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!

Alrighty. . .we've got 8 spots left to fill on this roster, and we've already started Training Camp, so let's get them filled, shall we?

Here are all of Minnesota's current defensive backs:

The biggest addition to this list, in my opinion, is Madieu Williams.  He was signed away from the Cincinnati Bengals during the off-season to replace Dwight Smith, basically because he's everything that Dwight Smith is not.  He's good in coverage (and don't let Smith's interception numbers from last year fool you. . .he's not good in coverage), he can actually tackle, and he's a great community guy.  He should provide a massive upgrade in coverage in 2008, and with the improved pass rush that the Vikings are going to have, I can see him justifying his big contract early and often.

He'll be starting next to the greatest safety in Green Bay Packers history, Darren Sharper.  Sharper, who was "too old" and "too slow" when he signed with the Vikings, has only managed to make the Pro Bowl twice during his three seasons in Minnesota, while his former team is still trying to replace him with someone that can even be considered "slightly below average."  Sharper certainly doesn't appear to have lost a step at all, and has kept himself in great shape, so I don't expect any drop off from him in 2008.  To the contrary, much like I mentioned with Madieu Williams, the Vikings' improved pass rush should allow him to have an even better year in 2008.

At the corners, we start with one of the best in Antoine Winfield.  Winfield is, hands down, the best run support corner in the National Football League, and really has been for a very long time.  His coverage skills might be a bit suspect at times, but he (like most of the Vikings' DBs) has been a victim of the Vikings' lack of defensive pressure on opposing quarterbacks.  One has to wonder how much longer #26 is going to be able to keep up his physical style of play before his body starts to betray him.  He missed six games last season with various injuries. . .there were a couple of games where the team played well in his absence (particularly the San Diego game) and games where the team performed poorly in his absence (particularly the second Green Bay game).  Here's hoping that he can stay on the field all season.

The other starting CB slot may or may not be up for grabs, depending on who you listen to.  Cedric Griffin is currently manning the starting spot, and we can all agree that Griffin had a pretty rough 2007 after showing a lot of promise in his rookie season.  It seemed like he was always a step or two behind in coverage, and missed way more tackles than he probably should have.  It's kind of frustrating to see Antoine Winfield (who's listed at 5'9" and 180 pounds. . .and I think that 5'9" is being kind to Antoine) being able to destroy anything in his path when it comes to tackling, but Griffin (6', 205) constantly having opposing players slip out of his grasp.  He really needs to put it together and have a good season.  He certainly has the talent to do it. . .it's just a matter of seeing if it can happen.

The guy that he might be fighting for that spot with, from the sounds of things, is Charles Gordon.  Gordon, who the Vikings put on the practice squad as an undrafted free agent a few years back, has fought his way up through the ranks, and ended last season as the team's nickel corner.  Though he doesn't have great size, he asserted himself very well against slot receivers in 2007, and showed enough ability to make the coaching staff think that he's going to be able to handle even more responsibility in 2008.  Gordon v. Griffin is going to be one of the more interesting battles of this camp season.  Gordon could also double as a returner if necessary, as he excelled at that when he was at the University of Kansas.

Marcus McCauley was an absolute roller coaster for the Vikings in his rookie season.  Like many first-year players, he had times where he looked great and showed off his natural CB skills. . .and he had times where he looked completely clueless.  McCauley, like Griffin, has good size and good ability, but needs a lot more seasoning at the NFL level.  He's in a tough situation, as it appears right now that he's the #4 cornerback.  I'm not sure how much he's going to get on the field. . .but I'm also not sure if the Vikings would trade him at this early stage, either.  We'll have to see what happens.

The other big new addition to the DB corps is Tyrell Johnson, the Vikings' first selection in the 2008 draft out of Arkansas State.  Depending on which source you looked at, Johnson was either the #1 or #2 safety available in the 2008 draft class.  (Since I'm hopelessly biased, let's just go ahead and assume that he was #1.)  I, personally, can't wait to get a good look at this guy.  At this point in the game, he appears to be more of an "in the box" type of safety, which is good. . .but he has all the physical tools to become a pretty good all-around player, and he's already not to shabby in coverage if the scouting reports are to be believed.  There's also talk of him being involved in "big nickel" package, in which the Vikings would bring in a third safety rather than a third corner in passing situations.  A big contribution from Tyrell Johnson this year would be a huge addition to the Beloved Purple.

Michael Boulware is a part of one of the more infamous moments in recent Vikings history, as he intercepted Randy Moss' end-around pass back in 2004 while he was with the Seattle Seahawks in a game the Vikings really had a great shot at winning.  After showing a lot of promise in his first couple of seasons in Seattle, he wound up with the Houston Texans, and proceeded to pretty much fall off the map as a safety.  He has, however, been a very good special teamer the past couple of years, and I think that's what his primary contribution will be to the 2008 Vikings.  He might see some action as a DB as well, but I think it's going to take some injuries to make that happen.

And that's everyone that I think is going to make the Vikings' roster from a DB standpoint.  During the off-season, we signed Benny Sapp away from the Kansas City Chiefs, but with the guys that are already on the depth chart ahead of him, he's going to have a very hard time sticking on this roster.  If the Vikings decide to keep 5 CBs, he's the guy, I think.

Eric Frampton really came alive on special teams last season, but with the addition of Boulware, he's pretty expendable.  (I just wanted to use the "Frampton Comes Alive" joke again. . .I'm not sure how many more opportunities I'll have.)  A couple of the UDFAs might have a shot at landing on the practice squad, but I wouldn't expect any of them to make any serious contributions in 2008.

So, here's pretty much what we have:

Starters - Antoine Winfield, Cedric Griffin (for now), Darren Sharper, Madieu Williams
Backups - Charles Gordon, Marcus McCauley, Tyrell Johnson, Michael Boulware
Cut - Benny Sapp, Marcus Walker, Dee McCann, Brandon Sumrall, Eric Frampton, Husain Abdullah

And that rounds out my projection for the 2008 Vikings' roster.  Give me just a few minutes, and I'll be opening up another thread to discuss the entire thing.

Yep, just like we said last night, the rookie signings are falling into place.

Vikings.com is reporting that Letroy Guion and Jaymar Johnson have already signed their deals.

Access Vikings says that verbal agreements are in place with John David Booty and John Sullivan. . .and that Tyrell Johnson is "very close" to a contract agreement and could have everything finalized tomorrow morning.

See?  I told you that there was nothing to worry about.

Yes, with the start of Training Camp a mere 36 hours away and the first practice about 72 hours away or so (not that anyone's really counting, are they?), the Vikings have not yet signed any of their five picks from April's NFL Draft.  However, according to the good folks at Access Vikings, the Vikings and agents for several of their draft picks exchanged numbers today.

I have no reason to believe that the Vikings will have any problem getting any of their players signed.  For starters, four of their five picks were selected in either the fifth or sixth round, so they're really in no position to hold out.  The one player that went earlier than that, Tyrell Johnson, really doesn't strike me as the diva type that would have a prolonged holdout.  I fully expect the Beloved Purple to start that first practice on Friday with a full squad of players.

Remain calm. . .all is well!

Tomorrow, we'll more than likely finish up the roster projection, and I'm even throwing a bit of an interactive element into the mix for everyone to voice their opinion on.  So don't worry about the draft picks, and we'll see you back here then!

Because the national coverage and/or perception of the Vikings has been overwhelmingly positive over the course of the past few days.  Don't worry. . .as we get closer to the start of the season and the media remembers who we open the season with, I'm sure the positive coverage will come to a screeching halt.  But I'm sure as heck going to enjoy it while it lasts!

We'll start out with a little tidbit from the Sporting News, in which they gathered a consensus as to which team in the NFC has the best safeties. . .and you'll never believe what team came out on top:

1. Minnesota Vikings

Darren Sharper and Madieu Williams are strong playmakers. Williams adds sticky coverage skills. Michael Boulware provides experienced depth, and rookie Tyrell Johnson could get time in the nickel package.

Boy. . .for a guy that, according to "fans" from the other side of the border, has been washed up for. . .let's see. . .exactly three years, two months, and three days, ol' #42 sure seems to be getting along okay.  I guess that Pro Bowl berth he earned last year wasn't just based on past merits after all.

The article also goes on to name Sharper as the best safety in the NFC.  Note how none of the other NFC North teams can even crack the top half of the list.  With the improved pass rush that we'll be seeing this season, it would be silly not to project another Pro Bowl berth for Sharper at this point.

The next bit of praise comes from Fox Sports' John Czarnecki, who sites five teams that he feels have made enough improvement to contend for the Super Bowl. . .and, boy howdy, you'll never guess who made this list, too!

Vikings

By spending more than $70 million on new talent, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf is telling Coach Brad Childress that his third season better include a playoff berth. Unless Tavaris Jackson doesn't improve a lick, the Vikings have the team to beat in the NFC North. If Jackson continues to make strides along with runner Adrian Peterson, Minnesota will be better equipped to control every game's tempo because their defensive pass rush should be the NFL's best. Yes, ex-Chief Jared Allen is that good, plus he's being teamed with Kevin and Pat Williams, already the game's best duo at defensive tackle.

The quarterback position has been upgraded with the arrival of veteran Gus Frerotte, who can win in a reserve role, and with USC rookie John David Booty who played on college's biggest stage with the Trojans. Ex-Bear Bernard Berrian gives Childress a bonafide deep threat opposite Sidney Rice. The defense is a lot more than Allen, too, because E.J. Henderson and Chad Greenway are above-average linebackers and ex-Bengal safety Madieu Williams is a lot better player and more reliable than the departed Dwight Smith. With the retirement of Brett Favre, the Packers won't be favored to repeat as division champions. The Vikings have two big tests this season — home to Peyton Manning and the Colts and at Jacksonville in late November. If they win one of those, watch out!

That highlighted part of the first paragraph is the key there.  See, Jackson doesn't have to turn into Peyton Manning or Tom Brady or anything like that. . .he simply needs to become more consistent.  You really can't argue with the fact that he went 8-4 as a starter last year. . .and should have been 9-3 (screw you very much, Troy Williamson). . .and the fact that he was throwing to what might have been the worst WR corps in the NFL couldn't have helped his development, either.  Don't tell me that he "didn't have anything to do with the victories," either.  It's the NFL. . .every player on the team contributes to every victory, and every player on the team contributes to every loss.

But yes. . .quite frankly, the Vikings are the team to beat in the NFC North in 2008.  If you have issues with my assessment. . .well, that's a you problem, not a me problem.

Speaking of young Mr. Jackson. . .no less an authority than former NFL MVP Rich Gannon says that he's expecting some pretty big things from the Vikings' QB in 2008:

"I'm excited. I got a chance to go out there a little bit, and I watched -- really, I wanted to look at Tarvaris and see where he has come in just the one short year -- and I got a chance to watch some film and sit down with [coach Brad] Childress and really look at him, and talk about him, and evaluate him," said Gannon.

"I think he's made great strides. I think he's a very athletic guy, very gifted, and the big thing for him this year is just consistency."

...

"He's got to play 16 games, he only finished 12 games a year ago, he needs to play 16 games," Gannon said. "He needs to be more efficient and more consistent. And if he can do those two things -- with the running game they have, the offensive line, they've upgraded their receivers, they're going to be better defensively -- there's no reason why that team cannot win the NFC North."

Yep. . .it's all about consistency for #7 this year.  And, hopefully, having a more consistent WR corps with the addition of Bernard Berrian, the maturation of Sidney Rice, and the steadiness of Bobby Wade (particularly now that he's the real #3 guy and not a #3 masquerading as a #1) will be a big part of that.

I think it's kind of funny that there are so many "experts" out there that have made the determination that the Vikings should be looking to abandon Jackson after 14 career NFL starts because they've already drawn the conclusion that he isn't ready.  How many QBs in NFL history have looked like garbage in their first 14 NFL starts?  Now, if Jackson goes out THIS season and stinks up the joint, the team should start looking in another direction. . .and I'm sure they will be, because if Jackson is terrible in 2008, Brad Childress will be looking for a job.

The other funny thing as it relates to the NFC North is that so many of these same "experts" that declare Tarvaris Jackson to be useless are completely sold on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers.  So, apparently, a guy that goes 8-4 in his first full year as a starter while throwing to an awful receiving corps doesn't impress some people. . .but a guy who, in three NFL seasons, has as many trips to IR as he does TD passes while playing exclusively garbage time football is, somehow, the second coming.

Honestly, you couldn't make that up if you tried.

Like I said, folks. . .enjoy it while it lasts.  I can't guarantee how much longer that will be or anything, but it's nice to see for a little bit, anyway.