It appears the Minnesota Vikings had a better reason for releasing safety Dwight Smith than his off-field transgressions. The quick signing of former Cincinnati safety Madieu Williams indicates not only were the Vikings planning to target Williams when free agency started on Feb. 29 but that the groundwork to bring him to Minnesota had been laid in advance. Some might call that tampering. I call it being proactive.
Williams was considered the top safety available and, as expected, he didn’t come cheap. The deal is reportedly for six years at $33-million with $13-million of it guaranteed. However, with Oakland signing safety Gibril Wilson for six years at $39-million, the Vikings didn’t make out too badly getting Williams for that kind of dough.
The signing means the Vikings will have three defensive starters in 2008 with the surname of Williams. Here’s to Madieu being as productive in purple as Pat and Kevin have been.
Adding Williams does come with some questions. Isn’t this kind of money way too much to spend on a safety? And how good is Williams, really, if the Bengals pass defence was just a smidgen less horrible than the Vikings in 2007?
To answer the “Vikings overpaid “ question – well, welcome to free agency. Overpaying for free agents comes with the territory. The Vikings had already raised ticket prices before free agency started, so why worry about it?
And for any Vikings fans worrying Williams contract could put the team in Washington-like salary cap purgatory, Minnesota’s cap expert Rod Brzezinski has done a pretty good job managing the cap in recent years. The Vikings haven’t had salary cap problems since the Green Administration.
I also don’t think the fact that Williams played on a Bengals defence that couldn’t defend the pass reflects badly on his abilities. It takes a team effort to be good or bad at anything in football. Cincinnati’s poor pass defence had more to do with a pitiful pass rush and injuries to just about every linebacker it had under contract in 2007 than anything Williams did. This is a good early move by the Vikings. Williams is considered strong in coverage and that’s where Dwight Smith was weak. He’s younger, too.
Other comings and goings
Depending on what website you read tonight, Bernard Berrian has either left Winter Park without signing a contract or he’s still in Minnesota taking a physical and could be a Viking as early as Saturday. Either way, the Chicago Sun Times reported today that Berrian is looking for $18-million guaranteed and an annual average salary of $8-million a year. That’s pretty pricey for a guy who has never had a 1,000-yard season in four years in the league. Of course, he’s also had Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman and Brian Griese throwing footballs his way.
Rather than chase Berrian, the Vikings should switch gears and go after Javon Walker, who was released by the Broncos today. Walkers’ got character and injury issues. But he’s also got the pedigree of a number one wide receiver. Bernard Berrian, not so much. If I were the Vikings I’d go after Walker, then Bryant Johnson, with Berrian and Donte Stallworth bringing up the rear.
Justin Smith has also apparently left San Francisco without a contract and will be visiting Winter Park. If Smith is serious about playing for a contender, you have to wonder why he would even consider signing with the dreadful 49ers. Then again, if he were serious about playing for a contender, why would he sign with the Vikings, a team that has only made the playoffs twice since 2000?
And let’s not forget amid all the excitement concerning the Madieu Williams signing that the Vikings signed fullback Thomas Tapeh today. That fulfills head coach Brad Childress’s yearly quota of signing ex-Eagles - something he apparently got written into his contract when he signed on in 2006. That year it was Artis Hicks, Mike McMahon and Todd Pinkston coming to Minnesota. In 2007 it was Kelly Holcomb. Now it’s Tapeh and who knows, maybe a few more former Eagles. Jevon Kearse, anyone?
I should also mention the passing of Dontarrious Thomas and Troy Williamson as Vikings in this post. Thomas is one of many draft picks from the Mike Tice era that never panned out (think Raonall Smith, Willie Offord, Dustin Fox and many more.) Thomas is a great athlete but not a great football player, yet the 49ers signed Thomas today. Also, I’m a bit amazed the Vikings were able to squeeze a draft pick as compensation for Williamson out of Jacksonville. A sixth round pick ain’t much – especially with the way the Vikings handle second-day picks – but it seemed pretty clear Williamson wasn’t in the Vikings plans and they were going to release him eventually. What was Jacksonville thinking giving up anything for him? You’ve got to think Mike Tice lobbied hard for the Jaguars to trade for Williamson.
On Deck: More free agency analysis; the secondary and linebackers
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Cold shower could be required
I hope I'm wrong about this Vikings fans but I just want to warn you - don't get your hopes up.
Free agency starts on Friday and thanks to the Internet most Vikings fans are aware that their favourite team might be big players this time around.
Word is Vikings owner Zygi Wilf has sent his private plane to California to fetch soon-to-be-ex Chicago Bears wide reciever Bernard Berrian and bring him to Winter Park. Perhaps as early as Friday, thanks to the rock star treatment, offering Berrian an insane signing bonus and maybe employing some Clockwork Orange style brainwashing, the Vikings will have filled one of the big items on their shopping list - add a downfield threat at wide reciever.
And that's not all. The Star-Trib's Kevin Seifert and Judd Zulgad are reporting Bengals defensive end Justin Smith has already scheduled a visit to Winter Park and the Vikings are also going to make a run at Bengals safety Madieu Williams. Woo hoo!
The Vikes cap room has risen the past couple of weeks, from just under $15-million to around $30-million, although nobody's sure of the exact amount except for the Vikings bean counters. Anyway, despite the increase in cap space, I have my doubts the Vikings have the cash to sign all three of these guys. But even if they can sign two of them, that will trump the 2007 free agency harvest of Visanthe Shiancoe, Bobby Wade and Vinny Ciurcu.
It looks like it's going to be an interesting two or three days. Let's hope it doesn't evolve into a frustrating two or three days with the Vikings swinging for the fences in free agency but striking out because our quarterbacks are Tarvaris Jackson and Brooks Bollinger.
On Deck: Free agency analysis, the linebackers and secondary
Free agency starts on Friday and thanks to the Internet most Vikings fans are aware that their favourite team might be big players this time around.
Word is Vikings owner Zygi Wilf has sent his private plane to California to fetch soon-to-be-ex Chicago Bears wide reciever Bernard Berrian and bring him to Winter Park. Perhaps as early as Friday, thanks to the rock star treatment, offering Berrian an insane signing bonus and maybe employing some Clockwork Orange style brainwashing, the Vikings will have filled one of the big items on their shopping list - add a downfield threat at wide reciever.
And that's not all. The Star-Trib's Kevin Seifert and Judd Zulgad are reporting Bengals defensive end Justin Smith has already scheduled a visit to Winter Park and the Vikings are also going to make a run at Bengals safety Madieu Williams. Woo hoo!
The Vikes cap room has risen the past couple of weeks, from just under $15-million to around $30-million, although nobody's sure of the exact amount except for the Vikings bean counters. Anyway, despite the increase in cap space, I have my doubts the Vikings have the cash to sign all three of these guys. But even if they can sign two of them, that will trump the 2007 free agency harvest of Visanthe Shiancoe, Bobby Wade and Vinny Ciurcu.
It looks like it's going to be an interesting two or three days. Let's hope it doesn't evolve into a frustrating two or three days with the Vikings swinging for the fences in free agency but striking out because our quarterbacks are Tarvaris Jackson and Brooks Bollinger.
On Deck: Free agency analysis, the linebackers and secondary
Monday, February 25, 2008
An outside job
This is the fifth installment in a series of posts here at Grant’s Tomb where I will look at the state of each position on the Minnesota Vikings. I’ll be assessing where the Vikings currently stand at each spot and what additions (and subtractions) need to be made for the squad to be a better team in 2008.
In this post I’m going to look at the Vikings defensive lineman. In the interior, at defensive tackle, the Vikings have two Pro Bowlers. But outside, at the defensive end positions, they’ve got a tonne of uncertainty and no established pass rusher.
Who we have?
Pat Williams (starting DT); Kevin Williams (starting DT); Ray Edwards (starting DE); Kenechi Udeze (starting DE); Spencer Johnson (backup DT); Fred Evans (backup DT); Brian Robison (backup DE); Jayme Mitchell (backup DE); Otis Grigsby (backup DE) Erasmus James (DE, injured reserve); Darrion Scott (backup DE, injured reserve); Alex Guerrero (practice squad)
Assuming continued good health, the Vikings defensive line is in fine shape at the tackle position. Pat and Kevin Williams are a formidable tandem and make running up the middle on the Vikings very difficult.
The only concern is how long Big Pat can keep playing at a high level. He turns 36 in October and the Vikings have no obvious successor waiting in the wings if he falters. As for other Williams, Kevin, his falling sack total the last three seasons is worth fretting over. Kevin Williams once had 11.5 sacks in a season. Last year he had just three. For a team that struggles to get pressure from its ends, a return to the days when Williams was a pass rushing force would be a welcome sight for this defence.
At defensive end, the diagnosis that starting left end Kenechi Udeze has a form of leukemia hurts on many levels because the Vikings must plan as if Udeze is lost for the 2008 season. Not only is Udeze stout against the run but he tied for the team lead last season with five sacks. In some games last year, this supposed first-round bust was the Vikings best defensive player. And without Udeze’s services, the overall depth along defensive line takes a hit and it may also alter the Vikings plans during the free agency period and the NFL draft. Who replaces him if he is lost for the season? That’s a good question. Just don’t expect the Vikings coaching staff to have the answer for that one right now.
Right defensive end is also a big question mark. The man who was expected to be the starter here, Erasmus James, has played in only eight games the past two seasons and has had each season end with a serious knee injury. Ray Edwards started in his place for most of 2007 and showed great promise, displaying both power and speed from left end. He likely would have led the team in sacks had he not failed a drug test and been suspended for the last four games of the season. The Vikings certainly missed him.
The knock on Edwards coming out of college was that he was a first round talent who consistently gave a seventh round effort. But there was no lack of effort in evidence from Edwards in 2007. What remains to be seen in 2008 is whether Edwards intensity was steroid-driven or the result of a guy finally realizing that combining great effort with great talent is what makes a great player.
Depth among the Vikings defensive line takes a hit with the uncertain health status of Udeze and James. Brian Robison figures to be in line to earn more snaps in 2008 and that could be a good thing for the Vikings pass rush. Robison is a speed rusher and he impressed early in his rookie year, getting 3.5 sacks in his first six games. But he tailed off considerably after that, getting only one more the rest of the way. He also wasn’t much of a run defender. However, given another year to learn the game, get stronger and work at his craft, Robison figures to be twice the player he was in 2007.
The Vikings best backup defensive lineman might not be back. It’s not that the Vikings don’t want unrestricted free agent Spencer Johnson. But he enjoyed a fine season as the primary backup at defensive tackle and his play might have improved his value among other NFL teams. Johnson isn’t going to start with the Williams twins around, so if another team offers Johnson an opportunity to start, expect him to take it. That’s not a given though, as Johnson might not be considered big enough to start at tackle in the NFL.
Beyond Robison and Johnson, the talent level drops off quite a bit around here. Fred Evans was like the invisible man despite getting an ample amount of snaps spelling the Williams twins. The Vikings were Otis Grigsby’s third team in three seasons and Darrion Scott’s (remember him?) playing time was shrinking before he broke his foot during practice in week five. Jayme Mitchell should be back and may be the guy starting at right end if Udeze is sidelined. He’s bigger and a better run defender than Robison but he also has some pass rush ability.
What should they do?
There’s little doubt the Vikings will address the defensive line either through the draft or free agency and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team did both. Defensive end is the real problem area. Whether the Vikings use their first round round pick on a defensive end like Miami’s Calais Campbell or Florida’s Derrick Harvey might depend on if the Vikings can snag a defensive end (or two) when free agency starts later this week.
Now that Kansas City’s Jared Allen is off the market, Cincy’s Justin Smith is going to be the belle of the free agent ball at defensive end – assuming the Bengals don’t resign him. Even though he’s coming off a 2.5 sack season, he’ll command big money. I don’t expect the Vikings to go there.
Some other defensive ends that might interest the Vikings include Tennessee’s Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy and Jacksonville’s Bobby McCray. I hope the Vikings don’t make a play for Odom, who should be required to wear a flashing neon “Contract Year!” sign across his chest. He never had more than two sacks before notching eight this season playing alongside the beastly Albert Haynesworth. Odom will get paid by some team this offseason. Let’s hope it’s not the Vikings.
McCray and LaBoy would be better gambles for the Vikings. Unlike his teammate Odom, LaBoy actually has a decent sack track record. He had six sacks in 2007, 6.5 in 2005 and has never had less than 3.5 in any of his four seasons. McCray’s sack total steadily increased during his first three seasons in the league. He even got 10 in 2006. But fell back to three in 2007.
Last year, Rick Spielman targeted undervalued, second-tier free agents. LaBoy or McCray fit that description to some degree, although the free agent pool is so thin this year, any player with two legs and heartbeat will command big money. However, at the right price, LaBoy or McCray would be good value and provide a needed boost to the Vikings pass rush. Udeze’s leukemia diagnosis even has some people speculating the Vikings will resign one of its own – Darrion Scott. He led the Vikings in sacks in 2006 and would probably come relatively cheap. But a recent drug arrest could sour the Vikings brass on bringing him back.
The Vikings will surely pick up a defensive end in the draft. But whether they do so with their first round pick is not known. Spielman and head coach Brad Childress say they will choose the best player available and won’t draft a player based on need. Given the Vikings needs at wide receiver, safety, defensive end and even quarterback, the Vikings could go in a number of directions in the first round. However, if the Vikings strike out on landing an end during free agency, it will be hard for them to resist picking someone like Harvey or Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston if they are still on the board when the Vikings turn to pick comes.
On Deck: The linebackers
In this post I’m going to look at the Vikings defensive lineman. In the interior, at defensive tackle, the Vikings have two Pro Bowlers. But outside, at the defensive end positions, they’ve got a tonne of uncertainty and no established pass rusher.
Who we have?
Pat Williams (starting DT); Kevin Williams (starting DT); Ray Edwards (starting DE); Kenechi Udeze (starting DE); Spencer Johnson (backup DT); Fred Evans (backup DT); Brian Robison (backup DE); Jayme Mitchell (backup DE); Otis Grigsby (backup DE) Erasmus James (DE, injured reserve); Darrion Scott (backup DE, injured reserve); Alex Guerrero (practice squad)
Assuming continued good health, the Vikings defensive line is in fine shape at the tackle position. Pat and Kevin Williams are a formidable tandem and make running up the middle on the Vikings very difficult.
The only concern is how long Big Pat can keep playing at a high level. He turns 36 in October and the Vikings have no obvious successor waiting in the wings if he falters. As for other Williams, Kevin, his falling sack total the last three seasons is worth fretting over. Kevin Williams once had 11.5 sacks in a season. Last year he had just three. For a team that struggles to get pressure from its ends, a return to the days when Williams was a pass rushing force would be a welcome sight for this defence.
At defensive end, the diagnosis that starting left end Kenechi Udeze has a form of leukemia hurts on many levels because the Vikings must plan as if Udeze is lost for the 2008 season. Not only is Udeze stout against the run but he tied for the team lead last season with five sacks. In some games last year, this supposed first-round bust was the Vikings best defensive player. And without Udeze’s services, the overall depth along defensive line takes a hit and it may also alter the Vikings plans during the free agency period and the NFL draft. Who replaces him if he is lost for the season? That’s a good question. Just don’t expect the Vikings coaching staff to have the answer for that one right now.
Right defensive end is also a big question mark. The man who was expected to be the starter here, Erasmus James, has played in only eight games the past two seasons and has had each season end with a serious knee injury. Ray Edwards started in his place for most of 2007 and showed great promise, displaying both power and speed from left end. He likely would have led the team in sacks had he not failed a drug test and been suspended for the last four games of the season. The Vikings certainly missed him.
The knock on Edwards coming out of college was that he was a first round talent who consistently gave a seventh round effort. But there was no lack of effort in evidence from Edwards in 2007. What remains to be seen in 2008 is whether Edwards intensity was steroid-driven or the result of a guy finally realizing that combining great effort with great talent is what makes a great player.
Depth among the Vikings defensive line takes a hit with the uncertain health status of Udeze and James. Brian Robison figures to be in line to earn more snaps in 2008 and that could be a good thing for the Vikings pass rush. Robison is a speed rusher and he impressed early in his rookie year, getting 3.5 sacks in his first six games. But he tailed off considerably after that, getting only one more the rest of the way. He also wasn’t much of a run defender. However, given another year to learn the game, get stronger and work at his craft, Robison figures to be twice the player he was in 2007.
The Vikings best backup defensive lineman might not be back. It’s not that the Vikings don’t want unrestricted free agent Spencer Johnson. But he enjoyed a fine season as the primary backup at defensive tackle and his play might have improved his value among other NFL teams. Johnson isn’t going to start with the Williams twins around, so if another team offers Johnson an opportunity to start, expect him to take it. That’s not a given though, as Johnson might not be considered big enough to start at tackle in the NFL.
Beyond Robison and Johnson, the talent level drops off quite a bit around here. Fred Evans was like the invisible man despite getting an ample amount of snaps spelling the Williams twins. The Vikings were Otis Grigsby’s third team in three seasons and Darrion Scott’s (remember him?) playing time was shrinking before he broke his foot during practice in week five. Jayme Mitchell should be back and may be the guy starting at right end if Udeze is sidelined. He’s bigger and a better run defender than Robison but he also has some pass rush ability.
What should they do?
There’s little doubt the Vikings will address the defensive line either through the draft or free agency and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team did both. Defensive end is the real problem area. Whether the Vikings use their first round round pick on a defensive end like Miami’s Calais Campbell or Florida’s Derrick Harvey might depend on if the Vikings can snag a defensive end (or two) when free agency starts later this week.
Now that Kansas City’s Jared Allen is off the market, Cincy’s Justin Smith is going to be the belle of the free agent ball at defensive end – assuming the Bengals don’t resign him. Even though he’s coming off a 2.5 sack season, he’ll command big money. I don’t expect the Vikings to go there.
Some other defensive ends that might interest the Vikings include Tennessee’s Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy and Jacksonville’s Bobby McCray. I hope the Vikings don’t make a play for Odom, who should be required to wear a flashing neon “Contract Year!” sign across his chest. He never had more than two sacks before notching eight this season playing alongside the beastly Albert Haynesworth. Odom will get paid by some team this offseason. Let’s hope it’s not the Vikings.
McCray and LaBoy would be better gambles for the Vikings. Unlike his teammate Odom, LaBoy actually has a decent sack track record. He had six sacks in 2007, 6.5 in 2005 and has never had less than 3.5 in any of his four seasons. McCray’s sack total steadily increased during his first three seasons in the league. He even got 10 in 2006. But fell back to three in 2007.
Last year, Rick Spielman targeted undervalued, second-tier free agents. LaBoy or McCray fit that description to some degree, although the free agent pool is so thin this year, any player with two legs and heartbeat will command big money. However, at the right price, LaBoy or McCray would be good value and provide a needed boost to the Vikings pass rush. Udeze’s leukemia diagnosis even has some people speculating the Vikings will resign one of its own – Darrion Scott. He led the Vikings in sacks in 2006 and would probably come relatively cheap. But a recent drug arrest could sour the Vikings brass on bringing him back.
The Vikings will surely pick up a defensive end in the draft. But whether they do so with their first round pick is not known. Spielman and head coach Brad Childress say they will choose the best player available and won’t draft a player based on need. Given the Vikings needs at wide receiver, safety, defensive end and even quarterback, the Vikings could go in a number of directions in the first round. However, if the Vikings strike out on landing an end during free agency, it will be hard for them to resist picking someone like Harvey or Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston if they are still on the board when the Vikings turn to pick comes.
On Deck: The linebackers
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Good riddance to bad rubbish?
I come not to praise Dwight Smith but to ask who will replace him.
It’s a valid question after the Vikings released Smith Wednesday, ending his somewhat stormy two-year tenure as Minnesota’s strong safety. Many Vikings fans will be happy to see Smith go – happy to be rid of the memories of his flailing missed tackle on Clinton Portis, his laughing on the sidelines and “it’s just a job” comments following a 34-0 licking at the hands of the hated Packers, his close encounters of a sexually indecent kind in Twin Cities stairwells late at night, and his pot smoking in illegally parked cars.
And while Smith was no All-Pro, he was deemed good enough by the Vikings coaching staff to start every game at strong safety he was physically able to. He also was tied for the team lead in interceptions with free safety Darren Sharper last season with four (no other Vikings defensive back had more than one).
Head coach Brad Childress didn’t want to get into why the team decided to release Smith, instead uttering the standard “we’re just going in a different direction” cliché. But it’s not difficult to surmise that Smith’s off-field transgressions - rather than his on-field performance – was the tipping point that led to him being cut.
And that’s fine. But it would be nice to know whom Childress has in mind to step into Smith’s shoes in 2008. Soon-to-be unrestricted free agents Tank Williams and Mike Doss couldn’t take Smith’s job away in 2007. Greg Blue was cut during preseason. And little is known about Eric Frampton’s abilities, other than he’s pretty solid on special teams.
So the Vikings decided to cut loose a solid veteran with no apparent viable replacement on the roster because of some off-field issues. In the process they have added safety to a list of roster holes that include (in no particular order of importance) backup quarterback, wide receiver, defensive end, perhaps a starting cornerback to play opposite Antoine Winfield and a pass-catching tight end to replace the wretched Visanthe Shiancoe. With a pretty thin free agent field, only about $15-million in available cap space to spend on them anyway and the NFL draft comprising of only seven rounds, it’s going to be tough to fill all those holes or even the majority of them via the aforementioned avenues.
Unless the Vikings plan to sign someone like Bengals safety Madieu Williams (highly, highly unlikely) expect the coaching staff to re-sign Tank Williams and give him the first crack at replacing Smith.
That Williams could be the team’s Plan A at free safety in 2008 should concern Vikings fans. Williams can hit. But he’s even slower than Smith, who wasn’t all that fast himself. And with Sharper covering far less ground than he used to in the twilight of his fine career, the Vikings could be leaving themselves wide open to being exploited on deep throws, medium throws and just about any other kind of throw with Williams and Sharper manning the safety positions.
Granted, finding an able replacement for Smith isn’t the Vikings chief concern. But whether you liked Smith or loathed him, based on the talent already in place on the Vikings roster, the team weakened its defence by releasing him. Unless they can bring in somebody better, the team should have sucked up Smith’s off field issues and hoped he didn’t embarrass them further in 2008. Then again, better to embarrassed off the field than on it.
On Deck: The D-Line
It’s a valid question after the Vikings released Smith Wednesday, ending his somewhat stormy two-year tenure as Minnesota’s strong safety. Many Vikings fans will be happy to see Smith go – happy to be rid of the memories of his flailing missed tackle on Clinton Portis, his laughing on the sidelines and “it’s just a job” comments following a 34-0 licking at the hands of the hated Packers, his close encounters of a sexually indecent kind in Twin Cities stairwells late at night, and his pot smoking in illegally parked cars.
And while Smith was no All-Pro, he was deemed good enough by the Vikings coaching staff to start every game at strong safety he was physically able to. He also was tied for the team lead in interceptions with free safety Darren Sharper last season with four (no other Vikings defensive back had more than one).
Head coach Brad Childress didn’t want to get into why the team decided to release Smith, instead uttering the standard “we’re just going in a different direction” cliché. But it’s not difficult to surmise that Smith’s off-field transgressions - rather than his on-field performance – was the tipping point that led to him being cut.
And that’s fine. But it would be nice to know whom Childress has in mind to step into Smith’s shoes in 2008. Soon-to-be unrestricted free agents Tank Williams and Mike Doss couldn’t take Smith’s job away in 2007. Greg Blue was cut during preseason. And little is known about Eric Frampton’s abilities, other than he’s pretty solid on special teams.
So the Vikings decided to cut loose a solid veteran with no apparent viable replacement on the roster because of some off-field issues. In the process they have added safety to a list of roster holes that include (in no particular order of importance) backup quarterback, wide receiver, defensive end, perhaps a starting cornerback to play opposite Antoine Winfield and a pass-catching tight end to replace the wretched Visanthe Shiancoe. With a pretty thin free agent field, only about $15-million in available cap space to spend on them anyway and the NFL draft comprising of only seven rounds, it’s going to be tough to fill all those holes or even the majority of them via the aforementioned avenues.
Unless the Vikings plan to sign someone like Bengals safety Madieu Williams (highly, highly unlikely) expect the coaching staff to re-sign Tank Williams and give him the first crack at replacing Smith.
That Williams could be the team’s Plan A at free safety in 2008 should concern Vikings fans. Williams can hit. But he’s even slower than Smith, who wasn’t all that fast himself. And with Sharper covering far less ground than he used to in the twilight of his fine career, the Vikings could be leaving themselves wide open to being exploited on deep throws, medium throws and just about any other kind of throw with Williams and Sharper manning the safety positions.
Granted, finding an able replacement for Smith isn’t the Vikings chief concern. But whether you liked Smith or loathed him, based on the talent already in place on the Vikings roster, the team weakened its defence by releasing him. Unless they can bring in somebody better, the team should have sucked up Smith’s off field issues and hoped he didn’t embarrass them further in 2008. Then again, better to embarrassed off the field than on it.
On Deck: The D-Line
Monday, February 18, 2008
Welcome to your nightmare
This is the fourth installment in a series of posts here at Grant’s Tomb where I will look at the state of each position on the Minnesota Vikings. I’ll be assessing where the Vikings currently stand at each spot and what additions (and subtractions) need to be made for the squad to be a better team in 2008.
In this post I’m going to look at the Vikings wide receivers and tight ends. This is one of the weakest positions on the team and if it isn’t upgraded, the Vikings chances of closing the gap between themselves and the NFL’s elite will be severely compromised. With a nod to Alice Cooper – welcome to your nightmare, Vikings fans. Unless the team makes some improvements here, I don't think you're gonna like it.
Who we have
Bobby Wade (starting WR); Robert Ferguson (starting WR); Sidney Rice (backup WR); Troy Williamson (backup WR); Aundrae Allison (backup WR); Visanthe Shiancoe (starting TE); Jim Kleinsasser (starting TE); Jeff Dugan (backup TE and fullback); Garrett Mills (backup TE); Braden Jones (TE – injured reserve) Justin Surrency (WR, practice squad); Joel Filani (WR, practice squad); Martin Nance (WR, practice squad)
Two numbers to throw at you: 51 and 57.
That’s as high as Vikings receivers ranked in receptions and receiving yards in 2007. Bobby Wade led the Vikings in both categories - tied for 51st in the league with 54 catches and coming in 57th in the league with 654 yards. Those numbers – along with his three touchdown catches – were all career highs for Wade. That’s good for Wade. But it’s not good for the Vikings. That Wade’s modest totals were tops for the franchise in today’s NFL is a disgrace.
But that’s not Wade’s fault and the soon-to-be 27-year-old is young enough that we can expect some improvement in his numbers in the next couple of years. However, Wade is what he is – a guy best suited working the slot and underneath areas. He’s no deep threat (he only had four catches of 20 yards or more) and he’d be a number three receiver on a lot of other teams. But for now, on this team, he’s the number one guy. That’s a problem for the Vikings.
Former Packer Robert Ferguson found himself starting opposite Wade by the end of the season due to injuries and ineffectiveness among the other Vikings WRs. Ferguson showed good hands and he’s a good run blocker, which is not an unimportant skill on a team that runs as much as the Vikings do. But Ferguson might also be the slowest wide receiver in the NFL and he’s never caught more than 39 balls in a season. Ferguson really isn’t worth a roster spot in ’08.
Despite his unimpressive totals (31 catches, 396 yards, four TDs), Sidney Rice looks like a potential star. Rice has a frame much like Plaxico Burress but might be a little faster. He’s got good hands, already knows how to run decent routes and has great leaping ability. Rice could be a potential number one receiver in a couple of years. At the very least, he should be a fine number two. Barring the Vikings bringing in someone like Chad Johnson or Javon Walker (more on this later), Rice figures to be starting opposite Wade next season.
It’s hard to envision any scenario where Troy Williamson returns to the Vikings in 2008. His two critical drops in the regular season finale against Denver surely sealed his fate. It’s possible that if the Vikings fail to land a decent wide receiver either through free agency, a trade or in the college draft, Williamson might be brought back out of necessity. However, I doubt it.
Aundrae Allison made more of an impact as a kick returner than as a receiver last season. For that reason alone, expect him to be suiting up on Sundays for the Vikings in 2008. Hanging onto the ball was a problem for Allison as a rookie but he’s an intriguing player with big play ability. Unfortunately, the big plays could still be a couple of years away. Allison clearly needs more seasoning – as do practice squad players Surrency, Filani and Nance
The tight end position also needs a talent infusion. Visanthe Shiancoe was a huge disappointment in his first year with the Vikings after signing a five-year, $18.5-million deal. Despite getting loads of playing time, he caught only 27 passes and in five games Shiancoe failed to catch a pass. Physically, Shiancoe looks like the prototype modern-day tight end (6”5, 250 pounds) but displayed poor hands all year. This looks like a bad, bad signing.
Kleinsasser is a tight end in name only. He’s a blocker and does a fine job of it but if he catches 10 passes next season, I’d be shocked. Dugan, who also lines up at fullback sometimes, is another road grader – all block, no catch.
Garrett Mills, on the other hand, is a sort of anti-Kleinsasser. He was inactive for the first 15 games until playing in the Denver game. He caught two balls in that contest and showed the kind of hands Vikings fans were waiting to see from Shiancoe all year. He might be worth watching out for in 2008. Braden Jones also has a reputation as a good pass catcher but might have a tough time sticking with the team in ‘08.
What should we do?
If the Vikings are really serious about making the playoffs next year, team management must do something to improve the talent of its receivers and tight ends. In a world where performance – not personality – matters, the Vikings would be making a strong push right now to trade for Bengals All-Pro WR Chad Johnson. The team badly needs a number one wide receiver and Johnson, who is very unhappy in Cincy, is that guy. Since 2003 he’s never caught fewer than 87 passes, never posted receiving yardage below 1,274 yards and never had fewer than seven touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Vikings fans need to face reality. The Bungles say they won’t trade Johnson and his bizarre offseason behaviour of demanding a trade every five minutes means Brad Childress won’t touch Johnson no matter how productive he is.
The Broncos Javon Walker is another malcontent who might be available. The Denver Post has reported the team wants to trade or cut him by the end of February. If that’s true, the Vikings should be inquiring about Walker's availability. Walker might be a bit of a douchebag, but when healthy, he’s been a legit number one receiver. And if he’s available, the Vikings owe it to their fans and their players to make a run at Walker, whose attitude could perk up considerably playing for a team where he would undoubtedly be “The Man” in the passing game.
Acquiring a player like Walker might be the best gamble at improving the wide receiver position because the free agent market still looks pretty bare. Chicago’s Bernard Berrian and Seattle’s D.J. Hackett are two of the best players available. Berrian’s the deep threat, while Hackett’s the tall, rangy yards-after-the-catch guy. Either would be an upgrade for the Vikings. But they’ll also be popular with other teams that have more cap space than the Vikings and it’s going to take a lot of money to sign either guy. Expect the Vikings to bring in both for visits but ultimately pass on them for financial reasons.
Keep an eye on Arizona’s Bryant Johnson. His numbers were down somewhat in 2007 and so he could be undervalued compared to Berrian and Hackett. The Vikings will still have to overpay to sign him but Johnson’s only 26, he’s big and he might be enticed to come to Minnesota because he would be a starter. He’s got to relish that opportunity after spending so many seasons playing third fiddle to Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.
It’s also worth noting the talent situation at wide receiver and tight end evolves daily as NFL teams continue to cut veterans for salary cap reasons or other issues. The Jets Laveranues Coles and the Patriots Donte Stallworth could be released this week and Falcons All-Pro TE Alge Crumpler has already been given the heave-ho. So far, there are no reports that the Vikings are pursuing Crumpler (sigh). But Stallworth, and particularly Coles, could be targeted by the Vikings if they are released. I’d be happy to see either one play for Minnesota in 2008.
However, my somewhat educated guess is the Vikings will make efforts to acquire Walker first. If that fails, they’ll turn their attention to Bryant Johnson, Coles, Hackett or maybe Stallworth or Berrian. None of them will come cheap and each is a risky bet but that’s free agency in a nutshell. At least these players have the potential to step in right away and make an immediate impact. That's something that probably won’t happen with any receiver the Vikings might pick in the draft. The time has come for the Vikings to take that risk.
On Deck: The defensive line
In this post I’m going to look at the Vikings wide receivers and tight ends. This is one of the weakest positions on the team and if it isn’t upgraded, the Vikings chances of closing the gap between themselves and the NFL’s elite will be severely compromised. With a nod to Alice Cooper – welcome to your nightmare, Vikings fans. Unless the team makes some improvements here, I don't think you're gonna like it.
Who we have
Bobby Wade (starting WR); Robert Ferguson (starting WR); Sidney Rice (backup WR); Troy Williamson (backup WR); Aundrae Allison (backup WR); Visanthe Shiancoe (starting TE); Jim Kleinsasser (starting TE); Jeff Dugan (backup TE and fullback); Garrett Mills (backup TE); Braden Jones (TE – injured reserve) Justin Surrency (WR, practice squad); Joel Filani (WR, practice squad); Martin Nance (WR, practice squad)
Two numbers to throw at you: 51 and 57.
That’s as high as Vikings receivers ranked in receptions and receiving yards in 2007. Bobby Wade led the Vikings in both categories - tied for 51st in the league with 54 catches and coming in 57th in the league with 654 yards. Those numbers – along with his three touchdown catches – were all career highs for Wade. That’s good for Wade. But it’s not good for the Vikings. That Wade’s modest totals were tops for the franchise in today’s NFL is a disgrace.
But that’s not Wade’s fault and the soon-to-be 27-year-old is young enough that we can expect some improvement in his numbers in the next couple of years. However, Wade is what he is – a guy best suited working the slot and underneath areas. He’s no deep threat (he only had four catches of 20 yards or more) and he’d be a number three receiver on a lot of other teams. But for now, on this team, he’s the number one guy. That’s a problem for the Vikings.
Former Packer Robert Ferguson found himself starting opposite Wade by the end of the season due to injuries and ineffectiveness among the other Vikings WRs. Ferguson showed good hands and he’s a good run blocker, which is not an unimportant skill on a team that runs as much as the Vikings do. But Ferguson might also be the slowest wide receiver in the NFL and he’s never caught more than 39 balls in a season. Ferguson really isn’t worth a roster spot in ’08.
Despite his unimpressive totals (31 catches, 396 yards, four TDs), Sidney Rice looks like a potential star. Rice has a frame much like Plaxico Burress but might be a little faster. He’s got good hands, already knows how to run decent routes and has great leaping ability. Rice could be a potential number one receiver in a couple of years. At the very least, he should be a fine number two. Barring the Vikings bringing in someone like Chad Johnson or Javon Walker (more on this later), Rice figures to be starting opposite Wade next season.
It’s hard to envision any scenario where Troy Williamson returns to the Vikings in 2008. His two critical drops in the regular season finale against Denver surely sealed his fate. It’s possible that if the Vikings fail to land a decent wide receiver either through free agency, a trade or in the college draft, Williamson might be brought back out of necessity. However, I doubt it.
Aundrae Allison made more of an impact as a kick returner than as a receiver last season. For that reason alone, expect him to be suiting up on Sundays for the Vikings in 2008. Hanging onto the ball was a problem for Allison as a rookie but he’s an intriguing player with big play ability. Unfortunately, the big plays could still be a couple of years away. Allison clearly needs more seasoning – as do practice squad players Surrency, Filani and Nance
The tight end position also needs a talent infusion. Visanthe Shiancoe was a huge disappointment in his first year with the Vikings after signing a five-year, $18.5-million deal. Despite getting loads of playing time, he caught only 27 passes and in five games Shiancoe failed to catch a pass. Physically, Shiancoe looks like the prototype modern-day tight end (6”5, 250 pounds) but displayed poor hands all year. This looks like a bad, bad signing.
Kleinsasser is a tight end in name only. He’s a blocker and does a fine job of it but if he catches 10 passes next season, I’d be shocked. Dugan, who also lines up at fullback sometimes, is another road grader – all block, no catch.
Garrett Mills, on the other hand, is a sort of anti-Kleinsasser. He was inactive for the first 15 games until playing in the Denver game. He caught two balls in that contest and showed the kind of hands Vikings fans were waiting to see from Shiancoe all year. He might be worth watching out for in 2008. Braden Jones also has a reputation as a good pass catcher but might have a tough time sticking with the team in ‘08.
What should we do?
If the Vikings are really serious about making the playoffs next year, team management must do something to improve the talent of its receivers and tight ends. In a world where performance – not personality – matters, the Vikings would be making a strong push right now to trade for Bengals All-Pro WR Chad Johnson. The team badly needs a number one wide receiver and Johnson, who is very unhappy in Cincy, is that guy. Since 2003 he’s never caught fewer than 87 passes, never posted receiving yardage below 1,274 yards and never had fewer than seven touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Vikings fans need to face reality. The Bungles say they won’t trade Johnson and his bizarre offseason behaviour of demanding a trade every five minutes means Brad Childress won’t touch Johnson no matter how productive he is.
The Broncos Javon Walker is another malcontent who might be available. The Denver Post has reported the team wants to trade or cut him by the end of February. If that’s true, the Vikings should be inquiring about Walker's availability. Walker might be a bit of a douchebag, but when healthy, he’s been a legit number one receiver. And if he’s available, the Vikings owe it to their fans and their players to make a run at Walker, whose attitude could perk up considerably playing for a team where he would undoubtedly be “The Man” in the passing game.
Acquiring a player like Walker might be the best gamble at improving the wide receiver position because the free agent market still looks pretty bare. Chicago’s Bernard Berrian and Seattle’s D.J. Hackett are two of the best players available. Berrian’s the deep threat, while Hackett’s the tall, rangy yards-after-the-catch guy. Either would be an upgrade for the Vikings. But they’ll also be popular with other teams that have more cap space than the Vikings and it’s going to take a lot of money to sign either guy. Expect the Vikings to bring in both for visits but ultimately pass on them for financial reasons.
Keep an eye on Arizona’s Bryant Johnson. His numbers were down somewhat in 2007 and so he could be undervalued compared to Berrian and Hackett. The Vikings will still have to overpay to sign him but Johnson’s only 26, he’s big and he might be enticed to come to Minnesota because he would be a starter. He’s got to relish that opportunity after spending so many seasons playing third fiddle to Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.
It’s also worth noting the talent situation at wide receiver and tight end evolves daily as NFL teams continue to cut veterans for salary cap reasons or other issues. The Jets Laveranues Coles and the Patriots Donte Stallworth could be released this week and Falcons All-Pro TE Alge Crumpler has already been given the heave-ho. So far, there are no reports that the Vikings are pursuing Crumpler (sigh). But Stallworth, and particularly Coles, could be targeted by the Vikings if they are released. I’d be happy to see either one play for Minnesota in 2008.
However, my somewhat educated guess is the Vikings will make efforts to acquire Walker first. If that fails, they’ll turn their attention to Bryant Johnson, Coles, Hackett or maybe Stallworth or Berrian. None of them will come cheap and each is a risky bet but that’s free agency in a nutshell. At least these players have the potential to step in right away and make an immediate impact. That's something that probably won’t happen with any receiver the Vikings might pick in the draft. The time has come for the Vikings to take that risk.
On Deck: The defensive line
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Udeze’s condition leaves Vikings thin at defensive end
For the past two seasons the Minnesota Vikings haven’t had a defensive lineman register more than 5.5 sacks. Darrion Scott achieved that number in 2006 – the same Darrion Scott who is now an unrestricted free agent and the Vikings likely will make no effort to resign.
However, the fact that Scott, a rather average player, once led the Vikings in sacks highlights a significant problem for a team employing the Cover Two defence. It’s a problem because this system – if it’s to work properly – demands that the four down lineman provide most of the pass rush.
But that hasn’t happened. Instead Vikings defensive coordinators Mike Tomlin and Leslie Frazier have often had to send linebackers E.J. Henderson and Ben Leber on blitzes to generate any sort of pressure on opposing passers. And that leaves an already vulnerable pass defence even more vulnerable.
So for a team that needs better play out of its defensive lineman, and particularly its defensive ends, in 2008 to generate more of a pass rush and become a better overall unit, the news that starting left end Kenechi Udeze has been diagnosed with leukemia is a bigger blow than some casual observers or fair weather Vikings fans might think.
Udeze’s been considered a bit of a first round bust. He came out of the USC football factory billed as a big sack man. But in four NFL seasons he’s been anything but. Udeze has only 11 of them – including zero in 2006.
However, what less savvy football fans have failed to notice is Udeze has become a strong run defender, which is worth something. And this past season he also was tied with Leber and Ray Edwards for the team lead in sacks with five. Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, the hope was Udeze could pull a career season out of his helmet in 2008 – a career season that would benefit him financially and benefit the Vikings on the field through an improved pass rush. Now, instead of fighting for a fat, new contract, Udeze may be fighting for his football career and his life.
This obviously blows for Udeze and his family. But it also blows for the Vikings. We don’t know what kind of treatment Udeze will require to fight off whatever form of leukemia he has, but whatever it is we can expect it to take a heavy physical toll on him. The Vikings coaching staff should prepare for the fact that Udeze may not play one down of football in 2008.
The Vikings already had huge question marks at right defensive end with one player (Edwards) coming off a four-game suspension for violating the league’s steroid policy, another player (Erasmus James) coming off his second consecutive serious knee injury and a third player (Brian Robison) who, after a hot start, had zero sacks in his last six games. Now with Udeze’s status in doubt for 2008, the Vikings also have a large question mark at left end, where the only players currently on the roster who played in that spot besides Udeze are Robison and former undrafted free agent Jayme Mitchell. Where an improved pass rush is going to emerge from this motley crew of defensive ends is anyone’s guess.
Which means when free agency hits Vikings management may panic and throw big bucks at some one-year wonder like Antwan Odom. Failing that, come the NFL draft, the Vikings will likely have to go where they have gone before – looking to find a pass rushing defensive end with their first round pick. The recent and not-so-recent history when the Vikings have done this is not encouraging. Udeze (2004) is probably the best of this bunch. But he reminds no one of Chris Doleman in his prime.
And the other defensive ends of recent vintage picked by the Vikings in the first round couldn’t even carry Udeze’s jock strap. Derrick Alexander (1995) was lousy and James (2005) has been injury-prone. It’s a small sample size, I realize, and Brad Childress and Rick Spielman were not with the organization when those players were picked, and maybe they pick the right guy. But sometimes a franchise just has a knack for striking out at a particular position, like Baltimore with quarterbacks.
At least if Udeze were around, the Vikings could rest easy that they had a steady, solid veteran in his athletic prime to man right end. Then they could hope someone from the promising Edwards/ James/Robison troika would emerge into the disruptive pass rushing left end the Vikings desperately need. However, now that Udeze unexpectedly might not be available in 2008, the Vikings have two holes to fill on the defensive line, which is two too many.
On Deck: The wide receivers and tight ends
However, the fact that Scott, a rather average player, once led the Vikings in sacks highlights a significant problem for a team employing the Cover Two defence. It’s a problem because this system – if it’s to work properly – demands that the four down lineman provide most of the pass rush.
But that hasn’t happened. Instead Vikings defensive coordinators Mike Tomlin and Leslie Frazier have often had to send linebackers E.J. Henderson and Ben Leber on blitzes to generate any sort of pressure on opposing passers. And that leaves an already vulnerable pass defence even more vulnerable.
So for a team that needs better play out of its defensive lineman, and particularly its defensive ends, in 2008 to generate more of a pass rush and become a better overall unit, the news that starting left end Kenechi Udeze has been diagnosed with leukemia is a bigger blow than some casual observers or fair weather Vikings fans might think.
Udeze’s been considered a bit of a first round bust. He came out of the USC football factory billed as a big sack man. But in four NFL seasons he’s been anything but. Udeze has only 11 of them – including zero in 2006.
However, what less savvy football fans have failed to notice is Udeze has become a strong run defender, which is worth something. And this past season he also was tied with Leber and Ray Edwards for the team lead in sacks with five. Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, the hope was Udeze could pull a career season out of his helmet in 2008 – a career season that would benefit him financially and benefit the Vikings on the field through an improved pass rush. Now, instead of fighting for a fat, new contract, Udeze may be fighting for his football career and his life.
This obviously blows for Udeze and his family. But it also blows for the Vikings. We don’t know what kind of treatment Udeze will require to fight off whatever form of leukemia he has, but whatever it is we can expect it to take a heavy physical toll on him. The Vikings coaching staff should prepare for the fact that Udeze may not play one down of football in 2008.
The Vikings already had huge question marks at right defensive end with one player (Edwards) coming off a four-game suspension for violating the league’s steroid policy, another player (Erasmus James) coming off his second consecutive serious knee injury and a third player (Brian Robison) who, after a hot start, had zero sacks in his last six games. Now with Udeze’s status in doubt for 2008, the Vikings also have a large question mark at left end, where the only players currently on the roster who played in that spot besides Udeze are Robison and former undrafted free agent Jayme Mitchell. Where an improved pass rush is going to emerge from this motley crew of defensive ends is anyone’s guess.
Which means when free agency hits Vikings management may panic and throw big bucks at some one-year wonder like Antwan Odom. Failing that, come the NFL draft, the Vikings will likely have to go where they have gone before – looking to find a pass rushing defensive end with their first round pick. The recent and not-so-recent history when the Vikings have done this is not encouraging. Udeze (2004) is probably the best of this bunch. But he reminds no one of Chris Doleman in his prime.
And the other defensive ends of recent vintage picked by the Vikings in the first round couldn’t even carry Udeze’s jock strap. Derrick Alexander (1995) was lousy and James (2005) has been injury-prone. It’s a small sample size, I realize, and Brad Childress and Rick Spielman were not with the organization when those players were picked, and maybe they pick the right guy. But sometimes a franchise just has a knack for striking out at a particular position, like Baltimore with quarterbacks.
At least if Udeze were around, the Vikings could rest easy that they had a steady, solid veteran in his athletic prime to man right end. Then they could hope someone from the promising Edwards/ James/Robison troika would emerge into the disruptive pass rushing left end the Vikings desperately need. However, now that Udeze unexpectedly might not be available in 2008, the Vikings have two holes to fill on the defensive line, which is two too many.
On Deck: The wide receivers and tight ends
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Going whole hogs
This is the third installment in a series of posts here at Grant’s Tomb where I will look at the state of each position on the Minnesota Vikings. I’ll be assessing where the Vikings currently stand at each spot and what additions (and subtractions) need to be made for the squad to be a better team in 2008.
Today, I’m looking at the Vikings offensive line. The team has committed (on paper anyway) just over $100-million to three players on this unit since 2006. But have the Vikings spent their money wisely? The Vikings did finish with the league’s best running attack and sacks given up were down compared to 2006. But was that due to improved line play? Or did the addition of Adrian Peterson and starting Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback instead of a human statue have more to do with it?
Who we have
Bryant McKinnie (left tackle), Steve Hutchinson (left guard), Matt Birk (centre), Anthony Herrera (right guard), Ryan Cook (right tackle), Artis Hicks (backup), Marcus Johnson (backup), Chase Johnson (backup), Brian Daniels (practice squad), Dan Mozes (injured reserve)
First, a word of caution to my readers – I ain’t no offensive line expert. I don’t focus much on the offensive lineman during games. And if I do notice them, it’s usually only after they’ve been flagged for a penalty or after being beaten badly by the man they are supposed to be blocking. So my assessment of the Vikings offensive lineman isn’t going to rival what, say, Dr. Z of Sports Illustrated could do for you.
But as we were reminded in the Super Bowl, if an offensive line can’t keep an opposing pass rush at bay or open holes for the running game, even Tom Brady can look pretty ordinary. You need good-to-great play from your o-line in order to succeed in the NFL.
The 2006 Minnesota Vikings did not get good-to-great offensive line play and early on in 2007 it was looking like more of the same. But after a rough start, the o-line seemed to get much better. Sacks were down - from 43 in 2006 to 33 this season – and the team ran for about 800 yards more in 2007 and averaged 1.3 yards more per carry. Of course, the Vikings also didn’t have the immobile Brad Johnson playing quarterback and the team threw 109 less passes, so sacks should have been way down. As for the improved running game, well, the team ran the ball 52 more times and the Vikings had Peterson, so the rushing numbers should have been better, too.
According to Football Outsiders offensive line stats, the Vikings had a middle-of-the-pack unit, ranking 15th in the NFL. That’s not horrid. But it’s also not dominant. Based on the money invested in this area, the Vikings offensive line should be performing better than it has.
The left side of the line is still its strength. Left tackle Bryant McKinnie will never be a Jonathan Ogden-caliber player but I felt he played very well after an embarrassing outing against Green Bay in week four. Speed rushers have always been McKinnie’s kryptonite but they were less of a problem in ’07. McKinnie’s biggest fault is that he’s big guy who gets lazy at times and doesn’t always play hard till the whistle blows. He also isn’t a physical run blocker. But he does get in the way enough to be effective. I've heard and read a lot of complaints from Vikings fans about McKinnie. But he’s been durable and he was effective, although not dominant, in 2007. The Vikings could do far worse here.
Steve Hutchinson made the Pro Bowl again this year and he’s often called the best left guard in the business. But Dr. Z, who pays more attention to line play than any other football writer I know of, hasn’t been impressed by Hutchinson the last two years. That concerns me but one thing we do know (thanks to Football Outsiders) is that the Vikings get their best yardage when they run to the left between Hutchinson and centre Matt Birk. Even if Hutchinson isn’t the best left guard in the NFL anymore, he’s still pretty good. The Vikings have no worries at this position if he’s healthy.
Matt Birk also made the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in his career. SI’s Mr. Zimmerman didn’t agree with that call, either. But Birk is still a solid player even if he isn’t among the NFL’s elite anymore. He’s smart and rarely gets flagged for penalties. And the fact the Vikings run well between him and Hutchinson says something to me. The only worry with Birk is that he’ll be 32 in July. There's a lot of tread on his tires after 10 years in the league. The Vikings need to start thinking about grooming a successor.
Anthony Herrera replaced Artis Hicks at right guard in week five and played well enough to earn a contract extension. The book on Herrera is he’s not a great athlete but he’s a brawler with lots of nasty in him. All I know is the line starting playing a lot better once Herrera was placed in the lineup and I’m a fan of the way he plays the game.
Which brings us to the weakest link – right tackle Ryan Cook. He improved in his second season and during the Vikings late season winning streak he was refreshingly unnoticeable. No false start or holding penalties. No pass rushers blowing by him. But in the final game against Denver Cook reverted to his old form. He had the facemask penalty that led to a safety, three different Broncos defensive lineman got sacks on him, including the one in overtime that led to a Tarvaris Jackson fumble and ultimately won the game for the Broncos.
The Vikings coaching staff would like us to cut Cook some slack because he was a centre in college and this was only his second year playing right tackle. But here is what worries me about him. The scouting report on him coming out of college was that he was limited athletically. NFL draft geeks, and even Cook himself, were surprised he was taken in the second round of the 2006 draft. So far in his young career, the book on Cook appears deadly accurate. Cook doesn’t have quick feet and struggles to get his hips turned to get in good position to block his man on the otuside. He’s just not fluid or quick enough. I'm not confident that's something he can improve on or fix.
The Vikings do have some veteran depth at the backup positions. Both Hicks and Marcus Johnson are former starters. Some fans would prefer the backups to have more potential. At least Hicks and Johnson don’t lack experience and won’t kill the Vikings if they have to play for short periods of time. Chase Johnson is a huge man (listed at 6’9 and 330 pounds) but he was inactive all season and the word on him is he isn’t a great run blocker and lacks a nasty streak. The Vikings seemed high on centre Dan Mozes during training camp but he spent the year on the injured reserve with a knee injury. However, he could be the Birk’s successor if he’s as good as the Vikings think he is. Finally, Brian Daniels was a practice squad player last year. Maybe he will pan out and maybe he won't.
What should they do?
Offensive line is not one of the big worry areas for the Vikings. This will be the starting unit’s third year in the zone blocking scheme head coach Brad Childress brought with him. Another year of playing together should also improve cohesion and chemistry among the o-line. The unit does struggle when opponents blitz but if the running backs (particularly Peterson) were better at picking them up, perhaps it would be less of an issue. I expect the o-line to be a better unit in 2008 than it was in 2007.
The only position the Vikings should be looking at upgrading on the line is right tackle. Cook’s the weakling here. But who would be a better option? Marcus Johnson is still young but doesn't appear to be the answer. Right tackles like Stacy Andrews (Bengals), Sean Locklear (Seahawks), Maurice Williams (Jaguars) and Max Starks (Steelers) are all set to be free agents. But the Vikings don’t have a lot of money to spend (they are roughly $15-million under the salary cap) and if they do spend any of that money it will likely be on a wide receiver or defensive end.
And in the draft, immediate help at right tackle is likely not on the way. The big ticket tackle prospects like Ryan Clady of Boise State and Jake Long of Michigan will probably be gone before the Vikings get to make their first pick. If the Vikings take an offensive lineman in the draft, expect it to be late on the second day.
The Vikings should probably be looking at replacing Cook if they want to improve the overall play of the offensive line. But the Vikings coaching staff has not indicated they are unhappy with Cook’s progress. So expect the team to stay pat at this position, signing a bunch of undrafted rookie free agents and look at replacing Hicks, Marcus Johnson or both with those free agents. It’s not an exciting strategy. But it’s probably the one the Vikings will employ.
On Deck: Udeze’s plight and the wide receivers
Today, I’m looking at the Vikings offensive line. The team has committed (on paper anyway) just over $100-million to three players on this unit since 2006. But have the Vikings spent their money wisely? The Vikings did finish with the league’s best running attack and sacks given up were down compared to 2006. But was that due to improved line play? Or did the addition of Adrian Peterson and starting Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback instead of a human statue have more to do with it?
Who we have
Bryant McKinnie (left tackle), Steve Hutchinson (left guard), Matt Birk (centre), Anthony Herrera (right guard), Ryan Cook (right tackle), Artis Hicks (backup), Marcus Johnson (backup), Chase Johnson (backup), Brian Daniels (practice squad), Dan Mozes (injured reserve)
First, a word of caution to my readers – I ain’t no offensive line expert. I don’t focus much on the offensive lineman during games. And if I do notice them, it’s usually only after they’ve been flagged for a penalty or after being beaten badly by the man they are supposed to be blocking. So my assessment of the Vikings offensive lineman isn’t going to rival what, say, Dr. Z of Sports Illustrated could do for you.
But as we were reminded in the Super Bowl, if an offensive line can’t keep an opposing pass rush at bay or open holes for the running game, even Tom Brady can look pretty ordinary. You need good-to-great play from your o-line in order to succeed in the NFL.
The 2006 Minnesota Vikings did not get good-to-great offensive line play and early on in 2007 it was looking like more of the same. But after a rough start, the o-line seemed to get much better. Sacks were down - from 43 in 2006 to 33 this season – and the team ran for about 800 yards more in 2007 and averaged 1.3 yards more per carry. Of course, the Vikings also didn’t have the immobile Brad Johnson playing quarterback and the team threw 109 less passes, so sacks should have been way down. As for the improved running game, well, the team ran the ball 52 more times and the Vikings had Peterson, so the rushing numbers should have been better, too.
According to Football Outsiders offensive line stats, the Vikings had a middle-of-the-pack unit, ranking 15th in the NFL. That’s not horrid. But it’s also not dominant. Based on the money invested in this area, the Vikings offensive line should be performing better than it has.
The left side of the line is still its strength. Left tackle Bryant McKinnie will never be a Jonathan Ogden-caliber player but I felt he played very well after an embarrassing outing against Green Bay in week four. Speed rushers have always been McKinnie’s kryptonite but they were less of a problem in ’07. McKinnie’s biggest fault is that he’s big guy who gets lazy at times and doesn’t always play hard till the whistle blows. He also isn’t a physical run blocker. But he does get in the way enough to be effective. I've heard and read a lot of complaints from Vikings fans about McKinnie. But he’s been durable and he was effective, although not dominant, in 2007. The Vikings could do far worse here.
Steve Hutchinson made the Pro Bowl again this year and he’s often called the best left guard in the business. But Dr. Z, who pays more attention to line play than any other football writer I know of, hasn’t been impressed by Hutchinson the last two years. That concerns me but one thing we do know (thanks to Football Outsiders) is that the Vikings get their best yardage when they run to the left between Hutchinson and centre Matt Birk. Even if Hutchinson isn’t the best left guard in the NFL anymore, he’s still pretty good. The Vikings have no worries at this position if he’s healthy.
Matt Birk also made the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in his career. SI’s Mr. Zimmerman didn’t agree with that call, either. But Birk is still a solid player even if he isn’t among the NFL’s elite anymore. He’s smart and rarely gets flagged for penalties. And the fact the Vikings run well between him and Hutchinson says something to me. The only worry with Birk is that he’ll be 32 in July. There's a lot of tread on his tires after 10 years in the league. The Vikings need to start thinking about grooming a successor.
Anthony Herrera replaced Artis Hicks at right guard in week five and played well enough to earn a contract extension. The book on Herrera is he’s not a great athlete but he’s a brawler with lots of nasty in him. All I know is the line starting playing a lot better once Herrera was placed in the lineup and I’m a fan of the way he plays the game.
Which brings us to the weakest link – right tackle Ryan Cook. He improved in his second season and during the Vikings late season winning streak he was refreshingly unnoticeable. No false start or holding penalties. No pass rushers blowing by him. But in the final game against Denver Cook reverted to his old form. He had the facemask penalty that led to a safety, three different Broncos defensive lineman got sacks on him, including the one in overtime that led to a Tarvaris Jackson fumble and ultimately won the game for the Broncos.
The Vikings coaching staff would like us to cut Cook some slack because he was a centre in college and this was only his second year playing right tackle. But here is what worries me about him. The scouting report on him coming out of college was that he was limited athletically. NFL draft geeks, and even Cook himself, were surprised he was taken in the second round of the 2006 draft. So far in his young career, the book on Cook appears deadly accurate. Cook doesn’t have quick feet and struggles to get his hips turned to get in good position to block his man on the otuside. He’s just not fluid or quick enough. I'm not confident that's something he can improve on or fix.
The Vikings do have some veteran depth at the backup positions. Both Hicks and Marcus Johnson are former starters. Some fans would prefer the backups to have more potential. At least Hicks and Johnson don’t lack experience and won’t kill the Vikings if they have to play for short periods of time. Chase Johnson is a huge man (listed at 6’9 and 330 pounds) but he was inactive all season and the word on him is he isn’t a great run blocker and lacks a nasty streak. The Vikings seemed high on centre Dan Mozes during training camp but he spent the year on the injured reserve with a knee injury. However, he could be the Birk’s successor if he’s as good as the Vikings think he is. Finally, Brian Daniels was a practice squad player last year. Maybe he will pan out and maybe he won't.
What should they do?
Offensive line is not one of the big worry areas for the Vikings. This will be the starting unit’s third year in the zone blocking scheme head coach Brad Childress brought with him. Another year of playing together should also improve cohesion and chemistry among the o-line. The unit does struggle when opponents blitz but if the running backs (particularly Peterson) were better at picking them up, perhaps it would be less of an issue. I expect the o-line to be a better unit in 2008 than it was in 2007.
The only position the Vikings should be looking at upgrading on the line is right tackle. Cook’s the weakling here. But who would be a better option? Marcus Johnson is still young but doesn't appear to be the answer. Right tackles like Stacy Andrews (Bengals), Sean Locklear (Seahawks), Maurice Williams (Jaguars) and Max Starks (Steelers) are all set to be free agents. But the Vikings don’t have a lot of money to spend (they are roughly $15-million under the salary cap) and if they do spend any of that money it will likely be on a wide receiver or defensive end.
And in the draft, immediate help at right tackle is likely not on the way. The big ticket tackle prospects like Ryan Clady of Boise State and Jake Long of Michigan will probably be gone before the Vikings get to make their first pick. If the Vikings take an offensive lineman in the draft, expect it to be late on the second day.
The Vikings should probably be looking at replacing Cook if they want to improve the overall play of the offensive line. But the Vikings coaching staff has not indicated they are unhappy with Cook’s progress. So expect the team to stay pat at this position, signing a bunch of undrafted rookie free agents and look at replacing Hicks, Marcus Johnson or both with those free agents. It’s not an exciting strategy. But it’s probably the one the Vikings will employ.
On Deck: Udeze’s plight and the wide receivers
Sunday, February 10, 2008
And many more....
Rookie of the year and now Pro Bowl MVP. Not a bad start to an NFL career.
And as meaningless games go, this one was a bit of a must-see for Vikings fan because a) seven Vikings were playing in it (Peterson, Tony Richardson, Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams and Darren Sharper) b) it was going to be our last look at Peterson for about seven months and c) we didn't want to see Peterson get hurt.
The Pro Bowl isn't exactly an intense affair. The players don't dog it but they're there to have fun and not get hurt. Still tackling does occur and anytime big men collide at high speeds, injuries can happen. Fortunately it didn't happen to Peterson. But the thought did cross my mind that the reason the NFC's head coach and Green Bay Packers boss Mike McCarthy kept feeding Peterson the ball was not to give him a chance at the MVP award but in hopes Peterson would suffer a catastrophic injury and be out of action for 2008 and beyond.
The game also gave Vikings fans a glimpse of what life might be like if their team ever assembles a passing attack worthy of an opponents respect and Peterson doesn't have to face the "eight-in-the-box" routine. His 16 carries included several Sportscenter-worthy runs. Alas, Peterson isn't likely to get that treatment for a while. Given the choice of being beaten by Peterson or being beaten by Tarvaris Jackson and his gang of non-descript wideouts and tight ends, just about every team is going to pick option number two.
Still, Peterson looked his slashing, speedy, jaw-dropping self and that's good news for Vikings fans who may have been worried about how much the knee injury suffered in the 34-0 blowout to the Packers affected his play late in the year. He looked fine at the Pro Bowl Sunday. Now Vikings fans can't wait to see what Peterson is going to do in '08.
And as meaningless games go, this one was a bit of a must-see for Vikings fan because a) seven Vikings were playing in it (Peterson, Tony Richardson, Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams and Darren Sharper) b) it was going to be our last look at Peterson for about seven months and c) we didn't want to see Peterson get hurt.
The Pro Bowl isn't exactly an intense affair. The players don't dog it but they're there to have fun and not get hurt. Still tackling does occur and anytime big men collide at high speeds, injuries can happen. Fortunately it didn't happen to Peterson. But the thought did cross my mind that the reason the NFC's head coach and Green Bay Packers boss Mike McCarthy kept feeding Peterson the ball was not to give him a chance at the MVP award but in hopes Peterson would suffer a catastrophic injury and be out of action for 2008 and beyond.
The game also gave Vikings fans a glimpse of what life might be like if their team ever assembles a passing attack worthy of an opponents respect and Peterson doesn't have to face the "eight-in-the-box" routine. His 16 carries included several Sportscenter-worthy runs. Alas, Peterson isn't likely to get that treatment for a while. Given the choice of being beaten by Peterson or being beaten by Tarvaris Jackson and his gang of non-descript wideouts and tight ends, just about every team is going to pick option number two.
Still, Peterson looked his slashing, speedy, jaw-dropping self and that's good news for Vikings fans who may have been worried about how much the knee injury suffered in the 34-0 blowout to the Packers affected his play late in the year. He looked fine at the Pro Bowl Sunday. Now Vikings fans can't wait to see what Peterson is going to do in '08.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Mock drafts and the Vikings
By now I had hoped to finish my rundown of the Vikings personnel and be on to bigger and better things – whatever that might be. But here I am into February, the Super Bowl done, free agency nearing and only two positions (quarterback and running back) assessed since the Vikings season ended December 30.
I will be resuming that task (and I mean it) starting Monday. But today just a quick post about mock drafts.
I’ve been reading these mock NFL drafts at various sites for two months now, back when it wasn’t even clear what position the Vikings would be picking at. So far, a variety of the mock-ups have had the Vikings picking quarterback Matt Ryan, defensive end Calais Campbell, safety Kenny Phillips and wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Malcolm Kelly with their number one pick. We’ll see a few other names thrown out there before the Vikings actually do the deed in April.
What this all means is that the Mel Kiper Jr.’s out there who do this for a living don’t know much at this point. Teams haven’t filled any needs through free agency, the NFL scouting combine hasn’t happened yet and front office types haven’t started hinting about whom they are leaning towards drafting. But by late March the picture might be a little less foggy for fans.
Or maybe it won’t. Last year when the Vikings had the number seven overall pick, it was a bit easier to figure out what draftee was going to be available. By the time we got to April, the word was that as long as they were still on the board, the Vikings were going to pick either Brady Quinn or Adrian Peterson.
This year it’s going to be harder for draft experts and fans to narrow it down. Unless the Vikings trade up (unlikely), sixteen teams will pick in front of them and a lot could happen that will change what player is available when the Vikings go on the clock. Ryan is expected to go pretty early, so you can probably eliminate him from the mix. But any of the other guys I mentioned above could be available at the 17th spot and they play at positions where the Vikings have some obvious needs. Wide receiver will be a position a lot of Vikings fans will want to see the team spend a first round pick on but defensive end and safety aren’t far behind. Either way, I always find it great fun reading about who the Vikings might take in April. And the speculation is only just starting to heat up.
Home Improvements
As if I didn’t need enough sports misery, I’ll have you know I cheer for Philadelphia teams in the other major professional sports (and my favourite college basketball team is Villanova), so I often read the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer online. Today, there’s a column by Rich Hoffman of the Daily News with the headline “Giant lesson for Birds: Be great at something, anything.”
In the piece, which you can read at www.philly.com/sports, Hoffman quotes Philadelphia Eagles president Joe Banner as saying that teams like to be very good on both sides of the ball but with the salary cap that isn’t always possible. But successful teams need to be very good on one side of the ball and, at the very least, not bad on the other.
If this makes any sense to you, then the Vikings are in a funny position as a football team. They are very good in some key areas (run offence and run defence) but very bad in others (pass offence and pass defence). The problem is this leaves them with neither a very good offence nor a very good defence to build around. They are middle of the road in both.
However, if the team got better at passing the ball, I think it makes this team’s pass defence problems less of an issue. That’s because the defence wouldn’t be on the field as much and it wouldn’t have to keep Vikings opponents under 20 points a game to have a chance at winning football games. The pass defence would still have to improve to make the Vikings a Super Bowl threat.
You can make the same argument about improvement in the pass defence. But it seems to me improvement in that area will require a lot more things to happen – better pass rush, better coverage of the middle of the field by the linebackers, Antoine Winfield staying healthy, much better play from Darren Sharper, Dwight Smith, Cedric Griffin and Marcus McCauley. To improve the pass offence, further maturation from Tarvaris Jackson and adding a legit number one wideout is probably enough. A decent passing offence to compliment an excellent running game should make the Vikings a playoff team quite easily. Now all they have to do is get there.
On Deck: The Hogs
I will be resuming that task (and I mean it) starting Monday. But today just a quick post about mock drafts.
I’ve been reading these mock NFL drafts at various sites for two months now, back when it wasn’t even clear what position the Vikings would be picking at. So far, a variety of the mock-ups have had the Vikings picking quarterback Matt Ryan, defensive end Calais Campbell, safety Kenny Phillips and wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Malcolm Kelly with their number one pick. We’ll see a few other names thrown out there before the Vikings actually do the deed in April.
What this all means is that the Mel Kiper Jr.’s out there who do this for a living don’t know much at this point. Teams haven’t filled any needs through free agency, the NFL scouting combine hasn’t happened yet and front office types haven’t started hinting about whom they are leaning towards drafting. But by late March the picture might be a little less foggy for fans.
Or maybe it won’t. Last year when the Vikings had the number seven overall pick, it was a bit easier to figure out what draftee was going to be available. By the time we got to April, the word was that as long as they were still on the board, the Vikings were going to pick either Brady Quinn or Adrian Peterson.
This year it’s going to be harder for draft experts and fans to narrow it down. Unless the Vikings trade up (unlikely), sixteen teams will pick in front of them and a lot could happen that will change what player is available when the Vikings go on the clock. Ryan is expected to go pretty early, so you can probably eliminate him from the mix. But any of the other guys I mentioned above could be available at the 17th spot and they play at positions where the Vikings have some obvious needs. Wide receiver will be a position a lot of Vikings fans will want to see the team spend a first round pick on but defensive end and safety aren’t far behind. Either way, I always find it great fun reading about who the Vikings might take in April. And the speculation is only just starting to heat up.
Home Improvements
As if I didn’t need enough sports misery, I’ll have you know I cheer for Philadelphia teams in the other major professional sports (and my favourite college basketball team is Villanova), so I often read the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer online. Today, there’s a column by Rich Hoffman of the Daily News with the headline “Giant lesson for Birds: Be great at something, anything.”
In the piece, which you can read at www.philly.com/sports, Hoffman quotes Philadelphia Eagles president Joe Banner as saying that teams like to be very good on both sides of the ball but with the salary cap that isn’t always possible. But successful teams need to be very good on one side of the ball and, at the very least, not bad on the other.
If this makes any sense to you, then the Vikings are in a funny position as a football team. They are very good in some key areas (run offence and run defence) but very bad in others (pass offence and pass defence). The problem is this leaves them with neither a very good offence nor a very good defence to build around. They are middle of the road in both.
However, if the team got better at passing the ball, I think it makes this team’s pass defence problems less of an issue. That’s because the defence wouldn’t be on the field as much and it wouldn’t have to keep Vikings opponents under 20 points a game to have a chance at winning football games. The pass defence would still have to improve to make the Vikings a Super Bowl threat.
You can make the same argument about improvement in the pass defence. But it seems to me improvement in that area will require a lot more things to happen – better pass rush, better coverage of the middle of the field by the linebackers, Antoine Winfield staying healthy, much better play from Darren Sharper, Dwight Smith, Cedric Griffin and Marcus McCauley. To improve the pass offence, further maturation from Tarvaris Jackson and adding a legit number one wideout is probably enough. A decent passing offence to compliment an excellent running game should make the Vikings a playoff team quite easily. Now all they have to do is get there.
On Deck: The Hogs
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
The Reporters
If you’re a Minnesota Vikings fan and still read the papers, then two football writers you should be familiar with are the Star-Tribune’s Kevin Seifert and Sean Jensen of the Pioneer Press. They are two of the beat reporters that follow the Vikings for the Twin Cities major dailies and they are two of the best – if not the best – writers who regularly cover the team.
While bloggers like myself follow the Vikings from afar and base their writings on what they see from watching a game once a week, Jensen and Seifert are paid to follow the teams every move year round. And they get to do it up close, watching the games live, attending training camps, preseason games, practices and mini-camps. They also get to interact with the players and coaches, scouts and management on an almost daily basis throughout the NFL season.
Because I find them to be good writers who also frequently provide good insight into the Vikings year after year, I thought it might be fun to e-mail Seifert and Jensen and pose five questions to them that I think a lot of Vikings fans would want to ask if they had the chance. In this Q & A – the first of its kind in the short history of Grant’s Tomb – you can read their answers to those questions.
I’d also like to thank Jensen and Seifert for taking the time to respond to my questions. Much appreciated guys. Now let’s get on with the Q & A.
Based on his play in his first season as a starter, is there any hope that Tarvaris Jackson can become a quarterback capable of leading this team to the playoffs and beyond?
Kevin Seifert: I think so. Jackson definitely showed that he has many things to work on but typically in the NFL and in many jobs, the jump from the first to the second year is the most significant. If Jackson gets good coaching in the offseason, I think he can correct many of the mistakes he made and be a very competent guy in 2008. He has the tools, the intelligence and the attitude to do it.
Sean Jensen: No one can predict when the game clicks for a quarterback, as we saw Sunday with Eli Manning. Tarvaris Jackson has all the tools to be a great quarterback - a big arm, athleticism, intelligence - but he has to put it all together. I do see the potential, especially given the weapons the Vikings have surrounded him with. His offensive line is solid and can get even better. He's got two stud running backs to hand the ball off to. Now, with one or two more playmakers to throw to, Jackson could lead the team into the playoffs.
Adrian Peterson really struggled towards the end of the season. Should Vikings fans be worried that the league has figured him out?
KS: I think all it showed is that NFL defenses can stop anyone if they commit to it. Part of the blame goes to the Vikings' passing game not being able to take advantage of the run-oriented schemes. Part of the blame goes to Peterson's injured knee, which took a little bit of a burst away from him, no matter what anyone says. And part of the blame, as Peterson has said himself, goes to his impatience in running against eight-and nine-man fronts. He was an excellent prospect coming out of college but he wasn't perfect. He will have to learn how to run against those types of defenses because they probably aren't going to change for a while.
SJ: Not at all. Like Randy Moss in 1998, Peterson's raw athleticism took his opponents by surprise. But when teams started focusing on him, especially with the passing offense struggling, Peterson wasn't as effective. Despite his numbers, I don't blame his knee, especially since he did have one strong game against Detroit. Peterson is a physical specimen, but he will spend a chunk of this offseason learning more about his position, his team's offense and what defenses are trying to do to stop him.
Brad Childress’s record in his first two seasons as head coach does not compare favourably to Mike Tice's record in his last two seasons as head coach. Do you think Childress has to get the Vikings into the playoffs to keep his job beyond 2008?
KS: That could in fact be the case. He has a five-year contract, and by year three it's fair to expect at least a winning record and probably a playoff berth. Look at Cleveland. The Browns had losing seasons in each of Romeo Crennel's first two seasons but were 10-6 this year and Crennel got a contract extension. Part of that is reflected in ownership, and we're still learning about Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, but I think everyone at Winter Park is expecting a winning record in 2008.
SJ: Childress' roster moves have, by and large, been positive. But he does need to lead this team into the postseason in 2008. He will have had three full offseasons to tailor his roster to his liking, and the core of those players will be entering their third year in the system.
What weakness that isn't talked or written about much played a part in keeping the Vikings out of the playoffs in 2007?
KS: I think it was all pretty much out there – a lack of explosion in the passing game and an inability to stop people on third downs (via the passing game) on defense.
SJ: I know there was a heavy emphasis on the pass rush. But I think the cornerback play wasn't as good as expected this season. Cedric Griffin didn't seem to grow as much as expected in his second full season and Marcus McCauley still seemed lost in the latter portion of the season. That doesn't help with veteran Antoine Winfield banged up down the stretch. This is an area that could use an upgrade.
Is there any indication the Vikings will bring in any "big name" players either through free agency or trades? Or are we looking at another offseason of signing guys like Bobby Wade and Visanthe Shiancoe?
KS: In general, "big names" are not available unless there is some serious baggage, as is the case with Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Johnson. I don't see Childress as the kind of guy that wants to bring in players like that. So unless things change, I would think it's more likely to see mid-range guys brought in.
SJ: Every indication out of Winter Park is that the Vikings have the green light to pursue whoever they want. But, Childress and Rick Spielman made it clear that they don't want to spend just to spend. The crop of free agents isn't all that impressive. But I do expect the Vikings to sign another big-time player, a la Steve Hutchinson in 2006.
On Deck: The Hogs
While bloggers like myself follow the Vikings from afar and base their writings on what they see from watching a game once a week, Jensen and Seifert are paid to follow the teams every move year round. And they get to do it up close, watching the games live, attending training camps, preseason games, practices and mini-camps. They also get to interact with the players and coaches, scouts and management on an almost daily basis throughout the NFL season.
Because I find them to be good writers who also frequently provide good insight into the Vikings year after year, I thought it might be fun to e-mail Seifert and Jensen and pose five questions to them that I think a lot of Vikings fans would want to ask if they had the chance. In this Q & A – the first of its kind in the short history of Grant’s Tomb – you can read their answers to those questions.
I’d also like to thank Jensen and Seifert for taking the time to respond to my questions. Much appreciated guys. Now let’s get on with the Q & A.
Based on his play in his first season as a starter, is there any hope that Tarvaris Jackson can become a quarterback capable of leading this team to the playoffs and beyond?
Kevin Seifert: I think so. Jackson definitely showed that he has many things to work on but typically in the NFL and in many jobs, the jump from the first to the second year is the most significant. If Jackson gets good coaching in the offseason, I think he can correct many of the mistakes he made and be a very competent guy in 2008. He has the tools, the intelligence and the attitude to do it.
Sean Jensen: No one can predict when the game clicks for a quarterback, as we saw Sunday with Eli Manning. Tarvaris Jackson has all the tools to be a great quarterback - a big arm, athleticism, intelligence - but he has to put it all together. I do see the potential, especially given the weapons the Vikings have surrounded him with. His offensive line is solid and can get even better. He's got two stud running backs to hand the ball off to. Now, with one or two more playmakers to throw to, Jackson could lead the team into the playoffs.
Adrian Peterson really struggled towards the end of the season. Should Vikings fans be worried that the league has figured him out?
KS: I think all it showed is that NFL defenses can stop anyone if they commit to it. Part of the blame goes to the Vikings' passing game not being able to take advantage of the run-oriented schemes. Part of the blame goes to Peterson's injured knee, which took a little bit of a burst away from him, no matter what anyone says. And part of the blame, as Peterson has said himself, goes to his impatience in running against eight-and nine-man fronts. He was an excellent prospect coming out of college but he wasn't perfect. He will have to learn how to run against those types of defenses because they probably aren't going to change for a while.
SJ: Not at all. Like Randy Moss in 1998, Peterson's raw athleticism took his opponents by surprise. But when teams started focusing on him, especially with the passing offense struggling, Peterson wasn't as effective. Despite his numbers, I don't blame his knee, especially since he did have one strong game against Detroit. Peterson is a physical specimen, but he will spend a chunk of this offseason learning more about his position, his team's offense and what defenses are trying to do to stop him.
Brad Childress’s record in his first two seasons as head coach does not compare favourably to Mike Tice's record in his last two seasons as head coach. Do you think Childress has to get the Vikings into the playoffs to keep his job beyond 2008?
KS: That could in fact be the case. He has a five-year contract, and by year three it's fair to expect at least a winning record and probably a playoff berth. Look at Cleveland. The Browns had losing seasons in each of Romeo Crennel's first two seasons but were 10-6 this year and Crennel got a contract extension. Part of that is reflected in ownership, and we're still learning about Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, but I think everyone at Winter Park is expecting a winning record in 2008.
SJ: Childress' roster moves have, by and large, been positive. But he does need to lead this team into the postseason in 2008. He will have had three full offseasons to tailor his roster to his liking, and the core of those players will be entering their third year in the system.
What weakness that isn't talked or written about much played a part in keeping the Vikings out of the playoffs in 2007?
KS: I think it was all pretty much out there – a lack of explosion in the passing game and an inability to stop people on third downs (via the passing game) on defense.
SJ: I know there was a heavy emphasis on the pass rush. But I think the cornerback play wasn't as good as expected this season. Cedric Griffin didn't seem to grow as much as expected in his second full season and Marcus McCauley still seemed lost in the latter portion of the season. That doesn't help with veteran Antoine Winfield banged up down the stretch. This is an area that could use an upgrade.
Is there any indication the Vikings will bring in any "big name" players either through free agency or trades? Or are we looking at another offseason of signing guys like Bobby Wade and Visanthe Shiancoe?
KS: In general, "big names" are not available unless there is some serious baggage, as is the case with Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Johnson. I don't see Childress as the kind of guy that wants to bring in players like that. So unless things change, I would think it's more likely to see mid-range guys brought in.
SJ: Every indication out of Winter Park is that the Vikings have the green light to pursue whoever they want. But, Childress and Rick Spielman made it clear that they don't want to spend just to spend. The crop of free agents isn't all that impressive. But I do expect the Vikings to sign another big-time player, a la Steve Hutchinson in 2006.
On Deck: The Hogs
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Is a lack of Super Bowl wins keeping ex-Vikings out of the Hall?
The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots on Sunday to pull off the biggest upset in Super Bowl history – even bigger than the New York Jets titanic upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, blah, blah, blah, etc, etc, etc.
Okay, as the headline makes quite clear, this is no post about the Super Bowl. Instead I want to focus on the somewhat surprising results of Saturday’s Hall of Fame voting. Three ex-Vikings were up for election and only one got in. But it wasn’t the player most Vikings fans were expecting.
Former Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter, who some considered a shoe-in to get elected in his first year of eligibility, didn’t get the nod from voters, while ex-Vikings left tackle Gary Zimmerman did. Meanwhile, long-time Vikings guard Randall McDaniel also failed to make the cut.
For Vikings fans, seeing Zimmerman get in probably provides the least amount of satisfaction of any of the three. Yes, Zimmerman was a great left tackle for Minnesota but he played almost as many seasons in a Denver Broncos uniform (five) as he did with the purple and gold (six). He also won a Super Bowl playing for the Broncos.
McDaniel’s omission in his second year of eligibility was less of a surprise. Voters often take a while to vote offensive lineman into Canton and worthy candidates like Zimmerman had been waiting longer. Still, if someone with McDaniel’s credentials has to wait two years or more to be voted in, you have to wonder what an offensive lineman would have to do to make it in their first-year of eligibility. McDaniel went to the Pro Bowl 11 straight times – an NFL record.
We all know players selected to the Pro Bowl sometimes get there based on reputation rather than on-field performance. But Pro Bowl appearances are one of the criteria voters have to look at when deciding on these things. And for a position like offensive guard where voters can’t use traditional football statistics – touchdowns, sacks and the like – to gauge a player’s Hall worthiness, shouldn’t 11 Pro Bowl appearances mean an awful lot?
As for Carter, it seems like voters decided to let in only one wide receiver this year and that one receiver was going to be Washington’s Art Monk, who had already been passed over seven times previously for the HOF. For those of you who are wondering how bogus a decision that was, go read Pacifist Viking’s Saturday post on this subject.
While there are surely other factors at play as to why ex-Vikings like Carter, McDaniel and Zimmerman have had to wait, and are still waiting, to gain entry, the fact they never won a Super Bowl as Vikings has to play a big part in the voters indifference.
Winning a Super Bowl or two is no guarantee you will get in promptly – just as Monk. But football writers certainly place a lot of emphasis on a player “winning the big one” when judging whether a retired NFL player deserves to be enshrined among the greatest of the greats. And for those who don’t have that on their resume, it’s an easy argument for HOF voters to fall back on to justify keeping worthy guys like Carter and McDaniel out.
Wait till next year?
Sticking with the theme of ex-Vikings with Hall of Fame credentials that haven’t won a Super Bowl, Ole’ 84 (Randy Moss) still doesn’t have his ring. After being ignored by Tom Brady throughout the contest, Moss was in line to be one of the heroes of another Patriots Super Bowl win when he hauled in a six-yard touchdown pass with under three minutes left in the game to give New England a 14-10 lead. We all know what happened after that.
Anyway, Moss’s stats in his first Super Bowl appearance were a modest five catches for 62 yards and the one TD. In the Patriots two previous playoff wins, he caught only two passes. So if his career were to end today, would Moss have an easy time getting voted into Canton?
I don’t think so. There’s no denying his stats but when you take into consideration his often cantankerous relationship with the media, his somewhat overblown off-the-field issues and the widespread belief he’s a front-runner and a quitter, Moss would hardly be a HOF shoe-in. Many voters are going to hold that stuff against him despite his on-field brilliance. But, winning a Super Bowl and playing a key role in it, would have made it harder for voters to give Moss the thumbs down in the future. But it didn’t happen this year. You have to wonder if instant karma’s gonna get Ole’ 84.
On Deck: Q & A time
Okay, as the headline makes quite clear, this is no post about the Super Bowl. Instead I want to focus on the somewhat surprising results of Saturday’s Hall of Fame voting. Three ex-Vikings were up for election and only one got in. But it wasn’t the player most Vikings fans were expecting.
Former Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter, who some considered a shoe-in to get elected in his first year of eligibility, didn’t get the nod from voters, while ex-Vikings left tackle Gary Zimmerman did. Meanwhile, long-time Vikings guard Randall McDaniel also failed to make the cut.
For Vikings fans, seeing Zimmerman get in probably provides the least amount of satisfaction of any of the three. Yes, Zimmerman was a great left tackle for Minnesota but he played almost as many seasons in a Denver Broncos uniform (five) as he did with the purple and gold (six). He also won a Super Bowl playing for the Broncos.
McDaniel’s omission in his second year of eligibility was less of a surprise. Voters often take a while to vote offensive lineman into Canton and worthy candidates like Zimmerman had been waiting longer. Still, if someone with McDaniel’s credentials has to wait two years or more to be voted in, you have to wonder what an offensive lineman would have to do to make it in their first-year of eligibility. McDaniel went to the Pro Bowl 11 straight times – an NFL record.
We all know players selected to the Pro Bowl sometimes get there based on reputation rather than on-field performance. But Pro Bowl appearances are one of the criteria voters have to look at when deciding on these things. And for a position like offensive guard where voters can’t use traditional football statistics – touchdowns, sacks and the like – to gauge a player’s Hall worthiness, shouldn’t 11 Pro Bowl appearances mean an awful lot?
As for Carter, it seems like voters decided to let in only one wide receiver this year and that one receiver was going to be Washington’s Art Monk, who had already been passed over seven times previously for the HOF. For those of you who are wondering how bogus a decision that was, go read Pacifist Viking’s Saturday post on this subject.
While there are surely other factors at play as to why ex-Vikings like Carter, McDaniel and Zimmerman have had to wait, and are still waiting, to gain entry, the fact they never won a Super Bowl as Vikings has to play a big part in the voters indifference.
Winning a Super Bowl or two is no guarantee you will get in promptly – just as Monk. But football writers certainly place a lot of emphasis on a player “winning the big one” when judging whether a retired NFL player deserves to be enshrined among the greatest of the greats. And for those who don’t have that on their resume, it’s an easy argument for HOF voters to fall back on to justify keeping worthy guys like Carter and McDaniel out.
Wait till next year?
Sticking with the theme of ex-Vikings with Hall of Fame credentials that haven’t won a Super Bowl, Ole’ 84 (Randy Moss) still doesn’t have his ring. After being ignored by Tom Brady throughout the contest, Moss was in line to be one of the heroes of another Patriots Super Bowl win when he hauled in a six-yard touchdown pass with under three minutes left in the game to give New England a 14-10 lead. We all know what happened after that.
Anyway, Moss’s stats in his first Super Bowl appearance were a modest five catches for 62 yards and the one TD. In the Patriots two previous playoff wins, he caught only two passes. So if his career were to end today, would Moss have an easy time getting voted into Canton?
I don’t think so. There’s no denying his stats but when you take into consideration his often cantankerous relationship with the media, his somewhat overblown off-the-field issues and the widespread belief he’s a front-runner and a quitter, Moss would hardly be a HOF shoe-in. Many voters are going to hold that stuff against him despite his on-field brilliance. But, winning a Super Bowl and playing a key role in it, would have made it harder for voters to give Moss the thumbs down in the future. But it didn’t happen this year. You have to wonder if instant karma’s gonna get Ole’ 84.
On Deck: Q & A time
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