Awesome. Ragnar responds to Chad Ochocinco's numerous threats to his horn and motorcycle. From the NFC North Blog by Kevin Seifert:

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John David Booty has been released from the Vikings' practice squad.

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When the Vikings visit the Packers in three weeks, the game will be played at 3:15, not the noon kickoff originally scheduled.

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Wow. That's pretty much all that can be said. It has been and will continue to be discussed to death, but how bout old man Favre and Greg "Cut Bobby Wade For Me" Lewis? Pretty insane. However, there's one small facet of the game that would have made the last drive completely moot that I don't think should be looked over.

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I'm not bagging on the guy - in fact, I kinda liked that he did this. I just wonder how Bears' fans perceive it, as well as everyone else around here. Via the NFC North Blog:

During Jay Cutler's first week of practice as the Bears' new quarterback, a rookie wide receiver dared to shag a few of his passes with just one hand. And even though this rookie, third-round pick Juaquin Iglesias, had been lectured a few times by coaches about the importance of proper technique, he was slow to break his annoying little habit. So when it happened again one afternoon, Cutler followed his pass upfield, darted toward Iglesias and screamed into his face mask: "If you ever do that again I will never throw another f--ing pass to you. EVER!"

I suppose during your first week, it's best to establish your domain. To quote Office Space:

He said the trick is: kick someone's ass the first day, or become somebody's bitch. Then everything will be alright.

I guess Cutler went for the, "kick someone's ass" approach. Like I said, I kinda like it, though it does perpetuate the idea that he's kindof a dick. Okay, maybe a major dick. But I've never met the guy, and I'm obviously biased (though I still wouldn't mind him in purple).

Just thought I'd throw this out there. It's not about...well...you know who.

I know most people around these parts aren't big fans of ESPN, but I do like John "The Professor" Clayton. In his mailbag this week, he had some kind things to say about Minnesota, with a small caveat about the NFC East, and a little chatter regarding the NFC North.

In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings were the best team I saw. You can't run on them, and they are difficult to pass against because of their pass rush. I'm not saying the Vikings are the favorites to win the NFC; I didn't get the pleasure of seeing the four NFC East teams in person.

Figure the NFC North to be a wild battle. The Vikings have the best starting lineup except for the quarterbacks. The Green Bay Packers are better than you might think, thanks to their move to the 3-4 defense. Aaron Rodgers performed like a Pro Bowler with his two touchdown drives against the Cleveland Browns in the preseason opener. And don't worry about Jay Cutler's so-so performance in his Chicago Bears debut. I'm more concerned about the Bears' leaky defense than Cutler and the Bears' passing offense.

Glad to hear some kind words from a guy who knows his football.

Good Gravy Marie, I can't wait for the season to start.

On another note, I get to see the Vikings play the Texans in a few weeks, so that's pretty exciting. Didn't get a chance to see any game last year 'cause of my move to Houston, but this year I can. Hey, preseason is better than nothing, and it's the vaunted third preseason game, so I'm stoked.

Source: ESPN, John Clayton

Fellow Norsemen and Norsewomen!

I have returned from a week vacation whereupon I got some time off work, got to go back to my home state of Iowa, and I got married. It was quite eventful. Of course, during that span, Favre said no, Tarvaris got hurt, and Percy signed. What did I miss among you all?

Of course, when I heard about Favre, my first thought was of Revenge4Favre; what happened with him? I'm pretty happy that this whole situation is behind us, but suffice to say Mr. Favre was a bit of a, ahem, "rooster" tease. Despite my happiness he didn't sign, it was still slighly off putting that he finally decided to not join Minnesota. Strange, but completely like Favre.

What's been up? What's been happening? I was so busy with wedding and family, I didn't have my normal internet time that I'm used to. Please, fill me in! I'd hate to have to read through the hundreds or thousands of comments to see how everyone is.

Thanks in advance for understanding!

Favre is gone, hopefully done with (no November first crap, please), and so I am a happy Manimal.

Boo ya.

By the way, the poll is a joke. I'm totally not that vain.

Antoine Winfield has signed a contract extension. Judd is on the phone with Winfield as I type. He signed a five-year extension (they basically ripped up his final season).

Here’s the contract details from Judd: It’s a five-year contract worth $36 million, including $16.1 in guarantees and a few likely to be earned incentives that will push up the value the first few seasons. He is scheduled to make $6.1 million this season but with likely incentives he should make around $7.5 million.

“It actually happened at the perfect time,” Winfield said. “I was telling [agent] Ashanti Webb, ‘Let’s try and get something done before camp.’ I’m definitely glad to get it done and now will go in and play like I’ve been playing — 100 miles per hour and not have to worry.”

Hooray!

Source: Access Vikings

According to Access Vikings, via the team's official website, Asher Allen has signed a contract with the Vikings.

Vikings rookie cornerback Asher Allen has agreed to a contract, according to the team’s website.

Allen, a third-round pick out of Georgia, is expected to compete for the nickel back job and on special teams. Allen suffered a knee injury in offseason workouts but is expected to be ready for training camp. Terms of his deal were not immediately known.

That's good news. Next will be Loadholt, most likely. Then Harvin. I hope they get these done soon. That's one thing I envy the Bears about; they sign their picks FAST.

Source: Access Vikings

According to the guys at Access Vikings Antoine Winfield's agent, Ashanti Webb, is meeting with Vikings' staff to get the final details of a deal hammered out. They posted an article and then a quick update. Here is the update with a link to follow to the entire article:

NFL.com’s Steve Wyche reported that Winfield and Webb are expected to meet with Vikings officials this afternoon to complete a multiyear deal, according to a source. Wyche said there are still a few issues to iron out but nothing that is a deal-breaker.

 If this is true, that's really, really good news. Everyone would be much happier with Winfield back manning the corner position. It's a nice bit of news not related to a certain subject.

Source: Access Vikings

It looks like an end is in sight. Glad it will be over with. Here's the quote, and the link to follow:

A judge says he'll rule by Aug. 7 whether to put on hold a lawsuit by Minnesota Vikings Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, who are fighting their pending suspensions for violating the NFL's anti-doping policy.

The AP Article is a lot longer and has more info, but that's the gist of it.

Of course, that doesn't mean this will be the end. But at least one judge will be ruling. The ball is rolling anyway.

Kevin Seifert, NFC North Blog


AP Article

The ratings for the new Madden are out.

Minnesota Vikings

Not much love for the Vikings. Man, they weren't very generous this year. I think that was one of their sticking points, though; the superstars will actually BE superstars. So yeah. I can't wait.

They're actually out for everyone, so here's the rest of the NFC North as well:

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

Detroit Lions

For those keeping score, Cutler is one point better overall that Rodgers. Just thought that was funny.

Vikings' QBs are terrible, though, so that's kinda funny at us too.

Sage is a 69 and Tarvaris is a 67. Ugh.

Favre, however, would of course be a 100 (sarcasm).

Discuss!

But did we really expect it to be? Favre sent X-Rays of his shoulder to the Vikings. Someone, just kill me. Seriously. This is never going away. It was folly to think that it might.

From Access Vikings:

"This should come as no surprise.

ESPN is reporting that Brett Favre sent X-rays of his right shoulder to the Vikings for medical evaluation. That was the news portion of an alert that just came out. We’ll track down more ASAP. At this point I’m done guessing what this guy might be doing.

This comes a day after Yahoo! Sports reported that Favre was going to retire. The key thing to keep in mind is this: Favre’s decisions change by the minute."

Source: Access Vikings 

Manny Ramirez was suspended 50 games for taking illegal performance enhancing drugs. That's a big blow to Dodgers' fans and Fantasy Baseball players alike.

What does that mean for us Vikings' fans?

I fully expect Favre to sign with the Vikings today based off the ManRam story. Why? Because Favre is loving the spotlight. He has to be. This will take it off of him. Signing with Minnesota is the only way to regain the public eye.

Remember: You heard it here first!

Source: ESPN

This is a joke topic for anyone that didn't catch that.

Favre is meeting with Childress tonight in Mississippi.

I am so against this words cannot describe. Hopefully, nothing will come of this awful meeting between the two.

Could the Road Runner and Coyote ever team up? Even for a year?

No, no they could not. This is no different.

Go away go away go away.

At least we may have some sort of information to go on. Maybe he'll decide soon. OTAs are in a few weeks, and the mandatory veterans mini-camp starts May 29th I believe, so hopefully we'll know before then.

Until then, kill me.

Source: NFC North Blog

It seems the Vikings' first round pick, Percy Harvin, was not in attendance today at the Vikings' mini-camp. While there is no given reason at this time, Childress will be speaking on the issue sometime around three. Hopefully it's nothing serious, but I can't help but think, "Here we go again."

Come on, Percy, surprise us all. Give us a good reason, or maybe it's because you're signing your contract already. Something plausible and good. Not because you're mad or something.

Source: Access Vikings

Jay Cutler is a Chicago Bear.

The Chicago Bears pulled the big upset Thursday afternoon by acquiring Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, a source told ESPN.com.

The Broncos confirmed the move.

Terms of the trade weren't immediately available, but the Bears had to beat out the Redskins, Buccaneers, Lions, Titans and other teams to get land the 25-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback.

The Broncos had been asking for at least two first-round choices.

Cutler asked to be traded when he found out first-year coach Josh McDaniels tried to acquire Matt Cassel in a trade with the Patriots.

Cutler had not returned phone calls from the Broncos, according to the team, and had been staying away from the offseason program.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com

Source: ESPN

According to Jay Glazer, the Bears gave up two first round picks, a third round pick, and Kyle Orton.

Source: Access Vikings

Getting conflicting reports. Another source says that the Bears gave up Orton and two firsts, and the Broncos are sending Cutler and a third this year to Chicago.

Source: Bill Williamson, ESPN

Well, it happened. Let the speculation commence even further.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos said Tuesday they will grant Jay Cutler his request and try to trade the disgruntled Pro Bowl quarterback.<!-- begin whole table -->

There is no shortage of teams interested in the 25-year-old rocket-armed Pro Bowl quarterback.

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen released a statement saying both he and coach Josh McDaniels had been unable to get Cutler to call them back over the last 10 days. Bowlen said he spoke with Cutler's agent, Bus Cook, on Tuesday and came away convinced "that Jay no longer has any desire to play for the Denver Broncos."

Therefore, Bowlen said, "We will begin discussions with other teams in an effort to accommodate his request to be traded."

Source: ESPN

The Minnesota Vikings have re-signed veteran defensive end Otis Grigsby. Nothing big, but just added depth at the defensive end position, which honestly isn't a bad thing. Nothing huge, nothing terrible, just more business as usual for the ol' Vikings.

Hey, at least we got that draft coming up, right? So we got that to look forward to. Other than that, prepare for a long wait for the season to begin.

Source: NFC North Blog, Kevin Seifert

From Access Vikings:

Fullback Naufahu Tahi won’t be leaving Minnesota for Cincinnati.

The Vikings plan to match the $1.4 million, one-year offer sheet the restrictred free agent received from the Bengals last Friday, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The Vikings had until today to make the decision. Tahi had received the low tender of $1.01 million from the Vikings and obviously felt Tahi was worth the additional money.

Part of the Vikings decision might have been driven by the fact that free-agent fullback Leonard Weaver decided to sign with Philadelphia last week.

The Vikings would have received no compensation for Tahi if he had been allowed to leave for the Bengals. That’s because Tahi was not drafted out of Brigham Young and ended up signing with the Bengals as a free agent. He landed with the Vikings in November 2006 when they signed him off Cincinnati’s practice squad. Tahi took over as the Vikings’ lead fullback last season after Thomas Tapeh was released early in the regular season. 

Source: Access Vikings

Yeah, I was lazy and copy pasted, so what, wanna fight about it?

Linebacker Heath Farwell, who took visits to New England and Cleveland this week, has agreed to a contract with the Vikings. Farwell had interest from several teams, according to agent Bruce Tollner, but elected to remain in Minnesota. Farwell is the second free agent the Vikings have re-signed.

So, there you go, get our special team's ace back. Glad to have him. Our special teams sucked major butt last year, so having him back from injury can only help the situation.

UPDATE:

He signed a three year, $7.75 million deal.

Source: Access Vikings

Possibility of Sage Rosenfels going to the Vikings via trade (draft pick).

I'm going to be a total sleazeball and plug my own site here, but there's not much to it. Please visit it to read more info!

Again, sorry for the shameless self promotion, but if you're already reading one site, what's one more? Am I right? Right?

If anyone finds this totally despicable, let me know and I'll just post the article here.

Thanks everyone!

Viking Vigil - Sage Rosenfels - Vikings QB?

Stop me if you've heard it before, but Brett Favre is retiring from the Jets.

This comes from ESPN, and a supposed email from Favre to Ed Werder. Favre says he plans to inform the Jets shortly of his impending retirement.

You can see it at the link here.

Hopefully, he'll stay retired.

More importantly, I hope he stays the hell away from the Vikings.

Great career and all that. I've always hated him, but had respect. These past few years really made me hate him more and have little to no respect for him. Good riddance to, as they say, bad rubbish.

So, with the Championship games coming up, I'm still sad the Vikings are out of it, so I turn to the oasis in the desert that is the offseason - the NFL draft. While I know it's been brought up in multiple other threads, I figured I'd start an official "Draft Speculation" thread, at least for the time being.

Now, my thoughts:

Everyone wants a QB, but the chances of one falling that far are pretty slim. The only one I see as having a chance is USC's Mark Sanchez, assuming he comes out. I'd love to have a guy like Sanchez, but I think I'd rather have an established NFL QB who can come in, learn the offense, and play right away. Drafting another Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco, while amazing, is going to be really tough to do.

Wide receiver is another option, but if you ask me, the only WR worthy of a first round pick this year is Michael Crabtree, and there is no way he's falling to 22.

That leaves the offensive line, which is where I think we should draft. It's going to be a very deep draft at the O-line, so there should be plenty of options. Just ask the Broncos - they got Clady last year fairly far into the first round, and he's a stud. This years class should be pretty close to last years.

My choice, if we could get him, is Michael Oher. While he was much higher in the projections earlier this year, some late game slumping has dropped him off somewhat. The kid is a freak. He's got a ton of natural ability and he's a monster.

I should also note I have a soft spot for him, seeing as he's the subject of the great book, "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis. I would love to see him in purple, either taking over for McKinnie and moving him to the right side, or plain up taking the right tackle position.

So my choice, if I had it, would be Michael Oher.

Who do you all think the Vikings should take?

Courtesy the ol' NFC North Blog and Kevin Seifert:

"It's really kind of a whole offseason type of study. I'm not going to pass judgement right at this particular point. I think you owe it to everybody here in the organization, just like we always have, to turn over all the rocks and see what you have there. I would also say there is a point with Tarvaris continuing to evolve as a quarterback. While you'd like that process to happen immediately, it doesn't always happen immediately. There's not anything we're going to leave unturned as far as free agency, the draft, and that goes on until after the draft. You see who is out there. By the same token, Tarvaris is going to be here and we're going to continue to get him better."

 

There's what Brad Childress said (bold added by Seifert, leaving in for emphasis) regarding the QB position. It seems like, unless a Hasselbeck or similar opportunity presents itself, Tarvaris is the man going into 2009.

Of course, it's only January, but it's still fun to speculate.

Here's the link:

NFC North Blog: Minnesota QB Situation

Sorry if it rambles - it was a slow day at work.

This past Monday reminded me of being back in school. You wake up grudgingly, your alarm blaring at you, because Christmas Vacation is over and it's time to go back to school. You've done nothing but enjoy the time off, doing what you wanted to do, doing nothing, eating great food, forgetting all that pesky stuff they tried to teach you, and had fun. But now, it's over.

That terrible moment has finally come.

The Vikings' season has come to a conclusion with the 26-14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a defensive struggle that compounded the futility of

the Vikings' offense that us fans have struggled watching all year.

Some observations:

Tarvaris Jackson was pitiful. His official stat line was 15 of 35 for 164, no touchdowns, and one interception. That's an average of 4.7 yards per completion. He completed 42.9 percent of his passes according to that line, but if you take out the three dump offs he had to Chester Taylor at the end of the game in garbage time, it drops to 12 of 32. That's a percentage of 37.5. In the National Football League, completing just over a third of your passes is simply unacceptable. Moreover, if you watched him on his drop backs, he was constantly checking the pass rush, then the coverage downfield. Moreso, he had his receiver picked out before the snap of the ball. He absolutely stared his intended target down, coverage be damned, and threw it (see: Samuel, Asante). If you're interested, his quarterback rating was a dismal 45.4. At least it was higher than his completion percentage. At one point in the second half, Tarvaris threw seven straight incompletions. SEVEN. Who else in the NFL does that?

Tarvaris Jackson's inconsistency is killing the Minnesota Vikings.

More on the future of the quarterback position later. I'm actually not that critical, but that game was just awful.

Adrian Peterson ran the ball, got one huge play, but was stymied for most of the game. Why was the so held back? Because the quarterback is a non-threat. Peterson was the rushing leader despite facing seven and eight men in the box almost every play he's in. Why do you think Chester Taylor does well when he's in? Defenses back off, knowing that Taylor is a better pass blocker and they are playing the odds that it will be a pass from a sub-par quarterback. Usually, they're right. Again, it comes down to the "most important" position on the football field: the quarterback. If opponents were scared of the pass, Adrian Peterson would not have to face so many defenders all the time.

I will give Childress some credit; he uses Chester Taylor well, though he may be a bit underutilized, and catches opponents in some very pass oriented defenses in many situations. You can't really blame him for wanting to run more with the best runningback in the NFL, can you? I certainly don't.

Speaking of Brad Childress, I can honestly say I wasn't unhappy with the way he called the game. He can't directly control how the offensive players actually play; he can only tell them what to do. Aside from a strange ending to the first half, where the Vikings ran the ball up the middle, called a pass that fell incomplete, and then another run up the middle concluded with the Eagles' last timeout. This series of events gave the ball back to the Eagles with enough time to get close for a field goal. Luckily for the Vikings, Chad Greenway made a great diving tackle to keep the Eagles' receiver in bounds to end the half.

At the time, I wondered: "Why would Chilly call a pass when they were trying to run the clock out?" It made about as much sense as going swimming in January in Lake Minitonka. In retrospect, I wasn't as perturbed by it, considering I'm sure Childress wanted to call a high percentage pass play to get his receiver out in open space with the ball to make something happen. Of course, with Tarvaris having the day he had, the pass fell to the ground, the clock stopped, and the game almost ended before the second half began. I don't blame Childress for the call; I actually praise him for taking a shot with something other than the expected run. On the other hand, I wouldn't have blamed him for calling a play to get it into Adrian Peterson's always capable hands, but the offense needed a spark. Unfortunately, that jolt was left in the clouds above the Metrodome.

The defense, sans Big Pat Williams, was still amazing. They kidnapped Brian Westbrook for 98 percent of the game, keeping him locked away from the endzone except for that one tiny screen pass. Much like Adrian Peterson, you can put so many people on Westrbook, but you can't hold him down the entire game. These two are a pair of the biggest playmakers in the National Football League. Despite that one play, Westbrook still only had 38 yards on 20 carries. If you eliminate his 71 yard screen reception, he was limited to two receptions for 12 yards. Pretty good, if you ask me. The pass defense did allow a lot of passing yards, but in Andy Reid's pass-first offense, that's to be expected. You can't cover all the receivers, all the time.

The difference in the game was Donovan McNabb. While the Vikings defense completely obliterated Westbrook (minus the one play), McNabb completed passes to eight different receivers and hit the 300 mark for passing yards. While he threw one interception, it might as well have been a punt considering the game was more about field position than points. While I was ecstatic the Eagles were denied entrance to the endzone, I'm sure the Vikings punted three or so plays later. McNabb kept his composure, moved the ball at least 20 to 30 yards down the field before punting, and made sure the Vikings inept offense was pinned as deep as possible to start their drives. Every time I saw him complete a pass on third and long for a first down, my heart just sank, and for two reasons.

The first, obviously, is because the defense stayed on the field. The second is the, "What if?" scenario that kept running through my head like a hamster on a wheel.

What if?

What if the Vikings had a consistent, even mediocre quarterback who could hit the open man when necessary?

What if Adrian Peterson didn't have to carry the team as much?

We actually got a taste of that in the Arizona and Atlanta games. Jackson was 33 of 53 for 396. That's a completion percentage of 62.3 percent. If he could do that consistently, even disregarding the six touchdowns he threw in those two games, if he could just hit the open receivers when necessary, there would be no questions at all. He could lead the Vikings deep into the post season.

This leads me to the second part of this particular post: the offseason.

We'll save the juiciest part for last. Quarterback, you must wait.

First off, special teams coach Paul Ferraro needs to be let go or demoted. I don't care if special teams monster Heath Farwell out for the year, one man does not make that big of a difference. Special teams doesn't get the attention offense and defense does, but it's a huge part of every possession. If your return man brings the ball from your own 15 to your own 35, that's two less first downs your offense has to get, or considering a three and out, that's two more first downs your opponent would have to (conceivably) get. The same goes for coverage. You get that guy after only going five yards, that's a helluva lot farther to go than if he gets 25 more on top of that. The Vikings should get rid of Ferraro and get a fresh start for their special teams.

Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/All-Around-Stud Leslie Frazier is most likely heading to (supposedly) greener pastures as a head coach of another team. I have nothing but respect for him, so I hope if he does take a job, he does great. As long as it's not against Minnesota. Replacing Frazier will be tough, considering he took the best run defense in the NFL, maintained it, all the while improving the pass defense. Having Jared Allen helps a lot with that as well, but to keep that streak alive, it's going to take someone with good defensive knowledge. Who that is, I can't speculate very much. Sure would be nice to get a proven guy, like Rod Marinelli; you'd think guys like that would be chomping at the proverbial bit to get a group of defenders like the Vikes have. Maybe Frazier sticks around, maybe not. Either way, the guy deserves all the credit thrown his way, no doubt about it.

I'm split on Darrell Bevell. The offense was usually pretty good, what with All Day in the backfield, and when Tarvaris was playing consistently or when Gus Frerotte was not throwing picks, things rolled along very nicely. I'm not sure on Bevell. I'd have to think about that some more before deciding for sure, one way or another, what to do with him. For now, I lean towards him staying.

I'm actually happy with what Brad Childress has done this year. He started out slow, swallowed his pride, and benched Jackson in favor of Gus Frerotte. That took some guts to admit his mistake so early. It did, in effect, save the season. At least, we'll never know what would have been, but with Gus at the helm the Vikings won a lot of games. The man coached a team that got to 10 wins. That's nothing to scoff at, folks. The man did some good things. He's improved his coaching steadily every year since he's been here. He'll follow it up with his best year yet next year.

It looks as if All Pro center Matt Birk has probably played his final game with the Minnesota Vikings. Matt Birk has always been one of the best players on the Vikings and I know I will miss his red-headed presence on the field every Sunday, should he actually be gone. Likely to replace him is John Sullivan, taken out of Notre Dame. The Vikings had some foresight and drafted a guy to groom in Birk's place, but Mr. Sullivan has some pretty big shoes to fill, that's for sure. I'm sure he'll performadmirably. This could all be moot, as the Vikings could easily sign Birk to a one year deal to keep him for another season, which would be my personal preference, but it was reported that after the Eagles' game he went around shaking everyone's hand and getting pictures taken with all the players. Sounds like he knows he's on the way out. I hope he and I are both wrong.

Finally, the quarterback position.

I will easily admit, when Tarvaris Jackson took over, I was worried. I voiced that opinion openly. However, after the Atlanta game, I became a believer. I thought, "Hey, maybe this guy has turned a corner." Alas, it was only an illusion. Much like last year, we see flashes of brilliance from Tarvaris, but he fails to deliver on a consistent basis. You have to be as consistent as the train arrivals in the NFL. You can't arrive ten minutes late one day, five minutes early another, not even show up for Friday. You have to be consistent. Hit the open man. Throw it away. Take the sack. Scramble for two yards. I realize no one will be perfect, and people have bad games, but his inconsistency is absolutely murdering the Vikings offense at times.

Now, if Tarvaris Jackson can be the guy in Minnesota, I'll celebrate like I won the lottery. I don't think installing him as the starter automatically is the way to do it; however, I think he can pull it out if it means enough to him. So what do the Vikings do?

First, they need to make sure Jackson knows he isn't guaranteed to have the job. To do that, they need to do one of a few things, all of which involve bringing in another quarterback. Tarvaris Jackson needs competition in the offseason and in training camp. I think that is the only way the Vikings keep Tarvaris as well as give themselves a legitimate shot at having a good to great quarterback for next year. The Vikings need to either:

A.) Bring in a crafty veteran in his thirties, preferably early- to mid-thirties, to compete with Tarvaris and lead the team for a season or two. An example of this type would be a Kurt Warner, Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, Chris Simms, or anyone who's bounced around a bit and needs a fresh start.

B.) Draft another quarterback in the first round who could be an actual franchise quarterback right from the get go. It's possible that a Mark Sanchez falls down to our spot, or we trade up a few positions in order to get someone, but bringing in another young player to give Jackson some competition and give a rookie a chance to start. While I realize it's an anomaly, look at Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco - they both have nearly identical offenses to the Vikings. Just think what a Flacco would look like in purple behind center.

C.) My favorite option up until a few days ago, trade for a young, established quarterback. In my mind, I wanted Matt Cassel. Obviously, reports are flying in that the Patriots are going to franchise Cassel, and no player who has one year of experience under his belt is worth two first round draft picks (the automatic asking price with the franchise tag applied), so this option has really dropped off. No team in their right mind would trade their starting QB for less than a King's ransom, so it looks like I'll have to go back to dreaming of Matt Cassel throwing to Bernard Berrian. Maybe Matt Lienart? Nah.

Using one of those options will give the Vikings some options at quarterback, which I think is the primary concern that needs addressing at this point. Something needs to light a fire under Tarvaris Jackson's butt, and threatening his starting job (again) should do it.

It's all just my speculation, of course, and no one will know until Brad Childress and company decide to make their moves. All in all, it's been a great season. Minnesota hasn't had 10 wins in many years, so I'm happy to reach that milestone and win the North. I'm already looking forward to the Vikings defense of the NFC North crown next season. Enjoy the offseason, everyone. The Vikings had an amazing run.

I'll be around with more offseason shenanigans, such as free agency, the draft, and other random ramblings.

Until then -

Skol Vikings!
Woot Woot!

He's going to be staying for next year. No surprise there.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfcnorth/0-7-44/No-surprises-from-Wilf.html

Courtesy ESPN, Kevin Siefart, and the NFC North Blog on ESPN.com.

Really, anyone thinking Childress would be gone after this year is a little out there - the man was part of a ten win organization. If he improves some things, we should be okay.

Regardless of your thoughts on him, he's staying around, at least for one more year.

Keep on keepin' on, Vikings fans. It's another year.

It sure was nice of you to come so close, but I understand that you couldn't make it. As a life-long Vikings fan, I know that you're only there to tempt us. Unfortunately, I forgot about that for awhile and foolishly hoped that you would be joining us in a few weeks. I know realize the folly of that thinking. We Vikings fans appreciate how you made it much closer to visiting than previous years.

Was this all one big trick to get us to root for our arch-nemesis Packers? If so, bravo, sir, bra-vo.

Regardless of your intentions, you have once again built up my hopes for a post season, only to dash them away again and again. You'd think we'd learn by now, but you know what? We just can't help be secretly optomistic, despite our gruff, glass-half-empty exterior.

It sure was nice to have you close by. Maybe we'll see you next year.

But probably not.

Sincerely,

Degected, Pessimistic, Hope-Crushed-Under-A-Bus, We've-Been-Minnesota-Fans-Long-Enough-To-Know-Where-This-Is-Going,

Fans of the Minnesota Vikings

*stands tall, grabs foot, places directly in mouth*

At least for this week, Tarvaris has made me a believer. This looked like the kid who we saw flashes of in the middle of last season. And really, you can't argue with four touchdowns.

For what it's worth, I'm ready to let him lead this team. Or at the very least, co-lead it with Adrian Peterson. Pretty easy to toss the rock when the ground game is going so well.

So again, for anyone I debated with, you were certainly right. At least for this week, I'm ready to let him give it a go.

According to Kevin Siefert at the NFC North Blog on ESPN.com, a ruling could come as soon as Friday regarding the four game suspensions. That's both good and bad news. It means, at least, that the Saints will have their players when they play the Bears, and a Bears loss is nothing but good for the Vikings.

It's bad, obviously, because Kevin and Pat Williams might be out for the Cardinals game if the suspension is upheld on Friday.

Nothing is for certain, but that's the "hurry up and wait" attitude we still have to endure.

Here's the link:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfcnorth/0-6-319/Williams-Wall-StarCaps-update.html

Courtesty ESPN.com