Mike Freeman's 10-Point Stance: NFL's Year of Hell Will Reverberate at Draft

1. Domestic abusers being taken off draft boards?

Former Michigan player Frank Clark will be one of the true test cases for this alleged new NFL. The reason? He's a talented player. He's also an alleged woman beater. 

The details of the case are ugly. Six teams I've spoken to said if this were, say, 2010, Clark would still be a third- or fourth-rounder. Now, in this new environment, those same teams told me Clark has been removed from their draft boards.

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Clark isn't alone. The teams I spoke to said there were some half-dozen players who in past years would've been drafted despite serious domestic violence accusations. This year, they likely won't be. At least, that's what they say. We'll see.

There was a time when an act of domestic violence would barely touch a player's draft status. It should have but didn't. Then came Ray Rice's disgraceful punch and everything changed. Supposedly it has, anyway.

In this post-Rice world, teams are talking the talk.

"I think we've all learned a lot about domestic violence issues over the past year," Ravens coach John Harbaugh told USA Today this week. "For me (before Rice), it was never too close to home. I was never affected by it personally. It was something that I read about. But this has been an eye-opener. This is a watershed moment."

We'll see.

In an email regarding teams being more cautious about players with domestic violence in their backgrounds, a high-ranking league official said this to me: "Teams have always evaluated character issues. Heightened awareness now? Sure." 

We'll see.

Teams will definitely at least try to change their habits of picking questionable players high in the draft. Maybe even drafting them, period. Maybe. There is a sea change happening in that the public is watching closely what teams do—as is the league office, which will continue to suspend (with pay) players accused of domestic violence.

Jason DeCrow/Associated Press

The fact that a team that drafts a domestic abuser will face public criticism, and the player might not even be available to be on the field, will have to factor into draft decisions now. 

I believe the efforts of the league office are sincere.

The teams themselves? Maybe they really won't draft Clark. Maybe they will truly stay away from domestic abusers, even if those abusers are talented.

Or maybe there will still be teams so desperate to win that they'll ignore the changing times. 

We'll see.

2. Baldwin apologizes

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

It's about time he apologized for simulating pooping during the Super Bowl. It was a bit of a classless act. It made no sense. He said in the same radio interview it was directed at Darrelle Revis. But why? Revis never said a word to or about Baldwin. I get that this is part of the Baldwin psyche—Baldwin against the world—but that was slightly ridiculous. But it's also typical Baldwin.

3. Marshawn Lynch is "50-50" to return

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

A Seahawks player tells me he thinks it's "50-50" for Lynch to retire.

"Marshawn is a different kind of guy," the player explained. "He could retire tomorrow, walk away and not think twice about it."

I think Lynch returns because he can still make a great deal of cash. Lynch is different, but he's not that different.

4. Randall Cobb is worth the cash

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Yes, if Randall Cobb hits free agency, someone will pay him. They will. I know Aaron Rodgers turns good receivers into excellent ones, but Cobb would prosper almost anywhere. Except Cleveland. No one prospers in Cleveland. But everywhere else, Cobb would dominate. My guess is the Packers will find a way to keep him.

5. Please let this happen

Please, please, please, please, pretty please. PLEASE!

6. Disgraceful

Please allow a quick aside in the 10-Point Stance so I can vomit for a moment. If this is true, if it's actually real, it's an abomination. Sixth-graders? What could you possibly learn about a sixth-grader? And isn't scouting sixth-graders a tad bit, I don't know, exploitative?

Next up: a scouting report on how an embryo has a high motor.

7. Pull-ups

I might draft this guy just for this. And, oh yeah, the guy can also play. I had a scout tell me he believed Amari Cooper would end up being one of the top three players from the draft. I could see that, especially, if as projected by many, the Raiders take him. Put that kind of talent with a good quarterback and he'll do more than impressive pull-ups.

8. Wes Welker should retire, but he might not

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

There was a report last week that Wes Welker was considering retirement. It now appears that may not be the case, but I wish it were because I can tell you that people who know Welker hope he walks away from the sport. I had one person who knows Welker tell me specifically he wishes Welker would retire, fearing for the receiver because of the number of concussions he's suffered.

Welker had two concussions in a three-week period in 2013 and another in the 2014 preseason. Again, these are the concussions we know about. My experience in covering football is that players and teams, even in these times of heightened concussion awareness, still hide concussions.

9. Awesome Tynes

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

I love Lawrence Tynes. There, I said it.

He's a former kicker, and actually one of the most accomplished in recent NFL history. What I love about Tynes is that he's fearless on Twitter, especially when it comes to defending kickers. This makes me like him even more, because in my 25 years of covering the NFL, I've learned one of the great truisms in the sport is that kickers have maybe the second toughest job in football. The toughest is quarterback.

Everyone assumes they can do what kickers do, except almost no one can do what kickers do. It's an impossible job. They just make it look easy when, well, it's freaking impossible. Look at college kickers. They struggle with 30-yarders. NFL kickers routinely make 40-plus yard kicks, and we watch and then get a soda and some chips, like we just watched paint dry.

This Tynes tweet late Monday night defending kickers made me laugh and beam simultaneously.

Indeed.

10. Peyton Manning's return

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

He wants to come back and the Broncos want him, so it will likely happen. It's also true the Broncos won't find anyone better than Manning for next year unless they pull off a trade for someone like Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady. So in many ways, a Manning return makes total sense.

Yet the view around the league is that window has closed for the Broncos. The Super Bowl season when Seattle blasted the Broncos is the last time Manning will reach a Super Bowl. That's the view some in football have, and it's hard to argue. At times last season, Manning looked 80 years old. That likely will be the case again late next season. Unless Manning has a T.A.R.D.I.S.

So yes, absolutely, Manning should come back, and the Broncos should welcome him. Just don't expect a championship. 

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.