Opinion

Links Of The Week: April Begins

April 5, 2012, by 1 comment

Draft month is finally here, and while we have to wait until the end of the month for the actual Draft to get here there is plenty of reading to do between now and then.

Here are some hand-picked selections:

  • Rob Gronkowski beat out Jared Allen in the latest round of fan voting that will put one player on the cover of the new Madden video game.
  • Brett is one of a few guys representing the Vikings in this live mock Draft that has the Vikings getting Matt Kalil and also trading back into the first round to nab another prospect.
  • An examination of the Vikings reported interest in Bill Parcells.
  • Looking for a way to do some good today?  Consider this.
  • Interesting grading system for the Vikings past few Draft classes.
  • A new rule in the NFL was influenced by our favorite team.
  • The Viking fan base would love to finally see a big signing, but are there any options left?
  • One NFC North team has had a very bad week, which includes an arrest of a player that some (me) wanted the Vikings to draft last year.
  • The signing of Chris Carr represents value and low risk, but could also have Draft implications.
  • A humorous look at the Vikings offseason so far.  Funny, sad, possibly true.
  • Superstitious?  Then here are some reasons to be glad about Jared Allen’s exit from the Madden race.
  • One obstacle was hurdled a while back that could help the Vikings stadium effort.
  • A comprehensive list of prospects known to have visited with the Vikings as the Draft approaches.
  • A “Vikings Mock Draft” that makes selections for every scheduled pick.
  • Chris Carr brings more competition to this Vikings secondary, which is becoming a trend.
  • Some ownership insight into the relationship between Rick Spielman and Leslie Frazier.
  • Mel Kiper is a well regarded media draftnik, so here is a look at who he sees the Vikings targeting in the upcoming Draft.
  • There continues to be plenty of action centering around the Vikings stadium battle, but little progress seems to have been made.
  • The still-existing possibility of the Vikings trading out of the three spot is keeping speculation interesting.
  • Ryan Tannehill’s pro day was a success, which could give the Vikings some serious trade leverage on Draft Day.
  • There is the potential for the Vikings to have not one but two sets of brothers on their team, but can they afford it?
  • The Vikings hosted their “Top 30” prospects this week and a number of blue chip players were invited.
  • Percy Harvin is scheduled to have minor surgery on Tuesday.
  • Like me, Ben Leber is perplexed about why the linebackers are having to wait during this free agency period.
  • Want your Vikings Territory friends to see your own mock draft?  Here is a great place to put it.
  • And now, here it is, your moment of Zen:

Reports Fly Regarding Vikings Interest In Parcells

April 4, 2012, by 6 comments

Thanks to a report from the New York Post, the Vikings and Saints are once again intertwined in one of the bigger headlines dominating the news.

The report claims that the Vikings currently want Bill Parcells to run their football team, a dot that was connected by Vikings fans months ago since it is well known that owner Zygi Wilf was a long-time Giants fan prior to owning his own team.

The news was a bit shocking but it didn’t take long for our local beat writers to step up and provide some clarity.

According to Tom Pelissero, yes, the Vikings expressed interest in Parcells to run their football team.  No, that did not happen recently.

Instead, the Vikings approached Parcells prior to hiring Rick Spielman as their General Manager and recommitting to Leslie Frazier as their Head Coach.  The Vikings say that the original report’s suggestion that the Wilf’s told Parcells to “name his price” is erroneous. 

“There is no truth to the media reports,” said public relations director Bob Hagan.

It is fairly evident that Parcells is simply trying to gain some leverage as the New Orleans Saints try to woo him out of retirement as a one-year replacement for the suspended Sean Payton.  After all, this is a terrible time of the year for any head coach or G.M. candidate to try and negotiate a contract.

The news, however, that the Vikings did indeed pursue Parcells prior to promoting Rick Spielman and keeping Leslie Frazier should only increase the pressure applied to their job performances.  The previous appearance that the Wilf family simply promoted from within without looking outside the organization is now dead, and they may be willing to look outside Winter Park once again should the Vikings continue to occupy the last place seat in the NFC North.

Claiborne’s Red Flags Are Piling Up

April 3, 2012, by 7 comments

Over the last month or so Vikings G.M. Rick Spielman has used the media to suggest he is open to taking LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne with the third overall selection.

That notion has flown in the face of what almost every draftnik in the world thinks they will do: select USC left tackle Matt Kalil.

It may never be truly known whether or not Spielman’s professed love for Claiborne was a smokescreen or just him telling the truth (my money is on the former), but as we draw nearer to the NFL Draft it is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine Claiborne being the selection.

Two red flags have recently popped up that should prevent the Vikings from taking the risk at the three spot. 

First, at his Pro Day, it was revealed that Claiborne’s career in the NFL will start with a surgery.  A torn ligament in his left wrist needs to be repaired and it should give teams pause when considering the young corner.  However, Claiborne did continue to play through the injury in college, so maybe some teams will view his toughness as a plus that outweighs the negative that is the injury itself.  At third overall, however, it’d be a tough sell to select a player that immediately has medical questions.

Second, reports have emerged today that Claiborne bombed the Wonderlic Test with a shockingly low score of 4 (out of 50).  The weight scouts should put into Wonderlic scores, and the validity of the reports themselves, can be questioned and argued.  However, this information cannot be ignored by any front office.

So, while Morris Claiborne has accumulated a pair of troubling headlines over the last month, Kalil continues to be regarded as one of the safest selections in the upcoming Draft.

On Tuesday, offensive line coach Jeff Davidson was asked if he thought Kalil had a ceiling in the NFL.

“Do I think he has a ceiling? No,” he said in response.  “I think he’s a pretty good player. I’m going to leave it just at that.”

As I have been all offseason long, I am convinced the Vikings will select Kalil third overall if they stay put in that spot.

Bryan Walters Added To The Receiver Mix

April 2, 2012, by 1 comment

The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly added former Chargers receiver Bryan Walters to the mix, adding depth but still not solving their most pressing need of finding a true number one at the position.

Walters was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2010 by the Chargers.  He has since bounced back and forth from their practice squad, to their active roster, to the waiver wire, and back to the practice squad.  He was cut by the Chargers last month.

At 6’ 0” and 190 pounds, Walters played in four games last season catching three passes for 27 yards.

Walters will have an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, but will be a name to keep an eye on when the team heads to Mankato.

Links Of The Week: Draft Month Is Upon Us!

April 2, 2012, by 1 comment

Howdy, everybody. It’s been kind of slow as far as Vikings news goes the past couple days. Nevertheless, we wanted to supply everyone with some of our favorite articles of the week during this little dry spell. So, here we go:

First things first, Donovan McNabb is hilarious. First he proclaims that Robert Griffin III isn’t going to work out in Washington. Now, in response to the declaration that Tim Tebow is the most criticized quarterback in the NFL, McNabb vehemently insisted that, in fact, he [himself] is.

Chris Kluwe is getting his #5 jersey back.

Rick Spielman recently did a pretty lengthy, insightful interview with PFT Live. Check it out.

And then, for some analysis on Spielman’s various interviews and smokescreens, the Vikings Age has a nice little article wondering if Spielman maybe tipped his hand on Kalil.

Could someone really want to come up and take the Vikings #3 spot for Ryan Tannehill?! Some believe it is quite possible.

There were some rule changes decided upon at the recent Owner’s meeting. Still no 18 game season, though.

Ugh… Is this stadium issue ever going to end? I know you have heard it before, but it seems like it is closer than ever with things supposedly ramping up this week in the House of Representatives.

Check out who the Vikings have scheduled private workouts with so far. What, no receivers?

Much like we did a few days ago, The Vikings Age have put together their own report card of sorts for how the Vikings (and Spielman) have done so far this offseason.

I’m going to miss Visanthe on this team. Here’s a short video of him recently signing autographs for fans (a goodbye of sorts) and answering a few questions (including how he feels about Darren Sharper and the bounty scandal, if he “Twitters from the throne”, and more).

Now that we are officially in draft month, check out the most recent Mock Draft of Walter Football. It includes five full rounds so you can see more than the [inevitable] Kalil selection.

And finally, an official announcement: Vikings Territory will be participants in the best community Mock Draft on the internet right now representing the Minnesota Vikings along with two other “GMs”. You can check out the previous mocks (we’ll be #MockThree) at the #MockOne website. We’ll have more info and details on this as it starts up.

 

Jared Allen Advances In Madden Cover Contest

March 30, 2012, by 7 comments

A couple days ago, Jared Allen beat Cowboy Demarcus Ware in the first round of the EA Madden Cover Vote Contest. For those that aren’t familiar, every year (or for the last couple years at least), ESPN hosts a contest to see who will get to be on the cover of that year’s Madden game. Stud players across the NFL are pitted against each other in a bracket-style tournament. This week, Allen faces of against New England tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Now, I should say that I am not a superstitious person. Not in the slightest sense. But, when going through the different matches and voting for who I think should win, I hesitate when I get to Jared Allen’s match-up. Do I really want to subject our all-pro defensive end to the “Madden Curse”? Do I really want to risk it?

You see, in my eyes, the Madden Curse isn’t a myth… It is real and it is scary. This article by Bleacher Report does a great job of outlining the history of the Madden Curse and it’s “victims.” I understand that it’s an invalid argument to suggest that simply being on the cover of a game could cause an injury or a drop in production… But still, there’s just part of me that is hesitant to risk it.

Head over to ESPN to cast your vote in the contest. Whether you vote for or against our favorite defensive end is entirely up to you!

Early Offseason Report Card

March 28, 2012, by 13 comments

Free agency took off like a rocket. We were all anxious for what the Vikings would do. After all, they had a good chunk of cap room available. There were also rumors floating around from the combine that the team was going to be very active. And, let’s face it; there weren’t any shortage of holes to fill.

But nothing happened on that first day. The Vikings were quiet… Eerily quiet. Fans were not. Almost immediately, people were calling for Spielman’s head. How could he not acquire Vincent Jackson. How could he not get Pierre Garcon? How could we just sit on so much money when there so many voids to fill in this team to make it a contender again?

Finally, the Vikings started making some moves. Now, that’s not to say fans pulled back and gave Spielman some breathing room. The acquisitions were questionable… Questionable players signed to deals for amounts that were somewhat puzzling to most fans. We were signing people who were injured (and hadn’t played in a year), fullbacks, and… point guards.

While the offseason is far from over, two weeks in, we now have a fair amount of information to look at and develop more comprehensive opinions on how the team has done. What I wanted to do here is recap what the Vikings have done so far this offseason while giving my personal opinion of each move and an overall grade. If you’re ready (it’s long!), continue reading by clicking the button below.

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