SB Nation - David Herron

Injury Report: Week 12

John (obviousman) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:34:52 -0000

First, some news about the possible blackout. The Chargers have been granted another 24 hours, and now have until 1pm on Saturday, to sell the remaining 1,350 tickets. Considering the Chargers have sold more than 2,000 tickets in the last 24 hours, I think there's now a very good chance of this game not being blacked out in San Diego.

Now, onto the injury report.

Chargers

Doubtful

Luis Castillo, DE (calf)

Questionable

Nick Hardwick, C (ankle). Scott Mruczkowski will start at Center.

Shawne Merriman, OLB (foot)

Probable

Vincent Jackson, WR (ribs)

Travis Johnson, DE (groin)

Shaun Phillips, OLB (ankle)

Mike Scifres, P (groin)

Chiefs

Out

Andy Alleman, C/G (knee)

Justin Rogers, LB (thigh)

Dantrell Savage, RB (ankle)

Questionable

Mike Vrabel, OLB (knee)

David Herron, LB (knee)

Probable

Kolby Smith, RB (ankle)

Three Chiefs Remain Out at Thursday Practice

Joel Thorman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:58:05 -0000

The Kansas City Chiefs listed four players as out on the Wednesday injury report. Today, it looks like at least one of those players will be upgraded.

LB David Herron, who was out all of last week, returned from a knee injury to at least partially participate in practice.

Josh Looney of KCChiefs.com also reports that CB Travis Daniels has been seeing time at nickelback over CB Mike Richardson. This could mean Daniels gets more time on Sunday.

Other Chiefs missing practice include:

LB Mike Vrabel - He's still recovering from a knee injury suffered in last Sunday's win over the Raiders. He came out in the middle of the third quarter and did not return.

Andy Studebaker took first team reps in his place.

G/C Andy Alleman - No word yet on what Alleman's injury is but he was out yesterday as well. Wade Smith has been taking reps in his place. With G Mike Goff headed to injured reserve last week, this is becoming a thin position.

RB Dantrell Savage - He's got an ankle problem and it doesn't bode well if FB Tim Castille was signed and the head coach referenced Savage's injury as a reason for Castille's signing.

As of now it doesn't look good for Savage on Sunday but we'll take a wait and see approach.

Chiefs Will Be Short One LB Against the Raiders

Joel Thorman — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:45:02 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

about 1 month ago: San Diego Chargers running back Darren Sproles (43) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel (50) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Unfortunately, LB David Herron will be ruled out with a knee injury of some sorts. Herron has missed the entire week of practice so this isn't something we didn't see coming.

We're not sure what the injury is exactly.

The rest of the Chiefs were upgraded to probable.

OL Wade Smith (ankle) and LB Mike Vrabel (hip) were both listed as limited participants yesterday. Both have been upgraded to probably today, which means it's a virtual certainty they'll be available to play against the Raiders.

FS Jon McGraw (thigh), LB Jovan Belcher (head) and WR Chris Chambers (foot) were listed as probable and expect to be available.

So that means there's seven inactive spots remaining for the game on Sunday. As Josh Looney pointed out today, it's "overwhelmingly" likely returning LB Justin Rogers will be active over LB Pierre Walters.

Along with Herron, QB Matt Gutierrez will likely be inactive (3rd QB), one of the WRs will be inactve, likely an offensive lineman will be inactive....who else could be inactivated on Sunday? We need eight.

Are the Chiefs Becoming the New England Cardinals?

Jon Yoon — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:00:35 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

FILE -- This is a Sept. 20, 2009, file photo showing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel leaving the field after an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

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Here's a legitimate question that I don't really know the answer to: are the Chiefs developing a little bit of tunnel vision this season when it comes to free agency? Do you approve or disapprove of the Chiefs bringing in so many players from the Cardinals and the Patriots? Please voice your opinions on this.

It's interesting to note that five of the recent acquisitions the Chiefs made had some experience with one of those two teams: Leonard Pope, Mike Richardson, David Herron, Ryan O'Callaghan, and Lance Long. That's in addition to the moves the Chiefs already made for Matt Cassel, Corey Mays, Matt Gutierrez, Mike Vrabel, and the recently cut Monty Beisel. That makes for ten total acquisitions from those two teams in this season alone. It's also curious that a huge bulk of his other moves (Ndukwe, Alleman, Zach Thomas, Tyler Thipgen trade) were made with the Miami Dolphins, an inner-division team that Pioli played twice a season and that happens to be run by his father-in-law.

On the one hand, you could argue that Pioli and Haley know these players well enough to justify a roster spot. Haley knows players like Long a lot better than most teams do, especially since he's seen them practice while other coaches have not. Furthermore, it's not like the Chiefs have a lot of bright alternatives. Their job is to be better than the lousy backup options that they replaced. That's not a particularly daunting task.

On the other hand, you have to wonder if this tunnel vision is causing them to play favorites over outside options. Coaches and front offices sometimes have a tendency to become too attached to players they helped recruit or groom. I remember when Dick Vermeil insisted that the only major change that needed to be made to his 2003 roster was to change the defensive coordinator. I remember when Mike Solari became so attached to his players that he refused to admit that players like Casey Wiegmann and Jordan Black were much more a part of the problem than they were a part of the solution. It particularly bothers me when the bulk of these decisions seem to be made at positions that are of relatively little importance. I don't understand how bringing in Mike Richardson or David Herron solves the Chiefs' major pass protection problems. Maybe that's just me.

My gut tells me that this form of nepotism isn't good business and it leads me to question whether O'Callaghan was really the best player to pull off the waiver wire, or if he was chosen because he was a Pioli guy. That's particularly significant, given that the Chiefs had to use their advantageous waiver wire position to bring him in. On the other hand, my other instinct tells me that this strategy was the best Pioli could do, given that he entered the offseason game so late and without most of his own personnel guys. After all, the guys he brought in from other squads (Eric Ghiaciuc, Bobby Engram, Mike Goff, Amani Toomer) have all been major busts so far.

My feeling? I think Pioli and Haley have most definitely showed an overly strong favoritism to players they previously recruited and coached, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. Next season, however, they're going to have to prove that they can recruit players better from the outside.

Let us know your thoughts on this.

Poll

Do you approve of the Chiefs picking up so many ex-Cardinals and ex-Patriots?

Yes. Pioli and Haley know them well.

337 votes

No. They aren't paying enough attention to players on other teams.

251 votes

Neutral. I think it's equally "yes" and "no"

308 votes

896 votes | Poll has closed

Notes on New Chiefs Plus Pollard to Texans' First Team

Joel Thorman — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:16:57 -0000

I've got a few notes on a few of the new Kansas City Chiefs players. We've already covered Leonard Pope, the new tight end but haven't talked much about Chris Patrick, Mike Richardson and David Herron.

I've also got a nugget on former Chief Bernard Pollard.

Pollard taking first team reps

Former Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard was without a job for several weeks. He had a workout with the Houston Texans and eventually signed with them before being inactive in his first contest last week. This week, however, things are much different.

Pollard has been taking first team reps this week and could possibly start against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Learning the playbook is easy, much like Leonard Pope with Todd Haley, because Pollard is familiar with the Texans secondary coach, David Gibbs, who spent time with the Chiefs.

"The playbook is pretty much like we had in Kansas City the first couple of years," Pollard said. "Gibbs was my coach there, so I know the bulk of it, and I feel like I can go out and help my teammates. We really want to win. We saw a game slip by last week that should not have, but it's a new week, a new team, and we've got to go out there and we've got to play ball."

The Texans have had some troubles in the secondary so Pollard will get an opportunity to make an impact early.

A few notes on practice squad addition Chris Patrick

He's bounced around the league for a couple years playing with half a dozen different teams. I found a pretty cool interview of Patrick as he headed into the supplemental draft a couple years back. It's a pretty good read, which you can read here. Here are a couple of highlights.

What position do you expect to play?

"I’ve heard every position on the line except for center. I can play tackle, but I can also play guard so that’s just another valuable asset that I can do. A team can put me wherever they want and I can bring multiple things to the table because of my versatility.

What NFL player do you compare yourself to?

"Matt Light from the Patriots. I’m comparable in size and ability. I always admired guys like him and the Broncos Ben Hamilton. Hamilton isn’t very big but he is very effective and knows exactly what he should be doing on every play. I played in a zone blocking scheme under coach Callahan like they run in Denver so I can appreciate what goes into it."

Pats Pulpit fills us in on Mike Richardson

I asked Pats Pulpit to give me a few notes on the newest Chief and former Patriot Mike Richardson:

"Mike Richardson missed his rookie 2007 season due to an injury, but ended up being a solid special teams player, frequently recording the highest number of special teams tackles in a game. As a backup corner, Mike would grab some reps but, ultimately, was the victim of a deep cornerback corps.

"As his Patriots experience suggests, he will fit well on special teams, but will most likely see little time on a team with sufficient depth at corner."

Daily Norseman fills us in on David Herron

I asked Gonzo from the Daily Norseman to give us a few notes on former Viking and new Chief David Herron:

"Herron was a pretty non-descript player during his time in Minnesota, contributing primarily on special teams. He was a pretty solid special teamer, and was a pretty good run defender when he got into the game as an actual linebacker.

"The most regular season action I remember him getting was last year against Tennessee after primary middle linebacker E.J. Henderson got injured. He filled in at middle linebacker for the better part of the afternoon, and the team was so impressed by his performance at MLB that they signed former Viking (and former Chief) Napoleon Harris shortly thereafter, and Harris was the starter at MLB the rest of the way.

"Wait. . .maybe that means they weren't impressed.

"He might be a better fit in the Chiefs' 3-4 system than he was in a 4-3 in Minnesota. Like I said, he's a pretty good run-stopper, but doesn't offer much in the way of coverage ability. He'll also help the Chiefs on special teams. He's not really somebody that you can build a defense around or anything, but he has a chance to be a solid contributor in Kansas City."

Horse Tracks 10/1/09 - Hamilton, Harris, Hillis, Larsen, A. Smith miss practice; Royal pulls up lame

Douglas A. Lee — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:04:00 -0000

NYT - Former Players Face Obstacles When Filing Dementia Claims With N.F.L. - Alan Schwarz

GQ - Game Brain - Jeanne Marie Laskas
An eye-opening look at chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the brain disease thought responsible for the early deaths of several former NFL players and being researched around the country by many independent scientists. Unfortunately, the NFL has only ignored the current research and tried to marginalize it. Many thanks to MHR member diviesti for the link.

DB - Week 4 - Wed: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - 'Something Will Have to Give' - Gray Caldwell
Ben Hamilton, Ryan Harris, Peyton Hillis, Spencer Larsen and Alphonso Smith did not practice yesterday. Brandon Stokley was limited in practice.

DP - Broncos hurting in offensive line - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Moreno, Buckhalter providing dynamic inside, outside punch - Mike Klis
Eddie Royal pulled up in practice with what looked to Klis as a groin pull.

DPP - Strong bond of Broncos DBs Goodman, Hill good for team - Lindsay Jones
Renaldo and Andre' have now started 33 games next to each other with the Dolphins and Broncos. They dine and study film together during the week. While I doubt McD knew how close these guys were, he must have been aware of how well they played together...

NFL - Wednesday Injury Reports

DB - Week 4 - Wed: Orton - Broncos TV

DB - Week 4 - Wed: Dawkins - Broncos TV

DB - Prater Wins SP/T Player of September - Broncos TV

DPP - Broncos' Marshall saying lots of nothing - Mike Klis

CSG - Offensive line making life easier for Orton - Frank Schwab

CSG - Broncos know Dallas will be first major test - Frank Schwab

AP - Orton Embraces Notion That He's A 'Game Manager' - Arnie Stapleton

DPP - Q&A: Quiet Champ a good sign? - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Numbers: Broncos-Cowboys series full of horsepower lately

DB - Cornell Green - A Quiet Legend - Jim Saccomano
No, not THAT Cornell Green (Raiders OT). Cornell Green the former Cowboys player and current Broncos NFL scout.

DPP - Woody's Mailbag: NL playoff picks
Woody isn't really convinced yet...

SI - Mark Sanchez, Rex Ryan, Josh McDaniels enjoying early momentum - Ross Tucker

ESPN - It's still too early to call the Denver Broncos a legitimate contender - John Clayton
Funny. Clayton says the Broncos "might reach six or seven wins" but only if they beat the Cowboys or Patriots. Even still, he doesn't really cop to being wrong; now it's a question of whether the Broncos are actual contenders...

Y! - Players haven't given up on Mangini … yet - Charles Robinson
Robinson says the Broncos are overrated and "can hear the furious click of fingertips on computer keys as Broncos fans prepare to fire off an explicit salvo of emails." He's raising the bar, saying that unless the Broncos win 2 of their next 3, they're not a playoff team. When writing about Jay Cutler, Robinson admits to not having watched much Broncos film in the last few years. I wonder if he's watched any this year...

PFW - Success fleeting for Belichick disciples - Hub Arkush
Arkush isn't ready to give McD any credit.

Cowboys News

NFL - Cowboys LT Adams fined by NFL for third consecutive week

ST - Michael Jenkins’ solid play wins starting corner job, for now - Jeff Caplan & Charean WIlliams

ST - Tony Romo needs to be in charge of Tony Romo - Randy Galloway

ST - Cowboys’ third Choice might become first Choice - Clarence Hill

DMN - Jenkins lands starting job at right cornerback for Dallas Cowboys - David Moore

DMN - BRIEFS | Dallas Cowboys News

DMN - Pressure is on Dallas Cowboys to get to opposing QBs - Jean-Jacques Taylor

DMN - Dallas Cowboys' Williams says his role is unclear - Bill Nichols & Todd Archer

AFC West News

SDUT - Chargers defenders start slow, then finish fast - Kevin Acee

SDUT - This time, LT can contribute against Steelers - Tod Leonard

SFC - Raiders re-sign kick returner Justin Miller - David White

NFL - It's too soon to bury Russell, though he's digging his own hole - Bucky Brooks

SFG - Raiders Silver and Black Blog : Post-practice update - David White

OT - Fumbles haunt Raiders' McFadden - Steve Corkran

KCS - Haley says roster changes could continue - Adam Teicher
The Chefs added 2 former Pats - LB David Herron and CB Mike Richardson.

KCS - Chiefs notebook: Team brings back disciplinary tactic - Kent Babb

NFL News

NFL - Quinn out, Anderson back in as Browns' starting quarterback

NFL - Mora: QB Hasselbeck, LT Jones likely not ready to go for Seahawks

NFL - Fox sticking with Delhomme as Panthers' starting quarterback

NFL - Giants RB Bradshaw wearing protective boot but expects to play

NFL - Henne takes over as Dolphins' QB; Pennington to have surgery

NFL - Titans address special-team struggles by bringing back Jones
No, not THAT Jones.

NFL Opinion

ESPN - Life's not easy when stars realign - Jeffri Chadiha

NFL - Many already second-guessing the moves of three new coaches - Steve Wyche
What about Josh McDaniels? I thought he's been on the hot seat since April? No??

NFL - Having a 300-yard passer is no longer a losing proposition - Pat Kirwan

NYT - Brian Billick Answers Your Questions

NFP - Scheme Session: a look at the Colts playbook - Matt Bowen
I wish more writers would use play diagrams in their articles...oh, wait. Hi Ted, HT!

NFP - Wednesday whys: playing and observing a holiday - Andrew Brandt

NFP - Tavern talk: What’s Peyton worth now? - Mike Lombardi

Y! - Nike sends bad message by re-signing Vick - Charles Robinson

FOX - Move over Lions, these teams might be worse - Alex Marvez

FOX - Week 4 Cheat Sheet: NFL picks and predictions - Peter Schrager
Predicts the Cowboys will trounce the Broncos

CBS - Faceoff: Giants or Jets? Worst team? Best QB comeback? - Pete Prisco/Clark Judge

SI - NFL Power Rankings, Week 4 - Don Banks

USAT - Jeff Sagarin NFL ratings
Thanks for the link, Calijoefornia!

NFP - Small-school prospects - Wes Bunting

Chiefs Coach Talks About Incoming and Outgoing Players

Joel Thorman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:00:41 -0000

More photos » by Seth Perlman - AP

Tyler Thigpen was traded on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, by the Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins an undisclosed draft pick. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

Browse more photos »

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley talked about some of the activity that took place at Arrowhead yesterday afternoon.

First things first. Here's what he said about Ryan O'Callaghan now being listed as the first team right tackle:

"We practiced O’Callaghan first today," Haley said. "You can’t hold me to what we’re going to do on Sunday. It’s going to be determined on how we practice and how the guys practice."

Onto the new Chief, Leonard Pope, previously with Haley and the Arizona Cardinals:

"Leonard’s a big guy who’s real tough, fast, can really stretch the field," he said when asked about Pope. "I think he’s a great individual – one of my favorites there from Arizona who will give you a full day’s work and your money’s worth every single day. He likes to play and he likes to practice. He’s my kind of guy. When we got the opportunity to bring somebody in we were happy to get Leonard."

Haley indicated that Pope could indeed see time on Sunday. "He's practicing to play," he said.

More reaction from the roster movement after the jump.

The coach wouldn't discuss how the trade for Tyler Thigpen went down but did say he thought he had a chance to be pretty good with the Miami Dolphins.

"I don’t want to speak for Tyler," he began. "Tyler’s a great kid that I was really excited about and was making progress here, especially the last week or so and I think he saw that progress. But for myself, I think this is a great opportunity for him also. I know a bunch of those guys down there and I know how they’re going to coach him."

And one of the Chiefs that Haley brought in over the offseason, who was released yesterday, Monty Beisel:

"Monty was a guy that I had familiarity with. It just didn’t work out. I love everything about Monty and how he works and prepares and what he brings to the team. It was a numbers thing, number one. Number two, a depth thing where he probably would have liked to have been playing a lot more and had kind of been relegated to special teams."

He also touched on a couple of the other new guys, LB David Herron and CB Mike Richardson. Both appear to be looking at a lot of special teams action. On Herron:

"I like for number one that he’s fast. He’s got very good speed, a run-and-hit guy and what I know of him he’s got a chance to be a good special teamer first. Any chance we’ve got to improve our team speed I think we need to do it."

And Richardson:

"Mike Richardson, the Notre Dame corner, he’s another fast guy. I think, again, if we can improve our team speed on either side we need to do it."

Chiefs Sign Two Players, Including a Former Patriot

Joel Thorman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:48 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

4 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant, left, pulls in a pass under pressure from New England Patriots cornerback Mike Richardson in the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

Browse more photos »

The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to terms with two players who are expected to be at practice this afternoon.

LB David Herron is a third year player coming from Michigan State (Yay Big Ten?). He was originally an undrafted free agent with the Vikings racking up appearances in 16 games. He also spent one week on the Patriots active roster.

He takes the place of the departed Monty Beisel.

The Chiefs also signed CB Mike Richardson who is a former sixth round pick of the New England Patriots out of Notre Dame. He's entering his third season and was released by the Patriots in the middle of training camp.

He takes the place of the departed Ricardo Colclough.

Not the most exciting moves since these guys weren't on anyone's radar. There had been rumors throughout the week that the Chiefs would promote WR Lance Long from the practice squad. The Chiefs also worked out veteran RT Mark Tauscher recently.

The Chiefs had two roster spots open this morning from all the activity yesterday so now they are at the 53 man limit.

(Thanks to ICTChief for the link)

Rams still looking at running backs and wide receivers

VanRam — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:14:42 -0000

by Ted S. Warren - AP

Gary Russell spent the preseason with the Raiders. The Rams had a workout with the free agent today.

View full size photo »

Due diligence or outright concerned about roster depth, the St. Louis Rams brought in a few players to workout today.

We mentioned the news this morning that former Steelers RB Gary Russell was at Rams Park today. Joining him were RBs DeShaun Foster and Carey Davis, another former Steeler, along with LBs Tank Daniels and David Herron.

I doubt that's the last players that the Devaney and Co. visit with as they tweak their roster prior to the Seattle game. These workouts will also be handy down the road in case they need to quickly plug a gap due to injury. On top of that, they've got to be concerned about RB depth. Gado had a nice preseason, but he's dealing with what could be a painful injury. Another blow to those ribs and he could be on the bench. Behind Gado is Darby, who failed in the preseason to build on the promise he showed last season. I don't mean to be a hater about Gado either, but I wonder if there's not a dropoff between what he's capable of doing in the preseason versus live rounds.

The Rams have six LBs on the active roster and two on the practice squad (K.C. Asiodu and Dominic Douglas). They're already without Larry Grant, who looks like a nice option as a rusher at SLB, for this week and probably next.

The biggest, most obvious question for a Rams roster tweak is adding another WR. Right now, the Rams have just four receivers on the active roster and one (Sean Walker) on the practice squad. The report from the PD (linked above) says Devaney and the Rams are interested in former Eagles WR Greg Lewis, a system, route runner type with some yards-after-catch ability.

Former Giants WR David Tyree's agent said recently that the Rams were among a small group of teams with some interest. (I think I'll pass).

Vikings Complete Cuts; Final 53-Man Roster Announced

Gonzo — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:09:15 -0000

We'll get cut together
So now it's farewell
And maybe we'll come back
To the league, who can tell?
The coach wants to see me he said
"Bring your playbook"
Well I'll still get paid I hope because. . .

IT'S THE FINAL CUTDOWN!!
DUH NUH NUH NUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. . .DUH NUH NUH UH UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

Stupid Youtube making me put this below the video rather than right next to it. Took me half an hour to realize that you apparently can't do that like you used to.

Anyway, let's hit the jump here and we'll compare the Vikings' roster to what I had envisioned them doing.

Quarterback

Gonzo's Prediction (3): Brett Favre, Sage Rosenfels, John David Booty
Actual Roster (3): Favre, Tarvaris Jackson, Rosenfels

I didn't think they'd cut Booty, but I'm guessing they'll try to get him to the practice squad. Whether that actually happens or not is another matter. However, based on what we've seen from him the last two pre-seasons, I don't think I'll be terribly disappointed if he slips through our grasp.

By the way, the order in the "actual roster" list there reflects how I think the depth chart should look. Jackson clearly outplayed Rosenfels for most of the post-season, which means we spent a fourth-round pick and gave a three-year extension to a guy that should be inactive most Sundays. Peachy.

Running Back

Gonzo's Prediction (4): Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, Albert Young, Naufahu Tahi
Actual Roster (4): Peterson, Taylor, Young, Tahi

No real suspense here. The coaching staff has liked Albert Young since last year, and Ian Johnson just couldn't overcome that. I honestly don't think that he'll get through to the practice squad, which is a real shame.

Wide Receiver

Gonzo's Prediction (6): Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Bobby Wade, Jaymar Johnson, Darius Reynaud
Actual Roster (6): Berrian, Rice, Harvin, Wade, Johnson, Reynaud

Kevin Seifert said in his "Three and Out" about the Vikings that they "suddenly have the deepest group of receivers in the NFC North." That became obvious today when, for the first time in the Brad Childress era, the team chose to keep six wide receivers instead of five. With this group of receivers and Brett Favre behind center, I can't help but think that this might be the year that the "Kick Ass Offense" finally starts. . .you know. . .kicking ass.

Tight End

Gonzo's Prediction (3): Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser, Jeff Dugan
Actual Roster (3): Shiancoe, Kleinsasser, Dugan

Dugan is technically listed as a fullback. Meh. Garrett Mills has, indeed, been released, so he's now free to be injured and take up an inactive roster spot for one of the other 31 NFL teams.

Offensive Line

Gonzo's Prediction (8): Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, John Sullivan, Anthony Herrera, Phil Loadholt, Drew Radovich, Artis Hicks, Ryan Cook
Actual Roster (8): McKinnie, Hutchinson, Sullivan, Herrera, Loadholt, Hicks, Cook, Jon Cooper

Cooper over Radovich is a small surprise, since Cooper is strictly a one-position backup at this point (as Mike Mayock pointed out last night). I'm not sure how much versatility Radovich had, but he didn't look spectacular last night by any means. No other surprises along the rest of this unit, although I'm sure that some people will still be surprised that the Vikings only kept eight offensive lineman rather than nine.

Defensive Line

Gonzo's Prediction (9): Jared Allen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Ray Edwards, Brian Robison, Fred Evans, Letroy Guion, Jimmy Kennedy, Jayme Mitchell
Actual Roster (9): Allen, Williams, Williams, Edwards, Robison, Evans, Guion, Kennedy, Mitchell

Again, no surprises here. The team will no doubt try to slide Martail Burnett back to the practice squad, and it remains to be seen whether he gets that far. That's a disadvantage that teams like the Vikings have. . .they have to cut some really talented guys, and as a result their potential practice squadders tend to get "poached" more frequently than those from some other teams.

Linebacker

Gonzo's Prediction (7): Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson, Chad Greenway, Heath Farwell, Erin Henderson, Jasper Brinkley, Kenny Onatolu
Actual Roster (7): Leber, Henderson the Elder, Greenway, Farwell, Henderson the Younger, Brinkley, Onatolu

I guess Erin Henderson's injury isn't all that serious. Sorry, David Herron. . .if Bill Belichick wants to "steal" you back again, he can have at it. I'm actually really excited to see this group in action, particularly with the return of the man beast wearing #56 in the middle again.

Defensive Back

Gonzo's Prediction (10): Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin, Madieu Williams, Tyrell Johnson, Asher Allen, Karl Paymah, Benny Sapp, Jamarca Sanford, Husain Abdullah, Eric Frampton
Actual Roster (10): Winfield, Griffin, Williams, Johnson, Allen, Payman, Sapp, Sanford, Abdullah, Frampton

They. . .and by "they," I mean "some of you guys". . .thought I was crazy to suggest the Vikings would keep ten defensive backs. Well, lo and behold, there they are. There was just too darn much talent there to cut guys from this portion of the team. . .which is a nice problem to have, considering that the Vikings are going to have a lot of leads this year and opposing teams are going to have to throw a lot.

Special Teams

Gonzo's Prediction (3): Chris Kluwe, Ryan Longwell, Cullen Loeffler
Actual Roster (3): Kluwe, Longwell, Loeffler

Duh.

Okay. . .so, I went 51 for 53, which is a pretty decent percentage, I think. Just missed on a backup offensive lineman and how the QB battle would shake out. I don't see any huge surprises in the final 53 man roster. How's about everybody else? Any major heartburns or problems with what Rick Spielman, Brad Childress and company have done here? Have at it!