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Minnesota Vikings Player Power Rankings, Mid-Season Edition

Gonzo — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:44:23 -0000

I really meant to do one of these back during the pre-season so that we'd have something to compare it to at this point, but I forgot to. I apologize for that. But, as usual, we'll have our mid-season version. . .conveniently designed to go along with the Vikings' bye week. . .and our post-season version to compare.

I've done these for the past couple of seasons, after originally getting the idea from our friends over at Dawgs by Nature. (See the 2007 mid-season and post-season versions, as well as the 2008 mid-season and post-season versions.) These aren't official or anything, and are more designed to spark conversations/debate than anything else. Since the table that these rankings are placed in is pretty huge, I'll put it in after the jump for everyone to have a look at. Enjoy, and tell us what you think!

Player Power Rankings
Rank	Player	Comment
1	Jared Allen, DE	Greatest trade in Vikings' history? If it's not, it's certainly on the short list. In 24 games since coming to Minnesota, #69 has 25 sacks (3 of which have resulted in safeties), 5 passes defended, 6 forced fumbles, and has generally just been the best 4-3 defensive end in the National Football League. He'd probably be the Defensive Player of the Year if the season ended today.
2	Brett Favre, QB	Okay, raise your hand if you thought the guy would be this good. looks around I doubt it was that many, but anyhow. . .in eight games, Favre has turned the ball over all of four times (only one of which. . .against St. Louis. . .could probably be classed as egregiously awful), has a 4:1 TD/turnover ratio, and a quarterback rating of a cool 106.0. Yes, it remains to see how he'll perform over the second half of the year, but the returns have been good so far.
3	Adrian Peterson, RB	You know the bar has been set pretty high for you when you're tied for second in the NFL in rushing yards, averaging almost 5 yards/carry, are second in the league in rushing touchdowns. . .and some folks are under the perception that you're struggling. He's on pace for 40 fewer regular season carries this year than he got last year, and as long as teams still want to defend the Vikings like they have Gus Frerotte at quarterback, his numbers will probably stay low. . .keeping him fresh for the post-season.
4	Percy Harvin, WR	Surprised to see him this high? Don't be. How much of an impact has Harvin had? With him returning kickoffs, the Vikings have the best average starting field position in the NFL. He's also been a big part of the Vikings going from having one of the worst special teams units of the last 20 years to being one of the better units in the league, according to the DVOA rankings from Football Outsiders. Oh, and he's done alright catching the ball, too. Barring an injury, we can probably just stop the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting right now and hand the award to #12. (Oh, and another big thank you to T.J. Houshmandzadeh for signing with the Seahawks. . .because if we had him, we likely wouldn't have Harvin.)
5	Kevin Williams, DT	The best all-around defensive tackle in football has been blowing up interior linemen all season long. He's on pace to have his first double-digit sack season since 2004, and he's still incredible against the run. Oh, and he's thrown in 6 defended passes, too. To borrow a phrase from Eric. . .greatest "missed draft pick" ever? Greatest "missed draft pick" ever.
6	Sidney Rice, WR	Nobody on the Vikings' roster has benefited more from the addition of Brett Favre than El Sid. It's hard to believe that the University of South Carolina produced both Rice and Troy Williamson, since Sidney is pretty much the anti-Williamson. He's on pace to have 1170 receiving yards (and hopefully more than the 2 TDs he has currently), and he has the most ridiculous set of hands this team has seen since Cris Carter left town. Yes, Randy Moss included.
7	Ryan Longwell, K	Ridiculous to put the kicker this high? Perhaps. . .but ponder this: Every time this season a ball that he's kicked has gone past the line of scrimmage, it's gone through the uprights (his only "miss" this season was the block at the end of the first half of the San Francisco game). His kickoffs have been pretty darn good, too. One can't underestimate the importance of a kicker as good as Longwell has been this season.
8	Chad Greenway, LB	The Vikings' leading tackler after the first half of the season, he's also tossed in a couple of interceptions and 4 passes defended. He's really gotten a lot better in coverage over the course of his Viking career, and has become one of the better all-around linebackers in the NFL.
9	Steve Hutchinson, G	Still the best at his position in the National Football League, despite getting called for his first holding penalty in 27 games last weekend against Green Bay. Meanwhile, Nate Burleson is still doing nothing in Seattle. Yeah, I still think the Vikings got the better of that little exchange.
10	Bryant McKinnie, T	McKinnie has been much maligned over the course of the past couple of seasons, and we would lament how he would get abused by speed rushers. However, after making the adjustment to having Brett Favre at QB early in the season (along with the rest of the O-line), McKinnie has done a hell of a job, and is finally really starting to live up to the huge payday he got a couple of years ago. He looks like the tackle the Vikings thought they were getting when they drafted him in 2002.
11	Antoine Winfield, CB	Ordinarily he would be much higher on this list, but his injuries. . .coupled with the fact that the Vikings haven't missed him nearly as much this year as anybody might have thought. . .push him down a little bit. Don't get me wrong, he's still one of the best in the league at his position, but he hasn't had quite the impact so far this season that one would think.
12	Pat Williams, DT	Phat Pat got off to a bit of a rough start in 2009, some of which could possibly be attributed to getting a late start on the pre-season festivities, but has come around over the course of the past few games, and is back to being his usual bad-ass, run-stuffing self. He's even contributed his annual sack with his takedown of Aaron Rodgers in Week 8.
13	Ray Edwards, DE	You know. . .when he's not busy jumping offsides or getting ridiculous late hit penalties, Ray Ray has actually had a pretty solid year thus far, with 26 combined tackles and 3.5 sacks. Sure, he might be the "weak link" on the defensive line, but being the weak link on a defensive line this good is sort of like being a MENSA member with an IQ of "only" 135.
14	Visanthe Shiancoe, TE	Second in the NFL in touchdown catches among tight ends, he gives the Vikings yet another weapon to utilize around the goal line. One could argue that he should be getting more catches, but with the emergence of Harvin and Rice, I'm not sure where those catches would come from. (Yes, I know, "Tahi" is the obvious answer.)
15	Ben Leber, LB	Still the quietest member of the defense, but as always, you don't hear his name called very often, which means he's doing what he's asked to do. Occasionally spectacular, but always solid. Still the only good thing Fran Foley ever did for the Minnesota Vikings.
16	Phil Loadholt, OT	The massive rookie from Oklahoma grabbed hold of the starting RT slot in training camp and, like most things he gets a hold of, he hasn't shown any signs of letting go of it any time soon. He did miss a game because of injury, but overall has provided a level of play that few may have expected from him as a rookie. We'll have to keep an eye on him to see if he hits the "wall" during the course of the year.
17	E.J. Henderson, LB	I'm surprised that he's down this far, too, but really. . .who ahead of him do you move? Frankly, E.J. just hasn't looked like E.J. most of the time this season. A good portion of the Vikings' woes against tight ends can be attributed to him (though there is blame to be spread around. . .give me a bit), and he just hasn't been the beast that he was prior to the dislocated toes that caused him to miss most of 2008. He is getting better, though, and hopefully will continue to do so as the season goes on.
18	Bernard Berrian, WR	He's had some injury problems this year, and his average yards/catch is significantly lower than it was in 2008, but he's still providing a pretty steady presence on the outside. He's become pretty much automatic on slant routes thus far this season, and it's only a matter of time before corners and safeties start biting on those and opening up big gainers over the top. He's not the #1 option any more, but he's still solid.
19	Cedric Griffin, CB	This is just my personal opinion, but there isn't a more frustrating player on the Vikings' roster to watch than Cedric Griffin. The guy has a ton of talent, and we know he has the capability to be really good (see the second half of last year), but there are too many times when he forgets how to tackle and gets beaten in coverage. Sadly, he's not even the most disappointing member of the secondary this season.
20	Anthony Herrera, G	Another guy we haven't heard a whole lot from this season, which is a positive. For the most part, he seems to be doing a relatively solid job at the right guard spot.
21	John Sullivan, C	For a guy starting at center for the first time in the NFL to be the pivot on an offense this good says a lot about Sullivan's ability. Has he been great all the time? No. . .but he hasn't been a tremendous drop-off from Matt Birk's play last year, either, and he's still been pretty good, despite a couple of mental errors (like the mis-timed snap in Green Bay).
22	Chris Kluwe, P	Yeah, he had a crappy ~~game~~ half against Pittsburgh, and Joshua Cribbs got a punt return TD against the Vikings in Week 1. . .he does that to a lot of teams. . .but Kluwe has made a lot of strides over last season, in my opinion. The willingness of the Guitar Hero to (finally) sacrifice some distance for hang time has been another part of the Vikings' special teams turnaround.
23	Jimmy Kennedy, DT	If Jimmy Kennedy isn't a testament to the amazing abilities of Vikings' defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, I'm really not sure what is. Kennedy has served the Vikings very well as a rotation player to this point of the season, and may be putting himself in line to be a replacement for Pat Williams in the near future. Yeah, "solid rotation" player isn't necessarily what you want from a guy that was once drafted #11 overall. . .but it's a hell of a lot more than St. Louis, Jacksonville, or Chicago got out of him.
24	Madieu Williams, S	One of the bigger disappointments on the team this year, in my opinion. There have been a few occasions where Williams has just looked completely lost this season, and for a veteran guy like him, that shouldn't happen. He really, really needs to step up his level of play in the second half of the season in order to bring the Vikings' pass defense up to where it needs to be.
25	Tyrell Johnson, S	The other biggest disappointment for the Vikings this year. I know this is his first year as the full-time starter, but he just hasn't been all that good. Nobody questions Johnson's physical ability, to be sure, but he needs to show more of why the Vikings took him in the second round in 2008.
26	Jim Kleinsasser, TE	We just keep putting Kleinsasser out there as a blocker every year, and he just keeps destroying everything in his path. I'm not sure how many years the guy can keep doing this, but he certainly hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.
27	Cullen Loeffler, LS	I'll put the same thing I put next to his entry every year. . .when's the last time you remember the Vikings' special teams units being victimized by a bad snap? Loeffler is solid.
28	Heath Farwell, LB	The Vikings had a lot of turnover in their special teams coverage units between 2008 and 2009, but the return of Heath Farwell has been huge. He's always around the ball on special teams, whether it's kick returns or punt returns, and his tackling is as sure as ever.
29	Jeff Dugan, FB/TE	Remember when most of us thought the only reason the Vikings drafted Jeff Dugan was because he went to Maryland like Mike Tice did? Yeah, that was five seasons ago, and Dugan is still here. He's a solid blocker, and has even gotten a couple of passes this year. One of the more underrated Vikings. . .probably underrated on this list, too.
30	Chester Taylor, RB	This may seem way too low for Chester, but his yards/carry average is way down this year, and I really think we're seeing his last season in Minnesota, as he's in the final year of his contract. With the expansion of Adrian Peterson's role as a receiver and the improvement in his pass blocking, #29 just isn't as vital as he's been in years past.
31	Naufahu Tahi, FB	Good enough blocker, but again, I'll go with something I say every year. . .STOP THROWING HIM THE FOOTBALL. (Although he did have a 30+ yard catch-and-run against St. Louis, which means there are probably more plays in the playbook for him than ever.)
32	Brian Robison, DE	It's not that Robison is bad or anything, because he's clearly not. He just doesn't get a whole lot of opportunities with the guy he has in front of him taking all the snaps. Oh, and Brian. . .the next time a kickoff bounces into your hands, just fall down. . .please?
33	Jaymar Johnson, WR	Another guy that could probably be a few spots higher, he's stepped into the punt return role quite nicely after the injury to Darius Reynaud. Wouldn't mind seeing him get a few more shots as a receiver, but who's he going to displace, barring injury?
34	Kenny Onatolu, LB	I was really rooting for this guy to make the squad after his pre-season performance, and he hasn't disappointed, adding more solid play to the Vikings' special teams units.
35	Greg Lewis, WR	IT'S GREG LEWIS! TOUCHDOWN! OH MY GOODNESS! GREG LEWIS! WELCOME TO MINNESOTA! OH MY HEAVENS!
36	Fred Evans, DT	Twenty-nine taser-free months and counting for Evans. Way to go, #90!
37	Benny Sapp, CB	Could make an argument that he could be higher, I suppose. He's had his moments but, like many parts of the Vikings' secondary this season, he's made a few highlight reels for the wrong reasons, too.
38	Tarvaris Jackson, QB	Hasn't been a disruption, and has actually taken his demotion quite well. Has seen a bit of time in mop-up duty as well. I hope we don't have to see him this year, but if we do, I have confidence that he could do the job for a little while, at least.
39	Letroy Guion, DT	Has bounced back and forth between the active roster and the inactive list, but has done a solid enough job in the time he's gotten.
40	Artis Hicks, OL	Filled in for Phil Loadholt when the big guy was out with an injury, and played pretty well. Still a solid backup at numerous positions.
41	Asher Allen, CB	Has spent most of the year on the inactive list, but has been up for the last two games and has asserted himself pretty well. Easy to see the potential the Vikings seem to think he has.
42	Jasper Brinkley, LB	Hasn't seen much time as a LB, but has been a very good special teamer thus far.
43	Karl Paymah, CB	After watching him get thoroughly abused against Baltimore, it became clear why he was brought in as a special teamer and not a cornerback. He recovered nicely against Pittsburgh, though. . .and, hopefully, will be finding his way back to a strictly special teams role here soon.
44	Darius Reynaud, WR	Was doing an outstanding job as a punt returner before his injury, and now might not get his punt returner spot back thanks to Jaymar Johnson's performance.
45	Eric Frampton, S	Hasn't gotten the opportunity to come alive on defense. . .yes, I continue to murder that joke. . .but has been a good special teamer.
46	Husain Abdullah, S	See above, but without the reference to Peter Frampton.
47	Jamarca Sanford, S	Hasn't been up for all the games, but again has been a solid special teamer in the games that he has been.
48	Ryan Cook, OT	No Ryan Cook on the field makes Gonzo a happy blogger and Vikings quarterbacks much healthier than they may normally be.
Non-Ranked Players/Incomplete Grades
Rank	Player	Comment
NA	Sage Rosenfels, QB	The best-compensated #3 quarterback in the league. Nice work, if you can get it.
NA	Jayme Mitchell, DE	Still pretty talented, but there just isn't room for him in Minnesota's defensive line rotation. Damn shame, too.
NA	Erin Henderson, LB	Heck, I'm not sure if Henderson the Younger is even still on the team.
NA	Jon Cooper, C	Was signed, then released, then signed again, and I don't think he's seen the field this year.
NA	Albert Young, RB	Hasn't seen the field this year, either.

And there you have it. I'm pretty sure that I haven't missed anybody. . .if I have, let me know, and I'll work them into the rankings at the appropriate place.

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!

Gonzo's Fearless 53-Man Roster Projection for the 2009 Minnesota Vikings, Part II

Gonzo — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 05:32:37 -0000

by Paul Battaglia - AP

Will Vikings' seventh-round choice Jamarca Sanford (#33) be a member of Minnesota's 53-man roster? We'll know for sure by 5 PM Central time Saturday.(AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)

View full size photo »

So on Wednesday, I took a look at who I thought would stay on the Vikings' roster for Opening Day on the offensive side of the ball. If you'll recall, I had 27 of the 53 spots on the roster reserved.

QB (3) - Brett Favre, Sage Rosenfels, John David Booty
RB (4) - Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, Albert Young, Naufahu Tahi
WR (6) - Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Bobby Wade, Jaymar Johnson, Darius Reynaud
TE (3) - Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser, Jeff Dugan
OL (8) - Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, John Sullivan, Anthony Herrera, Phil Loadholt, Ryan Cook, Drew Radovich, Artis Hicks
Special Teams (3) - Ryan Longwell, Chris Kluwe, Cullen Loeffler

So we need 26 more names in order to fill out the roster, and unlike the offense, there's a chance that this could potentially change due to injuries, since DE Brian Robison and LB Erin Henderson were both carted off of the Metrodome field this evening. But, assuming their injuries aren't that serious, here's who I'd go with if I were in charge of things at Winter Park. Believe me. . .I do not envy Rick Spielman right now.

Defensive Line

Starters: Jared Allen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Ray Edwards
Backups: Fred Evans, Letroy Guion, Jimmy Kennedy, Brian Robison, Jayme Mitchell
Cut: Otis Grigsby, Antoine Holmes, Tremain Johnson, Martail Burnett

Kennedy is pretty much here for insurance as far as the whole StarCaps saga is concerned. If it were to come out between now and 5 PM Central tomorrow that the trial of the Williams' brothers wouldn't affect their availability for the 2009 season, you can scratch Kennedy off the list. He just hasn't done enough this pre-season, in my opinion, to warrant keeping him around in the event that #93 and #94 are going to be around all season. I originally had Martail Burnett on the big roster, but he unfortunately got caught up in a bit of a numbers game. The Vikings might be able to sneak him back onto the practice squad again, though.

Mitchell has made pretty good progress coming back from a torn ACL that ended his 2008 campaign in the pre-season, and Evans and Guion have shown themselves to be serviceable in the middle of the defensive line. Ten defensive linemen may seem like a lot, but with the way this team likes to rotate players around, particularly at defensive tackle, it might not be such a bad idea.

Linebackers

Starters: Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson, Chad Greenway
Backups: Heath Farwell, Jasper Brinkley, Erin Henderson, Kenny Onatolu
Cut: David Herron

If Erin Henderson's injury is serious enough to put him on IR, then Herron makes the team. I think he'd be a bit of a downgrade from Erin Henderson, but hey. . .injuries happen.

If you're of the mindset that the Vikings' special teams will be much improved in 2009. . .and I am. . .then this unit is probably going to be at the heart of that transformation, and that's what you're looking for when you're deciding the back half of the roster. We know that Henderson, Leber, and Greenway are outstanding, and I don't need to drum it into your heads any further. But we saw what losing Heath Farwell did to this team in 2008, and his presence will definitely be felt in 2009. Jasper Brinkley has been regarded as one of the bigger steals of the draft, and his combination of size and speed make him a good candidate to be a special teams demon as well. Henderson the Younger played on special teams last year as well, and should only get better with another season.

The guy that intrigues the heck out of me, however, is Kenny Onatolu. Having played his college ball at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, he went undrafted by the NFL and spent two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League and was signed by the Vikings after the 2008 season. If you saw the final pre-season game, you saw #55 flying all over the place and hitting everything in sight. He might be a little raw, but I think the guy could be great on special teams for the time being and eventually develop into a pretty good outside linebacker as well.

Defensive Backs

Starters: Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin, Tyrell Johnson, Madieu Williams
Backups: Asher Allen, Benny Sapp, Karl Paymah, Eric Frampton, Husain Abdullah, Jamarca Sanford
Cuts: Marcus McCauley, Marcus Walker, Colt Anderson, De'Von Hall

I know that keeping ten defensive backs might be a bit excessive, too, but there's also a lot of special teams impact to be had here as well. Frampton was one of the team's leading special teams tacklers last year, and Abdullah is also a capable special teamer. Paymah was brought in, at least in part, because of his special teams prowess as well, and Jamarca Sanford has too much speed and heart (in my opinion) to warrant cutting him. Now, if the team has to flip a coin as to whether to keep an extra DB or keep a d-lineman line Martail Burnett on the roster, I think they'll probably lean towards keeping the extra lineman. In that case, I think either Abdullah or Sanford is most likely to find themselves on the chopping block.

This also closes out the fairly disappointing Marcus McCauley era in Minnesota. After looking promising as a rookie in 2007, the third-round pick out of Fresno State couldn't even get on the field in 2008, and has spent most of this season playing too soft in zone coverage and getting beaten on a fairly regular basis by backup wide receivers on opposing teams. He's officially a disappointment, and it's time for the Vikings to cut their losses with him and move on, in my opinion. Asher Allen has looked really good, and looks to be taking after current Vikings' CB Antoine Winfield when it comes to sticking his nose into the running game and mixing things up. He could certainly have a worse role model, that's for sure.

There you have it. . .my 53-man Vikings' roster prediction for the 2009 season. Obviously there are some unanswered questions after tonight's pre-season finale, and we'll look over those tomorrow before the final cuts come down. Also, we're still awaiting word on the injuries to Erin Henderson and Brian Robison, and we'll pass that info along as soon as we've got it.

Gonzo's Fearless 53-Man Roster Projection for the 2009 Minnesota Vikings, Part I

Gonzo — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:55:23 -0000

More photos » by Dave Einsel - AP

Will we be seeing this in Minnesota at any point in 2009? We should know by this Saturday. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Browse more photos »

Well, folks, final cutdown day for the Beloved Purple, as well as the rest of the National Football League, is this Saturday, and the Vikings have a few interesting decisions to make. What are they going to do with the quarterback situation? Who's going to be the nickel back? What about the offensive line backups?

Have no fear, for it's now the time to make those projections for the Vikings' roster for the 2009 season. From 75 down to 53, here's what I think I would do if I were in charge. And, heck, I'm going to give myself an easy one to get things started.

Special Teams

Starters: Ryan Longwell (K), Chris Kluwe (P), Cullen Loeffler (LS)

Let's see. . .Longwell is the only kicker on the current roster, Kluwe is the only punter, and Loeffler is the only long-snapper. Therefore, I'll go out on a limb and guess that they're all going to make the team. Damn, this GM thing is easy!

Okay, with those three spots filled, the rest of the roster projection comes after the jump.

Quarterback

Starter: Brett Favre
Backups: Sage Rosenfels, John David Booty
Likely to be traded: Tarvaris Jackson

There's an outside chance that the Vikings will keep four quarterbacks, but I really don't think that's going to happen. Favre obviously didn't come here to hold a clipboard, and the Vikings didn't deal a fourth-round pick for Rosenfels and give him a contract extension to turn around and trade him five months later. That leaves the third QB spot to be decided between Jackson and Booty.

The Vikings could attempt to slip Booty onto the practice squad. . .and it's been determined that he is eligible for the practice squad. . .but Minnesota may still have a bad taste in their mouths over the Tyler Thigpen situation and might not want to allow that to happen again. Jackson, bolstered largely by his performance against Kansas City in the second game of the pre-season, has seen an increase in his potential trade value, and I can't shake the feeling that the Vikings will deal him to somewhere with a need at quarterback for a fifth-round choice. Teams like Jacksonville, Buffalo, and San Francisco are teams that I would expect to be associated with a potential Tarvaris Jackson trade.

Running Back

Starters: Adrian Peterson, Naufahu Tahi (FB)
Backups: Chester Taylor, Albert Young
Practice Squad Candidate: Ian Johnson
Cut: Nehemiah Broughton

The most interesting battle here has been for the #3 spot between Young and Johnson. While Johnson is the sentimental favorite in many eyes, the reason that the Vikings didn't draft a running back in 2009 is because the coaching staff likes Albert Young a lot. To Young's credit, he has outperformed Johnson this pre-season, and I'm not sure that Johnson has made a significant enough impact on special teams to merit a roster spot at this point. I'd love to see him spend a year on the practice squad, though.

As far as the fullbacks are concerned, Brad Childress has a really weird love affair with Tahi, and the versatility of a couple of players that will be mentioned later negates the need for another "pure" fullback. Nehemiah's pink slip should be Broughten to him sometime on Saturday.

Wide Receiver

Starters: Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice
Backups: Percy Harvin, Bobby Wade, Jaymar Johnson, Darius Reynaud
Cuts: Nick Moore, Vinny Perretta, Bobby Williams

Yes, I have the feeling that the Vikings will be forced to keep six receivers this time around. Contrary to a few years ago when the Vikings had basically zero talent at the WR position, now they have a decent little group. The guy that's on the bubble here is Reynaud. The Vikings appear to have given Percy Harvin the kick returner's job, and Jaymar Johnson is establishing himself as a decent punt return guy, so I'm not sure if they'll find a role for Reynaud or not. Granted, the Vikings do have a couple of guys in Harvin and Rice that have a propensity for getting banged up, but is that enough of a reason to spend a sixth roster spot on a wide receiver? I have a strange feeling that it will be.

Tight End

Starter: Visanthe Shiancoe
Backups: Jim Kleinsasser, Jeff Dugan
Practice Squad Candidate: Jake Nordin
Cut: Garrett Mills

Remember when we all thought that the Vikings "stole" Garrett Mills from the Patriots a few years back? Well, yeah. . .that was before we knew that the guy couldn't stay healthy for five consecutive minutes. He's been injured for the better part of this pre-season as well, and the time has probably come to just cut ties with him all together.

Nordin could be an intriguing practice squad candidate. He's a local kid with pretty decent blocking ability and good size. Plus, with the kind of offense the Vikings have run under Brad Childress, it probably wouldn't hurt them to have a spare TE stashed away somewhere. As far as the mainstays, Shiancoe looks to have a big year in 2009, and the ability of both Kleinsasser and Dugan to line up at fullback as well as TE is the reason I mentioned earlier that the Vikings don't need to keep two fullbacks around.

Offensive Line

Starters: Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson, John Sullivan, Anthony Herrera, Phil Loadholt
Backups: Artis Hicks, Ryan Cook, Drew Radovich
Practice Squad Candidates: Jon Cooper, Andy Kemp
Cuts: Juan Garcia, Brian Daniels, Chris Clark

Versatility is going to be the key to how this part of the roster is affected. Artis Hicks played capably at a number of offensive line positions in 2008, and Ryan Cook can ~~suck~~ back-up at center, right guard, or right tackle. We haven't heard a lot of noise about Drew Radovich this year after hearing quite a bit about him prior to his injury in 2008, but when you're an offensive lineman, that's generally a pretty good thing. It's entirely possible that the Vikings will carry nine offensive linemen, too, but I'm not sure which of the guys I have getting cut is the most likely candidate to latch on if that becomes the case.

Cooper and Kemp strike me as good practice squad types for this year. Kemp is a mauler out of Wisconsin that the Vikings grabbed as an undrafted free agent, and Cooper. . .the Big 12 Conference's offensive lineman of the year as a senior. . .is an undersized, finesse center that would appear to fit quite well into the Vikings' zone-blocking scheme.

So, with that, we've filled 27 spots on the 53-man roster. That means the other 26 spots need to be filled with defenders, and that's exactly what we'll do in the second half of the preview. Look for that sometime tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the rest of your Wednesday, ladies and gentlemen!

Minnesota Vikings Player Power Rankings: 2008 Final Edition

Gonzo — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:06:32 -0000

Back at the halfway point of the season, I put forth a set of Player Power Rankings for everyone's viewing pleasure. Now that the season is over and we've had a chance to see some of our players grow and mature while some others fell off the map, it's time to take a look at how those have changed since late October. The table comes after the jump. Remember, these are strictly my opinions, and are certainly open for discussion. . .in fact, discussion is encouraged, as I'm sure there will be some disagreements.

Player Power Rankings
Rank	Player	Mid-Season Rank	Change	Comment
1	Jared Allen, DE	4	+3	When you're made the highest-paid defensive player in the National Football League, you'd better be prepared to go out and prove why that was. Jared Allen did that this season, and then some. 14.5 sacks and three forced fumbles during the regular season, followed up by two sacks and a forced fumble in the playoff loss to the Eagles, showed the world what Jared Allen was brought here for. He's clean, he's tough, and he's the best pass-rushing DE in football. Oh, and he turns 27 in April.
2	Adrian Peterson, RB	2	0	I know he's getting the ball, you know he's getting the ball, the guys in the booth know he's getting the ball, everyone in the stands knows he's getting the ball, everyone on the other team knows he's getting the ball. . .and he led the NFL in rushing anyway. Sure, he had a case of the yips toward the end of the season. . .but is there a running back in the National Football League that you'd trade him for right now? Yeah, I didn't think so.
3	Kevin Williams, DT	1	-2	Tailed off a little bit at the end of the season, certainly, but still finished with 8.5 sacks and was his usual tremendous self against the run. Albert Haynesworth is going to end up getting paid more than #93 this off-season. . .but given the choice, I wouldn't trade Kevin Williams for him. In my opinion, Kevin Williams is still the best all-around defensive tackle in the NFL.
4	Pat Williams, DT	7	+3	The game against the Giants at the end of the year showed us what a valuable asset Pat Williams is to the Minnesota defense. As a run-stuffer, he's absolutely without peer, and was a huge part of the reason why the Vikings' defense was #1 against the run for the third consecutive year. One has to wonder how many more years we can get out of the big man, but if Ted Washington played at a fairly high level until he was 85 years old, I think Pat Williams can do the same.
5	Antoine Winfield, CB	5	0	The biggest little man in the NFL has finally been rewarded for his high level of play with his first trip to Honolulu for the Pro Bowl. Everyone knows about his ability against the run, but this year the Vikings' pass defense was 5th in the NFL in DVOA against #1 wide receivers, and the #1 guy on the other team almost always lined up against #26. It's about time he got the recognition that he deserves.
6	Steve Hutchinson, G	5	-1	Having the best guard in the NFL this far down on the list isn't so much about how he played in 2008. . .it's more about the high level that the five guys in front of him performed at. He's blocked for a 1,000 yard rusher every year he's been in the NFL, and as long as Adrian Peterson is in Minnesota, that streak should continue for a few more seasons, at least.
7	Ryan Longwell, K	8	+1	Tremendously consistent, and in fact might be getting better with age. He was 6-for-6 from 50+ yards this season, including the kick that put the Vikings into the post-season. Why? Because that's what Ryan Longwell does.
8	Chad Greenway, LB	17	+9	One of the big risers on the list, Greenway was an absolute monster over the second half of the season, despite the absence of fellow LB E.J. Henderson. He led the Vikings in tackles with 115, managed to throw in 5.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and got markedly better in coverage as the season went on.
9	Visanthe Shiancoe, TE	11	+2	Shank has developed into a serious threat at the TE position, particularly over the second part of this season. He was in the top 10 in receiving yards at the tight end position, and averaged 14.2 yards/reception. The only two TEs in the NFL that had more touchdowns than he did are a couple of guys that you might have heard of. . .Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates. Finally appears to be worth the money that was spent on him in 2006.
10	Bernard Berrian, WR	6	-4	Berrian certainly did what he was asked to do when the Vikings signed him away from the Chicago Bears. Minnesota wanted him to come in and stretch the field, and his 20.1 yards/reception says that he did just that. But he did have a couple of games where he completely disappeared, and is probably more suited to be a #2 guy than a true #1. Hopefully we can find that true #1 here very soon and let Berrian do what he does best.
11	Madieu Williams, S	NR	NA	After he finally got himself healthy, he got on the field and was pretty effective for the most part. With the likely departure of Darren Sharper this off-season, Williams will likely move into more of a free safety/center fielder type of position, with Tyrell Johnson moving into the strong safety spot.
12	Matt Birk, C	9	-3	Another player that has, more than likely, played his last game for the Vikings. While still one of the best at his position, it certainly appears that he's lost a little bit. He'll turn 33 in July. . .he's the last holdover from the 1998 squad. . .and it probably won't be cost-efficient to bring him back at this point. Stranger things have happened, though.
13	Bobby Wade, WR	18	+5	The Vikings caught a lot of flack for signing this guy after the 2006 season, but you know something? This guy can play on my team any time. He led the Vikings in receptions again this season, he makes tough catches, he gets first downs, and he knows what his role in the offense is. I'm quite happy to have him here for another couple of years.
14	Ben Leber, LB	10	-4	Leber was his usual understated self in 2008. He goes out there every week and does his job in a solid, but not spectacular, fashion. He might be someone that the Vikings need to look at replacing in the near future, as he'll turn 31 this season, but he's still a good veteran leader and an asset to the defense at this point.
15	Cedric Griffin, CB	25	+10	Another big riser here, Griffin looked like a completely different player in the second half of the season. It appears that the coaching staff finally realized that Griffin isn't a "lay back and play zone" cornerback. He needs to be allowed to get up in people's faces and be physical. With Antoine Winfield getting up in age, Griffin will probably face more of a burden in the near future. . .oh, and he has a contract year coming this next season, too.
16	Artis Hicks, OL	15	-1	Played well in Bryant McKinnie's stead when he was called upon to do so, and filled in on other spots in the line as well. His versatility makes him a valuable part of the roster, but injuries clearly hampered him down the stretch, causing him to miss some time.
17	Gus Frerotte, QB	12	-5	Gus was brought here to be the backup, and he performed the way a backup quarterback would be expected to. He had some moments of brilliance, coupled with some throws that make you wonder how the heck he's lasted in the league as long as he has. His comments after the Eagles' game were particularly grating, since I really don't think he would have given us any more of a chance than Tarvaris Jackson.
18	Tarvaris Jackson, QB	28	+10	In the last 4 1/2 games of the season, we caught a glimpse of both what's so intriguing about Tarvaris Jackson, and what absolutely drives us crazy about him. Again, he's got all the physical ability in the world, but at this point, I don't think he's going to be able to put it all together as a consistent NFL QB. He gets bumped up the list, though, based on his performance at the end of the regular season when the Vikings were fighting for a division title.
19	Darren Sharper, S	14	-5	The greatest safety in Green Bay Packer history has probably played his last game in purple. As the season progressed, Sharper looked older and slower than he has at any point in his career, and started taking bad angles to the football. He's given us a few great seasons as a member of our secondary, but it doesn't look like he can get it done any more. If Sharper does prove me wrong, he'll more than likely have to do it in another uniform.
20	Chester Taylor, RB	23	+3	He didn't get nearly the number of touches that he got over the past couple of seasons, but Taylor proved why he and Adrian Peterson are still the best 1-2 running back punch in the National Football League. One of the best pass-catching backs in the league and a vital asset on third downs, he's approaching that 30-year old point where running backs tend to start declining, but he hasn't had a lot of carries over his career for the most part. We'll have to keep an eye on him.
21	Bryant McKinnie, OT	16	-5	Paid like an elite LT. Not an elite LT. Not to mention one stupid, drunken incident away from taking a year's vacation from the NFL. There are few players on the Vikings' roster as disappointing as Bryant McKinnie. Need more proof? I listed three other offensive linemen, one of whom is a backup, before I got to him.
22	Brian Robison, DE	29	+7	An interesting study. . .he played well this season, largely when spelling Pat Williams at DT on obvious passing downs. He also played pretty well when called upon against the Eagles as well. If nobody else is brought in this off-season, I firmly believe that he should be starting opposite Jared Allen at DE in 2009, but we'll have to see.
23	Tyrell Johnson, S	13	-10	His drop isn't because he played horribly or anything. . .but with Madieu Williams insertion into the lineup, he simply didn't get to contribute in the same way he did during the early part of the season. I think he's still got some promise as an in-the-box type of safety, and he's likely going to be a starter in 2009.
24	Anthony Herrera, G	19	-5	Still solid against the run, but his pass protection seemed to slip a bit in the later stages of the season. It seemed that whenever the quarterback had pressure on him, it was generally coming from his right. . .although I'm not sure how much of this is a function of Herrera's play as much as the play of someone we'll get to here in a while.
25	Ray Edwards, DE	21	-4	Talked a lot in the pre-season about Michael Strahan's single-season sack record. Came up roughly 17 sacks short of that mark. He's solid at DE, but with the talent that he's playing next to, he should be significantly better. The competition between him and Brian Robison in training camp in 2009 should be interesting.
26	Fred Evans, DT	24	-2	Again, solid, but not spectacular. At least he managed not to get tasered this season, which is always a plus. He is a pretty valuable backup, however, all joking aside.
27	Jim Kleinsasser, TE	27	0	How much fun was it watching ol' Jimmy K rumble downfield with that little slip screen in the Eagles' game? But his purpose here isn't to catch passes, it's to crush people as a blocker, something he still does tremendously well. Hopefully he'll be back next season.
28	Naufahu Tahi, FB	22	-6	I've said it before, and I'll say it again. . .good blocker, but for the love of God, STOP THROWING HIM THE FOOTBALL!
29	Napoleon Harris, LB	NR	NA	Same Napoleon Harris we saw the first time he was in Minnesota. . .solid against the run, can't blitz, can't cover. Good depth, but I really hope we don't have to rely on him to start for any length of time.
30	Charles Gordon, CB	31	+1	Showed some real juice as a punt returner, and was starting to improve as a cornerback as well. . .up until he got his ankle mangled against the Packers. His comeback from that injury is going to be interesting to watch. He really gives us a solid nickel option if he can come back.
31	Cullen Loeffler, LS	35	+4	Hey, let's give the guy some more props. . .again, I ask, when was the last time we saw a bad snap on either a field goal or a punt? It was before Cullen Loeffler came along, that's for sure.
32	Marcus Johnson, OL	30	-2	Played well in the early part of the season, particularly against Indianapolis, when he was asked to play LT (a position he had no experience at). Just didn't get a lot of chances as the season wore on. Still, he's the only member of Minnesota's 2005 draft class that has any chance of being worth anything in the NFL.
33	Benny Sapp, CB	41	+8	He committed some dumb penalties, to be sure, but overall wasn't completely awful or anything like that. He should be back competing for a spot next season.
34	Ryan Cook, OT	20	-14	By far the weakest link on the offensive line. Seems to be good for at least one drive-killing false start penalty a game, and gets beaten far more often than a third-year guy should be getting beaten. He probably won't be starting in 2009, and it wouldn't surprise me if he was off the roster all together.
35	Chris Kluwe, P	26	-9	A very disappointing season for Kluwe, to say the least. After the Eagles' game, DeSean Jackson came right out and basically said, "Man, that guy outkicks his coverage on almost every play." And you know what? He's right. Part of the Vikings' punt-return woes this year came from lack of special teams discipline, but a lot of it came from opposing returners having a lot of space to work with after they catch the ball, too.
36	Husain Abdullah, S	37	+1	Minnesota's leading special teams tackler in 2008. Given the state of the Minnesota special teams, I'll let you decide whether that's good or bad.
37	Vinny Ciurciu, LB	32	-5	This guy, on the other hand, was brought in a few years ago to be almost exclusively a special teamer, and he hasn't been up to snuff. Should be fighting for his job this coming training camp.
38	Marcus McCauley	42	+4	Actually wasn't all that bad when he got on the field. . .but for someone that was a third-round pick and showed a lot of promise a year ago, he should be getting on the field more frequently than he is.
39	Eric Frampton, S	38	-1	Another guy whose main job is to bolster the special teams. Have you noticed that a lot of these "special teams" types are going to be fighting for their jobs next season? Curious, that.
40	Ellis Wyms, DT	48	+8	Hey, at least I noticed he was on the field in the later part of the season. . .that's more than I can say for him over the first half.
41	David Herron, LB	33	-8	Played well in place of E.J. Henderson until Napoleon Harris was brought in. Then we really didn't hear from him much.
42	John Sullivan, C	47	+5	Barring a change via the draft or free agency, this is probably our starting center in 2009. Didn't do much this year.
43	Sidney Rice, WR	36	-7	Like I said on the mid-season list, it absolutely kills me to put Sid the Kid this low, but he had a terrible season. Injured for most of it, and when he did play, he didn't perform terribly well. . .and the route he ran on the play against the Eagles that wound up being a pick-6 was as horribly lazy a route as you're ever going to see. I don't know how much of that was the lingering effects of his knee injury, but he's on the verge of being a bust here.
44	Maurice Hicks, RB	43	-1	I expected nothing, and he delivered. Bravo, Maurice.
45	Otis Grigsby, DE	39	-6	Was actually hoping for big things out of Grigsby this season, but with the way the line rotation set up, he just didn't get a lot of chances.
46	Jeff Dugan, TE	45	-1	Probably should be a little bit higher, but I'm not sure where else I'd slot him at this point.
47	Erin Henderson, LB	44	-3	Has the potential to be more than "E.J's little brother," but didn't get a lot of opportunities to show it this season. He's one to watch for the future, though.
48	Aundrae Allison, WR	34	-14	Another guy that had huge expectations going into the season, and had next to nothing in production. There were questions about his work ethic when he came out of college, and it appears that it might be catching up to him once again. I hope he snaps out of it here soon, or he might find himself without a job.
49	Garrett Mills, TE	40	-9	Again. . .3 catches for 49 yards in the season opener. 2 catches for 16 yards the rest of the way, and spent most of the second half inactive.
50	Letroy Guion, DT	NR	NA	Was expected to be a project, and spent most of the year inactive.
Non-Ranked Players/Incomplete Grades
Rank	Player	Comment
NA	E.J. Henderson, LB	The Minnesota defense was #6 in the NFL in total yardage, #1 against the run, one of the best in terms of DVOA for the season. . .and they played without this guy from Week 5 onwards. I can't wait to see him back next season.
NA	Heath Farwell, LB	Based on the performance of the Vikings' coverage units this year, Heath Farwell may be the greatest special teams player in the history of the universe. Hopefully he'll be back healthy in 2009.
NA	Dontarrious Thomas, LB	He was here. I don't know how many games he was active for, but he was here.
NA	Drew Radovich, OL	Future prospect. Went on IR with a "shoulder injury" early in the year. Should compete for a spot in training camp.
NA	John David Booty, QB	Didn't see the field after the pre-season finale. Thank goodness.
NA	Robert Ferguson, WR	"Veteran leadership" and "downfield blocking" will only get you so far in this league.
NA	Jayme Mitchell, DE	It would have been nice to have him around to work into the line rotation.
NA	Michael Boulware, S	IR'd in pre-season. Hasn't seen the field as a Viking.
NA	Kenderick Allen, DT	IR'd in pre-season. Hasn't seen the field as a Viking.
NA	Thomas Tapeh, FB	Epic fail. What else can be said, really?
NA	Jimmy Kennedy, DT	Interesting signing, I think. . .brought in late in the year as Pat Williams insurance. Was a first-round pick a few years ago, so he's got some talent. I think he might stick. . .because, hey, if anybody can tap into the talent that he has, it would be Karl Dunbar. Keep an eye on him this off-season.

Official Eagles/Vikings Injury Reports

Gonzo — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:07:03 -0000

Alrighty, folks, it's Friday, and you know what that means. . .it means that the last official injury reports have been released by both the Eagles and the Vikings for this Sunday's tilt at the Metrodome. As is the custom over here, we'll take a look at the Eagles' injury report first.

Philadelphia Eagles Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Todd Herremans	shoulder/ankle	1.2.2009
Kevin Curtis	calf	1.2.2009
Brian Dawkins	back	1.2.2009
Hank Baskett	knee	1.2.2009
Stewart Bradley	rib/groin	1.2.2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Asante Samuel	hip	1.2.2009
Jon Runyan	knee	1.2.2009
Brian Westbrook	knee/ankle	1.2.2009
L.J. Smith	shoulder	1.2.2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
King Dunlap	ankle	8.30.2008
Willie Reid	leg	11.25.2008
Max Jean-Gilles	ankle	12.3.2008
Mike Gibson	shoulder	8.30.2008

Players that aren't shown on this injury report that are listed as out for Sunday are DE Victor Abiamiri (foot) and G Shawn Andrews (back).

Of the remaining players listed, Samuel and Runyan had no participation in practice today, but I don't think there's any doubt that they'll both be playing this Sunday. Samuel isn't going to be at 100%, however, and that could be something that plays to Minnesota's advantage.

Smith, Westbrook, and Bradley all had limited participation in Friday's practice, and the rest of the players listed on the injury report participated fully. It doesn't appear as though any major pieces for the Eagles are going to miss this weekend's game.

Moving on, here's the Minnesota injury report:

Minnesota Vikings Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Artis Hicks	elbow	1.2.2009
Bernard Berrian	ankle	1.2.2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Pat Williams	shoulder	1.2.2009

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
E.J. Henderson	foot/toes	10.6.2008
Heath Farwell	knee	8.11.2008
Kenderick Allen	wrist	8.19.2008
Drew Radovich	shoulder	10.13.2008
Jayme Mitchell	knee	8.11.2008
Michael Boulware	wrist	8.30.2008
Charles Gordon	ankle	11.13.2008

As discussed yesterday, DE Ray Edwards is also out for Minnesota, with Brian Robison starting in his place.

Nice to see Hicks back under the "Probable" section of the list. Hopefully this means that he'll be starting in place of Ryan Cook, particularly in light of all the blitzing that the Eagles are likely to do on Sunday. Bernard Berrian's ankle shouldn't be a problem, either, as it hasn't been the last couple of weeks.

As far as Pat Williams is concerned, the word is coming that he's a game-time decision. To be honest. . .and I don't mean this as a slight to the Eagles. . .if there's a game that we could "afford" to not have Pat Williams for, it's probably this one. The Eagles aren't exactly a "slam the ball up the middle" type of football team, and even though Phat Pat makes plays in the running game regardless of where the ball is going, his absence would probably be less felt in this game than if we were playing a team like Atlanta or Carolina or the Giants. I'll be happy to see him out there if he DOES suit up, but I won't be too surprised if the Vikings rest him and hope that there's a game against the Panthers next weekend that #94's services will be needed for.

That's all for tonight, folks. . .tomorrow's update will probably be a little later in the day, as I've got another funeral detail to go to again tomorrow that will take up a good portion of the day. If something happens that needs to be discussed, be sure to throw up a FanPost or a comment and discuss it right here!

Happy New Year, and a Few Assorted Odds and Ends

Gonzo — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:58:27 -0000

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, it's the start of a new year here at your favorite Vikings' site. . .well, hopefully it's your favorite. . .and we're coming off what is easily the biggest month in Daily Norseman history.

December 2008 was the first time in DN history that the site went over 50,000 hits in a single month, and on the day of the Falcons game, we broke the 500,000 overall hit mark since the site was launched in July of 2006. It was also the first time the site had more than 100,000 page views in a single month. The five biggest months in terms of traffic as far as this site goes all occurred in 2008. . .for you numbers types out there, here are those months:

December 2008 - 51,213 hits/121,434 page views (Vikings making run to post-season)
September 2008 - 43,768 hits/79,915 page views (start of a brand new season)
August 2008 - 40,248 hits/63,708 page views (training camp/pre-season)
April 2008 - 37,441 hits/61,413 page views (draft time/Jared Allen trade craziness)
October 2008 - 36,512 hits/78,818 page views (just during the season/no special reason)

But we're not stopping there, that's for damn sure! We'll have some new writers offering new perspective during the off-season and draft time, and there will be some other off-season features to keep things exciting while we're waiting for 2009 to kick off. However, I'd like to thank all of you for your patronage (as I so often do), because without you guys, this site wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't have the privilege of offering my perspective to you guys on a daily basis.

But enough about that. . .let's get some actual football tidbits out here, shall we?

The preliminary injury reports are out, and the Vikings only have four names listed, but they're all pretty big ones. . .well, as far as the Vikings' game plan is concerned, anyway.

There are two big stories connected to the injury list today. The first is that DE Ray Edwards suffered a knee injury in the season finale against the Giants, and all the signs are pointing to #91 not suiting up this Sunday against the Eagles. If Edwards can't go, Brian Robison would more than likely start in his place, and that could be trouble for the Beloved Purple.

While Edwards finished a mere 18 sacks shy of his stated pre-season goal of breaking Michael Strahan's single-season record, he HAS been a very good defender in the running game and has gotten a decent amount of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Robison has a very good motor, but is a bit undersized and might not be able to hold the edge against the Eagles' running game. I wouldn't be surprised to see Otis Grigsby up and active for this one and/or more of Ellis Wyms lining up at that DE spot.

But whoever lines up at the LDE position, it sounds like there's a pretty good chance that they'll have the benefit of the best run-stuffing DT in the NFL occupying blockers on the inside. After missing two weeks with a broken shoulder blade, it appears that Pat Williams is going to pull out all the stops in an attempt to play this Sunday. While the Vikings did still finish with the #1 rush defense in football for the third consecutive season and held up okay against the Atlanta Falcons' rushing attack, things were a bit rough against the New York Giants without Phat Pat in the middle. Just the psychological lift from seeing the big man back on the field would be huge, to say nothing of what it would do for the performance of the Minnesota defense.

The other injuries on the report belong to Bernard Berrian (ankle) and Artis Hicks (tricep). Berrian will play, particularly given the way he looked this past Sunday. Hicks was active last week but did not start. . .for the Vikings' sake, and particularly for Tarvaris Jackson's sake, I hope that he's healthy enough to start this weekend.

************

The good folks at the Great Blue North Draft Report have the order for the 2009 NFL Draft posted on their site, and barring something dramatic happening, the Vikings will have the 23rd pick in the first round of this April's selection meeting. The only things that could move the Vikings from that spot would be if the Vikings made it to the Super Bowl (in which case they'd pick either 31st or 32nd) or if the Eagles or Cardinals made the Super Bowl (in which case they'd move up to #22).

But hopefully we won't be talking about the draft in-depth for a couple of weeks.

************

The Vikings have said that there are still 8,000 tickets left for this Sunday's game. I hope to heck they get sold out. I mean, personally, I'm going to be seeing the game down here regardless of what happens in the Twin Cities, but I'd prefer for everyone to be able to see it. . .and, naturally, to discuss it here!

And that's all for tonight, ladies and gentlemen. Hopefully everyone has gotten their 2009 off to an outstanding start, and we'll see you back here tomorrow!

Official Giants/Vikings Injury Reports

Gonzo — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 02:43:48 -0000

Well, for the last time this regular season, it's time to take a look at the bumps and bruises that will affect this weekend's game. In this case, those bumps and bruises could control how our opponents this weekend approach the task at hand.

Man, there is absolutely, positively no way in heck I'm getting a lot of sleep tonight. I've thought about this game pretty much non-stop since Monday.

Anyway, let's start with this tomorrow's opponent, the New York Football Giants.

New York Giants Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Fred Robbins	shoulder	12.26.2008
Justin Tuck	lower leg	12.26.2008

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kareem McKenzie	back	12.26.2008
Barry Cofield	knee	12.26.2008
Brandon Jacobs	knee	12.26.2008

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kevin Boss	ankle/concussion	12.26.2008

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Osi Umenyiora	knee	8.25.2008
Sammy Knight	hip	11.29.2008
David Tyree	hamstring	11.5.2008
Anthony Wright	back	8.30.2008
Reuben Droughns	neck	12.16.2008
Guy Whimper	foot	8.30.2008
Kay-Jay Harris	ankle	8.21.2008
Jonathan Goff	hamstring	12.17.2008
Robert Henderson	ankle	8.10.2008

NFL.com has two players listed as "Out" that aren't on our report above, and those players are CB Aaron Ross (concussion) and LB Gerris Wilkinson (knee). Both of those players are starters for the Giants, so we definitely won't be seeing those two tomorrow afternoon.

Of the remaining players, TE Kevin Boss, DT Barry Cofield, and RB Brandon Jacobs are listed as not having participated in Friday's practice. Boss has already been pretty much ruled out for Sunday, but there's a chance that Cofield and/or Jacobs could see some action. I, personally, would be surprised to see Jacobs out there, however. OT Kareem McKenzie has also been pretty much ruled out, from my understanding. DE Justin Tuck and DT (and former Viking) Fred Robbins will probably see limited action.

The bigger question for the Giants. . .well, for the Vikings concerning the Giants, I guess. . .is how they're going to treat the guys that are not on the injury report. Most of the New York media, from what I've read, seem to think that the Giants' starters are going to be out there for a quarter, possibly a half at the most. But this IS Tom Coughlin we're talking about, and he hasn't given any true indicator of how he's going to handle things, so I guess we'll find out the same time everybody else will.

And, now, on to the injuries for the Beloved Purple.

Minnesota Vikings Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Gus Frerotte	back	12.26.2008
Jared Allen	knee	12.26.2008
Darren Sharper	knee	12.26.2008
Cedric Griffin	illness	12.26.2008
Maurice Hicks	back	12.26.2008

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Artis Hicks	elbow	12.26.2008
Bernard Berrian	ankle	12.26.2008
Darius Reynaud	foot	12.26.2008

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
E.J. Henderson	foot/toes	10.6.2008
Heath Farwell	knee	8.11.2008
Kenderick Allen	wrist	8.19.2008
Drew Radovich	shoulder	10.13.2008
Jayme Mitchell	knee	8.11.2008
Michael Boulware	wrist	8.30.2008
Charles Gordon	ankle	11.13.2008

Pat Williams isn't on this report, but we know he's still going to be out with the shoulder injury.

Everyone on the Vikings' injury list had limited participation in Friday's practice with the exception of Cedric Griffin, who didn't practice at all. Marcus McCauley, apparently, took the majority of the first team snaps in Griffin's absence. . .pretty impressive move up the depth charts for a guy that didn't even get to suit up for the better part of the first half of the season.

Other than that, I'm going to guess that the guys that have been inactive for most of the season will be inactive again this week. Gus Frerotte is firmly back into the backup QB role. No word on whether or not Artis Hicks is going to be available, but Brad Childress has said that Ryan Cook will be getting the start at RT regardless. Reynaud will probably be out again as well.

That's it for tonight, ladies and gentlemen. We'll see you here for the game thread tomorrow. Incidentally, the game thread will get broken up into parts. . .at least by halves, and maybe more if the traffic warrants. Good luck trying to get any sleep tonight, folks.

Official Falcons/Vikings Injury Reports

Gonzo — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 03:57:39 -0000

Alrighty, folks. . .got back late from our funeral detail today, so I'm just now getting the chance to put these things up here. When my 3-month rotation is done (and before my next 3-month rotation starts), I'll have to do a bit of off-topic work here about the honor guard experience, because it really is something cool.

And, hey, by that time, it'll be March. . .or, as I call it, "we're not quite to the draft so Gonzo is reaching for material" time.

So, since the Falcons are the guests of the Beloved Purple this weekend, we'll start out by taking a look at their injuries first.

Atlanta Falcons Injuries

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
John Abraham	thigh/shoulder	12.19.2008
Sam Baker	hip/back	12.19.2008
Brian Finneran	calf	12.19.2008
Grady Jackson	knee	12.19.2008
Ovie Mughelli	hamstring	12.19.2008
Todd Weiner	knee	12.19.2008

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Ben Hartsock	back/toe	11.26.2008
Von Hutchins	foot	7.29.2008
Robert James	head	8.5.2008
Thomas Brown	groin	8.30.2008
David Irons	knee	12.16.2008
Pat McCoy	knee	8.30.2008
Laurent Robinson	hamstring	12.16.2008
Antoine Harris	groin	12.9.2008

Comparing this to the NFL.com injury reports (as I always do), all of the players listed on Atlanta's injury report are shown as having limited participation in Friday's practice. Don't even worry about John Abraham. . .he'll be out on the field. Much like Jared Allen, there's no way Abraham is going to miss a game like this where there's so much on the line.

Sam Baker, the promising young rookie tackle, missed seven straight games before returning last week against Tampa. If he can't go, Quinn Ojinnaka will start in his place. In either case, I'd expect the Falcons to have a lot of help for their LT against big #69. Finneran is way down on the depth chart, so I'm not sure he'll even be active for this one (NFL.com's depth chart for the Falcons shows 5 WR at 2 different spots, and none of them are named Brian Finneran). Grady Jackson hasn't missed a game all year, and with All Day and All Night lining up in the Minnesota backfield, I'd be willing to wager that he won't miss this one, either.

On to the Vikings' injuries:

Minnesota Vikings Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Adrian Peterson	ankle	12.19.2008
Brian Robison	knee	12.19.2008

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jared Allen	knee	12.19.2008
Gus Frerotte	back	12.19.2008

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Artis Hicks	elbow	12.19.2008
Darius Reynaud	foot	12.19.2008

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
E.J. Henderson	foot/toes	10.6.2008
Heath Farwell	knee	8.11.2008
Kenderick Allen	wrist	8.19.2008
Drew Radovich	shoulder	10.13.2008
Jayme Mitchell	knee	8.11.2008
Michael Boulware	wrist	8.30.2008
Charles Gordon	ankle	11.13.2008

Pat Williams isn't shown on the injury report, but we all know he's out until the post-season, and we've already discussed the injury at length. I think it's a big injury for the Vikings, but it's also something that they can overcome. Anyone that thinks that the Falcons are going to come into the Dome and put up 200+ yards rushing just because big #94 isn't in the middle is in for a bit of a rude awakening, I think.

Hicks and Reynaud didn't participate at all in Friday's practice, and neither of them are going to be "up" on Sunday afternoon. Jared Allen and Adrian Peterson? Yeah, like they're going to miss this game. Robison had full participation in Friday's practice, and it's going to be interesting to see how he gets used this week. He's been coming in for Phat Pat a lot on passing downs thus far as it is, but with Williams being out and the Falcons (likely) throwing the ball a lot on Sunday, I think we're going to see a lot of field time for Robison.

Apparently Gus Frerotte is a bit miffed about losing his starting job, even though he claims to be 100%. First of all, there's no way in hell that Gus is 100% already. He's an almost 40-year old man with a back injury. No way that thing healed up in less than two weeks. Second, I'm not sure if Gus recalls this or not, but he was one half of football away from the Detroit Lions moving from 0-12 to 1-12 at our expense again. Again, let me remind everybody. . .the Lions have 4 interceptions this season through 14 games. Take out Gus Frerotte's contributions, and that number drops from 4 to 1.

Yes, I know that guys aren't supposed to lose their jobs because of injuries and all that. Well, guys also aren't supposed to lose their jobs after a game where they throw four touchdown passes, either. So, I guess it all evens out.

And those are the injuries that could have an effect on this Sunday's game. More on the game tomorrow. . .until then, keep enjoying your weekend, and if your Christmas travels begin over the weekend, stay safe out there, especially in the Upper Midwest where the weather is already turning crappy, by all accounts.

Frerotte and Hicks Listed as Doubtful for Sunday

Gonzo — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:53:05 -0000

Yes, the official injury reports are out for this weekend's clash in the desert, so let's take a look at what they hold for both teams. As we always do, we'll start out with the road team, so for the last time this season we'll look at the Vikings' injuries first.

Minnesota Vikings Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Kevin Williams	legal/disciplinary	12.12.2008
Pat Williams	legal/disciplinary	12.12.2008

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Jared Allen	knee	12.12.2008
Brian Robison	knee	12.12.2008

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Gus Frerotte	back	12.12.2008
Artis Hicks	elbow	12.12.2008

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
E.J. Henderson	foot/toes	10.6.2008
Heath Farwell	knee	8.11.2008
Kenderick Allen	wrist	8.19.2008
Drew Radovich	shoulder	10.13.2008
Jayme Mitchell	knee	8.11.2008
Michael Boulware	wrist	8.30.2008
Charles Gordon	ankle	11.13.2008

Well, we already know that the law firm of Williams & Williams will be on the field this Sunday. Nothing "doubtful" at all about that.

One semi-biggie that's not listed on the above report is that Darius Reynaud is OUT with a foot injury, according to NFL.com. For the love of everything good and holy, I hope that doesn't mean that we're back to Maurice Hicks returning kickoffs. . .or punts. . .or really being on the field in general. Honestly, can we not just cut him already and bring in someone that isn't awful? I'm guessing that Aundrae Allison will handle kick return duties, and Bernard Berrian will be returning punts again (even though I still absolutely hate that Childress has him doing that).

Artis Hicks is listed by NFL.com as having not participated in practice on Friday, so it looks like he's a scratch for this Sunday. The other three players on the injury report. . .Frerotte, Robison, and Allen. . .are all listed as having limited participation. At this point, I think if Jared Allen had one of his legs amputated at the hip, he would probably still be listed as questionable for Sunday.

So, with the injury situation with Gus Frerotte, it would appear that we're one solid hit away from the NFL debut of John David Booty. If there is a football deity up there, he won't let anything happen to Tarvaris Jackson this Sunday.

Now, on to the Cardinals' injury report:

Arizona Cardinals Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Matt Ware	head	12.12.2008
Bertrand Berry	shoulder	12.12.2008

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Sean Morey	shoulder	12.12.2008
Steve Breaston	ribs	12.12.2008
Alan Branch	cheek	12.12.2008

Doubtful

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Clark Haggans	foot	12.12.2008
Pago Togafau	knee	12.12.2008

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Scott Peters	knee	8.1.2008
Ali Highsmith	knee	11.4.2008

Haggans, Togafau (TOGA!! TOGA!!), and RB Terrelle Smith are listed as not having participated in Cardinals' practice on Friday. Smith is listed on NFL.com as being questionable with a "not injury related" problem. It appears that he had a death in the family he's attending to. Our condolences go out to Smith and his family.

Of the other players listed on Arizona's injury report, only Morey isn't listed as having fully participated in Friday's practice, and Morey had limited participation. I'm not sure who the regular members of the Cards' inactive list are, but it appears as though they're relatively healthy for this point in the season.