Following an exciting first round, we break down the favorite picks, most pleasant and biggest surprises, most under-appreciated pick, worst move and more.
Peyton Manning, Mario Williams, Mike Wallace and Carl Nicks headline an intriguing free agent class that can shift the balance of power this offseason.
The Eagles seemingly came out of nowhere to sign Nnamdi Asomugha as they eye a trip to the Super Bowl.
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It is July, the doldrums of the sporting calendar. I am on an extended vacation to escape the oppressive heat of Houston, enjoying different regional perspectives on the state of affairs in the NFL and college football. And even as the NFL never sleeps, this edition features a distinct college slant.
$.01-- I visited the College Football Hall of Fame this week, taking advantage of an unexpected stopover in South Bend, Indiana. For all my love of football and relative proximity to South Bend (I have spent 34 of my 38 years living within a three-hour drive), this was the first time I have ever actually entered the building.
I picked a good time to visit. This weekend is the annual induction ceremony, and it is also probably the last time South Bend will play host to these festivities. The museum is moving to Atlanta at some point in the near future, though it is hard to argue against South Bend as the ideal location for this place. But what made this special was one of the inductees--Pat Tillman.
Tillman was a hero of mine even before he gave up his football career to join the Army Rangers and fight in Afghanistan. I greatly admired how he handled himself as a student athlete at Arizona State. He was a very different cat, a thoughtful, bold, charming young man that happened to flatten wide receivers very adeptly. He liked to climb up to the top of the stadium and read, and he took his classes seriously. I remember he appeared on the Jim Rome radio show while prepping for the NFL draft, and Pat Tillman was one of the best and most interesting interviewees I have ever heard. Instead of the usual cliches and half answers, Tillman pensively listened to the questions and gave honest, from-the-heart responses that indicated this was no meathead jock.
The decision Tillman made to spurn a likely hefty free agent contract to go fight for our country is a decision few would make. I would not even consider making it. But his different mentality made him a great soldier. I have read everything I can get my hands on about Pat Tillman, and I consider him one of the most inspirational people in my life. To get to spend a few minutes at the College Football Hall of Fame with his plaque meant a great deal to me. I will admit it--I cried a little as I stood on the ramp in front of his spot, attempting to explain to my children why this man meant so much to me and so many others. It was a great reminder that football can be such a conduit to a greater good and being a greater man. That was a very refreshing reminder in this time of scandal at the school I love (more on that later) and the ongoing labor war (more on that too). Thank you Pat Tillman.
$.02-- Another revelation from my visit to South Bend was how distorted college football has become in this era of the BCS and massive television contracts. Pretty much all the focus these days is on the major programs and power conferences, the computer power rankings and specialized networks devoted to big-time college football. The College Football Hall of Fame has thankfully not been afflicted by this myopia.
It was truly refreshing to see no differentiation made between the University of Dayton and UCLA, or of Mount Union and Michigan. Every level is treated equal and given its own due. In the display on leading rushers, Nate Kmic is right there with Ron Dayne, while the Harlon Hill Trophy winners are just as important as the Heisman winners. As someone that grew up loving D-III OAC football and went to a MAC school with a wretchedly unsuccessful football program, it sort of rebooted my football mind. It reminds me of why I fell in love with the game in the first place--the pageantry, the emotion, the competitiveness. A great college football game does not need Lee Corso donning some crazy hat or sideline reporters asking banal questions. The College Football Hall of Fame captures that perfectly.
$.03-- One of those big-time college football programs is Ohio State, and my beloved Buckeyes are in full damage control mode after the scandalous departure of former Coach Jim Tressel and traitorous quarterback Terrelle Pryor. The self-imposed sanctions include a forfeiture of the entire 2010 season and some other penalties, ones that will linger for a couple of seasons and make it very difficult for the storied program to stay atop the Big Ten.
At least the Buckeye program appears to be pointed in the right direction going forward. New Coach Luke Fickell is the right man for the job, period. I have known Fickell personally since high school, where he attended a rival school but lived in the same neighborhood in Columbus. This man bleeds scarlet, and his football mind is razor sharp. Fickell found a like-minded assistant coach in his former teammate Mike Vrabel. The ex-Pat linebacker retired from the Chiefs to pursue his lifelong dream of coaching for Ohio State, where he will take control of the linebackers and assuredly will become one of the top recruiting lieutenants. Like Fickell, Vrabel has an incredible football IQ and an acute understanding of how to share it. Expect his professionalism and his passion to pervade the program and produce more pro prospects like himself, James Laurinaitis, and Chris Speilman. Ohio State has long been a great school for linebackers, and the addition of Vrabel will keep that flame burning brightly.
Still, it probably will not translate into great immediate success. Recruiting has been tough, witness the defection of prized line prospect Kyle Kalis, to Michigan of all places. The level of probation approaches double-secret, where even sliding a starving player a crouton from your salad could bring about the death penalty. Rival Wisconsin landed accomplished former NC State QB Russell Wilson, a coup that makes them the team to beat in the Big Ten. Michigan hired a very good young coach in his own right in Brady Hoke, and the stain of RichRod will wash away sooner than later. Nebraska is relatively loaded and plays a style that will allow them to blend into the Big Ten seamlessly, perhaps even better than they fit in the defenseless Big 12. But my advice to those other Big Ten programs is this: Get your licks in now, because the Buckeyes will be back and better than ever before you know it.
$.04-- There is growing and glowing optimism that a new CBA will be reached within the next few days, thus ending the lockout after nearly 4 months of doom and gloom. Many trusted sources report that the basic framework is set and the big issue--the revenue split between players and owners--is settled. This is all very good news, that is unless you happen to work in an NFL front office.
Here is what will happen once the lockout ends. Draft picks must be signed under the framework of the diminished rookie wage scale of the new CBA. College free agents must be signed. Rosters must hit 90 players before camp starts, and most teams currently sit with between 45 and 50. There will be a short window to sign veteran free agents, as well as to make other roster moves (trades, waivers) to meet roster limits and get under the salary cap or above the salary floor, depending upon the team. Abbreviated training camps at the home training facilities must be organized. Coaches must make snap decisions on roster spots. Agents will be working around the clock to keep their clients employed and lobby for better positioning. Sales departments must quickly fill up seats and luxury boxes, reassuring sponsors that they will get good value for their money after all.
It is going to be a very crazy next 45 days as we approach the start of the regular season, which apparently will indeed start on time. As I told you it would from the minute the lockout began.
$.05-- James Harrison decided the summer was too quiet, so he popped off on a whole host of subjects in his typically controversial manner. In a recent interview, Harrison called Commissioner Roger Goodell a devil, a puppet, a dictator and a crook with no misquote possible. The Steelers linebacker is clearly pissed, even if he would not use that piss on the Commish if he was on fire. He unapologetically slammed teammates, notably RB Rashard Mendenhall but especially QB Big Ben Roethlisberger. After misguidedly labeling Mendenhall a fumble machine, the brash Harrison piled on Big Ben.
Hey, at least throw a pick on their side of the field instead of asking the D to bail you out again. Or hand the ball off and stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain't that and you know it, man; you just get paid like he does.
Those were the headline grabbers, but in reading the rest of the article I found a lot of common opinions with Harrison. Like his assertion that Brian Cushing is juiced out of his mind or that there is a double standard between the star QBs and others. I think he is correct that the league is moving dangerously close to flag football with some of the player protection overkill. I share his deep admiration of Troy Polamalu. I think his take on non-guaranteed contracts ironically causing greater injuries bears further exploration. His position on offseason work is absolutely correct, something the lockout has inadvertently proven--the players will take care of themselves and stay in top shape.
Harrison will almost certainly get fined heavily for his harsh and potentially offensive language directed at Goodell. Deservedly so. But the NFL has to quietly be quite pleased at the timing here, coming at the perfect lull in the professional sports world of the MLB All-Star game (is it over yet?) and the ladies World Cup soccer tournament. No sport manages to steal headlines better than the NFL, and James Harrison has done the dirty work. Again.
Stay tuned for team season previews and my own personal Top 100. Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com
