SB Nation - Glenn Holt

Bernard Scott named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Kirkendall — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:44:17 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

about 1 month ago: Cincinnati Bengals' Bernard Scott, left, returns a kickoff for a touchdown past Pittsburgh Steelers' Keyaron Fox in the first quarter of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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As if we didn't document Bernard Scott's weekend enough already, we've decided to pile on the mountain of awesomeness that is Bernard Scott. Every Wednesday, the NFL announces players of the week for offense, defense and special teams for the AFC and NFC. Carson Palmer won the award during his five touchdown day (aka, holy-freaking awesome day) against the Bears during week seven and Antwan Odom won it in week two after recording an impressive five sacks against the Green Bay Packers.

Add Bernard Scott to the list.

The NFL announced Wednesday that Scott won the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after recording a 96-yard touchdown return against the Pittsburgh Steelers and 206 yards on kickoff return. Scott is the first Bengals player named the Special Teams Player of the Week since Tab Perry in week 13 during the 2005 season, ironically enough against the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording 197 yards on five kickoff returns, including a 94-yarder that setup Rudi Johnson's one-yard touchdown run giving the Bengals the lead (31-24) with 7:57 left in the third quarter (run-on sentences for the win!). Scott is also the first Bengals player to record a touchdown on kickoff return since Glenn Holt on November 4, 2007.

Here's the award winnings for week 10.

AFC Offensive Player of the Week: QB Peyton Manning, Colts
AFC Defensive Player of the Week: Safety Mike Brown, Chiefs
AFC Special Teams Player of the Week: RB Bernard Scott, Bengals
NFC Offensive Player of the Week: WR Sidney Rice, Vikings
NFC Defensive Player of the Week: CB Charles Woodson, Packers
NFC Special Teams Player of the Week: P Hunter Smith, Redskins

Wednesday Notes: Stafford Expected to Start Tomorrow, No Official Word on Culpepper

Sean Yuille — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:15:06 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

4 months ago: Detroit Lions quarterbacks Matthew Stafford (9) and Daunte Culpepper (11) practice during NFL football training camp Monday, Aug. 3, 2009, in Allen Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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Drew Stanton's specific injury is torn knee cartilage, and he could have surgery done on it today.
As for Daunte Culpepper, he cut his toe when he stubbed it on carpet at his house. I'm guessing he caught it on the edge of the carpet or something, because to end up with eight stitches, he really must have stubbed it.
Culpepper hasn't officially been ruled out of tomorrow's game yet, but the chances of him playing seem slim. Matthew Stafford is expected to start, but it is unknown just how long he will play.
Ernie Sims, Phillip Buchanon, and Anthony Henry are probably going to be out of tomorrow's game against the Bills. Jason Hunter, who has a rib injury, could miss the preseason finale as well.
Jason Hanson is starting to slowly work his way back, kicking in the indoor facility by himself on Tuesday.
To make room on the roster for Kevin O'Connell, the Lions waived wide receiver Glenn Holt, who was just claimed last week.
According to John Niyo, the Broncos, Browns, and Jets all put in waiver claims for O'Connell. There was no mention of the Chiefs, but it still is evident that there is some demand for the newest Lion. Whether or not that actually results in a trade is left to be seen, but as Niyo pointed out, the Lions have way too many needs to keep four quarterbacks on the roster going into the regular season (it is assumed that Brooks Bollinger won't be around for long). Considering that, I think either Stanton is going to be placed on the injured reserve or O'Connell will be traded.
The Bears have signed cornerback Rod Hood.

Favre Delivers Big Ratings for ESPN

Anthony21 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:00:05 -0000

Here in the Twin Cities, it's sometimes difficult to get a feel for how much of a buzz the Vikings are creating around the country. But there's no mistaking the message sent by Monday night's ratings: Brett Favre remains a huge draw. The ratings were so big, ESPN put out a press release just to brag a little (h/t: Access Vikings)...

Last night’s preseason telecast of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, a 17-10 victory for the Minnesota Vikings over the Houston Texans, earned a 6.0 rating, representing an average of 5,943,000 households (7,918,000 viewers – P2+), making it ESPN's most-viewed NFL preseason game ever and its highest-rated since New England-Dallas on Aug. 12, 1996 – 6.6 rating.

ESPN's MNF game was the most-viewed program of the night (broadcast or cable) among households, viewers, all key male demos, Adults 18-34, and Adults 18-49. Additionally, ESPN was the No. 1 network for the night (broadcast or cable) among households, viewers, and all key male and adult demos.

Take that, repeat episodes of House, How I Met Your Mother, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent! You just got Favre'd. And when the regular season arrives, the viewerships are only going to get bigger.

What's nice is that those who tuned in were hardly disappointed -- despite the fact that preseason football underwhelms approximately 99% of the time. We saw Adrian Peterson bust a huge touchdown, Favre appear at or near regular season form, and the old guy make a block that Texans fans have been fuming about today.

Indeed, on Monday, the Minnesota Vikings established their presence on the big stage and won't be leaving for quite some time. They'll be under more scrutiny than they have in years (with schism-gate being just the first product of this scrutiny) -- but as Vikings fans, we're in for one helluva season. On a completely unrelated note, I enjoyed watching the favorite NFL reporter of Daily Norseman (Adam Schefter) make an awkward halftime appearance alongside Chris Berman and Cris Carter. A strange studio panel put together by The Worldwide Leader.

I found this amusing: On the way home from Houston, Visanthe Shiancoe snapped a picture of Phil Loadholt squeezing into a seat on the team's airplane. I also found this amusing: Brooks Bollinger is now a Detroit Lion. With him and Glenn Holt filling the final two pieces of the puzzle for the Lions offense, I just don't know how our guys will be able to compete with Detroit when they travel to Ford Field in mid-September.

A Busy Week for the Vikings

Anthony21 — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:45:09 -0000

If things have been a little slow since Schism-gate, they're about to pick up. As Judd Zulgad reports, two rounds of roster cuts are looming in the upcoming week: The roster will be trimmed to 75 following the Monday Night Football meeting with the Texans, and then it will be taken down to 53 after Friday's Cowboys game.

The Vikings have just three days of rest in between games, but this is obviously a non-issue in preseason football. While the starters will be getting a considerable amount of playing time on Monday, that will not be the case on Friday. And unfortunately, if you're looking for a reason to watch that Cowboys game, it's at the Metrodome -- so Chris Kluwe won't have an opportunity to hit Dallas' scoreboard with a towering punt.

So the intrigue of Friday is limited to some last-ditch attempts by players to gain the upper hand in roster spot battles. But there will be no shortage on intrigue on Monday, as Brett Favre is expected to play the entire first half.

If he plays well? It should ease concerns that he lacks enough time to get fully-prepared for the season. And if he doesn't play well? He'll have to hustle through these final two weeks before the Vikings travel to Cleveland. Additionally, Sage Rosenfels will be back on the field, and he'll be splitting time in the second half with T-Jack. They'd get just a quarter each without Booty playing, so I wonder if Chilly even tries getting JDB in the game.

I'm not wild about the fact that Monday's game is being broadcasted by Adam Schefter's network, and if you don't mind a little conspiracy, you might wonder if his reports from the last week were meant to build buzz for the game. I just hope we can get through the game without Schefter dropping in on the broadcast, but I'm not optimistic about that.

On another note, Detroit claimed Glenn Holt off waivers after the Vikings released the wide receiver on Thursday. Congrats to the Lions for landing a player who is arguably the missing piece of their puzzle. How can the Vikings compete with Detroit now that Holt is giving them their secrets? I don't know, dear reader, I just don't know.

Welcome to The Daily Schism

Gonzo — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:58:30 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

When asked about his team's current schism, Brad Childress responded by saying, "Schism? I don't even know 'im!" (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

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Adam Schefter, in his rush to throw out any ol' negative piece of crap about the Vikings he can muster, has decided to report that the Vikings' acquisition of Brett Favre has caused a "schism" in the Minnesota locker room. As Anthony has rightly pointed out, such accusations are pretty much a big, steaming pile of crap. . .but, as Anthony has also pointed out, it's also pretty much given us our catch word for the next few weeks, and I'm going to make every effort to work the word "schism" into things here as much as possible as a result. Also, since this is the English language and words can be manipulated pretty much any way we see fit, the word "schism" will be taking on many different forms.

For example. . .

-Judd Zulgad over at Access Vikings has reported that Bernard Berrian has resumed jogging at Vikings practice today. Berrian, the Vikings' leading receiver in 2008, suffered a schism in his hamstring during the pre-season opener against Indianapolis, and missed the Vikings' second pre-season game against Kansas City as a result. With speed being a huge part of Berrian's game, he has to be careful not to let that schism get any worse, and as a result coaches are unsure whether or not he'll be available for Monday night's pre-season game against Houston.

-Glenn Holt's bank account suffered a major schism today, as the Vikings cut the fourth-year wide receiver loose. Holt had been signed in the off-season to compete for punt return duties for the Beloved Purple, but the schism between himself and other candidates such as Percy Harvin and Jaymar Johnson had just become too wide after the first couple of pre-season games.

-I wonder if the Vikings' radio play-by-play team can work the word "schism" into a few plays this year. . .I can see it now. . .

PA: First and ten, Vikings, from the thirty-two, single back formation, two receivers left, one right along with Shiancoe. . .here's the snap, toss right to Peterson, setting up his blocks, darts through a schism to the thirty-five. . .AND HE'S LOOSE!! Adrian Peterson is streaking down the right sideline. . .twenty. . .ten. . .TOUCHDOWN, VIKINGS!!

Bercich: Man, PA, I'll tell you what. . .with a schism that wide, I could have gotten sixty-eight yards on that play. You could have darn near driven an eighteen-wheeler through that schism!

-I know that schism is a real word and everything, but it just seems like something out of a Snoop Dogg song, doesn't it? "All them other suckas, you won't even miss 'em, ya gotta know that Snoop Doggy Dogg is the schism. . ."

Yes, I just rapped. The apocalypse is nigh.

Seriously, any reports of a "schism" in the Vikings' locker room appear to be nothing short of completely and thoroughly ridiculous. The Vikings have strong enough veteran leadership in their locker room to ensure nothing like that happens, and by all accounts Brett Favre has been a great locker room guy to this point.

Defensive end Jared Allen told reporters he’s not taking any "schism questions because it’s a bunch of [expletive]."

Safety Madieu Williams said Favre has "fit in great."

"He’s one of the guys," Williams said. "Everybody has welcomed him with open arms. He’s been a great locker room guy."

Asked if players laugh about the schism report, Williams said: "We don’t pay attention to it because it’s all speculation. We know what goes on in our locker room."

Linebacker Chad Greenway, walking off the field, said: "Schism. You guys are making up words now."

Maybe folks like Schefter should spend more time looking for actual news stories and less time simply making crap up and seeing if anybody buys it.

Strength in numbers; an examination of who the Bengals started the regular season since 2006

Kirkendall — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:05:45 -0000

When the preseason marches towards a welcomed conclusion, discussion and debate takes place on who the team cuts and keeps. Sometimes the topic goes into salary cap causalities; veterans that are cut, like Willie Anderson and Rudi Johnson last year. Other times, the debate talks about players that surprisingly make the roster. As jsl413 broke down, the Bengals depth is strong in some areas, weak in others. Which means the Bengals could strengthen weaken positions by increasing the depth. It's a numbers game.

You see that notably with linebackers. In 2006, Brian Simmons was nearing retirement; his production was falling. David Pollack, while great with potential, was only then starting to adjust from being a defensive end in college to an outside linebacker in the NFL. Rashad Jeanty was a rookie. Landon Johnson was arguably our best linebacker. If you look back to that season, only one linebacker remains (Jeanty) with the Bengals and as far as I can tell, three are still in the NFL (Jeanty, Johnson and Ahmad Brooks). The position didn't improve in 2007 and grew worse when it was decimated by injury. Dhani Jones, an unlikely stability force who would join the team later in the year, became the most productive middle linebacker during Marvin Lewis' tenure. By 2008, the linebackers were on pace to be the most talented group assembled, taking less into the regular season while numerically increasing their numbers at other spots, like running back, defensive tackles -- two spots with limited production. You'll obviously see that again this year, with Jones, Jeanty, Rivers, Brandon Johnson and Rey Maualuga as the depth leaders.

Running backs is another example. In 2006, and even 2007, Rudi Johnson was considered the team's feature back. No competition. Hands down. After all, he set franchise rushing records in 2004 and 2005. However, along with the offensive line's degradation, he started degrading (some will note his inadvisable weight loss regiment, losing all of his strength in 2006) until he was finally cut in 2008. More importantly, the Bengals decided to take two fullbacks because Jeremi Johnson was simply not the force he used to be and the team liked Coats' enough to make room for him. While the talent level dipped, the team decided to strengthen the depth with numbers.

Take note of this. Am I saying that the depth and position is stronger because there's more players? Obviously not. You either have talent or you don't. A combination of average talent still makes that position average. But it is a luxury that most teams have, which largely depends on play-calling philosophy, as well as projecting your opponents philosophies. If you take on more defensive backs in any given year because your passing defense is poor, it allows you additional packages. But it's also dictated by strength. You will note how once the team had Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, they believed the position strong enough to only take four cornerbacks in 2008, as opposed to five in 2007 and 2006. Safeties increased because a long-standing issue of giving up big plays was still unanswered. You can bank on at least six safeties this year.

After the jump, you can see which players the Bengals took after cutdown day and how many players the team took at each position.

First thing we should note are the roster cut deadlines:

DATE	EVENT
September 1st	Roster cutdown to maximum of 75 players
September 5th	Roster cutdown to maximum of 53 players

Here's a breakdown on what positions the Bengals after final cutdown heading into the regular season.

Position	2006	2007	2008
Quarterbacks	3	3	3
Running backs (including FB)	4	4 (1)	5 (2)
Wide Receivers	6	6	6
Offensive Linemen	9	8	9
Tight Ends	2	3	2
Total on Offense	24	24	25

Defensive Ends	4	5	4
Defensive Tackles	4	3	5
Linebackers	8	7	6
Cornerbacks	5	5	4
Safeties	5	6	6
Total on Defense	26	26	25

Specialists	3	3	3

After the jump, we chart which players the Bengals kept since 2006.

2006

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Anthony Wright, Doug Johnson
RB / FB	4	Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Quincy Wilson, Jeremi Johnson (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry, Tab Perry, Antonio Chatman, Kelley Washington
O-Line	9	Levi Jones, Eric Steinbach, Rich Braham, Bobbie Williams, Willie Anderson, Andrew Whitworth, Eric Ghiaciuc, Stacy Andrews, Scott Kooistra
TE	2	Reggie Kelly, Tony Stewart

DE	4	Justin Smith, Bryan Robinson, Robert Geathers, Frostee Rucker
DT	4	Sam Adams, John Thornton, Domata Peko, Shaun Smith
Linebackers	8	Brian Simmons, Landon Johnson, David Pollack, Rashad Jeanty, Marcus Wilkins, Ahmad Brooks, A.J. Nicholson, Caleb Miller
Corners	5	Deltha O'Neal, Tory James, Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff, Greg Brooks
Safeties	5	Dexter Jackson, Madieu Williams, Kevin Kaesviharn, Ethan Kilmer, Herana-Daze Jones

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

2007

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Rowe
RB / FB	4	Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Clinton Dawson, Jeremi Johnson (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Tab Perry, Glenn Holt, Skyler Green, Antonio Chatman
O-Line	8	Levi Jones, Willie Anderson, Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Stacy Andrews, Scott Kooistra, Eric Ghiaciuc, Alex Stepanovich
TE	3	Reggie Kelly, Daniel Coats, Nate Lawrie

DE	5	Justin Smith, Robert Geathers, Bryan Robinson, Frostee Rucker, Jonathan Fanene
DT	3	Domata Peko, John Thornton, Michael Myers
Linebackers	7	Ahmad Brooks, Rashad Jeanty, Landon Johnson, Caleb Miller, Lemar Marshall, Andre Frazier, Anthony Schlegel
Corners	5	Deltha O'Neal, Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff, David Jones
Safeties	6	Dexter Jackson, Chinedum Ndukwe, Madieu Williams, Marvin White, Herana-Daze Jones, Ethan Kilmer

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

2008

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jordan Palmer
RB / FB	5	Chris Perry, Kenny Watson, DeDe Dorsey, Jeremi Johnson (FB), Daniel Coats (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Glenn Holt, Antonio Chatman, Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson
O-Line	9	Stacy Andrews, Levi Jones, Eric Ghiaciuc, Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Dan Santucci, Kyle Cook, Scott Kooistra, Anthony Collins
TE	2	Reggie Kelly, Ben Utecht

DE	4	Antwan Odom, Robert Geathers, Jonathan Fanene, Frostee Rucker
DT	5	Domata Peko, John Thornton, Jason Shirley, Pat Sims, Michael Myers
Linebackers	6	Keith Rivers, Rashad Jeanty, Dhani Jones, Darryl Blackstock, Brandon Johnson, Corey Mays
Corners	4	Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, Simeon Castille, David Jones
Safeties	6	Dexter Jackson, Kyries Hebert, Herana-Daze Jones, Corey Lynch, Chinedum Ndukwe, Marvin White

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

Vikings' Training Camp Battles: Wide Receiver

Gonzo — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:25:59 -0000

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

4 months ago: Wide receiver Percy Harvin, a first-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings, smiles after arriving for his first workout during NFL football training camp Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009, in Mankato, Minn., after it was announced he had signed a contract. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

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When it comes to Minnesota Vikings' Training Camp, all eyes are pretty well focused on the battle at the quarterback position, as well they should be. We've done quite a bit of looking at the QB battle ourselves, and will continue to do so as the next couple of weeks go by. However, there are some other interesting depth chart fights taking place out there as well, and after the Summer of That One Guy, we need to take a closer look at a couple of them.

We're going to do that today, starting with the wide receiver position. Even though the Vikings' receivers aren't elite or anything, it's pretty impressive to see how far they've evolved in terms of talent during the Childress era. The receiver corps for Childress' first season in 2006 consisted of

-Troy Williamson
-Marcus Robinson
-Travis Taylor
-Billy McMullen
-Bethel Johnson

Man. . .compared to that group, our current receiver corps looks like Moss, Carter, and Reed, doesn't it?

In the three years Childress has been in Minnesota, he's only kept five receivers on the roster. If that's the case this year, and there hasn't been any indication given to think that it won't be, then it's going to make for some interesting decisions when the final cuts are made. Cutting Aundrae Allison a few days ago may have helped a little bit, but there's still going to be a log jam.

The way I see it, there are three receivers in camp right now that are absolute, 100% locks to be on the roster on 13 September in Cleveland. I don't think anybody questions whether or not Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, or Sidney Rice are going to make the team. Honestly, those will probably be the top 3 guys on the depth chart, provided that Rice can stay healthy for more than five consecutive minutes. The Vikings currently have ten receivers in camp, which means. . .in theory. . .that those remaining seven guys are competing for two roster spots. In reality, however, I think there are only three or four guys that are competing for those spots, while the rest are just camp bodies.

The Kid With All the Buzz

Since the off-season workouts began, the raves have come from all corners about second-year man Jaymar Johnson. Former Viking great Cris Carter worked out with Johnson (among others) at his receiving camp, and had nothing but good things to say about the 6', 185-pound speedster from Jackson State.

"You could tell that he went to a school that didn't have a sophisticated passing attack," Carter said of Johnson, a sixth-round draft pick out of Jackson (Miss.) State last year. "But he has phenomenal quickness and speed. Phenomenal. And his hands are better than you would think, from a guy that fast."
"He could start for the Vikings," said Carter, now an ESPN analyst.

Coach Childress also said that Johnson might be the hardest working guy on the team, based on the progress he's made since being the Vikings' sixth-round selection in 2008 and spending the year on the practice squad.

The scouting report on Johnson tells us that he's got outstanding speed and quickness, as Carter noted, has pretty decent hands, and runs pretty good routes. The big knock on him was his size, but he's added almost 20 pounds since last season, so it doesn't appear that's going to be an issue any more. It will be interesting to see how the Vikings use him in 2008, because I have a feeling we're going to be hearing his name a lot.

The Guy Whose Job Might Not Be As Secure As I Originally Thought

I'll be honest with you. . .I think that a lot of fans have given Bobby Wade a raw deal since the Vikings signed him as a free agent before the 2007 season. The guy has led the team in receptions both years he's been a Viking, and while he's not super spectacular or anything, the guy has been a fairly steady, level-headed presence for this Vikings team. Should Bobby Wade be a starting wide receiver in the National Football League? No, probably not. Is he as bad as a lot of people would have you believe he is? Certainly not.

The problem that Wade is going to run into this season is attempting to figure out where, exactly, he fits into the roster. His ideal spot is as a slot receiver, but Percy Harvin will almost certainly take a big part of that role away, and he has to watch his back for another guy on this list that I'll get to momentarily. He could also possibly fit in as a punt returner, but the Vikings appear to be grooming both Harvin and Jaymar Johnson to take on those responsibilities. He's simply not big enough to line up full-time on the outside, and even if he was, Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice have those spots locked down.

Before the off-season started, I was certain that Wade was going to be a lock to make the team again. Now, with the off-season having gone the way it has. . .I think he's about a 50/50 proposition to be here on Opening Weekend.

The Wild Card

Having come to the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia, Darius Reynaud didn't see a whole lot of action in 2008, but showed some promise in the limited playing time he did get. He averaged 25.1 yards on 8 kickoff returns, including a big 49-yarder against the Bears in Week 13. Reynaud has pretty good speed and quickness, and while not being real tall. . .he's listed at 5'9", and that might be a bit generous. . .he's got some pretty good bulk for a guy that height, weighing in at right around 200 pounds.

Word has been coming out of Mankato that Reynaud has been taking some snaps in the ~~Loki~~ Wildcat formation for the Vikings, which adds a little bit to his versatility. He got to the team last year in Week 12, and he appears to be over the injuries that limited him to three appearances in 2008. If he can stay healthy, he's could very easily find himself on the team as a kick return specialist, at the very least.

The "Return Guy"

Glenn Holt joined the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky in 2006 He spent last year returning kickoffs and punts for the Bengals and signed with the Vikings during the off-season. He hasn't shown much as a receiver at the NFL level. . .Holt has just 20 catches in three years, and 16 of those 20 came in 2007. . .but he has shown a little bit of spark on special teams, including a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in 2007. However, since it appears that his place in the NFL is strictly on special teams, I'm not sure if he's going to be able to latch on to the roster, particularly when the Vikings have some younger and more versatile options at their disposal.

(Oh, and I put "return guy" in quotes up there because, quite frankly, I think Glenn Holt has "Maurice Hicks" written all over him. No, that's not a positive.)

The Rest

The other three receivers currently in the Vikings' employ are Vinny Perretta, Bobby Williams, and Nick Moore.

Perretta's claim to fame, at this point, is throwing the TD pass in overtime of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl that set up the "Statue of Liberty" play that current Viking Ian Johnson ran into the end zone for a Boise State victory, allowing Johnson to propose to his cheerleader girlfriend in the end zone after the upset.

(Man, if my old high school English teacher was dead, that sentence would have him spinning in his grave.)

Perretta's father, Ralph, was an NFL lineman for six years with the San Diego Chargers. Unfortunately for Perretta, I have a feeling that that's all the closer he's going to get to being in the NFL this year. He might be worth a practice squad flier, but I just don't see him being able to make the climb onto the big club, barring something strange happening.

Nick Moore, out of Toledo, is the younger brother of New Orleans Saints wide receiver Lance Moore. Like Perretta, I just think there are too many obstacles in his way to making the squad this year.

Bobby Williams is a 6'3", 195-pound receiver out of North Alabama. And, with that, you now know every bit as much about Bobby Williams as I do. He doesn't even have a picture on the Vikings' official website. Something tells me that they won't have to do a lot of looking around for one.

Gonzo's Projection

As I've already stated, Berrian, Rice, and Harvin are in. I think that Jaymar Johnson makes the squad as well. . .after all, if Cris Carter tells you that the kid can play, the kid can play.

The fifth (and possibly final) spot? Man. . .I don't know. At this point, I think you'd almost have to flip a coin between Wade and Reynaud. Or maybe Childress will be compelled to keep six wide receivers this year, although I'm not sure which position he'd sacrifice at in order to make that happen. In any case, the battle for those last two receiver spots should be a very interesting one, and definitely something non-QB related to talk about through the course of camp.

First Day of Vikings Training Camp in the Books

Gonzo — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:37:39 -0000

I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a Pro Bowl defensive tackle with a bird on his head. (Picture courtesy of Vikings Now, St. Paul Pioneer Press)

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Yes, after a little less than seven months of waiting, the Minnesota Vikings are back on the football field. Even though it's just Blakeslee Field in Mankato and not the raucous confines of the Metrodome, it's just the sign we've been waiting for. We're less than two weeks away from the first exhibition game of 2009, and right around five weeks away from the kickoff of the 2009 regular season.

One of these days, I'm actually going to make it up to training camp and see what it's like to watch these guys do their thing. Not sure when "one of these days" will be, exactly, but it will eventually happen. For now, though, I. . .like 99% of the rest of you. . .am reduced to following the Twitter feeds of roughly every journalist in the Twin Cities area with even a remote connection to the Vikings. (If you're scoring at home, that would be Judd Zulgad, Chip Scoggins, Sean Jensen, Rick Alonzo, and Phil Mackey.)

What, exactly, did our intrepid reporters tell us about today's happenings in Mankato? Well, hit the jump, and I'll give you some of the highlights.

-The big story in training camp is, obviously, the quarterback situation. Tarvaris Jackson started out the day with the first team, but he and Sage Rosenfels split the first-team snaps equally After Day 1, we apparently don't have a winner in the QB derby, which will probably upset some folks. (Yeah, that was sarcasm. . .mostly.)
-By all accounts, however, Jackson looked much better than Rosenfels did during today's drills.
-Jackson threw the best pass of the day, as he connected with Sidney Rice on a 65(!?)-yard pass where Rice had Marcus Walker draped all over him.
-The second-team cornerbacks were Benny Sapp and Marcus McCauley. Sapp, by all accounts, is out there in the role of nickel back.
-The second team defensive tackles are Fred Evans and Letroy Guion. . .we may have to get used to seeing those two in the middle of the line.
-Jaymar Johnson continues to impress, but Aundrae Allison made a couple of nice plays today, too. These two guys probably realize that they're competing for one roster spot, and it might be the most interesting non-QB position battle of camp.
-Karl Paymah is wearing #41. That was Charles Gordon's number last season.
-Tyrell Johnson says that he feels much more comfortable in the defense this year and hopes to be more of a playmaker. Which is nice when you consider he's pretty much the starting strong safety by default this year.
-Glenn Holt managed to drop a pass when there wasn't a defender within five yards of him.

-From our friend Capital J: "Phil Loadholt is the hugest mofo I have ever seen. He makes McKinnie look miniscule. He lined up as the starting RT all practice from what I could see."

We'll be here following tomorrow's Twittering as well. If any of you good folks are at camp or anything like that tomorrow, please take advantage of DN's (fairly) new mobile commenting features and let us know what's going on from your perspective. So, with that, start enjoying your weekend, folks. . .because, by God, it's FOOTBALL SEASON again!

Create a Caption #5

smashville — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:00:18 -0000

"Your caption here"

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Above is the next picture for the Create a Caption Contest.

Rules:

- Write a sentence, or a dialogue describing what's occurring in the photo.
- If you like a caption that's been written, recommend it, by clicking the "actions" button under the comment, and then the "rec" button that appears. Recommend as many comments/captions as you like.
- The winner will be the user with the most "recs"
- I'll post the winner tomorrow

So what do you think is happening in the picture?

Start thinking and DON'T FORGET TO PLACE YOUR RECS!

Glenn Holt Reported Going to Vikings

Mike Boyd — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:26:55 -0000

ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that WR Glenn Holt has signed a one-year contract with the Vikings.

If he didn't drop so many passes and regularly fumble kickoffs, I might care.