Ten Thoughts on the NFL

1) The Tony Romo saga appears to be over, with him electing to retire and head off into broadcasting. Considering his injury history, this is probably the best thing for him.

But wait, there’s more!

Romo is going to be the #1 color analyst for CBS, joining Jim Nantz as the stations #1 duo for NFL games. Which means, and this is the most exciting part, Romo replaces Phil Simms!

2) I’m not a fan of a college coach criticizing a players decision to leave school early through the media. If he wants to talk with the player one on one and discuss why he should stay, fine, but when he does it publicly, it often comes off as a coach upset that an important member of his program is leaving.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly believes his former QB, DeShone Kizer, isn’t ready for the NFL, saying point blank that “he still should be in college.” While this is probably true of most underclassmen that declare for the pro ranks, it’s hard to get a sense of sincerity when a coach says it. Kelly also said, “The circumstances are such that you have to make business decisions and he felt like it was in his best interest. I'm going to support him and his decision. But the reality of it is he needs more football, he needs more time to grow in so many areas. Not just on the field, but off the field."

Again, it may be true, but that “off the field” line just seems unnecessary in my opinion.

3) Sticking with the draft eligible QBs, have you seen this breakdown of Clemson’s Deshaun Watson?

He has so many positives to his game, and the negatives all seem fixable.

4) Pittsburgh Steelers’ QB, Ben Roethlisberger, still hasn’t officially decided if he’ll play in 2017, so the team has started to meet with quarterback prospects in the 2017 NFL Draft. I get that this is a tough decision for a player to make, but a player of his importance walking away could really alter a franchise’s plans. With the draft a few weeks away, maybe it’s time Ben makes a decision.

5) How’s this for a Hail Mary?

The strongest arm in the draft award goes to Patrick Mahomes.

6) Not only did Rob Gronkowski get a Wrestlemania moment on Sunday...

...but yesterday he stole Tom Brady’s jersey.

I’ll bet the Patriots are just glad he didn’t get hurt during his shenanigans.

7) I can’t imagine any team giving 32 year old Adrian Peterson much more than a million dollars to play for them.

8) The NFLPA has been trying to get the NFL to ease up on its marijuana policy for years, and now with Dallas owner Jerry Jones vocally in agreement, change could happen.

A change like this would need to be done when the most recent collective bargaining agreement expires in 2020, but with an owner as powerful as Jones backing it, it just might.

9) CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora is back with his quarterback tier rankings, and the Chicago Bears find their signal caller in the same place he had him last year. In 2016 he had Jay Cutler in his 5th tier, “Guys, veterans and place holders,” and this year he has Mike Glennon in the same tier, saying he has “tempered expectations, at best, for Glennon in Chicago.”

Glennon is joined in that tier by six other players, including a Super Bowl winning QB and two former Bears.

10) Ohio State cornerback, Marshon Lattimore, has been moving up the mock draft boards the last week. From a ceiling standpoint, he has the most potential of any corner in the draft. The latest mock from Pro Football Focus has him going #2 overall to the San Francisco 49ers, and at #3 for the Chicago Bears, we’re back to a familiar face.

Jonathan Allen, DI, Alabama

The combine may have cooled Allen’s momentum, but it didn’t change what he’s done on the field, which was lead all interior defensive linemen with 67 total pressure in 2016. He can move around the line, playing with power and strong hands that allow him to win at the point of attack, a crucial element that Chicago needs up front.

Allen to Chicago was the popular choice early in mock draft season, and with only a few weeks until the real deal, he’s back in that number three spot quite a bit.