Speculation

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.

The Best Of The Rest: Day Three

April 27, 2013, by 4 comments

With the trade to move back into the first round and select Cordarrelle Patterson sending a hefty number of picks to New England, the Vikings had no picks on Day Two.  Today, however, they are armed with a fourth rounder (120), a fifth rounder (155), and sixth rounder (189), and two seventh rounders (213 & 214).

The Draft seems to be progressing in such a way that some percieved value seems to still be available at the quarterback, running back, defensive line and defensive back positions.  Here are a few names to keep an eye on as the picks start coming in this afternoon:

Matt Barkley, QB, USC:  If Barkley had declared for the 2012 NFL Draft a year ago, it is believed he would have easily been selected in the first round, shortly after Andrew Luck and RGIII.  Now we know he will go no earlier than the fourth round.  Barkley has some issues, but he is accurate enough to get a shot in the NFL, and the Vikings could really start a media storm by putting him on the roster behind Christian Ponder and company.

Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse:  A tough pocket passer that was rumored to be drawing first round interest.  That obviously didn’t work out for him as he had hoped, but he could be a nice addition to someone’s depth chart.

Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas:  Rick Spielman was impressed with the Arkansas passing game last year, when he selected wide outs Greg Childs and Jarius Wright, so perhaps he also likes their signal caller enough to take a late round flier on him.

Alex Okafor, DE, Texas:  Seems like a great fit at left end for a 4-3 team with the talent to let a young guy sit on the depth chart and slowly grow and gain experience.  The Vikings have had great success in recent years drafting fourth round defensive lineman, and while the depth chart is mighty crowded there, he could fit the bill to be their latest steal.

Continue Reading →

Welcome To The Big Show: Sharrif Floyd

April 26, 2013, by 3 comments

With three first round picks already in the fold, and another two days of the Draft left to play out, I am dusting of the ol’ “Welcome To The Big Show” feature which will detail each of our selections.

SHARRIF FLOYD, DT, FLORIDA

Attributes

Floyd possesses a great mix of size and athleticism which will help him continue to be a versatile player as his career moves to the next level.  He possesses a nice arsenal of pass rush moves and a very quick first step that could help the Vikings move the pocket against opposing offenses.

Height:  6’3″

Weight:  297 pounds

Arm Length:  31 3/4″

Hand Size:  10 1/8″

Combine Results

Forty:  4.92 seconds

Vertical Jump:  30″

Broad Jump:  106″

3-Cone:  7.40 seconds

20-Yard Shuttle:  4.75 seconds

Pro Day Results

Floyd reportedly “tweaked” his ankle at the NFL’s Scouting Combine and he did not participate in Florida’s March 12th Pro Day.  Ten days later he drew representatives from 14 NFL teams to a rescheduled workout where he put on an impressive display.  Floyd chose to stand on his Combine numbers in regards to the timed drills, but he impressed onlookers by going through drill after drill with a certain tenaciousness.

“I wasn’t going to stop until he told me to stop,” Floyd said of the position drills. “I wasn’t going to say, ‘I’m done.’”

Floyd’s pro day was one of many positive steps in his pre-Draft regimen that had analysts believing he was a top-five prospect.

Continue Reading →

Kluwe Replacement Seems As Likely As Ever

April 25, 2013, by 2 comments

If the Vikings draft Manti Te’o tonight it might not be the only Draft-related move that we’ve been calling for months now.

When profiling punter Ryan Allen, and then later Brad Wing, I outlined all of the various reasons the Vikings might send special teams coordinator Mike Priefer on the road to find a new punter this offseason.  Kluwe’s $1.4 million salary chews up significant space (for a punter) in the last year of his current deal.  He’s getting older and seems to be, at least slightly, regressing.  There is some incredible talent and depth at the punter position available this year.  Priefer also expressed last season that Kluwe’s off-field endeavours have been exhausting.

With the success Priefer had last year in sneaking in some visits with kicker Blair Walsh, who they then selected to replace Ryan Longwell, I felt that the timing made sense to attempt the same type of transition at punter.

And the signs are pointing to that being a very real possibility.

1500 ESPN reports that Priefer conducted at least three private visits with prospective punters prior to tonight.  LSU’s Brad Wing, Arizona State’s Josh Hubner and UCLA’s Jeff Locke have all been worked out privately by Priefer, according to the report.  These visits are unlikely to be a result of anything less than strong interest, because the Vikings already have a “camp leg” in the form of T.J. Conley on the roster.

Kluwe’s job is safe for one more day, but it appears he could be looking for work as soon as Sunday.

Manti Te’o Speculation Hits Full Force

April 25, 2013, by 5 comments

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network set the rumormill on fire this morning when he indicated that the Chicago bears like linebacker Manti Te’o so much that the Vikings will have to leapfrog them in the first round if they really covet him, and then Rapoport said that’s what the Vikings plan on doing.

Now, we haven’t seen a whole ton of “smoke” coming out of Winter Park leading up to the Draft thus far, but I have a feeling that some games are being played here and Rapoport is simply a pawn.

We’ve been saying all offseason that Manti Te’o makes sense for the Vikings, and the Vikings make even more sense for Manti Te’o, but I am not sure this is the type of year the Vikings should be sacrificing multiple picks to trade upwards in the first round.  This wouldn’t be the first time these two teams have engaged in some gamesmanship this offseason, as evidenced by the inflated contract Phil Loadholt signed during the opening days of free agency.

We’re only a few hours from speculation becoming reality (or fiction), but the Manti Te’o situation is certainly the one to keep a close eye on as the evening progresses.

A Final Mock On The Final Day

April 25, 2013, by 41 comments

I’m going to be honest with you, I’ve just about thrown in the towel on the whole mock draft thing this year.

It isn’t for a lack of preparation.   It isn’t a lack of confidence in my evaluations.  It isn’t for a lack of reading “this will 100% happen” or “there is no way that happens” from various media outlets or from fans.  It certainly isn’t for a lack of caring.

I just find this draft class to be so incredibly unpredictable.  The lack of quarterback talent will test teams with the need for a new one.  The incredible depth at the defensive line and secondary positions makes it very hard to stack the talent with any conviction.  With the Vikings now having two first round picks to work with, and a roster with plenty of needs, their draft possibilities seem even more endless than usual.

Setting all that aside, however, I now present you with my final 2013 NFL Mock Draft with just hours to go until the real thing goes down tonight.

I have decided to give the Vikings a well-known linebacker and an often-mocked defensive tackle, and the results in full can be seen right here.

Get ready for a wild evening, Vikes fans!  We’ll be here all night to give insight and opinions as the action unfolds.

Don’t touch that channel!

If His Lips Are Moving…

April 24, 2013, by 10 comments

When it comes to the NFL Draft I am pretty sure even Pinocchio would attempt to float a lie or nine if he were in charge of a war room.

Vikings G.M. Rick Spielman has been giving his obligatory pre-Draft interviews and anyone that knows anything about how this whole thing plays out knows you shouldn’t read too much into the what he says.  Heck, last year he not only convinced a good number of fans that he might pick someone other than Matt Kalil, he convinced the Browns to move up one spot in exchange for a few picks.

This year Spielman is saying that he is unlikely to move up in the first round of the draft and has received numerous calls about the possibility of moving backwards from either the #23 or #25 spots.  Some cynics (anybody know one?) might take his words to mean that he wants to move up in the first round and has received absolutely no interest from other teams about the possibility of trading back.

The thing about that, however, is this year Spielman’s comments actually make enough sense that you can’t help but believe him.  The Vikings have enough needs on the roster that sacrificing quantity in an effort to move forwards in the first round doesn’t pass the smell test, and the way the quarterback class is shaping up this year could indeed mean he has already received genuine interest in his current picks from teams drafting at the top of the second round.

One thing I certainly don’t buy is Spielman’s insistence that he would feel comfortable heading into training camp with Erin Henderson as his top choice at the middle linebacker spot.

“No, that’s flexible,” said Spielman.  ”That depends on what happens in the draft. If we go outside, Erin can slide inside or if we go inside Erin can play outside. That’s what is great about this linebacker thing. We have the flexibility to go either way.”

I know Henderson provides them with some flexibility, and has some experience at the position, but the Vikings just simply cannot have him starting anywhere other than on the weakside if they want to call this offseason a success.