Rumors

Draft Target: Jonathan Cooper

February 23, 2013, by 9 comments

We have already discussed the possibility of the Vikings upgrading the guard position via the NFL Draft or free agency, and noted that Chance Warmack is one of the better prospects at the position to come out in quite some time.

Not far behind Warmack, however, is North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper whose versatility gives him a fighting chance to actually be selected ahead of Warmack.  After all, some teams seem to place a very high value on versatility and Cooper’s ability to play three (or maybe even four) positions on the offensive line will only increase his probability of getting drafted early on day one.

Cooper recently put on some needed weight and checked into the NFL’s Scouting Combine at 6’ 2” and 311 pounds, which are both good measurements for him to have on file, as there were questions about his ability to play effectively in the NFL at his listed sub-300 weight.

North Carolina has benefitted from a great offensive line, led by Cooper, and a solid run game highlighted by Giovani Bernard.  Cooper has been a mainstay starter for the Tarheels his entire career, proving to be fairly durable with only three missed games on record.

From a scheme standpoint, the Vikings would be an excellent fit for the very athletic and agile Cooper, who is likely to excel as a pulling guard at the next level that is plenty capable of holding his own against the pass rush attack.  He would be that guy, much like Matt Kalil, that you see putting second-level blocks on linebackers on Adrian Peterson’s highlight reel of the week.

That athleticism was on display this weekend as Cooper had an excellent all-around Combine performance that should have solidified his status as a first round pick, possibly off the board before the Vikings make their first selection.

Don’t be surprised if the Vikings end up playing against Cooper twice a year, as this guy certainly must be on Chicago’s radar.

Spielman Indicates That He Is One Pick Shy

February 23, 2013, by 16 comments

I have long carried a banner that says “Accuracy By Volume” when it comes to my hopes for successful Vikings drafts.

When Rick Spielman was available to the press in Indianapolis he was asked a lot of questions that he essentially left unanswered.  He offered up nothing new regarding Percy Harvin’s status with the team.  He indicated very little when it comes to possibly restructuring the contracts of veteran players such as Jared Allen and Kevin Williams.  He didn’t say much at all that couldn’t have been predicted, almost verbatim, by anyone that even casually follows the NFL.

One thing he did say, however, perhaps offers a clue to solving the puzzle that is offseason speculation.

“I like picks,” Spielman said when asked about the possibility of trading down on Draft Day.  ”My goal is to always have 10, if I can have 10 picks.”

I found these two sentences to be more intriguing than all the others that he spoke combined.  Why?  Because that leaves Spielman one pick short of his goal, that’s why.

I consider this to be a sort of bat signal, an invitation to other teams, indicating the Minnesota Vikings are open for business.  It sounds to me like Spielman has every intention of adding one more pick this season, and it won’t come as a compensatory selection, and would likely prefer to get a jump start on stockpiling 2014 picks, as well.

There are a number of ways Spielman can attain his desired quantity of picks.  Trading down from the #23 spot would go a long ways towards meeting that goal, but so would trading players… good players… really good wide receivers that can also return kicks and line up as a running back, perhaps.

As the Pioneer Press managed to point out when they weren’t stalking Percy Harvin at his Florida home, the Vikings have selected 10 players in each of the last two drafts, and 18 of those 20 are still on the roster today.  Nine of them played as starters, or saw significant playing time, in 2012 and are expected to contribute even more next season.

This Draft class, as acknowledged by Spielman and plenty of others, is considered to be a very deep one with a record number of underclassmen available for the taking.  It may not be as top heavy as in years passed, but there are impact players expected to come off the board in all rounds, particularly in the offensive and defensive line groups.

Prior to the 2011 Draft, I indicated that Spielman has plenty of mistakes on record that resulted from ill-advised trades, but he has somewhat vindicated himself while enjoying more power and freedom during the Leslie Frazier era.

Spielman’s comments in Indianapolis should be considered fair warning, though, that he is aiming for three years straight of successful movement on Draft Weekend.

Which, of course, will make things a hell of a lot of fun.

Links of the Week: A Fresh Batch Of Stale News

February 21, 2013, by 7 comments

As a small blog, we try but struggle to “keep up with the Joneses” when it comes to reporting every little thing within moments of somebody saying or doing something newsworthy.  We just don’t have the resources that many of the bigger outlets have, so we try to make up for it with character.

This week, however, I can honestly say that it has been a really long time since I have been quite so disappointed with these larger newsies and beat writers.  They just keep on regurgitating old news, particularly about Percy Harvin, and half-assedly making it look like they are adding something new to the conversation.

They aren’t.

With that being said, some of this stale “news” is making it’s way into today’s Links segment, but we are trying to send you towards the best, more innovative stories that we can find:

  • For some reason Adrian Peterson would like to see Dwight Freeney join the Vikings.  Another high priced, aging defensive end anybody?
  • When it comes to Percy Harvin, Rick Spielman is saying the same exact thing he has been saying all along.  But, he said it again so, therefore, it is news.  Again.
  • At the Combine Spielman talked up a number of receiver prospects while tossing some light criticism towards Christian Ponder and Manti Te’o.
  • An examination of whether it should be Cris Carter or Randy Moss that is connsidered the best Vikings receiver of all time.
  • Mortenson Construction has been awarded the bid for construction of the Vikings new stadium.
  • This is officially going to be the last season the Minnesota Vikings play in the Metrodome.
  • Former Viking Husain Abdullah has signed with the Chiefs after a year off of football.
  • One of the better Harvin articles to be posted this week, without a doubt.
  • Ponder threw the deep ball less than any quarterback in 2012, but that can’t continue into next season.
  • Combine rumors are already making the rounds in Indy, and one of them is connecting quarterback Drew Stanton to the Vikings.  I was not kind to Stanton in my free agency rankings.
  • On offense, all eyes will be on the wide receivers during this week’s Combine for Vikings fans.
  • As already discussed, the Vikings are expected to be very healthy this offseason, despite a few surgeries being needed after 2012.
  • Spielman says he doesn’t plan to spend big during free agency again this year.
  • The Pioneer Press stooped to a new low by following Harvin to his Florida home, getting a “no comment” answer from him, and then acting like they broke the biggest story since Watergate.
  • The NFL released a tentative Draft order and the Vikings do now have nine picks, which was in question earlier this offseason.
  • And, here it is, your moment of Zen:

Spielman Talks About Manti Te’o

February 17, 2013, by 3 comments

If I didn’t know better, I would say that Rick Spielman’s recent comments about Manti Te’o indicate that, at the very least, he is intrigued by the possibility of drafting Notre Dame’s star linebacker.

We have previously discussed the choice Te’o would present the Vikings if he were available while they are on the clock in April, and Spielman sounds like he is tuning in to the media coverage of the whole “fake girlfriend” thing to keep tabs on the situation.  He admitted to watching Dr. Phil for the first time in his life when Te’o's prankster culprit, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, was being interviewed.

That tells me he is at least a little interested in Te’o.

“In the end, you’ll sit there and discuss all that,” Spielman said of the bizarre story. “Every team will make their own determination. How do you compare what happened, because he’s an extremely talented football player, against a guy who may have a drug issue or may have an arrest record or may have some other off-field issue? Everybody’s going to have, just like on any player, their difference of opinion. We’ll go through that process as well.”

He also says that the Vikings are aware of some details that have not yet been reported by any media outlets, which displays that they are doing their homework on the young linebacker.

Spielman says that the Vikings will evaluate the Te’o's “whole body of work” and that the odd story, as well as his poor play in the championship game, will only factor into their evaluation as a part of the whole.

Of all the players in this draft class, I suspect steam will pick up greatly in the next few week’s as far as connecting Te’o to the Vikings, and that might be exactly what Spielman wants to see happen.

What we know, however, is that the Vikings are either interested or pretending to be interested.

 

Wide Receiver Free Agent Rankings

February 11, 2013, by 33 comments

[NOTE:  Click the links to see our free agency rankings for quarterbacks, running backs, fullbacks,tight ends, centers, guards, and offensive tackles.  We’ll continue our way through all of the positions this week.]

The media is currently in the middle of regurgitating old Percy Harvin storylines, but the truth is that nobody has any idea how that whole situation is going to shake out.  What we do know is that the Vikings need to arm their offense with pass catching weapons, and losing a guy like Harvin would be one huge step backwards, which is not a direction they can really afford to go in.

The Vikings need so much help at receiver, in fact, I would consider almost every option to be viable and would fully expect to see some fireworks during free agency.  Here are some of the options:

Top Tier

1.  Dwayne Bowe, KC

There is no doubt that Bowe’s career has been plagued by inconsistencies and a knucklehead attitude.  With that being said, the guy is very talented and has produced at a high level despite poor quarterbacks filtering through Kansas City over the years, and that offense misses him greatly when he isn’t there.  He would immediately provide some legitimacy to the Vikings offense.

Continue Reading →

Links Of The Week: First Of The Offseason

February 10, 2013, by 23 comments

Well, it has been a while since we have done our “links” segment, but we have some stories to direct you towards on this football-less Sunday.

  • Adrian Peterson isn’t the only Vikings to ever be named the NFL’s MVP.  Here is a look at the other two Vikings to win the honor.
  • It is no secret that Jerome Felton is someone we would all like to see sign a new contract in the very near future.  Here is why.
  • It seems to be a trending prediction to put Greg Jennings in purple next season.
  • Whether or not the Vikings have a sixth round pick this year, or not, has become somewhat of a mystery.
  • Another series of questions about Percy Harvin leaves us without any concrete answers.
  • Mike Singletary is still trying to find a way out of Minnesota.
  • Think the Vikings have a good shot at a 2013 Super Bowl?  Place your bet now.
  • “Sources” say that Percy Harvin was not placed on injured reserve because of injury, but because of his attitude, and that the team plans to move on.
  • Former Vikings great Matt Birk hasn’t yet decided if his career will end with Super Bowl win.
  • Minnesota and the Vikings are hoping to host the Super Bowl in 2018.
  • One of the best analytical sites on the internet gives us the Vikings top three needs.  I’d like to tell you there is a shocking surprise, but…
  • The Giants have cast off a few defenders already, and they might be a good fit in Minnesota.
  • A free agent wide receiver like Donald Jones makes plenty of sense for the receiver-needy Vikings.
  • A claim that local beat writers for the Vikings are too often being cheerleaders for the team, and for Christian Ponder.
  • The NFL Scouting Combine is fast approaching and here is a complete list of the 333 prospects that have been invited.
  • Now that Cris Carter is in Canton, which Vikings greats should we champion next?
  • And, here it is, your moment of Zen:

Reports Of Interest In Driver Make No Sense

January 29, 2013, by 8 comments

I was wondering when the NFL media machine would kick out the first interesting, outside-the-box rumor about our beloved Vikings.

Apparently the answer was “today.”

According to reports originating from Fox 11 in Green Bay, the Vikings have interest in 38 year old wide receiver Donald Driver.  Driver has a professional relationship with Fox 11 which has led some to speculate that the station is simply doing him a solid by creating reports of interest.

That cynicism makes sense, because any real interest from the Vikings really doesn’t.

The Vikings have made no secret about their desire to become a roster full of young talent and Driver’s age is the first red flag, especially since Michael Jenkins appears to be on the chopping block in large part because he is 30 years old.

Also, Driver hasn’t exactly been lighting it up for Green Bay like he used to, despite the fact that their wide receiver depth was riddled with injury all season long.  He played in 13 games and caught only eight passes, the lowest total since his rookie season.

Those eight grabs went for 77 yards, which averages out to a career low average of 9.6 yards.  Two of them, however, were caught for touchdowns, so that is one bright spot in his 2012 stat line.

Driver has had a damn fine career as a Green Bay lifer, and even an avid Vikings fan has to admit he is a class act, but the truth is that he hasn’t had a 1,000 yard season since 2009 and it seems highly unlikely that his regression will be reversing anytime soon.

Heck, I’m not even convinced that the 29 year old Greg Jennings would be the smartest use of resources for the Vikings, but it would certainly make more sense to me than a run at Driver.