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1) While I think Joe Flacco is a very good quarterback, making him one the top paid QBs in the NFL is just silly talk.
2) Detroit Lions DE Cliff Avril believes he deserves a Mario Williams type contract, in the ball park of 6 yrs / $100 million. He has 29 sacks the last three seasons, including 9.5 in 2012. He did play last year under the franchise tag, but I think he'd be smart to lower his contractual expectations.
3) While some believe it's a no-brainer that the Chicago Bears will slap the franchise tag on DT Herny Melton, I don't think it makes financial sense to have so much cash tied up in a handful of defensive players. Phil Emery will need to either convince a player or two to restructure, or we may see a surprise departure.
4) Some recent buzz about NFL player safety centers around the actual field of play, and making it wider like it is in the Canadian Football League. While this is another potential rule change that benefits the offense, I think the reasoning behind it makes perfect sense. Give the players more room to operate, and you give the players more time to avoid the high impact collisions.
5) Just in case you missed it, the Denver Broncos will not let LT Ryan Clady test free agency. They'll use the franchise tag to ensure he's around for at lest the 2013 season.
6) While I love checking out the mock drafts floating around, it's really pointless until the NFL Combine. Players rise and fall so much based on the non contact drills, that it makes you wonder what the game tape is even for. With that being said, the latest SBN Mock Draft has the Bears going with offensive guard Jonathan Cooper of North Carolina. You know the drill, be sure you check out their full mock before you decide if you want to mock it or not.
7) When a healthy player elects to skip some of the combine drills, does that cause some GMs around the NFL to question his testicular fortitude?
8) If the NFL felt the need to devise a new aptitude test to be used at the combine, then why keep the old one around? National Football Scouting president Jeff Foster said the new test is, "a little more evolved than the Wonderlic", so if the new test is better, why keep using the old one?
9) Are you concerned that the Bears haven't hired a WR coach yet? If we were closer to mini-camps I'd be a bit perplexed, but right now I don't think it's a big deal.
10) With Chicago nicklebacks D.J. Moore and Kelvin Hayden both free agents, what would you say to recently cut Green Bay Packers DB Charles Woodson? If the price was right of course...