Categories: 3.2 Rumors NFL Draft 2012 Speculation
| On 12 years ago

Kalil Seems Less Certain

By Adam Warwas

I can’t help but notice a trend.

Today, the trend that is glaringly obvious if you are bouncing around Vikings sites and looking at the “Twitter Thing” at the bottom of our page involves the Vikings passing on USC left tackle Matt Kalil.

Morris Claiborne is at the center of the speculation, despite weeks of media types labeling this as “smoke” and dismissing it as gamesmanship.  I, myself, still find it hard to believe that this is anything but “smoke” and still believe that Kalil is the obvious choice if the Vikings stay at the three spot.

I do, however, fully buy into the idea that Rick Spielman wants to trade down.  He wants that right deal to present itself so that he can load up on picks to help expedite his plan to rebuild the roster.  Of late, it seems a trade partner might be more interested in jumping up to snag Trent Richardson at the three spot, and I would recommend keeping an eye on the Bengals who have a clear need at running back and are armed with two first round picks.

In our debate last week, it was clear that most of you sided with Brett’s judgment that staying at three and selecting Kalil was far better than my feeling that trading back for as big of a ransom as possible is the best route to take.  For better or worse, I think Spielman’s thinking is more in line with mine and he will be eager to trade back on Thursday, if even just a few spots.

Regardless, something that has seemed like a “sure thing” since February is no looking iffy.  With local beat writers and connected insiders starting to doubt Kalil as the Vikings prospect of choice, the drama for Thursday night should be through the roof.

Adam Warwas

Adam Warwas (Founder) has been writing about the Vikings for a total of eight years. Five of those years have been here at Vikings Territory where he continues to surround himself with enough talented individuals that people keep coming back. As proud as he is of what Vikings Territory has become, his real treasures are in his home... a beautiful wife and three amazing children (and a dog named Percy).

Tags: Matt Kalil morris claiborne Rick Spielman

View Comments

  • Common sense would tell you to pick Kalil,( so much for that )
    Drama a Viking way of life...
    Agreed, it should be thru the roof.

    • 4 more days and the drama is over, thank God. No matter what Ricky does he's probably gonna piss off half the fans, poor bastard. Lol!

  • The Vikings need to CLEAN HOUSE, I am starting to miss childress. When we fire our coach this time, lets not promote his assistant who he groomed, its a bad idea zygi

  • yea this is sad.....why not do the best bet and help a porous line out and help ponder at the same time...instead lets blow the draft and get ponder killed...spielman will get himself fired..and put our team back a few more years

  • That isn't no smokescreen! Apparently Kalil bombed the friggin' wonderlich... That Vikings draft blogger dude, who does a pretty good job by the way, broke it.. Kalil got a really low score and Spielman hates that shit. Here's the link: http://vikingsdraftcard.blogspot.com/2012/04/kalil-scores-low-on-wonderlich.html

    He has all the links and everything. Some scout was just trashing on Kalil for having a "sense of entitlement." It just goes to show that we're really not privy to all the trend lines within the scouting community.

    • I don't think he "broke" the story, by any means. The GB beat writer did.

      If you know this guy, you should tell him to put his name on his work and I will be glad to put him in our blogroll and link to his stories.

      • Adam, I didn't mean he "broke" the story of Kalil's wonderlich score... I meant he was the first here in Viking land to find the link to the Kalil article. Geez, a little defensive, are we?

        No, I don't know the guy. Someone mentioned it on one of the other sites. Just thought people might be interested is all.

        • Haha, not defensive. Just suspected you are the same guy that writes the stories on that site. After all, you mis-spell "Wonderlich" the same way he does. It was a guess, and I guess I was wrong... :)

    • what happens for the youth now a days? getting lower and lower scores..
      - They'll have to thank wiki for their college degrees.