Vikings OTA's

What to look for during OTA's.

#1 Linebacker position: We know Chad Greenway is a lock at the Strong Side Linebacker spot. In the Middle we will need to keep our eyes on a few guys who could make an impact at this position. I think it's Erin Henderson's spot to lose, but keep an eye on guys like Audie Cole, Michael Mauti and Tyrone McKenzie. Audie Cole had a great pre-season last year and has the ability to make game changing plays, but lacks size and experience. Michael Mauti is built like a true Middle Linebacker, but is a rookie and has injury concerns. Tyrone McKenzie has been in the NFL since 2009 and still hasn't made an impact, so why is it going to happen in 2013? On the Weak Side spot look for Gerald Hodges our fourth round pick in 2013 NFL Draft to play that role. Also, look for Audie Cole or maybe even Larry Dean to compete.

#2 Wide Receiver position: Greg Jennings is our #1 WR, who is #2, #3, #4, etc? Look for Jerome Simpson and Cordarrelle Patterson compete for the #2 spot opposite Jennings. I hope Patterson wins this battle! At slot look for Jarius Wright to snab this role. Who will battle for depth? Simpson? Joe Webb? Greg Childs? Stephen Burton? Chris Summers? Rodney Smith? I think we will see some competition, it may not be elite competition, but it's competition. Two names stick out as possible cuts in Joe Webb and Jerome Simpson because of contracts. They both will be given a chance, but both will have a target on them this offseason.

#3 Cornerback position: We could see a lot of shuffling this offseason. Do we have a #1 or #2 corner? I hope Xavier Rhodes is the real deal and can be our #1 guy, but that is a lot to ask of from a rookie. Chris Cook has the size to be a good corner in the NFL, but must prove he has what it takes. Josh Robinson, Jacob Lacey, A.J. Jefferson, Brandon Burton, Bobby Felder and Marcus Sherels will compete for a roster spot. I will definitely keep an eye on these names during OTA's, mini camp and preseason.

Vikings Stadium is great for Minnesota

The Minnesota Vikings unveiled their new Stadium tonight and omg it is stunning. This 65,000 seat NFL Stadium is a "People's Stadium". The new look is unbelievable with all the windows and massive doors that will open for a outdoor feel. This state of the art stadium has everything from impressive technology for the fans experience and the ability to host some of the largest events in the World such as Super Bowls, Final Fours, concerts and much more. This new stadium could be one of the most versatile facilities in the World. I am so excited for the Vikings and the State of Minnesota and what this means for Minneapolis. This stadium will create development opportunities for businesses and restaurants. Minneapolis and the Minnesota Vikings have an amazing future and I am proud to be apart of this fan base. 

Here are a few images!

NFC North Draft Recap- Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears

I've already graded the Vikings draft as an "A-" in my latest blog titled Overview of Vikings Draft. So what about the rest of the NFC North teams? Who else came out as "Winners" with the Vikings?

Green Bay Packers
Let's start with our hated rivals the Green Bay Packers. The Packers organization made a bunch of trades during the draft and were willing to grab a ton of draft picks by doing so. Ted Thompson and the Green Bay Packers get a solid "B" in this years draft.

The Packers in the first round took a player Datone Jones DT from UCLA who some had as the biggest sleeper and others had in round 2 and a reach as a first round pick. Drafting Datone could be exactly what the Packers need to bolster their 3-4 defense. He is quick and will put pressure on whoever has the ball. His downside is that he still raw and veteran offensive lineman will make him look silly.

In the second round the Packers got a guy they were willing to take in round 1 and fell to them in round 2, RB Eddie Lacy from Alabama. Lacy could be another elite runner in this league as he can punish defenders with his big body and quick moves. His major concern is the toe injury reportedly turf toe, but others think it could be more serious then just an ordinary turf toe. Don't expect Eddie to get 20 carries a game and be another Adrian Peterson, but if he is half as good as AP he could really boost the Packers offense.

Other Picks
4th rd- OT David Bakhtiari, Colorado
4th rd- OT J.C. Tretter, Cornell
4th rd- RB Johnathan Franklin, UCLA
5th rd- FS Micah Hyde, Iowa
5th rd- DT Josh Boyd, Mississippi State
6th rd- LB Nate Palmer, Illinois State
7th rd- WR Charles Johnson, Grand Valley State
7th rd- WR Kevin Dorsey, Maryland
7th rd- OLB Sam Barrington, South Florida


Detroit Lions
The up and coming Lions need to keep getting younger and add talent on both sides of the ball. The Detroit Lions and General Manager Martin Mayhew get a "C" in this years draft. I believe the Lions needed to add a top tier Left Tackle because Jeff Backus a 12 year career retired and also a top 10 Wide Receiver who can play opposite Calvin Johnson. They got neither, but they did add some decent young talent in other positions of need.

With the Lions first round and 5th overall pick they took DE from Brigham Young Ezekiel Ansah. Ezekiel is an athletic freak who is a huge playmaker and was a nice pick after the top 3 Tackles were taken, they also needed a pass rusher since Vanden Bosch and Avril are gone. He could be the next Pierre-Paul, this guy has elite speed and could create matchup problems for offensive coordinators. He is still pretty raw and will need to develop in the preseason.

The Lions then took CB Darius Slay out of Mississippi State. Slay is a great pickup for the Lions who lack cornerback depth. He is so good at breaking passes up and will at times make Wide Receivers draw penalties because he will frustrate receivers by being so aggressive trying to make a play on the ball. He lacks size with a smaller frame, but should bulk up and be a true #1 corner.

3rd rd- OG Larry Wargord, Kentucky
4th rd- DE Devin Taylor, South Carolina
5th rd- P Sam Martin, Appalachian State
6th rd- WR Corey Fuller, Virginia Tech
6th rd- RB Theo Riddick, Notre Dame
7th rd- TE Michael Williams, Alabama
7th rd- ILB Brandon Hepburn, Florida A&M

Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears and General Manager Phil Emery made a lot of noise in the NFL Draft this year and I think the only noise they made were boos. The Chicago fans would probably agree they get a "D-" in this years NFL Draft. They needed to get younger on defense with a new MLB, CB's and also needed to add depth at Wide Receiver and the Offensive Line.

With the first pick the Bears made a risky and stunning pick and selected OL Kyle Long from Oregon. Long is very raw and is a project type player who should of been taken in the second day of the draft. The Chicago Bears must of liked his athletic ability, but they reached on this pick. He lacks experience and needs to learn quickly because he may be the starting Left Guard.

In the second round the Bears drafted Jonathon Bostic LB from Florida. More Boos? Chicago reached again for this selection and should of tried trading up to get Manti Te'o or something better than Bostic like Arthur Brown. He lacks a lot of things such as speed, play recognition, coverage skills and takes bad angles. He has some up side but needs to improve quickly to play at the next level.

4th rd- OLB Khaseem Greene, Rutgers
5th rd- OT Jordan Mills, Louisiana Tech
6th rd- DE Cornelius Washington, Georgia
7th rd- WR Marquees Wilson, Washington State

Overview of Vikings Draft

The Minnesota Vikings get an A- during the NFL Draft. Of course the Vikings hit it big with three first round draft picks in Sharrif Floyd DT from Florida, CB Xavier Rhodes from Florida State and WR Cordarrelle Patterson Tennessee. I believe each one of these guys can make an immediate impact this year.

Rick Spielman lost out on some good talent in rounds 2-3 by trading away picks to New England to grab Patterson. Cordarrelle must be a home run pick in order for this draft to become an A or A+.

The Vikings then in the fourth round drafted Gerald Hodges a Linebacker out of Penn State. Hodges has good football IQ and instincts. He is a solid fourth round pick with some upside. He needs to improve his man coverage skills and speed. He is a very good tackler and can play very well in zone defense.

With their fifth round pick the Vikings drafted Punter Jeff Locke from UCLA. The Vikings loved this guy before the draft and might of reached a bit for him, but I am sure are excited to have a guy with such a huge leg and accuracy. Look for the Vikings to either trade or cut current Punter Chris Kluwe.

In the sixth round the Minnesota Vikings selected Jeff Baca UCLA Guard. Jeff is a guy who should fit our scheme well and has the ability to play Guard and Tackle. He has great pass blocking skills and needs to improve moving big defensive lineman in run blocking.

With the seventh round the Vikings get Linebacker Michael Mauti. Mauti is all around good in the run and passing game. He tackles well and has good instincts. Michael has injury issues over the years that has limited his productivity and must prove he can still play football at a high level.

Also in the seventh round the Vikings take Travis Bond OL North Carolina. Travis can play either Guard or the Tackle position and needs to improve his footwork and hands. He adds depth to this line and could possibly fill in if the line has injury issues.

Yes, the Vikings also got another seventh round pick in Everett Dawkins DT from Florida State. Dawkins isn't a very big defensive tackle and needs to put on some weight to play at the next level. He has a quick first step and could be a surprising seventh round pick.

Overall the Minnesota Vikings filled some major holes on offense and defense and even picked up a Special teams stud. Rick Spielman always says you can't grade a draft until after 3 years, so as of now I give it an A- and I hope this draft class will be better than that. We can't afford to not have our first round picks not live up to expectation and we need to have found some gems with our late round picks.

Vikings Draft Weekend Prediction

The Vikings will be silent rounds 2 and 3, but who knows Rick Spielman might trade up to snag another pick in either round. The Vikings still need to draft a Linebacker and I don't think we will have a shot at guys like Mani Te'o or Arthur Brown. Here are a few players the Minnesota Vikings should consider drafting this weekend.

Linebacker Kevin Reddick from North Carolina- Kevin could step right in and be a productive Linebacker. He is well rounded and can make big tackles, cover and pass rush.

Wide Receiver Ryan Swope Texas A&M- Ryan is a nice slot receiver who can make defenders miss, he is quick and has great hands.

Tyranna Mathieu CB LSU- The "Honey Badger" is still available and could fall to round 4, but Spielman may have to move up to round 3 to get him. I really would love taking a chance on a guy like this who is such a great player. Of course he has off the field issues, but would be a game changer if can shy away from off the field issues.

Punter Jeff Locke from UCLA- Spielman and the Vikings have had interest in Locke and could be taken in the 6th round.

J.C. Tretter Offensive Lineman from Cornell- He is a player who can play either Tackle or the Guard position. We need depth on the line and to get someone who can fill in and do what he is asked to do.

1st round = A+

The Minnesota Vikings and Rick Spielman drafted some great players tonight who can step in and make a huge difference!

With the 23rd pick the Vikings got a top 5 pick Sharrif Floyd DT. This guy is a stud and I am so surprised he fell to us and was a must pick guy at #23. He will fit in nicely next to Kevin Williams and will provide pressure in the middle.

#25 The Vikings take Xavier Rhodes out of Florida State. This was another quick decision by Spielman and his staff, I thought for sure Indianapolis was going to take him at #24. He is a great addition to our secondary!

The Vikings then traded a lot to move up and take Cordarrelle Patterson WR out of Tennessee. Yes, we gave up a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th round pick, but man this guy has a lot of upside and gives Ponder another weapon on offense.

Overall
The Vikings get an A+ and fill 3 holes on this squad. We got guys who dropped to us and Rick Spielman got excited and so did I. I don't even care what happens round 2-7, we got 3 guys who can make a big difference and Vikings fans should be so pumped!!!

Who's Wearing Purple?

Let me breakdown what to expect Thursday night.

The Minnesota Vikings currently have the 23rd and 25th pick in this years NFL draft. Who will they select? Who will be wearing purple? Rick Spielman has been pretty successful drafting players who fit our system, last year he drafted LT Matt Kalil with the 4th overall pick and was a huge addition to our offensive line. Rick then traded to snag Safety Harrison Smith with the 29th overall pick in the first round. Both first round picks were huge contributors last season. Can they repeat a successful first round draft this year?

Scenario 1:
I think the Vikings will do whatever they can to grab WR Cordaralle Patterson from Tennessee with the 23rd pick. He will be a huge addition to this slim wide receiver corp. Patterson reminds me of Demaryius Thomas of Denver, he can do so much off the line and can create space from his first steps. He is a big target who can run slants, screens, posts, quick routes, drag routes, etc. His hands are above average but tends to use his body a bit too much. If you can get him the ball in open space he can make defenders miss and go the distance. Cordaralle would be a great #2 wideout opposite Greg Jennings, he can learn from Greg on how to find holes in the defense. I would absolutely be a fan of this pick and could be a nice offensive weapon.

With the 25th overall pick the Vikings will be in a tough position. I feel the two guys they wanted here were CB Xavior Rhodes of Florida State but will probably be selected 24th overall to the Colts and DT Sylvester Williams will be taken earlier by Dallas. I see the Vikings then trading this pick to the New York Jets who will trade their 39th overall pick and a mid round pick to move up and jump ahead of Green Bay to draft Alabama RB Eddie Lacey. The Vikings don't want the Packers to get a guy like Lacey and would be willing to trade back and get someone like S Matt Elam from Florida at #39. Matt Elam is a stud! Big hitting guy who is versatile and a game changer.

Scenario 2
Rick Spielman will snag CB Desmond Trufant from Washington with the #23rd pick. Trufant could fall to them her and would get a fantastic corner here who has all the making of being a solid #1 cornerback. He is lean, but has the ability to be physical with run support and can make Qaurtebacks look away from his side of the field. He is a true playmaker who can fight for the ball and is known for defending passes and occasionally making turnovers. If he is anything like his brothers the Vikings shouldn't pass on him.

With the #25th pick the Minnesota Vikings will solidify their void at Middle Linebacker and draft Manti Te'o. I know he has issues and didn't play well in the National Championship, but Manti is a guy who has a Ray Lewis feel. If he is in the right situation and locker room he could be a fantastic pick at #25. Many Vikings fans may disagree with my take on Te'o and I think he will show critics he is a franchise linebacker. I think he would fit great with Chad Greenway and Chad would give Manti the ability to take chances getting to the Quarterback and Runningbacks. I don't know how great of a coverage linebacker he will be going against elite TE's. He has quick feet and has great instincts on the football field.

Scenario 3
Vikings trade #23rd pick to Tennessee and get the #40th pick in the second round. I think the Titans want to jump up and grab WR Robert Woods. The Vikings then would take LB Arthur Brown from Kansas State at #40. Arthur Brown would be a good value early in the second round and would give Frazier a solid Linebacker who can do so much in run support and coverage. Brown is a high motor guy who would solidify a major hole in this defense.

With the 25th pick Minnesota would take CB D.J. Hayden from Houston. D.J. has been medically cleared after a life threatening heart issue when he tore a major vein in his heart. He is explosive with top end speed and is so good at making big plays. He could be the best corner in this draft and would be a steal at #25. I love this guy and his heartbreaking story!