Speculation

Can The Roster Continue To Improve?

April 29, 2012, by 18 comments

No fan or analyst is going to agree 100% with every move made in the NFL Draft in any given year, but this year has certainly left Vikings fans feeling better than they have in recent years.

The Vikings theoretically took big strides in improving their secondary, added a key piece to the offensive line, and should have an interesting competition amongst their receivers.  Still, it is tough to believe that the Draft, combined with the few free agent moves made earlier this offseason, will be enough to turn a 3-13 roster into a playoff contender.

Rick Spielman’s patience in the initial stages of free agency, however, could pay off in the months between now and September.  The team is believed to have $12.5 million in cap space after the Jerome Simpson signing, which is a considerable sum and gives them some firepower if a player that intrigues them becomes available as a result of being a cap casualty.

It is quite possible that this was Rick Spielman’s plan all along, to leave enough space to be major free agency players later on in the offseason when there is a great potential for steals.

Increasing the potential for success in this area is the fact that the Vikings will have third priority for players that are released from their current teams and subject to the waiver process.  Only the Colts and the Rams will have higher priority, and neither of them have the cap space available that the Vikings do.  In fact, the Rams may only have enough space left to sign their rookie class and that is it.

Names like Jacoby Jones, Mike Jenkins, and Josh Brown have already been mentioned in regards to potentially hitting the open market and many more are sure to follow.

The Vikings may be in an ideal situation to scoop up one or two players of value in an attempt to further rebuild this roster from top to bottom.

Vikings Day Three Haul – Quick Reactions

April 28, 2012, by 14 comments

Here is the rundown so far:

FOURTH ROUND

#118 Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas: Often compared to Percy Harvin from a skill set standpoint, Wright offers some much needed speed to this offense and could end up being quite the playmaker.  Expect to see him contribute most on special teams as a return man through his rookie season.

#128  Rhett Ellison, FB/TE, USC:  Matt Kalil’s teammate at USC could end up trying to fill Jim Kleinsasser’s shoes as a versatile blocker, rounding out the depth chart at tight end.  This could spell trouble for the many various fullbacks on this roster already.

#134  Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas:  Apparently Rick Spielman was impressed with Arkansas’ receivers this year.  Childs represents a very solid value here and could look to compete for a starting gig from the get-go.  A real Height-Weight-Speed prospect that could end up dominating.

FIFTH ROUND

#139  Robert Blanton, CB/S, Notre Dame:  Probably off the roster right away unless he transitions successfully to safety.  Blanton, a teammate of Harrison Smith, is not going to blow anyone away physically but he has some experience and leadership abilities.  I think this was a reach and he will struggle to find a roster spot as a special teams guy.

SIXTH ROUND

#175  Blair Walsh, K, Georgia:  With Greg Zuerlin going just a few picks ahead of them, this pick smells like panic to me.  Walsh had a horrible senior campaign and while I was a fan of finding a replacement for Ryan Longwell, I don’t have any confidence that Walsh can be that guy.  A huge reach.

SEVENTH ROUND

#210:  Audie Cole, LB, North Carolina Sate:  The Vikings got a lot of value here, as Cole could have gone much higher than this.  He is a talented linebacker that, even from the seventh round, could provide competition with Jasper Brinkley.  He has better range.

#219:  Trevor Guyton, DE, Cal:  It doesn’t seem like Guyton has a super high ceiling, but he could prove to be a solid depth player.  A sure tackler with some burst off the line.

With Nine Picks To Go, Who Could We See?

April 28, 2012, by 5 comments

Tired of the long wait between Vikings selections?  Well, get ready to roll!

The Vikings have the following nine picks in the remaining four rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft:

Fourth Round:  118, 128, & 134

Fifth Round:  138 & 139

Sixth Round:  175

Seventh Round:  210, 211, & 223

That’s a pretty impressive stockpile of picks that they can use to bolster what is already regarded to be a pretty solid draft class.  They have two opportunities to make back-to-back picks which is always a fun twist during the Draft.

Now, I want to take a look at each position and what we might expect the Vikings to do at each one on the last day of the Draft.  Also, I’ll name a few prospects that still remain and could be potential targets.

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Day 2 Draft Predictions

April 27, 2012, by 24 comments

There will be a Vikings trade in Day 2.

I think Spielman showed yesterday that he his not afraid to move around and make risky moves to get the players he wants. While moving up to grab Harrison Smith at the end of the first round yesterday may have been made easier after acquiring extra picks through the trade with the Cleveland Browns, it is likely that Spielman would have still made that trade anyway. The Vikings still had 10 picks in the draft before this thing even got started. That’s plenty of ammo to wheel and deal.

When asked about the trades he orchestrated on Vikings announcer Paul Allen’s KFAN radio show this morning, Spielman (unprompted) suggested the team may move again in Day 2. “Don’t be surprised with that third round pick if we move back up in to the second round to get a player we covet.” Spielman also suggested that it’s possible the team could even move back again to collect more picks.

Headed into Day 2, the Vikings still have ten draft picks, seven eight of which can be traded. I expect that we will see the Vikings move around again before the day is over.

The Vikings will add a wide receiver to the roster in Day 2.

There are some great wide receivers that fell out of the first round which could mean great things for the Vikings in Day 2. Having already addressed two of our biggest needs (left tackle and safety) with great players, I expect the Vikings to use their next pick, wherever it may be, to add another weapon to the roster for Christian Ponder.

Spielman has publicly stated that the team wants to simply stick to their board and select the best player available when they’re on the clock. That may be true, but players at positions of need tend to move up on your board because your desire to fill that spot can tend to bolster how you evaluate them. I imagine there are quite a few wide receivers still available that could be pretty high up on the Vikings board. Whether the Vikings stay put or they move forward or backward, expect the next pick to be a receiver.

Players to watch.

If the Vikings stay where they are and select with the third pick in the third round, here are some names to keep an eye on at various positions of need that could be available.

Wide Receiver:

Mohamed Sanu
Juron Criner
Marvin Jones
(It would be amazing if someone like Stephen Hill, Reuben Randle or Alshon Jeffery somehow fell, but that is highly unlikely)

Cornerback:

Janoris Jenkins
Alfonzo Dennard
Jayron Hosley
Josh Robinson

 

Defensive Tackle:

Kendall Reyes
Alameda Ta’amu
Jared Crick

Safety:

Antonio Allen

The first three picks of the second round.

The credibility of my mock draft was absolutely destroyed yesterday after all of the trades. Granted, you can’t predict all the trades, especially when they take place at the magnitude they did yesterday. But typically, there are one to two trades and you have a fair chance of hitting on the other selections. Not my mock draft! I only had four selections correct… And two of them were the obvious Luck and Griffin picks. (Which, honestly, shouldn’t even count). With that being said, here’s my prediction for the first three picks of the second round. I am 90% sure that this is 65% likely to happen.

St. Louis Rams – Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

The Rams missed out on Justin Blackmon when the Jaguars moved ahead of them through their trade with the Buccaneers. They won’t miss out this time on a potential #1 receiver who will provide an aerial threat for Sam Bradford. Personally, I would have loved to add Stephen Hill. Luckily though, this draft is ripe with talent at that position and we will have plenty of opportunities with our plethora of picks to address the need. They could also take Jonathan Martin to provide some protection for Bradford’s blind side.

Indianapolis Colts – Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

A tight end is a young, rookie quarterback’s best friend. The fact that Andrew Luck and Coby Fleener already have a strong connection through playing together at Stanford only sweetens the deal.

Baltimore Ravens – Jonathan Martin, LT, Stanford

This is the hardest to predict of the first three selections and it will be interesting to see what the Ravens do with the pick they got from us. My gut feeling is that the Ravens choose to take Jonathan Martin, who I never thought would fall out of the first round. We have Martin as the second best offensive tackle on our Vikings Territory board and the Ravens need somebody who can replace the aging, record label CEO Bryant McKinnie. My “Plan B” here is that the Ravens take the best center in the draft, Peter Konz, to replace ex-Viking Matt Birk after he retires.

Make sure to join us today for our Day 2 Live Chat. Yesterday was a blast and today should be just as exciting. Plus, if you hang out in the chat, you can make fun of me when I’m inevitably wrong about all of the above.

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES

April 27, 2012, by 2 comments

A quick look at what our NFC North foes did on Day One of the NFL Draft:

CHICAGO BEARS

The Bears owned the 19th pick and, despite the presence of Julius Peppers, decided that pass rusher Shea McClellin was their guy.  With the incredible offensive line talent that was available at that time, I was a bit surprised to see Chicago choose a defensive end that many argue wasn’t even the best guy available at his position.  Meanwhile Chicago’s miserable offensive line is still, well, miserable.  Even so, it is hard to argue with a pass rusher considering that they too have to play Aaron Rodgers and Matt Stafford multiple times each year.

DETROIT LIONS

After years of harping from the media and some fans, the Lions may have finally invested into Stafford’s health by investing significantly into the tackle position.  Iowa tackle Riley Reiff was an incredible value for the Lions and Jeff Backus should finally be replaced for good with this addition.  Great pick for the Lions who just seem to get better and better under their new regime.

GREEN BAY PACKERS

By taking USC pass rusher Nick Perry, the Packers may have finally found a consistent compliment to Clay Matthews, and NFC North quarterbacks are surely taking note.  Perry was not widely regarded as a 3-4 type of player, but I think he has all the tools to be just fine no matter what the scheme.  It will be interesting, as the years to go by, to see the Pack ends up regretting their decision to pass on Harrison Smith and allow the Vikings to move up and snag him with the next pick.

REACTION AND GRADES: Day One

April 27, 2012, by 14 comments

On Thursday, the Vikings weeks of posturing ended up right back where everyone assumed it began, with them selecting USC left tackle Matt Kalil with their first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.  The only caveat was, after picking up three extra picks, he was selected one spot later than we all expected.

While Rick Spielman had enough media types bamboozled into thinking they might take LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, but instead they took the player they likely targeted all along.  Then, they snuck into the end of the first round and selected Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith.

Following the Draft I will dust off my old “Welcome to the Big Show” features and we’ll look at every prospect selected very closely.  For now, however, I want to provide some instant reaction to the selections and give you an idea for how I feel on each guy.

MATT KALIL

The Vikings expect that they have found themselves a cornerstone for the organization that will be around for at least a decade, protecting quarterbacks and paving paths for runners.

Kalil’s real strength matches well with the weaknesses of the Vikings current tackles.  He is a superb pass protector who utilizes his athleticism and quick feet to ensure that if the quarterback gets hit, it won’t be from his side.  USC often left Kalil by himself and he held up great despite the lack of help.

His run blocking has been pointed out by many analysts as needing improvement, but somewhere along the line “needing improvement” turned into “a huge weakness” within media circles.  The truth is, Kalil’s smaller frame and upright style seldom affected his game negatively in college, and his ability to get to the second and third level in the run game to take on linebackers and safeties far outweighs any negatives.  Sure, he can add some bulk and a little strength (which he probably will) but there is no denying that this kid is an elite prospect as a left tackle.

Left tackle is where he will immediately be plugged in.  With Kalil manning that spot, the Vikings then plan to slide Charlie Johnson inside to left guard, thus upgrading two positions with one choice.

I couldn’t be happier about this pick and while he won’t single-handedly win Minnesota a Super Bowl, he should prove to be a huge step in the right direction for this offense that needs to be built around Christian Ponder and Adrian Peterson.

Adam’s Grade:  A+

HARRISON SMITH

The Vikings desperately needed help at the safety position.  If they went into the season with Jamarca Sanford and Mistral Raymond as their starters, well, I just wouldn’t be expecting much… we’ll put it that way.

To me, the top two safety prospects in this Draft were clearly Mark Barron from Alabama and Harrison Smith from Notre Dame.  After that, I felt like there was a great disparity between them and the second tier of safeties.

Barron went to the Bucs very early on in the Draft and the Vikings gave up a fourth rounder to move to the 29th spot from their original second round position and grabbed Smith.  In doing so, they filled a huge need with a very solid prospect.

Smith has a nice, big frame and is known to be kind of a jack-of-all-trades type of player.  The Vikings liked the versatility from what they saw of him at the Senior Bowl.  His athleticism and range should be of benefit to a Vikings secondary that needs some positives added to it.  He truly is a sideline-to-sideline type of player.

Having even played some linebacker in the past, the Vikings surely like Smith’s tackling abilities and physical style of play.  He is at his best when playing downhill and is plenty capable of delivering a jarring hit.  Smith will event present the Vikings with a good ability to blitz on occasion.

Most attractive, however, were the leadership abilities he displayed within Notre Dame’s defense.  He is known as an ultra-competitive guy that is going to give you everything he’s got and then some.

There has been some knocks on his coverage ability, however, which would be why he never was considered a “blue chip” type of player.  His tape reveals some stiffness in his game and his interception totals went from seven as a junior to none as a senior.

Overall, Smith seems like a day one starter, especially for the Vikings.  He has room for improvement, but looks to be like an investment that could be well worth it.  I am looking forward to seeing him matchup against some of those big tight ends in our division.

The Vikings filled a need and got a very promising prospect.  Tough to find many complaints about this one, other than perhaps the fact that they had to trade up to get him.

Adam’s Grade:  A-

LIVE CHAT TRANSCRIPT: Day One

April 27, 2012, by No comments yet

Well, the first day of the 2012 NFL Draft turned out to be quite exciting for us Vikings fans.

Our live chat was a blast and a huge thanks to Brett, Malte, and Gil from thevikingden.com for all of the hard work keeping things running smoothly!

Here is the transcript from the live chat so that it can always be a part of our permanent record and also to let you review some reactions if that interests you:

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