Minnesota Vikings 90-Man Roster By College

Here's a fantastic topic for late May. A look at the Minnesota Vikings 90-Man Roster Broken Down By College.

UCLA
Anthony Barr
Eric Kendricks
Kevin McDermott
Nate Meadors

LSU
Terrence Alexander
Tashawn Bower
Danielle Hunter

Notre Dame
Kyle Rudolph
Harrison Smith
Greer Martini

Texas
Holton Hill
Kris Boyd
Duke Thomas

Cincinnati
Mike Boone
Eric Wilson

Clemson
Mackensie Alexander
Jayron Kearse

Florida State
Dalvin Cook
Xavier Rhodes

Iowa 
Jaleel Johnson
Riley Reiff

Miami (Fla)
Danny Isidora
Tito Odenigbo

Michigan
Ben Gedeon
Matt Wile

Michigan State
Kirk Cousins
Trae Waynes

Ohio State
Pat Elflein
Jalyn Holmes

Oklahoma
Dru Samia
Jeff Badet

USC 
Everson Griffen
Cameron Smith

Vanderbilt
Steven Weatherly
Khari Blasingame

Air Force
Austin Cutting

Alabama
Irv Smith Jr.

Arkansas
Armon Watts

Augustana (S.D.)
C.J. Ham

Boise State
Alexander Mattison

California 
Devante Downs
-Go Bears!!!

Central Florida
Mike Hughes

Central Michigan
Tyler Conklin

Colorado State
Olabisi Johnson

Concordia-Moorhead
Brandon Zylstra

Connecticut
Shamar Stephen

East Carolina
Linval Joseph

Eastern Illinois
Alexander Hollins

Elon
Olisaemmeka Udoh

Fresno State
Derron Smith

Furman
Dakota Dozier

Georgia Tech
Anree Saint-Amour

Jacksonville State
Roc Thomas

Kent State
Josh Kline

Louisville
Cole Hikutini

Marian
Brandon Dillon

Maryland
Stefon Diggs

Minnesota State-Mankato
Adam Thielen

Mississippi
Laquon Treadwell

Missouri
Kentrell Brothers

Nebraska
Ameer Abdullah

North Carolina State
Garrett Bradbury

Northern Colorado
Kyle Sloter

Northern Illinois
Chad Beebe

Northern Iowa
Karter Schult

Northwestern
Ifeadi Odenigbo

Oklahoma State
Dan Bailey

Oregon
Dillon Mitchell

Oregon State
Sean Mannion

Penn State
Curtis Cothran

Pittsburgh
Brian O'Neill

Portland State
Cornelius Edison

Regina (Canada)
Brett Jones

Rice
Jordan Taylor

Rutgers
Isaiah Wharton

Sam Houston State
Davion Davis

South Florida
Reshard Cliett

Southern Illinois
Craig James

Southern Mississippi
Rashod Hill

Tennessee
Micah Abernathy

Texas-San Antonio
David Morgan

Texas Christian
Aviante Collins

Toledo
Storm Norton

Tulane
Ade Aruna

UAB
Stacy Keely

Virginia
Anthony Harris

Washington
Jake Browning

Washington State
Hercules Mata'afa

Western Michigan
John Keenoy

Wyoming
Marcus Epps

Throwback Thursday: All-Time Green Bay Packers Team

The Green Bay Packers have recently lost two of their legends. Jim Taylor last October. Bart Starr on Sunday. The Packers have the third longest stint in the NFL. The Chicago Bears and Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals have been part of the league from the beginning. The Packers didn't join the new professional football league until year two. In honor of the lost legends and the Packers long history here's a look at some of the best to ever wear the green/blue and yellow. It's a damn strong team.

Offense

Quarterback
Bart Starr

Running Back
Jim Taylor

Fullback
Clarke Hinkle

Receivers
Don Hutson
Sterling Sharpe

Tight End
Ron Kramer

Offensive Tackles
Forrest Gregg
Cal Hubbard

Offensive Guards
Mike Michalske
Jerry Kramer

Center
Jim Ringo

Defense

Defensive Ends
Reggie White
Willie Davis

Defensive Tackles
Henry Jordan
Cal Hubbard

Linebackers
Dave Robinson
Ray Nitschke
Clarke Hinkle

Cornerbacks
Herb Adderley
Charles Woodson

Safeties
Willie Wood
Bobby Dillon

***

A long, successful football history makes for a strong all-time team and the Packers have one. There are nine Hall of Famers on offense. Sterling Sharpe and Ron Kramer have arguments that it should be 11. Most might have Hall of Famer James Lofton opposite Don Hutson. I like what Sharpe did in his injury-shortened career a little better. There are nine Hall of Famers on defense. Charles Woodson will make it ten as soon as he's eligible. Bobby Dillon is deserving of discussion. I gave Clarke Hinkle and Cal Hubbard offense-defense double duty because they were great on both sides of the ball. I might be taking some liberties sticking Hubbard at one defensive position. He was a menace partly because he lined up all over the defensive front as well as behind it.

RIP Bart Starr and Jim Taylor. The world was a better place with both of you in it.

All-Small Team

Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated's MMQB took some time to recognize the little fellas of the NFL. Here's his All-Small Team.

QUARTERBACK
Drew Brees, Saints (6' 0", 209 pounds)
Russell Wilson, Seahawks (5' 11", 215 pounds)

RUNNING BACK
Phillip Lindsay, Broncos (5' 8", 190 pounds)
James White, Patriots (5' 10", 205 pounds)
Dion Lewis, Titans (5' 8", 195 pounds)

Benoit focused on backs that he considered 3-down, between-the-tackles runners to explain the omission of  itty-bitty, 5'6" Tarik Cohen of the Chicago Bears.

WIDE RECEIVER
T.Y. Hilton, Colts (5' 10", 183 pounds)
Brandin Cooks, Rams (5' 10", 183 pounds)
Tyler Lockett, Seahawks (5' 10", 182 pounds)
Jamison Crowder, Redskins (5' 9", 177 pounds)
Danny Amendola, Lions (5' 11", 190 pounds)

TIGHT END
Jordan Reed, Redskins (6' 2", 245 pounds)
Evan Engram, Giants (6' 3", 240 pounds)

OFFENSIVE LINE
Left Tackle: Garett Boles, Broncos (6' 5", 297 pounds)
Left Guard: James Daniels, Bears (6' 4", 295 pounds)
Center: Jason Kelce, Eagles (6' 3", 295 pounds)
Right Guard: Marshal Yanda, Ravens (6' 3", 305 pounds)
Right Tackle: Chris Hubbard, Browns (6' 4", 295 pounds)

Backup Linemen: OT Charles Leno, Bears (6' 3", 306 pounds), G/C David Andrews, Patriots (6' 3", 306 pounds)

I remember a time when a 295 pound lineman was considered quite large.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Aaron Donald, Rams (6' 1", 280 pounds)
Trey Flowers, Lions (6' 2", 265 pounds)
Darius Philon, Cardinals (6' 1", 286 pounds)
Willie Henry, Ravens (6' 3", 291 pounds)

EDGE
Von Miller, Broncos (6' 3", 250 pounds)
Yannick Ngakoue, Jaguars (6' 2", 246 pounds)
Melvin Ingram, Chargers (6' 2", 247 pounds)
Dee Ford, 49ers (6' 2", 252 pounds)

LINEBACKER
Deion Jones, Falcons (6’1”, 227 pounds)
Kwon Alexander, 49ers (6’1”, 227 pounds)
Shaq Thompson, Panthers (6’3”, 230 pounds)
Eric Kendricks, Vikings (6’0”, 232 pounds)

CORNERBACK
Donte Jackson, Panthers (5' 10", 180 pounds)
Tavon Young, Ravens (5' 9", 185 pounds)
Nickell Robey-Coleman, Rams (5' 8", 180 pounds)
Avante Maddox, Eagles (5' 9", 180 pounds)

SAFETY
Quandre Diggs, Lions (5' 9", 200 pounds)
Tyrann Mathieu, Chiefs (5' 9", 185 pounds)
Budda Baker, Cardinals (5' 10", 195 pounds)

I wouldn't bump any of Benoit's safeties. All three are excellent choices. Still, I can't help but think of the Oakland Raiders when it comes to pint-sized safeties.

Raiders safeties:
Lamarcus Joyner 5'8"
Karl Joseph 5'10"

There's still room for the little fella in the NFL.

How The League's Projected Starters Got Here

The Spotrac website is filled with interesting football stuff. I discovered this chart there. It shows where each of the league's projected 2019 starters were drafted. Or not drafted. Spotrac pulled the projected starters from another useful website, Ourlads.

Pos	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	UDFA	Supp.
QB	21	4	2	2		1	1	1
RB	10	12	8	12	5	5	1	12
FB				1	1	4	1	9
WR	24	24	15	12	10	5	5	32	1
TE	9	9	11	9	6	5	3	12
OC	6	6	5	3	3	5	1	4
OG	14	8	14	4	4	2	4	12
LT	18	6	1	2			3	2
RT	9	6	2	3	3	1	2	7
DT	13	11	11	3	4	2	2	8
DE	25	10	8	7	3		3	6
OLB	16	10	12	7	6	3	1	7
ILB	9	10	5	6	7	3	1	7
CB	25	12	5	5	5	1	2	7	1
S	16	14	10	4	3	5	2	10
K				1	3	3	4	21
P			1		6	4	3	17
LS				1	1		2	26	1
%	24	16	12	9	8	5	4	22	0.3

***

A few thoughts:

I'm guessing that the undrafted starting quarterback is Case Keenum. I have doubts that he opens the season as the starter for the Washington Redskins. It's more likely Dwayne Haskins' job to lose.

Most starting quarterbacks are found in the first round. That's no surprise.

The 32 undrafted starting receivers is a surprise. Although this chart has 128 starting receivers. That's four per team. That seems excessive. A depth chart is a very fluid thing. And it's very subjective thing in May.

The significant number of first round corners isn't surprising.

Like quarterbacks and corners, starting left tackles are often found in the first round. What is surprising is that there are no fifth- or sixth-round picks among the projected starting left tackles.

Like quarterbacks, corners, and left tackles, starting defensive ends are also often found in the first round. It's for that reason that I've found it interesting that the Vikings have often found their starting defensive ends in the third and fourth.

Ray Edwards-2006 4th
Brian Robison-2007 4th
Everson Griffen-2010 4th
Danielle Hunter-2015 3rd

The Vikings acquired Jared Allen in 2008 for much more than a fourth. But even Allen was originally a fourth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Top 25 Remaining Free Agents

With Ndamukong Suh, Ziggy Ansah, and Jamie Collins finally finding work it felt like a good time to look at some of the best remaining free agents. Gerald McCoy joined this list last week. He won't be on it long.

1.   Gerald McCoy, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2.   Eric Berry, S, Kansas City Chiefs
3.   Morris Claiborne, CB, New York Jets
4.   Corey Liuget, DT, Los Angeles Chargers
5.   Glover Quin, S, Detroit Lions
6.   Tre Boston, S, Arizona Cardinals
7.   Jay Ajayi, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
8.   Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Green Bay Packers
9.   Allen Bailey, DE, Kansas City Chiefs
10. Michael Crabtree, WR, Baltimore Ravens
11. Derrick Morgan, Edge, Tennessee Titans
12. Nick Perry, Edge, Green Bay Packers
13. Tom Johnson, DT, Minnesota Vikings
14. Josh Bynes, LB, Arizona Cardinals
15. Jermaine Kearse, WR, New York Jets
16. Kelvin Benjamin,WR, Kansas CIty Chiefs
17. Ryan Schraeder, OT, Atlanta Falcons
18. Mike Mitchell, S, Indianapolis Colts
19. Pierre Garcon, WR, San Franciscio 49ers
20. Dion Jordan, DE, Seattle Seahawks
21. Bennie Logan, DT, Tennessee Titans
22. Orlando Scandricks, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
23. Darian Stewart, S, Denver Broncos
24. Jeremy Parnell, OT, Jacksonville Jaguars
25. Captain Munnerlyn, CB, Carolina Panthers

While Suh, Ansah, and Collins were part of this list the top half was quite eye-catching. Now, it's starting to look a little depleted. The defensive tackles and safeties give some sparkle.

100 Greatest Chicago Bears

The 2019 season will be the 100th season of the Chicago Bears. As part of their Chicago Bears Centennial Scrapbook, longtime NFL writers Dan Pompei and Don Pierson put together a list of the 100 Greatest players in franchise history.

100. Patrick Mannely, LS, 1998-2013

 99. Doug Plank, S, 1975-82

 98. Trace Armstrong, DE, 1989-94

 97. Bobby Joe Green, P, 1962-73

 96. Eddie Jackson, S, 2017-Present

 95. Larry Morris, LB, 1959-65

 94. Jim Dooley, E, 1952-54, 56-57, 59-62

 93. Herman Lee, T, 1958-66

 92. Bill Osmanski, FB, 1939-43, 46-47

 91. Bob Wetoska, T, 1960-69

 90. Beattie Feathers, HB, 1934-37

 89. Mike Pyle, C, 1961-69

 88. Joey Sternaman, QB/K, 1922-25, 27-30

 87. Luke Johnsos, E, 1929-36

 86. Alan Ellis, CB, 1973-77, 79-80

 85. Jay Cutler, QB, 2009-16

 84. Tom Thayer, G, 1985-92

 83. Willie Gault, WR, 1983-87

 82. George Blanda, QB/K, 1949-58

 81. Brandon Marshall, WR, 2012-14

 80. Alson Jeffery, WR, 2012-16

 79. Dennis McKinnon, WR, 1983-85, 87-89

 78. Donnell Woolford, CB, 1989-96

 77. Bennie McRae, DB, 1962-70

 76. J.C. Caroline, DB, 1956-65

 75. Akiem Hicks, DT, 2016-Present

 74. Kyle Long, G, 2103-Present

 73. Tommie Harris, DT, 2004-10

 72. Mark Carrier, S, 1990-96

 71. Kevin Butler, K, 1985-95

 70. Matt Suhey, FB, 1980-89

 69. Bill Wade, QB, 1961-66

 68. Dick Barwegen, G, 1950-52

 67. Ed O'Bradovich, DE, 1962-71

 66. Mike Hartenstine, DE, 1975-86

 65. Dick Gordon, WR, 1965-71

 64. James Williams, T, 1991-2002

 63. Mike Brown, S, 2000-08

 62. Robbie Gould, K, 2005-15

 61. Willie Gallimore, HB, 1957-63

 60. Khalil Mack, LB/DE, 2018-Present

 59. Julius Peppers, DE, 2010-13

 58. Wally Chambers, DT, 1973-77

 57. Jim Osborne, DT, 1972-84

 56. Roosevelt Taylor, DB, 1961-69

 55. Johnny Lujack, QB, 1948-51

 54. Ed Brown, QB/P, 1954-61

 53. Jim McMahon, QB, 1982-88

 52. Joe Kopcha, G, 1929-35

 51. Keith Van Horne, T, 1981-93

 50. Mark Bortz, G, 1983-94

 49. Ray Bray, G, 1939-42, 46-51

 48. Fred Williams, T, 1952-63

 47. Dave Duerson, S, 1983-89

 46. Doug Buffone, LB, 1966-79

 45. Otis Wilson, LB, 1980-87

 44. Johnny Morris, FL, 1958-67

 43. Wilber Marshall, LB, 1984-87

 42. Richie Pettibone, 1959-68

 41. Neal Anderson, RB, 1986-93

 40. Ken Kavanaugh, WR, 1940-41, 45-50

 39. Harlon Hill, WR, 1954-61

 38. Link Lyman, T, 1926-28, 30-31, 33-34

 37. George Halas, E, 1920-29

 36. Red Grange, HB, 1925, 29-34

 35. George Musso, G, 1933-44

 34. Matt Forte, RB, 2008-15

 33. George Trafton, C, 1920-32

 32. Paddy Driscoll, QB/K/P, 1920, 26-29

 31. Charles Tillman, CB, 2003-14

 30. Gary Fencik, S, 1976-87

 29. Rick Casares, FB, 1955-64

 28. Lance Briggs, LB, 2003-14

 27. Olin Kruetz, C, 1998-2010

 26. Ed Healey, T, 1922-27

 25. Ed Sprinkle, E, 1944-55

 24. Joe Fortunato, LB, 1955-66

 23. George McAfee, HB/DB, 1940-41, 45-50

 22. George Connor, T/LB, 1948-55

 21. Joe Stydahar, T, 1936-42, 45-46

 20. Devin Hester, KR/PR/WR, 2006-13

 19. Steve McMichael, DT, 1981-93

 18. Jay Hilgenberger, C, 1981-91

 17. Stan Jones, T, 1954-65

 16. Bill Hewitt, E, 1932-36

 15. Mike Singletary, LB, 1981-92

 14. Brian Urlacher, LB, 2000-12

 13. Jimbo Covert, T, 1983-90

 12. Richard Dent, 1983-93, 95

 11. Dan Hampton, DT/DE, 1979-90

 10. Danny Fortman, G, 1936-43

   9. Doug Atkins, DE, 1955-66

   8. Bulldog Turner, C/LB, 1940-52

   7. Bill George, G/LB, 1952-65

   6. Mike Ditka, TE, 1961-66

   5. Gale Sayers, HB, 1965-71

   4. Sid Luckman, QB/P/DB, 1939-50

   3. Bronko Nagurski, FB/T, 1930-37, 43

   2. Dick Butkus, LB, 1965-73

   1. Walter Payton, RB, 1975-87

***

This is a fine list. I get a little nervous when a list like this is undertaken, especially with a team that has a long history of success like the Bears, due to the simple fact that pre-Super Bowl NFL history is rarely treated with the proper respect. People tend to have a very short memory and the Bears have a very long history. The team's best years were their first 25 years. Seven of their nine NFL titles came between 1921 and 1946. Dan Pompei and Don Pierson did a fine job acknowledging all 100 years. 

The Bears have such a strong history that six Hall of Famers can be found among the players ranked in the 30s.

Paddy Driscoll

George Trafton

George Musso

Red Grange

George Halas

Link Lyman

How many NFL teams can put up 30 of their best players and still have Hall of Famers left over?

George Blanda is way down at #82 but he's not in the Hall of Fame for his Bears career. He may have spent 10 years with the team but he's in the Hall of Fame for what he did after he left Chicago.

One of the Bears greatest players is also the team's founder. No other team can say that.

Speaking of Halas, the Bears have employed a lot of great players with the name of George.
George Halas
George Connor
George McAfee

George Halas

George Trafton

George Musso
George Blanda
Bill George

One problem that I do have with this list is that two centers (Jay Hilgenberger and Olin Kruetz) are ranked ahead of George Trafton. 

It's easy to see that Pompei and Pierson think highly of the Bears current defense. Khalil Mack sits at #60 with a single year in Chicago, Akiem Hicks sits at #75 after three years, and Eddie Jackson sits at #96 after two years. It's actually no surprise. Before they're done, I can see all three moving up this list. Especially Mack. 

Gil Brandt's Top 2020 NFL Draft Prospects

Gil Brandt never rests. The 2019 NFL Draft was only a month ago and he's already turned his attention to the 2020 NFL Draft. Evaluating college prospects is in his blood and he's going to Canton in August for it. Here are Gil Brandt's Top Senior Prospects for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Quarterbacks
1. Justin Herbert, Oregon
2. Shea Patterson, Michigan
3. Nate Stanley, Iowa
4. Jake Bentley, South Carolina
5. Steven Montez, Colorado

Running Backs
1. Ke'Shawn Vaugn, Vanderbilt
2. Joshua Kelley, UCLA
3. Zack Moss, Utah
4. Reggie Corbin, Illinois
5. Scottie Phillip

Top Fullback: Kiel Pollard, South Carolina

Receivers
1. Collin Johnson, Texas
2. K.J. Hill, Ohio State
3. Tyler Johnson, Minnesota
4. Juwan Johnson, Oregon
5. Michael Pittman Jr.

Tight Ends
1. Bryce Hopkins, Purdue
2. Jacob Breeland, Oregon
3. Jacob Pinkney, Vanderbilt
4. Mitchell Wilcox, South Florida
5. Jared Rice, Fresno State

Offensive Line
1. Calvin Throckmorton, Oregon
2. Lukas Niang, TCU
3. Zach Shackelford, Texas
4. Ben Bredeson, Michigan
5. Trey Adams, Washington
6. Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn
7. Sane Lemieux, Oregon

As a Cal fan, there appears to be too damn much talent on the Oregon offense.

Defensive Ends
1. Raekwon Davis, Alabama
2. Kenny Willekes, Michigan State
3. Jabari Zuniga, Florida
4. Alton Robinson, Syracuse
5. Marlon Davidson, Auburn

Defensive Tackles
1. Derrick Brown, Auburn
2. Rashard Lawrence, LSU
3. Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
4. Raequan Williams, Michigan State
5. Robert Windsor, Penn State

Linebackers
1. Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
2. Malik Harrison, Ohio State
3. Julian Okwara, Notre Dame
4. Darrell Taylor, Tennessee
5. Michael Pinckney, Miami
6. Troy Dye, Oregon

Cornerbacks
1. Bryce Hall, Virginia
2. Trevon Diggs, Alabama
3. DeMarkus Acy, Missouri
4. Lavert Hill, Michigan
5. Troy Pride Jr., Notre Dame

Safeties
1. J.R. Reed, Georgia
2. David Dowell, Michigan State
3. Shyheim Carter, Alabama
4. Julian Blackmon, Utah
5. Jalen Elliott, Notre Dame
6. Brandon Jones, Texas

There hasn't been much reason to look for NFL prospects in Berkeley recently but scouts are going to find some talent in Cal's secondary this year.

Kicker
1. Rodrigo Blankenship

Punter
1. Braden Mann, Texas A&M

Kick Returners
1. Isaiah Wright, Temple
2. Joe Reed, Virginia
3. John Williams, Memphis

Long-Snappers
1. Steve Wirtel, Iowa State
2. Blake Ferguson, LSU

Quarterback Coaching Summit

Every now and then the NFL does a really good thing. This is one of the those things. In an effort to improve the coaching and personnel development pipeline the league will partner with the Black College Football Hall of Fame in hosting the 2019 NFL Quarterback Coaching Summit from June 24-25 in Atlanta. Assistant and positional NFL and NCAA coaches have been invited to attend.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to develop a diverse pipeline of offensive coaches and personnel, the Quarterback Coaching Summit is an opportunity for participants to further develop and perfect their proficiencies in game administration, offensive philosophy implementation and quarterback development," said Troy Vincent, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations.

Helping those trying to make it in the football coaching profession is a very good thing. Having the opportunity to make contacts with those that have been through it is a very good thing. The only thing that I'd change is opening this summit up to defensive coaches. The NFL decision-makers might see it differently but football isn't just about the offense.

Here is the list of presenters and attendees that will be a part of the Summit.

Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator
Marquel Blackwell, University of Houston Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
Jeff Blake, NFL Legend Quarterback Consultant
Marcus Brady, Indianapolis Colts Quarterbacks Coach
Jim Caldwell, Miami Dolphins Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Coach
Dick Daniels, NFL Legend, Consultant
Karl Dorrell, Miami Dolphins Wide Receivers Coach
Tony Elliott, Clemson University Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach
Broderick Fobbs, Grambling State University Head Coach
Josh Gattis, University of Michigan Offensive Coordinator
Billy Gonzales, University of Florida Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach
Harold Goodwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Assistant Head Coach/Run-Game Coordinator
Chris Grier, Miami Dolphins General Manager
Pep Hamilton, XFL General Manager & Head Coach
James Harris, NFL Legend, Consultant
Hue Jackson, Formerly Cleveland Browns Head Coach
Ivin Jasper, Naval Academy Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
Brian Johnson, University of Florida Quarterbacks Coach
Craig Johnson, New York Giants Running Backs Coach
Curtis Johnson, New Orleans Saints Senior Offensive Assistant
Shaun King, University of South Florida Running Backs Coach
Marvin Lewis, Formerly Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach
Mike Locksley, University of Maryland Head Coach
Jerry Mack, Rice University Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach
Brennan Marion, William & Mary Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
Connell Maynor, Alabama A&M University Head Coach
Woody McCorvey, Clemson University Associate Athletic Director
Garrick McGee, University of Missouri Wide Receivers Coach
Ozzie Newsome, Baltimore Ravens Executive Vice President
Jeff Nixon, Baylor University Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach
Kendrick Nord, Grambling State University Quarterbacks Coach
Lamar Owens, Georgia Southern University Wide Receivers Coach
Jimmy Raye, NFL Legend, Consultant
Jerry Reese, Formerly New York Giants General Manager
Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles Executive Vice President of Football Operations
Rick Spielman, Minnesota Vikings General Manager
Allen Suber, Bethune-Cookman University Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
John Tomlinson, North Carolina Central University Quarterbacks Coach
Marques Tuiasosopo, University of California Tight Ends Coach
Pat White, Alcorn State University Quarterbacks Coach
Ted White, Prairie View A&M University Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
D.J. Williams III, New Orleans Saints Offensive Assistant

Throwback Thursday: All-Time NFC North Team

The NFC North has been an NFL division since realignment in 2002. Here's one look at the best players to play each position in the short history of this thrilling division.

Offense

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Running backs
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Matt Forte, Chicago Bears

Fullback
John Kuhn, Green Bay Packers

Receivers
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings

Moss only played in the NFC North for three seasons (2010 doesn't count). That's enough for me. His three years were that fantastic.

Tackles
Chad Clifton, Green Bay Packers
David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers

Guards
Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota Vikings
Kyle Long, Chicago Bears

Center
Matt Birk, Minnesota Vikings

Defense

Defensive ends 
Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings
Julius Peppers, Chicago Bears

One of these positions will belong to Khalil Mack soon.

Defensive tackles
Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
Kevin Willaims, Minnesota Vikings

Linebackers
Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers
Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears
Lance Briggs, Chicago Bears

Cornerbacks
Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers
Antoine Winfield, Minnesota Vikings

Safeties
Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings
Nick Collins, Green Bay Packers

It's tempting to put Charles Woodson at safety as well.

Kicker
Jason Hanson, Detroit Lions

Punter
Nick Harris, Detroit Lions

Returner
Devin Hester, Chicago Bears

A Way Too Early Minnesota Vikings 53-man Roster Projection

It doesn't feel right to project a 53-man roster before players have a chance to do anything in training camp and preseason games. It's still the sort of thing that fans do in May. Here's a way too early look at a potential Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster.

Offense (25 players)

Quarterbacks
  8 Kirk Cousins
  1 Kyle Sloter
  3 Jake Browning

While the Vikings probably had to add a somewhat experienced veteran quarterback in Sean Mannion in the offseason I want to see Kyle Sloter win the backup job. And I think that he will. I don't think that they'll be able to sneak Jake Browning on the practice squad. That means three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster and Mannion isn't one of them.

Running Backs
33 Dalvin Cook
25 Alexander Mattison
31 Ameer Abdullah

Mike Boone will challenge Ameer Abdullah for the final running back spot. If Abdullah is the kick returner, I think that that he's the third running back. If another player (Mike Hughes?) gets the kick returner job, I think that Boone is the third running back. In May, I'm going with Abdullah as the kick returner and the third running back.

Fullback
30 C.J. Ham

The drafting of versatile tight end Irv Smith Jr. in the second round might threaten C.J. Ham's job security. However, I think that the Vikings like having a real fullback on the roster. And Ham is developing into a good one.

Wide Receivers
14 Stefon Diggs
19 Adam Thielen
11 Laquon Treadwell
12 Chad Beebe
18 Jordan Taylor
17 Dillon Mitchell

I'm going with six receivers now but I could see the Vikings keeping only five. That would open up a spot for an extra running back or tight end.  I'd like to see Jeff Badet on the roster. The Vikings don't have a receiver with anything close to his speed but he has to stay healthy. He's on the sideline way too often. 

Tight Ends
82 Kyle Rudolph
84 Irv Smith Jr.
89 David Morgan

The Vikings might try to find a way to fit fourth tight end Tyler Conklin on the roster.

Offensive Line
71 Riley Reiff
65 Pat Elflein
56 Garrett Bradbury
64 Josh Kline
75 Brian O'Neill
73 Dru Samia
76 Aviante Collins
61 Brett Jones
74 Olisaemeka Udoh

The offensive line spots beyond the five projected starters and rookie Dru Samia are up for grabs. I'm going with position versatility (Aviante Collins and Brett Jones) and developmental potential (Oli Udoh) in the backups. If the Vikings can get Udoh to the practice squad, which is probably a good possibility for a raw sixth-round pick, Rashod Hill makes the roster.

Defense (25 Players)

Defensive Line
97 Everson Griffen
93 Shamar Stephen
98 Linval Joseph
99 Danielle Hunter
91 Stephen Weatherly
94 Jaleel Johnson
92 Jalyn Holmes
61 Ade Aruna
96 Armon Watts

Trimming the defensive line is brutal. Ifaedi Odenigbo and Tashawn Bower are probably more likely to be on the roster than Ade Aruna but I'm going with Aruna here. His freakish athletic ability is too intriguing. I'd like to see Hercules Mata'afa on the roster. Unless he flashes throughout camp I think that there are too many players ahead of him. I'd rather see five defensive ends and four defensive tackles but I can't trim any of Linval Joseph, Shamar Stephen, Jaleel Johnson, Jalyn Holmes, or Armon Watts. The potential of the rookie Watts has grown on me every day since the draft. Maybe the Vikings find a way to keep 10 defensive linemen.

Linebackers
55 Anthony Barr
54 Eric Kendricks
42 Ben Gedeon
50 Eric Wilson
57 Devante Downs
59 Cameron Smith

This is one of the easier positions to project. I think that the drafting of Cameron Smith put Kentrell Brothers on the outside of the 53-man roster. 

Cornerbacks
29 Xavier Rhodes
26 Trae Waynes
20 Mackensie Alexander
21 Mike Hughes
38 Kris Boyd

Holton Hill is suspended for the first four games. That gives another corner a four-week final audition. Or it opens up a roster spot at another position. Defensive end? Maybe Hill's suspension gives the Vikings the opportunity to keep 10 defensive linemen for the first quarter of the season.

Safeties
22 Harrison Smith
41 Anthony Harris
27 Jayron Kearse
39 Marcus Epps

I have rookie Marcus Epps as the fourth safety but it could be AAF refugee Derron Smith. 

Special Teams (3  Players)

Kicker
  5 Dan Bailey

Punter
  6 Matt Wile

Long snapper

47 Kevin McDermott

Kevin McDermott keeps the long snapper job until rookie Austin Cutting gets out of the Air Force. The Vikings used a seventh-round pick on Cutting. That's a pretty good indication that the job is his once he's available.

A Stab At The Minnesota Vikings Starting Lineup

The latter half of May, while waiting for OTAs, is the perfect time to think about the possible starting lineup of the Minnesota Vikings. Other than the offensive line, there probably won't be many changes from last year.

Offense

WR	Stefon Diggs
TE	Kyle Rudolph
LT	Riley Reiff
LG	Pat Elflein
C	Garrett Bradbury
RG	Josh Kline
RT	Brian O'Neill
TE	Irv Smith Jr.
WR	Adam Thielen
QB	Kirk Cousins
RB	Dalvin Cook

It's not quite accurate to take a snapshot of a team's lineup and say that this is the team's starting lineup. It all depends on the first play, or series of first plays, of a game. The quarterback and line might be a set thing but everything else is up to the playcall. Anyway, I like this two-tight end formation, with Kyle Rudolph and rookie Irv Smith Jr., as the Vikings' most versatile lineup. 

The Vikings' offensive line has recently been the sort of offensive line that can get a quarterback killed. The interior offensive line is completely different. Pat Elflein is the only returning starter but he's bumped to left guard with the addition of first-round pick Garrett Bradbury. These expected starters on the line have yet to step on the field together but I already feel better about the group. It also helps that I feel much better about the coaching and offensive system. I'll feel even better about this starting group when fourth-round pick Dru Samia is a part of it. I don't think that it would be much of a surprise to anyone if he forces his way into the starting lineup before the start of the season. 

Defense

DE	Everson Griffen
DT	Shamar Stefen
NT	Linval Joseph
DE	Danielle Hunter
LB	Anthony Barr
LB	Eric Kendricks
LB	Ben Gedeon
CB	Xavier Rhodes
CB	Trae Waynes
S	Harrison Smith
S	Anthony Harris

Not much thought was needed to pencil in the starting defense. This group has been together for a while. Even the one new starter from the defense that ended the 2018 season doesn't feel new. Shamar Stephen was a 2014 draft pick of the Vikings. He played in Seattle last season. He's back this season. If any positions are up for grabs, it's 3-technique (Stephen) and weak-side linebacker (Ben Gedeon). The other positions range from very secure to downright locks.  

The Vikings, like most teams in this passing-dominant football generation, are in sub-packages far more than their base defense. So much so (about 2/3 of the time) that the sub-packages should be considered the base defense. In nickel, corner Mackensie Alexander replaces Gedeon. Second-year corner Mike Hughes and safety Jayron Kearse will reportedly compete with Alexander for that role. 

Special Teams

K	Dan Bailey
P	Mat Wile
LS	Kevin McDermott

The only question here is whether Kevin McDermott keeps his job. The Vikings selected Air Force long snapper Austin Cutting in the seventh round. Drafting a long snapper is a good indication that a team is getting a new long snapper. The only thing keeping McDermott in this starting lineup is the uncertainty surrounding Cutting's two-year commitment to the Air Force. He could be the long snapper this year, in two years, or at any time in between. 

There it is. The Vikings' starters. In May. 

Draft Pick Signings By AFC Teams

It's the AFC's turn.

Baltimore Ravens: 5/8 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma
3. Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech
3. Miles Boykin, WR, Notre Dame

Cincinnati Bengals: 7/10 signed
Unsigned picks:
3. Germaine Pratt, LB, North Carolina State
4. Ryan Finley, QB, North Carolina State
6. Trayveon Williams, RB, Texas A&M

Cleveland Browns: 5/7 signed
Unsigned picks:
2. Greedy Williams, CB. LSU
3. Sione Takitaki, LB, BYU

Pittsburgh Steelers: 8/9 signed
Unsigned pick:
3. Justin Layne, CB, Michigan State

Buffalo Bills: 7/8 signed
Unsigned pick:
3. Dawson Knox, TE, Mississippi

Miami Dolphins: 5/6 signed
Unsigned pick:
3. Michael Dieter, OG, Wisconsin

New England Patriots: 8/10 signed
Unsigned picks:
3. Chase Winovich, DE, Michigan
3. Damien Harris, RB, Alabama

New York Jets: 4/6 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
3. Chuma Edoga, OT, USC

Houston Texans: 6/7 signed
Unsigned pick:
3. Kahale Warring, TE, San Diego State

Indianapolis Colts: 7/10 signed
Unsigned picks:
2. Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple
2. Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State
3. Bobby Okreke, LB, Stanford

Jacksonville Jaguars: 5/7 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. Josh Allen, DE, Kentucky
3. Quincy Williams, LB, Murray State

Tennessee Titans: 3/6 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
2. A.J. Brown, WR, Mississippi
3. Nate Davis, OG, Charlotte

Denver Broncos: 2/6 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
2. Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State
2. Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
3. Dre'Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State

Kansas City Chiefs: 5/6 signed
Unsigned pick:
3. Khalen Saunders, DT, Western Illinois

Los Angeles Chargers: 4/7 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame
2. Nasir Adderley, S, Deleware
3. Trey Pipkins, OT, Sioux Falls

Oakland Raiders: 5/9 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson
1. Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
1. Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State
2. Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson

Draft Pick Signings By NFC Team

Here's how each team is doing in getting their 2019 NFL Draft picks signed.

Minnesota Vikings: 11/12 signed
Only unsigned player:
7. Austin Cutting, LS, Air Force

Chicago Bears: 3/5 signed
Unsigned players
3. David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State
6. Duke Shelley, S, Kansas State

Detroit Lions: 8/9 signed
Unsigned player:
3. Will Harris, S, Boston College

Green Bay Packers: 7/8 signed
Unsigned player
3. Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&M

Dallas Cowboys: 7/8 signed
Unsigned player:
3. Connor McGovern, OG, Penn State

New York Giants: 6/10 signed
Unsigned players:
1. Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
1. Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
1. Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
3. Oshane Ximines, DE, Old Dominion

Philadelphia Eagles: 5/5 signed

Washington Redskins: 9/10 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State

Atlanta Falcons: 7/7 signed

Carolina Panthers: 5/7 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. Brian Burns, DE, Florida State
2. Greg Little, OT, Mississippi

New Orleans Saints: 5/5 signed

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5/8 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. Devin White, LB, LSU
3. Jamel Dean, CB, Auburn
3. Mike Edwards, S, Kentucky

Arizona Cardinals: 11/11 signed

Los Angeles Rams: 0/8 signed
Unsigned picks:
2. Taylor Rapp, S, Washington
3. Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis
3. David Long, CB, Michigan
3. Bobby Evans, OT, Oklahoma
4. Greg Gaines, DT, Washington
5. David Edwards, OT, Wisconsin
7. Nick Scott, S, Penn State
7. Dakota Allen, LB, Texas Tech

The Rams aren't lazy. They're just different. They put their rookies through a financial training course before they give up the money. After the players are educated financially the negotiations start.

San Francisco 49ers: 6/8 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
2. Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina

Seattle Seahawks: 8/11 signed
Unsigned picks:
1. L. J. Collier, DE, TCU
2. D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi
3. Cody Barton, LB, Utah

2019 Draft Pick Signings

The signings of the first round picks get most of the attention. Here's a little look at all seven rounds. Starting with the obligatory look at the first round.

1.   Arizona Cardinals-Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma-Signed
2.   San Francisco 49ers-Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
3.   New York Jets-Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
4.   Oakland Raiders-Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson
5.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Devin White, LB, LSU
6.   New York Giants-Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
7.   Jacksonville Jaguars-Josh Allen, LB, Kentucky
8.   Detroit Lions-T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa-Signed
9.   Buffalo Bills-Ed Oliver, DT, Houston-Signed
10. Pittsburgh Steelers-Devin Bush, LB, Michigan-Signed
11. Cincinnati Bengals-Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama-Signed
12. Green Bay Packers-Rashan Gary, Edge, Michigan-Signed
13. Miami Dolphins-Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson-Signed
14. Atlanta Falcons-Chris Lindstron, G, Boston College-Signed
15. Washington Redskins-Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State-Signed
16. Carolina Panthers-Brian Burns, Edge, Florida State
17. New York Giants-Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
18. Minnesota Vikings-Garrett Bradbury, C, N. C. State-Signed
19. Tennessee Titans-Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
20. Denver Broncos-Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
21. Green Bay Packers-Darnell Savage, S, Maryland-Signed
22. Philadelphia Eagles-Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State-Signed
23. Houston Texans-Tytus Howard, OT, Alabama State-Signed
24. Oakland Raiders-Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
25. Baltimore Ravens-Marquise Browns, WR, Oklahoma
26. Washington Redskins-Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State
27. Oakland Raiders-Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State
28. Los Angeles Chargers-Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame
29. Seattle Seahawks-L.J. Collier, DE, TCU
30. New York Giants-Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
31. Atlanta Falcons-Kaleb McGary, OT, Washington-Signed

32. New England Patriots-N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State-Signed

15 of the 32 first round picks are signed. 46.9%

2nd round: 20 of the 32 second round picks are signed. 62.5%

3rd round: Only 10 of the 38 third round picks are signed. 26.3%
For some reason, the signing of third round picks routinely lags behind the other rounds. Even the first round. I vaguely remember reading something about a reason for this puzzle but I can't find it.

4th round: 34 of the 36 fourth round picks are signed. 94.4%
Only unsigned players:
Bengals-QB Ryan Finley (2nd pick, 104 overall)
Rams-DT Greg Gaines (32nd, 134 overall)

5th round: 34 of the 35 fifth round picks are signed. 97.1%
Only unsigned player:
Rams-OT David Edwards (31st, 169 overall)

6th round: 39 of the 41 sixth round picks are signed. 95.1%
Only unsigned players:
Bengals-RB Trayveon Williams (9th pick, 182 overall)
Bears-S Duke Shelley (32nd pick, 205 overall)

7th round: 37 of the 40 seventh round picks are signed. 92.5%
Only unsigned players:
Rams-S Nick Scott (29th pick, 243 overall)
Vikings-LS Austin Cutting (36th pick, 250 overall)
Rams-LB Dakota Allen (37th pick, 251 overall)

The Minnesota Vikings have a single unsigned draft pick. It's a little odd that the single unsigned draft pick is a seventh round pick. That unsigned draft pick is Air Force long snapper Austin Cutting. His NFL playing status is uncertain due to his two-year service commitment to the Air Force. As of now, he may or may not be available to play for the Vikings during that commitment.

None of the Los Angeles Rams' picks are signed. They have adopted the admirable practice of putting their rookies through some financial planning courses before they give them the money. After the courses the Rams undertake and complete a mass signing of all of their now financially-wise players. That team is so damn advanced.

189 of the 254 of the players selected in the 2019 NFL Draft are signed. 74.4%

Cal's Early Commits

After a recruiting weekend that at least one journo called "massive," Cal's 2020 recruiting class growing from two commits to five. It's the middle of May. Justin Wilcox and the coaching staff welcomed several recruiting targets to Berkeley last weekend. Portland Jesuit linebacker Andy Alfieri and receivers Casey Filkins from Lake Oswego (Ore.) and Jeremiah Hunter from Fresno Central East made verbal commitments to the Golden Bears.

Andy Alfieri chose Cal over Oregon, Oregon State and Utah. It's great to see a Cal recruit choose Berkeley over staying in their home state. Especially when that state is Oregon. It's usually the other way around. Alfieri is Oregon's top ranked recruit and #24 ranked linebacker nationally. Casey Filkins, the reigning Oregon 6-A Offensive Player of the Year, also chose Cal over the Oregon schools. He's an intriguing prospect as he has running and receiving versatility. He rushed for 1,160 yards and 28 touchdowns with another 866 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. That's quite productive. Apparently, the current plan is for Filkins to be used as a slot receiver that can motion into the backfield. Jeremiah Hunter was one of Cal's top receiving targets. Filkins gives the Bears versatility. At 6'2", Hunter gives them size. His offensive production exploded as a junior last season. 94 receptions, 1,534 yards and 28 TDs.

Again, the three players boost Cal's 2020 commit list to five. In May.

Everett Johnson, OT, 6-7.5 287, Turlock (Turlock, CA)
Isaiah Young, CB, 5-9 156, Centennial (Corona, CA)
Andy Alfieri, LB, 6-3 220, Jesuit (Portland, OR)
Casey Filkins, WR, 5-11 190, Lake Oswego Senior (Lake Oswego, OR)
Jeremiah Hunter, WR, 6-2 178, Central East (Fresno, CA)

All are currently 3-star recruits by 247Sports.

Everett Johnson committed to Cal way back on 2/5/18. His natural size and talent potential was a reason for Cal offering a scholarship to a high school sophomore. His family's Cal background and his growing up a fan was the reason for his very early commitment.

It can't be stated enough that recruits and schools are about seven months from the early signing period and nine months from letter-of-intent day. None of these commitments are binding. A lot can happen in the next seven months. That still won't stop Cal peeps from smiling at a nice start to this recruiting cycle. It's a start that has Cal ranked third in the Pac-12.

1. Oregon: 8 commits, 6 4-stars, 2 3-stars
2. Stanford: 6 commits, 1 5-star, 4 4-stars, 1 3-star
3. Cal: 5 commits, 5 3-stars
4. Washington: 3 commits, 2 4-stars, 1 3-star
5. USC, 3 commits, 2 4-stars
6. Washington State: 4 commits, 4 3-stars
7. Arizona State: 3 commits, 1 4-star, 2 3-stars
8. UCLA: 3 commits, 1 4-star, 2 3-stars
9. Colorado: 3 commits, 3 3-stars
10. Arizona: 2 commits, 2 3-stars
11. Utah: 1 commit, 1 3-star
12. Oregon State: 1 commit, 1 3-star

It's May.

Throwback Thursday: Original Teams

The NFL's celebration of it's 100th season is going to bring a lot of football history fun. Part of that celebration will be honoring the small towns where it all started.

From NFL Football Operations:

ORIGINAL TOWNS

Nearly 100 years after the NFL was born in Canton, Ohio, the league will honor the 13 Original Towns, which were home to the 14 teams of the league’s inaugural season.

City	Team
Akron, Ohio	Akron Pros
Buffalo, New York	Buffalo All-Americans
Canon, Ohio	Canton Bulldogs
Chicago, Illinois	Racine Cardinals, Chicago Tigers
Cleveland, Ohio	Cleveland Tigers
Columbus, Ohio	Columbus Panhandles
Dayton, Ohio	Dayton Triangles
Decatur, Illinois	Decatur Staleys
Detroit, Michigan	Detroit Heralds
Hammond, Indiana	Hammond Pros
Muncie, Indiana	Muncie Flyers
Rochester, New York	Rohester Jeffersons
Rock Island, Illinois	Rock Island Independents

A quick glance at those 14 original teams reveals no teams that play today. There's actually two. The Decatur Staleys are the Chicago Bears. The Racine Cardinals are today's Arizona Cardinals. 

Hockey has an Original 6. The NFL has an Original 2. The 1920s was a daily struggle for football teams that wanted to make it in the NFL. Professional football wasn't well received. Each year of that first decade was a revolving door of teams coming and going. 

1920: 14 teams

1921: 21-Green Bay Packers joined the fun

1922: 18

1923: 20

1924: 18

1925: 20-New York Giants joined the fun

1926: 22

1927: 12

1928: 10

1929: 12

The NFL was mostly populated with teams from small Midwestern towns in that first decade. While that was fun for those plucky towns there was a concerted effort by the NFL in the latter half of the decade to establish a presence in the bigger cities. It wasn't a good deal for the small towns but it was deemed necessary for the overall survival of the league. At the start of the next decade, few small towns remained. 

1930 NFL 

Green Bay Packers

New York Giants

Chicago Bears

Brooklyn Dodgers

Providence Steam Roller
Staten Island Stapletons

Portsmouth Spartans

Chicago Cardinals

Frankford Yellow Jackets

Minneapolis Red Jackets

Newark Tornadoes. 

In 1930, only five teams were competing in the NFL that are still competing today. The Portsmouth Spartans joined the fun that year and moved to Detroit in 1935 where the team became the Lions. The Spartans/Lions joined the Bears, Cardinals, Packers, and Giants as the First 5(?). 

The Boston Braves joined the fun in 1932. Their name would unfortunately be changed to the Redskins the next season. The team moved to Washington D.C. in 1937.

Through the league's first 13 seasons (1920-32), 36 teams had tried failed to make a go of it in the NFL. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates (Steelers) and Philadelphia Eagles joined the fun in 1933. 

1933 was probably the first season in which the NFL finally started to resemble a league that might be a precursor to today's NFL. One reason for that was that the teen-aged league was split into East and West. Another reason was that most of the teams survive today. Even if some of those teams have changed names and cities. There was finally some degree of stability. Eight of the 10 teams that competed in 1933 compete today. 

East

New York Giants

Brooklyn Dodgers

Boston Redskins

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Pirates

West

Chicago Bears

Portsmouth Spartans

Green Bay Packers

Cincinnati Reds

Chicago Cardinals

The Cleveland Rams joined the fun in 1937.

The NFL finally experienced some consistency and increasing public acceptance in the 1930s. The league finally seemed to have a future. Just when it seemed like things were getting better, new challenges were coming. 

The World War II years were tough. Many players joined the fight. The public was preoccupied. Some teams had to join forces to get by but the league survived. The latter half of the 1940s brought a rival league. Unlike previous rivals, the All-America Football Conference was a legitimate rival. So much so, that the NFL was forced to absorb three of the AAFC's teams to end the rivalry. The Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers were two of those teams. The Baltimore Colts were the third. The franchise history of the Colts is wacky. It's too wacky to detail here. The AAFC Colts team that was absorbed by the NFL isn't the Colts team that plays in Indianapolis today. The Colts team that survives today is actually the team that came out of the 1951 New York Yanks team that became the 1952 Dallas Texans. I'll leave it at that. 

1953 was the first year in which all of the teams that competed still compete in the league today. 

East 

Cleveland Browns

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Redskins

Pittsburgh Steelers

New York Giants

Chicago Cardinals

West

Detroit Lions

San Francisco 49ers

Los Angeles Rams

Chicago Bears

Baltimore Colts

Green Bay Packers

The only changes since 1953 has been the addition of expansion teams and one big merger. And, unfortunately, the relocation of a few franchises. 

I've always found the early years of the NFL fascinating. The rag-tag nature of the league, the small town teams, the incredible characters that simply pushed, scraped, pulled, fought, and refused to let a dream die. It may have been the big cities (and Green Bay) that survived but the Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Pottsville Maroons, Columbus Panhandles, Providence Steam Roller, Duluth Eskimos, Frankford Yellow Jackers, etc. helped make the NFL what it is today. Those teams don't survive today but they should be better remembered. It shouldn't take a 100 year celebration to honor those teams that competed, the players that played, the coaches that coached, and contributors that contributed to finally know about them. But it's still fun that the league is doing it. 

Updated First Round Pick Signing Tracker

13 of the 2019 first round picks have signed their first NFL contracts. Seven of those were signed on Friday. Perhaps that started a run as four more have signed since. Here's how the signing status of the first round picks currently stands.

1.   Arizona Cardinals-Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma-Signed
2.   San Francisco 49ers-Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
3.   New York Jets-Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama
4.   Oakland Raiders-Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson
5.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Devin White, LB, LSU
6.   New York Giants-Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
7.   Jacksonville Jaguars-Josh Allen, LB, Kentucky
8.   Detroit Lions-T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa-Signed
9.   Buffalo Bills-Ed Oliver, DT, Houston-Signed
10. Pittsburgh Steelers-Devin Bush, LB, Michigan-Signed
11. Cincinnati Bengals-Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama
12. Green Bay Packers-Rashan Gary, Edge, Michigan-Signed
13. Miami Dolphins-Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson-Signed
14. Atlanta Falcons-Chris Lindstron, G, Boston College
15. Washington Redskins-Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State-Signed
16. Carolina Panthers-Brian Burns, Edge, Florida State
17. New York Giants-Dexter Lawrence, DT, Clemson
18. Minnesota Vikings-Garrett Bradbury, C, N. C. State-Signed
19. Tennessee Titans-Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
20. Denver Broncos-Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
21. Green Bay Packers-Darnell Savage, S, Maryland-Signed
22. Philadelphia Eagles-Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State-Signed
23. Houston Texans-Tytus Howard, OT, Alabama State-Signed
24. Oakland Raiders-Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
25. Baltimore Ravens-Marquise Browns, WR, Oklahoma
26. Washington Redskins-Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State
27. Oakland Raiders-Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State
28. Los Angeles Chargers-Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame
29. Seattle Seahawks-L.J. Collier, DE, TCU
30. New York Giants-Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
31. Atlanta Falcons-Kaleb McGary, OT, Washington-Signed
32. New England Patriots-N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State-Signed

The Minnesota Vikings signed Garrett Bradbury yesterday. He probably would've been signed much earlier but the Vikings didn't have the cap room to accommodate his first-year contract. They had less than $1 million and needed more than $2 million. Linebacker Eric Kendricks had his contract restructured in order to free up the necessary cap space to handle Bradbury's deal.

The Vikings' only unsigned draft pick is their last draft pick. Air Force long snapper Austin Cutting. The only thing apparently keeping that deal from being done is his potential service commitment to the Air Force. 

Minnesota Vikings Very Unofficial Depth Chart. Again

The Minnesota Vikings made a few roster tweaks following the May 3-5 rookie mini camp. Three undrafted players that tried out at the camp were signed.

CB	Isaiah Wharton
CB	Terrance Alexander
DE	Stacy Keely

The roster is at the 90 player limit with an even 43/43 offense/defense split.

Offense (43 players)

Quarterback
  8 Kirk Cousins
  1 Kyle Sloter
  4 Sean Mannion
  3 Jake Browning

Halfback
33 Dalvin Cook
25 Alexander Mattison
31 Ameer Abdullah
44 Mike Boone
32 Roc Thomas

Fullback
30 C.J. Ham
46 Khari Blasingame

Wide Receiver
14 Stefon Diggs
15 Brandon Zylstra
18 Jordan Taylor
81 Olibasi Johnson
13 Jeff Badet

Wide Receiver
19 Adam Thielen
11 Laquon Treadwell
12 Chad Beebe
17 Dillon Mitchell
85 Alexander Hollins
16 Davion Davis

Tight end
82 Kyle Rudolph
84 Irv Smith Jr.
89 David Morgan
83 Tyler Conklin
83 Cole Hikutini
86 Brandon Dillon

Left Tackle
71 Riley Reiff
69 Rashod Hill

Left Guard
65 Pat Elflein
63 Danny Isidora

Center
56 Garrett Bradbury
61 Brett Jones
67 Cornelius Edison
52 John Keenoy

Right Guard
64 Josh Kline
73 Dru Samia
79 Dakota Dozier

Right Tackle
75 Brian O'Neill
76 Aviante Collins
74  Olisaemeka Udoh
72 Storm Norton

Defense (43 Players)

Right Defensive End
97 Everson Griffen
91 Stephen Weatherly
61 Ade Aruna
78 Karter Schult
74 Stacy Keely

Nose Tackle
98 Linval Joseph
94 Jaleel Johnson
60 Tito Odenigbo
66 Curtis Cothran

Three-Technique
93 Shamar Stephen
92 Jalyn Holmes
96 Armon Watts

Left Defensive End
99 Danielle Hunter
90 Tashawn Bower
95 Ifeadi Odenigbo
51 Hercules Mata'afa
62 Anree Saint-Amour

Strongside Linebacker
55 Anthony Barr
50 Eric Wilson

Middle Linebacker
54 Eric Kendricks
57 Devante Downs
59 Cameron Smith
45 Greer Martini

Weakside Linebacker
42 Ben Gedeon
40 Kentrell Brothers
43 Reshard Cliett

Right Cornerback
29 Xavier Rhodes
24 Holton Hill
20 Mackensie Alexander
38 Kris Boyd
35 Isaiah Wharton

Left Cornerback
26 Trae Waynes
21 Mike Hughes
36 Craig James
34 Duke Thomas
44 Nate Meadors
49 Terrance Alexander

Free Safety
22 Harrison Smith
25 Derron Smith
39 Marcus Epps

Strong Safety
41 Anthony Harris
27 Jayron Kearse
46 Micah Abernathy

Special Teams (4 Players)

Kicker
  5 Dan Bailey

Punter
  6 Matt Wile

Long snapper

47 Kevin McDermott
58 Austin Cutting

***

Some notes

Of the 12 draft picks, first pick C Garrett Bradbury and last pick LS Austin Cutting remain unsigned. The Vikings have less than $1 million in cap space and need over $2 million to sign Bradbury. Some move has to be made solve that little problem. My guess is that the contract for a veteran, or two, will be re-worked to create some cap room. I don't think that there will be a trade. Despite the recent reports that the two parties had ended extension talks, I still believe that TE Kyle Rudolph is the most likely player to have his contract re-worked.

The Vikings veterans and rookies step on the same field for the first time in a couple weeks.
OTA schedule: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Mandatory Minicamp: June 11-13

New Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have 34 new players on the 90-man roster.

5	Free Agents
12	Draft Picks
13	Undrafted Free Agents
4	Refugees from the Alliance of American Football

The free agent number is light but that was expected with the team's current salary cap situation. Perhaps that's the reason general manager Rick Spielman went on a third-round trading spree to boost the number of draft picks to 12.

Free Agents

DT	Shamar Stephen
G	Josh Kline
G	Dakota Dozier
WR	Jordan Taylor

QB    Sean Mannion

The signing of Shamar Stephen doesn't feel like a free agent addition as he was a 2015 draft pick of the Vikings. He spent last season in Seattle after four seasons in Minnesota. It's as if he never left at all.

Stephen and Josh Kline are the only free agent additions that are probably penciled in as starters. Keeping those spots is far from assured for either.

The biggest move in free agency was bringing back linebacker Anthony Barr. He was on his way to the New York Jets on a bigger deal but decided that he really wanted to stay in Minnesota. The Vikings didn't have the cap room to be active in free agency even before they somehow pulled off that move. They really had no room after. That didn't matter. Free agency was a win with Barr still on the team.

Draft Picks

1. Garrett Bradbury, C, North Carolina State
2. Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama
3. Alexander Mattison, RB, Boise State
4. Dru Samia, OG, Oklahoma
5. Cameron Smith, LB, USC
6. Armon Watts, DT, Arkansas
6. Marcus Epps, S, Wyoming
6. Olisaemeka Udoh, OT, Elon
7. Kris Boyd, CB, Texas
7. Dillon Mitchell, WR, Oregon
7. Olabisi Johnson, WR, Colorado State
7. Austin Cutting, LS, Air Force

Drafting players with a legitimate shot to make the roster is always an objective. The Vikings have a talented roster. They also have a top-heavy roster. They have several players with big contracts. That means that they have to have a lot of players with smaller contracts on the roster making an impact. The majority of those players are drafted players on their rookie deals. The Vikings need as many of their 2019 draft picks to make the team as possible. It's still so early in the process and we've yet to see the rookies on the field with the veterans. Still, I can see scenarios in which each of the 12 draft picks make the 53-man roster. It's no stretch to see the first eight players drafted making it. It'll be tough for two seventh-round receivers to make it but the competition for position spots behind Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen is wide open. The opportunity is there.

Undrafted Free Agents

Micah Abernathy, S, Tennessee
Terrence Alexander, CB, LSU
Khari Blasingame, FB, Vanderbilt
Jake Browning, QB, Washington
Davion Davis, WR, Sam Houston State
Brandon Dillon, TE, Marian
Alexander Hollins, WR, Eastern Illinois
Stacy Keely, DE, UAB
John Keenoy, C, Western Michigan
Nate Meadors, CB, UCLA
Tito Odenigbo, DT, Miami
Anree Saint-Amour, DE, Georgia Tech
Isaiah Wharton, CB, Rutgers

No matter how unlikely it seems, fun roster surprises often come out of  the undrafted group of players. I really think that Jake Browning has a solid shot at making the team. Micah Abernathy, Khari Blasingame, Nate Meadors, and Isaiah Wharton are a few of the players that intrigue me.

AAF Refugees

S  Derron Smith CB Duke Thomas DE Karter Schult LB  Greer Martini

It's hard too say what the Vikings have in the AAF players. Each played well in the now-defunct league but the NFL is a whole other level. Each has experience in NFL camps but only Derron Smith has any game time in the league. With little to no depth behind starting safeties Harrison Smith and Anthony, Smith has the best opportunity to make the 53-man roster.  

Vikings Rookies

As the roster currently stands, the Minnesota Vikings will head into training camp with 25 rookies.

12 draft picks
13 undrafted free agents

Draft Picks

1. Garrett Bradbury, C, North Carolina State
2. Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama
3. Alexander Mattison, RB, Boise State
4. Dru Samia, OG, Oklahoma
5. Cameron Smith, LB, USC
6. Armon Watts, DT, Arkansas
6. Marcus Epps, S, Wyoming
6. Olisaemeka Udoh, OT, Elon
7. Kris Boyd, CB, Texas
7. Dillon Mitchell, WR, Oregon
7. Olabisi Johnson, WR, Colorado State
7. Austin Cutting, LS, Air Force

Undrafted Free Agents

Micah Abernathy, S, Tennessee
Terrence Alexander, CB, LSU
Khari Blasingame, FB, Vanderbilt
Jake Browning, QB, Washington
Davion Davis, WR, Sam Houston State
Brandon Dillon, TE, Marian
Alexander Hollins, WR, Eastern Illinois
Stacy Keely, DE, UAB
John Keenoy, C, Western Michigan
Nate Meadors, CB, UCLA
Tito Odenigbo, DT, Miami
Anree Saint-Amour, DE, Georgia Tech
Isaiah Wharton, CB, Rutgers

The Vikings are a top-heavy team. They have a lot of big contracts. That means that they need several of the lower-paid players to make significant contributions. Garrett Bradbury will do much more than just contribute. He's the starting center. Irv Smith Jr. will be on the field a lot. With his versatility, he'll probably line up all over the offensive formation. Perhaps a little bold for the middle of May, but Smith could develop into one of the team's top offensive threats as early as this season. Alexander Mattison will form a backfield duo with starter Dalvin Cook. The first three draft picks are already expected to make significant contributions. Dru Samia will compete for a starting guard job this summer but might be a year away. Olisaemeka Udoh is an offensive line project that could, with some work and time, develop into one of Vikings' starting offensive tackles. The remainder of the rookies that make the team will provide depth and contribute on special teams. With the receiving positions behind starters Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen up for grabs, Dillon Mitchell and Olabisi Johnson have a real shot at earning playing time beyond special teams duties.

All but three of the undrafted free agents were signed immediately following the draft. DBs Terrence Alexander and Isaiah Wharton and DE Stacy Keely had to impress the coaches at the rookie mini-camp to earn their current place on the roster. The Vikings have a nice recent history of try-out players taking advantage of this rare route to the NFL. Adam Thielen's story is now re-told on a regular basis. Far less told, Marcus Sherels had a very productive run as the Vikings punt returner after taking advantage of his invite to try out for the team.

An NFL roster is a very fluid thing so this little look at the Vikings' rookies could be be trash in a day or two. Well, maybe not trash but a little outdated.

College Football Rankings

Preseason College Football Rankings are far more interesting than meaningful. Here are some of the early preseason rankings. The top looks familiar. It's the presence on two of these rankings of a little school that sits high above the Hudson that caught my eye.

ESPN
1.   Clemson
2.   Alabama
3.   Georgia
4.   Oklahoma
5.   Ohio State
6.   Notre Dame
7.   Michigan
8.   Florida
9.   LSU
10. Oregon
11. Texas
12. Texas A&M
13. Penn State
14. Central Florida
15. Washington
16. Utah
17. Stanford
18. Auburn
19. Washington State
20. Nebraska
21. Wisconsin
22. Syracuse
23. Iowa
24. Army
25. Mississippi State

Sports Illustrated
1.   Clemson
2.   Alabama
3.   Georgia
4.   Ohio State
5.   Notre Dame
6.   Oklahoma
7.   Michigan
8.   Florida
9.   Texas
10. Texas A&M
11. Oregon
12. Washington
13. LSU
14. Penn State
15. Central Florida
16. Utah
17. Wisconsin
18. Iowa
19. Auburn
20. Northwestern
21. Iowa State
22. Miami
23. Michigan State
24. Nebraska
25. Virginia Tech

USA Today
1.   Clemson
2.   Alabama
3.   Georgia
4.   Oklahoma
5.   Ohio State
6.   Michigan
7.   LSU
8.   Texas A&M
9.   Oregon
10. Texas
11. Notre Dame
12. Washington
13. Florida
14. Central Florida
15. Iowa State
16. Auburn
17. Northwestern
18. Stanford
19. Nebraska
20. Army
21. Penn State
22. Boise State
23. Syracuse
24. Baylor
25. Wisconsin

***

It's great to see Army among the powerhouses of college football. Most of the schools that annually reside on preseason rankings, in-season and postseason too, can attract ready-made NFL players with a wave of their hand. At West Point, the football team is filled with some of the only true student-athletes in FBS/Division I/whatever. For them, the NFL is very rarely a thought. Individually, none of the Army players would even be on the scout teams of Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, etc. Collectively, they are ranked in the preseason Top 25 of ESPN and USA Today.

Nebraska's back? The voters apparently have faith in Scott Frost. The one thing that disappoints me about Nebraska's potential return to the top of the college football world is that they play in the Big-10(14). Those Nebraska-Oklahoma battles were a blast.

Where's Cal? I wouldn't expect the Golden Bears to get much preseason love. Their last football game was that offensive offensive performance against TCU in the Cheez-it Bowl. I really like the direction of the team under Justin Wilcox. The defense is top-notch. The offense can't do anything but improve. Cal just has to win more than the early season teaser games. They have to start winning more than they lose against the supposed "big boys" of the Pac-12. And they have to beat Stanford! Go Bears!