Throwback Thursday: Some Scouting Combine History

The 2019 NFL Draft prospects have been gathering in Indianapolis this week for the NFL Scouting Combine. The workouts that get everyone so excited that there's now marathon television coverage start tomorrow with the special teams, offensive linemen, and running backs. Most of the things they'll be doing they'll never do again in their hopefully long NFL careers.

With the Scouting Combine on everyone's mind here's a brief history of the event from the Combine's website.

History

National Invitational Camp (NIC), more commonly known as the NFL Scouting Combine, began in 1982 when National Football Scouting, Inc. first conducted a camp for its member NFL clubs in Tampa, Florida. The key purpose then, same as it is today, was to ascertain medical information on the top draft eligible prospects in college football. The inaugural NIC was attended by a total of 163 players and established a foundation for future expansion.

During the first three years, two additional camps were held at different times to collect similar information for teams that did not belong to National Football Scouting. However, in 1985 all 28 NFL teams decided they would participate in future National Invitational Camps with the goal of sharing costs for the medical examinations of draft eligible players. After brief stints in New Orleans (1984, 1986) and Arizona (1985) the camp was moved to Indianapolis, Indiana where it has been operated since 1987.

As football and the art of evaluating players has evolved, so has the NFL Scouting Combine. While medical examinations remain the number one priority of the event, athletes will also participate in a variety of psychological and physical tests, as well as, formal and informal interviews with top executives, coaches and scouts from all 32 NFL teams. NIC is the ultimate four day job interview for the top college football players eligible for the upcoming NFL Draft.

Here are some of the best Scouting Combine performances since 2006:

40-yard:

4.22-John Ross, WR, Washington, 2014
4.24-Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolins, 2008
4.26-Dri Archer, RB, Kent State, 2014
4.27-Marquise Goodwin, WR, Texas, 2013
4.28-Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson, 2010
4.28-Jalen Myrick, CB, Minnesota, 2017
4.28-J.J. Nelson, WR, Alabama-Birmingham, 2015
4.28-Demarcus Van Dyke, DB, Miami, 2011
4.30-Yamon Figures, WR, Kansas State, 2007
4.30-Darius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland, 2009
4.30-Tye Hill, CB, Clemson, 2006

Bench Press

49-Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State, 2011
45-Mitch Petrus, OL, Arkansas, 2010
44-Jeff Owens, OT, Georgia, 2010
44-Dontari Poe, DT, Menphis, 2012
42-Russell Bodine, C, North Carolina, 2014
42-Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford, 2018
42-Tank Tyler, DL, North Carolina State, 2007
41-David Molk, C, Michigan, 2012
41-Vita Vea, DT, Washington, 2018
40-Justin Blalock, OL, Texas, 2007
40-Manuel Ramirez, OL, Texas Tech, 2007

Vertical Jump

45.0-Chris Conley, WR, Georgia, 2015
45.0-Donald Washington, CB, Ohio State, 2009
44.5-Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut, 2015
44.0-A.J. Jefferson, CB, Fresno State, 2010
44.0-Obi Melinfonwu, S, Connecticut, 2017
43.5-Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh, 2010
43.5-Kashif Moore, WR, Connecticut, 2012
43.5-Speedy Noil, WR, Texas A&M, 2017
43.5-Marcus Williams, S, Utah, 2017
43.0-Eric Berry, S, Tennessee, 2010
43.0-Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut, 2009
43.0-Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M, 2013

Broad Jump

12'3"-Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut, 2015
11'9"-Obi Melinfonwu, S, Connecticut, 2017
11'7"-Jamie Collins, LB, Southern Mississippi, 2013
11'7"-Chris Conley, WR, Georgia, 2015
11'6"-Bud Dupree, LB, Kentucky, 2015
11'4"-Robert Davis, WR, Georgia State, 2017
11'4"-Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee, 2013
11'4"-Fabian Moreau, CB, UCLA, 2017
11'4"-Jerome Simpson, WR, Coastal Carolina, 2008

My goodness, they are jumping out of the gym in Storrs.

The evolution of the Scouting Combine from a somewhat mysterious and very secret event to a public display has been remarkable. Pretty soon the NFL is going to bring fans into the interview room. I don't think that's such a great idea but the league seems to view overexposure as the best exposure. The Scouting Combine is now all about exposure.

Daniel Jeremiah's Top 50 Draft Prospects

NFL Draft Analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his most recent Top 50 Draft Prospects in advance of this week's Scouting Combine. There'll probably be some changes this time next week. For now, here's how he sees the Top 50.

1.   Nick Bosa, Edge, Ohio State
2.   Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
3.   Josh Allen, Edge, Kentucky
4.   Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
5.   T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa
6.   Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
7.   Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
8.   Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan
9.   Devin White, LB, LSU
10. Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
11. Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
12. Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
13. Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
14. Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
15. Jonah Williams, OL, Alabama
16. D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi
17. Montez Sweat, Edge, Mississippi State
18. Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
19. Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
20. Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma

21. Jachai Polite, Edge, Florida

22. Clelin Ferrell, Edge, Clemson

23. Noah Fant, TE, Iowa

24. Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia

25. Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama

26. Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

27. Jonathan Abram, S, Mississippi State

28. Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple

29. Ryan Ridley, WR, Georgia

30. Byron Murphy, CB, Washington

31. Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson

32. Daniel Jones, QB, Duke

33. Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware

34. Greedy Williams, CB, LSU

35. Garrett Bradbury, C, North Carolina State

36. Brian Burns, Edge, Florida State

37. Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt

38. Taylor Rapp, S, Washington

39. Kaleb McGary, OT, Washington

40. L.J. Collier, Edge, Texas Christian

41. A.J. Brown, WR, Mississippi

42. Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech

43. Devin Singletary, RB, Florida Atlantic

44. Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson

45. Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame

46. Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State

47. Tytus Howard, OT, Alabama State

48. Greg Little, OT, Mississippi

49. Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama

50. David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State

NFL Decision Makers

The NFL offseason is here. The Scouting Combine is this week. The decision makers for all 32 teams will be in Indianapolis. They'll be there to watch the 300+ draft prospects doing their workouts. With free agency just over two weeks away, those decision makers will also be in Indianapolis to kick off negotiations, legally and illegally, with player agents. With the chaos of free agency fast approaching, it felt like a good time to get reacquainted, or acquainted, with the decision makers for each of the 32 NFL teams.

Every team operates differently but football decisions typically come down to agreements, if possible, between the personnel/scouting departments and the coaches. The general manager usually has final say on decisions. The team-to-team variable being how much say the head coach has in that final decision. Here are each team's general manager and head coach.

Minnesota Vikings

GM: Rick Spielman

Head Coach: Mike Zimmer

Green Bay Packers

GM: Brian Gutekunst

Head Coach: Matt LaFleur

Chicago Bears

GM: Ryan Pace

Head Coach: Matt Nagy

Detroit Lions

GM: Bob Quinn

Head Coach: Matt Patricia

New York Giants

GM: Dave Gettleman

Head Coach: Pat Shurmur

Philadelphia Eagles

GM: Howie Roseman

Head Coach: Doug Pederson

Washington Redskins

GM: Who the hell knows?

Head Coach: Jay Gruden

The Redskins front office is somewhat similar to a zoo. Who's making the decisions? Owner Dan Snyder? President Bruce Allen? VP of Player Personnel Doug Williams? I've long thought that any decision made by Allen is likely a poor one. But it's sometimes better than those made be Snyder. This team is a mess. 

Dallas Cowboys

GM: Jerry Jones

Head Coach: Jason Garrett

Carolina Panthers

GM: Marty Hurney

Head Coach: Ron Rivera

Atlanta Falcons

GM: Thomas Dimitroff

Head Coach: Dan Quinn

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

GM: Jason Licht

Head Coach: Bruce Arians

New Orleans Saints

GM: Mickey Loomis

Head Coach: Sean Payton

San Francisco 49ers

GM: John Lynch

Head Coach: Kyle Shanahan

Los Angeles Rams

GM: Les Snead

Head Coach: Sean McVay

Arizona Cardinals

GM: Steve Keim

Head Coach: Kliff Kingsbury

Seattle Seahawks

GM: John Schneider

Head Coach: Pete Carroll

Cleveland Browns

GM: John Dorsey

Head Coach: Freddie Kitchens

Cincinnati Bengals

GM: Who knows?

Head Coach: Zac Taylor

Like the Redskins, the Bengals chain of command is a mess. The redeeming thing for the Bengals is that Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin is a part of the process. He knows what he's doing. The problem with the Bengals is that Owner Mike Brown is involved. He doesn't know what he's doing. Unless the owner is George Halas or Al Davis the owner of an NFL team should stay out of player decisions. Jerry Jones included. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

GM: Kevin Colbert

Head Coach: Mike Tomlin

Baltimore Ravens

GM: Eric DeCosta

Head Coach: John Harbaugh

New England Patriots

Director of Player Personnel: Nick Caserio

Head Coach: Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick can and does wear many hats. It's probably safe to say that he has final say on football decisions. Despite what many might think, Belichick listens to everyone. Unless, of course, he doesn't respect their football acumen. Then they wouldn't be in the building. 

New York Jets

GM: Mike Maccagnan 

Head Coach: Adam Gase

Buffalo Bills

GM: Brandon Beane

Head Coach: Sean McDermott

Miami Dolphins

GM: Chris Grier

Head Coach: Brian Flores

Indianapolis Colts

GM: Chris Ballard

Head Coach: Frank Reich

Houston Texans

GM: Brian Gaine

Head Coach: Bill O'Brien

Tennessee Titans

GM: Jon Robinson

Head Coach: Mike Vrabel

Jacksonville Jaguars

GM: David Caldwell

Head Coach: Doug Marrone

Executive VP of Football Operations Tom Coughlin is very much in the loop.

Kansas City Chiefs

GM: Brett Veach

Head Coach: Andy Reid

Los Angeles Chargers

GM: Tom Telesco

Head Coach: Anthony Lynn

Denver Broncos

GM: John Elway

Head Coach: Vic Fangio

Oakland Raiders

GM: Mike Mayock

Head Coach: Jon Gruden

Flea Flicker Pre-Combine Top 50 Draft Prospects

Most of the top draft prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft will flock to Indianapolis this week for the Scouting Combine. In advance of that flocking here's a look at 50 of the best prospects.

1.   Nick Bosa, Edge, Ohio State
2.   Josh Allen, Edge, Kentucky
3.   Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
4.   Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
5.   Devin White, LB, LSU
6.   Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan
7.   Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
8.   Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
9.   Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
10. Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
11. Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
12. Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
13. T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa
14. Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
15. Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
16. Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
17. Jonah Williams, OL, Alabama
18. Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
19. Clelin Ferrell, Edge, Clemson
20. Montez Sweat, Edge, Mississippi State
21. Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma
22. Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama
23. Jonathan Abram, S, Mississippi State
24. Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
25. Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
26. Jachai Polite, Edge, Florida
27. Dalton Risner, OL, Kansas State
28. Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
29. D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi
30. Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
31. Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware
32. Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State
33. Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
34. Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple
35. Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech
36. David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State
37. Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson
38. Garrett Bradbury, C, North Carolina State
39. Dre'Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State
40. Taylor Rapp, S, Washington
41. Brian Burns, Edge, Florida State
42. Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama
43. Greg Little, OT, Mississippi
44. Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama
45. Chris Lindstrom, G, Boston College
46. Kelvin Harmon, WR, North Carolina State
47. Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis
48. Benny Snell, RB, Kentucky
49. N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
50. Will Grier, QB, West Virginia

It's a start.

Flea Flicker Favorite Football Flicks

It's Oscars Day! So here's a look at some Favorite Football Flicks.

21. The Waterboy (1998)

A guilty pleasure movie. The football action is outrageously entertaining.

20. Semi-Tough (1977)
A new addition to the list. Dan Jenkins' book is far more entertaining than the movie but the movie is still fun. Plus, former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Kapp is in it. He plays a quarterback named Hose. Gotta love it. 

19. Leatherheads (2008)

This movie depicting the very early days of professional football would probably be higher on the list if I hadn't entered into it with such high expectations. It's an entertaining movie but probably one that I need to see again. Maybe it gets replaced on this list by The Replacements.

18. The Express (2008) 

The tragic story of Ernie Davis. It might be higher if not for some liberties taken with history. Like Art Modell being the Browns owner in the 1950s.

17. Invincible (2006)

The improbable football career of NFL-walk-on Vince Papale. Who doesn't love a story like this?

16. All The Right Moves (1983)

The most amazing thing about this movie is that Tom Cruise is actually somewhat  believable as a high school cornerback.

15. When The Game Stands Tall (2015)

You just knew that someone was going to make a movie about the incredible story of coach Bob Ladouceur and the De La Salle High Spartans. This was a nicely done look at the season that saw the loss that ended their 151-game win streak as well as the win that was arguably the greatest in school history. 

14. We Are Marshall (2006)

The remarkable rise of a town, a university, and a football team from a devastating plane crash. A great story. 

13. Rudy (1993)

Some people love this movie. Others hate it. I guess that I'm in the middle. 

12. Any Given Sunday (1999)

Oliver Stone with a football movie? Never would have pegged that pairing. 

11. The Longest Yard (1974)

It's a classic. And Joe Kapp's in it. And Ray Nitschke. 

10. The Program (1993)

Despite being a fictional story it probably touches frighteningly close to the truth.

9.  Draft Day (2014)

Some of the trades are ridiculous but it's a very entertaining look at the greatest non-playing day on the football calendar. 

8.  Brian's Song (1971)

This one set the bar for tear-jerker football movies. Great story. Memorable performances. 

7.  Knute Rockne: All-American

A timeless look at one of football's great coaches. 

6.  Everybody's All-American (1988) 

Adapted from the terrific book by Frank Deford. A great, depressing movie. 

5.  Paper Lion (1968)

Another movie adapted from a terrific book. Alan Alda is excellent as George Plimpton. So excellent that I often picture Alda when I think of Plimpton. 

4.  Heaven Can Wait (1978)

A terrific remake of Here Come's Mr. Jordan (1941) with a football spin. There was a time, a long time ago, when this was my favorite movie of any genre. 

3.  Undefeated (2011)

This is probably the only football movie to take home an Academy Award. It won for Best Documentary. A great story. A great movie. 

2.  Remember The Titans (2000) 

Great movie. Entertaining movie. You have Denzel Washington but you also have unknown youngsters like Ryan Gosling, Hayden Panettiere, and Donald Faison. 

1.  Friday Night Lights (2006)

Buzz Bissinger's book was outstanding. The movie was good but Friday Night Lights earns the top spot on this list because of the unbelievable television series. They may have lost some traction in the second season but they sure regained it in the third and never lost it again. This series was one of the best things that I've ever seen on television.

The NFL Compensatory Picks Are Out

Yesterday, the NFL handed out 32 Compensatory Picks for the 2019 NFL Draft. These picks are awarded to teams that basically lost more or better free agents than they signed the year before. The formula that the league uses to determine these picks has never been released but many outlets have figured it out to such an extent that they can predict the picks with great accuracy. After yesterday's announcement, there's no need to rely on predictions or projections. We know who received what. 15 teams received the 32 picks. Here's the full list of those Compensatory Picks.

ROUND	OVERALL	TEAM

3	96	Washington
	97	New England
	98	L.A. Rams
	99	L.A. Rams
	100	Carolina
	101	New England
	102	Baltimore
4	135	Indianapolis
	136	Dallas
	137	Atlanta
	138	Philadelphia
5	171	N.Y. Giants
	172	Atlanta
	173	Washington
6	205	New England
	206	Washington
	207	Arizona
	208	Philadelphia
	209	Minnesota
	210	Cincinnati
	211	Cincinnati
	212	San Francisco
	213	Cincinnati
	214	Kansas City
7	247	Minnesota
	248	Arizona
	249	Arizona
	250	Minnesota
	251	L.A. Rams
	252	New England
	253	Washington
	254	Arizona

Considering their activity last offseason, it's remarkable that the Los Angeles Rams received two third round picks and three picks overall. They added a lot of big name talent but but they added that talent through trades (Brandin Cooks, Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters) or street free agents (Ndamukong Suh). They dodged the Compensatory Draft formula by not signing unrestricted free agents. They only lost unrestricted free agents (Sammy Watkins and Trumaine Johnson in particular) thus gaining two third round picks this year.

When the Arizona Cardinals released quarterback Sam Bradford before Week 10 last season it wasn't a great deal for Bradford. It wasn't such a great deal for the Minnesota Vikings either. Due to the large salary that the Cardinals had given Bradford the Vikings were in line to receive a third round Compensatory Pick. That pick faded away when the quarterback was released.

The 32 Compensatory Picks broken down by teams:

TEAM	TOTAL

Arizona	4
New England	4
Washington	4
Cincinnati	3
L.A. Rams	3
Minnesota	3
Atlanta	2
Philadelphia	2
Baltimore	1
Carolina	1
Dallas	1
Indianapolis	1
Kansas City	1
N.Y. Giants	1
San Francisco	1

The 2019 NFL Draft is finally set.

With the 3 Compensatory Picks the Vikings now have 8 total draft picks:

• Round 1, Pick #18 (#18 overall)
• Round 2, Pick #18 (#50 overall)
• Round 3, Pick #17 (#81 overall)
• Round 4, Pick #18 (#120 overall)
• Round 6, Pick #18 (#190 overall)
• Round 6, Pick #37 (#209 overall, Compensatory)
• Round 7, Pick #33 (#247 overall, Compensatory)
• Round 7, Pick #36 (#250 overall, Compensatory)

Vikings Coaches Meet The Media

The Minnesota Vikings have made some considerable "tweaks" to the the coaching staff since the end of a disappointing 2018 season. Interim offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski had the "interim" tag dropped from his job title. The only thing that might have prevented that from happening was if he had been named the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. He wasn't and the Vikings offense is now his. He's going to have a lot of help. The most considerable of the considerable coaching "tweaks" was the hiring of former Houston Texans and Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak as Assistant head coach/offensive adviser. Kubiak is bringing some coaches with him. Son, Klint Kubiak will coach the quarterbacks. Rick Dennison will coordinate the run game and coach the offensive line. Brian Pariani will coach the tight ends. Dennison and Pariani have coached with Kubiak at several NFL stops. The younger Kubiak has known the older Kubiak his entire life. The new Vikings coaches have coached for a long time with success. They've won Super Bowls together. There's no success that matters more in the NFL. They will be a tremendous resource for an offensive coordinator that has called plays for three games. They have specialized in offensive schemes (play action and zone blocking) in which Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has thrived in the past. On paper, in February, it looks like an excellent coaching marriage. The new offensive coaches met the Minnesota media for the first time yesterday. As did new special teams coordinator Marwan Maalouf. Maalouf's addition has gotten a little lost in the headline-inducing offensive coaching additions. Special teams is often lost in the shuffle despite it's importance in winning football games.

Those were the considerable Vikings coaching staff "tweaks." They are actually much more than "tweaks." Moving assistant quarterbacks coach Drew Petzing to receivers coach is a "tweak." Hiring Christian Jones and A.C. Patterson as offensive quality control coaches are "tweaks." Adding the Kubiak gang is a significant addition to the Vikings coaching staff. Hopefully, Stefanski and his new and old friends can light a fire under an offense filled with talented players.

Unless another coaching "tweak" comes along, here's the 2019 Minnesota Vikings coaches:

Minnesota Vikings Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Mike Zimmer

Coordinators
Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Stefanski
Defensive Coordinator: George Edwards
Special Teams Coordinator: Marwan Maalouf

Assistants
Assistant head coach/offensive adviser: Gary Kubiak
Quarterbacks: Klint Kubiak
Running Backs: Kennedy Polamalu
Receivers: Drew Petzing
Tight Ends: Brian Pariani
Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator: Rick Dennison
Assistant Offensive Line: Andrew Janocko
Offensive Quality Control: Christian Jones
Offensive Quality Control: A. C. Patterson
Defensive Line: Andre Patterson
Assistant Defensive Line: Robert Rodriguez
Linebackers: Adam Zimmer
Defensive Backs: Jerry Gray
Assistant Defensive Backs: Jeff Howard
Defensive Quality Control: Nick Rallis
Assistant Special Teams: Ryan Ficken
Head Strength and Conditioning: Mark Uyeyama
Assistant Strength and Conditioning: Chaz Mahle

Assistant Strength and Conditioning: Derik Keyes

***

One curiosity of the Vikings coaching staff is the three father-son combos that are now on it:

Mike and Adam Zimmer
Gary and Klint Kubiak
Andre and A.C. Patterson

Throwback Thursday: When The NFL Got Squirrelly With The Divisions

The National Football League and the American Football League agreed to merge on June 8, 1966. The immediate result of that agreement was a unifying championship game at the end of each season and an end to the bidding war over players. In 1970, the two rival leagues fully merged into one professional football league. One often overlooked result of the merger was the introduction of divisions into the NFL's traditional Eastern-Western alignment. Since 1933, the NFL had separated the teams into Eastern or Western Divisions/Conferences. From 1933-49 it was Divisions. From 1953-66 it was Conferences. From 1950-52, the three seasons following the absorption of the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts from the All-America Football Conference, the teams were split into American and National Conferences. That bit of nomenclature was foreshadowing of what was to come about 20 years later. After the 1966 merger, the NFL got a little squirrelly with the separation of their teams. Probably due to the lateness of the merger announcement, the 1966 season was more of the same. 15 teams divided into Eastern and Western Conferences:

Eastern Conference
Dallas Cowboys
Cleveland Browns
Philadelphia Eagles
St. Louis Cardinals
Washington Redskins
Pittsburgh Steelers
Atlanta Falcons
New York Giants

Western Conference
Green Bay Packers
Baltimore Colts
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings

It was in 1967 that the NFL got squirrelly:

Eastern Conference

Capitol Division
Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
New Orleans Saints

Century Division
Cleveland Browns
New York Giants
St. Louis Cardinals
Pittsburgh Steelers

Western Conference

Coastal Division
Los Angeles Rams
Baltimore Colts
San Francisco 49ers
Atlanta Falcons

Central Division
Green Bay Packers
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings

This was the NFL from 1967-69. The most surprising aspect of this alignment for me has always been it's delightful alliteration. Who would've thought that Pete Rozelle and his pals had that sort of whimsy in them?  The Central Division is the only division that survived the complete NFL-AFL merger. The good old Central continued until the NFL's most recent realignment in 2002. The four teams of the Central make up the NFC North today. They are the only four teams that have stayed together since the NFL got squirrelly in 1967.

A couple things.

I sure do miss seeing the Colts as the Baltimore Colts. I also like seeing them on the National Football side of the ledger. The same is true for the Steelers and the Browns.

The NFL has rarely been very good with geography. They have gotten better but the Colts and Falcons in the West? The Cowboys have terrific rivalries with the Redskins, Giants, and Eagles but they aren't geographical rivalries.

Pro Day Schedule

Nest week's Scouting Combine is only the start of workouts for the 2019 NFL Draft prospects. Every weekday from March 5-April 4 there will be as few as two and as many as 16 colleges hosting a Pro Day. A few of the prospects get about a moment to breathe after leaving Indianapolis before they have to run around for the decision-makers at their campus. Northern Illinois edge rusher Sutton Smith will work out in Indianapolis on March 3 and at his Pro Day on March 6. That seems a little excessive and a little unfortunate. Here's the schedule of those workouts.

March 5
» Miami (Ohio), 10:30 a.m.
» Purdue, 8 a.m.

March 6
» Cincinnati, 9:30 a.m.
» Colorado State, 9:45 a.m.
» Kansas State, 10 a.m.
» Northern Illinois, 10:30 a.m.

March 7
» Alabama-Birmingham, 9 a.m.
» Nebraska, 2 p.m.
» Samford, 2 p.m.

March 8
» Maine, 8 a.m.
» New Mexico, 1 p.m.

March 11
» Arkansas, 9 a.m.
» Austin Peay, 3 p.m.
» Illinois, 10 a.m.
» Middle Tennessee, 10 a.m.
» Tennessee State, 2 p.m.
» Troy, 10 a.m.

March 12
» Central Arkansas, 10 a.m.
» Central Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m.
» Concordia (Que.), 10 a.m.
» Georgia Tech, 9 a.m.
» Kennesaw State, 2:30 p.m.
» New Mexico State, 12 p.m.
» Northwestern, 11:30 a.m.
» Oklahoma State, 10 a.m.
» Vanderbilt, 11 a.m.

March 13
» Buffalo, 8:30 a.m.
» Georgia Southern, 1:30 p.m.
» Marshall, 9 a.m.
» Mercer, 8 a.m.
» Nevada, 12 p.m.
» Oklahoma, 10 a.m.
» Wisconsin, 11 a.m.

March 14
» Central Michigan, 10 a.m.
» Columbia, 11:30 a.m.
» Fordham, 10 a.m.
» Tennessee, 8 a.m.
» Tulsa, 10 a.m.

March 15
» Chattanooga, 8:30 a.m.
» Georgia State, 1:30 p.m.
» Michigan, 8 a.m.
» Oregon State, 2 p.m.
» Princeton, 1 p.m.
» Texas State, 2 p.m.
» West Georgia, 8:30 a.m.

March 18
» Fresno State, 1:45 p.m.
» Louisiana-Monroe, 2 p.m.
» Michigan State, 11:30 a.m.
» Pennsylvania, 12:30 p.m.
» Pittsburg State, 10 a.m.
» Syracuse, 12:15 p.m.

March 19
» Alabama, 12 p.m.
» Albany (N.Y.), 8:30 a.m.
» Bowling Green, 8:30 a.m.
» California-Davis, 4 p.m.
» North Carolina A&T, 10 a.m.
» Penn State, 10 a.m.
» Sacramento State, 12 p.m.
» Toledo, 12:30 p.m.

March 20
» Baylor, 9:30 a.m.
» Boston College, 1 p.m.
» Duquesne, 7 a.m.
» Georgia, 9 a.m.
» Louisiana-Lafayette, 3 p.m.
» Missouri Western, 9 a.m.
» Northwestern State (La.), 9:15 a.m.
» Notre Dame, 10 a.m.
» Pittsburgh, 10 a.m.
» USC, 10:30 a.m.
» Wake Forest, 9 a.m.
» Western Kentucky, 10 a.m.

March 21
» Azusa Pacific, 11:30 a.m.
» California, 1 p.m.
» Gannon, 4 p.m.
» Grand Valley State, 8 a.m.
» Louisville, 9 a.m.
» Massachusetts, 10 a.m.
» McNeese State, 9:30 a.m.
» Missouri, 9 a.m.
» Murray State, 10 a.m.
» Sam Houston State, 10:15 a.m.
» South Carolina, 8 a.m.
» Tulane, 1 p.m.
» West Virginia, 8 a.m.
» Western Michigan, 1 p.m.

March 22
» Akron, 8 a.m.
» Central Connecticut State, 10 a.m.
» Citadel, 8:30 a.m.
» Delaware, 8 a.m.
» Eastern Michigan, 8 a.m.
» Kent State, 1 p.m.
» Kentucky, 9:15 p.m.
» LSU, 9 a.m.
» North Carolina-Charlotte, 8:30 a.m.
» San Diego State, 1:30 p.m.
» Southern, 3 p.m.
» Youngstown State, 8:30 a.m.

March 25
» UNLV, 1:15 p.m.
» North Carolina, 1 p.m.
» Old Dominion, 1 p.m.
» Prairie View, 3 p.m.
» Rice, 9:15 p.m.
» South Alabama, 9 a.m.
» Southern Mississippi, 3 p.m.
» Texas Tech, 11 a.m.
» Villanova, 8 a.m.
» West Florida, 2 p.m.
» Western Illinois, 11:30 a.m.

March 26
» Campbell, 6 p.m.
» Central Florida, 11:30 a.m.
» Duke, 12 p.m.
» Florida Atlantic, 2 p.m.
» Florida International, 8 a.m.
» Iowa State, 8:30 a.m.
» James Madison, 2 p.m.
» Monmouth (N.J.), 1:30 p.m.
» Morgan State, 12 p.m.
» Northern Iowa, 4:30 p.m.
» Richmond, 8 a.m.
» Southeast Missouri, 11 a.m.
» Texas A&M, 9:15 a.m.
» Texas-San Antonio, 4:30 p.m.

March 27
» Arizona State, 11 a.m.
» Connecticut, 8 a.m.
» Delta State, 3:30 p.m.
» Florida, 8:30 a.m.
» Incarnate Word, 8 a.m.
» Jacksonville, 3 p.m.
» Kansas, 8 a.m.
» Lamar, 9 a.m.
» Maryland, 8 a.m.
» Memphis, 8:30 a.m.
» Minnesota, 10 a.m.
» Mississippi State, 9 a.m.
» North Carolina State, 11 a.m.
» Stony Brook, 8 a.m.
» Texas, 3 p.m.
» Utah State, 10 a.m.

March 28
» Arkansas State, 8:15 a.m.
» Bryant, 2 p.m.
» Dartmouth, 9 a.m.
» Florida State, 1 p.m.
» Houston, 9:30 a.m.
» North Dakota State, 10:15 a.m.
» North Texas, 3 p.m.
» Ohio, 11:30 a.m.
» Southern Methodist, 10 a.m.
» Tennessee-Martin, 10 a.m.
» Towson, 9 a.m.
» Utah, 10 a.m.
» Virginia, 8:30 a.m.

March 29
» Bethune-Cookman, 10 a.m.
» BYU, 10:30 a.m.
» Mississippi, 9 a.m.
» South Dakota State, 9:30 a.m.
» South Florida, 9 a.m.
» TCU, 9:30 a.m.
» Virginia Tech, 10:30 a.m.

April 1
» Indiana State, 9 a.m.
» Washington, 2 p.m.

April 2
» Boise State, 12:30 p.m.
» Indiana, 11:45 a.m.

April 3
» Ball State, 9 a.m.
» Washington State, 1 p.m.

April 4
» Eastern Washington, 1 p.m.
» Stanford, 12 p.m.

All times listed are Eastern.

No offense to Cal linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk (who should've received a Combine invite) but this is one of those rare years in which teams are more likely to flock to Davis on March 19 than Berkeley on March 21. Davis receiver Keelan Doss should be an early round pick for some lucky team.

It's Tagging Time!

Today is the the first day that NFL teams can slap the franchise tag on one of their pending free agents. The window for tagging players closes March 5 (at 4pm ET). Teams have until then to negotiate a long-term contract. Absent a deal, tagging becomes the only option to restrict the movement of a team's free agent. Since a long-term deal is always the preferred option it's likely that we won't hear any tagging news until closer to the tagging deadline.

Using the franchise tag is an expensive, short-term solution. These projected tag values show that:

Position	Franchise Tag	Transition Tag
QB	$25,578,000	23,356,000
DE	18,653,000	15,735,000
WR	17,101,000	14,738,000
CB	15,992,000	13,891,000
LB	15,777,000	13,627,000
DT	15,571,000	12,287,000
OL	15,283,000	13,717,000
S	12,037,000	10,268,000
RB	11,980,000	9,739,000
TE	10,930,000	9,124,000
ST	5,162,000	4,712,000

The transition tag has been used so infrequently in recent years that I'm not sure if teams even consider it. But it's still an option. 

A problem with the tags can be easily seen. It's never made sense that the offensive line positions are grouped together while the defensive line positions are not. A team wanting to tag a center shouldn't be forced to pay him something closer to left tackle dollars. The same is true at linebacker. The $15,777,000 franchise tag is more representative of a pass rushing 3-4 linebacker than one that plays off the ball. Linebacker Anthony Barr is probably the biggest impending free agent of the Minnesota Vikings. He's an off-the-ball, strong-side linebacker in a 4-3 defense. The Vikings have used the franchise tag twice in the 26 years that it's been available. They last used it in 2011 so the current decision-making regime has never used it. It would be a stunning turn if the Vikings use a rarely used tool to retain Barr at a price that isn't close to representative of the position that he plays. The offensive line positions should be separated and edge pass rushers should be grouped together when it comes to generating franchise/transition tag numbers. The special teams positions should be separated while they're at it.

It's amazing that running backs are so far down the tagging number list. There was a time when the top backs in the league rivaled quarterbacks among the top paid players.

There are a lot of teams that do rely on the franchise tag to keep a player from moving. Here are some teams that might do so over the coming days and the players that could be slapped. 

Dallas Cowboys: Demarcus Lawrence, DE

Houston Texans: Jadeveon Clowney, LB

Atlanta Falcons: Grady Jarrett, DT

Kansas City Chiefs: Dee Ford, LB

Seattle Seahawks: Frank Clark, DE

New York Giants: Landon Collins, S

San Francisco 49ers: Robbie Gould, K

Baltimore Ravens: C.J. Mosley, LB

Philadelphia Eagles: Nick Foles, QB

I hate to include Nick Foles on this list. If the Eagles tag Foles it won't be to keep him. It'll be to trade him. That pretty much wrecks the spirit of the franchise tag. 

It's more likely that the Ravens sign Mosley to an extension than tag him. As with the Vikings-Barr example, Mosley is an off-the-ball linebacker and that job doesn't fall into the pass rusher price range. No matter how good he is at the position that he plays he isn't going to get pass rusher money. 

The tagging season is the next step of the NFL offseason and it starts today. It won't trigger much immediate action.