Rumors

Schwartz Continues Tour, Other Monday Notes

March 20, 2012, by No comments yet

I apologize for being absent most of Monday, but luckily for me it turned out to be a pretty slow day.  Let’s take a look at what did happen:

Abdullah Has An Offer:  Apparently the Vikings have made an offer to safety Husain Abdullah and he is “mulling it over.”  Abdullah has been a serviceable option at safety the last two years, but has struggled with concussions, and could be a possible starter into the future, as well.

Schwartz To Visit Niners:  “Awesome Visit with the Vikings!” tweeted offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz on Monday.  Schwartz left Minnesota without a contract but the Vikings knew that was the plan all along.  He has visits set up with the Chiefs and the 49ers over the next couple of days and Schwartz plans to honor those commitments.  “Just doing my due diligence,” Schwartz tweeted, and one can’t blame him for that.

Felton To Visit:  Fullback Jerome Felton is set to visit the Vikings on Tuesday, despite the recent signing of Lex Hilliard, not to mention the presence of Ryan D’Imerio and Matt Asiata at the position.  Felton was a fifth round pick by the Lions in 2008 and has also spent time with the Panthers and Colts.  The Vikings tried to claim Felton off of waivers last year, but the Panthers claimed him and had priority.  Felton is only 25 years old.

Pre-Draft Visit For Kirkpatrick:  The Vikings have a pre-Draft visit set up with Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick.  Kirkpatrick, known for his skill as a zone coverage player, and six foot two inches and widely regarded as the second best cornerback in this Draft class.  He would likely be a serious option if the Vikings were to trade backwards from the three spot.

More Claiborne Talk:  Bob Sansavere of the Pioneer Press discusses some first-hand conversations with General Manager Rick Spielman that could suggest he is serious about selecting LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne over USC left tackle Matt Kalil in April’s Draft.  More smokescreen?  You be the judge.

More Rumblings Regarding Vikings Third Overall Selection

March 18, 2012, by 11 comments

Whether by design or otherwise, the Vikings are suddenly in possession of the hottest pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

The third overall selection that the Vikings hold is suddenly the center of the most buzz.  There appears to possibly be a trade market growing for teams that think Ryan Tannehill could be a franchise quarterback.  Peter King mentioned it earlier in the week, and Matt Flynn’s signing in Seattle has seemingly left the Browns and the Dolphins out in the cold in regards to their quarterback situation.

I find it hard to believe that any team would be willing to select Tannehill third overall, let alone trade up to get him there, but stranger things have happened.

Also, I had previously passed along an article citing an unnamed source saying that the Vikings front office was somewhat split and the LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne could seriously be considered by the Vikings when they are on the clock.

The National Football Authority has a similar article today in which a source “close to the scouting ranks” who says the Vikings will indeed target Claiborne over tackle Matt Kalil and receiver Justin Blackmon.

Claiborne is a quality player worthy of consideration, but I find these unnamed sources stories hard to take seriously this time of year, as the Vikings or any other team could be sending out smokescreens for any number of reasons.

Regardless, the Vikings have successfully gone from “they will certainly take Kalil” to “they have lots of options” and that mystery can only help them in their quest to generate a trade partner in April.

Defensive Backs Not Visiting Winter Park

March 18, 2012, by 1 comment

Despite an NFL.com report saying that the Vikings would be playing host to free agent safety O.J. Atogwe, Jeremy Fowler of the Pioneer Press insists that no such visit is going to happen.  It appears that the report originated at the Detroit Lions official website, and Atogwe is actually going to visit them.

Also, despite rumors of interest, Fowler says the Vikings are not interested in pursuing former Cowboys defensive back Alan Ball.

Fowler also indicates that wide receivers Devin Aromshodu and Ted Ginn Jr. are names to keep an eye on in the coming days.

For more on Fowler’s free agency rumor notes, go ahead and click here.

What Does Fred Evans Signing Mean?

March 17, 2012, by 7 comments

Brett clued you all in on Friday that nose tackle Fred Evans re-upped with the Vikings on a two year contract.  Given that Evans plays the nose position, and the team also has Letroy Guion and Remi Ayodele in the fold, it seems like the Vikings suddenly have an abundance of nose tackles that have underperformed as of late.

The dollar amounts of the Evans deal are not yet know, but I have seen quite a few waves of speculation around the net, so I thought I would take a look at each one of them:

Kevin Williams is on the trading block:  I highly doubt there is much to this.  At least, if the Vikings planned on trading Williams, I don’t think the presence of Fred Evans would have an impact on that decision one way or the other.

Remi Ayodele is on his way out:  This could be possible.  Ayodele is paid much higher than his production warrants.  His assumed involvement in the Saints bounty scandal has made him the second most disliked Viking on the roster… after Chris Cook.

It Means Nothing:  It wouldn’t be a total shock if Evans took a very minimal deal to return to the Vikings and his presence means nothing more than that he will really have to battle during training camp to make this roster.

You Asked And I Try To Answer

March 17, 2012, by 5 comments

Friday evening I solicited questions from the audience and I will try to hit as many as I can in this segment.

A few of them were too silly to answer in this post, but I’ll try and match the silliness and reply to them in the comments section.

Here we go.

NORSEMAN66:  Is there going to be a live chat during the draft (each day)?

ADAM:  Yes!  Brett and I plan to host live chats here at VT for every selection of the 2012 NFL Draft and we are way excited!  Barring any last minute major changes, you can consider this a done deal.  One thing I might be interested in, though, is recruiting one or two of you to be a moderator during the chats to help out with the work load.  If you have interest, click the “Contact Us” tab at the very top of the page and let me know your availability that week.

BJOHNNY:  What are your thoughts on Speilman? Is he in over his head, clueless or a crafty genius?

ADAM:  Where is the “other” option, Johnny?  I think Spielman’s approach to free agency makes this year’s Draft even more important to him.  Building through the draft is regarded by almost everyone as the best way to put together a winning football team, but you still have to draft well to see those results.  Let’s wait and see how the Draft and the next few waves of free agency go (and maybe even a football game or two) before judging the approach too harshly.

Continue Reading →

Cook: “I Got A Job To Do”

March 16, 2012, by 2 comments

Late last night, I hesitantly posted a rumor about Chris Cook’s choice to “celebrate” his acquittal by visiting the strip club in which it all began.  I decided to do so, but also made it clear that it was a rumor only and I am glad I did.

Why?

Because those actions would fly in the face of what Cook said after his court hearing Thursday, so the rumor couldn’t possibly be true (slight sarcasm).

“I got a job to do. I missed 10 games. I got to make up for that,” Cook said outside the courtroom following his acquittal.

“I know it might take some time to earn the trust of the organization and the fans, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” he continued.

Cook described the ongoing legal matters as an “emotional rollercoaster” and it appears the Vikings will welcome him back soon, and probably insert the 25 year old into the starting lineup.

If, that is, he doesn’t get in trouble between now and then.

True Or Not, Here Is An Interesting One

March 15, 2012, by 6 comments

To be 110% clear, without question, clear as crystal, this should be filed away under the pure rumor category for now.

Matt Liddy, whose Twitter account pegs him as an executive producer for WCCO in Minnesota (which does appear to be true), has passed along this interesting rumor from a “source” late Thursday night:

 

Okay, have at it, folks.