Once again, Mr. Intelligent and Vikings fanatic Capital J stops by to bust your face up with some amazing hard hitting takes that will probably force you to shit your pants. I’m not kidding. Go to the bathroom. Also, make sure you follow his Twitter feed here, and check out his personal blog here, and then follow along with our semi-regular feature where he says smart stuff and I sound like a dick head. Of course, that means I’m in italics. Onward!
1. No matter what happens with LT, we can probably rule out the possibility of Brian Westbrook coming to the Vikings. When asked yesterday, Childress said that they evaluate players as if they are nameless and they didn’t seem interested in Westbrook at all. He did, however, have good things to say about 3rd year player Albert Young. He even said Favre thought Young could be a good back in this league. Keep in mind Favre hasn’t had the best RB’s to work with in his career, particularly with Green Bay. Favre would likely make Young a better player if he does come back, but still the thought of LT and Adrian on the same team makes me drool profusely.
By drool to you mean “Jizz in your pants” because that’s pretty much what the idea of LT in the backfield does to everyone. Here’s the thing. The Vikings don’t necessarily NEED LT like they need, say, a competent left tackle. Like you said, Albert Young seems viable and then there’s always the draft. BUT HOLY SHIT we could have LT and AD on the same team! You’re kidding, right? If he comes cheap and even regains, like, 12% of his former self it’s going to be out of fucking control.
2. LT would probably get more carries with the Jets and would probably sign their based on that and the fact that they also reached the Championship Game last season and have been active this off-season.
Sure, and I tend to think it makes more sense to him to sign with the Jets, but back this wagon up here. Why not the Vikes? All the pieces with the Vikings are pretty much the same as last year (yeah, we all know Favre is coming back. This secret is worse than the end of Sixth Sense), and I actually think LT would have a better chance to START if he were in Minnesota. Shonn Greene and Leon Washington, despite the EJ Henderson treatment, are both touch competition for anyone, where as here, as Childress said, LT would be a clear cut 1a. What’s not to like?
3. I’ve seen a lot of rubes clamoring for Percy Harvin to take over the 3rd down back role. Sorry, but that is a terrible idea. He was our best 3rd down WR last year, backed up by his number of receptions for first down on 3rd down. Leave him in the slot. I do agree he should get more carries next year, but I like him in the slot on 3rd and more than 4.
Agreed. Percy probably needs to get more carries, but unless the blocking up front gets figured out he’s still most effective out of the slot, and I’ll always remain effective in the slot. Because that’s where the penis goes, you see.
4. Marlin Jackson, who the team was rumored to be interested in, signed with the Eagles. I have read that they may use him at FS. His knees are pretty shot and I don’t think he would have been a good fit here for that reason alone.
If memory serves, I believe he has had 27 ACL tears in the last two years. I dunno … maybe when you play safety you don’t have to be as fast or smart, like Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson. … Wait, what? … You mean other teams actually utilize that position for beneficial play? You don’t say …
5. When you look at the contract Chester Taylor got, it really is amazing how much the Bears overspent for him. That’s not me being bitter, I would have loved to have him back, but his production last year didn’t warrant the contract he got. He averaged a pedestrian 3.6 YPC, although the Vikings OL certainly didn’t help that and I was shocked that he only had 2 TD’s when I just re-checked his stats from last year. He did have 44 receptions though.
Those are rookie numbers though for a veteran contract. Shit, you pay me that and I’ll promise you two TD’s as well, as long as there isn’t a defense on the field. There’s talk about Chester backing up Forte to start, or at least being seen as a 1a type of guy as well, but … come on, people. You don’t give seven million dollars to a 31 year old running back. Even if Purple Jesus reappeared some wonderful day I wouldn’t pay him that money. I would pay him in SINS instead!
6. So Rhys Lloyd is a Viking now and I could really careless. The general consensus is that he will win a roster spot as the kick-off specialist. Talk about an easy job. I for one, hate kick-off specialists and think they are a waste of a roster spot. Wait til training camp when you’re hearing stories about underdogs trying to fight for their spot on the team, you’ll agree with me. A kicker is going to take their spot. Stupid kickers. Longwell’s average starting position was better than Lloyd’s last year and the same can be said for their career averages. The Vikings coverage unit was much improved last year and while it will save Longwell’s aging leg, I still don’t like it. I recall Longwell saying he liked kicking off because it kept him loose throughout the game. Sure, Lloyd will have more touchbacks, but as a football fan that is boring to me, sorry. I like seeing Heath Farwell decapitating people on kick-offs.
Do you also like seeing Cedric Griffin tear his ACL on coverage? I respectfully disagree with you, Sir Ass Face. I’m game for this move, for several reasons that I don’t fully comprehend. First, I know you go to training camp and secretly become best friends with practice squad scrubs that try to make the team, but let’s be honest. Those guys end up being deactivated all regular season long or they’re called Jaymar Johnson and we never see them when the games matter. Second, it’s more frustrating for me as a fan to watch Longwell Sally-leg a football to the ten yard line, and then have the opponent run it up to the 35 for starting position. BOOO! Sure, we can agree that Rhys is a girls name and that he looks like some hipster Australian or something, but if the numbers I’VE seen are any indication (Note: way to lazy to try and look those up) this could be a good move, especially in a division that has crafty returners.
7. The Eagles and Saints reportedly have interest in Ray Edwards. The result of either team signing him to an offer sheet would grant the Vikings an opportunity to match any offer or receive a 1st round pick in the event we let him sign with another team. Frankly, I don’t think he’s worth a 1st round pick. He did have a monster playoff game and had a respectable 8.5 sacks last season, but Brian Robison is equal to him as a pass-rusher. The only downfall to Robison’s game is that he is undersized and susceptible against the run. Plus, the thought of two first rounders is sexy.
PJD covered this a bit in the Friday Freakfest and I totally agree. It’s very sexy, like Eva Mendes sexy. Ray Ray ain’t all he’s cracked up to be, and if some idiots want to give us their first round pick for him … take him. We’ll use it to draft Tebow too early, forcing me to fork my eyes out, but also bringing with him his alleged big breasted GFs. I say GFs, plural, because I count each booby as a separate girl friend.
8. The Vikings priority this off-season should be improving their run-blocking. We were stuffed far too many times last season and Adrian Peterson at times didn’t even get a chance to get to the line of scrimmage. Ditch the zone-blocking scheme or find players that are suitable for it. I like Loadholt and McKinnie at tackles, and obviously you can’t touch Hutch, but I’m not sure if they’re the ideal lineman for a zone-scheme. Maybe with another year together as a unit it will improve, it has to, especially if we get LT.
I think the whole line is a mess. I’m tired of announcers who never paid attention to any of the games claiming that the Vikings Oline is so great, based on past reputation and the fact that Peterson single handily murdered people his first two years. I don’t know what they should do besides make it good (scientific, I know) but I hear this is a major concern for Favre and a stipulation in his return. Yeah, it’s from the same source that told me he was going to announce his return on Leno, and we all know how that went. And fuck that I have had to write and reference Leno so god damn much this offseason. Makes me furious.
9. I really like the Benny Sapp re-signing. I thought he was a much-improved player last season and fits in well with this team. His depth is important with the injury to Cedric Griffin. The Vikings were rumored to be interested in Phillip Buchanon, recently cut by the Lions. I think he would have been a nice addition as well. He’s a speed guy (remember him chasing down AP and punching the ball out last year) and had his best seasons in the Cover 2 defense with the Bucs.
I agree. Despite Benny Sapp being a total dick face for much of his first two years here, he really stepped things up the last half of the season and played well. And you’re right, with Cedric dead and Paymah thankfully gone, there was really no depth at corner. Getting Sapp back hopefully was a very high priority, since he already knew the system. I wouldn’t hate the idea of Buchanon being brought in either on like a one year deal. I’d rather attack issues like QB, DT, OL, and LB in the draft and not feel like you have to find an impact CB during that process. Bring in Buchanon, have him be like the third or fourth defensive back and let Asher Allen continue to figure his shit out, all while Cedric heals up properly.
It’s all coming together …
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