Minnesota Vikings Defensive End Battle: Edwards or Robison?

Out of all the position battles outside of the quarterback position, this one has intrigued me the most.

Last season after the acquisition of Jared Allen, Ray Edwards vowed that he would break Strahan’s single-season sack record. He came just shy of that mark last season. Another 18 sacks and he would have done it.

This was Edwards’ first full season as a starter. He hasn’t proved to be the pass-rushing specialist the Vikings were hoping for, but he is still young and has a lot of time to improve.

What Edwards has done is stop the run which he is very underrated for doing. He recorded a solid 54 tackles in 2008, 35 of which were solo.

At 6’5″ and 270 pounds, Edwards has just the right size to be an NFL defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. He is fast, but he tries to rely too much on his athletic ability rather than his strength.

Edwards was drafted in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Vikings.

Edwards’ only real threat to his position is Brian Robison, the third-year player out of Texas. Like Edwards, Robison was drafted in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Vikings.

While Robison has yet to get considerable playing time, he has made the most of it. With injuries to Jared Allen and Ray Edwards taking some time off last season, Robison got to show his stuff.

Robison has shown that he too can stop the run and rush the quarterback. In only very limited duty the past too seasons, Robison has collected seven sacks and 40 tackles, 27 of which were solo.

He is slightly smaller than Edwards, but Robison has good size too at 6’3″ and 260 pounds. He too is more of a finesse pass-rusher.

While neither end is very strong, both are very fast and have the potential to be great defensive ends in the NFL.

Three of the best defensive lineman in the NFL are on the same line in Minnesota. The fourth lineman is forgotten, but one of these two will show that they too can play the game with the best of them.

Minnesota Vikings: A Quick Way To Solve The Quarterback Problem

The Vikings are a quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender…

Yeah, like us Vikings’ fans couldn’t figure that out for ourselves.

In November of 1999, a high school quarterback, who threw 32 touchdowns and 2,506 yards that season, led his team to its first of back-to-back 5A championship football teams. The quarterback would eventually lead his team to the school’s first state football championship.

His senior year was even more impressive. He threw for 3,022 yards and 41 touchdowns completing an insane 84 percent of his passes. Although he couldn’t quite pull his team to its second state championship in a row, he was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year, USA Today’s Player of the Year, and was an ESPN High School All-American.

The quarterback in question earned a full-ride scholarship to Florida State. It’s every young high schooler’s dream. How great would it be to play for one of the best football teams in America?

Instead, the player decided against college all together. After all, when you have the opportunity to be drafted number one overall in baseball for the team you grew up cheering for, how could you pass the opportunity up?

That’s exactly what Joe Mauer did.

The Minnesota Twins’ star catcher has lived up to and gone beyond all expectations in his baseball career thus far. He became the first catcher in the history of Major League Baseball to lead both league’s in batting average in 2006 and the first to win two batting titles in 2008.

What would have happened had Mauer played for Florida State?

Well, he wouldn’t have been on the Vikings’ roster, that’s for sure. He would still have been a quality quarterback I think.

If I’m in the Vikings’ front office, I make the call and offer him triple what he’s making right now (which is about $10.5 million). No way would the Twins be able to match it.

How exciting would that be? Minnesota’s very own and most current celebrated celebrity playing for the team that we all love most. He’s only 26, which is when most quarterback’s are just hitting the prime’s of their careers. PERFECT!

If I’m Brad Childress, I make the attempt (to no avail, of course) to bring Mauer to my beloved Vikings.

He has the ability to play the position, there’s no question. But does he have what it takes in the NFL today? I want to know.

I’ve only seen Mauer actually pissed once in his baseball career. He was intentionally thrown at near the head on the first pitch. He didn’t react to it, but he sure reacted to the second pitch that sailed behind his back. He gave the pitcher a stare down that I will never forget.

Mauer has a rocket arm and is one of the more accurate catchers in baseball. He’s calm under pressure which is exactly what the Vikings need. He doesn’t get rattled and pulls through when the game is on the line.

He could even where No. 7! We’ll just trade Tarvaris for a seventh-round draft pick if we can get it.

Mauer to the Vikings! It has a good ring to it, doesn’t it?

 

2009 NFL Draft: The Biggest Busts and Winners: Post-Draft Edition

Before the draft, I wrote an article on the top players who I deemed as immediate busts into the NFL as well as players that will succeed in any position they’re brought into.

After the draft, my views have changed thanks to a rather odd draft order. I don’t think anybody expected Maclin to fall to the tenth spot or Oher to fall to the Ravens at 23.

With the draft over with and players settling into their new teams, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest potential busts of 2009.

*I only choose first round selections for the primary ranking, but threw in some second round selections I think will break out for their respective teams at the end.

Vikings 16-0? It’s a Possibility For fhe Purple And Gold

Go ahead and take a few minutes to laugh. Roll around on the floor and wipe those tears of laughter from your eyes. Banish me to the depths of Green Bay. Sentence me to a life on the streets of Chicago. Cut me up and feed me to Detroit.

How in the world will this ever happen?

Take a step back and look at the 2008 season. What was missing from the Vikings?

They were without their defensive captain and emotional leader for nearly the entire season. The man we all adore and refer to as Superman, EJ Henderson. Without a doubt, he was sorely missed from the dreaded Vikings’ run defense last season.

EJ brings a new element to the defense that Napoleon Harris or David Herron couldn’t quite reach. EJ is irreplaceable and an icon on a what appears to be an even deadlier defense next season.

The Vikings were also without their special teams captain and cover monster, Heath Farwell. He is back and will be ready to improve a terrible special teams that surrendered a terrible four returns for a touchdown, two by one person, Reggie Bush.

Along with the two captains, the hitting machine of Madieu Williams was missed for nearly half the season with a severe neck injury. The moment he came back, the secondary was revolutionized. He brought crazy ball-hawk skills and some devastating blows. It will be exciting to see what he can do with a full season in purple.

Other players that missed games include Pat Williams, Bryant McKinnie, and Sidney Rice. Jared Allen played with a partially separated shoulder for much of the season. He was expected to miss at least two weeks initially, but played through the pain and brought new meaning to the phrase, “never quit trying.”

While it’s true we lost a ton of leadership in Matt Birk and Darren Sharper, both players had less-than-stellar final seasons for the Vikings. Birk didn’t have that initial pop to the defenders and Sharper was slowed mightily by age.

Who replaces a legend like Matt Birk and a ball-hawk like Sharper?

If my memory serves me correctly, a Pro Bowler by the name of Jeff Christy was replaced by a sixth-round pick from Harvard who ended up being a Pro Bowler himself, Matt Birk.

The same has happened here. John Sullivan was the sixth-round draft selection a year ago to replace an aging Matt Birk. John, like Matt, will be replacing a legend. I have a good feeling that history will repeat itself.

Sharper was definitely not what he used to be. He had slowed way down and was not getting the opportunity to catch many interceptions. Tyrell Johnson, the Vikings’ second-round selection will be given the chance to show why the Vikings took him in a pick that surprised much of Vikings Nation last year.

Johnson is a hard-hitting safety with a nose for the ball. He played admirably filling in for injured Madieu Williams last season. He got the chance to sit and watch how the game was played; now it’s his turn to step up and make the plays that Sharper just couldn’t anymore.

What did they get in the offseason?

The Vikings needed to address their right tackle position. They found that in the draft. They drafted the biggest lineman in the draft, Phil Loadholt out of Oklahoma. He stands in a 6’8” and 340 pound frame that gets used to plow defenders over with relative ease. He’s a mirror image of the underrated Bryant McKinnie.

While neither is a very fast tackle, both excel in the run-blocking game and are no slouches when it comes to blocking for the quarterback. Phil is a huge upgrade over incumbent Ryan Cook.

They Vikings also selected playmaker Percy Harvin, who figures to add a whole new dimension to the Vikings’ offense. He brings speed and athleticism to a needed position. It will be interesting to see how the Vikings use their new two-headed monster in Harvin-Peterson.

The Vikings third-round selection is very underrated. Asher Allen left after his junior season in Georgia to play in the NFL. He played the 2008 season with a broken hand, but opposing quarterbacks still didn’t throw his way. He made huge plays and was a true shutdown corner for the Bulldogs. He could find himself in a nickel corner position next season.

There weren’t any free agent signings to be recognized that will make a huge impact next season. The only offseason moves the Vikings had that were of any consideration were the re-signing of blocking extraordinaire Jim Kleinsasser and the acquisition of gun-slinger Sage Rosenfels for a fourth-round selection.

While it looks as if Sage could be the new starter, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it will be Brett Favre. He is getting surgery on his shoulder and pending the outcome, will sign with the Vikings.

How does their team actually look now?

The Vikings will walk into 2009 with basically the same team, just a year older and a year healthier. The return of EJ Henderson alone to the defense makes them deadly. Throw in a healthy Madieu Williams and newcomer Tyrell Johnson and you’ve got yourself the hardest hitting secondary in the NFL.

They have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL entering the new season. They play the Steelers and Ravens in back-to-back road games. That’s bad news right? Not necessarily.

The Steelers still don’t really have a running game and their offensive line is terrible. Had it not been for the efforts of Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers’ offense would be footnote in a wondrous season lead by their remarkable defense.

The defense of the Steelers is feared as being dominant all-around. They have not faced a running back as amazing as Peterson nor have they faced the biggest tackle tandem in the NFL in McKinnie and Loadholt. That renders their defensive ends useless and allows Hutch and Herrera to do what they do best:  find a linebacker and plow them over.

The Ravens defense is identical to the Steelers. They have the same 3-4 scheme, but lost star linebacker Bart Scott and cornerback Chris McAlister. Those are two huge gaps that cannot be filled. They will not repeat their 2008 success.

Outside of those two teams, the Vikings have a very easy schedule. Division rivals always pose a threat, but with a new quarterback at the helm in Brett Favre, the offense will be much improved over last season.

If you are one of many that think Brett doesn’t have it anymore, take a look back two years ago.  He had an MVP-like season that was erased with one bad throw. It happens to every quarterback; get off his back.

His 2008 Jets didn’t do him any favors the last few weeks of the season. They dropped a league-leading 11 balls in the final weeks. It’s pretty tough to sustain a drive when you’re dropping passes. New York used Brett as a scapegoat for a terrible receiving corps.

Brett was also able to make Thomas Jones look good. Imagine what he could do with Peterson behind him. Throw in his healed shoulder and you’ve got a stronger-than-ever Brett Favre.

The passing offense will be taken care of. The passing defense is still working against the Vikings.

While I was not a believer in Cedric Griffin heading into 2008 as well as half the season, he slowly started to make a believer out of me. His explosive hits and ability to get in the receiver’s face makes him a valuable asset and could be a starter for the Vikings for years to come.

His opposite, Antoine Winfield, is absolutely insane. He is getting old, but his age doesn’t seem to show. He is still a premier shutdown corner and the best tackling corner in the NFL.

Whether you like it or not, the Vikings are Super Bowl ready. They have the best running back tandem in the league, the best defensive line in the league, and a crazy-good linebacking corps. If 1998 was exciting, 2009 should not disappoint. SKOL VIKINGS!

 

What is the Most Heated Rivalry in the NFC North?

Minnesota Vikings’ Players and Their Secret Cartoon Character Identities

After day one of the NFL Draft, I decided I’d watch a little Family Guy marathon. The episode contained “Tom Brady” recruiting Peter to play for the New England Patriots. If you haven’t seen the episode, I highly recommend it.

The way Peter plows his way over defenders got me thinking, “what Vikings player does Peter relate to the most?”

Maybe Peterson on one of his routine touchdowns sprints or Steve Hutchinson blocking the way for Peterson.

Well, here is the list that contains several Vikings’ stars and their secret cartoon identities! ENJOY!

Minnesota Vikings: Looking Back at The Legendary Purple People Eaters

Ask any Vikings’ fan who their favorite Vikings’ player of all time is and more than likely, they’ll choose any player from the most dominating defensive lines the NFL has ever seen: Jim Marshall, Carl Eller, Alan Page, and probably less likely, Gary Larsen.

What did all these players have in common?

They are the only defensive line to have all four starters go to the Pro Bowl in the same year! That year happened to be 1969.

What made them so dominant? The fact that over their careers, the Vikings credit them with over 447.5 sacks is a good indicator.

All time greats like Johny Unitas and Bart Starr called those Purple People Eaters the best pass rushers they’d ever seen.

Of the four legendary Purple People Eaters, two are in the Hall of Fame. Those two being Carl Eller who was inducted in 2004 and Alan Page in 1988.

The year 1975 was a historic one for the NFL. It was the first time ever that a team led the league in total defense, pass defense, and rush defense. Only one other team, the 1991 Philadelphia Eagles have accomplished that feat.

The only problem with 1975 is the fact that Gary Larsen retired the year before, missing out on such a historic year.

Larsen will never be called by Canton, but he was one of the best run stuffing defensive tackles in the NFL. He is an ex-marine who made a living destroying running backs instead of quarterbacks.

He is the least known of the four. He played all but one year, his rookie year, for the Vikings. He was voted to two Pro Bowls, one in 1968 and the other in 1969.

Jim Marshall is known throughout the NFL nation as the best player ever not to be inducted in the National Football League Hall of Fame. It’s one thing that has angered not only Vikings’ fans, but NFL fans from all over. Many critics use the fact that he was only voted to two Pro Bowls as an excuse for him not being in the Hall of Fame.

Marshall holds several NFL records. He currently holds the records for most career fumble recoveries (30), consecutive games played* (over 300 counting playoffs), consecutive games started (270), and shortest play in NFL history (-66 yards).

If you are unaware of what exactly happened, Marshall picked up a fumble and ran 66 yards for what he thought was a touchdown. He didn’t know any better because fans were screaming loud like they normally do on a big play.

There is one big difference though. They weren’t screaming for joy, they were actually screaming “WRONG WAY!” Marshall threw the ball in the air and it landed out of bounds. The result was a safety for -66 yards!

The Vikings credit Marshall with 127 sacks. They didn’t become an official stat until well after Marshall had already retired. His number 70 jersey has been retired by the Minnesota Vikings.

The Honorable Alan Page was the leader of the Purple People Eaters. The Vikings drafted him with the 15th overall pick in the 1967 NFL Draft. Throughout his luxurious 15-year career, the Vikings credit him with more than 148.5 total sacks.

1971 was arguably Page’s best season as he became the first winner of the AP most Valuable Defensive Player as well as the AP Most Valuable Player.

Page was voted to nine Pro Bowls, a six time First Team All-Pro, and three time Second Team All-Pro. He was voted to the NFL 1970’s All-Decade Team.

Though he didn’t finish his career with the Vikings (his last four seasons were with the Bears), his number 88 jersey was still retired by the Vikings.

Even before his professional playing days in the NFL were over, Page was working on his post-football career. He attended the University of Minnesota Law School which he would graduate from in 1978 to become a justice in the Minnesota Supreme Court. He still holds that title today.

Page also is very involved in charity work. In 1988, he started his own foundation, the Page Education Foundation, which gives money to minority college students in exchange for volunteer services throughout their communities.

Finally, there’s Carl Eller. He has had some minor legal troubles lately which is still somewhat ongoing. Go ahead and look up the case if you want, but basically Eller has been accused of 4th degree assault on a police officer, fleeing in a motorized vehicle, and refusing to take a Breathalyzer Test. Eller counter-sued the Minneapolis Police Department for using excessive force for $75,000 plus.

Anyway, back to football. Eller was the sixth overall pick by the Vikings in 1964. He played his college ball in the University of Minnesota.

In his 16-year career, the Vikings credit Eller with 133.5 sacks. He along with Page was voted to the NFL 1970’s All-Decade Team.

Eller was voted the NEA Defensive Player of the year in 1971. He was also voted to six Pro Bowls, five First Team All Pro’s, and one Second Team All Pro.

He played all but one season for the Vikings. They traded Eller in 1979 along with an eighth-round draft pick to the Seattle Seahawks for Steve Niehaus. This trade was yet another failed Vikings’ trade as Steve was constantly hampered by injuries which ultimately ended his career.

Oddly enough, his jersey is not retired by the Vikings. Current Viking Visanthe Shaincoe currently has the number 81.

To go with those 19 total Pro Bowl selections, those very same Purple People Eaters were the first players to participate in four Super Bowls (all with the same team). Larsen is the only one to have played in only three. The Super Bowl dates and records were as follows:

SB IV (Jan. 11, 1970): Kansas City 23 Minnesota Vikings 7

SB VIII (Jan. 13, 1974): Miami Dolphins 24 Minnesota Vikings 7

SB IX (Jan. 12, 1975): Pittsburgh Steelers 16 Minnesota Vikings 6

SB XI (Jan. 9, 1977): Oakland Raiders 32 Minnesota Vikings 14

All four are still alive to this day. While the legends may never have gotten their Super Bowl rings, they are still undoubtedly the best defensive line ever to play the game.

Let’s hope our modern day “Purple People Eaters” can perform at the same level as those monsters of the late ’60s and early ’70s.

 

* Jeff Feagles actually holds the record for consecutive played games, but he’s a kicker. Sorry, but that doesn’t count in my book.

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