Posts by Adam Warwas

Vikings Sign Former Gopher

May 8, 2012, by No comments yet

With the release of Ryan Longwell came an open roster spot.

That spot was filled on Tuesday by Minnesota Gopher defensive end Anthony Jacobs who had joined the Vikings for the rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.

Jacobs is listed at 6’ 2” and 291 pounds which makes him a little undersized at any of the defensive line positions.  Scouting reports say he manages to achieve productive stretches due to an explosive first step, a competitive streak that keeps him moving until the whistle, and by utilizing his feet.

He is a long shot to make the roster, but it is possible that he makes his mark on special teams and is able to stick like Marcus Sherels has done thus far in his career.

Of course, Scout.com thinks he could play fullback.  So, yeah… there’s always that.

Okay, So Where Do We Go From Here?

May 8, 2012, by 23 comments

So, now that the House passed the Vikings stadium bill with a 105 million twists thrown in, what happens next?

As on most stadium issues, I have immediately sought out the facts from my favorite source on all stadium-related issues, Kevin Seifert at ESPN.

So, here are the steps that remain:

  • The bill will move on the Minnesota Senate on Tuesday.  There will likely be another long day of debate, and it is possible that items are added or deleted to the bill, including the $105 million portion that the House tossed at the feet of the Vikings on Monday.  These changes are referred to as “amendments.”
  • If the Senate fails to pass any version of the stadium bill then it is likely dead in the water.
  • If the Senate does pass some sort of version of the bill, which will likely differ from the House version, then it will move on to a House-Senate conference committee.
  • When the bill gets to the House-Senate conference committee it is their job to reconcile the differences between the two versions of the bill.
  • (Note:  Thanks to the reader that pointed out this missing step.)  The bill then travels back through the House and the Senate.  If it passes both, then it will be presented to the Governor with one single bill.
  • The Governor would then either sign the bill or veto it.  He is widely expected to pass any version of the bill that makes it to his desk.

So, there is still plenty of work to be done, and the Vikings and NFL are going to try their hardest to get rid of the additional $105 million responsibility that the House is trying to impose on them.

And, so, we continue to wait for a final answer.

Longwell’s Release Leaves A Spielman-Shaped Mark

May 8, 2012, by 2 comments

After a long day of work, I was expecting to settle into my laptop and try to motivate myself to write about my two least favorite subjects to cover:  Stadiums & Politics.

Of course, that is all big and important news, but luckily there is some actual football activity to discuss, as well, albeit bitter-sweet.

As Brett mentioned earlier, Ryan Longwell was released by the Vikings and he made a very gracious statement to fans about his time in Minnesota.

Now, on the surface, the move can make little sense.  He has been a special teams captain.  He has been a leader.  He has been one of the most reliable field goal kickers in the NFL.  He has been classy.  He is charitable.

He has been a very well liked Viking for six seasons.

Plus, last offseason, the Vikings gave Longwell a four year deal worth $12 million, with $3.5 million in guarantees.

However, as I eluded to back in February (I even mention Blair Walsh by name), the writing has been on the wall for a while now.

Longwell is a 38 year old kicker on a team that is rebuilding.  His kickoffs averaged 64.8 yards (21st in the NFL), his 19 touchbacks (23rd in the NFL) were a career high but mainly the result of a rule change, and his 79% field goal accuracy (26th in the NFL) were all stats that suggested that not only was Longwell’s leg strength beginning to greatly lack but that his skills were also degrading in general.

There is an old adage in NFL front offices that goes something like this: “It is better to give up on a player one year too early than one year too late.”

The Vikings had the chance, last offseason, to part ways with Longwell at exactly the right time but instead will be parting with him one year too late.

Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN, suggests that the move to extend Longwell last offseason was possibly a result of Leslie Frazier still having a say in the final roster and now that Rick Spielman has full control he was able to impose his will on the kicker position.

Zulgad calls it a reminder that Spielman will not hesitate to “retool” this roster regardless of what it means for the win column in 2012.

I would argue that the move makes sense for not only the future, but for 2012, too.  The Vikings may not be able to rely on the young Blair Walsh on clutch kicks until he proves otherwise, but they should put their defense in a much better position on a regular basis via Walsh’s strong leg pinning opponents deeper into their own territory.  The stronger leg will help the field position battle on a regular basis, which will help both the offense and the defense, and the hope will be he can eventually also develop into a trustworthy field goal kicker.

The Vikings should probably sign another kicker to provide Walsh with some competition, and to have another leg for special teams reps in training camp, but it is clear that the Vikings feel confident in his abilities to replace Longwell not only in the future, but right now.

Vikings Stadium Bill Passes The House

May 7, 2012, by 3 comments

Well, we’ve said all along:  it ain’t over ‘til it is over.

And it ain’t over yet.

Still, it is significant news that the Vikings stadium bill has reached new heights on Monday as the Minnesota House of Representatives passed it by a vote of 73-58, which is five more votes than it needed to pass.

The catch, however, is that the bill upped the Vikings and the NFL’s contribution to the project from $427 million to $532 million and, according to PFT, that may not be sitting well with the NFL.

On Tuesday, the bill will be voted on by the Minnesota State Senate and there are still plenty of issues to iron out even if it passes.

The good news is, for those that want to see the Vikings stay put, that opponents were unable to Kill Bill today.

Tomorrow, however, is another day.

What did happen today, however, is the House put the onus on the Vikings not to move the team over a mere $105 million additive.  This appears like a sneaky way put the ball in their court and, if things play out poorly, take the blame should the team leave the State.

Make Your Stance Known

May 5, 2012, by 13 comments

I won’t get into the politics and philosophy behind the stadium situation at this point, but as most of you know Monday is looking to be a very important day in the team’s ability to continue their tradition in Minnesota.

The Vikings organization has invited all of you to make your stance known by contacting Minnesota’s key representatives.

CLICK HERE if you live in Minnesota

CLICK HERE if you live somewhere other than Minnesota

Webb Excited To Focus On One Position

May 5, 2012, by 8 comments

Joe Webb will focus solely on playing the quarterback position for the first time in his young NFL career.

He is currently number two on the Vikings depth chart, sandwiched between starter Christian Ponder and veteran backup Sage Rosenfels.  The Vikings hope that Webb will improve on his already impressive resume as a surprise NFL quarterback after being drafted as, and receiving reps as, a wide out.

“It’s a great role to have,” Webb recently said. “Any time you can concentrate on one position, that’s always a positive.”

“I want to be able to do whatever I can to help the team win,” Webb continued. “Any chance I can get on the field, I want to help the offense move the chains and score points. But right now, I’m just focusing on quarterback.”

A recent survey of five NFL analysts in a recent NFL.com article, two of the five predict it will be the Vikings that “beat out” the other 31 NFL teams for 2013’s first overall selection in the NFL Draft.  That means, of course, that the Vikings have earned a horrible record under the leadership of Christian Ponder.

Those analysts forget one thing, however.

If the Vikings go down a path towards being the worst team in 2012, Joe Webb will likely be making an appearance or two throughout the season.

If Webb plays, we all know what that means for our Draft position.

WELCOME TO THE BIG SHOW: Rhett Ellison

May 5, 2012, by 4 comments

Welcome to part four of our ten part series entitled “Welcome to the Big Show” where we attempt to bring you a comprehensive, in-depth look at each of the Vikings ten Draft selections of 2012.  In case you missed them, here are links to the first three:  Matt Kalil, Harrison Smith, and Josh Robinson.

Now, we move on to USC’s Rhett Ellison who was a surprise pick by the Vikings near the end of the fourth round.

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