Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed (20) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

At this point in the offseason, mock drafts are a ‘dime a dozen,” most of them changing week-to-week based off of small rumblings or, sometimes, out of sheer boredom. While mocks do tend to reflect a teams “likely” selection with that pick, they all have one fatal flaw; the inability to account for trades. Unless there is some definitive announcement about a trade, like the one between St. Louis and Washington in the 2012 draft, most mockers shy away from working trade scenarios into their selections. That makes sense, given that simply “guessing” who a team will pick is hard enough without attempting to prophesize which GM will shoot up the board to snag that one player that dropped from their projected spot. Naturally, with two picks in the 1st round, the St. Louis Rams are prime suspects to make a trade. Based off of Jeff Fisher and Les Snead’s first draft as heads of the organization, any trade scenario in St. Louis would likely mean moving down the draft order, snagging more pick in later rounds or, even, picks in the 2014 NFL Draft. So, who are the likely candidates for a trade…

1. Green Bay Packers (26th Overall)

Starting with the Packers at the 26th pick, the majority of teams left choosing in the 1st round are the ones who are a player or two away from playoff dominance. The Green Bay Packers, who lost in disappointing fashion to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season, are definitely one of those teams. Erase the failed game plan aimed at forcing Colin Kaepernick to win with his legs instead of his arm, and Green Bay had a significantly improved defense last season, even with the wave of injuries that plagued most of “star” starting cast. Casey Hayward likely should have received the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, and with Brad Jones, Clay Matthews, and B.J. Raji returning at “full strength” the defense should be fine, with some added depth.

However, the one position that has eluded the Packers for years has been running back. If Green Bay buys into the smokescreen of Eddie Lacy going in the 20-25 range, they could trade up to get the top projected running back in the draft. The Packers also might get antsy about snagging an offensive tackle to protect Aaron Rodgers’ blindside, after leading the league in allowed sacks last season. Someone like D.J. Fluker, who very well could be available in the 22nd spot, could be tempting enough to make the move up…

2. Minnesota Vikings (23rd or 25th Overall)

After trading Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks, Christian Ponder and the Vikings’ offense are nearly bare in the weapons department, outside of Adrian Peterson. If Tavon Austin were to fall to the 16th slot, Minnesota might be forced to make a deal to move up and grab the Harvin-esque player; albeit, one with a significantly smaller ego and no history of migraines. This is a fairly deep draft in terms of wide receivers, especially in terms of players graded in the late-1st/early-2nd round range. However, while Cordarrelle Patterson and Keenan Allen might be the best No. 1 wide out options, they might not fit into the offensive scheme in Minnesota, especially if their are any concerns about injury or about latency in development. It would be hard to imagine the Vikings giving up both 1st rounders to move up, but it would not be unprecedented to see them use the 23rd pick and their 2nd or 3rd rounder to go and get Tavon Austin, if available.

3. Baltimore Ravens (32nd Overall)

Looking back at the Ravens’ Super Bowl roster, the current team is a mere shell of  what it was just over two months ago. They will undoubtedly replace some of those holes through the draft and free agency, but no team can replace top-tier defensive players like Dannell Ellerbe, Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Paul Kruger overnight. The biggest hit of the offseason was clearly to the linebacking core, which has been the trademark position on the team since they drafted Ray Lewis after moving to Baltimore from Cleveland. The Ravens will have to find a replacement for some of that talent; enter the St. Louis Rams.

Every year, “red flags” force one or two Top-10 prospects to tumble down the 1st round before landing in the lap of a team in desire need of help at that position that is willing to take a chance. Last year, Janoris Jenkins was the prime example, dropping out of the 1st round completely until Jeff and Co. took a flyer on the young star. This year, there are a handful of players in that position, but none more so than Jarvis Jones (DE/OLB hybrid) and Alec Ogletree (ILB/OLB). Both are arguably the top prospect at their respective positions. However, Ogletree has seen his name fall out of the Top-10 and into the 20-32 range of the 1st round after he pre-cursored his NFL Combine debut with a DUI. Jones is much less likely to drop, but is in a similar situation to that of Robert Quinn (dropping out of the Top 5, down to the 14th spot in the 2011 NFL Draft) as a result of a medical “red flag.” After those players, assuming the other top prospects are selected when they are projected to go, the drop off in talent is fairly substantial. Players like Arthur Brown and Kevin Minter might be a reach, even at the bottom of the 1st round. If either Jones or Ogletree are available in the 22nd spot, it might send the Ravens scrambling up the board. However, moving up 10 or more spots in the draft would likely fetch a fairly sizable return, maybe as high as a 2nd rounder or a combination of multiple picks in the mid- to late-rounds of the draft.

Dec 2, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans tight end Jared Cook (89) catches a pass against Houston Texans safety Danieal Manning (38) during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-US Presswire

If you had a craving for some NFL news, yesterday was surely a full helping of non-stop free agent action. While there are still several big name players yet to strike a deal, the big chuck of the “Tier A” guys had their names called out yesterday during the madness. The chaos will likely continue throughout today as well, with players flying into their perspective future cities for physicals and interviews with coaching staffs and front office personnel. While we have yet to get the details of any of those deal, there is plenty to talk about from yesterday alone. So, who were the “winners” and “losers” on opening day?

Cleveland Browns: Winner

Landing a player like Paul Kruger at a reasonable 5-year/$40M tag would be more than enough to send Cleveland into the win column, but they made much more of a splash than that on opening day. They swooped up Desmond Bryant and, according to Adam Schefter, signed Quentin Groves early this morning. The linebacking core was the top issue that needed to be addressed in The Land, and they have done more than enough to fill that quota. Their free agency opening day might get even sweeter if the reports are true from Jason LaCanfora.

Browns could still make more deals today. Have some interest in Redskins TE Fred Davis

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 13, 2013

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens fans celebrate after a victory against the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Ravens: Loser

Talk about turning over a roster, the Baltimore Ravens are, at least currently, a shell of the team we saw win the Super Bowl a little over a month ago. With Ray Lewis (retiring), Paul Kruger (to division rival, Browns), and Dannell Ellerbe (to Dolphins) all moving on to greener pastures, the position that has been a strength for the last decade is now riddled with holes. To add insult to injury, there are talks that the San Francisco 49ers are courting Ed Reed, after swiping Anquan Boldin for a 6th rounder and $10 gift card to Walmart. Free agency is still very young and the Draft is only a month away, but as of right now, the Ravens look to have gone from first to worst in the AFC North (unless Joe Flacco can play linebacker)…

… Oh yea, and…

Ravens release Bernard Pollardbit.ly/ZIcMRI#NFL #Ravens

— The Redzone (@TheRedzoneorg) March 13, 2013

Bradley Fletcher: Winner

Fletcher will be sorely missed in St. Louis, but had be moved into a smaller and smaller role in the defense with the emergence of Trumaine Johnson. The trouble with a new coaching staff is that they tend to like “their guys” to be on the roster, and Fletcher was merely the draftee of an era in St. Louis that is long, long past. However, with the release of Nnamdi Asomugha, Fletcher will likely be handed the reins to the starting slot in Philadelphia, and with good reason. Fletcher, when healthy, is a stud at cornerback and hopefully has a long, bright future in the league. There are very few win-win situations in NFL free agency, but this is definitely one of those rare cases. Cheers!

Tennessee Titans: Winner

For St. Louis Rams’ fans, the Titans should get the “winner” designation for simply not giving the franchise tag to Jared Cook. However, Fisher’s old stomping ground did very well for themselves yesterday, landing the top interior lineman and the top blocking/utility tight end in the class. While, Andy Levitre would have looked very nice with Blue and Gold horns, his 5-year, $39M contract is likely more than the St. Louis Rams would have been willing to pay to “sure up” the interior of the offensive line. However, Delanie Walker is a huge steal from the San Francisco 49ers, and will fit much nicer in the Titans’ new offensive scheme than Jared Cook had over the past couple of seasons. Assuming the Titans can snag some help at wide receiver in the next couple of months, they will have quietly had one of the better offseasons in the league.

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Mike Wallace (17) runs after a catch against Dallas Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins (21) at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Dolphins: Loser

The Miami Dolphins have clearly taken a page from the “2011 Philadelphia Eagles: Offseason Game Plan,” throwing HUGE money and anyone and anything at a position of need. While the fans in Miami are likely celebrating the bold offseason moves, the ‘Fins are taking an approach that has had limited success in recent years. The oft-troubled Mike Wallace landed a $60M contract, coming off season with where he posted 3-year lows in yards, yards per catch average, and receptions for first downs, despite being targeted a career-high 119 times in Pittsburgh. The Dolphins did make a good pickups in Dannell Ellerbe (5-year/$35M) and Philip Wheeler (5-year/$26m), but did so at the compromise of essentially releasing their entire linebacking core from ’12. They also will likely be losing their starting left tackle, Jake Long, and starting running back, Reggie Bush, as well as having already lost their top scorer from 2012 in their tight end, Anthony Fasano, to the Kansas City Chiefs. They also lost the battle for Jared Cook, and are now courting Dustin Keller from New York, as reported this morning by Adam Schefter. Half of the battle in free agency is maintaining essential pieces that are already on your roster, and Miami, if nothing else, is surely losing in that area…

Atlanta Falcons: Winner

On the opposite end of that spectrum, the Atlanta Falcons definitely chose the “home grown” approach, re-signing Brent Grimes and Sam Baker, and getting lucky with the return of Tony Gonzalez to the roster. While, they have yet to make a huge splash in free agency, the Falcons are sitting pretty under the cap, and have all of the “essential” position on the roster from last season locked up. If the Falcons can land Steven Jackson and a perennial defensive lineman, Atlanta will have to be in contention for the “Best Offseason” award, barring the results of the NFL Draft. Again, re-signing your own free agents is never a flashy move, but it is one that the year-to-year, dominate teams have mastered. Consistency in the NFL is everything, and the Falcons definitely started off free agency on the right note.

Yet to be decided…

Minnesota Vikings: Losing Percy Harvin will be big, but snagging a 1st rounder in 2013 and a 3rd in 2014 is pretty good compensation to send off a player that has been a thorn in the organization’s side since he was drafted. The Vikings were able to maintain Jerome Felton and Phil Loadholt, which should be welcome news to Adrian Peterson, and got Erin Henderson signed on for another two years. However, they were forced to release Antoine Winfield, and have yet to make any moves to help Christian Ponder and their non-existent passing game. Minnesota might be looking at the 2013 NFL Draft for the answer, but for now, it is hard to say they aren’t leaning towards the “loss” column.

St. Louis Rams: Jermelle Cudjo and William Hayes will be two of the more underrated re-signings in the league, both being an integral part of the defensive line rotation that led the NFL in sacks last season. St. Louis made much bigger news by winning the battle for Jared Cook, who will (hopefully) reach his potential paired next to Lance Kendricks in the Rams’ offense. The Rams will also have both Jake Long and Louis Delmas in town today to discuss a deal, although nothing has been announced at this point. Even with the signing of , essentially, three new starters to the team, it is still yet to be known how the team will handle the likely loss of Steven Jackson and Danny Amendola. Despite hopes that the answers are already on the roster, there is no tangible evidence that Richardson, Pead, or Quick will progress quickly enough to compensate for that drop-off in production in the 2013 season. Again, the offseason is young, and with three picks in the Top 46 in the 2013 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams could come out with a substantially younger and more talented roster. However, at this point, the jury is still out, with unarguable holes at outside linebacker, safety, and wide receiver.

New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers: Did they oversleep the 4:00 pm alarm yesterday? Both of these teams’ offseason success will hinge on the signing and/or re-signing of a handful of cornerstone players.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree (rear) is unable to catch a pass on fourth down against Baltimore Ravens free safety Ed Reed (20) in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Last night, the light were shut off on the 2012-2013 NFL season, both literally and metaphorically. After the power surge, the Super Bowl turned into a pretty decent contest that left plenty to talk about this week. So without wasting anymore time in this introduction, here are Ramblin’ Fans’ quick thoughts on last night’s championship game:

1. The Italian looking man doing the signing/interpretive dancing during the “Star Spangled Banner” was quite possibly the best part of the Super Bowl, at least for me. He should be at every game, like a “Where’s Waldo” of prime time.

2. The first half of the game was, quite simply, a stunning showcase of Joe Flacco’s arm talent and the potential dominance of the Balitmore Ravens’ offense. There was no answer for the Boldin-Flacco connection on the outside, and Joe was moving around the pocket and avoiding tackles like he was… well, a 2012 rookie quarterback. The play in the second quarter when he broke to the outside and threw a rope to Boldin right on the out of bounds line had to be the most impressive play of the game. Accuracy is important, but arm strength was the victor in this game.

3. With that being said, Jacoby Jones, who was a free agent out of Houston a couple of seasons ago, was easily the MVP through the first 32 minutes of the game. His double move on Culliver on his only reception of the game was exceptional, only to be topped by the moves he made after getting back up after the catch. Many, myself included, thought that would be nail in the coffin, having put the Ravens up 21-6. However, as if that play wasn’t enough, he runs back the second half opening kickoff for a touchdown! The play should have stopped the show, and did, in way, with the lights cutting off right after…

4. The light fiasco was entertaining for all of 10 minutes before boredom started to set in, having to listen to the constant update that it would be “15 minutes” until the lights were back up. I genuinely believe that the Baltimore Ravens would have had a viable case against the league had the San Francisco 49ers been able to pull off the comeback. The extended delay obviously benefited the much younger 49ers squad, and seemingly lulled the Ravens defense into near submission. The Super Bowl, unlike any other game of the year, should be a battle of talent on the two opposing teams.; no external factors should have any influence, whatsoever, on the game. That is why the game is played at a neutral site… and why the league should have never OKed the outdoor game next season.

5. Luckily, the Super Bowl will not be remembered for the lights randomly shutting off during the game, and will instead be remembered as the end of a legacy, and the potential start of another. The term “elite” is widely overused, with no clear semblance to the characteristics that define it. However, a player that manages 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns, and no interceptions during the ultimate four-game stretch in American sports has to fit that bill.  I am not, nor will I ever be a fan of Joe Flacco, but no one can deny that he has something special with this Baltimore team.  I don’t know what “elite” means, but his performance certainly seem to fall in that category.

6. Michael Crabtree looked like a Top 5 receiver in this game, breaking tackles, making tough catches across the middle, and gaining significant yards after nearly every reception. It says something about a player when the game is on the line and the coach calls in a play where you, and only you, are responsible for making the play. Jerry Rice should be proud!

7. Randy Moss…

8. If I took a shot every time Phil Simms uttered the phrase “aside from that one interception” (in reference to Kaepernick’s performance), I would have been blacked out before the halftime show. I have never heard the announcer so animate about convincing the viewers that a player is a top talent in my life. Kaepernick definitely turned on the burners late, playing spectacular football once the lights came back on in the dome. However, the early interception and his seemingly confused dive in the first half that led to a field goal, and the miscommunication in the second half that led to a wasted time-out may have been the deciding factors in the game yesterday. The kid is essentially a rookie, so maybe those will get ironed out as he progresses in the league. However, he was is a big reason that the 49ers’ offense was so stagnate for a majority of the game yesterday.

9. At the end of the day, the better team won the football game. People will complain about the “missed” holding call at the end of the regulation, or about any number of other calls that were not in favor of the particular team they were rooting for to win. For what it is worth, the officials made a solid “no-call” at the end of the game. Michael Crabtree, as much as he was being held, also had his hands all over the defender throughout the entirety of the play. Crabtree initiate contact off the line of scrimmage and full extended his right arm against Justin Smith at the end of the play. If San Francisco wants to be upset about that call, then Baltimore could be equally upset about the hold on Torrey Smith by Chris Culliver earlier in the game that wiped away a likely touchdown grab. In fact, for as much as Culliver seemingly dislikes the ideas of touching other guys, he sure was grabbing onto Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith for most of the night! Zing…

10. If you did not tear up during that Budweiser commercial with the Clydesdale, you are not a human being! Don’t know which one I am talking about? Shame on you…