even more effective.

Throwback Thursday: Just Talking About Jim Brown

From 1957-65, Jim Brown broke down defenses and defenders. We can watch old films of him running over, through, and past defensive players. Players that entered a game with the Cleveland Browns with one goal in mind. Stop Jim Brown. Few ever really did. Here's some words from players that played against and with Jim Brown. As well as words from those observing from a safe distance.

He was the most devastating ball carrier in the history of the NFL.
     -Browns radio announcer Ken Coleman

I always thought Superman was white and wore a cape. Then I found out he was black, wore number 32, and played for the Cleveland Browns.
     -an NFL defender

When you've got the biggest cannon. You shoot it.
     -Browns coach Paul Brown

Whenever I mention Manhasset, people say Jim Brown.
     -former Manhasset lacrosse coach Bob Rule

Every other college athlete was compared to Jim Brown after Jim Brown.
     -Ernie Accorsi

Forty-eight straight games and I watched this man in every type of weather, every type of situation, and he always came through. I saw him play football in a way that I never saw anybody else play. There's something about every runner that's exciting and tells you that he's a great runner, but they just don't step out on the field and everybody knows that the boss is there. But that's the way it was with Jim. He would pull on his pants and everyone would get excited, "The big man's ready to run."
     -Hall of Fame back Bobby Mitchell

It was early in the third quarter, and here came Jim Brown through a hole and there I was to meet him. I hit that big sucker head-on and my headgear snapped down and cut my nose and my teeth hit together so hard that the enamel popped off. He broke my nose, broke my teeth, and knocked me cold. I woke up in the training room with an ice pack on my head and my nose bleeding. My teeth were killing me.
     -Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff

You couldn't help but be awed.
     -Browns lineman John Wooten

He busted four of my ribs. I was trying to tackle him and he dropped that big forearm-it looked like a tree trunk- and put it in my ribs and that was it. The next time I opened my eyes I was in the dressing room.
     -Packers corner Bobby Jeter

We only needed to give him a crack-18 inches-and he would be in the secondary.
     -Browns center John Morrow

After watching films of Jim Brown, I noticed that he never ran out of bounds. He always ran North aand South and that's what I turned my style into. I was a North and South runner.
     -Hall of Fame back Earl Campbell

As had happened to him once in a game against the New York Giants, when Brown would go to the ground, Colts players would step on his hands and kick him in the legs or ribs. Hands and fingers probed through the face mask, which had two bars that protected the lower portion of his face, leaving the eyes exposed, and the Colts attempted to gouge them out. All of the abuse and pain only served to make Brown angry.
   -author Mike Freeman

Defenses didn't like Jim Brown when he was angry.
     -me

The closest thing there's ever been to Superman on a football field
     -another NFL defender

For mercurial speed, airy nimbleness, and explosive violence in one package of undistilled evil, there is no other like Jim Brown.
     -Red Smith

Packers Receivers

The Green Bay Packers have lost starting caliber receivers in each of the past two season. Greg Jennings left for the Minnesota Vikings last offseason. James Jones left for the Oakland Raiders this offseason. It looks like the Packers grow less fond of their pass catchers as they approach 30 years of age. Jennings and Jones are still significant losses but the Packers pass offense doesn't seem to skip a beat. They just reload. Having Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb in place is a terrific start. An even better start is having Aaron Rodgers throwing passes to the receivers. Rodgers is in the small group of quarterbacks that have the accuracy and ball placement to make nearly any receiver an effective receiver. Nelson and Cobb aren't just any receivers. Prior to the draft the Packer receiver depth chart looked something like this:

Jordy Nelson
Randall Cobb
Jarrett Boykin
Chris Harper
Myles White
Kevin Dorsey
Alex Gillett

Nelson is one of the most skilled receivers in the league. Cobb is one of the most versatile. Despite making the playoffs, last season was a frustrating season for the Packers. That was mostly due to the loss of Rodgers for more than a month with a broken collarbone. Cobb missed more than two months with a fractured tibia. Both losses led to increased playing time and expectations for Boykin. He was solid. Playing with quarterbacks other than Rodgers, he caught five passes, or more, five times. He had yardage totals of 112, 91, 60, 83, and 54 in those games. Those are nice totals for a player thought to be a role player. At 6'2" and nearly 220 lbs, Boykin is a big receiver. If the Packer had done nothing with the receiver position in the draft, Rodgers could make this group work. Unfortunately for the Packers opponents they did quite a bit with the position in the draft.

2. Davante Adams  Fresno St.
5. Jason Abbrederis  Wisconsin
7. Jeff Janis  Saginaw Valley St.

The worst thing about the Packers selection of the the above receivers is that all three could develop into impact receivers. They are all talented. They all offer something different. With Rodgers throwing to them, they have very bright futures. In any other draft, Adams is a likely first round selection. In this draft, he was selected in the second. He played in the pass-happy, quick-passing Fresno St. offense led by Derek Carr. Through Brett Favre and now with Rodgers, the Packers have routinely thrashed opponents, especially the Vikings, with quick-hitting slants. I can see Adams doing this for the next ten years. Or, until they let him walk in free agency as he nears 30 years of age. Abbrederis was one of my favorite receivers in this draft. A smart, hard-working football player. I've heard a couple of the top corners in the draft mention Abbrederis as their most difficult receiver to cover. Going into the draft, I never would have guessed that Janis would have been available in the seventh round. I wouldn't have been too surprised if he had been selected on the second day. Maybe he dropped due to playing at tiny Saginaw Valley St. He's got skills. Skills that can't be taught.

Anything can happen between now and September but I can see the Green Bay Packers going into the season with the following wide receiver group:

Jordy Nelson
Randall Cobb
Jarrett Boykin
Davante Adams
Jason Abbrederis
Jeff Janis

Yikes.

This may interest only me but the Packers have recently shown a remarkable tendency to draft receivers in the second round.

2006 Greg Jennings
2008 Jordy Nelson
2011 Randall Cobb
2014 Davante Adams

When the Packers are thinking receiver it looks like they've had success at finding one in the second round.

What About Jerick?

The Minnesota Vikings have routinely started signing their picks in June, or more often July. Even with the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement scripting rookie contracts, the Vikings have continued to put some time between the NFL Draft and the signing of their new players. This year was different. The 2014 NFL Draft closed on May 10. On May 16, the Vikings signed fifth-round Stanford guard David Yankey, sixth-round Maine corner Kendall James, and seventh-round North Carolina corner Jabari Price. On May 20, they signed seventh-round picks Connecticut defensive tackle Shamar Stephen and Georgia Tech linebacker Brandon Watts. On that same day, the Vikings went to the top of the draft. They signed first-round pick Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The very next day the Vikings signed their first first-round pick UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr and sixth-round pick Virginia Tech safety Antone Exum. On May 22, they signed third-round Oregon St. defensive end Scott Crichton. In a span of six days, less than two weeks after the draft, the Minnesota Vikings signed nine draft picks to their first NFL contracts. Quick, efficient rookie signings like this might be considered routine for the Chicago Bears. In the week following the draft, the Bears had signed all of their picks. It took only four days. The Vikings flurry of rookie signings had never been seen before. When the dust of that flurry finally cleared in Minnesota, Jerick McKinnon was still unsigned.

What about Jerick?

The Minnesota Vikings selected Georgia Southern running back Jerick McKinnon with the last of the picks that they obtained from the Seattle Seahawks in the trade for receiver Percy Harvin. McKinnon was selected with the 32nd pick of the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. It seems appropriate that the pick was part of the Harvin trade since McKinnon could provide some of the same explosive versatility that Harvin once did. McKinnon played in a triple-option offense at Georgia Southern. As a junior, he played the quarterbacking role in the offense. He switched to the tailback role as a senior. He can run, catch, throw, and return kicks. Some teams even worked him out as a defensive back. He blew up the combine. 4.41 in the 40. 32 reps in the bench. 40.5-inch vertical jump. 11-foot broad jump. These are very unique athletic skills. The Vikings likely expect him to be a change-of-pace back behind Adrian Peterson and possibly return some punts.

Why isn't he signed? Why isn't he signed after such a concentrated fury to get the other nine picks signed? Some think that he's holding out. That's silly. There's no room for hold outs with this CBA. Especially for a third round pick. My guess is that the delay is less sinister. My guess is that there is some scheduling snafu with his agent. Or, maybe a snafu with his agent. Basically, the Vikings and McKinnon and/or his agent haven't had a chance to sit down and chat. He should be signed soon. I can't wait to see what the very versatile Jerick McKinnon can do in the NFL. The Vikings have a new offensive weapon. They just have to sign him.

Team Travel

Seeing as it's Memorial Day (Happy Memorial Day!) and many people travel on Memorial Day let's take a look at the distances NFL teams will be traveling for their games this year.

1. Oakland Raiders 36,106 miles
2. Seattle Seahawks 26,144
3. Dallas Cowboys 24,746
4. Miami Dolphins 24,546
5. Jacksonville Jaguars 22,230
6. San Diego Chargers 20,186
7. San Francisco 49ers 19,932
8. St. Louis Rams 17,850
9. Arizona Cardinals 17,728
10. Kansas City Chiefs 17,658
11. Philadelphia Eagles 17,572
12. Atlanta Falcons 17,320
13. Washington Redskins 17,268
14. Denver Broncos 17,258
15. New England Patriots 16,722
16. Detroit Lions 16,242
17. Houston Texans 15,848
18. New York Jets 15,130
19. Buffalo Bills 14,932
20. New York Giants 14,016
21. Green Bay Packers 12,812
22. Minnesota Vikings 12,460
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12,082
24. New Orleans Saints 11,268
25. Baltimore Ravens 10,976
26. Chicago Bears 10,704
27. Indianapolis Colts 9,664
28. Carolina Panthers 8,438
29. Cincinnati Bengals 8,222
30. Tennessee Titans 7,958
31. Cleveland Browns 6,084
32. Pittsburgh Steelers 5,896

I've never been a fan of playing games in London. In my opinion, one game over there is too many. This year there are three:

Dallas vs. Jacksonville
Detroit vs. Atlanta
Miami vs. Oakland

The Jaguars, Falcons, and Raiders are the "home" teams. Roger Goodell always claims that all that the NFL does is for the fans. Well, taking a home game away from the fans of three teams isn't for the fans. It's for the NFL without a concern for the fans. The Raiders will be traveling 5,345 miles for a home game. That trip alone is only 551 miles less than the Steelers travel all season. That's ridiculous. This is also the wrong year for the Raiders to travel to London. They are matched against the AFC East this year. That makes for two cross country flights in addition to a London trip. In all, the Raiders have four trips that are more than 2,000 miles. Very nice. Al Davis would bring a lawsuit if he could. He still might find a way. No team should ever have to travel over 30,000 miles more than another team. The Raiders travel distance is only 492 miles less than the Steelers, Browns, Titans, Bengals, and Panthers will travel combined.

The NFL has sure come a long way from the days when all of the teams were nestled together in the Northeast and Midwest.

Vikings Starters

Projecting the starting lineup of an NFL team in May is a fairly stupid thing to do. But, I can't help myself. So, here is my projection of the 2014 Minnesota Vikings starting lineup is:

WR  Greg Jennings
T      Matt Kalil
G      David Yankey
C      John Sullivan
G      Brandon Fusco
T      Phil Loadholt
TE    Kyle Rudolph
WR  Cordarrelle Patterson
QB   Teddy Bridgewater
RB    Adrian Peterson
FB    Jerome Felton

DE   Everson Griffen
DT   Sharrif Floyd
DT   Linval Joseph
DE   Brian Robison
LB   Chad Greenway
LB   Michael Mauti
LB   Anthony Barr
CB   Xavier Rhodes
CB  Captain Munnerlyn
 S    Harrison Smith
 S    Antone Exum

 K    Blair Walsh
 P    Jeff Locke
KR  Cordarrelle Patterson
PR  Jerrick McKinnon

With Mike Zimmer stepping in as the new head coach, there will likely be competition for nearly every spot but Adrian Peterson's running back position. Well, he may not be the only one but he is pretty much assured of starting. I have four rookies starting on offense and defense. Teddy Bridgewater and David Yankey on offense. Anthony Barr and Antone Exum on defense. Jerrick McKinnon at punt returner makes it five. That might be a bit of stretch. Barr starting isn't a stretch. I think that Zimmer is working overtime to find ways to take advantage of Barr's immense athletic ability. Left guard and the safety spot opposite Harrison Smith are likely the most wide open positions on the team. Yankey and Exum are probably the most talented among the competition at their respective positions. If they can adjust to the NFL quickly, they could be starting in September. Then we have Teddy Bridgewater. The guess here is that Bridgewater is going to make it real hard to keep him on the bench. I might be reaching on all the rookie starters but Barr. I might also be reaching on Michael Mauti at middle linebacker. This position is just about as wide open as safety and left guard. It's so wide open that NFL.com's Around the League editor Gregg Rosenthal recently projected the Vikings starters and left middle linebacker off of the list entirely. He adds that Jasper Brinkley and Audie Cole will compete for snaps. He doesn't even mention Mauti. That's a mistake. I think that Zimmer will love Mauti's enthusiasm, leadership, and hustle. It's a wide open position but I like Mauti to take it.

The hiring of Mike Zimmer, the drafting of a potential franchise quarterback in Bridgewater, and the infusion of seven first round picks in the last three years has ignited a lot of excitement in Minnesota. The current construction of a new stadium and the awarding of Super Bowl LII to be played in that stadium has simply increased the super feelings around Minnesota. The Vikings defense was horrible last year. The quarterback position was a mess but the defense was a disaster. If the Vikings had added only Zimmer this offseason, the defense would be improved. The addition of Linval Joseph and Captain Munnerlyn in free agency and Anthony Barr in the draft improves the overall talent. They got younger and faster. On paper, the defense is much improved. The offense should be fine if they get more consistent quarterback play than last year. That shouldn't be hard to do. I think that the Vikings will be fine with Matt Cassel or Bridgewater. Most of the supposed experts are picking the Minnesota Vikings to finish fourth in the NFC North. I say that any of the four can win the division.

Another Lawsuit!

Now the NFL is being sued by former players claiming teams provided them with illegal drugs, including narcotics and painkillers, that caused medical complications down the road. In particular, players became addicted to painkillers. Riding on the attention of the earlier concussion lawsuits, some players are now looking to cash in on the frequent use of painkillers in football. The NFL would probably never have been the target of any of these lawsuits if they had done a better job of taking care of their former players. Too many players have had a tough go of things since their glory days in the NFL. Too many experienced those glory days when they weren't paid so gloriously. The huge contracts are still a fairly recent thing. Through the 1970s and even into the 1980s, most players had to find offseason jobs to provide for their families. Those are the players that are suffering the most. The NFL and the NFL Players Association have ignored them for too long. Now, it's come back to haunt the NFL in form of lawsuits. It amazes me that all of these lawsuits target the NFL and and never the NFLPA. The NFLPA is sitting on a pile of money too. It may not be as big as the NFL's pile but it's pretty big. The NFLPA is an organization that is supposed takes care of the players but never seemed too interested in the impact of painkillers and concussions on those players. It's also an organization that has routinely turned it's back on former players.

The thing that really bothers me about these lawsuits is that the players make themselves out to be innocents in all of it. Every person that has ever taken part in a football game knew that there was the possibility for injury. Every person knew that there was the possibility for head trauma. Even in the very early days of football when the game resembled a very violent mosh pit, players knew. That's why most of them took it upon themselves to protect their head in some manner. Some grew their hair long and thick. Others found a flimsy piece of leather. It wasn't long before those flimsy pieces of leather became mandatory. Eventually those flimsy pieces of leather became a hard helmet. If a player, at any time in the history of the game, didn't know that he risked injury in a football game, he was an idiot. Anyone that has played football as anything more than a passing fancy has probably played the game while injured. Football players do everything that they can to stay on the field. They play injured. If painkillers are available, players will run, or limp, to them. Players do not have to be forced to use painkillers. The NFL isn't even alone in making them available. College football. High School football. College football players will do whatever it takes to stay on the field. High school players too. At least in the NFL the players are paid to take those risks. If we could turn back the clock, I'll bet that nearly every single one of the players involved in any of these lawsuits would gladly take the field again. They'll reach for that flawed helmet. They'll reach for that needle if they could play the game again. For well over a century, football players have gladly accepted the risks to play this game. They should also accept much of the blame.

Early Signings

I love these days of the early and quick signings of draft picks. It might be the second best outcome of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The first being the more reasonable contracts for players that have yet to take an NFL snap. Those more reasonable rookie contracts make for easier signings. This might be the fourth year of draft signings under the new CBA but we're seeing the best results now. The Cincinnati Bengals waited until this week to start signing their draft picks. It's two weeks since the draft and it's considered waiting. A wait used to be two months. Nice. The Chicago Bears signed their entire draft class in four days. Stunning work. The usually late-starting Minnesota Vikings have been on a rampage. They have already signed nine of their ten picks. Only third round pick Georgia Southern running back Jerrick McKinnon is unsigned. The Vikings even have both first round picks signed. That's inconceivable! The Vikings signed #9 pick UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr and #32 pick Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. I was shocked when I heard the news. Shocked! The entire league has gotten off to a nice, efficient start. More than half of the 2014 draft picks have already signed. These early signings shouldn't be surprising as the CBA pretty much scripts the parameters of the deals. The signings should be easy.

Of course, the most challenging and usually last to sign are the first round picks. Eight from the first round have signed their rookie deals. Barr and Bridgewater from the Vikings. The Oakland Raiders have signed #5 pick Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack. The Atlanta Falcons have signed #6 pick Texas A&M tackle Jake Matthews. The New York Giants have signed #12 pick LSU receiver Odell Beckham Jr.The Chicago Bears have signed #14 pick Virginia Tech corner Kyle Fuller. The New Orleans Saints have signed #20 pick Oregon St. receiver Brandin Cooks. The San Francisco 49ers were the last team to jump into the first-round signing ring. They signed #30 pick Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward. In the pre-current CBA days, it would be unusual to see first round draft picks signed before July. Frighteningly close to the start of training camp. Worst of all, we'd see holdouts. Perhaps the most stupid act in all of football is a holdout. No one wins. Hopefully, we have seen the last of the holdouts. The many month agony of the CBA negotiations might have been a nightmare back in 2011 but the draft pick signing outcome has been a real delight.

Super Bowl Is Coming To Minnesota!

The NFL has announced that Super Bowl LII will be played in Minnesota. The game will be played in February 2018 in a shiny new stadium that is currently under construction in downtown Minneapolis. The stadium is scheduled to open in 2016. Minnesota, along with New Orleans and Indianapolis, submitted bids and presentations at the owners meetings taking place in Atlanta. Most considered New Orleans to be the favorite because Super Bowls in that city are just so damn fun. Add to that, New Orleans hadn't lost a Super Bowl bid in their ten previous shots as a finalist. Besides that, New Orleans was founded in 1718 and another Super Bowl would have been a fine way to kick off the tricentennial celebrations. It was not to be. Minnesota swooped in for the upset. It was such a shock that Saints owner Tom Benson took a header off of the stage upon hearing the news. He was checked out by medical professionals and sent on his way. The NFL has pretty much made it a policy to reward cities for building beautiful new stadiums. Minnesota was going to get one eventually. It was just a surprise that they got this one. Indianapolis did a fantastic job of hosting the big game a couple of years ago but they were considered the long shot in the voting. They were eliminated in the early rounds. Both Indianapolis and New Orleans will get Super Bowls soon. This time it's Minnesota's time. Congratulations to the Minnesota host committee and all that played a part in hauling in a Super Bowl. Hopefully, the city of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota will see some returns on the large investment they made in the stadium.

Now, the Minnesota Vikings have to get to the Super Bowl.

Very Confusing

The Minnesota Vikings signed a couple of linebackers yesterday. They signed Dom DeCicco and, get this, Mike Zimmer. No, not that Mike Zimmer. A different Mike Zimmer. The linebacker Mike Zimmer tried out at the Vikings recent Rookie Mini-Camp. The coach Mike Zimmer saw enough of the linebacker Mike Zimmer to sign him, the linebacker. The two Mike Zimmer's are not related. It's just a coincidence. It's an even bigger coincidence that the coach Mike Zimmer and the linebacker Mike Zimmer both played linebacker at Illinois St. Both are from Illinois but were born in different cities. That's about the only thing that separates them. Well, that and their relative job security with the Minnesota Vikings. It's all very confusing.

The linebacker Mike Zimmer spent the 2013 training camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played in all four preseason games but was released before the regular season. Not to get lost in all of the confusion is the signing of DeCicco. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He made the team and played in all 16 games. He had 12 special teams tackles that season. He played in only four games for the Bears in 2012 and was on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster last season.

Mike Zimmer, the linebacker not the coach, is a long shot to make the Vikings. Mike Zimmer, the coach not the linebacker, is certain to have a long, successful coaching career with the Vikings.

Path From The Draft

I've enjoyed another season of NFL Network's Path to the Draft. The wait for the 2014 NFL Draft was more brutal than other years due to the idiotic decision to hold it in May. The show seemed to really drag on the last couple of weeks but that was hardly their fault. It was the fault of Roger "the Goods" Goodell. I enjoy Path to the Draft's hosts Daniel Jeremiah and Charles Davis. Newbie Curtis Conway was a nice addition. I was actually surprised by Conway. I may have judged him prematurely because he played for USC and the Chicago Bears. That wasn't fair to him. Former Washington Redskins and Houston Texans general manager Charlie Casserly always provides terrific insight from the front office perspective. It's an excellent show for a draft nut. I get far more valuable information from this show's prospect profiles and chatter than any of the mock drafts and supposed experts that dominate the landscape.

I'm currently enjoying the draft recap shows of Path to the Draft. I think that this is the first year that NFL Network has done this as daily, one-hour episodes. They might have aired an extended recap show after the draft and left it at that but I can't recall. I like the daily episodes. I just think that they should do something about the name of the show. Jeremiah and Davis actually joked about this in the first or second episode last week. They found it odd to be calling it Path to the Draft when we are no longer looking toward the draft. I absolutely agree. They ended up just going with Path to the Draft recap show. Big mistake. They should be calling it Path From The Draft. Now, that's clean. A classic. It's a keeper.

UPDATE: Despite my fond feelings for the post-draft epiosodes of Path to the Draft it appears that someone has pulled to the plug on the show. Big mistake! It was an even bigger mistake that the plug was pulled before Jeremiah and Davis had a chance to review the draft of the Minnesota Vikings. Come on!

Baby Steps

Fourteen quarterbacks were selected in the 2014 NFL Draft. Central Florida's Blake Bortles was the first when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him with the third pick. Southern Methodist's Garrett Gilbert was the last with with the 214th pick by the St. Louis Rams. All fourteen have the shot that they've been shooting for since they were little guys. Johnny Manziel, Aaron Murray, and Tajh Boyd are still considered little guys. If they were bigger guys they would probably have been selected earlier than they were. None of the fourteen quarterbacks drafted are expected to start as rookies. That was the interesting thing about this draft. There was a surplus of talented quarterbacks but each would take a little to time before they were ready to start in the NFL. That doesn't mean that none will start early in their careers. I expect Manziel to start for the Cleveland Browns. If not right away, I expect him to start at some point early in the season. As I learn more about Teddy Bridgewater the more I feel that he'll wrestle the Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback job from Matt Cassel. Bortles may have been the top pick but that was all about his potential. Despite being selected before Manziel and Bridgewater, Bortles was thought to the least ready of the three to start right away. If Chad Henne hits some rough patches with as the Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback, Bortles probably will get the call early. I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of the quarterbacks selected later in the draft see the field early in their careers. Tom Savage is in a good place with the Houston Texans. If the contract negotiations between the Kansas City Chiefs and Alex Smith go awry, Aaron Murray could step in. I really think that Murray has a bright future in the NFL.

All fourteen quarterbacks, as well as those signed as undrafted free agents, have taken their first steps as NFL players. Many have even taken their first steps on the football fields for their new teams. Many teams kicked off their Rookie Mini-Camps this weekend. Derek Carr fumbled his first snap as a quarterback for the Oakland Raiders. That shouldn't be too much of a surprise as he rarely took snaps from under center at Fresno St. He'll be fine. Zach Mettenberger completed a deep pass on his first pass with the Tennessee Titans. Bridgewater's early NFL steps have been brilliant. He's doing all the right things to become the franchise quarterback that has been long-sought in Minnesota. Most, if not all, of the early picks flew to their new homes after their selections for "meet and greets" and press conferences. Then turned around and flew home. Bridgewater stayed in Minnesota. He had his belongings shipped to him. He went to a Minnesota Wild Stanley Cup Playoff game with new teammate Cordarrelle Patterson. Afterwards, he went over the playbook with Patterson. He spent the last week working, field work and film work, with fellow Vikings quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder. He's thrown passes to tight end Kyle Rudolph. It sounds like he's been at the team facilities around the clock. In a few days, Bridgewater has shown the dedication to getting better that I've always envied in quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson and always hoped for in a Vikings quarterback. It's so refreshing to see that sort of quarterback in Minnesota. I hope that his early baby steps become much bigger.

Vikings Quarterbacks

Here's the current quarterback situation for the 2014 Minnesota Vikings:

Matt Cassel
Christian Ponder
Teddy Bridgewater
Travis Partridge

Well, its' not the difference-making position group of 2009:

Brett Favre
Tarvaris Jackson
Sage Rosenfels

But, it kicks to the curb the group that the Vikings hauled out onto the field for the 2007 NFL season, Adrian Peterson's first:

Kelly Holcomb
Brooks Bollinger
Tarvaris Jackson

Poor Adrian.

The Vikings have been looking for a franchise quarterback for over thirty years. They thought that Daunte Culpepper was the one. He looked the part for a few years but was never the same after a knee injury in 2005. For most of the past 25 years the Vikings have gotten by with veterans on their final legs. Jim McMahon, Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham, Jeff George, Brad Johnson, Gus Frerotte, Brett Favre. Some turned back the clock and played great for a season, or two, maybe three. Any success with the veteran method is fleeting, at best. Always starting over. It's not like the Vikings have been forced to scramble at quarterback because of a first round draft bust. They've rarely spent a high pick on a quarterback. In 54 drafts, the Vikings have used a first round pick on a quarterback four times. Three since 1999. Tommy Kramer in 1977. Daunte Culpepper in 1999. Christian Ponder in 2011. Teddy Bridgewater in 2014. Kramer had some nice moments in the 1980s but he could never stay healthy. Culpepper was very good for a couple of seasons. Fantastic for one. Ponder has struggled with consitency, maybe confidence, and has failed to hold down the job. That failure forced the Vikings to trade back into the first round of last week's draft to select Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. And now, we have:

Cassel
Ponder
Bridgwater
Partridge

There's some hope here. The Vikings future hinges on the development of Bridgewater. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner's presence will help. His presence will help all of the quarterbacks. Cassel is considered the starter now and provides veteran leadership and stability. He provides that even if he doesn't hold onto the job. His presence takes the pressure off of Bridgewater to play right away. Many have lost faith in Ponder but he can play. Sometimes really well but his lack of consistency is the problem. He'll put together a string of nice games like he did at the end of the 2012 season. Then, for some reason , it just falls apart. The same pattern has taken place within a game. He'll play well through a couple of quarters and then come unhinged with a couple of mind-numbing throws. His career isn't lost. It's just on shaky ground right now. Partridge was signed as an undrafted free agent after this past draft. At 6'4" and 237 lbs, he looks the part. If he shows something in training camp, he's likely headed to the practice squad and maybe a #3 spot next year. Bridgewater is the key. He's the only quarterback on the roster with elite talent and elite potential. The guess here is that he wins the job and starts against the St. Louis Rams in week one. But, it's nice to have Cassel, and Ponder, if that doesn't happen.

On paper, right now, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback group might not match that of 2009, and that's only because of Favre, but the current group destroys 2007.

Many Thanks Scott Studwell

I'm not sure what the Minnesota Vikings expected when they selected Illinois linebacker Scott Studwell in the ninth round of the 1977 NFL Draft. They knew that they were getting a linebacker that was between Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke in career tackles at Illinois. The Vikings couldn't possibly have known that their ninth-round linebacker would still be with the organization in 2014. Scott Studwell has given more of his time, more of himself, to the Minnesota Vikings than anyone else. He played middle linebacker for fourteen years, 1977-90. As a player, he was a bridge between Jim Marshall and John Randle. He was also a tackling machine. He retired as the Vikings all-time leader in tackles with 1,981. He holds team records for single-season tackles with 230. He had a team record 24 tackles in a game against the Detroit Lions in 1981. He made the Pro Bowl twice and was named All-Pro three times. He was a member of the Vikings 25th and 40th Anniversary teams and named one of the 50 Greatest Vikings in 2010. In 2009, he was inducted into the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor. When Scott Studwell walked off of a football field as a player for the last time he walked into the Minnesota Vikings front office. He's been there ever since. He's worked his way up through the personnel department. Since 2002, he's been the Director of College Scouting. Scouting college players is one of the most demanding jobs in the NFL. It's also one of the most anonymous. Scouts do the vast majority of the work that leads to the NFL Draft but someone else is in the light making the pick. Scouts are on the road pretty much non-stop from June-April. Countless hours. Countless hotels. Countless football fields in every part of the country. After 38 years in the Minnesota Vikings organization, Studwell is finally taking some time for himself. At the conclusion of the 2014 NFL Draft, he stepped down as the Director of College Scouting. He'll continue in a less demanding advisory capacity. His Vikings days are not at an end but the countless hours are. He's more than earned the break.

Former trainer and current team historian Fred Zamberletti is the longest tenured Viking. He's a direct link to 1961. Zamberletti has given the most years. Studwell has given the most time. 14 years as the Vikings middle linebacker and defensive leader. 24 years as a scout and personnel man. Studwell never clocked out from the job. Never taken a break from the job. It never seemed like he ever left the team facility except for a team road trip. Thank you for everything, Scott Studwell.

It seems fitting that the first player selected in the last draft that Scott Studwell worked as Director of College Scouting will wear his old number. UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr will wear #55. Here's hoping that he'll wear it as well.

Throwback Thursday: I'll Have Another

It's hard to believe that the 2014 NFL Draft was a week ago. The build-up to the draft has always felt like an eternity. The idiotic move to a May draft made it excruciatingly long this year. Here's hoping that never happens again. Time has simply whizzed by since Roger Goodell put the Houston Texans on the clock last Thursday night. Time flies when you're having fun and not waiting for a May draft. Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman has made the first round quite fun the last three years. He's made the first round his little playground. Winning in the NFL is easier with high-end talent spread across the roster. The Vikings have been thirsty for that sort of talent. They had a very talented roster that peaked in 2009. That talent had been draining away ever since. Enter Spielman.

The Vikings hired Rick Spielman following the 2006 NFL Draft. He was officially the Vice President of Player Personnel. That's basically a person with a general manager's responsibilities without a general manager's final say in team decisions. The Vikings had a clunky decision-making machine that seemed to be run by head coach Brad Childress. It can't be denied that Childress put together a talented football team. That team was about a play from the Super Bowl in 2009. It just fell apart fast and it cost Childress his job. Spielman's role grew once Childress was no longer in the building. While still a VP in name, Spielman was more of a GM for the 2012 NFL Draft. He was officially named the Minnesota Vikings general manager in 2013. He's been in charge of the last three drafts. The first rounds of those drafts have been a blast. All have been in prime time and it would have been a mistake to turn in early if you were a Vikings fan.

The top talent in any draft is found in the first round. No surprise there. Rick Spielman has apparently made it a goal to grab as many of those players as he can. He's managed to trade back into the first round in each of the last three drafts. The Vikings have seven first round picks from those three drafts. In 2012, he drafted USC tackle Matt Kalil with the fourth pick. Not content with improving only the offensive line in the first round, Spielman found a willing trading partner in the Baltimore Ravens. The Vikings moved into the Ravens #29 spot and selected Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith. In 2013, the Vikings entered the draft with two picks in the first round. The extra pick came from the Seattle Seahawks in the Percy Harvin trade. Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd was supposed to be a top-10 pick. When he was still on the board for the Vikings first pick at #23, they changed their draft plans. They selected Floyd. At #25, the Seahawks pick, the Vikings selected Florida St. cornerback Xavier Rhodes. Spielman was doing a quick post-picks press conference when he was suddenly called back to the draft room. He has made it standard practice to probe teams picking at the end of the first round for any trade interest. It's clearly worked. Last year, the New England Patriots were interested. The Patriots traded their #29. With the pick the Vikings selected Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. It's my understanding that the Vikings intended to select Rhodes and Patterson at #23 and #25. When Floyd was still on the board those plans changed. They still wanted Patterson and found a way to get him. Could it happen three years in a row? It couldn't. It did. Last Thursday, the Vikings selected UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr with the #9 pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. Again, they started probing for potential trade interest among teams picking at #20 and later. There were reports that they had a shot at the Philadelphia Eagles pick at #22. The Browns beat them to that pick. The Vikings finally found a taker in the Seattle Seahawks at #32. With that pick, the Vikings selected Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The result of Rick Spielman's first round dealings has brought seven first round picks to Minnesota in the last three years. That's an influx of talent that the team has greatly needed.

Matt Kalil
Harrison Smith
Sharrif Floyd
Xavier Rhodes
Cordarrelle Patterson
Anthony Barr
Teddy Bridgewater

Kalil and Patterson have already played in a Pro Bowl. Smith and Rhodes look like two of the top young defensive backs in the game. After a season in the defensive line rotation, Floyd is penciled in as starter for this season. If everything goes as planned, Barr is the opening day strong-side linebacker. Of course, everything revolves around the quarterback. Bridgewater was drafted to be the franchise quarterback. These seven players are franchise cornerstones for the next decade. It's still way too early for a final grade but, right now, Spielman's first round dealings look terrific. He's also pulled off these deals often enough that they are probably expected now. I know that last Thursday night I was eyeing the icons at the bottom of NFL Network's telecast expecting the little Seahawks helmet to switch to a little Vikings helmet as an indication that Rick Spielman had done it again.

Quick Signings

Last year, the Chicago Bears had just about all of their draft picks signed before the other 31 teams even thought about signing their first. It was impressive. Most impressive. The Bears are at it again this year. Fourth-round safety Brock Vereen and sixth-round quarterback David Fales agreed to terms on Monday. The Bears doubled that production yesterday. They signed second-round defensive tackle Ego Ferguson, fourth-round running back Ka'Deem Carey, sixth-round punter Pat O'Donnell, and seventh-round tackle Charles Leno Jr. Six of their eight draft picks are now signed. Only first-round corner Kyle Fuller and third-round defensive tackle Will Sutton remain. Unless Fuller mucks up the works all should be under contract soon. Nice work Bears.

The new CBA has basically scripted the signing of the draft picks. There is a certain amount of money that can be spent for each pick. The length of the contracts are already determined. There are so few particulars to be negotiated that the contracts should be a snap. The Bears seem to be the only team that puts it into action. Of course, it takes two to tango. The freshly drafted players have to want to sign right away. The new CBA has taken away much of their bargaining power. The pot of gold available to them is much smaller than it was prior to 2011 and there's nothing that they can do about it. Many of the players have been living off of their agent's advances since January. One would think that they'd want to get off of that supposed charity as soon as possible.

Bears general manager Phil Emery runs an efficient ship. At least when it comes to getting his draft picks into the fold. I've never understood, especially since the 2011 CBA, why teams routinely wait to start the signing process. The weeks following the draft make up the closest thing to a break in the NFL calendar. The scouts certainly get their much deserved break. Perhaps the front office takes a break as well. That's the only explanation that I can figure for teams waiting to sign the draft picks. All I know is that this is the rare occasion when the Chicago Bears do something worth cheering.

Favorite Picks

Grading drafts before any of the players even see the field is even more pointless than mock drafts. At least mock drafts are fun. Instead of grading the drafts I'll pick the picks that I like from each team. I'll skip the Minnesota Vikings since I, of course, love all of their picks.

San Francisco 49ers
3. Chris Borland  LB  Wisconsin
Borland is simply a football player. Short, slow but he can play the game.

Seattle Seahawks
2. Paul Richardson  WR  Colorado
I've seen Richardson shred Cal's defense twice. That alone isn't saying a lot as many receivers have shredded Cal's defense the past couple of seasons. It's the way Richardson did the shredding. It may be his build but I see something that resembles Chad Johnson in Richardson.

Arizona Cardinals
1. Deone Bucannon  S  Washington St.
Bucannon puts a loaded Cardinals secondary over the top.

St. Louis Rams
1. Aaron Donald  DT  Pitt
Donald was one of my favorite players in the entire draft. He's a fantastic football player. If he was bigger than 6'1" and 285 lbs, he would have challenged Jadeveon Clowney for the top pick in the draft. From a purely football perspective, Donald is the choice. From an overall perspective the Rams seventh round selection of Missouri defensive end Michael Sam is the choice.

Green Bay Packers
1. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix  S  Alabama
The Packers drafted some terrific receivers but I'm going with Ha Ha. Gotta love Ha Ha.

Chicago Bears
1. Kyle Fuller  CB  Virginia Tech
Justin Gilbert and Darqueze Dennard might have received more pre-draft attention but Fuller might be the best corner in the draft.

Detroit Lions
2. Kyle Van Noy  LB  BYU
If the Vikings had gone with any other position but linebacker with their first pick, Van Noy was my preferred pick in the second round. It seems appropriate then that the Lions selected him with the pick that originally belonged to the Vikings.

New York Giants
1. Odell Beckham  WR  LSU
I really liked a lot of the receivers in this draft. Beckham was right with Sammy Watkins as my favorites.

Washington Redskins
6. Lache Seastrunk  RB  Baylor
I feel like I've followed Seastrunk's career since he was in high school. I hated it when he chose Oregon. I loved it when he left Oregon for Baylor.

Philadelphia Eagles
2. Jordan Matthews  WR  Vanderbilt
Another of my favorite receivers in this draft. He might be the hardest working of the bunch.

Dallas Cowboys
1. Zack Martin  T  Notre Dame
I love versatile football players. Martin is one of the most versatile linemen in this draft or any draft.

New Orleans Saints
2. Stanley Jean-Baptiste  CB  Nebraska
As the first round carried on, I wouldn't have been surprised if Jean-Baptiste's name popped up in it. If he Vikings had picked a cornerback early, Jean-Baptiste was the one.

Carolina Panthers
3. Trai Turner  G  LSU
A lot of the players that I like on this list are there because they play a position of need or interest for the Vikings. I've followed them through the drafting process. Guard is, hopefully was, a Vikings need and Turner was one that I liked.

Atlanta Falcons
1. Jake Matthews  T  Texas A&M
It's hard not to like a member of the Matthews family. As the draft approached I saw a stat that Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff had pretty much whiffed on offensive and defensive line draft picks. I don't think that he whiffed on this one.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Charles Sims  RB  west Virginia
I really like first round pick Mike Evans if it came down to only football ability but he often frustrated me. For every terrific play that I saw him make, I saw hem throw a tantrum. I like versatile running backs and Sims is a versatile running back. I think that former Cal coach and current Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford will like Sims. I know that whichever quarterback plays for the Bucs will love him.

Oakland Raiders
1. Khalil Mack  LB  Buffalo
Mack was probably my favorite football player in the entire draft. I would have drafted him before Clowney. It's been a while since I've seen an excellent Raiders draft. Even on paper hours after the draft is done. Nice work Raiders.

Denver Broncos
2. Cody Latimer  WR  Indiana
Peyton Manning can make marginal receivers very good. He can make very good receivers look fantastic. Latimer is a very good receiver. I don't think that the Broncos will be missing Eric Decker this year.

Kansas City Chiefs
5. Aaron Murray  QB  Georgia
If the Vikings hadn't found a way to get Teddy Bridgewater to Minnesota, Murray was my guy. I really think that he's going to be an excellent NFL quarterback. Alex Smith should be getting nervous.

San Diego Chargers
3. Chris Watt  G  Notre Dame
Watt is another guard that I really liked. I like tough, smart football players that make it a point to do everything right. It's really amazing how few of those there are. Watt is one of those football players.

Cleveland Browns
1. Justin Gilbert  CB  Oklahoma St.
For about an entire month of the draft evaluation process Gilbert was my top choice for the Vikings top pick. He has the size and natural ability to be a lot like Antonio Cromartie. I think that Gilbert's ceiling is even higher. As with the Raiders, it is amazing to be impressed with a Browns draft class.

Baltimore Ravens
1. C.J. Mosley  LB  Alabama
Mosley was one of my favorite players in the entire draft. He and Mack are probably the most ready to play in the NFL. The Vikings needed linebackers so Mosley was a natural fit. I think that Mosley will step into the Ravens defensive leader role that was manned for so long and so well by Ray Lewis.

Cincinnati Bengals
1. Darqueze Dennard  CB  Michigan St.
As with Teddy Bridgewater, it was a mystery as to why Dennard was dropping on the draft rankings as we approached the draft. I can't believe that he fell to the 24th pick of the first round.

Pittsburgh Steelers
1, Ryan Shazier  LB  Ohio St.
I liked a lot of linebackers in this draft. Khalil Mack, Anthony Barr, C.J. Mosley, and Ryan Shazier among the first round picks. I can't help but think of Derrick Brooks when I think of Shazier.

New England Patriots
2. Jimmy Garoppolo  QB  Eastern Illinois
After Teddy Bridgewater, Garoppolo might have been my favorite quarterback. His release is unreal. As soon as the Patriots picked Garoppolo I thought of the Green Bay Packers selecting Aaron Rodgers in 2005. Garoppolo will work and learn behind Tom Brady as Rodgers worked and learned behind Brett Favre.

Buffalo Bills
1. Sammy Watkins  WR  Clemson
I think that I liked the Bills aggressive trade up to grab Watkins as much as I liked the player.

Miami Dolphins
2. Jarvis Landry  WR  LSU
I don't think that anything that Landry does truly jumps out at you but he's simply an effective football player.

New York Jets
6. Tajh Boyd  QB  Clemson
Too small. Had some games that weren't to pretty last season. I saw some of them. Boyd probably entered his last season as a top-5 quarterback.  He came out of the season way down the quarterback list. There's just something about Boyd that I really like.

Indianapolis Colts
3. Donte Moncrief  WR  Mississippi
It felt like the Colts barely participated in the draft. They found a good one in Moncrief. Big and fast. Moncrief and TY Hilton will make things fun for Andrew Luck for a long time.

Jacksonville Jaguars
2. Marqise Lee  WR  USC
As a Cal, it's nice to see Lee and Robert Woods out of USC and out of college football. Lee is a smooth receiver. With free agency and the draft, the Jaguars have a whole new offense now. That's a good thing.

Houston Texans
3. Louis Nix  DT  Notre Dame
Despite a terrible 2013 season, the Texans are a talented team. Especially on defense. A defensive line of J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, and Nix should be a nightmare for a long time. I still haven't heard a reason for Nix's fall to the third round.

Tennessee Titans
2. Bishop Sankey  RB  Washington
Like Marqise Lee, I'm not disappointed that Sankey is no longer in the Pac-12. Sankey is a super replacement for Chris Johnson.

Those are my favorite picks from

Vikings Picks

The Minnesota Vikings 2014 Draft Picks

1. Anthony Barr  LB  UCLA
1. Teddy Bridgewater  QB  Louisville
3. Scott Crichton  DE  Oregon St.
3. Jerrick McKinnon  RB  Georgia Southern
5. David Yankey  G  Stanford
6. Antone Exum  S  Virginia Tech
6. Kendall James  CB  Maine
7. Shamar Stephen  DT  Connecticut
7. Brandon Watts  LB  Georgia Tech
7. Jabari Price  CB  North Carolina

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman has made a habit of adding first round draft picks. He's traded into the the first round the past three years. That activity has made it possible to add seven first round picks over the last three years. That's a lot of talent to add to a roster that was pretty thirsty for it. Anthony Barr and Teddy Bridgewater are this year's first round additions. Bridgewater is the key to all of it. Everything in the NFL revolves around the quarterback these days. If Bridgewater can improve on what he did at Louisville as a football player and as a team leader, the Vikings may have finally found their franchise quarterback. It's been a really long wait. The success of this draft will always be dependent upon the success of Bridgewater. And he wasn't even the Vikings first pick in the draft. If Barr's understanding of the nuances of the Vikings defense can match his terrific natural talent, they have a monster. Scott Crichton will fit nicely in the defensive line rotation. Barr and Crichton will hopefully supply the sacks that were lost when Jared Allen bolted to the enemy in free agency. Jerrick McKinnon has freakish versatility. In Georgia Southern's option offense. He ran, passed, and caught the football. Some teams even looked at him as a defensive back. He'll be a running back for the Vikings. Providing a change of pace behind Adrian Peterson. In Norv Turner's offense, McKinnon might play the role that Darren Sproles played in San Diego behind LaDanian Tomlinson. Some once considered David Yankey a first day pick. The Vikings selected him in the fifth round. He could be a starter this season. The Vikings have a solid offensive line but a line with an opening at guard. A torn ACL in a pickup basketball game in January 2013 may have kept Antone Exum from being selected in the first or second round. He returned to the field late last season. He should be fully ready for the NFL. He may also be paired with Harrison Smith in the back of the Vikings secondary. Kendall James, Shamar Stephen, Brandon Watts, and Jabari Price will provide competition and depth on defense. A lot was made of the Vikings struggles at quarterback last season. There's no denying those struggles at the position but defense was the biggest reason for the 5-10-1 record in 2013. The Vikings concentrated on improving the defense in free agency. They continued to do so in the draft. Seven of the ten picks were on that side of the ball. The biggest questions on offense are quarterback and guard. Re-signing Matt Cassel brings some stability at quarterback for the present. Drafting Teddy Bridgewater, hopefully, settles the position for, at least, the next decade. He doesn't have to start right away but maybe he will.

The Vikings 2013 Draft looks extremely promising. Bridgewater, as the quarterback, is the key. Even if he is on the shelf for a season, this draft should impact this season. Barr should start. Yankey and Exum could start. Crichton will be part of the defensive end rotation. Stephen could be part of the defensive tackle rotation. McKinnon could make a huge impact as a third down back and returner. James, Watts, and Price will have the opportunity to make their mark on special teams, provide defensive depth, and maybe more. There's a lot to like about this draft. But, we should wait until the players hit the field and judge it then. Until then, it's all speculation but then so is the draft. I really like the Minnesota Vikings 2014 NFL Draft on paper.

NFL Draft Day 3

Yesterday was a groundbreaking day for the NFL. Missouri defensive end Michael Sam was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. That makes Sam the first openly gay player in the league. It shouldn't be a big deal and Sam most certainly doesn't want it to be a big deal. He's stated since he came out to the world that he wants this to be about Michael Sam, the football player. I'm all for that. His treatment shouldn't be any different than the other football players selected by NFL teams over the past three days. To continue as a football player Michael Sam has his work cut out for him. He was drafted by a team with the perhaps the most talented defensive line in the league. From what I've learned about Michael Sam, the football player and the man, over the past few months, I wouldn't bet against him continuing his football career.

The best thing about Michael Sam's selection by the St. Louis Rams is that we are closer to the day when an openly gay person can do whatever he or she wants and it not being a big deal at all.

Like Day 2, it was real difficult to wait through an entire round of picks before the Minnesota Vikings made their first selection of the day. They had trade their fourth round pick to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday in order to move into the first round and select Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. I think that fourth round pick was well spent but I still had to wait through the fourth round yesterday.

Then, the Vikings proceeded to bounce around the draft like the 49ers did on Friday. General manager Rick Spielman said that he wanted to come out of the draft with ten picks. He had four picks over the first two days. His moving around yesterday brought the total to exactly that. 10 picks. On the button.

After what seemed like a six hour wait, the Vikings six picks on day three played out like this:
5. David Yankey  G  Stanford
6. Antone Exum  S  Virginia Tech
6. Kendall James  CB  Maine
7. Shamar Stephen  DT  Connecticut
7. Brandon Watts  LB  Georgia Tech
7. Jabari Price  CB  North Carolina
I doubt that anyone would have been surprised if Yankey or Exum were selected on day two. Each has a chance to start this season. That's not bad for day three picks.

It was awesome to hear that the Carolina Panthers made it possible for general manager Dave Gettleman to attend his son's college graduation and conduct the draft. The Panthers set up a virtual draft room at the college and Gettleman was in two places at once. Nicely done.

Even in the worst days of Cal football they still had a player or two selected in the first or second rounds. This was not one of those years. Tight end Richard Rodgers was selected in the third round by the Green Bay Packers. He was the first Cal play selected. The second Cal player was linebacker Khairi Fortt, selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth. He was one of the Penn St. transfers. He was never healthy at Cal. I hear that he was terrific at Penn St. Fortt was never on the field enough to show it at Cal. The Saints selected him on potential. He certainly looks like an NFL linebacker.

I really like the Buffalo Bills fourth round selection of Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell. Every single time that I tuned into a Duke game, he looked like the best football player on the field.

Another pick that I really liked was the Miami Dolphins selection of Montana linebacker Jordan Tripp in the fifth round. Tripp can do a little bit of everything and do it well. Skill-wise, he seemed like a day two pick. I was surprised that he made it to day three.

When Pac-12 players were selected most of their highlights were against Cal. Very strange. This was especially true of receivers. Pac-12 receivers have routinely had career days against Cal's secondary recently.

The NFL Network peeps pointed out that all seven of the New York Giants were team captains in college. That's always a nice indication of leadership and character.  The Giants also made their last pick early in the sixth round. I guess that the decision-makers had some place to be.

With A.J. McCarron, Zach Mettenberger, Aaron Murray, and the "rankings-climber" Tom Savage still on the board, the Arizona Cardinals selected Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas in the fourth round. About two years ago, Thomas was considered the possible #1 pick in whatever draft he enters. Talent-wise, you'd have a difficult time finding a better quarterback. This pick could be a steal or an "oh well." Either way, Logan Thomas is a great fourth round pick.

Later in the fourth round, the Houston Texans selected Tom Savage. His late rise apparently pushed him past the more established and respected A.J. McCarron, Zach Mettenberger, and Aaron Murray.

I think that Aaron Murray landed in the right place with the Kansas City Chiefs. Those negotiation hangups between Alex Smith and the Chiefs might, miraculously, work themselves out now.

The defenses in the NFC West were already brutal. They are a nightmare now.

It's funny what a Super Bowl win will do to draft day criticisms. Every New England Patriots pick is golden now. The Seattle Seahawks are already getting that kind of respect. They are drafting their type of players. Those players may not be high on the lists of everyone. The team now has a trophy to show that their method works. In 2012, a Seahawks draft of Brian Irvin, Bobby Wagner, and especially Russell Wilson was given an "F" by Bleacher Report. You have to consider the source. The fact that they were especially critical of Wilson tells you all that you need to know about those supposed football experts. Still, the Seahawks drafts under general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll have been questioned by many. They aren't questioned anymore. They now let the Seahawks draft picks actually step on the field and play some professional football. Imagine that.

When the final pick is made it always feels as though the very first pick was a week ago.

Congratulations to all the college football players that are now professional football players.

Now, the race to sign undrafted free agents is on....

NFL Draft Day 2

I really don't get the great need to pigeon-hole certain players to a particular position. Since the Minnesota Vikings selected UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr in the first round the local media has been peppering general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer with questions as to the position that their new player will play. Barr was a linebacker/stand-up end in college. He made his mark as a pass rusher. Where will he play for the Vikings? The media demands to know. First of all, that decision will likely be made in training camp, on the field. Not moments after the player is drafted. Second of all, anyone that has given the question a little bit of thought before asking it will know that Barr will be a player of many positions. Zimmer has a new toy for his defense. I'll bet that he can't wait to coach a defensive player like Barr. Percy Harvin and Cordarrelle Patterson aren't your typical receivers. They have the skills to do many things with the ball in their hands. They have the running skills of a back. If they are lined up in the backfield, it's not as a gimmick or decoy. They are a serious threat back there. Anthony Barr is like that on the defensive side of the ball. Use your imagination people. Much like the Baltimore Ravens did a few years ago with the versatile Adalius Thomas, Zimmer and his coaches will get creative. Thomas played at all levels of the defense. On the line, at linebacker, and in the secondary. Barr will be a linebacker. He'll rush the passer. He'll cover a tight end. Hell, he's fast enough to cover some receivers. Those receivers might faint to see the 6-5 255 lb Barr running with them. He's only played defense for two years. If his comfort level with the nuances of the defense ever catches up with his physical skills, he'll be a monster. He'll create a defensive position that we've never seen before. Mike Zimmer has said multiple times since he was hired in January that he fits his defense to his players. I'm sure that he's just dying to get his players on the field. The positions that they play will be determined then.

The first round of the 2014 NFL Draft had the most viewers in draft broadcast history. The NFL will likely use that data as proof that the move to May was a wildly popular one. They couldn't be more wrong. The only thing that those numbers show is that the draft is wildly popular. Fans will watch it no matter when it's held. That doesn't mean that they like when it's held.

I expected a few quarterbacks to populate the top of second round. I was wrong. The Oakland Raiders selection of Fresno St.'s Derek Carr was the only pick in that area. Eastern Illinois' Jimmy Garoppolo was selected by the New England Patriots at the end of the round. Making it two when I expected at least twice that.

I really like the Patriots selection of Garoppolo. After Teddy Bridgewater, he was probably the quarterback that intrigued me the most. This Patriots pick could be a lot like the Green Bay Packers selection of Aaron Rodgers in the 2005 NFL Draft. Rodgers waited a few years behind Brett Favre. Garoppolo will do the same behind Tom Brady.

When the Cincinnati Bengals selected Giovani Bernard with the 37th pick of the 2013 NFL Draft it was the longest wait before the first running back was taken. We sailed right by that spot this year. This year, Washington's Bishop Sankey was taken with the 55th pick by the Tennessee Titans. He was the first. Then we had a little run. LSU's Jeremy Hill went next to the Cincinnati Bengals with the next pick.

Receivers, on the other  hand, were a very popular choice. 16 through three rounds.

USC center Marcus Martin was the last player in the Draft's Green Room. He lasted until the sixth pick of the third round. The San Francisco 49ers got a good one.

NFL Network showed a quick shot of the Green Bay Packers after their pick in the third round. Too often, general manager Ted Thompson looks like someone or something has seriously spooked him.

After one draft and two rounds, Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly picked his first Oregon player. Receiver Josh Huff in the third.

The Arizona Cardinals selected Pittsburgh St. receiver John Brown in the third round. I love it when the Gorillas have a player selected!

Bill Belichick on a Johnny Manziel leak: "I don't know. MyFace, YourFace, InstantFace. Go talk to whoever you want that does that stuff." Classic. Bill Belichick is the best.

Here are few drafts that stand out to me after three rounds:

Houston Texans:
1. Jadeveon Clowney  DE  South Carolina
2. Xavier Su'a-Filo  G  UCLA
3. C.J. Fierdorowicz  TE  Iowa
3. Louis Nix  DT  Notre Dame
At various times in the draft evaluation process, Clowney, Su'a-Filo, and Nix were considered likely first round choices. A defensive line of J.J. Watt, Nix, and Clowney. My goodness.

Baltimore Ravens:
1. C.J. Mosley  LB  Alabama
2. Timmy Jernigan  DT  Florida St.
3. Terrence Brooks  S  Florida St.
3. Crockett TE Colorado St.
It looks like the Ravens defense has gotten better.

Oakland Raiders:
1. Kahlil Mack  LB  Buffalo
2. Derek Carr  QB  Fresno St.
3. Gabe Jackson  G  Mississippi St.
Part of my fondness for this Raiders draft is due to the puzzling drafts that I have come to expect from them. I really like the three players that they have selected through the first three rounds.

Cleveland Browns:
1. Justin Gilbert  CB  Oklahoma St.
1. Johnny Manziel  QB  Texas A&M
2. Joel Bitonio  G  Nevada
3. Christian Kirksey  LB  Iowa
3. Terrance West  RB Towson
Like the Raiders, I expect the Browns to be a little off the rails on draft day. All of these picks should be impact players. I've been very curious about Kirksey.

St. Louis Rams:
1. Greg Robinson  T  Auburn
1. Aaron Donald  DT  Pitt
2. Lamarcus Joyner  CB  Florida St.
3. Tre Mason  RB  Auburn
Like the Browns and Vikings, it's easy to be drawn to a draft with multiple first round picks. Joyner was one of my favorites in this draft. He reminds me of former Vikings corner Antoine Winfield.

New Orleans Saints:
1. Brandin Cooks  WR  Oregon St.
2. Stanley Jean-Baptiste  CB  Nebraska
The Saints only had two picks but I really like both picks.

San Francisco 49ers:
1. Jimmie Ward  S  Northern Illinois
2. Carlos Hyde  RB  Ohio St.
3. Marcus Martin  C  USC
3. Chris Borland  LB  Wisconsin
3. Brandon Thomas  G  Clemson
I'm not a big fan of the 49ers trading all over the draft but I'm a big fan of the players that they picked when they decided to pick one.

And of course, we have the Minnesota Vikings:
1. Anthony Barr  LB  UCLA
1. Teddy Bridgewater  QB  Louisville
3. Scott Crichton  DE  Oregon St.
3. Jerrick McKinnon RB  Georgia Southern
Barr and Bridgewater are the big ones. Crichton will fit nicely into the defensive line rotation. McKinnon should be a tremendous change of pace back. Something that the Vikings have never really had behind Adrian Peterson. McKinnon's versatility might force offensive coordinator Norv Turner to add a bunch more pages to his playbook. He could be the Darren Sproles that Turner had in San Diego. Secondary and guard are possible targets for the Vikings today.

Day Three. Here we go.

NFL Draft Day 1

Finally. The 2014 NFL Draft has begun.

New Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer found himself a new defensive toy. UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr is headed to Minnesota. He's played on the defensive side of the ball for less than two years. He's gotten by in that time on natural talent and instincts. Both of which are immense. If his knowledge of playing defense approaches his natural talent, the Vikings have a defensive difference-maker. When I speculated about the possibility of the Vikings drafting Barr I thought of the ways that the Denver Broncos used the skills of linebacker Von Miller. Barr can be that sort of player.

The draft was moving along as expected until the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles at #3. So, it didn't take long for the draft to get a little squirrelly. Bortles going early wasn't a real shock. He'd been considered a candidate for the first pick in the entire draft. I was just surprised that he went to Jacksonville.

It was pretty funny to see Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) sitting at the St. Louis Rams draft table.

The Buffalo Bills made a good, bold move in trading up five spots with the Clevelnad Browns to draft Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins. This is a very deep draft for receivers but Watkins was clearly the best. The Bills had to give up their first round pick next year but the trade didn't decimate this draft or next. Big jumps, even five picks, to the top of the draft often do. Watkins was one of the players truly worth trading up to get. Nice job Bills.

A little deja vu. Two years ago the Vikings got a nice little bounty from the Browns to move one spot. From #4 to the Vikings #3. It was repeated yesterday when the two teams swapped spots #8 and #9. They didn't get near what they got two years ago. The Vikings got only a fifth round pick to move that one spot. A free fifth round pick.

Some picks that surprised me, besides Bortles to the Jaguars:

Detroit Lions selecting North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron. I expected defense. Likely a corner. The Lions weren't lacking in the point-scoring department.

Tennessee Titans selecting Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan. This might have been the case of a player that was simply to good to pass. The Titans have put a lot of work into their line the past two years. Can't criticize that.

Dallas Cowboys selecting Notre Dame tackle Zack Martin. As with the Titans, it's difficult to be too surprised about a team improving the offensive line but I was.

San Francisco 49ers selecting Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward. Since the success of the Seattle Seahawks, teams have been teaming talented safeties. Ask New Orleans. I thought that the 49ers had done just that when they signed Antoine Bethea in free agency to go with last year's first rounder Eric Reid. So, I was surprised. Reid and Ward should be a dynamic combination for years. Bethea might now be in the way.

The Browns played Draft Day like the Browns in the Draft Day movie. They entered the draft with the #4 and #26 picks in the first round. They ended up picking Oklahoma St. corner Justin Gilbert with the #8 pick and Texas A&M quarterback with the #22 pick.

Two years ago, the Vikings traded back into the first round to select Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith. Last year, they traded back into the first to select Tennessee receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. It couldn't happen a third time. Could it ? Sure it could.

Before the draft even kicked off, the Seattle Seahawks announced that their #32 pick in the first round was up for grabs. That's the sort of thing that you do with a stacked, Super Bowl champion roster. The Vikings traded their 2nd and 4th round picks for that Seahawks pick and selected Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Excellent. I actually thought that this trade would cost the Vikings one of their two third round picks. One of those picks was originally belonged to the Seahawks. It would be fitting to send it back to them. It wasn't a third. It was their fourth. Even better.

Trades and their original picks have brought seven first round picks to Minnesota in the last three years. Tackle Matt Kalil and safety Harrison Smith in 2012. Defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, cornerback Xavier Rhodes, and receiver Cordarrelle Patterson in 2013. Linebacker Anthony Barr and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater this year. Kalil and Patterson have already made Pro Bowl Appearances. Smith, Rhodes have quickly become bright spots in what has been a pretty pathetic secondary. Floyd was a rotational player last year that is expected to start this year. The future of the Minnesota Vikings is in these seven players.

During the 2013 college football season, Barr and Bridgewater were both considered top-6 picks in those ludicrous, way too early mock drafts. Those rankings lasted into the early days of the draft evaluation season. Until Kahlil Mack's deserved elevation to the top of the linebacker lists, Barr was at the top of the position. Bridgewater was at the top of the quarterback lists until his regrettable, forgettable Pro Day. NFL Network draft evaluator, and former scout, Daniel Jeremiah had Barr as his #6 player in the draft. He had Bridgewater at #11. People either loved or hated both players. I just know that at various times in the past few months one or the other was my top player in this draft for the Vikings. Oklahoma St. cornerback Justin Gilbert and Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald also spent some time in that spot. I find it remarkable that they were able to get both Barr and Bridgewater.

Before the Vikings made the move with the Seahawks, there was a report that they were close to a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to move into their spot in the first round, #22. That report said that the Vikings were targeting Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. I don't buy it. The Browns had a better offer and won the Eagles pick. Just because the Browns selected Manziel doesn't mean that the Vikings would have done the same. I think that the Vikings were trading up for Bridgewater, not Manziel. I think that the Vikings preferred Bridgewater to Manziel the entire time. The Browns wanted to get ahead of the Arizona Cardinals. The Vikings wanted to get ahead of the Cardinals, Browns, and all of the quarterback-needy teams ahead of them in the second round.

One drawback to trading into the first round is the long wait that I have for the Vikings first pick today and tomorrow.

The Vikings came out of the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft with a potential defensive difference-maker in Anthony Barr. Then they add the quarterback that they so desperately need in Teddy Bridgewater. This was a terrific start to the draft for the Minnesota Vikings.

Draft Day Ramblings of a Vikings Fan

Finally. The 2014 NFL Draft is today.

This has become a very big day. They even made a movie about it. The NFL Draft is a monster. It's shocking to think back to the days that it was held in near secrecy on a Tuesday. It wasn't even in prime time. It wasn't secret to be secret. It was secret because no one really cared. I cared and it was impossible to find any Minnesota Vikings draft news as it happened. I had to wait for the next day's newspaper.

Today, we have two network's televising the draft. ESPN and NFL Network. For me there is no choice. NFL Network is the one. Rich Eisen, Mike Mayock, Marshall Faulk, Charles Davis, Daniel Jeremiah, even Michael Irvin. Fuhgeddaboutit!

NFL Network even sent Albert Breer to Minnesota to report straight from the scene. I like Breer. He's a huge Ohio St. fan. He might lose his mind if the Vikings draft Buckeye linebacker Ryan Shazier.

Maybe it's simply my optimistic nature but I think that new head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman are going to get along famously.

I think this every year. It would be an absolute gas to be in the draft room of the Minnesota Vikings. An absolute gas.

The Vikings pick at #8. If they are not on the clock by 6:10pm PST, I will lose my mind.

Of the players at the top of the draft, picking an offensive tackle (meaning Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, and Taylor Lewan) is pretty much the only pick by the Vikings that would disappoint me. The talent in this draft and the number of Vikings needs, especially on defense, make pretty much any choice a good one.

If offensive coordinator Norv Turner, head coach Mike Zimmer, and general manager Rick Spielman are sold on Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, or Blake Bortles at #8, so am I. Personally, I like Bridgewater best.

I wish that Turner and his offensive coaches had more time to see what they have in quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder before the draft. Damn CBA. They've had three days of on-field work. They wouldn't have had even that if it weren't for the fact that the Vikings have a new coaching staff. Thank you CBA.

Beyond the quarterbacks, I like these defensive players at #8
Aaron Donald  DT  Pitt
C.J. Mosley  LB  Alabama
Anthony Barr  LB  UCLA
Ryan Shazier  LB  Ohio St.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix  S  Alabama
Darqueze Dennard  CB  Michigan St.
Justin Gilbert  CB  Oklahoma St.
Calvin Pryor  S  Louisville

Perhaps, even in that order.

For a while, I had a strong hunch that Anthony Barr would be the Vikings top pick. That hunch has mellowed a bit. Now, I'm beginning to think that Ryan Shazier will be the Vikings choice. #8 is thought to be a little early for Shazier but who really knows.

Donald is probably the most likely on the above list to be selected in the top-10. For that reason, a trade down could be the ideal move for the Vikings. If they were to do that, I wouldn't want to see the move beyond the midpoint of the first round. A move down like that would likely add, hopefully, a second round pick.

Spielman has traded back into the bottom of the first round each of the past two drafts. Each move has been excellent, adding safety Harrison Smith and receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. If Bridgewater does fall, as many have speculated, I would love to see Spielman make it three in a row. The last third of the first round might be the best spot in the entire draft to grab a quarterback. Moving up to that part of the draft for any of the top six or seven quarterbacks, even if that quarterback isn't Bridgewater, might be a nice move. If the Vikings want one of those quarterbacks, I don't think that they can wait for their second round pick, 40th overall.

Ryan Shazier, Aaron Donald, and C.J. Mosley are three of my favorite players in this draft. I'd like to see all of them on the Vikings. I don't want to see any of them on the Vikings' rivals in the NFC North. Donald has been linked to the Chicago Bears in most mocks. I doubt that he's still on the board when the Bears pick at #14. Good thing. Shazier and Mosley have been linked to the Green Bay Packers. Hopefully neither one makes it all the way to #21.

This is the sixth time that the Vikings have picked in the top-10 since 2000. It's nice to have a high pick on draft day. You just don't want to go through the season that puts you there. The Vikings earned five of those spots. The sixth they got as a result of the 2005 trade of Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders. I hope that the 2014 NFL Draft is the last time that the Vikings earn a spot in the top-10.

Is it 5:00 yet?

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Draft

The 2014 NFL Draft may finally get here. I had some doubts. This two week delay has been fairly painful. That pain is near an end. A funny thing happened on the way to the draft. Quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Tom Savage passed each other as they went in opposite directions on the grand media draft rankings. It may not have gone that far. Bridgewater ended the 2013 college football season as the top quarterback in this draft that may finally take place. He was even thought to be a candidate for the Houston Texans choice as the #1 pick in the draft. Savage was at the other end of the quarterback spectrum. Even though he was highly praised by NFL.com's Gil Brandt during the college football season, Savage was considered, at best, a late round pick. Brandt has been deeply involved in the drafting process for over fifty years. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the draft commentators caught up to Brandt and his thoughts on Savage. Fast forward a few months and Bridgewater is teetering on the brink of falling out of the first round. The Savage momentum has tapered off over the last couple weeks but he's still thought to be a possible second round pick. That's a far cry from the 6th-7th round grade that many had put on him. Bridgewater's fall and Savage's rise stopped short of their passing.

I enjoy the draft process. I enjoy learning about the college players that I never really had the opportunity to see play football. There's a nice pace to the draft evaluation process. College All-Star games to the Scouting Combine to the individual and college Pro Days and team visits. The media coverage of all of it borders on excessive. I love all of it. Despite that enjoyment, some of it can be a real pain-in-the-ass. That aspect has been magnified during this year's two-week delay. There is really no reason at all for a player to drop or rise in the draft rankings as Bridgewater and Savage have done. Teddy Bridgewater was the top quarterback, the very deserving top quarterback, back in January. He deserved that top spot due to a terrific three-year run at Louisville. He put the basketball school on the college football map. He had a very bad Pro Day and his draft stock dropped. Three years of excellent college quarterbacking or a shitty Pro Day. Which is more important? Which is a better indication of a player's ability to play football? It's a puzzle that a player's worth is so dependent on what is basically a practice. Bridgewater was at the top a few months ago so there was only one direction for his stock to go. I get that but there's no reason for him to drop as far as he supposedly has due to a shitty Pro Day. Savage's movement is more understandable. Despite starting at Pitt, he was still mostly an unknown. He moved around too much in college to gain any footing with scouts and personnel people. First stop Rutgers. Next stop Arizona. Finally landing at Pitt. Physically, Savage looks like the quarterback ideal. He can throw like it too. His ascent in the drafting world would have made more sense if it wasn't so swift. Sixth round one day. Second round the next. It made no sense. Funny.

Tomorrow we'll finally see the rankings that really matter.

Best Drafts

NFL.com's Around the League writer Chris Wesseling has broken down the best draft classes of all time for each NFL team. These extra two weeks have given people a lot of extra time to do some fun stuff like this. I'm always fascinated by looking back at terrific draft classes. Finding the classes that put a future champion over the top. Champions are built through the draft so there's always one that truly stands out. Wesseling made some fine choices. The furthest back he went was the Cleveland Browns class of 1957. So, he did do some digging. The only draft that I can truly comment on is that of the Minnesota Vikings but that choice is easy. The Minnesota Vikings draft class of 1967.

1. Alan Page
1. Clinton Jones
1. Gene Washington
2. Bob Grim
7. Bobby Bryant
8. John Beasley

With three first round picks they had plenty of ammo. Page was one of the best players in franchise history. He's one of the best in league history. This draft went a long ways in moving the Vikings to the top of the NFL/NFC for most of the following decade.

The San Francisco 49ers had several great drafts while Bill Walsh was calling most of the shots. You don't win all of those Super Bowls without those drafts. One of the most remarkable drafts under Walsh, and in NFL history, was put together without the benefit of a first round pick. The San Francisco 49ers draft class of 1986.

2. Larry Roberts
3. John Taylor
3. Tim McKyer
3. Tom Rathman
4. Charles Haley
4. Steve Wallace
4. Kevin Fagan
6. Don Griffin

There are no Hall of Famers here. Haley would be in already if he hadn't pissed off so many people. He'll likely be there eventually. There's quality and quantity in this draft. The 49ers had already won two Super Bowls. This class helped make three more possible.

Despite winning Super Bowl IV, over the Vikings unfortunately, I don't think that the 1969 Kansas City Chiefs get the appreciation that they deserve. The Kansas City Chiefs draft class of 1963 was loaded.

1. Buck Buchanan
1. Ed Budde
6. George Saimes
7. Bobby Bell
11. Jerrel Wilson
15. Joe Auer
24. Dave Hill

Buchanan, Budde, Saimes, Bell, and Wilson combined for 32 Pro Bowls. Even late-round pick Hill was an 11-year starter for the Chiefs. Buchanan and Bell, alone, can put this class among the best in league history. This draft has always frustrated me in that Bobby Bell was a second round pick of the Vikings. Put Bell behind the Vikings defensive line of Page, Eller, and Marshall! Fuhgeddaboutit! The Vikings might have turned things around against the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV, the Dolphins in Super Bowl VIII, the Steelers in Super Bowl IV, the Raiders in Super Bowl XI.....

Chris Wesseling did some nice work. The Flea Flicker says,check it out.