Daily Norseman Mailbag #5

Last week was a rough week in the Murphy household. Mr. Murphy was sent to San Francisco for work (lucky SOB) and I was solo with the kiddos. So of course one of them had to catch some sort of nasty stomach bug and give it to me. Sigh. Parenting is rough, people. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Needless to say, the DN Mailbag was delayed a week. I know how much you all look forward to it. Right? Well..... here it goes.

From @Birk3:

"Di, is Anthony Barr running away with Defensive Rookie of the Year honors?"

Great question! As far as I'm concerned, he'll do even better than DROY. If he continues to play at this level, he will walk away with All Pro honors. And I'm not talking Pro Bowl, which is a complete farce because it's nothing more than a popularity contest. Barr is the real deal, sir. He and Everson Griffen are going to be terrorizing opposing quarterbacks for years to come. So sit back and enjoy!

From @IowaDoug:

"Barr or Chuck Norris?"

Sorry, Doug. I fail to see how this is even a question in your mind. Anthony Barr is 22 and in prime physical condition. Chuck Norris is 74 and is not. He may have once upon a time been a bad ass, but he's been replaced by Anthony Barr. Case closed.

From @WildDad77:

"If you were a Viking, which one would you be and why?"

Hmmm........this is a tough question. On one hand, I could see myself being Anthony Barr. When he smells blood, he closes in and it's all over. Plus, he's smart. I also think maybe Jerrick McKinnon. He's deceptively awesome for his size. I couldn't say Teddy Bridgewater, however, because he's very calm and cool and let's face it, I'm a ginormous spaz.

From @PurpleForTheWin:

"McKinnon's getting 5.0 ypc. AP's 30 old & has played 1 gm in 10 months. Would AP really be an upgrade rest of 2014?"

Thanks for the great question, Andy! At this point, no, I don't know that AP would be a significant upgrade. McKinnon has been working with the playbook since July. AP had very limited action at training camp and has some rust to shake off. Then again, this is Adrian Peterson we are talking about. He has done things no one has ever expected him to be able to do and done them well. That being said, I think throwing AP into the mix muddles things a lot for this offense. As @mattkrier and I have discussed, what we have with McKinnon + Asiata on offense does many things (no, not all) that AP brought to the table.

From @WardMinny10:

"Why is Jeff Locke still on the team?"

Thomas, I really wish I knew the answer to this question. Because let's be brutally honest here....Locke is Jake from State Farm hideous. I have never kicked a punt in my entire life and I'm not exaggerating that much when I say I'm fairly certain I could do a better job. What are the options out there for FA punters, though? Anyone want to call Kluwe? No? I didn't think so. I've taken a look at FA punters for this season and it's an ugly world out there, my friend. The Vikings might have to ride Locke until the offseason.

From @tpodoll1:

"One Vikes note though, how many players on team would NOT welcome AP back if they had their choice?"

Another good question, but let's be honest. I don't think there are any guys in that locker room that wouldn't welcome AP back. And that's the truth. Most of the players are thinking only of what AP can help them accomplish on the field, which is their primary job. His shortcomings as a parent aside, he has always been very good at his job. But is that enough to let him off the hook for what he has said in the past?

From @BizonNation13:

"What would it take for Teddy to win OROY over the next 7 games?"

Hey Sam, thanks for the question.  And it's a good one. I honestly think Teddy stands a very good chance to win Rookie of the Year (offensively at least) if he continues to progress like he has. His deep ball is ugly, but everything else about him shows so much confidence, poise, and experience.

That's all for the #DNMailbag for this week, kids. Thanks for your questions and for reading.