Things are starting to calm down. In the aftermath of the most eventful opening week of an NFL league year in recent history, fans are finding themselves with a bit of time to exhale.
But only a little bit.
NFL Off-Season: The Excitement Is Just Getting Started
While we may not be getting bombarded by a shocking news item every ten minutes anymore there is still plenty going on around the game we love, with much more excitement on the horizon. With the signing of Greg Hardy now behind us, there may not be a huge headline-grabbing item in the coming days, but the 2015 season is just getting started and there are many story lines about to unfold.
Quality Free Agents Still Remain
Yes, most of the biggest names have all signed on the dotted line by now, but that doesn’t mean that there are no more players on the market that can be immediate contributors to NFL franchises. Players such as Steven Wisniewski, Rolando McClain, and Michale Crabtree are surprisingly just sitting there right now, waiting for a new home. Players like this can provide great value as teams tend to bargain hunt in the second wave of free agency. There is still plenty of opportunity to be found on the open market, and this is often the time of the year where teams pick up free agent “steals”.
What’s Going to Happen With Adrian Peterson?
Recent reports indicate that while Adrian Peterson might want out of Minnesota, the Vikings have no intention of cutting him. While the Vikes might be amenable to trading their star running back for the right price, negotiations could be hamstrung by A.P.’s $12.75 million dollar 2015 salary. As such, it’s looking possible that Peterson could in fact remain in Minnesota, a thought that seemed unlikely in the recent past. The ramifications of what happens here are staggering, as if Peterson can play at the level we’re accustomed to seeing, he’ll be a difference-maker wherever he goes.
The Draft Looms on the Horizon
A big part of why things are about to get so quiet is that NFL front offices are retreating from the public eye in preparation for the NFL’s 2015 Draft spectacular, which kicks of on April 30th in Chicago. Pro Days are currently ongoing and scouting staffs are getting their last chances to check out the draft’s top prospects in action. From there, teams will begin finalizing their big boards and analyzing every player in excruciating detail, while the media builds up and tears down the poor kids on national television. While preparation and speculation heats up for the draft, all other football operations tend to slow down, and as such draft season officially begins in the eyes of the public. The NFL’s next wave of stars begin their respective careers on April 30th, and all eyes will be on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they make their first overall selection. Will it be Jameis Winston? Leonard Williams? Marcus Mariotta? No one knows for sure, but the stakes couldn’t be any higher. The Bucs are officially on the clock.
Make no mistake about it, the first week of free agency was as captivating as anyone could have possibly imagined. The NFL has a tendency to always up the ante when it comes to drama. As we enter the next phase of the 2015 off-season, the table has been set for September football but there is much more to the journey than what happens early in March. The road to the draft is always thrilling, and there figure to be some serious twists and turns along the way. Keep following Last Word On Sports for all the latest coverage.
