Posts by Brett Anderson

Stadium Reveal, Vikings New Glass Cathedral

May 13, 2013, by 46 comments

It’s pretty awesome that we got to watch the unveiling today of the stadium where our Minnesota Vikings will be playing for many years to come. Think about that for a second… Just a couple years ago the idea of a new stadium seamed unattainable. Today, we’re talking about how big the monitors are going to be and exactly how many toilets will be provided.

I think we all just need to take that in for a moment.

Good? Okay, let’s move on.

I wanted to outline some of the details of the new stadium, provide some pretty-picture renderings andgive a bit of my own personal opinion. (I have an education in Architecture, so my opinion matters. Not really, though…)

New Vikings Stadium Front Rendering

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2013 Mock Draft (Brett’s Final Version)

April 23, 2013, by 14 comments

Here we are less than 48 hours away from the greatest stretch of three days throughout the entire offseason and I can’t sleep. Obviously, I’m referring to the 2013 NFL Draft which takes place this Thursday evening. And unfortunately, the absence of sleep isn’t due to excitement regarding our two first round picks… It’s due to a nasty case of bronchitis and a sinus infection that leaves me coughing throughout the night. So, bear with me as I walk you through my third and final mock draft of the offseason and attempt to explain some of the decisions I’ve made (of which are bound to make at least a few Vikings fans squirm).

First, yes, I still do have Geno Smith going in the top 5. In fact, I have two quarterbacks being taken in the top 10. Here’s why and I’ve said it before: People can say anything they want about the lack of talent and a true franchise QB in this year’s draft but the truth is that teams over and over again have showed us that, on draft day, they are more than willing to reach on a quarterback that they think even has a remote chance of righting the ship (regardless of how delusional that thought may be).

Geno Smith to the Eagles isn’t that crazy. Their is a new head coach there who is going to be looking for someone that can run his new, fast-pace offense. Michael Vick is past his prime and has become a turnover machine. The Eagles selecting Smith and having the two face off in camp seems to make sense to me (and a few other people).

The next quarterback I have being taken (by the Buffalo Bills) also makes sense. The obvious connection with Nassib and coach Doug Marone is there from their time together at Syracuse. But, more than that, the Bills need to create competition at the quarterback position and it’s not a guarantee their guy (assumedly Nassib) will be there when they select in the second round. It’s possible, yes. But, unless they can somehow trade down, would not be surprised at all with this pick.

Alright, let’s get on to the important part, shall we? Our selections.

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Antoine Winfield Signs With Seahawks

April 12, 2013, by 30 comments

ESPN.com reports that veteran Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield has signed with the Seattle Seahawks.

“It was a very tough decision for me because of the relationships that I have in Minnesota,” Winfield told Anderson. “I’ve been there nine years. I’ve had some really great coaches, teammates and fans there. I’m very grateful to the Vikings organization for my experience.

“I’m definitely excited about the opportunity to play in Seattle. They’re a great football team. Those guys did an excellent job last season. They’re young, athletic and energetic. I’m excited to play with Richard (Sherman), Brandon (Browner), Kam (Chancellor) and Earl (Thomas) because they’re some of the most talented players on defense in the NFL right now.”

Winfield was released last month suddenly by the Vikings and thus was an unrestricted free agent. The initial report is that the two parties agreed to a one-year deal. The details of the contract are not known at this time.

The Seahawks, who already boasted arguably the NFL’s best secondary, will likely utilize Antoine Winfield in nickel situations.

The loss of Antoine Winfield leaves the Vikings depth chart at cornerback with Chris Cook, Josh Robinson, A.J. Jefferson, Marcus Sherels and Brandon Burton. While middle linebacker likely still remains the number one priority for the Vikings less than two-weeks before the 2013 NFL Draft, cornerback is now definitely a very, very close second.

Vikings Picks Not Likely Attending Draft

April 10, 2013, by 21 comments

Part of the excitement on draft day I believe stems from being able to see the player your team has picked go through the motions of being a first-round selection. You know, the phone call that has the player and their family ecstatic almost to the point of tears. The walk to the stage where they shake Roger Goodell’s hand and are given a generically numbered version of your team’s jersey (which in the Vikings case would be a brand new jersey). The awkward posing for pictures…

Well, from the looks of it, Vikings fans may not get to see anything like that this year and instead may have to settle for that player sharing the draft day  experience at a place of their own choosing surrounded by friends and family. (How selfish of them…)

Today, the NFL released a list of the 23 players who will be attending the first day of the 2013 NFL Draft on April 25th. On first glance, it seems unlikely the Vikings potential selection at 23 or 25 will be in attendance. See the list below:

Ezekiel Ansah / DE, BYU
Tavon Austin / WR, West Virginia
Jonathan Cooper / G, North Carolina
Eric Fisher / OT, Central Michigan
Shariff Floyd / DT, Florida
D.J. Fluker / RT, Alabama
Luke Joeckel / OT, Texas A&M
Lane Johnson / OT, Oklahoma
Dion Jordan / DE, Oregon
Eddie Lacy / RB, Alabama
E.J. Manuel / QB, Florida State
Dee Milliner / CB, Alabama
Barkevious Mingo / DE, LSU
Cordarrelle Patterson / WR, Tennessee
Eric Reid / S, LSU
Xavier Rhodes / CB, Florida State
Sheldon Richardson / DT, Missouri
Geno Smith / QB, West Virginia
Desmond Trufant / CB, Washington
Chance Warmack / G, Alabama
Menelik Watson / OT, Florida State
Bjoern Werner / DE, Florida State
Kenny Vaccaro / S, Texas

Of the above mentioned prospects, those most likely to be selected by the Vikings are Tavon Austin, Cordarrelle Patterson, Xavier Rhodes and Desmond Trufant. Unfortunately for Vikings fans, it’s also quite likely that all four of those players could be off the board by the Vikings selection.

On a completely unrelated note, it’s surprising to see E.J. Manuel on the list of attendees. Could it be that Ponder’s Florida State successor will pull a Ponder on Day 1? Just 14 days, 19 hours and 32 minutes until we find out… But who’s counting?

Antoine Winfield A Seahawk?

April 10, 2013, by 5 comments

According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, veteran cornerback and expert tackler Antoine Winfield is now deciding between the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings.

Reports that surfaced earlier today suggested that he may be closer to signing with Seahawks than resigning with the Vikings. Those reports may have been premature as now it looks like Winfield is somewhere in the middle of the two.

Winfield was abruptly released early March – a move that caught the experienced cornerback, his teammates, Vikings personnel and fans all off guard.

The Seahawks (also  known as the Vikings of the West) look to reunite Winfield with ex-Vikings Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin.

Antoine Winfield is expected to make a decision soon.

Edit: Found a pretty interesting story about the last time Winfield was a free agent and stuck between two teams from John Holler over at vikingsupdate.com. Never heard this story before – fun read. (Here’s to hoping for a similar outcome!)

 

Post-Free Agency Mock Draft

March 26, 2013, by 17 comments

Hello, everybody. Brett here back from the dead. I apologize for being so M.IA. lately… “Real life” stuff has been non-stop and it’s been difficult to find time to even think about football. I’ve stayed in the loop as much as I can and have been lurking but just really haven’t had time to contribute. Hopefully things will be slowing down though as the 2013 draft ramps up and I can dedicate more time here.

I’m back today with an updated Mock Draft. This is my second of the year and I’m feeling a little bit better about this one. My last one was posted all the way back in January and [obviously] there were still a lot of unknowns at that point. Of course, there are still unknowns. But at least we’ve gotten through important events that could impact things come draft day like free agency, the combine and some pro days.

This is also the first mock I’ve done since we acquired pick 1.25 from the Seahawks as a result of the Harvin trade. Boy, does having two first round back-t0-back picks sure make things exciting!

There are a lot of different directions the Vikings can go come April 25th and I think the signing of Greg Jennings and the addition of pick #25 really opens things up for the Vikings and they are no longer pidgeon-holed into basically having to go wide receiver in the first round.

Nevertheless, that is exactly what I did. What happened with pick #25 I’m sure you all will find a little more interesting.

I’ll just say this – the closer and closer I got to mocking the Vikings picks, the more I realized that there is a lot of great talent that could potentially fall to us. And there are a lot of different routes we can take.

Of course, it’s impossible to predict what’s going to happen a month from today but it sure is fun to try. Click here to check out my new mock draft and make sure to let me know what you think. Good to be back.

Percy Harvin Traded To Seattle Seahawks

March 11, 2013, by 17 comments

According to “an NFL source”, Percy Harvin is being traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

The compensation for Harvin is believed to be at least a 2013 first round pick. Foxsports.com is reporting that the Seahawks gave up this year’s first and seventh round picks as well as a mid-round pick in 2014. When the final details of the deal are known we will pass them along.

It is believed that Harvin is currently on his way to Seattle for a physical to complete the deal.

“Sources” say the two organizations have been trying to work something out for “some time.” Ultimately, this move makes sense for the Seahawks organization as it reunites Harvin with Vikings former offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell and Sidney Rice.

Whether or not it makes sense for the Vikings is something we will hash out quite a bit here at VT. Check back soon for more details and analysis for this huge trade.