With the NFL Draft in the books, it's time to dust off the Stock Market Report. Although I did an abbreviated first round SMR, (which I had to edit when the Vikes traded back into the bottom of round 1--crazy night that) we've had a little time to sift through the madness that was Draft Weekend, it's time to take an in-depth look at who the Vikings got, how they got ‘em, and where they got ‘em.
When the dust settled, there are 10 new players that can call themselves ‘The Fighting Irish of Minnesota Vikings', and after a disastrous 3-13 season in 2011, a lot of help was needed. So hopefully, help is on the way.
Little River Band, take it away:
Hang on, help is on the way,
I'll be there as fast as I can.
SMR, after the jump.
Blue Chip Stocks:
Matt Kalil, T: I've said it all along that Kalil was the best, most obvious choice, and in the end GM Rick Spielman knew it, too. He deftly created a market for the #3 pick when there was none, threw some bait in the water in the form of a Tampa Bay crankbait, and got Cleveland to bite. Moving down one spot netted the Vikes three additional picks, which Spielman used later in the draft for further moves. I thought this was the best GM move by anyone in the draft, and it deserves high marks all the way around.
Harrison Smith, S: Oh, but our wacky, mad scientist general manager wasn't done yet, as he used the Vikes second round pick and a fourth round pick to trade with Baltimore and move back into the bottom of the first round, at pick #29. The Vikings used that pick to draft Smith, another position of need for the Vikings. The reaction to this trade was a bit mixed, but personally, I liked it. He used one of his four fourth round draft picks and a second rounder to get one of two draftable safeties. At this point, he has no second rounder, but a third round and a bevy of fourth rounders, so I thought it was a small price to pay to fill the second biggest need behind LT. I thought it was another good move, I liked it.
Rick Spielman, GM: I know as the draft moved to the later rounds, there was some questioning of picks, namely FB Rhett Ellison and K Blair Walsh, but when you take the entire draft into context, Rick Spielman had a great weekend. He made two good trades at the top of the draft for impact players, and used the rest of the draft to fill some other needs. Well played, Mauer.
Solid Investments:
Josh Robinson, CB: Ahem, somebody said Josh Robinson was a guy the Vikings could be targeting on day two, and lo and behold, the blind squirrel found a nut. With Robinson the Vikes have a guy that compete right away for the nickel or dime job in the secondary, and gives the team some much needed fresh meat in a secondary that was wracked with injury and ineptitude last year.
Jarius Wright, WR: I'm thinking the happiest guy on the Minnesota Vikings this weekend was quarterback Christian Ponder. He went from an offensive line that was one of the worst in the league and no receiving threats outside of Percy Harvin to a line that should be downright respectable...AND a couple of new offensive weapons. Jarius Wright strikes me as a kid that can be either an outside deep threat or an underneath playmaker out of the slot, like Harvin. Wright had a very good career at Arkansas, and getting him in the 4th round was a high value pick. Suddenly, the Vikings receiving corps could be downright respectable.
Junk Bonds:
There are no junk bonds this week. 10 young men are living a dream of being selected to play in the National Football League, something 99.9% of us will never do. Whether they make the team or not right now is irrelevant. There will be time to judge their talent and place on the team, if there is one, but for right now we congratulate them on accomplishing something that very few will ever do. Well done, each and every one of you, and good luck as you take on the challenge of making an NFL team. Every Vikings fan everywhere is cheering for you to make it.
Buy/Sell:
Buy: Both first round trades. The first one was a genius move, and the second one was a good one. Both made the Vikings a better team.
Sell: Some mid round picks. Let me be clear--I'm not going to be cheering against Rhett Ellison or Blair Walsh. And I'm not even mad that they were drafted by the Vikings, it's just that I think both players could've been drafted later, if not picked up as undrafted free agents. But that said, the Vikings felt they needed those guys so they grabbed them. Good luck to them both.
Buy: The Greg Childs pick. This was a very low risk, high reward move. Childs was a big time player in 2010, but suffered a torn patella last year and struggled with that all season. If he's healthy, he could be a real gem of a pick.
Sell: Not drafting a linebacker earlier. Before day two of the draft started, coach Leslie Frazier said linebacker was one of the team's priorities, yet they waited until the 7th round to pick one. I'm not sure what the thought process was or whether the Vikings were blowing smoke, but if it was a need going into the draft, it's still a need after the draft.
Don Glover Quote Of The Week: So I went over to my Dad's after I got home and we started talking about the draft. Now, keep in mind my Dad's in his 80's, and isn't much of a draftnik. My Dad is a big picture guy.
Dad: Well son, I thought Spielman made a good trade for that big tackle, and I'm glad they went after that safety. They really needed both. Who did they trade with?
Me: Which trade, the first one?
Dad: Yeah, the one where they got all them picks.
Me: Cleveland, Dad.
Dad: Isn't Childress the head coach there now?
Me: No, he's the offensive coordinator.
Dad: Oh yeah, that's right. Isn't that idiot Holmgren still the GM ther?
Me: Yep, he sure is.
Dad: So the Vikes screwed Holmgren and Childress?
Me: Yep.
Me and Dad: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Dad: Son, some things in life may change, but Brad Childress is still an idiot.
If I could get my Dad and Sid Hartman in the same room with a camera rolling, I think I could make millions...MILLIONS...in a pay per view event.