FanPost

Spielman on the draft: "If one of those QBs is too good to pass up..."



A couple of weeks ago, I posted an interview with Robert Griffin III. http://www.dailynorseman.com/2012/2/4/2771039/interesting-rgiii-interview-with-sports-illustrated I really liked what he had to say and the manner in which he said it. The post generated a lot of comments in part because there is a lot of passion regarding our quarterback situation, and in part, because it's the off season and what else do we really have to talk about. One common theme that has been thrown about these days is that there is NO WAY we will take a QB with our #3 pick. Some have cited Spielman telling Ponder he'd be the starter going into OTAs as well as Ponder's comments that the Vikings won't take a QB at #3.

“He’s going to be our starting quarterback when everyone is back for OTAs,” Spielman said of Ponder.

That matches what Ponder said on today’s Dan Patrick Show: He’s been assured that the Vikings will use the third overall pick in the NFL draft on a position other than quarterback.

“I talked to our G.M. yesterday, and we had some conversations about who we’re thinking about drafting, and we’ll see,” Ponder said. “I kind of have an idea.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/04/no-doubt-in-minnesota-christian-ponder-is-vikings-quarterback/

At the time there was some debate about whether or not Ponder should have made that comment. Suffice it to say, the pre-draft information and misinformation campaign is in full swing. Spielman is now quoted as saying that the Vikings will in fact being evaluating QBs as part of their draft preparations and "if one of those quarterbacks is too good to pass up..." Well, he doesn't exactly say they will grab him, but that door is definitely left open.

It's hard to trust anything that Spielman and company have to say at this time of year. However, my hope is that he is open to all possibilities. We won't have a shot at Luck. I doubt very much we'll have a shot at RG3, but if for some reason the Rams select Kalil, and RG3 is sitting there at #3, I want to believe that Spielman would consider the guy. Frankly, he wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't.

A committed relationship with Christian Ponder won't keep the Vikings from checking out the top quarterbacks in this year's NFL draft.

"I know we're very confident in Christian, but if one of those quarterbacks is too good to pass up, you also have to weight that in, too," Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman said. "But we're very, very confident in what Christian Ponder brings. As we go through this process and our coaches come into this process and we put this thing together in April, I don't know where we'll be."

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is expected to be taken No. 1 overall by the Colts. Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III is a prime candidate to be taken No. 2 because the Rams are looking to trade down from that spot. The Vikings have the third pick and have little to no need for a quarterback after using last year's first-round pick on Ponder.

But just in case something unexpected happens, Spielman said the team will interview Luck and Griffin at the combine and might include them in the 30 prospects that they'll invite to Winter Park before the draft.

"We'll be doing full monty on [Luck] and RG3," Spielman said. "You never know what happens on draft day, and I would rather be overprepared than underprepared."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/139488693.html

I wouldn't suggest that this quote means that if RG3 is available to us at #3, Spielman would take him... but I wouldn't be sorry if he did. Actually, I think I'd be pretty excited.

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.