Posts by Brett Anderson

Breaking News: Vikings Will Not Resign Camarillo

February 28, 2012, by 5 comments

Jeremy Fowler, of the Pioneer Press, is reporting that the Minnesota Vikings have informed veteran wide receiver Greg Camarillo that he will not be resigned this offseason.

Camarillo, known for having great hands, was not a major contributor on the Vikings last season with only 9 receptions. And at almost 30 years old, he doesn’t necessarily fit the bill of a team that is looking to get younger and more explosive.

The Vikings are very thin at wide receiver talent after Percy Harvin and this move just further supports the idea that the Vikings plan to do some things to address the need in both free agency and/or the draft. The only other Vikings free agent wide receiver is Devin Aromashodu and we will likely know his status with the team in the next few weeks.

Poll Of The Week: Which Vikings Free Agent(s) Should Be Re-signed?

February 27, 2012, by 9 comments

You all should be very excited. Free agency is just around the corner and their are more than a handful of great players who would make wonderful additions to the Vikings. Yesterday, Gregg Rosenthal tweeted that he heard at the combine that our Vikings are already in the mix for some of the biggest free agent names. And about a week ago, Pelissero did a good amount of research and reported that the Vikings salary cap allows them to make a bigger splash in free agency than most people believe.

But while we will gain players in free agency, we will also lose some. And in this week’s poll, we want you guys to tell us who you think the Vikings should keep. Which of the Vikings free agents do you think should be re-signed?

Below, you will find a poll that lists all of the Vikings free agents. Select the ones you think should be re-signed then let us know your thoughts in the comments!

[Note: Greg Camarillo has been removed from the poll as the Vikings have informed him he will not be re-signed]

Rams Have Decided To Trade #2 Pick

February 27, 2012, by No comments yet

Not that this should surprise anybody, but “sources” reported today that the St. Louis Rams have already decided to trade the 2nd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. According to those same “sources,” they have had discussions with the Browns, Redskins and Dolphins (again, big surprise). Robert Griffin III’s stellar performance at the combine over the weekend pretty much sealed the deal that someone would move up into the Ram’s position to take the speedy quarterback from Baylor.

(Note: Take this with a grain of salt. Nothing is certain or official… And these pesky “sources” seem to jump the gun quite often. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter has even said the Rams will be trading the pick and he is almost always accurate in his reporting.)

What does this mean for our Vikings? Well, it means that we can have whoever our little hearts desire (that is, as long as their name doesn’t end in “Luck” or roman numerals). Moreover, it means Matt Kalil will almost definitely be in purple next year, protecting quarterback Christian Ponder’s blindside from Lions, Packers and Bears for many years to come. As we reported a couple days ago, Kalil had a good showing this past weekend at the combine and solidified his status as the best offensive tackle in this year’s draft class.

While they are unlikely, here are some other directions the Vikings could take on draft day now that we know what will be happening with the #2 pick.

  1. Trade the pick. (Very unlikely, though.. After Griffin, there really isn’t anyone good enough to trade up to the #3 spot for. But, who knows? Anything’s possible.)
  2. Select wide receiver Justin Blackmon.
  3. Select cornerback Morris Claiborne.
  4. Surprise (infuriate) everyone and do something completely unexpected.

A lot can happen in the next 58 days leading up to the draft and free agency will undoubtedly affect the Vikings draft strategy. But, with every passing day, it seems more and more likely that the Vikings will finally address a need that the team seemingly has had forever with Matt Kalil. Eventually, we’ll move past the third pick and begin to speculate more heavily about what the Vikings will do in the rest of the draft.

Stephen Hill: Future Viking?

February 27, 2012, by 3 comments
Stephen Hill - WR, Georgia Tech

Today, the 2012 NFL Combine featured Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin. Yeah, there were some other guys there, too. You know, those other quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs (whatever those guys do in this “passing league”). Primarily, though, it was just a love fest for Luck and Griffin – this year’s two top quarterback prospects. Griffin wowed everyone with his great 40 time and athleticism. Luck wowed everyone with his great 40 time and athleticism. There was another guy though that managed to break into the spotlight meant solely Luck and Griffin. Someone who could very likely still be on the board when the Vikings have their second pick in the second round – Stephen Hill, a wide receiver out of Georgia Tech.

Stephen Hill, at 6’4”, 215 lbs., ran a blazing [official] 4.36 in the 40 yard dash today at the combine, very likely making him one of the most legitimate deep threat wide outs in this draft class. Hill averaged 29.3 yards per reception this year (more than any other receiver in college football) for a total of 820 yards. He has long arms, a huge catch radius and consistently blows by coverages on deep routes. Hill is also an above average blocker who comes from an offense that requires that skill set.

Sound like something the Vikings may need? I think so. Continue reading as we look a little closer at Hill.

Continue Reading →

Poll Of The Week: Should The Vikings Go After Moss?

February 14, 2012, by 10 comments

Yesterday, news broke that the freak wants to play, and it’s likely he will end up playing somewhere in 2012. The question we pose to you all this week, though, is whether or not that somewhere should be Minnesota? One of the Vikings biggest positions of need this offseason is wide receiver and it’s very likely the team will pursue one in either free agency or the draft. Should the Vikings go after Moss? It would be the third time Moss plays for the Vikings (after a historic first attempt and a largely unsuccessful second attempt).

Participate in the poll below and then, if you’d like, expand on your reasoning in the comments.

Poll Of The Week: Least Likely To Make Hall Of Fame

February 7, 2012, by 2 comments

Originally for this week’s poll, I wanted to see who everyone thought the next Viking to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame would be. After thinking about it a while though, it seemed pretty likely that Cris Carter (who was recently snubbed entry into the Hall of Fame) would easily receive the most votes.

So instead, I thought it would be a little more interesting to list some of the more popular Vikings greats, who currently aren’t in the Hall of Fame, and see everyone’s opinion on who is least likely to ever make it in.

I didn’t provide an “Other” option because of the simple fact that there are many great Vikings who will never get in to the Hall. But, if you are absolutely convinced I missed someone, you’re more than welcome to elaborate in the comments!

Alright, have at it!

 

Doleman Honored, Carter And Allen Robbed

February 5, 2012, by 7 comments
Vikings Defensive End Chris Doleman

A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. I told some of our regular visitors on Vikings Territory that I would write about my experience and report back at how amazing it all was. Unfortunately, it was during holiday season, I was visiting family, stuff came up and I just never got around to it.

Needless to say, the Hall of Fame was incredible.

Being surrounded by so much history and the legacies of so many football greats was really humbling and enriched my appreciation for the great sport of football. As an avid Vikings fan, upon entering the actual hall itself, I immediately began scouring the walls for all the Minnesota greats. Fran Tarkenton, Bud Grant, Alan Page, John Randle… I saw all of them. And while I am not lucky enough to have experienced watching [most] them while they were still playing, I stood in front of each – paying my respects.

You can’t help but be bothered by it, though. You know what I’m talking about… Vikings fans know what I’m talking about. How in the world is Cris Carter not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? How is Chris Doleman not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Well yesterday, one of those questions was addressed while the other went unanswered. Chris Doleman, Vikings defensive end great,  has officially been announced as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012. He will be accompanied by center Dermontti Dawson, defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, running back Curtis Martin, cornerback Jack Butler and offensive tackle Willie Roaf (notice the name “Cris Carter” is nowhere to be found in that list).

Obviously, it is awesome that Chris Doleman is receiving such a great honor. Unfortunately (at least for me anyway), the disappointment of Cris Carter being overlooked again dampers the occasion a bit. I’m sure Carter will end up in the Hall of Fame eventually – it would be an outrage if he somehow didn’t. But one has to wonder, why hasn’t it happened yet? Carter is undeniably one of the NFL’s greatest receivers of all-time. Only Jerry Rice has surpassed him in career receiving yards. Carter was never able to win a championship, but that isn’t really a reflection of his greatness. Isn’t being granted entrance into the Hall of Fame an acknowledgement of personal achievement (not to suggest that the team doesn’t matter… but you know what I mean)?

I would love to hear the reasoning behind Cris Carter being snubbed entry… again.

And guess what? It doesn’t end there…

Jared Allen, the man who fell short a half a sack behind breaking New York Giants Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record with 22 sacks, was not selected as the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. Instead, the Ravens Terrell Suggs, who totaled 14 sacks on the year, was bestowed the honor; leaving another Vikings player high-and-dry. Obviously, I’m biased here, but when comparing the stats of these two players, it seems obvious to me that Allen had the better year. Unfortunately, these awards for individual achievement tend to be majorly influenced by how well their team did – a category Allen did not fare well in.

How do you all feel? Is there any justification for Carter being denied (again) entry into the Hall of Fame? Did Suggs deserve the Defensive MVP award more then Jared Allen? Try and be objective (if you can – it’s tough) and tell us what you think in the comments.