The Minnesota Vikings enter their game against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night with a record of 1-3, but you'd never know that from the way some of their players are talking leading up to the contest.

There have been a couple of notable quotes that have, no doubt, shown up on a bulletin board at the Superdome this week.  One comes from a guy that has earned a right to talk, at least a little bit, while the other comes from a guy that has no such cache to this point in his Vikings tenure.

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I apologize for the lateness of the hour of this update, everyone.  It's been a long day over here at the Gonzo house, and I've had about a thousand different things to do prior to getting around to this.

So, here are the official injury reports for tomorrow's game.  We'll start with the visiting Indianapolis Colts.

It's going to be quite interesting to see what the Colts try to do with Saturday on Sunday.  (And don't act like you didn't know that line was coming.)  The Colts have a relatively early bye (Week 4), and even with as bad as the Colts' line looked in their opener, I don't know why on earth you'd risk a guy so valuable when you can, essentially, give him three more full weeks off before throwing him out there.  His injury was rumored to be a 5-6 week recovery, and if he goes out there tomorrow against the law firm of Williams & Williams, he'll be out there WAY ahead of that.

If you'll recall my interview with BigBlueShoe from over at Stampede Blue, he said that Tamme was going to be one of the Colts' players to watch on Sunday in the potential absence of Dallas Clark.  Well, now we know that Tamme is going to be absent as well, leaving the Colts with Gijon Robinson and rookie Tom Santi at the TE position.  With that being the case, I'd expect to see a lot of 3 WR sets from the Colts in this one, which should only enhance Minnesota's ability to slow down the running game and focus on the pass.

Now for the Beloved Purple:

Williams will, hopefully, be back by the time the Vikings travel to Tennessee in Week 4.  I don't think Tyrell Johnson played badly against the Packers, but it sure will be nice to see what we're paying for with #20 back there with Darren Sharper.  The play of the safeties will be key this week in our attempts to slow down Peyton Manning and the Colts' passing game.

If Hicks can't go, I believe we'll be seeing Marcus Johnson get his first career start at LT, and he gets the relatively simple task of taking on Dwight Freeney.  Wait, did I say "simple?"  What I meant was, "Look out, Tarvaris!"  Then again, for a guy with zero game experience at the position, Johnson actually did a serviceable job on Monday night, so I shouldn't complain too much.

Alright, folks. . .kickoff is set for about 14 hours from now.  Channel all your thoughts into a big performance for the Beloved Purple, because that's exactly what they're going to need tomorrow to avoid an 0-2 start.  Until then, enjoy the rest of your Saturday!

Even though we're in the wake of the less intelligent among us declaring the NFC North race over after all of one game's worth of action, those of us that dwell in the realm of reality are moving on to this Sunday's home opener for the Beloved Purple, and it's a game that should be much more interesting than what I thought it would be when the schedule first came out.

A couple of months ago, people might have called this game between the Vikings and the Indianapolis Colts a potential Super Bowl preview.  After the happenings of Week 1, it's now a battle of two teams that are attempting to avoid an 0-2 start.  For the Colts. . .and this is a pretty amazing number, in my opinion, and really speaks to their consistency over the past few years. . .this is the earliest they've had a loss on their schedule since 2004.  In 2005, they started the season 13-0, they won their first 9 games of 2006, and started off 7-0 in 2007.

I've had this game down as a loss since the schedules came out this spring, and really, I haven't heard a lot of folks that would disagree.  But given the past few days, now I'm not entirely sure what to make of this thing.  Why do I ask if we're catching the Colts at the right time?  Well, a few reasons, actually. . .

-Jeff Saturday, who might be the most underrated center in football and certainly ranks among the league's best at the position, is out with an injury for the Colts. . .and, as a result, the interior of their offensive line looked VERY weak against the Bears.  Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and E.J. Henderson have to be salivating a bit over that.  Saturday, apparently, IS practicing, but it doesn't appear as though he'll be at full speed if he's able to go at all.
-Staying with the Bears game, Chicago. . .with an offense that nobody was mistaking for the '98 Vikings or the 2000 Rams prior to the season. . .ripped the Colts on the ground for a total of 183 rushing yards.  Rookie Matt Forte put up 123 yards and a TD on 23 carries, and Detroit castoff Kevin Jones chipped in 45 yards of his own.  And NOW the Colts have suspended their best interior defensive lineman, DT Ed Johnson, after he was arrested this morning for possession of marijuana, among other things.  Think Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor are happy?
-And, since tight ends have a bit of a history of killing the Vikings on defense, it helps that the Colts' outstanding tight end, Dallas Clark, got a bit banged up against Chicago.  It sounds like he's going to play, but he might not be 100%.

Now, I'm not going to include the fact that Peyton Manning and the Colts' offense didn't look outstanding against Chicago as part of that list.  Why?  Because he's Peyton freaking Manning, that's why.  Yes, he's got a bit of rust since he didn't play at all in the pre-season, but he's still got three or four outstanding targets to throw to in Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Anthony Gonzalez (and Clark, depending on his health), and the Colts have a good, young running back in Joseph Addai.

I've got all the respect in the world for Tony Dungy.  If he's not the best coach in the NFL, he's somewhere in the Top 2, and I'm sure he'll have the Colts ready for this Sunday's clash.  I know that Brad Childress has as much chance of outcoaching Dungy as there is of me changing my last name to Ocho Gonzo.  But when I see the setup for this game and the focus, I can't help but get a feeling of deja vu. . .it's similar to the way I felt going into the San Diego game last season.  The Vikings are at home, coming off of a tough loss, hosting a team with superior talent that's having its own struggles, with a consensus that said struggling team was going to "get themselves right" against our Beloved Purple.

We all remember what happened that afternoon, right?

It would be nice to get ourselves a little bit of that same thing on Sunday afternoon.  No, starting off 0-2 wouldn't be the end of the world or anything like that, but getting back to the .500 mark would certainly be a whole lot better.

BigBlueShoe over at Stampede Blue and I will be doing this year's first installment of "5 Good Questions" over the course of the next day or two.  Feel free to visit the folks over there, but please play nice.  I've already asked them nicely to not lower themselves to the level of the kind of idiots that think referring to this team by names other than the Vikings is some sort of good, intelligent idea.  (Yeah, Wisconsin, I'm looking at you. . .and I don't know why you're giggling, Illinois.)  They seem to be willing to oblige us on that front.

That's all for now, folks. . .have a good rest of your Wednesday, and we'll see you back here tomorrow!

EDIT/UPDATE:  Well, I can tell you exactly how long the Colts will suspend Ed Johnson for.  Permanently.  And by "suspend," what I mean is "Ed Johnson got cut by the Colts today."

With Tarvaris Jackson, Bernard Berrian, and Sidney Rice all watching from the sidelines, the Vikings took on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third exhibition game of the 2008 season last night in Minneapolis.  As you'd expect, there were things that were good and things that were not so good about last night's performance.  That's what this here thread is for, so let's get to it.

What Was Good

The First-String Defense - Oh, so THAT'S what a pass rush looks like, huh?  I was confused. . .it's been so long since the Vikings have actually had one of those on a consistent basis that I had pretty much forgotten.  But yes, ladies and gentlemen, that's quite similar to what I expect the Four Norsemen of the Apocalypse to be doing all season long.  In the first half, the Steelers' first-string offense netted a total of 76 yards and three points. . .three points which were, unfortunately, pretty much set up by the Minnesota offense, but we'll discuss them later on.

Last night we saw Jared Allen blowing up double teams when they were thrown at him, the Williams' boys disrupting things in the middle as only they can, and Ray Edwards showing us that even though he might be the forgotten man on this defensive line, opposing defensive coordinators would be foolish to ignore him.  And we haven't even mentioned the depth on the defensive line, but it's pretty good, too.  If the Vikings can generate the kind of pressure with just their front four that we saw against Pittsburgh last night, they stand to be ready to take a mammoth leap forward.

Aundrae Allison - With the Vikings' #1 and #2 wide receivers sitting out last night's game with a toe injury and a stomach virus, respectively, the new #84 got some significant run with the first team last night, and he responded very well, leading all receivers with 5 catches for 56 yards.  The majority of those receptions came from the slot, which is where Allison is best suited to work.  His receptions covered 8, 11, 13, 17, and 7 yards, and all but one came before halftime.  With the Minnesota passing game looking to become a much bigger threat and with the other receiving options the Vikings have available right now, one has to wonder how Allison will get worked into the offense, but he's proven over the course of the pre-season that he definitely deserves to have his role in the offense increased.

Erin Henderson - I don't know how the heck Henderson the Younger wasn't a first-day draft pick. . .after all, that's where he was originally projected. . .but he's proving to be a very nice addition to an already talented linebacker group.  He tied again for the team lead in tackles last night with five, and also threw in a strip of Rashard Mendenhall to force a Steeler turnover.  With the injury to Heath Farwell, coupled with his performance to this point, it looks to me like the reunion of the Henderson brothers will last through the 2008 season. . .and possibly well beyond.

What Wasn't Good

The run offense - Yes, I realize that the Steelers are a very good defense, and that it's only pre-season. . .but Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor combining for 26 yards on 16 carries last night is rough.  Really, really rough.  For an offense that prides itself on its ability to run the football, such performances simply can't become the norm for this team if they're to live up to the expectations that they've been given.  Fortunately, I'm not terribly worried about this one at this point, and I think it's going to come together before the season opener.

Penalties - Ten penalties in a pre-season game, including three false start penalties on the opening drive. . .at home.  Blech.  Of the ten penalties, there were four false starts, two for defensive offsides, one for illegal formation, and three 15-yard penalties (face mask on E.J. Henderson, unnecessary roughness on Matt Birk, and roughing the passer on Letroy Guion).  At least 8 of those 10 penalties are easily eliminated (the false starts, the illegal formation, and the three 15-yarders), and they NEED to be eliminated before the first game of the regular season.  The Vikings are perennially among the league leaders in penalties, and this is a trend that needs to be completely reversed.

Quarterback - Not that Gus Frerotte was "bad," per se. . .but last night made me happy that he's our backup and not somebody we're relying on for the long-term.  Like I said, he had a decent game (save for the awful interception that set up Pittsburgh's only first-half score), but I don't want to see him out there more than a couple times in 2008.  I'd prefer to not see him at all, but with Tarvaris Jackson's injury history, that hardly seems like a realistic hope.

What do you all think, folks?  What did you like or not like about last night's performance?  Feel free to talk about it here!

We should be back with some more later on this afternoon.  Apparently TS Fay decided that she didn't want a piece of Gonzo and decided to take a track more to the north of where Mrs. Gonzo and I live.  (Or there was something in the atmosphere that made it go that way.  Hell, I don't know, it's just a theory.)  We'll see you then, everybody!

With the people at ESPN taking the opportunity on Monday night to fawn over Aaron Rodgers' every move (most of which were not really all that impressive), a few of the members of the NFL's best defensive line have thrown a few barbs the way of our neighbors from Wisconsin.

Pat Williams, the best run-stuffing defensive tackle in the league, was asked by a reporter if he had been keeping up with the Brett Favre saga.  His answer sums things up pretty nicely.

“Damn, that’s their problem,” Williams said. “They’re going through all that as a team, trying to figure out if Favre or (Aaron) Rodgers was the man, while we’ve got the same team we had all offseason. I’m glad they got all that darn press, ‘cause when we go down there it’ll be the kid’s first start and his first damn loss.”

Williams assumes that Rodgers will actually last all the way through the pre-season to start the regular season opener.  While I suppose that could happen, I wouldn't go betting my mortgage on it yet.

Jared Allen, the best defensive end in the NFL, also chimed in on the matchup:

“Playing Green Bay on Monday night to start the season – that’s everything you want,” Allen said. “Hopefully, I can put my helmet square in the back of his spine. If I can do that and knock the ball loose, it’ll be a good day.”

Don't worry, Jared. . .you'll get that opportunity at least once.  Probably more than once.  Probably a LOT more than once.

Oh, and Phat Pat wasn't done.

“They had a nice year last year, but they don’t understand that Brett made those guys better than they were,” Williams said. “He has the game all figured out, and you’ve got to factor all that into the equation. Brett Favre would throw the ball when the receivers hadn’t even made their cut yet, and it would be there waiting for them. Those guys had it good.

 

“People think it’s the system, but it ain’t no damn system. Brett Favre just knows where his guys are going to be at all times, and I don’t think Aaron Rodgers has got that yet.”

And he's exactly right.  The Packers DID have a great year in 2007.  They went 13-3 in 2007.  If anyone thinks they would have gone 13-3 in 2007 with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, they need to think again.  If anyone thinks they're going 13-3 in 2008 with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, they need to be submitted for a psychiatric evaluation.

From the part of the MNF game I saw, here's the impression I got of Rodgers.

-It's his 4th year in the National Football League, and he still clearly hasn't adjusted to the speed of the game.  He likes to hold on to the ball. . .for way too long.  I know that has to make Jared Allen happy.
-If he keeps making the kind of throws he was making on Monday night, the Packers might be starting Kelly Campbell at receiver by Week 5, because he's out to get people killed.

I saw nothing out of him that makes him any more impressive than everyone's favorite media target, Tarvaris Jackson.  In fact, Jackson had a superior performance against a superior defense (sorry, Bengals fans, but it's true) than Rodgers had in his first pre-season look.  As of right now, Tarvaris Jackson is probably a better quarterback than Aaron Rodgers, regardless of whether or not anyone outside of the Twin Cities will actually admit it.

I'm sure we'll now have Packer fans over here talking about last year and this and that and the other thing.  Save it.  Last year is irrelevant.  Last year you weren't starting a guy with 59 career regular season passes at QB.  It's 2008, and I've seen nothing to this point that leads me to believe that the Green Bay Packers are monumentally superior to the Minnesota Vikings.  In fact, I haven't seen anything that leads me to believe that they're superior at all.  Honestly, other than the receiving corps, at what position is Green Bay a better team than Minnesota?

-Quarterback?  Nope.
-Running Back?  BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA please.
-Offensive Line?  Nope.
-Defensive Line?  See Running Back.
-Linebacker?  Nope.
-Secondary?  I doubt it.  (If you want to argue this, feel free to go back and watch the NFC Championship game.  Then come back here and apologize.)

Nope. . .the one thing that gave Green Bay a decisive advantage over Minnesota last year is currently taking snaps in New York.  Pat Williams and Jared Allen are exactly right, and I'm very much looking forward to watching them back it up on 8 September in Green Bay in front of the Packer sycophants at ESPN.

The first training camp practice of 2008 is in the books (with the second one taking place as we speak), and the team has managed to make it through Day One with no significant injuries.  (Well, no NEW injuries, anyway.)  If you want to get yourself a nice little football fix, check out KFAN's PA & Dubay page and click on the "7/25 - Final Hour" podcast link.  It's not much, but it IS Paul Allen calling the plays that are taking place at Training Camp.  Say what you will about PA, but I really like the guy as a play-by-play announcer.  I like him largely because he's a gigantic homer, just like I am, and an announcer for your local team should have just that quality.  Guys that work for the "big networks" have to be impartial. . .guys that cover the games for your local market really shouldn't be.

Just my opinion, anyway. . .your mileage may vary on that one.

You can certainly tell that the season has started, because the Star-Tribune's Vikings page and the Pioneer Press' Vikings page both have all kinds of stories about the Beloved Purple.  And not a moment too soon.

A couple of developments from the first day of camp, via various sources:

-Pat Williams showed up to camp with a fairly sizeable brace on his elbow.  Right after the Pro Bowl this year, Williams had surgery to have his elbow "cleaned out."  His participation in various camp activities is going to be limited.  However, he'll still be ready to kick ass and take names when the time comes.  Why?  Because he's Phat Pat, that's why.  In the meantime, Fred "BZZZZZZZZT" Evans was taking #94's place in team drills.
-Adrian Peterson is still awesome.  Like you had to ask.
-Sidney Rice (the official wide receiver of The Daily Norseman) has, from all appearances, put on about 10 pounds of muscle this off-season.  Rice is another guy that I'm expecting big things from in 2008, and it sounds like he's already off to a good start.
-Tarvaris Jackson looks pretty good thus far in drills.  Yes, I know, we won't REALLY know about T-Jack until the bullets start flying, but this is already more encouraging than the reports we got early in camp about him last season.

Man, I wish I was significantly closer to the action than I am right now.  It's still 13 days until the first pre-season game, and 44 days until the Vikings defeat the Green Bay Packers in the 2008 season opener.  But, at last, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel from here.

If any of you are attending or have attended any portion of this year's Training Camp, you're encouraged to leave links, pictures, or anything else in the FanPosts to give those of us that are less fortunate a little taste of what's going on at Winter Park.  I thank you in advance for your contributions.

That's all for now. . .and, yes, I know that I STILL need to get the roster projection done.  I'll have to see if I can't get that knocked out this afternoon or this evening sometime.  Keep enjoying your weekend, folks!

Alright, folks, today is the first day of Training Camp, so rather than re-hash more of the lies coming from Wisconsin, let's talk a little bit about some players that will actually matter in the NFL in 2008. . .the guys that are wearing purple and taking the field at Winter Park as we speak.

Unfortunately, not everybody will be performing in the capacity that they were hoping, as starting LDE Ray Edwards has been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list by the Vikings.  Edwards, who by all accounts has been working his butt off this off-season, is suffering from a back injury that will keep him out indefinitely.

With the prospect of playing next to three Pro Bowlers on the defensive line, plus his desire to redeem himself after missing the last four games of the 2007 season after violating the league's substance abuse policy, many of the Purple faithful (myself included) are expecting a big season from the third-year man from Purdue in 2008.  He's apparently been quite the gym rat since last season concluded, and should be in phenomenal shape at this point.  Unfortunately, back injuries have a tendency to linger on, and it's probably better for Edwards to try to rid himself of it now rather than have it linger on through the season.

What's even more interesting is that, according to the Star-Tribune, it will be Jayme Mitchell that will be taking Edwards' spot with the first-team defense.  Brian Robison is going to remain as Jared Allen's primary backup at RDE, but could also see a few reps at LDE.  Mitchell is a nice story, too, and if Edwards is out for any period of time, his transition from undrafted free agent to practice squad player to solid contributor to starter would be complete.

Hopefully there will be a LOT more training camp news today as things progress.  We hope you'll keep yourselves tuned here to see if anything happens.

Yes. . .finally, after many delays, we are back into the projection of the Minnesota Vikings' 53-man roster.  We've done the entirety of the offense and special teams, so let's review who we currently have on the team.

QB Tarvaris Jackson
QB Gus Frerotte
QB John David Booty

FB Thomas Tapeh
FB Jeff Dugan

HB Adrian Peterson
HB Chester Taylor
HB Maurice Hicks

WR Bernard Berrian
WR Sidney Rice
WR Bobby Wade
WR Aundrae Allison
WR Robert Ferguson
WR Jaymar Johnson

TE Jim Kleinsasser
TE Visanthe Shiancoe
TE Garrett Mills

OT Bryant McKinnie
OT Ryan Cook
OT Chase Johnson
OT Drew Radovich

OG Steve Hutchinson
OG Anthony Herrera
OG Artis Hicks

C Matt Birk
C John Sullivan

K Ryan Longwell

P Chris Kluwe

LS Cullen Loeffler

That's 29 spots that are occupied. . .need to find ourselves 24 more, unless my counting is bad (which wouldn't be entirely surprising).

For this installment, we're going to be looking at a unit that might be the best of its kind in the National Football League in the Vikings' defensive line.  Like most of the spots on the Vikings' roster, the top of the depth chart is pretty obvious, but I don't think there's going to be quite as much drama at the end as there are at some positions.  Here are the defensive linemen that currently find themselves in the employ of the Minnesota Vikings.

Defensive Tackles

It still kills me to no end that someone is still trying to make us believe that Kevin and Pat Williams are approximately the same weight.  If you actually believe that Pat Williams weighs in at 315 pounds, then I've got some lovely ocean front property in Nebraska that you might be interested in making an investment in.

With all due respect to Jared Allen, who we've devoted quite a bit of bandwidth to on these pages, the men that have made the Vikings' defense go over the past two seasons are the two big men in the middle of the defensive line.  Kevin and Pat Williams are, bar none, the best defensive tackle duo in the National Football League.  Kevin is widely regarded as being one of the best all-around tackles in the league.  He hasn't gotten back to where he was in his first two seasons in terms of generating a pass rush (he generated 22 sacks in his first 2 seasons, but has only mananged 12 since then), but how much help has he really gotten in that department?  The reports are that he's lost some weight this off-season in an effort to regain some of the quickness he felt that he'd lost over the past couple of seasons, and an even quicker Kevin Williams could, in my opinion, make the subject of best all-around defensive tackle in the NFL one that's not subject to debate.

But even with as talented and athletic as Kevin Williams is, there's been a debate as to whether or not he's even the best DT on the Vikings' roster.  Or whether he's even the best DT with the surname of Williams on the Vikings' roster.  Why?  Because of the performance over the last 3 seasons of the ageless wonder known as Pat Williams.  When it comes to defensive tackles that obliterate the opposing running game, there's Pat Williams, and then there's everybody else.  He doesn't generate a lot of pass rush, but that's not really his job, and he usually comes out of the game in obvious pass rushing situations.  There are few players that opposing centers hate to see lined up across from them more than Pat Williams. . .just ask Olin Kreutz (who Pat Williams, incidentally, owns).

Now, concerning the guys that are going to back these two gentlemen up, we'll start with Fred "BZZZZZZT" Evans.  I wasn't a big fan of the Evans signing when it was first made last year (largely due to the incident which gave him that nickname there), but he proved to be an asset at the DT position rather than a detriment.  With Spencer Johnson having departed for Buffalo, Evans is pretty much the top backup DT at this point and, really, you could do much worse at that spot than Evans.

The other backup DT is more than likely going to be Letroy Guion, who was selected in the 5th round of this year's draft out of Florida State.  The Guion pick is one that was made largely based upon potential, as it was largely thought he would have been better off going back to FSU for his senior campaign to get some more seasoning.  However, as it is, he came out for the draft, and now he's a member of the Beloved Purple.  Don't let it be said that Guion doesn't have a lot of potential, because he does.  He's got good size and pretty good athletic ability.  I think he'll make the roster, even though he might be inactive a lot.  I don't think we'd be able to sneak him through waivers or anything like that.

If the Vikings DO think they can sneak Guion through waivers, that might give Kenderick Allen the opening he needs to make it onto the roster.  As you can see, Kenderick is listed as the heaviest defensive lineman on the roster (again, if you actually believe that Pat Williams only weighs 315 pounds), and has been kind of a journeyman to this point.  The Vikings are the fifth team that Allen has played for (after the Saints, Giants, Packers, and Bengals), and he didn't play at all in 2007.  It is possible that he could provide some backup to Phat Pat at the nose tackle spot, as they're both known more for their run stuffing than their pass rushing.

Ellis Wyms was an interesting pick-up for the Vikings, too.  He's the sort of guy that coaches like to have hanging around the roster, as he has the ability to play both defensive end AND defensive tackle.  With as many defensive linemen as Brad Childress likes to have available on game day, he has to appreciate that sort of flexibility.  While he doesn't stand out in any phase of the game, he puts forth a good effort, and should be able to supply some good depth along a couple of line positions.

As far as Leger Douzable. . .I'll be honest, I don't know a damn thing about him.  I thought Douzables were the little green guys from Fraggle Rock that built the little things that the Fraggles kept eating.  It appears I was wrong.  Fortunately, I don't think getting to know a lot about him will really do me (or anyone else) much good, as I don't think he'll be around terribly long.

Defensive Ends

Like I've said, we've given a lot of space to Jared Allen over the past couple of months.  Well, there's a damn good reason that that's been the case, not the least of which is that he's probably the best defensive end to suit up for this team since Chris Doleman, and he possesses Doleman-like ability.  He will single-handedly make the Vikings' pass rush among the most formidable in the National Football League, partially due to his own pass rush abilities, and partially because he'll improve everyone around him as well.  It's going to be fun watching him destroy opposing offensive tackles week in and week out, starting with Week 1.

At the other starting DE spot, Ray Edwards has had an outstanding off-season, from all accounts.  I'm guessing he feels compelled to make up for his 4-game suspension at the end of the 2007 season when the Vikings, quite frankly, could have used him.  Still, he was tied for the team lead in sacks in 2007 despite missing those four contests, and if anyone will benefit from playing next to three all-world caliber players on the defensive line, it will be Edwards.  The guy shouldn't see a double team all season long, and he's already shown he's got some pretty good pass rushing ability.  I don't know if he'll break Michael Strahan's single-season sack record (as he predicted earlier this off-season). . .or even come close. . .but he should be very interesting to watch.

Brian Robison also showed some promise in 2007, notching 5 sacks of his own to be a part of the 4-way tie for the team lead in that category.  Robison has a motor that starts as soon as he hits the field for pre-game warmups, and doesn't stop until the final gun has sounded.  He's not going to be a starter on this line, but whenever one of the two main DEs need a rest, he'll be right there, and there's no reason to think that he won't provide a quality performance.

It's hard not to cheer for a guy like Jayme Mitchell.  Like Anthony Herrera on the offensive side of the ball, Mitchell came to the Vikings as an undrafted free agent, and after a few seasons, he's a solid member of the Vikings' defensive line rotation.  Mitchell works hard, and has some skills in both the run defense department AND as a pass rusher, though he'll probably never be elite in either category.

Otis Grigsby was a pleasant surprise for the Vikings last season.  Signed off the Carolina Panthers' practice squad, he saw a decent amount of action in a few games, even notching a sack and forced fumble in the game against San Francisco.  But with the level of talent that the Vikings have along the defensive line right now, I'm not sure if Grigsby has a real chance of making the squad.

The Vikings felt compelled to give Martail Burnett the highest signing bonus of any undrafted free agent in this year's signing bonanza, so they obviously see something that they like in him.  He's not a real big guy, but the book on him says that he's a natural pass rusher.  He's someone to keep track of in the pre-season to see how things work out with him.

So, after all that, here's what I think we're looking at for the Beloved Purple on the defensive line.

Starters:  Jared Allen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Ray Edwards
Backups:  Ellis Wyms, Fred Evans, Brian Robison, Jayme Mitchell, Letroy Guion, Martail Burnett
Cut:  Kenderick Allen, Leger Douzable, Otis Grigsby

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if someone like Guion or Burnett got. . .ahem. . ."injured" during the pre-season and had to spend 2008 on injured reserve or something.  There's going to be some competition for spots along the defensive line, but this team is so good and so talented at defensive line that a few very good players are going to end up getting a visit from the Turk.  We'll just have to see which ones they are.

That's all for tonight, folks. . .we've got 39 spots on our roster filled, and 14 more to go (and, possibly, a few changes after all the smoke has cleared).  The next time we do the roster projection, we'll be looking at the linebacker position. . .where, frankly, there might be very little drama to be had.

We'll see you back here tomorrow, ladies and gentlemen!

No matter what walk of life it is that you find yourself in, it's always important that you have goals for yourself.  It's also important that you keep those goals at least partially grounded in reality.

Which brings us to Ray Edwards, who right now is the fourth Musketeer alongside of Jared Allen, the Irresistible Force, and the Immovable Object.  He has a goal for himself for the 2008 season.  That goal?  Oh, nothing major. . .just taking down Michael Strahan's record of 22.5 sacks in a season.

Edwards isn't chasing boxing titles, but he is stalking the NFL sack record, held by NY Giants star end Michael Strahan. "I look up to Strahan. I learned a lot from him watching and studying his film." Then Edwards threw in another eye-popping statement: "This year I definitely plan on going out here and breaking Strahan's record of 22 and 1/2 sacks this year."

Wow. Edwards didn't mince words. But it was spoken with confidence, not arrogance. And don't forget, Jared Allen is on the other side, who had 15.5 sacks as a Pro Bowl end in Kansas City. The Vikings paid Allen millions to leave the Chiefs. That's heady company that Edwards keeps.

"You want to be the best, you have to go after the best so that's what I want to do. I want to be the best that ever played this game so you got to go after it."

Well, then. . .so much for that whole "reality" thing.

Don't get me wrong. . .I like Ray Edwards as a player quite a bit.  I love the committment he's shown since being shown the door for the last 4 games of the season last year, where he (arguably) could have made a difference.  And, quite frankly, the guy probably won't see a double-team all season long. . .not with the other guys on the D-line for Minnesota that teams are going to have to worry about.  As I've mentioned before, Al Noga managed to rack up 11.5 sacks one year when he played next to Chris Doleman, Henry Thomas, and Keith Millard.  Edwards has the physical ability to be at least that good.

But let's not get carried away. . .the Vikings haven't had a player rack up double-digit sacks since Kevin Williams put up 10.5 in 2004.  I fully expect that to change this year, and I'd love nothing more than to see more than one Viking reach that level.  But 23 sacks in a season?  Particularly when there's no Brett Favre out there to take a dive so you can have a gimme?  That's a pretty tall order.  We'll just have to see how things develop.

EDITORS NOTE:  Thanks to the folks at Vikings Message Board for pointing out my error.  I initially had John Randle as part of that D-line, but it was Keith Millard that was there instead.  This is what happens when you start typing faster than you think.  (-:

The Vikings' official website has a blog now, and it's currently being used to document some stuff from the Vikings Organized Team Activities (OTAs).  There's not a heck of a lot there at the moment, but damn it, it's better than nothing.

A couple of particularly encouraging passages:

The last play of highlight-caliber also came from Jackson, only this time he hooked up with second-year receiver Sidney Rice. On the play, Jackson dropped back and looked at a few different options, only to find all of them were covered by defenders. Finally he looked down the middle of the field and noticed a streaking Rice, hitting him almost in stride for what would’ve been a touchdown. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell was so excited he nearly jumped out of his shoes and then gave Jackson a big high-five on his way back to the huddle.

I asked Jackson after practice what was going on with all the excitement following that play, and here was his response:

“Last year we didn’t make that throw,” Jackson said. “We didn’t even bother to make that read. It was an alert, so we (Jackson and Rice) were on the same page and we knew that he (Rice) would have a legitimate chance to make that play. We didn’t make that throw last year and it’s been a big emphasis this offseason to make that read and make that throw. We got what we wanted out of the coverage, and we were able to make the throw and the catch.”

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. . .anyone that feels compelled to just write Tarvaris Jackson off is going to end up looking really stupid, and they'll end up looking that way sooner rather than later.

And this second one:

Allen’s physical presence is imposing and it would’ve been interesting to see the results had today’s practice been a typical training camp workout. Several times during full-team drills, Allen found his way through or around the offensive line and in the backfield, either flushing the quarterback out or ending a running play prematurely.

With personalities like Allen, Pat Williams and Brian Robison, there was always plenty of chatter coming from the defensive line. But often times the lineman weren’t chastising players in other positions, they were giving each other a hard time, in a joking manner.

“It’s a great group of guys and we just have fun out there,” Allen said. “It’s football, and if you can’t have fun then you shouldn’t be playing.”

Yeah. . .I look forward to seeing Jared and Pat and Kevin having a lot of fun this year, starting on 9 September when they take turns planting Aaron Rodgers like a tulip bulb.  Nice to seeing the best pass-rushing DE in the game picking up right where he left off last season.

Man, is it August yet?  It needs to be here very soon. . .I hate this waiting garbage.

That's all for tonight, folks. . .enjoy the rest of your Monday, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow!