So it appears the San Diego Chargers won't be re-signing WR Vincent Jackson. Per the article:

A few big-name wide receivers are scheduled to be free agents this offseason, including Wes Welker, DeSean Jackson, and Reggie Wayne. And because of that, another fella will likely be hitting the market when the free-agent window opens on March 13: San Diego Chargers vet Vincent Jackson.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that even though "there is expected to be a line of teams" who want to sign Jackson, the team "will almost certainly allow Jackson to hit the free agent market next month."

The Chargers will be sure to let Jackson's agent know that they want to be bidders, of course, but the team won't be trying to sign him to a deal before then. He was asking for $10 million annually more than a year ago, the paper notes, and his price hasn't likely gone down.

The 29-year-old Jackson has been with the Chargers since the team drafted him in 2005 out in the second round out of Northern Colorado. He had 1,106 receiving yards and nine touchdowns this past season.

So... do we make a play for him? It seems he was all set and ready to come to Minnesota during the 2010-11 season, but the Chargers didn't want to let him jump ship (and we ended up with Randy Moss). Might he have that same desire to come to Minnesota, and will the Vikings still be willing to pony up the cash?

Personally, I think he's the real deal and absolutely good for a 5-year contract. Of the other high profile receivers hitting the market, the only two I see actually leaving their teams are Marques Colston and Desean Jackson. Jackson is a sick athlete, but a malcontent. Colston is absolutely worth going after if New Orleans can't pay him. But I think Vincent Jackson is the best of the lot.

Poll

What say you?

• Pony up the coin and sign Vincent Jackson
• Pursue another deep threat option at WR

  104 votes | Results

Many of you may remember the post awhile back about Pro-Football Focus' All-NFC North Team. I commented that somebody really should do another version, because they royally messed up the defense and TE selections. Well, I was working on my own evaluation using football outsiders and the stats at nfl.com, but then Kevin Seifert, ESPN's blogger that covers the NFC North, went and posted his version late last night. I have to say, it's a much more realistic look at who the best players from 2011 were. I only have a few disagreements, and you can read about them after the jump.

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Per PFT, the Chargers are looking to waive the oft-injured Marcus McNeill prior to paying him a $10.5million salary for the upcoming year. Normally I would be loathe to sign an injury risk such as this one, but his character and his previous performance really makes it worth taking a risk.

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Hey guys, I know I am new to this but I am really desperate to talk about vikings next year. I have a few questions about the line next year and would love to see what you have for answers.

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Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker James Harrison tweeted after the game "Told you, Cheaters never win". So is this karma or the fact that the New England Patriots are with out a crucial weapon, stealing signs! There has been messages going back and forth about the issue but sometimes statistics in the playoffs don't lie.

Football is a game of inches and milliseconds and not being able to pick up on defensive play called, is huge. Their offense has sputtered and failed at critical times leaving me to think that Big Brother watching has put a crimp in the Patriots game plan. Now with an aging corp of players and not having that advantage, is hurting and hurting bad.

Whether it is karma or the football gods correcting a wrong, anyway watching Bill Belicheck and Tom Brady cower to the locker room is always a fun thing to watch.

#1: As T.O. once said..."get your popcorn ready". Check (although I prefer chips/salsa)...

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#2: 47" LED TV to watch the game in HD? Check...

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#3: Settle into that nice groove on the couch to watch the greatest National Anthem singer of our generation (no forgetting the words this time!)...

#4: Get a chuckle at a few commercials (I'll still take this one as my own personal favorite)...

(can anyone actually rule this one out yet?!)

#5: Switch the channel during the halftime show. Why? Well...

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Maybe if I were 5-10 years older I'd understand the appeal. But I don't.

#6: Most importantly, I just want to see a great game in the rematch of one of the greatest Super Bowls in the event's history...

Prediction: I honestly don't care who wins this game, but because a prediction is kind of a necessity in this type of post, I'll take the Giants 31-24.

Enjoy the game today!

I read this interview online and liked what I read from RG3. I already knew he was talented on the field. He's also got a healthy amount of confidence which I pretty much expected. But the part I really like to see is that he sounds reasonable in what he says. If I were a team shopping for a QB, I'd be pumped to have this guy.

And what that means is that I really like our situation at #3 this year. Luck goes 1. And then either St. Louis takes RG3 (unlikely), trades picks (likely), grabs Kalil (also likely) or grabs a Blackmon (unlikely in my view). Whatever they do, we are left with good options: 1) take RG3 for ourselves, 2) grab Kalil or 3) take a generous trade for a team to come up and grab RG3. At this point, I could be happy with any situation in which we either get Kalil or RG3. Yup. I said it. I'd be happy if the Vikings decided to grab RG3.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/don_banks/02/03/robert-griffin/index.html

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you know you did

Potentially thrilling news after the jump

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Apparently there is some sort of "Big Game" this weekend... and all the retail stores on the entire Earth are trying to make me feel bad about only having a 42" tv... WTH????

I haven't been paying too much attention because there is not a purple team represented so i guess the outcome is not real important to me. No dawg in this fight so to speak.... I am purely looking at this as an excuse to get together with good friends, eat way too much food and partake of an adult beverage or twenty-four... but hey... the outcome might be important to you so i put forth the question to the DN nation....

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New York Giants or New England Patriots

vote not for who you want to win, but who you think WILL win? .

(if you wish to comment as to why... i would be interested to hear it)

Poll

Who will win?

43%

New York Giants

31 votes

22%

New England Patriots

16 votes

33%

Pffft... just glad the pack is not in there

24 votes

71 votes | Poll has closed

Since Peyton Manning is cleared to play, and hypothetically, if the Colts pass on Andrew Luck, would we have a shot at Andrew Luck? The reason I think the Colts would pass on a QB 1st Round, even if he is the hottest draft prospect since Manning himself, is that they are a team that needs to win now. Their key guys are aging. Manning is 35, and coming off a severe injury. Their star reciever, Reggie Wayne, is 33. Jeff Saturday, their center is 36. Rebuilding a team that is losing their cornerstones can't be done in a single draft. I see them selling out to win now, by either trading down, or drafting Kalil to keep Manning upright for another year, or maybe Blackmon to give him another threat. If the Colts do pass on Luck, I also doubt the Rams select another Quarterback, with the money owed to Bradford still. I see them taking the other one that the Colts didn't take, either Kalil or Blackmon. Which leaves us with us, the Vikings. What would be the chances of us scoring Andrew Luck? And would we pull the trigger given the chance? Ponder has looked promising, and Joe Webb is a great athlete, but Andrew Luck is real blue-chip draft prospect. P.S. I'm a total noob at this, can't figure out how to add spaces between paragraphs lol. This is my 1st post here.