Flea Flicker: April 2015

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Final Mock

Draft Day! The 2015 NFL Draft is finally here. So, here's the final Flea Flicker Mock Draft.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Jameis Winston, QB, Florida St.
2. Tennessee Titans-Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3. Jacksonville Jaguars-Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida
4. Oakland Raiders-Leonard Williams, DT, USC
5. Washington Redskins-Vic Beasley, LB/DE, Clemson
6. New York Jets-Bud Dupree, DE, Kentucky
7. Chicago Bears-Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
8. Atlanta Falcons-Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
9. New York Giants-Brandon Scherff, T, Iowa
10. St. Louis Rams-Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
11. Minnesota Vikings-Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
12. Cleveland Browns-DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13. New Orleans Saints-Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
14. Miami Dolphins-Melvin Gordon, RB, Michigan
15. San Francisco 49ers-Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan St.
16. Houston Texans-Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
17. San Diego Chargers-D.J. Humphries, T, Florida
18. Kansas City Chiefs-Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
19. Cleveland Browns-Randy Gregory, LB/DE, Nebraska
20. Philadelphia Eagles-Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
21. Cincinnati Bengals-Andrus Peat, T, Stanford
22. Pittsburgh Steelers-Jalen Collins, LSU
23. Detroit Lions-D.J. Humphries, T, Florida
24. Arizona Cardinals-Ereck Flowers, T, Miami
25. Carolina Panthers-La'el Collins, T, LSU
26. Baltimore Ravens-Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona St.
27. Dallas Cowboys-Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
28. Denver Broncos-Cameron Erving, C, Florida St.
29. Indianapolis Colts-Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
30. Green Bay Packers-Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
31. New Orleans Saints-Eli Harold, LB, Virginia
32. New England Patriots-Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut

Waynes to the Vikings seems to have become as consistent a connection as Winston to the Buccaneers. Nearly every mock has Waynes in Minnesota. That means that it likely won't happen. Who knows? I'm starting to think that the Vikings picking a player that drops (Cooper, Beasley, Williams!) or trading back a bit is the most likely scenario. Since I find incorporating trades into mocks even more ridiculous than mocks in general, I'm going with the Vikings selecting Marcus Peters in the final Flea Flicker Mock of 2015. Or Randy Gregory. Or DeVante Parker. Or Shaq Thompson. Who knows?

Now, for the real thing. Finally. The 80th Annual Player Draft.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Mock Draft: Big-10 Style

How about this draft with only players from the Big-10

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Randy Gregory, LB/DE, Nebraska
2. Tennessee Titans-Brandon Scherff, T, Iowa
3. Jacksonville Jaguars-Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
4. Oakland Raiders-Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan St.
5. Washington Redskins-Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
6. New York Jets-Ameer Abdulah, RB, Nebraska
7. Chicago Bears-Carl Davis, DT, Iowa
8. Atlanta Falcons-David Cobb, RB, Minnesota
9. New York Giants-Donovan Smith, T, Penn St.
10. St. Louis Rams-Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
11. Minnesota Vikings-Devin Smith, WR, Ohio St.
12. Cleveland Browns-Doran Grant, CB, Ohio St.
13. New Orleans Saints-Rob Haverstein, T, Wisconsin
14. Miami Dolphins-Kurtis Drummond, S, Michigan St.
15. San Francisco 49ers-Taiwan Jones, LB, Michigan St.
16. Houston Texans-Tony Lippett, WR, Michigan St.
17. San Diego Chargers-Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana
18. Kansas City Chiefs-Miles Diffenbach, G, Penn St.
19. Cleveland Browns-Stefon Diggs, WR, Maryland
20. Philadelphia Eagles-Adrian Amos, S, Penn St.
21. Cincinnati Bengals-Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio St.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers-Jeff Heuerman, TE, Ohio St.
23. Detroit Lions-Ibraheim Campbell, S, Northwestern
24. Arizona Cardinals-Jeremy Langford, RB, Michigan St.
25. Carolina Panthers-Frank Clark, DE, Michigan
26. Baltimore Ravens-Kenny Bell, WR, Nebraska
27. Dallas Cowboys-Cedric Thompson, S, Minnesota
28. Denver Broncos-Bobby Richarson, DT, Indiana
29. Indianapolis Colts-Jake Ryan, LB, Michigan
30. Green Bay Packers-Mike Hull, LB, Penn St.
31. New Orleans Saints-Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers
32. New England Patriots-Jesse James, TE, Penn St.

This draft was very difficult to complete. My goodness, the real draft can not get here soon enough.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Mock Draft: SEC Style

Here's a mock draft made up of only players from the SEC:

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida
2. Tennessee Titans-Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
3. Jacksonville Jaguars-Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
4. Oakland Raiders-La'el Collins, T, LSU
5. Washington Redskins-Bud Dupree, DE, Kentucky
6. New York Jets-Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
7. Chicago Bears-Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri
8. Atlanta Falcons-Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi St.
9. New York Giants-Landon Collins, S, Alabama
10. St. Louis Rams-D.J. Humphries, T, Florida
11. Minnesota Vikings-Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi St.
12. Cleveland Browns-Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
13. New Orleans Saints-Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
14. Miami Dolphins-A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina
15. San Francisco 49ers-Chris Conley, WR, Georgia
16. Houston Texans-T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama
17. San Diego Chargers-Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, Auburn
18. Kansas City Chiefs-Cedric Ogbuehi, T, Texas A&M
19. Cleveland Browns-Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn
20. Philadelphia Eagles-Cody Prewitt, S, Mississippi
21. Cincinnati Bengals-Arie Kouandjio, G, Alabama
22. Pittsburgh Steelers-Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU
23. Detroit Lions-Senquez Golson, CB, Mississippi
24. Arizona Cardinals-Ramik Wilson, LB, Georgia
25. Carolina Panthers-Markus Golden, DE, Missouri
26. Baltimore Ravens-Josh Robinson, RB, Mississippi St.
27. Dallas Cowboys-Kwon Alexander, LB, LSU
28. Denver Broncos-Za'darius Smith, DE, Kentucky
29. Indianapolis Colts-Matt Jones, RB, Florida
30. Green Bay Packers-Corey Robinson, T, South Carolina
31. New Orleans Saints-Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas
32. New England Patriots-Nick Marshall, CB, Auburn

It passes the time.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Mock Draft: Pac-12 Style

Here's a mock draft made up of only players from the Pac-12 Conference.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
2. Tennessee Titans-Leonard Williams, DT, USC
3. Jacksonville Jaguars-Andrus Peat, T, Stanford
4. Oakland Raiders-Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
5. Washington Redskins-Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
6. New York Jets-Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
7. Chicago Bears-Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona St.
8. Atlanta Falcons-Hau'oli Kikaha, DE, Washington
9. New York Giants-Shaq Thomspon, LB, Washington
10. St. Louis Rams-Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
11. Minnesota Vikings-Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
12. Cleveland Browns-Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA
13. New Orleans Saints-Nate Orchard, DE, Utah
14. Miami Dolphins-Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
15. San Francisco 49ers-Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA
16. Houston Texans-Steven Nelson, CB, Oregon St.
17. San Diego Chargers-Jake Fisher, T, Oregon
18. Kansas City Chiefs-Ty Montgomery, WR, Stanford
19. Cleveland Browns-Dres Anderson, WR, Utah
20. Philadelphia Eagles-Damarious Randall, S, Arizona St.
21. Cincinnati Bengals-Eric Rowe, CB, Utah
22. Pittsburgh Steelers-Marcus Hardison, DT, Arizona St.
23. Detroit Lions-Hroniss Grasu, C, Oregon
24. Arizona Cardinals-Sean Mannion, QB, Oregon St.
25. Carolina Panthers-Vince Mayle, WR, Washington St.
26. Baltimore Ravens-Hayes Pullard, LB, USC
27. Dallas Cowboys-Buck Allen, RB, USC
28. Denver Broncos-Ellis McCarthy, DT, UCLA
29. Indianapolis Colts-Jeremiah Poutasi, T, Utah
30. Green Bay Packers-Josh Shaw, CB, USC
31. New Orleans Saints-Alex Cater, CB, Stanford
32. New England Patriots-J.R. Tavai, LB, USC

Why not?

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Draft Week!

We've finally entered draft week. From now until the draft, believe nothing. Actually that's been the case for months. It's just more true now that teams are less than truthful. All lies. Every single thing you hear is a lie. Maybe.

Everyone wants to know, now and always. What will the Minnesota Vikings do?

Here's how this Vikings fan sees the team's first round possibilities as we enter draft week.

Michigan St. cornerback Trae Waynes is my top choice. That's been the case through most of the pre-draft circus. Most mock drafts have settled on Waynes as the Vikings pick as well. That probably kills any chance of it ever happening. Still, it could happen. Who knows?

I'm not so set on Waynes that I'd be devastated with any other selection. It's not wise to become so fixated on a player that the world ends if he's not selected. There are too many variables in the draft. I like several players at #11. It just starts with Waynes. It's nice to have options.

Here are the players that would make this Vikings fan happy at #11 (in no particular order):

Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan St.
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Vic Beasley, DE/LB, Clemson
Randy Gregory, DE/LB, Nebraska
Brandon Scherff, G, Iowa
La'el Collins, G/T, LSU

USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams and Florida edge rusher Dante Fowler would be on this list as well but there's about zero chance that they drop from the first five picks. The same could be said of Cooper and maybe Beasley but there's a least a chance with them. A dreamy one in the case of Cooper.

I don't think that receiver is a tremendous need for the Vikings but Cooper, White, and Parker could be difference-making football players. A young quarterback like Teddy Bridgewater could use as many of those as the Vikings can get on the field. All three would easily fall into the "best player available" category. The same goes for Gregory and Beasley. It would be difficult to pass up that sort of pass rushing talent at #11. Offensive line is probably the area in which the Vikings are in greatest need of improvement. The line play was terrible for much of the 2014 season. A return to health of right guard Brandon Fusco and right tackle Phil Loadholt will help immensely. Releasing left guard Charlie Johnson after the season helped even more. I have faith that last years fifth-round pick David Yankey is ready to compete for the job. If the Vikings pick Scherff or Collins it's a clear indication that Yankey isn't ready. Scherff or Collins would be tremendous additions to the line. The added bonus with both is their ability to play tackle. That would give the Vikings some insurance if left tackle Matt Kalil doesn't rebound from two subpar seasons. The final player on my list of preferred first-round players is Marcus Peters. A cornerback that challenges Waynes in ability but is a bit of a wild card in the character department. He had run-ins with his coaches at Washington and could get a little too enthusiastic on the football field. He was eventually booted from the team during his final season. He returned for the Washington Pro Day so the burnt bridges were mended. Still, he remains and will probably always be a bit of a loose cannon. His cornerback skills are so intriguing. Similar character concerns in college kept Vontaze Burfict from being drafted. The Cincinnati Bengals signed him as an undrafted free agent and he's had few issues in the NFL. As the Bengals defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer seemed to get through to the talented Burfict. As Vikings head coach, perhaps Zimmer could get through to Peters.

The Vikings could trade back in the first round. If the Vikings have fallen for a player that they are certain that they can get later, that's terrific. I have no problem if they can get the player that they like and add an extra pick or two. I never like taking chances with a player that you like but that's one of many reason that I'm sitting on a couch watching the draft. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman traded back a single spot with the Cleveland Browns in 2012 and 2014. They got the player that they like and added a fourth round pick. Perfect. The Browns are sitting at #12 this year. Perfect. But the Browns are probably wise to this ploy by now. Maybe not.

I suppose that if I were to predict a dream draft, rounds 1 through 7, for the Vikings it might go a little something like this:

1. Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan St.
2. Stephone Anthony, LB, Clemson
3. Lynden Trail, DE, Norfolk St.
4. Anthony Harris, S, Virginia
5. Tony Lippett, WR, Michigan St.
7. Jeremiah Poutasi, G, Utah
7. Zach Vigil, LB, Utah St.

Finally, draft week.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Friday, April 24, 2015

What's In A Visit?

The NFL's annual pre-draft "meet and greet" process is a puzzle. It's always been difficult to judge the importance of visits and workouts during this time in terms of the team's interest in players. There's clearly some interest but how much interest? What do these visits mean come draft day?. Each team can host up to 30 players at their facilities. It can't be cheap to entertain 30 football players. Sometimes teams entertaining them in herds. A dozen or more in one express-line meet-and-greet. That really can't be cheap. And an NFL team doesn't want to appear cheap. If a team wants to work out a player they have to go to that player. No workouts are allowed at the team facilities unless the player is local through his college days, or even high school days. I guess that the league wants to give the players some control of their environment during this very invasive time. So, what does a visit mean? Does it mean that they have serious interest. Drafting all 30 players that they host isn't realistic and that's just the fraction of the list of players in which a team shows interest. They can interrogate players at the college all-star games. They can do all sorts of stuff to the players at the Scouting Combine. The meetings aren't quite as rude when they get to the individual Pro Days. Teams probably start to show some real love at this stage of the process. What's it all mean? Only the draft reveals a team's interest in a player and that's not much of a gauge.

Here's a list of players that have been reported to have some contact with the Minnesota Vikings:

Quarterback:

Devin Gardner, QB/WR, Michigan: East West Shrine Game meeting

Running back:

Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State: Pro day meeting

David Cobb, RB, Minnesota: NFL combine meeting

David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa: Winter Park visit

Zach Zenner, RB, South Dakota State: East West Shrine Game meeting

Wide receiver:

Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn: NFL combine meeting

Stefon Diggs, WR, Maryland: Pro day meeting

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri: Winter Park visit

Tyler Lockett, WR, Kansas State: Senior Bowl meeting

Devante Parker, WR, Louisville: NFL combine meeting

Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State: NFL combine meeting

Tight end:

Gerald Christian, TE, Louisville: NFL combine meeting

Richard Ross, TE, Old Dominion: Pro day meeting and private workout

Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota: Winter Park visit

Offensive line:

Jamon Brown, OT, Louisville: East West Shrine Game meeting

T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh: Winter Park visit

Shaq Mason, G, Georgia Tech: Senior Bowl meeting

A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina: Winter Park visit

Terry Poole, OT, San Diego State: East West Shrine Game meeting

Defensive line:

Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson: NFL combine meeting

Bud Dupree, DE, Kentucky: NFL combine meeting and pro day meeting

Dante Fowler, DE, Florida: NFL combine meeting

Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska: Pro day meeting, Winter Park visit

Marcus Hardison, DT, Arizona State: Pro day meeting and Winter Park visit

Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State: Winter Park visit

Za’Darius Smith, DE, Kentucky: East West Shrine Game meeting

Lynden Trail, DE, Norfolk State: Winter Park visit

Linebacker:

Stephone Anthony, MLB, Clemson: Pro day meeting

Paul Dawson, MLB, TCU: Winter Park visit

Benardrick McKinney, MLB, Mississippi State: NFL combine meeting, Winter Park visit

Denzel Perryman, MLB, Miami: NFL combine meeting

Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington: NFL combine meeting and Winter Park visit

Defensive back:

Jalen Collins, CB, LSU: Winter Park visit

Quandre Diggs, CB, Texas: NFL combine meeting

Anthony Harris, S, Virginia: Winter Park visit

Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut: Pro day meeting

Marcus Peters, CB, Washington: Winter Park visit

Damarious Randall, S, Arizona State: Winter Park visit

Josh Shaw, CB, USC: East West Shrine Game meeting

Cedric Thompson, S, Minnesota: Winter Park visit

Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State: Winter Park visit

The Winter Park visits are usually the contacts that attract the most interest but they don't have to mean any more than any of the other visits/workouts. After the 2012 NFL Draft, safety Harrison Smith commented that he had no contact with the Vikings before they traded up in the first round to select him. The Vikings coaching staff had Smith in the Senior Bowl. They learned all that they needed to learn about their future safety during that week of practices and in the game. The Vikings visited/worked out Teddy Bridgewater a bunch last year. Quarterbacks always get so much attention. That interest proved to be real as they traded up in the first round to draft Bridgewater. This year it seems that the Vikings have spent the most time with linebackers Shaq Thompson and Benardrick McKinney. They met the players at the Scouting Combine and brought them to Winter Park. These visits could be to solidify the team's interest or remove the player from consideration. Who knows? The only thing that any of these interactions indicate is that a team is interested in finding out more about a player, good or bad.

The draft isn't even a perfect indication of a team's interest as it never reveals the players that got away. And the team rarely, actually never, admits to the players that they didn't get.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Throwback Thursday: Draft Evolution

The NFL Draft has become quite an event. It's television coverage might even pull more viewers than the playoff games of hockey and basketball. It certainly pulls more viewers than regular season baseball games. The NFL Draft is kind of a big deal. It hasn't always been that way.

The NFL Draft has been a thing since 1936. In all of that time it has spent far more time in the shadows than the light. ESPN televised it's first draft in 1980. That draft started on a Tuesday. Ended on a Wednesday. There weren't a lot of people that even cared. Before ESPN's curious decision to televise the draft anyone interested in it had to wait for the next day's newspapers to find complete coverage. A frustrating time. Through the 1980s and into the 1990s the draft was still more of a sideshow than an event. It finally found a home on the weekends with a twisted, passionate band of followers. Popularity has grown steadily since the late 1990s. The internet has only helped. Now, it's a prime time celebration. ESPN still has it. NFL Network has it as well. We have a choice now. 36 years ago we had none. It's hard to believe that this big event was an afterthought for over 40 years.

The NFL Draft gave Mel Kiper Jr. a career. It even made him a minor, maybe bigger, celebrity. Kiper was probably the best known of the early "draftniks" but he was hardly the first. There were others that came before Kiper. Joel Buchsbaum, Mike Holovak, Palmer Hughes, Carl and Pete Marasco, and Jerry Jones. Not that Jerry Jones. Now there are hundreds being paid to spout their draft thoughts. Millions more that are spouting their thoughts and not getting paid. Every football fan with a computer is a "draftnik" now. Every single one of them is better prepared than the NFL decision-makers during the early days of the draft. The average draft fan today is far more prepared than George Halas, Wellington Mara, Curly Lambeau, and the boys ever were. Some draft day decisions in those dark days were made simply because of the pose struck by a player on the cover of a magazine. Franchise-changing decisions made on a whim. The draft has always been a crap-shoot. It always will be. It was even more so in the days when a magazine cover had such great importance. The scouting process has completely changed in the recent decades. Being able to view film of every single college game has helped the decision-making process. So has having a Scouting Combine to poke, prod, and interview the players. It's a whole new drafting world and the majority of the changes have been in the last half of the draft's existence.

It seems like the importance of the draft in building a team has grown since the 1970s. Perhaps it was the great drafts of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the early 1970s that changed things. The Steelers were a disaster for nearly all of their first 40 years. Chuck Noll comes in and everything changes. Art Rooney Jr. and Bill Nunn Jr. revolutionized the team's scouting and supremely talented players started arriving in bunches. Four Super Bowl wins were the result of the influx of young, talented football players. Other teams tend to notice things like that. It's so easy to see how those Steelers teams were built quickly through a run of excellent drafts. The importance of the NFL Draft for teams and fans has grown each year since.

With the current spectacle that is the NFL Draft it's really difficult to imagine a time when the draft was barely a blip on the NFL calender. It's even more startling that the draft was barely a blip for nearly 40 years. A lot has changed.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Ah, the 2015 NFL Schedule

THE NFL SCHEDULE IS OUT!!!!

The NFL released the 2015 during a three-hour television extravaganza on NFL Network. What a blast! Whenever I think of the construction of the NFL schedule I can't help but recall the picture of former Commissioner Bert Bell plotting team-labeled dominoes at his kitchen table. A much simpler time. From the mind of Bell to a team of computers. A lot has changed. He only had to deal with about 12 teams and 12 weeks of games. Computers now deal with 32 teams and 17 weeks of games. Billions and billions of combinations. Nearly every football fan bitches about their team's schedule. They really shouldn't. Even with several computers generating many schedules that work there will never be a schedule that makes everyone happy. Those tasked with producing a schedule have to deal with constraints about which few are aware. Last year the San Francisco 49ers schedule was impacted by a quilting convention. Who knew? Just like the NFL players and coaches we should just take the schedule one game at a time and just deal with it.

Here's the Minnesota Vikings 2015 Schedule:

9/14 at San Francisco 49ers-MNF
9/20 Detroit Lions
9/27 San Diego Chargers
10/4 at Denver Broncos
10/11 Bye
10/18 Kansas City Chiefs
10/25 at Detroit Lions
11/1 at Chicago Bears
11/8 St. Louis Rams
11/15 at Oakland Raiders
11/22 Green Bay Packers
11/29 at Atlanta Falcons
12/6 Seattle Seahawks
12/10 at Arizona Cardinals-TNF
12/20 Chicago Bears
12/27 New York Giants
1/3 at Green Bay Packers

Those that actually play and coach the games look for their "bye" when they take their first glance at a schedule. Week 5 is earlier than many like but it could be good thing this year. The Vikings play in the Hall of Fame game so they get started a week earlier than usual. Maybe a week 5 bye isn't so bad. The players might be ready for a break after only four games. Two prime time games. Week 1 on Monday Night at San Francisco. Week 14 on Thursday Night at Arizona. The Vikings are matched up against the AFC and NFC West teams so they'll be doing more traveling than usual. Two of those west coast away games are prime time games. One quirk with this schedule is that they play both of their games against the Detroit Lions before they play another division opponent. Close with the Packers. Last time that happened we were treated to a classic.

The Vikings 2015 season will be the second, and final, played at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The 2016 season will be in an incredible new building. That's exciting but it's been fun to see outdoor home games in Minnesota again.

The winning schedule was number 37,793 of the possible options. Bert Bell would need a bigger table.

It's still more than four months until these games but they feel a whole lot closer now.

Next up, the 2015 NFL Draft. Eight more days.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Things Getting Started

The 2015 NFL season is kicking into gear. The actual football games don't really start for several months but things are happening to get us there. The NFL Draft gets a ton of attention as always. We have nine more days of sifting through lies and rumors. That's always a gas. But other things are swirling this week. As of yesterday all 32 teams have started offseason workouts. No football stuff just yet. It's just stretching and lifting and such but players are milling around the facilities. There's life in those buildings. A football pulse beyond film study. Players are getting ready for a new season. Even more exciting than football players stretching is today's release of the 2015 NFL Schedule. It's actually kinda funny that the schedule is so exciting seeing as everyone knows who every team plays. We've known since the end of last season. We just didn't know when teams played. Therein lies the excitement. That little unknown. Today, we'll know.

The schedule release will be televised on NFL Network at 8 PM ET. It will be a three-hour schedule release extravaganza. This big event might even draw more viewers than the Stanley Cup and NBA Playoff games that dare oppose it. Pretty crazy. The NFL is a monster. This really is big news. The NFL certainly makes it bigger than it really is but it's still big news. A lot of fall plans are made depending on the NFL schedule. Weddings. Even funerals. After today's release those plans can be confirmed. It's well known that many Green Bay Packers fans book hotel rooms for every weekend of the season just to be sure that they have accommodations for the weekends that they actually need. Now they'll be able to cancel those reservations that they don't need. I'm sure that fans of other teams do the same thing. This is a big season for me personally as the Minnesota Vikings travel to my side of the country twice this season. They play the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders in San Francisco (Santa Clara actually) and Oakland respectively. I'm not sure if that's ever happened. After tonight I'll know when those games are played and perhaps find tickets for those games immediately. Fun times.

We aren't even at the true midpoint of the offseason (the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks offseason) yet the new season feels like it's upon us. With the draft and mini-camps, voluntary and otherwise, to help us speed through the days, players will be showing up for training camp before we realize it. Then the season. The schedule for that season is given to us tonight.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Just What We Needed. Another Mock.

Just passing the time.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Jameis Winston, QB, Florida St.
2. Tennessee Titans-Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3. Jacksonville Jaguars-Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida
4. Oakland Raiders-Leonard Williams, DT, USC
5. Washington Redskins-Vic Beasley, LB/DE, Clemson
6. New York Jets-Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
7. Chicago Bears-Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
8. Atlanta Falcons-Randy Gregory, LB/DE, Nebraska
9. New York Giants-Brandon Scherff, T, Iowa
10. St. Louis Rams-Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
11. Minnesota Vikings-Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan St.
12. Cleveland Browns-DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13. New Orleans Saints-Bud Dupree, DE, Kentucky
14. Miami Dolphins-La'el Collins, T, LSU
15. San Francisco 49ers-Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
16. Houston Texans-Breshad Perriman, WR< UCF
17. San Diego Chargers-Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
18. Kansas City Chiefs-Cameron Erving, C, Florida St.
19. Cleveland Browns-Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
20. Philadelphia Eagles-Landon Collins, S, Alabama
21. Cincinnati Bengals-T.J. Clemmings, T, Pittsburgh
22. Pittsburgh Steelers-Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
23. Detroit Lions-D.J. Humphries, T, Florida
24. Arizona Cardinals-Eli Harold, LB, Virginia
25. Carolina Panthers-Andrus Peat, T, Stanford
26. Baltimore Ravens-Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona St.
27. Dallas Cowboys-Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
28. Denver Broncos-Ereck Flowers, T, Miami
29. Indianapolis Colts-Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas
30. Green Bay Packers-Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
31. New Orleans Saints-Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
32. New England Patriots-Jalen Collins, CB, LSU

The REAL draft can't get here soon enough.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

"Odd Ball Thursday"

"I practiced it that way. Running sideways or backing up. You do it the hard way during practice and it comes easier during the game."
-Sammy Baugh, Hall of Fame quarterback

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has borrowed some of Baugh's practice habits. Bridgewater has instituted an "Odd Ball Thursday" into his weekly practice schedule. "Odd Ball Thursday" is pretty much the same routine that Baugh describes. He throws the ball in different and difficult positions. Awkward body positions and locations on the field. With the laces and without. Basically, he tries to become comfortable making throws when it's uncomfortable. On game day not every pocket is clean. Not every situation is routine. Good quarterbacks find new and better ways to do things. Even in practice. Great quarterbacks, like Sammy Baugh, squeeze everything that they can from every practice. They use every opportunity away from the game to be better in the game. They never stop getting better. Baugh won an NFL title in his rookie season. That didn't stop him from striving to get better. Teddy Bridgewater didn't come close to an NFL title in his rookie season but he's given everyone involved with the Vikings hope that he will find a way to win one, and more. He's definitely putting the practice habits in place to get there. "Odd Ball Thursday" follows "Wet Ball Wednesday." That one is pretty self-explanatory. The kid wants to get better. He's going to get better.

When you don't have a "franchise" quarterback to lead your team there's an incredible amount of pressure to find a "franchise" quarterback to lead your team. The Vikings have been looking for that quarterback since Fran Tarkenton threw his last pass for them in 1978. They thought that they had something with Tommy Kramer, Wade Wilson, Brad Johnson, and Daunte Culpepper. They really thought that they had their guy with Culpepper but he was never the same after a knee injury. Injuries also kept Kramer from becoming the quarterback that his skills teased. The Vikings found great, often spectacular, seasons from grey-beards like Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham, and Brett Favre but those were fleeting moments usually lasting a single season. The Vikings have rarely been comfortable at the quarterback position in my lifetime. It appears that's finally changed.

There's a great sense of comfort in heading into a draft without QB at the top of a needs list. The Vikings truly got lucky that teams put so much stock in Teddy Bridgewater's "poor" Pro Day last year. That allowed the Vikings to draft the talented passer with the last pick of the first round. He would have been available on the second night of the draft if the Vikings hadn't traded with the Seattle Seahawks to make the last pick of the first night. Inconceivable! All because of a stupid Pro Day. Inconceivable! I watched a few of Bridgewater's games while he was at Louisville. I was impressed with the calm manner in which he carried himself and led his team. It verged on eerie. That calm was even more evident through his first year in the NFL. A time and a place in which remaining calm would seem impossible. I was also impressed with his touch and his ability to lead his receivers. I was sold on Teddy Bridgewater during the pre-draft shenanigans of ESPN and Jon Gruden. The former NFL coach has been cornering quarterbacks for a few years now on his pre-draft television program. In particular, he puts the soon-to-be NFL quarterbacks on the whiteboard to diagram and explain plays. Most quarterbacks shy away from this. Some even look as if they want to run from it. They are being challenged in front of Gruden and a television audience and don't like it at all. Teddy Bridgewater embraced the challenge. He loved talking football. Route concepts, protections, and strategies. I thought that Gruden was going to have to haul Bridgewater away from the board. After seeing that I was sold on the kid. The Minnesota Vikings were extremely lucky that so many other teams forgot that actual football games weigh much more than Pro Days. Some thought that quiet calm meant an inability to lead when all that it really meant was "I got this." The Minnesota Vikings were extremely lucky that Teddy Bridgewater was still waiting at the end of the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Even more important than having the ability to play quarterback in the is the understanding that the process never stops. No great quarterback is satisfied. No great quarterback stops learning. All great quarterbacks find new ways to get better. "Odd Ball Thursday." "Wet Ball Wednesday." Like Sammy Baugh nearly 80 years ago, Teddy Bridgewater understands that he has to put in the work. Sometimes unique work. On the field. In the film room. He can never rest. And he knows it.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

RSVPs

28 eager, soon-to-be NFL players have accepted invitations to be present at the 2015 NFL Draft on Apil 30. All 28 hope to have a new home by the time the lights are turned off that night in Chicago. The chances are very good that a few of these players will be back looking for their new football home on the second night. There are always first round surprises. There will be players selected in the first round that weren't expected let alone invited. There will definitely be players selected in the first round that were invited but decided to celebrate their big night with their families and friends. That's a significant group this year. The quarterbacks. Florida State's Jameis Winston and Oregon's Marcus Mariota could be the first two picks. Both have decided to celebrate their big night with their family. Alabama receiver Amari Cooper also decided to stay home as well. He could be a top-5 pick as well. Certainly a top-10 pick. That's quite a hole to fill at the top of the draft. The 28 players that are in attendance are tasked with filling it.

The NFL has made it routine to invite so many players. The large number in attendance has some drawbacks. It's not right to call it a bad thing as it's their night. The beginning of their dream. With all of the hugging and introductions it bogs down the draft. The official announcement of the picks gets behind. As much as three or four picks behind. It's more than a little frustrating. The NFL really needs to streamline the process if they're going to continue the mass invitations.

As it stands now, here are the 28 soon-to-be NFL players that will be in attendance:

Prospects attending 2015 NFL Draft:

Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon

Vic Beasley, DE/LB, Clemson

La'el Collins, OL, LSU

Landon Collins, S, Alabama

Bud Dupree, LB, Kentucky

Cameron Erving, OL, Florida State

Dante Fowler, DE/LB, Florida

Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin

Randy Gregory, DE/LB, Nebraska

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

D.J. Humphries, OL, Florida

Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest

Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut

Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State

Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M

DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville

Andrus Peat, OL, Stanford

Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida

Shane Ray, DL, Missouri

Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa

Danny Shelton, DL, Washington

Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State

Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State

Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State

Laken Tomlinson, OL, Duke

Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State

Kevin White, WR, West Virginia

Leonard Williams, DL, USC

The hope here is that as many of the above as possible leave Chicago as the newest members of the Minnesota Vikings.

Friday, April 17, 2015

He's back!

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has finally been reinstated by the NFL. He's been in limbo/on the Commissioner's Exempt List/suspended/in limbo/on the Commissioner's Exempt list since 1958. Actually he's been banished from football since September. It just feels like it's been since 1958. Or longer. This whole process has been a nightmare. It was probably worse for Peterson but he put himself into the nightmare. Not intentionally but his old-school views on discipline were clearly disagreeable to those that call the shots. Roger Goodell's "flip-a-coin" decision-making of the past year made the whole process worse. No one knew what was going on least of all the Commissioner of the NFL. Goodell finally decided to do what he should have done nearly six months ago. He reinstated Adrian Peterson just in time for the start of the Vikings offseason workouts on Monday. Here's the NFL Communication on the decision:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4/16/15
http://www.twitter.com/NFL345

ADRIAN PETERSON REINSTATED

Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings was advised today that effective tomorrow he is reinstated as an active NFL player and may participate in all scheduled activities with the Vikings. In a letter from Commissioner Roger Goodell, Peterson was informed that he is expected to fulfill his remaining obligations to the authorities in Minnesota and Texas, as well as the additional commitments Peterson made during his April 7 meeting with the commissioner regarding maintaining an ongoing program of counseling and treatment as recommended by medical advisors. Beyond the requirement to comply with his court obligations and plan of counseling, Peterson was reminded that his continuing participation in the NFL depends on his avoidance of any further conduct that violates the Personal Conduct Policy or other NFL policies. Any further violation of the Personal Conduct Policy by Peterson would result in additional discipline, which could include suspension without pay or banishment from the NFL. Peterson was suspended without pay last November 18 for the remainder of the 2014 NFL season for violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy in an incident of abusive discipline that he inflicted on his four-year-old son last May. Peterson pled no contest on November 4 in state court in Montgomery County, Texas to reckless assault of the child.

So. There you have it. Hopefully this nightmare can be put to rest. And, hopefully Goodell and his minions will use this as a lesson in how not to go about their business. Even if it's disagreeable to many consistent decision-making should be the norm.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Throwback Thursday: The Bonus Pick

The NFL has been holding a player draft annually since 1936. Other than the number of rounds, the number of teams, and the attention paid to the event the draft has mostly remained the same since the first one. Teams pick from worst to first and try to avoid the dreaded the bust. The exception from the norm were the drafts held from 1947-58. The NFL decided to add a bonus pick at the top of those drafts. The team making this bonus pick was determined by lottery. The winner of the lottery received the first pick in the draft. Very strange. It was also quite convenient for the Chicago Bears. George Halas and the boys had won the NFL title on December 15, 1946. The very next day they had the top pick of the 1947 NFL Draft. Things often seemed to roll the way of George Halas. This bonus pick was a draft feature for twelve years. Here are the results of those bonus picks:

1947

Chicago Bears: Bob Fenimore, back, Oklahoma A&M

1948

Washington Redskins: Harry Gilmer, HB, Alabama

1949

Philadelphia Eagles: Chuck Bednarik, LB, Penn

1950

Detroit Lions: Leon Hart, end, Notre Dame

1951

New York Giants: Kyle Rote, HB, SMU

1952

Los Angeles Rams: Bill Wade, QB, Vanderbilt

1953

San Francisco 49ers: Harry Babcock, end, Georgia

1954

Cleveland Browns: Bobby Garrett, QB, Stanford

1955

Baltimore Colts: George Shaw, QB, Oregon

1956

Pittsburgh Steelers: Gary Glick, QB, Colorado St.

1957

Green Bay Packers: Paul Hornung, QB, Notre Dame

1958

Chicago Cardinals: King Hill, QB, Rice

Each of the 12 teams that competed for most of the twelve years received a bonus pick.

Just as the Chicago Bears did in the 1947 draft, the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams received their bonus pick after winning the NFL title. The rich got richer. The Eagles really got rich. Win a title. Add Bednarik. The Eagels repeated as champs in 1949.

Chuck Bednarik and Paul Hornung were bonus picks that went on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Leon Hart, Kyle Rote, and Bill Wade all had productive careers. Each played important roles on championship teams. Hart and Rote with the teams that selected them as bonus picks. Wade eventually moved on to the Bears and led them a title in 1963.

The Chicago Cardinals ended up with the top two picks of the 1958 NFL Draft as a result of receiving the final bonus pick and not doing well in 1957.

The bonus pick was a gimmick from the mind of George Halas. Never a fan of the worst-to-first order of the draft he wanted teams that were consistent winners to have a shot at a top player. This never really made any sense as the draft order never proved to be an obstacle to the Bears stockpiling top talent. Halas' teams had won four of the seven championships prior to the introduction of the bonus picks. But, what Halas wanted Halas often got.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Where Do They Come From

NFL.com's CFB 24/7 is a never-ending source of football fun. The Path to the Draft portion of this college football goldmine popped out this nugget courtesy of Mike Huguenin. The top 21 schools when it comes to producing players for the past 10 NFL Drafts.

1. USC
Total Draftees: 69
First Rounders: 14

2. LSU
Total Draftees: 63
First Rounders: 14

3. Oklahoma
Total Draftees: 57
First Rounders: 9

4. Georgia
Total Draftees: 56
First Rounders: 7

5. Florida St.
Total Draftees: 54
First Rounders: 13

6. (tie) Alabama
Total Draftees: 53
First Rounders: 16

6. (tie) Ohio St.
Total Draftees: 53
First Rounders: 13

8. Miami
Total Draftees: 46
First Rounders: 6

9. Florida
Total Draftees: 45
First Rounders: 11

10. Wisconsin
Total Draftees: 42
First Rounders: 6

11. (tie) Texas
Total Draftees: 41
First Rounders: 9

11. (tie) Clemson
Total Draftees: 41
First Rounders: 5

13. (tie) California
Total Draftees: 40
First Rounders: 6

13. (tie) Notre Dame
Total Draftees: 40
First Rounders: 5

13. (tie) Virginia Tech
Total Draftees: 40
First Rounders: 3

16. Iowa
Total Draftees: 39
First Rounders: 4

17. Nebraska
Total Draftees: 37
First Rounders: 4

18. Penn St.
Total Draftees: 36
First Rounders: 4

19. Oregon
Total Draftees: 35
First Rounders: 4

20. (tie) Auburn
Total Draftees: 34
First Rounders: 9

20. (tie) Michigan
Total Draftees: 34
First Rounders: 5

I'm always surprised to see Cal in the middle of statistics like these. Under Jeff Tedford they had some terrific seasons at the beginning of this 10-year window. They haven't been too competitive recently. Huguenin goes on to mention that Cal has had 12 players in the last three drafts. Even though only two of those players have been selected before the third round that's impressive production. Half of those 12 came in the 2012 NFL Draft. Mychal Kendricks, Mitchell Schwartz, Bryan Anger, and Marvin Jones are impact players for their NFL teams. Cal will drop some in these rankings in a year or two as there will be a gap in the transition from Tedford's teams to those of Sonny Dykes. No Cal players were invited to February's Scouting Combine. That's an indication of that talent gap. Although, receiver Chris Harper should get drafted.

Like Cal's nice showing, USC's presence at the top is due mostly to the early days of this 10-year window. The Pete Carroll years. They'll be hard pressed to keep the top spot in the coming years.

Florida St. and Ohio St. should close the gap considerably between them and the top over the next couple of drafts.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

NFL Cap Space Update

It is simply stunning to see five teams with more than $20 million bucks in cap room at this late date of early April. The big spending of free agency is over and these teams have incredible cap room. It doesn't feel like it was too long ago that the teams with the most room started free agency with about $20 million in cap room. This is a different day when it comes to team finances. The five teams with the most room are among the least talented teams at the moment so they don't even have players that they can reward with nice contract extensions. Their best players are a few years away from their second (big) contracts. At some point they need to find a reason to spend this available cash. The CBA demands it.

NFL Cap Space

Rank	Team	Cap Room
1.	Jacksonville Jaguars	$35,095,883
2.	Tennessee Titans	$27,198,148
3.	Cleveland Browns	$26,734,490
4.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	$25,443,468
5.	Oakland Raiders	$21,135,917
6.	Cincinnati Bengals	$19,234,342
7.	Atlanta Falcons	$17,913,726
8.	Green Bay Packers	$17,255,142
9.	San Diego Chargers	$15,922,099
10.	Arizona Cardinals	$13,926,482
11.	Dallas Cowboys	$12,823,444
12.	Minnesota Vikings	$12,313,608
13.	Miami Dolphins	$11,788,769
14.	Chicago Bears	$11,678,538
15.	Seattle Seahawks	$11,446,990
16.	New York Jets	$11,071,443
17.	Indianapolis Colts	$10,652,600
18.	Houston Texans	$10,406,373
19.	Philadelphia Eagles	$10,231,285
20.	St. Louis Rams	$9,822,451
21.	Carolina Panthers	$9,164,889
22.	Denver Broncos	$8,087,568
23.	New York Giants	$7,647,931
24.	Baltimore Ravens	$7,375,728
25.	Buffalo Bills	$7,341,151
26.	Washington Redskins	$6,924,706
27.	San Francisco 49ers	$6,741,660
28.	Pittsburgh Steelers	$6,655,484
29.	New England Patriots	$6,148,315
30.	New Orleans Saints	$4,599,806
31.	Detroit Lions	$4,170,293
32.	Kansas City Chiefs	$2,820,676