Posts by Adam Warwas

Vikings Release Both Starting Guards

March 10, 2012, by 1 comment

In an effort to shave nearly $10 million from their salary cap commitment, the Vikings will reportedly release starting guards Steve Hutchinson and Anthony Herrera.  The decision, which plays to the notion that they would like a younger roster, was finalized on Saturday according to multiple reports.

Both players have struggled with injuries and seen their production slip in recent seasons, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if Hutchinson is welcomed back under a greatly reduced contract.  He has stated his desire to play one more NFL season.

The Vikings have in-house options to fill the guard position that include Joe Berger, Brandon Fusco, Charlie Johnson, and possibly Chris DeGeare.  Additionally, there is a lot of talent expected to be available via free agency and the draft.

These moves are sure to fuel speculation that the Vikings would like to sign Carl Nicks.

Three Testify That Cook Chokes Girlfriend

March 10, 2012, by 5 comments

The trial regarding charges against Vikings cornerback Chris Cook still appears to be up in the air.

While the victim, Cook’s girlfriend Chantel Baker, has recanted her claim that Cook tried to strangle her during an October 22nd incident the prosecution has brought a number of witnesses to the stand to point out her story change.

A police officer, a doctor, and a paramedic all testified that Baker claimed she had been choked that night.

These testimonies will continue to fuel speculation that Baker is feeling pressure to protect Cook’s NFL career by taking responsibility herself for the physical altercation.

The jury consists of eight men and five women, one of which is an alternate.  For more on how the trial is proceeding, go ahead and click here.

COMMUNITY MOCK: Day Seven

March 10, 2012, by 1 comment

Well, so far our community mock draft is doing pretty well.  We predicted the Rams-Redskins trade accurately… so at least we don’t have to start over.

With the newly-obtained sixth overall selection, the Rams surprisingly (to me, anyways) selected Iowa tackle Riley Reiff in our mock.  Next up are the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Place a vote.  Leave some analysis.  And leave the rest up to us!

Vikings Are Essentially On The Clock

March 10, 2012, by 4 comments

News broke late on Friday night, via Jay Glazer, that the St. Louis Rams have traded the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft to the Washington Redskins.

According to Glazer, the bounty (ha!) is quite plentiful.  The Rams will receive the sixth overall pick in this Draft, two future first round picks, and other multiple draft choices.  It is assumed, and for good reason, that Washington plans to use the second pick on Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

 It will be tough for some Vikings fans to think about how close this franchise could have been to netting such a profit had they not beat, coincidentally, the Redskins on Christmas Eve with Joe Webb and Toby Gerhart playing the roles of unlikely heroes, but not all is lost.

The deal cannot be finalized until the league year begins on Tuesday, but as I stated previously, the Vikings now find themselves in a pretty good situation.

They can now take the player they find to be the best non-quarterback addition to the roster whether it be Matt Kalil, Morris Claiborne, or Justin Blackmon.  They can also begin to entertain offers for teams, like perhaps the Bengals, that may be looking to move up and snag a player they covet.

The Vikings may not have the same leverage that St. Louis had, but they suddenly have a lot more of it than they did on Friday morning.

I hope Rick Spielman’s cell phone came with unlimited minutes.

Things Are About To Happen

March 8, 2012, by 4 comments

Vikings fans are used to being patient.

This team seems to always wait until the very last moment before making transactions.  Whether it signing draft picks, re-signing their own free agents, or jumping into free agency itself, they always keep us waiting.  Heck, one time they waited so much, they forgot to make a first round selection.

Things are expected to start happening this weekend, however, so I want to make sure you are plenty prepared for the action and know what to expect.  Below are the links to my position-by-position breakdown of how I see this Vikings offseason playing out:

The Passers,

The Runners,

The Wide Outs,

The Tight Ends,

The Offensive Line,

The Defensive Tackles,

The Defensive Ends,

The Linebackers,

The Cornerbacks

The Safeties

The Specialists

In the linebackers preview, I project that the team will try hard to retain linebacker Erin Henderson and it appears that they will do just that over the next week or so according to multiple reports like this one.

In the section about the quarterbacks, I predicted that the Vikings will probably bring back Sage Rosenfels to round out their depth chart.  There is a recent rumor floating about that the Vikings and Rosenfels have mutual interest in making his return happen.

In the cornerbacks preview, I mistakenly (undoubtedly due to a lack of research and excess of scotch) thought Marcus Trufant was an unrestricted free agent.  This was not true… but it will be soon.  PFT reports that the Seahawks will release Trufant and his $7.2 million salary soon.  So, let’s just pretend I saw that coming and knew what I was talking about all along, okay?

 

Stephen Hill Continues To Draw Interest

March 8, 2012, by 1 comment

Georgia Tech receiver Stephen Hill went from a mid-round prospect, to a near lock to be selected in the first round of April’s Draft after a fantastic showing at the NFL’s Scouting Combine.

He was so fast, and so fluid in his drills, that my partner in crime wondered if the Vikings wouldn’t target him specifically in April.

The problem, however, is that Hill is no longer considered a well kept secret as evidenced by the crowd drawn to his Pro Day.

It should be noted that Vikings receiver coach George Stewart not only attended Hill’s Pro Day, but pulled the receiver aside to offer encouragement.

If he is around when the Vikings make their second round selection, which I am starting to think isn’t going to happen, then don’t be surprised if Brett turns out to be correct and Hill ends up owning a nice, new purple jersey.

Links Of The Week: Free Agency Starts Soon

March 8, 2012, by No comments yet

Okay, so I know I haven’t been keeping you as up-to-date as I normally like to, but these links should ensure you are all caught up and didn’t miss anything so far this week:

  • Our blogroll has been updated to include another cool Vikings blog.  Check’ em out and tell ‘em who sent you.
  • Could Peyton Manning’s landing spot affect this year’s Vikings draft?
  • Joe Webb is still jumping really high on YouTube.
  • The new Madden video game could, in theory, include either Jared Allen or Percy Harvin on the cover.
  • Unless this is a typo, the “snitch” that spurred “bountygate” was actually a Vikings player.
  • A breakdown of the reasons behind Pro Football Focus’s crush on linebacker Erin Henderson.
  • Chris Cook’s girlfriend testified in court on Wednesday.  Here is a summary of the bizarre testimony that she gave.  He might just be off the hook.
  • Cook’s attorneys argued self defense in court on Wednesday.
  • An argument for a very stiff penalty for the New Orleans Saints.
  • Christian Ponder is preparing (yeah, right) for the possibility of the Vikings drafting another first round quarterback.
  • The Vikings are trying to re-sign linebacker Erin Henderson prior to free agency starting.
  • Some of the key figures involved with the new stadium proposal.
  • Brett Favre says that a referee apologized to him for a missed call in the 2009 NFC Championship game against the Saints.
  • I think some hack blogger has mentioned this before, but gambling is an unpredictable revenue source for a new stadium and could be a sticking point in the proposal.
  • An interesting experiment surrounding the Cris Carter Hall of Fame mystery.
  • Jared Allen takes an even handed approach in answering “bountygate” questions.
  • This mock draft has the Vikings drafting… oh, forget it, you already know.
  • Peyton Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.  He is also one of the classiest NFL players of all time.  Any team would be lucky to have a guy like this for as long as Indianapolis had Manning.  So, here it is, your moment of Zen: