Free Agents??..its the end of March and your talking FREE AGENTS?

by PurpleJesuZ on Mar 30, 2010 5:17 PM CDT

I'm a strong believer that you don't fix something that isn't broken. You can modify it, but you certainly don't just get rid of the existing parts and rebuild it. We had a rookie of the year (Oh Mercy, they picked up Percy) MVP candidate (Favre) Soon to be MVP (Mr. Peterson) Pro-bowler (Rice) Pro-bowler (Hutchinson) Pro-bowler (McCkinne) Pro-bowler (Pat Williams) Pro-bowler (Kevin Williams) Pro-bowler (Winfield) and as soon as he has a healthy year pro-bowler (Henderson).

If you asked me i'd say we have one, if not the most, talented players from Top to Bottom. We aren't going to get every position at pro-bowl level but we have some solid role players. It wasn't our offense that struggled last year, as the points per game spoke for itself. If your not much into stats, then i'd question what clarity you have on your t.v. Our Defense- strong at times, but often a solid group to score on (atleast TD's)

Special teams you ask? well compared to the prior year I'd say SUPURB. Alot of those players that are back-ups have been playing dividends on special teams. They might not have the star power that we all thrive on, but stars don't like doing the dirty work. I believe we have some of the best special team covermen like Heath Farwell (couldn't start for any team at linebacker) Erin Henderson (same thing)

So what modifications can we attain without ruining Mr. Wilfs Wallet. Well, we could go out and pick from a hard attainable free agent pool, which if they're free agents it typically means they want more money, or they aren't valuable enough to re-tain, or want a starting Gig elsewhere. It appears to me everyone wants a high-profile player in the secondary, and the O-line. A corner to me, is a bad idea to get through FA's. We go out and get an expensive Corner, then by week 3 we will be paying 3 corners starting pay. I'd much rather DRAFT a young inexpensive prospect who could play special teams as well. Save that money when the opportunity comes to get what we should always be upgrading (O-line). If another Hutchinson-like player becomes available we could use every dollar to persuade.

All I'm saying .....is the real deed is done in April for this Vikings team. We've gotten ourselves to a point where we can save money and hastle by keeping draft picks and taking risks because we already have a competitor. Spielman and Childress went from 6-10, 8-8, 10-6, 12-4. Trust me, that isn't because our (Vikings) staff doesn't know how to draft.

* Most looking forward to seeing a bunch of touchbacks

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.

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spielman for president, wait he already is

i love spielman like the colonel likes chicken. This guy has been one of my favorite staff members for a long time. He drafted greenway and brought in leber. This guy knows what he is doing. I think that we have a top 4 LB crew (when healthy) and i guarantee you that chad and ej will be in the pro bowl next year and leber will get some stron consideration.

by muffin man on Mar 30, 2010 11:47 PM CDT reply actions

I love Spielman too but...

He did not draft Greenway, nor did he bring in Leber. The credit for that belongs to Fran Foley. Spielman did not join the franchise until after the draft in 2006. Foley was in San Diego prior to Minny, hence the connection with Leber.

While some believe Foley was fired because of players selected in the 2006 draft, it is worth mentioning that we brought in a rich Free Agency class. Players like Chester Taylor, Steve Hutchinson, Ryan Longwell, Tony Richardson, and Dwight Smith to name a few.

I am not giving Foley complete credit, but I specifically remember an interview in which he said that bringing Leber from SD with him was a priority.

"We have a right to be proud, for in our veins flows the blood of many brave races who fought as the lion fights for lordship. Here, in the whirlpool of European races, the Ugric tribe bore down from Iceland the fighting spirit which Thor and Odin gave them, which their Berserkers displayed to such fell intent on the seaboards of Europe, ay, and of Asia and Africa too, till the peoples thought that the werewolves themselves had come."
-from Bram Stoker's Dracula

by NMVike on Mar 31, 2010 3:15 PM CDT up reply actions

A BIGGER MOTOR GETS THE CHICKS !!!

Keep building and don’t settle . Look at New England and get the point !!!!!!!!!!!

by gothicpurple on Mar 31, 2010 6:54 AM CDT reply actions

I believe we'll build through the draft

And then if we fail to fill a position of need there we’ll go to UFA’s with the money left in our pocket from Chester and Hicks. Spending that money to soon would put us in a bad spot after the draft if we failed to get a back up for a position of need. This gives us a lot more flexibility in the long and short run.

It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...

by Grime on Mar 31, 2010 8:14 AM CDT reply actions

I get the point

But I believe we have one of the, if not the biggest, motor in the NFL. You got Peterson on offense roaring his diesel, Jared Allen drinking it. Chad Greenway is a pro-bowl talent and seems to be very intelligent. I’d love to see him in the pro-bowl. I just hope E.J. can come back with the same explosiveness he had from before. Brinkley did solid for a rookie, kind of taking on the defensive captain role with 0 NFL experience. I wander if he’ll be moved to Lebers spot once he hangs up the cleetz.

SKOL VIKES

by PurpleJesuZ on Mar 31, 2010 1:46 PM CDT reply actions

Don't think he has the same abilty to pass protect as Leber

and i think that will handcuff him until he figures it out. until then I think they were wanting to use him as a situational linebacker.

It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...

by Grime on Apr 1, 2010 8:25 AM CDT up reply actions

Two things...

I like the way Grime is thinking, why throw a bunch of money at backups now. Wait until we are set through the draft.

Also, I still don’t think Jasper did that well. He made a small handful of good plays, but those didn’t make up for the amount of times he overran a runner, or found himself out of position to make a play or how many times he missed a tackle. He was serviceable, and I credit him with that, but he did not perform well, and he certainly did not take over Defensive captain, that was Leber calling the shots there…Jasper just stood in the middle.

by SouthSotaPop on Mar 31, 2010 11:57 PM CDT reply actions

Well he also came in midway through the season

When everyone was firing on all cylinders and he was making his first start in the NFL. So I can cut him some slack on that. And yeah Brinkley did make some mistakes but I would be able to point to just about any defensive player and say the same thing. Hell I can’t count how many times Allen failed his contain.

It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...

by Grime on Apr 1, 2010 8:27 AM CDT up reply actions

Brinkley played a helluva a lot better in relief than D. Thomas did in 08

But his biggest problem was recognizing misdirection plays. Teams were able to false key the crap out of him. Luckily both our DE’s are really good against the run and our tackles are impenetrable.

by NMVike on Apr 1, 2010 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions

E.J. Henderson had the same problems early in his career

I do use the word “great” too often, when i should use less gratifying words. I was using the word great more in the terms that for a rookie, drafted in the 5th I believe, played above his expectations, or the money he was being paid. NMVike, your solid on your assessment that D. Thomas and N. Harris didn’t have nearly the impact as brinkley.

Brinkley wasn’t the captain, but he was playing the captains position. I wouldn’t expect the coaches to put the play-calling on Brinkley when we have a Vet at linebacker in Leber. I did recall a couple of times where Brinkley committed too much. However, he can put a hurting when he tackles, and thats something you can’t teach. The keys, the coverage and such can all be taught. I’m sure by the time Leber leaves us, we will find a more athletic strong side linebacker.

by PurpleJesuZ on Apr 1, 2010 12:06 PM CDT reply actions

I wasn't neccesarily knocking Brinkley as a player

I just think that if EJ’s injury is going to be anything serious, or lingering, or extending into the season, that we need to address ILB. Jasper did servicable, and played above his expectations as a 5th rounder, but he has some huge areas that need work. I like the upside if they can teach him what he needs to learn, but he has to have a big improvement this year for me to be comfortable with having him as our ILB of the future.

by SouthSotaPop on Apr 2, 2010 12:50 AM CDT reply actions

draft round doesn't matter now

Scott Studwell was a 9th rounder. We don’t need to draft anyone just because Brinkely was a 5th rounder. I don’t care if the entire team eventually becomes 7th rounders or undrafted free agents, as long as they win.

Brinkley has great potential. I don’t think the Vikings need to specifically draft an ILB. If a player falls who can play both OLB or ILB (Weatherspoon, Norwood, Curran, etc), then I think the Vikings draft that guy.

E.J. is recovering nicely they say. That means he will be in uniform. There isn’t room for three inside linebackers on the roster.

by medicineball on Apr 3, 2010 12:58 PM CDT up reply actions