Wide Receiver Options

The Vikes need wide receivers badly. The problem is, the 2007 current Free Agent class is very weak at wide receiver. The Titans, Drew Bennett and the Eagles, Donte Stallworth are atop the list. Don’t get me wrong, I’d take either of those guys, but not as our number one receiver!

Bennett is 6-5, 206. He is a six year NFL vet with 273 career receptions for 4,033 yards with 25 total touchdowns. Bennett is more of a number two or three guy.

Stallworth is 6-0, 196. He is a five year NFL vet with 233 career receptions for 3,516 yards with 28 total touchdowns. He scored five times in twelve games last year in Philly. Stallworth is a speedy guy that is more in the mold of a number two receiver.

The biggest problem is that the Vikes aren’t the only team with wide receiver issues. Like I learned in Economics 101, a high demand and a low supply is a sellers market. In this case, both Bennett and Stallworth will likely make WAY more then they are actually worth. I wouldn’t mind either one of them in purple, but not for an outrageous price.

Another receiver that is rumored to possibly be available is Saints receiver, Joe Horn. Horn is due to make four million bucks next year and it is thought that with Marcus Colston developing and Horn’s injuries, he could be cut.

If in fact Horn was let go, he would be an intriguing prospect for the Vikes. Horn is 6-1, 213. He is an eleven year NFL vet with 576 career receptions for 8,501 yards with 57 touchdowns.

Although he missed eight games in the last two years due to injury, he would provide veteran leadership and sure hands. Two things the Vikes could definitely use! The main question would be, has his time passed.

I would be excited if Horn was to become a Viking, but not overly optimistic. He does have some wear and tear on his body, but he would instantly upgrade the Vikes receivers.

If I were the Vikings, I would still try and ship Fred Smoot to Oakland for Randy Moss or Jerry Porter. I would prefer Moss, but I’d take Porter for Smoot.

Trade Smoot, draft a wide receiver in the first round and sign Horn if he was available.

Think of David Carr throwing to Jerry Porter, Joe Horn and Ted Ginn Jr. Not bad! It sure beats Brad Johnson throwing to Troy Williamson, Travis Taylor and Marcus Robinson.

FAT PAT
Pat Williams was named to the Pro Bowl today per Bears defensive tackle, Tommie Harris is injured. This means that the Williams boys should start at defensive tackle for the NFC. Along with Kevin and Pat, Matt Birk and Steve Hutchinson will be Viking representatives at the Pro Bowl.

Senior Bowl Preview

This years Senior Bowl will take place on Saturday, January 27th.

The Senior Bowl is a great way for (obviously) seniors to improve or hurt their NFL Draft stock. This year, the North roster will be coached by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the South will be coached by the San Francisco 49er’s.

With the Vikes having many holes (mainly on offense), some future Vikings may be playing in this game. Here are some notables on each side.

NORTH
Tyler Palko, quarterback, Pittsburgh
Drew Stanton, quarterback, Michigan State
Troy Smith, quarterback, Ohio State
David Clowney, wide receiver, Virginia Tech
Levi Brown, offensive tackle, Penn State
Ryan Harris, offensive tackle, Notre Dame
Amobi Okoye, defensive end, Louisville
LaMarr Woodley, defensive end, Michigan
Quinn Pitcock, defensive tackle, Ohio State
Paul Posluszny, linebacker, Penn State
Leon Hall, cornerback, Michigan

SOUTH
Kevin Kolb, quarterback, Houston
Chris Leak, quarterback, Florida
Kenny Irons, running back, Auburn
Lorenzo Booker, running back, Florida State
Dwayne Bowe, wide receiver, LSU
Justin Blalock, offensive tackle, Texas
Quentin Moses, defensive end, Georgia
Patrick Willis, linebacker, Ole Miss
Buster Davis, linebacker, Florida State
Brandon Meriweather, safety, Miami
Michael Griffin, safety, Texas

Super Bowl XLI: Colts vs Bears

SUPER BOWL
The Super Bowl is finally set. It will be the Chicago Bears versus the Indianapolis Colts on February 4th. I am going to be a huge Colts fans for that game. Not only do I despise the Bears, but I like Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy too.

Looking back on the 2006 season, it was somewhat like I thought it would be. I made my predictions in late June. Not to say I’m a great football mind or anything, but I did have the Colts playing the Patriots in the AFC Championship. So I was a little off on my NFC Championship, but I knew a team from the NFC North would be in it.

As for the division winners, I went four for eight (Pats, Colts, Eagles, and Seahawks). In the AFC I gave into the hype with Cincy and Denver and in reality it was Baltimore and San Diego winning their divisions. I don’t think anyone saw the Saints in the NFC. Most people including myself picked the Panthers. And of course I had the Vikes over the Bears in the North and of course I was wrong.

Like I said in June, look for Indianapolis and a team from the NFC North in the Super Bowl. I was just off a bit off on who that NFC North team would be.

SHARPER & SMOOT
Between veterans Darren Sharper and Fred Smoot, it appears that one will be back for sure and that one won’t be back for sure. Don’t worry its good news!

Sharper, who was upset after being pulled in the season finale, told the media that after talking more with head coach, Brad Childress and defensive coordinator, Mike Tomlin, they assured him he would be back with the Vikes next year. I guess maybe this isn’t guaranteed since it appears that Tomlin won’t be back.

Smoot on the other hand was running at the mouth again. Just two days after having his wired mouth opened, he said that he would not play second fiddle to anyone. Heading into next year, the Vikes appear set with Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin as their starting corners. Smoot thinks he can still start and said, “I just want the best for Fred Smoot. If the Vikings think the best for me is to get out of Dodge, then I have to move on. But a lot of teams need corners, and I know I can still start." Hey Fred, get out of Dodge!

NEW WR COACH
I highly doubt it was the old receivers coaching that made Troy Williamson, Marcus Robinson, Travis Taylor and Bethel Johnson blow, but they got rid of him anyway. Chilly canned Darrell Wyatt and hired George Stewart as the new Vikes wide receivers coach.

Stewart was coaching the Atlanta receivers last year and previously coached Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens with the 49ers. I don’t know if a receivers coach matters, but we might as well try a whole new approach to the receivers in 2007. Now all we need are some receivers!

TOMLIN GONE
Although not official yet, Mike Tomlin will become the next Steelers head coach. Let the hunt for the new Vikes defensive coordinator begin!

Tomlin to the Steelers?

The Vikes may have lost again. This time not just a game, but their defensive coordinator, Mike Tomlin. Hiring Tomlin was one of the first things that Head Coach, Brad Childress did when he took over for the Vikes last January.

Tomlin came from Tampa Bay where he learned under Tony Dungy and Monte Kiffin how to perfect the Cover 2 defense that many NFL teams now use. Tomlin, 34, was the defensive backs coach for the Bucs from 2001-2005.

At Minnesota, in Tomlin’s first year as a defensive coordinator, he led the Vikes defense to be the best team against the rush and the worst team against the pass. In 2006, the Vikes ran somewhat of a Cover 2, but they mixed in a lot of blitzing.

Today, Sports Illustrated reported that Mike Tomlin was in fact hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers to become their head coach. Tomlin has been interviewing with the Steelers over the last two weeks, but many insiders thought the Pittsburgh’s defensive coordinator, Russ Grimm would assume the lead position.

Although ESPN, Tomlin and the Steelers are denying the report, they may just be delaying the inevitable. It is very possible that the Vikes will be minus a defensive coordinator and that the Steelers will have a new coach very soon.

The Steelers are saying that they have narrowed down their selection to Mike Tomlin, Russ Grimm and Bear’s defensive coordinator, Ron Rivera. The Steelers haven’t had a chance to talk to Rivera because unfortunately, the Bears are still in the postseason.

If the Vikes do in fact lose Tomlin this year I will be very surprised. Don’t get me wrong, I like Mike Tomlin. He is the best thing that Brad Childress has done so far as the Vikes coach, but he has only one year of being a defensive coordinator under his belt.

Yes, he led the Vikes to the number rush defense, but he had studs Pat Williams and Kevin Williams leading the charge up front. Even with terrible defensive ends, how could Tomlin not stop the pass? A huge red flag to me is that the Vikes ended the season with the WORST pass defense in the NFL.

An argument can be made that teams quit running and just passed on Minnesota, which is true, but still. If he is such a defensive genius, how come the Vikes never could stop a team from throwing all over on them?

It would be a tough blow for the Vikes to lose Tomlin, but not the end of the world. Tomlin seems like a fiery guy who the players respond to and he appears to be well liked by his players. I’m hoping that some guy at SI messed up big time and that Grimm will end up getting the Steelers job, but even if the Vikes do keep Tomlin this year, he will likely be gone next offseason to pursue a head coaching job.

If the Vikes have a hole at defensive coordinator, early favorites to fill the job would be Karl Dunbar (Vikes defensive line coach) or Fred Pagac (Vikes linebackers coach). Pagac was the Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator from 1996-2000. Ohio State could have used him in that championship game against Florida earlier this month.

Or Chilly could just hire actor, Omar Epps who looks nearly identical to Tomlin. Maybe the players would even notice. More on Tomlin when things are actually official.

Ron Mexico Strikes Again

It sounds like Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback, Matt Schaub will no longer be an option for the Vikes, or any other team, anymore. Schaub, who was mentioned last year in various trade talks, may end up starting in 2007 for Atlanta.

What about Mike Vick you ask. Well, he got in a little trouble yesterday. Vick reluctantly surrendered a water bottle to security at Miami International Airport that officials said smelled like marijuana and contained a substance in a hidden compartment. He was not arrested and was allowed to board an AirTran flight that landed in Atlanta on Wednesday.

So Schaub may no longer be available, but Vick may be! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but NO WAY do I want Vick on the Vikings. Besides the Raiders, I’m not sure who would take Vick.

I used to like Vick and enjoy watching him play, but he has proven that not only is he a total idiot, but he is a terrible passer and a horrendous leader. Vick is quickly becoming a TOTAL waste of talent.

After the Falcons lost to the Saints at home in November, Vick flipped off the home crowd. What a guy. Even a crazier Vick story is when he gave genital herpes to a gal in 2005. Vick supposedly was visiting clinics under the name Ron Mexico and knew he had the disease. The case was settled out of court. To this day, I still refer to Vick as Ron Mexico. Nice alias.

Vick’s brother, Marcus, is no angel either. Marcus was kicked out of Virginia Tech for many reasons. He also pointed a gun at teenagers in a McDonald’s parking lot, had sex with a minor (she was 15 when he was 20), and stomped on an opponents leg at the end of the 2005 college season.

I never dreamed I would say this, but I would rather have Tarvaris Jackson as the Vikes quarterback then Mike Vick. At least TJack appears to be a hard worker with some heart. Vick and his brother should retire from the NFL and go smoke pot with other wastes of talent like Ricky Williams and former Viking, Onterrio “Smokey” Smith.

Chilly Wants a Carr?

I love the NFL offseason, mainly due to the rumors. The latest Viking rumor is that the Vikes have interest in Houston Texans quarterback, David Carr.

Carr is a five year NFL vet who was selected number one overall by the Houston Texans in the 2002 NFL Draft. Carr started two years at Fresno State and led them to a 11-3 record in his senior year of college.

Nowadays, Carr is known as being the MOST sacked quarterback in the NFL and a potential bust. The Texans offensive line has been pathetic over the last five years (Artis Hicks would START there), but Carr has never seemed to show much improvement himself.

In 2002, he threw 9 touchdowns and 15 picks during his rookie season. The Texans went 4-12 in 02, their first season in the NFL.

In 2003, he threw 9 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He missed four games due to injury. The Texans went 5-11 in 03.

In 2004, he threw a career high 16 touchdowns and 14 picks. Even though he threw for over 3,500 yards, the Texans missed the playoffs again as they went 7-9 in 04.

In 2005, he threw 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Texans went 2-14 in 05.

In 2006, he threw 11 touchdowns and 12 picks and was benched in favor of backup Sage Rosenfels towards the end of the season. The Texans ended up 6-10 in 06.

To be honest, I’m not sure what I totally think of Carr to the Vikes. I understand that Tarvaris Jackson is very raw and that Brooks Bollinger is a never will be, but I’m not sold on Carr entirely.

In his best season, he only threw two more touchdowns then interceptions and the best record he has led his team to in five years is 7-9. Maybe he’d fit right in with the Vikes!

Seriously though, if the Texans do cut Carr, I think he would become a real possibility for the Vikes. I think if the price was right to get him (or if he was a free agent), the Vikes might as well give him a shot. Let him compete with Jackson and Bollinger for the starting roll. What's the worst that could happen?

Newt's Big Board

Actually it’s Mel Kiper’s latest Big Board with all of the juniors who have declared included. In case you don’t have ESPN Insider, here it is.

*1. Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech (6-4, 225) previous: UR
He's not only a tremendous athlete, but he's also a hard worker and very team oriented.

2. Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin (6-6½, 313) previous: Same
Huge, quick and athletic with a long wingspan.

3. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame (6-3½, 225) previous: 1
Poised, smart and at his best in pressure situations. Quinn did throw two interceptions in Sugar Bowl after throwing just one INT in his previous eight games.

*4. JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU (6-6, 260) previous: UR
Big, strong signal caller with a powerful arm. Decision-making improved significantly this season.

*5. Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas (6-5, 270) previous: UR
Gifted athlete, coming off an exceptional 2006 campaign. A complete player, equally as solid versus the run as he is as a pass rusher.

*6. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma (6-1½, 218) previous: UR
Talented RB with an excellent burst to the outside for a back his size. The concern is durability.

*7. Alan Branch, DT, Michigan (6-5½, 328) previous: UR
Huge and athletic, Branch is a true space-eater along the interior. Once his technique improves, watch out!

*8. Marshawn Lynch, RB, California (5-11, 224) previous: UR
Complete big back, right on the heels of Adrian Peterson when it comes to who will be the top RB in the draft.

9. Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson (6-4½, 260) previous: 4
Flashes dominating ability with his athleticism and quickness. Adams leads the Tigers with 10½ sacks and 15½ tackles for loss.

10. Leon Hall, CB, Michigan (5-11, 193) previous: 3
Tough customer who also shows very good anticipation and awareness in coverage. Hall leads the Wolverines with three interceptions.

11. LaRon Landry, DB, LSU (6-1½, 205) previous: 6
Four-year starter who has proven to be Mr. Reliable throughout his career. Landry lead LSU with 42 solo tackles.

12. Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville (6-1½, 298) previous: 5
A four-year veteran, and he is only 19 years old. Okoye is quick and explosive and goes all-out on every play. He is not only good at eating up space but also gets good penetration into the backfield. He's second on the Cardinals in both sacks and tackles for loss.

13. Jeff Samardzija, WR, Notre Dame (6-4½, 215) previous: 10
Super hands and concentration with outstanding speed-to-size ratio. He caught a touchdown pass in the final five games of the season.

*14. Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC (6-4, 210) previous: UR
Has the size and natural pass receiving skills to create mismatches against smaller CB's. Also has better quickness out of his break than people give him credit for.

*15. Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee (6-2½, 210) previous: UR
Came through with a number of highlight film type "wow" plays this season. If he runs well at the Combine, Meachem could elevate his draft position in the weeks leading up to the draft.

16. Tony Ugoh, OT, Arkansas (6-5, 308) previous: 9
Ugoh's stock has been rising all year to the point where he's one of the more intriguing senior prospects in the nation.

*17. Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia (6-2, 280) previous: UR
Shows natural pass rush skills and his workout numbers should be eye catching.

18. Levi Brown, OT, Penn St. (6-4½, 325) previous: 15
Steady and reliable at protecting the quarterback's blind side.

*19. Sidney Rice, WR, South Carolina (6-3, 200) previous: UR
Angular wide-out with a nice burst out of his break and above average hands. The key for Rice will be how well he runs at the combine workout.

20. Ryan Kalil, C, USC (6-2½, 292) previous: 12
His performance during the latter stages of his career has been that of a first- or second-round draft choice.

*21. Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida St. (6-2¼, 233) previous: UR
Moves right to the top of a very subpar LB'ing corps overall, particularly from the senior class. His production and consistency from game to game are what jumps out at you with Timmons.

22. Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska (6-6, 320) previous: 8
You just don't see many defensive ends carrying 300 pounds who can move as well as Carriker.

23. Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU (6-2, 217) previous: 13
Big and productive, Bowe runs excellent routes and has the toughness to catch the ball in traffic.

24. Marshal Yanda, OT, Iowa (6-4, 300) previous: UR
Well coached with outstanding technique, Yanda has been enjoying a steady rise up the draft board. Also will provide a great deal of versatility at the pro level.

25. Anthony Spencer, DE, Purdue (6-3¼, 273) previous: 18
He has become a much more effective pass-rusher this season for the Boilermakers. The key at the next level will be his athleticism and versatility, because I project he would be an ideal outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

*-denotes underclassman

Happy B-Day Skol Vikes

One year ago today, Skol Vikes was born. It was something that started out as a fun hobby for me and now it has turned into a great venting tool and a borderline addiction.

I appreciate everyone who has read Skol Vikes over the last year. From friends and family to the die hard Vikes fans that don’t even know me. I look forward to Year 2. I sure hope that the team will be better next year, but if not, I’ll have fun ripping them anyways.

I must say that I am shocked that Skol Vikes has become something that is celebrated by the entire nation. I just found out that people have work off today (not me) and even the South Dakota Legislature is taking the day off in honor of Skol Vikes. I am truly honored.

Thanks for reading the blog and keep those comments coming!

SKOL VIKES

Vikes Will Select Jarrett

As the Vikes wait for the 2006 NFL season to end, not much is happening in their world. I’m not sure how long they have to wait before the Vikes start cutting veterans like: Brad Johnson, Fred Smoot, Jim Kleinsasser, Jermaine Wiggins and Troy Williamson.

As a side note, there is an interesting rumor out of a possible trade of Fred Smoot to the Raiders for troubled receiver Jerry Porter. I find this highly unlikely to happen, but if Oakland is willing, then Minnesota should. Smoot is going to be cut if he's not traded. They might as well get something for him.

MIKE TOMLIN
Vikes Defensive Coordinator, Mike Tomlin has been interviewing for head coaching vacancies. Too bad they are just using him. Tomlin interviewed with both the Steelers and the Dolphins. Although neither team has announced their new coach, Tomlin will not be the guy for either team. I do expect that next off-season Tomlin could actually become a head coach, but not yet.

2007 NFL DRAFT
Even though the 2007 NFL Draft is not until late April, it’s already time for Vikes fans to dream of their first round pick.

The ideal player for Minnesota is receiver, Calvin Johnson. The problem is, Johnson could go as high as number one overall. I would love for the Vikes to get Johnson, but most likely he won’t be there at seven.

With Johnson likely gone, the question is, who should Minnesota take with their first pick?

Oakland, Detroit, Cleveland, Tampa, Arizona and Washington pick ahead of the Vikes. Many of the experts are already predicting Oakland to nab JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU) first overall and Detroit to take Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame) second.

Cleveland needs help everywhere and could use another playmaker on offense, ie Johnson, but they also could use a playmaker on defense. They are a real wild card. I see them leaning towards Gaines Adams (DE, Clemson).

Tampa and Arizona may swap places pending a coin flip, but I look for both teams to covet Joe Thomas (OT, Wisconsin). One will take him and the other will likely take Alan Branch (DT, Michigan) or if Tampa misses out on Thomas, they could take Johnson.

That leaves the Washington Redskins as the last team ahead of the Vikes. The Skins already have one playmaking receiver in Santana Moss so they too could select Johnson.

With the Vikes number one guy off the board, they will still need to address gaping holes at wide receiver. With Johnson gone, the next best receiver is USC’s Dwayne Jarrett.

Jarrett is a 6-5, 215 pound, athletic playmaker. In his three years at USC, he scored 41 total touchdowns including two against Michigan during last week's Rose Bowl .

Although I’d LOVE to get Calvin Johnson, the Vikes most likely will settle for Dwayne Jarrett. The fear is that Dwayne Jarrett will be the next Troy Williamson (also drafted seventh overall) not the next Randy Moss.

Like it or not, look for Jarrett to be a Minnesota Viking in 2007.

Die Hard or Idiot

THE BALL
I must say, I don’t know yet if I’m a die hard fan or just an idiot. About three weeks ago I discovered nflauction.nfl.com. This was a great find, but a little dangerous. They have all sort of autographed memorabilia on the site. I assume it IS actually real since it is through the NFL. I sure hope it’s real or I’m a total sucker.

Anyways, all you need to do is put in your credit card number and bid away. The Viking supply of items has been fairly limited, but I found a Tarvaris Jackson autographed ball that I thought I needed (this was before the Packers game).

I started the bidding at about $50 and then was outbid by some other sucker, I mean die hard fan. Then the competitive side came out in me. Dammit, I wanted this football. So anyways, as of the other day, I now proudly have an autographed TJack football in my bedroom. No, I’m not going to tell you how much I paid for it, but it was over $100 and under $500.

The ball looks nice in it’s new home, I just hope my man, TJack doesn’t turn out to be a bum. It sounds like he may in fact be the Vikes quarterback in 2007. I sure hope so!

KWILL
Vikings defensive end, Kevin Williams was named to the AP All-Pro team for the second time in his NFL career. Hutch finished third at guard and Fat Pat was sixth at defense tackle.

COACH OF THE YEAR
I was shocked when Vikings Head Coach, Brad Childress didn’t win the NFL Coach of the Year award. He was robbed. Saints rookie coach, Sean Payton won the honor.

CJ ENTERS THE DRAFT
Georgia Tech standout receiver, Calvin Johnson entered the NFL Draft today. Johnson will forgo his senior season and will be drafted in the top ten of the 2007 NFL Draft. He could go as high as #1 overall. Draft guru, Mel Kiper has him atop his big board.

Johnson is 6-5, 235 pound. He runs a 4.4 40-yard dash, is athletic and can catch the football. It would be a dream for Johnson to fall to the Vikes at seven. Chilly and the boys need to make sure that this kid is a Viking.

ROMO TO THE VIKES?
After watching the games this past weekend all I could think was how good of a fit Tony Romo would be for the Vikes. He’s a guy that choked terribly in the clutch.

I think that Chilly should go after Romo and hire the guy who calls the plays for the KC Chiefs. They had ZERO first downs in the first half (of a playoff game) against the Colts. Sound like Chilly’s kind of offense!

The Plan

As the Vikes sit today, they have MANY holes that need to be filled. The Vikes most glaring weaknesses are at wide receiver, defensive end and right tackle.

I know Chilly doesn’t like advice, but he might want to listen to my plan for the 2007 Vikes. My squad would go 12-4 and win the Super Bowl. Here is the plan.

OFFENSE
Current 2007 Offense
WRs 1-2-3: All are three are HOLES
TE: HOLE
LT: Bryant McKinnie
LG: Steve Hutchinson
C: Matt Birk
RG: HOLE
RT: HOLE
QB: Tarvaris Jackson/Brooks Bollinger
RB: Chester Taylor
FB: Tony Richardson

To address the receiver holes, I’d trade a third round pick to Oakland for Randy Moss. With the seventh overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, the Vikes will select Calvin Johnson, Dwayne Jarrett or Ted Ginn Jr. Let’s hope somehow Johnson is still there. Also, the Vikes should sign free agent, Drew Bennett as their number three receiver.

The obvious first choice at tight end would be Chiefs superstar, Tony Gonzales. I highly doubt he will be a free agent for long. I’d settle for the Patriots Daniel Graham.

At Right Guard, I’d try and get current player, Marcus Johnson to transition inside. If he couldn’t do it, maybe Ryan Cook could.

At Right Tackle, I’d try to sign either Leonard Davis (Cardinals) or Mike Gandy (Buffalo). Davis would be the real catch.

Newt’s 2007 Offense
WRs 1-2-3: Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson, Drew Bennett
TE: Daniel Graham
LT: Bryant McKinnie
LG: Steve Hutchinson
C: Matt Birk
RG: Marcus Johnson
RT: Leonard Davis
QB: Tarvaris Jackson
RB: Chester Taylor
FB: Tony Richardson

DEFENSE
Current 2007 Defense
CB: Antoine Winfield
LE: Erasmus James
DT: Pat Williams
DT: Kevin Williams
RE: HOLE
CB: Cedric Griffin
SLB: Ben Leber/Chad Greenway
MLB: EJ Henderson
WLB: HOLE
SS: Darren Sharper
FS: Dwight Smith

The Vikes biggest free agent splash needs to be on a pure pass rushing defensive end. Colts, Dwight Freeney is slated to be an unrestricted free agent and if he’s available, I’d sign him on the first day of free agency.

At linebacker, Lance Briggs (Bears), Cato June (Colts) and London Fletcher (Bills) are the big names out there. The Bears won’t let Briggs go, so I’d settle for Fletcher.

Newt’s 2007 Defense
CB: Antoine Winfield
LE: Erasmus James
DT: Pat Williams
DT: Kevin Williams
RE: Dwight Freeney
CB: Cedric Griffin
SLB: Ben Leber
MLB: EJ Henderson
WLB: London Fletcher
SS: Darren Sharper
FS: Dwight Smith

It may seem like a dream, but all the Vikes need to do to become a contender are: trade for Randy Moss, draft a wide receiver with their number one pick, and sign Dwight Freeney, London Fletcher, Daniel Graham and Leonard Davis.

Chilly's End of the Year Thoughts

Chilly had his season ending press conference today. He had some interesting things to say including that Tarvaris Jackson and Brooks Bollinger will battle for the 2007 starting quarterback job and he admitted he needs to call some better plays. Maybe there is hope! Below is a portion of his press conference.

Childress: Let me kind of chronicle some positives, some negatives, and I kind of enumerated these things. I think it's extremely positive that we're able to build around a productive defense. I thought they did a great job as the year went on. Do they have things they have to improve on? They absolutely do.

I think that all of our draft picks played with the exception of (Chad) Greenway, and really, four out of those five ended up starting games. I think the free agents were very good contributors in (Steve) Hutchinson, Chester (Taylor), Ryan Longwell, Ben Leber, Dwight Smith. I think those guys did a very good job and obviously contributed and very highly.

I think we re-signed some guys that bodes bright for the future in E.J. (Henderson) and (Bryant) McKinnie and Kevin Williams. I think it's a positive that Chester rushed for 1,200 yards. Somewhere your line is exerting their will when a guy is able to do that. I think it's a positive that those guys are coming back from injured reserve in Greenway, Dovonte Edwards, (Tony) Richardson, Erasmus James, among others.Negatives; obviously we want to be playing in January and coaching in January and February.

Turnovers kind of defined our season and when you talk about returns for scores, those are game changing. Those are very difficult things to overcome statistically. I think it's easy probably to see the symptoms. It's more important that we're headed back right now to evaluate the problems that caused those symptoms. From that standpoint you end up pulling the whole thing apart. We've got a ways to go on offense. I'm disappointed that we were not able to put a better offensive product on the field, but I believe that we'll be much better as we go forward from the standpoint of knowledge of system, addition of players, players developing, that type of thing. I think it all starts in front. I think there is probably a pretty good core with those offensive guys.

Q: Would that include maybe additional staff or a creating an assistant head coach position?
A: I don't think you rule any of that stuff out; I don't think you rule it in necessarily either. I think you need to look at all avenues that are open to you. I know that the Wilf family has been very good about things that we've wanted to do. If that was the case, I believe they would be for something like that if that would make us better.

Q: When you include yourself in those evaluations, what do you feel you need to do better?
A: Probably call better plays that work. I'm serious. I know things come down to execution most of the time, but that's what I would say.

Q: Are you going to call the plays again next year?
A: As it stands right now, that's my plan, yeah.

Q: How do you view your quarterback position as you head into the offseason? Do you have a number one guy?
A: I want it to be competitive between those two guys. I'm going up to talk to Brad (Johnson) right now. Brad will be in there in the mix if he wants to be here. If he doesn't want to be here, that's something that we're about to talk about. He's under contract with us right now. I've told you I appreciate his professional nature, but you don't want to hold somebody here against their will if he doesn't want to be here. I don't think that bodes well for anybody.

Q: Who are the two guys?
A: Brooks (Bollinger) and Tarvaris (Jackson)

Q: If Johnson doesn't come back, would you kind of rule out the big free agent quarterbacks out there or what would you look for to add to that mix?
A: Yeah, probably a developmental guy, probably a lower-round draft pick. I don't think we're going into the free agent market. We're not close to thinking about going for a free agent quarterback. I like the guys that are here right now. We kept three quarterbacks on this squad. If I didn't feel like there was a viable third, I'd possibly go with two next year.

Q: So you're very comfortable with Jackson and Bollinger heading into 2007?
A: Yeah, and then we'll just see where Brad fits in that.

Q: Just for clarification, so you expect either Jackson or Bollinger to be your starting quarterback next season?
A: I do.

Q: Does communication with players need to improve or does anything need to change there?
A: I think in the role you are in you have to lay it down, and I think you can always back away, but I think you need to lay it down the way you believe it needs to be done. I mentioned to you that leadership group; they have the opportunity to bring things forward. I'm still meeting with numbers of players upstairs. I'm about to go back upstairs and meet with Brad (Johnson) here in about 45 minutes. People sometimes say things behind closed doors that they may not say within a group. I want accountability but I want honesty and I want truth as well. Guys have a tendency to do that a lot of times more behind closed doors.

Q: What do you think that buy-in factor was this season?
A: Hey, it's always better when you're winning. I can tell you it was a lot better at 4-2 than it is standing here at 6-10. It's tougher, and that's just the nature of today's athlete. There are questions; haven't done it this way before and that's fine, but somewhere you need to have some direction in how you are going about it and what you are doing. I believe in the structure that we're setting up.

Vikes Pick Number Seven

NFL DRAFT
The only benefit of having a bad year is getting a higher draft pick. By going 6-10, the Vikes will pick seventh overall in the NFL Draft. The 2007 NFL Draft is on April 28th & 29th. Look for the Vikes to lean towards a receiver with their first pick.

2007 OPPONENTS
Next year the Vikes will play Philadelphia, Washington, Oakland, San Diego, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay at home.

The Vikes road schedule consists of Dallas, NY Giants, Denver, Kansas City, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay.

TAYLOR ARRESTED
Vikes receiver, or should I say former Vikes receiver, Travis Taylor rang in the new year by being arrested night at three in the morning. Taylor refused police orders to move and he went on to push the cop. Taylor, who was drunk, was tasered by the officer and taken to jail.

Taylor is an unrestricted free agent. If he had any hope of staying a Viking, it is now gone. Good riddance. Currently the Vikes starting receivers are Troy Williamson and Billy McMullen. Yeah, I’d say receiver is a position they might want to address.

JOB OPENINGS
Zygi Wilf told the media that Vikes Head Coach, Brad Childress WILL be staying as the coach of the Vikes.

The news wasn’t so good for former Viking coach, Denny Green and Atlanta coach, Jim Mora, they were both fired today.