A week from this evening, the NFL will kick off its biggest offseason event, the NFL draft. Andrew Luck will be the first player taken in the draft, and he'll be headed off to Indianapolis to immediately begin trying to rebuild that franchise after we watched the Colts implode in 2011. Robert Griffin III will almost certainly be taken 2nd overall by the Washington Redskins.

This has been a busy week in preparation for the draft. It was reported that the NFL Network and ESPN would be cutting down on tip-off camera views of prospects being called by the team that was picking them. The idea is to increase the excitement of the draft, and frankly, I like it.

It was revealed earlier today that the Colts would indeed draft Andrew Luck with the first overall pick. Are we surprised? No, not really, but it's still good information to have.

The draft is the busiest time of the season for many people within each teams' respective personnel departments. General managers are scrambling to gain as much information about prospects as possible before the big day, and all that tension is often narrowed down to the first night of the draft.

The draft has become a TV spectacle -- well, the first day has anyway. I can only speak for myself, but I'm ready for it. The draft marks the beginning of the sporting summer. Teams can rise from their own ashes or perpetually flounder in an ill-fated effort to break a cycle of past failures. There's one time of the year that football fans are universally optimistic, save for the Jeff Ireland haters in Miami. We're all ready to go, and we only have one week left to wait. The question is, are you ready?

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10. Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills, week 2

Both of these teams might be good in 2012, but the past decade has trained me to know better. As with many of the teams on this list, I just don't find these teams fun to watch. The Bills don't have a defense to speak of, and this game is likely to go largely under the radar.

9. Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills, week 15

Don't worry Buffalo fans, I don't hate your team. This is the last time the Bills appear on this list, and this game is at number 9 because I think this game has at least some potential. The Seahawks will need to find a quarterback if they hope to be able to win more than a handful of games in 2012.

8. Green Bay Packers at Indianapolis Colts, week 5

The Colts are on this list a lot, but their games aren't rated at higher on this list (or lower on the list depending on how you look at it) because Andrew Luck will provide a relatively compelling story line. This particular game is on the list because it's likely to be a complete blow out. The Colts don't have a defense, and the Packers have one of the best offenses in the league. In other words, it'll be nap time by halftime, and the Packers' 3rd strings will be in by the middle of the third quarter.

7. Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts, week 2

This Vikings, Colts matchup features a pair of young, unproven quarterbacks. The game will be Andrew Luck's second start in the NFL, and it'll probably be about this time that Andrew Luck realizes he's not playing against the Pac 12 any more. Look for the shine to come off of Andrew Luck and the Colts in a hurry, although this is one of the games they may actually win.

6. Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts, week 12

This is one of the Chiefs few "should win" games. The Colts will be one of the more boring teams by this point in the season, and the Andrew Luck euphoria should have worn off just in time to give us a snooze-fest of a game in this week 12 game.

5. Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Rams, week 7

Another Packers game. Another blow out. The Rams really don't have much chance in this one, and it's yet another easy matchup for the Packers.

4. Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks, week 9

It's hard to imagine many games I want to see less than the Vikings and the Seahawks in the same stadium. The Vikings get to visit the west coast, which is lucky because they may have to get used to the Pacific timezone.

3. Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Rams, week 15

The best thing about this game is that it should be very close. Neither of these teams can score points, and their defenses are both poor. I'll make this my first prediction of 2012. The Vikings will win off of a sack, fumble, return touchdown just because Jared Allen is a great pass rusher.

2. St. Louis Rams at Miami Dolphins, week 6

Jeff Ireland has the hottest seat in the NFL, and I'm not sure he can survive the season if the Dolphins tank early. Should the Rams pull this one out, Ireland may be looking for a new job on Monday.

1. Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, et al.

The Browns are a horrifying team to watch, especially when they're on offense. I listed the Ravens, Steelers, et al. because so long as the Browns' opponent has a defense, the Browns don't have a shot. Basically, you get to see the Browns go three and out all season long.

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Every year in the NFL, someone sneaks through the cracks on draft day and a superstar emerges. So while all the hype leading up to draft day centers around Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and the lot (and rightfully so) it would be unwise to ignore those whose names are not called.

Through the years, names like Kurt Warner, Warren Moon and this year's Hall-of-Fame entry, John Randle, were all undrafted free agents out of college.

A handful of the names on this list will someday join them.

With the 2012 NFL Draft looming -- how strange it is that players can still slip through the cracks of the draft during this era.

I mean, when you look over the history of the NFL, there are a lot of great undrafted players like Kurt Warner, Marion Motley, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Willie Wood, Willie Brown, Lou Groza, Emmitt Thomas and some more recent guys like Jeff Garcia, Rod Smith and Adam Vinatieri.

With modern scouting, it just seems like it would be harder to miss guys, but it happens. So with that in mind, and in honor of Welker's visit, here is the list of the best undrafted players currently in the NFL.

By no means is this list complete but here are ten of the best playing in the league today.

Victor Cruz, WR, New York Giants

College: Massachusetts, 2010

2011 Stats: 82 catches, 1,536 yards, 9 TD

"Victory" Cruz went from preseason standout in 2010 to bona fide star in 2011. Cruz was a major player during the Giants' Super Bowl run, including 10 receptions for 142 yards in the NFC Championship Game and a touchdown catch in the Super Bowl. In 2012, he's going to need to prove that last year was no fluke.

Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers

College: Kent State, 2003

2011 Stats: 64 catches, 778 yards, 7 TD

The Chargers tight end has been slowed with injuries over the past two seasons, but he's still one of the most dangerous receiving tight ends in the NFL. Oh, and you might not know this, but Gates actually played basketball in college. And yes, I'm being sarcastic because you can't listen to a Chargers game without hearing it. It's the modern-day version of Ron Brown, who was an Olympic sprinter.

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans

College: Tennessee, 2009

2011 Stats: 278 carries, 1,224 yards, 10 TD

Foster has put up back-to-back impressive performances after emerging from out of nowhere to take control of the Texans' top spot at running back. (Remember, everybody was raving about Ben Tate a few years back.) In these days of running back-by-committee situations, Foster is one of the rare featured backs, and he helped carry Houston to its first AFC South title.

The NFL schedule was released a day ago, and we've had time to look it over and compile a list of the juiciest games of 2012. You may not agree with all of the games on this list, but we assure you that most of these games will be absolutely amazing contests.

10. New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars, week 14

Some may say that this game won't gave any postseason relevance, and even more will say this is likely to just be a crappy game. Well I say to that, who cares? Tebowmania will be in full swing in Jacksonville late in the season, and dare we ask what if this is to determine a potential wildcard tiebreaker?

9. Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions, week 11 and Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers, week 14

The Lions are back, and they'll be shooting for more than just a postseason appearance. They want the divisional title, but they'll have to go through the Green Bay Packers to get it. This game isn't for defense loving junkies like me, but I still see entertainment value in a high octane affair that could see both teams scoring 40+ points.

8. Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers, week 2

Do you remember the shove? Do you remember the look of disgust on Jim Schwartz's face after being pushed? Yeah, there will be some bitter feelings on the Lions' sideline whether they admit it or not. These two rising teams are polar opposites, and the added story lines make for some great TV.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos, week 1

Peyton Manning's regular season debut comes against the team that Tim Tebow bounced from the playoffs early in 2012. The Steelers will be a formidable team for Manning to play, but the Broncos look to have one of the best all around teams in the league. This is my pick for the best season opener in recent memory.

6. Denver Broncos at New England Patriots, week 5

The Patriots are the AFC favorite year in and year out. Peyton Manning's Colts were always the counterbalance to the New England Patriots, and now the Broncos look to take up that position. The Manning vs. Brady rivalry is renewed, and we can't wait.

With the release of the 2012 NFL schedule, it is quite likely, if not probable, that you missed the far bigger NFL news that also broke yesterday. The 2012 edition of the Vikings' stadium legislation is dead, and with that death came a hard-line stance from the Vikings that may effect the NFL for years to come.

“There is no next year,” Vikings V.P. of public affairs Lester Bagley said to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Earlier in the day, Minnesota Governor Mark Daytona indicated that he expected the Vikings to stick around for one more legislative cycle in 2013 in hopes of securing a new stadium, but Bagley's comments indicate that the Vikings have no such plans.

While there is no immediate action expected from the Vikings, it does seem likely that they will begin looking for a new home at some point this season. They have until February 15th of next year to notify the NFL of their intent to relocate, giving them less than 12 months to find a suitable home, if only for a short while.

The obvious expectation, of course, is that any team relocating would eventually find themselves playing in a brand new stadium in Los Angeles, but the short-term solution for a relocating team remains unclear, especially if that relocation happens suddenly as was the case with the Colts in the 80s. Still, there is hope that Minnesota can get their ducks in a row and make a legitimate offer to the Vikings, but for the first time, there seems to be a definitive time limit on when that offer can come.

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According to ESPN, Saints head coach Sean Payton won't be allowed to have any contact with the NFL or the Saints during his suspension. If any such contact does occur, he's required to report it to the NFL.

The rules of the suspension now seem far stricter than they were originally considered when the suspension was announced. Back then, it was said that Payton could have contact with coaches within the Saints organization, but he couldn't "coach from home." It seems as if the NFL has reconsidered that broad interpretation of his suspension, and reformed the interpretation to be very finite and rigid, and rightly so.

This is just another piece of bad news dealt to the Saints. The NFL and the NFLPA are in the middle of talks that will likely culminate in the suspension of a handful of Saints defensive players. There are rumors that those punishments could be very severe. Mike Freeman wrote a piece about the NFLPA's support of the accused Saints players that is an absolute must-read, and it's a short piece that gets straight to the point.

It would seem that by the time it's all said and done, the Saints will have lost multiple coaches, a GM, and multiple players for varying spans of time. It's amazing to me how strong the NFL has been in this situation. I find it hard to believe the NFL's message hasn't been received by every team in the league and every player loud and clear. The long-term result of the NFL's harsh punishment of the Saints won't be known for some time, but it seems possible that this may be a rare issue that was completely and fully solved with one fell swoop from the NFL, and it may be Roger Goodell's lasting legacy.

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As many of us expected all along, the Denver Broncos have signed Brandon Stokley to a one-year deal according to the NFL Network's Jason La Canfora.

Brandon Stokley has reunited with Peyton Manning - Stokley has a 1yr deal with Denver

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) April 16, 2012

Stokley gave Manning a place to stay while he was visiting Denver before signing with the team, and Stokley will add a familiar face for Manning. Stokley played with Manning in Indianapolis from 2003 through 2006 before moving on to play with none other than the Denver Broncos for 3 seasons. In all reality, this deal just made too much sense for the Broncos to pass up.

Stokley is a savvy veteran that has made a living finding pockets in zones. He's not as quick as he once was, but he's as sure-handed as ever, and he should give the Broncos a very solid possession receiver to help Manning in difficult situations.

Since entering the league in 1999 with the Ravens, Stokley has played for 5 different teams accumulating 339 receptions for 4,680 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns. If you didn't think Stokley was still in the NFL, we don't blame you. Last year, he played in just two games for the Giants, catching just one pass for 7 yards. I'm sure Peyton Manning's glad to have him back in the fold, and I'm sure Brandon Stokley is ready to get back on the field and play some football.

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With the first day of the 2012 NFL draft just 10 days away, it's time to start thinking about your party ideas for the big day. Let's dive right in to some ideas that could make this the best draft ever.

Simple gatherings

These are always popular, and they're some of my favorite events to host and attend. All you have to do is call up a few of your closest NFL junkies and set a time and place to meet. Make sure you designate who's bringing what. Then, on draft day, you get to sit back and relax as you watch the biggest day of the NFL offseason unfold. Beware, the women in your lives won't be happy if you spring this type of thing on them right before you leave for the party so do your lovely lady a favor and give here fair warning, or better yet, just take her with you. The more the merrier!

Hit the sports bars

A nice alternative to trashing one of your unlucky friend's place is heading to a local sports bar to watch the big game. There's upsides and downsides to this alternative. On one hand, you're more likely to get high quality food instead of just party snacks, but you'll also have to pay for it with your hard earned cash. Drinks will come at a premium as well so an all-out party atmosphere won't be feasible. You'll also have to consider that you won't be able to hear Mel Kiper talking about each pick as they come in, but then again, maybe that's more of an incentive than an opportunity cost.

Head for the nuclear bunker!

I recommend this third option to Vikings, Browns, and Rams fans (and until very recently Lions fans as well). Let's face it. These teams don't draft very well. If they did draft well, they wouldn't be in their current positions. Fans of these teams can watch the draft, but they should do so at their own peril. It's never fun to realize your team doesn't pick good players on a consistent basis, but that also means you don't have to wait long for your team's pick. Hey, someone has to pick at the top of the draft order, and it might as well be the same teams over and over; right?

You've got 10 days to work out your draft day plans. Get started now so you can enjoy the big day next week.

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In 2011, we witnessed one of the best teams over the past decade completely fall apart. The Indianapolis Colts went through the perfect storm of injuries and salary cap woes in route to the first pick of the 2012 NFL draft. The Colts have put themselves in an unique situation, and they're just beginning to dig their way out.

For years the Indianapolis Colts baffled me as they continued to win divisional titles despite what I thought was a growing concern over their salary situation. In short, they were paying players past their prime far too much money, yet for years, they didn't show any signs of slowing down.

That all changed in 2010. That year, the Colts experienced key injuries throughout the season, but once again they were able to overcome a huge amount of adversity to claim the divisional title in the closing weeks of the season, beating the Jacksonville Jaguars in winner-take-all week 15 matchup. For all intents-and-purposes, it appeared as if the Colts were back on track following an abnormal amount of injuries.

Then 2011 rolled around. Due in no small part to last year's lockout, we didn't learn of the extent of Peyton Manning's injury until just weeks before the beginning of the season. Many, myself included, thought Manning would be ready for the opening week of the season, but that date came and went without Manning trotting onto the field to take command of the Colts offense. Without him, the Colts were lost, and it showed on the field.

When it became apparent that Manning would not be playing at all in 2011, the Colts began planning of the future. Jim Caldwell's stoic personality didn't serve him well as public sentiment turned heavily against him in the latter half of the season. What could have been seen as calm diligence was seen by many as incompetency. Caldwell simply isn't a fiery guy, and Colts fans wanted to see some fire, any fire from a team that once won games with incredible ease.

The Colts' failure in 2011 can be attributed largely to their inability to plan for the unlikely scenario that Manning wouldn't be able to play. The Colts signed Kerry Collins prior to the beginning of the season, but he was quickly dispatched by opposing defenses. Curtis Painter followed with a level of incompetency rarely seen in the NFL. Ironically enough, Dan Orlovsky saved the Colts from a perfectly imperfect season by winning consecutive games against the Titans and the Texans in weeks 15 and 16. As you may recall, Orlovsky was the starter of the Lions' season finale in 2008 when they secured the NFL's first ever 0-16 record.

The Colts have a lot of work to do following their 2011 implosion. Andrew Luck is entering one of the worst situations in recent memory for a rookie quarterback, and he'll need to be physically and mentally tough to survive his first few years in the league. The Colts will be his team, but they have a ton of work to do before they're even competitive. It all starts this season, where the foundation of the Colts will be put in place.

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In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday, Warren Sapp broke his silence about his bankruptcy filing, trying to set the record straight.

"Do you think I wanted to declare bankruptcy? Do you think if there was any other way possible I would have done it? It was either this or go to jail. Those were my choices."

Sapp's money problems began in 2005 when a construction venture went bad, eventually resulting in 100% of his NFL Network wages being garnished. With no disposable income being generated by his work, Sapp was unable to pay his child support, making his $6.7 million bankruptcy filing his only way of avoiding jail.

Warren Sapp has always been a controversial figure, and I'm sure that some people are enjoying his misfortune, but knowing the facts of the situation makes the idea of Sapp declaring bankruptcy a lot easier to rationalize than it would have been had he not come forward to present his side of the story.

Sapp's situation isn't unlike many former and current pro athletes. There's a huge adjustment from not making any money in college to making millions of dollars immediately after signing with an NFL team. It's hard, if not impossible, to put ourselves in the shoes of pro athletes with more money than they could possibly need. People have an uncanny ability to use as much money as we make, and that holds true whether you make $15,000 a year or $5 million a year. If Warren Sapp is guilty of anything, it's managing his money poorly.

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