The annual East West Shrine Game kicks off today at 1 p.m. PT on NFL Network. The original collegiate all-star game has taken a back seat over the years to the more popular Senior Bowl, which will be played next weekend. The Shrine Game now also shares the day, with the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl kicking off two hours later, at 3 p.m. PT on ESPN2.
This year's Shrine Game is being coached by Charlie Weis and June Jones. The game does not feature a lot of the huge names of the draft, but plenty of players are going to be on NFL rosters this fall. More than 70 players from last year's Shrine Game made final rosters out of training camp, and more than 90 were drafted or signed for training camp. From last year's game, the San Francisco 49ers signed quarterback Dylan Thompson as an undrafted free agent.
Earlier this week, Greg and Jake took a look at the offensive and defensive prospects in this game. On the offensive side of the ball, quarterbacks Vernon Adams and Nate Sudfeld will be worth watching. The 49ers will be adding a quarterback at some point this offseason, and maybe they go for a former Duck like Adams. On the defensive side of the ball, cornerbacks will be worth watching. D.J. White and Briean Boddy-Calhoun are two of the best in this game.
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl also kicks off today. It's the fifth year for the Collegiate Bowl, which provides a week of learning around past and present NFL players. Greg and Jake took a look at offensive and defensive prospects for this game as well. Wide receivers could be worth watching, with Jordan Williams-Lambert and Michael Thomas among the better options playing today. On the other side of the ball, linebackers will be worth a watch, with Jatavis Brown and Boomer Mays worth a watch. They are further down the radar than many of the linebackers that will be on draft boards, but there could be some steals from this game.
Enjoy the games!
How to watch the Shrine Game
When: 1 p.m. PT
Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.
TV: NFL Network
Online streams: East-West Shrine Game official site / NFL.com/watch
Radio: National radio listings
How to watch the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
Where: StubHub Center, Carson, Calif.
When: 1 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN2
Online: WatchESPN