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.

Breaking News: Vikings Will Not Resign Camarillo

February 28, 2012, by 5 comments

Jeremy Fowler, of the Pioneer Press, is reporting that the Minnesota Vikings have informed veteran wide receiver Greg Camarillo that he will not be resigned this offseason.

Camarillo, known for having great hands, was not a major contributor on the Vikings last season with only 9 receptions. And at almost 30 years old, he doesn’t necessarily fit the bill of a team that is looking to get younger and more explosive.

The Vikings are very thin at wide receiver talent after Percy Harvin and this move just further supports the idea that the Vikings plan to do some things to address the need in both free agency and/or the draft. The only other Vikings free agent wide receiver is Devin Aromashodu and we will likely know his status with the team in the next few weeks.

Poll Of The Week: Which Vikings Free Agent(s) Should Be Re-signed?

February 27, 2012, by 9 comments

You all should be very excited. Free agency is just around the corner and their are more than a handful of great players who would make wonderful additions to the Vikings. Yesterday, Gregg Rosenthal tweeted that he heard at the combine that our Vikings are already in the mix for some of the biggest free agent names. And about a week ago, Pelissero did a good amount of research and reported that the Vikings salary cap allows them to make a bigger splash in free agency than most people believe.

But while we will gain players in free agency, we will also lose some. And in this week’s poll, we want you guys to tell us who you think the Vikings should keep. Which of the Vikings free agents do you think should be re-signed?

Below, you will find a poll that lists all of the Vikings free agents. Select the ones you think should be re-signed then let us know your thoughts in the comments!

[Note: Greg Camarillo has been removed from the poll as the Vikings have informed him he will not be re-signed]

Rams Have Decided To Trade #2 Pick

February 27, 2012, by No comments yet

Not that this should surprise anybody, but “sources” reported today that the St. Louis Rams have already decided to trade the 2nd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. According to those same “sources,” they have had discussions with the Browns, Redskins and Dolphins (again, big surprise). Robert Griffin III’s stellar performance at the combine over the weekend pretty much sealed the deal that someone would move up into the Ram’s position to take the speedy quarterback from Baylor.

(Note: Take this with a grain of salt. Nothing is certain or official… And these pesky “sources” seem to jump the gun quite often. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter has even said the Rams will be trading the pick and he is almost always accurate in his reporting.)

What does this mean for our Vikings? Well, it means that we can have whoever our little hearts desire (that is, as long as their name doesn’t end in “Luck” or roman numerals). Moreover, it means Matt Kalil will almost definitely be in purple next year, protecting quarterback Christian Ponder’s blindside from Lions, Packers and Bears for many years to come. As we reported a couple days ago, Kalil had a good showing this past weekend at the combine and solidified his status as the best offensive tackle in this year’s draft class.

While they are unlikely, here are some other directions the Vikings could take on draft day now that we know what will be happening with the #2 pick.

  1. Trade the pick. (Very unlikely, though.. After Griffin, there really isn’t anyone good enough to trade up to the #3 spot for. But, who knows? Anything’s possible.)
  2. Select wide receiver Justin Blackmon.
  3. Select cornerback Morris Claiborne.
  4. Surprise (infuriate) everyone and do something completely unexpected.

A lot can happen in the next 58 days leading up to the draft and free agency will undoubtedly affect the Vikings draft strategy. But, with every passing day, it seems more and more likely that the Vikings will finally address a need that the team seemingly has had forever with Matt Kalil. Eventually, we’ll move past the third pick and begin to speculate more heavily about what the Vikings will do in the rest of the draft.

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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Stephen Hill: Future Viking?

February 27, 2012, by 3 comments
Stephen Hill - WR, Georgia Tech

Today, the 2012 NFL Combine featured Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin. Yeah, there were some other guys there, too. You know, those other quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs (whatever those guys do in this “passing league”). Primarily, though, it was just a love fest for Luck and Griffin – this year’s two top quarterback prospects. Griffin wowed everyone with his great 40 time and athleticism. Luck wowed everyone with his great 40 time and athleticism. There was another guy though that managed to break into the spotlight meant solely Luck and Griffin. Someone who could very likely still be on the board when the Vikings have their second pick in the second round – Stephen Hill, a wide receiver out of Georgia Tech.

Stephen Hill, at 6’4”, 215 lbs., ran a blazing [official] 4.36 in the 40 yard dash today at the combine, very likely making him one of the most legitimate deep threat wide outs in this draft class. Hill averaged 29.3 yards per reception this year (more than any other receiver in college football) for a total of 820 yards. He has long arms, a huge catch radius and consistently blows by coverages on deep routes. Hill is also an above average blocker who comes from an offense that requires that skill set.

Sound like something the Vikings may need? I think so. Continue reading as we look a little closer at Hill.

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Defensive Tackle Depth Available Now

February 26, 2012, by No comments yet

The Bears dumped veteran defensive tackle Anthony Adams on Sunday, which will save them roughly $1.9 million in cap space, and the 31 year old will be available to sign with any team in the coming days.

A 31 year old defensive tackle with recent troubles producing results wouldn’t seem worth mentioning this offseason, but I have my reasons.

Last year, the Vikings were known to have interest in Adams before he re-signed with the Bears on a two year deal.  The Vikings subsequently signed Remi Ayodele to a three year deal worth $9 million.  Ayodele is due to make $2.2 million in 2012 after a forgettable first season with the Vikings.

Perhaps Adams represents a cheaper alternative to Ayodele and the Vikings will again have interest in signing him.