Our Long National Nightmare is Over: Naufahu Tahi is Still a Minnesota Viking
by Christopher Gates on Apr 13, 2010 7:43 PM CDT
in Minnesota Vikings
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PrintYes, I know that we were all anxiously awaiting this day. . .those of us that work for this website, especially. . .but the Vikings announced yesterday that restricted free agent fullback Naufahu Tahi has signed his free agent tender and is still a member of the Beloved Purple.
Rumors that Tahi will attempt to acquire the #12 jersey worn by Percy Harvin have turned out to be completely unfounded. And by "completely unfounded," I mean "totally made up by me." Tried to take the obvious joke there.
The Vikings have also retained offensive lineman Ryan Cook, defensive tackle Fred Evans, and safety Eric Frampton.
Tahi was signed as a free agent from Cincinnati during the 2006 season. Evans was signed as a free agent from the Miami Dolphins before the 2008 season. Ryan Cook will forever be known as "the guy we drafted with the second round pick we got for Daunte Culpepper," and Frampton (speaking of obvious jokes) has come alive on special teams, leading the team in special teams over the last three seasons combined after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State.
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I was SO relieved
Between keeping him and Ryan Cook, I can finally sleep at night again.
When it comes to Tahi
I don’t get it.
I don’t get the supposedly obvious joke in this post about him.
I don’t get why Dugan is the trusted guy in short yardage sitches if Tahi is any good.
I don’t get why everything from Cincy seemingly sucks while wearing purple and gold.
I don’t get why the team doesn’t move to a 3WR base set already.
I don’t get why there are never too many 2-yd dumpoff passes in the Chilly/Bevell plan.
I don’t get why Tahi (a former RB) never gets many carries if he’s any good at all.
As Einstein said...
“The more I know, the more I know I don’t know.”
Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger or Knute Rockne.
A fullback is not equal to the sum of two half backs.
A former golfer is not the guy currently teeing off on seventeen. (Tiger never quit, or did he?)
Picasso formerly created art works which looked more conventional, but he never became famous at it.
As the Phish once noted in The Wolfman’s Brother, “This isn’t who it would be, if it wasn’t who it is.”
Without Tahi, the Vikings wouldn’t be the same as they were. It simply wouldn’t be the same… whatever that means.
Maybe the Vikings’ horoscope predicts they’d be different, but when you finish third in a thirty-two horse race, whichever witch doctor one choses to believe in is still all in the head of the beholder. Any coach finishing in the top ten percent of his league in the prior season usually gets an encore presentation. Chilly remaining onboard is not an anomaly.
Fear not. This talk of Tahi will subside. Just take two halfbacks and call me in the morning.
I feel a draft coming on.
Cincy
I don’t get why everything from Cincy seemingly sucks while wearing purple and gold.
It just hasn’t been the same since Loni Anderson left….
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
With God as my witness
I thought turkeys could fly.
The Daily Norseman - The greatest Vikings' site on the Internet!
by Christopher Gates on Apr 14, 2010 7:29 AM CDT up reply actions
LOL
Funniest WKRP episode ever
"We're used to Favre-a-palooza now. We're engulfed in Favre-a-palooza. It's not even Favre-a-palooza anymore. He's family now."
--Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe, on Brett Favre
Right!
But what’s funny about that? It’s something I’ve tried to forget, and something that Chilly fans had forgotten by the end of the game.
They should hire a guy...
To always make sure they’re never sending out more than 11 players to the huddle…..
Maybe pay the guy from Chilly’s salary… haha
I’ll take that job!!! I can count to 12…….
Ah, Ryan Cook
I’m absolutely ecstatic that the Vikings will be able to enjoy continuity at the 3rd string center position, and with it, a certain boost in morale.
OK, that’s about 2x as important as any contribution Cook could make (preferably off the field, of course, where he belongs).
Maybe I should be insulting the QB so that he is more motivated in pass protection? How many of those would it take to make him worth something?
So is it just a coincidence that our running game regressed without Cook in the lineup?
If my memory serves me correctly, we had a difficult time running to the right side this year. Unfortunately Herrera gets the blame. But most guys would look bad between two rooks.
"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
Blame Cook or Chilly, I guess
If Cook is as good as you say, then Chilly and Bevell are terrible coaches for benching a guy who should have started. On the other hand, it wouldn’t matter if Cook were a better run blocker since his numerous penalties most likely would have canceled out that good work that he did on the rushing plays. We’ve already seen that movie.
Or perhaps you're confusing him with a player on your "other" favorite team ;-)
"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
But on some film
Bone-head, young player playing a new position mistakes aside, he was a pretty solid run blocker. He opened holes for AP with regularity. He helped set the single game rushing record against SD. He didn’t allow a sack against Merriman, Tuck or Strahan in the games he played against those guys.
I think he would be solid at guard or center. I also believe if we did lose McKinnie, we could swing Loadholt to LT and but Cook back at RT. Perhaps I’m crazy, but when I put on film of 07 and 08, Cook was solid.
"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
Again, this goes back to my primary complaint vs. the Childress years: The NFL rules favor the passing game; however, Childress prefers to be run-heavy on both sides. Meanwhile, the SB teams in the past 9 years have been almost entirely pass-heavy offenses with more effective pass defenses in terms of passer rating allowed, completion% allowed, NY/A, ANY/A, TOs and sacks (all 5 together).
Cook made many of those penalties after his rookie year, too. The inability to remain still until the snap is a universal problem at any position. That’s why even Childress gave up on him and didn’t even include him in the competition for the starting center job after Birk left/was not retained. Even I was excited to think that Cook could get a chance to prove himself at his natural position (and the one position which would allow some movement and possibly avoid some of those penalties that way); however, Chilly and Bevell did not give him that chance.
There is no shortage of run-blocking RTs in any draft. Cook’s problem is that he apparently lacks the discipline and focus to avoid so many stupid penalties that outweigh the difference between his run blocking skills and those of a guy who can avoid those penalties. Loadholt was already an improvement last year, and he could improve for several more years.
I by no means am undermining Childress & Co.
But perhaps the replacement of Cook with Loadholt was a sign of what you suggest needed to be done: place a larger emphasis on the passing game.
Our dependence on the run game prior to Favre’s arrival, was exactly that, a dependence. We couldn’t pass effectively versus 8 and 9 men fronts with TJack/Johnson/Holcomb/Gus. Leaning on AP and CT became necessary.
Loadholt may have had fewer penalties, but I stand firm in my belief that our run game suffered without Cook and Birk. Our passing game improved because of Favre, period.
"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
More on Cook
In 2008 (his 3rd year), this AP article came out when he lost his starting job (after 29 consecutive starts). It’s a good reminder of just how bad he was. In the 3 starts prior to that decision, Cook had committed a false start in each which tied him for 3rd worst in the NFL. He also ranked in the bottom 5% of NFL starting OL in terms of total penalties. Jimmy Wilkerson (who?) had just beaten him for a sack on the final drive which sealed a loss.
His run blocking skills were good, but no amount of run blocking prowess could make up for so many stupid mistakes, even as a 3-year veteran with more than 1.5 years of starts under his belt.
This article leaves out one important Cook detail
The reason he has value is because he’s the only lineman on the roster who can play all 5 line spots. He just can’t play them very well… haha
Diversity is nothing to sneeze at, Doc. It’s better that a Credit Default Swap from a faulty Wall Street bank.
Is that better or worse
Than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick?
(For those of us that are less financially inclined.)
The Daily Norseman - The greatest Vikings' site on the Internet!
by Christopher Gates on Apr 13, 2010 9:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Does a pig in poke wear lipstick?
What’s a poke anyway, and why are there pigs in it?
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
If your poking a pig wearing lipstick you have bigger issues than Tahi...
It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...
It doesn't mean they have made the 53 man roster
They are just smart to sign their deals and they all can still be traded. Not likely but they can. I believe I read that Cincy was interested in Tahi AGAIN and that some teams were looking at Cook. I can see getting a 6th round pick for Tahi. I doubt we move Cook but we may depending on who we draft.
Frampton will be fighting for a spot if we draft two CBs which I hope we do. I would like for them to draft a CB/FS tweener type like Myron Lewis, Brian Jackson, Nolan Carroll, or Ben Burney (my sleeper) along with a pure CB like Brandon Ghee.
Don’t put too much stock into any player signing a tender. It just means they can come to camp and compete. The salary is not guaranteed until they are on the roster on opening day.
2 CBs
YES! But I want 2 guys who can really cover. Cedric Griffin, for all of his tackling prowess, only made 2-3 more run tackles than Revis or Asomugha (who actually made more run tackles than tackles after completed passes).
High number of Tackles from your secondary is usually a bad thing
Cover 2 or not. Our front seven was pretty solid. I would look at these numbers a positive sign that our front seven doing its job.
"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
Childress' Master Plan
No worries! Chilly knows what he’s doing!!!
They sign cast-off Montgomery.
They re-sign Frampton, Tahi, Cook, and Evans.
They let Ray Edwards languish in .
They let Chester Taylor go to a division rival and then bend lots of energy and money towards trying to pick up another, equally aging, has-been RB with WAY more mileage than CT had, to take his place.
Absolutely brilliant plan!
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
Tahi...
DC Purple..A “Poke” is normally a small leather pouch used to hold loose chewing tobacco…Now back to Thai….Maybe this tub of lard is just what Childress needs to replace Chester…..That is if he can be able to waddle 2 or 3 yards on short yardage needed to pick up a first down….
Pig in a Poke.
This relates to a business deal where one person buying something and is unaware what that object is, won’t know until he has purchased said item…Hench “Pig in a Poke”…Ask Childress after he has made some “deals”….
Interesting..
There was a FB that played for ND that was on the Seahawks and was cut due to I believe an ACL injury…
Now he is hoping to get a chance to play for the Vikings.. I’m sure he’ll do great, but can he top Tahi?? Doesn’t hurt to add depth…
Every time I hear the name 'Nafahu Tahi'
I have almost an overpowering urge to gather around the town square Christmas tree with the Who’s in Whoville and sing:
Fa-hu Ta-hi, Fa-hu Ta-hi, Merry Christmas, everyone
Is it just me?
"We're used to Favre-a-palooza now. We're engulfed in Favre-a-palooza. It's not even Favre-a-palooza anymore. He's family now."
--Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe, on Brett Favre
hahaha me 2!
I love Twins Baseball and Minnesota Vikings Football.
by Percy Harvin My Fav! on Apr 14, 2010 8:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Anyone else miss Tony Richardson?
What a great fullback. He paved the way for Adrian his first year (I believe) when he really had lots of success. In my opinion whether Peterson would agree or not, needs a big and tall fullback to get on any body that shoots through a gap initially. As long as Peterson isn’t tackled in the backfield, your almost guaranteed 4 + yards. With Tahi, he seems so short. He doesn’t appear to have very good lateral movement either. Linebackers seem to shed him fairly easily. Granted, He isn’t used often (which he should be when we had as many negative runs in ’10).
Being a West Virginia fan I got to witness one of the greatest FullBacks in the game (Owen Schmitt) who currently plays for Seattle-Probably why Seattle easily cut ties with the guy listed above in an earlier post. I wish we had that type of mentality at Fullback for our team. Maybe not banging your head with the mask of the helmet, but I’m gonna kick your a$$ when your face is.
So in this draft, I’d like to see a Fullback addition in the later rounds with some nasty to him.
SKOL VIKES
Ya...
Believe you were referring to the guy I mentioned. Can’t remember his name… But this is what I recall from the newspaper about a week ago. He was cut by the Seahawks due to injury (ACL related). He went to NDSU and was a full-back, and also graduated from W. Fargo. Basically, you knew he grew up as a Vikings fan (as the town is full of Vikings fans) so for him to play for the Vikings would be a real treat for him. Ironically, you think that town would have many GB Packer fans, since their team name is “Packers”… Oh, and their Colors are green & white.. hahah
He must be
But he’s no T-Rich or Le’Ron McClain.
If Tahi was a really good FB, he would warrant some carries, but that hasn’t happened.
FB scouting
Chilly also thought that Thomas Tapeh was great. Tahi had been recruited as a backup FB originally. Clearly, he had to be wrong about at least 1 of them.
I really really wish
I could bet on something like “the Vikings will lead the NFL in 1 yard receptions by fullbacks in 2010” after this signing. I’d bet my life savings on it.
by Eric J. Thompson on Apr 14, 2010 7:43 PM CDT reply actions
What about
2 yard receptions?
I love Twins Baseball and Minnesota Vikings Football.
by Percy Harvin My Fav! on Apr 14, 2010 8:02 PM CDT up reply actions
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