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wtfvikesfan (449)Fullback Jerome Felton isn’t the only free agent expected to meet with the Vikings today.
According to Vikings Now, the Vikings are hosting wide receiver and return specialist Ted Ginn Jr.
Ginn has had struggles with hanging onto passes throughout his career, but he has earned plenty of recognition as a dangerous return man. Ginn was selected ninth overall by the Dolphins in 2007 and will be 27 years old.
Day Eleven of our Community Mock is updated with the results from our last poll. We awarded nose tackle Dontari Poe to the Chiefs and now it is the Seattle Seahawks that are on the clock.
The Seahawks recently signed quarterback Matt Flynn to compete with Tarvaris Jackson in the starting lineup, but there are plenty of other needs to fill and that will start with this selection.
View the Community Mock by clicking here.
Cast your vote below.
I apologize for being absent most of Monday, but luckily for me it turned out to be a pretty slow day. Let’s take a look at what did happen:
Abdullah Has An Offer: Apparently the Vikings have made an offer to safety Husain Abdullah and he is “mulling it over.” Abdullah has been a serviceable option at safety the last two years, but has struggled with concussions, and could be a possible starter into the future, as well.
Schwartz To Visit Niners: “Awesome Visit with the Vikings!” tweeted offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz on Monday. Schwartz left Minnesota without a contract but the Vikings knew that was the plan all along. He has visits set up with the Chiefs and the 49ers over the next couple of days and Schwartz plans to honor those commitments. “Just doing my due diligence,” Schwartz tweeted, and one can’t blame him for that.
Felton To Visit: Fullback Jerome Felton is set to visit the Vikings on Tuesday, despite the recent signing of Lex Hilliard, not to mention the presence of Ryan D’Imerio and Matt Asiata at the position. Felton was a fifth round pick by the Lions in 2008 and has also spent time with the Panthers and Colts. The Vikings tried to claim Felton off of waivers last year, but the Panthers claimed him and had priority. Felton is only 25 years old.
Pre-Draft Visit For Kirkpatrick: The Vikings have a pre-Draft visit set up with Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick, known for his skill as a zone coverage player, and six foot two inches and widely regarded as the second best cornerback in this Draft class. He would likely be a serious option if the Vikings were to trade backwards from the three spot.
More Claiborne Talk: Bob Sansavere of the Pioneer Press discusses some first-hand conversations with General Manager Rick Spielman that could suggest he is serious about selecting LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne over USC left tackle Matt Kalil in April’s Draft. More smokescreen? You be the judge.
Whether by design or otherwise, the Vikings are suddenly in possession of the hottest pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
The third overall selection that the Vikings hold is suddenly the center of the most buzz. There appears to possibly be a trade market growing for teams that think Ryan Tannehill could be a franchise quarterback. Peter King mentioned it earlier in the week, and Matt Flynn’s signing in Seattle has seemingly left the Browns and the Dolphins out in the cold in regards to their quarterback situation.
I find it hard to believe that any team would be willing to select Tannehill third overall, let alone trade up to get him there, but stranger things have happened.
Also, I had previously passed along an article citing an unnamed source saying that the Vikings front office was somewhat split and the LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne could seriously be considered by the Vikings when they are on the clock.
The National Football Authority has a similar article today in which a source “close to the scouting ranks” who says the Vikings will indeed target Claiborne over tackle Matt Kalil and receiver Justin Blackmon.
Claiborne is a quality player worthy of consideration, but I find these unnamed sources stories hard to take seriously this time of year, as the Vikings or any other team could be sending out smokescreens for any number of reasons.
Regardless, the Vikings have successfully gone from “they will certainly take Kalil” to “they have lots of options” and that mystery can only help them in their quest to generate a trade partner in April.
Despite an NFL.com report saying that the Vikings would be playing host to free agent safety O.J. Atogwe, Jeremy Fowler of the Pioneer Press insists that no such visit is going to happen. It appears that the report originated at the Detroit Lions official website, and Atogwe is actually going to visit them.
Also, despite rumors of interest, Fowler says the Vikings are not interested in pursuing former Cowboys defensive back Alan Ball.
Fowler also indicates that wide receivers Devin Aromshodu and Ted Ginn Jr. are names to keep an eye on in the coming days.
For more on Fowler’s free agency rumor notes, go ahead and click here.
In the post below this one, I opined that a bowling ball back like Mike Tolbert would be a solid addition to this roster, particularly given Adrian Peterson’s current rehab situation.
The Vikings didn’t sign Tolbert, but they did make a similar signing on Sunday by getting former Dolphin Lex Hilliard to agree to a one year deal.
Hilliard was a restricted free agent that Miami decided not to tender. Hilliard has played in every game for the Dolphins over the last three seasons, but seldom produced big numbers. At age 27, Hilliard only has 39 carries for 130 yards under his belt, which includes two touchdowns. In 2009, he showed some solid hands with 20 catches and 158 yards, but the Dolphins went away from using him as a pass catcher the last two seasons.
Listed at 5’ 11” and 240 pounds, Hilliard possesses the versatility that would allow him to play both half back and full back in Bill Musgrave’s offense.
He joins a backfield that already has Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart, Jordan Todman, Caleb King, Matt Asiata, and Ryan D’Imperio. He can also be a special teams contributor, but probably not as a return man.
The competition for who makes the roster behind Peterson and Gerhart this year should be a fun one to watch.
Six Days into free agency, we have seemingly entered “wave two” of the annual garage sale. The Vikings have been, as you all know, very quiet thus far. The re-signed three of their own: Sage Rosenfels, Letroy Guion, and Fred Evans. They also signed Nick Taylor, a former college point guard turned arena football defensive back.
Their biggest signing was tight end John Carlson, who received a five year deal worth up to $25 million.
For the most part, Rick Spielman sat back and watched this year’s top talents fly to new destinations and the Vikings stressed that a patient approach is the right approach to free agency.
Still, there are indications that the Vikings are not yet done with free agency and will now commence with bargain hunting. Here are the top ten players that are still available and, in this hack blogger’s opinion, should be targeted by the Vikings this week.
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