Problems With Sudden Wealth

I think the NFL does a good job handling the discipline issues that come up on a regular basis. Some draft picks have been arrested for drunk driving and other traffic offenses. The league attempts to educate rookies by holding seminars for them. It helps, but doesn't prevent all of the problems.

Many players come from difficult economic backgrounds. All of a sudden, they have a ton of money and are in the spotlight. Many have a maturity issue. It's easy to see why the have some of their problems.

Neck On The Line

As teams go through their OTA's there are a number of players on every team who are on the fringes because of medical issues. So many players retire every year from injury.

There are several examples in the news of players who are pushing the envelope in their attempt to continue their NFL career. Most of these players have vertebrae fusions in their necks.

Peyton Manning was one of them three years ago. He had a lot of money on the table to play for. He continues to be paid at an astronomical salary.

Many of these players are trying to get a veteran minimum contract. They want to play long enough to qualify for a pension. The NFL just grinds up men before their time.

Hard Knock Danny

The NFL Network does a great job with their all-access "Hard Knocks" training camp show. I caught a bit of the 2009 New York Jets. Rex Ryan was at his best. He was made for that show. I can't imagine Bill Belichick putting up with all the intrusion by the cameras.

There was some great stuff on former Pats RB Danny Woodhead who was trying to make the final roster. The commentary about him from Rex and the coaches was very interesting.

He has defied all of the odds and critics by lasting this long in the NFL and being a productive player.

Robert & Gronk

Rob Gronkowski continues to work on returning to the Pats. It doesn't sound like he will be participating in training camp or the preseason games. He will probably start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

That didn't stop team owner Robert Kraft from giving Gronk a ringing endorsement. He sung his praises while at a charity event. Gronk seems to be a very positive presence in the locker room. It's even better when he is able to play.

Johnny Not So Good

Johnny Manziel is already making the celebrity page of the newspaper. They showed his party antics in Las Vegas. He likes to think that he is a reincarnation of Joe Namath, the ultimate glamorous quarterback.

The more I see of Manziel, the more I feel that he will be a failure in the NFL. I think he will be another Ryan Lief and not Peyton Manning.

More Time With Rookies

The NFL is always trying to make more money and cater to fans. They fooled around with the schedule of the NFL Draft. They dragged it out longer than necessary. They made money from the television ratings, but I don't think it's good for the competition in the league.

Teams don't have enough times with the rookies. There are too many underclassmen in the draft now. The later draft date allowed for a barrage endless analysis from talking heads who thought they knew all.

It's all meant to be entertaining. I enjoyed following the draft. As much as I like listening to all the "experts", I don't want the game to suffer at a competitive level. Teams need time with the rookies.

Not Planning To Start

Michael Vick is taking the high road during his initial time with the New York Jets. He already admitted that Geno Smith is the starting quarterback. He is comfortable with being the back-up.

Vick has no choice at this point. He only had one offer for one year and $4 million. He needs this season to get his game together. He probably won't see too much playing time unless Smith gets hurt or plays poorly.

Talk Again In Fall

It has always been the goal of the NFL to have parity among their teams. We see that every year by the time November and Decembers rolls around. Almost all of the teams are in a hunt for a playoff spot. This is great for fan interest and television ratings.

The league has been discussing expanding the pool of eligible teams by adding one from each conference. I thought the proposal would pass at the recent owners meeting, but it was tabled until the fall when they meet again.

I don't support expansion. There are too many teams with flirting with .500 records making the playoffs. By the time post-season arrives, the team with the fewest injuries to crucial players stands the best chance for advancement.

They should leave things the way they are. It's all about the money with the two extra games. The owners pretend they are looking out for the fans and trying to create more interest. Don't believe them.

Choosing Their Concerns

Congress can never get anything accomplished, but that didn't stop 50 Senators from jumping on the band wagon for the Washington Redskin name controversy. They sent a letter to team owner Dan Snyder asking him to change the name which some feel is offensive to Native Americans.

I understand the need to have dialogue on this issue. Snyder had dug his heels and refuses to change the name. He appears to be in it for the long haul.

My bigger issue is with the Senators who are so concerned. There are so many critical problems facing this country While this controversy has merit, they should be embarrassed at their attempt to get into the spotlight.

The Lawsuit

The NFL has another class-action lawsuit on their hands. Over 500 former players are suing the league claiming that they were given prescription drugs to mask injuries.

This will be a long and drawn out affair over the next several years. Will the league offer a settlement? Some of the details will be ugly as they start to emerge.

It seems hard to believe that players just went along with their injury treatment. Some of this doesn't make any sense.

Ty Law Gets The Call

The Pats announced that Ty Law has been elected by the fans to the team's Hall of Fame. He beat out former Coach Bill Parcells and CB Raymond Clayborn. I thought it would work out that way. Most of the fans are more familiar with Law than Clayborn. Some hold a grudge against Parcells for leaving the team after the 1997 Super Bowl.

What happens to those two next year? Will they remain on the ballot? We saw Fred Marion drop off after missing out last year. The voting is stacked in favor of the Pats from the Kraft era. I think the team needs to adjust their criteria to ensure that the older players have a fairer shot of getting elected.

Not Seeing The Money

The Pats are signing their draft picks like most other teams. Every player has a guaranteed salary and a slot for a signing bonus. Many of these players will threaten the jobs of veterans based on their salary cap implication. We are seeing that all around the league.

OL Dan Connelly might find himself expendable with his huge cap hit. The same goes for players on other teams. Many of them finally signed a nice free agent contract when they became eligible. Now, they won't see the money. It's all part of the system to keep player costs down

The Numbers Show It

The personnel people on NFL teams like to think of themselves as "experts" on the draft. They search high and low for players and think they leave no stone unturned.

The facts are hard to hide from. When looking back at the 2010 draft, only 75 of the 255 players selected are still with their original team. That is only a 29.4% retention rate. Is that a sign of success?

Some GM's base their success on those drafted in the early round and say that the ones in rounds 4-7 are a crap shoot. Others like to brag about someone who made the Pro Bowl.

Regardless of the outcome, the 2014 draft will probably have the same level of attrition four years from now. You can't predict success in the NFL. It's all a big guess.

Moving Fans

Robert and Johnathan Kraft have mentioned how the league is trying to make the game day experience more meaningful to fans. Stadiums have big replay screens and other technological attractions.

The Pats decided to take it a step further by building a lounge in their south end zone. This seems like a good idea, but it will displace 1,500 season ticket holders in the first 15-20 rows. Owners of those seats will be offered a "comparable" one elsewhere.

It sounds like a good plan except for those fans. Many are outraged. Some have owned the seats since Gillette opened up. The revenue lost by eliminating them will be made up in the new lounge. The team has the "get over it" feeling towards the displaced fans. There is no good solution for them.

Why People Dislike The NCAA

It doesn't take much for people to dislike the NCAA. They ruin college athletics at times. Their Draconian rules about helping student athletes was under the lights when the story of Boise State football player Antoine Turner emerged.

Turner has been homeless the last few years. His mother died of cancer when he as young and his father had his own issues. He bounced around after being displaced from Hurricane Katrina. He enrolled at Fullerton Junior College in California, but his troubles continued. He slept on park benches at night while trying to be a student-athlete. He ended up losing 70 pounds before his girl friend's family took him in.

He was able to win a Division 1 scholarship to Boise State, but was stymied by the NCAA in his attempt to find housing before the start of school. Naturally, the NCAA issued their edict saying that Tuner couldn't get any type of private assistance. They refused to consider his circumstances at first.

They finally relented and Turner will have a place to stay before the start of football summer camp. Their initial reaction to his problem illustrates what is wrong with collegiate sports and the NCAA.

No Field of Vision

I thought it couldn't get any worse with the Johnny Manziel hype, but a Texas A&M regent raised the bar. He suggested that the stadium known as Kyle Field should be renamed "Kyle Field: The House That Johnny Built". I think this is so lame. What happens if Manziel doesn't pan out in the NFL?

Texas is certainly football crazy. They have been like that since the game was played. They have a real passion for the high school and college game. I just think they need to pump the brakes on renaming the field or sharing the moniker.

Johnny Hype

I think QB Johnny Manziel is going to be a distraction for the Cleveland Browns. Owner Jimmy Haslam has anointed incumbent Brian Hoyer as the starter and said that Manziel will be a backup. This will come to a shock for the outspoken Manziel who is more interested in being a media star.

Hoyer was enjoying great success as the starter last season before he tore his ACL and had season-ending surgery. Will he be on a short leash? Will fans be clamoring for Manziel if the Browns get off to a slow start? I think Manziel is more hype than anything.

Who Plays Jeff Fischer In The Movie?

Football fans were able to see history made when the St Louis Rams drafted Michael Stam in the 7th round. The former SEC defensive player of the year probably had his draft stock fall when he announced he was openly gay. Most "experts" had him going in the 2nd or 3rd round prior to his disclosure. Some questioned his physical size.

Will his situation be a distraction to the Rams? Will it become a media circus when he reports to training camp? It certainly has the makings of a big story.

I hope Michael Stam makes the roster for opening day. It will be a long road with many challenges. Quite a story before it's over.

6B In Your Program

The worst thing about drafting QB Jimmy Garroppolo in the 2nd round is listening to people talk about it. Some "experts" have anointed him as Tom Brady's successor. TB is turning 37 in August and they need a succession plan and blah blah.

Nobody knows if this is the QB of the future. Is Ryan Mallet the guy? Will he be traded or leave at the end of the season as a free agent?

I'm sure the Pats did their homework on Garraoppolo, but that doesn't mean anything.

Everyone makes a big deal of the Pats taking Brady in the 6th round of the 2000 draft, but they did it with their second pick of the round.

Rolling The Dice In The First

The Pats rolled the dice with the selection of DL Dominique Easley in the first round of the draft. He was considered one of the best defensive line prospects until he had ACL surgery on both knees.

He had a very productive career at Florida State, but will he be able to stay on the field? Coach Belichick felt that it was worth a chance. They took one with Sebastian Vollmer a few years ago because of his back issues. Things worked out with him, although he missed a few games because of it.

I have a feeling that Easley will be a very productive player or a complete bust.

Running Backs Falling

The NFL draft has been filled with surprises. ESPN just mentioned that this is the latest in the history of the draft for a running back to be selected. None so far. 37 is the new record and counting.

Running backs were once the cream of the crop. Now, they are relegated to the 2nd and later rounds. They tend to have shorter careers. They also don't score big contracts in free agency.

Draft Night 2014

The NFL has really made a televised spectacle of the annual draft with so much pageantry and spreading it over three nights. All of the "experts" have weighed in with their "expertise". There will be many surprises and disappointments for the players.

ESPN brought in the Top 30  prospects and introduced them live on stage. With 32 teams to select, two first round picks will be waiting at home for a call. Some of these other guys will never make it to the stage tonight.

I think the Pats might try and trade up on the first round. I don't think they will trade out of the first, but you never know. We keep hearing all of these stories about QB Ryan Mallet.

Another Lineman To Consider

No team can ever have enough pass rushers. The Pats needed help in that area last season. The signing of veteran Will Smith might help if he makes the roster.

The Saints released Smith after 10 seasons with the team. In addition to returning from ACL surgery, he also carried a $14 million salary cap hit and was due $11.5 million in salary and bonuses.

Coach Belichick said that he was interested in Smith prior to the 2004 draft. It remains to be seen how much he has left in the tank. The Pats have a pretty good history of signing defensive linemen off the street with the likes of Tommy Kelly and Andre Carter last season.

Early Departure

We keep hearing about this year's draft class as being the deepest in talent in many years. That is likely due to the large amount of underclassmen declaring their intention for the draft. I don't blame them for wanting to get an early start on their career, but will they be ready physically and emotionally? There are 98 underclassmen this year compared to 56 back in 2011.

Young players are always the future of any NFL team, but many of them will come into the league with maturity issues. Many will have large amounts of money thrust into their hands for the first time in their life. For many of them, leaving college early will be a bad decision. Only time will tell.

A Big Long Shot

Every team is looking for players. They don't sign them if they don't think they have any chance at making their team.

The Super Regional Combine was held in Detroit over the weekend. The invitation-only tryout attracted a number of players, including Alejandro Villanueva of West Point. He served three tours with the Army Rangers in Afghanistan and is looking for one more chance after a brief tryout with the Bengals when he graduated.

Villaneueva played tight end at for Army and saw action on the offensive line and defensive end. He makes a formidable pass target at 6'9" and 277 pounds.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed him to a free agent contract. He now has his foot in the door to the NFL. It might be his best chance.

Number 8 In Your Program

Michael Vick will probably regret signing with the New York Jets, but he didn't have too many options. He appears to be the backup to Geno Smith unless he can beat him out in training camp. It's a big year for Vick to prove that he can still play in the NFL.

He won't be wearing his traditional number 7 which he has worn entire college and pro career. That number belongs to Geno Smith. As a veteran player, Vicks knows he is in no position to try and work a deal for the number. He will wear number 8.

I wonder if the Jets are printing up a lot of Vick shirts. They probably don't want to be stuck with a big inventory if things don't work out.

Security Costs

Cities that host the Super Bowl stand to gain a great deal of economic benefit, but it doesn't come with out a cost. Glendale, AZ will be hosting the game on Feb1 and is looking for financial assistance for its security expenses.

Back in 2008 when they hosted the game, they ran up a bill of $2.3 million. The cost for next year is expected to be over $3.2 million. City officials turned to the Arizona state legislature for assistance, but came away empty handed.

Who should pay for the cost? It's a national event. Should the federal government step in? The state has a responsibility to ensure safety of everyone at the game. Why don't they help?

Draft Hype

The NFL Network does a great job with the hype leading up to the draft. The league very skillfully moved the draft date into May when there isn't a lot of television competition. The draft gets great ratings.

There is so much hype before the draft. Some of it is nonsense, but I think it's great overall for the game.