Chuck Noll, who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl championships in the 1970s, died last night at his home in Sewickley, Pa. He was 82.
"Chuck Noll is the best thing to happen to the Rooneys since they got on the boat in Ireland," said Art Rooney Jr., oldest son of Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been so consistently strong over the past forty years that it's difficult to imagine a time when they weren't. Before Chuck Noll was hired in 1969, they weren't. The first forty years of the franchise was a mess. That all changed when the Rooney family hired Noll. The Steelers won only one game that first season and they had losing records in the next two. But Noll went about finding the players for his system. That started with his first draft pick, North Texas defensive tackle Mean Joe Greene. Nice start. The Steelers drafts from 1969-74 are the blueprint for building a dynasty. Noll helped find them. Then he coached them. For 23 years.
Noll was a teacher first. He shunned attention and passed up lucrative endorsements. He wasn't particularly close with any of his players. He was a football coach and left it at that. He may have learned some of that "sweetheart" side from playing for Cleveland Browns legend Paul Brown in the 1950s. Brown drafted Noll out of the University of Dayton in the 20th-round of the 1953 NFL Draft. He played linebacker and guard in college. Brown played Noll as one of his "messenger" guards. Since there was no in-game communication between the coach and quarterback in those days, Brown sent the plays in with a rotation of guards. Noll was one of those guards. He proved to be a quick study of football and in particular Paul Brown's football. The demanding coach even said that Noll's grasp of the offense was such that he didn't need help from the sideline to get the call right. That's very high praise from Paul Brown. Noll only played seven seasons, retiring in 1959 at 27. He was quickly hired to coach the defensive line of the San Diego Chargers of the new American Football League by another "happy" coach, Sid Gillman. Noll moved up to defensive coordinator after two seasons. He remained in that role in addition to coaching the defensive backs until 1965. Noll moved to the NFL when Baltimore Colts coach Don Shula hired Noll to be his defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach in 1966. Paul Brown, Sid Gillman, and Don Shula might not have been the most warm and fuzzy of coaches but it's hard to come up with a better trio of coaching mentors. Noll didn't need those three to teach him how to be a serious man. It takes a serious man and a serious football player to start a personal war with Chuck Bednarik. Noll took teaching and coaching football seriously. When asked by Sports Illustrated in 2007 how he wanted to be remebered, Noll replied: A person who could adapt to a world of constant change. But most of all as a teacher."
It's been a rough month for the Pittsburgh Steelers. On May 6, longtime scout Bill Nunn Jr. passed away. Nunn opened doors into the NFL for black players and personnel. He also gave the Steelers unparalleled access to players at the historically black colleges. It's a bit simplified but Nunn found the players and Noll coached them.
Chuck Noll turned a long-stumbling Pittsburgh Steelers franchise into a powerhouse. He also gave the Rooney family a model for future coaching hires. The Steelers have only hired two head coaches since Noll retired after the 1991 season. Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. The stability that Noll brought to the Steelers in 1969 continues to this day.
RIP Chuck Noll.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
It's The Falcons!
The Atlanta Falcons "volunteered" to be the team that will be profiled on the next season of HBO's "Hard Knocks" They could have gotten out of the show if they had wanted due to their playoff appearance of two years ago. So, they chose to be on the show.
Despite a 4-12 record last season, the Atlanta Falcons are a solid football team. They were close in several games but it was injuries that really dismantled a promising season. Coming off an NFC Championship game appearance the year before, the Falcons were considered by many to be Super Bowl contenders entering the 2013 season. Then it all came apart before it even got started. The Falcons hit the 2014 offseason looking to get better, bigger, stronger, and meaner on the offensive and defensive lines. They added guard Jon Asamoah, defensive tackle Paul Soliai, and defensive end Tyson Jackson as soon as free agency opened. They added tackle Jake Matthews and defensive end Ra'Shede Hageman in the draft. Losing linebacker Sean Weatherspoon for the season with an achilles tear during OTAs was a big blow to the defense. But the Falcons have gotten a lot tougher since the disappointing 2013 finally ended. All of the NFC South teams are likely chasing the New Orleans Saints. The Carolina Panthers might have taken a step back after a terrific 2013 season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers look to be much improved. It's an interesting division and the Falcons should be in the thick of the title chase.
As for their appeal on "Hard Knocks," they have a lot of the pieces that should make for an entertaining show. Mike Smith is a charismatic coach. Watching offensive line coach Mike Tice work and interact with players is always a treat. General manager Thomas Dimitroff is one of the most interesting people in the entire league. They have some star power with quarterback Matt Ryan, receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White, and running back Steven Jackson. They'll like miss tight end Tony Gonzalez on the field and on screen. The 2014 Atlanta Falcons look like a good choice for "Hard Knocks." It's always nice to get to know teams that might be a bit removed from the national spotlight. The first of five episodes airs August 5th.
Despite a 4-12 record last season, the Atlanta Falcons are a solid football team. They were close in several games but it was injuries that really dismantled a promising season. Coming off an NFC Championship game appearance the year before, the Falcons were considered by many to be Super Bowl contenders entering the 2013 season. Then it all came apart before it even got started. The Falcons hit the 2014 offseason looking to get better, bigger, stronger, and meaner on the offensive and defensive lines. They added guard Jon Asamoah, defensive tackle Paul Soliai, and defensive end Tyson Jackson as soon as free agency opened. They added tackle Jake Matthews and defensive end Ra'Shede Hageman in the draft. Losing linebacker Sean Weatherspoon for the season with an achilles tear during OTAs was a big blow to the defense. But the Falcons have gotten a lot tougher since the disappointing 2013 finally ended. All of the NFC South teams are likely chasing the New Orleans Saints. The Carolina Panthers might have taken a step back after a terrific 2013 season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers look to be much improved. It's an interesting division and the Falcons should be in the thick of the title chase.
As for their appeal on "Hard Knocks," they have a lot of the pieces that should make for an entertaining show. Mike Smith is a charismatic coach. Watching offensive line coach Mike Tice work and interact with players is always a treat. General manager Thomas Dimitroff is one of the most interesting people in the entire league. They have some star power with quarterback Matt Ryan, receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White, and running back Steven Jackson. They'll like miss tight end Tony Gonzalez on the field and on screen. The 2014 Atlanta Falcons look like a good choice for "Hard Knocks." It's always nice to get to know teams that might be a bit removed from the national spotlight. The first of five episodes airs August 5th.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Throwback Thursday: The Recruitment Of Alan Ameche
Alan Ameche is probably best remembered for scoring the overtime touchdown for the Baltimore Colts in the 1958 NFL Championship. Seeing #35 slice through the New York Giants defensive line and into the end zone will be replayed forever. Ameche was a terrific NFL fullback. If he'd played a couple more years than his six in the NFL, he'd probably be in the Hall of Fame. There's still a valid argument that he should be. Ameche was the third pick in the 1955 NFL Draft. He won the 1954 Heisman Trophy. He left the University of Wisconsin with the NCAA career rushing record. Alan Ameche was a great football player. In high school, he was the kind of football player that attracts a great deal of attention for colleges. His recruitment was a very interesting one. It was a recruitment that nearly impacted a very important Wisconsin industry. The beer industry.
Alan Ameche was a three-year varsity player for Kenosha Bradford. As a sophomore, his team won zero football games. By his senior year, Kenosha Bradford was undefeated and that 1950 team is considered one of the greatest teams in the history of Wisconsin high school football. Practically every major college in the Midwest offered a scholarship to Ameche. As did North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The recruitment ultimately came down to Wisconsin and Notre Dame. Madison was only 90 miles northwest of Kenosha. Ameche's brother, Lynn, was already a student at Wisconsin. Several Kenosha Bradford teammates were also being recruited by Wisconsin. Despite all of that, Notre Dame was considered by most to be the favorite to have Alan Ameche carrying the football for them in the fall of 1951.
Notre Dame had some things on their side. Alan Ameche had a strong Roman Catholic faith. His high school coach Chuck Jaskwhich played quarterback for the Irish. Ameche's high school sweetheart, and future wife, Yvonne preferred Notre Dame over Wisconsin for the simple fact that Notre Dame had no female students at the time. Notre Dame also offered to send Yvonne to their sister school, St. Mary's. Wisconsin football hadn't amounted to much by that point. Notre Dame was an annual powerhouse under head coach Frank Leahy. Notre Dame also had prominent Wisconsin businessman Fred Miller on their side. Miller was the owner of the Miller Brewing Company and a Notre Dame almnus. He was also an All-American tackle under Knute Rockne. Irish football was a pretty important part of his life. He was used to getting his way and didn't much care for taking "no" for an answer. Miller became a significant player in the Irish recruitment of Alan Ameche. He flew Ameche, along with high school teammates Mario Bonofiglio and Ed Ronzia, on his private plane to South Bend and a Notre Dame campus visit. Miller's recruitment of Ameche became a serious statewide issue. It became Miller vs. the University of Wisconsin alumni and fans. Wisconsin patrons of Miller Brewing Company threatened a boycott against the buying and consumption of Miller Beer if Alan Ameche attended Notre Dame. Fred Miller eventually backed off on his recruitment but not before he paid a visit to the Ameche home. He brought along Irish coach Fran Leahy and Ameche's Mount Carmel parish priest. The recruiters even had a friend of Leahy's call the high school running back to provide some extra incentive to attend Notre Dame. Hollywood leading man Don Ameche. The actor was actually a Kenosha, Wisconsin native, a University of Wisconsin alum, and the second cousin of Alan Ameche. Despite the direct connections to the state of Wisconsin and that state's University, the actor Ameche was calling the high school football player Ameche on the behalf of Notre Dame. It was also the first time that the two members of the Ameche family had ever spoken. Miller might have unintentionally ended the Irish recruitment of Alan Ameche when he offered Mrs. Ameche a check for $1500 if her son would commit to Notre Dame. This act didn't sit well with Alan Ameche. Actually, he was pissed. It might have been the University of Wisconsin from that point on.
The Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame recruitment of Alan Ameche can be considered intense. A state-wide beer boycott doesn't venture into the recruiting of many high school football players. Ameche might have actually made his decision a couple of years before Fred Miller insulted his family. As a sophomore, Ameche visited his brother Lynn at the University of Wisconsin. He returned to his sweetheart Yvonne wearing a white shirt and red tie and singing "On Wisconsin." He claimed that the campus was "the most beautiful place he had ever seen." "On Wisconsin" was "the beautiful song he had ever heard." He was especially struck by the University of Wisconsin music room. It seemed like every phonograph record in the world could be found there and you could play them as loud as you want. Alan Ameche might have been smitten with the University of Wisconsin and their music department as a high school sophomore and remained that way through the recruitment of Fred Miller and Notre Dame but a potential beer boycott is much more interesting.
Alan Ameche was a three-year varsity player for Kenosha Bradford. As a sophomore, his team won zero football games. By his senior year, Kenosha Bradford was undefeated and that 1950 team is considered one of the greatest teams in the history of Wisconsin high school football. Practically every major college in the Midwest offered a scholarship to Ameche. As did North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The recruitment ultimately came down to Wisconsin and Notre Dame. Madison was only 90 miles northwest of Kenosha. Ameche's brother, Lynn, was already a student at Wisconsin. Several Kenosha Bradford teammates were also being recruited by Wisconsin. Despite all of that, Notre Dame was considered by most to be the favorite to have Alan Ameche carrying the football for them in the fall of 1951.
Notre Dame had some things on their side. Alan Ameche had a strong Roman Catholic faith. His high school coach Chuck Jaskwhich played quarterback for the Irish. Ameche's high school sweetheart, and future wife, Yvonne preferred Notre Dame over Wisconsin for the simple fact that Notre Dame had no female students at the time. Notre Dame also offered to send Yvonne to their sister school, St. Mary's. Wisconsin football hadn't amounted to much by that point. Notre Dame was an annual powerhouse under head coach Frank Leahy. Notre Dame also had prominent Wisconsin businessman Fred Miller on their side. Miller was the owner of the Miller Brewing Company and a Notre Dame almnus. He was also an All-American tackle under Knute Rockne. Irish football was a pretty important part of his life. He was used to getting his way and didn't much care for taking "no" for an answer. Miller became a significant player in the Irish recruitment of Alan Ameche. He flew Ameche, along with high school teammates Mario Bonofiglio and Ed Ronzia, on his private plane to South Bend and a Notre Dame campus visit. Miller's recruitment of Ameche became a serious statewide issue. It became Miller vs. the University of Wisconsin alumni and fans. Wisconsin patrons of Miller Brewing Company threatened a boycott against the buying and consumption of Miller Beer if Alan Ameche attended Notre Dame. Fred Miller eventually backed off on his recruitment but not before he paid a visit to the Ameche home. He brought along Irish coach Fran Leahy and Ameche's Mount Carmel parish priest. The recruiters even had a friend of Leahy's call the high school running back to provide some extra incentive to attend Notre Dame. Hollywood leading man Don Ameche. The actor was actually a Kenosha, Wisconsin native, a University of Wisconsin alum, and the second cousin of Alan Ameche. Despite the direct connections to the state of Wisconsin and that state's University, the actor Ameche was calling the high school football player Ameche on the behalf of Notre Dame. It was also the first time that the two members of the Ameche family had ever spoken. Miller might have unintentionally ended the Irish recruitment of Alan Ameche when he offered Mrs. Ameche a check for $1500 if her son would commit to Notre Dame. This act didn't sit well with Alan Ameche. Actually, he was pissed. It might have been the University of Wisconsin from that point on.
The Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame recruitment of Alan Ameche can be considered intense. A state-wide beer boycott doesn't venture into the recruiting of many high school football players. Ameche might have actually made his decision a couple of years before Fred Miller insulted his family. As a sophomore, Ameche visited his brother Lynn at the University of Wisconsin. He returned to his sweetheart Yvonne wearing a white shirt and red tie and singing "On Wisconsin." He claimed that the campus was "the most beautiful place he had ever seen." "On Wisconsin" was "the beautiful song he had ever heard." He was especially struck by the University of Wisconsin music room. It seemed like every phonograph record in the world could be found there and you could play them as loud as you want. Alan Ameche might have been smitten with the University of Wisconsin and their music department as a high school sophomore and remained that way through the recruitment of Fred Miller and Notre Dame but a potential beer boycott is much more interesting.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Signings Complete
On June 10, 2014, one month after the completion of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings signed the last of their 10 draft picks. Third-round running back Jerick McKinnon signed yesterday. He was part of a somewhat puzzling logjam of unsigned players that were selected at the bottom of the third-round. The other members of his Vikings draft class had signed a few weeks ago. That's fast. That's really fast for the Vikings. The signing of draft picks have been a breeze throughout the league this year. Well over 80% of the picks have signed and training camps are still over a month away. This has been the most obvious and perhaps best result of the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Rookie contracts are now under control and the players are easily signed. Very nice.
The Minnesota Vikings have routinely waited until July to start signing their draft picks. Even in the previous three years since the new CBA. Often, it seemed that they would wait until a mere two weeks before the players were due to report to training camp to kick off contract negotiations. It was a frustrating practice. Some of the top picks would holdout for a few days. A few days that could probably have been avoided if they had started the negotiations earlier. Although, maybe those missed practices were the needed catalyst for the signing. Fortunately, the Vikings had only one rookie hold out that lasted more than a handful of days. In 2002, tackle Bryant McKinnie skipped all of training camp and about half of the season due to a contract negotiation standoff. Looking back, that holdout was hardly a surprise seeing as McKinnie was pretty much a pain-in-the-ass every moment of his nine-year Vikings career. It's a real shame that he ended up on a Baltimore Ravens team that happened to win a Super Bowl.
It's nice to have the rookies signed so easily. Signing players that have never taken an NFL snap shouldn't be difficult. If their careers evolve as everyone hopes, it's the second contract that should be the most rewarding and demanding. Congratulations to the Minnesota Vikings on getting their draft picks signed by June 10 and thank you for not waiting until July.
The Minnesota Vikings have routinely waited until July to start signing their draft picks. Even in the previous three years since the new CBA. Often, it seemed that they would wait until a mere two weeks before the players were due to report to training camp to kick off contract negotiations. It was a frustrating practice. Some of the top picks would holdout for a few days. A few days that could probably have been avoided if they had started the negotiations earlier. Although, maybe those missed practices were the needed catalyst for the signing. Fortunately, the Vikings had only one rookie hold out that lasted more than a handful of days. In 2002, tackle Bryant McKinnie skipped all of training camp and about half of the season due to a contract negotiation standoff. Looking back, that holdout was hardly a surprise seeing as McKinnie was pretty much a pain-in-the-ass every moment of his nine-year Vikings career. It's a real shame that he ended up on a Baltimore Ravens team that happened to win a Super Bowl.
It's nice to have the rookies signed so easily. Signing players that have never taken an NFL snap shouldn't be difficult. If their careers evolve as everyone hopes, it's the second contract that should be the most rewarding and demanding. Congratulations to the Minnesota Vikings on getting their draft picks signed by June 10 and thank you for not waiting until July.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Aging Ownership
Sports Illustrated's Peter King recently wrote about the aging of the NFL's owners in a column on his terrific Monday Morning Quarterback website. It was interesting. Very sad but interesting. I was actually thinking about the very same thing after Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer's passed nearly two weeks ago. His was the fourth death among the NFL's owners since October:
October 21: Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams
March 9: Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford
March 25: Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson
May 28: Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer
Wellington Mara (2005), Lamar Hunt (2006), and Al Davis (2011) have also passed in the past decade.
There are thirteen current owners who are more than 70 years old:
Virginia McCaskey, 91, Chicago Bears
Alex Spanos, 90, San Diego Chargers
Tom Benson, 86, New Orleans Saints
Bill Bidwill, 82, Arizona Cardinals
Dan Rooney, 81, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Brown, 78, Cincinnati Bengals
Jerry Richardson, 77, Carolina Panthers
Bob McNair, 76, Houston Texans
Stephen Ross, 74, Miami Dolphins
Robert Kraft, 73, New England Patriots
Jerry Jones, 71, Dallas Cowboys
Arthur Blank, 71, Atlanta Falcons
Pat Bowlen, 70, Denver Broncos
Virginia McCaskey, Bill Bidwill, Dan Rooney, and Mike Brown are all second generation team owners. They took over ownership of the teams from their fathers. As Peter King points out in his column, some of the teams with aging owners have strong family plans in place. Art Rooney II, Katie Blackburn (Mike Brown's daughter), and Michael Bidwill are in line to step up as third generation owners. Other owner's kids Jonathan Kraft (Patriots), Dean Spanos (Chargers) and Stephen Jones (Cowboys) have already made their presence felt at league meetings. John Mara and Clark Hunt have emerged in a leadership position in the league after the deaths of their fathers. Mara is a third generation owner. Hunt is a second generation owner.
A strong professional sports league is made that way by strong ownership. Wellington Mara, Lamar Hunt, Al Davis, Bud Adams, Ralph Wilson were backbones of the AFL/NFL since the 1960. The immense popularity and resulting financial success that the league has enjoyed has come in that time. Even with the sad recent passing of so many the league is in strong hands. The children have learned from their fathers. No matter how much of a financial monster the NFL becomes the league remains a family outfit.
October 21: Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams
March 9: Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford
March 25: Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson
May 28: Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer
Wellington Mara (2005), Lamar Hunt (2006), and Al Davis (2011) have also passed in the past decade.
There are thirteen current owners who are more than 70 years old:
Virginia McCaskey, 91, Chicago Bears
Alex Spanos, 90, San Diego Chargers
Tom Benson, 86, New Orleans Saints
Bill Bidwill, 82, Arizona Cardinals
Dan Rooney, 81, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Brown, 78, Cincinnati Bengals
Jerry Richardson, 77, Carolina Panthers
Bob McNair, 76, Houston Texans
Stephen Ross, 74, Miami Dolphins
Robert Kraft, 73, New England Patriots
Jerry Jones, 71, Dallas Cowboys
Arthur Blank, 71, Atlanta Falcons
Pat Bowlen, 70, Denver Broncos
Virginia McCaskey, Bill Bidwill, Dan Rooney, and Mike Brown are all second generation team owners. They took over ownership of the teams from their fathers. As Peter King points out in his column, some of the teams with aging owners have strong family plans in place. Art Rooney II, Katie Blackburn (Mike Brown's daughter), and Michael Bidwill are in line to step up as third generation owners. Other owner's kids Jonathan Kraft (Patriots), Dean Spanos (Chargers) and Stephen Jones (Cowboys) have already made their presence felt at league meetings. John Mara and Clark Hunt have emerged in a leadership position in the league after the deaths of their fathers. Mara is a third generation owner. Hunt is a second generation owner.
A strong professional sports league is made that way by strong ownership. Wellington Mara, Lamar Hunt, Al Davis, Bud Adams, Ralph Wilson were backbones of the AFL/NFL since the 1960. The immense popularity and resulting financial success that the league has enjoyed has come in that time. Even with the sad recent passing of so many the league is in strong hands. The children have learned from their fathers. No matter how much of a financial monster the NFL becomes the league remains a family outfit.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Moving Draft
The 2015 NFL Draft will not be held at Radio City Music Hall. It could still be in New York. Madison Square Garden? Roger's Place? Who knows? More likely, it's going on the road. New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are the cities that are most often mentioned. Los Angeles would be a nice spot as the city has been out of the NFL loop for quite a while. It's the home of NFL Network but that's about it. Maybe L.A. wants the draft in hopes of landing another team. They've had and lost the Chargers, Rams, and Raiders. Why not another?
While New York, Chicago and Los Angeles grabbed the headlines, "other cities" kept being mentioned without mentioning the other cities. Those "other cities" have finally been mentioned. They are Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Boston. Apparently, Nashville has been trying to lure the draft their way for a few years. Seeing as the draft is likely on the move now is their best chance. The more cities involved, the more lucrative it should become for the NFL to move around. The NFL will always follow the money. They can turn the NFL Draft bidding war into something similar to the Super Bowl bidding war.
I really don't care where the NFL holds the Draft as long as it's not held in May.
While New York, Chicago and Los Angeles grabbed the headlines, "other cities" kept being mentioned without mentioning the other cities. Those "other cities" have finally been mentioned. They are Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Boston. Apparently, Nashville has been trying to lure the draft their way for a few years. Seeing as the draft is likely on the move now is their best chance. The more cities involved, the more lucrative it should become for the NFL to move around. The NFL will always follow the money. They can turn the NFL Draft bidding war into something similar to the Super Bowl bidding war.
I really don't care where the NFL holds the Draft as long as it's not held in May.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Mystery Sort Of Explained
It's been amazing to watch the ease with which the draft picks of the 2014 NFL Draft have been signed. Straightening out the contracts of NFL players that have yet to take an NFL snap was one of the objectives of the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The contracts for rookies were getting out of control. The new CBA pretty much scripts the contracts for every pick in the draft. It's taken a couple of years but we are finally seeing the results. Training camp is still a little less than two months away and a record 12 teams have already signed all of their draft picks-Arizona, Baltimore, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Indianapolis, Kansas City, New Orleans, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington. 18 of the first-round picks have signed. That includes the first pick of the draft, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Over 80% of all of the picks have signed their first NFL contracts. Unfortunately, there's a pocket of picks taken at the end of the third round that are unsigned. That's a signing status that is usually seen among the top-ten picks of previous drafts.
As a Minnesota Vikings fan, I have grown accustomed to the team getting around to signing their draft picks in July. Even with the contracts scripted by the CBA they would still wait until training camp was in sight. I was thrilled to see them immediately storm through the signings this year. Within two weeks of the draft, the Vikings had nine of their ten picks signed. Even first round picks linebacker Anthony Barr and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater were signed. They also had two picks in the third-round. The second one being the final payment from the Seattle Seahawks in the trade for receiver Percy Harvin. With the Seahawks' 32nd pick of the third-round the Vikings selected Georgia Southern running back Jerick McKinnon. After the dust cleared from the Vikings draft pick signing frenzy nearly a month ago, McKinnon remained unsigned. Did the Vikings forget that they had a second third-round pick? Is the versatile running back holding out? It's been a mystery. Well, it's not really a mystery but the Baltimore Ravens might be messing things up for some of the teams that selected players at the end of the third-round. When it comes to the draft, the Ravens are often fouling things for other teams. In 2003, they balked on a draft day trade with the Vikings. Assuming that the deal was done, the Vikings missed the window for their draft pick and have been a running draft day joke for more than a decade. The Ravens were part of a similar draft day trade kerfuffle with the Chicago Bears a few years ago. When it comes to the draft the Baltimore Ravens are a real nuisance. It appears that the Ravens have thrown a wrench into the scripted contracts for the picks at the end of the third-round:
No. 92 Carolina guard Trai Turner: four years, $2.791 million ($539,800 signing bonus)
No. 93 Jacksonville guard Brandon Linder: unsigned
No. 94 Cleveland running back Terrance West: unsigned
No. 95 Denver offensive tackle Michael Schofield: four years $2.777 million ($621,200)
No. 96 Minnesota running back Jerick McKinnon: unsigned
No. 97 Pittsburgh back/receiver Dri Archer: unsigned
No. 98 Green Bay tight end Richard Rodgers: unsigned
No. 99 Baltimore tight end Crockett Gillmore: four years $2.907 million ($606,376)
The contract numbers should be going down as picks get later, not up. The contracts signed by Turner and Schofield seem to line up, although the signing bonuses don't. As the total numbers go, McKinnon should get a contract in the $2.76 million range. Then we have the Ravens going rogue with Gillmore's contract. With the huge contracts that we normally see in the NFL it seems strange to see player and team haggling over $100,000 but that's still some nice change for these third-round picks.
Nowhere in the draft is there an area in which five of six consecutive picks are unsigned. This will get resolved soon. McKinnon even says so. The numbers are so small compared to the contract issues of draft picks just five years ago. It's only a week into June and the only draft-signing issue is found with a handful of picks at the end of the third-round. Only five years ago over half of the draft picks would still be unsigned. I don't miss those days at all.
As a Minnesota Vikings fan, I have grown accustomed to the team getting around to signing their draft picks in July. Even with the contracts scripted by the CBA they would still wait until training camp was in sight. I was thrilled to see them immediately storm through the signings this year. Within two weeks of the draft, the Vikings had nine of their ten picks signed. Even first round picks linebacker Anthony Barr and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater were signed. They also had two picks in the third-round. The second one being the final payment from the Seattle Seahawks in the trade for receiver Percy Harvin. With the Seahawks' 32nd pick of the third-round the Vikings selected Georgia Southern running back Jerick McKinnon. After the dust cleared from the Vikings draft pick signing frenzy nearly a month ago, McKinnon remained unsigned. Did the Vikings forget that they had a second third-round pick? Is the versatile running back holding out? It's been a mystery. Well, it's not really a mystery but the Baltimore Ravens might be messing things up for some of the teams that selected players at the end of the third-round. When it comes to the draft, the Ravens are often fouling things for other teams. In 2003, they balked on a draft day trade with the Vikings. Assuming that the deal was done, the Vikings missed the window for their draft pick and have been a running draft day joke for more than a decade. The Ravens were part of a similar draft day trade kerfuffle with the Chicago Bears a few years ago. When it comes to the draft the Baltimore Ravens are a real nuisance. It appears that the Ravens have thrown a wrench into the scripted contracts for the picks at the end of the third-round:
No. 92 Carolina guard Trai Turner: four years, $2.791 million ($539,800 signing bonus)
No. 93 Jacksonville guard Brandon Linder: unsigned
No. 94 Cleveland running back Terrance West: unsigned
No. 95 Denver offensive tackle Michael Schofield: four years $2.777 million ($621,200)
No. 96 Minnesota running back Jerick McKinnon: unsigned
No. 97 Pittsburgh back/receiver Dri Archer: unsigned
No. 98 Green Bay tight end Richard Rodgers: unsigned
No. 99 Baltimore tight end Crockett Gillmore: four years $2.907 million ($606,376)
The contract numbers should be going down as picks get later, not up. The contracts signed by Turner and Schofield seem to line up, although the signing bonuses don't. As the total numbers go, McKinnon should get a contract in the $2.76 million range. Then we have the Ravens going rogue with Gillmore's contract. With the huge contracts that we normally see in the NFL it seems strange to see player and team haggling over $100,000 but that's still some nice change for these third-round picks.
Nowhere in the draft is there an area in which five of six consecutive picks are unsigned. This will get resolved soon. McKinnon even says so. The numbers are so small compared to the contract issues of draft picks just five years ago. It's only a week into June and the only draft-signing issue is found with a handful of picks at the end of the third-round. Only five years ago over half of the draft picks would still be unsigned. I don't miss those days at all.
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