Signing McNabb is a wise move by the Vikings

I have not been on board with much of what the Vikings have done this offseason.

I wasn't thrilled with the choice of Bill Musgrave as offensive coordinator – a guy who had failed at the job in two other NFL stops.

I couldn't understand why they were so willing to part ways with Ray Edwards – a young, productive defensive end in a league where that kind of player is a highly valued commodity.

I was all ready for them to draft Nebraska standout corner Prince Amukamara with their first round pick. Instead they selected a guy, quarterback Christian Ponder, who many draftniks didn't think would be selected in the first round at all. (I have since come around on the Ponder choice – a little. But the rest of their draft looks pretty sketchy to me. Full of high risk, low reward guys.)

But today's acquisition of Donovan McNabb for a couple of sixth round picks is something I can get behind. Despite Kevin Seifert's belief that McNabb is nothing but a very short-term insurance policy for Ponder, I don't see how a guy could go from playing at a Pro Bowl level in 2009 to being a has-been a year later (although Brett Favre sure looked like it last year, as did McNabb in Washington.)

Anyway, I'm not in favor sticking a rookie under center unless you have no other options. If the Vikings management still believes the team has the talent to be a playoff caliber squad, they would have been wasting the season going with Ponder this year, who would be in over his helmet. Give him a year on the sidelines to get used to the speed of the game, to learn about the commitment it takes to be an elite NFL player and to familiarize himself with a pro playbook and the complexities of NFL defences.

McNabb might not be the same player he was at 28 or 29. But he's been around. He's played in big games. He's still got a strong arm and he's still mobile. He can keep the Vikings competitive for another year or two, which I would prefer rather than watching Ponder learn – and lose – on the job for a couple of seasons.

My main worry is that in Washington last year, McNabb had no running game, his offensive line was terrible and he had very little talent to throw to. And the results were not pretty. With the Vikings, he's walking into a similar situation. The offensive line is terrible and he has very little talent to throw to. At least he has Adrian Peterson.

About this blog:
I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. One reason for that is that I got a new job in January and it's been very busy. I just didn't have time to write anything. The other reason is that with the lockout, there really wasn't anything to write about much of the time.

This post does not mean I'm back to blogging full time, or even part time. I'll see how I feel and how much time I have. But I'll keep the site up because at some point in the future, I'd like to write about the Vikings as regularly as I did in 2007-2009. That just might not be the case this season. Thanks for your patience.