There are a lot of players I want to see at the combine. I wonder how many will run and work out though?<\/p>\n
I really like Sonny Styles and Makai Lemon (I know – homer). Since I am a huge USC fan and watch every game, Lemon just kept making plays even when the defenses knew he was the main target. When I watched Ohio State, Styles was consistently making plays too. Considering the success of Nick Emmanwori, Styles probably does not make it to 18. I doubt Lemon does too. According to the consensus big board, there will be some big defensive tackles available. I wonder if Flores wants a fatso early in the draft though. There are a lot of fatties in the draft.<\/p>\n
2026 NFL Combine Key Dates (Tentative):
Feb 23-25: Prospect Arrival, Interviews, Medical Exams
Feb 26 (Thu): DL, LB, K (On-field workouts)
Feb 27 (Fri): DB, TE (On-field workouts)
Feb 28 (Sat): QB, RB, WR (On-field workouts)
Mar 1 (Sun): OL (On-field workouts)<\/p>\n
Which NFL Draft prospects are headed to Indy? Here\u2019s the full 2026 combine list<\/a><\/p>\n I know that the main topic is the QB position. It is going to be that way until they do something and it will still be that way all off season.<\/p>\n I am firmly in the Aaron Rodgers camp. I said it last year too. He would be a perfect mentor for JJ on and off the field. Rodgers takes meditation to a whole nother level.<\/p>\n Ai question – \u201caaron rodgers meditation techniques\u201d<\/p>\n Aaron Rodgers uses a variety of alternative and ancient meditation techniques to maintain mental clarity, ranging from daily mindfulness habits to intensive multi-day isolation retreats.<\/p>\n 1. Darkness Retreats (Sensory Deprivation)<\/p>\n Rodgers famously uses darkness retreats to facilitate deep introspection and decision-making.<\/p>\n The Process: He stays for multiple days (typically four nights) in a 300-square-foot underground cabin completely devoid of light, sound, or electronics.Technique: Practitioners sit in silence on a meditation mat, dealing with their internal thoughts without outside stimulation.Purpose: The sensory deprivation is intended to stimulate the production of DMT (a naturally occurring hallucinogen) to reach moments of profound self-realization and presence. <\/p>\n 2. In-Game Mindfulness and Breathing<\/p>\n Rodgers applies meditation directly to his performance on the field.<\/p>\n Pre-Field Breathing: He uses specific breathing techniques before taking the field to regulate his nervous system.Performance Focus: Broadcasters have noted him working through calm breathing cycles during games to remain non-reactionary under pressure. <\/p>\n 3. Habit Tracking and Daily Practice<\/p>\n To maintain consistency, Rodgers uses a formal habit tracking technique.<\/p>\n Accountability: He tracks approximately 35 daily activities, including daily meditation sessions, to ensure his actions align with his goals.Morning Routine: He frequently pairs morning meditation with yoga stretches to \u201cheadspace\u201d himself for the day. <\/p>\n 4. Plant Medicine Ceremonies (Ayahuasca)<\/p>\n Rodgers describes Ayahuasca not as a drug but as \u201capplied and planned medicine\u201d that involves guided meditation.<\/p>\n Setting: These occur in intentional, ceremonial environments (often in South America) facilitated by shamans.Technique: The practice requires total surrender to the experience, often while lying on a mat in a dimly lit space, listening to sacred songs (icaros).Goal: He credits these ceremonies with helping him overcome a fear of death and increasing his capacity for self-love. <\/p>\n 5. Ayurvedic Cleansing (Panchakarma)<\/p>\n He has participated in a 12-day Panchakarma cleanse, an Ayurvedic practice from India.<\/p>\n Integration: This technique focuses on balancing mental and physical energies through a strict diet and silent reflection.Outcome: Rodgers reported a heightened sense of gratitude and reduced stress following the cleanse. <\/p>\n I think #1, 4, & 5 would be very useful for JJ<\/p>\n Minnesota Vikings News and Links<\/p>\n NFL Insider Says All Top Available QBs Want to Go to Minnesota<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMy sense right now, from asking around, is all the top quarterbacks that will be, or could be, available, Kyler Murray, Geno Smith, this is the place they want to go. It is Minnesota,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Jeremy Fowler said Friday on NFL Live. How Realistic is Kyler Murray as a Vikings QB Target This Offseason?<\/a><\/p>\n If Murray ends up elsewhere, the Vikings might be a logical landing spot. They need a quarterback, and O\u2019Connell had a lot of success in 2024 with another former top draft pick in Sam Darnold. Murray is undersized, but he\u2019s undeniably talented. For his career, he\u2019s completed 67 percent of his passes for over 20,000 yards with 121 touchdowns, 60 interceptions, a 92.2 rating, and 6 yards per rush. Vikings Get Major Kyler Murray Update Amid QB Questions<\/a><\/p>\n Among those quarterbacks facing the possibility of a career move: Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals. SKOR North\u2019s Phil Mackey reported on February 12 that he\u2019s heard Murray \u201cwould be interested in playing for the Vikings,\u201d an invitation for Minnesota to pursue the former No. 1 overall pick \u2014 which involves a game of chicken with the Cardinals. Vikings, Chiefs, Raiders named possible landing spots for QB contemplating unretiring<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOne team that will definitely kick the tires on Derek Carr is the Minnesota Vikings. It has already been reported that the organization will be in search of a veteran QB to compete with and\/or mentor JJ McCarthy next season. Coach Kevin O\u2019Connell is one of the most respected in the game for his work with QBs. Playing for him and a chance to start would definitely appeal to the 34-year-old QB,\u201d he said of Carr to Minnesota.<\/p>\n \u201cCarr and the Raiders had an ugly breakup three years ago. It was a moment that the QB never wanted. However, the team is under new management and has Tom Brady as part of their ownership group,\u201d Burgos said of Las Vegas. \u201cThey are a lock to use the No. 1 pick in April on Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza. It would be in his best interest not to be rushed into a starting job. So it\u2019s not impossible that the team looked to mend fences and asked Carr to be a mentor to Mendoza. Returning to finish as a Raider on his terms would be a feel-good story.\u201d<\/p>\n Vikings, 10-Time Pro Bowl QB Share Mutual Interest in Teaming Up: Report<\/a><\/p>\n The organization faces a critical choice on how, and with whom, to move forward at the quarterback position alongside the obvious presence of third-year signal-caller JJ McCarthy in the position group and competing for the starting role throughout training camp.<\/p>\n Head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell has indicated that the team will acquire competition for McCarthy, and Darren Wolfson of KSTP reported on Thursday, February 12 that mutual interest remains between some of the franchise higher-ups and veteran QB Aaron Rodgers, whom the team courted for a time last summer before committing all-in to McCarthy in his first year as a starter.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t universal across the board at TCO Performance Center not to sign Aaron Rodgers,\u201d Wolfson said on the SKOR North podcast. \u201cAnd so, my sense is there\u2019s still at least some relatively loud voices in Eagan that would be open-minded, minimum, if not pounding the table, but certainly open-minded to that possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI still think in the end it\u2019s a long shot that he actually ends up here,\u201d Wolfson continued. \u201cNow, is there interest from his side, those close to him? Yeah, I think that remains. There would be all sorts of interest in coming here to Minnesota.\u201d<\/p>\n Vikings Legend John Randle Issues Blunt Warning to J.J. McCarthy<\/a><\/p>\n After struggling in the playoffs, though, Minnesota let Darnold leave and instead handed the starting quarterback job to McCarthy on a silver platter. In 2025, McCarthy ended up struggling with injuries again, but even when he was on the field, he looked awful, as he completed just 57.6% of his passes, while also throwing 12 interceptions and just 11 touchdowns.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I was the GM, I would definitely give him competition. I\u2019m bringing in competition for him,\u201d Randle said on \u201cPurple Daily.\u201d \u201cI would tell him, \u2018Last year, you had your chance. We gave it to you. But you didn\u2019t prove that you could really handle it, so we\u2019re gonna bring somebody in who\u2019s definitely gonna give you competition.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Lunchbreak: ESPN\u2019s Tiers of Offseason Overhauls; NFL.com Ranks Prospects by Positions<\/a><\/p>\n Jeremy Fowler of ESPN on Thursday placed Minnesota and the 17 other non-playoff teams into six categories that characterize the amount of work to be done by each this offseason, and he explained reasons why. The half-dozen tiers: \u201cNo need to panic\u201d; \u201cA few moves away\u201d; \u201cSneaky good trajectory\u201d; \u201cSomewhere between contention and reset\u201d; \u201cIn the middle of a rebuild\u201d; and \u201cFull-blown overhaul.\u201d<\/p>\n Three organizations \u2014 the Ravens, the Lions and the Chiefs \u2014 have the best outlooks and potential to rebound in 2026 based on Fowler\u2019s ranking system. The main commonality is a perennial Pro Bowl QB.<\/p>\n Minnesota finds itself in the second tier, which is both encouraging after a 9-8 finish and unsurprising after narrowly missing out on the conference\u2019s No. 1 overall seed in 2024 by losing at Detroit in Week 18.<\/p>\n Fowler offered a couple of takes on the Vikings, who 1) currently have negative 2026 cap space, and 2) could be awarded one or more compensatory picks in the NFL Draft. Firstly, Fowler explored why there is real hope for a quick turnaround; and then he outlined why the process might take longer than hoped.<\/p>\n Optimistically, he wrote<\/a>:<\/p>\n 2026 cap space: minus-$59.1 million The hope for a quick turnaround: Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s 43-27 record through four seasons suggests the Vikings will be in the thick of the NFC North race yet again. The defense is among the league\u2019s most physical and opportunistic. The offense is still full of playmakers, and the offensive line should be healthier.<\/p>\n Why it might take longer than hoped: The quarterback position remaining a huge question entering the fifth season of this regime is concerning. It looks like Minnesota will add a veteran to compete with J.J. McCarthy. Several benched starters have resurrected their careers recently — including Sam Darnold with this franchise — and Minnesota offers a stable environment. But this is the one area holding the team back from major progress. That and an offensive line that couldn\u2019t stay healthy.<\/p>\n
\u2026
Fowler noted the presence of star receiver Justin Jefferson and head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell as key contributing factors in why veterans want to come to Minnesota. That is not groundbreaking news, considering Jefferson, despite a down season in 2025, is still widely viewed as the best receiver in the league. O\u2019Connell has also helped produce some of the best performances of veterans\u2019 careers, including Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold.<\/p>\n
\u2026
The key question \u2014 and one that\u2019s difficult to know the answer to \u2014 is how interested O\u2019Connell would be in Murray as a quarterback in his specific offense. Can the 5\u201910\u201d Murray make the intermediate throws over the middle of the field that KOC loves to dial up? Can he stand in the pocket and deliver throws under pressure, or would he be too quick to bail on the pocket and look to scramble? Can he thrive in play-action concepts from under center?<\/p>\n
\u2026
However, the Cardinals are not cornered into shipping him off for a Day 3 pick. They could stomach taking on some of his salary to sweeten a deal for a second- or third-round pick \u2014 which would be a tough price for the Vikings to match due to their investment in McCarthy.<\/p>\n
Top free agent: Jalen Nailor
Projected 2026 draft picks: 10<\/p>\n