Free Agency

Murphy Was A Wanted Man

May 17, 2012, by 5 comments

The Vikings have made some fairly low level moves over the last few days, and the most intriguing is their decision to claim Harvard offensive lineman Kevin Murphy, which we mentioned yesterday.

Us fans are always on the lookout for training camp “sleepers” and signs point towards Murphy as a candidate to keep an eye on.  What signs?  Well, for starters, the Vikings weren’t the only team that wanted the young tackle after he was cut by the 49ers.

According to a Scout.com source, both the Detroit Lions and the Houston Texans put in a waiver claim on the 6’ 7” rookie.  So, it should at least be an encouraging sign that Rick Spielman wasn’t the only NFL G.M. that wanted this guy on the roster.

One of the most intriguing things about the remainder of this offseason will surely revolve around Spielman’s willingness to use his waiver priority (the Vikings are third) when other teams part ways with players.  Murphy is surely not the last guy that will join the Vikings via this route between now and the season opener.

Vikings Make A Pair Of Moves

May 16, 2012, by 1 comment

Rick Spielman continues to tool around with the bottom of his roster, hoping the depth moves will provide adequate competition in training camp.

On Tuesday, the team signed defensive end Nick Reed (24 years old) is 6’ 1” and 248 pounds.  He played in 16 games as a rookie in 2009 with the Seahawks where he totaled 17 tackles, a sack, two batted passes, and two fumble recoveries (one of which he returned for a touchdown).

Reed was out of the game in 2010 but returned last season and spent time with the Bears and the Bucs, having a minimal impact.  The Oregon product seems like a guy capable of turning some heads in camp, as he has been productive in the past, and fits the mold of the type of player Spielman is seeking out these days.

Harvard offensive tackle Kevin Murphy (22 years old) stands at a massive 6’ 7” and 295 pounds.  The 49ers picked him up as an undrafted free agent in April but they waived him earlier this week, and the Vikings claimed him off of waivers.

Murphy is likely not the last time the Vikings utilize the waiver system in an attempt to upgrade their roster.  Remember, they get the third priority because of their 3-13 record in 2011, so only the Colts and the Rams will have a higher priority.

The Vikings waived offensive lineman Jose Valdez and another yet-to-be-named player to keep their roster size at 90.  As soon as we know the other player that was waived, we will be sure to pass that along.

[UPDATE:  It turns out that the second player cut was defensive end Kevin Cyrille who signed with the team in April as an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic.]

Vikes Pick Up A CFL First Rounder

May 14, 2012, by 3 comments

The CFL Draft doesn’t generate a ton of buzz for those of us that prefer real football the NFL, but just like in any sport, teams make significant investments into their roster during the Draft and hope to see them pay off.

The Toronto Argonauts made quite the investment when they traded their second and fifth round picks with Saskatchewan to move up into the first round and grab Tulsa guard Tyler Holmes.  Holmes never played in the CFL, however, as he returned to Tulsa for his senior season.

He may never play in Canada.

On Monday, the Vikings waived wide receiver Kris Adams to make room for Holmes who had been there on a tryout basis. 

Holmes has nice size at 6’ 5” and 308 pounds and was named a Conference USA honorable mention last season.  He figures to be best suited for zone blocking assignments and questions about his strength led to him being undrafted.

He was a starter in all four seasons at Tulsa.

Links Of The Weekend: Stadium Euphoria

May 12, 2012, by 2 comments

Well, we all know what topic has dominated Vikings news this week, and we’ll get back to assessing the ongoing roster transformation soon, but in the meantime let’s highlight some of best articles available right now.  Most are stadium related, but I tried to find a good mix.

McIntosh Can Only Help

May 8, 2012, by No comments yet

Wouldn’t it be fun to have a linebacker named Rocky on the roster?

Yeah, I agree.

On Tuesday, reports surfaced that the Vikings brought in veteran linebacker Rocky McIntosh for a workout.  McIntosh could end up joining seventh round pick Audie Cole, CFL standout Solomon Elimimian, and undrafted rookie Tyler Nielson in Rick Spielman’s effort to solidify the linebacker depth.

McIntosh is 29 years old and played all six of his NFL seasons with the Redskins.  He has racked up 471 tackles, eight sacks, eight forced fumbles, and three interceptions.  Last year, in Washington’s 3-4 defense, McIntosh saw his production slip off and he lost his starting spot.

McIntosh could provide solid depth at every linebacker spot and also be a solid special teams contributor.  Don’t be surprised if McIntosh is offered a one-year (you guessed it) “prove it” deal by Rick Spielman.

Can The Roster Continue To Improve?

April 29, 2012, by 18 comments

No fan or analyst is going to agree 100% with every move made in the NFL Draft in any given year, but this year has certainly left Vikings fans feeling better than they have in recent years.

The Vikings theoretically took big strides in improving their secondary, added a key piece to the offensive line, and should have an interesting competition amongst their receivers.  Still, it is tough to believe that the Draft, combined with the few free agent moves made earlier this offseason, will be enough to turn a 3-13 roster into a playoff contender.

Rick Spielman’s patience in the initial stages of free agency, however, could pay off in the months between now and September.  The team is believed to have $12.5 million in cap space after the Jerome Simpson signing, which is a considerable sum and gives them some firepower if a player that intrigues them becomes available as a result of being a cap casualty.

It is quite possible that this was Rick Spielman’s plan all along, to leave enough space to be major free agency players later on in the offseason when there is a great potential for steals.

Increasing the potential for success in this area is the fact that the Vikings will have third priority for players that are released from their current teams and subject to the waiver process.  Only the Colts and the Rams will have higher priority, and neither of them have the cap space available that the Vikings do.  In fact, the Rams may only have enough space left to sign their rookie class and that is it.

Names like Jacoby Jones, Mike Jenkins, and Josh Brown have already been mentioned in regards to potentially hitting the open market and many more are sure to follow.

The Vikings may be in an ideal situation to scoop up one or two players of value in an attempt to further rebuild this roster from top to bottom.

UDFA Coleman Overcame Adversity On Road To NFL

April 29, 2012, by 11 comments

It never fails, every year somebody is added to this roster that has an incredible story worth telling.

This year, that guy is UCLA’s running back Derrick Coleman who has had to overcome an unusual disability on his way to the NFL.

Coleman, who reportedly signed as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings, has a severe hearing impediment and has to wear hearing aids in order to communicate with teammates on the field.  He has to wear skull caps under his helmet in order to keep the hearing aids dry and properly in place.

It hasn’t always been a disadvantage, though, as Coleman admits that in one particularly loud stadium he simply clicked the hearing aids off.  I bet offensive linemen wish they could do that from time to time to avoid false starts.

The lack of hearing heightens Coleman’s other senses, according to Coleman, who will read the lips of those trying to communicate to him.

“My dad always said: Keep your head on a swivel and be aware of your surroundings,” Coleman said. “So that’s how I am on the field. I always have to know what’s happening everywhere. You should anyway. You’re supposed to know what’s happening.”

“I’m not the type of person who is ever going to blame it on my hearing if I mess up,” he said. “Maybe I have too much pride because even if I don’t hear it, I might just say I got it wrong, rather than blame it on my hearing, you know?”

It sounds like Coleman is a fairly incredible kid worthy of a chance to keep on playing running back.

For more on Coleman’s story, click here for a great write up.