Posts tagged: percy harvin

Top Ten Things To Know About TC So Far

July 29, 2012, by 14 comments

After a couple of days away from my computer, I got back and immediately took to the internet to see what I have missed.  I am glad to report that the worst news I was able to find is that AMC cancelled The Killing after only two seasons.

So, consider it good news that after two days of Vikings training camp nothing disastrous has taken place.  Here are the top ten notes I took away from the first two days of camp:

1.  Ponder And Rudolph Have Serious Chemistry

All reports out of camp indicate that Kyle Rudolph is far and away Christian Ponder’s favorite target.  Rudolph already had ideal size coming out of Notre Dame, but he has supposedly bulked up this offseason, and Ponder is regularly connecting with the tight end in the flats.  Take note, fantasy players.

2.  Peterson Fights But Loses

Adrian Peterson vowed to fight if the Vikings placed him on the PUP list to begin training camp.  He lost.  The Vikings place Peterson on the PUP list but plan to run him through individual drills that are custom tailored and require him to “read and react” to real-time simulated obstacles in an effort to make him cut.  Frazier said he would like to see Peterson play in the preseason at some point, but I am glad to see them playing it safe with their franchise back.

3.  Harvin Is Killing It

While Jerome Simpson has had a few good moments in the first two days, Percy Harvin has reminded everyone who the most talented receiver on the team is.  He has reportedly made a few sprawling grabs and is consistently beating the defense.  Oh, and he is currently being considered the top kick returner, but it remains to be seen if the Vikings will again try to reduce his reps at that spot.  Oh, and about that whole unhappy trade request thing, Harvin declared himself “happy” on Saturday.

4.  Todman Breaks One

With Adrian Peterson on the mend, the third string running back position could very easily prove to be one of great importance in 2012.  Second year player Jordan Todman has been getting a fair share of reps in the beginning of camp.  On one run, he broke free and got himself into a footrace with cornerback Zack Bowman.  Todman ran 80 yards and Bowman was unable to catch him, with Todman scoring a would-be touchdown.

5.  Injury Update

Peterson isn’t the only guy to worry about when it comes to staying healthy.  In fact, we would prefer to see every Viking come out of camp at 100%, but that is not going to
be the case.  The most notable non-Peterson injury is Josh Robinson’s hamstring which happened on Friday after practicing just long enough to impress reporters with his speed during punt return drills.  Tight end Mickey Shuler and wide receiver Stephen Burton both began camp on the non-football related injury list.  Shuler made it onto the field on Saturday, while Burton’s continued absence is disappointing considering he was one of the candidates to have a break through offseason.  Simpson and Bowman both were shaken up when they collided with each other at one point, and linebackers Marvin Mitchell and Corey Paredes were both hobbled on Saturday.  So far, none of the injuries appear to be uber-serious (knock on wood).

6.  Battle At Right Guard

One of the best battles to keep track of this preseason will be that of the starting right guard.  Brandon Fusco and Geoff Schwartz are the top candidates for the job, with Chris DeGeare as a dark horse.  Fusco is getting the most reps with the first team as it stands now.

7.  Reed Impressing

With Everson Griffen focusing on becoming an NFL linebacker, there is suddenly some room for backup defensive ends to make a lasting impression.  So far, it is last year’s seventh round pick D’Aundre Reed that is standing out, using his speed rushing abilities to notch at least one touch sack already.  Frazier described Reed as a “different player” from his rookie season a year ago.

8.  Pressure On Walsh

Blair Walsh is being handed the kicker position on a platinum platter, but the Vikings want to make sure the lack of competition doesn’t hinder his practice routine.  While there may not be much pressure coming in the form of another kicker on the roster, coaches are planning to bombard him with simulated pressure during game-like situations.  Walsh was two of three from 55 yards out on Saturday.  He also made six straight from 46 yards.  Oh, and on Friday, Walsh nailed a 60 yarder while working on his own.

9.  Staying Out Of Trouble Is Key

Leslie Frazier has told the media that he is disappointed in the Vikings arrest record over the last couple of years and is making a point to connect with his roster, doing what he can to ensure they keep out of trouble.  Training camp is not when you want to see a player get thrown behind bars… just ask Rhett Bomar.  Frazier said that the new CBA does not allow him to impose a curfew during training camp, but he suggested a time for players to return to their dorms.  Here’s hoping our guys heed Frazier’s advice.

10.  Felton Over D’Imperio

With roughly 72 of the Vikings 90 roster spots being taken up by fullbacks, there is no doubt going to be some healthy competition there.  Right now, it is Jerome Felton getting the most reps with the first team right ahead of Ryan D’Imperio.  I am still curious to see how fourth round selection Rhett Ellison figures into the team’s plans.

Harvin Shows Up To Mankato

July 27, 2012, by 1 comment

When I wrote my list of the top five stores to follow during the Vikings offensive practices during training camp, I neglected to include the monitoring of the “Percy Harvin Situation” that caused us some heartburn a while back.

That is because I considered it a (temporarily) dead issue after Harvin essentially promised Vikings fans, via his Twitter account, that he would report to camp without any further drama.

Apparently, that is the case.

Harvin reported to camp with little fanfare and no drama.

Simpson Wants To Quiet Critics

July 27, 2012, by 2 comments

Jerome Simpson could possibly open training camp as a starter today, across from Percy Harvin, after impressing just about everyone that was paying attention during offseason workouts and drills.

The issue there, however, is that we all know that Simpson will not start the regular season as a starter due to his three game suspension.

“I’ll be fresh coming back after those three weeks,” Simpson told the Pioneer Press.

Not only will Simpson miss the first three weeks, he will also gradually be losing reps as training camp grinds on, according to Leslie Frazier.  The plan has to include getting some other guys some reps with the first team so that the Vikings can plan for someone else taking on a starting role during those first three weeks.

Simpson sounds eager to make his Minnesota debut in week four, however, and prove that he hasn’t hit his ceiling as an NFL receiver.

“A lot of people are saying we have a weak (receiving) corps,” Simpson said. “We can prove them wrong.  I just want to bring something here that hasn’t been here before, and I think ya’ll know what that is. A Super Bowl (title). That’s my No. 1 goal.”

Adam Gives His Opinion On Leslie Frazier

July 6, 2012, by 10 comments

I am heading out for the weekend, off to meet long-time internet friend and fellow Vikings fan “Fran the Man” to do some fishing on the famous Tangle Lakes (pictured  above). 

Before trekking off into the wild, however, I wanted to get one last post up as sort of a response to a comment received under my recent post on Leslie Frazier’s USO Tour.

B. Grant wrote:  “Nice piece here, Adam. Shows some real class on Leslie’s part (and on your part for pointing it out to us). Gonna put you on the spot, now…  What’s your true gut feeling about Leslie Frazier as an NFL head coach? Is he gonna have a long term and eventually successful run here in Minnesota, or will we be looking at a different head coach in the not-too-distant future? Can Leslie be a Super Bowl champion head coach? Go ahead, give us your honest take on this.”

Okay, it has been a while since I have taken a real hard stance on something and made foolish predictions, so now seems like a fitting time to rekindle my old love for hack bloggering.

Yes!  I think Leslie Frazier can be a Super Bowl winning head coach.

Now, there is a long laundry list of reasons to doubt Frazier.  He mistakenly hung his hat on washed up veterans like Donovan McNabb and Bernard Berrian last season.  Chris Cook’s disasterous arrest prior to a Packers game and Adrian Peterson’s horrible injury during a garbage game, both happened under his watch.  Bill Musgrave, under Frazier’s authority, seemed to greatly underutilize players like Percy Harvin, Kyle Rudolph, and even Adrian Peterson at various points last season.  There was even some unexpected wishy-washy decision making at the end of the season when a hobbled Christian Ponder, who perhaps shouldn’t have been playing to start with, was replaced a number of times by Joe Webb.  Familiarity led to jobs being handed to Fred Pagac and Mike Singletary but the results were not at all favorable.  Botched challenges and too many penalties were just more signs of a dismal season.

More aggravating to me than anything listed above, and also more worrisome, were some very questionable play calls that ended up deciding games… and not to the Vikings benefit.  Who can forget Toby Gerhart’s fourth down carries against Detroit and Atlanta, both of which screamed “desperation” and signaled to the fans that the 2011 was forever lost.

Still, despite all of the negatives, I think that this is not only a new season but also a very different season and Frazier will make improvements that show exactly why he is an asset to the team.

First, there is no lockout.  Taking over a roster with a shortened offseason and two new quarterbacks as a first year head coach is not an enviable position to be in.  The negative consequences of the craziness that was the 2011 offseason were evident throughout the season, but I think we have already started to see (outside of Percy Harvin) a cohesiveness this year that just simply wasn’t there last year.

Secondly, Frazier gets to be a coach.  He put his name on enough poor personnel decisions last offseason that the Vikings ended up essentially demoting him and giving sole authority over the roster to General Manager Rick Spielman.  I think this will take a lot of pressure off of Frazier and allow him to sit back and do the two things he does best:  coach football and mentor young men.  What we saw this offseason, in the way Frazier and Spielman handled the sudden eruption from Percy Harvin, was a refreshing change from the days of Brad Childress and, while we don’t know all the details, this is the first true evidence we have to suggest the new power structure is an improvement over the old Triangle of Authority.

Cutting down on off-the-field problems, instilling a sense of discipline on this young roster, and seeing progressive improvement and development in all phases of the game are essential to Frazier’s future with the team.  No single factor will have more weight, however, than the progression of Christian Ponder.

If Ponder excels, Frazier has a future.  If he stumbles, Frazier likely doesn’t.  Fair or unfair, right or wrong, I think that will be the case regardless of how Frazier does in all the other aspects of coaching this season.  Ponder and Frazier (and possibly Spielman) are tied together with a knot that is too tight to undo.  Ponder’s improvement and success are paramount to the future of this young team, and the employment status of Leslie Frazier and his staff.

So far, all signs are pointing towards an improved quarterback situation, so right now I have no reason to doubt Frazier or his ability to turn this mess around and get started down the right track.

Okay, have a good weekend everyone!

I’m off to catch some fish.

Spielman Says The Vikings Will Make Harvin Situation Work

June 24, 2012, by 2 comments

At the moment, all seems well on the Percy Harvin front if you are a fan of, say, any of the other 31 teams in the NFL.

Us Vikings fans, however, we know better than to get comfortable with anything.  To us, if something looks stagnant, it is probably a ticking time bomb.  Like how nice that big inflatable roof looks?  Like the enthusiasm coming from the guys in that huddle… all twelve of them?  Like your chances on this Gary Anderson field goal attempt?

So, yeah, when sites like PFT or ESPN declare the Percy Harvin storyline “dead” all we Vikings fans are really going to do is sit on the edge of our seats and wait for this thing to blow up.

Rick Spielman, however, wants us to know that Percy Harvin’s previously stated discontent is something he, his staff, and the coaches are prepared to handle.

“There’s different personalities that you have to deal with on a daily basis, but when you look at Percy, what he brings to us on the field, how much passion he has to play football, he gives us a great opportunity to win on Sundays when he’s on the field,” Spielman said recently. “We try to know and understand when we draft a player, sign a player as a free agent, or bring a player into our organization, how we’re going to have to handle this player. Is he going to be handled differently? What do we have to do differently to handle a player? Those are a lot of pre-discussions that we have before we bring players in. And you just have to have a game plan if a guy has an issue or something and then try to work off that.”

“I know coach Frazier really met and sat and talked a lot with Percy. I dealt more with the business side of it and dealt with his agent, Joel Segal,” Spielman said. “As far as I know, the last dialogue I had, we’re expecting Percy to be at training camp and ready to go.”

We still don’t know, and possibly never will know, what caused Harvin’s outbursts last week and the reported request for a trade, but as of today it looks like Spielman and Frazier were able to tag team the issue effectively.

Training camp starts next month, however, and Harvin’s name will almost be the first one called during a much anticipated roll call.

An Updated Salary Cap Number

June 23, 2012, by 4 comments

While Percy Harvin continues to, umm, dispel the notion that he gained the title “entitled” while playing under Urban Meyer at Florida by, umm, taking advantage of his opportunity to become a leader on a young and developing team, there is indeed an entire roster of other players to worry about.

I have been saying this ever since it became clear that the front office had no designs on making a big splash in free agency:  Watch for the late-offseason signings.

Teams will begin to cut players, even some good ones, when training camp rolls around and even a few weeks into the regular season.  The Vikings, armed with third priority on the waiver wire, are in good position to snatch some of them up.

But can they afford to?

Maybe.

According to ProFootballTalk, the Vikings have $10.59 million in cap space left this year.  They do still have to sign fourth overall selection Matt Kalil and third rounder Josh Robinson, but even then they should still have some spending cash left over.

If a player ends up on the waiver wire that they covet (and that they can afford) the roster could surely get a last minute boost of talent if they pounce.

The money could also be spent to retain certain valuable players like Harvin should they choose to do so.  Harvin, however, may want to wait until next offseason to go for gold as the team will get an extra $1.6 million in cap space next offseason from the Redskins and Cowboys debacle, the team is set to have about 18 player contracts expire after this season, and will generally be in even better financial standing.

Phil Loadholt could also someone that the team could consider extending now using some of their available cap space.

Harvin’s Happiness And My Inner Turmoil

June 22, 2012, by 5 comments

For those that don’t visit Vikings Territory often, we do a segment here every now and then called “Coin Toss.” My cohort Adam and I debate various topics that we disagree on. Readers then vote for who they agree with more (or, in other words, who won the Coin Toss). Typically I walk away the victor. But every now and then, Adam has been known to squeak out a win.

Well, the past couple of days, I’ve been having a Coin Toss of my own. Yep, right in my own head – no opponent needed.

You see, this whole Percy Harvin situation has me a little torn. And every single time I think I’ve wrapped my head around my opinion of this whole controversy, a new piece of information comes out that completely throws a wrench in my stance. So, I’ve come to accept that maybe I don’t have to have a definite stance on this. And instead of forming an opinion and only sharing that perspective, I’d relay both views and just let it play itself out.

But first, let’s recap this whole thing.

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