Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Schedule

Mankato State has been the Minnesota Vikings training camp home since 1966. That changes this summer. The Vikings opened their fantastic new TCO Performance Center in Eagan this past March. Now, it's their full time home. The locker room has a fireplace! There won't be much call for one this summer but they have one. And much more. The Vikings kick off their preparation for the 2018 NFL season in less than a month. Here's their training camp schedule when they get to Eagan.

VIKINGS TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE

Tuesday, July 24 
Hours: Closed
Time of practice(s): No practice
Type of practice(s): Rookies report
Morning Autographs: None

Wednesday, July 25 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-4:30 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Helmet/Shorts
Morning Autographs: None

Thursday, July 26 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-4:30 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Helmet/Shorts
Morning Autographs: None

Friday, July 27 
Hours: 8 a.m.-Noon
Time of practice(s): 9:05 a.m.-10:50 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Helmet/Shorts
Morning Autographs: None

Veteran players report. 

Saturday, July 28 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Helmet/Shorts
Morning Autographs: None

Sunday, July 29 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Helmet/Shorts
Morning Autographs: Defensive Tackles

Monday, July 30 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads
Morning Autographs: Tight Ends

Tuesday, July 31 Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads
Morning Autographs: Running Backs

Wednesday, Aug. 1 
Hours: Closed
Time of practice(s): Players’ Day Off

Thursday, Aug. 2 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads
Morning Autographs: Offensive Line

Friday, Aug. 3 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads
Morning Autographs: Defensive Ends

Saturday, Aug. 4 Hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 7-9:30 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads
Morning Autographs: None

Sunday, Aug. 5 
Hours: Closed
Time of practice(s): Players’ Day Off

Monday, Aug. 6 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads
Morning Autographs: Cornerbacks

Tuesday, Aug. 7 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads
Morning Autographs: Quarterbacks

Wednesday, Aug. 8 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads
Morning Autographs: Wide Receivers

Thursday, Aug. 9 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads
Morning Autographs: Linebackers

Friday, Aug. 10 
Hours: Closed
Time of practice(s): Team Travel Day

Saturday, Aug. 11 (Preseason Game 1 at Denver)
Hours: Closed

Sunday, Aug. 12 
Hours: Closed
Time of practice(s): Players’ Day Off

Monday, Aug. 13 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads
Morning Autographs: Safeties

Tuesday, Aug. 14 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads
Morning Autographs: Specialists

Wednesday, Aug. 15 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Morning Autographs: None

Thursday, Aug. 16 
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. / Final Day of Open Practice
Time of practice(s): 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Type of practice(s): Walk-Through and Full Pads vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Morning Autographs: None

 * All dates, times and practice types are subject to change.

Another 10 Things

Here are another 10 Football Things that have been on my mind during this short down time of the NFL calendar.

1. Hamilton Tiger-Cats head coach June Jones recently said that Johnny Manziel should be playing in the NFL. That seems like a strange thing to say seeing as Manziel isn't currently playing for the Tiger-Cats.

2. Peyton Manning said that he doesn't mind if Drew Brees breaks his passing records. Why do reporters ask questions like this? How's Manning supposed to answer that? With quarterbacks throwing more each season, career passing records are going to change hands at an increasing rate. Fran Tarkenton held them for about 20 years before Dan Marino blew past them, then Brett Favre blew past Marino, then Manning passed Favre, and soon Brees will pass Manning. Is Aaron Rodgers next? Then Matthew Stafford? Are reporters going to pester each with the same stupid question?

3. The NFL lost referees Ed Hochuli, Gene Steratore, Jeff Triplette, and Terry McAuley to retirement this offseason. Hochuli was the only one to leave for purely retirement reasons. The other three left for TV money. Getting Triplette off the field probably makes the total referee losses worth it. He was an officiating disaster. So much of a disaster that it's stunning that ESPN hired him as a rules analyst.

4. Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter is 23 years old.

5. Cal had seven football commits at this time last year. They have 14 this year. I'm not sure if that means anything at all.

6. NFL Network concluded their Top 100 Players of 2018. Here's how that list broke down by team.

7: Vikings, Rams
6: Jaguars, Packers, Saints, Steelers
5: Chargers, Eagles, Seahawks
4: Cowboys, Texans, Titans
3: Broncos, Cardinals, Chiefs, Falcons, Panthers, Raiders
2: 49ers, Bengals, Bills, Browns, Giants, Lions, Patriots
1: Dolphins, Ravens, Redskins
0: Colts, Bears, Buccaneers, Jets

The Packers with 6 players, the Patriots with only 2, and the Buccaneers with 0 are the three things that stand out the most. The Packers have a talented team. Their 2017 record (7-9) didn't show it because Aaron Rodgers missed most of the season. The Patriots made the Super Bowl with only two players on the Top 100 list. Their "do your job" motto, coaching, and a certain quarterback annually makes up for any talent deficit. Brandin Cooks and Devin McCourty could've made the list. It's hard to believe that Buccaneers defenders Gerald McCoy, Lavonte David, and Kwon Alexander didn't garner enough votes to crack the Top 100.

7. This year's Supplemental Draft, to be held July 11, could be interesting. It's dominated by defensive backs.

Brandon Bryant, DB, Mississippi State
Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan
Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech
Bright Ugwoegbu, LB, Oregon State

Only three players have been selected in the Supplemental Draft this decade. Terrelle Pryor (2011), Josh Gordon (2012), and Isaiah Battle (2015). Each of the defensive backs held well-attended pro days and it wouldn't be a surprise if each gets drafted. A solid final college season probably would've put Beal and Alexander among the top CB prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft.

8. Speaking of defensive backs. I sure wish that the Vikings would sign their first round draft pick, CB Mike Hughes, soon. Seven of the team's eight picks were signed before the draft was a week old. Two months later and Hughes is still unsigned. I doubt that there's even a hint of a chance that he's a training camp holdout. I just don't like this unfinished business sitting out there.

9. The NFL's suspension schedule remains a mystery. Jameis Winston gets a three-game suspense when the personal conduct policy clearly calls for 6 games.

10. Joe Delaney.

Throwback Thursday: Thanksgiving '62

This Flicker was originally posted May 22, 2014.

The Detroit Lions have struggled for most of the past fifty years. Those struggles have made it difficult to imagine a time when they were great. And there really was a time when they were pretty great. The Lions were one of the dominant teams of the 1950s. They played in four NFL Championship games in the decade, winning three of them in 1952, '53, and '57. The Lions nearly carried the success of the 1950s into the 1960s.

In the 1960s, Vince Lombardi built the Green Bay Packers into one of the greatest teams in NFL history. From 1961-67, the Packers won five NFL titles. The Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1960 NFL Championship game. In the locker room after the game, Lombardi promised his team that they would never again lose a postseason game. They never did. This was a great football team. Twelve Hall of Fame players. One Hall of Fame coach. The Packers of the 1960s were so great that it's easy to forget about the other teams in the league. The Packers greatest challenge in the first three years of their dynasty came from within their own conference. In particular, it came from the Detroit Lions. In 1960, the Packers won the Western Conference with an 8-4 record. The Lions were second at 7-5. In 1961, the Packers won the Western Conference with an 11-3-1 record. The Lions were second at 8-5-1. In 1962, the Packers won the Western Conference with a 13-1 record. The Lions were second at 11-3. In each of the seasons, the Packers and Lions split their season series. The 1962 Green Bay Packers are considered one of the greatest teams in league history. On October 7, the Packers defeated the Lions 9-7 in Green Bay. This was a game that the Lions strongly felt should have been theirs. So much so that the team was about to explode when the Packers came to Detroit for the Thanksgiving Day rematch. The Packers entered that game with an 18-game winning streak. They had won 11 straight league games, a championship game, and six exhibition games. The Packers were 10-0 on the season. The Lions were 8-2. The Lions defense swarmed all over the Packers runners, passers, and blockers on that Thanksgiving Day. 23-0 at the half with the defense scoring a touchdown and a safety. The 26-14 final score made the game seem much closer than it was. Packers quarterback Bart Starr was sacked 11 times in the game. The Packers offense was physically beaten in this game. A beating so thorough that receiver Max McGee asked of Starr in the Packers huddle, "Why don't you throw an incomplete pass and nobody will get hurt." His battered teammates were left laughing in the huddle. It was all that they could do. This was one of the few times during the Lombardi years that the Packers failed to match the intensity of their opponent. The beatdown by the Lions didn't keep the Packers down for long. They won the rest of their regular season games and defeated the New York Giants for their second straight championship. The Lions had to settle for another second place finish in the conference.

The Detroit Lions of the early 1960s were a very good team that happened to play in the long shadow of a truly great team. From 1960-62, they might have been the only team to give Lombardi's team a tough time on a consistent basis. The two teams split their games during that time. If not for those Packers teams, the Detroit Lions might have followed their great 1950s with an excellent start to the 1960s.

Top 10 Receivers Of The 2000s

I've been watching a bunch of the NFL Network's Top 10 episodes the past few weeks. That tends to happen during the slow days of the NFL calendar. These are those days. The Top 10 episodes are fun. The lists are fun. The debates are fun. The commentaries are fun. They are fun even when I disagree with the list, the debates, and the commentary. The Top 10 Receivers of the 2000s was one of those lists.

10. Reggie Wayne
  9. Anquan Boldin
  8. Larry Fitzgerald
  7. Chad Johnson
  6. Steve Smith
  5. Hines Ward
  4. Torry Holt
  3. Terrell Owens
  2. Randy Moss
  1. Marvin Harrison

I don't think that I've ever disagreed with one of these Top 10 lists more. This one lost any sense of accuracy and reality when Larry Fitzgerald was revealed at #8. He's among the best eight receivers in NFL history. He's in the debate for the best receiver of the 2000s. #8? That's ridiculous. The rest of my issues with this Top 10 are minor compared to that one. Fitzgerald and Steve Smith should be higher. Calvin Johnson and maybe Andre Johnson should be included. Personally, I'd be tempted to boot Terrell Owens to fit Calvin Johnson into the list. Watching Owens catch a football was one of the great comedy routines seen in the NFL. He often seemed startled when he caught the football. I know that I was. His hands were on par with those of Troy Williamson. If he'd been able to pepper in a few positive plays among the drops like Owens was able to do often enough to be considered a star, Williamson probably would've managed a decent NFL career. He didn't and became a punchline. Owens was explosive enough to offset shitty hands in the eyes of most. Not mine. He's a pass-catching disaster. I have a hard time ranking a receiver highly that struggled so much with the one thing that he has to be able to do. Add to that his tendency to rip apart a team and you have a receiver that doesn't have a place in my Top 10 Receivers of the 2000s.

10. Anquan Boldin
  9. Chad Johnson
  8. Hines Ward
  7. Reggie Wayne
  6. Calvin Johnson
  5. Torry Holt
  4. Steve Smith
  3. Marvin Harrison
  2. Larry Fitzgerald
  1. Randy Moss

I don't think that any discussion of the best pass catchers of the 2000s can slip by without mentioning the Arizona Cardinals from 2004-09. It was so much fun watching Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin do their thing. They were a weekly pass-catching tutorial. Until Kurt Warner hit his stride in 2008 quarterbacking was an annual issue in Arizona. It didn't matter. Fitzgerald and Boldin kept catching passes. It was beautiful to watch.

Randy Moss was the most physically gifted receiver to ever play the game. So often, he could not be covered. Cover-2, double coverage, triple coverage, whatever-coverage, it didn't matter. He was open when he wasn't.

I've suspected that the creators of these lists will throw out an absurd one every now and then just to keep things spicy.

NFL's Top 100 Players of 2018: 10-1

The countdown of the NFL's Top 100 Player of 2018 concluded on NFL Network last night with the players ranked 10-1. After nearly two months we've finally hit the Top 10 Players of 2018.

10. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
  9. Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
  8. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
  7. Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams
  6. Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams
  5. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
  4. Julio Jones. WR, Atlanta Falcons
  3. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
  2. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
  1. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

In my opinion, the biggest surprise of the ten is Aaron Donald at #7. That's too low. He's a Top-5 player. He should've been a Top-5 player.

Carson Wentz, in only his second NFL season, made his first appearance among the Top 100 Players at #3. If he hadn't injured his knee late in the season perhaps he debuts at #1. Amazing.

The remaining three quarterbacks have been fixtures on the NFL's Top 100 Players since it's inception in 2011.

Aaron Rodgers
2011: 11
2012: 1
2013: 6
2014: 11
2015: 2
2016: 6
2017: 6
2018: 10

Drew Brees
2011: 16
2012: 30
2013: 30
2014: 6
2015: 11
2016: 2
2017: 9
2018: 8

And then there's this ridiculousness.
Tom Brady
2011: 1
2012: 4
2013: 4
2014: 3
2015: 3
2016: 2
2017: 1
2018: 1
It's safe to say that Brady has made the Top-4 his home.

Past #1's:
2011 Tom Brady
2012 Aaron Rodgers
2013 Adrian Peterson
2014 Peyton Manning
2015 J.J. Watt
2016 Cam Newton
2017 Tom Brady
2018 Tom Brady
It's nice to see a defensive player break through at least once.

With a total of seven players, The Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings tied for the most players in the Top 100. Congratulations to them, all 100 players, and Tom Brady once again.

Here's the the prediction that I had for the the Top 10.

10. Aaron Rodgers
  9. Julio Jones
  8. Von Miller
  7. Carson Wentz
  6. Drew Brees
  5. Todd Gurley
  4. Le'Veon Bell
  3. Aaron Donald
  2. Antonio Brown
  1. Tom Brady

Well I had 10, 2, and 1 correct.

***

The NFL's Top 100 Players list has been an offseason staple since 2011. I look forward to it every year. It's the player's list. It's fun. The player commentary on each of their peers is informative and often hilarious. And it's wonderful way to cut up the sometimes long break between the draft and training camps. Well done, again, players, NFL Films, and NFL Network.

My Top 10 NFL Players Of 2018

NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2018 concludes tonight with the reveal of the Top 10. The best of the best. We already know the contenders. We'll soon learn the order. It's quite exciting.

The contenders:

Tom Brady
Drew Brees
Aaron Rodgers
Carson Wentz
Le'Veon Bell
Todd Gurley
Antonio Brown
Julio Jones
Von Miller
Aaron Donald

It's always important to remember that this Top 100 Players of the NFL list is voted on by the players. It's the player's list. It's also important to remember that the voting is supposed to be based on how the did last season on how they might do in the coming season. Quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Aaron Rodgers ended the 2017 season on injured reserve. Rodgers missed most of the season. Rodgers' great talent and Wentz's remarkable season were enough to keep them in the player's minds when it came time to vote. Here's how I think that the players voted:

10. Aaron Rodgers
  9. Julio Jones
  8. Von Miller
  7. Carson Wentz
  6. Drew Brees
  5. Todd Gurley
  4. Le'Veon Bell
  3. Aaron Donald
  2. Antonio Brown
  1. Tom Brady

Here's how I'd rank the remaining players:

10. Todd Gurley

  9. Carson Wentz

  8. Drew Brees

  7. Le'Veon Bell

  6. Von Miller

  5. Julio Jones

  4. Tom Brady

  3. Antonio Brown

  2. Aaron Donald

  1. Aaron Rodgers

And, most importantly, here's how I'd rank the Top 10 Players in the NFL.

10. Khalil Mack

  9. Le'Veon Bell

  8. Luke Kuechly

  7. Harrison Smith

  6. Von Miller

  5. Julio Jones

  4. Tom Brady

  3. Antonio Brown

  2. Aaron Donald

  1. Aaron Rodgers

Tonight we'll see the real thing. 

All-Time Vikings XI

With the World Cup in full swing, NFL.com writer Adam Rank accepted the task of picking an All-Time 11 of each NFL team. Here's how the task is explained to lead off the selections.

With the 2018 World Cup upon us, Jeremy Bergman and Adam Rank are divvying up the NFL and selecting the top 11 -- or in, yes, FOOTBALL parlance, all-time XI -- players from each of the 32 teams' history. Today, Rank presents the top XI for each team in the NFC North.

Rank singled out these 11 players of the All-Time Minnesota Vikings XI.

1. Adrian Peterson, RB (2007-2016)
2. Randy Moss, WR (1998-2004, 2010)
3. Paul Krause, S (1968-1979)
4. Cris Carter, WR (1990-2001)
5. Fran Tarkenton, QB (1961-1966, 1972-1978)
6. Alan Page, DT (1967-1978)
7. John Randle, DT (1990-2000)
8. Chris Doleman, DE (1985-1993, 1999)
9. Carl Eller, DE (1964-1978)
10. Randall McDaniel, G (1988-1999)
11. Mick Tingelhoff, C (1962-1978)
Coach: Bud Grant (1967-1983, 1985)

It's a fine list. The only issue that I have with the list was the order. Then I read in Rank's explanation of his selections that he didn't list the players in any sort of order. I guess that I have no issues with this All-Time Vikings XI. 10 of the 11 are honored in Canton as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The one that isn't in the Hall will be there five years after he retires. Adrian Peterson. The only Vikings Hall of Famers that didn't make this XI are offensive tackles Ron Yary and Gary Zimmerman. Offensive linemen get so little love. Who do you boot to fit in Yary and/or Zimmerman?

If I had to rank the 11 players it'd look something like this.

1. Alan Page
2. Adrian Peterson
3. Cris Carter
4. Randy Moss
5. Randall McDaniel
6. Fran Tarkenton
7. Carl Eller
8. Chris Doleman
9. John Randle
10. Paul Krause
11. Mick Tingelhoff

Rank's All-Time XI's for each of the 32 team's are now up on NFL.om. It sure is nice to have someone with the name of Rank to do lists such as these.

NFL's Top 100 Top 10 Prediction

If one is paying attention to the weekly reveals of the NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2018 it shouldn't be too hard to figure out the Top 10 players. If any of the top players in the league haven't shown up on the list it's a pretty good bet that they are one of the remaining ten. It also helps that previews for Monday night's final episode include clips of most, if not all, of the remaining players. Here are the final ten players.

Tom Brady
Drew Brees
Aaron Rodgers
Carson Wentz
Le'Veon Bell
Todd Gurley
Antonio Brown
Julio Jones
Von Miller
Aaron Donald

That's the easy part. Here's a stab at the ranking of the NFL's Top 10 Players of 2018.

10. Aaron Rodgers
  9. Julio Jones
  8. Von Miller
  7. Carson Wentz
  6. Drew Brees
  5. Todd Gurley
  4. Le'Veon Bell
  3. Aaron Donald
  2. Antonio Brown
  1. Tom Brady

Or something like that. Carson Wentz and Aaron Rodgers probably would've been a little higher on the list if injuries hadn't cut short their seasons. Wentz might've been #1 seeing as damn near everyone had already handed him the MVP prior to his knee injury. He still could be #1 but I doubt that he is. Rodgers was hurt in the first half of the season so it's a testament to his reputation among his peers that he's still in the Top 10.

There isn't enough defensive players. But who do you bump to fit in players like Luke Kuechly or Khalil Mack? There's never enough room in the Top 10 to include all of the players that deserve to be among the Top 10.

We'll see the real thing on Monday night.

Training Camp Start Dates

The season's creeping closer.

The NFL released the start dates for all 32 teams last week. The Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears get about a week jump on the rest of the teams as a result of the being the Hall of Fame game teams.

Sites and Start Dates

AFC

Baltimore: Under Armour Performance Center, Owings Mills, MD; Rookies - 7/11, Veterans - 7/18

Buffalo: St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY; Rookies - 7/25, Veterans - 7/25

Cincinnati: Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, OH; Rookies - 7/23, Veterans - 7/25

Cleveland: Cleveland Browns Training Complex, Berea, OH; Rookies - 7/25, Veterans - 7/25

Denver: UCHealth Training Center, Englewood, CO; Rookies - 7/24, Veterans - 7/27

Houston: The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV; Rookies - 7/25, Veterans - 7/25

Indianapolis: Grand Park, Westfield, IN; Rookies - 7/22, Veterans - 7/25

Jacksonville: TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL; Rookies - 7/18, Veterans - 7/25

Kansas City: Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO; Rookies - 7/22, Veterans - 7/25

LA Chargers: Jack Hammett Sports Complex, Costa Mesa, CA; Rookies - 7/27, Veterans - 7/27

Miami: Baptist Health Training Facility, Davie, FL; Rookies - 7/18, Veterans - 7/25

New England: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA; Rookies - 7/22, Veterans - 7/25

NY Jets: Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Florham Park, NJ; Rookies - 7/24, Veterans - 7/26

Oakland: Napa Valley Marriott, Napa, CA; Rookies - 7/23 , Veterans - 7/26

Pittsburgh: Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA; Rookies - 7/24, Veterans - 7/25

Tennessee: Saint Thomas Sports Park, Nashville, TN, Rookies - 7/22, Veterans - 7/25

NFC

Arizona: University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, AZ; Rookies - 7/22, Veterans - 7/27

Atlanta: Atlanta Falcons Training Facility Flowery Branch, GA; Rookies - 7/23, Veterans - 7/26

Carolina: Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC; Rookies - 7/25, Veterans - 7/25

Chicago: Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, IL; Rookies - 7/16, Veterans - 7/19

Dallas: Marriott Residence Inn, Oxnard, CA; Rookies - 7/25, Veterans - 7/25

Detroit: Detroit Lions Training Facility, Allen Park, MI; Rookies - 7/19, Veterans - 7/26

Green Bay: St. Norbert College, De Pere, WI; Rookies - 7/25 7/25

LA Rams: University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA; Rookies - 7/23, Veterans - 7/25

Minnesota: TCO Performance Center, Eagan, MN; Rookies - 7/24, Veterans - 7/27

New Orleans: New Orleans Saints Training Facility, Metairie, LA; Rookies - 7/18, Veterans - 7/25

NY Giants: Quest Diagnostics Training Center, East Rutherford, NJ; Rookies - 7/22, Veterans - 7/25

Philadelphia: NovaCare Complex, Philadelphia, PA; Rookies - 7/25, Veterans - 7/25

San Francisco: SAP Performance Facility, Santa Clara, CA; Rookies - 7/25, Veterans - 7/25

Seattle: Virginia Mason Athletic Center, Renton, WA; Rookies - 7/25, Veterans - 7/25

Tampa Bay: One Buccaneer Place, Tampa, FL; Rookies - 7/23, Veterans - 7/25

Washington: Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center Richmond, VA; Rookies - 7/25, Veterans - 7/25

Throwback Thursday: NFL/AAFC All-Decade Team Of The 1940s

I brought back my combined AFL/NFL All-Decade Team of the 1960s last week. It got me thinking about doing the same thing with a combined NFL/AAFC All-Decade Team of the 1940s. NFL history has treated the AFL much better than it's treated AAFC. I guess that happens when the NFL absorbs the AFL in it's entirety and takes only three from the AAFC. And one of those three didn't last long. It also probably doesn't help that the Cleveland Browns started slapping around NFL teams from the first game.

NFL/AAFC All-Decade Team Of The 1940s. It's a single platoon team. That's how the game was played back then.

Quarterback
Otto Graham, Cleveland Browns
Sammy Baugh, Washington Redskins

I simply can't pick one over the other. Quite frankly I have no interest in doing so.

Halfback
Steve Van Buren, Philadelphia Eagles
Spec Sanders, New York Yankees/New York Yanks

I bumped the likes of Bill Dudley and George McAfee for Spec Sanders for no other reason than more people should know about him. Sanders' 1947 season was one of the best and most most stat-filled in professional football history. 1432 yards and 18 TDs rushing, 1442 yards and 14 TDs passing, a 27.3 yard punt return average, 27 yard kick return average with a TD, 3 interceptions on defense, and a 42.1 punting average. He did so much and did it all exceedingly well. Knee issues forced him to retire after the 1948 season. He came back for a single NFL season in 1950. He only played defense due to his knees but led the league in interceptions with 13. A four-year career, three in the AAFC, is the only reason that he's not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Fullback
Marion Motley, Cleveland Browns

This is probably the easiest choice of the team.

Ends
Dante Lavelli, Cleveland Browns
Mac Speedie, Cleveland Browns

All Browns. Mac Speedie not being in Canton is one of the greatest misfires of the Hall of Fame voters.

Tackles
Al Wistert, Philadelphia Eagles
Arnie Weinmeister, New York Yankees

Wistert is another great misfire of the Hall of Fame voters. Speedie and Wistert deserve their due recognition. Both have waited far too long. And Terrell Owens is pissy about three years.

Guards
Bill Willis, Cleveland Browns
Bruno Banducci, Philadelphia Eagles/San Francisco 49ers

Center
Clyde "Bulldog" Turner, Chicago Bears

Bulldog vs Alex Wojciechowicz was nearly as challenging as Graham vs Baugh.

***

Tally
NFL: 4
AAFC: 8
Cleveland Browns: 5

1940s professional football is a tough decade to judge. World War II threw the first half into disarray. Two separate leagues cloud the second half. Paul Brown's Cleveland Browns were simply brilliant. It would've been fun to see them square off against the 1948 and 1949 Philadelphia Eagles. If their games of the 1950s are any indication the Browns had the edge. Many say that the AAFC was the Browns and then the rest. It really wasn't. The New York Yankees and San Francisco 49ers would've been competitive in the NFL. Despite the 1940s being a jumbled decade there was some terrific football. The Chicago Bears in the early part of the decade, the Eagles and Chicago Cardinals in the latter part of the decade, Sammy Baugh throughout, the Browns, Spec Sanders, Al Wistert, Mac Speedie, etc. Fun times. Fun football. A fun decade if one can ignore a World War.

NFL's Top 100 Players: 20-11

The countdown of the NFL's Top 100 Player of 2018 continued on NFL Network Monday night with the players ranked 20-11.

20. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
19. Everson Griffen, DE, Minnesota Vikings
18. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
17. Jalen Ramsey, CB. Jacksonville Jaguars
16. Khalil Mack, DE, Oakland Raiders
15. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots
14. Calais Campbell, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars
13. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans
12 Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers
11. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks

There were two newcomers to the Top 100.
Alvin Kamara
Jalen Ramsey
It's remarkable that both made their debut among the Top 20.

This week's ten-player reveal included a few players that made huge leaps.
Alvin Kamara-unranked to #20
Everson Griffen-#92 to #19
Jalen Ramsey-unranked to #17
Calais Campbell-#83 to #14
DeAndre Hopkins made the leap from unranked in 2017 to #13 this year but including him with the above didn't feel right. He was a top 20 player in 2016 but injuries dropped him from the list last year.

Everson Griffen joins six of his Vikings teammates on the Top 100.
94. Kirk Cousins
83. Linval Joseph
65. Stefon Diggs
55. Xavier Rhodes
46. Harrison Smith
36. Adam Thielen
19. Everson Griffen
That's a nice total but I'm expecting Dalvin Cook, Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, and Anthony Barr to join them on next year's Top 100. 11 players. That sounds about right.

Griffen joins Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen as Vikings players that have been ranked among the top-20.

It was a little surprising to see Khalil Mack and Luke Kuechly outside the top-10. I'm guessing that an excessive number of quarterbacks pushed them out of the top group.

Next week: 10-1. The Top 10. That's exciting.

Dennis Green To The Ring Of Honor

The Minnesota Vikings announced yesterday that former head coach Dennis Green will be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor this season. The ceremony for Green's induction will take place during halftime of the Vikings' Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills on September 23.

Green was the head coach of the Vikings from 1992 to 2001. In his ten seasons with the Vikings he amassed an 101-70 overall record. He led his teams to eight playoff appearances in ten seasons, four division titles, and two NFC Championship games. His 101 wins is second to Bud Grant's 168 wins in franchise history. His best team was the 15-1 1998 team that shredded the league for a then NFL record of 556 points scored.

Green passed away in July 2016 due to complications from cardiac arrest.

Dennis Green's impact on the Minnesota Vikings, and really the entire NFL, is still felt to this day. In addition to being widely regarded as one of the NFL's top coaches, Denny was also known as a great mentor and leader by all who had the fortune of being in his presence. We're extremely honored to memorialize Denny and his family in the Vikings Ring of Honor and we're looking forward to the induction in September.
     -Vikings owner/President Mark Wilf

Dennis Green will become the 24th member of the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor.

Fran Tarkenton
Alan Page
Jim Finks
Bud Grant
Paul Krause
Fred Zamberletti
Jim Marshall
Ron Yary
Korey Stringer
Mick Tingelhoff
Carl Eller
Cris Carter
Bill Brown
Jerry Burns
Randall McDaniel
Chuck Foreman
John Randle
Scott Studwell
Chris Doleman
Matt Blair
Joey Browner
Ahmad Rashad
Randy Moss
Dennis Green

Green's teams were consistently competitive throughout the 1990s. From the Warren Moon-led offenses of the mid-90s to the explosive 1998 team they were also some of the most entertaining. Green could get an offense clicking on all cylinders. It often didn't matter the quarterback that was leading it. When he had a talented quarterback (Moon, Randall Cunningham, Jeff George) the offenses could be truly special. The Vikings just needed the defense to catch up. Better yet, the defense as a whole needed to match the energy of defensive tackle John Randle. I'm not sure that was possible. The 1990s were a fun decade for the Vikings. Dennis Green was one of the biggest reasons for it.

Congratulations to the family of Dennis Green on being the Ring of Honor's newest member.

18 Most Important Vikings in '18

The Minneapolis Star Tribune ran a 17 Most Important Vikings in '17 last year. I copied it last year and I'm bringing it back this year. Highlighting the most important players on a team in a team sport seems like a silly sort of thing but it's what we do as fans. We do a lot of silly things like this around this time of the year. The month-plus period between now and the opening of training camps are the only days of the NFL calendar in which nothing's scheduled. It's the perfect time for someone to name the 18 Most Important Vikings in '18.

18. Trevor Siemian, QB
17. Everson Griffen, DE
16. Mike Hughes, CB
15. Adam Thielen, WR
14. Stefon Diggs, WR
13. Harrison Smith, S
12. Trae Waynes, CB
11. Kyle Rudolph, TE
10. Eric Kendricks, LB
  9. Anthony Barr, LB
  8. Riley Reiff, T
  7. Pat Elflein, C
  6. Danielle Hunter, DE
  5. Sheldon Richardson, DT
  4. Laquon Treadwell, WR
  3. John DeFilippo, Offensive Coordinator
  2. Dalvin Cook, RB
  1. Kirk Cousins, QB

I have some of the Vikings best players at the bottom of this list, or not on this list-Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph, simply because I expect their high level of play to continue. They are extremely important to the team's success because they are elite players. Perhaps I'm taking their excellence for granted but I can only put 18 players on a list of 18 players. When I think of the most important Vikings this year, or any year, I think mostly of the players that the team needs to step up or step in.

The Vikings were one game from the Super Bowl last year. Adding Kirk Cousins this offseason was a bold move to get them one game further. Cousins will be the fifth quarterback in five years to start a season for head coach Mike Zimmer. That lack of continuity at the most important position on a football team has wrecked expectations. The Vikings gave Cousins a giant, fully guaranteed contract to establish continuity. There's no doubt that he's the most import Viking in 2018. And beyond.

Cousins is the most important Viking but Dalvin Cook might make the greatest impact. The Vikings only had him for 3.5 games last year. In those 3.5 games Cook showed that he has the talent to be one of the most explosive backs in the league. Cousins will lead the offense but the offense might end up running through Cook.

I probably shouldn't have included a coach but I couldn't help myself. New offensive coordinator John DeFilippo's offense, play-calling, and coaching are as important as any player that plays in his offense.

Many have written off Laquan Treadwell as a bust. 21 catches in two seasons for a first round pick can do that. I don't buy it. He just has to get out of his own way, get out of his own head. I remember Zimmer saying last year that Treadwell was working too hard. Working too hard!?! How can that be?He was working before practice, after practice. He was often worn out for practice. Despite the lack of stats Treadwell started seven games last year. Busts don't start seven games. I think that Treadwell will shine this year with Cousins. With the attention that will surely be paid to Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, Treadwell should get opportunities to end all the bust talk.

Sheldon Richardson could provide as big of a boost to the defense as Cousins should provide to the offense. The Vikings haven't had a three-technique as talented as Richardson since Kevin Williams. Shariff Floyd was supposed to be that player but injuries and a surgery mishap robbed him of an NFL career. Richardson should be a beast on the defensive line and that will open things up for players at all levels of a very, very talented defense.

The continued development and improvement of the offensive line is as important as the development and improvement of any position group on the team. Riley Reiff and Pat Elflein are the top players on the line. They are the leaders of the group and they are critical to the safety and security of Cousins.

Danielle Hunter and Anthony Barr are at similar stages of their NFL development. Both have shown glimpses of elite talent and both are poised to receive significant second contracts. They are cornerstone talents that have to prove that they can be cornerstone players for the foreseeable future.

Expectations are always high for first round picks. Mike Hughes is no exception. He should make an immediate contribution on kick off and punt returns. His ability to pick up nuances of the Zimmer's defensive scheme in OTAs and mini-camp has been very unrookie-like. He might play his way into a regular role on the defense.

The backup quarterback is often the second most important position on a football team. Due to quarterback injuries being the norm in Minnesota in recent years that's been especially true for the Vikings. That makes Trevor Siemian one of the most on the team. Kirk Cousins hasn't missed a game the last three years. That durability had to be one of the most enticing aspects of his game to the Vikings' decision-makers. Even if he never sees the field it's nice to have a quarterback with starting experience backing up the starter.

Eric Kendricks, Kyle Rudolph, Trae Waynes, Harrison Smith, Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Everson Griffen, Xavier Rhodes, Linval Joseph, Latavius Murray, Mike Remmers, Andrew Sendejo, Terence Newman, Ben Gedeon, etc. are all important Vikings this year and every year. I didn't even put Rhodes and Joseph on the list of 18 and they're both among the best players in the league at their respective positions. This is a very talented football team. Emphasis on team. Each of the 53 players that make the final roster are important. The 10 players on the practice are important. Picking out 18 as the most important 18 doesn't feel right. Ranking the 53 players that I think will make the roster doesn't feel right either but I might end up doing that over the next month. It's that time of the year.

Top 10 Tight Ends

NFL Network's Top 10 series is always entertaining, always interesting, always thought-provoking. I caught the Top 10 Tight Ends episode yesterday and I had some thoughts.

Here's how the NFL Network's Top 10 Tight Ends in NFL history played out.

10. Antonio Gates
  9. Dave Casper
  8. Rob Gronkowski
  7. Jason Witten
  6. Ozzie Newsome
  5. Shannon Sharpe
  4. Mike Ditka
  3. Kellen Winslow
  2. John Mackey
  1. Tony Gonzalez

Very nice. Here's how I see the Top Tight Ends in NFL history.

10. Ozzie Newsome
  9. Mark Bavaro
  8. Antonio Gates
  7. Shannon Sharpe
  6. Dave Casper
  5. Mike Ditka
  4. Kellen Winslow
  3. Tony Gonzalez
  2. Rob Gronkowski
  1. John Mackey

It may be a little weird for a Cal alum to not leave Tony Gonzalez at the top of the Top 10 Tight Ends list. I do feel a little guilty for bumping him down a couple spots but I try not to allow my biases to impact my view of NFL history. Gonzalez and Aaron Rodgers are the best football players that I've seen come out of Cal since Chuck Muncie. Both have been even better on the professional circuit. Perhaps with time I'll view Gonzalez's career like the people that put him at #1 but right now he trails John Mackey and Rob Gonkrowski.

I've always viewed Mackey as one of the best tight ends to ever play. I looked at his career more closely after I heard Steve Sabol say that no other player made more highlight reel plays in the 1960s than Mackey. That's a bold statement from a person that's as strong an authority as anyone that's coached or played the game over the last 60 years. This is a decade that included the likes of Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, Paul Warfield, Lance Alworth, Bobby Mitchell, Charley Taylor, etc. In my opinion, Mackey separates himself from the the tight ends with his ability to run after the catch. He looked like a fullback with the ball in his hands. A 1960s fullback. He had some of his most ridiculous games against the San Francisco 49ers in Kezar Stadium. Mackey had a terrible fear of worms and the bog-like field of Kezar was filled with them. He broke a lot of tackles in those games because hitting that wriggling, writhing nightmare wasn't an option. Mackey broke a lot of tackles everywhere he played.

Rob Gronkowski is quite possibly the greatest mismatch of any player in my football lifetime. The only thing that has slowed him has been injuries.

Mark Bavaro rivals Mike Ditka as the most ferocious tight end to ever play the game. Bavaro needs to be on this list of mostly receiver-first tight ends.

Ozzie Newsome's nearly complete disinterest in blocking nearly blocked him from making my Top 10. But, he was so much fun to watch as a pass-catcher. He played for some entertaining Browns teams but I wanted to see their games simply for the things that he might do.

As an itty bitty Minnesota Vikings fan preparing to watch his team play the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XI, Dave Casper was the Raiders offensive player that worried me the most. I wasn't too worried about Clarence Davis or Fred Biletnikoff. Even as little fella just learning the game I knew that the Vikings defense had their hands full with Casper. He was a match-up nightmare. Casper might not have had the highlights of Davis or Biletnikoff in the game but he did finish with four catches for 70 yards and the game's first touchdown. Few tight ends combined the blocking and receiving talents of Casper.

I wish that today's tight ends were a little more like Casper, Bavaro, and even Ditka.

Just for giggles here are my four best tight ends in Vikings history.

4. Jim Kleinsasser
3. Joe Senser
2. Kyle Rudolph
1. Steve Jordan

If Kleinsasser's pass-catching was on par with his blocking he'd be #1. He'd be in Canton as well.

Minnesota Vikings Defensive Depth Chart Prediction

The 247Sports Minnesota Vikings website did an offensive depth chart prediction at the start of the week. They recently hit the defensive side of the ball.

Left Defensive End
1. Danielle Hunter
2. Brian Robison

Nose Tackle
1. Linval Joseph
2. Jaleel Johnson

Defensive Tackle
1. Sheldon Richardson
2. Jalyn Holmes

Right Defensive End
1. Everson Griffen
2. Tashawn Bower
3. Stephen Weatherly

Even before the Vikings signed Sheldon Richardson as a free agent this was a team strength. Each of the starters is among the best in the league at their respective positions. The depth has been good in recent years but it needs to be better. The line appeared to wear down in the playoffs, especially in the NFC Championship game. The defensive line rotation will be key all season, especially down the stretch. The backups will probably see more snaps than backups have seen in recent years. The only way I don't see the defensive line group looking like this is if they keep a fifth defensive tackle. Or if one of the other long, athletic defensive ends, Ifeadi Odenigbo or rookie Ade Aruna, leapfrogs one of the above long, athletic defensive ends.

Weak Side Linebacker
1. Ben Gedeon
2. Eric Wilson

Middle Linebacker
1. Eric Kendricks
2. Kentrell Brothers

Strong Side Linebacker
1. Anthony Barr
2. Eric Wilson

This defensive depth chart prediction has 24 defensive players. With only five linebackers there's room for one more. Kentrell Brothers is suspended for the first four games so there could be room for two more to start the season. As a Cal honk I'm hoping that Devante Downs can make the team. He injured his knee in the middle of his final season in Berkeley. If healthy, Downs might've been a day 2 pick in the draft. If he's fully recovered from the knee injury he has the talent to be a defensive factor. The Vikings pursued Mychal Kendricks, another former Cal star, after the Philadelphia Eagles released him. Downs can be a similar sort of player. Strong against the run and an excellent blitzer. And he's bigger. In my opinion, the only question to his game is whether he's completely healed from that knee injury. He should fill out the linebacker group with or without the suspension to Brothers.

Left Cornerback
1. Trae Waynes
2. Mike Hughes
3. Terence Newman

Free Safety
1. Harrison Smith
2. Jayron Kearse

Strong Safety
1. Andrew Sendejo
2. Anthony Harris

Right Cornerback
1. Xavier Rhodes
2. Mackensie Alexander
3. Holton Hill

The only surprise among the defensive backs, and it really isn't much of a surprise, is undrafted rookie Holton Hill making the team as the sixth cornerback. I've never seen the Vikings go three-deep at each corner position with this sort of quality. In an NFL that finds a way to throw the football more and put more receivers on the field each season defenses can't have enough quality corners. The numbers and quality at the cornerback position could allow the Vikings coaches to do some new and very interesting things on defense.

One More Peek At First Round Signings

Teams were signing draft picks at a rapid rate in May. The Minnesota Vikings had seven of the their eight drafted players under contract in the first week following the completion of the draft. Only first round pick Mike Hughes was left unsigned. He remains unsigned. The Los Angeles did their now routine thing of putting their rookies through some teaching lessons and then signing all of them at once. This year was made a little easier seeing as the Rams had no first round picks. Or second round picks. May brought a flurry of rookie signings. It's fallen to a trickle in June. No first round pick has signed since defensive backs Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James signed on June 1. Two weeks of first round signing inaction. Those two signings left exactly half of the first round picks unsigned. Perhaps that's on par with recent signing rates but two weeks of inactivity makes it feel slow. Perhaps there's a signing push since nearly all of the 32 teams are now on their pre-training camp break. Who knows? I do know that rookie holdouts are quite rare under the current CBA. There will be another flurry of first round signings over the next month.

Here's a peek at the first round signing tracker.

1.   Cleveland Browns-Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
2.   New York Giants-Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
3.   New York Jets-Sam Darnold, QB, USC
4.   Cleveland Browns-Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State
5.   Denver Broncos-Bradley Chubb, DE, North Carolina State
6.   Indianapolis Colts-Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame-Signed
7.   Buffalo Bills-Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming
8.   Chicago Bears-Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia
9.   San Francisco 49ers-Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
10. Arizona Cardinals-Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA-Signed
11. Miami Dolphins-Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama-Signed
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Vita Vea, DT, Washington-Signed
13. Washington Redskins-Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama-Signed
14. New Orleans Saints-Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA-Signed
15. Oakland Raiders-Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA-Signed
16. Buffalo Bills-Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech-Signed
17. Los Angeles Chargers-Derwin James, S, Florida State-Signed
18. Green Bay Packers-Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville-Signed
19. Dallas Cowboys-Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State-Signed
20. Detroit Lions-Frank Ragnow, C/G, Arkansas-Signed
21. Cincinnati Bengals-Billy Price, G, Ohio State-Signed
22. Tennessee Titans-Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama-Signed
23. New England Patriots-Isaiah Wynn, G/T, Georgia
24. Carolina Panthers-DJ Moore, WR, Maryland
25. Baltimore Ravens-Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina
26. Atlanta Falcons-Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
27. Seattle Seahawks-Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State-Signed
28. Pittsburgh Steelers-Terrell Edmonds, S, Virginia Tech
29. Jacksonville Jaguars-Taven Bryan, DT, Florida
30. Minnesota Vikings-Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida
31. New England Patriots-Sony Michel, RB, Georgia
32. Baltimore Ravens-Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville-Signed

Throwback Thursday: NFL/AFL All-Decade Team Of The 1960s

This Throwback was originally posted June 8 of last year. It still applies. I should do one of these for a combined NFL/AAFC Team of the 1940s. 

There's and NFL All-Decade Team for the 1960s. There's an All-Time AFL Team, which is basically an All-Decade Team for the 1960s since they only played in that decade. Why not a combined NFL/AFL All-Decade Team for the 1960s? Here's a Flea Flicker version of that team.

Quarterback

John Unitas

Running backs

Jim Brown

Gale Sayers

Receivers

Lance Alworth
Charley Taylor

Tight end

John Mackey

Tackles

Forrest Gregg

Ron Mix

Guards

Jerry Kramer

Billy Shaw

Center

Jim Otto

Defensive ends

Deacon Jones
Willie Davis

Defensive tackles

Bob Lilly
Merlin Olsen

Linebackers

Bobby Bell
Ray Nitschke
Dave Robinson

Cornerbacks

Herb Adderley

Willie Brown

Safeties

Johnny Robinson
Larry Wilson

Kicker

Jan Stenerud

Punter

Tommy Davis

Top 25 Remaining Free Agents

The list of free agents still available in June is remarkable. It would compare favorably to the starting lists of some years. Maybe. Sure, most of the big names are past their primes. Adrian Peterson and Dez Bryant stand out in that regard. There are still some solid players coming off of a productive year. The talent available at one particular position is perhaps the best it's ever been in the free agent market. What is up with the safeties?

Here's a ranking of the Top-25 free agents available. There are players here that can help some teams.

Rank Player Pos. Age 1 Eric Reid S 26 2 Jonathan Hankins DT 26 3 Bashaud Breeland WR 26 4 Junior Galette Edge 30 5 Kenny Vaccaro S 27 6 Tre Boston S 26 7 NaVorro Bowman LB 30 8 Jeremy Maclin WR 30 9 Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB 32 10 Delvin Breaux CB 28 11 Adrian Peterson RB 33 12 Dez Bryant WR 29 13 Robert Ayers DE 32 14 DeMarco Murray RB 30 15 Mike Mitchell S 31 16 Tyvon Branch S 31 17 Corey Graham S 33 18 Eric Decker WR 31 19 T.J. Ward S 31 20 Dontrelle Inman WR 29 21 Luke Joekel G 26 22 Kayvon Webster CB 27 23 Alfred Morris RB 29 24 Ron Parker S 31 25 Orleans Darkwa RB 26

Bashaud Breeland probably won't be on this list much longer. His is an unusual free agency story. He signed a deal with the Carolina Panthers early in the process. He was then released from that deal when he failed his physical. He failed that physical due to an infection from a cut suffered in a non-football injury. Interested teams have just been waiting for him to heal.

The safeties. Nearly a third of the above players are safeties. Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro, and Tre Boston are in the middle of their prime. The oldest of the group, Corey Graham, was one of the most important players on the Philadelphia Eagles defense last year. Analysts can explain away the various limitations that each has in their game as reasons for being unsigned. The bottom line is that all of the safeties on this list can help teams. Perhaps some or all are asking for elite-safety numbers but I doubt it. That's just another excuse to explain a situation that really can't be explained. In my opinion, and I'm not alone, Reid is unsigned for the same reason that Colin Kaepernick is banned from the field. He has a social conscious and he speaks and acts on it. He's also filed a collusion suit against the league. That likely cements his unsigned status. Which, in turn, likely strengthens his case against the league. The San Francisco 49ers recently signed safety Antone Exum. I can't imagine a football world in which I'd rather have Exum over Reid, Vaccaro, or Boston. Or any of the above safeties. The safety free agent situation makes no sense.

Jonathan Hankins without a team is nearly as surprising as all the safeties.

There's still over a month before training camps open. Maybe opportunities will arise for some of the above.

NFL's Top 100 Players: 30-21

The countdown of the NFL's Top 100 Player of 2018 continued on NFL Network last night with the players ranked 30-21.

30. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills
29. Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons
28. Cahndler Jones, DE, Arizona Cardinals
27. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals
26. Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints
25. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
24. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
23. Patrick Peterson, CB, Arizona Cardinals
22. A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
21. Bobby Wagner, LB, Seattle Seahawks

It was a big week for the Cardinals.

Larry Fitzgerald has made the Top 100 all eight years of the list's existence. It's his fifth appearance in the Top 30. He's ageless. He's great.

Chandler Jones' terrific 2017 season, a season in which he led the league in sacks, sent him soaring up the list. He jumped 57 spots from his #85 ranking last year.

Patrick Peterson and A.J. Green entered the league together in 2011. They've both made the Top 100 every year since 2012.

Cameron Jordan has missed the list a couple times. He's been ranked #99 a couple times. It should be safe to say that he'll be at this end of the Top 100 for a while.

I expected to see Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen pop up this week. He's undoubtedly a Top 100 player. So, it looks like he's a Top 20 player heading into the 2018 NFL season.

Next week: 20-11. The Top 20 is upon us!

Minnesota Vikings Offensive Depth Chart Prediction

247Sports Minnesota Vikings website predicted the Minnesota Vikings Offensive Depth Chart. It's a little early but predictions always are. I'll play along.

Quarterbacks
1. Kirk Cousins
2. Trevor Siemian
3. Kyle Sloter

The only difficulty with the Vikings quarterback depth chart is getting used to spelling Siemian. One of the more unusual aspects of the team's quarterback group is that this is the first training camp in Minnesota for all of them.

Running Backs
1. Dalvin Cook
2. Latavius Murray
3. Roc Thomas

The top two backs are set. The third back job is wide open and the competition for the job could be one of the most interesting in training camp. The contenders are rookie undrafted free agents Roc Thomas and Mike Boone and third-year Mack Brown. As soon as he was signed after the draft, I had penciled Thomas in as the third back. Mostly because I was more aware of his college career than I was of Boone's.

Fullback
1. C.J. Ham

Perhaps the biggest challenge to C.J. Ham's place on the roster is the offense that's being installed by new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. He used a fullback when he ran the Cleveland Browns' offense in 2015. The Philadelphia Eagles had a stable full of backs with varied talents last year but no designated fullback. Seeing as it wasn't his offense in Philadelphia I'd lean more toward what he did when it was his call in Cleveland.


Receivers
1a. Adam Thielen
1b. Stefon Diggs
3. Laquon Treadwell
4. Kendall Wright
5. Stacy Coley

It's sweet that they have Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs as 1a and 1b. It makes sense. They are the face of the receiver position in Minnesota. They are also one of the most potent pair of receivers in the league. It gets fun after them. This is a big year for Laquon Treadwell. Most have written the former first round pick off as a bust. I think that he's going to shine this year. Kendall Wright was a nice depth signing this offseaon after Jarius Wright was released. The current Wright will be wearing the former Wright's #17 jersey. That's convenient for Wright fans. While I think Stacy Coley is the favorite for the fifth spot I wouldn't be surprised to see Brandon Zylstra, Jake Wieneke, or Korey Robertson challenge him throughout camp. The 2018 practice squad might sport several receivers.

Tight Ends
1. Kyle Rudolph
2. Tyler Conklin
3. David Morgan

I'm not ready to put rookie Tyler Conklin ahead of David Morgan. I think that Conklin will eventually be a more explosive offensive weapon but Morgan has been under-utilized in the passing game through his first two seasons. He's the best blocker among the tight ends so he's been pigeon-holed as much more blocker than receiver.

Left Tackle
1. Riley Reiff
2. Rashod Hill

Left Guard
1. Nick Easton
2. Tom Compton

Center
1. Pat Elflein
2. Nick Easton
3. Josh Andrews

Right Guard
1. Danny Isidora
2. Mike Remmers

Right Tackle
1. Mike Remmers
2. Aviante Collins
3. Brian O'Neill

I'll take the offensive line as a whole. Except for one thing, I like what the writer did here. I don't think that there's any way that sixth-round pick Colby Gossett isn't on the 53-man roster. He may not start, probably won't start, but he'll be on the roster. Unless, of course, he's a complete clown in training camp. Gossett's place on the roster would likely come at the expense of Josh Andrews. I like what the writer did here because I like Danny Isidora as the starting right guard. The offensive line talk of the offseason has been all about where Mike Remmers will play. Injuries late last season forced him to move from right tackle to guard. For some reason that triggered many to think that he's now a guard. He was so much better as a tackle. The only scenario in which I see Remmers playing at guard is if Brian O'Neill shows that he's ready to start right away at right tackle. Even if that happens I'd rather see Isidora start at guard over Remmers. The Vikings have more depth on the offensive line than they've had in years. That's a good thing but I really hope that it isn't tested. The line depth was seriously tested in 2016 and it was a nightmare.

Next up: Defensive Depth Chart Prediction.

College Football Hall Of Fame Nominees

The National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame announced this week the players and coaches on the 2019 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. The ballot includes 76 players and six coaches from the FBS. And 100 players and 32 coaches from the lower divisions.

Class of 2019 Nominees – FBS Players

• Flozell Adams, Michigan State OT
• Bernard Berrian, Fresno State WR
• Michael Bishop, Kansas State QB
• Lomas Brown, Florida OT
• Terrell Buckley, Florida State DB
• Brandon Burlsworth, Arkansas OG
• Larry Burton, Purdue SE
• Keith Byars, Ohio State RB
• Matt Cavanaugh, Pittsburgh QB
• Dallas Clark, Iowa TE
• Marco Coleman, Georgia Tech LB
• Tim Couch, Kentucky QB
• Eric Crouch, Nebraska QB
• Eric Dickerson, SMU RB
• Rickey Dixon, Oklahoma DB
• Vaughn Dunbar, Indiana RB
• Jumbo Elliott, Michigan OT
• Bobby Engram, Penn State WR
• Kevin Faulk, LSU RB
• David Fulcher, Arizona State DB
• Robert Gallery, Iowa OT
• Moe Gardner, Illinois DT
• Tony Gonzalez, California TE
• Jacob Green, Texas A&M DL
• Dan Hampton, Arkansas DT
• Jason Hanson, Washington State K
• Byron Hanspared, Texas Tech RB
• Kevin Hardy, Illinois LB
• Marcus Harris, Wyoming WR
• Marvin Harrison, Syracuse WR
• Jeff Hartings, Penn State OL
• E.J. Henderson, Maryland LB
• Craig Heyward, Pittsburgh RB
• Torry Holt, NC State WR
• Ken Huff, North Carolina OG
• Steve Hutchinson, Michigan OL
• Raghib Ismail, Notre Dame WR
• Larry Jacobson, Nebraska DT
• E.J. Junior, Alabama DE
• Jess Lewis, Oregon State DB
• Ray Lewis, Miami LB
• Bobby Majors, Tennessee DB
• Tony Mandarich, Michigan State OT
• Ed McCaffrey, Stanford WR
• Darren McFadden, Arkansas RB
• Cade McNown, UCLA QB
• Corey Moore, Virginia Tech DL
• Dan Morgan, Miami LB
• Ken Norton Jr., UCLA LB
• Phil Olsen, Utah State DE
• Leslie O’Neal, Oklahoma State DT
• Jim Otis, Ohio State FB
• Carson Palmer, USC QB
• Jake Plummer, Arizona State QB
• Troy Polamalu, USC DB
• David Pollack, Georgia DL
• Antwaan Randle El, Indiana QB
• Simeon Rice, Illinois LB
• Ron Rivera, California LB
• Rashaan Salaam, Colorado RB
• Lucius Sanford, Georgia Tech LB
• Larry Seivers, Tennessee WR
• Kenneth Sims, Texas DT
• Aaron Taylor, Notre Dame OT
• Joe Thomas, Wisconsin OL
• Dennis Thurman, USC DB
• Troy Vincent, Wisconsin DB
• Chris Ward, Ohio State OT
• Michael Westbrook, Colorado WR
• Lorenzo White, Michigan State RB
• Zach Wiegert, Nebraska OT
• Patrick Willis, Mississippi LB
• Al Wilson, Tennessee LB
• Steve Wisniewski, Penn State OG
• Elmo Wright, Houston WR
• Vince Young, Texas QB

Class of 2019 Nominees – Coaches

• Larry Blakeney (Troy)
• Jim Carlen (West Virginia, Texas Tech, South Carolina)
• Pete Cawthon Sr. (Austin College, Texas Tech)
• Dennis Erickson (Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Miami, Oregon State, Arizona State)
• Billy Jack Murphy (Memphis)
• Daryll Rogers (Cal State Hayward, Fresno State, San Jose State, Michigan State, Arizona State)

It doesn't end there. The above are joined by 100 players and 32 coaches from the lower divisions.

Class of 2019 Nominees – Divisional Players

• Ashley Ambrose, DB, Mississippi Valley State
• Archie Amerson, RB, Northern Arizona
• Rick Bealer, DB, Lycoming (Pa)
• Eddie Bell, WR, Idaho State
• Rennie Benn, WR, Lehigh
• Bill Borchert, QB, Mount Union
• John Bothe, C, Augustana (Ill)
• Carl Boyd, RB, Northern Iowa
• Vincent Brown, LB, Mississippi Valley State
• Joe Campbell, RB, Middle Tennessee State
• William Campbell, DB, Western State (Co)
• Vin Carioscia, OT, Franklin & Marshall (Pa)
• Peter Catan, DE, Eastern Illinois
• Bruce Cerone, End, Emporia State (Kan)
• Steve Cockerham, LB, Akron
• Bruce Collie, OT, Texas-Arlington
• Tom Collins, DB, Indianapolis
• Ray Condren, RB, Gettysburg (Pa)
• Mark Cotney, DB, Cameron (Ok)
• Case DeBruijn, P, Idaho State
• Parnell Dickinson, QB, Mississippi Valley State
• William Dilton, S, Virginia Union
• Art Dorenkamp, LB, Central (Ia)
• John Dorsey, LB, Connecticut
• Karl Douglas, QB, Texas A&M-Kingsville
• Chcuk Downey, S, Stony Brook
• Tom Ehrhardt, QB, Rhode Island
• Keith Elias, RB, Princeton
• Curtis Eller, LB, Villanova
• Blake Elliott, WR, St. John's (Mn)
• Richard Erenberg, RB, Colgate
• Jahri Evans, OL, Bloomsburg (Pa)
• John Fitzgerald, G, Central Oklahoma
• London Fletcher, LB, John Carroll (Oh)
• Bernard Ford, WR, Central Florida
• Duane Fritz, P, Chadron State (Neb)
• Rick Fry, End, Occidental (Ca)
• Bob Gaddis, WR, Mississippi Valley State
• Chris George, WR, Glennville State (W.V.)
• Don Greco, G, Western Illinois
• Don Griffin, S, Middle Tennessee State
• Boomer Grigsby, LB, Illinois State
• Calvin Harrell, RB, Arkansas State
• Ron Hausauer, G, Jamestown (N.D.)
• Pat Hauser, OT, Cal State Northridge
• Conway Hayman, G, Delaware
• Bobby Hedrick, RB, Elon
• Chris Hegg, QB, Truman State (Mo)
• Bob Heller, C, Wesleyan
• Billy Hess, WR, West Chester (Pa)
• Lynn Hieber, QB, Indiana (Pa)
• John Hill, C, Lehigh
• Rene Ingoglia, RB, Massachusetts
• Louis Jackson, RB, Cal Poly-SLO
• Terron Jackson, OT, Missouri Southern State
• John Jurkovic, DE, Eastern Illinois
• Ed Kelley, DE, Hampden-Sydney (Va)
• Gary Kuhlman, OT, Deleware
• Al Lucas, DL, Troy
• Steve McAdoo, OL, Middle Tennessee State
• Gary McCauley, TE, Clarion (Pa)
• Fran McDermott, DB, St. Mary's (Ca)
• Billy McGovern, DB, Holy Cross
• Steve McNair, QB, Alcorn State
• Carl Morris, WR, Harvard
• Robert Morris, DE, Georgetown
• Kenneth Murawski, LB, Carnegie Mellon (Pa)
• Ed O'Brien, PK, Central Florida
• Randy Page, QB, Central Oklahoma
• Chris Parker, RB, Marshall
• Alonzo Patterson, RB, Wagner
• Ted Petersen, C, Eastern Illinois
• Martin Peterson, OT, Pennsylvania
• Charlie Pierce, P, Central Florida
• Dave Pomante, DL, Whitworth (Wash)

• Tyrone Poole, DB, Fort Valley State (Ga)
• Gary Puetz, OT, Valparaiso
• Gerry Quinliven, LB, Buffalo
• Michael Renna, DE, Delaware
• David Rhodes, WR, Central Florida
• Kirk Roach, PK, Western Carolina
• Harold Roberts, WR, Austen Peay State
• Bobby Saiz, QB, Adams State (Co)
• Terry Schmidt, DB, Ball State
• Larry Schreiber, RB, Tennessee Tech
• Steve Schubert, WR, Massachusetts
• Joe Skladany, LB, Lafayette
• Ed Smith, WR, Bethel (Kan)

• Paul Smith, RS, Gettysburg (Pa)
• Tom Stenglein, WR, Colgate
• Freddie Thomas, DB, Troy
• Markus Thomas, RB, Eastern Kentucky
• Brad Tokar, RB, Westminster (Pa)
• Jay Wessler, RB, Illinois College
• Tim Whelan, RB, Tufts (Mass)
• Gary Wichard, QB, LIU-C.W. Post (N.Y.)
• Mike Wiggins, P, Iowa Wesleyan
• Jerry Woods, DB, Western Michigan
• John Zanieski, DT, Yale

Class of 2019 Nominees – Divisional Players

• Dick Biddle (Colgate)
• Paul Durham (Linfield)
• Jim Felix (Western Kentucky)
• Howard Fletcher (Northern Illinois)
• Russ Fortier (Minnesota-Moorhead)
• Morley Fraser (Albion)

• Danny Hale (West Chester, Bloomsburg)
• Rudy Hubbard (Flordida A&M)
• Eddie Hurt (Virginia-Lynchburg, Morgan State)
• Art Keller (Carthage)
• Glen Killinger (Dickinson, Rensselaer, Moravian, West Chester)
• Larry Korver (Northwestern College)
• Roy Kramer (Central Michigan)

• Maxie Lambright (Louisiana Tech)
• Dick Lowry (Wayne State, Hillsdale)
• John Luckhardt (Washington & Jefferson, California-Pa)
• James Malosky (Minnesota-Duluth)
• Don Miller (Trinity)
• Charles Murphy (Middle Tennessee State)
• John Ostendarp (Amherst)
• Forrest Perkins (Wisconsin-Whitewater)
• Billy Ramseyer (Wilmington, Virginia's College at Wise)
• Dwight Reed (Lincoln)
• Pete Schmidt (Albion)
• Gideon Smith (Hampton)

• Clyde "Buck" Starbeck (Northern Iowa)
• Clarence Stasavich (Lenoir-Ryhne, East Carolina)
• Andy Talley (St. Lawrence, Villanova)
• Joe Taylor (Howard, Virginia Union, Hampton, Florida A&M)
• John Whitehead (Lehigh)
• Alex Yunevich (Alfred)
• Alex Zikmund (Nebraska-Kearney)

***

Maybe it's not the case but I feel like the divisional nominees need to have twice the college football career to edge out FBS players.

Of the 100 Divisional nominees, three caught my eye for varied reasons:

1. Connecticut linebacker John Dorsey is now tasked with reviving the Cleveland Browns as their general manager.

2. C.W. Post quarterback Gary Wichard was a long-time player agent.

3. Weselayan center Bob Heller caught my eye because of a player that he kept on the bench for a couple years. Bill Belichick.

The only one of the above that has a feature-length movie about his life, that I'm aware of, is Arkansas guard Brandon Burlsworth. His life was tragically cut short in a car accident 11 days after he was selected in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. His college football life from walk-on to All-American was remarkable. He was one of the great ones, on and off the field.

Other than Steve McNair, I'd have to research the divisional players more but at a glance I'd push the following for induction.

Keith Byars
Eric Dickerson
Steve McNair
Vince Young
Patrick Willis
Steve Wisniewski
Terrell Buckley
Raghib "Rocket" Ismail
Jumbo Elliott
and
Tony Gonzalez-Go Bears!!!