10 Things

Here are ten football things that have been on my mind.

1. Training Camps. It's great to have football back. All teams are now in camp. The first preseason game is tomorrow night. Hall of Fame inductions are Saturday. A month of preseason games. The regular season is so close. Football's back. It's a very good thing. 

2. Concussions, CTE, etc. The Boston University study that found CTE in 110 of 111 brains of former NFL players stunned a lot of people. It stuns me that it stuns anyone. Common sense should've told everyone that football isn't good for the brain. It isn't good for the rest of the body why should the brain be different. It's a dangerous game. Give a former player a physical and you'll find a body that's been through a lifetime of abuse. From toe to head. I'm not trivializing head trauma and I'm not pulling a Roger Goodell by brushing it aside. I absolutely understand the seriousness of it. I'm just saying that these results shouldn't be a surprise. The brutality of football has been in front of us for more than a century. So many people blame the NFL for every aspect of head trauma in the game. The big, bad NFL. The players aren't innocent victims. Throughout football's history players have knowingly played with concussions. They do it to this day so all of this new information isn't an absolute deterrent. As long as there's a game to win or a starting spot to keep or take many players will still play through a concussion and push the repercussions to a later date. Everyone should stop being appalled by the results of these studies and stop assigning blame and start looking for solutions. Better helmets and better football techniques will help. As will getting jackass coaches like Gregg Williams out of the game. 

3. Colin Kaepernick. I sure hope that the Baltimore Ravens sign the free agent quarterback. I'm just so sick of the drama. I do believe that Kaepernick has been "blackballed." I believe it because I believe that if the decision to sign him was solely a coach's decision he would've been signed long ago. Coach's only care about improving the talent on their team to improve their chances of winning games. Winning is all that matters to coaches. Despite so many people wanting to make it a distraction, Kaepernick's non-football stuff isn't a team distraction. Ask any of his teammates. Make that former teammates. Kaepernick's free agent status is due to the decisions of owners. Whether coordinated or not, several owners have made the same decision. They don't want anything to do with the socially active and progressive quarterback. That sounds like "blackballing" to me. Some teams have no quarterback need but some still do. In August. Kaepernick can help those teams. 

4. Expensive Vikings. The Minnesota Vikings signed defensive difference-makers Everson Griffen and Xavier Rhodes to real nice contract extensions in the past week. It's just the beginning. Linval Joseph, Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Danielle Hunter are going to be due nice contract extensions over the next year. Trae Waynes could join that group a year later. That's just the defense. Receiver Stefon Diggs will probably get a nice payday soon. A big quarterback contract is on the horizon as well. Cap genius Rob Brzezinski will have to work some number magic to keep all of these talented football players in Minnesota.

5. Panther Playmakers. Since they were drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft I've been real curious to see how the Carolina Panthers use rookie playmakers Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel. Since Cam Newton's been leading the team the offense has revolved around his dual run/pass talents and a power running game. They added big pass catchers in tight end Greg Olsen and receivers Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess. Each has a tremendous catch-radius. Newton has a tremendous arm but it isn't always an accurate arm. His throws don't have to be perfect with those giant targets. This is an offense that's perfectly suited to Newton's talents. Good and bad. Now they add explosive, multi-purpose talents in McCaffrey and Samuel. The Panthers offense could be electric and very fun to watch. 

6. Saints running backs. Sean Payton has long been one of the league's best offensive playcallers. Most of his offensive genius has been seen in the passing game. It helps that he has Drew Brees putting those plays in motion. What Payton does with running backs Adrian Peterson, Mark Ingram, and rookie Alvin Kamara will be fascinating. 

7. Suspended Cowboys. The Dallas Cowboys lead the league in suspended players since 2014. And it isn't close. Just this year, the Cowboys have had three defensive linemen saddled with suspensions. Randy Gregory, David Irving, and Damontre Moore. Cornerback Nolan Carroll and linebacker Damien Wilson could join them. If the NFL ever completes it's year-plus investigation the Cowboys could lose Ezekiel Elliott for a game or more. Then there's the nutty saga of Lucky Whitehead. He wasn't even suspended but he's the one player that the Cowboys cut loose. There's a lot of chaos in Dallas. 

8. Vikings receivers. The Minnesota Vikings have been looking for consistent receiver production since Cris Carter, Randy Moss, and Jake Reed were on the field together. Those were beautiful days. It hasn't been so beautiful since those days. Travis Taylor and Bobby Wade once topped the depth chart. Billy McMullen! My goodness, it was bleak. The receiver void in Minnesota looks like it could be at an end. Things often look great a week into training camp but there's a lot to like about the Vikings pass-catchers. 

Stefon Diggs

Adam Thielen

Laquon Treadwell

Michael Floyd

Jarius Wright

Rodney Adams/Stacy Coley/Cayleb Jones

Diggs and Thielen should continue the emergence that started last season. Treadwell is finally looking like the receiver that he was drafted in the first round to be. Floyd has been a standout through the first few practices. Wright has been a reliable playmaker for a few years. I really like the potential of this group. 

9. Sean McVay. I was impressed with Sean McVay's playcalling as the offensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins. Based solely on that, it wasn't a surprise that the Los Angeles Rams would take a chance on a 31-year old coach. It bothered me a bit that a 31-year old got his first head coaching shot while Mike Zimmer had to wait until he was 58 but that's a whole other story. One that ended well for the Vikings. It'll be interesting to see how McVay navigates his opportunity. I'm excited to see how he works with and calls plays for young thrower Jared Goff. 

10. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Festivities. The Hall of Fame game is tomorrow. Dallas Cowboys-Arizona Cardinals. The Gold Jacket ceremony on Friday. The inductions are Saturday. Fun times. Fun times that are the annual kickoff for the next NFL season.
Congratulations to the 2017 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
LaDanian Tomlinson
Jason Taylor
Kurt Warner
Terrell Davis
Morten Andersen
Kenny Easley
Jerry Jones