Football

Roman Harper hosts his fourth annual "Sainted Weekend" to benefit his Harper's Hope 4*1 Foundation in Prattville, Ala.

So we know Marc Trestman's a quarterback guru, we know he's won two Grey Cups in the CFL, we know he loves ball, and we at least think he knows football. At least one guy "knows" Trestman knows football. To be fair, that "one guy" made it to the Super Bowl last year. "Everything wouldn't be an overstatement," [San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Jim] Harbaugh said. "We use his system still of calling plays and the way he taught us those concepts and techniques. I've used [those] since I coached with the Raiders, the University of San Diego, Stanford and the 49ers." ... "Absolutely. Grand slam. That was a grand slam hire. You see the coaches that Marc has put around him, they know football. He knows football." Yep. That's 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh delivering high praise for the Bears' head coaching hire in a radio appearance on Friday. "He will do great and talk about long overdue. Marc Trestman becoming a head coach is well deserved, he will do a phenomenal job." Of course, we won't know how it actually looks on the field until training camp starts in exactly two freaking months. But enjoy the offseason optimism.

Feb. 2, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA: Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson walks the red carpet prior to the Super Bowl XLVII NFL Honors award show at Mahalia Jackson Theater. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Adrian Peterson has at last chimed in on the gay marriage debate. In Peterson’s own words he is not “with that.” Meaning he is against marriage equality. Peterson voiced his opinion during an interview on Sirius/XM radio, saying: To each his own, I’m not with it. But I have relatives that, you know, are gay. I’m not biased toward them. I still treat them the same. I love them. But again, I’m not with that. That’s not something that I believe in. But to each his own. This puts Peterson squarely at odds with former teammate Chris Kluwe who of course is an outspoken advocate on behalf of gay marriage. But don’t expect any fisticuffs to break out between the two over the matter. They are actually friends. Peterson said he misses the now-former Viking punter. “It hurt me to see him leave,” Peterson said. “He was a good friend of mine and a really cool guy, man. Probably one of the smartest guys I’ve ever been around man. Different.” See? They disagree on politics but are still friends. That’s how it should be in America. Everyone having their own opinion but still getting along. Everyone respecting everyone else’s takes. Chris Kluwe and Adrian Peterson. They are role models in so many ways. Just follow their example and we’ll be okay. Like The Viking Age on Facebook. Follow TVA on Twitter. Get the all-new FanSided iPhone app. Subsribe to the Fansided Daily Newsletter. Sports news all up in your inbox.

In a recent Bleacher Report our very own Arif Hasan posed the question, Did the Minnestota Vikings make a mistake hiring Bill Musgrave? As always his arguments are compelling and his analysis is very insightful. To summarize the points made: Musgrave is very creative. He is very good at self-scouting and changing up his tendencies game to game. He is not nearly as good at the "in-game" understanding and play calling. The jury is still out on his ability to "develop" quarterbacks. He has always been a very conservative play caller. What is your opinion citizen, Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down on the OC? If you missed the article it here is he link: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1647249-minnesota-vikings-did-the-vikings-make-a-mistake-hiring-bill-musgrave In a recent Bleacher Report our very own Arif Hasan posed the question, Did the Minnestota Vikings make a mistake hiring Bill Musgrave? As always his arguments are compelling and his analysis is very insightful. To summarize the points made: Musgrave is very creative. He is very good at self-scouting and changing up his tendencies game to game. He is not nearly as good at the "in-game" understanding and play calling. The jury is still out on his ability to "develop" quarterbacks. He has always been a very conservative play caller. What is your opinion citizen, Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down on the OC? If you missed the article it here is he link: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1647249-minnesota-vikings-did-the-vikings-make-a-mistake-hiring-bill-musgrave Poll Should the Minnesota Vikings have hired Bill Musgrave as their OC? Thumbs Up - he is the man for the job Thumbs Down - he should never have been hired 1 votes | Results

The Kansas City Chiefs have toyed with the Pistol formation during offseason team activities, but that's not all. Reports out of practice suggest the team's pass-catching tight ends are in for a big year.

1. NFL DRAFT BEING MOVED TO MAY?With Radio City Music Hall unavailable next year in late April for the NFL...

After a short hiatus called reality, Noles will be back in business shortly after these brief messages from the sponsors. OK, not really but the past three weeks have been one wild ride starting a new job on top of my MCM duties. I know I've been pretty intermittent about putting out articles lately so I'd like to apologize for that. The other (and arguably more talented) writers on this great site have done an awesome job in my stead. Anyway, onto today's post about the Titans' first third round pick, Blidi Wreh-Wilson. Player Name: Blidi Wreh-Wilson Position: Cornerback Height/Weight: 6'1 195 School/Class: Connecticut, Senior Measureables: 4.53 40, 14 bench reps, 36" vertical jump, 10'6" broad jump, 6.97 3 cone drill The Tape: 2012 vs Louisville 2012 vs Rutgers 2012 vs Temple 2011 vs Rutgers Pros: - A tall and long corner - Wreh-Wilson is a 6'0 corner that plays bigger than that. He also has some of the longer arms of any defensive back in the 2013 class. - Good short burst athlete - Has good, quick feet and hips to stay with the smaller and more explosive receivers. He uses his arm length well to catch up when in off man coverage. - Ideal zone corner - Wreh-Wilson is an extremely disciplined and technically sound zone corner. He uses his physical attributes to knock off receivers off the line and has good enough athleticism to stay with them down the field. Instincts are good when in zone/ Intelligence is also high as well. He simply knows what to do when beaten and rarely has a panicky moment. Cons: - Tackling - While he has proven to be an able and willing tackler, he occasionally takes the wrong angles and tries for the home run hit instead of using his length to wrap up. - Man coverage - Doesn't have a ton of quick twitch turn and run hip skills nor the recovery speed so he can be beat over the top vertically by some of the faster receivers. - UCONN - It isn't exactly a Division 1 powerhouse or a school that puts them on the schedule. How battle tested is he really when he plays in the rudderless and useless Big East? He might have the Boise State syndrome. (Boise State Syndrome: only having to get up for one game a year, usually the first game and coasting during the rest of the schedule due to the lack of quality competition.) Summary: I liked the Wreh-Wilson pick overall but his cons scare the living daylights out of me if not properly coached out of him. Another benefit of his is that he was coached by Paul Pasqualoni, a successful NFL defensive assistant for a number of years. He fits the zone heavy defensive scheme to a T. My prediction: I think he ends up in a camp battle with Coty Sensabaugh and Tommie Campbell for the third corner spot in a third place loser leaves town scenario. He might use this year being groomed to take over Alterraun Verner's starting spot should ATV leave in 2014. The rest of my reports: 7th round pick Daimion Stafford 6th round pick Khalid Wooten 5th round pick Lavar Edwards 4th round pick Brian Schwenke 3rd round pick Zaviar Gooden

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/63239/104-day-nfl-warning-31-minutes-of-sean-taylor-being-even-better-than-you-remember When reader Eric Wagman sent along this video last week, I was hesitant to use it. No conversation about Sean Taylor really inspires excitement. It’s impossible to consider him as a football player and a person without lamenting what might have been. When Taylor was killed outside his home in November 2007, he’d emerged as one of the best defensive players in football, but more important was the other emergence, the one of a man who’d found himself through family and fatherhood. But as I started watching, I realized that it’s also impossible to consider Sean Taylor as football player and not love what football can be. In this excellent video remembrance of Taylor, Clinton Portis notes that to watch Taylor play was to watch someone born to play. And he’s right. A high school running back built like a linebacker who could run like a corner, Taylor was the purest of football talent. That he didn't wear gloves later in his career really is too perfect. So with that in mind, here’s 31 minutes of Sean Taylor playing football in a way that few ever have, or could have. http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/63239/104-day-nfl-warning-31-minutes-of-sean-taylor-being-even-better-than-you-remember When reader Eric Wagman sent along this video last week, I was hesitant to use it. No conversation about Sean Taylor really inspires excitement. It’s impossible to consider him as a football player and a person without lamenting what might have been. When Taylor was killed outside his home in November 2007, he’d emerged as one of the best defensive players in football, but more important was the other emergence, the one of a man who’d found himself through family and fatherhood. But as I started watching, I realized that it’s also impossible to consider Sean Taylor as football player and not love what football can be. In this excellent video remembrance of Taylor, Clinton Portis notes that to watch Taylor play was to watch someone born to play. And he’s right. A high school running back built like a linebacker who could run like a corner, Taylor was the purest of football talent. That he didn't wear gloves later in his career really is too perfect. So with that in mind, here’s 31 minutes of Sean Taylor playing football in a way that few ever have, or could have.

May 13, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers coach Mike McCoy at organized team activities at Chargers Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Tom Nalen admits trying to blow out Igor Olshansky’s knee NBCSports.com Former Denver center Tom Nalen made a surprising confession during a press conference to introduce him as the next member of the Broncos’ Ring of Fame: Nalen said that in 2006, he attempted to injure Chargers defensive lineman Igor Olshansky. On the … My Big NFL Five: Tight Ends The Stripe Hype Dec 23, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) runs for a touchdown after catching a pass from San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) during the second half at MetLIfe Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mike McCoy is a key figure in the John Fox Division U-T San Diego San Diego Chargers coach Mike McCoy looks on during the first day of rookie mini-camp. — K.C. Alfred. ? · ?; ?; – Comments. Within the AFC West, several coaches who were once allies are now foes. Mike McCoy worked nine seasons under Broncos head …

Chuck Cecil is a name that most St. Louis Rams fans should know well. He's a long-time Jeff Fisher associate, once his defensive coordinator in Tennessee, and now his defensive backs coach with the Rams. He's also a former NFL defensive back, and was kind of a big hitter himself back in the day. In 1993 Cecil, then with the Cardinals, delivered a brutal hit on Redskins tight end Ron Middleton. He nailed him right in the chest, knocking Middleton's helmet off and sending him to a more ephemeral world for a few minutes. The hit cost him $30,000, one of the largest penalties every leveled at the time. If it had happened under Roger Goodell rather than Paul Tagliabue, Cecil would surely have been suspended, especially with the rule changes since then. Here's a Sports Illustrated article on the incident from 1993. That's the cover story. It's called "Too Vicious for the NFL?" The most insane part is Cecil admitting he was in another place immediately after the hit, unable to recall exactly what happened. He played the game with a nasty streak, which has carried over to his coaching style. Exhibit A: It's impossible to find video of the hit, apparently. So if you have video of it, please let us know. You can get a taste of Cecil's playing style here Freak outs following his big hits with this one from his Packers days. That's Neil Anderson he takes out. (h/t Reddit NFL) Seriously, HIVEMIND, go try and find that Cecil hit on Ron Middleton. There's a free TST t-shit in it for you if you do.