NFL 100: 70-61

The Athletic is counting down their 100 best players in the history of the National Football League. The NFL 100. Their most recent reveals are the players ranked 70-61. 

  70. Marshall Faulk

  69. Terry Bradshaw

  68. Charles Woodson

  67. Gene Upshaw

  66. Earl Campbell

  65. Joe Schmidt

  64. Walter Jones

  63. Raymond Berry

  62. Ray Nitshke  

  61. Bart Starr

Perhaps due a bit to their incredible versatility, #70 an #68 feels low for Marshall Faulk and Charles Woodson. It’s easy to say that now but there are a lot of great football players that have yet to be called. This is a list of the greatest players. Every player on the list is great. 

Earl Campbell was such a fun running back. That Monday Night game against the Miami Dolphins was a revelation.  

This block of 10 greats is wrapped up by a couple of Vince Lombardi’s leaders. Bart Starr was the steady, offensive leader. Ray Nitschke was the fiery, defensive leader. 

Pre-Super Bowl Era Tracker:

Steve Van Buren

Jim Otto

Mike Ditka

Fran Tarkenton

Elroy Hirsch

Lenny Moore

Willie Davis

Willie Brown

Bobby Layne

Buck Buchanan

Bulldog Turner

Mel Hein

Leo Nomellini

John Mackey

Paul Warfield

Bobby Bell

Marion Motley

Joe Schmidt

Raymond Berry

Ray Nitschke

Bart Starr

The Athletic is doing a nice job of including the great players that played much, if not all, of their careers before the first Super Bowl. 

A recap of the previously revealed players:

100-81:

100. Derrick Brooks

  99. Dermontti Dawson

  98. Steve Van Buren

  97. Jim Otto 

  96. Mike Ditka

  95. Fran Tarkenton

  94. Elroy Hirsch

  93. Mike Singletary

  92. Lenny Moore

  91. Willie Davis

  90. Willie Brown

  89. Bobby Layne

  88. Darrell Green

  87. Champ Bailey

  86. Buck Buchanan

  85. Bulldog Turner

  84. Mel Hein

  83. Leo Nomellini

  82. Kellen Winslow

  81. John Mackey

  80. Willie Lanier

  79. Mike Haynes

  78. Roger Staubach

  77. Ted Hendricks

  76. Art Shell

  75. Paul Warfield

  74. Bobby Bell

  73. Marion Motley

  72. Adrian Peterson

  71. Mel Blount

First Round Signing Tracker

The quarterbacks, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance, finally signed their rookie deals. Wilson was the last to do so. Perhaps it was the threat of Sean Mannion trying out for the Jets that finally forced him to put pen to paper. With the two quarterbacks finally signed, all 32 players selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft are now under contract. 

1.   Jacksonville Jaguars-Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson-Signed

2.   New York Jets-Zach Wilson, QB, BYU-Signed

3.   San Francisco 49ers-Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State-Signed

4.   Atlanta Falcons-Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida-Signed

5.   Cincinnati Bengals-Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU-Signed

6.   Miami Dolphins-Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama-Signed

7.   Detroit Lions-Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon-Signed

8.   Carolina Panthers-Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina-Signed

9.   Denver Broncos-Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama-Signed

10. Philadelphia Eagles-DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama-Signed

11. Chicago Bears-Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State-Signed

12. Dallas Cowboys-Michael Parsons, LB, Penn State-Signed

13. Los Angeles Chargers-Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern-Signed

14. New York Jets-Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC-Signed

15. New England Patriots-Mac Jones, QB, Alabama-Signed

16. Arizona Cardinals-Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa-Signed

17. Las Vegas Raiders-Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama-Signed

18. Miami Dolphins-Jaelan Phillips, Edge, Miami-Signed

19. Washington Football Team-Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky-Signed 

20. New York Giants-Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida-Signed

21. Indianapolis Colts-Kwity Paye, Edge, Michigan-Signed

22. Tennessee Titans-Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech-Signed

23. Minnesota Vikings-Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech-Signed

24. Pittsburgh Steelers-Najee Harris, RB, Alabama-Signed

25. Jacksonville Jaguars-Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson-Signed

26. Cleveland Browns-Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern-Signed

27. Baltimore Ravens-Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota-Signed

28. New Orleans Saints-Payton Turner, Edge, Houston-Signed

29. Green Bay Packers-Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia-Signed

30. Buffalo Bills-Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami-Signed

31. Baltimore Ravens-Odafe Oweh, Edge, Penn State-Signed

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Joe Tyron, Edge, Washington-Signed

***

Not only was Zach Wilson the last first round pick to sign. He was the last draft pick to sign. All 259 players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft have signed their first NFL contracts. 

The Minnesota Vikings signed about half of their draft picks during the couple days preceding their Rookie Minicamp. Once that initial weekend of workouts ended the rookie signings slowed. Kellen Mond signed his rookie contract on June 15. There wasn’t a signing peep from the three remaining third until Monday. Chazz Surratt, Wyatt Davis, and Patrick Jones II finally signed their first NFL contracts at the start of their first training camp. Now, the Vikings can turn their attention to extensions for Harrison Smith and Brian O’Neill. We can hope. The Vikings eleven-member draft class is finally signed:

1. Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech-Signed

3. Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M-Signed

3. Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina-Signed

3. Wyatt Davis, OG, Ohio State-Signed

3. Patrick Jones II, Edge, Pittsburgh-Signed

4. Kene Nwangwu, RB, Iowa State-Signed

4. Camryn Bynum, S, Cal-Signed

4. Janarius Robinson, Edge, Florida State-Signed

5. Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa-Signed

5. Zach Davidson, TE, Central Missouri-Signed 

6. Jaylen Twyman, DT, Pittsburgh-Signed

11 of 11. Finally. Now they can get down to the business of football. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 10-1

Finally. The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players comes to an end with the Top 10 players in franchise history. Well, one person’s view of the best players in franchise history. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 10-1

  10. Jim Marshall, DE

    9. Steve Hutchinson, OG

    8. Carl Eller, DE

    7. John Randle, DT

    6. Fran Tarkenton, QB

    5. Adrian Peterson, RB

    4. Randy Moss, WR

    3. Cris Carter, WR

    2. Randall McDaniel, OG

    1. Alan Page, DT

Jim Marshall is the outlier among the Top 10 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players. He’s the only one of the ten not honored in Canton (Adrian Peterson will be there five years after he retires). I’m not going to discuss whether Marshall’s Canton absence is right or wrong. I flip back and forth on the topic so frequently that it’s pointless to try. Besides, this is about his place in Vikings history. I have Marshall among the top ten mostly for his importance to the franchise. He was a very good football player but he wasn’t even the best football player on the defensive line. Or the second best. He might be the most important football player in team history. Jim Marshall was the leader of the Vikings throughout the team’s first AND second decade. He played defensive end for twenty years. He never missed a game. He played in a 12-game season, 17 14-game seasons, and two 16-game seasons. I guess that he needs to come back at the age of 83 to experience a 17-game season. I wouldn’t put it past him. Marshall was incredible. He was always there for his team. Through four Super Bowls and the team’s “glory” days, he was the heart and the soul of his team. The players looked up to him. The coaches looked to him. If only the Hall of Fame voters could quantify that. 

The Vikings offensive line has been a problem for so long that it’s a struggle to remember a time when Steve Hutchinson was a part of the line. It’s worth the struggle. Remembering his blocking for the Vikings is pure joy. In 2006, his first in Minnesota, Hutchinson was probably the team’s MVP, certainly the offensive MVP. He was brilliant. That brilliance became his baseline over the next five seasons. The only issue that I have with Hutchinson’s career is that it started in Seattle. And ended in Tennessee. 

When I was discovering football and falling for the Vikings, I was drawn to Alan Page when the defense was on the field. No matter how focused I was on Page I couldn’t ignore the hulking “81” flashing across the screen. Carl Eller looked huge. I was always intrigued by Page. I think that I was scared of Eller. 

John Randle was too small for the NFL. He was too small to hold up in the trenches. He still dominated both. I was at a Vikings-Raiders game in 1996. The Vikings won in overtime. Randle took over the game in the fourth quarter. That was nothing new. He often did that. It was fun to see it in person. He was a fun, entertaining, and a great football player. Among Vikings fans of his era, Randle is a universal favorite. 

Any player in the final six could take the top spot. Due to the position that he played, Fran Tarkenton might be #1 on many lists. He was the quarterback of my youth. Due to injuries, bad luck, whatever, the Vikings are still looking for a franchise quarterback to replace him. At the time of his retirement after the 1978 season, Tarkenton held every career passing record. He held those records longer than any quarterback ever has. It took Dan Marino until the mid-1990s to finally chase down those numbers. Every quarterback that came after Tarkenton played a game that favored the pass. Heavily favored the pass. Tarkenton’s era was the last that favored the run. 

In a passing league, Adrian Peterson made it fun to run again. He had games of 224 yards and an NFL-record 296 yards as a rookie in 2007. He was just getting started. The highlight of his brilliant career was his NFL MVP season of 2012. A knee injury ended his 2011 season. He wasn’t supposed to be ready for the start of the next season. He was. 2097 yards. Eight yards short of Eric Dickerson’s season record. Peterson led the league in rushing three times. He could run through and past defenders like no other back that I’ve ever seen. At 36, he’s still active. 

Randy Moss ranks with Adrian Peterson as the most explosive offensive players in Vikings franchise history. Moss is arguably the most physically gifted receiver to ever play. Before his rookie season, he stated that he’d “rip up the NFL.” He sure did. The two-touchdown debut against the Buccaneers. The Monday Night thrashing of the Packers. The three touchdowns against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Moss ripped up the NFL as a rookie and kept on ripping all the way to Canton. Moss was a fun, brilliant football player. 

Hands, body control, route-running. Cris Carter was the best I’ve ever seen at the receiver traits I value most. Maybe I’d sprinkle in a bit more speed. Hands. It all starts with Carter’s hands. Best I’ve ever seen. When I think of Carter I often think of the Vikings-49ers Monday Night game I attended in 1995. The defending champion 49ers jumped all over the Vikings. More specifically, Jerry Rice jumped all over the Vikings. It was 21-0 in a blink. Then, it felt like Carter put the team on his back and hauled them back into the game. It turned into a Cris Carter-Jerry Rice duel. If you’re a fan of receivers, it was pass-catching heaven. When the game ended, it was 37-30 49ers. The stadium experience was a much different thing in 1995. Statistics weren’t readily available. The internet wasn’t an arm-length away. If I had to guess the statistics of Carter and Rice while I made my way out of the stadium, I might’ve guessed:

Carter: 10 catches, 150 yards, and two touchdowns

Rice: 10 catches, 200 yard, and three touchdowns

When I checked the paper the next morning I found something very different:

Carter: 12 catches, 88 yards, two touchdowns

Rice: 14 catches, 289 yards, three touchdowns

I knew that Rice had a stat-filled game but I never would’ve guessed that he’d gained two hundred more yards than Carter. I learned that night that statistics don’t tell the whole story. With the 49ers running away with the game, every catch by Carter meant so much. Every catch moved the sticks or scored a touchdown. The Vikings had to have them. In terms of game impact, a six-yard Carter-catch was as critical to the Vikings as a 60-yard Rice-catch was gravy to the 49ers. 

Watching the Warren Moon-Cris Carter vs Steve Young-Jerry Rice duel was a beautiful thing. 

As for his place on this list, I loved watching Cris Carter catch a football. 

Two guards in the Top 10. It feels odd. It also feels right. Randall McDaniel and Steve Hutchinson are deserving of their place in this Top 10. In my book, McDaniel is right there with John Hannah and Larry Allen as the best guards of my lifetime. I’ve heard many from the analytics community minimize the importance of guards. I guess that they haven’t watched some of Kirk Cousins’ worst games. There’s probably no better way to wreck a quarterback than by allowing immediate pressure up the middle. McDaniel allowed none of that. If I had to pick a former Vikings player to join the current Vikings team, that player would probably be Randall McDaniel. Guard has been the team’s biggest problem since Hutchinson left. The great lack of competent guard play has been devastating. McDaniel would fix the problem as soon as he got into that unique stance. 

When I fell for the Vikings in the early 1970s, I was taken by Alan Page. Maybe he was the reason that this little California kid fell for a team from Minnesota. I can’t remember. I do remember I was immediately taken by player and team. I always hoped that the Vikings would open games on defense. I couldn’t wait to see Page. He was a brilliant defensive tackle. He was the Aaron Donald of his day. Page was so quick. He was often in the backfield before the offensive linemen were out of their stance. He was sometimes penalized for that quickness. Then things really got fun. If Page ever felt wronged by the officials, he took his game to an unimagined, unhinged level. Thinking about #88 wrecking offenses always brings a lasting smile. Alan Page is my #1 player in Vikings franchise history. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 20-11

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with #s 20-11. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 20-11

  20. Kevin Williams, DT

  19. Joey Browner, S

  18. Gary Zimmerman, OT

  17. Harrison Smith, S

  16. Chuck Foreman, RB

  15. Jared Allen, DE

  14. Chris Doleman, DE

  13. Ron Yary, OT

  12. Mick Tingelhoff, C

  11. Paul Krause, S

It’s time for the Hall of Famers. Gary Zimmerman, Chris Doleman, Ron Yary, Mick Tingelhoff, and Paul Krause are in Canton. Jared Allen could make it any year now. If injuries hadn’t cut into their talent and careers, Joey Browner and Chuck Foreman would be there already. Both have a case that they deserve to be there still. Kevin Williams had a Hall of Fame caliber career. Harrison Smith is having a Hall of Fame caliber career. 

When I think of Kevin Williams I often think of a play against the Kansas City Chiefs from his rookie season (2003). At the snap, Williams blows through Will Shields, wrecks an attempted block by Tony Richardson, and stops Priest Holmes for a loss. Shields, Richardson, and Holmes made the Pro Bowl that season. They were among the best in the league at their respective positions. Shields is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and rookie Kevin Williams went through him as if he was made of paper. It was an astonishing play. He had a lot of plays like that over his career. Williams goes into the Vikings Ring of Honor this season. I think that he’s a Hall of Fame player. 

Joey Browner is one of a handful of Vikings defensive players that I’ve seen simply take over a game. There was a 1988 playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams in which it felt like there were about six Joey Browners on the field. He had a few games like that. He was an incredible football player. I always felt that he was the safety equal of peers Ronnie Lott and Kenny Easley. Those two are in the Hall of Famer. Browner should join them.

I wish that Gary Zimmerman had played his entire NFL career in Minnesota. The defection to Denver was tough. It worked out for him as he won a Super Bowl with the Broncos. He was just so steady. Pass rushers didn’t get past him. I’m not sure if the NFL was easy for him but there sure were times when it looked easy. 

Maybe it’s a recency thing but I have Harrison Smith ahead of Joey Browner mostly for his longevity and durability. Every now and then, I imagine a defensive backfield with both Browner and Smith in it. It’s dreamy. I like them both so much. Smith plays everywhere. He can play deep, in coverage, against the run, rush the passer. A quarterback needs to know where Smith is but he can be anywhere. He’s a smart, instinctive, terrific football player. 

When I first became a Vikings fan, I was so intrigued by their defense. It was Chuck Foreman that hauled my attention to the offense. No back had ever caught passes like he did. At least, none that I’d ever seen. He was such a fun runner. Those spins! Oh my! The Vikings offense was always at it’s best when the ball was in his hands. 

One of the sad facts about the great players in Vikings franchise history is that few played their entire career in Minnesota. Mick Tingelhoff is the team’s only Hall of Fame player that played zero games for another team. Hopefully, Harrison Smith becomes the second. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 30-21

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with #s 30-21. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 30-21

  30. Bill Brown, FB

  29. Robert Smith, RB

  28. Ahmad Rashad, WR

  27. Kyle Rudolph, TE

  26. Steve Jordan, TE

  25. Keith Millard, DT

  24. Matt Blair, LB

  23. Eric Kendricks, LB

  22. Danielle Hunter, DE

  21. Antoine Winfield, CB

Bill Brown, Ahmad Rashad, Steve Jordan, and Matt Blair are in the Vikings Ring of Honor. Robert Smith, Keith Millard and Antoine Winfield should be. Kyle Rudolph, Eric Kendricks, and Danielle Hunter will be. This block of ten includes the first of the Vikings franchise’s elite players. 

Bill Brown was one of the league’s best fullbacks in the 1960s. George Halas traded him after a single season and always regretted it. Brown’s last few years were my first few years as a Vikings fan. He’s a player that I wished that I had seen in his prime. 

Injuries and nagging health issues (he missed at least one game to chicken pox!) slowed the start of Robert Smith’s career. Once he got going, he was great. He possessed ridiculous speed. Every time he got past the line I thought that he was gone. He was outstanding on screens. The Vikings schemed and executed them well but it was his speed that made them work. His sudden retirement after the 2000 season was jolting. 

I’ve always felt that Ahmad Rashad would be in Canton if he’d come to Minnesota a few years earlier. His years with the Vikings were Hall of Fame caliber.

I can’t stomach the thought of Kyle Rudolph in a New York Giants uniform. He felt like a franchise cornerstone and team leader from the moment he was drafted in 2011. I never thought that his talents were consistently utilized to their fullest. He had a career high of 83 catches in 2016. His next highest catch total was 64 in 2018. Every year should’ve been somewhere between those numbers. Instead, he only averaged about 45 catches a year. Rudolph made the most of his limited opportunities as he was often among the tight end leaders in touchdowns. 

Rudolph and Steve Jordan are the best tight ends in Vikings franchise history. They are 1-2 in all tight end categories. Jordan is the franchise leader in catches and yards. Rudolph is the leader in touchdowns. Jordan went to six Pro Bowls during an era in which tight ends truly started to emerge as impact players and offensive weapons. 

For a handful of years, Keith Millard played the defensive tackle position as well as any player I’ve seen. He simply wrecked offenses. If injuries hadn’t whittled away at his talents, he’d be in Canton.

Matt Blair played his first five seasons during the final seasons of the Purple People Eaters. He was the only defensive star remaining after the greats departed. He continued to play at a high level into the 1980s. It felt like Blair and Rashad were the Vikings only Pro Bowl players for about a decade. In reality, it was only a few seasons in which they were the team’s lone representatives in Hawaii.

Eric Kendricks finally broke through the Luke Kuechly-Bobby Wagner All-Pro barricade a couple years ago. He’s been playing at an All-Pro level pretty from the moment he started as a rookie in 2015. It’s no longer surprising to see Kendricks in single-coverage on someone like Davante Adams. He can play the run and the pass like few linebackers I’ve ever seen. 

If Danielle Hunter continues progressing as he has through his first five seasons, he’ll move much higher than #22. The Vikings have an outstanding defensive line legacy and Hunter is fast approaching the greats. 

Antoine Winfield was listed as a cornerback. He was so much more. He was an outside corner. He was an inside corner. He was a linebacker. He was a pass rusher. He was at his best near the line of scrimmage, near the action. Saying that seems to take away from his talents in coverage. Winfield was simply an outstanding football player. All of the football and media honks seemed to agree but he didn’t make his first Pro Bowl until his 10th season. That unlocked another two. He should’ve had more than three Pro Bowls as well as a few All-Pros. Tape of Winfield’s tackling should be mandatory viewing for all players from Pop Warner to the NFL. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 40-31

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with #s 40-31.

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 40-31

  40. Bobby Bryant, CB

  39. Tommy Kramer, QB

  38. Chad Greenway, LB

  37. Jeff Siemon, LB

  36. Daunte Culpepper, QB

  35. Everson Griffen, DE

  34. Ed White, OG

  33. Scott Studwell, LB

  32. Anthony Carter, WR

  31. Jim Kleinsasser, TE

If only Tommy Kramer had better luck with injuries. It seemed that whenever he was hitting his stride he was sidelined with an injury. “Two-Minute Tommy” was a fun quarterback. He had the passing talent to be a great quarterback.

Jeff Siemon was probably the only Viking that played well in Super Bowl XI. It felt like he made every tackle and there were a lot of tackles to make. He was a terrific linebacker throughout the 1970s. 

Injuries kept Tommy Kramer from being the franchise quarterback that he was drafted to be. Daunte Culpepper was well on his way to being the Vikings first franchise quarterback since Fran Tarkenton. A knee injury ended that progression. His 2004 season was ridiculous. 

Ed White and Ron Yary formed the best right-side in Vikings history. White deserved more than four Pro Bowls and he deserved All-Pro status. He played to those levels for most of his 17-year career. If he’d received the season honors that he deserved, he’d receive the Hall of Fame consideration that he deserves. 

Scott Studwell played and worked for the Vikings for so long that it feels like he was on the original 1961 team. 

Some might see #31 as a little high for Jim Kleinsasser. Few players in Vikings franchise history played their position as well as Kleinsasser played his. In that case, #31 is low. His position was blocking tight end. He played the position like an offensive lineman. A very good offensive lineman. He did all of the things that made it possible for players like Daunte Culpepper, Chester Taylor, Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, and Percy Harvin to do what they did. Prior to the 1999 NFL Draft, I read a draft profile of Kleinsasser that noted, “If he gets his hands on you, it’s over.” That’s the sort of thing that’s said of an offensive lineman. Kleinsasser blocked like an offensive lineman. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 50-41

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with #s 50-41.

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 50-41

  50. Matt Birk, C

  49. Sammy White, WR

  48. Xavier Rhodes, CB

  47. Adam Thielen, WR

  46. Kirk Cousins, QB

  45. Carl Lee, CB

  44. Dave Osborn, RB

  43. Grady Alderman, OT

  42. Tommy Mason, RB

  41. Henry Thomas, DT

The receiver position has always been my favorite. It’s the position I played. It’s the position I’m drawn to the most. The Vikings have a terrific receiver tradition. Sammy White was one of my first favorite receivers. His pairing with Ahmad Rashad was a great one. Until the Carters, White and Rashad was my favorite Vikings receiving duo. 

At his peak, Xavier Rhodes was the best cover corner in the league. I only wish that peak had lasted longer. 

Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs put on a weekly route-running tutorial. They were so much fun together. I wish that the pairing could’ve lasted longer. Thielen is an excellent receiver and his path to receiving stardom is great.

I’ve always wondered if Kirk Cousins would get less grief if he wasn’t such a goofy guy. His statistics are elite level. The only legitimate knock to his game is the occasional bad game. All quarterbacks have an occasional bad game but a Cousins bad game is a really bad game. I believe that it would take a Super Bowl win for Cousins to be embraced by the majority of Vikings fans. There are some that would still find a reason to bitch about him.

There are a lot of former Vikings players that could be the next member of the team’s Ring of Honor. In my opinion, the next member should be Grady Alderman. I think that he should be the next member simply because he’s been waiting longer than anybody. He was the left tackle on the first Vikings team. He was the team’s left tackle for more than a decade. Six Pro Bowls. One All-Pro. 

One of the great mysteries of the 50 Greatest Vikings was Tommy Mason not being on it. He was the team’s first draft pick. He and Fran Tarkenton were the team’s first stars. I visited the Vikings Museum in 2019. I was surprised and ecstatic to find a display devoted to Mason. He deserves it. He also deserves greater appreciation from the Vikings for his Vikings career. 

Henry Thomas played in the shadow of Chris Doleman and Keith Millard on the Vikings defensive lines of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Thomas racked up 56 sacks over his eight years in Minnesota. His 93.5 career sacks is an impressive number for a player that often lined up on the center. Hall of Fame impressive?

NFL 100: 80-71

As a break from the countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players, this is a return to the other Top 100 countdown that’s taking place. The Athletic is counting down their 100 best players in the history of the National Football League. The NFL 100. Their most recent reveals are the players ranked 80-71.

  80. Willie Lanier

  79. Mike Haynes

  78. Roger Staubach

  77. Ted Hendricks

  76. Art Shell

  75. Paul Warfield

  74. Bobby Bell

  73. Marion Motley

  72. Adrian Peterson

  71. Mel Blount

There’s a nice run of Raiders players. Mike Haynes, Ted Hendricks, and Art Shell. I couldn’t believe it when the Raiders managed to get their hands on Haynes. They already had Lester Hayes. No team deserved such cornerback riches. 

#72 is far too low for Adrian Peterson. 

Pre-Super Bowl Era Tracker:

Steve Van Buren

Jim Otto

Mike Ditka

Fran Tarkenton

Elroy Hirsch

Lenny Moore

Willie Davis

Willie Brown

Bobby Layne

Buck Buchanan

Bulldog Turner

Mel Hein

Leo Nomellini

John Mackey

Paul Warfield

Bobby Bell

Marion Motley

The Athletic is doing a nice job including players that played much, if not all, of their career prior to the first Super Bowl. After seven “older” players in each of the first two reveals, there were only three “older” players among the players ranked 80-71. 

A recap of the previously revealed players:

100-81:

100. Derrick Brooks

  99. Dermontti Dawson

  98. Steve Van Buren

  97. Jim Otto 

  96. Mike Ditka

  95. Fran Tarkenton

  94. Elroy Hirsch

  93. Mike Singletary

  92. Lenny Moore

  91. Willie Davis

  90. Willie Brown

  89. Bobby Layne

  88. Darrell Green

  87. Champ Bailey

  86. Buck Buchanan

  85. Bulldog Turner

  84. Mel Hein

  83. Leo Nomellini

  82. Kellen Winslow

  81. John Mackey

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 60-51

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with #s 60-51.

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 60-51

  60. Karl Kassulke, S

  59. Jeff Christy, C

  58. Ed McDaniel, LB

  57. Tim Irwin, OT

  56. EJ Henderson, LB

  55. John Gilliam, WR

  54. Gary Larsen, DT

  53. Anthony Barr, LB

  52. Stefon Diggs, WR

  51. Dalvin Cook, RB

Karl Kassulke had his career cut short by a motorcycle accident while on his way to training camp in 1973. He and Paul Krause was one of the best safety pairing in Vikings history. Kassulke was the linebacker-like hitter. Krause was the roving centerfielder. 

Jeff Christy ranks behind the great Mick Tingelhoff and Matt Birk in the Vikings long, strong center tradition. 

Ed McDaniel was always a favorite of mine. The Vikings defense wasn’t great in the late 1990s but they were strong up the middle with John Randle, McDaniel, and Robert Griffith. 

Tim Irwin=steady and dependable. He received zero accolades during his long starting run in Minnesota. Still, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Vikings. 

Anthony Barr is the epitome of Mike Zimmer’s team defense. If he’d been drafted by a team that simply sent him after quarterbacks on every snap, he’d probably have a much more recognizable career and sizable stat sheet. He’s been a very good, often great, football player but he’ll never receive the appreciation from Vikings fans that he deserves. 

The days that Stefon Diggs, Percy Harvin, and Randy Moss were traded were three of the saddest days of my Vikings life. I loved watching Diggs play the receiver position. His route-running. His pass-catching. His energy. His passion. He was a blast. The fact that Justin Jefferson is now in Minnesota makes it easier to see Stefon Diggs in Buffalo. 

Dalvin Cook is simply resting at #51. He won’t be there long. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 70-61

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with #s 70-61.

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 70-61

  70. Brian Robison, DE

  69. Todd Steussie, OT

  68. Robert Griffith, S

  67. Gene Washington, WR

  66. Doug Martin, DE

  65. Ryan Longwell, K 

  64. Wally Hilgenberg, LB

  63. Linval Joseph, DT

  62. Korey Stringer, OT

  61. Pat Williams, DT

Brian Robison is an example of a player getting a boost on this list for the person that he is. He was a terrific football player but he was also really great with the fans. He still is. His “96 Questions” was a blast. 

Imagine where Ryan Longwell would be on this list if he’d had that opportunity to kick the Vikings to the Super Bowl in 2009. I probably fretted less over Longwell’s kicks than any kicker in my time with the team. That goes back to the days of Fred Cox. 

Doug Martin and #94 Mark Mullaney had the unfortunate task of being drafted to replace members of the Purple People Eaters. Martin came the closest to doing so. He led the league with 11.5 sacks during the strike-shortened season of 1982. Martin’s 61.5 sacks rank 8th on the Vikings all-time sacks list. Mullaney is 14th with 41.5.

Following #74 Lonnie Warwick and #72 Roy Winston, Wally Hilgenberg is the third of the linebacker trio that played in the giant shadow of the Purple People Eaters. Hilgenberg was the best known and most productive of the three. 

Linval Joseph and Pat Williams were the space-eaters, block-eaters, running game-wreckers of a couple excellent defensive lines. It’s a damn shame that Jospeh never had a tackle partner like Williams had with Kevin Williams. 

RIP Korey Stringer. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 80-71

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with players ranked 80-71.

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 80-71

  80. Orlando Thomas, S

  79. Bryant McKinnie, OT

  78. Chester Taylor, RB

  77. Percy Harvin, WR

  76. Ed Sharockman, CB

  75. Nate Wright, CB

  74. Lonnie Warwick, LB

  73. Greg Coleman, P

  72. Roy Winston, LB

  71. Chris Kluwe, P

Bryant McKinnie had the physical talents to be one of the best offensive tackles of his era. Or any era. More often than not, he didn’t seem to care about much on the field. He and Dwayne Rudd are the most annoying Vikings players during my lifetime as a fan. McKinnie for his apparent apathy. Rudd for his self-interest and self-celebration. McKinnie still played well enough to be #80 on this list. Imagine where he’d be if he’d played to his enormous talent. Rudd didn’t play long enough or well enough for the Vikings. 

Percy Harvin should be higher on this list. To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure why he isn’t. It just seemed to fall this way. Perhaps it’s the shortness of his time in Minnesota. Perhaps it’s the disappointment and frustration with his departure. Who knows? Despite being a Top 25 talent he falls to #77. He was a fun football player. 

Nate Wright is best known for being the player shoved to the ground by Drew Pearson in the 1975 playoffs. Despite that unfortunate play, Wright was one of the best corners in Vikings franchise history.

Two punters in this group. I go back forth between Greg Coleman and Chris Kluwe for title of best punter in Vikings franchise history. Coleman was a really fun punter. Or as fun as a punter can be. was a really good punter. 

Lonnie Warwick and Roy Winston were two-thirds of the linebacker trio that played in the giant shadow of the Purple People Eaters. Warwick, Winston, and Wally Hilgenberg were a solid trio. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 90-81

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with players ranked 90-81.

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 90-81

  90. Ted Brown, RB

  89. Joe Kapp, QB

  88. C.J. Ham, FB

  87. Darrin Nelson, RB

  86. Ben Leber, LB

  85. Milt Sunde, OG

  84. Mitch Berger, P

  83. Rickey Young, RB

  82. Phil Loadholt, OT

  81. Wade Wilson, QB

Joe Kapp was the Cal football coach during my school days on the Berkeley campus. He’s a personal favorite due to his playing and coaching days at Cal and his too-brief playing career with the Vikings. He was never the prettiest quarterback (other than his 7-touchdown day) but he sure was a fun quarterback. 

It’s easy to like fullbacks. They do the dirty work so that the bright, shiny players can get the glory. C.J. Ham is one of the best fullbacks in franchise history. Ham is the first of the current Vikings to appear on this list. 

Darrin Nelson might be best remembered by Vikings fans for not being Marcus Allen. I’m not sure if the Vikings decision-makers had Chuck Foreman in mind when they drafted him over Allen. Nelson might’ve been that sort of player at Stanford. He wasn’t built to be that sort of player in the NFL. I always liked Nelson but he wasn’t going to be the type of running back that the Vikings drafted him to be. 

Ben Leber was an easy football player to like. He was always steady. He was always around the ball. And he made a lot of big plays. He was the third linebacker to EJ Henderson and Chad Greenway. That was a great linebacking trio. Leber may have been the trio leader in big plays. 

Rickey Young is probably higher on my list than most lists of Vikings greats. He was an excellent pass-catching back. His best rushing season was 1979 with 708 yards. His reception totals were ridiculous for a back. 88, 72, and 64 over his first three years in Minnesota. His 88 receptions in 1978 led the league. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 100-91

With lists on my mind and just over a week to pass until training camp, I decided to rank the 100 Greatest Players in the history of the Minnesota Vikings. The franchise has had a lot of great players over it’s 80 years in the NFL. 13 of them are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A few others should be. A handful more will be. As with any list like this it’s very subjective. It’s how I see the greatest players in Vikings history and the order can change daily, even hourly. It’s a very fluid thing. The following is how I see it now. Hopefully, I can refrain from tinkering with the order during the course of the reveal. The countdown to #1 starts today with the players ranked from 100-91. The reveal will continue most days between now and the start of Vikings training camp on July 28th. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 100-91

101. Justin Jefferson, WR

100. Randall Cunningham, QB

  99. Brett Favre, QB

  98. Joe Senser, TE

  97. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/KR

  96. Lance Johnstone, DE

  95. Terry Allen, RB

  94. Mark Mullaney, DE

  93. Paul Flatley, WR

  92. Rip Hawkins, LB

  91. David Dixon, OG

This is a somewhat clunky way to start this Top 100 list. First of all, I had to include Justin Jefferson. His rookie season was too great and too fresh in my mind to wait for a more substantial body of work. I had to rank him now! His was arguably the best rookie season by a receiver in league history. He topped some of what Randy Moss did as a rookie. I never thought that I’d ever see a rookie receiver do that. Jefferson’s still only played a single season in the NFL but I had to carve out a space for him on this list. That space is at #101. He has the desire, the work ethic, the route-running, and the hands to be an all-timer. I’m certain that he’ll soar up this list. 

Second of all, Randall Cunningham and Brett Favre continue this start of including players based on a single season. Each had one great season. Despite arguments from Fran Tarkenton and Daunte Culpepper, the greatest quarterbacking seasons in franchise history were Cunningham in 1998 and Favre in 2009. My goodness, those seasons were a blast. Those seasons have to be recognized and I’m including Cunningham and Favre in my first two spots of the Top 100. If only each had carry the Vikings to that final game. 

One of the great “What if’s” in Vikings history is tight end Joe Senser. He played during the era of Dave Casper, Kellen Winslow, Todd Christensen, and Ozzie Newsome. He had 42 for 447 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie in 1980. He exploded for 79 catches for 1004 yards, and eight touchdowns in 1981. In only two seasons he had played his way into the orbit of those great tight ends. Then we had the sad strike-shortened season of 1982. Senser missed the 1983 season with a knee injury. He was never the same and his career was over after the 1984 season. If not for that injury, who knows what his career would’ve been? He seemed unstoppable in 1981 and it felt like he was just getting started. Chuck Foreman, Keith Millard, Joey Browner, Terry Allen, Teddy Bridgewater. The Vikings have had several players with promising, even Hall of Fame caliber, careers cut short by injuries. All teams have. Injuries will always be an unfortunate part of football. Joe Senser could’ve been an all-time great. Not just a Vikings all-time great but a league all-time great. For what he did before the knee injury cut short his career, he’s #98.

Speaking of Terry Allen, it feels like he should be higher. He had two 1,000-yard seasons during his four seasons in Minnesota. He missed a season to injury. If he’d done in Minnesota what he continued to do in Washington, he’d be much higher on this list.  

If Cordarrelle Patterson ever learned to run a route and be where he was supposed to be he’d still be in Minnesota. He’d also be in the top half of this list. He’s one of the greatest kick returners in league history. He was a blast with the ball in his hands. Because Patterson could never be relied upon to do what he was supposed to do on offense he goes down as one of the most frustrating players in Vikings history. 

The NFL 100: 90-81

The Athletic is counting down their 100 best players in the history of the National Football League. The NFL 100. Their most recent reveals are the players ranked 90-81.

  90. Willie Brown

  89. Bobby Layne

  88. Darrell Green

  87. Champ Bailey

  86. Buck Buchanan

  85. Bulldog Turner

  84. Mel Hein

  83. Leo Nomellini

  82. Kellen Winslow

  81. John Mackey

Two centers (Dermontti Dawson and Jim Otto) were included among the players ranked 100-91. Two more centers are among the players ranked 90-81. Bulldog Turner and Mel Hein played during an era when players didn’t leave the field. They were outstanding on offense. They were outstanding on defense. They made The NFL 100 for their incredible all-around talents. Hein was the league’s MVP in 1938. A center/linebacker was the league’s MVP. It was a different time. People/media looked at the whole field back then. Granted, nearly all of the action took place in a 15-yard radius from where the ball was snapped. It was easier to watch all 22 players. The manner in which players are recognized has changed with the game. A player that doesn’t carry the ball rarely gets an MVP vote these days. 

Dwight Stephenson and Mike Webster are a couple more centers that are sure to join Dawson, Otto, Turner, and Hein. That’s nice representation from the center position. 

When I saw Darrell Green and Champ Bailey together I felt that Green should be the higher ranked player.  That’s really just nitpicking. After his first season in the league, Randy Moss was asked to name the toughest corner that he faced. He said Darrell Green. Seeing as Green started his Hall of Fame career in 1983, it was remarkable that he was even playing in 1998. Hell, he was still playing four years later. After Moss spoke so highly of him, he moved a little higher on my mental cornerback list. And he was already pretty high.

Through the reveal of twenty players, 14 played some, if not all, of their career before the first Super Bowl. 

Steve Van Buren

Jim Otto

Mike Ditka

Fran Tarkenton

Elroy Hirsch

Lenny Moore

Willie Davis

Willie Brown

Bobby Layne

Buck Buchanan

Bulldog Turner

Mel Hein

Leo Nomellini

John Mackey

I’m impressed. So many lists like this have such a recency bias that it makes them meaningless. We’ll see how the remaining 80 players fall. There are a load of players from the pre-Super Bowl era that have yet to be named. Sammy Baugh, Don Hutson, Otto Graham, John Unitas, Jim Brown, Raymond Berry, Night Train Lane, Bronko Nagurski, Clarke Hinkle, Wilbur Henry, Cal Hubbard, Dutch Clark, Johnny Blood, Ernie Nevers, Gino Marchetti, Elroy Hirsch, Charley Trippi, Joe Perry, Deacon Jones, Lance Alworth, Joe Schmidt, Ray Nitschke, Emlen Tunnell, Ollie Matson, Sid Luckman, Jim Parker, Roosevelt Brown, Marion Motley, Bill Willis. Those are the players that immediately come to mind. There’s probably several more. That’s strong representation from the “older” players. 

A recap of the previously revealed players:

100-91:

100. Derrick Brooks

  99. Dermontti Dawson

  98. Steve Van Buren

  97. Jim Otto 

  96. Mike Ditka

  95. Fran Tarkenton

  94. Elroy Hirsch

  93. Mike Singletary

  92. Lenny Moore

  91. Willie Davis

Minnesota Vikings Sack Leaders

The NFL made sacks an official defensive statistic in 1982. In the league’s official eyes, a defensive player hadn’t recorded a tackle of the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage from 1920-1981. It’s a foolish stance. Through decades of researching game films, game logs, statistics here, statistics there, John Thuney and Nick Webster have reliably tracked sacks to 1960. The results of that research were released to Pro Football Reference this week. A lot has changed in the sacking world this week. Al Baker now has the single-season sack record with 23 in 1978. Deacon Jones led the NFL in sacks a record five times. What hasn’t changed is that the NFL still believes that the first sack of a quarterback occurred in 1982. We know better. We know that Baker has the single-season sack record. We know that Jones sacked quarterbacks at a ridiculous rate in the 1960s. We know that quarterbacks were sacked by defensive players before 1982. We also know that Minnesota Vikings defensive players have sacked a lot of quarterbacks. Many of those sacks occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. Thuney and Webster found them. Pro Football Reference has them. 

Minnesota Vikings Sack Leaders

Rank	Player	Sacks	Years
1	Carl Eller	130.5	1964-1978
2	Jim Marshall	128	1961-1979
3	John Randle	114	1990-2000
4	Alan Page	108.5	1967-1978
5	Chris Doleman	96.5	1985-1999
6	Jared Allen	85.5	2008-2013
7	Everson Griffen	74.5	2010-2019
8	Doug Martin	61.5	1980-1989
9	Brian Robison	60	2007-2017
9	Kevin Williams	60	2003-2013
11	Henry Thomas	56	1987-1994
12	Danielle Hunter	54.5	2015-2019
13	Keith Millard	53	1985-1990
14	Mark Mullaney	41.5	1975-1986
15	Lance Johnstone	41	2001-2005

The heart of the Purple People Eaters top the list. Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, and Alan Page. Eller and Page are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The release of Marshall’s sack numbers can only help his case to join them. Stacked with his record number of fumble recoveries and his not-human longevity, Marshall’s Hall of Fame resume is a strong one. Unfortunately, what I feel is his greatest football accomplishment, being the heart and soul of one of the league’s greatest teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s, can’t be found at Pro Football Reference. 

John Randle and Chris Doleman joined Eller and Page in Canton. Not enough can be said about the sacking talents of defensive tackles Randle and Page. Thuney and Webster’s new sack leaders are all ends and linebackers. Randle and Page sacked quarterbacks at a ridiculous rate from the interior. They may have had a shorter route to the quarterback but it was a much more crowded route. No one did what they did until current freak Aaron Donald. 

Jared Allen should soon join Eller, Page, Randle, and Doleman in Canton. Allen had an incredible six seasons in Minnesota. It helps that those were his prime years. His learning years were in Kansas City. His fading years were in Chicago and Carolina. He averaged 14 1/4 sacks during those six years in Minnesota. If he’d sacked quarterbacks over his entire career like he did in Minnesota, his 185.25 sacks would be third to Bruce Smith and Reggie White. He’d be a first ballot Hall of Famer. As it is, he will have to wait at least one year. 

Kevin Williams has a shot at the Hall of Fame. He was named All-Decade. He had a handful of All-Pro nods. He was arguably the best three-technique of his generation. Plus, he was one of my favorite players of the 2000s.

Everson Griffen might’ve had a chance to crack 100 career sacks if he didn’t sit behind Jared Allen for four years. I still remember clearly the general shock from the national talking heads when the Vikings gave Griffen a healthy second contract. He’d only started one game over his first four years in the league. “How could the Vikings be so foolish with their money?” The Vikings knew what they had in Griffen. Vikings fans knew what Griffen could do if given a chance. They’d been screaming for the team to get this kid on the field for at least two years. 

Doug Martin and Mark Mullaney had the unfortunate responsibility of being drafted to replace the Purple People Eaters. Both had some solid moments. Martin had some excellent moments. He’s one of the more underrated players in Vikings history. He led the league in sacks during the strike-shortened 1982 season. Seeing as he racked up those sacks in the first season that defensive players ever tackled a quarterback behind the line of scrimmage, Martin must be considered “officially” the first great sacker in league history. 

Brian Robison always seemed to play in the shadow of others. First it was the terrific defensive front of the late 2000s. Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, and Ray Edwards. Then it was Everson Griffen. Then it was the athletic freak Danielle Hunter. Despite being a productive player and team leader throughout his career, Robison never really got the attention that he deserved. 

Keith Millard was a beast. I met him once and couldn’t stop telling him that. It probably got very annoying. In my defense, how are you supposed to refer to a player that ripped apart the NFL in the manner that he did. If injuries hadn’t whittle away at his talents, he’d be with the other Vikings pass rushing greats in Canton. For a handful of years in the late 1980s, Millard played as well as any interior defensive lineman in league history. He was a beast.

Lance Johnstone was an interesting player for the Vikings. The team didn’t do much shopping in the first ten years of free agency. When he was signed in 2001 he was an under-the-radar signing. He started all 16 games that season. For the next four seasons in Minnesota, Johnstone came off the bench as a pass rush specialist. He was outstanding in that role. He had 10 and 11 sacks in 2003 and 2004. On a defense that didn’t have a lot of standouts he was one. 

Danielle Hunter. He was missed last season. If not for that “tweaked” neck that took away the entire season, he’d be nearing Everson Griffen on this list. The freakishly talented Hunter has everything to be an all-timer. That includes eventually topping the Vikings sack list and joining Eller, Page, Randle, and Doleman in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

The Minnesota Vikings have a great defensive line tradition. This list, thanks to Thuney, Webster, and Pro Football Reference, reflects that. 

One Deal!

The deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign long-term deals was yesterday afternoon. Seven franchise-tagged players entered the final day of negotiations without a long-term deal. Only one received the job security of a long-term deal. 

Ten players were slapped with the franchise tag this offseason. 

Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

Justin Simmons, S, Denver Broncos

Leonard Williams, DL, New York Giants

Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Marcus Maye, S, New York Jets

Taylor Moton, OT, Carolina Panthers

Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears

Cam Robinson, OT, Jacksonville Jaguars

Brandon Scherff, OG, Washington Football Team

Marcus Williams, S, New Orleans Saints

Dak Prescott, Justin Simmons, and Leonard Williams avoided the various trappings of the franchise tag by quickly signing nice, long-term deals with their respective teams.

Prescott: signed a whopping six-year, $240 million deal

Simmons: signed a four-year, $61 million deal

Williams: signed a three-year $63 million deal

That left seven players spending the entirety of the offseason with only the franchise tag tying them to their teams for a single season. Each had signed the tag. They had a healthy contract for the 2021 season. They had no multi-year security or hefty signing bonus. Those are the trappings of the franchise tag. Players hate it. Teams hate it a little less. For all of the league’s 102 seasons, teams have tried to restrict and control player movement. Each offseason, the franchise tag gives them a little control over a single player. Despite the stupidity of the franchise tag, the owners have grasped it like a life preserver since the introduction of free agency in 1993. Anyway, seven franchise-tagged players entered the final day of negotiations looking for a long-term deal. The Carolina Panthers and offensive tackle Taylor Moton were the only team and player to agree to a long-term deal. With a 4-year, $72 million deal, Moton is now one of the league’s highest-paid right tackles. 

Six players will play the 2021 season on their franchise tag. As an average of the top contracts at their position, the tag is a nice one-year deal but it’s only a one-year deal. There’s no multi-year security. There’s no big signing bonus. 

Chris Godwin: $15.983 million

Marcus Maye: $10.612 million

Allen Robinson: $17.88 million

Cam Robinson: $13.754 million

Brandon Scherff: $18.036 million

Marcus Williams : $10.612 million

A couple of the above franchise tag contracts require some explaining. Despite playing the same position, Allen Robinson’s contract is higher than Chris Godwin’s because of his 2020 contract. Robinson was playing for the Bears on the second-contract deal that he signed as a free agent a few years ago. Godwin was playing for the Buccaneers on his rookie contract. Franchise tag contracts are the average of the best-paid players at their position OR 120-percent of the player’s salary from the previous season. Whichever number is higher. In this case, Robinson gets a few million more than Godwin. Brandon Scheff’s franchise tag contract tops that of fellow offensive lineman Cam Robinson because Scherff’s being tagged for a second consecutive season. Washington’s continued inability to negotiate a long-term deal for their best offensive player is forcing them to pay a guard $18.036 million. That’s about $2 million more than the league’s next highest paid guard. 

Congratulations to Taylor Moton on the new deal. 

Congratulation to Minnesota Vikings right tackle Brian O’Neill on another positional benchmark for his new deal. 

Business of Football Hall of Fame

Former Green Bay Packers executive and current lecturer, writer, and media correspondent Andrew Brandt has spent his entire adult life in the middle of or observing the business side of football. Despite graduating from Stanford, he knows all of the ins and outs of player contracts. Throughout his time on the media side of things, Brandt has often referenced the players that have truly excelled off the field. These players have done well in the Business of Football. In a recent column for Sports Illustrated, he’s taken those references even further. He inducted the inaugural members of the Business of Football Hall of Fame. These are players that truly maximized their earnings from football. 

From Brandt:

A couple of notes: This column addresses earnings only from NFL teams. Marketing and endorsement income are not part of the equation for this induction. Also, there are obviously players who have made significantly more money than some of the players below—both Manning brothers come to mind—but their earnings are not out of the ordinary for their level of talent and achievement. For the players below, their off-field success has largely outpaced their on-field success, or they have done something else notable to maximize their earnings or distinguish themselves.

The Inaugural Class of the Business of Football Hall of Fame

Quarterbacks:

Sam Bradford (Career earnings: $130 million in nine seasons)

Chase Daniel (Career earnings: $38.9 million in 12 seasons and counting)

Ryan Fitzpatrick (Career earnings: $82.1 million in 17 seasons and counting)

Kirk Cousins (Career earnings: $161.7 million in 10 seasons and counting)

Alex Smith (Career earnings: $189.7 million in 16 seasons)

Nick Foles (Career earnings: $78.4 million in 10 seasons and counting)

Non-quarterbacks:

Larry Fitzgerald (Career earnings: $180.8 million in 17 seasons)

Ndamukong Suh (Career earnings: $165 million in 11 seasons and counting)

Darrelle Revis (Career earnings: $124.2 million in 11 seasons)

Trumaine Johnson (Career earnings: $68.6 million in nine seasons and counting)

Bust Wing:

Jamarcus Russell (Career earnings: $39.4 million in three seasons)

Brock Osweiler (Career earnings: $41.4 million in seven seasons)

***

While this is all in fun, I have some issues with Brandt’s selections. This “honor” seems to imply that the players have performed better in negotiations than on the field. Brandt says it himself, “their off-field success has largely outpaced their on-field success.” He does add “or they have done something else notable to maximize their earnings or distinguish themselves.” When it comes to Larry Fitzgerald and Darrelle Revis, I’m guessing that “something else” means play to a Hall of Fame level. Fitzgerald and Revis maximized their earnings by being the best in the league at their respective positions. Fitzgerald further maximized his earnings by playing at a high level for 17 seasons. If Fitzgerald and Revis have earned entry into the Business of Football Hall of Fame, every great, well-compensated player deserves entry. 

As for the quarterbacks, I always felt that Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers did as much to maximize the earnings for Kirk Cousins as anything Cousins did. The next starting quarterback to sign a new deal is routinely the next highest-paid quarterback. The actual ability and production of that next highest-paid quarterback often matters little. The 49ers took their place in the progression when they made Garoppolo the league’s best-paid quarterback despite starting a handful of games. Cousins was next. It helped that the Vikings were desperate for a starting quarterback. Not only were they desperate for a starting quarterback, they were desperate for a quarterback that could be relied upon to start every game. Recent promising seasons had been wrecked by freaky injuries to their quarterbacks (Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford). To the Vikings, perhaps the most significant thing that Cousins had done during his time with Washington was start every game that he was tapped to start. It was a perfect opportunity for Cousins and his agent to act on their brilliant, ballsy plan for a 100% guaranteed contract. As for Alex Smith, I’m not sure that he or his family were properly compensated for what they went through with his leg. As for Ryan Fitzpatrick, he spent 17 years signing contracts to be a team’s backup. That means that he started a bunch of games, played well in a bunch of games, brought excitement to a bunch of teams on back-up deals. He was rarely paid as a starter despite often being the starter. Is that really maximizing his earnings? Nick Foles has nearly matched Fitzpatrick’s career earnings yet has played seven fewer seasons. Fitzpatrick has done well off the field but not Chase Daniels-well, certainly not Business of Football Hall of Fame-well. 

Congratulations to the Inaugural Class!