Let's put a smile on that face

No this is not about the Dark Knight, unless the Joker is indeed a future hall of famer. Just a day or two ago the New York Jets officially released him, yep Brett Favre. Favre was granted his release, so IF he decided to return, he would be able to go wherever he wanted to. Last season the Vikings were one of the major players in the Favre trade, but Green Bay would not let the Vikings get him. No way he would come back right, I mean he tailed off last season and he said he just wanted to be released to retire in Green and Yellow. No way he would want to be in an offense that has the league’s best running back, a deep threat in Berrian, a team that used its second pick on a 6’8” monster at right tackle just to compliment Hutchinson and McKinnie, and used its first pick on an explosive playmaker that is Percy Harvin. Hmm, we will see how this plays out in the next few weeks. Oh yeah, a plane from Minnesota just happened to stop by the gigantic town of Hattiesburg, Mississippi for a large chunk of the day. The way I see it, that plane was either a really BIG coincidence, or the Vikings are seriously trying to get Brett Favre in a purple jersey. It is only speculation at this point, but I’m almost positive someone in the Vikings organization sent that plane down there for a reason. Whether or not some of us fans think Brett can still play, someone in the front office appears to think he can. Brett did not finish strong last year, but then again in 2006 he looked like a guy who had spent a few too many years in the league. Then in 2007, he would have been a serious contestant for the MVP, had some guy named Brady not just broken the record for most touchdowns in a season, and kind of led his team to a 17-0 regular season. Someone in the Vikings front office has some explaining to do.
Also…

VIKINGS LAND FITZGERALD!!!…sort of

FITZ!

The Vikings got a wide receiver who just happened to be a ball boy for the Vikings when he was a little kid. Well unfortunately it was not Larry Fitzgerald, but it was his little brother. According to sources, Marcus Fitzgerald was invited to try out for the team this weekend. The funny thing is, this comes just days after the Eagles did the same thing with Anquan Boldin’s brother. Apparently everyone is looking for talent from the family tree, or just people with Eagle ties such as Mr. Childress.

Percy and Gold, the colors of a Superbowl?

Just a few days ago Commissioner Rodger Goodell introduced the first of five new Vikings that were acquired via the 2009 NFL Draft. The name that came out of his mouth prompted a huge shock by plenty of people. Chris Berman, an NFL analyst for ESPN, seemed shocked. Plenty of knowledgeable Vikings fans also thought this was an interesting pick to say the least, even all three of the writers for Viking Vigil initially thought the Vikings had just picked the wrong guy, but maybe they knew exactly what they were doing. As it turns out, the guy almost everyone wanted, Offensive Tackle Michael Oher, was picked with the very next pick. Baltimore even traded up to get him, however, the Vikings were able to land a more than capable tackle with their next pick with Phil “The Load” Loadholt, who measures an astonishing 6’8”, and at least 330 pounds! The guy would be a dominant Power Forward in the NBA even.

With Loadholt joining the Vikings, the first pick, Percy Harvin no longer seemed so outrageous, in fact it seemed kind of great to me. ESPN draft expert Todd McShay has repeatedly called Percy Harvin, “the most explosive player in this year’s draft”, and he is not the only one either. Percy is no doubt rich in talent and ability, but the reason he fell to pick 22, was the fact that he had just tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine, when he knew he was going to be tested. Harvin has also been deemed, ‘tough to coach’ and there have been reports that Florida is ‘glad he [Harvin] is done’ with his stay at Florida, although they also said he was a very talented player. With all these negatives, Percy Harvin may just be the biggest boom, or bust in the 2009 NFL Draft. The possibility of having Harvin and Peterson on the same field is incredible. It is almost like having AD, and a slightly less powerful version of AD in the slot. To say the least, the Vikings have taken a look at improving an average offense. Harvin can do it all, he figures to be an explosive special teams man, he could force Childress to implement the wildcat with his skills at running back, and he is great in the open field. If Harvin pans out, and if he can get rid of his off the field issues, the Vikings will have gotten a very big steal. Harvin could even contribute to many fantasy football teams this year as a rookie. But what happens if Harvin does get in trouble?

Brad made a good call by bringing in Jared Allen last year, even though he had some issue, and he once again took the risk this year by drafting Harvin. Harvin could very well turn into one of the league’s biggest threats, but he could go down a bad path, and end up off this team in only a few years. Would it really be that bad if it was the later though? Of course it would make the Vikings fans angry, and it would probably guarantee that the Vikings would not pick a wide receiver in round one for a long time, but it would not kill us. With the team Minnesota has on the field this year, they are very likely to contend for the playoffs, especially since the team will likely play better with another year of chemistry between last year’s free agent and draft pickups, and the 2007 team. Jackson also looked pretty good last year prior to the game against Philly, as he won his first ever NFC player of the week honors for his outstanding effort against Arizona in week 15. If Harvin were a bust, he would likely hurt our record this year, or at least not contribute, and maybe be out of Minnesota within a few years. I think that would not be horrible though. This year’s draft was one of the very few drafts in recent years that the Vikings really did not need to fill any holes desperately. Some people would say the right tackle was a huge need, but it really was not that bad. The thing I hated about Cook the most was his addiction to penalties. Peterson still got some good runs behind the right side, and if Cook was terrible, Artis Hicks is a pretty solid backup on the verge of starting anyway. Plus the Vikings got Phil Loadholt in round two, so the position was definitely addressed anyway. Since we had no glaring needs, there was a little room for Childress to take a risk on someone who could put this team atop the NFC, and that is exactly what he did. I am not the biggest fan of Childress and his seemingly frequent ‘play it safe’ attitude, and I was a little frustrated with this pick initially, but I applaud the man for going out and shocking Viking nation by grabbing a questionable, yet super talented guy with our first round pick. In the worst case scenario Harvin is out of here by the end of this year, but losing Harvin would definitely not sink the ship. Rice is a good player when healthy, and Bobby Wade is consistently getting open, and we made the playoffs last year without Loadholt or Rice, and an injured EJ Henderson. The bottom line is the Vikings are a solid team without Harvin, but they put themselves into a great position to possibly get to the Superbowl with a Harvin that kicks his bad habits.

There is no question Harvin would have been gone in round two, as three receivers were already taken in the next fifteen picks, and the Jets said that they were trying to trade back into round one to get Harvin as well. The best receiver left when the Vikings got back on the clock was Derrick Williams, and he only went 4 picks before the Vikings third round pick. Therefore, I think with the way the draft played out at right tackle, and wide receiver, I think Brad Childress made the perfect pick by taking a risky Harvin in round one. I applaud Childress, especially with all the questions surrounding his job if the Vikings don’t play so good this year, he went on a limb and maybe even put his job in the hands of Percy Harvin.

On another note, if you had yet to find out the remaining picks for the Vikings, here is the Vikings’ draft along with their jersey numbers for next season:

1st Round: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida – #12

2nd Round: Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma – #71

3rd Round: Asher Allen, CB, Georgis – #30

5th Round: Jasper Brinkley, ILB, South Carolina – #54

7th Round: Jamarca Sanford, S, Ole Miss – #33

I guess the Vikings liked the SEC this year, with four of their five picks coming from that confrence

Here we are, the Monday after the draft. It’s both exciting and slighly depressing all at the same time. We now know who the possible new players on the Vikings are, and we also have five months until anything meaningful happens in the NFL. Luckily, we have Madden 2010 to tide us over until the season starts, but I digress.

With the 22nd pick in the draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Percy Harvin out of the University of Florida. Initially, I was actually quite disappointed, mainly because stud offensive tackle Michael Oher out of Mississippi was still on the board.

I mean, why would Minnesota take a WR/HB hybrid of a player or a sure-thing tackle? Not only that, but they are on opposite ends of the spectrum character wise, with Harvin on the seedier side and Oher on the more angelic side. And wouldn’t an angel go better with Purple Jesus? I also have a soft spot for Oher after reading Michael Lewis’ book, The Blind Side.It detailed the evolution of the left tackle position as well as Oher’s life. A great read.

Off topic, yet again. As I was saying, a good word to describe me was perplexed. Slightly disappointed even. Not so much in the fact Minnesota drafted Harvin, but that they passed on Oher. I’ve seen some of Harvin, both in the National Championship game and random highlights here and there, so I know the kid is good. What about his past?

As everyone knows, Harvin tested positive for marijuana at the Combine. While I don’t condone it or support it, it’s not the fact that he was smoking marijuana that was the problem; it was the fact that he was not smart enough to avoid getting caught doing it. A positive test can cost a player millions of dollars; if he can’t stop himself long enough to try out for the NFL, how could he stop doing it while actually playing? What does that speak to his intelligence? So many questions.

Yet here we are, and you know what? I’m excited.Harvin, despite his past, will be a great player for the Vikings. Brad Childress went down to Florida on Wednesday, three days before the draft, and basically hung out with Harvin and his family for the whole day. The coaches have, by all reports, checked him out extensively. Childress, as we all know, has been a stickler on character; however, he must see something that he likes. Some sort of change. If Childress thinks Harvin is reformed, I’m all for it. There’s been a few guys who’ve had checkered pasts, and they’ve turned out okay.

See: Moss, Randy. Carter, Cris. Allen, Jared.

Those are a few recent examples, and I’m sure there are many more good ones.

Let’s not count out his ability to make plays. Harvin excels in open space. If the Vikings can get him the ball on a quick slant, a receiver screen, a sweep, a kick return, anything like that, he can be explosive. He is, much like Adrian Peterson and Bernard Berrian, a potential boom or bust type of player. He can get you two yards, or he can turn that two yards into 75 and a touchdown. Peterson is the epitome of the long run and Berrian had the highest yards-per-catch average in the NFL last year. The Vikings’ offense is based on creating those big score opportunities.

Just look at our potential starting lineup for the skill positions:

RB – Peterson
TE – Shiancoe
WR1 – Berrian
WR2 – Rice
WR3 – Harvin

That’s pretty scary for opposing defenses, isn’t it? Go ahead, put eight or nine in the box against Peterson. Maybe Berrian will torch you deep. Maybe it’ll be a loft to Rice. Perhaps a quick pass to Harvin who immediately turns it from a three yard gain into a 15, 25, 50 yard play. How about a pass up the seam to Shiancoe for 15 yards, because your linebacker is too slow to catch him? Or Peterson will just break through your defense and take it 80 yards to paydirt. Pick your poison. Don’t think you can get into a shootout, either; the defense is still pretty stout.

Did I mention we got a pretty big guy in the secondround for our offensive line? Phil Loadholt. They said it couldn’t be done, but he is, by most accounts, BIGGER THAN BRYANT MCKINNIE. What? Is that possible? Oh yes, it is. Our offensive line just got bigger, stronger, and better. Loadholt is a corn fed Oklahoma guy who is 6′8, and anywhere from 335 to 343 depending on where you look. That’s a big boy. A mauler. He will decimate any ends en route to blocking for the best running back in the NFL. Getting Loadholt made me feel much, much better about passing on Oher.

In the end, I’m very happy with the way the Vikings’ draft went. Could Harvin be a bust? Sure, he could. But so could Stafford, Sanchez, Maclin, or anyone else taken in the first round. Even Oher could be a bust. The Vikings took a risk on a big play guy, and the more I think about it, the happier I am. Opposing defenses can’t focus on one or two guys now; they have to think about everyone.

That is superb news for whoever is throwing the ball.

T-minus: five months. Get ready. It’s going to be a wild year.

First Round Playmakers

“With the 22nd pick in the NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings select, Percy Harvin, Wide Receiver, Florida.”
I was questioning this pick as I heard Goodell announce the selection. Leading up to Saturday, it appeared the Vikings looked like they were going to be picking between either Arizona offensive tackle Eben Britton, and Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin. However, as the draft unfolded. Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher was left on the board still. Heading into the 2008-2009 NCAA Football season, Oher was considered the top pick in the NFL Draft this year, by many mock drafts. Oher did fall a little bit since then, but he was still projected to go anywhere between pick 7, and pick 18, so when Oher fell to 22, I was certain the Vikings would look to add what I thought was the perfect match, a RT when our glaring need last year was RT. The first thing I thought when Harvin was picked was, that we had blown another pick. However, as the day went on, Harvin seemed to be like a better and better pick. As most people know, Harvin failed a drug test, and has a questionable character, but when the Vikings traded for Jared Allen last year, he was one DUI away from a 8 game suspension. If Childress could see that Allen was truly over his alcohol problem, he should be able to figure out if Harvin was over his problems. The Vikings have also had some pretty good first round picks the past few years in Adrian Peterson and Chad Greenway, so I believe that Harvin will prove to be a good addition as well. Childress also stated two years ago that he is strongly against taking wide receivers in round one, probably due to a certain 7th overall pick in 2005, Troy Williamson, so I did not think Childress would go after Harvin. However, the Vikings surprised me again, and went with not only a guy with red flags, but also a wide receiver. Harvin is a proven playmaker, the guy is insanely fast and agile, and should prove to be a great addition to the Vikings for years to come. As long as Harvin gets the ball, and if he does not Berrian or Peterson will, he will be a very effective weapon in this offense. Childress even compared Harvin situation to the Peterson situation not two years ago, when Peterson fell to seventh. Vikings Vice President Rick Spielman said the Vikings thought Harvin should have been drafted in the top ten picks, and that the Vikings were ecstatic to see Harvin still available at number 22. An NFL Network analyst said that he thought there was no better match than Percy Harvin and the Minnesota Vikings on their post draft coverage. Another analyist also put this pick as the most intriguing pick in the draft, not necissarily bad, or good, but definitly intriguing. Harvin looks very similar to Reggie Bush of the Saints, think if any team would have put Bush and Peterson on the field a few years ago, or even this year. Harvin should definitely make the Vikings a more attractive team this season, and hopefully that helps with the Stadium and ticket purchases. Adrian Peterson even said, “That’s who [Percy Harvin] I was hoping we were going to get.” Obviously we will not know how this plays out for at least a year or two, especially with Harvin who has a few red flags, but if the team can keep Harvin under control off the field, than this looks like a very promising pick.
My Draft Grade: B+

Phantastic Phil

“With the 22nd pick in the NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings select, Phil Loadholt, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma.”
It appears the Vikings had a least a few people scouting the National Championship game last year, as they use both their top two picks on players from that game. Phil Loadholt is massive, even for a tackle. Loadholt measures in at about 6’8”, and 332 pounds. WOW. Loadholt should be more than capable of at least challenging for the starting right tackle position in 2009. The few concerns that kept Loadholt from being a first round pick, were his inability to stop fast pass rushers, and the fact that he would be moving from left tackle to right tackle. Loadholt would be a first round pick if he were able to do a better job against fast pass rushers, but he does a very good job of dominating the line in run situations, and against the average speed defensive ends. Loadholt was a good pick as the Vikings clearly needed to address the right side of the line. Once Oher was skipped for Percy Harvin, and Eben Britton slipped out of the first round, I thought the Vikings were going to trade up, and possibly get both the guys they may have taken with the 22nd pick, however Britton came off the board with the 7th pick of the second round. After that Loadholt was widely considered the next best Tackle available, so the hope was Minnesota would get him, and as it turns out they did land him. Loadholt is not as much of a risk as Harvin is, but it still will not be an immediate grade for Loadholt either.
My Draft Grade: B-

Harvin’s grade actually benefited from the selection of Loadholt in the second round, as he could make an immediate impact, and also the fact that wide receivers began to fall like a misplayed Jenga game right after the Vikings pick. Within the next 15 picks, three more wide receivers fell off the board. The only thing that could have been better looking at the draft in hindsight would be if the Vikings could have gotten Britton without having to give up too much.

As for tomorrow, the Vikings do not have a 4th or 6th round pick, but they still have 4 picks tomorrow. The earliest pick is number 86 overall, or the 22nd pick of the day tomorrow, and their latest pick is 231, and the 22nd pick of the 7th round. The Vikings will likely address the cornerback situation, and likely the defensive tackle position. Don’t be surprised if they also look to add depth at line backer as well, and after that it is anybody’s guess what they will do with that extra pick. Hopefully we are pleasantly surprised tomorrow too.

With the 22nd pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings drafted wide receiver Percy Harvin, Florida.

I’ll have my reaction a little later below. You should also hear from Michael and Manimal within a few hours.

UPDATE 9:46 p.m. EST____________

The Vikings drafted offensive tackle Phil Loadholt in the second round. Here is my quick-analysis:

1st Round – Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
Grade: D

I like Harvin as a football player… I really do. He supposedly tested positive for marijuana at the Combine, however, and to me that is ridiculous. How can a guy show up to the biggest job interview of his life with illegal drugs in his system? I’m not at all worried about any potential drug addiction, but rather with Harvin’s intelligence… or lack thereof.

Harvin may be a great playmaker and a great wide receiver, and I think that he will be. But to me, what’s worse than Harvin’s drug issues is the fact that Michael Oher was on the board. Oher, an offensive tackle, was ranked by some as a Top-10 prospect. When you consider the fear that the name “Ryan Cook” instills in Vikings’ fans, Oher needed to be considered unpassable.

2nd Round – Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma
Grade: A

I’m very happy with this pick. By not drafting an OT in the first round, they almost had to in the 2nd round. Beatty would’ve also been a good pick. The Vikings drafted an NFL-ready player who will provide some much-needed protection for Sage/T-Jack. The only drawback is the number of penalties that Loadholt has the potential to commit.

DJ Moore would’ve also been a good pick, but I think OT was a bigger need than CB. The Vikings don’t have as big a hole in the secondary as they do on the offensive line, and an OT is the second-most important position on the football field.