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wtfvikesfan (449)Alright folks, here it is: my first 2012 mock draft of the offseason! I take a look at each pick in the first round, predict trades, who teams will take and then offer my opinion/analysis/thoughts on the acquisition. Some of you may be surprised with how I have things panning out for the Vikings.
I would love to have everyone’s thoughts/comments/criticisms/etc… on what I’ve put together (comments are enabled at the end of the mock). Click the link below to check it out and enjoy!
Fullback Matt Asiata was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent following last year’s NFL Draft.
The Utah product was apparently impressive enough that the Vikings decided to extend him a two year futures contract offer, and Asiata accepted.
Asiata was cut prior to the 2011 season but then signed with the practice squad. He spent one week on the practice squad before hip issues caused him some problems and the Vikings let him go.
As it stands right now, Asiata would again be competing with Ryan D’Imperio for playing time at the fullback position.
It looks like Raheem Morris is not the only guy the Vikings are interested in talking to about their Defensive Coordinator position, according to this report from Clark Judge at CBS Sports.
The report goes on to say that Steve Spagnuolo, the recently fired head coach of the St. Louis Rams, appears to be the front runner at this point. Of course, Spagnuolo is well respected in the NFL as a defensive strategist, so it would not be surprising to see the Vikings getting stiff competition for his services. It is somewhat expected that he will rejoin Andy Reid and the Eagles.
Mel Tucker, the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is another name mentioned along with Mike Singletary.
Morris is the only guy that is really known for running the Tampa-2 defense that Frazier holds in high esteem. Both Singletary and Tucker could possibly be the first step towards a 3-4 defense, should one of them get the job.
Fred Pagac still is employed as the current Defensive Coordinator. It is unknown if he will rejoin the team in a lesser role.
Morris interviewed for the position on Friday, but left Minnesota without a contract.
Leslie Frazier will want to have his coaching staff solidified soon, as it is now official that they will be coaching the Senior Bowl’s North Team starting about January 23rd. The Redskins will coach the South team.
Karl Dunbar responded to being fired by the Vikings in this article at Access Vikings.
At points, Dunbar seemed perplexed that he was being fired since his defensive line played fairly well this season, but refuses to suggest he is getting a raw deal.
The reason he doesn’t think he’s getting a raw deal?
“They didn’t kill my wife and they didn’t kill my family,” Dunbar explained. “They took care of my family. So no, I didn’t get a raw deal.”
I think Karl may want to redefine his personal meaning of the phrase “fair treatment,” as merely letting your family live does not qualify as fair treatment on its own.
All joking aside, Dunbar seemed grateful for his six years in Minnesota, and seems to have a fairly positive attitude about moving on to the next opportunity, which he will surely have his pick of.
What did strike me as an interesting statement from Dunbar suggests that Frazier’s supposedly complete control over his coaching staff may not be quite as complete as we have all been led to believe.
“Coach Frazier told me the ownership wanted to go in a different direction,” Dunbar said.
Ownership?
I thought ownership gave Frazier control of his coaching staff.
One month ago today, I discussed the impact that decisions from junior quarterbacks could have on the Vikings 2012 Draft, even though they are unlikely to be seeking one of them for themselves.
Yesterday, Landry Jones announced he will remain at Oklahoma for his senior season, which could impact the trade value the Vikings have at the #3 spot.
The first round quarterback prospects are expected to consist of Andrew Luck of Stanford and Robert Griffen III of Baylor, with a bit of a drop off to Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill who is currently projected as a late first round pick by most draftniks.
Assuming Andrew Luck is drafted first overall as widely anticipated, this could leave all other quarterback needy teams in a position in which they scramble to trade up with either the Rams or the Vikings to select the highly touted Griffen.
If a team doesn’t trade upwards, they will risk coming away from the first round empty handed at their most important position.
Of course, the Rams themselves could be interested in selecting Griffen since they have a new regime coming in and Sam Bradford’s ridiculous rookie contract is now a thing of the past.
Brian Robison expressed gratitude when he was the lone Vikings to receive a pre-lockout contract extension that not only gave him a pay bump, but nearly guaranteed him a starting role in the Vikings defense.
That deal was reportedly worth $14.1 million over three years.
The contract included incentives, and according to this report from the Pioneer Press, Robison hit an incentive in 2011 that will increase his 2012 salary from $700,000 to $1.4 million.
The incentives Robison hit were nothing super unattainable as long as he could stay healthy enough to play, which he did. The report says that the salary bump was triggered Robison’s ability to at least double his sack total from 2010 (he had two in 2010, and eight in 2011) and also play 33% of the defensive snaps.
Robison had his ups and his downs this season, like all the Vikings players, but his contract is nothing the Vikings should be regretting at this point.
Unfortunately for Robison, his first year as a full-time starter will be best remembered for one of the most unsportsmanlike actions ever taken by an NFL player.
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