Rumors

Much Ado About Something?

February 29, 2012, by No comments yet

Wednesday was a sllllow news day.

Thursday might be the opposite.

Reports emerged via KFAN that the Vikings, the City of Minneapolis, and the State of Minnesota are close to reaching an agreement which would formulate a bill to be presented to legislature.  It is expected that the various parties involved are working late into Wednesday night and an announcement will be made on Thursday.

In fact, a press conference has already been scheduled at the Capitol at 9:00 a.m. Central Lutefisk Time.

According to KFAN’s report, the bill proposes a stadium built adjacent to the existing Metrodome and lays out a three to four year construction timeline.  The Vikings would have to play on season at TCF Bank Stadium under this plan.

The total cost of the project is expected to be about $975 million with the Vikings organization taking on half of those costs and half of the operating costs.  At this point, no details are known about how the public funds portion of this bill is set up.

Don’t get too excited, as the legislature still has to, you know, vote and stuff.

This still has a ways to go.

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.

Top 25 Free Agency Targets

February 29, 2012, by 5 comments

Gregg Rosenthal of Pro Football Talk managed to create a minor stir amongst Vikings fans on Monday when he tweeted a rumor he had heard at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

“Heard at Combine the Vikings are in mix for a few of biggest FA names,” read Rosenthal’s tweet.  “Ready to spend. Bucs as well.”

Fans should probably reign in their expectations a little as the Vikings don’t have a ton of spending power, especially when being compared to Tampa Bay, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we start to see quite a bit of action on March 13th.

So, I decided to dust off my old free agency rankings and make another list of who I think should be the Vikings top targets.  The list takes everything into consideration including salary range, age, talent level, scheme, likelihood of actually hitting the open market, and so on.

Read more after the jump.

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McNabb To Ponder Meant Expanded Playbook

February 28, 2012, by 1 comment

Donovan McNabb has been all over the place recently in an effort to defend his reputation, ask for teams to give him a chance to compete, and to possibly develop a career as an analyst.

McNabb recently admitted that the negativity that has followed him in recent years is something he takes personally.  He says that is only him being a human.

Meanwhile, he has gone to great lengths to try and dispel reports that his conditioning and work ethic are not where they need to be for a starting NFL quarterback.

“There are always going to be haters out there,” McNabb stated.

He went on to argue that all one would have to do is ask his former coaches and teammates about his work ethic and they would learn the truth.  Leslie Frazier did the right thing by speaking highly of the veteran following his release by the Vikings.

Still, it is hard to imagine these issues didn’t factor into his early demise in Minnesota, and one unnamed Vikings player pretty much confirms that for us with a quote given to Viking Update.

“Not to say anything on McNabb, but from when (Ponder took) over, the expansion our playbook that they were able to add just because of his knowledge and him being able to take so much in at once and being able to turn it onto the field – he’s one of the smartest guys.”

This player doesn’t exactly rip on McNabb directly, but the idea that a rookie hindered by the NFL’s lockout was able to grasp Bill Musgrave’s offense better than a supposedly savvy veteran is ridiculous.

Or at least it was ridiculous… prior to 2011.

Some Names Surface

February 27, 2012, by 2 comments

Just like at the Senior Bowl, the Vikings are going to use the NFL Scouting Combine as an opportunity to meet and interview as many of the prospects as possible.  While we will probably never know the entire list of whom they have met with, a few have been uncovered and I’ll discuss them here.

Chris Rainey, RB, Florida

The Vikings reportedly interviewed the speedy pass catching back this weekend at some point.  It really shouldn’t be too much of a surprise as his skill set matches up exactly with the type of third down scat back the Vikings offense has been missing for years now.  I singled out Rainey in my Offseason Preview of running backs as a potential target for the Vikings in the later rounds of the Draft.

Rainey did not have a great showing in Indianapolis as his 4.37 second dash was less impressive than anticipated and he dropped a number of passes during the drills portion.  He has an injury history combined with some off the field issues that could keep him from being drafted at all.  Still, outside of Percy Harvin, this Vikings offense lacks breakaway speed and Rainey could bring a homerun potential from the backfield, out of the slot position, or even in the return game.  He might be worth a late round flier if the Vikings liked what they saw in his interview.

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REPORT: Bowe To Get The Tag

February 26, 2012, by No comments yet

Those of you that had Dwayne Bowe atop your offseason wish lists may want to adjust accordingly.  Those of you that wanted Brandon Carr to join the secondary, your plan may still be viable.

According to multiple reports, the Kansas City Chiefs plan to use their franchise tag on the talented receiver which could, combined with the acquisition of Stanford Routt, be a signal that cornerback Brandon Carr will hit the open market.

Carr seems like a natural fit for Minnesota’s defense, as we have previously discussed, but he is likely to join any new team under a huge, new contract.  The Cowboys are rumored to like Carr’s skill set, and we all know that few people can drive up the price of a free agent like Jerry Jones can.

OFFSEASON PREVIEW: Last Line Of Defense

February 26, 2012, by No comments yet
Abdullah

[NOTE FROM ADAM:  This is the second-to-last installation of my position-by-position breakdown of the Vikings offseason.  The specialists will be the final segment, coming up soon.  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, and The Cornerbacks.]

Members of the Vikings coaching staff and front office have made a habit of defending their safeties as fans and the media often pick on them for a lack of production.

This offseason, however, the team faces a crossroads at the position and we will find out just how much they really think of their current group of safeties. 

Let’s take a closer look.

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