According to Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune, the Minnesota Vikings approached journalist Jay Glazer about getting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson into an Mixed Martial Arts training regimen in order to increase flexibility.

Interesting, no?

The reason, Jay Glazer says, is because a few years ago he got Jared Allen involved in MMA training to improve his pass rushing ability. Glazer stated, “We turned (Jared Allen) from a big, stiff white guy to a guy that actually can come off the edge. He came in every day, was committed to us out in Arizona. They asked if we could do the same for Tarvaris to get his hips … really loosen up his hips.”

So what exactly does this mean? For starters, it seems the Vikings are not giving up on Tarvaris Jackson and are trying something different to get him to improve. It’s an interesting tactic, though personally, I don’t see how they related an improved defensive end to an improved quarterback from the same training. Hopefully, it will work, but this isn’t all good news for the people who want Tarvaris out of Minnesota, or at least relegated to a backup job.

With this development, it looks like Minnesota is, at the very least, not ready to quit on Tarvaris completely. It looks as though they are going to give him another shot, though I don’t know that they’ve necessarily given him the starting job. It doesn’t mean competition won’t be brought in, but it does appear, as Jay Glazer put it, “It looks like they are planning long-term with him.”

I’m glad it worked for Allen, but doesn’t this seem kind of gimickey? It really reminded me of the “eyesight” training that Troy Williamson did, and we all remember how that turned out. Hey Troy, how’d it work out for ya?

Yikes, that bad? Well, at least you can still fight Childress, though my money is on the mustachioed one.

I hope it works out well for Jackson if this does happen. He needs any help he can get to improve, though to me it seems like it’s more so his decision making skills, his ability to read defenses, and recognizing the blitz to adjust accordingly. Or maybe Childress thinks Jackson needs a few knocks to the head to jar whatever got into Jackson’s head loose. I don’t know, but more power to the Vikings for giving it a shot.

And who knows, maybe Jackson finds his true calling in MMA. Look for it next year:

Tarvaris Jackson versus Kimbo Slice on Pay Per View!

In the blue corner, wearing purple trunks...

In the red corner, wearing black trunks...

 

 

 

 

Versus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tarvaris – Good luck.

Michael Vick

The name has been the brunt of many jokes. The victim of nasty snarls. A curse word in the NFL. Michael Vick has not had an easy year this year.

As everyone knows, Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison. While there, PETA has gotten their media blitz by forcing Vick to undergo numerous mental activities and quizzes to make certain that he won’t “relapse” back into his dog-fighting self after getting released.

On June 20 of this year, Vick will be released from prison. While good news for the Vick family, that doesn’t mean he can go straight to playing football. There is still a certain issue involving the cold-blooded Roger Goodell. When Vick was found guilty, Goodell suspended him from all things NFL. Vick couldn’t sport an official Falcons hat without an unpleasant reminder of how his life had gone awry.

How would Michael Vick look in a purple jersey? The truth of the matter is simply that I would be happy with anyone other than who we currently have under contact. Jackson is not the answer… short- or long-term.

Vick’s style of play is extremely unique; this isn’t news to anyone. Making plays with both his arms and legs, Vick would be able to evade pass rushers by simply scrambling in his mobile pocket. With Vick, a superb offensive line isn’t as crucial as it is with Jackson.

Vick’s playmaking ability through the air would force opposing defenses to think twice when loading eight guys in the box. This would bring Peterson back to his rookie form.

While there would be positive aspects to Vick playing football in Minnesota, there are negative ones as well.

For one, there would be the obvious media frenzy if ever Vick was reinstated. Would that attention be positive or negative? Would it hinge upon whether he brought wins or losses to the Vikings? How would that effect the potential new stadium?

The most probable situation would be Vick playing for the new United Football League, where commissioner Michael Huyghue says Vick has “a 98 percent” of playing with them. Michael Vick would most likely prefer to return to the NFL, assuming some team wants him, will pay him money, and that he is reinstated.

That again leads to the ultimate question: will Goodell reinstate Vick? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

Everyone on the planet knows that Adrian Peterson is the best pure running back in the league, let alone on the Minnesota Vikings’ roster, but what about the unsung hero, who had one full season as the primary back before being, once again, thrust into the third down role?

Chester Taylor - Underutilized?

Chester Taylor, the former Baltimore Raven and backup to Jamal Lewis came to the Vikings in 2006 for a chance to be the starting running back. The Vikings’ faithful were ecstatic to see a leader in the running game finally emerge after going through a few years of “running back by committee” with guys who were not quite good enough, or too injury prone to last a full season (see: Bennett, Michael). Taylor, as previously stated, was a very good backup to Jamal Lewis when he was a Raven his from 2002 to 2005, but the Vikings thought him good enough to deserve a starting spot, and for one season, they were right on.

While in Baltimore, Taylor’s carries went as follows for his tenure in Baltimore – 33, 63, 160, and 117. So, aside from the 2004 season, he was definitely a backup most of the time, getting sporadic carries on third down or in a relief role, and he did it very well. His rookie year, he averaged 3.7 yards, which isn’t too bad considering he only touched it so few times. In 2003, he jumped to 4.4 yards a carry, a steady improvement. In the 2004 season, his best as a Raven by far, he averaged 4.5 yards a carry and ended the year with 714 yards. His final year with the Ravens was, again, more of a backup/third down role, his average down to 4.2 again. Based on those years, the Vikings thought they saw a great running back relegated to a role that he didn’t really belong. So they made a move when his contract expired.

Read the rest of this entry »

Heading into the 2009 season, it is anyone’s guess who will be the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. With a plethora of rumors and possibilities it is almost impossible to correctly guess who the starter will be when the regular season rolls around. Tarvaris Jackson may seem like the safe pick to some, while others could argue he just would not be the answer, here are a look at some of the options.

1) Tarvaris Jackson

Tarvaris Jackson could make the case that he is fully ready to guide the Vikings deep into the playoffs. Jackson has improved his quarterback rating every season since he came into the NFL. Last year his rating was 95.4, which is solid for any quarterback, but he started only 5 games. Jackson was drafted to be the future of the franchise, but his inability to win in big games, throw the deep pass, and avoid a blitz is really starting to show. Jackson would probably be able to get the Vikings to the playoffs, but after that, it is a risk for the Vikings to lay their faith in him.

2) Gus Frerotte

Gus Frerotte has made it clear that he is not happy with the way the end of the season turned out. He does have a point though. Jackson started off the season going 0-2, then Frerotte took the team to a 7-3 record. Frerotte openly criticized the decision to go with Jackson in the playoffs, by saying that he would have given the Vikings a better chance to win. Frerotte did play decently in 2008, his biggest knock would be he threw a LOT of interceptions. Frerotte ended the year by saying he would not return unless he was the unquestioned starter in 2009. While Frerotte is likely not the worst pick on this list, odds are, Frerotte has thrown his final pass in Minnesota.

3) Brett Favre (via Free Agency)

Don’t expect the Jets to trade Favre, they would have to cut Favre for him to have any chance at joining the Vikings in 2009. Favre is a long shot at being a Viking in 09, and it is likely Favre will never be a Viking at all. However if the Jets do cut Favre, I expect the Vikings will make a serious attempt to get him. Favre is one of the greatest quarterbacks of this era, but he is undoubtedly declining in talent. Favre had a slightly less productive year in 2008, but he also looked like he was done for in 2006 as he was coming off back to back seasons with less than a 75 quarterback rating. I think Favre could flourish in Minnesota with running back Adrian Peterson, and receiver Bernard Berrian, but he could just as easily be a washed-up anchor for the Vikings. Favre is a pretty long shot at starting for the Vikings in 2009, but then again, so was Jared Allen last year, early in the offseason.

4) Jeff Garcia (via free agency)

While it may not seem that way, Garcia probably has a very solid chance at taking over the wheel for the Vikings next season. Garcia is an unrestricted free agent this season, and with a new coach in Tampa Bay, it is likely that he will be looking for a new team. Brad Childress also said that he was not set on the Vikings quarterbacks heading into next season, so one would expect him to either draft a quarterback, or try to pick one up in free agency. The Vikings need to win now, before Pat Williams and many other guys, are no longer on this team, and Garcia looks to be a very low risk. Garcia has posted at least a 90 quarterback rating in his last three seasons, and threw twice as many touchdowns as interceptions in 2008. With the help Peterson brings, and a skilled receiver Bernard Berrian, Garcia could possibly guide the Vikings to the superbowl. The odds Garcia becomes the next Vikings quarterback are probably around 50 percent, but the Vikings could just as easily decide to try the draft route.

5) Mark Sanchez (via the draft)

If Mark Sanchez is still on the board at pick number 22, Viking nation could burn the Metredome to the ground if the Vikings do not take him. I realize that plenty of players will slide up and down the draft board before April, but Sanchez will likely garner a lot of attention straight into the draft. The Vikings should beware of Sanchez’s one year wonder, and also the fact that recent USC quarterbacks besides Carson Palmer have proven to be a little less than advertised. Sanchez however is likely to be picked in the top 10, and even if he is not picked then, should not slide past 20, but only a few years ago Aaron Rodgers slid all the way from a possible second pick, to pick number 24. If Sanchez does slide, I’m not sure the Vikings could hesitate taking him. The odds Sanchez will start for the purple in 2009 are slim to none, probably less than Frerotte, especially since the success of Flacco and Ryan in 2008, will cause teams to think twice before passing on a talented rookie.

6) Josh Freeman (via the draft)

I had the pleasure of watching Josh Freeman in person this past year, and let me tell you, he has talent. Freeman may not be the most popular name on the board, but he likely turned Jordy Nelson into a second round pick last season, and could go in the same round, or even higher this season. Freeman has something the Vikings need, and that is an arm. I know they have Jackson, but he is not accurate on the deep pass. Freeman could turn out to be like Jackson, or he could turn out to be a consistent version of Daunte Cullpepper. Freeman is likely the riskiest chance the Vikings would take in 2009, but he will probably be draftable if the Vikings choose to take a quarterback in the first or second round.

On February 11, 2008 Kenechi Udeze had the worst day of his life. Viking’s football was nowhere in his mind, Udeze had been diagnosed with a form of Leukemia. Udeze was placed on the non-football injury list for the 2008 season, so that Udeze would not have to forfeit a pay check just because he had cancer.

Udeze was lucky enough his brother was the perfect donor for his bone marrow transplant. Udeze has been fighting a battle with Leukemia for almost an entire year, but this week Kenechi said, “I’m coming back, and I’m going to be better than I was before.”

Udeze was the first round draft pick in 2004, and he had a pretty solid rookie season. The next two years Udeze could have fit into the bust category, but in 2007 he had a career high in tackles and sacks. Udeze was undoubtedly the starter in 2007, before he was diagnosed with Leukemia, but since then the Vikings have acquired Jared Allen, who barring any extreme incident will be the starter in 2009 on one side of the line.

Udeze will likely have to beat out Ray Edwards and Brian Robinson if he wants to return to the starting lineup in 2009. If Udeze does come back with just as much talent, or even more, this could be the best position battle on the defensive side of the ball in 2009. Ray Edwards totaled 5 sacks, and 54 tackles last season on an improved defensive line, while Udeze slightly outperformed Edwards in 2007, it is unlikely he can just show up, and have his job back.

Kenechi Udeze has been preparing for the 2009 season already, as he has been working out at his alma mater USC recently. Udeze also has said he is taking classes at USC so he can graduate at the end of the semester.

The best news for Udeze is that he seems to be in the winning his fight against Leukemia, and he apparently has the upper hand in the biggest battle in his life. Even if Udeze loses the starting job to Ray Edwards, he will probably be fine, knowing he was one of the lucky ones who is surviving Leukemia.