Is it time to give Percy Harvin a new deal?

I have been looking at the current Vikings players and their contract status. I am not going into detail about the current cap number or any of that business as it is very difficult to come up with an accurate number. Right now the free agents for 2013 will be Phil Loadholt, Asher Allen, Jasper Brinkley, Jamarca Sanford, and many of the free agents we signed to one year deals this year like Jerome Simpson, Geoff Schwartz, Jerome Felton, Zachary Bowman, Chris Carr, and a few others.

The most important player is Percy Harvin. I think it is time to get a contract extension done. I think it should be done before the start of the season too. He is signed through 2013 but is only going to make 915K this year and 1.55 mil next year which is woefully underpaid based on his performance.

Why is that you say? Why shouldn't the team wait and see if he can "do it again" and then offer him a new deal?

Continue reading this post »

The Vikings entered the 2012 draft with 10 picks (3,35,66,98,128,134,138,175,210,223). They had a ton of needs on the team most notably LT, CB, S, and WR. But LB & DT were not too far behind. Basically, the team could not go wrong in whatever approach they took because the players would have been needed.

There was a lot of discussion about if the Vikings should pass on Matt Kalill and take Morris Claiborne. I do not believe there were too many proponents of the Vikings taking Justin Blackmon. I shifted over to the Claiborne camp right around after the combine. I think it would have worked out OK too since the linemen lasted until late in the second round. Maybe Kalil is really that much better than all the rest? We shall see.

As a USC homer it did not hurt me in any way, shape, or form despite what some might believe. I wanted to really have a great discussion about the merits of taking each player. And I think the people who post here at the DailyNorseman proved that they were knowledgeable and passionate about the direction they felt the team needed to take this year in this obvious rebuild of the roster. I think everyone who participated in the discussions should be applauded for their passion first and foremost. And there was quite a bit of knowledge dropped in those discussions too.

In the end we are all Vikings fans first so that is a good thing no? It sure helped having those discussions while we were waiting for the actual draft.

Now about that draft ...

Continue reading this post »

Time for my final mock. I really believe that the Vikings should trade down no matter what the offer or how far they have to drop. In my last mock I tried multiple trades. I think it is very possible for the Vikings to move down in the top of the first round a couple of times at the least. I would do it too.

Kalil, Claiborne, and Blackmon are all considered to be in the top 6 of this draft. Blue chippers if you will. I always thought Blue Chips were the Blue Chip Stamps that we use to go bowling to try and get. Now they are top NFL draft prospects. Go figure. But missing out on one of those three is not the end of the world nor would it set the team back. Getting as many picks as possible in the top 50 to 100 is most desireable IMO.

So what are the different trade scenarios that seem most reasonable? First I have to say that the old trade chart is probably not used by teams any longer. I think that us fans can use it as a guide but I think many GMs probably have created one of their own or just use their own common sense. Here are a couple of different takes on a new trade chart ...

http://walterfootball.com/nfldraftology321.php
http://www.nfldraft101.com/draft/articles/407/Updating_the_NFL_Draft_Trade_Value_Chart.jsp
http://www.nfldraft101.com/draft/articles/407/Updating_the_NFL_Draft_Trade_Value_Chart.jsp

So which one would you use if you did not use the old trade chart?

Continue reading this post »

Picks 1 thru 31 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
16. New York Jets - Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
18. San Diego Chargers - Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE Alabama
19. Chicago Bears - Cordy Glenn, OL Georgia
20. Tennessee Titans - Dontari Poe, DT,, Memphis
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Mark Barron, SS Alabama
22. Cleveland Browns - Kendall Wright, WR Baylor
23. Detroit Lions - Janoris Jenkins, CB North Alabama
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Michael Brockers, DT LSU
25. Denver Broncos - Stephen Hill, WR Georgia Tech
26. Houston Texans - Dont'a Hightower, LB Alabama
27. New England Patriots - Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB Illinois
28. Green Bay Packers - Shea McClellin, DE/OLB Boise State
29. Baltimore Ravens - Peter Konz, C Wisconsin
    
30. San Francisco 49ers - Coby Fleener, TE Stanford
31. New England Patriots - Harrison Smith SS Notre Dame

walterfootball.com lists the Giants needs as LG, TE, FS, ILB, OT depth, RB depth, CB depth, DT depth, backup QB, and Punter.

They signed Martellus Bennett TE, Stevie Brown S, Chase Blackburn LB, Sean Locklear OT, Terrell Thomas CB, David Carr QB, and franchised Steve Weatherford P. They also traded for Keith Rivers LB.

So who is left on the big board.

Andre Branch, Nick Perry, Kevin Zeitler, Amini Silatolu, Jerel Worthy, Devon Still, Reuben Randle, Doug Martin, Kendall Reyes, Chandler Jones, Mike Adams, Zach Brown, Josh Robinson, and Alshon Jeffery.

The Giants can go any direction they want. They do like defensive linemen that is for sure. I could see them getting another DE though since they are considering trading Osi Umenyiora.

Since they lost Mario Manningham in free agency they could go with Alshon Jeffery or Reuben Randle here too.

Continue reading this post »

Picks 1 thru 30 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
16. New York Jets - Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
18. San Diego Chargers - Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE Alabama
19. Chicago Bears - Cordy Glenn, OL Georgia
20. Tennessee Titans - Dontari Poe, DT,, Memphis
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Mark Barron, SS Alabama
22. Cleveland Browns - Kendall Wright, WR Baylor
23. Detroit Lions - Janoris Jenkins, CB North Alabama
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Michael Brockers, DT LSU
25. Denver Broncos - Stephen Hill, WR Georgia Tech
26. Houston Texans - Dont'a Hightower, LB Alabama
27. New England Patriots - Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB Illinois
28. Green Bay Packers - Shea McClellin, DE/OLB Boise State
29. Baltimore Ravens - Peter Konz, C Wisconsin
    
30. San Francisco 49ers - Coby Fleener, TE Stanford
    

walterfootball.com lists the Patriots needs as Pass Rusher, 2 WRs, DE, S, CB, C, LB depth.

They signed Trevor Scott DE, Jonathan Fanene DE, Brandon Lloyd, Anthony Gonzalez, Deion Branch, & Donte' Stallworth as WRs, Steve Gregory S, Marquice Cole & Will Allen as CBs, Dan Koppen & Dan Connolly as Centers/Guards, and Booby Carpenter and Tracy White as LBs.

They have selected one pass rusher already in Whitney Mercilus. I doubt they would pick him though. They like to get seniors who have graduated. But Mercilus was the pick.

So who are the top players remaining and what do they do now besides trading down?

Nick Perry and Andre Branch could provide some pass rush as 3-4 OLBs or 4-3 DEs.

Jerel Worthy, Devon Still, and Kendall Reyes could provide some more depth along the defensive line.

Reuben Randle or Alshon Jeffery could also come into play here too.

Maybe a Kevin Zeitler?

For me, I think the pick has to be Harrison Smith S right here. He is not going to last much longer apparently. They need a safety too. He is a senior that has graduated (I think).

Continue reading this post »

Picks 1 thru 28 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
16. New York Jets - Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
18. San Diego Chargers - Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE Alabama
19. Chicago Bears - Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
20. Tennessee Titans - Dontari Poe DT Memphis
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Mark Barron, SS Alabama
22. Cleveland Browns - Kendall Wright WR Baylor
23. Detroit Lions - Janoris Jenkins CB North Alabama
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
25. Denver Broncos - Stephen Hill WR Georgia Tech
26. Houston Texans - Dont'a Hightower LB Alabama
27. New England Patriots - Whitney Mercilus DE/OLB Illinois
28. Green Bay Packers - Shea McClellin DE/OLB Boise State
    

walterfootball.com lists the Ravens needs as Rush LT, C, WR, rush LB, ILB, RB, S, G, CB depth, and backup QB.

They signed Matt Birk C, Jameel McClain ILB, Sean Considine S, Ladarius Webb & Corey Graham as CBs, Curtis Painter QB, and franchised Ray Rice RB.

Looking at the board, there are some different players that they can choose.

Nick Perry and Andre Branch would be good rush LBs.

Kevin Zeitler and Amini Silatolu would be good guards.

Peter Konz would be a good center here.

Mike Adams would be a good tackle here.

Reuben Randle and Alshon Jeffery would be good WRs here.

It is a tough call for sure because they lost Ben Grubbs in free agency. Bryant McKinnie did not play that well for them last year either. But maybe they play Oher on the left side and Jah Reid on the right?

Maybe they will snap up Coby Fleener right here? Ed Dixon and Dennis Pitta are just OK.

Continue reading this post »

Picks 1 thru 27 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
16. New York Jets - Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
18. San Diego Chargers - Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE Alabama
19. Chicago Bears - Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
20. Tennessee Titans - Dontari Poe DT Memphis
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Mark Barron, SS Alabama
22. Cleveland Browns - Kendall Wright WR Baylor
23. Detroit Lions - Janoris Jenkins CB North Alabama
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
25. Denver Broncos - Stephen Hill WR Georgia Tech
26. Houston Texans - Dont'a Hightower LB Alabama
27. New England Patriots - Whitney Mercilus DE/OLB Illinois
    

walterfootball.com lists the Packers needs as Rush LB, S, DE, CB depth, C, & RB.

They signed Tony Hargrove DE, Eric Walden OLB, Jarrett Bush CB, & Jeff Saturday C.

They could be looking at Nick Perry, Andre Branch, or Shea McClellin as OLB/DE types.

They could be looking at Devon Still or Kendall Reyes as 3-4 DE types.

They definitely could be looking at Harrison Smith since Nick Collins may not even play again. Apparently Smith is really good so maybe he climbs into the bottom of the first round?

They could look at Peter Konz right here to groom to take over for Saturday who is 36 (he will turn 37 in June) and signed a two year deal.

Tough choices for sure. One thing about the Packers though is that they draft BPA and not for need which has turned out to be a very wise strategy indeed.

Continue reading this post »

Picks 1 thru 26 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
16. New York Jets - Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
18. San Diego Chargers - Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE Alabama
19. Chicago Bears - Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
20. Tennessee Titans - Dontari Poe DT Memphis
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Mark Barron, SS Alabama
22. Cleveland Browns - Kendall Wright WR Baylor
23. Detroit Lions - Janoris Jenkins CB North Alabama
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
25. Denver Broncos - Stephen Hill WR Georgia Tech
26. Houston Texans - Dont'a Hightower LB Alabama
    

walterfootball.com lists the Patriots needs as Pass Rusher, 2 WRs, DE, S, CB, C, LB depth.

They signed Trevor Scott DE, Jonathan Fanene DE, Brandon Lloyd, Anthony Gonzalez, Deion Branch, & Donte' Stallworth as WRs, Steve Gregory S, Marquice Cole & Will Allen as CBs, Dan Koppen & Dan Connolly as Centers/Guards, and Booby Carpenter and Tracy White as LBs.

They pretty much covered all of their needs via free agency and can go BPA in this draft if they choose.

So who are the top players remaining?

Nick Perry, Whitney Mercilus, Shea McClellin, and Andre Branch could provide some pass rush as 3-4 OLBs or 4-3 DEs.

Jerel Worthy, Devon Still, and Kendall Reyes could provide some more depth along the defensive line.

Coby Fleener could be a surprise pick.

Reuben Randle or Alshon Jeffery could also come into play here too.

Since Dan Koppen signed a two year deal and much of it is based on playing time, Peter Konz could be a very wise pick here. Maybe a Kevin Zeitler?

They probably want a pass rusher and a player who is versatile. It very well could be Shea McClellin right here

Continue reading this post »

Note: I had to remove Jonathan Martin because I keep screwing up and want to believe he is still available. Sorry. :(

Picks 1 thru 25 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
16. New York Jets - Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
18. San Diego Chargers - Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE Alabama
19. Chicago Bears - Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
20. Tennessee Titans - Dontari Poe DT Memphis
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Mark Barron, SS Alabama
22. Cleveland Browns - Kendall Wright WR Baylor
23. Detroit Lions - Janoris Jenkins CB North Alabama
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
25. Denver Broncos - Stephen Hill WR Georgia Tech

Let me say first that it is very unlikely Denver would take Stephen Hill. They have Thomas and Decker already. They signed Stokely, Caldwell, and Hillis in free agency. Granted these players do not have as much potential as Hill but grabbing Hill is a luxury pick IMO. He is going to be on the bench most of the time. I think they will go with a DT and I think it will come down to Jerel Worthy or Devon Still. For some reason defensive tackles are undervalued here on this board.

But we were suppose to be talking about the Texans right?

walterfootball lists their needs as 2 WRs, 3 interior OL, RT, ILB, NT, SS, K, P, and CB depth.

Continue reading this post »

Picks 1 thru 23 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
16. New York Jets - Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
18. San Diego Chargers - Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE Alabama
19. Chicago Bears - Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
20. Tennessee Titans - Dontari Poe DT Memphis
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Mark Barron, SS Alabama
22. Cleveland Browns - Kendall Wright WR Baylor
23. Detroit Lions - Janoris Jenkins CB North Alabama
    

First let me say that there is no chance Brockers is still available at #24.

Before I get to the Steelers let me ask a question. If I do not include a prospect in the poll would that prospect still get picked? Just a curious thought I had about these kinds of voting polls. Hmmm ...

What do the Steelers need? walterfootball has their needs as LT, LG, NT, 2 CBs, ILB, and RB depth.

Looking at the big board here you have Michael Brockers, Nick Perry, Whitney Mercilus, Jerel Worthy, Devon Still, Steven Hill, Kevin Zeitler, Peter Konz, Dont'a Hightower, and Mike Adams to name a few.

Continue reading this post »

Picks 1 thru 22 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
16. New York Jets - Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
18. San Diego Chargers - Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE Alabama
19. Chicago Bears - Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
20. Tennessee Titans - Dontari Poe DT Memphis
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Mark Barron, SS Alabama
22. Cleveland Browns - Kendall Wright WR Baylor

What do the Lions need? walterfootball has their needs as LT (they resigned Backus but he is old), CB (they lost Eric Wright but signed Jacob Lacey), SS (is this too early for Smith?), DE (they franchised Avril and signed Everette Brown), C (Dominic Raiola is 33), LB (they resigned Tulloch), RT, and RB depth.

Continue reading this post »

I have started a Mock Draft League at NFL.com.

http://predictpick.nfl.com/groups/directory

The league name is MattKalilorBust

The password is V1kings

You need to set up an account at NFL.com first (just create a username and password).

Then you can join the league and we can see who mocks the best!

Well, free agency is over right? Did it ever begin? Where were we when it happened? Oh snap! I must have forgotten about these signings ...

Player - Age at start of season - Position - Height - Weight - Grade
John Carlson 28 TE 6'5 251 - C grade. Considering he missed all of last year I cannot give this a higher grade. If he can catch 50 passes or more then it will be almost an A grade. He will need to improve on his blocking ability greatly for it to become a solid A signing.

Nicholas Taylor 23 PG/CB 5'10" 165 - Inc grade. I do not know what grade to give this signing although I am happy for the young man. He could surprise us all and make the team.

Jerome Felton 26 FB 6'0" 246 - C grade. The Vikings needed a real fullback as D'Imperio is kind of lost when running through the hole looking for someone to block. That is a skill that takes time to learn and is a reason why ex-linebackers do not usually make the transition from college to the NFL.

Letroy Guion 25 DT/NT 6'4" 303 - C grade. I do not know how this can be higher. They now want him to be the starting NT at 303 pounds. OK. I hope he is up to about 310 to 315 at least. But they really need bodies most of all and he is a body at the very least. In four years there is not much to get excited about that is for sure.

Fred Evans 28 DT 6'4" 305 - D+ grade. This is a mystery for me. He did not suit up for half the games in 2010 and then played in all the games last year (I think) and gets rewarded with a two year deal. He also has one sack for his entire 6 year career. Another body at the DT position.

Geoff Schwartz 26 OT/OG 6'6" 331 - C grade. He missed all of last year too. I hope he can provide some competition on the line and maybe even get a starting spot. If he starts and plays every game then this will be a B grade.

Lex Hilliard 28 FB/HB 5'11" 240 - C grade. Competition for Felton I guess. Hopefully one of the two can block. Kind of hard to get excited about either one of these two guys until you see them actually block someone.

Devin Aromashodu 28 WR 6'2" 201 - D grade. Signing him back was rather disappointing to say the least. He is now 6 years into his career and has 67 catches and 5 TDs. Another body to put out at WR. I do not see great things on the horizon. I do not see even average things on the horizon. I am praying for 50 catches which would be astounding for his career.

Erin Henderson 26 LB 6'3" 244 - C+ grade. I want to give this a higher grade but because the team waiting so long and then gave him a low ball offer IMO, I suppose he is not all that we (or PFF) thinks he is. Maybe because he was banged up a little last year the team wants to see him play all 16 games for once.

Zack Bowman 27 CB 6'1" 193 - C grade. Another player with an injury history. If he can stay healthy and produce like he did in 2009 (66 tackles, 10 PDs, 6 INTs) then this grade can be close to an A-.

Chris Carr 28 CB 5'10" 180 - C grade. He has had one OK season which was 2010 (61 tackles, 8 PDs, 2 INTs). That is it. He looks to be a veteran backup unless he beats out Bowman.

Bryan Walters 24 WR 6'0" 190 - C grade. A punt returner mainly who has a chance to make the roster.

Elimimian Solomon 25 LB 6'0" 227 - C grade. A CFL terror supposedly. He will be exciting to watch. Maybe he is a steal? If he can make the team on special teams that will move this grade up to a B.

McLeod John Baltazar Bethel-Thompson 23 QB 6'4" 230 - D grade. Practice squad most likely.

Overall this free agency period is barely a C grade right now. How can it be higher? After this season it could be higher for sure. But as of right now there are more questions than answers IMO. But that is OK. At least they are young.

Continue reading this post »

Bumping this because it got a bit lost in the shuffle today. -Chris

Picks 1 thru 20 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
16. New York Jets - Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
18. San Diego Chargers - Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE Alabama
19. Chicago Bears - Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
20. Tennessee Titans - Dontari Poe DT Memphis
    

Just a couple of surprises IMO but that is OK. It will go down that way in the real draft too.

Cincinnati is up again and walterfootball.com has their needs as CB, RB, 2 Safeties, WR, DE, DT, & SLB

They signed two DEs (Derrick Harvey & Jamaal Anderson), two guards (Travelle Wharton & Jacob Bell), a DT (Pat Sims), a LB (Manny Lawson), 1 safety (Reggie Nelson), 1 RB (Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis), and 2 CBs (Jason Allen & Terrence Newman).

They do have Taylor Mays who they may want to give a shot at starting. They can get a guard later since they passed on Glenn. They could go with a DT here because by pick 53 the top 6 could be gone. I do not think a RB is worth taking here. A WR could be nice.

I think they will take Brockers or Barron here for sure with the DT being a higher position priority.

Continue reading this post »

Picks 1 through 17 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
14. Dallas Cowboys - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
15. Philadelphia Eagles - Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State
16. New York Jets - Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Stephon Gilmore CB South Carolina

Now let's look at the Chargers.

walterfootball.com lists their needs as ...

2 OTs - they signed Jared Gaither, Brandon Dombrowski, and Mario Henderson

G -

Rush LB - they signed Jarrett Johnson

CB -

S - they signed Atari Bigby

DE depth - they resigned Luis Castillo

WR - they signed Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal, and Roscoe Parrish

C - they resigned Nick Hardwick

So who should they select?

Continue reading this post »

Picks 1 through 13 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Martin OT Standford

The 13th pick is very close but as of right now Martin has the very slight edge.

Now let's look at the Cowboys.

walterfootball.com lists their needs as ...

CB - They signed Brandon Carr and released Terrence Newman. Could they be looking for another CB too?

C -Is it too early for Peter Konz?

G - They signed Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau (meh)

S - They signed Brodney Pool (meh)

ILB - They signed Dan Connor

Rush LB - They franchised Anthony Spencer

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Picks 1 through 12 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
11. Kansas City Chiefs - David DeCastro OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks - Luke Kuechly LB Boston College

I think the Floyd and Coples picks are surprises as I have stated before.

Now let's look at the Cardinals.

walterfootball.com lists their needs as ...

2 OTs - They signed Levi Brown. Is it too early for Jonathan Martin?

WR - Is this too early for Kendall Wright or Stephen Hill?

ILB - Kuechly is gone so this is probably too early for Hightower (or is it?)

DE depth - Coples is gone but Ingram and Upshaw are available

Rush LB - Ingram and Upshaw are available

Right G - Is is too early for Cordy Glenn or can guards be found later?

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Picks 1 through 10 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
10. Buffalo Bills - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

I think the Floyd and Coples picks are surprises as I have stated before.

Now let's look at the Chiefs.

walterfootball list their needs as QB. They signed Brady Quinn to go with Matt Cassel and Tyler Palko. Since Tannehill is off the board this is not an option.

Their next need was right tackle but the Chiefs got lucky when Houston unexpectedly released Eric Winston. Cross that off the list for the first round but they may look at a developmental tackle for depth later.

Their next need is nose tackle. Kelly Gregg is 36 and Jerrell Powe is a 6th round pick from a year ago. Dontari Poe seems like a good pick here no? I say no. He is a post season riser who does not have the production or game tape (according to scouts) to warrant a high pick. This would be based strictly on potential. There goes that word again.

Their next need is cornerback. They lost Brandon Carr but signed Stanford Routt. They have Jalil Brown who they drafted last year and Javier Arenas. I think they probably will look at a CB later in the draft.

Their next need is guard/center. Ryan Lilja is in the last year of his deal and will turn 31 in October. They drafted Rodney Hudson last year but really want him to be their center of the future. Obviously, David DeCastro would be a great pick right here. Much better than Poe IMHO.

After that their needs are listed as TE (they signed Kevin Boss) and RB (they signed Peyton Hillis).

The walterfootball.com consensus rankings has Poe at 11 and DeCastro at 12.

I think both would be good picks but I would lean towards the All American.

Another consideration is that they may want to add a Dont'a Hightower to play inside LB or what about Stephen Hill WR. They tagged Bowe and may not be able to reach a long term deal. If they take a shot on the huge upside of Hill they could have him to go with Jonathan Baldwin and Steve Breaston. I doubt it though.

Do not be surprised if the Chiefs select Michael Brockers DT LSU. They like those LSU defensive linemen. Brockers has tons of upside. Guards, corners, and wide receivers can be found later. Not Brockers.

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Picks 1 through 9 are in the books.

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers - Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

I have said that I thought Floyd was a surprise pick considering Jacksonville signed Laurent Robinson in free agency. They could use another but there will be some nice options in round 2 or 3 for sure. I like Floyd but Reuben Randle, Marvin McNutt, Brian Quick, etc. would be nice too.

The Carolina pick is interesting. I think it was the wrong pick. There secondary was dead last against the pass in terms of YPA last year. They need CBs bad. They also need a DT. Fletcher Cox or Dre Kirkpatrick would have been better picks than Coples. But I would have passed on those two to take Luke Kuechly. Carolina lost Dan Connor in free agency and Thomas Davis has had 3 ACL surgeries and only has played in two games the last two years.

Cox was rated the highest. Then Floyd, Coples, and Kuechly. Walter Football does not even list DE as a need for Carolina. They have Charles Johnson on one side and Greg Hardy on the other who was not that bad. I think they can get a DE later.

But the people have spoken. So be it. I think some fans are more enamored with the "sexy" pick than with a solid pick.

So who should Buffalo take, since this is supposed to be about Buffalo, right?

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Picks 1 through 7 are in the books and only one surprise.

1. Andrew Luck QB
2. Robert Griffen III QB
3. Matt Kalil OT
4. Trent Richardson RB
5. Morris Claiborne CB
6. Justin Blackmon WR
7. Michael Floyd WR

I think Floyd is a surprise because Jacksonville signed Laurent Robinson in free agency to a pretty good deal. They have Mike Thomas, Cecil Shorts III, Brian Robiskie, Chastin West, Taylor Price, and Jarrett Dilliard too. I have to believe that they will not take Michael Floyd with the #7 pick. They need a DE and a CB. I think they will go with Coples.

But this is about the Dolphins so who should they take? The obvious choice is going to be Ryan Tannehill QB. It makes the most sense because Mike Sherman coached him at Texas A&M and since Matt Moore and David Garrard both are on one year contracts.

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The first four picks went pretty much as expected although some would disagree and feel Cleveland should have went with Ryan Tannehill or Justin Blackmon. Those would have been good choices but Trent Richardson is a very fine choice.

Now Tampa is up and there are several good players from which they can choose.

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I participated in the Mocking The Draft Live Draft this past weekend. I tried something different this time just to see what would happen. It is not my final mock but it is a good exercise IMHO. Here is where you can see the draft tracker ...

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Au_NykMAUAyWdFBmUFpINklCcXJXOVBWRGNRX0MzcUE#gid=0

Below the jump are the picks with explanations ...

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The Vikings are reported to be at about 23 mil or so under the cap prior to free agency. Obviously, if they extend Allen and restructure KWill (by basically guaranteeing some of his money) they can create some more space. Why they have not done that yet or may not do that at all is another topic.

For right now they have about 23 mil to use to add some free agents. They currently have about 18 free agents plus they just released 3 players.

They expect to have 10 draft picks once they announce the compensatory picks. That means they need to sign about 11 players somehow to just fill the roster.

The contest is to list the players you believe they will sign and a best guess salary for 2012.

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Well the tagging and resigning of players has commenced and the pickings are getting slim at some positions especially safety and wide receiver. But that should come as no surprise to anyone.

The safety group has really shrunk and teams were wise to tag their own safeties since the franchise tag number is only 6.2 mil this year. Eric Weddle is very lucky to get paid that 8 mil per year average last year.

The wide receiver group has shrunk a little but the candidates that were tagged or resigned was expected.

The corners are mainly still available. Considering that the franchise tag number is $10.6 mil that is understandable.

The guards may still be available by the 13th as well. Carl Nicks and Ben Grubbs are locks to hit the market.

The linebackers are mainly still available.

So who should the Vikings realistically target?

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This is a pre-free agency post combine off season plan.

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I participated in the Live Draft over at mockingthedraft.com Friday and Saturday. NMVike was going to help with the picks but had a coaching clinic and was unavailable. He did have some input prior though.

Here is the link to the draft tracker ...

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Au_NykMAUAyWdFJfV0VDUG8xQ2trSXRBcWVhRXcwSHc&pli=1#gid=0

Here are the Vikings picks ...

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I wanted to do a mock draft that has plenty of trades. What else would I do?

We know that there are 17 free agents and 1 retiring player. There are another 4 players that may be leaving as well due to salary cap reasons.

The free agents are ...

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It appears the team is sticking with the 4-3 defense. This is not a bad thing but the results have not been too good the last couple of years. Hopefully, injuries are the main reason. I have my doubts. But the main players fit better in this defense so I understand the thinking. Hopefully, the team will add some more talent in order for the defense to really get better. If they are going to be successful in this division then they need to be able to stop the other teams more often than they did this past season. That is for dang sure.

So let is move on to the plan.

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Now that the season has mercifully come to an end, we can start the rebuilding process and offer up all kinds of scenarios.

In other words, play Wanna Be GM. One of my favortie pasttimes as many of you know.

Before I begin I would like to have a moment of silence and for those of you that may be enjoyng an adult beverage (or any beverage), please pour out a little bit in honor of The People's Champion!

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That was quite a defensive struggle last night watching Baylor vs Washington. But it was entertaining. RGIII is really good but did not have to do much since they ran all over the Huskies.

I am going to look at the remaining bowl games from December 30th until January 9th.

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