NFL Draft 2012

Links Of The Week: Bounty Hunter Edition

March 2, 2012, by No comments yet

Normally I try to do this feature on Wednesdays.  On Wednesday there wasn’t enough news floating around to make it worth.

Something changed.

I can’t remember what exactly that was.

But if you give me $10,000 I might suddenly be able to recall.

Could The Bengals Be A Potential Trade Partner?

March 2, 2012, by 7 comments

It is pretty likely that the St. Louis Rams will end up selling the second pick of the 2012 NFL Draft to the highest bidder. There are multiple teams out there that are willing to pay for him… and I imagine they are willing to pay a lot. For this reason, over the past few days, there have been various articles claiming that the Vikings win over the Redskins in late December may have been the costliest in Vikings history because it moved the Rams up to the number 2 spot (as well as caused a major injury to Adrian Peterson). There have also been articles claiming that the Vikings won’t likely have many interested in trading with them at the third spot if RGIII is off the board.

While I would agree that if Griffin is taken with the #2 pick (which is very likely) there will be less interest in the third pick, I do believe that there is still opportunity for a trade to happen. And here’s a good reason/example:

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Community Mock: Day One

March 2, 2012, by 4 comments

For the next 32 days (give or take) I want to take Vikings Territory on a journey through the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft by allowing you to vote on each pick on a day-by-day basis.  The picks will be decided by who gets the majority of the votes and the results will be posted here, updated daily.

In the “analysis” section of the grid I will pick a comment that I feel best describes the rationale behind the choice, so be sure to leave a comment stating your reasoning.

Today, we will start you off with an easy one, as the Colts are on the clock with the first overall pick.


By Beating The Redskins, Vikings Lost To The Rams

March 1, 2012, by No comments yet

Prior to a number of late-season games in 2011, fans of this blog and countless others argued passionately about whether or not it was acceptable to root for their team to lose in an effort to secure better Draft position.

Both sides made good arguments, and now Minnesota’s local media is going nuts for a topic they refused to touch back in December.

Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press says that the Christmas victory over Washington “cost Vikings dearly.”  Dan Wiederer of Access Vikings calls it the win the “costliest in Vikings’ history.”

With reports surfacing that indicate the St. Louis Rams could be on the verge of striking a Herschel-type deal that lands them multiple high Draft picks, and possibly some talented players, it is hard to argue that the Vikings would rather have the second overall pick than the third.

Oh, and don’t forget, that was the game in which Adrian Peterson suffered his devastating knee injury.

These writers aren’t throwing blame at anyone (Joe the Draft Killer!), and are simply pointing out the obvious, but I still find it difficult to sign off on the throwing of an NFL game just to enhance their Draft position.  Besides, the Vikings are still in pretty good position, and may soon find themselves in an even better one.

It is tough, however, to think of any win in Vikings history that led to the team losing so much.

Vikings On Deck? A Good Scenario

February 29, 2012, by 1 comment

It seems to be all but a done deal that the two Draft selections in front of the Vikings will be used on quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, in that order.  That essentially leaves the Vikings with the options of selecting left tackle Matt Kalil, selecting cornerback Morris Claiborne, selecting wide receiver Justin Blackmon, or trading down for a healthy ransom.

Rumors are flying around right now that the Rams could trade that number two pick well before April’s Draft, however, which could put the Vikings next in line to entertain substantial offers for the third overall selection.

And those rumors of an early trade might just have some weight behind them.

Think about it.  The value of the number two overall selection, which gives a team the right to presumably draft Griffin, may never be higher than it is right now and the Rams reportedly have a large number of suitors.

If they wait, however, then some of those suitors will likely drop out of the running as they fill their quarterback needs elsewhere.  Fewer suitors means a smaller audience for the auction, which could mean a lesser deal.

Let’s say, for example, that Miami signs Peyton Manning.  They are now out of the auction.  What if the Browns or Redskins sign Matt Flynn?  The Niners could re-commit to Alex Smith.  What if the Seahawks decided they wanted to roll with Jason Campbell?  What if one or more of those teams decide they like Ryan Tannehill and choose to wait it out for Draft Day and see how things unfold?

The Rams may never again have as many bidders as they do right now, following an amusement park ride of hype at the NFL Combine, and they may opt to strike a deal while the iron is hot. 

I would… if I were them.

If, and it is admittedly a big if, things unfold early with the Rams trade options, it could put the Vikings in the driver’s seat for the remainder of the Draft.  In fact, they may be able to hold an auction of their own for Tannehill if enough teams feel like he can be a franchise quarterback (we’ve seen lesser quarterbacks rise faster than that).

Or it could simply be a matter of testing the waters and seeing what price team’s might be willing to pay for a chance to snag Kalil, Blackmon, or Claiborne.

Being in the driver’s seat is exactly where the Vikings would ideally be sitting, so pay close attention to the drama surrounding the number two pick, as it might just define this Vikings Draft.

OFFSEASON PREVIEW: The Specialists

February 29, 2012, by 3 comments

[NOTE FROM ADAM:  This is the final installation of my position-by-position breakdown of the Vikings offseason.  You can click the links to view previous installments:  The Passers, The Runners, The Wide Outs, The Tight Ends, The Offensive Line, The Defensive Tackles, The Defensive Ends, The Linebackers, The Cornerbacks, and The Safeties.]

This is the shortest and quickest of my Offseason Preview because I really only focus on three roster spots.  That isn’t to say that long snapper, kicker, and punter aren’t important positions… there just isn’t a whole lot to talk about here.

In fact, I will keep this really short.  So short, I won’t even add the little “read more” tab that takes you to a new page.

Long snapper Cullen Loeffler signed a four year extension on October 7th and then a crack back block cracked his back in November and he landed on injured reserve.  Matt Katula was signed to replace him on special teams but was awful.  Loeffler’s surgery on his back is said to have gone well, and he will be back in plenty of time for the regular season.  Katula is set to become an unrestricted free agent and is highly unlikely to get a job in Minnesota again.  The Vikings may, however, decide to sign a long snapper to join them in Mankato after evaluating Loeffler’s health in August and to make sure he stays rested.

Punter Chris Kluwe had an average length per punt of 45.7 yards which was 19th in the NFL.  His net average on those punts (i.e. where the ball was downed) was only 38 yards per attempt which dropped him down to 26th in the NFL, but blown assignments on the coverage team accounts for plenty of that yardage.  He placed 22 punts inside the 20 yard line, which ranks 19th in the NFL, and 19 of his punts were fair caught which is good for a ranking of 12th.  Despite ineptitude on offense, Kluwe only punted 77 times in 2011 which was 16th among all NFL punters.

Overall, Kluwe was getting decent hang time and distance on his punts for another season, and will almost certainly be back for 2012.  He is entering the sixth year of his seven year contract and will earn $1.3 million.  The team has way too many pressing needs to mess around with the punter position, so the social media tycoon will be back at it.  He is also a pretty decent holder on place kicks.

Rick Spielman has not made it any secret that he wants this roster to get younger.  Those looking at the roster with a reasonable amount of logic expect them to trim some fat by cutting or restructuring expensive veterans.  Ryan Longwell’s production at kicker dropped way off in 2011.  So why isn’t his name being thrown around as somebody who might be on the chopping block?

Last offseason the Vikings inexplicably committed (this didn’t come out until later in the season) $12 million over four years to a 37 year old kicker that was clearly losing leg strength.  $3.5 million of that contract is guaranteed.

Longwell had a kickoff average of 64.8 yards (21st in the NFL), managed a career high 19 touchbacks (23rd) thanks to the NFL rule change on kickoff position, and attempted only one onside kick which failed.

Longwell was given the contract extension mainly because he was the league’s most accurate field goal kicker over the previous two years, but that was not the case in 2011.  He made only 79% of his field goals (26th in the NFL), was two for three from beyond 50 yards, and even missed on an extra point.

Partly due to reputation and partly due to his contract, I do think Longwell will be back, but the Vikings shouldn’t keep themselves closed off from other options.  Connor Barth (age 26), Matt Prater (28), and Josh Scobee (30) would all represent younger options with stronger legs should they become unrestricted free agents.  Also, with the Vikings expecting to have a bunch of late round picks, a guy like Blair Walsh of Georgia or Randy Bullock of Texas A&M might fit right in with the Vikings long term rebuilding plans.

In the end, however, I suspect we will see zero turnover in these three positions.  Expect Cullen Loeffler, Chris Kluwe, and Ryan Longwell to be your specialists once again in 2012.

Marking The End Of The Combine

February 29, 2012, by 4 comments

Well, the NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone already and, with February dragging on one day longer than normal, we are almost into the month of free agency.

While the Combine seldom produces huge impacts on the draft stocks of individual players, it does play a part in confirming certain skills or attributes of a prospect.  So, naturally, it is time to dust off my nearly month-old mock draft and give it a new coat of paint.

You can view the latest version of my 2012 mock draft by clicking here.

I have yet to venture into the second round.  However, the Vikings are scheduled to make a selection three picks after the first round ends.  So, if the Draft plays out like my mock predicts, which prospect do you think the Vikings are most likely to target in the second round?  Let me know in the comments section.