The Senior Bowl offered up a small fix for the football fan having NFL withdrawals. For me it was a difficult weekend - no NFL and my 8th day to quit smoking. After 33 years of smoking and 5 failed attempts to quit, I finally succeeded - thanks to the drug Chantix along with a nicotine patch.

Players I wish were Vikings....

Sedrick Ellis - The USC DT who will probably be a top-5 pick. He looked like a young Warren Sapp and was almost unblockable. Ellis was double-teamed on almost every play and still dominated.

Erik Ainge - QB from Tenesee. My friend Schuchie was right,  Ainge could be a good NFL QB. He has good footwork, good mechanics, a good pocket presence. He led the South offense over 90 yards for the winning TD.  He has good size, 6-4, appeared to have okay arm strength, but had good accuracy.

Lavelle Hawkins - WR from California. Some mock drafts show the Vikings taking his teammate, DeShawn Jackson, WR, with the 1st-round pick. Hawkins could be a good fit as a 2nd-or-3rd round pick. He's not a #1 receiver because he's rather short - about 5-10 and 180 lbs. However, he has good hands and a nose for the ball. He made a nice adjustment on a Chad Henne underthrown pass for a touchdown catch. My opinion is Hawkins would be a better #2 receiver than Bobby Wade (who I strongly dislike because he gets about zero yards after a catch).

That's it, the rest of the players at the Senior bowl looked like projects.  Chad Henne looked okay and it wouldn't upset me if the Vikings drafted him. He needs some work but he's already better than Holcomb and Bollinger. Of the QBs I saw play I'd rate them as:

1. Erik Ainge, Tennesee - already discussed, I really liked him. 1-2 years away from starting in the NFL. Reminded me a little of Vinny Testaverde.

2. Chad Henne, Michigan - tall, seems to have a good arm. Needs 2-3 years on an NFL bench.

3. Joe Flacco, Delaware - quite tall, 6-6 I believe. Big arm. Looks like a project - worked from a spread offense in college, took snaps from the shotgun. Looks uncomfortable up under center and clumsy in his footwork which fouls up his mechanics and causes a loss of accuracy. If he lands with the right NFL team with a good QB coach, this guy could be big star. However, if he ends up with the wrong team he could be out of the NFL altogether in 3-4 years.

4. Andre Woodsworth, Kentucky - good physical tools, more athletic than the other QBs. Like Flacco he is changing his footwork and mechanics to fit into the NFL style. He looks very awkward and self-conscious. He made about 3 throws right on the money and several others that you weren't sure who he was throwing at. Seemed to pause in his throwing motion like he was mentally checking out his posture and ball position. Big project that could pay off - worth a 4th round pick for some team with patience.

5, John David Booty, USC - not overly tall, not great arm strength. Good at rolling out, shows some elusiveness. Throws accurate mid-range passes but didn't see him throw deep. In my opinion, comparable to Bollinger - somewhat more athletic than Brooks. Probably a career backup in the NFL.

6. Colt Brennan, Hawaii - Lost a lot of money on Saturday. Probably went from a 1st-day pick to being lucky if he is drafted at all. He's short, weak-armed, and not very accurate. Benefitted in college from a run-and-shoot offense. Put up record-breaking passing numbers but his talent won't translate to the NFL, just as a million yards rushing in a wishbone-style running attack doesn't translate the same to the NFL.