About that Vikings stadium bill ....

I don't know abut you – actually, I think I do know – anyway this Vikings stadium back-and-forth got old a long time ago.

Last week Vikings owner Zygi Wilf and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton said they were close to agreeing on a stadium bill to present to the Minnesota state legislature. A week later, the parties still haven't agreed on a bill. And state politicians are starting to get cranky with the waiting game.

Dayton's blaming the legislators for somehow slowing the process. The legislators are blaming Dayton. Keep in mind this is just a bill that would be presented to the state to consider. Assuming that occurs, then the Minneapolis City Council has to approve it. How long do you figure all of this will take? Six months? Eight? Twelve?

(Update, via Pro Football Talk, looks like something is happening, a press conference Thursday morning has been scheduled.)

Draft Targets

The National Football Post's Wes Bunting has this look at some rising prospects in the wake of the NFL combine.

I don't pay much attention to college football, so this time of the year is when I tend to learn a lot about all these kids the Vikings may or may not draft.

The Vikings need a wide receiver, so keep an eye on a guy like Miami's Tommy Streeter, who could be available in the second or third round, and has the size and speed a team like Minnesota is looking for.

Do the Vikings need a functional or franchise left tackle?

It was probably pre-draft smoke Vikings general manager Rick Spielman was blowing, but much has been written about his quote that the Vikings could thrive by finding a "functional left tackle" to protect Christian Ponder's blindside rather than an elite one – like USC's Matt Kalil is projected to be.

The Star-Tribune's Dan Wiederer examined this a bit in a recent post, and seems to lean towards the Vikings auctioning off the number three overall pick in April's draft, getting a king's ransom in return and going the functional left tackle route.

That may not be an option anymore, with the St. Louis Rams putting the "For Sale" sign on their number two overall draft pick.

I will say this though about the Vikings need for offensive line help. Diamonds in the rough are nice. Functional left tackles is a novel concept. But the Vikings went last year with an O-line that included a sixth-rounder (left tackle Charlie Johnson), a fifth rounder (center John Sullivan), an undrafted free agent (right guard Anthony Herrera) and a fading first-rounder they signed away from another team (left guard Steve Hutchinson). Right tackle Phil Loadholt (second round, 2009) was the only starter that was a high draft pick that the Vikings selected, and he's no stud (although he's not nearly as bad as some Viking fans would have you believe).

In short, the Vikings have neglected the offensive line for far too long. It's time to invest in it. Yes, you can succeed with a "functional" left tackle in the NFL, just like you can succeed with a "functional" quarterback (see Trent Dilfer and the 2000 Baltimore Ravens). But if an elite player at one of those positions is available, and the Vikes haven't had an elite left tackle since Todd Steussie left town in 2000, you probably should snap him up.

Kalil, by all accounts, looks like an elite left tackle. If he's still available when the Vikings are on the clock in April, Spielman better get his socks blown off with a trade offer if he decides to grab some extra draft picks and pass on Kalil.

The housecleaning begins

Pioneer Press writer Jeremy Fowler says the Vikings have told wide receiver Greg Camarillo he won't be back for a third season with the team.

Camarillo is the first of many Vikings from the 3-13 squad who will be shown the door between now and March 13. By that date, Camarillo will likely be joined by E.J. Henderson, Cedric Griffin, Anthony Herrera, Visanthe Shiancoe and more.

Camarillo will go down as one of my least favorite Viking players of all time. It's not because he was a bad guy or even a terrible player. It has more to do with the fact his arrival coincided with the Vikings going from an NFC Championship team to a 6-10 and then a 3-13 team. Somehow I blame him for that.

More Vikings free agent, draft chatter

Wide Receiver Talk

CBS Sportsline's Clark Judge has a blog post today claiming free agent-to-be wide receiver Mario Manningham will land in Tampa Bay.

As followers of this blog are aware, I've been writing about Manningham as a potential free agent target for the receiver-poor Vikings for a couple of weeks now.

I don't think Manningham would be a coup as a free agent signing, but he'd help the Vikings. So let's start doing some math here when it comes to what was looking like a stacked free agent wide receiver class.

According to Judge, Manningham will land with the Bucs. Dwayne Bowe is looking like he's getting franchised by Kansas City. Wes Welker (an unlikely target for the Vikes anyway) will be franchised by the Patriots. The Eagles are likely to franchise DeSean Jackson and then maybe trade him. That's several blue-chip receivers who will "likely" be off the market and not heading to Winter Park when March 13 arrives.

Which means the competition for Vincent Jackson, Stevie Johnson, and even Early Doucet is going to be fierce. Not good.

Draft Talk

If this report I spied on the Daily Norseman's site today is to be believed, Vikes general manager Rick Spielman won't have to worry about fielding multiple offers for Minnesota's number three pick on draft day.

And that might be just fine – if Matt Kalil's performance yesterday at the NFL combine translates on the field. The Vikings need a left tackle and based on a few reports I'm going to link to below, Kalil did nothing to dispel the notion he's the best left tackle available in the draft.

For more on Kalil's combine effort, check out Kevin Seifert's post here (does Kalil look "slender" to you in this photo?); Tony Pauline's post here; and Wes Bunting's post here.

There is no need for the Vikings to overthink this one come April. Matt Kalil is their man.

The Vikings Weekly Wrap

Joe Webb

I know what most Vikings fans are thinking after head coach Leslie Frazier said Friday that Joe Webb will concentrate on being a quarterback this season – it's about time.

For two seasons now, we've watched Webb make some jaw-dropping plays and perform pretty competently when he's been forced to play significant reps at quarterback. Those performances have been enough to have us fantasize about what Webb could accomplish if the Vikes coaching staff stopped jerking him around and had him focus on becoming an NFL quarterback. This week Vikings Territory head honcho Adam Warwas penned a guest post for me calling on the team to commit to developing Webb as a quarterback full-time. Warwas got his wish.

This is the right move for a number of reasons.

1) If starter Christian Ponder develops into the QB the Vikings expect him to, but Webb also shows he's got starter potential, the Vikes – if they play it smart – can trade Webb to another team for a premium. That would not be a bad return on a sixth-round investment.

2) If Ponder develops into a good starter, but Webb blossoms into a great starter, then the Vikes trade Ponder to another team for a premium.

3) And if Webb can't beat out Ponder, but still hones his craft enough that he's a solid backup option, that's okay as well. You can always use a decent backup.

Webb was never going to pan out as a wide receiver or kick returner anyway. So today was a good day for Joe Webb, the Minnesota Vikings and Viking fans.

Leslie Frazier

I think it's fair to say the bloom is off the rose for Frazier when it comes to Vikings fans. Being the head coach for a team that goes 3-13 never does a whole lot for a guy's popularity. Still, I liked some of the things coming out of Frazier's piehole in this post by ESPN 1500's Tom Pelissero.

The 2012 season is going to be a big one for Frazier. His team will have to show great improvement in order for him to keep his job. At least he's saying things right now that make perfect sense to me: that he's told Adrian Peterson to get smart when it comes to rehabbing his knee; that he wants to get Percy Harvin on the field more than we saw in 2011; and that he wants to give defensive lineman Jared Allen, Brian Robison and Kevin Williams more rest to keep them fresher next season.

What doesn't make much sense to me is entertaining the thought of bringing back Cedric Griffin. After two major knee operations, Griffin doesn't look like he's got anything left.

Again with Mario Manningham

No, I do not have a Mario Manningham fetish. However, I've been writing about him lately because I get the feeling the Vikings are going to pursue him when free agency starts on March 13. He's young (25), he's been reasonably productive (in 2010 he caught 60 passes for 944 yards and nine touchdowns) and he likely won't be horrendously expensive. That's a combination Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman will like.

Yet Manningham probably doesn't fill the Vikings need for a number #1 wide receiver. That is the view of The National Football Post's Matt Bowen, anyway.

That doesn't mean the Vikes shouldn't target Manningham, as he would be an obvious upgrade at the position. But the Vikings, and Vikings fans, should be realistic about what player they are getting if Manningham does sign with Minnesota. He's a good player. I don't think he's a great player. This club could use a few more good players, though.

Matt Kalil

The USC left tackle would fill an obvious need for the Vikings. That's why many mock drafts have Minnesota taking him with the number three overall pick.

I'm not going to write about that today. Instead I am going to make fun of a quote of his that appeared in this Thursday post by ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert.

Seifert marveled (at least I think he was marveling) that Kalil didn't look like a prototypical portly offensive lineman at the combine. "I'm so tall and slender, I could weigh 310, and it wouldn't look it," Kalil told reporters with a straight face.

I love this. It might be the first time in history a 6'6, 306-pound guy called himself slender. Matt – 6'6 and 206 pounds is slender. When you're 6'6 and over 300 pounds, well, that's just big.

Blog Developments

After some lean months in 2011, I've been blogging pretty steady here at Grant's Tomb since September and have every intention of doing so for the foreseeable future.

But change is afoot. On March 1st, I'll be putting Grant's Tomb out to pasture after 500-plus posts and debuting a new, mostly Vikings-focused blog.

I'm pretty pumped about this, and what's even better is I will have some help. I have recruited another writer to contribute regularly to the blog, and while I don't want to give anything away at this point, I think fans who frequent Viking sites regularly will be somewhat familiar with the writer's previous work.

I will leave it at that for now. Just be sure to check back here on March 1st, as I will post a link to the new site at Grant's Tomb on Thursday.

Ahh, the excitement. Can you feel it?

What will Antoine Winfield's role be in 2012?

ESPN's Kevin Seifert had a short post today at the NFL combine that had nothing to do with potential Viking draftees. It was actually about cornerback Antoine Winfield and what role he will have with the team next season.

The post comes after Seifert attended a press conference where Vikings general manager Rick Spielman gave the media horde some of his thoughts. A couple of points about that post and Spielman comments.

1. Seifert seems to think the Vikings are considering all kinds of roles for Winfield – including moving him to safety. I can't see that happening – not because it doesn't make sense – but because in an article several weeks ago (which I could not find on the Internet in order to link to it here) Winfield made it pretty clear he ain't playing safety. His basic comment was something like, "corner is where the action is, so I'm going to be a corner."

But Spielman and the Vikings have something cooking with Winfield. A GM knows how the media game works and Spielman would not put something out there publicly unless he thought it was in his best interest to do so. I think what he's trying to do is pave the way for an Antoine Winfield who plays several less snaps in 2012 than he has played in the past. And that could be Spielman's plan on how to get two more full seasons of football out of a still effective, but aging and increasingly brittle veteran like Winfield.

I think the perfect role for Winfield is that of a Charles Woodson-type hybrid corner-safety position, where he's moved around the field and asked to do a number of things. Winfield's still a deadly tackler. He also shown a good feel for blitzing (and stripping the ball from quarterbacks). Finally, he can still cover. The only problem with that idea is the Vikings Tampa Two defensive scheme doesn't seem to allow for that kind of creativity. But I don't see Winfield playing safety. Ever.

2. If Winfield isn't going to be a full-time player, and instead will only play when opponents use three and four wide receiver sets – which will still be a lot of the time in today's NFL – what does that do to the Vikings run defense?

The Williams Wall, E.J. Henderson, Jared Allen, Ray Edwards, Chad Greenway, Ben Leber, Cedric Griffin – they all had a hand in making the Vikings essentially the top run-stopping unit in the NFL from 2006-2009. But Winfield played a large role in that as well. He was like an extra linebacker out there. He sealed off outside running lanes with a great ability to knife through blocks and take out running backs, fullbacks and wide receivers in space outside the numbers.

The Vikings didn't have that guy much of last year, and while it wasn't the only reason Minnesota was subpar stopping the run, I think it was a factor. If Winfield isn't playing on downs when opponent's are using only two receivers, the unit will be playing those (likely) running downs without one of their best run defenders. I don't know how you square that circle.

The NFL draft combine is here and so is Vikings draft excitement

The Minnesota Vikings haven't had a more important draft since the last time the team went 3-13, which as most Vikes fans know, occurred in 1984. In the spring of 1985, the Vikings selected future Hall of Fame defensive end Chris Doleman, steady cornerback Issiac Holt and center Kirk Lowdermilk with their first three selections. The rebuilding effort was on.

If the Vikings do as well with their first three picks in the 2012 college draft, fans should be pleased. And the first step towards finding out who the Vikings might select in April started Wednesday as the NFL draft combine kicked off in Indianapolis.

I won't devote a lot of attention to covering it over the next few days, however, as most of the stuff will be happening while I'm doing my real job. Plus, I'm not into shuttle drills and guys throwing footballs in shorts.

There will be a couple of writers worth checking out if you're looking for info on who the Vikings brainthrust is oogling and what players are surging or struggling at this annual meat market though.

One of them is ESPN North's Kevin Seifert, who says he will be blogging the hell out of the combine. The other is ESPN 1500's Tom Pelissero, who will be tweeting regularly throughout the combine.

What to do with Joe Webb?

Last week I penned a guest post for the Vikings Territory blog on the Vikes stadium saga. Today, Adam Warwas, the brains behind one of the best Vikings blogs out there (and the slickest Vikes blog website out there), has returned the favor. Earlier this week I asked Adam to write something on one of my favorite topics – quarterback Joe Webb – and in no time, he was able to whip something up. What follows is Adam's take on what should be done to make the best use of Webb's obvious athletic gifts – something the Vikings coaching staff is still struggling with.

No Average Joe
There are decades and decades of evidence that support the theory that a backup quarterback becomes the most popular person residing in an NFL city once that team begins to struggle. It can also be argued that the backup quarterback is the second most important position on an NFL roster.

The Vikings have a backup quarterback.

For over 12 months now the Vikings have tried to find a role for 2010 sixth-round pick Joe Webb out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham. In college he was primarily a quarterback but spent some time at receiver. The Vikings drafted him with the receiver position in mind, but Webb got a chance at quarterback after his first OTAs included an impressive throwing session and/or a terrible showing of hands, depending on which reports you believe.

The Vikings, seldom admitting that Webb is their best option as a starting quarterback, have used him in a variety of ways that range from receiver to “Blazer” quarterback to kick returner. In each role, Webb has displayed some truly elite athleticism that has both led to productive outings and also masked some serious flaws.

In week 16 of the 2011 season, Webb entered the game for an injured Christian Ponder, leading the Vikings to victory over Washington with a great display of his quarterback skills. He had a perfect quarterback rating after hitting on four of five passes – two of which were for touchdowns – for 80 yards. He also ran for 34 yards on five carries and scored another touchdown.

The following week, however, Chicago had all the answers for Webb and the depleted Vikings offense. He averaged only half a yard per carry, threw two interceptions, completed only 17 of his 32 passing attempts, and didn’t score once through the air or on the ground.

Even with the inconsistencies, however, it is tough not to like Webb and cheer for him. He is exciting to watch, is a nightmare for opposing coordinators, and is a true NFL underdog storyline.

So, with two years under his belt, what exactly should the Vikings do with Joe Webb now?

First, I think the Vikings should scrap the idea of Webb being a wideout. He has had almost zero production at that position and he recently reiterated that his “heart” is at the quarterback position. Heart is an important part of success on the gridiron, so the Vikings coaches should take those comments at face value.

Second, they need to give him a legitimate chance to learn the quarterback position. Think about it, in 2010 Webb was drafted as a wideout and the transition to quarterback didn’t happen until later in the offseason. Then in 2011, the lockout prevented him from getting offseason reps at the position. Webb has not had a full offseason to prepare to play quarterback. I think he has earned the right to do exactly that this year.

Finally, I think the team needs to narrow his focus. Sure, the Blazer package might be more successful if the offense as a whole gets more talented, but those plays should only be included on a weekly basis if Webb is 100 per cent comfortable with his role as the number two quarterback. Furthermore, they should throw the possibility of returning kicks out the window, as they will have plenty of rookies to compete for that job with Percy Harvin.

And that is what it boils down to. Letting Webb settle into the backup quarterback position should not only let him hone his skills, but it should also push Christian Ponder, with Ponder knowing that a real fan favorite is sitting right behind him. And who knows, maybe Webb pushes Ponder hard enough that he finds himself in a true competition for the starting gig.

Webb’s athleticism makes him one of the most dangerous change-ups in the NFL, as we have seen on numerous occasions, and for now that is where his true value lies.

Free agent defensive back pool takes a hit as Chiefs sign Standford Routt

There were reports the Vikings were interested in recently-released Oakland cornerback Stanford Routt when the Raiders surprisingly let him go a couple of weeks ago.

But Adam Schefter (by way of Football Outsiders) has tweeted that Routt has signed a three-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs today.

According to FO's Tom Gower, the Routt signing could set off a chain reaction that affects the Vikings free agency plans – both for good and ill. Gower theorizes that the Chiefs will now franchise wide receiver Dwayne Bowe but will allow cornerback Brandon Carr to hit the open market.

In case you needed to be reminded, the Vikings happen to have needs at both the cornerback and the wide receiver positions. I like Bowe and FO thinks pretty highly of Carr – if Gower's little writeup is any indication. But when any member of the 2012 free agent pool is signed or franchised, that just drives up the price of the remaining players left over in the positions those players occupy. That's the law of supply and demand. So the price to sign Carr just got a bit higher. The same will go for pending free agent wide receivers like Marques Colston and Stevie Johnson if Bowe is franchised by the Chiefs.

Today is the first day teams can franchise players and some (maybe a lot) of these guys won't be around when free agency starts on March 13. And the Vikings – currently anyway – don't have a lot of cap space to sign guys like Carr who will be in great demand come March 13.

New Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is about to get his first test as the team's football puppet master. They Vikes will have to restructure or release some guys (Anthony Herrera; Steve Hutchinson) and maybe let go some guys they want to keep (Erin Henderson) to be able to afford someone like Carr. With so many needs, this is a bad year for the Vikings to not have much cap room.

The Vikings Weekly Wrap

Where Grant's Tomb provides commentary on Vikings and NFL-related content published during the past seven days.

Stadium Talk

Stories on Friday like this one had negotiators from all sides about to announce some sort of Vikings stadium deal that would be presented to state and Minneapolis legislators next week.

But as I wrote last week at Vikings Territory and as ESPN's Kevin Seifert also points out, this deal doesn't mean the Vikings are staying in Minnesota, it only means they have a chance to stay in Minnesota. Basically, we're no further ahead on this issue now than we were in February 2011.

And apparently the state's contribution to funding the new stadium at or near the Metrodome site has gone up. Hard to see state politicians getting behind a more expensive stadium proposal than the one they wouldn't support last year for Arden Hills.

Rick Spielman

Jeremy Fowler of the Pioneer Press had a pretty good story this week on Vikings general manager Rick Spielman.

I'm lukewarm on Spielman. He's made some good moves – if they were in fact his moves, and not Brad Childress' – during his time with the Vikings. He's also made some bad ones. But it's the drafting of Christian Ponder that will make or break Spielman as Vikings general manager. If Ponder turns into an elite player, Spielman will have a long stay at Winter Park. If Ponder turns into Joey Harrington, Spielman will be collecting a paycheque from somebody else in two or three years.

Wide Receivers

Free agency starts on March 13 and there could be some very attractive wide receivers on the market – Wes Welker (Pats), Marques Colston (Saints), Stevie Johnson (Bills), DeSean Jackson (Eagles), Vincent Jackson (Chargers) and Dwayne Bowe (Chiefs) - to name a few.

Not all of these guys are going to be available, however. And as these articles by Football Outsiders on the cap space for AFC West and AFC East teams illustrate, the Chiefs, Bills and Chargers will likely franchise their impending free agent wideouts.

Jackson, Bowe and Johnson would all make sense as free agent targets for the receiver-poor Vikings. But if they don't hit the market, where do the Vikes turn then?

I think we're likely to see Spielman target the Giants Mario Manningham or the Cardinals Early Doucet. Neither player has shown he can be a #1 receiver in the league, which the Vikings need. But both players fit Spielman's free agent philosophy of signing young guys (Manningham and Doucet will both be 26 next season) coming off their first contract who might be on the rise.

Robert Griffin III

Rick Spielman's comments that the Vikings would consider drafting either Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III if they are available when Minnesota picks third overall at the NFL draft created a few headlines this week.

But all I read into those remarks was the usual cat and mouse games teams play leading up to the draft. It certainly serves Spielman's purpose to have other teams picking after the Vikings worry Minnesota might pick Griffin III (the Colts are picking Luck). After all, he's looking to create a market for the Vikings #3 pick and possibly swing a trade. But I'm not buying what Spielman's selling. And I don't think any other NFL teams will either.


Randy Moss

Ole' 84's declaration that he is coming out of a one-year retirement caught the football world's attention this week. But even before he announced it on the Internet I wouldn't have liked his chances of finding anyone to sign him. I like them a lot less now.

Moss's reputation as a pain in the ass for coaches and management to deal with is well-earned. If he was going to get some team to take a chance on him, his best bet was to go the quiet root and get his agent to make some subtle inquiries. Instead Moss held online video chats and got in a brief Twitter feud with ex-teammate Cris Carter. That's hardly the way to show potential employers you are going to toe the company line in 2012.

Foreshadowing

As football fans witness the unthinkable – Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts parting ways, it's hard not to think of Adrian Peterson. We're well aware Peterson is trying to come back from a major injury himself and the road back will be difficult.

I have no doubt Peterson will make it back. What I do doubt is how effective he will be once he plays again. And so around this time next year, when Peterson is due to make over $11 million, the Vikings may be playing the same slippery public relations game Colts owner Jim Irsay has been forced into with Manning.

If it's clear Peterson wasn't the same player in 2012 that he was in 2011 before his knee injury, the Vikings management will be put in the position of trying to let down the team's most popular player easy and get rid of him for salary cap and performance reasons. Peterson likely won't take kindly to that treatment and very public falling out could occur. Yes, it could get very ugly for Peterson and Vikings general manager Rick Spielman come February of 2013.

Grant's Tomb makes a guest appearance at Vikings Territory blog

I'm in a collaborative mood these days. A few weeks ago, Adam Warwas – mastermind of the excellent blog, Vikings Territory – approached me about partnering with him on some content from time-to-time. I accepted.

Our first stab at this Vikings blogging cross-pollination can be read here and here.

Last night I whipped up a guest post for Adam on the Vikings stadium situation – not my favorite topic to write about, but whatever. If you want to read it, check out this link.

Look for more Vikings content from Grant's Tomb later today.

Randy Moss – I wish I could quit you

Hey all, I apologize for the dated Brokeback Mountain reference, but I couldn't resist.

So our old friend – Randy Moss – reportedly wants to play football in 2012 at the age of 35. I can't imagine it going much different for Moss than how 2011 went for Terrell Owens.

But this time last year, I was ready to write a post where I was going to argue that the Vikings should consider bringing back Moss one last time to aid a pedestrian wide receiving corps.

My thinking was that with Percy Harvin already in tow, and by resigning Sidney Rice (which didn't happen), Moss could serve as a deadly deep threat and #3 wide receiver and vault the Vikings passing game back into the 21st century. (This is one example that illustrates why I don't run a professional football team.)

Not much has changed in the past 12 months for Minnesota. Harvin is still here. Rice isn't and the Vikings still need a deep threat and #3 wide receiver – as well as a #1(a) to Harvin's #1(b). But Moss's kookey personality, his age and declining skills wouldn't fit in very well for a rebuilding team that needs to get younger.

However, I just can't help but wish Ole' 84 would play one last season in purple. I have always had a man-crush on Moss, I guess. And the way he went out in 2010 hardly seemed like a fitting end for one of the game's greatest deep threats and talents.

As long as he doesn't end up back in the NFC North, I'd like Moss to get one more shot, come into camp motivated, in great shape and put together one last solid season before calling it a career. But as ESPN's Kevin Seifert points out, the odds are stacked very high against him.

Was Christian Ponder the NFC North's most disappointing rookie?

ESPN North blogger Kevin Seifert wrote about the "best and worst" in the division on Friday. In the piece he singles out two Vikings moves for his "worst" categories: The trade that brought Donovan McNabb to Minnesota and the performance of quarterback Christian Ponder.

You'll get no argument from me that the acquisition of McNabb was a colossal bust – even though I agreed with the move at the time (I make mistakes now and then.) But I will quibble with Seifert's selection of Ponder as the division's most disappointing rookie.

In my view, the Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley had a more disappointing rookie season than Ponder.

Ponder plays a much more high profile position than Fairley, and I'm sure that played into Seifert's decision. But while Ponder's lows in 2011 were very low, his highs were much higher than anything Fairley mustered.

I think you also have to consider what Ponder had to work with compared to Fairley. The Florida State graduate played behind one of the weakest offensive lines in the NFL and had one of the worst wide receiving corps to throw to. Now many of this interceptions were the result of piss-poor decisions he made – and that's a huge concern for Vikings fans going into 2012 – but those are the sort of bad plays I'd expect from a rookie QB. I saw the Lions Matt Stafford make many of the same poor decisions in his injury-shortened rookie year.

Fairley's 2011 play is a bit more disappointing in my mind because of how little an impact he made – positive or negative – during his rookie season. He had 15 total tackles and one sack. To be fair, he had injury problems that hampered him, but so did Ponder. And for a kid who was considered one of the most dominant defensive lineman coming out of college, Fairley was invisible much of 2011.

That's particularly damning when you know Fairley had a much better supporting cast around him than Ponder did. Fairley was part of a deep and talented Detroit defensive line and many thought Fairley, who was drafted right after Ponder – 13th overall – was going to be an important addition to a line that I expected to be pretty dominant in 2011 considering it featured Kyle Vanden Bosch and Cliff Avril as starting ends and Ndamukong Suh and Corey Williams as the starting defensive tackles – with Fairley backing up Suh.

Yet the Lions defence got worse as the season wore on and it was the main culprit in Detroit's loss to New Orleans in the NFC Wildcard game. You have to think if Fairley had had the kind of rookie year many fans and experts expected him to have, the Lions defence would have performed a bit better in 2011.

So Nick Fairley gets my vote as the most disappointing NFC North rookie, and yes, I know I'm biased.

The Vikings Weekly Wrap

Where Grant's Tomb provides commentary on Vikings and NFL-related content published during the past seven days.

The Harvin thing

ESPN's Kevin Seifert spoke for all Vikings fans this week when he questioned why Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier allowed offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave to turn Percy Harvin into a part-time player. Seifert's right here. For a team that only had one other player – Adrian Peterson – that opposing defences had to account for, it was madness to have Harvin on the sideline for 431 offensive plays during the 2011 season.

Granted, Harvin's a guy who plays all out and gets banged up a lot. But he's not a piece of fine china, he's a pro football player, and a very good one. If Jared Allen needs to be on the field for 94 per cent of the team's defensive snaps, Harvin needs to be out there just as much on offence.

Draft trade scenarios

The Star-Tribune's Mark Craig had an interesting blog on Tuesday pointing out that the Vikings make a better trade partner for teams looking to move up in April's draft than the St. Louis Rams. My hope is that the Vikings do trade down and acquire more draft picks come April (although I am a bit disappointed in the projected haul Craig has the Vikings getting from the likes of Cleveland, Washington and Miami). The Vikings need to stockpile draft picks over the next two offseasons because it will give them insurance and flexibility.

The insurance comes from the fact we know not every draft pick pans out. Often many of them don't pan out. So the more picks you have, the more protected you are when some of them don't work out - the extra picks you stockpiled serve as a buffer and you increase your margin for error.

The flexibility extra draft picks will give general manager Rick Spielman is that if, say, he gets an extra pick in the second and third round, he can take some chances. He can gamble on a high risk/high reward player in the early part of the draft he normally wouldn't have chosen - hoping to hit a home run - because he's got an extra pick in the same round he can use on a safer pick. (I think what I've just written makes sense.)

Defensive Backs

I'm keenly interested in what the Vikings do over the next three months to upgrade a defensive backfield that has been, well, quite awful for a long time. And the 2011 season may have been the nadir of that awfulness. The National Football Post's Wes Bunting looks at some small-school defensive backs who will attract attention at the April NFL draft.

Just scrolling through the names, a lot of these guys seem to fit the high risk/kinda high reward category I mentioned above. So pay attention to who Bunting mentions in his piece. You could be reading about some future Vikings.

Mario Manningham?

On the subject of future Vikings, during an ESPN 1500 online chat earlier this week with Vikings beat writers Judd Zulgad and Tom Pelissero, the duo was asked what free agent receivers Minnesota would most likely go after. Zulgad's answer? The Chief's Dwayne Bowe and the Giants' Mario Manningham.

Bowe, I like. Manningham, not as much. Manningham's big catch in the Super Bowl aside (he also caught a 17-yard TD pass in the NFC championship game to give the G-Man a brief 17-14 lead), he took a step back in 2011 and lost his job to Victor Cruz. He's also had trouble staying healthy.

Obviously, he'd be a substantial upgrade over what the Vikings currently have. But Bowe's already an established number #1 wide receiver whereas Manngingham has the potential to be a number #1. If you're going to spend big bucks on a receiver, spend it on a more known commodity. I'm not sure why the Chiefs would let Bowe go, however. Mannginham, on the other hand, is almost certain to hit the free agent market. So there's that, I guess.

Leslie Frazier will be under the gun to turn things around quickly in 2012

If Bud Grant were coaching in today's NFL, he may not have become the most successful Vikings head coach in team history.

In Grant's first year coaching Minnesota – 1967 – the team went 3-8-3. That was actually a step back for the Vikings, who had finished 4-9-1 in 1966, a record that partly caused Grant's predecessor – Norm Van Brocklin – to resign.

But in Grant's second season, the Vikings started the season 3-1. And then the squad lost its way. The Vikings next three games, against the Saints, the Cowboys and the Bears, were all defeats. After a rookie season where Grant's Vikes only won three games, his team was now 3-4 midway through season #2 and looked like it was in freefall mode.

Faced with the same situation today, and I wonder if Grant would have made it to game #8. It's possible he would have been asked to see Zygi Wilf in his office at Winter Park, then relieved of the head coaching duties and replaced by some assistant. Coaches rarely have the luxury to lose for long in the modern NFL.

Such is the lot Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier faces as he enters his second year at the helm.

The Vikings are at a low ebb. Their 9-24 record the past two seasons is the franchise's worst two-year stretch since the 1961-1962 period (its first two years in the NFL) when the team went 5-22-1. What is particularly concerning is that its divisional rivals, the Packers, the Bears, even the Lions, have passed them by.

The fanbase is also growing weary. The Vikings haven't won two consecutive playoffs games since 1987. They haven't been to a Super Bowl since 1976. And as Viking fans know all too well, their team has yet to win a Super Bowl in its 51-year history.

Is Frazier the man to change that cursed legacy? The early results aren't inspiring much confidence – at least in me.

It's not just the fact Frazier was the head coach of a team that went 3-13 and tied the infamous 1984 Les Steckel-coached squad for most losses in Vikings history. There were other signs throughout the season, and after it, that indicate Frazier isn't up to the task.

1) He vastly overrated how good his team was during the 2011 offseason. He thought he had a potential playoff team. Everyone else thought the Vikings were a 6-10/7-9 team at best. Everyone else was right. Frazier was wrong.

2) He thought Donovan McNabb had something left, and reportedly won a personnel tug-of-war with the man who is now the Vikes general manager, Rick Spielman, to trade for him.

3) Frazier proved indecisive at times during games as his first full season as the head guy rolled along. He was sometimes unsure on whether to go for it on fourth down or kick field goals. He also wasn't always quick and decisive in making challenges.

4) He made a poor choice in choosing Fred Pagac as his full-time defensive coordinator. It was a move that caused dysfunction within the unit, with some players refusing to play the defences Pagac had called.

5) Finally, he showed himself to be somewhat of a pussy on coaching staff decisions, interviewing candidates to replace Pagac while the man was still employed as the Vikings defensive coordinator. This is poor form and is troubling because Frazier did the same thing with the offensive staff in 2011. It's not exactly a practise that is going to convince other coaches around the league that Frazier is a good guy to work for.

If there was anything good that could be said about Frazier's coaching performance in 2011, it was that most of the Viking players kept playing hard as the losses, injuries and chaos mounted.

We are now waiting to see what Frazier's grand plan is to improve the Vikings in 2012. One thing is already apparent, he's trying to manage expectations as his team begins a major rebuilding effort.

That's wise of Frazier, but it might be a year too late. The fans don't want to see a repeat of last year's 3-13 debacle. Neither does new GM Spielman or the ownership group headed up by Wilf and his brother Mark.

If the Vikings endure a three-game losing streak (or worse) early in 2012, Frazier will likely pay for it by hitting the unemployment lines.

Leslie Frazier is no Bud Grant. And it's not 1968 anymore.

With the Super Bowl over, the offseason begins in earnest for the Vikings

If there is any positive I can take out of Sunday's Super Bowl – and it isn't much – it's watching New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning help lead the G-Men to their second Super Bowl title in four seasons.

As Manning has gained a reputation as a clutch performer, it doesn't take a long memory to remember Manning's first two starts against the Vikings – a 24-21 loss in 2005 and a 41-17 loss in 2007.

In both games, Manning played a large hand in each loss. He threw eight interceptions in those two contests. Four of them were returned for touchdowns. And now he is a two-time Super Bowl champion who is going to go down as one of the best pressure-performing quarterbacks in NFL history.

For me, it's comforting to look at how far Manning has come as I obsess over Christian Ponder's uneven rookie season with the Vikings.

* I guess it's the NFC bias in me, but even though I thought the New England Patriots would win the Super Bowl, I never once wanted them to win the Super Bowl and openly cheered for the Giants.

However, why I'd prefer the Giants over the Patriots has me flummoxed. The Giants now have more Super Bowl titles (four) than New England (three) and the Patriots are not responsible for one of the most embarrassing losses in Vikings history.

* With the 2011 NFL season finally, mercifully, over, Vikings fans can now look towards 2012. It's a time of hope. Every team is 0-0. It's a clean slate for everyone and a time to put away bad memories. We now have free agency and the NFL draft to look forward to and the promise of a quick turnaround. It's a rebirth of sorts, something Vikings fans need in a bad way.

Doleman in, Carter isn't, as the 2012 NFL Hall of Fame class is announced

Well, I was half right.

Earlier today, I wrote that ex-Vikings Cris Carter and Chris Doleman would not get elected into the Hall of Fame. But it turns out Doleman did.

Perhaps I should have been a bit more optimistic about Doleman. His 150.5 career sacks are the fourth-most in NFL history and he was an eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. Yet I felt the fact that he played 10 of his 15 years for the Vikings (and two seasons with Atlanta) meant he didn't have the name recognition of some other guys – like Charles Haley, for example. I'm glad I was wrong in this case.

As for Carter, he's suffering from the voters belief that wide receivers aren't as worthy as other positions of being enshrined at Canton. And his chances won't improve in 2013 - Tim Brown and Andre Reed didn't get in, either. Back in 2008, when Carter didn't make the cut during his first year of eligibility, Pacifist Viking pointed out the idiocy of the decision in this post. It seems just as idiotic now.

I've always thought that if you were one of the elite players at your position during your career and you were elite for a long time – and I believe Carter was – you deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. Yet I'm sure some voters haven't bought in to Carter being Canton-worthy because he posted big numbers during a time when the passing rules were tipped heavily in the offence's favor.

But I fail to see how a player like Curtis Martin gets in before Cris Carter. The most remarkable thing about Martin was his longevity. Playing one of the most punishing positions in football, Martin was extremely productive for 10 of his 11 seasons. But he also averaged less than four yards per carry in five of those seasons and four yards or less in seven. He was able to stay healthy and churn out a lot of solid stats, but I wouldn't say he was an elite back for much of his career. But he gets the nod because his career numbers are hard to ignore. And playing eight of 11 seasons in New York City didn't hurt.

Oh well. I still think Carter will get in. It's just going to take a lot longer than many of us thought. I'm interested to hear what other Viking fans think of Saturday's Hall of Fame results.

What Grant's Tomb was reading – Feb. 4, 2012

Here is a roundup of some interesting football stories I came across today – roughly 30 hours before the big game gets underway.

* ESPN 1500's Tom Pelissero has given out individual grades for every player who played for the Vikings offensive and defensive units during the 2011 season. Hard to quibble with any of these grades. When you are a 3-13 team, most of the players should be getting C's and D's. If there is one grade I don't agree with it's giving wide receiver Percy Harvin a B+. What more does he have to do to get an A? Defensive end Jared Allen (who Pelissero gave an A-) is a fantastic player, but at least he had Brian Robison, Kevin Williams and even Everson Griffen to help him out. Harvin? His wide receiving colleagues included Michael Jenkins, Bernard Berrian, Devin Aromashodu and Greg Camarillo. And he frequently was shackled by playing with quarterbacks who were either washed up (Donovan McNabb) or young and didn't know what they were doing (Joe Webb and Christian Ponder). Considering those facts, it's amazing Harvin piled up the stats he did. I would have given him an A.

* With the 2011 NFL season just a day away from being over, it's time to start thinking seriously about free agency. Access Vikings Mark Craig did just that this week, focusing on potential Viking free agent targets at wide receiver. The two guys on this list that scare me the most are DeSean Jackson and Stevie Johnson – two talented but mercurial players who could be divisive locker room influences if times are lean (as expected) for the Vikings in 2012. It's always "buyer beware" during free agency, but with these two guys, that's even more the case than usual.

* Pioneer Press Vikings beat writer Jeremy Fowler posted a blog yesterday looking at the key in-house free agents the Vikings must make decisions on this offseason. Myself and Adam Warwas from the Vikings Territory blog gave readers our opinions on most of these guys this week (you can read about it here and here.) I see Letroy Guion and Husain Abdullah coming back. The Vikes seem lukewarm on Erin Henderson. The rest of these free agents – E.J. Henderson, Visanthe Shiancoe and Fred Evans – are gone.

* And finally, the 2012 NFL Hall of Fame class will be announced today at 5 p.m. Eastern standard time. ESPN North blogger Kevin Seifert examines why Vikings great Chris Carter has yet to get into Canton despite an impressive resume. Seifert's points are all extremely valid and I don't like Carter's chances this year. But after watching him do his thing at wide receiver with the Vikings for many a year, I sure would like to see him get in this year. It would be nice for Chris Doleman to get the nod as well. But that's not going to happen.

Throwing down with Vikings Territory

I'm a bit of a lone wolf when it comes to blogging about the Vikings, but that is changing today. One of the best Vikings blog on the blogosphere – Vikings Territory – is run by Adam Warwas.

A few weeks ago, Adam was kind enough to ask me if I wanted to collaborate on some blogs in the near future. After thinking about it for three seconds, I agreed.

Below you will find the result of our collaboration. We've each provided answers to 10 questions that we think are pressing issues for the Vikings heading into the 2012 offseason. Our answers to five of those questions can be found at Adam's blog here.

As for our thoughts on the other five questions? Read on.

6. Is Toby Gerhart a legit NFL starter?
ADAM: Yes. Look around the NFL, what is a starting running back these days? We live in a world where LeGarrette Blount can go undrafted, get picked up by the Titans and then cut, and then rush for 1,000 yards as a rookie with the Bucs. This is a league watched by fans that voted Peyton Hillis onto the cover of Madden. Heck, arguably the best running back in the game today, Arian Foster, was passed up by all 32 teams before being signed as an undrafted free agent. Gerhart can not only run like a starting running back, but he has skills as a pass catcher and blocker, too. Gerhart has to be part of a committee and shouldn’t be described as a “featured back” (of which there are now few in the NFL) but he definitely capable of being a starter.

DARREN: I had my doubts after his rookie season. But after watching him play in 2011, he can definitely get the job done. I love his sledgehammer running style – although it’s probably not conducive to a long career. He reminds me of John Riggins a bit. And he can catch the ball and block well enough to help out in those areas as well.

7. Chris Cook – should the Vikes cut him or keep him?
ADAM: One of the two. Both have possible negative consequences, but this whole let him stay at home and collect a paycheck is the worst of both worlds, in my opinion. Cook has talent, but Cook also has problems, and it will be a hard decision either way. So far, the Vikings have taken the easy route and seem to be hoping the courts can make this decision for them. Soon, however, the Vikings will have to decide if they can help this young man become a successful football player and human being, or if he is a lost cause. Me? I say they have invested too much into him to bail without further cause at this point. That could very easily backfire though.

DARREN: Keep him – unless his court appearances this spring prove he committed some heinous acts. Cook will be playing somewhere in 2012, he’s too talented not to be picked up by some team that needs a big, rangy corner if the Vikings cut him. So why allow some other team to pick up your top draft pick in 2010 for free? I don’t see why Cook should be playing or any team other than Minnesota in 2012.

8. How can the Vikes get more reps for Everson Griffen?
ADAM: By making him earn them. For years Brian Robison pressured Ray Edwards for the starting role at left end, but now I think it will Griffen applying that pressure. There is no doubt that he is a talented young man, and could possibly find himself in a position battle come August, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. First, Griffen has to make it through an entire offseason without getting into trouble. If that happens, then he needs to outplay Robison for the left end spot to crack the starting lineup. As long as the Vikings employ the 4-3 and have Jared Allen, then left end is going to be the place where Griffen stands to make an impact. Not outside linebacker. Not safety. Left End.

DARREN: I don’t agree with Adam that he hasn’t earned them. In some games Griffen was getting 10-15 snaps, yet he still had four sacks in 2012. Starting right defensive end Brian Robison had some games where he was non-factor, especially in the final eight contests where he seemed to tire. Starting left end Jared Allen could use a blow now and then, too. And you’re telling me Christian Ballard or Fred Evans are better options playing tackle on passing downs than Griffen?

9. Does Visanthe Shiancoe have a future with the Vikings?
ADAM: I’m not sure that a 32 year old tight end fits into a youth movement real well. I’m not sure that a tight end that has been largely ineffective for two straight seasons fits into a rebuilding strategy very well. If the Vikings get a discount on Shiancoe, then I think they could certainly do worse. However, I’m not sure that there aren’t cheaper options out there that could be equally productive, if not more so. Shiancoe just doesn’t scare defenders any more, simply put.

DARREN: Nope. If the Vikings had plans for Shiancoe beyond 2011, they would have signed him to an extension before the season ended. It’s Kyle Rudolph’s time in 2012 (and Allen Reisner’s time, or whatever younger tight end the Vikings bring in to replace the 30-plus Shiancoe.) I’ll miss Shiancoe’s sense of humor. But there will be younger, cheaper options out there the Vikings can invest in.

10. Which single pending free agent should be this team’s biggest target in March?
ADAM: I’m going to go with Carl Nicks, the guard from New Orleans. He is quite possibly the best guard in the game and may end up on the free agent market since the Saints also have to figure out how to handle the contracts of Drew Brees and Marques Colston. At age 27, Nicks still has plenty of great years ahead of him, and would immediately be an anchor on an offensive line that needs one. The Vikings could couple him with Matt Kalil in an effort to really solidify their line. They could sign him and then cut Hutch to save cap space. They could move either him or Hutch to the right side and replace Herrera. Overall, he’s just a damn good player that could give this damn awful offensive line some help and some more options.

DARREN: Interesting choice by Adam to say New Orleans guard Carl Nicks. My pick is Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson. The Vikings really, really, really need another target for Christian Ponder to throw to. Jackson’s had over 1,000 receiving yards in three of his last four seasons. He’d make Ponder better. He’d make Percy Harvin better – if that’s possible, and I think it is. He’d make Kyle Rudolph better. If San Diego lets him go (not a certainty), the Vikings should do all they can to get him. There were rumors last year that the Vikings tried to do just that when he was in a contract dispute with the Bolts. This time they won’t have to work out a trade to get Jackson, they’ll just have to show him the money.