Pot shots at Tavaris Jackson are stale at this point in the conversation (he is a Viking). Vikings quarterback play has been exhaustively discussed and it is widely agreed upon that improvement at the position should be a priority. However, citing Brady and Manning as the standard for quarterback play is totally ineffective. Speculating whether a college quarterback is the next great is as equally a futile effort. Brady and Manning were diamonds in the ruff and if that is what is expected, they’ll have to trade for one or the other.

What sense is there in blasting a player, who essentially, was a back up all season?

and how the Vikings got to this point. And comparing TJ to Brady and Manning isn’t fair. But I can’t think of four teams that want Jackson over their guy as a starter.

Childress took a HUGE risk by trading two third round picks to get back into the second round to get Jackson. Many draft wonks felt it was a trade that didn’t need to be made, because the consensus was he was a late round guy to begin with. Not having a good back up plan in case TJ didn’t develop quickly or didn’t develop at all has been maddening. Childress thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room when it comes to QB’s, and will stay with Jackson to prove that his risky pick was a genius move. It’s quickly becoming an Emperor has no clothes situation.

QB became an immediate need when Culpepper went nuts with his contract demands after his knee injury, and although the Vikes drafted a guy they thought would be a long term answer, they also needed a good backup. In 2006, Brad Johnson made sense. He did well in relief of Culpepper in 2005, knew the WCO, and seemed to be a great short term answer. When it became apparent a change was needed, I agreed with giving TJ an opportunity in 2007, but Kelly Holcomb and Brooks Bollinger was not a solid backup plan, and everyone not named Brad Childress knew it.

So the team is at a crossroads. If they go to TJ in ‘09 and it blows up, Childress will be fired. If they make a move for, say, Cassel, Childress has to admit fault for drafting Jackson…and oh by the way TJ still has a couple of years left on his rookie contract. And they’ll have to give up a first round draft pick, minimum, to get Cassel.

If they do a Gus redux in 2009, or get someone comparable to Gus, they’ll be good enough to get to the playoffs, but probably not good enough to make it all the way.

Martz keeps losing his job everywhere he goes. I am not a fan of him at all. Spartan99 had it pretty much right on, T-Jack’s head would explode under Martz’s system. Martz has his QBs do a 5-7 step drop and find a open WR….needless to say that is not Jackson’s strength. Martz’s qbs also take savage beatings every game…

I would like us to find a proven QB….as in find a FA or make a trade. I know there are a few good prospects in the draft but unless we get one of the top two qbs…then I would like us to make a move before the draft. Not like we are a real old team…but these guys want to win now…and we everything in place…except the QB.

This gigantic TE would be a boon to the Vikes’ offense. He’s a mean-spirited blocker, but can stretch the seam, where he doesn’t get taken down easily. Jackson really blossomed toward the end of the season—when Shaincoe did. I dunno if that turnaround resulted from more exposure, but whatever the reason, Shaincoe demonstrated what a valuable asset a pass-catching tight-end can be to a young quarterback. Shaincoe’s not the best blocker, though, and all too often needed a breather on running downs (most downs, for Brad Childress). Pettigrew’s could make an immediate impact. If he’s still around, I would be very angry if the Purple passed on this guy.

Re: QB: I think they should bring in another veteran QB, but someone better than the Frerotte/Holcomb/Bollinger tier. I like Byron Leftwich, and I think most would agree that he’s a great answer, no matter what side one is on in the TJ debate. For those who are tired of TJ and have already given up on him, Leftwich’s career numbers are already better than TJ’s, and Leftwich put up most of those stats while TJ’s former nemesis, Matt Jones, was all coked up pretending to be an NFL wide receiver. For those who think that TJ will perform in 2009 and beyond as he did in his last 3 games of the regular season (against some of the worst defenses—and teams, ever, with regard to the Lions), they can see a similarly crunchy nugget of small sample size goodness in Leftwich’s 2008 numbers also. At 29 years of age, Leftwich is almost 10 years younger than Jeff Garcia, the other new favorite lately, so ether way, we could all stop complaining about our favorite team’s QB situation if only the front office would make such a move.

According to nflscout.com, John David Booty compares to Patrick Ramsey, and he’s out there, too. That makes me worry a bit that the Viking brass might think it wise for the real Patrick Ramsey to tutor Booty to be reign over the Vikingdom of Ramsey II, but we should all hope not.

I hope the Vikings select the best available player in the draft at each pick, and that they find many versatile talents that way. If their first pick is a center, then I hope that he can also play tackle or guard without pulling a Ryan Cook by amassing a ton of stupid penalties. If they select a CB, then I hope that he will be able to contribute as a returner or safety or otherwise on special teams or play well enough to force Cedric Griffin into a competition for nickelback/safety duty (where he really belongs, in my humble opinion). If they select a WR, then I hope he would have some value as a returner, but honestly that is the one position where I simply hope that the rookie is a worthy starter. A CB/RET like the one from Wake Forest or either Harvin or Maclin at WR, a versatile OL, a versatile run-stopping DE/DT type, or a versatile LB would be my preferences, in that order.

Nothing wrong with taking shots at jackson or anyone its football. Jackson had some OK games last year and was better then ferotte but what the hell is that saying? Both of them stunk and still do. Jackson in the playoff game had like 35 pass attempts and 160 yards? TERRIBLE. We need a new QB either way Jackson has had long enough to play consistent and “manage” the game he hasn’t time to move on before players get to old.

A Nickelodeon classic, Alex Mack. I want to draft him if only for the fact that I’d giggle about our new center having the same name as a fictional, supernatural Nickelodeon character.