Draft Programs

The NFL Network has some great programming leading up to the annual draft next Thursday. Their "Path To The Draft" show is outstanding.

Tonight, they had 1994 with Willie McGinest being the 4th overall pick. So may great stars and those who were busts. It's the same every year and won't be any different now.

Only the NFL could turn this into such a spectacle that brings money into the coffers.

Money On The Table

The terms of most NFL contracts are a joke because the player never sees all of the money. LB Jerod Mayo is a classic case. After missing most of the last two seasons, there was no way the Pats were going to let him count $10.2 million against their salary cap.

Mayo will leave money on the table in order to stay with the team. He could get released if desired. He wants to stay here and Bill Belichick is a big fan.

Schedule Spectacle

Leave it to the NFL to make a television and media showcase about announcing their 2015 regular season schedule. Nobody does it better than them for creating interest in whatever they do.

ESPN created a program. It get ratings and drives the revenue stream of the league. Everyone is happy. Owners share the revenue with the players. They all want a bigger share of the pie.

Tebow Time Again

Tim Tebow is clawing his way back into the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles are signing him to a one year contract and will have him available for organized team activities.

He will face stiff competition for playing time from Mark Sanchez, Sam Bradford and Matt Barkley. The Eagles tried to move Barkley, but couldn't work a deal.

The Eagles will probably keep three quarterbacks when they start the season. This is a great opportunity for Tebow who has not played since the 2012 season. He was a final cut with the Pats in 2013.

At 27, his window is closing because of all the criticism of his playing style. He has been working with Tom House, the personal quarterback coach of Tom Brady.

This might be his best chance to make it back to the NFL.

Not A Heavy Hitter

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is trying to squeeze management into giving him a long term contract by threatening to play baseball part-time. This is doomed to fail on so many fronts.

The GM of the Texas Rangers thinks that Wilson could have a bright future in the game. That strikes me odd as his last minor league baseball season showed him with a batting average of .227, with 5 HR's and 26 RBI's. Numbers like this never get you to the big leagues.

All parties should end this farce and work towards a long term contract.

Almost 100,000

Living in New England, it's hard to imagine how popular college football is in other parts of the country. Fans here have only three Division 1 programs to root for: Boston College, UConn and UMass. BC and UConn have a solid fan base and fill their stadium. UMass is trying to find itself.

Yesterday, Ohio State had their spring football scrimmage. They attracted 99,931 fans to the stadium to see the team play among themselves. We will never see that around here. We are two football worlds apart.

Johnny's Time

Hopefully, things go better for Cleveland Browns QB Johnny Manziel during his second season. His time as a rookie was a disaster on and off the field.

He just completed a stint at a rehab facility for an alcohol issue. He released a statement apologizing to the team and fans. It would have been better if he spoke the words himself. With the way the statement was written, it was easy to see that it came from a publicist or his agent.

He will be under a microscope, especially during training camp. He needs to come up big this year to keep his career alive.

Missing On The Ballot

The ballot for the Pats Hall of Fame is out. Fans can vote for either Raymond Clayborn, Leon Gray or Willie McGinest. Former Coach Bill Parcells didn't make the finalists. I find this very troubling.

I predict that McGinest will get elected because of his connection to younger fans and his gig on the NFL network. It's a joke that Clayborn isn't in. The same goes for Gray.

Older players will continue to be snubbed as those from the Kraft era appear on the annual ballot. They need to change the selection process or let more players in.

15 Years Ago Today

Late round draft picks are often looked as a crap shoot by team officials. The league gives each team less time for their selection compared to the opening rounds.

Today is the 15 year anniversary of the Pats drafting Tom Brady in the 6th round. He was a compensatory pick and the second selection by the Pats during the round.

Brady's name was called on the 199th pick. There were six quarterbacks taken before him. Some never played a game in the NFL.

The draft is filled with stories like this. It happens every year.

The End For #81

Aaron Hernandez got a life sentence after being convicted of murder. His trial played out for two months. It was a tragedy for everyone involved.

He had it all, including a new $40 million contract at the age of 23. Fans knew they had something special with the duo of Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. They gave teams fits in trying to defend against them

That all ended two years ago after his arrest. He threw it all away. We will always wonder what might have been.

Lawrence Phillips.

NFL rosters are filled with players who squander their potential. It's part of the league's history. Back in 1996, Lawrence Phillips was selected 6th overall by the St Louis Rams in spite of character issues.

Phillips had a brilliant sophomore season at Nebraska with 1,722 yards and 16 TD's. He was suspended for his junior year and left school for the draft.

He had trouble staying with a team for more than one season and was also released by the Dolphins and 49er's. He ended up with 35 games played with 1,453 yards and 15 TD's.

He had several arrests over the years and was sentenced in 2009 to 31 years for a domestic assault and other felonies in California.

He resurfaced in the news the other day when he was named as the primary suspect in the murder of his cellmate.

Phillips begins a long process through the legal system.

Never Getting To Home Plate

Players and agents play games with the management of teams. It's all about posturing and trying to get the other to blink first.

Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is in the final year of his rookie contract. He will make $1.5 million this season, but is vastly underpaid, considering his accomplishments. The team has the option to give him a new deal or wait until after the season.

The team can also use the franchise tag on him in 2016, but it will cost them a fortune and hurt their salary cap. Wilson stands to cash in next year either way.

Meanwhile, he spent time in spring training with the Texas Rangers who drafted him. He said he would like to play both sports like Bo Jackson.

This is so impractical for a quarterback. Who is he kidding? Do the Seahawks think he is serious about playing baseball?

They should try to work a deal that compensates him fairly, but doesn't kill their salary cap.