Cam Newton: Fit for Vikings?

Looking ahead to the Vikings top priority this offseason, Quarterback. The choices will be Gabbert, Locker, Newton and Mallett on Draft Day in the 1st round if the Vikings decide to go that route.

We all think Brett Favre will finally retire, right? Well if so we already told you its either Joe Webb, Free Agent QB or a Trade for another vet QB, or Draft. So in comes Cam Newton. He has the WR's in Rice (if they can work out a contract extension) and Harvin, one of the best RB's in Football in Adrian Peterson to minimize the pressure thats forced on him. Somewhat of a perfect situation for Cam Newton.

Why not? They won't likely keep Tarvaris Jackson who showed absolutely nothing and Joe Webb is a project that will take another year or two to develop who was actually drafted as a WR and for his speed. Newton would be an interesting fit and could possibly reenergize a Vikings fanbase that has seen dissapointment after dissapointment in Qb's over the years. Frazier could go this route, as I mentioned, he told the Media he is looking for a Franchise type QB.

Vikings: 2011 Draft

Now that I gave you the summary of the Vikings 2010 season, its time to look ahead at the Draft and show you the needs for the 2011 Vikings.

# 1 need- Quarterback. Joe Webb is a project at QB, he was drafted as a WR out of South Florida and played in 3 games for the Vikings. He most likely won't be the future QB for the Vikings after Coach Leslie Frazier hinted they would like to have a Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco at QB over the longhaul, and once Favre hangs it up for good ( I think its pretty much 99.9% true that he does) the Vikings will need to draft a QB. Some of the Qb's who will be available are Gabbert, Mallett, Newton and Locker.

# 2 need- Offensive Line. The Offensive Line was a failure for the Vikings in 2010 as it couldn't get any push up front for Pro Bowler Adrian Peterson who basically had to do it all himself. John Sullivan the Center struggled mightely as well as RG Anthony Herrera and 2nd year Tackle Phil Loadholt. Bryant McKinnie isn't getting any younger at LT and will be in his contract year. I'd say the Vikings should look at drafting a Center or LT of the future with one of their picks. Most likely 2nd round they can use that on.

# 3 need- Cornerback/Safety help. With a divison full of solid quarterbacks, including 2 who are a few hours away from kicking off in the NFC Championship game, the Vikings need to work on adding to a Secondary that was dismantled late in the season with RK CB Chris Cook on IR as well as Cedric Griffin who tore his ACL earlier in the season. With CB Antoine Winfield not getting any younger, the Vikings could also look at adding a cover corner or a playmaking Safety who it seems like they haven't had since Robert Griffith back in the late 90's.

Year in Review: Minnesota VIkings

The 2010 Vikings season was one of a kind. There is not one person who could have predicted what this season unfolded. In 2009 when the Vikings were one play away from the Superbowl and many people thought they could somewhat repeat the 12-4 Record. That all went south in a hurry.

No one knew for sure if Pro Bowl QB Brett Favre would return but there was Breaking News that 3 Vikings players went down to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to let Favre know that they need to know if he was going to play again. And like so many people expected, Favre ended back up in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The media gets crazy over the whole Favre story so of course they had Breaking News on the TV to say Brett Favre was returning. After that day, all hell broke loose. Percy Harvin collapsed inside the team facility with something to do with one of his Migrane Headaches that hes been suffering since he was 6 years old. A few days later a report came out saying Sidney Rice needed surgery. At that point its like, "you have to be kidding me, right"? Once news broke out Rice could possibly miss half of the season many Vikings fans started to worry, and why not? When you lose a ProBowl WR, its not easy to replace.

Things got worse, in Week 1 against the Saints the Vikings looked like they were trying to run the ball was much as possible because it looked like Favre wasn't in total football shape yet so many of the playcalls were "Vanilla" and easy to read. The Vikings ended up losing and then almost faced a must win the following week against the Dolphins. Favre ended up having a costly fumble in his own Endzone that Miami recovered and ended up winning the game. The Vikings starting 0-2 wasn't expected by many of the people in Minnesota.

The good news was there was still plenty of time to comeback. They played the woeful Lions the following week and Adrian Peterson busted out for 160 yards rushing and a few scores. It was a convincing win and seemed like the Vikings were headed back in the right direction. The following week is when things got strange, not only for the Vikings but for Brett Favre. A report was out that Brett Favre had "Sexting Allegations" with Jenn Sterger, former Jets cheerleader. Then as soon as that news is out theres more Breaking News that the Vikings acquired Randy Moss in a trade for the Patriots. First reaction was why the Patriots would give him up in the first place, but the Vikings clearly needed all the help it could get at WR with Sidney Rice still injured.

The Vikings visited the Jets on Monday Night Football and ended up losing late in the game because of a costly Favre pick 6 with a few minutes left. Vikings went on to a 1-3 record. Vikings would beat Dallas to go 2-3 then visit Favres former Packers in another Primetime Road Matchup. Favre was getting hit and throwing awful passes that resulted in 3 Interceptions. Favre tired to rally the troops late but threw a pass a tad high to Harvin that just missed being a Touchdown and the final play threw a strike to Moss, but it looked like Moss gave up on it. Childress wasn't too pleased about that.

Moss then returned to the Patriots the following week and looked like the exact same thing happend, he gave up on a ball Favre threw. The very next week Randy Moss was flat out released. The Vikings had basically just wasted a 3rd round pick for nothing and the fans were upset. Fans found out Head Coach Brad Childress was the one who made the decision. A few weeks later, after a 31-3 thumping at Home to the rival Green Bay Packers, the Vikings Fired Brad Childress and promoted DC Leslie Frazier. The Vikings would go on to win the next 2 games and Favre ended up giving the game ball to replacement Coach Frazier.

After that, things only got stranger. Breaking News once again from Minneapolis that the Dome of the Metrodome had collapsed overnight, Postponing the New York Giants/Minnesota Vikings tilt schedule for Noon Central Time. Whats crazy about that is the Giants weren't even in Minnesota yet because they were stranded in a Kansas City Airport due to Weather delays throughout the Midwest. The game was postponed to a Monday Night on the Road at Ford Field, where the Vikings would get boo'd by the crowd in what was an actual Home Game.

The following week the Vikings couldn't have the Metrodome ready in time so they would have to play outdoors at the U of M Gopher Football stadium at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings would go on to get routed by the rival Bears, understandable it seems. The Vikings were exhausted by everything that had gone on to at that point. Things got worse when QB Brett Favre had got hit and had a Concussion, making him leave the game for the 2nd time in 2 weeks and that was the last play Favre made in the NFL.

The following week there was more Breaking News that the Vikings/Eagles game would get Postponed to a Tuesday Night, the first game since 1946. Everything was set for an Eagles route with the high powered Eagles offense at home in nicer conditions and the Vikings looking like they were ready for the offseason by this point. The Vikings responded with Rookie QB/WR Joe Webb having a very nice debut as a Starter by rushing for a Michael Vick type Touchdown and the Vikings defense stepped up for what it semed like the first time all season to edge the Eagles on the Primetime Night.

The Vikings would end up losing the final game of the season to the Lions who looked like they were improving. The Vikings ended the season with over 5 guys on Injured Reserve, Text Message Allegations, a Coached being Fired, a Roof Collapse, a new Coach taking over, a Trade that went bad and a dismal 6-10 Record and 4th place in the NFC North. As they always say in the NFL, there is parity. Sometimes you have no idea what a new season will bring.

The Defensive Shakeup in Philadelphia

Now that the dust is slowly settling on the firing of Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, the details are bubbling to the surface, along with news of other defensive coaching changes. It seems that Andy Reid let McDermott go Wednesday, reportedly citing Jim Johnson's legend as an excuse for the termination. For those keeping score at home, the announcement came a mere two days after Reid told the press that the defensive coordinator would be returning for the 2011-2012 season. According to the Eagles, the delay would allow McDermott to start seeking alternative employment. Another, more likely reason for McDermott's termination is the recent revelation that some, if not much of the defensive players disagreed with his style of defense. Add to that the news that McDermott was on thin ice since the end of last season, coupled with this season's poor performance, and suddenly the firing seems more and more of an inevitability. While sources spotted McDermott interviewing in Denver, it has been confirmed that he will be taking the defensive coordinator position with the Carolina Panthers instead.



Since the news broke, there have been talks of Seahawks coach Jim Mora becoming the Eagles' new DC, though it is now believed he will most likely join the Denver Broncos' coaching staff in the same capacity. Mike Singletary was another candidate, first discussed before McDermott was even fired. On Monday, ESPN's SportsCenter speculated that Singletary would most likely go to work for former teammate Leslie Frazier of the Minnesota Vikings, a report later confirmed by Singletary. The Eagles also considered Rob Ryan, brother of Jets coach Rex and son of legendary Eagles coach Buddy Ryan, only to lose him to the division rival Dallas Cowboys.



If Mora joins the Broncos, now all but an inevitability, the Eagles are left with former Bills coach and current defensive backs coach Dick Jauron, who is currently being considered by the Cleavland Browns, and Bill Davis, the former Cardinals defensive coordinator. Considering the shift of DCs around the league, the Eagles need to move quickly if they plan to build a better defensive plan for next season. Jauron seems the optimal choice, having a familiarity with the defensive players and overall strengths and weaknesses of the team...provided he stays on the market long enough for the Eagles to hire him.

In the midst of all this was the firing of the Eagles' defensive line coach, Rory Segrest. This could spell trouble for the Eagles' defense for the 2011-2012 season, given the strong possibility of a lockout. If a compromise is not reached between the NFLPA and the owners on a new CBA by the March 4th deadline, any new defensive coordinator, defensive line coach, and (if Jauron leaves) defensive backs coach would likely have very little, if any, time to meet the defensive players, institute a system (many believe the Eagles will shift to a 3-4 defensive scheme), and have the players practice new defensive plays.

With all these factors in play, will the Eagles make a smart move, or will they be forced to make a desperate move? One can only hope that the front office steps up quickly to avoid what could be a disastrous showing in 2011.

Singletary Confirms He'll be with Vikings

Former San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary confirmed today with ESPN 1000 today that he has taken the linebackers/assistant head coaching job for the Minnesota Vikings. This doesn't come as much of a surprise as Vikings Coach Frazier made it well known that is he still friends with Singletary going back to their Chicago Bears days. The two of them won a Superbowl together with the 1985 Bears. This time they will be trying to knock off the 2010 NFC North Divison Champ Bears.

Right now, it seems many Vikings fans are very happy with this move. Not only will it give the fans a Defensive Coach who they're familar with, it gives them an assistant with some Head Coaching experience behind Frazier and adds some "tough" attitude to the defense who seemed to be soft most of last season. Many Vikings players said they loved playing for Leslie Frazier because hes actually played the game, the same could be said for Mike Singletary. The Vikings still have an Offensive Coordinator position open and they hope to fill that gap sometime in the near future. They did interview former Broncos HC Josh McDaniels last week.

After the decision on which Coaches to bring in, the Vikings have some tough decisions to make on which Free Agents to keep. Former 2009-10 Pro-Bowl WR Sidney Rice and OLB Chad Greenway are each Unrestricted Free Agents. Greenway has already told the Vikings he would love to stay, and who wouldn't if you were a Viking fan growing up in Iowa? The Vikings will likely use the Franchise Tag on one of them, but who will be the question? We will see down the road.

Posted by : Ryan

Vikings Blogger.

2011 NFL Mock Draft

1. Panthers

AJ Green (WR) - Georgia

This might not seem like the popular choice that most people would take.  But, if you think about it who did Jimmy Clausen, or any other Carolina QB, have to throw to?  Don't say Steve Smith, because he was doubled teamed the whole year.  Carolina does not have a big physical WR and AJ Green is the best one in this draft and would compliment Steve Smith nicely.  He would also Give Clausen a sure target, and/or free up Steve Smith.  

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 2. Broncos

Marcell Dareus (DT) - Alabama                                                          Broncos lack a big DT that can get to the QB.  Dareus provides the Broncos with that option.

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3. Bills

Nick Fairley (DT) - Auburn                                                                      This would make the second DT taken in the first 3 picks, and he is a good one.  If there is anything the Bills need it is great devensive player.  The Bills defense was among the worst in the NFL.  Fairley provides the Bills with a great defensive prospect that the can build around.

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4. Bengals

Akeem Ayers (OLB) - UCLA                                                         The Bengals do not need to draft an offensive player, because they have plenty of talent with Ochocinco, Simpson, Caldwell and Gresham.  What Ayers brings to the table is a fast physical linebacker, which will be needed during AFC North games.

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5. Cardinals

Blaine Gabbert (QB) - Mizzou                                                      Blaine Gabbert is the best Quarterback in this years draft thanks to Andrew Luck.  Cardinals need a franchise QB, and Gabbert give them the best chance to do just that.

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6. Browns

Da'Quan Bowers (DE) - Clemson                                                     As the Browns offense seems to be shaping up to quite a force to be reckoned with, the defense is what will need to be the focus in this years draft.  Although, do not be surprised if the Browns take Julio Jones from Alabama. Da'Quan has that big body and the knack to get to the QB.

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7. Eagles

Eagles get San Fransisco's 7th pick and San Fransisco gets Kevin Kolb and 2nd RD pick.                                                              Patrick Peterson (CB) - LSU                                                The Eagles secondary, besides Samuel, was probably the worst in all of the NFL.  They, Demitri Paterson, got burned over and over again.  It is time for the Eagles to finally fix this problem first this year. 

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8. Titans 

Ryan Mallet (QB) - Arkansas Who knows what is going to happen to Vince Young.  The Titans cannot rely on Kerry Collins to be the future QB.  Mallet is the best available franchise QB left at this point.

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9. Cowboys

Robert Quinn (DE) - UNC                                                                         The Cowboys will need some that can keep up with Mike Vick in the NFC East.  Quinn will also help out DeMarcus Ware on the other side.

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10. Redskins 

Cam Newton (QB) - Auburn                                                    Donavon McNabb most likely will not be in a Redskins uniform.  Cam Newton, despite the controversy in college, will be the answer to the future under center for the Washington Redskins.

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11. Texans

Prince Amukamara (CB) - Nebraska                                                         Along with the Eagles, the Texans were one the worst secondaries that teams scorched this year.  Prince Amukamara will be a big upgrade to the Texans secondary.

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12. Vikings

Von Miller (OLB) - Texas A&M                                                The Vikings do not have any big named linebackers and Von Miller will give them just that.

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13. Lions

Brandon Harris (CB) - Miami(FL)                                                   The Lions are one good corner back from having one of the best defenses in the league next year and taking Harris here would be a good start.

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14. Rams

Julio Jones (WR) - Alabama                                                                               The Rams have good looking future quarterback in Bradford, so they take Julio Jones here to give Bradford a shiney new toy. He is big and physical and will punish opposing corner backs.

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15. Dolphins

Aldon Smith (DE) - Mizzou Smith would be a great compliment to Cameron Wake on the other side of the D-line.

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16. Jaguars

Rahim Moore (FS) - UCLA Who played free safety for the Jaguars last year? Don't know huh? Moore will hopefully give the Jaguars a household name at free safety

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17. Patriots  

Justin Blackman (WR) - Oklahoma St. With the departure of Randy Moss early in the season, it left the Patriots with a true deep threat.  Blackman gives the Patriots just that.

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18. Chargers

Anthony Castonzo (OT) - Colorado If you give the best quarterback in the NFL time to pick apart your secondary, you will not have much of a chance to win. That's what the Chargers hopes happens when they take Costanzo here.

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19. Giants

Nate Solder (OT) -  Boston College                              David Diehl just isn't going to get it done and the Giants will look at Solder as a possible option moving forward.

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20. Buccs

Cameron Heyward (DE) - Ohio State                                                     Heyward provides the Buccs with a great pass rusher and will only improve their D-line.

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21. Chiefs

Cameron Jordan (DE) - Cal                                                                          Jordan is a good looking Defensive End prospect and that is why the Chiefs take him here with this pick.

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22. Colts

Muhammad Wilkerson (DT) - Temple                                    Wanna improve the Colts running defense? You do that with taking Wilkerson here.

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23. Eagles

Gabe Carimi (OT) - Wisconsin                                                       Michael Vick gets sacked 40+ times in a season you know your offensive line is really bad.  The Eagles need to take action here, and they do that with this guy.  Not to mention Carimi is one of the main reasons why Wisconsin's running game was so good this year.

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24. Saints

Corey Liuget (DT) - Illinois                                                                     The Saints could use a future DT and they will fill that need here with Liuget.

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25. Seahawks

Jake Locker (QB) - Washington                                                                    Matt Hasselbeck is old, Jake Locker is not.  Locker will have a grand ole time in the sate he played college ball, and who better to play for than Pete Carrol.

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26. Packers

Mark Ingram (RB) - Alabama                                                        Ryan Grant is not the answer in Green Bay.  The Heisman trophy award winner will be however, and will give the Pack a running game to be reckoned with.

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27. Bears

Phil Taylor (DT) - Baylor                                                               Taylor will give Peppers help rushing the QB. making the Bears defense even better

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28. Jets

JJ Watt (DE) - Wisconsin                                                              Jason Taylor is old and will not be a Jet for much longer.  Watt will rejuvenate the Jets d-line 

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29. Ravens

Derek Sherrod (OT) - Mississippi St. Rivals will now be teammates.  Oher and Sherrod will play along side each other now.

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30. Steelers

Mike Pouncy (OG) - Florida                                                If they can win championships in Florida, why can't they win championships in Pitsburgh? The Steelers make a good choice here.  

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31. Patriots

Tyrone Smith (OT) - USC                                                                           The Patriots o-line is old and Smith will fix that problem, quickly.

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32. Falcons

Randall Cobb (Utility) - Kentucky                                                                 Cobb mostly played WR at Kentucky, but he a better QB and RB than people think.  But the Falcon need neither a QB or a RB, so Cobb will likely play WR for the Falcons.