Killing Time: A Video (And Photo) Fix

• The Star Tribune has a video interview with Brad Childress, which would be nice on its own, but since it features a lot of footage from OTAs as well, it's definitely worth a look. If you need even more of a fix, Mr. Cheer or Die has a ton of photos from OTAs that might sate your craving for a little while (but in end, as we all know, a little bit is never enough to quell the addiction.)
  

• Football Outsiders has finally posted their breakdown of the NFC North after the draft. And one doesn't have to be statistically inclined to agree with their basic premise-the division has a lot of shaky quarterbacks and whichever team gets the most out of their shaky QB will likely win the division. Also, the Lions continue to be a messed up organization.

• The worst draft in Vikings' history? Well, it wasn't the 2005 draft, if you asked the "experts" prior to the 2005 season, as Pacifist Viking demonstrates. And if you're wondering why the Redskins were willing to trade for Erasmus James' three sacks and extra long injury report, it's because his former coach at Wisconsin is their new defensive line coach.
  

• Brett Farve was arrested yesterday (I suggest you click the link before you get too excited).

• Gonzo at Daily Norseman is killing time this offseason by projecting the Vikings' 53 man roster. So far, he's done a projection of the depth chart at Wide Receiver, Running Back and Quarterback.

• Finally, if you're looking to torture yourself, the NFL Network is happy to oblige. Me? I don't think I'll have enough time, since I'll be too busy seeing how many of my toenails I can rip off with my bare hands before I pass out.
  

Killing Time: CBA, OTA, and the Third Pick

It's been a long 2 weeks. Personal Computer problems combined with a lot of work have prevented me from posting, but rest assured, I haven't left yet (comforting, isn't it). A lot has gone on, so let's dive right in:

The End of the NFL?
The owners opted out of the CBA yesterday, for a variety of reasons that Pro Football Talk covered pretty well: the high cost of credit, a rookie pay scale and their inability to recoup bonuses when a player misbehaves. Now, they have until 2011 to reach a deal with the players union, so its not quite time to panic yet, but there are some warning signs on the horizon, including the players union's desire to get a greater percentage of revenue and the fact that the owners aren't afraid of using replacement players. The former is troubling because it shows a sticking point for negotiations, while the latter shows that the owners aren't willing to back down, which isn't a good sign when a compromise needs to be reached. There's a lot of time before this becomes an issue (heck, there's a lot of time before the uncapped year in 2010), but still, it's something to worry about, if you feel like worrying about something.

OTAs
Let's hope that John Sullivan (or Dan Mozes) is ready to start next season, because this is Matt Birk's last season in Purple. He wants an extension and he's willing to skip workouts for it. The Vikings don't want to give him a long term extension because he's getting old. Even a Packers fan could connect the dots and see that Birk is gone after this year. That's not true of Chester Taylor, however. The Vikings have him signed for another two years and would be stupid to trade him, even with the emergence of Adrian Peterson. Taylor's an every down back, something the Vikings need in case Peterson gets hurt again or continues to struggle like he did at the end of last season. And the return for a running back would not be high enough to justify relying on Maurice Hicks to step in and fill the position.

Wolves Get the #3 Pick
I'll admit- I actually watched the lottery last night (only the part where they were slotting the teams, not the boring banter and introductions part). It wasn't on purpose, but once I flipped to it, I stayed with it. And I just knew that the Wolves were going to end up with the third pick once they ended up against the Dwayne Wade and the city of Chicago's television market. Now, the third pick has yielded some great players, and that's not even counting Michael Jordan. Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams, Pau Gasol, Baron Davis and Kevin McHale were all chosen #3 overall. Of course, so were Darius Miles, Mike Dunleavy and Christian Laettner.

And, like pretty much every other Wolves' fan, I immediately thought of Laettner and the 1992 draft after the Wolves got the third pick. And I think there are comparisons to be drawn beyond the Wolves draft position, but the depth of the draft was different that year. Now, I wasn't exactly paying attention at the time, being a little young for that type of thing, but it seems that there were three players that were considered top flight talent in that draft (ie, possible #1 choices), in Alonzo Mourning, Shaq and Laettner. This year, there are only two players, Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose and no consensus on the #3 pick, as the TWolves Blog points out. Personally, I think Brook Lopez would be the best pick for the Wolves, since he would allow them to play Al Jefferson at his natural position. I don't know enough about Danilo Gallinari to have an opinion on him, but if he's the best player available, Corey Brewer and his 19% 3 point shooting shouldn't stop them from picking him. O.J. Mayo and Jared Bayless were both gunners in college and neither one is a true point guard, which means they're basically the same player as Randy Foye and Rashad McCants.

No matter who the Wolves end up taking, odds are they won't live up to their billing. Of the Wolves draft picks under Kevin McHale, only Wally Sczerbiak (1999 draft), Kevin Garnett (1995 draft) and Stephen Marbury (1996 draft) have made an All Star team. And quotes like this from McHale don't exactly inspire confidence:

"It's supposedly a two-man draft. I love being third. We have eight players that you look at in this draft and you really, really like. It gives us a lot of flexibility at that third spot."

So yes, I fully expect the Wolves to add another guard that's too short to play the two spot but can't play the point. Or maybe they'll trade away their choice for Josh Howard or something. I don't know how they'll do it, but they'll do it. Which is why it's probably for the best that they didn't get the first or second pick, because I couldn't have taken it if they'd messed that up somehow (and rest assured, they would have).

Searching For a Name: The Return of Tyler Thigpen

I'll be perfectly honest. I'm jealous of Pacifist Viking. It's not because of his writing, the fact that he's got help writing his blog or anything like that. It's solely because he came up with a great title for all of his link centered posts: "Blizzard". That's just genius. Genius. I've been trying to come up with something that good for a long time and have nothing.

Any suggestions for something equally catchy would be appreciated. While you're working on it, here are a few articles worth taking a look at:

Former Viking seventh round pick, Tyler Thigpen, might actually challenge for the Chiefs starting quarterback job. You may remember Thigpen as the player the Vikings tried and failed to slip through waivers onto the practice squad last year so they could keep Brooks Bollinger and Kelly Holcombe. Hopefully, if Thigpen does win the starting job, it's because the Chiefs are so awful they don't have a better option than a seventh round draft choice, otherwise we're going to have to add Holcombe over Thigpen to the list of really regrettable roster decisions by the Purple. Thankfully, it's highly unlikely he'll turn into a valuable player (more on that tomorrow and Friday).

The Vikings didn't make a first round pick this year, which means that they will likely avoid the problems that come with trying to sign their top draft pick. As Chris Cooley points out, rookies are vastly overpaid (consider that Jake Long was signed for a similar amount of guaranteed money as Jared Allen) and current players don't really like it. It's definitely been a problem for the Purple in the past (Bryant McKinnie sat out the first half of his rookie year), but a lot of that can likely be laid at the feet of Red McCombs. Whether or not the system is fixed, expect it to dominate the news as rookies sign and especially as they don't sign.

The Twins just missed being no hit by Gavin Floyd last night, avoiding it only because of a slicing double into the gap by Joe Mauer in the ninth inning. What makes the Twins' offensive performance even more embarrassing is that Floyd wasn't even pitching lights out--the Twins just made him look like he was by swinging at everything. Then again, I guess that's what can be expected from a team that has only four players better than league average at laying off pitches outside of the strike zone and feature the players who have swung at the third and fourth highest percentage of balls in the American League.

When I wasn't watching the bonus coverage of the Twins' game on ESPN (I don't know why they chose the Twins feed over the awful White Sox announcers, but after I realized they had, it was the happiest I've been with ESPN in a long time), I was watching Kevin Garnett actually outplay another NBA star in crunch time of a playoff game, the first time he's done so since he dominated the fourth quarter of Game 7 against the Kings. Watching his post game interview only reinforced my feelings of hatred for Kevin McHale--I'm still a KG fan, even if I want the Celtics to lose horribly. Can't say I'm particularly happy that he's finally starting to realize that he can and should take over in crunch time though.

Finally, if you can, sign up to donate Bone Marrow and help fight Leukemia. Do it for Kenechi.

Two Quick Thoughts

I'm working on something big (and, I expect, both redundant and slightly negative), so I'm not going to write too much today, but I did find two articles worth posting.

First, via Access Vikings, NFL.com has an article that talks about teams playing "Big" Nickel and how the Vikings gave themselves that option by drafting Tyrell Johnson. Basically, "Big" Nickel is a package where you use a third safety as the nickel back rather than a third corner and it's used for two reasons, the first, of course, being that your third safety is better in coverage than your third corner. It wouldn't surprise me if this was true for the Vikings next year, especially considering that Tyrell Johnson is fast for a safety and has great closing speed. It's also used against offenses that feature quality tight ends, as the bigger safety is usually able to handle tight ends better than the smaller corner. Even though the Vikings will have seven games against teams with tight ends that had over 500 yards receiving last year (GB, HOU, CHI, IND, NYG), I'm not sure that's as big a deal for the Purple, as Marcus McCauley is the same height and only a few pounds lighter than Tyrell Johnson.

Secondly, via Daily Norseman, the Chicago Tribune thinks that the Vikings signed the best class of rookie free agents. Don't underestimate the importance of rookie free agents either, as this article from last year's playoffs points out, they can turn into valuable contributers on playoff and Super Bowl winning teams.

Offseason Plans and Some Links

The big news this weekend was the cutting of Dallas Starz by the Vikings. He lasted almost two months with the Purple after failing to make the Redskins last year despite being their fifth round pick in the 2007 draft. Also, Rookie Camp started, and from all accouints, it's going well. And by that, I mean that the Vikings didn't have a high draft choice show up late on the first day because he overslept. It wasn't that big of a deal though, as his brother explained, "Knowing Frederick [Davis] the way I do, he was probably just out late and he overslept, he probably just didn't hear the alarm. And I know he wasn't feeling too good the other day".

Ok. Enough wannabe Mike Florio talk. It's May, which means, that barring something negative happening, there's not going to be a whole lot going on. This time last year, I took a sabbatical for the summer. I'm not going to do that again, but I'm not going to confine myself to just football talk. I love the NFL, but I love baseball and college basketball too, and if I tried to confine myself to just football in the offseason, I won't have anything to write about.

For example, I could talk about the Vikings' Rookie Camp, or I could talk about the first place Minnesota Twins. I'm going to go with the Twins, who, thanks to slow starts by the Indians and Tigers, were able to wrest first place away from the White Sox with a five game winning streak that included a two game sweep of the White Sox and a three game sweep of the Tigers. Now, I'd love to say the this is all about the Twins, but the reality is that the Tigers and Indians are better than their sub .500 records show, while the Twins are playing at about the level that their most optimistic fans thought they'd be able to pull off. Carlos Gomez isn't walking yet (but man, is he fast) and Delmon Young isn't hitting for power (but his walk rate is up), but despite that, the Twins have overcome the injury to their clean up hitter and are, well, second to last in the AL in runs. And now, Scott Baker, their best pitcher is likely going on the DL. I don't think a team that gives up as many outs as the Twins can compete unless all of their pitchers are pitching well. So far, they have, but there have been cracks in the bullpen and I don't trust Nick Blackburn and Livian Hernandez to continue to be successful with such low strikeout rates.

It's only been a month, but still-it's nice to see a team I didn't expect to be good until later in the season in first place. It probably won't last, but, like the Vikings last year, all I want out of the Twins is for them to be in contention, and so far, they're doing everything I could ask of them.

And now, some quick, football links worth taking a look at:

• The Pioneer Press Vikings' blog has a scouting report for all of the Vikings' rookie free agents.
• While the Vikings didn't have one of their draft classes make the list, the Pro Football Reference blog has an interesting take on the top draft classes of all time.
  
• Sports Illustrated is starting to hop on the Vikings bandwagon. Don Banks has the Vikings as a "riser" and Peter King has the Purple ranked #7 in his power rankings.
• The Vikings weren't the only team that had an awful 2005 draft. As Pro Football Talk explains, the 2005 first round was full of players that didn't turn out (just another reason why trading for Jared Allen is more likely to work out than keeping the picks or using them to move up in the draft)
  

Alternate History and Some Solid Links

So you know, while I didn't get a wide receiver profile up at all (sometimes...and I mean sometimes, work comes first), I will be posting a "Second Round Preview" this afternoon. I'm still working on it, but it's mostly written. Before I do that (and I'll hopefully be posting during the draft--that depends a lot on the girlfriend's plans for the weekend), I thought I'd put up some links to articles worth reading (mostly on the Jared Allen trade) and tell you who I'd have wanted the Vikings to draft if they still had the 17th pick. I think it's worth doing, mainly so that when my top choices go well before the 17th pick, I'll feel even better about the Vikings deal for Allen (if that's even possible).

The First Round Draft Board:
1. Derrick Harvey, DE-Florida
Harvey is the best defensive end available that might actually make it to the 17th pick. Absent Jared Allen, he would have been the clear choice for the Vikings, filling their most glaring need with a talented pass rusher.

2. Ryan Clady, OT-Boise State
Clady might be the best offensive tackle left on the board, now that Jake Long has been signed by the Dolphins. I don't think there's a chance he'll make it to the 17th pick, but if I was the Vikings, and he was there, he would have been an easy choice to fill in for Bryant McKinnie during his suspension and then hopefully replace Ryan Cook at right tackle.

3. Chris Williams, OT-Vanderbilt
Williams is going to be a very, very good left tackle, because he's quick, has long arms and very good technique. His weakness is his strength, which he should be able to improve upon once he gets into an NFL strength program, but that's not as big a deal at left tackle, where most of the players he'd be blocking rely on their speed, not their strength. If the Vikings had picked him, they could have shopped McKinnie and been perfectly comfortable.

4. Jeff Otah, OT-Pittsburgh
Otah is seen as having the highest upside of any tackle on the board. The problem, of course, is that he might not realize his potential. He'd be the riskiest pick of any of the tackles for the Vikings, who likely need someone to fill in for McKinnie this year, and who would, ideally, be able to overtake Ryan Cook for the right tackle position. Otah might end up being the best tackle this draft produces, but he also might not be ready to play this year, which is why he doesn't fit into the Vikings' plans as well.

5. Phillip Merling, DE-Clemson
If Merling wasn't coming off of sports hernia surgery, I'd likely have him higher up on my board. He was able to work out for teams before the draft, but I'm not sure I'd want to take the risk, especially because Merling seems to be more of an Udeze type, rather than someone who can consistently get to the quarterback.

6. Devin Thomas, WR-Michigan State
Thomas is the best wide receiver that might be available to the Vikings, and the only one I'd consider drafting in the first round, mainly because he also has the ability to return punts and kicks. He's raw, and there's questions as to whether his great junior year was a fluke, but he's got all the skills and athleticism a wide receiver needs, and can contribute right away as a punt and kick returner. That being said, wide receivers are a risky pick in the first round.

7. Mike Jenkins, CB-South Florida
You can put Leodis McKelvin, a corner back from Troy or Aqib Talib, a corner back from Kansas (if you don't mind the marijuana use) here as well if you'd like, depending on which one is available. All three seem like they will turn into quality corner backs in the NFL, but the Vikings would have needed a player at a different position more, and likely would have been able to pick up a tackle or defensive end with the seventeenth pick, although McKelvin might have been a sleeper choice if he fell to the Purple, because he is a solid punt returner.

Judging the Allen Deal:
Most people thought the deal was a good one, from the folks at Pacifist Viking, to Gonzo at the Daily Norseman. DC at Grant's Tomb was happy, as was the Vikes Geek and Kevin Seifert and Patrick Reusse from the Star Tribune were quite excited about Zygi Wilf shelling out the cash to bring in Allen. Don Banks from Sports Illustrated likes the deal, especially if, as he reports the Vikings don't have to worry about Allen getting suspended for a year if he doesn't get in trouble before September, although Peter King thinks that Allen would still face a suspension if he violates the NFL Player Conduct Policy. Pro Football Reference used their "approximate value method" to evaluate the deal and they found that Allen is likely to out perform any of the players picked with the choices the Purple gave up and will likely out perform all three of them combined.

Quick Draft Links:
Cold, Hard Football Facts had an article breaking down the success rate of various positions, and found some interesting things out, including the fact that defensive ends chosen in the first round from 1978 had the lowest percentage make the Pro Bowl of any position. They had the sixth best rate of starting for five years for the team that drafted them (a 60% rate). Yet another reason to like the Allen trade--the Vikings might have gotten a starter for five years at defensive end, but odds are they wouldn't have been able to get a Pro Bowler with their first round pick.

Brett Favre is going to be on the cover of Madden '09. Maybe this means he'll come back after Jared Allen hurts Aaron Rogers in the first game, only to get destroyed by the cover curse. Or maybe he'll fade away gracefully into retirement. The former is definitely more likely.

Kissing Suzy Kolber is going to be live blogging the draft, so if you're watching, have a laptop and need some entertainment, definitely go there (after checking to see if I've posted, of course...). Also, fellow Viking fan Big Daddy Drew made a case for watching the Draft that I agree with whole heartedly.

Links: New Schedule, Draft News and Gus Ferrotte

With the draft next Saturday, there's been a lot going on in the world of the NFL. The schedule was released on Tuesday to the kind of fanfare that was meant to remind you that the NFL is the undisputed king of sports. ESPN spent two hours breaking down the schedule, picking out games to watch, making predictions about teams strength of schedule and generally wasting everyone's time. I understand blogs about NFL teams and NFL focused sites writing about the schedule. But a two hour special on ESPN!? There wasn't a baseball game they could show? Or maybe some more draft speculation? What about the Strong Man Competition? Do they still have the rights to that? Seriously folks, trying to divine any meaning from the NFL schedule right now is pretty much a waste of time. I'm not the only one that feels that way either.

And now that I've trashed those who wrote about the schedule, if you want some thoughts on it, Gonzo broke it down at the Daily Norseman, wwtb? wrote about it at Pacifist Viking, and the writers at Access Vikings spilled some pixels analyzing it as well.

(And if you're wondering, I think the Vikings' schedule looks rough to start with, has some challenges in the middle and gets easy at the end. I fully expect them to be in the drivers seat for a playoff berth or division title coming down the stretch. And I fully expect them to blow it. They're finishing 1-2 or 0-3 if they have a shot at the playoffs. It's what the Vikings do.)

For those who prefer reading about something that is actually relevant sometime soon, there are a host of articles on the draft, and, of course, a ton of mock drafts.

Michael Lombardi, who is described in his bio at SI.com as a veteran of 22 years in NFL personnel offices, has an interesting article on how teams actually look to mock drafts for information. It's kind of crazy to think that without them, Jerry Rice may have spent his Hall of Fame career in a different uniform.

Pro Football Talk has an article about how teams are changing the tables they use to assign draft picks value due to the rising costs of top 5 draft picks. Those value tables are a large reason why there have been so few teams willing to trade up, as they assigned values to top picks that no team was willing to pay. I don't know whether the new tables will lead to more trades, but it certainly seems to make them more likely.

For those of you who would like to see the Vikings take a quarterback in the first three rounds, Football Outsiders has an interesting article on Chad Henne. Personnally, I don't think it would be a good idea to draft a quarterback that high, but as Gonzo wrote, it's probably a given that the Purple will draft a quarterback.

I probably shouldn't tell you this, since I've been relying on these videos for my own profiles, but if you're interested, SI.com has video of their top 200 draft prospects.

There's also been some new (negative) information that's come out recently about players the Vikings might be considering drafting in the first round. Malcolm Kelly ran an awful 4.63 forty at his workout, and then threw the Oklahoma staff under the bus, though he's going to have another work out. And Aqib Talib and Mario Manningham didn't help their draft prospects by admitting to smoking pot in college, which is why I didn't end up profiling either of them.

L.A. has a new stadium proposal. If L.A. builds a new stadium, it's not going to look good for the Vikings chances of staying in Minnesota, unless they get a new stadium build. That being said, Grant's Tomb thinks that the Purple aren't going anywhere. Which works for me.

Finally, the Vikings signed Gus Frerotte to be their back up quarterback. The ideal back up quarterback for a young starter, like Tarvaris Jackson, is a veteran that is content with the role, can mentor the young quarterbacks on the roster and can step in and provide decent play for a game or two. Frerotte's got the first two down, but his play on the field will likely be Bollinger/Holcombe bad. So, not the best signing, but since neither Sage Rosenfels or J.P. Lohsman are available, he was probably the best available option.

Vikings' Links on Opening Day

"There is no sports event like Opening Day of baseball, the sense of beating back the forces of darkness and the National Football League." -- George Vecsey

Unlike last summer, I don't plan on shutting down this blog during the dog days of summer between the NFL draft and the beginning of training camp. Instead, I'm going to allow myself a little more leeway in my topics and will have posts about baseball, the Twins and any other sports related topics that strikes my fancy. I won't ignore the Vikings, but they won't be my sole topic. That's one of the reasons why I don't have a draft preview up today. I'm still planning on writing something on wide receivers Limas Sweed, DeSean Jackson, Devin Thomas, as well as taking a look at some second and third round prospects (and I might preview a few of the first round corners if I have time), but I just couldn't bring myself to write about the draft during Opening Day.

For those of you who aren't excited about Opening Day (and I don't know what to think about you), you're in luck. There's still a lot of good NFL stuff out there to read.

• Football Outsiders has a piece on ESPN.com about the quarterbacks that took the most punishment last year. If you're looking for a reason for the Vikings to draft a lineman in the first round, this is the article for you. Only nine more quarterbacks got hit (and sacked) as often as Tarvaris Jackson was last year, and no NFL team allowed their quarterback to get hit as often as the Vikings did.
  

• There's a new Vikings blog, Viking Vision. As I always say, the more the merrier (the lack of quality Vikings' blogs back in the day was one of the main reasons I started the Ragnarok). It's definitely worth checking out, especially the VikesTube section, which has an archive of quite a few good Vikings videos.
  

• Cold Hard Football Facts has been profiling all 32 teams prior to the draft, and their Vikings' profile was put up earlier this month. I missed it when it was originally posted, but it's still worth a read, especially because they consider the Vikings to have 10-6 talent, even now (as do I). The Purple should be a playoff team this year or they should find a new coach, simple as that.

• Like Childress' first year, the Vikings are opening on the road on Monday Night Football. As someone who currently lives on the East Coast, I'm all for more nationally televised games, so this is good. And I remember the last time the Purple played the reigning division champion Packers on Monday Night Football. Who could forget Moss' 190 yard, 2 touchdown performance at Lambeau his rookie year?

• The Star Tribune has a good rundown on the Vikings' issues finding a quality backup for Tarvaris Jackson. If they can get Sage Rosenfels or J.P. Lohsman, I'd be happy, as either one could step in and perform well enough to give the Vikings a chance to win and both would be able to mentor Tarvaris without complaining about backing him up.

Finally, I'd just like to thank everyone who's stopped by this site in March. This month was only the second time I've ever had more than 3000 site visits (the other being this December) and I'm still stunned that many people would read my Vikings stuff, especially in March. And for those of you who do stop by, please don't hesitate to leave me feedback, positive or negative (constructive only, please). I write the site because I enjoy it, but I also do it because it makes me a better writer, so any feed back is appreciated.

A Few Links Before More Previews

I've been working on my previews of left tackles Ryan Clady from Boise St. and Jeff Otah from Pitt (they'll be going up Saturday and Sunday), but I thought I'd put up some links for anyone, who, like me, is watching the NCAA tournament and surfing the internet. And no, I'm not bitter about the fact that poor officiating and poor free throw shooting kept Georgetown (my alma mater) from cruising to an Elite Eight game against Kansas. It figures that the first time JT3 gets a national commercial, it's about Cinderellas (and the lack there of). It sucks rooting for teams that are known more for their losses than their victories (the Vikings, obviously, and Georgetown, known best for the NCAA Final losses in 1982, 1985 and now their loss to Davidson this year). At least I can console myself with the knowledge that the Hoyas are going to be good as long as JT3 is there.

Ok. Time to change the subject before I get too depressed. Let's talk football, where the pain from last season has subsided. Football Outsiders had two articles this week that Vikings' fans should be interested in. The first is on the NFC North's transactions so far this offseason, where they give the Bernard Berrian signing a positive review and discuss the issues created by Bryant McKinnie's legal issues (and all the other issues faced by the other NFC North teams). The second article, a feature piece on left tackle Chris Williams of Vanderbilt, is of interest because of those legal troubles (my take on Williams can be found here). It's also worth a read because of the position it takes on the (over) analysis of Williams and the other tackles likely to be drafted in the first round, including Ryan Clady and Jeff Otah.

Shifting the focus from the line to the quarterback position, it seems that Chris Simms is going to be available, whether through a trade or via free agency. I'm not sure that Simms is the answer to the Vikings' backup quarterback question though. He had one good year, in 2005, where he threw for 2035 yards in 11 games, completing 61% of his passes and throwing 10 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions, for an 81.4 QB rating. In the eight other games he's played in (5 in 2004, 3 in 2006), however, he's completed 55.8% of his passes, thrown only two touchdowns and been picked off ten times. He hasn't played since he suffered a spleen injury in the third game of 2006, either. The combination of uncertainty about his ability to rebound from his injury, his desire to start (I assume, seeing how young he is) and his inability to mentor Tarvaris (he only has three more starts than the Revolution) makes him a poor fit to be the backup. He's worth a shot if the Purple want to bring in a a real competitor for the starting spot, but if they are committed to Tarvaris as their starter, they should pass on him. It'd be nice if Sage Rosenfels was available, but it doesn't seem like he is.

Finally, if you're worried about the Vikings' long term future in Minnesota, you should have been happy to hear the news that the State Senate Tax Committee has authorized a study on how to replace the Metrodome. The $2 million price tag isn't coming out of the taxpayers pocket, but as Kevin Seifert explains at Access Vikings, it does mean that the Vikings are finally going to get the issue out of committee. As someone that works in politics, I can tell you that is a huge step. Committees are where controversial bills go to die and a new stadium for the Vikings is nothing if not controversial.

Friday's Offseason Links

I'll be continuing my look at possible solutions to the Vikings' problems on Monday with an in depth look at Donovan McNabb, the man many believe to be the Vikings' best option at quarterback, ahead of Derek Anderson, who I examined yesterday. I'll also being taking a look at the status of the Tarvaris Revolution and what that would entail for the Purple. I haven't ruled him out yet, and Gonzo at the Daily Norseman made an interesting comparison that helps to show why. Today, however, I figured I'd point yall toward some of the happenings around the internet.

• The Draft is coming. And the Bowls are almost over, which means that underclassmen have started to declare, a few of which may end up in Purple next year. So far, DeSean Jackson, a WR/KR from Cal, has declared, as have defensive ends Calais Campbell of Miami, Johnny Dingle of West Virginia and Derrick Harvey of Florida. E.J.'s little brother Erin, a linebacker who followed his brother to Maryland, has also declared.
  

• If you're looking for mock drafts, Chris Steuber has one at scout.com, and my personal favorite NFL draft site (because it's free!), nfldraftcountdown.com has one up as well. They have the Vikings taking DeSean Jackson and Derrick Harvey, respectively. The latter, however, hasn't been updated since December 20th, so it has the Vikings picking 19th, rather than 17th.
  

• The Vikings, according to Brad Childress, won't be building solely through the draft, however. Zygi Wilf has given him the greenlight to pursue free agents. He still considers the draft the primary way to build the team, a stance, I think, that is the correct one. Free Agency is too expensive, and there are too few quality free agents, for a team to rely on it to build their team. The primary talent should come through the draft, and free agency should be used to plug holes. Luckily for the Vikings, there are quite a few interesting free agents wide receivers and defensive ends this year, both of which I'll be looking at later on. (Quick Disclaimer on those last two links--they are not updated, which means that Randy Moss is not, I repeat, not, available via free agency).

• If you're something of a history buff, like myself, you'll really enjoy Mr. Cheer Or Die's look at a tremendous catch by the first Vikings' wide receiver to win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

• Finally, Leslie Frazier is interviewing for head coaching jobs. While I wish him the best, it'd be good if he stayed, and the Vikings defense had some continuity in its leadership. And, while this might sound wrong, I wonder how much his race, and the Rooney rule, has to do with teams interest? I would guess it played a major factor, mainly because the Vikings' defense really didn't improve from last year (in fact, the pass defense got worse). Of course, the whole point of the Rooney rule is to ensure that people like Frazier get a fair shake, so if that's the reason he gets to sit down and sell himself to Bill Parcells, that's fine by me.
  

Wednesday's Redskins Links

As a D.C. resident, I'm very familiar with the Redskins and the coverage of the Redskins. Quite simply-when the Washington Post wants to cover something, it is very, very good at covering it. And they really want to cover the Redskins. There's a lot of good stuff out on their website (along with the Washington Times and the various 'Skins related blogs) and so I thought I'd provide yall with some links. If you're asked for a login, you can always go to bugmenot.com, where they have quite a few you can use.

• Todd Collins had a hectic week prior to his first start since 1997. He obviously calmed down enough for the game, however, (perhaps by sniffing some balls?) as his play didn't submarine the Redskins. And while he got the victory, you'll have to pardon me if his 8 of 25 performance, in which he threw for only 166 yards, did not impress me. His blog, however, does.
  

• Collins isn't the only character on the Redskins, that's fo' sho. LaRon Landry goes on a "Suicide Mission" every game. Fred Smoot has an energy bar (which can be shared...heh...), and he's bracing for his return to Minnesota. And then, there's Clinton Portis.
  

• Michael Wilbon weighed on the game (What's the difference between the Post and Star Tribune? The Post trots out Thomas Boswell, Michael Wilbon and Mike Wise to write their columns. The Star Tribune has Jim Souhan).
  

• The Washington Times might not have the big names, but they do have Michael Rand (otherwise known as "Randball"), who wrote a piece that tries to explain the Purple Jesus to the unconverted out here in the Potomac Basin.
  

• Mike Sellers: Not as good as Tony Richardson and not happy about it.
  

• Redskins fans: Winners... Seriously--there are few fans as obnoxious as Redskins fans as a group (I know quite few nice ones, so if you're one of them and you're reading, this isn't about you). Obviously, Green Bay fans and Philly fans are more obnoxious, but I've never had as many people "accidentally" walk into my on purpose as I did walking out of FedEx Field in my Winfield Jersey after the season opening victory against the 'Skins last year.
  

Three Stars and Some Links

Ok, so I promised that I'd have these up Monday Afternoon, but, well, I'm still waiting on a new computer (my personal one is broken) and I got swamped at work. That doesn't mean there weren't stars of the game, though! Oh no, don't you worry. We're going to have a consensus MVP this year even if it kills us (and no, I don't think that crowning the Purple Jesus as MVP will kill us). So let's take a look at the three Vikings that turned in the best performances against the Niners. Without them, who knows if the Purple would have done something they'd never done in their 707 regular season game, by winning their third straight game by at least twenty points.

Third Star: Kevin Williams

Kevin Williams' impact on the game can be almost completely described by describing one play. Aside from his interception return for a touchdown, however, he only assisted on one tackle. Of course, Kevin Williams impacts the play even if he isn't making tackles or sacking the quarterback. And he really impacts the play when he makes the fourth interception of his career and returns it for a touchdown, the fourth of his career, effectively ending the game on the 49ers first real play from scrimmage.

2nd Star: Chester Taylor

On a day when Adrian Peterson was held to 2 yards and 14 carries, Taylor rushed for 101 yards, most of which came on an 83 yard touchdown run, the longest by any back so far this season. He has 716 yards so far on the season, and could join Peterson in the 1,000 yard club if he can average 95 yards a game over the final three games of the season. He's been averaging 70.8 yards per game since his return from injury, so it's not outside of the realm of possibility, especially if he breaks off a few more runs like his 84 yarder.

1st Star: Pat Williams

Did you know, that, after handing out 12 weeks worth of stars, Pat Williams has only managed to be recognized once? He was the 2nd Star against the Raiders, accumulating 9 tackles and helping hold Oakland's rushing attack to only 2.26 yards per carry on 27 carries. I can't help but think that I've somehow overlooked the man who might be the most important player on the Vikings' vaunted run defense. That's not an issue this week, however, as it's not possible to overlook someone who had five tackles, a sack (thankfully for Trent Dilfer's health, Big Pat got him with an arm tackle instead of using his full weight) and an interception. Sadly, he didn't get a chance to show off the open field skills he was bragging about to the announcers before the game.

Links

• Gonzo from the Daily Norseman is ecstatic about da Bears starting Kyle Orton. As am I. As am I. (Special thanks to Deadspin for all of the pictures).

• Grant's Tomb and Vikes Geek both tried to explain why the Vikings had so much trouble running against a pretty poor Niners run defense. Personally, I think it had a lot to do with the Niners blitzing a lot on first and second down, which would explain why Peterson and Taylor were tackled for losses seven different times, with Peterson going down behind the backfield six times. It seemed that every time Peterson was in during a running situation, the Niners brought the house. If there's one thing that Childress needs to spend the week on, it's figuring out how to adjust to that strategy, because it will almost certainly be emulated from here on out.
  

• Football Outsiders has the Vikings with a 65.9% chance of making the playoffs. Sports Club Stats has them with a 43% chance. Neither site has any of the teams trailing the Vikings in the Wild Card race with odds that high. In fact, only the Saints have a better than 1 in 5 chance, as Football Outsiders and Sports Club Stats have them at 23.3% and 20.1% respectively.
  

• A nice little satire piece: "Vikings fined for having Adrian Peterson wear Chester Taylor's uniform". It would have worked better if Taylor's 84 yard run on Sunday wasn't the longest in the NFL so far this year and his 95 yard run against Seattle wasn't the longest run last year.
  
  

Two Disturbing Articles and Who to Back

The Star Tribune ran two articles this morning, both of which left me disturbed, perturbed and generally feeling negative. The first, "Allison shows a big break can be just around the corner", is a nice feature on the Vikings' fifth round pick and newly named Special Teams Player of the Week. It's your normal, run of the mill feature on a player that just had a break out game, until, that is, Coach Childress gets quoted.

"Childress made no promises that Allison will be in uniform this Sunday in San Francisco, although it seems likely. "We just play the guys that you think are going to give you the best chance, and when you get that chance like he did [Sunday], you run with it and he did," said Childress, who also mentioned Allison has the "aptitude" to return punts."

I'm probably reading too much into this, but honestly, why wouldn't Childress make Allison the primary kick returner now? He's a threat to score on every kick, has a massive 37.1 yard average on returns and has returned three kicks for more than 60 yards, a franchise record AND just set the franchise record for longest kick return for a touchdown. Why even screw around with Troy Williamson at this point? I mean, it's not like Williamson and his 13 catches for 201 yards are really that much better than Allison's 4 catches for 76 yards.

I know Childress is probably just playing his normal games with the press, but let's be honest--it would be an awful decision if Allison isn't returning kicks on Sunday.

The second disturbing article, "Wilf: Stadium needs resolution 'in near future'"discusses the state government's decision not to attempt to address the Vikings' stadium issue this session. Whether or not you think the Vikings should get a taxpayer funded stadium, the longer the issue remains unresolved, the greater the chance the Vikings decide to pack up and move. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but the Viking's lease at the Metrodome is up in 2011, which means that the Vikings can play wherever they want in 2012. Gooood times. Good times.

Enough about a possible depressing future. Let's look at what could be a very positive future. There are six games this week (aside from the Purple's) that can impact the Vikings' playoff hopes. I posted a comprehensive table on Monday with all the information you might need for tiebreakers, so let's delve into the important games themselves.

1. Arizona (6-6) at Seattle (8-4)
   
2. Carolina (5-7) at Jacksonville (8-4)
   
3. New Orleans (5-7) at Atlanta (3-9)
   
4. Dallas (11-1) at Detroit (6-6)
   

In these first four games, it's pretty obvious which team Vikings' fans should be pulling for (they're bolded if you need some help). All four games could be crucial to the Vikings' hopes, as this is the hardest game left on the Cardinals schedule, both New Orleans and Carolina would finish with a better Conference Record than the Vikings should they end up tied and Detroit is almost guaranteed to finish with a better division record than the Purple, as the only game they have left will be against a Green Bay team that will be resting it's starters in Week 17.

1. Chicago (5-7) at Washington (5-7)
2. New York Giants (8-4) at Philadelphia (5-7)

These final two games are quite a bit trickier than the first four. The first game pits two teams the Vikings still have on their schedule, both of which they will most likely have to beat in order to make the playoffs (thus likely ending da Bears and Redskins playoff hopes). If the Vikings do end up dropping one of those games, well, then hopefully that was the one that lost this game, since that would have likely knocked them out of the hunt with an eighth loss. The second game is also tricky, as the Vikings are two games back of the Giants, and a loss, combined with a Vikings win, would put the first Wild Card spot back into play. However, a win by the Eagles would keep them within reach of the Purple, a scary thought, as the Eagles have the tiebreaker, and the sooner teams like the Eagles, Saints and Panthers go away, the better the Vikings' chances of getting into the playoffs. To be honest, it doesn't matter who you pull for in these games, as the outcomes are guaranteed to both help and hurt the Purple.

Almost the End of the Beginning...

I'll be honest--I didn't watch the game last night. I don't live in the Twin Cities and I don't have Sunday Ticket. I'm willing to head to a bar for the real games and maybe even for a preseason game, but not for a game full of backups. There are advantages (the blackout won't affect me here inD.C.), but mainly, it means an extra level of effort, something I'm just not willing to put in for the last preseason game.

But enough of that pseudo negativity. The Preseason is almost over (the only thing left between the Vikings and their opener is 22 players), so now's a good time to check in with the rest of the internet, something I spend a lot of time on. If you're interested in thoughts on the game, Access Vikings and Skol Vikes have game recaps.

• Vikings Frenzy found a preseason highlight film on Youtube. If you missed any of the first three preseason games, or just want to watch Kevin Williams destroy D'Brickashaw Ferguson again, it's worth checking out.
  

• Sports Illustrated has their season preview up, including an article on the best and worst units (the Vikings didn't get worst offense or worst wide receivers. Progress!!). They have the Vikings going 6-10, good for third in the NFC North.
  

• Pacifist Viking has tips on dealing with the negativity in the mainstream media.

• Lipgloss and Baseball went to the game last night, and had a hard time making the transition from baseball to football season.

• Somehow, I doubt our backup QB has a wife as attractive as Brodie Croyle's. Yet another reason why the SEC does so well in football.

• Thankfully, the Vikings have yet to lose any of their projected starters to injury so far. They're probably the only NFC North team to be able to say that. Greg Olsen, da Bears first round pick, hurt his knee last night. The Packers' running backs are beat up and they might lose Abdul Hodges, who they were counting on to start at LB, is thinking about season ending knee surgery. Finally, Kevin Jones, the Lions stud running back, might be left on the physically unable to perform list and is likely to miss the first five weeks of the season.
  

A Series of Tubes: Draft Retrospective

There's a lot going on around these here tubes and, oddly enough, not all of it's draft related:

• Erasmus James says he's going to be ready for the season opener. He hasn't been cleared for contact yet, however, so whether or not he'll be able to participate in training camp is still in question.
• After having a successful first draft, Rick Spielman explained the Vikings' thought process and draft day philosophy. And as obvious as it sounds, picking the best player on your board when it's your turn is not an easy philosophy to stick to when you're on the clock.
• Access Vikings has collected the names of most of the rookie free agents the Vikings' have signed. The most intriguing one to me is Alex Reyes, a punter out of Texas Tech. Reyes was a four year starter for the Red Raiders and has a legitimate shot at challenging Chris Kluwe. This might be the biggest storyline in training camp and is a definite reason to head down to Mankato in August.
  
• I really wish Jimmy Terwilliger, a QB out of East Stroudberg University in Pennsylvania, had actually said what he was thinking to his "buddy".
• Ex-Viking Travis Taylor pleaded guilty to the charge of disorderly conduct in relation to his "scuffle" outside a club on New Year's.
  
• Don't mess with Bob Stoops.

Waiting for Godot

As we all wait for the Vikings to sign a free agent worth getting excited about (I like the Wade signing, but I pray he isn't the best player the Vikings' sign), a few things are happening around the web.

• After the 'Skins signed Fred Smoot, ThatGuyBen of the Curly R (with whom I traded questions prior to the Vikings' opener) contacted me for my thoughts about Ol' Double Duty (scroll about halfway down the post). Apparently, I'm now an expert on the Vikings. Isn't this here internet grand?
• Bobby Wade should be a good receiver for the Vikings. His return skills, however, seem to leave something to be desired. Considering that Mewelde Moore is pretty good at returning punts, there's no reason to put Wade back there. Kick returns might get a little more interesting though.
• The commenters over at the Star Tribune's Vikings' blog weren't playing nice. I know this, not because I read the soul numbing comments, but because the Star Tribune felt it necessary to reprimand them.
• Napoleon Harris is now a Kansas City Chief. The Vikings should never be allowed to participate in a trade involving a star player again.
• I now have an RSS Feed! I think...

Forces Outside the Vikings' Control

It was an interesting weekend, not because of things the Vikings did (that being pretty much nothing) but because what other teams did impacted the Vikings' plans for next season.

First, the Colts franchised Dwight Freeney as expected, taking away one of the best options to help the Vikings' anemic pass rush. Jared Allen is still available, but if the Vikings don't sign him, look for them to spend their first round pick on Gaines Adams or Jamaal Anderson.

Secondly, da Bears became the second NFC North team to hire a new defensive coordinator this offseason, promoting their linebackers coach, Bob Babich. The difference, of course, is that Rivera didn't leave to become a head coach, but rather ended up as the Chargers' linebackers coach after his contract was not renewed. Kind of an odd situation, considering that da Bears strength the past two years has been their defense. I can't say that I've heard of something like this before, especially since it appears it was something of a mutual decision. Sadly, not only is it unlikely that da Bears will experience any kind of defensive drop off next year, but this decision will make it more likely thah the team will continue to have one of the NFL's best defenses for years to come.

A Look Around the Web

As we all know, there's something of a lull between the Super Bowl and the NFL draft. And by that I mean that there's really no point in paying attention to football right now unless something crazy happens to your team (and you thought the Vikings were dysfunctional). Barring a coach firing, there really isn't a lot going on here in the land of the Purple, so it's time to take a look around the web and see what we piques our interest.

• NFL Draft Countdown has a new mock draft up (as of Feb. 6). They have the Vikings taking Gaines Adams after Calvin Johnson and Jamaal Anderson go #4 and #5. What's really interesting, however, is their mock of the second round, where they have the Vikings bypassing the best WR left (Anthony Gonzalez) to take Greg Olson, a tight end out of Miami. Not a bad choice, since Childress' offense should feature a good pass catching tight end (based on how the Eagles have used the position), something it didn't do this last season.
• If the Vikings take Olson, it will likely mean the end of the Jermaine Wiggins' era. While his ridiculous Bahstan accent will be missed, he wasn't able to get the job done last year, despite the Vikings' emphasis on short passes, which should have helped his production.
• If you read that last link from the Star Tribune's Vikings' blog, you'll notice that Fred Smoot's name was not listed with Wiggins, Dwight Smith's and Mike Rosenthal's. Commenter "Jason J" appears to be correct when he said the Vikings would hang on to the Love Boat star.
• Just because the Vikings are hanging on to Ol' Double Duty, doesn't mean he's going to start, however. As you can see from Judd Zalgad's answers to reader questions, Cedric Griffin (and not Nate Clements) will be starting opposite Antoine Winfield.
• Finally, ESPN.com has actually allowed someone to question the NFL's conduct and product. And they're dead on with all of their points. The way the NFL is handling the concussion epidemic is downright criminal, as is their disregard for former players. That, combined with the legal problems of some current players has the high probability of creating a backlash, especially if the games continue to be over hyped, too long and poorly played.

Philosophy, A Defense and Draft Advice

It might be the offseason, but there's still a lot going on in Vikings' land. And there's still time to enter the Ragnarok's Playoff PickOff. Entries are due by Thursday evening, and the winner gets a free post to rant about whatever they want in a forum read by tens of Vikings fans. If you're looking for a preview, check out Vegan/Pacifist Viking's (or, you know, pretty much any website that covers football).

• A philosophical question: was Travis Taylor officially done with the Vikings when the police tazered him, or did it not become final until they actually slapped the cuffs on him?
  
• Is it just me, or should the Vikings take a page out of the police's book and just tazer Troy Williamson every time he drops a pass? I bet that would cure him of the drops. It couldn't make him any worse, that's for sure.
• Brad Johnson is deluded if he thinks that some team is going to want an almost 40 year old quarterback with a 72.0 QB rating to start for them. Then again, he thought he deserved a pay raise earlier in the year and he wasn't afraid to agitate in the press for it.
  
• Whoever this is, I applaud them. Well done, sir, well done.
• Curious as to who the Vikings should be targeting in the draft? Well, according to Cold, Hard Football Facts, the Purple would be making a big mistake if they go after Dwayne Jarrett, Ted Ginn, Jr. or Calvin Johnson.
  
• Luckily for the Vikings, they have other areas of need on offense. The right side of the offensive line was awful, which played a major factor in their league leading 123 penalties. It wouldn't hurt to bring in someone who can rush the passer either. Counting on the injury prone Erasmus James to fill that void by himself is the best idea.