Speculation

Henderson To Man The Middle For Now

May 1, 2013, by 15 comments

Some hack bloggers (anybody know one?) thought it was highly likely the Vikings would target a middle linebacker early in the Draft.  Other media types, including one guy who should return a paycheck to his employer for this clunker, thought it was a “100% certainty” that the Vikings would draft Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o in the first round.

They didn’t target a middle linebacker early on.  They didn’t wind up with Te’o… or Alec Ogletree… or Arthur Brown… or Kevin Minter.

In fact, they didn’t draft one until the seventh round, when they selected Michael Mauti from Penn State.  Mauti has the talent to be selected much earlier, but an injury history that rivals that of Humpty Dumpty.

Rick Spielman may have, for the second year in a row, used a little misdirection to lead to all of that speculation about the position.  Instead, he may have been planning to use Erin Henderson at that spot all along, and the proof of this might be the fact that Henderson has already packed on an extra eight or nine pounds in preparation for his possible move to the inside.  Another bit of proof might be that the Vikings quickly signed him to a two year deal worth $4 million, which seemed a little out of place considering how long they let him dangle on the free agent market last offseason before signing him to a one year prove-it deal.

Now that players are starting to flood Winter Park to take part in the offseason programs, things are perhaps starting to come into focus a little more, and we do know that the Vikings are planning on having Henderson play in the middle as of now.  This, of course, is a very similar path that his brother E,J. took to becoming a very solid middle linebacker for the Vikings.

Henderson has struggled with pass coverage at times, but he is quite a bit more athletic than last year’s starter Jasper Brinkley was, and could cover more ground.  Then, if someone like rookie Gerald Hodges can step into the weakside spot, the Vikings may have themselves a much faster group of linebackers than what we saw in 2012.  Considering the amount of mobile quarterbacks on the schedule this coming season, that might just be a key to their potential success, and is certainly something interesting to follow at the very least.

16 Undrafted Free Agents Announced (With Notes)

May 1, 2013, by 12 comments

The Vikings announced the signing of 16 free agents on Tuesday after days of trying to track down confirmed reports of who was in, who was not, and who might be getting a crack at the roster.  Here are your 16 guys with a brief note on each:

James Vandenberg, QB, Iowa:  Made a name for himself in 2011, as the best quarterback in the Big Ten, but a miserable season in 2012 killed his draft stock.  The big question is whether or not the struggles were his fault or a result of the talent around him.

Erik Highsmith, WR, North Carolina:  A tough and physical receiver, but struggled to get separation in college, and doesn’t have the athleticism to do it as a pro.  Across the middle, in the end zone, and on special teams is where he can make himself stand out.  Not a big play type of guy.

Nicholas Edwards, WR, Eastern Washington:  A big receiver that seemed to be on the rise prior to a knee injury that hampered his senior season.  Like Highsmith, he is more of a possession and end zone receiver, and won’t win a roster spot based off of explosive upside.

Brandan Bishop, S, N.C. State:  Limited athleticism here means a limited ceiling, but Bishop arguably displays more consistency in every facet of his game than Robert Blanton, who the Vikings drafted last year, did coming out of Notre Dame.  If you are looking for a guy with a real shot to stick, this might be him.

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Vikings Add Another Name To The Cornerback Mix

April 29, 2013, by 8 comments

The Vikings officially announced the signing of defensive end Lawrence Jackson today, which we already knew about last week, but Jackson isn’t the only veteran free agent that inked a prove-it deal with the Vikings on Monday.

The Vikings signed cornerback Jacob Lacey to a one year contract with the Vikings, for which financial details were not immediately available, but it is expected to be minimal.

Lacey, who turns 26 next month, was an undrafted free agent signed by the Colts in 2009. He played three seasons with Colts, starting 27 of those games with five interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, 21 defended passes, three forced fumbles, one recovery, and 158 total tackles.

He then moved onto Detroit for one season where he had nine starts, 29 tackles, four defended passes, and an interception.

Assuming Chris Cook and rookie Xavier Rhodes win the starting corner spots on the outside, Lacey figures to battle in training camp to become the team’s nickel or dime back.  That battle will primarily be against the likes of Josh Robinson, A.J. Jefferson, Brandon Burton, and Marcus Sherels.

One can’t help but notice that both of these recent free agency acquisitions wore Lions helmets last season who the Vikings not-so-coincidentally face in week one of the regular season.

 

Decision To Draft Punter Should Perplex Nobody, Including Kluwe

April 28, 2013, by 8 comments

In a Draft that seemed about as predictable as the Powerball numbers from this week’s drawing, there was little I felt comfortable declaring as a true prediction.  At the very least, most of my Draft-related predictions came with a transparent lack of conviction that should have been an obvious signal to readers that I was feeling unsure on about every level about how the event would play out.

I made sure to let you know that I felt absolutely no confidence in the final version of my mock draft.  It was for good reason, too.  I ended up matching only one prospect to the correct NFL team in the whole damn thing.  If the Colts hadn’t selected defensive end Bjoern Werner, I would have gotten a big old goose egg on the mock draft front.

Even though I had been predicting for a long time that the Vikings would select linebacker Manti Te’o if he was available, I went out of my way to chastise 1500 ESPN writer Patrick Reusse for making an absurd claim prior to the Draft.

“It is a 100 percent certainty that the Vikings will wind up with Te’o,” wrote Reusse in a column that has been long forgotten by most readers and for which he will never be held accountable for, not that he should be.

Outside of betting Brett ten thousand dollars, at one point, that Dee Milliner would not go to the Jaguars #2 overall (waiting for that check, Brett) I just wasn’t feeling real sure about anything regarding the Draft.  I was always astonished, given the nature of this year’s class, how many people were willing to use absolutes in discussing what was going to happen on Draft Weekend.

There was one thing, however, that should have surprised absolutely nobody.  I had been predicting it with conviction all offseason long and took every opportunity possible to bring it up in talking with Vikings fans.  I was even spouting off about it during all three days of our live Draft Chat this weekend.

I was 100% positively, unequivocally certain the Vikings would replace punter Chris Kluwe in this Draft.

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Welcome To The Big Show: Xavier Rhodes

April 28, 2013, by 2 comments

We continue to formally introduce you to our newest Vikings with our in-depth series.  If you missed the one on Sharrif Floyd then click here to read all about our new defensive tackle.

Up next is someone we had identified as a possible Vikings target months ago.  Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes did indeed end up being the Vikings second selection in 2013.

XAVIER RHODES, CB, FLORIDA STATE

ATTRIBUTES

Height:  6′ 1″

Weight:  210 pounds

Arm Length:  33 3/4″

Hand Size:  9″

COMBINE RESULTS

Rhodes tested very well at the NFL’s Scouting Combine, but he did struggle in the positional skills, which is something you don’t see discussed in the media as much the forty times and bench press numbers.  Despite his big frame he ran the 11th fastest forty yard dash of all the defensive backs at the event.  Both his broad jump and vertical jump tied for the best at in Indy, while his bench press totals were adequately average.

Forty:  4.43 seconds

Bench:  14 reps

Vertical:  40.5″

Broad Jump:  132″

PRO DAY RESULTS

Rhodes did not partake in any timed drills at the Florida State Pro Day, but scouts came away still impressed with the speed and quickness they saw from him at both events.  Still, reviews from his Pro Day were in consensus regarding how the big corner can have trouble with changing direction quickly and how tight he can be in the hips.  A lot of reports preceding the draft indicated that this event confirmed his inability to succeed in zone coverage, which has to be at least a little concerning to Vikings fans.

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Your 2013 NFL Draft Class

April 28, 2013, by 21 comments

While we wait for official word on whether or not Cris Carter’s son Duran rounds out our undrafted free agent class, I realized that I have yet to put all of our draft picks in one spot for you all.  Here is your 2013 Vikings Draft Class with a little tidbit about each one:

SHARRIF FLOYD, DT, FLORIDA – FIRST ROUND – PICK #23

A versatile player that will immediately make the Vikings more able to keep their defensive line rotation fresh for a full 60 minutes.  He is best suited for under tackle, and will probably succeed Kevin Williams next offseason, but he can also contribute at the defensive end spot on running downs and at nose tackle on passing downs if the coaches see fit.  Many view Floyd as the steal of the first round.

XAVIER RHODES, CB, FLORIDA STATE – FIRST ROUND – PICK #25

A press corner with great size and physicality, plus a nice vertical leap.  If Chris Cook can stay healthy, and out of trouble, then Rhodes could finally give the Vikings a formidable duo on the outside of their secondary.  If both are on the field at the same time, and Rhodes lives up to his expectations, then the Vikings are expected to be more aggressive when it comes to getting after the quarterback.

CORDARRELLE PATTERSON, WR, TENNESSEE – FIRST ROUND – PICK #29

After sending a boatload of picks to New England, the Vikings moved up to snag their third first round pick, the raw wide out from Tennessee.  Patterson is perhaps the most physically gifted wide out in this class, and my favorite thing about him is how well he does after the catch, but he is expected to need some coaching and time before realizing his full potential.  Expect him to play a role similar to what Percy Harvin played in the offense last year, as well as a possible return man, but he also has the size to be a more consistent presence on the outside and down the field.

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Could The Vikings End Up With Another Quarterback? You Decide.

April 27, 2013, by No comments yet

There are some big name quarterbacks, headlined by USC’s Matt Barkley, still available on Day Three of the Draft.  The Vikings have five remaining picks and plenty of areas in need of some depth.

My question for you is if there is a quarterback you would like to see drafted to join a depth chart that currently consists of Christian Ponder, Matt Cassel, Joe Webb, and McLeod Bethel-Thompson.  If so, which one, and please take to the comments section to let us know what round you want the Vikings to target your guy in.