Here are some quotes about the great game of football and those that made it great.
"The lily white skins of the Redskins, the team representing the nation's capital, had been an ongoing embarrassment to the league. The assertions of crusty George Preston Marshall that "We'll start signing Negroes when the Harlem Globetrotters start signing whites" made sense only if you watched the football through two eye holes cut in a sheet."
-football historian Bob Carroll on the racist views of Redskins owner George Preston Marshall
"Sayers? Sure, I've got a defense against him. I just step out of the way and let Willie Wood hit him. Really, I don't think anybody knows how fast Sayers actually is. Only time I've seen him is in the huddle. Once he tucks the football under his arm he's invisible."
-Packers Hall of Fame defensive tackle Henry Jordan
More talking Sayers:
"He's simply the best damn athlete I've seen since I came into the pros."
-Packers Hall of Fame back Paul Hornung
"Let's get one thing straight. I'm in charge."
-Vince Lombardi
"Could Don Shula win the big one?"
-just about everyone at one time
"Cookie was probably the best athlete we had. He could have been all-pro at guard or linebacker. In fact, he could have played any position outside of wide receiver or quarterback."
-Bills Hall of Fame guard Billy Shaw on terrific running back Cookie Gilchrist
"If he's worth $400,000, I'm worth a million."
-Browns QB Frank Ryan on Joe Namath's historic contract
"Oakland received the kickoff and ran one play. There was 1:05 left. Suddenly, every NBC-tuned TV set east of Denver stopped showing snarling football players on a hundred-yard gridiron and replaced them with a smiling blonde girl in the Swiss Alps. Heidi was here! Yo-de-lay-ee-oh!"
-historian Bob Carroll on the day Heidi trumped football
"Joe believed it. He really thought we were going to beat them. And eventually we all did."
-Jets tackle Dave Herman on Namath's Super Bowl III confidence
"I don't think there's anybody who picked up two worse teams than I did with the Colts in 1954 and the Jets in 1963."
-Weeb Ewbank on his coaching choices
"(Greg) Cook looked like the best quarterback in the league. Better than Lamonica, better than Dawson, better than Namath, Hadl, or Griese. I thought that this kid was going to be better than anyone I had ever seen."
-Hall of Fame coach John Madden on Bengals QB Greg Cook
"When you win, nothing hurts."
-Joe Namath
"When in doubt, punt!"
-John Heisman
"I wouldn't ever set out to hurt anyone deliberately unless it was, you know, important-like a league game or something."
-Dick Butkus
"I don't know whether I prefer Astroturf to grass. I never smoked Astroturf."
-Joe Namath, of course.
"He'd be the boss, answering only to himself and God-so long as God didn't try to call the plays."
-football historian Bob Carroll on Browns and Bengals coach Paul Brown
"The Vikings were a super team."
-Chiefs Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Bell
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Supplemental Draft Crowd
Four football players might not be considered a crowd but four football players have declared their intentions to enter the 2015 Supplemental Draft. Here are the four:
Darrius Caldwell, DE, West Georgia
Adrian Wilkins, WR, North Carolina Central
Dalvon Stuckey, DT, West Georgia
Isaiah Battle, T, Clemson
The West Georgia Wolves are taking a serious hit on their defensive line. The Supplemental Draft is for players that have college eligibility remaining but were not available in the regular draft. They are usually unable to continue their college careers for a variety of reasons. Caldwell is entering the draft due to academic eligibility issues. Battle had some discipline issues at Clemson but is entering the draft for mostly personal reasons.
Caldwell has intriguing length at 6'6" but weighs only 245 lbs. He led the Gulf South Conference in sacks with 12 and added 18.5 tackles for loss last season. Those are nice numbers for an end but achieved at a light level of competition.
Wilkins is a small receiver at 5'8" 175 lbs. If he receives attention from NFL teams it'll probably be for his terrific return abilities. In 2013 he returned three kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns.
Stuckey had committed to Florida St. out of high school but had academic issues. He went the junior college route and then committed to Arizona St but didn't qualify academically. So, he landed at West Georgia. He has decent size at 6'4" and 300 lbs. He showed that he could spend some time in opposing backfields by collecting 4.5 sacks and 9 tackles for loss.
Battle is the one player of the four that will likely be selected in the Supplemental Draft. He was a full-time starter last season for Clemson. He's listed at 6'7" and 290 lbs. He has terrific length and the frame to get bigger.
The Supplemental Draft often goes without a player being selected because teams that use a pick on a player lose their pick in the corresponding round in the next year's regular draft. Only 42 players have been chosen in the 38-year history of the Supplemental Draft. The last player selected in this extra draft was receiver Josh Gordon in 2012. So, talent can be found. Trouble too.
The 2015 Supplemental Draft will be held sometime next month.
Darrius Caldwell, DE, West Georgia
Adrian Wilkins, WR, North Carolina Central
Dalvon Stuckey, DT, West Georgia
Isaiah Battle, T, Clemson
The West Georgia Wolves are taking a serious hit on their defensive line. The Supplemental Draft is for players that have college eligibility remaining but were not available in the regular draft. They are usually unable to continue their college careers for a variety of reasons. Caldwell is entering the draft due to academic eligibility issues. Battle had some discipline issues at Clemson but is entering the draft for mostly personal reasons.
Caldwell has intriguing length at 6'6" but weighs only 245 lbs. He led the Gulf South Conference in sacks with 12 and added 18.5 tackles for loss last season. Those are nice numbers for an end but achieved at a light level of competition.
Wilkins is a small receiver at 5'8" 175 lbs. If he receives attention from NFL teams it'll probably be for his terrific return abilities. In 2013 he returned three kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns.
Stuckey had committed to Florida St. out of high school but had academic issues. He went the junior college route and then committed to Arizona St but didn't qualify academically. So, he landed at West Georgia. He has decent size at 6'4" and 300 lbs. He showed that he could spend some time in opposing backfields by collecting 4.5 sacks and 9 tackles for loss.
Battle is the one player of the four that will likely be selected in the Supplemental Draft. He was a full-time starter last season for Clemson. He's listed at 6'7" and 290 lbs. He has terrific length and the frame to get bigger.
The Supplemental Draft often goes without a player being selected because teams that use a pick on a player lose their pick in the corresponding round in the next year's regular draft. Only 42 players have been chosen in the 38-year history of the Supplemental Draft. The last player selected in this extra draft was receiver Josh Gordon in 2012. So, talent can be found. Trouble too.
The 2015 Supplemental Draft will be held sometime next month.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Giving Back
When it comes to off-the-field NFL news it's often negative news that frequent the headlines. The media seems to be drawn to it and some football players rarely fail to supply it. It's very sad. Despite the lack of positive headlines there are many NFL players doing a lot of good things. Very good things. A lot of very good things. We just don't hear about it. We don't hear about it for a couple of reasons. The media is more drawn to ugly drama and many players aren't doing their good things for publicity. They are doing it simply because they can. Here's an example from the Cincinnati Bengals website of a player doing some very good things simply because he can. But mostly because it's needed.
Timeout, courtesy of MJ
Geoff HobsonEditorBengals.com
Now a timeout from all the hate and the madness. Time for a few snaps of charity and a couple of downs of hope from Bengals right end Michael Johnson as he continues his rush to make a difference.
So step right into the Michael D. Johnson Technology Center in his hometown of Selma, Ala. Named after a man who didn’t start dabbling with computers until he went to Georgia Tech.
“I think we had computers,” he says with a laugh as he tries to remember the lay of the land for a 12-year-old at the turn of the century. “But they probably weren’t that new and there probably weren’t that many.”
Thanks to Johnson and MJ93 Foundation, every seventh-grader at his alma mater of Martin Middle School is able to use a new computer in the lab this coming school year. He’s also sending a donation to the athletic department of three high schools in Dallas County to keep the beauty of the games going.
And, if there’s any other kind of pressing need, Johnson and mother Thomasene sift through the requests at his foundation. It was Thomasene who demanded her son go to the most diverse high school in the area. Which is how Dallas County High got its valedictorian in 2005.
“The foundation is looking to help all kinds of kids. It doesn’t matter who or what,” Johnson says. “Selma’s a small town. Uniforms. Field trips. Sometimes you just hear about things by word of mouth.”
That’s kind of what happened at Martin Middle, where the Selma Times-Journal reported the school was in danger of being shut off from the district internet because the Windows XP program was no longer supported with virus software. If the computers couldn’t be updated, the computer lab would be empty.
According to the newspaper, principal Queen Morrow started to raise funds via a candy drive when the school received a donation from Johnson’s foundation. She called to say what a lifesaver the check had been, but the Johnsons concluded the school needed even more for the lab and doubled the donation.
Which is how the Michael D. Johnson Technology Center at Martin Middle came to be unveiled a week ago, stocked with 24 new desktop computers, a promethean board, a network printer, desks and chairs.
“This was very important because the children take (standardized testing and reporting) reading and math tests in the library and (the library) has only has seven or eight computers,” Morrow told The Times-Journal. “But now we can get 24 students in at one time to do our reading and math achievement tests.”
The foundation is looking to boost any community endeavor. This past year there have also been donations to the Sheriff’s Office, the fire department, and the Selma Police Department. Thomasene Johnson reports that the Sheriffs bought body cameras with the check while the fire department invested in a small fire truck used to teach children about fire safety and awareness.
Johnson has made a lot of news since March of 2014 for making about $30 million in 18 months after hitting free agency twice in a year. Giving back never seems to match the headline size of the dollar sign.
“It’s hard to raise money down here,” Johnson says. “You pay it forward. You get a chance to help other people and you hope what you’re doing helps in other areas. I’m seeing more kids earn college scholarships. That’s the big thing. Once you get your degree, everything begins with that in the community.
“The way I look at it, the more my income has increased the more I’ve been able to help.”
Johnson’s plans include similar work in Cincinnati this season, where he’s already eyeballing a fundraiser for the local chapter of Most Valuable Kids a week before the opener.
A timeout amid the chaos.
“It’s a blessing,” he says, “to invest in your town.”
Saturday, June 27, 2015
RIP Dick Stanfel
Former Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins guard Dick Stanfel passed away Monday at his home in the northern Chicago suburb of Libertyville. He was 87.
Dick Stanfel was a dominant guard for the Lions (1952-55) and Redskins (1956-58). He was so great for the Lions that he was voted team MVP of the 1953 team that won the NFL Championship. He was so great for the Redskins that he was voted one of the 70 Greatest Redskins despite playing only three seasons for them. Baltimore Colts pass rushing great Gino Marchetti played with Stanfel at the University of San Francisco and against him throughout the 1950s. Marchetti compared Stanfel favorably with Colts tackle Jim Parker as a couple of the best offensive linemen to ever play in the NFL. Parker received immediate induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Stanfel is still waiting.
It sure would have been great to see Stanfel enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame while he was still alive. He deserved to be inducted decades ago. He was a senior candidate in 1993 and 2012. How he wasn't elected on either occasion is an absolute mystery. There really is no explaining why any voter with a passing knowledge of the game's history wouldn't vote for Stanfel as a senior candidate. Let alone vote against him twice. Hell, he should have been inducted before he ever became a senior candidate. He was named to the NFL 1950's All-Decade team. He was 1st team All-Pro five times. He was elected to the Pro Bowl five times. He was one of the best players in the history of two long-time NFL teams. He was an impact player on two Championship teams. He played in three NFL Championship games. DIck Stanfel was a great football player. One of the best of his era.
My father was a student at the University of San Francisco in the early 1950s. I grew up with tales of those Dons football teams. The talent at the school at that time was ridiculous. Ollie Matson, Gino Marchetti, and Bob St. Clair are honored in Canton. Pete Rozelle was the USF Sports Information Director. He's in Canton too. Dick Stanfel should have joined them long ago. After two misses as a senior candidate he may never get another a chance. It's a damn shame.
RIP Dick Stanfel. He's a Hall of Famer in my book.
Dick Stanfel was a dominant guard for the Lions (1952-55) and Redskins (1956-58). He was so great for the Lions that he was voted team MVP of the 1953 team that won the NFL Championship. He was so great for the Redskins that he was voted one of the 70 Greatest Redskins despite playing only three seasons for them. Baltimore Colts pass rushing great Gino Marchetti played with Stanfel at the University of San Francisco and against him throughout the 1950s. Marchetti compared Stanfel favorably with Colts tackle Jim Parker as a couple of the best offensive linemen to ever play in the NFL. Parker received immediate induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Stanfel is still waiting.
It sure would have been great to see Stanfel enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame while he was still alive. He deserved to be inducted decades ago. He was a senior candidate in 1993 and 2012. How he wasn't elected on either occasion is an absolute mystery. There really is no explaining why any voter with a passing knowledge of the game's history wouldn't vote for Stanfel as a senior candidate. Let alone vote against him twice. Hell, he should have been inducted before he ever became a senior candidate. He was named to the NFL 1950's All-Decade team. He was 1st team All-Pro five times. He was elected to the Pro Bowl five times. He was one of the best players in the history of two long-time NFL teams. He was an impact player on two Championship teams. He played in three NFL Championship games. DIck Stanfel was a great football player. One of the best of his era.
My father was a student at the University of San Francisco in the early 1950s. I grew up with tales of those Dons football teams. The talent at the school at that time was ridiculous. Ollie Matson, Gino Marchetti, and Bob St. Clair are honored in Canton. Pete Rozelle was the USF Sports Information Director. He's in Canton too. Dick Stanfel should have joined them long ago. After two misses as a senior candidate he may never get another a chance. It's a damn shame.
RIP Dick Stanfel. He's a Hall of Famer in my book.
Friday, June 26, 2015
Checking In With The Top 100
The NFL Network revealed the #30-21 ranked players in their countdown of the best 100 players entering the 2015 season. This week's group of ten football players is a very good one. So good that it's a surprise that at least twenty players are ranked ahead of each one of them. Each of the ten is among the best at their position.
Here are the players ranked #30-21:
30. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
29. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills
28. Gerald McCoy, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. Justin Houston, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
26. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Joe Thomas, T, Cleveland Browns
24. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Miami Dolphins
23. Joe Haden, CB, Cleveland Browns
22. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
21. Earl Thomas, S, Seattle Seahawks
Teams tend to keep the sort of players that are found among the best in the league. In that sense it's a bit of a surprise to see two of the above players entering the 2015 NFL season with new teams. Former Eagles runner LeSean McCoy was traded to the Bills. Former Lions troublemaker Ndamukong Suh followed the money to the Dolphins as a free agent. If Suh wasn't such a troublemaker he'd probably find himself ranked in the top-10 of this list every single year. He's that talented and that much of a pain-in-the-ass.
I really expected to see Gerald McCoy and Justin Houston ranked closer to #15 rather than in the late 20s. Joe Haden and Earl Thomas as well. Actually, I wouldn't have been all that surprised if these were the players that were numbered #11-20.
It's good to remember that this Top 100 list is voted on by the players. Instead of some yahoo at a desk the voters are picking the best among the players that they actually face on the field. A year or two ago the appearance of then Miami Dolphins tight end Charles Clay on the list drew a great deal of criticism from several desk-bound yahoos. I'd much rather listen to Luke Kuechly explain why Clay is so difficult to defend than some yahoo bitch about his inclusion. After all, who really knows best? It's the player's list and the best thing about it is that it includes the player's comments on the best of their peers.
Twenty more players. Can't wait!
Here are the players ranked #30-21:
30. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
29. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills
28. Gerald McCoy, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27. Justin Houston, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
26. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Joe Thomas, T, Cleveland Browns
24. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Miami Dolphins
23. Joe Haden, CB, Cleveland Browns
22. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
21. Earl Thomas, S, Seattle Seahawks
Teams tend to keep the sort of players that are found among the best in the league. In that sense it's a bit of a surprise to see two of the above players entering the 2015 NFL season with new teams. Former Eagles runner LeSean McCoy was traded to the Bills. Former Lions troublemaker Ndamukong Suh followed the money to the Dolphins as a free agent. If Suh wasn't such a troublemaker he'd probably find himself ranked in the top-10 of this list every single year. He's that talented and that much of a pain-in-the-ass.
I really expected to see Gerald McCoy and Justin Houston ranked closer to #15 rather than in the late 20s. Joe Haden and Earl Thomas as well. Actually, I wouldn't have been all that surprised if these were the players that were numbered #11-20.
It's good to remember that this Top 100 list is voted on by the players. Instead of some yahoo at a desk the voters are picking the best among the players that they actually face on the field. A year or two ago the appearance of then Miami Dolphins tight end Charles Clay on the list drew a great deal of criticism from several desk-bound yahoos. I'd much rather listen to Luke Kuechly explain why Clay is so difficult to defend than some yahoo bitch about his inclusion. After all, who really knows best? It's the player's list and the best thing about it is that it includes the player's comments on the best of their peers.
Twenty more players. Can't wait!
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Throwback Thursday: Best Backfields
The NFL is a passing league now. It's been one for a while and it's not likely to change. There once was a time when the preferred manner to move the football was on the ground. The pass was a gimmick for most of football's history. Teams won with the run. And teams often had at least a couple of players that could really run. Here is a look at some of the best backfields through the history of the NFL. T
1934 Chicago Bears
Bronko Nagurski
Beattie Feathers
Gene Ronzani
You could basically put Nagurski in any backfield and it would be great. In 1934, Feathers became the first back to rush for more than 1,000 yards. He never came close to duplicating that production but he was terrific in 1934.
1935 Detroit Lions
Dutch Clark
Ace Gutowsky
Glenn Presnell
Ernie Caddell
This backfield was talented and versatile. As a tailback in those early days Clark was more like today's quarterback than today's tailback. If Presnell had played more of his professional football days in the NFL he'd probably be enshrined in Canton.
1947 Chicago Cardinals
Charley Trippi
Pat Harder
Marshall Goldberg
The Cardinals have had a fairly bleak history. The team's glory years were the years when these runners carried the ball. With quarterback Paul Christman this Cardinals backfield was dubbed the "Dream Backfield." The Cardinals won the NFL title in 1947.
1948 Cleveland Browns
Marion Motley
Dub Jones
Bob Cowan
As with the Bears and Nagurski you could put Motley in any backfield and it would be great. Motley really should be in any argument about the greatest football player in league history but he never is. Maybe it's because his best years were in the AAFC. Jones was a terrific, versatile football player.
1954 San Francisco 49ers
Joe Perry
Hugh McElhenny
John Henry Johnson
This backfield is ridiculous. All three are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You can include quarterback Y.A. Tittle too. This was the "Million Dollar Backfield." Maybe because "Dream Backfield" was already taken.
1958 Cleveland Browns
Jim Brown
Bobby Mitchell
Ray Renfro
Brown and Mitchell are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Not much needs to be said about Jim Brown. He's the best. Mitchell made it to Canton more for his pass-catching days with the Washington Redskins. He was a game-breaking, change of pace back in his time with Cleveland. Renfro was a versatile playmaker. If it wasn't for his backfield mates he'd probably be considered a superstar.
1958 Baltimore Colts
Lenny Moore
Alan Ameche
L.G. Dupre
Moore was a fantastic football player. He would have been a Hall of Fame football player at running back or receiver. He did a bit of both. Ameche is best known for his overtime touchdown in the 1958 NFL Championship game. He was one of the best fullbacks in an era when Jim Brown, Jim Taylor, and Rick Casares played the position. Injuries ended his career a little early. Dupre was going to be the Colts breakaway threat before Moore arrived.
1962 Green Bay Packers
Jim Taylor
Paul Hornung
Elijah Pitts
A couple of Hall of Fame players in Taylor and Hornung. Taylor was a bull. Hornung could do a little bit of everything. With the manner in which Taylor ran it's a surprise that Hornung was a little bigger. Both were effective blockers. Pitts was a capable backup stuck behind a couple of Hall of Fame football players. He got his chance on the Packers Super Bowl teams later in the decade.
1963 San Diego Chargers
Paul Lowe
Keith Lincoln
Lowe and Lincoln were a dynamite duo. Sid Gillman's passing offense gets so much deserved attention but it was these two backs that made those great Chargers offenses of the early 1960s go. Lincoln's performance in the 1963 AFL Championship game was one of the best in professional football history. 206 yards rushing on only 13 carries. 123 yards on 7 receptions. 329 total yards from scrimmage and 2 TDs. Chargers destroyed the Boston Patriots 51-10.
1972 Miami Dolphins
Larry Csonka
Mercury Morris
Jim Kiick
This was the first backfield to include two 1,000-yard rushers. Csonka had 1,117. Morris had exactly 1,000. Kiick kicked in another 521. Each was a very different runner. And the Dolphins went undefeated and won their first Super Bowl.
1976 Pittsburgh Steelers
Franco Harris
Rocky Bleier
It might have been better to pick a year that the Steelers won one of their Super Bowls but this was the year that Harris and Bleier joined Csonka and Morris as 1,000-yard duos. Harris is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Bleier is one of those high-effort, high-energy, do-everything players that every great football team seems to need on the roster.
1988-89 Los Angeles Raiders
Bo Jackson
Marcus Allen
Oh, what might have been with Bo Jackson. Allen was at the tail-end of his Hall of Fame career. He still gained 831 yards in 1988 but he was starting to fade. Jackson was a phenom that was forced to leave the game way too soon.
1992 Buffalo Bills
Thurman Thomas
Kenneth Davis
Thomas was one of the most versatile running backs ever. Davis could have been a star on any other team. Thomas had 370 touches. There weren't many left for Davis but he still gained over 600 yards rushing.
2006 San Diego Chargers
LaDanian Tomlinson
Lorenzo Neal
Michael Turner
Tomlinson had one of the best seasons ever for a runner. 1,815 yards rushing, 508 yards receiving, 31 total TDs. Neal was one of the best fullbacks of his era. Turner added 502 yards on only 80 carries in 2006. He proved later when he moved to Atlanta that he could carry a team as a runner.
2007 Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson
Chester Taylor
I had to close with a Vikings backfield! Peterson had better years but his rookie season was the only season in which he did share the backfield. Somewhat. Peterson gained 1,341 yards rushing. Taylor added 844. Taylor had joined the team as a free agent in 2006 to be the top back in Minnesota. After a very good first season with the Vikings he saw the team select Peterson in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. This terrific combo was the heart of the offense through the 2009 season.
There's a look at 15 of the top backfields in NFL history.
1934 Chicago Bears
Bronko Nagurski
Beattie Feathers
Gene Ronzani
You could basically put Nagurski in any backfield and it would be great. In 1934, Feathers became the first back to rush for more than 1,000 yards. He never came close to duplicating that production but he was terrific in 1934.
1935 Detroit Lions
Dutch Clark
Ace Gutowsky
Glenn Presnell
Ernie Caddell
This backfield was talented and versatile. As a tailback in those early days Clark was more like today's quarterback than today's tailback. If Presnell had played more of his professional football days in the NFL he'd probably be enshrined in Canton.
1947 Chicago Cardinals
Charley Trippi
Pat Harder
Marshall Goldberg
The Cardinals have had a fairly bleak history. The team's glory years were the years when these runners carried the ball. With quarterback Paul Christman this Cardinals backfield was dubbed the "Dream Backfield." The Cardinals won the NFL title in 1947.
1948 Cleveland Browns
Marion Motley
Dub Jones
Bob Cowan
As with the Bears and Nagurski you could put Motley in any backfield and it would be great. Motley really should be in any argument about the greatest football player in league history but he never is. Maybe it's because his best years were in the AAFC. Jones was a terrific, versatile football player.
1954 San Francisco 49ers
Joe Perry
Hugh McElhenny
John Henry Johnson
This backfield is ridiculous. All three are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You can include quarterback Y.A. Tittle too. This was the "Million Dollar Backfield." Maybe because "Dream Backfield" was already taken.
1958 Cleveland Browns
Jim Brown
Bobby Mitchell
Ray Renfro
Brown and Mitchell are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Not much needs to be said about Jim Brown. He's the best. Mitchell made it to Canton more for his pass-catching days with the Washington Redskins. He was a game-breaking, change of pace back in his time with Cleveland. Renfro was a versatile playmaker. If it wasn't for his backfield mates he'd probably be considered a superstar.
1958 Baltimore Colts
Lenny Moore
Alan Ameche
L.G. Dupre
Moore was a fantastic football player. He would have been a Hall of Fame football player at running back or receiver. He did a bit of both. Ameche is best known for his overtime touchdown in the 1958 NFL Championship game. He was one of the best fullbacks in an era when Jim Brown, Jim Taylor, and Rick Casares played the position. Injuries ended his career a little early. Dupre was going to be the Colts breakaway threat before Moore arrived.
1962 Green Bay Packers
Jim Taylor
Paul Hornung
Elijah Pitts
A couple of Hall of Fame players in Taylor and Hornung. Taylor was a bull. Hornung could do a little bit of everything. With the manner in which Taylor ran it's a surprise that Hornung was a little bigger. Both were effective blockers. Pitts was a capable backup stuck behind a couple of Hall of Fame football players. He got his chance on the Packers Super Bowl teams later in the decade.
1963 San Diego Chargers
Paul Lowe
Keith Lincoln
Lowe and Lincoln were a dynamite duo. Sid Gillman's passing offense gets so much deserved attention but it was these two backs that made those great Chargers offenses of the early 1960s go. Lincoln's performance in the 1963 AFL Championship game was one of the best in professional football history. 206 yards rushing on only 13 carries. 123 yards on 7 receptions. 329 total yards from scrimmage and 2 TDs. Chargers destroyed the Boston Patriots 51-10.
1972 Miami Dolphins
Larry Csonka
Mercury Morris
Jim Kiick
This was the first backfield to include two 1,000-yard rushers. Csonka had 1,117. Morris had exactly 1,000. Kiick kicked in another 521. Each was a very different runner. And the Dolphins went undefeated and won their first Super Bowl.
1976 Pittsburgh Steelers
Franco Harris
Rocky Bleier
It might have been better to pick a year that the Steelers won one of their Super Bowls but this was the year that Harris and Bleier joined Csonka and Morris as 1,000-yard duos. Harris is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Bleier is one of those high-effort, high-energy, do-everything players that every great football team seems to need on the roster.
1988-89 Los Angeles Raiders
Bo Jackson
Marcus Allen
Oh, what might have been with Bo Jackson. Allen was at the tail-end of his Hall of Fame career. He still gained 831 yards in 1988 but he was starting to fade. Jackson was a phenom that was forced to leave the game way too soon.
1992 Buffalo Bills
Thurman Thomas
Kenneth Davis
Thomas was one of the most versatile running backs ever. Davis could have been a star on any other team. Thomas had 370 touches. There weren't many left for Davis but he still gained over 600 yards rushing.
2006 San Diego Chargers
LaDanian Tomlinson
Lorenzo Neal
Michael Turner
Tomlinson had one of the best seasons ever for a runner. 1,815 yards rushing, 508 yards receiving, 31 total TDs. Neal was one of the best fullbacks of his era. Turner added 502 yards on only 80 carries in 2006. He proved later when he moved to Atlanta that he could carry a team as a runner.
2007 Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson
Chester Taylor
I had to close with a Vikings backfield! Peterson had better years but his rookie season was the only season in which he did share the backfield. Somewhat. Peterson gained 1,341 yards rushing. Taylor added 844. Taylor had joined the team as a free agent in 2006 to be the top back in Minnesota. After a very good first season with the Vikings he saw the team select Peterson in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. This terrific combo was the heart of the offense through the 2009 season.
There's a look at 15 of the top backfields in NFL history.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Cal Recruits
It looks like Cal head coach Sonny Dykes has finally hit his stride when it comes to recruiting. Sometimes it takes a couple of years before a coach gets his footing in a new location. Cal hasn't always many received early commitments from high school and junior college athletes but they are getting them this year. Thirteen players have made verbal commitments to continue their football in Berkeley. In the past Cal wouldn't hit thirteen commits until they well into the fall. Even during Jeff Tedford's best recruiting years.
As of today, these are the players that will be joining the Cal football team for the 2016 season:
Traveon Beck, CB, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA)
Russell Becker, DT, Minnesota St. Community College (Fergus Falls, MN)
Derrick Clark, RB, Mission Bay, (San Diego)
Jake Curhan, OL, Redwood (Larkspur, CA)
Josh Drayden, CB, Bishop Dunne (Dallas)
Zion Echols, RB, Charter Oak (Covina, CA)
Logan Gamble, WR, St. Anthony (Long Beach, CA)
Max Gilliam, QB, Thousand Oaks (Thousand Oaks, CA)
Daniel Juarez, OL, Corona Centennial (Corona, CA)
Drew Kobayashi, WR, St. Louis (Honolulu, HI)
Matt Laris, WR, Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, WA)
Armani Rogers, QB, Hamilton Senior (Culver City, CA)
Markus Wright, LB, Jordan (Columbus, GA)
Three receivers, two quarterbacks, two running backs, two offensive linemen, a defensive lineman, a linebacker, and two corners. Cal really needs to improve their overall talent in the secondary. They had a couple of highly rated safeties earlier in the spring but those players have apparently withdrawn their commitments. An indication that any of these verbal commitments can be withdrawn up until signing day in February. Cal has been attracting solid receivers for years. That hasn't changed under Dykes. All eleven of the high school players have 3-star ratings. Kobayashi and Rogers have some 4-star attention.
This is a nice start to the 2016 recruiting class for Cal and Sonny Dykes.
As of today, these are the players that will be joining the Cal football team for the 2016 season:
Traveon Beck, CB, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA)
Russell Becker, DT, Minnesota St. Community College (Fergus Falls, MN)
Derrick Clark, RB, Mission Bay, (San Diego)
Jake Curhan, OL, Redwood (Larkspur, CA)
Josh Drayden, CB, Bishop Dunne (Dallas)
Zion Echols, RB, Charter Oak (Covina, CA)
Logan Gamble, WR, St. Anthony (Long Beach, CA)
Max Gilliam, QB, Thousand Oaks (Thousand Oaks, CA)
Daniel Juarez, OL, Corona Centennial (Corona, CA)
Drew Kobayashi, WR, St. Louis (Honolulu, HI)
Matt Laris, WR, Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, WA)
Armani Rogers, QB, Hamilton Senior (Culver City, CA)
Markus Wright, LB, Jordan (Columbus, GA)
Three receivers, two quarterbacks, two running backs, two offensive linemen, a defensive lineman, a linebacker, and two corners. Cal really needs to improve their overall talent in the secondary. They had a couple of highly rated safeties earlier in the spring but those players have apparently withdrawn their commitments. An indication that any of these verbal commitments can be withdrawn up until signing day in February. Cal has been attracting solid receivers for years. That hasn't changed under Dykes. All eleven of the high school players have 3-star ratings. Kobayashi and Rogers have some 4-star attention.
This is a nice start to the 2016 recruiting class for Cal and Sonny Dykes.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Appreciation For Assistants
Assistant football coaches have long been lost in the shadows of the head coaches that employ them. They are the football teachers while the head coach manages the entire team. That was probably never more true than with the New York Giants of the 1950s. Jim Lee Howell was the head coach. Vince Lombardi coached the offense. Tom Landry coached the defense. Howell didn't have to do much with those two coaching their areas of expertise. He even said that he was there to inflate the footballs. He knew the talents of the assistant coaches that he had. Outside of New York, Lombardi and Landry weren't well known until they had their own teams. The appreciation for assistant coaches is better today. Perhaps that is due to the 24-hour media spotlight that is focused on the NFL. A light that brightens all of the dark spaces. Whatever the reason it's a good thing that assistant coaches are finally receiving the respect and attention that they deserve. The Pro Football Writers of America are insuring that deserving assistant coaches are being recognized and honored. For the second year the organization has awarded the Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman Award.
"The Dr. Z Award is given for lifetime achievement as an assistant coach in the NFL. The award is named for Paul Zimmerman, who covered the NFL for 29 years as Sports Illustrated's lead football writer"
The 2015 Recipients of the Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman award are:
Dick LeBeau, Tennessee Titans
-Entering his 43rd season as an NFL coach. His first in Tennessee. LeBeau is so well known as an assistant coach that some even think that he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach. He wasn't. He made it to Canton as a player. Now, he's honored for his terrific work as an assistant football coach. He even spent a couple of seasons as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Tom Moore, Arizona Cardinals
-Entering his 37th year as an NFL. His third in Arizona. Moore has been coaching football since 1961 when he was the freshman team coach at Iowa. He coached at the college level until his jump to the NFL in 1977.
Dante Scarnecchia, retired
-Scarnecchia spent 32 years as an NFL assistant coach. 30 with the New England Patriots. He coached in the first seven Super Bowls that involved the Patriots. (XX, XXXI, XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII, XLVI).
The 2014, and inaugural, recipients of the DR. Z Award were:
Jim Johnson
Howard Mudd
Fritz Shurmur
Ernie Zampese
Congratulations to these very deserving assistant coaches.
"The Dr. Z Award is given for lifetime achievement as an assistant coach in the NFL. The award is named for Paul Zimmerman, who covered the NFL for 29 years as Sports Illustrated's lead football writer"
The 2015 Recipients of the Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman award are:
Dick LeBeau, Tennessee Titans
-Entering his 43rd season as an NFL coach. His first in Tennessee. LeBeau is so well known as an assistant coach that some even think that he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach. He wasn't. He made it to Canton as a player. Now, he's honored for his terrific work as an assistant football coach. He even spent a couple of seasons as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Tom Moore, Arizona Cardinals
-Entering his 37th year as an NFL. His third in Arizona. Moore has been coaching football since 1961 when he was the freshman team coach at Iowa. He coached at the college level until his jump to the NFL in 1977.
Dante Scarnecchia, retired
-Scarnecchia spent 32 years as an NFL assistant coach. 30 with the New England Patriots. He coached in the first seven Super Bowls that involved the Patriots. (XX, XXXI, XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII, XLVI).
The 2014, and inaugural, recipients of the DR. Z Award were:
Jim Johnson
Howard Mudd
Fritz Shurmur
Ernie Zampese
Congratulations to these very deserving assistant coaches.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Vikings Defense
Mike Zimmer is working his defensive magic in his first shot at an NFL head coaching job. It looks like he might be building a defense that can more than cope with the offensive fireworks that can be found in Green Bay and around much of the league. In a single season he turned the Minnesota Vikings defense from horrible to respectable. If he can continue the climb the Vikings might have one of the league's best defenses as soon as this season.
The Minnesota Vikings defense was really bad in 2013. Historically bad. They couldn't keep leads the few times that they had one because the defense rarely stopped the opponent from scoring. The Vikings ranked 32nd in scoring defense, 31st in total defense, 31st in passing defense. They were a middle-of-the-road 16th against the run but that was simply because teams had so damn much fun passing against them. That thorough sadness got Leslie Frazier fired and Mike Zimmer hired. Buh-bye cover-2. Hello attacking, press-man coverage, double-A gap threatening, maybe blitzing, maybe not, fast and swarming. A defense that keeps an offense guessing. I like that kind of defense.
In Zimmer's first year as head coach the Vikings defense made great leaps in the right direction. They ranked 11th in points. 32nd to 11th! They were 7th against the pass. 31st to 7th! I doubt that they've had a top-10 against pass defense since the Reagan Administration. They were 14th in total defense. Offenses did find it easier to run against the Vikings as they dropped from 16th to 25th. That is one area that needs to improve in Zimmer's second season with the Vikings.
The Vikings defense should make another leap forward this season simply because the players are in their second season with this defense. It was all so new last year. Now it isn't. This is also a very young defense with another year of experience in the league. The Vikings used their first three picks in the 2015 NFL Draft on defensive players. That adds more top-end talent to an already young and talented defense.
A mid-June projection of the Vikings 2015 starting defense looks like this:
DE Everson Griffen
DT Sharrif Floyd
DT Linval Joseph
DE Brian Robison
LB Anthony Barr
LB Eric Kendricks
LB Chad Greenway
CB Xavier Rhodes
CB Trae Waynes
S Harrison Smith
S Antone Exum
The position most up for grabs is the safety spot opposite Harrison Smith. Incumbent Robert Blanton should have the lead heading into training camp but there will be a battle between Blanton, Exum, Andrew Sendejo and undrafted rookie free agent Anthony Harris. This could shape up to be the best position battle of the summer. I have Exum taking it but that's only a guess and it truly is up for grabs. Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes are the heart of the secondary. Smith is already one of the better safeties in the league. Rhodes has improved in each of his two NFL seasons. Especially last year in his first year with Zimmer and secondary coach Jerry Gray. By the end of the last season Rhodes was one of the best corners in the league. Trae Waynes was the 11th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He has the talent to excel in the NFL. If he can quickly learn the specifics of Zimmer's defense the Vikings will have a terrific young cornerback combo. Newman was brought in this offseason to ease any transition to an untested rookie. He's played for Zimmer in Cincinnati and Dallas. He knows the defense and can still make an impact at the grand age of 37. Captain Munnerlyn, Josh Robinson, and Jabari Price should provide nice depth at the position. The Vikings have to improve the run defense from last year. A step in that direction was drafting Eric Kendricks in the second round. They really needed an impact player in the middle of the defense. A versatile defender that can stay on the field for all three downs. Kendricks was that sort of player at UCLA. He should be that sort of player for the Vikings. He's a bit undersized at 6-foot and 235 lbs. but he's smart, instinctive, athletic, and active. Anthony Barr was terrific as a rookie last year and has the football skills to be a star in the league. He was a friend, teammate, and roommate of Kendricks at UCLA. Their teaming together in the NFL should be as smooth as they come. Chad Greenway is the veteran and leader of the linebackers, if not the entire defense. He heads into training camp as the starter at weakside linebacker but will be seriously challenged by the fast and active Gerald Hodges. Injuries severely cut into Greenway's play last year. Those injuries hurt both his effectiveness and availability. His excellent Vikings career is winding down but he can still be effective. On the field and off. The Vikings line is solid despite the needed improvement against the run. They should play better simply because they have been in Zimmer's defense for a year. They'll be able to react faster due to a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities. More reacting and less thinking. Everson Griffen was great in his first year as a starter. He's a terrific pass rusher and stout against the run. There was a stretch of games in October in which he couldn't be blocked. Brian Robison doesn't collect a lot of sacks but he's often in the backfield and usually hassling quarterbacks. Third-year defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd could be the sort of defensive football player that Zimmer had with Geno Atkins in Cincinnati. Floyd just has to stay healthy. When he's on the field he's a defensive force. Quick and explosive. Linval Joseph had some nice moments in his first year in Minnesota. He just needs to have more of those moments. He's the big-bodied defender that the Vikings need to keep blockers off of Kendricks and his linebacking mates. Zimmer wants a consistent rotation among his defensive linemen. They got that from the tackles last season with Tom Johnson and Shamar Stephen providing solid play and minutes. The Vikings didn't get the same sort of contribution and production from their backup ends. In many respects Griffen and Robison had to go it alone. Johnson can slide to end but the Vikings need more from their backup ends. Scott Crichton basically had a redshirt rookie year last year. He only played a handful of snaps. He's looked very good in the offseason so he may be ready to contribute this year. The Vikings need him. Third-round pick Danielle Hunter is very raw but an athletic freak. He might be a year away from making a consistent impact but his natural ability might produce some big plays this year.
Mike Zimmer has really turned this defense around in a very short time. He's loaded his coaching staff with teachers. That coaching and teaching and the defensive talent now on the roster have expectations running high. Well, the defense in addition to a talented young quarterback and the return of a certain running back have resulted in high expectations in Minnesota. The pass defense was greatly improved last year. It should be even better this year. It's the run defense that has to improve. It remains a question until the Vikings show improvement in games that count. Adding Kendricks in the draft was a big step toward improvement but it's on the defensive line to make running the ball a chore for opposing offenses. A better familiarity with Zimmer's defense will help. So will improved depth and a more effective line rotation. Better talent, better depth, and Mike Zimmer are three excellent reasons to expect an improved Minnesota Vikings defense this year.
The Minnesota Vikings defense was really bad in 2013. Historically bad. They couldn't keep leads the few times that they had one because the defense rarely stopped the opponent from scoring. The Vikings ranked 32nd in scoring defense, 31st in total defense, 31st in passing defense. They were a middle-of-the-road 16th against the run but that was simply because teams had so damn much fun passing against them. That thorough sadness got Leslie Frazier fired and Mike Zimmer hired. Buh-bye cover-2. Hello attacking, press-man coverage, double-A gap threatening, maybe blitzing, maybe not, fast and swarming. A defense that keeps an offense guessing. I like that kind of defense.
In Zimmer's first year as head coach the Vikings defense made great leaps in the right direction. They ranked 11th in points. 32nd to 11th! They were 7th against the pass. 31st to 7th! I doubt that they've had a top-10 against pass defense since the Reagan Administration. They were 14th in total defense. Offenses did find it easier to run against the Vikings as they dropped from 16th to 25th. That is one area that needs to improve in Zimmer's second season with the Vikings.
The Vikings defense should make another leap forward this season simply because the players are in their second season with this defense. It was all so new last year. Now it isn't. This is also a very young defense with another year of experience in the league. The Vikings used their first three picks in the 2015 NFL Draft on defensive players. That adds more top-end talent to an already young and talented defense.
A mid-June projection of the Vikings 2015 starting defense looks like this:
DE Everson Griffen
DT Sharrif Floyd
DT Linval Joseph
DE Brian Robison
LB Anthony Barr
LB Eric Kendricks
LB Chad Greenway
CB Xavier Rhodes
CB Trae Waynes
S Harrison Smith
S Antone Exum
The position most up for grabs is the safety spot opposite Harrison Smith. Incumbent Robert Blanton should have the lead heading into training camp but there will be a battle between Blanton, Exum, Andrew Sendejo and undrafted rookie free agent Anthony Harris. This could shape up to be the best position battle of the summer. I have Exum taking it but that's only a guess and it truly is up for grabs. Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes are the heart of the secondary. Smith is already one of the better safeties in the league. Rhodes has improved in each of his two NFL seasons. Especially last year in his first year with Zimmer and secondary coach Jerry Gray. By the end of the last season Rhodes was one of the best corners in the league. Trae Waynes was the 11th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He has the talent to excel in the NFL. If he can quickly learn the specifics of Zimmer's defense the Vikings will have a terrific young cornerback combo. Newman was brought in this offseason to ease any transition to an untested rookie. He's played for Zimmer in Cincinnati and Dallas. He knows the defense and can still make an impact at the grand age of 37. Captain Munnerlyn, Josh Robinson, and Jabari Price should provide nice depth at the position. The Vikings have to improve the run defense from last year. A step in that direction was drafting Eric Kendricks in the second round. They really needed an impact player in the middle of the defense. A versatile defender that can stay on the field for all three downs. Kendricks was that sort of player at UCLA. He should be that sort of player for the Vikings. He's a bit undersized at 6-foot and 235 lbs. but he's smart, instinctive, athletic, and active. Anthony Barr was terrific as a rookie last year and has the football skills to be a star in the league. He was a friend, teammate, and roommate of Kendricks at UCLA. Their teaming together in the NFL should be as smooth as they come. Chad Greenway is the veteran and leader of the linebackers, if not the entire defense. He heads into training camp as the starter at weakside linebacker but will be seriously challenged by the fast and active Gerald Hodges. Injuries severely cut into Greenway's play last year. Those injuries hurt both his effectiveness and availability. His excellent Vikings career is winding down but he can still be effective. On the field and off. The Vikings line is solid despite the needed improvement against the run. They should play better simply because they have been in Zimmer's defense for a year. They'll be able to react faster due to a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities. More reacting and less thinking. Everson Griffen was great in his first year as a starter. He's a terrific pass rusher and stout against the run. There was a stretch of games in October in which he couldn't be blocked. Brian Robison doesn't collect a lot of sacks but he's often in the backfield and usually hassling quarterbacks. Third-year defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd could be the sort of defensive football player that Zimmer had with Geno Atkins in Cincinnati. Floyd just has to stay healthy. When he's on the field he's a defensive force. Quick and explosive. Linval Joseph had some nice moments in his first year in Minnesota. He just needs to have more of those moments. He's the big-bodied defender that the Vikings need to keep blockers off of Kendricks and his linebacking mates. Zimmer wants a consistent rotation among his defensive linemen. They got that from the tackles last season with Tom Johnson and Shamar Stephen providing solid play and minutes. The Vikings didn't get the same sort of contribution and production from their backup ends. In many respects Griffen and Robison had to go it alone. Johnson can slide to end but the Vikings need more from their backup ends. Scott Crichton basically had a redshirt rookie year last year. He only played a handful of snaps. He's looked very good in the offseason so he may be ready to contribute this year. The Vikings need him. Third-round pick Danielle Hunter is very raw but an athletic freak. He might be a year away from making a consistent impact but his natural ability might produce some big plays this year.
Mike Zimmer has really turned this defense around in a very short time. He's loaded his coaching staff with teachers. That coaching and teaching and the defensive talent now on the roster have expectations running high. Well, the defense in addition to a talented young quarterback and the return of a certain running back have resulted in high expectations in Minnesota. The pass defense was greatly improved last year. It should be even better this year. It's the run defense that has to improve. It remains a question until the Vikings show improvement in games that count. Adding Kendricks in the draft was a big step toward improvement but it's on the defensive line to make running the ball a chore for opposing offenses. A better familiarity with Zimmer's defense will help. So will improved depth and a more effective line rotation. Better talent, better depth, and Mike Zimmer are three excellent reasons to expect an improved Minnesota Vikings defense this year.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
All-NFC North
NFL Media analyst Dave Damashek recently posted his divisional all-star series. It's nice to take a more micro look at the league's talent. Picking all-division teams does just that. This can reveal some of the lesser known players that are deserving of notice. Players that are often lost in the wash of All-NFL or even All-Conference teams. Damashek is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan so he probably knows the AFC North much better than he knows the NFC North. Still, he did a fine job with his All-NFC North team. Especially for a Steelers fan.
Dave Damashek's All-NFC North team:
QB
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
RB
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
WR
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers
Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears
TE
Martellus Bennett
T
Brian Bulaga, Green Bay Packers
Riley Reiff, Detroit Lions
G
Josh Sitton, Green Bay Packers
Larry Warford, Detroit Lions
C
John Sullivan, Minnesota Vikings
DE
Ziggy Ansah, Detroit Lions
Mike Daniels, Green Bay Packers
DT
Haloti Ngata, Detroit Lions
Sharrif Floyd, Minnesota Vikings
LB
Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers
Anthony Barr, Minnesota Vikings
MLB
Stephen Tulloch, Detroit Lions
CB
Casey Hayward, Green Bay Packers
Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings
S
Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings
Glover Quinn, Detroit Lions
Ret
Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings
K
Matt Prater, Detroit Lions
P
Sam Martin, Detroit Lions
Looks like it's Lions, Packers, Vikings, and a couple of Bears. 9 Lions. 7 Packers. 7 Vikings. And 2 Bears. Damashek took a pretty good stab at the NFC North. But, Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy has to be on this team. Even if it's at the expense of Anthony Barr. Levy is one of the best 4-3 outside linebackers in the entire league. Let alone the NFC North. Barr will be a mainstay on this team for years to come but he's only played 12 games in the NFL. Levy should be on the team now. Kyle Long is the best guard in the division. Maybe even the best offensive lineman. He might be moving to tackle so maybe Damashek skipped him for that reason. Stephen Tulloch should be booted from all-star teams of any kind simply for injuring himself while celebrating a routine defensive stop. Finally, not including Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen is a mistake that should not go unpunished.
Picking three receivers might be the right thing to do in today's NFL. It's all about the passing game. Still. I'd prefer to pick two backs over three receivers. Especially in a division that can put Matt Forte or Eddie Lacy in the same backfield with Adrian Peterson.
Damshek did one of these for the remainder of the NFC divisions. Check them out at NFL.com.
Dave Damashek's All-NFC North team:
QB
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
RB
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
WR
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers
Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears
TE
Martellus Bennett
T
Brian Bulaga, Green Bay Packers
Riley Reiff, Detroit Lions
G
Josh Sitton, Green Bay Packers
Larry Warford, Detroit Lions
C
John Sullivan, Minnesota Vikings
DE
Ziggy Ansah, Detroit Lions
Mike Daniels, Green Bay Packers
DT
Haloti Ngata, Detroit Lions
Sharrif Floyd, Minnesota Vikings
LB
Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers
Anthony Barr, Minnesota Vikings
MLB
Stephen Tulloch, Detroit Lions
CB
Casey Hayward, Green Bay Packers
Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings
S
Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings
Glover Quinn, Detroit Lions
Ret
Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings
K
Matt Prater, Detroit Lions
P
Sam Martin, Detroit Lions
Looks like it's Lions, Packers, Vikings, and a couple of Bears. 9 Lions. 7 Packers. 7 Vikings. And 2 Bears. Damashek took a pretty good stab at the NFC North. But, Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy has to be on this team. Even if it's at the expense of Anthony Barr. Levy is one of the best 4-3 outside linebackers in the entire league. Let alone the NFC North. Barr will be a mainstay on this team for years to come but he's only played 12 games in the NFL. Levy should be on the team now. Kyle Long is the best guard in the division. Maybe even the best offensive lineman. He might be moving to tackle so maybe Damashek skipped him for that reason. Stephen Tulloch should be booted from all-star teams of any kind simply for injuring himself while celebrating a routine defensive stop. Finally, not including Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen is a mistake that should not go unpunished.
Picking three receivers might be the right thing to do in today's NFL. It's all about the passing game. Still. I'd prefer to pick two backs over three receivers. Especially in a division that can put Matt Forte or Eddie Lacy in the same backfield with Adrian Peterson.
Damshek did one of these for the remainder of the NFC divisions. Check them out at NFL.com.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
C'Mon Man!
Several in the media were up to their ridiculous selves when they grabbed hold of a comment from Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, took it out of context, and tried to create some drama. After wrapping up his team's Mini Camp this week, Zimmer was chatting with KFAN's Paul Allen:
"Everybody keeps coming up to me and saying 'Hey coach do you want to have some team-building? Are we going to have a team building day?' I said, No, we're going to work. I said we've got a lot of work to do. We need to get better. We're not into the team-building thing. In my opinion you don't get better by playing ping pong, you get better by winning. And that's how were gonna team-build. We're gonna win."
Mike Zimmer said that on the radio. A lot of people heard it. He was talking about his team. And only his team. Several in the media heard that, grabbed the ping pong comment, and skipped to the Green Bay Packers with it. They took it as a Zim-shot at the Vikings division rival. To borrow from ESPN, "C'Mon Man!" Are you serious? I wish that I could use the NFL offseason as an excuse for this nonsense but the media does this sort of shit all of the time. And the fans follow. Packers fans weren't too thrilled with Zimmer because the media clowns led them down that path. ESPN, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and USA Today put up articles about Zimmer poking the reigning division kings. The media clowns even asked Packers head coach Mike McCarthy about the comments. He laughed about it and said that it doesn't bug him. Why would it? McCarthy probably wanted to say, "C'Mon Man!" He's been around long enough to understand the idiotic motives of the media.
The Packers did cancel Wednesday's practice so that they could all shoot some sporting clays together. No ping pong. They even have a tradition dating to before McCarthy of canceling a June practice to take part in a non-football activity. A team-building activity. Activities that have included skeet-shooting, bowling, dodge ball, and a home derby. Fun! But they have never canceled a practice for ping pong. Maybe when Curly Lambeau was calling the shots. Why anyone would think that Zimmer's ping pong comment had anything to do with the Green Bay Packers is an absolute mystery. If anything, Zimmer was taking a shot at his own team for trying to get out of some football work.
If this is the sort of nonsense that the media is going to use to fill their time, and ours, over the weeks before training camp it's going to be long five weeks.
If this is the sort of nonsense that the media is going to use to fill their time, and ours, over the weeks before training camp it's going to be long five weeks.
Friday, June 19, 2015
That's It!
The NFL's offseason workouts have come to an end. Some teams finished last week. Most teams finished this week. A few teams even finished early when coaches let their players go home with time still on the clock. Coaches and players will meet again in just over a month at training camp.
The next month-plus is a break for the players but it's mostly a break for the coaches. The players get some time off when the season comes to an end. Many players have January. Nearly every player has February. Players from a couple of teams have a fistful of days to finish up their business. All of the players have March. Things start ramping up again in April. So the players have at least two months off when their seasons come to an end. The coaches are working while the players are recovering and relaxing. The next few weeks are the only weeks in the calendar year during which coaches can relax. Maybe get away before the race starts again in late July.
The front office folk have less work than they used to have in the next month. They used to have to deal with rookie contract negotiations. The CBA made those contracts a snap. New England Patriots defensive tackle Malcom Brown is the only first round pick that remains unsigned. He was the last pick of the first round and obviously the last to sign. Under the previous CBA nearly all of the first round picks were still unsigned up to, and often into, training camp. If the owners and players got anything right in the last labor negotiations it was bringing rookie contracts into line with reality. The front offices around the league still have some work. A few still have to wrap up some rookie contracts. Some have critical and apparently difficult veteran contract negotiations in front of them. The Dallas Cowboys and Dez Bryant. The Kansas City Chiefs and Justin Houston. There are a lot of eyes on the Seattle Seahawks and what they do with quarterback Russell Wilson. If there's big NFL news in the next few weeks it probably comes from those situations. If the NFL truly has an off-season, it just started.
Next stop: Training Camps. And the 2016 NFL Season.
The next month-plus is a break for the players but it's mostly a break for the coaches. The players get some time off when the season comes to an end. Many players have January. Nearly every player has February. Players from a couple of teams have a fistful of days to finish up their business. All of the players have March. Things start ramping up again in April. So the players have at least two months off when their seasons come to an end. The coaches are working while the players are recovering and relaxing. The next few weeks are the only weeks in the calendar year during which coaches can relax. Maybe get away before the race starts again in late July.
The front office folk have less work than they used to have in the next month. They used to have to deal with rookie contract negotiations. The CBA made those contracts a snap. New England Patriots defensive tackle Malcom Brown is the only first round pick that remains unsigned. He was the last pick of the first round and obviously the last to sign. Under the previous CBA nearly all of the first round picks were still unsigned up to, and often into, training camp. If the owners and players got anything right in the last labor negotiations it was bringing rookie contracts into line with reality. The front offices around the league still have some work. A few still have to wrap up some rookie contracts. Some have critical and apparently difficult veteran contract negotiations in front of them. The Dallas Cowboys and Dez Bryant. The Kansas City Chiefs and Justin Houston. There are a lot of eyes on the Seattle Seahawks and what they do with quarterback Russell Wilson. If there's big NFL news in the next few weeks it probably comes from those situations. If the NFL truly has an off-season, it just started.
Next stop: Training Camps. And the 2016 NFL Season.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Throwback Thursday: Flea Flicker Top-10 All-Time Receivers
Here's a Flea Flicker look at the ten best receivers in the history of the NFL. A couple might surprise.
1. Jerry Rice
There's little to discuss here. He's in the discussion for the best football player in the history of the game.
2. Don Hutson
What he did and when he did it is simply ridiculous. NFL defenses had never seen anything like him before. His best season of 74 catches for 1211 yards and 17 touchdowns are nice numbers for a receiver today. He did it over 70 years ago.
3. Cris Carter
No receiver ever caught the ball better and that's the first thing that any receiver has to do.
4. Randy Moss
He might have been the most physically gifted receiver to ever play in the league. There were moments when defenses didn't have a chance of stopping him.
5. Raymond Berry
He might have been the least physically gifted receiver to ever play in the league. Few receivers ever worked harder to make himself better. The connection between Johnny Unitas and Berry should have been illegal.
6. Larry Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald turns every game into a pass-catching clinic. His performance in the 2008 postseason was one of the best I've ever seen.
7. Calvin Johnson
Like Moss, Johnson is just too physically gifted for most defensive backs to handle. When he's on no defense has an answer for him.
8. Marvin Harrison
The relationship between Harrison and Peyton Manning was similar to that between Unitas and Berry.
9. Sterling Sharpe
Sharpe's career came to an end just when it was about to truly take off. His back took him out of the game way too soon. His best three years were his last three years and his only three years with a young Brett Favre. Favre-Sharpe probably would have been talked about like Montana/Young-Rice, Unitas-Berry, Manning-Harrison if given more time together. As a Vikings fan, Sharpe probably worried me more than Calvin Johnson ever has.
10. Harlon Hill
Another receiver that had his career short by injuries. The books may say that Hill's career lasted for nine seasons but he was himself for just over three. This Bears receiver took the league by storm from 1954-56. He was a shell of himself for the next six years. Still, he averaged over 20 yards per catch for his career.
So, there it is. One look at the top receivers to ever play the game. It might be a stretch to include Harlon Hill but his first three years can stand up with anyone. He hit the league like Odell Beckham Jr. did last year and some are already prepping his bust for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1. Jerry Rice
There's little to discuss here. He's in the discussion for the best football player in the history of the game.
2. Don Hutson
What he did and when he did it is simply ridiculous. NFL defenses had never seen anything like him before. His best season of 74 catches for 1211 yards and 17 touchdowns are nice numbers for a receiver today. He did it over 70 years ago.
3. Cris Carter
No receiver ever caught the ball better and that's the first thing that any receiver has to do.
4. Randy Moss
He might have been the most physically gifted receiver to ever play in the league. There were moments when defenses didn't have a chance of stopping him.
5. Raymond Berry
He might have been the least physically gifted receiver to ever play in the league. Few receivers ever worked harder to make himself better. The connection between Johnny Unitas and Berry should have been illegal.
6. Larry Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald turns every game into a pass-catching clinic. His performance in the 2008 postseason was one of the best I've ever seen.
7. Calvin Johnson
Like Moss, Johnson is just too physically gifted for most defensive backs to handle. When he's on no defense has an answer for him.
8. Marvin Harrison
The relationship between Harrison and Peyton Manning was similar to that between Unitas and Berry.
9. Sterling Sharpe
Sharpe's career came to an end just when it was about to truly take off. His back took him out of the game way too soon. His best three years were his last three years and his only three years with a young Brett Favre. Favre-Sharpe probably would have been talked about like Montana/Young-Rice, Unitas-Berry, Manning-Harrison if given more time together. As a Vikings fan, Sharpe probably worried me more than Calvin Johnson ever has.
10. Harlon Hill
Another receiver that had his career short by injuries. The books may say that Hill's career lasted for nine seasons but he was himself for just over three. This Bears receiver took the league by storm from 1954-56. He was a shell of himself for the next six years. Still, he averaged over 20 yards per catch for his career.
So, there it is. One look at the top receivers to ever play the game. It might be a stretch to include Harlon Hill but his first three years can stand up with anyone. He hit the league like Odell Beckham Jr. did last year and some are already prepping his bust for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Youthful Leadership
In a couple of years quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and middle linebacker Eric Kendricks will be the offensive and defensive leaders of the Minnesota Vikings. It might come even sooner than that. Despite entering only his second year in the league and not turning 23 until November, Bridgewater is already there. He's the quarterback. It's the nature of the position. He has to lead no matter how young he is. Kendricks is just a rookie. He's yet to even take an NFL snap. He hasn't even taken part in an NFL training camp. But he's the middle linebacker. The quarterback of the defense. Each should be a team leader because of the position that they play, the way that they play, and their work ethic. They set the example. Expectations are high for both of them. As a result, expectations are high for the future of the Minnesota Vikings.
Bridgewater and Kendricks are expected to be leaders for a variety of reasons. Most importantly due to the positions that they play. The interesting thing with both is that neither seems to be very vocal. Off the field or on. They've been leaders more through their actions. Through their preparation, effort, and performance. Tight end Kyle Rudolph and center John Sullivan are more vocal on the offensive side of the ball. Rudolph and Sullivan are team leaders. Bridgewater is the quarterback. The quarterback has to lead. Linebacker Chad Greenway and defensive ends Everson Griffen and Brian Robison are defensive team leaders. They are vocal veterans. Kendricks will be quarterbacking the defense as the middle linebacker. He'll be making the calls, getting players set. That's a tall task for a rookie. He'll have help from Greenway, in particular, Griffen and Robison. Probably safety Harrison Smith too but he's more of a leader-by-example like Bridgewater and Kendricks.
Quiet players, even young quiet players can lead through their work and effort. That's a good thing as the Vikings have a couple of them that are tasked with leading due to the positions that they play. Vocal leadership will come as the players become more comfortable with their game, their teammates, and their roles. Bridgewater has already started showing more of that vocal leadership. That's a good thing. He'll never be very loud about it but he'll be a leader. Kendricks is showing leadership potential through a quick understanding of the playbook and his effort. That's a very good thing. Not everyone is a vocal, emotional, football leader like Ray Lewis or Drew Brees. If a football player isn't he shouldn't even try. Just being himself might be one of the best leadership qualities of all.
Expectations for the Minnesota Vikings are rising quickly. A lot of that has to do with the young football players added to the roster over the past few seasons. Players like Teddy Bridgewater and Eric Kendricks. Players with the work ethic to keep getting better. Players that are destined to lead.
Bridgewater and Kendricks are expected to be leaders for a variety of reasons. Most importantly due to the positions that they play. The interesting thing with both is that neither seems to be very vocal. Off the field or on. They've been leaders more through their actions. Through their preparation, effort, and performance. Tight end Kyle Rudolph and center John Sullivan are more vocal on the offensive side of the ball. Rudolph and Sullivan are team leaders. Bridgewater is the quarterback. The quarterback has to lead. Linebacker Chad Greenway and defensive ends Everson Griffen and Brian Robison are defensive team leaders. They are vocal veterans. Kendricks will be quarterbacking the defense as the middle linebacker. He'll be making the calls, getting players set. That's a tall task for a rookie. He'll have help from Greenway, in particular, Griffen and Robison. Probably safety Harrison Smith too but he's more of a leader-by-example like Bridgewater and Kendricks.
Quiet players, even young quiet players can lead through their work and effort. That's a good thing as the Vikings have a couple of them that are tasked with leading due to the positions that they play. Vocal leadership will come as the players become more comfortable with their game, their teammates, and their roles. Bridgewater has already started showing more of that vocal leadership. That's a good thing. He'll never be very loud about it but he'll be a leader. Kendricks is showing leadership potential through a quick understanding of the playbook and his effort. That's a very good thing. Not everyone is a vocal, emotional, football leader like Ray Lewis or Drew Brees. If a football player isn't he shouldn't even try. Just being himself might be one of the best leadership qualities of all.
Expectations for the Minnesota Vikings are rising quickly. A lot of that has to do with the young football players added to the roster over the past few seasons. Players like Teddy Bridgewater and Eric Kendricks. Players with the work ethic to keep getting better. Players that are destined to lead.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Sophomore Breakout Players
Some young football players take a year to adjust to the rigors of the NFL. Here's a player from each team that could make a big leap forward in their second year in the league.
Minnesota Vikings
Scott Crichton, DE
His rookie year was basically a redshirt year. He only had a handful of snaps. The Vikings drafted him in the third-round to do much more than that. He's been terrific in offseason workouts.
Green Bay Packers
Davante Adams, WR
Packers receivers have a great chance to excel with Aaron Rodgers throwing the footballs. Adams started to shine in the playoffs last season. Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, AND Adams. Oh my.
Detroit Lions
Eric Ebron, TE
Ebron was the tenth pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. He sometimes looked lost in his first NFL season. He should be much more comfortable in his second season.
Chicago Bears
Kyle Fuller, CB
Fuller probably doesn't belong on this list as he was terrific early in his rookie season. Injuries eventually derailed him. His future in the league is a bright one.
New York Giants
Andre Williams, RB
It might be a surprise to some that the Giants found players other than Odell Beckham Jr. in the 2014 NFL Draft. The Giants signed Shane Vereen in the offseason so it might be stretch to say that Williams will shine in his second season. Williams and Vereen should be a nice running combination when Eli Manning isn't tossing the ball up to Beckham.
Philadelphia Eagles
Jordan Matthews, WR
Matthews was one of my favorite receivers in the 2014 NFL Draft. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly opened the door for Matthews to be the team's top receiving target moving forward.
Dallas Cowboys
Demarcus Lawrence, DE
Like Packers receiver Davante Adams, Lawrence started to shine late in his rookie season. The Cowboys defense has had a lot of changes recently and Lawrence will have the opportunity to be a passing rushing force.
Washington Redskins
Bashaud Breeland, CB
Those that follow the Redskins might not consider Breeland a breakout candidate as they consider his rookie season a breakout season. He started and played well last season. The guess here is that he'll play even better in his second season.
New Orleans Saints
Brandin Cooks, WR
This pick is much like the Fuller pick for the Bears. Cooks was playing great as a rookie until injuries slowed him. With Jimmy Graham catching passes in Seattle now, Cooks could be Drew Brees' top target.
Atlanta Falcons
Ra'Shede Hageman, DT
If new coach Dan Quinn can keep him properly dedicated and motivated Hageman should shine. He's so talented. Huge too.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE
Seferian-Jenkins had some fine moments as a rookie. He could have many more going forward. I still have visions of this guy destroying Cal while he was at Washington.
Carolina Panthers
Bene Benwikere, CB
He's on this list for his awesome name! It's really more than his name. Benwikere played well as a rookie. His second year should be even better. And more people will know that name.
San Francisco 49ers
Carlos Hyde, RB
With Frank Gore now lined up behind Andrew Luck in Indianapolis, the 49ers running back job belongs to Hyde. He was great with limited carries last year. He's the man this year.
Seattle Seahawks
?
I really have no idea which second-year player might breakout for the Seahawks. Receiver Paul Richardson would be an easy choice if he hadn't torn his ACL in the playoffs. The Seahawks starters are so talented that they can ease youngsters into the lineup. The offensive is looking for improvement so second-round pick Justin Britt could be a candidate here.
Arizona Cardinals
Troy Niklas, TE
Niklas should provide a nice, big security blanket for Carson Palmer. He needs to get on the field and stay on the field.
St. Louis Rams
Lamarcus Joyner, S
Joyner was another one of my favorite players in the 2014 NFL Draft. The Rams are building an excellent defense. The front seven is already there. The secondary is still coming together. They have TJ McDonald and added Mark Barron at safety. They have to find a spot Joyner. Maybe it's at nickel. Maybe it's at corner. I'd like to see it at safety. He's a dynamic little defensive playmaker.
Baltimore Ravens
Timmy Jernigan, DT
Trading Haloti Ngata opened some room in the middle of the Ravens defensive front. Jernigan is nowhere near the size of Ngata but he still spends a lot of time in offensive backfields.
Cleveland Browns
Christian Kirksey, LB
Kirksey is another player that I really liked in the draft. He's always around the ball.
Cincinnati Bengals
Darqueze Dennard, CB
He didn't get on the field as much as the Bengals probably wanted last year. That should change this year.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ryan Shazier, LB
Another player like Fuller and Cooks that started his NFL career in terrific fashion only to see it slowed by injuries. Shazier is fast. So fast.
New England Patriots
Malcolm Butler, CB
The Super Bowl hero. He wasn't even drafted. The Patriots dumped a few corners this offseason. The position is his now despite the recent disciplinary nonsense that's been way overblown.
New York Jets
Calvin Pryor, S
New head coach Todd Bowles will find a way to get Pryor involved in the defense.
Buffalo Bills
Preston Brown, LB
Brown should be an active playmaker in the middle of Rex Ryan's defense.
Miami Dolphins
Jarvis Landry, WR
The Dolphins receiver group has undergone a bit of a makeover in the past year. Landry will be a terrific target for Ryan Tannehill.
Indianapolis Colts
Jonathan Newsome, DE
Newsome had 6.5 sacks as a rookie. He should be a double-digit sack man for the Colts.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Telvin Smith, LB
Defensive-minded head coach Gus Bradley should have fun finding useful ways to use this speedy, playmaking linebacker.
Houston Texans
Jadeveon Clowney, LB
The top pick in the draft just has to stay on the football field. J.J. Watt and Clowney! That's ridiculous.
Tennessee Titans
Avery Williamson, LB
Williamson earned a starting spot as a rookie. He should build on that.
Denver Broncos
Cody Latimer, WR
With Peyton Manning throwing the football any receiver that gets open where he's supposed to get open will get catches. Latimer should be doing a lot more of that in his second season.
Kansas City Chiefs
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OL
This is more hopeful than realistic. I'd like to see this Canadian football player from McGill University win a starting spot with the Chiefs. He's a skilled football player. He just has to get used to NFL-level talent.
San Diego Chargers
Jason Verrett, CB
If Verrett was taller than 6' rather than 5'9" he would have been a top-10 pick. He was still the 25th pick. Verrett is a very talented football player. His future is bright.
Oakland Raiders
Khalil Mack, LB
It's probably not right to pick one of the best rookies in the league last year as a breakout candidate for his second year. Well, I don't think that Mack is even close to his potential. Which is very, very scary.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Up Next
This is an odd time to think about the next class of NFL head coaches but the long days between offseason workouts and training camps are an odd time. Robert Klemko wrote an interesting article for Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback site about 32 coaches that might be up next. Coaches that could become NFL head coaches when others are inevitably fired during or at the end of the 2015 season. Klemko looked to 24 people that might be "in the know" for the "goods" on potential NFL head coaches. Agents, scouts, coaches, front-office executives, and plugged-in reporters. Those sort of people in the football business. Klemko identified eight coaches that are "On the Cusp" of an NFL head coaching job, 17 coaches that are "Building a Case." And seven more coaches that have "Something to Prove." 32 coaches total. Enough to replace all 32 current head coaches in the league. It's fine work from Robert Klemko. MMQB is an excellent football resource.
Here's a look at Klemko's list of 32:
On the Cusp
1. Adam Gase, Chicago Bears offensive coordinator
2. Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots offensive coordinator
3. Teryl Austin, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator
4. Jim Mora, UCLA head coach
5. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M head coach
6. Pep Hamilton, Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator
7. David Shaw, Stanford head coach
8. Frank Reich, San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator
The coach on this list that intrigues me the most is Teryl Austin but I'd put him in the "Something to Prove" category. He did a fantastic job with the Lions defense in his first and only year as a defensive coordinator. He also had Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairly (especially Suh) in the front of his defense. He doesn't have that this year. Austin has been coaching since 1991 but he's only received attention outside the football community in recent seasons. He was a position coach as recently as 2013. If his Lions defense excels this year, I'd put him near the top of the list in January. I really think that Josh McDaniel's next head coaching job will be nothing like his first (and only) head coaching job. That's a good thing. He might be #1 on my list if I was looking for a head coach for 2016. Frank Reich is the other coach on this list that really intrigues me. I'm not sold on Adam Gase, Kevin Sumlin, Pep Hamilton, and David Shaw yet. I think that everyone knows what they get with Jim Mora. He's great if that's what you want. He might still be coaching in Seattle if he wasn't dumped for Pete Carroll.
Building a Case
1. Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line coach
2. Sean McDermott, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator
3. Pat Shurmur, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator
4. Hue Jackson, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator
5. Greg Roman, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
6. Darrell Bevel, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator
7. Rob Chudzinski, Indianapolis Colts assistant head coach
8. Joe Lombardi, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
9. Kyle Shanahan, Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator
10. Vic Fangio, Chicago Bears defensive coordinator
11. Scott Linehan, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator
12. Jim Schwartz, free agent
13. Eric Mangini, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator
14. Ben McAdoo, New York Giants offensive coordinator
15. Tom Cable, Seattle Seahawks offensive line coach
16. Mike Shanahan, free agent
17. Ray Horton, Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator
The two things that stick out here are these: 1) It's an absolute mystery as to how Hue Jackson is not an NFL head coach right now. The Washington Redskins should have hired him from the Bengals staff last year before they hired Jay Gruden. 2) The 31 other coaches on Klemko's list should get a head coaching shot before Eric Mangini gets another one. I like Jackson, Vic Fangio, and Ray Horton from this group of coaches. Ben McAdoo, like Reich on the previous list, intrigues me. It would be kind of cool to see Vince Lombardi's grandson as a head coach in the NFL.
Something to Prove
1. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan head coach
2. Mike Patricia, New England Patriots defensive coordinator
3. John Pagano, San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator
4. Kris Richard, Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator
5. Mike Smith, free agent
6. Vance Joseph, Cincinnati Bengals defensive back coach
7. Anthony Lynn, Buffalo Bills running back coach
Mike Patricia has intrigued me since he became the Patriots defensive coordinator in 2012. Partly because he looks more like a lumberjack than a football coach. It's tough to tell how much of an impact a Bill Belichick defensive coordinator truly has on a defense. But Belichick does know coaching talent. I really like John Pagano. Vance Joseph and Kris Richard too but they might be a couple of years away from serious head coaching shots.
Flea Flicker Top Head Coaching Candidates
1. Hue Jackson
2. John Pagano
3. Ray Horton
4. Josh McDaniels
5. Vic Fangio
6. Frank Reich
7. Teryl Austin
8. Kris Richard
9. Anthony Lynn
10. Ben McAdoo
Here's a look at Klemko's list of 32:
On the Cusp
1. Adam Gase, Chicago Bears offensive coordinator
2. Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots offensive coordinator
3. Teryl Austin, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator
4. Jim Mora, UCLA head coach
5. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M head coach
6. Pep Hamilton, Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator
7. David Shaw, Stanford head coach
8. Frank Reich, San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator
The coach on this list that intrigues me the most is Teryl Austin but I'd put him in the "Something to Prove" category. He did a fantastic job with the Lions defense in his first and only year as a defensive coordinator. He also had Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairly (especially Suh) in the front of his defense. He doesn't have that this year. Austin has been coaching since 1991 but he's only received attention outside the football community in recent seasons. He was a position coach as recently as 2013. If his Lions defense excels this year, I'd put him near the top of the list in January. I really think that Josh McDaniel's next head coaching job will be nothing like his first (and only) head coaching job. That's a good thing. He might be #1 on my list if I was looking for a head coach for 2016. Frank Reich is the other coach on this list that really intrigues me. I'm not sold on Adam Gase, Kevin Sumlin, Pep Hamilton, and David Shaw yet. I think that everyone knows what they get with Jim Mora. He's great if that's what you want. He might still be coaching in Seattle if he wasn't dumped for Pete Carroll.
Building a Case
1. Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line coach
2. Sean McDermott, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator
3. Pat Shurmur, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator
4. Hue Jackson, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator
5. Greg Roman, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
6. Darrell Bevel, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator
7. Rob Chudzinski, Indianapolis Colts assistant head coach
8. Joe Lombardi, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
9. Kyle Shanahan, Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator
10. Vic Fangio, Chicago Bears defensive coordinator
11. Scott Linehan, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator
12. Jim Schwartz, free agent
13. Eric Mangini, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator
14. Ben McAdoo, New York Giants offensive coordinator
15. Tom Cable, Seattle Seahawks offensive line coach
16. Mike Shanahan, free agent
17. Ray Horton, Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator
The two things that stick out here are these: 1) It's an absolute mystery as to how Hue Jackson is not an NFL head coach right now. The Washington Redskins should have hired him from the Bengals staff last year before they hired Jay Gruden. 2) The 31 other coaches on Klemko's list should get a head coaching shot before Eric Mangini gets another one. I like Jackson, Vic Fangio, and Ray Horton from this group of coaches. Ben McAdoo, like Reich on the previous list, intrigues me. It would be kind of cool to see Vince Lombardi's grandson as a head coach in the NFL.
Something to Prove
1. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan head coach
2. Mike Patricia, New England Patriots defensive coordinator
3. John Pagano, San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator
4. Kris Richard, Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator
5. Mike Smith, free agent
6. Vance Joseph, Cincinnati Bengals defensive back coach
7. Anthony Lynn, Buffalo Bills running back coach
Mike Patricia has intrigued me since he became the Patriots defensive coordinator in 2012. Partly because he looks more like a lumberjack than a football coach. It's tough to tell how much of an impact a Bill Belichick defensive coordinator truly has on a defense. But Belichick does know coaching talent. I really like John Pagano. Vance Joseph and Kris Richard too but they might be a couple of years away from serious head coaching shots.
Flea Flicker Top Head Coaching Candidates
1. Hue Jackson
2. John Pagano
3. Ray Horton
4. Josh McDaniels
5. Vic Fangio
6. Frank Reich
7. Teryl Austin
8. Kris Richard
9. Anthony Lynn
10. Ben McAdoo
Sunday, June 14, 2015
So Lucky
I've liked a lot of things about Mike Zimmer for a long time. I especially like that he's the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings now. They are lucky to have him. So lucky. He should have been offered a head coaching job long before the Vikings finally did so on January 15, 2014. Zimmer started coaching at the college level in 1979. He moved to the NFL in 1994. He was a very effective NFL defensive coordinator for 14 years. Many coaches have been given their own team to run with less than a tenth of that experience. The Vikings first ever head coach was Norm Van Brocklin. He had no coaching experience. He went straight from MVP quarterback of the NFL Champion Philadelphia Eagles to head coach of the expansion Minnesota Vikings. Their ninth coach had 35 years of coaching experience. The Vikings second coach was Bud Grant. He turned the team into an annual contender. Four Super Bowl appearances. Pro Football Hall of Fame. A Minnesota state icon. He never spent a day as an assistant coach. Although he might have been something close to that while still a player for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Grant was 58 when he retired for good as the Vikings head coach. Zimmer was 57 when he was hired as the Vikings head coach. He should have been hired as a head coach by some team at least a decade before that. He grew so tired of the rejections that he nearly gave up trying. I'm so glad that he tried one more time. I'm so glad that his Vikings interview was his last. So Lucky.
I was first taken by Mike Zimmer when he was the defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. He didn't hold back in his criticisms of head coach Bobby Petrino for bolting the team after only 13 games. Zimmer's coaching ability and fiery personality has held my attention ever since. He's a very demanding coach. He doesn't tolerate much and his fuse is short. He's the yelling, red-faced football coach that many players hate. Green Bay Packers football players of the 1960s hated Vince Lombardi more often than not. They loved him later when they were no longer the target of his rage. Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway thought that Zimmer would be difficult. A volatile task-master. Other players expected boot camp-like practices. Instead they experienced a fiery, exacting football teacher. Like the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals players Zimmer taught before them the Vikings players love him. They love playing for him. Most head coaches delegate teaching responsibilities. Zimmer is more hands-on. Literally. He's on the field with the players. Always active. Always teaching. Often yelling. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes was a frequent target of that yelling last summer. Zimmer saw the immense talent in the then second-year player but he had to learn the defense and the proper techniques that go with it. By the end of the year Rhodes was one of the best cornerbacks in the league. After the last game Rhodes approached his head coach to thank him. He thanked Zimmer for helping him become the player that they both knew he could be. Players love Zimmer because his only goal is to make them better. And he's always honest with them. His coaching peers respect him nearly as much as his players love him. When Zimmer arrived at his first Senior Bowl as a head coach all of the other coaches applauded. He had finally made it. For a coach that is held in such high esteem by nearly everybody in the football business it's truly stunning that he was turned down for so many head coaching jobs for so long. The Vikings are so damn lucky.
I suppose that what I like best about Mike Zimmer, other than his being the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, is that he just gets it. He treats everybody with respect. He treats everybody the same. In some of his early press conferences and interviews as the new head coach of the Vikings he was always quick to acknowledge the work and the importance of the scouts. It was clear that he wasn't just referring to those at the top of the personnel department food chain. He was referring to the regional scouts that do all of the grunt work. The anonymous members of the Vikings organization. Everybody's role is important and vital to the whole. It's clear that Zimmer knows that building a contending team, winning a championship isn't just about him. He realizes that it will take a team effort from everyone in the Vikings building to get where they want to go. He is quicker to give credit than to take it. He realizes the importance of the head coach-general manager relationship. I don't think that Zimmer ever would have taken the Vikings job, no matter how long he waited for the opportunity, if he didn't think that he could get along with Rick Spielman. It isn't just about him. That's so refreshing after Brad Childress. Where it felt like everything was about him. Where every decision had to be his. Zimmer simply wants to be on the football field and in the classroom. Especially that football field. He just wants to help make football players better football players and his team a better team. He sees himself as a fixer of problems and most importantly as a teacher. He has brought in football coaches that want to teach. He, and Spielman and the scouts, have targeted football players that want to learn. In his first press conference as the Vikings head coach, Zimmer said that he wanted to build a team that the fan's will be thrilled to watch play football. Through energy and effort, and hopefully wins, fans will enjoy watching a Mike Zimmer-coached football team. I don't know much but I do know that the Minnesota Vikings are moving in that direction. The right direction. The Minnesota Vikings and everyone that cheers for them are so lucky to have Mike Zimmer coaching the team.
I was first taken by Mike Zimmer when he was the defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. He didn't hold back in his criticisms of head coach Bobby Petrino for bolting the team after only 13 games. Zimmer's coaching ability and fiery personality has held my attention ever since. He's a very demanding coach. He doesn't tolerate much and his fuse is short. He's the yelling, red-faced football coach that many players hate. Green Bay Packers football players of the 1960s hated Vince Lombardi more often than not. They loved him later when they were no longer the target of his rage. Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway thought that Zimmer would be difficult. A volatile task-master. Other players expected boot camp-like practices. Instead they experienced a fiery, exacting football teacher. Like the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals players Zimmer taught before them the Vikings players love him. They love playing for him. Most head coaches delegate teaching responsibilities. Zimmer is more hands-on. Literally. He's on the field with the players. Always active. Always teaching. Often yelling. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes was a frequent target of that yelling last summer. Zimmer saw the immense talent in the then second-year player but he had to learn the defense and the proper techniques that go with it. By the end of the year Rhodes was one of the best cornerbacks in the league. After the last game Rhodes approached his head coach to thank him. He thanked Zimmer for helping him become the player that they both knew he could be. Players love Zimmer because his only goal is to make them better. And he's always honest with them. His coaching peers respect him nearly as much as his players love him. When Zimmer arrived at his first Senior Bowl as a head coach all of the other coaches applauded. He had finally made it. For a coach that is held in such high esteem by nearly everybody in the football business it's truly stunning that he was turned down for so many head coaching jobs for so long. The Vikings are so damn lucky.
I suppose that what I like best about Mike Zimmer, other than his being the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, is that he just gets it. He treats everybody with respect. He treats everybody the same. In some of his early press conferences and interviews as the new head coach of the Vikings he was always quick to acknowledge the work and the importance of the scouts. It was clear that he wasn't just referring to those at the top of the personnel department food chain. He was referring to the regional scouts that do all of the grunt work. The anonymous members of the Vikings organization. Everybody's role is important and vital to the whole. It's clear that Zimmer knows that building a contending team, winning a championship isn't just about him. He realizes that it will take a team effort from everyone in the Vikings building to get where they want to go. He is quicker to give credit than to take it. He realizes the importance of the head coach-general manager relationship. I don't think that Zimmer ever would have taken the Vikings job, no matter how long he waited for the opportunity, if he didn't think that he could get along with Rick Spielman. It isn't just about him. That's so refreshing after Brad Childress. Where it felt like everything was about him. Where every decision had to be his. Zimmer simply wants to be on the football field and in the classroom. Especially that football field. He just wants to help make football players better football players and his team a better team. He sees himself as a fixer of problems and most importantly as a teacher. He has brought in football coaches that want to teach. He, and Spielman and the scouts, have targeted football players that want to learn. In his first press conference as the Vikings head coach, Zimmer said that he wanted to build a team that the fan's will be thrilled to watch play football. Through energy and effort, and hopefully wins, fans will enjoy watching a Mike Zimmer-coached football team. I don't know much but I do know that the Minnesota Vikings are moving in that direction. The right direction. The Minnesota Vikings and everyone that cheers for them are so lucky to have Mike Zimmer coaching the team.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Vikings That Wore It Well
To follow up yesterday's NFL jersey number list here's a list of the Minnesota Vikings that wore each number well.
1 Warren Moon
2 Darren Bennett
3 Blair Walsh
4 Brett Favre
5 Teddy Bridgewater
6 Jay Walker
7 Randall McDaniel
8 Ryan Longwell
9 Tommy Kramer
10 Fran Tarkenton
11 Daunte Culpepper
12 Percy Harvin
13 Bucky Scribner
14 Fred Cox
15 Gary Cuozzo
16 Rich Gannon
17 Mitch Berger
18 Mike Mercer
19 Bob Lee
20 Bobby Bryant
21 Terry Allen
22 Paul Krause
23 Ted Brown
24 Robert Griffith
25 Nate Allen
26 Antoine Winfield
27 John Turner
28 Adrian Peterson
29 Karl Kassulke
30 Bill Brown
31 Rick Finney
32 Oscar Reed
33 Brent McClanahan
34 Rickey Young
35 Marcus Sherels
36 Allen Rice
37 Willie Teal
38 Bob Tucker
39 Carl Lee
40 Jim Kleinsasser
41 Dave Osborn
42 John Gilliam
43 Nate Wright
44 Chuck Foreman
45 Tom Hannon
46 Earsell Mackbee
47 Joey Browner
48 Najee Mustafaa
49 Dale Hackbart
50 Jeff Siemon
51 Ben Leber
52 Chad Greenway
53 Mick Tingelhoff
54 Fred McNeil
55 Scott Studwell
56 Chris Doleman
57 Mike Merriweather
58 Wally Hilgenberg
59 Matt Blair
60 Roy Winston
61 Wes Hamilton
62 Ed White
63 Kirk Lowdermilk
64 Randall McDaniel
65 Gary Zimmerman
66 Terry Tausch
67 Grady Alderman
68 Chuck Goodrum
69 Jared Allen
70 Jim Marshall
71 David Dixon
72 David Huffman
73 Ron Yary
74 Bryant McKinnie
75 Keith Millard
76 Steve Hutchinson
77 Korey Stringer
78 Matt Birk
79 Doug Martin
80 Cris Carter
81 Carl Eller
82 Kyle Rudolph
83 Steve Jordan
84 Randy Moss
85 Sammy White
86 Hal Bledsoe
87 Leo Lewis
88 Alan Page
89 Jerry Reichow
90 Fred Evans
91 Ray Edwards
92 Roy Barker
93 John Randle
94 Pat Williams
95 Kenechi Udeze
96 Brian Robison
97 Everson Griffen
98 Fred Robbins
99 Al Noga
Six Vikings players have had their number retired:
10 Fran Tarkenton
53 Mick Tingelhoff
70 Jim Marshall
77 Korey Stringer
80 Cris Carter
88 Alan Page
So, those were easy. Some of the best represented numbers are:
22 Paul Krause, Harrison Smith
26 Antoine Winfield, Robert Smith
28 Adrian Peterson, Ahmad Rashad
81 Carl Eller, Anthony Carter
93 John Randle, Kevin Williams
#6 is an incredibly difficult jersey number to fill. Around the league and with the Vikings. The only team that comes to mind that can do a decent job of filling out #6 is the San Diego Chargers with Rolf Benirschke.
1 Warren Moon
2 Darren Bennett
3 Blair Walsh
4 Brett Favre
5 Teddy Bridgewater
6 Jay Walker
7 Randall McDaniel
8 Ryan Longwell
9 Tommy Kramer
10 Fran Tarkenton
11 Daunte Culpepper
12 Percy Harvin
13 Bucky Scribner
14 Fred Cox
15 Gary Cuozzo
16 Rich Gannon
17 Mitch Berger
18 Mike Mercer
19 Bob Lee
20 Bobby Bryant
21 Terry Allen
22 Paul Krause
23 Ted Brown
24 Robert Griffith
25 Nate Allen
26 Antoine Winfield
27 John Turner
28 Adrian Peterson
29 Karl Kassulke
30 Bill Brown
31 Rick Finney
32 Oscar Reed
33 Brent McClanahan
34 Rickey Young
35 Marcus Sherels
36 Allen Rice
37 Willie Teal
38 Bob Tucker
39 Carl Lee
40 Jim Kleinsasser
41 Dave Osborn
42 John Gilliam
43 Nate Wright
44 Chuck Foreman
45 Tom Hannon
46 Earsell Mackbee
47 Joey Browner
48 Najee Mustafaa
49 Dale Hackbart
50 Jeff Siemon
51 Ben Leber
52 Chad Greenway
53 Mick Tingelhoff
54 Fred McNeil
55 Scott Studwell
56 Chris Doleman
57 Mike Merriweather
58 Wally Hilgenberg
59 Matt Blair
60 Roy Winston
61 Wes Hamilton
62 Ed White
63 Kirk Lowdermilk
64 Randall McDaniel
65 Gary Zimmerman
66 Terry Tausch
67 Grady Alderman
68 Chuck Goodrum
69 Jared Allen
70 Jim Marshall
71 David Dixon
72 David Huffman
73 Ron Yary
74 Bryant McKinnie
75 Keith Millard
76 Steve Hutchinson
77 Korey Stringer
78 Matt Birk
79 Doug Martin
80 Cris Carter
81 Carl Eller
82 Kyle Rudolph
83 Steve Jordan
84 Randy Moss
85 Sammy White
86 Hal Bledsoe
87 Leo Lewis
88 Alan Page
89 Jerry Reichow
90 Fred Evans
91 Ray Edwards
92 Roy Barker
93 John Randle
94 Pat Williams
95 Kenechi Udeze
96 Brian Robison
97 Everson Griffen
98 Fred Robbins
99 Al Noga
Six Vikings players have had their number retired:
10 Fran Tarkenton
53 Mick Tingelhoff
70 Jim Marshall
77 Korey Stringer
80 Cris Carter
88 Alan Page
So, those were easy. Some of the best represented numbers are:
22 Paul Krause, Harrison Smith
26 Antoine Winfield, Robert Smith
28 Adrian Peterson, Ahmad Rashad
81 Carl Eller, Anthony Carter
93 John Randle, Kevin Williams
#6 is an incredibly difficult jersey number to fill. Around the league and with the Vikings. The only team that comes to mind that can do a decent job of filling out #6 is the San Diego Chargers with Rolf Benirschke.
Friday, June 12, 2015
They Wore It Well
We've reached the last few days of OTAs and Mini-Camps. As we approach the stretch of the year when the NFL comes as close as it ever gets to time off we are left with humoring ourselves. Here's one look at the players that wore each jersey number the best.
00 Jim Otto
1 Warren Moon
2 Charley Trippi
3 Bronco Nagurski
4 Brett Favre
5 George McAfee
6 Benny Friedman
7 Mel Hein
8 Steve Young
9 Drew Brees
10 Fran Tarkenton
11 Joe Guyon
12 Aaron Rodgers
13 Dan Marino
14 Don Hutson
15 Steve Van Buren
16 Frank Gifford
17 Turk Edwards
18 Peyton Manning
19 John Unitas
20 Barry Sanders
21 Deion Sanders
22 Bobby Layne
23 Troy Vincent
24 Lenny Moore
25 Bruiser Kinard
26 Rod Woodson
27 Ken Houston
28 Adrian Peterson
29 Eric Dickerson
30 Clarke Hinkle
31 Jim Taylor
32 Jim Brown
33 Sammy Baugh
34 Walter Payton
35 Bill Dudley
36 Jerome Bettis
37 Doak Walker
38 Arnie Herber
39 Hugh McElhenny
40 Gale Sayers
41 Keith Byars
42 Ronnie Lott
43 Troy Polamalu
44 Leroy Kelly
45 Emlen Tunnell
46 Chuck Muncie
47 Mel Blount
48 Les Richter
49 Bobby Mitchell
50 Alex Wojciehowicz
51 Dick Butkus
52 Ray Lewis
53 Mick Tingelhoff
54 Randy White
55 Derrick Brooks
56 Lawrence Taylor
57 Dwight Stephenson
58 Jack Lambert
59 Jack Ham
60 Chuck Bednarik
61 Bill George
62 Jim Langer
63 Gene Upshaw
64 Randall McDaniel
65 Elvin Bethea
66 Bulldog Turner
67 Reggie McKenzie
68 Russ Grimm
69 Jared Allen
70 Ernie Stautner
71 Walter Jones
72 Dan Dierdorf
73 Larry Allen
74 Bob Lilly
75 Forrest Gregg
76 Marion Motley
77 Jim Parker
78 Anthony Munoz
79 Roosevelt Brown
80 Jerry Rice
81 Night Train Lane
82 Raymond Berry
83 Ted Hendricks
84 Randy Moss
85 Nick Buoniconti
86 Dante Lavelli
87 Dave Casper
88 Alan Page
89 Gino Marchetti
90 Neil Smith
91 Kevin Greene
92 Reggie White
93 John Randle
94 Charles Haley
95 Richard Dent
96 Cortez Kennedy
97 Simeon Rice
98 Jessie Armstead
99 Warren Sapp
There were a handful of numbers that were difficult to fill. 23. 41, 46, and 98 to name a few. None came close to filling #6. There was no chance that Jay Cutler would appear on this list. I settled on the great Benny Friedman even though #1 was the jersey that he wore more than others. Fortunately for the completion of this list he did wear #6 at some point in his NFL career.
18 Peyton Manning
19 John Unitas
20 Barry Sanders
21 Deion Sanders
22 Bobby Layne
23 Troy Vincent
24 Lenny Moore
25 Bruiser Kinard
26 Rod Woodson
27 Ken Houston
28 Adrian Peterson
29 Eric Dickerson
30 Clarke Hinkle
31 Jim Taylor
32 Jim Brown
33 Sammy Baugh
34 Walter Payton
35 Bill Dudley
36 Jerome Bettis
37 Doak Walker
38 Arnie Herber
39 Hugh McElhenny
40 Gale Sayers
41 Keith Byars
42 Ronnie Lott
43 Troy Polamalu
44 Leroy Kelly
45 Emlen Tunnell
46 Chuck Muncie
47 Mel Blount
48 Les Richter
49 Bobby Mitchell
50 Alex Wojciehowicz
51 Dick Butkus
52 Ray Lewis
53 Mick Tingelhoff
54 Randy White
55 Derrick Brooks
56 Lawrence Taylor
57 Dwight Stephenson
58 Jack Lambert
59 Jack Ham
60 Chuck Bednarik
61 Bill George
62 Jim Langer
63 Gene Upshaw
64 Randall McDaniel
65 Elvin Bethea
66 Bulldog Turner
67 Reggie McKenzie
68 Russ Grimm
69 Jared Allen
70 Ernie Stautner
71 Walter Jones
72 Dan Dierdorf
73 Larry Allen
74 Bob Lilly
75 Forrest Gregg
76 Marion Motley
77 Jim Parker
78 Anthony Munoz
79 Roosevelt Brown
80 Jerry Rice
81 Night Train Lane
82 Raymond Berry
83 Ted Hendricks
84 Randy Moss
85 Nick Buoniconti
86 Dante Lavelli
87 Dave Casper
88 Alan Page
89 Gino Marchetti
90 Neil Smith
91 Kevin Greene
92 Reggie White
93 John Randle
94 Charles Haley
95 Richard Dent
96 Cortez Kennedy
97 Simeon Rice
98 Jessie Armstead
99 Warren Sapp
There were a handful of numbers that were difficult to fill. 23. 41, 46, and 98 to name a few. None came close to filling #6. There was no chance that Jay Cutler would appear on this list. I settled on the great Benny Friedman even though #1 was the jersey that he wore more than others. Fortunately for the completion of this list he did wear #6 at some point in his NFL career.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Throwback Thursday: 1940 NFL All-Decade Team
Here's a look at the 1940 NFL All-Decade Team. The team was selected by Pro Football Hall of Fame voters retroactively in 1969.
Quarterback
Sammy Baugh, Washington Redskins
Sid Luckman, Chicago Bears
Bob Waterfield, Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams
Halfback
Tony Canadeo, Green Bay Packers
Bill Dudley, Pittsburgh Steelers/Detroit Lions/Washington Redskins
George McAfee, Chicago Bears
Charley Trippi, Chicago Cardinals
Steve Van Buren, Philadelphia Eagles
Byron "Whizzer" White, Pittsburgh Steelers/Detroit Lions
Fullback
Pat Harder, Chicago Cardinals/Detroit Lions
Marion Motley, Cleveland Browns/Pittsburgh Steelers
Bill Osmanski, Chicago Bears
End
Jim Benton, Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams
Jack Ferrante, Philadelphia Eagles
Ken Kavanaugh, Chicago Bears
Dante Lavelli, Cleveland Browns
Pete Pihos, Philadelphia Eagles
Mac Speedie, Cleveland Browns
Ed Sprinkle, Chicago Bears
Tackle
Al Blozis, New York Giants
George Connor, Chicago Bears
Bucko Kilroy, Philadelphia Eagles
Buford "Baby" Ray, Green Bay Packers
Vic Sears, Philadelphia Eagles
Al Wistert, Philadelphia Eagles
Guard
Bruno Banducci, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers
Bill Edwards, New York Giants
Garrard Ramsey, Chicago Cardinals
Bill Willis, Cleveland Browns
Len Younce, New York Giants
Center
Charley Brock, Green Bay Packers
Clyde "Bulldog" Turner, Chicago Bears
Alex Wojciechowicz, Detroit Lions/Philadelphia Eagles
This NFL decade was jumbled a bunch due to World War II. Many players and coaches left their teams for the war. The Eagles and Steelers even had to join forces to form the Steagles in 1943 in order to survive. The 1940s were the final decade of single-platoon football. Since the 1950s we've had the specialization of offensive and defensive players. There was also strong competition from a rival league in the latter half of the decade. The All-America Football Conference. It was nice to see the voters include some of those AAFC players. Marion Motley, Dante Lavelli, Mac Speedie, and Bill Willis of the Browns and Bruno Banducci of the 49ers. Although it is a surprise to see Browns quarterback Otto Graham absent from the team. He should be on the team with the other quarterbacks but not at the expense of any of them.
The 1940s All-Decade team might have more players not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame than any other All-Decade team. Dante Lavelli, Pete Pihos, George Connor, Bill Willis, Bulldog Turner, and Alex Wojciechowicz are the only linemen on the team that are also honored in Canton. That's six of 21 players. There is better Hall of Fame representation among the backs. Whizzer White, Pat Harder, and Bill Osmanski are the only players not honored in Canton. White probably would be if he hadn't gone on to more important things and played more than 3 seasons. If I had to pick one player that deserves Hall of Fame honors I'd pick Bruno Banducci.
Quarterback
Sammy Baugh, Washington Redskins
Sid Luckman, Chicago Bears
Bob Waterfield, Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams
Halfback
Tony Canadeo, Green Bay Packers
Bill Dudley, Pittsburgh Steelers/Detroit Lions/Washington Redskins
George McAfee, Chicago Bears
Charley Trippi, Chicago Cardinals
Steve Van Buren, Philadelphia Eagles
Byron "Whizzer" White, Pittsburgh Steelers/Detroit Lions
Fullback
Pat Harder, Chicago Cardinals/Detroit Lions
Marion Motley, Cleveland Browns/Pittsburgh Steelers
Bill Osmanski, Chicago Bears
End
Jim Benton, Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams
Jack Ferrante, Philadelphia Eagles
Ken Kavanaugh, Chicago Bears
Dante Lavelli, Cleveland Browns
Pete Pihos, Philadelphia Eagles
Mac Speedie, Cleveland Browns
Ed Sprinkle, Chicago Bears
Tackle
Al Blozis, New York Giants
George Connor, Chicago Bears
Bucko Kilroy, Philadelphia Eagles
Buford "Baby" Ray, Green Bay Packers
Vic Sears, Philadelphia Eagles
Al Wistert, Philadelphia Eagles
Guard
Bruno Banducci, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers
Bill Edwards, New York Giants
Garrard Ramsey, Chicago Cardinals
Bill Willis, Cleveland Browns
Len Younce, New York Giants
Center
Charley Brock, Green Bay Packers
Clyde "Bulldog" Turner, Chicago Bears
Alex Wojciechowicz, Detroit Lions/Philadelphia Eagles
This NFL decade was jumbled a bunch due to World War II. Many players and coaches left their teams for the war. The Eagles and Steelers even had to join forces to form the Steagles in 1943 in order to survive. The 1940s were the final decade of single-platoon football. Since the 1950s we've had the specialization of offensive and defensive players. There was also strong competition from a rival league in the latter half of the decade. The All-America Football Conference. It was nice to see the voters include some of those AAFC players. Marion Motley, Dante Lavelli, Mac Speedie, and Bill Willis of the Browns and Bruno Banducci of the 49ers. Although it is a surprise to see Browns quarterback Otto Graham absent from the team. He should be on the team with the other quarterbacks but not at the expense of any of them.
The 1940s All-Decade team might have more players not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame than any other All-Decade team. Dante Lavelli, Pete Pihos, George Connor, Bill Willis, Bulldog Turner, and Alex Wojciechowicz are the only linemen on the team that are also honored in Canton. That's six of 21 players. There is better Hall of Fame representation among the backs. Whizzer White, Pat Harder, and Bill Osmanski are the only players not honored in Canton. White probably would be if he hadn't gone on to more important things and played more than 3 seasons. If I had to pick one player that deserves Hall of Fame honors I'd pick Bruno Banducci.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Vikings Tight Ends. Fullback Too?
There will be several interesting position battles when the Minnesota Vikings kick off training camp in Mankato next month. Who plays at which guard spot on the offensive line. The safety spot opposite Harrison Smith. Weak-side linebacker. One position that isn't discussed much is tight end. Perhaps that's because a healthy Kyle Rudolph is the undisputed starter. A difference-maker. Teddy Bridgewater's security blanket. With the spread of multiple tight end offenses in the NFL and Minnesota the position goes beyond just Rudolph. The training camp battles at tight end may also include the fullbacks. The Vikings didn't use a fullback much last year. That should change with the return of Adrian Peterson. It's been said many times over Peterson's years in the league that he prefers to run out of single-back sets. That's never been quite accurate. When he mentioned his preference for having no fullback in front of him he was running behind Naufahu Tahi. Peterson didn't mind running behind good fullbacks. Fullbacks like Tony Richardson early in his career and Jerome Felton more recently. Richardson is retired. Felton is now in Buffalo. Whether the Vikings use a fullback moving forward may depend as much on the tight ends as it does on the fullbacks.
Here's the current depth chart at each position:
Tight ends
Kyle Rudolph
Rhett Ellison
Chase Ford
Brandon Bostick
MyCole Pruitt
Fullback
Zach Line
Blake Renaud
Before the 2015 NFL Draft the Vikings tight end position seemed fairly clear. Rudolph as the starter. Rhett Ellison as the do-everything player. The H-back, in-line blocker, catch the ball on occasion, convert a big third down. The second tight end in two tight end formations. The sort of player that every good team needs but only those close to the team truly appreciates. Chase Ford as the back-up and security if Rudolph can't stay healthy. Brandon Bostick was the wildcard. A young, talented player that's trying to gain traction in the league. The Vikings tight end position became much less clear when MyCole Pruitt was selected in the fifth round. At 6'2" and 250 lbs he is a more of a movement tight end like Ellison. He's much more of an offensive threat than Ellison but provides similar versatility. His blocking is probably a work in progress but his possible impact in the passing game is intriguing. Too big for safeties. Too quick for linebackers. He's drawn comparisons to Charles Clay, formerly of the Miami Dolphins and now of the Buffalo Bills. Clay was a nightmare against the Vikings last year. Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner apparently campaigned for the selection of Pruitt and sees similar nightmarish match-up possibilities with him. Will the Vikings keep four tight ends? That's probably not an excessive number these days but it feels like it. The four would probably be Rudolph, Ellison, Ford, and Pruitt. What does that do to the fullback position? The Vikings appear to be fond of Zach Line as they've kept him on the active roster even though they had Felton. Two fullbacks is an absolute luxury on a 53-man roster. That's significant dedication to a player that has appeared in four games in two years. He's more of a runner than Felton but nowhere near the blocker. Ellison and maybe even Pruitt have the movement skills and versatility to line up in the backfield and provide lead blocking. If Line's blocking doesn't improve to the point that it's at least equal to that of those tight ends, his chances of maintaining a roster spot is diminished greatly. Line's other chance for the roster is if he can win a running back spot over, say, Matt Asiata. That would allow Line the chance to provide some power-running carries to spell Peterson while he continues to refine his blocking. But that becomes a running back position debate. This is about the tight ends and fullbacks. Blake Renaud is a developmental rookie fullback. He played linebacker at Boise St. He's adjusting to the NFL and a new position. At 6'2" and 255 lbs he has about 20 lbs on Line. That size is more fullback-sized and a linebacker-mentality in a fullback is a very good thing. Renaud is likely destined for the practice squad and it wouldn't be a stretch to think that he might have a future in Minnesota after a couple of years of work. That's probably due more to my hope that the fullback always has a place in this game. I just love those blocking grunts.
The Vikings tight end and fullback positions seemed pretty clear a couple of months ago. Rudolph, Ellison, and Ford made up a solid group. Line has nice potential at fullback. If his blocking improved he could make serious contributions to the offense. The addition of Pruitt changed things. A fifth-round pick doesn't often make an immediate impact. If Pruitt's college production and intriguing physical skills are any indication he could be one of the fifth-round picks that actually does make an immediate impact. Rudolph and Pruitt could make a dynamic offensive combination. If I had to guess the Vikings tight end and fullback positions right now, I'd go with:
Kyle Rudolph
Rhett Ellison
MyCole Pruitt
and
Zach Line
Letting Ford go is a gamble. He's the one tight end currently on the roster that can best step in for Rudolph. Bostick could be that guy but Ford has proven it. In four seasons Rudolph has had one healthy season. In that light letting Ford go is a big gamble. The guess here is that Rudolph has finally shaken the injury bug. There's still the chance that the Vikings keep four tight ends. If that's the case, I think that it's at the expense of Line, and the fullback position. Peterson's lead-blocker would be a tight end, likely Ellison.
Here's the current depth chart at each position:
Tight ends
Kyle Rudolph
Rhett Ellison
Chase Ford
Brandon Bostick
MyCole Pruitt
Fullback
Zach Line
Blake Renaud
Before the 2015 NFL Draft the Vikings tight end position seemed fairly clear. Rudolph as the starter. Rhett Ellison as the do-everything player. The H-back, in-line blocker, catch the ball on occasion, convert a big third down. The second tight end in two tight end formations. The sort of player that every good team needs but only those close to the team truly appreciates. Chase Ford as the back-up and security if Rudolph can't stay healthy. Brandon Bostick was the wildcard. A young, talented player that's trying to gain traction in the league. The Vikings tight end position became much less clear when MyCole Pruitt was selected in the fifth round. At 6'2" and 250 lbs he is a more of a movement tight end like Ellison. He's much more of an offensive threat than Ellison but provides similar versatility. His blocking is probably a work in progress but his possible impact in the passing game is intriguing. Too big for safeties. Too quick for linebackers. He's drawn comparisons to Charles Clay, formerly of the Miami Dolphins and now of the Buffalo Bills. Clay was a nightmare against the Vikings last year. Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner apparently campaigned for the selection of Pruitt and sees similar nightmarish match-up possibilities with him. Will the Vikings keep four tight ends? That's probably not an excessive number these days but it feels like it. The four would probably be Rudolph, Ellison, Ford, and Pruitt. What does that do to the fullback position? The Vikings appear to be fond of Zach Line as they've kept him on the active roster even though they had Felton. Two fullbacks is an absolute luxury on a 53-man roster. That's significant dedication to a player that has appeared in four games in two years. He's more of a runner than Felton but nowhere near the blocker. Ellison and maybe even Pruitt have the movement skills and versatility to line up in the backfield and provide lead blocking. If Line's blocking doesn't improve to the point that it's at least equal to that of those tight ends, his chances of maintaining a roster spot is diminished greatly. Line's other chance for the roster is if he can win a running back spot over, say, Matt Asiata. That would allow Line the chance to provide some power-running carries to spell Peterson while he continues to refine his blocking. But that becomes a running back position debate. This is about the tight ends and fullbacks. Blake Renaud is a developmental rookie fullback. He played linebacker at Boise St. He's adjusting to the NFL and a new position. At 6'2" and 255 lbs he has about 20 lbs on Line. That size is more fullback-sized and a linebacker-mentality in a fullback is a very good thing. Renaud is likely destined for the practice squad and it wouldn't be a stretch to think that he might have a future in Minnesota after a couple of years of work. That's probably due more to my hope that the fullback always has a place in this game. I just love those blocking grunts.
The Vikings tight end and fullback positions seemed pretty clear a couple of months ago. Rudolph, Ellison, and Ford made up a solid group. Line has nice potential at fullback. If his blocking improved he could make serious contributions to the offense. The addition of Pruitt changed things. A fifth-round pick doesn't often make an immediate impact. If Pruitt's college production and intriguing physical skills are any indication he could be one of the fifth-round picks that actually does make an immediate impact. Rudolph and Pruitt could make a dynamic offensive combination. If I had to guess the Vikings tight end and fullback positions right now, I'd go with:
Kyle Rudolph
Rhett Ellison
MyCole Pruitt
and
Zach Line
Letting Ford go is a gamble. He's the one tight end currently on the roster that can best step in for Rudolph. Bostick could be that guy but Ford has proven it. In four seasons Rudolph has had one healthy season. In that light letting Ford go is a big gamble. The guess here is that Rudolph has finally shaken the injury bug. There's still the chance that the Vikings keep four tight ends. If that's the case, I think that it's at the expense of Line, and the fullback position. Peterson's lead-blocker would be a tight end, likely Ellison.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Top Contracts For 2015
Here are the 22 highest-salaried players for the 2015 NFL season:
1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers: $22,000,000
2. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers: $21,850,000
3. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers: $20,800,000
4. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons: $20,750,000
5. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens: $20,100,000
6. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints: $20,000,000
7. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Miami Dolphins: $19,000,000
8. Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers: $19,000,000
9. Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears: $18,000,000
10. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys: $18,000,000
11. Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions: $17,666,667
12. Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs: $17,000,000
13. Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos: $17,000,000
14. J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans: $16,667, 571
15. Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals: $16,500,000
16. Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants: $16,250,000
17. Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions: $16,207,143
18. Mario Williams, DE, Buffalo Bills: $16,000,000
19. Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals: $16,000,000
20. Gerald McCoy, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $15,866,667
21. Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers: $15,300,000
22. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, New York Giants: $14,813,000
It's really no surprise that 16 of the 22 highest-paid players this season, and nine of the top-10, are quarterbacks. It's a quarterback's world and the rest of the players are just living in it. Of those quarterbacks it's a little strange to see Peyton Manning at #13. It's even more strange to not see Tom Brady listed at all. The 4-time Super Bowl winning quarterback is scheduled to make a very team-friendly $7 million this season. That's an itty-bitty contract for arguably the best quarterback in the league. Of the six non-quarterbacks on the list all but one are defensive linemen. The player's tasked with destroying the highly-paid quarterbacks. Lions receiver Calvin Johnson is the only player among the highest-paid players that isn't paid to throw the football or kill the player that throws the football. He simply catches that football.
It doesn't feel right that the highest-paid defensive player is a player other than J.J. Watt. He's scheduled to make $2,332,429 less than Ndamukong Suh. Suh is a fine player but his salary for 2015 was inflated by his availability in this offseason's free agent market. Watt hits free agency and he probably sees a contract closer to Aaron Rodgers than Carson Palmer.
There's really no faulting football players for getting what they can when they can get it but at least half of the players on this list aren't among the top-22 players in the league. The going rate for a starting quarterback grossly inflates the contracts for some of those quarterbacks.
1. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers: $22,000,000
2. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers: $21,850,000
3. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers: $20,800,000
4. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons: $20,750,000
5. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens: $20,100,000
6. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints: $20,000,000
7. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Miami Dolphins: $19,000,000
8. Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers: $19,000,000
9. Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears: $18,000,000
10. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys: $18,000,000
11. Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions: $17,666,667
12. Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs: $17,000,000
13. Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos: $17,000,000
14. J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans: $16,667, 571
15. Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals: $16,500,000
16. Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants: $16,250,000
17. Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions: $16,207,143
18. Mario Williams, DE, Buffalo Bills: $16,000,000
19. Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals: $16,000,000
20. Gerald McCoy, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $15,866,667
21. Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego Chargers: $15,300,000
22. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, New York Giants: $14,813,000
It's really no surprise that 16 of the 22 highest-paid players this season, and nine of the top-10, are quarterbacks. It's a quarterback's world and the rest of the players are just living in it. Of those quarterbacks it's a little strange to see Peyton Manning at #13. It's even more strange to not see Tom Brady listed at all. The 4-time Super Bowl winning quarterback is scheduled to make a very team-friendly $7 million this season. That's an itty-bitty contract for arguably the best quarterback in the league. Of the six non-quarterbacks on the list all but one are defensive linemen. The player's tasked with destroying the highly-paid quarterbacks. Lions receiver Calvin Johnson is the only player among the highest-paid players that isn't paid to throw the football or kill the player that throws the football. He simply catches that football.
It doesn't feel right that the highest-paid defensive player is a player other than J.J. Watt. He's scheduled to make $2,332,429 less than Ndamukong Suh. Suh is a fine player but his salary for 2015 was inflated by his availability in this offseason's free agent market. Watt hits free agency and he probably sees a contract closer to Aaron Rodgers than Carson Palmer.
There's really no faulting football players for getting what they can when they can get it but at least half of the players on this list aren't among the top-22 players in the league. The going rate for a starting quarterback grossly inflates the contracts for some of those quarterbacks.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Vikings Receivers
Here's another look at a Minnesota Vikings position group. The receivers. This is a very unique group. Compared to some receiver groups around the league the Vikings group might be described as fairly pedestrian. It's topped by a player that has somewhat fallen from grace in recent years, another player that has spent more time on practice squads and injured lists than an active roster, and another player that was hot-white as a rookie but failed in his second year. It's a group that currently looks like this:
Mike Wallace
Charles Johnson
Cordarrelle Patterson
Jarius Wright
Stefon Diggs
Adam Thielen
Donte Foster
DaVaris Daniels
Jordan Leslie
Gavin Lutman
Isaac Fruechte
Despite the lack of respect or attention I really like this group. Wallace has been one of the most dangerous deep threats in the league since he entered it. More so during his first four years with the Pittsburgh Steelers than his last two with the Miami Dolphins. He was a dynamic, big-play receiver with the Steelers. He could take the top off of any defense. He didn't quite fit the less explosive Dolphins offense that he joined as a high-priced free agent two years ago. Some say that Wallace is a one-trick pony, a deep threat only. 9 of his 10 touchdowns last season were on plays that were run in the red zone. He can get open, make plays, and be effective without depending solely on his deep speed. Still, it's that deep speed that gives offensive coordinator Norv Turner a more complete playbook. He now has receivers that can make plays all over the field. The Vikings under-the-radar group of receivers might be best summed up with the talent, potential and career to date of Johnson. He wasn't even on the Vikings roster at the start of the 2014 season. He was on the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns. The Vikings snagged him in September. By the end of the season he was the best receiver on the team. He has the speed, size, and work ethic to excel. He's also finally fully recovered from a 2013 torn ACL. His route running is special. It gets him open. He was routinely open last season. Wide open. Wide open a lot. Despite a slow start to his NFL career his future is bright. The Vikings are very lucky to have him. Then we have Patterson. Few rookie receivers have been more explosive than Patterson was in the final weeks of the 2013 NFL season. He was supposed to be a break-out star last season. He wasn't. Not even close. Patterson has the natural talent to be a superstar but he's so raw, so undisciplined in his play. All indications are that he has worked extremely hard this offseason to become a better player, a more disciplined player. If his play ever matches his natural talent, he will take the league apart. Wright is one of the most interesting players of the group. He's the only receiver under 6-foot on the roster. He's a little guy that plays big. He hasn't caught a lot of passes in his three seasons in the league but he's made a lot of big plays. He completely abused all-everything Seattle Seahawks corner Richard Sherman a couple of years ago on a 40-yard touchdown. The play wasn't an outlier. He's done that sort of thing to a lot of corners. His highlight reel views like a player that is more acclaimed. This is a contract year for Wright and the hope here is that he'll be in Minnesota for a long time. He's a valuable player in this group. Versatile and effective. He's probably the player that benefits most from the departure of Greg Jennings. Wright can play outside the numbers but he might be used mostly out of the slot moving forward. He has the suddenness in space to excel there. Diggs dropped to the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft and the Vikings benefited. He may play like a quick, elusive little guy but he's a 6-footer. He's a dynamic play-maker and may find an immediate role as the punt returner. The Vikings kept five receivers last year in Turner's first year as offensive coordinator. If they keep five again, the guess here is that the five will be:
Mike Wallace
Charles Johnson
Cordarrelle Patterson
Jarius Wright
Stefon Diggs
But, that's a tough call. Thielen makes it a tough call. If the Vikings do keep five, the battle between Diggs and Thielen for that final spot will be one of the most interesting in training camp. Thielen became a vital part of nearly every special teams unit. He also started making more plays in the passing game at the end of of last season. His role on the team has increased to the point that I think it forces the Vikings to keep six receivers. Unless Diggs is horrible this summer he's on the roster. He's been a standout in offseason workouts so far.
The rest of the group will probably be fighting for practice squad spots. Foster made it there last year. He has some competition this year. Daniels and Leslie are the most prominent of of the college free agents. Daniels might have been drafted if he hadn't been booted from the Notre Dame team for some academic improprieties. The Vikings are definitely looking at receivers with size. Daniels is the smallest among the aspiring youngsters at 6'1". Foster is also 6'1". Leslie, Lutman, and Fruechte are all at least 6'3". Good thing as the task ahead of them is a tall one.
I really like this group of receivers. I like it partly because they are going about their business with confidence but mostly because of the versatility. Wallace has the speed. That speed will get a lot of attention from defenses. The sort of attention that will open up the rest of the offense. Johnson has the size and speed to be effective all over the field. His route running is excellent. An example to the young players on the team. Patterson is the wildcard as his potential is so great. He has the size and speed to dominate. He has the elusiveness of a little guy. I've never seen a player his size change direction like he can. He has to live up to that potential. Fortunately for him and the Vikings it appears that he's finally doing the work to live up to that potential. We'll see. Wright is the guy that just makes plays. It feels like he'll always be second- or third-fiddle to others but defenses will pay if they treat him as such. Diggs could be a special talent. Quick and elusive. Maybe a Patterson in a smaller package. I'd sure like to see Thielen as a part of this group. He's one those high-effort, do-everything football players that every good team seems to need. This is nice group. Maybe they'll finally get some attention this year with second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater throwing passes to them.
Mike Wallace
Charles Johnson
Cordarrelle Patterson
Jarius Wright
Stefon Diggs
Adam Thielen
Donte Foster
DaVaris Daniels
Jordan Leslie
Gavin Lutman
Isaac Fruechte
Despite the lack of respect or attention I really like this group. Wallace has been one of the most dangerous deep threats in the league since he entered it. More so during his first four years with the Pittsburgh Steelers than his last two with the Miami Dolphins. He was a dynamic, big-play receiver with the Steelers. He could take the top off of any defense. He didn't quite fit the less explosive Dolphins offense that he joined as a high-priced free agent two years ago. Some say that Wallace is a one-trick pony, a deep threat only. 9 of his 10 touchdowns last season were on plays that were run in the red zone. He can get open, make plays, and be effective without depending solely on his deep speed. Still, it's that deep speed that gives offensive coordinator Norv Turner a more complete playbook. He now has receivers that can make plays all over the field. The Vikings under-the-radar group of receivers might be best summed up with the talent, potential and career to date of Johnson. He wasn't even on the Vikings roster at the start of the 2014 season. He was on the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns. The Vikings snagged him in September. By the end of the season he was the best receiver on the team. He has the speed, size, and work ethic to excel. He's also finally fully recovered from a 2013 torn ACL. His route running is special. It gets him open. He was routinely open last season. Wide open. Wide open a lot. Despite a slow start to his NFL career his future is bright. The Vikings are very lucky to have him. Then we have Patterson. Few rookie receivers have been more explosive than Patterson was in the final weeks of the 2013 NFL season. He was supposed to be a break-out star last season. He wasn't. Not even close. Patterson has the natural talent to be a superstar but he's so raw, so undisciplined in his play. All indications are that he has worked extremely hard this offseason to become a better player, a more disciplined player. If his play ever matches his natural talent, he will take the league apart. Wright is one of the most interesting players of the group. He's the only receiver under 6-foot on the roster. He's a little guy that plays big. He hasn't caught a lot of passes in his three seasons in the league but he's made a lot of big plays. He completely abused all-everything Seattle Seahawks corner Richard Sherman a couple of years ago on a 40-yard touchdown. The play wasn't an outlier. He's done that sort of thing to a lot of corners. His highlight reel views like a player that is more acclaimed. This is a contract year for Wright and the hope here is that he'll be in Minnesota for a long time. He's a valuable player in this group. Versatile and effective. He's probably the player that benefits most from the departure of Greg Jennings. Wright can play outside the numbers but he might be used mostly out of the slot moving forward. He has the suddenness in space to excel there. Diggs dropped to the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft and the Vikings benefited. He may play like a quick, elusive little guy but he's a 6-footer. He's a dynamic play-maker and may find an immediate role as the punt returner. The Vikings kept five receivers last year in Turner's first year as offensive coordinator. If they keep five again, the guess here is that the five will be:
Mike Wallace
Charles Johnson
Cordarrelle Patterson
Jarius Wright
Stefon Diggs
But, that's a tough call. Thielen makes it a tough call. If the Vikings do keep five, the battle between Diggs and Thielen for that final spot will be one of the most interesting in training camp. Thielen became a vital part of nearly every special teams unit. He also started making more plays in the passing game at the end of of last season. His role on the team has increased to the point that I think it forces the Vikings to keep six receivers. Unless Diggs is horrible this summer he's on the roster. He's been a standout in offseason workouts so far.
The rest of the group will probably be fighting for practice squad spots. Foster made it there last year. He has some competition this year. Daniels and Leslie are the most prominent of of the college free agents. Daniels might have been drafted if he hadn't been booted from the Notre Dame team for some academic improprieties. The Vikings are definitely looking at receivers with size. Daniels is the smallest among the aspiring youngsters at 6'1". Foster is also 6'1". Leslie, Lutman, and Fruechte are all at least 6'3". Good thing as the task ahead of them is a tall one.
I really like this group of receivers. I like it partly because they are going about their business with confidence but mostly because of the versatility. Wallace has the speed. That speed will get a lot of attention from defenses. The sort of attention that will open up the rest of the offense. Johnson has the size and speed to be effective all over the field. His route running is excellent. An example to the young players on the team. Patterson is the wildcard as his potential is so great. He has the size and speed to dominate. He has the elusiveness of a little guy. I've never seen a player his size change direction like he can. He has to live up to that potential. Fortunately for him and the Vikings it appears that he's finally doing the work to live up to that potential. We'll see. Wright is the guy that just makes plays. It feels like he'll always be second- or third-fiddle to others but defenses will pay if they treat him as such. Diggs could be a special talent. Quick and elusive. Maybe a Patterson in a smaller package. I'd sure like to see Thielen as a part of this group. He's one those high-effort, do-everything football players that every good team seems to need. This is nice group. Maybe they'll finally get some attention this year with second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater throwing passes to them.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Jerseys
I was a late arrival to the football jersey-wearing party. I always saw wearing a jersey as a game day thing. As a Minnesota Vikings fan living in California I didn't go to many games. As a Vikings fan with a subscription to Directv's Sunday Ticket I didn't go out to watch Vikings games. Basically I never really thought about wearing a jersey. Besides I was always more of a cap and sweatshirt sort of fan. I also wasn't sold on singling out one player in my support of a team. Eventually I decided that wearing a football jersey looked like fun and my reasons for not having one, or more, were nonsense. I received my first Minnesota Vikings jersey during the 2004 NFL season. It was a home Jim Kleinsasser jersey. A purple #40. I figured that if I was going to single out a player in my Vikings support I wanted to single out a player that didn't get enough attention or credit for what he did on the field. Kleinsasser was that football player. He did so much for so long to make the Vikings offense go. He was an easy choice for my first jersey. That opened the door for others over the past decade:
Throwback/Hall of Fame Away Cris Carter
Away Antoine Winfield
Away Chad Greenway
Away Kevin Williams
Home Kenechi Udeze
Home Percy Harvin
Current Home Harrison Smith
The Carter jersey is probably my most significant as I wore that to Canton for Carter's long awaited Hall of Fame induction in 2013. The Smith jersey is the only one that's representative of the team's current jersey. That means that I'm probably in the market for another, or more. That choice will come from these:
Alan Page throwback
Teddy Bridgewater
Charles Johnson
Anthony Barr
Eric Kendricks
Xavier Rhodes
I won't get all of the above. The Page jersey and one of the others is most likely. A Page throwback is really a must have for me. The choice of only one from among the others will be a very difficult one.
There are two reasons for these thoughts on jerseys in general. The first is a "rule" out there initially proposed, as far as I know, a few years ago by Kara Henderson-Snead on Rich Eisen's podcast. The "rule" goes a little something like this, fans should only wear jerseys of players older than themselves. Henderson-Snead was an NFL Network personality and frequent guest on Eisen's podcast. As the wife of St. Louis Rams general manager Les Snead she's not in front of a microphone or camera much these days. Her "rule" continues and has even spread from Eisen's podcast days to his current talk show. Basically, she doesn't like seeing adults wear jerseys. It was once the publicly-expressed opinion of one woman and now it's kind of a "thing." First of all, why would anyone else care what another person wears? Second of all, and more importantly, being a fan of a team is such a personal thing. There's really no right or wrong way in how a fan supports their team. The manner in which a fan supports their team is a choice. Their choice. And only their choice. Your fashion sense is a reflection of how you support your team. I don't understand why anyone would even care what another person wears in general. Let alone what they wear in support of their favorite athletic team. Being a fan is fun. Jerseys are fun. That's it. There's no right or wrong.
The second reason for my jersey thoughts is more current. And less fun. I learned last week that the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning have enforced a dress code for home games. No away team colors. Even if it's only in certain areas of the arena this strikes me as more fascist than sporting.
Throwback/Hall of Fame Away Cris Carter
Away Antoine Winfield
Away Chad Greenway
Away Kevin Williams
Home Kenechi Udeze
Home Percy Harvin
Current Home Harrison Smith
The Carter jersey is probably my most significant as I wore that to Canton for Carter's long awaited Hall of Fame induction in 2013. The Smith jersey is the only one that's representative of the team's current jersey. That means that I'm probably in the market for another, or more. That choice will come from these:
Alan Page throwback
Teddy Bridgewater
Charles Johnson
Anthony Barr
Eric Kendricks
Xavier Rhodes
I won't get all of the above. The Page jersey and one of the others is most likely. A Page throwback is really a must have for me. The choice of only one from among the others will be a very difficult one.
There are two reasons for these thoughts on jerseys in general. The first is a "rule" out there initially proposed, as far as I know, a few years ago by Kara Henderson-Snead on Rich Eisen's podcast. The "rule" goes a little something like this, fans should only wear jerseys of players older than themselves. Henderson-Snead was an NFL Network personality and frequent guest on Eisen's podcast. As the wife of St. Louis Rams general manager Les Snead she's not in front of a microphone or camera much these days. Her "rule" continues and has even spread from Eisen's podcast days to his current talk show. Basically, she doesn't like seeing adults wear jerseys. It was once the publicly-expressed opinion of one woman and now it's kind of a "thing." First of all, why would anyone else care what another person wears? Second of all, and more importantly, being a fan of a team is such a personal thing. There's really no right or wrong way in how a fan supports their team. The manner in which a fan supports their team is a choice. Their choice. And only their choice. Your fashion sense is a reflection of how you support your team. I don't understand why anyone would even care what another person wears in general. Let alone what they wear in support of their favorite athletic team. Being a fan is fun. Jerseys are fun. That's it. There's no right or wrong.
The second reason for my jersey thoughts is more current. And less fun. I learned last week that the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning have enforced a dress code for home games. No away team colors. Even if it's only in certain areas of the arena this strikes me as more fascist than sporting.
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