Vikings Dig Moats; Sign Free Agent Running Back to Deal
by Christopher Gates on Jun 15, 2010 11:45 AM CDT
in Minnesota Vikings
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PrintGet it? Dig? Moats? Ah, what do you know from funny.
But the Minnesota Vikings have signed free agent running back Ryan Moats to a deal, per the good folks at Vikings.com. Moats joins an already crowded battle to see who will be the third running back for the Vikings behind Adrian Peterson and rookie Toby Gerhart.
Moats is a serviceable running back, and will duke it out with Albert Young, Ian Johnson, and Darius Reynaud for the right to be the third running back on the Vikings' roster.
Possibly more on the Moats signing later on. Until then, continue enjoying your Tuesday!
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We keep adding to the pot .....
Stir ……stir …….stirrrrrrr……
Did the Jets do the same thing?
Favre + 3 = ❼ = Vikings= 2009-2010 NFL Champions= New Stadium=Greatest Fans and Team!
by UnBannedVikingholic on Jun 15, 2010 12:56 PM CDT up reply actions
Nice Pick up..
I’ve always Moats has been an underrated back.
Hmm, what makes him so intriguing. I confess I have no idea. This does not seem to me to be a position that we need to explore more options at, I guess I’m trying to figure out what I’m missing.
Clues: A good trade is made by sending some good people you don’t need to another team that wants them in exchange for their good players at positions you do need. (Remember, it is not likely the Vikings would trade you Steve Hutchison just to get Troy Williamson back.) To make a blockbuster trade, you need some bait. Camp has not started. Running backs can get injured at camp. This year’s trading deadline is October 20, so there is plenty of shopping time left. The economics of having boatloads of talent are just a joy to behold.
I am jealous
Moats looked like an average full time starter for a while with Houston so as a back up he could make for an interesting and crowded backfield (4 headed monster).
So … we signed a RB (and paid him how much, still don’t know_, because we need a safety?
Hmm, you make this sound like we’re trading “runningback futures” or something, betting their value will go up. Well, interesting theory, if that’s what it is … I guess I should cheer for other backs on other teams getting hurt so we can get rid of one?
Question is what does he bring
Honestly I’ve never seen the guy play. However if he’s a good third down back he might be a safety valve in case Gerhart can’t pick up blitzes well in the NFL. Also, if he has good hands this could be another thing the coaches looked at as a redub of CT.
It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...
He did pretty good last year, covering for Steve Slaton
when he was demoted for fumbling. Enough for me to pick him up on my Fantasy Team… then he started fumbling himself.
I watched a few highlight reels
He actually looks a lot like CT
Well, if he’s good, then he’s worth a look at, period.
But I wonder if there is a flip side to this story, that maybe Gerhart or Young are not living up to expectations. Because if he was good, you would think there be a lot of teams willing & able to pay more than us, since we have a clear #1 back, and we just got another with our first draft pick, I would think we would not pay as much as others looking for maybe a #2 or clear-need #3 back.
I think he was out there for the same kind of reason Westbrook is. People want to see what they have in the guys they have before they bring in the vets that they KNOW what they have with. He’s probably no Chester, but he might give ya that occassional threat in situations where you need some big yards on the third down dump off or something. He’s decent. I think you have the right take though, I wouldn’t get too hyped up.
Wouldn't mind
If Webb went back to WR.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)! Also, Lesnar, Lesnar, Lesnar!!!!!!!
Moats has got some potential
And he showed it last year with some huge games. Hopefully it wasn’t a fluke. If I remember correctly he got the starting job for a while, then lost it immediately after he started fumbling the ball!!
I was going to say, didn’t he lose the job last year because he was fumbling too much?
I still don’t believe Peterson has a “problem” and even if he does, he has won more games than lost with his abilities.
"American made, White Trash raised, and Bad Ass engraved"
by Viking Frog on Jun 15, 2010 11:24 PM CDT up reply actions
No, pretty sure Peterson -does- have a fumbling problem
He fumbled 9 times last season for Christ’s sake. In the regular season. While getting less carries than the year before.
Trust me, I used to be in denial as well. I ignored the Falcons game from the previous year, and last year I was telling everyone who would listen that ‘Peterson only fumbles against NFC North teams!’ . . . then came the NFC CG. And my eyes were finally opened to his flaws.
He has proven he's a serviceable backup, but...
Don’t we already have a bunch of those? After drafting Gerhart and with Young showing promise in limited action last year, this move strikes me as a bit curious. Oh well, hopefully he can earn a spot on the squad and spell AP from time to time.
by Eric J. Thompson on Jun 15, 2010 12:29 PM CDT reply actions
Another recycled Eagle
A nice role player/backup, but the impact is minimal. This makes the battle for the 53rd roster spot more intriguing.
Personally, I am not impressed with the constant influx of Eagle cast-offs. (Yes, I know that Moats was with the Texans last year. He was an Eagle when Childress coached there.)
Players with whom coaches have favorable past relationships have a head start in that they don’t waste time figuring out what the coach is all about. Trust is intangible yet valuable in building a team. If you hate ex-Eagles, you can always take comfort in knowing you will not see Chilly signing up T. O. (or as they might say in Wisconsin, hi ho the dairy-o, the cheese stands alone).
I agree with Elgar
True Moats may not be an impact player but we already have the best RB on the planet plaing for us, Moats is good at catching the ball out of the backfield and will bring great competition to the RB stable we have aquired and his knowledge of the WCO is a plus. We are in full championship mode and bringing guys in with experience will only help further our cause.
but you really can’t complain about Lewis, can you? He was worth it for just that one play (which is a good thing, because that’was 1/8 of his year production)
Greg Lewis = Mendy Lopez
For the non-Royals fans, Mendy Lopez was a virtual nobody who hit one of the greatest HRs in the past 20 years of Royals history on Opening Day, 2004. They would not have beaten the White Sox without that HR, and Beltran’s clutch 3-run dinger wouldn’t have sealed the victory. But then the Royals also lost several games in April just because Tony Pena was trying too hard to find playing time for Mendy, even at positions he had never played as a pro.
Greg Lewis is that sort of guy. Without him, a pivotal game may not have turned out so well, but nobody saw that coming when either was scouted and signed. At least Lewis wasn’t overutilized like Mendy.
Notice that the very talented ex-Eagles aren’t welcome while the nobodies and never-weres (McMullen, Holcomb, Lewis, Hicks to a lesser extent since he was actually useful, and he even tried to bring in Todd Pinkston!) are almost given priority over the remaining pool of available players. I think it always looks lazy for Childress to bring in an ex-Eagle of limited talent. Is he unable to get past hi/hello with more talented players or expecting and enjoying extra loyalty from his unproductive old scrubs since nobody else wants them or what?
It probably has more to do with
being familiar with what the ex-Eagles bring to the table, than trying to figure out new blood. He knows their habits, from how early or late they show up to meetings, how they work on the field, etcetera. They’re probably more for role-modelling, letting him tell new guys ’Look at X Player, I want everyone to do what he does," than for their talent.
I think
this is more a message to Peterson than it is to create competition at the hardly used 3rd RB position.
Odin .....depth will impact a deep run in the playoffs .
Former Eagle with experience in the system , former starter , depth ……..umm interesting . (Eric up above ) Yes . But many teams don’t . Just ask any Packer fan about their lack of experienced depth . Frost , if Peterson gets 1800/18 TD’s will you be disappointed again this year . He’s purple jesus not God !!!
Grant’s been in the league longer then AP. Jackson has been in the league longer then Gerhart. We don’t have a 3rd Rb really, unless we decide to bring Green back which I doubt. Lack of depth? Sure. Lack of talent? Yes! Lack of experience? Not so much.
by packallday555 on Jun 15, 2010 10:55 PM CDT up reply actions
I think he means your overall team
Because the Pack is quite young which can be bad but also can be scary.
Of course I won't be disappointed..
I wasn’t disappointed with him getting 18 TDs last year either. What disappointed me was the 9 regular season fumbles, and all the ones he had in the biggest game, the most painful of which was unforced. I want him to fix this issue. I’m not just going to say “Well, he did pretty good,” just like I’m sure he isn’t, because I want to see him improve.
He can do better than he did, I know, you know, and I’m sure Peterson himself knows it. Just because I’m not celebrating his season doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate or was disappointed by it.
Why?
Because the Vikings FO believes that the team has greater need for more depth in the RB area, than amongst the LBs, DTs, or O-line, since stand-outs in those areas have been available and passed on. Instead, the Vikings jump in the draft to grab an RB, then bring in another RB.
I hope they’re right.
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!
My guess is that
Young and Johnson are out. OR it could just be that they expect Peterson to continue his passive-agression and brought in Moats to be a camp body if Peterson has another parade.
I just hope it's all worthwhile
That Young and Johnson are about to hit the road makes more sense than anything else I’ve read so far to explain both Moats and Gerhart.
However, all of it begs one question; wouldn’t it have been easier, smarter, and better for the team, to have kept Chester Taylor, a highly-rated RB who knows the offense and is already in sync with every QB, with the O-line, and with AP, than to embark on this merry-go-round of RB prospects in the hopes that something will stick on the wall? Yes, I know CT wanted more money and a 4 year contract, but going into an uncapped year where the contract could have been front-loaded, I think it was pretty do-able.
Water under the bridge, water with a slightly bitter edge to 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!
Give it a season
See how Gerhart fits. He almost won the Heisman… could be an upgrade, will save $, AP emerging as better receiving RB. Rainbows, rainbows.
Favre's ankle, Starcaps BS and hopefully a busy Piston offseason, oh my. Go Netherlands/Holland/Dutch Soccer(no its not Football)! Also, Lesnar, Lesnar, Lesnar!!!!!!!
It's not just the money
Taylor wanted a chance to start. We definitely weren’t going to give him as many carries/touches here as he’ll get in Chicago. And I’m sure part of the reason he signed there was being able to play us twice a year, show us what we’re ‘missing out on’ by having him be second string instead of starter.
Kind of like the Birk situation, where we offered more money, but he just wanted a change of scenery. Nothing to be done about that.
I can answer all these questions . Can your belovid Fudgequeens ???
If I said the Viking secondary last year reguardless of experienced starters stunk . Most Vike fans would say . Yes . We need a veterian & a mid level draft pick to help turn this thing around . Will Ziggy pull the trigger ? Do we have the cap room ? Is the triangle serious about helping Brett get to the Ring ?
Min .Det , Chi all improved their run games this year.
This plays into the Vking strengths . No seeriously new WR’s came to the North to appose our secondary . Asher is hot in camp . Cook came out of OTA’s healthy . Even Lito is doing a little PR . Winfield is full speed . Sanford is threatening to take over a SS spot . And Atari in Packerland may be looking for a new color to wear this year . Purple is the new green you know …….
You know OTA’s don’t mean all that much. It’s one thing to go from no pads to pads. Much like our teams secondary, you guys are just going to have to wait and see.
As far as Bigby goes you guys don’t really want another Madieu Williams do you? (decent tackler and poor in coverage?)
by packallday555 on Jun 17, 2010 12:02 AM CDT up reply actions
Madieu is a poor tackler but decent in coverage
No don’t want Bigby and good for you guys Williams signed. Either way you look at it our secondary is in better shape than last year talent wise, true Griffen is hurt and Winfield is coming off an injured foot but overall our talent is better.
Either way you look at it our secondary is in better shape than last year talent wise, true Griffen is hurt and Winfield is coming off an injured foot but overall our talent is better.
Could be, could not be. Winfield and Griffin were your two best Cb’s last season. Winfield struggled late last season after his injury was supposedly healed or much better, and Griffin blew out his knee. I personally think Griffin will come back fine but probably won’t be 100% until week 3-4. I don’t think Winfield will be much more then a nickel back at this point, which is still fine. But that would mean you need Sapp, Allen, or Cook to contribute as a #2. Sapp did ok last season in this role but is ok good enough?
Or I could be wrong about Winfield, and he could come back at the level he was at before his injury who knows. Foot injuries are just hard to come back from, especially for older players whose legs tend to go first.
by packallday555 on Jun 17, 2010 4:59 PM CDT up reply actions
They are probably in the same situation with Winfield that we are in with Harris. He could come back to his former greatness but at their ages, they have age fighting against them.
Yeah, actually our Cb situations seem somewhat similar.
by packallday555 on Jun 19, 2010 12:50 AM CDT up reply actions
I think saying our talent is better is kind of ignorant at this point
Because we really don’t know. As PAD has said, we don’t know how Griffin and Winfield, our, you know, starters, are going to respond to their injuries. Behind them, we have Sapp, who’s an excellent nickleback, Allen and Cook, who are rather unknowns, and Sheppard, who has starting experience but may be over the hill at this point. So I wouldn’t start labelling the secondary as improved quite yet.
Well we replaced Paymeh with Cook and Sheppard
Which is definitely an upgrade, Sapp played solid as a starter filling in for Winfield, and Allen got valuable playing time down the stretch and will be better. Sheppard’s a former probowler and savy vet who’s younger than Winfield, playing in a scheme he thrived in before. Cook brings in talent and potential with size and speed. At the end of the season you’ll see the improvement, we may not be top ten in pass defense but we’ll definitely be better. And before I forget we added another talented pass rusher to go with that in Everson Griffen to help the cause.
Cook and Sheppard being an upgrade over Paymah isn’t a given though. It’s likely but Sheppard hasn’t done much of anything his last 3 seasons and Cook is a rookie. Even Griffen is questionable..A guy who was supposed to be a 2nd round pick at the latest goes in the 4th? You think teams may have known something about him that we don’t?
You guys improving seems likely but you still never know. Griffin was a 2nd round pick who didn’t really start playing decent until this past season. That could happen to Cook as well or he could be great right off the bat. Either way, you just don’t know.
by packallday555 on Jun 21, 2010 5:46 PM CDT up reply actions
Oh and Griffen slipped because he took plays off in College
He has a lot to prove now after being passed up and I believe playing next to 3 probowlers will keep him motivated as well as having the best D-line coach in Karl Dunbar.
I hear you but like I said above, you just never know. There have been plenty of Cb’s drafted really high that have went on to be total busts. Not saying I think it’ll happen with Cook but the possibility is always there.
He must have had a pretty serious work ethic problem for him to drop that far.
by packallday555 on Jun 25, 2010 1:50 AM CDT up reply actions
I like Moats
He’ll give you guys an experienced backfield runner who can catch some balls. I think this tells you that maybe the Vikes aren’t sold on the guys behind AP when it comes to catching the ball and making some plays. Moats is talented, he’s stuck in a crowded backfield though…
It won't be crowded for long.
The cream will rise to the top. A.Young & Ian Johnson had better bring their A game to camp or their suitcases.
5'8"
When you say we drafted him for Depth…is that a crack about his height???
Heh. Just kiddin, Ryan!
Srsly though….How are they going to see him behind our run blocking o-line? He’s going to be able to pop out on the left or right side of McKinney or Loadholt and the LBs will have to guess which side, then look at those little wheels fly by!
Why
Why another running back we have plenty of running backs the best one in football. The problem is not with the running backs the problem is with the offensive line. Did you see how low yahoo sports ranks the Viking offensive line. We need Chester Pitts from the Texans or Logan Mankins from N.E. both are free agents and Logan Mankins is not happy with his contract. We need one of these guys or preferably both. The offensive line last year plan and simple did not open up any running lanes for AP. This is no way of going about business for a team that has super bowl aspirations.
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