Purple Pain Original Content

With this year’s free agency off and running, here's a look back at ten of the best free agent signings of the Minnesota Vikings. It's a modest list as the Vikings have often been bystanders rather than participants in these annual shopping sprees. These are only unrestricted and restricted free agent signings so no Brett Favre, Randall Cunningham and other street free agents like them. Hopefully, Josh Oliver, Marcus Davenport, Byron Murphy Jr., Dean Lowry, as well as any other player signed this offseason populate future attempts at the Top 10 Minnesota Vikings Free Agents. For now, here’s this one.

10. Tom Johnson, DT

Tom Johnson’s play with the Vikings was a revelation mostly because it took him so long to hit his stride in the NFL. He played in the Arena Football League, Canadian Football League, and NFL Europe before he found a spot with the New Orleans Saints in 2011 at the age of 27. He really found his place in the NFL with the Vikings in 2014. Johnson was a terrific interior pass rusher. So terrific that he's one of the best Vikings free agent signings. His impact on the pass rush reminds of that made by Lance Johnstone two decades ago. Actually, Johnstone is a player that is deserving of a spot on this list.

9. Ben Leber, LB

Ben Leber was a consistently solid linebacker for the Vikings from 2006-10. He had a great knack for making big plays in crucial moments. The linebacker trio that Leber formed with Chad Greenway and E.J. Henderson was one of the best in franchise history.

8. Ryan Longwell, K

A kicker! The only thing that keeps Ryan Longwell from being ranked higher is the position that he played. Longwell was an excellent kicker each of his six seasons in Minnesota. His six seasons are probably the only seasons since a particular day in January 1999 that I haven’t worried about field goals or extra points. He's in the argument for best kicker in Vikings franchise history.

7. Chester Taylor, RB

Chester Taylor had an outstanding first season for the Vikings in 2006. He probably would have had several more in Minnesota if not for the surprising arrival of Adrian Peterson in the 2007 NFL Draft. Taylor's playing time was cut drastically but he remained an effective complimentary back to Peterson. The two formed an excellent combo.

6. Corey Chavous, S

Corey Chavous came to Minnesota as a corner in 2002 but really found his home with a switch to safety. His 2003 season was outstanding. That was the year in which he often seemed to be the only Vikings player on the field that had any interest in playing defense. He earned the only Pro Bowl nod of his career that season. Smart football player.

5. Pat Williams, DT

Defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams formed the "Williams Wall." No one ran on the "Williams Wall." It was remarkable to watch Pat Williams move short distances. He was so big but he got through the line so fast. He was a lot of fun to watch.

4. Linval Joseph, DT

Linval Joseph was a force in the middle of the Vikings defensive line from the moment he joined the team in 2014. In his six years in Minnesota there were stretches of games in which he simply couldn't be blocked. The only knock on his play was the occasional injuries. When healthy, he was among the very best interior defensive linemen in the league.

3. Kirk Cousins, QB

Kirk Cousins has been sailing up this list. Statistically, each of Cousins’ seasons in Minnesota are among the best passing seasons in Vikings franchise history. Unless he can lead the Vikings to a Super Bowl title it’ll never be enough. If nothing else, Cousins has brought consistency to football’s most important position. The Vikings had been seeking quarterbacking consistency since Fran Tarkenton’s last snap.

2. Antoine Winfield, CB

Antoine Winfield's signing in 2004 was the Vikings first true venture into big time free agency. They merely dabbled in the “free” player market for the first ten years. They struck gold with Winfield. He played for the Vikings for nine years and was fantastic for nine years. He made it to three Pro Bowls. He should have been to more. It was a real treat to be witness to his football career. He won't get much Hall of Fame consideration but he's in my Hall of Fame. Winfield was a great, fun football player.

1. Steve Hutchinson, G

Steve Hutchinson might have been the team MVP in 2006. He quickly changed the level of play and attitude of the Vikings offensive line the moment he became a part of it. As a result he changed the entire offense. He was an outstanding football player for all of his six seasons in Minnesota. He has a much deserved bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

                                                           

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The Minnesota Vikings have rarely gotten too involved in free agency. The Hutchinson, Winfield, and Cousins signings were the biggest but such signings have been rare in Minnesota. A low free agency profile is the norm. That's why 2006 was such a surprise. In Brad Childress' first season as head coach the Vikings really dove into free agency. Four players on this list were signed that year. Steve Hutchinson, Chester Taylor, Ryan Longwell, and Ben Leber. That offseason was a bonanza and Vikings fans were delirious. All four helped form the foundation of a team that improved each season. A team that ended up being a play away from the Super Bowl in 2009.

With this year’s free agency off and running, here's a look back at ten of the best free agent signings of the Minnesota Vikings. It's a modest list as the Vikings have often been bystanders rather

Need an update with all of the crazy things going on in the NFL with QBs? Here's a quick tier list of how I perceive teams' need at the QB position in 2023. Note - this assumes that all free agent QBs will hit the market. They all won't, of course, but some will.



Colts - Matt Ryan and Nick Foles are cooked, and Sam Ehlinger didn't even look good enough to be a backup. They need to draft a QB.
Commies - Wentz is under contract for $26M and then $27M the next two years, but $0M is guaranteed and he was already benched once this year. It's time they find a long-term replacement.
Raiders - Derek Carr is being traded or cut, as the Raiders wisely made only $5M of his next $120M guaranteed. I anticipate a trade with how hungry teams are for QBs... thus making Brady the most likely candidate to be a Raider in 2023 with McDaniels as the HC.
Texans - They should be taking a QB at #1 in the draft.
Panthers - They've gone through too many mediocre QBs, it's time they drafted one. Sam Darnold has overachieved in a few starts, but he should be viewed as a backup at this point.
Giants - Daniel Jones is a free agent, but I fully expect him to return. The question is, will he be franchise tagged or paid way too much on a long-term deal?
Seahawks - Geno Smith seems likely to return, but I find it hard to imagine he keeps up his play from earlier in the year. He's a high quality bridge QB, IMO. 
Ravens - Lamar Jackson's deal is up, but they're going to franchise tag him at the absolute worst. He wants something around $50M a year...
Bucs - Tom Brady's deal is up, and it feels like he may opt to take out with the team not looking as good in 2022. He's taken a step back too, but not enough for other teams to lose interest in him.
Jets - Zach Wilson is a Josh Rosen-esque bust, and Mike White is a FA. White makes sense as a bridge QB, but I expect them to go after Garoppolo.
Saints - It's been an odd year with Dalton taking over the job from Winston. Neither are the answer, though Dalton is a FA and Winston is probably getting cut.

Titans - Ryan Tannehill can be cut to save $18M, which seems logical with his declining health and the Titans' general lack of wanting to throw the ball, but Malik Willis looks like he's years away from being ready to play QB in the NFL. While you could argue they don't "strongly" need a QB, the Titans need a spark, and the best way to get that would be from the QB position. Good defense + Derrick Henry (before he breaks down) + better QB = true contender in the AFC.
Falcons - Marcus Mariota is not the answer, and Desmond Ridder probably isn't either. I didn't like Ridder as a prospect due to his poor accuracy and so far he's lived up to that scouting report. They currently have the 6th pick in the draft, so QB should absolutely be on their mind.

Broncos - 
Patriots - Mac Jones is probably going to get another chance, hopefully outside of Matt Patricia's influence. Bailey Zappe showed some promise too. Long-term I don't think either of them will get the Patriots to where they want to go, but Belichick has laid his bed and must lie in it now.

Lions - Goff is under contract for $30M and $31M the next two years, and he's rebounded well this year. They'd do well to develop a young QB behind him for the future.
49ers - I think it's likely the Niners roll with Lance and Purdy in 2023 and let Garoppolo go for real. They invested 3 1sts into Lance and haven't seen enough of a sample size to give up on him, and Purdy looks like a great backup.

Others - The Rams may want to draft a QB to wait behind Stafford, as it wouldn't shock me if he retires before his deal ends. The Packers already have their backup plan if Rodgers does plan to retire, but I expect A-Aron will be back to pocket his $55M. Watson looks like garbage so far, but the Browns have invested far too much to abandon the plan. Jacoby Brissett likely gets a job as a bridge QB after an unexpectedly solid 11 game showing for Cleveland.

Any thoughts?


Need an update with all of the crazy things going on in the NFL with QBs? Here's a quick tier list of how I perceive teams' need at the QB position in 2023. Note - this assumes that all free agent

With day one of the legal contact/tampering period almost in the books, Drew, Ted, Ruby, and Chris are going live to talk about it all. Come join us!


With day one of the legal contact/tampering period almost in the books, Drew, Ted, Ruby, and Chris are going live to talk about it all. Come join us! https://www.youtube.com/watch

Great episode on tap! But so much has happened since we recorded we're going to do a live show later this week, maybe two! Anyway, we hope you enjoy the show:


Great episode on tap! But so much has happened since we recorded we're going to do a live show later this week, maybe two! Anyway, we hope you enjoy the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch

Welcome back to my annual Offseason Guide article, where I whip up a hypothetical Vikings offseason that involves axing Vikings, signing copious amounts of free agents, and attempting to fix issues that have been made by management. The past two years of guides went as follows:

2021: Nuke the roster down to the studs
2022: Re-tool and prepare to compete in 2022/23

I feel it may be redundant to follow up with another “retool” offseason guide, so this year, the goal has changed.

2023: Push the chips in and make an all-out run for a Super Bowl

Seeing how we just went 13-4, as fluky as it was, I will be managing the roster as if the Wilfs told me that I’m fired if we don’t at least get to the Championship game this year. In my opinion, this approach is not precisely what I would do if I were in control, as we’re going to be putting our roster in bad shape for 2024. Nevertheless, let’s see the plan I’ve conjured up!

Currently, we are at -$21.08M. Yikes, let’s rectify that!

Releases / Cuts

ILB Eric Kendricks (saves $9.5M, leaves $1.93M of dead cap)

This move was hinted at when they didn’t restructure his contract last year, but Kendricks’ play really fell off a cliff in 2022 after he had a relatively shaky 2021. He wasn’t a fit in Donatell’s zone-heavy coverage scheme, but his play against the run plummeted in the second half of the season, and it was hard to watch. I don’t see the point of a price reduction, they need to start fresh at the LB position – not just for the future, but also for the defense being good in 2023.

ILB Jordan Hicks (saves $5M, leaves $1.5M of dead cap)

I called this move the worst free agent signing during the 2022 offseason, and I stand by it. Hicks wasn’t a huge liability as he was better than Kendricks against the run, but he’s never been good in coverage and he got worse at it as he’s entered his 30s. He’s a two down linebacker at this point, which is something you can find for cheaper than $5M.

FB C. J. Ham (saves $3.05M, leaves 750K of dead cap)

During training camp / preseason, it was thought that Ham would have a decently sized role on the offense. Instead, he only ended up playing 16-18% of the snaps and he was not a difference-maker as a run blocker. O’Connell will likely transition away from using a FB, and if he does want to use one, he can find one for the veteran minimum. It was a good run, CJ.

G/C Chris Reed (saves $2.5M, leaves $250K of dead cap)

Reed fell out of favor early on as he was a healthy scratch for the first 10 games of the season, as Oli Udoh and Austin Schlottmann were trusted as gameday backups despite their basement-bottom play in 2021. There is no reason to keep Reed, seeing as how we could scavenge $2.5M from his deal.

DT Ross Blacklock / TE Johnny Mundt ($2.83M saved)

Blacklock was just as poor of a player as he was in Houston, but the Vikings struck gold with Khyiris Tonga. By the end of the year, Blacklock was inactive even with Bullard hurt, so there’s no reason to keep him. Mundt had a few highlights via the old “the defense forgot the blocking TE existed” play, but the problem is that he is a very poor blocker. He can be easily replaced.


Restructures

RT Brian O’Neill - $6M bonus, saves $4M in 2023.

More money could be drawn from O’Neill’s deal, but I fear his 2024/2025 cap hits would rise too high. Right now, those two cap hits are now $21.7M and $24.7M. O’Neill is a great player, but that’s a lot of money for a RT.

OLB Za’Darius Smith - $7.5M bonus, saves $5M (added a 2025 void year)

The Vikings could choose to move on from Smith after a Jekyll & Hyde season that saw him dominate the first half and disappear in the second half. However, I deemed it too difficult to find a worthy replacement for an affordable price, so I’ll lock in even further. This may prove to be a mistake as paying pass rushers into their 30s is not a wise idea.

WR Adam Thielen - $2.5M pay cut

I went back and forth on what to do at WR, but the WR market has simply gone too crazy to replace Thielen with the $6.3M savings we’d get from cutting him. Instead, he gets one more year to be a starting receiver. I considered Mecole Hardman but he’d command at least $10M a year, and Nelson Agholor would make less than $6.3M but he stinks and is now 30. Thielen is still a solid redzone weapon at this point in his career.


Extensions

QB Kirk Cousins – 2 years, $80M fully guaranteed. Saves $10M in cap room, cap hits in 2024 and on: $41.25M, $51.25M, $10M (void)



Remember when I said this plan wasn’t “precisely what I’d do”? Well, Kirk’s current cap number is hurting our ability to sign players, and thus it’s time to punt the can down the road yet again. He receives his fourth fully guaranteed deal from the Vikings and screws our 2024 and 2025 cap. His $40M a year matches Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford, which seems fair. Hopefully he doesn’t ask for Wilson/Murray levels of APY ($46-48M).

TE T. J. Hockenson – 5 years, $70M (saves $6.08M of cap space)



Having landed him for swap of 2nd/3rd to two 4ths, it feels as if this move was always part of the plan. Hockenson meshed very well with O’Connell’s plan and he made up for Thielen/Osborn’s shortcomings. He should rightfully ask for at least $15M a year, seeing as how that’s around what George Kittle, Dallas Goedert, and Mark Andrews are making. Saving $6M of cap space is the cherry on top.

WR Justin Jefferson – 5 years, $180M (costs $2.4M extra on cap)

I’m not going to go into depth on the contract, but the Vikings should get this done before it gets more expensive. $36M a year should do the trick, and following the model of Tyreek Hill’s mega deal, his first year cap hit will be bumped up to $6.5M. It won’t get crazy until 2025… well, we’re already in trouble that year too since Kirk’s cap hit is $51M, but my orders were to win now and worry about the future later.


Re-signing our internal free agents

DE/DT Dalvin Tomlinson – 3 years, $37.5M (saves $500K of cap space)



Tomlinson took a step forward in Donatell’s 3-4 system, as he went back to his roots with the Giants playing in a 3 man front. His pressure rate went up, and finding interior pass rushers is a pain. Add in the fact that the Vikings save $5M on a $7.5M void cap hit if they do extend him, and I think this move is a no-brainer. The signing ends up breaking about even.

CB Duke Shelley – 1 year, $3M

It is very hard to accurately predict what Shelley might get on the open market, as he played so well in a small window of time. His fit in Flores’ scheme is undeniable, as his play in man coverage was among the best in the NFL. We need him back, and playing just like he did last year.

QB Nick Mullens – 1 year, vet minimum

Mullens is a slightly below average backup who can function in an NFL offense, but is prone to making dumb mistakes. Once again, we don’t have the money to buy a quality backup, so we’ll go cheap and bring Mullens back, but with some competition soon to be added.

LS Andrew DePaola – 2 years, vet minimum

DePaola made the All-Pro team and was voted to a Pro Bowl. Cool, that’s enough for me to apply the veteran minimum since of looking for a slightly cheaper rookie. Moving on…


Players Being Let Go

C Garrett Bradbury – I can’t do it. Bradbury took a big step forward and looks like he can function as an average center in the NFL, but he’s still a liability in pass protection. That shouldn’t fly in O’Connell’s pass heavy scheme.

CB Patrick Peterson – He’s coming off a quality year, but he’s a mismatch for Flores’ man-heavy system and Peterson’s age regression is going to kick in at some point. It’s better to move on a year early rather than a year too late.

TE Irv Smith Jr. – LOL bye. The NFL is lacking in TEs, and he’ll find a one year deal to start somewhere else.

RB Alexander Mattison – Despite what some fans say, he is not good enough to start on 20 other teams. He also isn’t good enough to start on 10 other teams, probably not even 3. He’s a fine backup who is at most a 1B in a rushing attack. He’ll sign for cheaper than most will expect, seeing how flooded the RB market is.

CB Chandon Sullivan – The Vikings need to end their tradition of employing bad nickel CBs and not keeping a viable backup on the roster. The Packers let him go for a reason and ended up getting the last laugh.

K Greg Joseph – At the bare minimum, I’d like a kicker who can consistently hit extra points. Missing 6 in a season is not acceptable, as is missing 8 kicks in indoor stadiums, 7 of those being at home. We can do better.

DE Jonathan Bullard – He could be brought back at the veteran minimum, but James Lynch already accomplishes the “fine run stuffer, cannot rush the passer to save his life” role.

C Austin Schlottmann – We were force-fed Dakota Dozier re-runs when Schlottmann got into the lineup late in the year, as he was the lowest graded center by PFF’s grades even when factoring in every center who played at least one snap in 2022. In 2021, he was 65th out of 66, with #66 only playing 7 snaps. He is legitimately the worst center in the NFL, and I am sick of handing players jobs just because our coaches were familiar with him.

TE Ben Ellefson – He could return as a veteran minimum signing, but he gets hurt a lot for a guy who plays about 8 snaps a game.

G/T Oli Udoh – Normally I’d say something snarky about Udoh here, but when he played in lieu of O’Neill at his natural position, Udoh looked the part. He should hit the market and look to compete for a RT job, or settle for a swing tackle job. I am satisfied with Brandel as our swing tackle and Lowe developing behind him.

CB Kris Boyd – He’d only be brought back for special teams, but he has enough acclaim that he might sign for $2-3M. I’ll pass, he’s rubbed me the wrong way since he ruined a fake punt in 2021 and chirped at the fans in 2022. He’s also hot trash when he has attempting to play CB, so I’ll pass.
WR Bisi Johnson – He tore up his ACLs in back-to-back years. I’ll let him since elsewhere on a back-end 90 man roster deal.

Trades

Trade RB Dalvin Cook to the Dolphins for a 5th round pick. (saves $7.9M of cap, leaves $6.2M of dead cap)

Much could be debated for the merits of retaining a high-paid running back in O’Connell’s offense, but with how the roster is currently constructed, we need to go cheap at that position. The return is lackluster as I project teams will be looking forward to the free agent market and the draft class, both of which are loaded with talent that can be had for cheap. Why would a team offer a high pick for a RB whose best days are behind him?

Trade OLB D. J. Wonnum to the Broncos for a 6th round pick. (saves $2.74M of cap, leaves $187K of dead cap)

The PFF draft simulator said I could get a 6th for him, which seems expensive for a replacement level player, but perhaps a team sees he notched 8 sacks in 2021 and forks the pick over. Wonnum was practically a starter for the Vikings in 2022, playing about 600 snaps… but his ineffectiveness makes it seem as if he’s on the field far less than he actually is. While his run stopping grades improved to acceptable levels last year, he’s a liability as the top guy behind Hunter and Smith and it showed in the second half of the year. I’d take a conditional 7th rounder for him!

Trade CB Cameron Dantzler to the Commanders for a 6th round pick (saves $2.74M of cap, leaves $223K of dead cap)

This may be a controversial and seemingly counterintuitive seeing how heavily I rely on PFF grades, but I’ve come to the conclusion that Dantzler is not as good as his grades make him look. He was awful in Donatell’s scheme for a variety of reasons, but he was ultimately benched. While he is a better fit for man coverage, I can’t trust a player who fell both into Zimmer’s and Donatell’s doghouses. I have enough candidates to compete for the #2 job (Shelley/Evans/Booth Jr) and I will be filling the other CB spots in free agency, so I find Dantzler to be superfluous.

Cap Space: $34.12M (top 51 contracts)


Free Agent Signings

Sign CB James Bradberry - 3 years, $36M

Go big or go home! If the Vikings pass defense is to be fixed over a single offseason, it’s going to need a move like this. Bradberry is a big CB (6’1” 210 lbs) who is coming off a strong season with the Eagles, and was one of the best CBs graded in man coverage, and can hold his own facing up against quality WRs. It likely ends up only being a 1 or 2 year stay as he’s turning 30 soon, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take to put this team over the top.

Sign ILB David Long – 4 years, $36M

It’s imperative that we find a veteran LB to pair with Asamoah on the open market so we’re not forced to use a high pick on one. Long fits the bill and he’s on the young side (26). He was an important cog on a constantly overachieving Titans defense coming off a career year as a run stopper, and can hold his own in coverage. He’ll be a massive upgrade to Kendricks and Hicks.

Sign C Connor McGovern – 3 years, $21M

With Ed Ingram likely to keep his RG job, a team seriously considering a SB run needs a better iOL than we currently have, and the easiest way to do that is to let Bradbury walk and find an upgrade. McGovern isn’t a substantial upgrade, but he is a consistently stronger pass protector, which is important in our pass-heavy offense. He didn’t quite live up to his $9M APY deal in New York and is 30 now, so I think $7M a year is fair.

Sign CB Tavierre Thomas – 3 years, $15M

Finally, it’s about time we signed a quality slot CB and forget about him (in a good way). Thomas has quietly been one of the highest rated coverage CBs the past two years – not just slot CBs. Even better, he has a very high rating in man coverage, so he’s a great fit for Flores. Best of all, the track record for slot CB contracts on the open market are quite pitiful compared to other positions. No matter whether we are contending or rebuilding, I’d ink this deal in a heartbeat.

Signed RB D’Onta Foreman – 3 years, $10.5M

You may find it odd that I’m spending money on a career backup RB on the market, but Foreman is different to other available RBs. The 27 year old has consistently flown under the radar despite a strong 4.3 YPC, and just ripped off 914 yards in McCaffrey’s stead in Carolina. He’s flat-out one of the best pure runners in the NFL, and only has 443 career carries, so he’s got plenty of tread on his tires. He brings nothing to the table in the passing game, so he fits in as a 1A in the rushing attack, but is still affordable enough to be replaced by a younger back. I find it likely the Panthers retain him, but I can dream.

Sign K Matt Prater – 2 years, $6M

He may be 39, but he was still solid in 2022, hitting 88% of FGs and missed only 1 XP. Injuries may be a concern, but I will take my chances there rather than with a streaky kicker.


NFL Draft

As usual, I need to give a disclaimer here about the draft portion. At the current moment I do not have a great grasp on which prospects will go in which ranges, and I’m relying on the PFF Draft Simulator to inform me.

IMPORTANT: The takeaway should be the positions, not the players themselves. In hindsight, these drafts always look terrible / have players going way too early or late.

Pick 1-23: OLB Nolan Smith

Through free agency, I’ve set things up so that I don’t need to force this pick on any particular position. My eyes are set on edge rusher, as Hunter is in a contract year and I’ve opted not to extend him, while Za’Darius’ play will be declining sooner rather than later. Smith can take the Wonnum role (which is about 55% of the snaps, so it’s rather large) and develop into a starter for the future, or become a full-timer if Hunter/Smith get hurt. Building depth is important, especially at edge rusher.

Pick 3-87: ILB DeMarvion Overshown

I went BPA here, which resulted in what will be our third straight year drafting an ILB in the third round. Overshown has a high ceiling and can sit on the bench Year 1 as a backup plan in case Asamoah doesn’t develop as intended… plus I don’t trust Troy Dye to be the primary backup.

Pick 4-119: WR Andrei Iosivas

I don’t anticipate he’ll be on the board here, but I’d like to keep taking shots on WRs in the 3rd-5th rounds to try and hit a home run with one of them. Iosvias would compete with Nailor and Reagor for reps as the fourth receiver.

Pick 5-152: G/T Connor Galvin

Galvin can be the next project O-lineman who will likely end up at guard after playing LT at Baylor.

Pick 5-160: S Rashad Torrence II

The Vikings have been able to find overachieving safeties in the 4th-7th rounds the past several years, and perhaps Torrence II can be the next in line. With 2023 likely Harrison Smith’s last year on the roster, he could step up into a primary backup job in 2024.

Pick 5-177: TE Will Mallory

The Vikings’ depth at TE is lackluster, so let’s take another crack at it.

Pick 6-198: QB Stetson Bennett

I frankly don’t know most of the prospects left on the board at this point, but I’d like to take a late-round jab at QB just to see if we could find a decent backup. I’m sure O’Connell would like to pick his own guy, rather than having the likes of Kellen Mond foisted onto him.

Pick 6-209: DE Cameron Young

With Bullard and Blacklock gone, there is an opening for a D-lineman, and Young has the measurables that Flores prefers for his DL.


Post-Draft Signings

DE Nathan Shepherd – Coming off a passable year as a rotational D-linemen, perhaps Shepherd could look for a starting job as he would compete with Lynch. He fits Flores’ set of measurables.

WR Deonte Harty – Formerly named Donte Harris, Harty was very efficient as an undersized receiver in 2021 but only managed to play 4 games last year and missed the rest of the year with injury. When healthy, he’s a quality kick and punt returner who is fieldable on offense, which is far more than what we can say about Jalen Reagor.

TE Mo Alie-Cox – I’m expecting him to be released, and he’d be a great grab as a #2 TE. He graded out as a solid blocker and would immediately be an upgrade from Mundt, and is a solid redzone weapon (9 TDs the past 3 years). I don’t know if he could be had this cheap, but you never know when certain players sit around on the market for months at a time.

HB Justin Jackson – He was relegated to the #3 RB job for the Lions last year, but is talented enough to be a backup as he showed with the Chargers. He can also handle himself as a receiver out of the backfield, which compliments Foreman well. He would compete with Chandler for the #2 job.

C Kyle Fuller – He’s been the Seahawks backup center for a few years, and has generally had poor ratings, but not Schlottmann-levels. He’ll have to compete for a roster spot.

Cap Space Remaining: $4.56M

Final Roster



Here's the whole layout of the plan:



* Notes *

I could see in an alternately aggressive plan moving our 1st and/or 3rd round picks for a player on another roster, but I couldn't find any great fits. I looked for CBs and WRs that would make sense to replace Bradberry / Thielen, but didn't find anything I liked.

The 2022 draft class is going to get its chances - 1st rounder Cine is being handed the starting job, as Bynum should not be able to supplant him with how poor he played last year and how he doesn't fit in Flores' scheme very well. I could see Bynum get cross-trained at slot CB to give us some depth there. 2nd/4th rounders Booth Jr/Evans will get snaps when injuries inevitably hit the CB group. 3rd rounder Asamoah is being handed a starting job on a platter, too. Finally, Chandler will be getting plenty of rope at RB, while I don't expect Nwangwu to get the same chances. O'Connell's answer when asked about using Kene on offense last year was pretty clear, they think of him only as a special teams player.

If you're wondering about our 2024 cap situation... well. The cap is expected to fall in between $249M to $268M, and before all these moves, we have $187.1M committed to the 2024 salary cap. After this article it is now... roughly $266.8M!! Welcome to salary cap purgatory, everyone!


Alright, that's enough from me! I want to hear what you think, are you a fan of going for it with no regard for the future of the team? Did I not go far enough? Let me hear what you think!Welcome back to my annual Offseason Guide article, where I whip up a hypothetical Vikings offseason that involves axing Vikings, signing copious amounts of free agents, and attempting to fix issues

Minnesota Vikings football in the 2000s was a lot like Minnesota Vikings football in the 1980s. Too often, it was disappointing. They made it to NFC Conference Championship games at the beginning and the end of the decade but the years in between were often difficult. The Vikings employed four head coaches through the first 11 years of the new century. That’s one fewer than they employed in the previous four decades. Despite the difficulties of the 2000s, the 2009 team that fell a play short of the Super Bowl was one of the most fun teams in franchise history. Here's the Vikings 2000s All-Decade Team.

Minnesota Vikings 2000s All-Decade Team

Quarterback
Daunte Culpepper

Daunte Culpepper is one of the greatest “what ifs?” in franchise history. What if Culpepper hadn’t shredded his knee during the 2005 season? He was coming off consecutive Pro Bowl seasons in 2003 and 2004. His play in 2004 probably gets him the MVP award in nearly any other season. After the knee injury, Culpepper never took another snap for the Vikings and was never the same player.

Running backs
Adrian Peterson
Chester Taylor

Adrian Peterson was a brilliant running back. One of the best I’ve ever seen. Chester Taylor had a terrific season in 2006 and then the Vikings drafted Peterson. Taylor was an excellent #2 to Peterson’s #1 from 2007-09.

Receiver
Randy Moss
Cris Carter

Randy Moss was one of the most stunning, most physically gifted receivers I’ve ever seen. It was an absolute blast watching him play for the Vikings. I only wish that he had never worn another team’s uniform. It's disappointing that Cris Carter’s final two seasons with the Vikings is enough to pair him with Moss on this team. After decades of strong receiving groups, the Vikings often trotted out disappointing groups after Carter retired and Moss was traded. It’s tempting to pair Moss with Sidney Rice or Nate Burleson but each really had only a single season of note with the Vikings during the decade.

Tight End
Visanthe Shiancoe

Visanthe Shiancoe was productive all five of his years in Minnesota. With 11 TDs, his 2009 season was easily his best.

Tackles
Bryant McKinnie
Korey Stringer

Bryant McKinnie was a consistently good left tackle. Unfortunately, he had the talent to be an all-timer. Few Vikings players have ever disappointed me more. He was even sent home from his lone Pro Bowl. Incredible. Right tackle is a tough one. Mike Rosenthal? Ryan Cook? Phil Loadholt showed great promise as a rookie in 2009. Korey Stringer gets the nod for his final season. A Pro Bowl season. RIP Big K.

Guards
Steve Hutchinson
David Dixon

The guards are easy. Steve Hutchinson is one of the best guards in league history. He has a bust in Canton. David Dixon was an underrated bulldozer of a guard.

Center
Matt Birk

Matt Birk was the Vikings center for nearly all of the decade. He was very good, earning six Pro Bowls and a 2nd-team All-Pro.

Defensive Ends
Jared Allen
Lance Johnstone

Jared Allen arrived in Minnesota in 2008. He immediately started terrorizing quarterbacks. He’ll be honored in Canton soon. Lance Johnstone’s five years in Minnesota seem to have been forgotten over the years. Perhaps it’s because he was a full-time starter for only one of those years. He was a pass rushing specialist and his double digit sacks in 2003 and 2004 shouldn’t be forgotten.

Defensive Tackles
Kevin Williams
Pat Williams

The Williams Wall. Kevin and Pat Williams were great. Kevin Williams should eventually find his way to Canton. Pat Williams is one of the best free agent additions in franchise history. Individually and especially together, they were so much fun.

Linebackers
Chad Greenway
E.J. Henderson
Ben Leber

Matt Blair, Jeff Siemon, and Wally Hilgenberg might say differently but I have Chad Greenway, E.J. Henderson, and Ben Leber as the best linebacker trio in Vikings franchise history. They’re an easy pick for the best of the 2000s. I’ve often wondered how different the 2009 playoffs might’ve been if the Vikings hadn’t lost Henderson to that brutal leg injury late in the regular season.

Cornerbacks
Antoine Winfield
Cedric Griffin

Antoine Winfield was a fun, fantastic football player. In my opinion, he’s the best cornerback to play for the Vikings. He finally earned a couple Pro Bowls at the end of the decade. His career should’ve been filled with league honors. Cedric Griffen was a solid corner and a nice compliment to Winfield.

Safeties
Corey Chavous
Brian Russell

Corey Chavous is an underrated football player. I really liked him in the 1998 draft and I was thrilled when he signed with the Vikings as a free agent in 2002. Chavous was excellent in 2003, earning his lone Pro Bowl. It often seemed like he made every damn tackle during that 2003 season. Brian Russell’s best season was also in 2003. That’s when his nine interceptions paced the league.

Kicker
Ryan Longwell

Through the Vikings kicking woes of recent years, I’ve often thought about Ryan Longwell. I fear every kick now. I didn’t fear kicks when Longwell was kicking them. Plus, he’s a Cal alum.

Punter
Chris Kluwe

Chris Kluwe ranks with Bobby Walden, Greg Coleman, and Mitch Berger as the best punters in Vikings history. Kluwe’s five years tops Berger’s two as best of the decade. Minnesota Vikings football in the 2000s was a lot like Minnesota Vikings football in the 1980s. Too often, it was disappointing. They made it to NFC Conference Championship games at the beginning and

Our latest episode of VR is out, and we talk about Kwesi's press conference, NFL Combine news, and our positional analysis rolls on with the tight end spot.

Come join us!


Our latest episode of VR is out, and we talk about Kwesi's press conference, NFL Combine news, and our positional analysis rolls on with the tight end spot. Come join us

The Scouting Combine has become an oddly big, televised event on the NFL’s offseason schedule. For younger fans that’s all they’ve known of the event. It wasn’t always like that. It used to be a very secret thing. There were no cameras and no news. It was as if draft prospects and team decision-makers disappeared into a black hole for a few days. That was a very different time. This is a brief look into the origins of the Scouting Combine.

Thanks to then Philadelphia Eagles owner Bert Bell, the NFL Draft was introduced in 1936. At the time, all of the best college prospects gravitated to the league’s best teams. The Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and New York Giants annually re-stocked and played for championships. The rest of the league’s teams collected scraps and hoped for the best. Today’s college football isn’t much different from the NFL’s pre-draft days. There had to be a better way of spreading the football talent more evenly and more fairly across the league. Bell suggested the draft. George Halas, Curly Lambeau, and Tim Mara reluctantly agreed. For the first few decades, scouting for the draft was an afterthought. Today’s average fantasy football participant takes part in their drafts far more prepared than those NFL team decision-makers did for their real drafts. Coaches and owners would show up to the draft and just randomly pluck names out of a college football magazine. Maybe a few of them had hot tips from friends in the college coaching ranks. There were no scouts. The first true scouts didn’t appear until the late 1940s and 1950s. Ed Kotal is generally regarded as the first person in league history to travel, watch, and evaluate college football talent. He helped build the Los Angeles Rams into an annual contender and league champion in 1951. Dick Gallagher and Sarge MacKenzie helped stock the powerful Cleveland Browns. A little later, Jack Vainisi built the Green Bay Packers team that Vince Lombardi took to ridiculous heights in the 1960s.

It’s difficult to imagine a time when football scouting was an afterthought. One of the hardships of football scouting, especially thorough scouting, is the size of this country and the number of colleges, at all levels, that pepper it. To cover it all is an incredibly daunting task. With hundreds of colleges to visit and thousands of players to see and limited resources to cover them, NFL teams started to enter into partnerships to share the costs and labor. Imagine that. NFL teams working together, sharing resources and information in an effort to get better. It’s inconceivable. Two of these partnerships began in 1963. One was the Lions, Steelers, Eagles Talent Organization, LESTO. The Bears joined in 1964 and LESTO magically became BLESTO. The Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, and St. Louis Cardinals formed National Football Scouting (NFS). In 1964, the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and expansion New Orleans Saints formed a partnership that would come to be known as Quadra Scouting. The Minnesota Vikings joined BLESTO in 1966. Jerry Reichow insisted the team join as a condition of his becoming the team’s director of scouting. The Vikings are still with BLESTO and Mitch Johnson-Martin is the team’s BLESTO scout. All of the NFL teams were part of some scouting partnership during the 1960s.

Prior to the 1970s, NFL teams didn’t typically give physical exams to draft prospects. Medically, the teams had little to no knowledge of the players that they were selecting. During the 1970s, that started to change as teams scheduled individual visits with draft prospects to check them out physically and medically. In both time and money, it was a very costly process. As with most NFL business from 1960-89, Dallas Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm was in the middle of change. He proposed to the league’s Competition Committee holding a centralized event at which evaluations of the draft prospects could take place. In 1982, National Football Scouting, which had expanded to 16 teams, held the first National Invitational Camp (NIC) in Tampa. This camp formed the foundation of all those that followed. BLESTO and Quadra held their own camps.

From 1982-84, BLESTO, NFS, and Quadra held separate camps. To share costs, they decided to merge in 1985. They decided to COMBINE. This merging of the three scouting organizations is why the Scouting Combine is called the Scouting Combine. The first Scouting Combine was held in Phoenix. The second was held in New Orleans. In 1987, the event was moved to it’s, so far, permanent home, Indianapolis. This is the home city of NFS so it’s nice and convenient for them.

The Scouting Combine did not allow media coverage for nearly two decades. It was a very secret event. It was secret to the extent of being somewhat suspicious. It was definitely mysterious. Everything changed in 2003 when the NFL launched their own television channel, NFL Network. The 2004 Scouting Combine was the first to be revealed to the public. With each year, the television production and coverage has gotten bigger. Now, it’s a prime time event. The evolution from a very secret event to a very public event has been astonishing. It’s gotten to the point where the actual work being done in Indianapolis is secondary to the coverage of it. The Scouting Combine has become an oddly big, televised event on the NFL’s offseason schedule. For younger fans that’s all they’ve known of the event. It wasn’t always like that. It used to be a very

Selecting the best Minnesota Vikings of the 1980s is a challenge. Picking the best of the 1990s team is a relative breeze. The 1990s was an interesting decade for the Vikings. It started with the final two years of Jerry Burns as head coach. It was Dennis Green’s team the rest of the decade. Under Green, the Vikings were competitive every year. The only year that the team didn’t make the playoffs was 1995. After four one-and-dones, Green got his first playoff win in 1997. That win was the appetizer for the brilliant but excruciating 1998 season. The 1990s was a fun decade for the Vikings, especially offensively. Here are some of the best Minnesota Vikings players of the 1990s.

Minnesota Vikings 1990s All-Decade Team

Offense

Quarterback
Randall Cunningham

One of the frustrating aspects of the 1990s Vikings was Dennis Green’s revolving door at quarterback. Instead of showing patience with a young quarterback like Rich Gannon it felt like there was a new “old guy” each year. A couple of those “old guys” were great. Warren Moon and Randall Cunningham. It was football poetry to watch Moon throw to Cris Carter for about 2.5 seasons. Cunningham’s incredible play in 1998 edges Moon for the quarterback spot on this team.

Running back
Robert Smith

Robert Smith is one of the best running backs in franchise history. Once he got past a string of injuries and maladies (chicken pox!), he was great.

Fullback
Rick Fenney

Perhaps it’s the nature of the position he played but I feel like Rick Fenney has been forgotten over the years. The final two years of his career were 1990 and 1991. He was a very good fullback for all of his five years in Minnesota.

Receiver
Cris Carter
Randy Moss
Jake Reed

I’m including all three members of 3-Deep. Cris Carter and Randy Moss are two of the best receivers the league has ever seen. Jake Reed was an excellent big play compliment to Carter for several years. Then Moss joined the team.

Tight end
Steve Jordan

Steve Jordan’s best years were in the latter half of the 1980s. He still had a couple Pro Bowl seasons in the 1990s. Jordan is the best tight end in Vikings franchise history. His was a time in which the tight end position really began to emerge as an offensive weapon. He was one of the league’s best during that time.

Tackles
Gary Zimmerman
Korey Stringer

Gary Zimmerman’s best Vikings years were in the 1980s. He was still very good, if not great, from 1990-92. His protection of whichever quarterback was behind him always looked so effortless. That’s why he ended his career with a bust in Canton. The final three years of his Hall of Fame career edges the seven very good years of Todd Steussie for the left tackle spot on this team. Korey Stringer was a very good football player sadly taken far too soon.

Guards
Randall McDaniel
David Dixon

This is an easy one. Randal McDaniel is a Hall of Famer and one of the 2-3 best guards to ever play. David Dixon didn’t get a lot of attention outside of Minnesota but he was a bulldozing force in the run game.

Center
Jeff Christy

Following Mick Tingelhoff and Kirk Lowdermilk and preceding Matt Birk, Jeff Christy continued the Vikings long, strong center tradition.

Defense

Defensive ends
Chris Doleman
Al Noga

The first few years of the 1990s were the last few years of a great era of Vikings defense. Much of this All-Decade defense is made up of players that made those defenses great. Their peak years were the late 1980s but they still had a couple strong years in the 1990s. Al Noga is an example of that. He edges out Roy Barker, Fernando Smith, and a couple first round busts in Derrick Alexander and Duane Clemons. Chris Doleman was a offense-wrecking pass rusher throughout his 10-year Vikings career and 15-year NFL career. He was even great at 38 when he returned to the Vikings in 1999.

Defensive tackles
John Randle
Henry Thomas

John Randle is a Hall of Famer and one of the best players in franchise history. He was also one of the most fun players. Like Gary Larsen before him, Henry Thomas was a somewhat anonymous difference-maker on an outstanding defensive line.

Linebackers
Ed McDaniel
Jack Del Rio
Mike Merriweather

Ed McDaniel was a steady player and leader of the Vikings defense for much of the decade. Jack Del Rio was the middle linebacker from 1992-95. He was a solid player, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 1994. Those four years gets him the spot here. The Vikings acquired Mike Merriweather from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a first round pick on the eve of the 1988 NFL Draft. I was thrilled with the trade. I just wish that he wasn’t 29 at the time. He was an excellent linebacker for the Steelers. He was close to that player with the Vikings.

Cornerbacks
Carl Lee
DeWayne Washington

From 1988-90, Carl Lee was one of the best cornerbacks in the league. He wasn’t quite that player from 1991-93 but he still gets this spot over Corey Fuller and Jimmy Hitchcock. When DeWayne Washington was selected in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft, it was the first time the Vikings selected a cornerback in the first round. He was an immediate starter as a rookie and played well for four years. Then he left in free agency. The Vikings should never have let that happen.

Safeties
Orlando Thomas
Robert Griffith

Orlando Thomas paced the league with nine interceptions as a rookie in 1995. He looked like he was going to be cornerstone player. He probably would’ve been if injuries hadn’t peppered his career and ultimately shortened it. In his seven years in Minnesota, he played 16 games twice. Thomas was a very good football player. He could’ve been a great football player. Robert Griffith was a steady player and team leader for eight years. He made one Pro Bowl but should’ve made more.

Kicker
Gary Anderson

Sadly, Gary Anderson will always be remembered for the kick he missed rather than all the kicks he made.

Punter
Mitch Berger

Mitch Berger was an excellent punter for the Vikings from 1996-2001. He made the Pro Bowl in 1999.

Returner
David Palmer

David Palmer was a fun, versatile player for the Vikings. I always felt that his talents could’ve been used a bit more. Perhaps a lot more.


It's a real shame that the Vikings defense that entered the 1990s couldn't have been combined with the offense that closed the 1990s. Selecting the best Minnesota Vikings of the 1980s is a challenge. Picking the best of the 1990s team is a relative breeze. The 1990s was an interesting decade for the Vikings. It started with the

We're back, and with the off-season in full swing, it's time to discuss the running back position. What to do with Dalvin Cook (and another RB on the roster no one seems to be talking about), and all the salary cap ramifications. We also look at potential free agents the Vikes could bring in if they move on from Dalvin, and of course, the Drew Big Board for the draft. A lot of great prospects to talk about, and where in the draft the Vikes should get a guy if they look to the draft to replace Dalvin.


 We're back, and with the off-season in full swing, it's time to discuss the running back position. What to do with Dalvin Cook (and another RB on the roster no one seems to be talking about), and all

Last week’s hiring of Brian Flores to be the team’s next defensive coordinator got me thinking about all of the coaches in Minnesota Vikings franchise history. From those thoughts, I couldn't stop myself from piecing together an All-Time Minnesota Vikings Coaching Staff.

Minnesota Vikings All - Time Coaching Staff

Head Coach
Bud Grant

The first coach to challenge Bud Grant for the franchise’s all-time head coach spot will be the first one to guide the Vikings to a Super Bowl title. Hopefully, that head coach is currently employed by the team. That’d mean that we are real close to that glorious day.

Offense

Offensive Coordinator
Jerry Burns

Jerry Burns crafted Super Bowl offenses led by quarterbacks as opposite as Joe Kapp and Fran Tarkenton. His wonderful press conferences are a bonus.

Quarterbacks
Norm Van Brocklin

Despite clear differences in ideas and temperament, Fran Tarkenton always raved about Norm Van Brocklin’s expertise of the NFL passing game. He was tough and volatile but Van Brocklin could coach the quarterback position.

Running Backs
Eric Bienemy

Receivers
Chip Myers

Tight Ends
Brian Billick

Offensive Line
John Michels

John Michels coached Hall of Famers Ron Yary, Mick Tingelhoff, Randall McDaniel, and Gary Zimmerman. As well as Grady Alderman, Ed White, Tim Irwin, Kirk Lowdermilk, etc.

Assistant Offensive Line
Mike Tice

Defense

Defensive Coordinator
Mike Zimmer

Defensive Line
Buddy Ryan

Assistant Defensive Line
Andre Patterson

Linebackers
Monte Kiffin

Defensive Backs
Tony Dungy

Assistant Defensive Backs
Pete Carroll

Special Teams

Special Teams Coordinator
Bud Grant

Assistant Special Teams
Gary Zauner

I tried to place each of the coaches in positions that they held with the Vikings. Mike Zimmer didn't hold the title of defensive coordinator but there's no doubt that he coordinated the defense as the head coach. I also demoted the Vikings first head coach to quarterback coach. Norm Van Brocklin never spent a day as an assistant coach. He went straight from NFL MVP to head coach of an expansion team. Fran Tarkenton said that Van Brocklin had a brilliant mind for offensive football. That's good enough for me. Perhaps he'd be better suited as the team's offensive coordinator but I really want Jerry Burns in that position. The emotional range of Van Brocklin and Burns together would be a riot to see. Tony Dungy coordinated the defense for Dennis Green. He was never the Vikings defensive back coach but he gets that job for this team. Picking a special teams coordinator was an issue. The Vikings' special teams during their Super Bowl years were factors in so many games. I've never seen a team block as many kicks and punts as those teams did. I wanted the special teams coach of those teams to be the All-Time coordinator. The problem is that no Vikings coach had that specific title. Entire NFL coaching staffs of that era could fit into the office of one of today’s head coaches. Assistant coaches often had to work with more than a single position group. Bud Grant stressed the importance of special teams. Because the special teams of his teams were so damn special he gets to be the head coach and coordinate the special teams. It’s a toss-up between Gary Zauner and Mike Priefer to assist him. Hopefully, Matt Daniels develops into the coach that makes any all-time special teams coordinator debates silly. 

From a Vikings perspective, I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing that former assistants Pete Carroll, Tony Dungy, Brian Billick, and Mike Tomlin went on to be Super Bowl-winning head coaches for other teams. Buddy Ryan wasn't the head coach of a Super Bowl-winning team but he played a significant role in winning one as a defensive coordinator.

I wanted to pick Keenan McCardell as the team’s all-time receivers coach. He’s an outstanding receivers coach. Instead, I went with Chip Myers. The Vikings offensive explosion in 1998 propelled Brian Billick into a head coach opportunity with the Baltimore Ravens. Myers coached the receivers from 1994-97 and quarterbacks in 1998. His work with the receivers and juggling of Brad Johnson and Randall Cunningham during the explosive 1998 season made him an easy choice to replace Billick as the Vikings offensive coordinator. About a month after being promoted, Myers died suddenly at the age of 53 of a heart attack. In a sad case of what might have been, I've often wondered what a Chip Myers-led Vikings offense might have looked like. Playmakers like Randy Moss, Cris Carter, Jake Reed, and Robert Smith can make coaching look easy. I thought that the Vikings offense could build on what they did in 1998. Instead, that was their peak. The sad, sudden loss of Myers left a hole on the coaching staff that Dennis Green never could fill.

There weren't enough positions on this coaching staff for all of the terrific coaches that have impacted the Vikings franchise. Here are a few of the former Vikings coaches that deserve mention:

Jack Patera
Neil Armstrong
Bus Mertes
Floyd Peters
John Teerlinck
Paul Wiggin
Mike Tomlin

Last week’s hiring of Brian Flores to be the team’s next defensive coordinator got me thinking about all of the coaches in Minnesota Vikings franchise history. From those thoughts, I couldn't stop

The latest and greatest Vikings Report is out. We make our Super Bowl pick, talk the Brian Flores hire, and our world famous, regionally popular, and locally sourced off season positional review starts!


Like always, we talk rostered players, potential free agents, and the Drew Big Board is back!!! This week, we talk about the most iportant position in football--the long snapper. No wait, quarterback. Yes, QB that's it. Anyway, come join us!

The latest and greatest Vikings Report is out. We make our Super Bowl pick, talk the Brian Flores hire, and our world famous, regionally popular, and locally sourced off season positional review

The Chicago Bears currently hold the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. If they use the pick, it would be the third time that they made the first pick in the draft. The first two didn’t go so well. Tom Harmon never played for them. Bob Fenimore never played all that well. With seven times each, the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts and the Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams have picked first the most. The Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and Seattle Seahawks have never picked first. Here are the No. 1 Picks ranked by the teams that have made the pick the most.

The No. 1 Pick In The NFL Draft

1. Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (7)
1955: George Shaw, QB, Oregon
1967: Bubba Smith, DE, Michigan State
1983: John Elway, QB, Stanford
1990: Jeff George, QB, Illinois
1992: Steve Emtman, DE, Washington
1998: Peyton Manning, QB, Tennessee
2012: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

1. Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams (7)
1938: Corbett Davis, FB, Indiana
1952: Bill Wade, QB, Vanderbilt
1960: Billy Cannon, HB, LSU
1963: Terry Baker, QB, Oregon St.
1997: Orlando Pace, OT, Ohio State
2010: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
2016: Jared Goff, QB, California

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5)
1976: Lee Roy Selmon, DE, Oklahoma
1977: Ricky Bell, HB, USC
1986: Bo Jackson, HB, Auburn
1987: Vinny Testeverde, QB, Miami
2015: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

3. Cleveland Browns (5)
1954: Bobby Garrett, QB, Stanford
1999: Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky
2000: Courtney Brown, DE, Penn State
2017: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
2018: Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

3. Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals (5)
1939: Ki Aldrich, C, TCU
1940: George Cafego, HB, Tennessee
1945: Charley Trippi, HB, Georgia
1958: King Hill, QB, Rice
2019: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

6. Detroit Lions (4)
1943: Frank Sinkwich, HB, Georgia
1950: Leon Hart, E, Notre Dame
1980: Billy Sims, HB, Oklahoma
2009: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia

6. Atlanta Falcons (4)
1966: Tommy Nobis, LB, Texas
1975: Steve Bartkowski, QB, California
1988: Aundray Bruce, LB, Auburn
2001: Michael Vick, QB, Virginia Tech

6. Buffalo Bills (4)
1969: O.J. Simpson, HB, USC
1972: Walt Patulski, DE, Notre Dame
1979: Tom Cousineau, LB, Ohio State
1985: Bruce Smith, DE, Virginia Tech

6. Cincinnati Bengals (4)
1994: Dan Wilkinson, DT, Ohio State
1995: Ki-Jana Carter, HB, Penn State
2003: Carson Palmer, QB, USC
2020: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

6. New England Patriots (4)
1971: Jim Plunkett, QB, Stanford
1982: Kenneth Sims, DE, Texas
1984: Irving Fryar, WR, Nebraska
1993: Drew Bledsoe, QB, Washington State

11. Philadelphia Eagles (3)
1936: Jay Berwanger, HB, Chicago
1937: Sam Francis, FB, Nebraska
1949: Chuck Bednarik, LB, Penn

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (3)
1942: Bill Dudley, HB, Virginia
1956: Gary Glick, DB, Colorado A&M
1970: Terry Bradshaw, QB, Louisiana Tech

11. Dallas Cowboys (3)
1974: Ed Jones, DE, Tennessee State
1989: Troy Aikman, QB, UCLA
1991: Russell Maryland, DT, Miami

11. San Francisco 49ers (3)
1953: Harry Babcock, E, Georgia
1964: Dave Parks, WR, Texas Tech
2005: Alex Smith, QB, Utah

11. Houston Texans (3)
2002: Dave Carr, QB, Fresno State
2006: Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina State
2014: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina

16. Minnesota Vikings (2)
1961: Tommy Mason, HB, Tulane
1968: Ron Yary, OT, USC

The Minnesota Vikings were awarded the first pick in the 1961 NFL Draft as a way to help an expansion team. I believe that the Vikings were the first expansion team to receive such treatment. The year before, the Dallas Cowboys were awarded their franchise at such a late date that they didn’t even take part in the 1960 NFL Draft. The league was in a rush to get the Cowboys going so that they could compete for control of the city of Dallas and the state of Texas with the AFL’s Dallas Texans. It’s wild that the first pick in Cowboys franchise history preceded their second season. They made that first pick count when they selected defensive tackle Bob Lilly. Anyway, this isn’t about the Cowboys. It’s about the Vikings and their two opportunities with the first pick in the NFL Draft. They gained the first pick in the 1968 NFL Draft from the New York Giants as part of the Fran Tarkenton trade. The Vikings did well with both of their opportunities to draft first overall. Along with Tarkenton, Tommy Mason was one of the franchise’s early stars. He went to the Pro Bowl from 1962-64 and was named first-team All-Pro in 1963. If injuries hadn’t whittled away at his talents, he’d be better remembered. Ron Yary is honored in Canton for the career that he had in Minnesota. Simply put, he’s the best offensive tackle of his era and one of the best to ever play.

16. Chicago Bears (2)
1941: Tom Harmon, HB, Michigan
1947: Bob Fenimore, HB, Oklahoma A&M

16. Boston/Washington Braves/Redskins/Commanders (2)
1948: Harry Gilmer, HB, Alabama
1962: Ernie Davis, HB, Syracuse

16. New York Giants (2)
1951: Kyle Rote, HB, SMU
1965: Tucker Fredrickson, HB, Auburn

16. Green Bay Packers (2)
1957: Paul Hornung, HB, Notre Dame
1959: Randy Duncan, QB, Iowa

16. Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (2)
1973: John Matuszak, DE, Tampa
1978: Earl Campbell, HB, Texas

16. Jacksonville Jaguars (2)
2021: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
2022: Travon Walker, DE, Georgia

23. New Orleans Saints (1)
1981: George Rogers, HB, South Carolina

23. New York Jets (1)
1996: Keyshawn Johnson, WR, USC

23. San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (1)
2004: Eli Manning, QB, Mississippi

23. Oakland/Los Angeles/Las Vegas Raiders (1)
2007: Jamarcus Russell, QB, LSU

23. Miami Dolphins (1)
2008: Jake Long, OT, Michigan

23. Carolina Panthers (1)
2011: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

23. Kansas City Chiefs (1)
2013: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

The Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, and Baltimore Ravens have never picked first.

One team that is no longer with us made the first pick in the draft twice:

Boston Yanks (2)
1944: Angelo Bertelli, QB, Notre Dame
1946: Frank Dancewicz, QB, Notre Dame

The Yanks were fond of Notre Dame quarterbacks. Unfortunately, that fondness couldn’t save the franchise. They became the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the New York Yanks in 1950, and the Dallas Texans in 1952. The team folded after the 1952 season and many of the players were folded into the “new” Baltimore Colts.


The Chicago Bears currently hold the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. If they use the pick, it would be the third time that they made the first pick in the draft. The first two didn’t go so well.

Hey everyone! We took last week off, and had a hard time getting our schedules to sync up to record this week, so the Vikings Report Rewind Crew will get together live at 2 PM CT today to discuss the Super Bowl, the defensive coordinator search, and the fall of the Byzantine Empire.*

*We will not be talking about the fall of the Byzantine Empire.

Anyway, here's the link we'll be broadcasting on, and it will be live on YouTube and on our Facebook Page, so come join us and say hi.


Hey everyone! We took last week off, and had a hard time getting our schedules to sync up to record this week, so the Vikings Report Rewind Crew will get together live at 2 PM CT today to discuss the

Several years ago, while watching a Minnesota-Buffalo preseason game, I noticed a Bills defensive back by the name of Jumal Rolle. Another Rolle? There'd been quite a string of defensive back-playing Rolles to hit the NFL over the years. Samari Rolle, Antrel Rolle, Myron Rolle, now Jumal Rolle. I checked to see if Jumal played at at a Florida college like the rest. Instead of Florida St. or Miami, I found little Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. This brought a rush of memories. Memories of Steve Sabol talking about "the Catawba Claw." One of the greatest nicknames in NFL history.

Bucky Pope flashed upon the football world in 1964. Then, he was gone. He might have been lost in history if not for his fantastic nickname. Pope was a two-sport schoolboy sensation in Crafton, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Football and basketball. Duke recruited him to play basketball. He played freshman ball there but grades became an issue. They wanted him to attend summer school to work on those grades. He didn't want to go. So, he returned home. A friend suggested that he check out Catawba. He wasn't too enthusiastic about the place at first. The school eventually grew on him and he enrolled in 1961. Basketball again came first. Pope became eligible on January 27, 1962. He scored 28 points in his first game against rival Lenoir-Rhyne. He averaged 19.4 points in the 61 games that he played for the Indians. Football found Pope when Catawba coach Harvey Stratton noticed him flying around in a flag-football intramural game. "He asked if I'd played football, and I said was from western Pennsylvania, where everybody played football," Pope recalled. The Catawba basketball coach didn't much care for his new star playing football. The two coaches reached an understanding. Pope would play end for the football team but only to make receptions and defend passes. An interesting arrangement. In two seasons, he caught 66 passes for nearly 1200 yards. His huge season was 1962 when he was a startling new weapon for the Indians. His numbers dropped a bit in 1963 due to persistent double coverage.

While Bucky Pope was at Catawba, an artist portrayed him in a cartoon as a hybrid sports hero-half basketball player, half football player. His left arm extending skyward like a claw. "The Catawba Claw" was born.

Pro football scouts had heard about 'the Catawba Claw" despite only two years at a small college in Salisbury, North Carolina. The Los Angeles Rams sent Hall of Fame receiver and then general manager Elroy Hirsch to check out the young receiver. The Rams saw enough in Pope to pick him in the eighth round of the 1964 NFL Draft. At 6'5" and fast, he would fit in well today. His size and speed was unheard of in 1964. In an early training camp practice, Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel threw a pass as far as he could. Pope ran it down. The Rams had something.

In an early season game against the Detroit Lions, Pope caught an under-thrown pass while lying on his back. He hadn't been touched so he got up and ran for a long touchdown. Then came a breakout game against the Chicago Bears. A three touchdown game against San Francisco. A 95-yard touchdown against Green Bay. By December, Pope was in Sports Illustrated. People couldn't get enough of "the Catawba Claw." His rookie season in the NFL was terrific. 25 receptions for 786 yards for an incredible 31.4 yards per catch. He tied Chicago's Johnny Morris and Washington's Bobby Mitchell for the league lead with 10 touchdown receptions. His impact on the league as a rookie reminds of the arrival of Randy Moss in 1998. Both brought jaw-dropping big plays every time they stepped on a football field. Both forced defenses to reevaluate how they approached these unusual receivers.

After the 1964 season, Bucky Pope had six months of reserve duty with the army. This forced him to rush back for an exhibition game prior to the 1965 season. He injured his knee in that game. He was never the same. He missed the entire 1965 season. He played a little in 1966. His one reception was a 14-yard touchdown. He had eight receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns in 1967. He was in Atlanta's training camp and played briefly for Green Bay in 1968 before calling it quits. He knew that it was over. "The knee-I'd lost the speed, couldn't make the cuts." said Pope.

Roman Gabriel insisted that Bucky Pope was one of the best that he'd ever seen. "The Catawba Claw" was a one season sensation. There's no way to know for sure what he might have been. His unusual size and speed made him a nightmare for defenses. The Rams were an annual contender as the '60s became the '70s. Maybe, Pope would have been the difference. Instead, we are left with one dynamite season and nickname. "The Catawba Claw."Several years ago, while watching a Minnesota-Buffalo preseason game, I noticed a Bills defensive back by the name of Jumal Rolle. Another Rolle? There'd been quite a string of defensive back-playing

The Minnesota Vikings are looking for their next defensive coordinator. If they weren’t looking for their next defensive coordinator, they’d probably still be playing football this weekend. But here we are. The hope is that the Vikings find a defensive coordinator that will be around for a while. If that coach does have a short stay in Minnesota, hopefully it’s because the Vikings defense has ripped apart the league’s offenses. This isn’t a look at the team’s next defensive coordinator. It’s a look at the coaches that have guided the defenses of the Minnesota Vikings since 1961.

Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinators Through The Years

The Norm Van Brocklin Years:

Having grown accustomed to professional coaching staffs that exceed a couple dozen, it can be startling to see the coaching staffs of the early 1960s. Norm Van Brocklin, the Vikings first head coach, had only four coaches assisting him. Four! Van Brocklin oversaw the offense. Walt Yowarsky coached the offensive line. Darrel Brewster coached the receivers. Two coaches handled the defense.

1961-63
Harry Gilmer - defensive backs
Stan West - defensive line

Harry Gilmer coached the defensive backs from 1961-64. Stan West coached the defensive line from 1961-63. The linebackers were handled as a blend of the two units. From 1961-63, the Vikings defensive coordinator was essentially Gilmer and West. That dual defensive coordinator setup continued through Van Brocklin’s six years as the Vikings head coach.

1964
Harry Gilmer - defensive backs
Marion Campbell - defensive line

1965
Jack Faulkner - defensive backs
Marion Campbell - defensive line

1966
Jim Carr - defensive backs
Marion Campbell - defensive line

The Bud Grant Years:

The coaching staffs were still small. Some sites list defensive line coach Bob Hollway as the Vikings first “official” defensive coordinator during Bud Grant’s first year as head coach. Pro Football Reference doesn’t list him with that title until 1969. For simplicity, I’m going with Hollway as Grant’s first Vikings defensive coordinator from that first year.

1967-70
Bob Hollway

1971-77
Neill Armstrong

The Vikings great defenses of these years earned the first two defensive coordinators head coach opportunities. Hollway took over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971. Neill Armstrong took over the Chicago Bears in 1978. Neither found much success away from Minnesota. Hollway eventually found his way back to the Vikings.

1978-83
Bob Hollway

The dreaded Les Steckel Year:

1984
Floyd Reese

Grant’s Back:

So’s Bob.

1985
Bob Hollway

The Jerry Burns Years:

1986-90
Floyd Peters

1991
Monte Kiffin

The Dennis Green Years:

1992-95
Tony Dungy

1996-99
Foge Fazio

2000-01
Emmitt Thomas

The Mike Tice Years:

2002
Willie Shaw

2003
George O’Leary

2004-05
Ted Cottrell

I’d forgotten that Mike Tice went through three DCs in only four years.

The Brad Childress Years:

2006
Mike Tomlin

2007-10
Leslie Frazier

The Leslie Frazier Years:

2011
Fred Pagac

2012-13
Alan Williams

The Mike Zimmer Years:

Mike Zimmer was the Vikings defensive coordinator during the Mike Zimmer years. Someone else still carried the title each year.

2014-19
George Edwards

2020-21
Andre Patterson
Adam Zimmer

The dual DC situation was odd but did it matter? Mike Zimmer was the DC.

The Kevin O’Connell Years:

2022
Ed Donatell

2023-

Here’s hoping that the Vikings next defensive coordinator sticks around for a bit due to outrageous success.
The Minnesota Vikings are looking for their next defensive coordinator. If they weren’t looking for their next defensive coordinator, they’d probably still be playing football this weekend. But here

We have a new episode of Vikings Report with Drew and Ted out. We wallow in the aftermath of another disappointing playoff loss, talk about the Defensive Coordinator position, preview the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs, and use our big board one last time to review the Vikings season.


Thanks for joining us this season, and stay with us this off-season, as we'll still be doing weekly shows, previewing free agency, the draft, looking at team needs by position, and then before you know it training camp will be here.


We have a new episode of Vikings Report with Drew and Ted out. We wallow in the aftermath of another disappointing playoff loss, talk about the Defensive Coordinator position, preview the Divisional

Having secured the #3 seed at 13-4, the Vikings face an equally as lucky Giants team in the first playoff game in the Kevin O'Connell era. Can they set out on the right foot with a win, or end the season in massive disappointment?



Line: Vikings -3 (55% of bets on Giants)
SuperSim Calculated Line: Vikings -5.5 O/U 51.5

Injury Report

Vikings
CB Dantzler - Questionable
RB Nwangwu - Questionable
SS Smith - Questionable

Giants
none


* My Thoughts *

I haven't changed my thoughts a whole lot from Christmas Eve when the Vikings prevailed, minus the fact that we were coming off an emotional win against the Colts that I thought would cause us to lose. Now at mostly full strength, the Vikings are in better shape, but so are the Giants. CB Adoree' Jackson and SS Xavier McKinney are back and should be an improvement to an otherwise poor secondary. They may improve the ability to cover Jefferson, but they still have no options for Hock as their LBs have been horrific coverage.

Just in general, I haven't ever seen a team with more Abysmal ratings, that being a PFF grade in the bottom 10% of their position. Defensively this unit has been carried by the forces of Thibodeaux, Williams, and Lawrence. It will be interesting to see how the Giants attack the Vikings on offense, as they focused on the passing game that mostly worked, minus a bad pick thrown by Jones in the 4th quarter. They could opt to hand the ball to Barkley more, as the Vikings have proven to be weak against the run the past few weeks. If Barkley can run like Aaron Jones did a few weeks back, we could see him reach 30+ points.

Prediction: Vikings 30, Giants 28

Yup, I expect another one possession score. What can I say? We're facing a bad defense that the offense should be able to score on consistently, while our own defense does not have the ability to stop offenses until the final 5 minutes... well, the Giants were an exception the last time. But for as much as the Vikings have been fraudulent, the Giants match them.

Any thoughts?
Having secured the #3 seed at 13-4, the Vikings face an equally as lucky Giants team in the first playoff game in the Kevin O'Connell era. Can they set out on the right foot with a win, or end the

A few years ago, NFL.com posted this list of league records that will be tough to top. Perhaps even unbreakable.

1. Career Receiving Yards: Jerry Rice (22,895)
Next closest: Larry Fitzgerald (17,492)
Closest active player: Julio Jones (13,629)

2. Consecutive Games Started by a Quarterback: Brett Favre (297)
Next closest: Philip Rivers (240)
Closest active player: Tom Brady (110)

3. Most Rushing Yards Titles: Jim Brown (8)
Next closest: 4 titles (5 players tied)
Closest active player: Derrick Henry (2)

4. Coaching career wins: Don Shula (347)
Next closest: Bill Belichick (329)
Next-closest active: Bill Belichick (329)

5. Sacks in a game: Derrick Thomas (7.0 against Seahawks in 1990)
Next closest: 6.0 (Derrick Thomas, Osi Umenyiora, Fred Dean, Adrian Clayborn)

6. Interceptions in a season: Night Train Lane (14 in 1952)
Next closest: 13 (Dan Sandifer, Spec Sanders, Lester Hayes)

7. Most points scored in a game: Ernie Nevers (40 points in 1929)
Next closest: 36 (Dub Jones, Gale Sayers, and Alvin Kamara)

8. Most playoff wins by a QB/head coach: Bill Belichick and Tom Brady (30)
Next closest: Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw (14)

9. Career rushing yards: Emmitt Smith (18,355)
Next closest: Walter Payton (16,726)
Closest active player: Derrick Henry (8,335)

10. Most touchdowns in a season: LaDanian Tomlinson (31 in 2006)
Next closest: Shaun Alexander (28 in 2005)

It's a fine list. #4 feels pretty breakable. Whenever I see a list of "unbreakable" NFL records I rarely see any mention of Paul Krause's record of 81 career interceptions. Here's the current Top 10 in career interceptions.

1.   Paul Krause              81
2.   Emlen Tunnell         79
3.   Rod Woodson          71
4.   Night Train Lane      68
5.   Ken Riley                  65
5.   Charles Woodson   65
7.   Ed Reed                    64
8.   Ronnie Lott             63
8.   Darren Sharper       63
10. Dave Brown            62
10. Dick LeBeau            62

On the strength of a ridiculous NFL record, Paul Krause was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. His ridiculous record has stood for over 40 years and will be tough to top. It’s been stated many times and many ways that records are set to be broken. Krause’s career record of 81 interceptions is one that might never be. The Woodsons and Ed Reed made recent runs at the record but still fell at least a couple of interception-filled seasons short. The Woodsons played until they were 38. Reed played until he was 35. They were three of the best interceptors the league has ever seen but never really threatened Krause’s record.

How about the active interception leaders?

Devin McCourty: 35
Harrison Smith: 34
Patrick Peterson: 34

Look at that. A couple of current Vikings players. All three are closer to the end of their career than the start and aren’t even half way to Krause’s 81.

There aren’t any young interceptors with 30 career interceptions. Xavien Howard has 28. He’s 29. J.C. Jackson has 25. He’s 27. Both have had fine starts to their career but are well off the pace.  

Paul Krause's 81 career interceptions is a tough record to top. Unbreakable? I don't think that any record is unbreakable. With today’s passing game, I think that Jerry Rice's ridiculous career receiving yards record falls before Krause’s 81. Justin Jefferson? You never know. My general belief is that if something's been done once it can be done again. The fun part is witnessing it.







A few years ago, NFL.com posted this list of league records that will be tough to top. Perhaps even unbreakable. 1. Career Receiving Yards: Jerry Rice (22,895) Next closest: Larry

Our inaugural (and hopefully the first of four this season) playoff edition of Vikings Report With Drew and Ted is out!


We take stock of the rest of the NFC North and try and figure out who is the top competition for the Vikes next year as it stands today, we make our Wildcard playoff picks, we preview the game against the Giants, and Ruby dials up another great trivia segment!


Come join us, and get ready for a great weekend of NFL playoff football!



Our inaugural (and hopefully the first of four this season) playoff edition of Vikings Report With Drew and Ted is out! We take stock of the rest of the NFC North and try and figure

Our latest episode is out. Of course, we share our thoughts on Damar Hamlin, answer some viewer questions, preview the Backup Bowl with the Bears, and have an all picture puzzle trivia. 


Our latest episode is out. Of course, we share our thoughts on Damar Hamlin, answer some viewer questions, preview the Backup Bowl with the Bears, and have an all picture puzzle trivia

The Vikings face the pathetic Bears after a horrid outing vs the Packers. My main question for this game... is this is the worst ever team I've made a depth chart for?



Injury Report

Vikings
C Bradbury - Out
DE Lynch - Out
LB Asamoah - Questionable
OLB Smith - Questionable
CB Dantzler - Questionable


Bears
QB Fields - Out
CB Ja Jones - Out
LB Weatherford - Out
DT Blackson - Questionable
CB Gordon - Questionable
OLB Lewis - Questionable


Line: Vikings -6, 62% of money on the Vikings
Super Sim Calculated Line: Vikings -24.5

You're seeing that right, 24.5 points! Of course, that's assuming we play our starters the whole game (they won't), but it's indicative of how little talent there is on this team. This is certainly the worst defense I have ever seen, and by a country mile. Only a single average player with not an above average player in sight. It's so bad that it's apparent that many players on defense are struggling simply because there is nobody good to anchor around - when they had guys like Akiem Hicks, Roquan Smith, Eddie Jackson, Khalil Mack, and Robert Quinn out there, some of these guys weren't bad. Note that they have 4 former Vikings - Watts, Lee, Hand, and Holmes.

The CB group is so shallow that they're down to 2nd rounder Gordon and 3 guys who were all signed within the past couple months and have played less than 50 snaps together.

Offensively the Bears aren't horrible, but with Peterman starting they just might be. They could score some points if they could run the ball, but the Vikings have the luxury to be able to stack the box on any obvious running down. They don't have any receivers who are threatening, as Kmet has been fine and that's it. Claypool has been bad this year and hasn't looked fully healthy, while Pringle, Pettis, St. Brown, and Harry are all #4 receivers at best. They spent a 3rd round Velus Jones Jr. and have barely used him despite being a 25 year old rookie.

The one bright spot on this team is that they appear to have hit a home run on 5th round rookie LT Braxton Jones. With Teven Jenkins looking like a stalwart guard and Whitehair as solid as ever, they at least have a foundation for a quality O-line.

Prediction: Vikings 26, Bears 13

This is a hard one to gauge with the Vikings likely playing backups for at least 50% of the game. The Bears are so bad without Fields that they should still be dispatched by at least 10 points, and they might just nab the first overall pick.

Any thoughts?The Vikings face the pathetic Bears after a horrid outing vs the Packers. My main question for this game... is this is the worst ever team I've made a depth chart for? https://i.imgur.com/

Dan Daly's book, The National Forgotten League, is loaded with fun and informative facts, notes, and stories. This little nugget about the 1929 Orange Tornadoes caught my attention. The Tornadoes were a professional football team that competed in various leagues at various levels from 1887-1941 and 1958-70. From 1929-30 the Tornadoes were an NFL team. Their time in the league was only a blink, a very unique blink. No matter the sport, we are accustomed to seeing numbers somewhere on a player’s uniform. From the time that someone first decided to put personal identifiers on an athletic uniform that identifier has been a number. For some reason, the Tornadoes went a different route in 1929.

Here's their lineup for the first of two games against the Frankford Yellow Jackets:

A-Phil Scott, E, No College
B-Felix McCormick, B, Bucknell
C-Heinie Benkert, B, Rutgers
D-Leon Johnson, E, Colombia
E-George Pease, QB, Columbia
F-Ernie Cuneo, G, Penn State/Columbia
G-Frank Kirkleski, B, Lafayette
H-Ted Mitchell, C, Bucknell
J-Ernie Hambacker, B, Bucknell
L-Ralph Barkman, B, Schuylkill
M-Bob Beattie, T, Princeton
M-Steve Hamas, FB, Penn State
N-Paul Longua, E, Villanova
O-Jack McArthur, G, St. Mary's (California)
P-Bill Feaster, T, Fordham
Q-Bill Clarkin, T, No College
R-Andy Salata, G, Pittsburgh
S-Carl Waite, B, Rutgers/Georgetown
T-Jack Depler, C/T/Coach, Illinois
X-Johnny Tomaini, E, Georgetown

Letters! The 1929 Orange Tornadoes used letters to identify the members of their football team. Teams were often trying gimmicks in the early days of professional football to try and catch the attention of the public. This was their attempt to be a little different. The Tornadeoes’ two-year time with the Bears, Cardinals, Packers, and Giants will be best remembered by their unique use of the alphabet.

The two M's are a curiosity. Daly thought that it could just be a typo.

There's no "I" in team. Or apparently a “K.”

The Tornadoes’ brief time in the NFL does have a “distant” connection to the Minnesota Vikings. In 1929, Duluth Eskimos owner Ole Haugsrud sold his NFL franchise rights to Piggy Simandl, a wholesale meat salesman and sports promoter from Orange, NJ. Simandl named his NFL team the Orange Tornadoes. Due to an agreement made with the NFL through the sale of the Eskimos, Haugsrud would have “first dibs” on any future NFL team in the state of Minnesota. He was a part of the Vikings’ original ownership group in 1961.

If you haven't read Dan Daly's book, I highly recommend doing so.Dan Daly's book, The National Forgotten League, is loaded with fun and informative facts, notes, and stories. This little nugget about the 1929 Orange Tornadoes caught my attention. The Tornado

After yet another close win, the Vikings now have an opportunity to put the dagger in the Packers' season. Somehow the underdogs despite having 5 more wins, the Vikings have a chip on their shoulder and can beat an underwhelming Green Bay team, but can they actually do it? Or is Vegas right and will we get beat by multiple scores?




Injury Report

Vikings
C Bradbury - Out
DE Lynch - Out

Packers 
CB Nixon - Questionable
WR Watson - Questionable


Line: Packers -3 (63% of bets on Vikings)
Sim Calculated Line: Vikings -4.5


* My Notes *

The Packers are in better shape offensively compared to Week 1, with Bakhtiari finally playing and the rookie WRs up to speed. Still, Watson is 50-50 to play and won't be 100% healthy, and Patrick Peterson can erase the likes of Allen Lazard. It won't be hard for Rodgers & Co to move the ball through the air against the Donashell defense, but this is where the bend-don't-break D comes in. The Vikings are one of the best teams against the run, and can hold Jones and Dillon if they stack the box. This wouldn't work if Rodgers had the likes of Adams or a deep threat, but I don't seen Lazard/Cobb/Doubs beating us downfield.

Defensively, the Packers are just not very good. Their run defense has been plundered for 2166 yards, including 5 yards per carry. The Vikings should take advantage and pound the ball with Dalvin Cook early and often. With Dean Lowry on the IR, they'll be forced to play Devonte Wyatt, of whom they've been avoiding to use, and Kenny Clark is having his worst season. The LB corps is nothing to be afraid of, as Walker has flopped so far. Preston Smith is their only pressure generator with Gary on the IR, as the next best edge defender is a 6th round rookie.

On pass defense, the Packers have given up the 3rd least yards, but that's because teams have thrown the least amount of passes against them. They are 24th in yards given up per pass play, so they're still not good. PFF hates their two safeties, who are both ranking in the bottom 10 this year despite having solid careers. Alexander and Douglas are playing well, but neither of them are going to hold a candle to Justin Jefferson. Expect to see JJ and Hockenson be heavily targeted.

Prediction: Vikings 31, Packers 24

Despite their luck and penchant for winning close games, the Vikings are handily the better team and should be motivated enough to retain the #2 seed and kill the hopes of their greatest rival. With Kirk and Jefferson on fire, the Packers don't have the fire engines required to quash the flames.

Any thoughts?After yet another close win, the Vikings now have an opportunity to put the dagger in the Packers' season. Somehow the underdogs despite having 5 more wins, the Vikings have a chip on their shoulder

Our new episode is out, and it's a banger, as the kids would say. Since we didn't do a live post game show last week, we briefly touch on the Giants game, discuss Kirk and JJ as potential MVP candidates, give the Vikes a couple New Year's resolutions, preview the Packers game, trivia, and more!

All to the backdrop of our movie tribute, 'Miracle', the greatest sports movie ever made.


Our new episode is out, and it's a banger, as the kids would say. Since we didn't do a live post game show last week, we briefly touch on the Giants game, discuss Kirk and JJ as potential MVP

After a whirlwind of a game last week, the Vikings have kept the #2 seed to themselves. They'll need to keep winning to fend the 49ers off, and face an overachieving Giants squad that also has a rookie head coach.



Injury Report

Vikings
C Bradbury - Out
ILB Kendricks - Questionable
CB Dantzler - Questionable

Giants
CB Jackson - Out
G Lemieux - Out

Line: Vikings -4 (51% of bets on Vikings)
SuperSim Calculated Line: Vikings -5

* My Notes *

New coach Brian Daboll has this team playing very well despite having a top 10 roster riddled with a bunch of injuries. While Daniel Jones hasn't taken the next step like some thought he would, he's levelled out as an average starter and has worked on limiting the turnovers. In conjunction with a rebound year from Saquon Barkley, it's allowed the offense to just good enough to support the defense. Give Jones a legit receiver like how Hurts got AJ Brown, and the offense might take a big step forward.

Defensively, the Giants rely on the trenches to control the game to hide their problems at LB/CB/S. They've been shockingly easy to run on with Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence in place, as they've actually been better pass rushers than run stuffers this year. Thibodeaux has been getting hot the past few weeks, we'll have to see if our OL can hold. If it can, Jefferson & Co should roast this secondary to high heaven, as they lack a single healthy above average starter.

Prediction: Giants 27, Vikings 24

I have to pick the Giants to win after seeing how the Vikings come off emotional wins, especially a long overtime win. The Giants still look bad on paper, but they've consistently outperformed thanks to their far improved coaching. With a mobile QB in Jones, I could see the Giants successfully move the ball by mixing in Barkley runs (and passes, he's a great matchup against our LBs in coverage) and rolling Jones out. The Vikings' luck in one-score games has to come to a close at some point... doesn't it?

Any thoughts?
After a whirlwind of a game last week, the Vikings have kept the #2 seed to themselves. They'll need to keep winning to fend the 49ers off, and face an overachieving Giants squad that also has a

While trying to come down from the exhilaration of a 33-point comeback win, I found myself thinking about Minnesota Vikings drafts of the past. Perhaps, thinking about the past calms me in the moment. Who knows? Anyway, the Minnesota Vikings have been taking part in the NFL Draft for 62 years. In those 62 drafts, the Vikings have selected 64 players in the first round. Here are those first round selections:

1961: Tommy Mason, RB, Tulane
1962: No Pick
1963: Jim Dunaway, DT, Mississippi
1964: Carl Eller, DE, Minnesota
1965: Jack Snow, WR, Notre Dame
1966: Jerry Shay, DT, Purdue
1967: Clinton Jones, RB, Michigan State
          Gene Washington, WR, Michigan State
          Alan Page, DT, Notre Dame
1968: Ron Yary, OT, USC
1969: No Pick
1970: John Ward, OT, Oklahoma State
1971: Leo Hayden, RB, Ohio State
1972: Jeff Siemon, LB, Stanford
1973: Chuck Foreman, RB, Miami
1974: Fred McNeill, LB, UCLA
          Steve Riley, OT, USC
1975: Mark Mullaney, DT, Colorado State
1976: James White, DT, Oklahoma State
1977: Tommy Kramer, QB, Rice
1978: Randy Holloway, DE, Pittsburgh
1979: Ted Brown, RB, North Carolina State
1980: Doug Martin, DE, Washington
1981: No Pick
1982: Darrin Nelson, RB, Stanford
1983: Joey Browner, S, USC
1984: Keith Millard, DE, Washington State
1985: Chris Doleman, LB, Pittsburgh
1986: Gerald Robinson, DE, Aubrun
1987: D.J. Dozier, RB, Penn State
1988: Randall McDaniel, OG, Arizona State
1989: No Pick
1990: No Pick
1991:  No Pick
1992: No Pick
1993: Robert Smith, RB, Ohio State
1994: DeWayne Washington, CB, North Carolina State
          Todd Steussie, OT, California
1995: Derrick Alexander, DE, Florida State
          Korey Stringer, OT, Ohio State
1996: Duane Clemons, DE, California
1997: Dwayne Rudd, LB, Alabama
1998: Randy Moss, WR, Marshall
1999: Daunte Culpepper, QB, Central Florida
          Dimitrius Underwood, DE, Michigan State
2000: Chris Hovan, DT, Boston College
2001: Michael Bennett, RB, Wisconsin
2002: Bryant McKinnie, OT, Miami
2003: Kevin Williams, DT, Oklahoma State
2004: Kenechi Udeze, DE, USC
2005: Troy Williamson, WR, South Carolina
           Erasmus James, DE, Wisconsin
2006: Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa
2007: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
2008: No Pick
2009: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
2010: No Pick
2011: Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
2012: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
          Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame
2013: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida
          Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
          Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
2014: Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
          Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
2015: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
2016: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Mississippi
2017: No Pick
2018: Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida
2019: Garrett Bradbury, C, North Carolina State
2020: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU
           Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
2021: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
2022: Lewis Cine, S, Georgia

A Breakdown:

Hall of Famers:
Carl Eller
Alan Page
Ron Yary
Chris Doleman
Randall McDaniel
Randy Moss

Adrian Peterson will join this list.

If I were to pick a past first round pick that hasn’t received the Hall of Fame consideration that he deserves, that player would be Chuck Foreman. There was a four-five year stretch in which he was arguably the best running back in the league. He was certainly the most versatile. He was such a fun back.

Joey Browner and Keith Millard would be in Canton if injuries hadn’t whittled away at their career.

By position:

Quarterbacks (4):
Tommy Kramer
Daunte Culpepper
Christian Ponder
Teddy Bridgewater

Running Backs (10):
Tommy Mason
Clinton Jones
Leo Hayden
Chuck Foreman
Ted Brown
Darrin Nelson
D.J. Dozier
Robert Smith
Michael Bennett
Adrian Peterson

Receivers (8):
Jack Snow
Gene Washington
Randy Moss
Troy Williamson
Percy Harvin
Cordarrelle Patterson
Laquon Treadwell
Justin Jefferson

Offensive Linemen (10):
Ron Yary
John Ward
Steve Riley
Randall McDaniel
Todd Steussie
Korey Stringer
Bryant McKinnie
Matt Kalil
Garrett Bradbury
Christian Darrisaw

Defensive Linemen (18):
Jim Dunaway
Carl Eller
Jerry Shay
Alan Page
Mark Mullaney
James White
Randy Holloway
Doug Martin
Keith Millard
Gerald Robinson
Derrick Alexander
Duane Clemons
Dimitrius Underwood
Chris Hovan
Kevin Williams
Keneche Udeze
Erasmus James
Sharrif Floyd

Linebackers (6):
Jeff Siemon
Fred McNeill
Chris Doleman
Dwayne Rudd
Chad Greenway
Anthony Barr

Cornerbacks (5):
DeWayne Washington
Xavier Rhodes
Trae Waynes
Mike Hughes
Jeff Gladney

Safeties (3):
Joey Browner
Harrison Smith
Lewis Cine

It’s interesting that defensive line is by far the most popular first round position but a defensive lineman hasn’t been selected in the first round since 2013.

During the NFL-AFL bidding wars of the 1960s, drafted players had options. They could sign with the established NFL team that drafted them or they could sign with the newbie AFL team that drafted them. The Vikings lost 1963 first-round pick Jim Dunaway to the Buffalo Bills. He developed into an integral player on one of the best defenses in the AFL. He would’ve paired quite nicely with Alan Page in the middle of Vikings defensive line. Or, maybe the Vikings don’t draft Page if Dunaway is already playing well on the line. We’ll never know.

The Vikings traded 1965 first-round pick Jack Snow to the Los Angeles Rams before he ever played a snap in Minnesota. Despite playing college football in the Midwest at Notre Dame, I believe Snow didn’t like the snow and wanted to play professionally closer to his Southern California home.

Picks that thrilled me to the point of hyperventilation:
Joey Browner
Randall McDaniel
Dwayne Rudd
RANDY MOSS
Chris Hovan
Bryant McKinnie
Chad Greenway
Adrian Peterson
Percy Harvin
Harrison Smith
Anthony Barr
Teddy Bridgewater
Justin Jefferson

The selection of Randy Moss in 1998 damn near killed me.

Then, there’s this one.
I had watched a lot of Darrin Nelson at Stanford and he was a terrific back. I was thrilled when the Vikings drafted him but my thrill was muted a bit by the fact that Marcus Allen was still available. I hadn't seen as much of Allen in college as I'd seen of Nelson but I'd seen enough. I knew that Allen was going to be the better professional running back but I did really like Nelson’s versatility in the Vikings offense.

Picks that disappointed so, so much as players:
Dwayne Rudd
Bryant McKinnie

I was thrilled when both players were drafted but I can't remember ever being thrilled watching either play. Dwayne Rudd put more energy into celebrating routine plays than he ever put into actually making plays. For the entirety of his career, Bryant McKinnie simply showed no energy and no interest while he was on the field. He made one Pro Bowl, probably because Brett Favre made him look better than he was, and was sent home before the game was even played. Who does that? McKinnie being sent home from the Pro Bowl was less surprising than his actually being selected for the game. I've never been one to hate the players that play for the team that I love but I hated seeing these two players play for the Vikings. I was thrilled when both were drafted but I was more thrilled when they left.

On ten occasions, the Vikings made multiple picks in the first round. The success with those multiple picks is wide-ranging. There’s the high of selecting Clinton Jones, Gene Washington, and Alan Page in 1967. There’s the brutal low of selecting Troy Williamson and Erasmus James in 2005.

On nine occasions, the Vikings made no selections in the first round. Four of those were the rough draft years of 1989-92. The Vikings traded their 1989 first round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for linebacker Mike Merriweather. That was a good trade. The Vikings traded their 1990-92 first round picks, several other picks, and several players to the Dallas Cowboys for Herschel Walker. That was a bad trade. A very bad trade.

As a youngster in California, I fell for the Vikings in the early 1970s. The first draft that I really remember following was the 1976 draft that brought James and Sammy White to Minnesota. Thanks to the tremendous work of Joel Buschbaum, Paul Zimmerman, and Mel Kiper I gradually started to understand and appreciate the football fun of the NFL Draft.

While trying to come down from the exhilaration of a 33-point comeback win, I found myself thinking about Minnesota Vikings drafts of the past. Perhaps, thinking about the past calms me in the moment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5kXGVhIr0Q&t=1301s

In our latest installment, we talk about the defense, preview the Colts, and have a killer trivia. Also, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer is not 'stupid', it's awesome.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP13oQWMeY4 In our latest installment, we talk about the defense, preview the Colts, and have a killer trivia. Also, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer is not

After a disappointing loss to the Lions, the Vikings will look to keep control of the #2 as they host the Colts. It will be an intriguing battle between a bad offense vs a bad defense, and a good offense vs a good defense. Can the Vikings beat the Colts for the first time in 25+ years?



Injury Report


Vikings

C Bradbury - Questionable
CB Dantzler - Questionable
DT Phillips - Questionable
ED Hunter - Questionable
ED Jones II - Questionable

Colts

CB Facyson - Doubtful
CB Moore II - Out
WR Strachan - Out

Line: Vikings -3.5 (68% of bets on Vikings)
Super Sim Calculated line: Vikings -3.5

* Notes *

The Colts offense just isn't the same as it was last year. Matt Ryan isn't even the biggest factor, it's been the interior OL and the run game. Quenton Nelson had been elite in 2019-2020, but PFF has his grades falling off severely in 2021-2022. He still grades out as great because guard play has plummeted in 2022, but he's not the difference-maker he used to be. Ryan Kelly has also fallen off a cliff, and the RG spot has been an issue the whole year. Add in Jonathan Taylor not looking quite the same after he dominated in 2021, and the offense's main power supply has been crippled, and Matt Ryan looking cooked is a byproduct of this.

On defense, the Colts' pass defense has been their primary strength. They are able to get pressure with their 4 man rushes and they have a #1 CB in Gilmore who has had a rebound year. The Colts have been somewhat weak against the run with Shaquille Leonard missing most of the year, but their replacement LBs have been good enough.


Prediction: Vikings 23, Colts 17

This feels like a rebound for the Vikes, as the Colts simply stink. I do think the Colts defense can keep this game close enough to make it yet another one possession win, but I think our defense will have a better outing and finally hold a team under 400 yards.

Any thoughts?After a disappointing loss to the Lions, the Vikings will look to keep control of the #2 as they host the Colts. It will be an intriguing battle between a bad offense vs a bad defense, and a good

We found out today that Vikings has become the second highest rated fan based Vikings podcast on YouTube in terms of subscriptions. All the other channels are from local Minneapolis media outlets or the Vikings official YouTube channel.

Thanks to all of you that have tuned in and subscribed since we came over here. It's been a lot of fun joining and interacing here, and we're all really looking forward to the rest of this season and the years ahead. We're truly humbled, and can't wait for what the future brings.

Drew, Ruby, Ted, and Chris


We found out today that Vikings has become the second highest rated fan based Vikings podcast on YouTube in terms of subscriptions. All the other channels are from local Minneapolis media outlets or

After yet another one score win, the Vikings line up against a feisty Lions squad that is somehow favored to win this one. Will they be able to make it to 11-2?



Injury Report

Vikings
DE Bullard - Out
C Bradbury - Questionable
S Smith - Questionable
LT Darrisaw - Questionable

Lions
G Awosika - Out
LB Barnes - Out
CB Lucas - Out
C Brown - Doubtful
CB Harris - Questionable
CB Okudah - Questionable
WR Raymond - Questionable
QB Sudfeld - Questionable

Line: DET -2 (51% of bets on Vikings)
SuperSim Calculated Line: MIN -9

Notes:

Last time we played, the Lions lost both Swift and St. Brown midway through the game to injuries. Both are now fully healthy and the Lions have already had a ton of success with Jamaal Williams, and with his ability to punch in TDs, they shouldn't have the redzone woes the Jets did. Swift is capable of doing what Tony Pollard did to this defense, it's really a matter of whether their OC schemes in some routes against LBs for him. Losing Hockenson is a pretty big blow since the TE depth chart is mostly 3rd stringers/practice squad types. Josh Reynolds had his biggest game of the year carving up our defense Week 3, and he could be down for more of that with St. Brown drawing attenion. To be fair, we didn't cover him well last time either.

Jameson Williams played his first game last week, but only played 8 snaps. I'd expect 10-20 this week, so don't expect him to have a huge impact.

The Lions OL quieted our pass rush in Week 3 (0 sacks), and is still in great shape. Their primary weakness is RG Stenberg, who was benched for a UDFA. Perhaps Tomlinson can line up on him?

Defensively this unit is still very bad, but they've shown some improvement. They have 3 rookie starters playing at an at least average level, with Joseph recently stepping up and seizing the SS role. Hutchinson isn't quite the monster some envisioned, but he's certainly been better than #1 pick Travon Walker.

The D-line is quite bad against the run, with McNeill being the best stuffer of the group by far. Brockers appears to be cooked and hasn't been getting snaps anymore. They desperately need a 3 tech. The LB position is also quite bad, with 5th rounder Rodriguez being the only positive contributor. It is worth noting that rookie OLB James Houston has 3 sacks the past 2 weeks, which were also his first two games.

The CB room is intriguing, as both Oruwariye and Hughes have been benched. Jacobs has stepped up as the #2 and former safety Harris is locked into the slot CB job. Former top 5 pick Jeffrey Okudah is finally beginning to live up to his draft billing, and he was able to shut down Jefferson in Week 3 (albeit with a bunch of mugging that somehow didn't result in flags).



Prediction: Lions 35, Vikings 26

This has the feel of a grind-it-out divisional game that we should win on paper, but we don't because you simply can't win them all. The Lions' roster is healthier and has players stepping up, and I suspect they will come out swinging and playing more physical than the Vikings. To be frank, I don't think this game will end up being all that important of a loss - perhaps we'll see some regression in the luck category / have some bad penalties or turnovers that usually don't happen to this 2022 Vikings squad.

Any thoughts?After yet another one score win, the Vikings line up against a feisty Lions squad that is somehow favored to win this one. Will they be able to make it to 11-2?

I recently read Joe Kapp's book A Life of Leadership: Joe Kapp "The Toughest Chicano." It's a fun read. That's no surprise as every book about the 1960s Minnesota Vikings is a fun read. They were fun teams. Kapp's time with the Vikings is a bit before my time but I've read, heard, and learned enough about those teams that I feel as if I actually experienced them. Kapp joined the Vikings in 1967. That was the same year that Bud Grant was hired as head coach. After six years of entertaining but mediocre, at best, play, winning football games was about to become the norm in Minnesota. The Vikings won their first division title in 1968. They won the NFL title in 1969. The 1969 team isn't thought of as a champion because they unfortunately went on to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV. That day wasn't their day but the 1969 Minnesota Vikings team is still one of the best in NFL history. In his book, Kapp put together an interesting chart that details how the 1969 Vikings team was put together. The chart broke the team down by the year each player joined the team and their position. The most interesting feature of Kapp’s chart is that he lists a value that each player brought to the team. I've never seen a player, coach, general manager, anybody do such a thing. Kapp called it the Development of the 1969 Minnesota Vikings.

Player/Position/Value
1961 (3-11)
Grady Alderman, T: Control
Paul Dickson, DT: Loyalty
Jim Marshall, DE: Spirit
Ed Sharockman, CB: Commitment

1962 (2-11-1)
Fred Cox, K: Responsibility
Mick Tingelhoff, C: Determination
Roy Winston, LB: Wisdom

1963 (5-8-1)
Bill Brown, FB: Toughness
Karl Kassulke, S: Enthusiasm

1964 (8-5-1)
Carl Eller, DE: Confidence
Milt Sunde, G: Dedication

1965 (7-7)
Dale Hackbart, S: Humor
Gary Larsen, DT: Effort
Earsell Mackbee, CB: Concentration
Dave Osborn, RB: Perseverance
Lonnie Warwick, LB: Intensity

1966 (4-9-1)
Doug Davis, T: Awareness
Jim Lindsey, RB: Reliability
Jim Vellone, G: Empathy

1967 (3-8-3)
John Beasley, TE: Faith
Bobby Bryant, CB: Courage
Bob Grim, WR: Poise
Jim Hargrove, LB: Steadiness
Clint Jones, RB: Attitude
Joe Kapp, QB: Hunger
Alan Page, DT: Resourcefulness
Gene Washington, WR: Respect

1968 (8-6) Central Division Champs
Bookie Bolin, G: Cooperation
Gary Cuozzo, QB: Pride
John Henderson, WR: Courtesy
Paul Krause, S: Patience
Bob Lee, QB: Ambition
Mike McGill, LB: Judgement
Oscar Reed, RB: Desire
Steve Smith, DT: Harmony
Charlie West, DB: Integrity
Ron Yary, T: Trust

1969 (12-2) NFL Champs, lost Super Bowl IV
Kent Kramer, TE: Balance
Bill Harris, RB: Initiative
Wally Hilgenberg, LB: Aggression
Mike Riley, LB: Alertness
Ed White, G: Madness

I find the last one funny. Ed White was an All-American defensive lineman at Cal. The Vikings successfully flipped him to the offensive line. Kapp felt that White brought madness to the team. 

I've long known Dale Hackbart as a hard-hitting, versatile safety for the 1960s Vikings. From Kapp's book, I discovered that his versatility stretched beyond the football field. Kapp valued Hackbart for his humor. The always smiling safety's ability to make his teammates laugh kept the team loose.

Some aren’t a surprise at all:
Jim Marshall: Spirit
Mick Tingelhoff: Determination
Bill Brown: Toughness
Karl Kassulke: Enthusiasm
Gary Larsen: Effort
Dave Osborn: Perseverance
Paul Krause: Patience
Wally Hilgenberg: Aggression

And Joe Kapp was definitely Hungry. Always hungry. 

So many things make a football team a TEAM. This is an interesting, inside look at what made one of the best teams in Vikings franchise history.

Roster note: With a roster much smaller than today, the Vikings still kept six running backs. It was a very different time.


I recently read Joe Kapp's book A Life of Leadership: Joe Kapp "The Toughest Chicano." It's a fun read. That's no surprise as every book about the 1960s Minnesota Vikings is a fun read. They we

It is no secret to anyone that if Mike Zimmer was given the choice between a QB like Kirk Cousins or one like Teddy Bridgewater, he would go with Teddy Bridgewater 100% of the time. Zimmer loved Bridgewater, had a strong disdain for Cousins, and preferred a QB who did just enough to get a team to win against bad teams most of the time and good teams some of the time, over a QB who would put up huge stats against bad teams while never beating good teams.

In 2015, Zimmer almost had that QB. Teddy Bridgewater wasn't lighting up a stat sheet by any stretch of the imagination, but he was helping to run an efficient offense and he was winning over two games per loss. In 2022, KOC has Cousins not lighting up the stat sheet, but he is winning five games for every loss, something he never approached under Zimmer, despite putting up significantly better passing stats. Instead of getting blown out by every good team he faces and struggling to put-up double-digit points against top ten pass defenses, Cousins is still struggling against those good defenses, but the offense is succeeding regardless (excluding Philly and Dallas that is). KOC is doing with Cousins what Zimmer had wanted to do with Bridgewater and failed to do with Cousins, and the similarities between the two QB statistically in their winningest years are kind of crazy.

EPA/Play

Expected points added per play the two are nearly identical between Bridgewater’s 2015 season and Cousins current one, with Cousins coming in slightly behind Bridgewaters' .101 at .095. For context, Mahomes currently sits at .182 while Baker Mayfield was at -.013.

QBR

Not quarterback rating but ESPN's QBR, which is one of the better predictors of league MVP (when it is a QB). Cousins QBR this year is ranked 21st out of 31 qualifying QBs at 51.5. Bridgewater in 2015 ranked 17th out of 33 qualifying QBs at 57.7. For context here again, Mahomes currently sits at 78.5 and Mayfield at the bottom at 18.3.

Passing DVOA

This isn't as accurate now as it will be by the end of the year, but Teddy's passing offense ranked 19th at 10.3% in 2015 while Cousins' passing offense ranks 19th at 7.1%. Miami currently sits at #1 in this stat with a whopping 43.0% passing DVOA, while Houston sits at the bottom at a horrifically bad -31.3% (the worst since Josh Rosen's rookie season with AZ in 2018).

PFF Stats

2015 Bridgewater

Overall Grade: 68.9 (17th out of 27)
Average Depth of Target: 7.4 (24th)
Adjusted Completion %: 79.2% (1st)
Turnover Worthy Play %: 3.3 (15th ironically tied with Kirk Cousins that year)
Time to Attempt: 2.79 (2nd longest)
Deep Pass %: 10.6 (20th)

2022 Cousins

Overall Grade: 72.7 (15th out of 28)
Average Depth of Target: 7.6 (19th)
Adjusted Completion %: 76.8(13th)
Turnover Worthy Play %: 3.6 (20th)
Time to Attempt: 2.63 (12th longest)
Deep Pass %: 8.7 (21st)

Other Stats:

2015 Bridgewater

TDs: 14
Ints: 9
YPA: 7.2
Rating: 88.6
Attempts: 471
Completion %: 65.6%

2022 Cousins

TDs: 18
Ints: 9
YPA: 6.5
Rating: 88.1
Attempts: 449
Completion %: 64.6%

For the most part the numbers say these two QBs are the same type of QB with a few key differences. First, Cousins is significantly better in the red zone this year than Bridgewater was in 2015 leading to the difference in touchdown passes thrown despite Bridgewater moving the ball better. Even if you include TDs scored with their legs the difference only decreases to three touchdowns. Second, as most of us know that 2015 relied a lot more on the run then the pass which is why Teddy had a similar number of pass attempts in 16 games to what Cousins has thrown in 12. Still, even with those differences, on a per pass basis the similarities are uncanny.

So how did this happen, and should Vikings fans be happy or upset about it? Tackling the second part of this question first, the answer is probably not very happy. Even the most diehard Teddy Bridgewater fans (Funkytown ) would tell you that if Teddy had played exactly like he did in 2015 in 2016, and shown no progression, it would have been time to move on. Teddy playing like he did in 2015 in his second season is one thing, but that lack of production, even while winning, is something you need to move on from if it continued into his 3rd season. And if it isn’t good enough for Teddy in his third season, it sure as heck isn’t good enough for Cousins in his 10th. On top of that, Bridgewater’s play calling was being done by a very mediocre play caller in Norv Turner, and if KOC can’t do better offensively with an improved Oline, more dynamic RB, experienced QB and significantly better receiving options, it is a concerning indictment of his play calling to say the least.

As for why Cousins has suddenly turned into Bridgewater, or perhaps a better comparison and another Zimmer favorite, Andy Dalton, the answer to that is complex, in that the offense and responsibilities are too complex for Cousins, and there are multiple reasons for the decline in statistics. Cousins is struggling moving beyond JJ as a primary target far more than he has in the past and that shows whenever JJ is taken away by a quality, shutdown CB and this could be attributed to him being asked to do too much at the line. There is likely a reason the Vikings offense shifted away from having the QB call audibles with Cousins under center and it might be wise to simplify Cousins’ responsibilities once again. Then there is the fact that a good majority of pure pocket passers are struggling this year more than most due to a shift in defensive strategies. Teams have figured out how to slow the Ryan/Carr/Cousins type of QBs, taking away the plays that inflated their stats that made them seem better than they were.

It isn’t all bad though and there is a reason Zimmer preferred a Bridgewater over a Cousins. Cousins is winning more now than he ever has in his career, and while the stats would tell you he is having little to do with that, Kirk must be doing something to contribute to those wins. JJ isn’t throwing those passes to himself.

In the end the Vikings are 10-2 with Kirddy Couswater, the offense is above average, and the Vikings will almost certainly win the division. As long as a missed chip shot field goal doesn’t result in a first-round playoff loss, this transformation is better than what we had previously with Kirk. Even if success with this level of QB play isn’t maintainable.

It is no secret to anyone that if Mike Zimmer was given the choice between a QB like Kirk Cousins or one like Teddy Bridgewater, he would go with Teddy Bridgewater 100% of the time. Zimmer loved

VR Episdoe 82 is out. We recorded late, so it's a bit of an abbreviated show, but we still hit all the injury news, do a full preview of the Lions game, and we wrap up with trivia, like we always do. Our movie tribute is 'It's A Wonderful Life' and I'm sorry but if you don't like that movie you're basically un-American. Anyway, enjoy the show!


VR Episdoe 82 is out. We recorded late, so it's a bit of an abbreviated show, but we still hit all the injury news, do a full preview of the Lions game, and we wrap up with trivia, like we always do.

After a mini-bye, the Vikings get the surprisingly good Jets in a third straight home game. Will the defense rebound against new starting QB Mike White, or will they continue to be porous while the Vikings offense gets stopped by a very good defense?



Injury Report

Vikings
LT Darrisaw - Out
TE Ellefson - Out
DT Blacklock - Questionable

Jets
S Davis - Out
RB Carter - Doubtful
RT Ogbuehi - Doubtful
LT Brown - Questionable

Line: MIN -3 (52% of bets on Jets)

SuperSim Calculated Line: MIN -8

Prediction: Vikings 26, Jets 20

The Jets are a well-coached team, but they have many holes that I think O'Connell and co. can exploit. With RBs Breece Hall and Michael Carter down, I think their run game will be ineffective with Tomlinson back in tow. The LT/RT duo is weak, priming Hunter and Smith to feast on a QB who has not played very well under pressure. On the other side of the ball, the Jets have the best CB in football who might be able to slow down Jefferson. Even so, the Vikings have proven themselves able to figure out ways to move the ball against good defenses, and I think this might be a big game for Hockenson.

Any thoughts?After a mini-bye, the Vikings get the surprisingly good Jets in a third straight home game. Will the defense rebound against new starting QB Mike White, or will they continue to be porous while the

The Minnesota Vikings entered the NFL as an expansion team in 1961. They took part in the 1961 NFL Draft that was held December 27-28 1960. That brought 20 rookies to the team. To help the new team be "competitive" with 12 existing teams and the Dallas Cowboys, the NFL allowed the Vikings the opportunity to select veterans from established teams through an Expansion Draft. The Cowboys were excluded from the plucking because they were entering their second season after going winless in their first. The draft was held on January 26, 1961. The 12 established teams listed eight of the 38 players on their roster and the Vikings selected three players from each team's list to fill their roster. Here are the 36 players that the Vikings selecteded and the teams from which those players were selected in the 1961 Expansion Draft.

Chicago Bears
Bill Bishop, DT
Glenn Shaw, FB
Charlie Sumner, DB

Detroit Lions
Grady Alderman, OG
Dave Middleton, WR
Dave Whitsell, DB

Green Bay Packers
Ken Beck, DT
Dick Pesonen, DB
Paul Winslow, RB

Cleveland Browns
Rich Mostardo, DB
Fred Murphy, WR
Gene Selawski, OT

San Francisco 49ers
Hugh McElhenny, RB
Clancy Osborne, LB
Karl Rubke, LB

Los Angeles Rams
Don Ellersick, WR
Charlie Janerette, OG
Jerry Stalcup, LB

St. Louis Cardinals
Ed Culpepper, DT
Mike Rabold, OG
Perry Richards, WR

Baltimore Colts
Don Joyce, DE
Lebron Shields, DT
Zeke Smith, LB

New York Giants
Don Doll, OT
Bill Kimber, WR
Frank Youso, OT

Philadelphia Eagles
Jerry Huth, OG
Bill Lapham, C
Gene Johnson, DB

Pittsburgh Steelers
Tom Barnett, RB
Byron Beams, OT
Jack Morris, DB

Washington Redskins
Dick Haley, DB
Bill Roehnelt, LB
Louis “Red” Stephens, OG

Of the 36 players selected in the 1961 Expansion Draft, the following made the 1961 Vikings' roster:

Grady Alderman
Bill Bishop
Ed Culpepper
Dick Haley
Jerry Huth
Gene Johnson
Don Joyce
Bill Lapham
Hugh McElhenny
Dave Middleton
Jack Morris
Rich Mostardo
Fred Murpy
Clancy Osborne
Dick Pesonen
Mike Rabold
Karl Rubke
Lebron Shields
Charlie Sumner
Frank Youso

1961 starters are in bold.

20 of the 36 players selected made the 1961 Vikings roster. 15 of the 20 that made the team started.

The entire offensive line:
LT Grady Alderman
LG Jerry Huth
C Bill Lapham
RG Mike Rabold
RT Frank Youso

and the entire defensive backfield:
CB Jack Morris
CB Dick Pesonen
LS Rich Mostardo
RS Charlie Sumner

Of the 20 expansion draftees that made the roster in 1961, seven made the roster in 1962. The great Mick Tingelhoff bumped Lapham from the center spot and ultimately the roster. The remaining four offensive linemen returned as starters. The other three were Hugh McElhenny, Clancy Osborne, and Charlie Sumner. McElhenny contributed, Osborne started, and Sumner provided depth. By 1963, only Alderman and Huth remained from the expansion draft. Both were starters. By 1964, it was only Alderman.

Hugh McElhenny is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for what he did before the Vikings dug him out of the 1961 Expansion Draft heap. He did have a little left in the tank as he made it to his final Pro Bowl in 1961.

Among the expansion draftees, McElhenny might've been the biggest name and made the biggest early impact. The best player, by a very wide margin, was Grady Alderman. In his 14 seasons with the Vikings he was selected to six Pro Bowls and named 1st Team All-Pro once. He arguably ranks behind only Hall of Famers Ron Yary and Gary Zimmerman among the best offensive tackles in franchise history. In 2010, Alderman was named one of 50 Greatest Vikings. He should be in the team's Ring of Honor.

The Vikings were 3-11 in their first season. For good or bad, the 1961 Expansion Draft made up a significant part of that first team.




The Minnesota Vikings entered the NFL as an expansion team in 1961. They took part in the 1961 NFL Draft that was held December 27-28 1960. That brought 20 rookies to the team. To help the new team

In the aftermath of The Game, Drew and Ruby take it surprisingly easy on Ted, but not TOO easy. We also talk about injuries and CB depth, preview the Jets, roll along with our contests, and our movie tribute this week is A Christmas Story.

So, give it a watch. Just don't shoot your eye out, kid.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuq8zE2GRiQ&t=4s In the aftermath of The Game, Drew and Ruby take it surprisingly easy on Ted, but not TOO easy. We also talk about injuries and CB

Since 2018, I've been creating draft boards that are based upon the consensus of a few specifically chosen 'draftniks'/scouts in the media that I find to be accurate, throw in some other metrics like RAS (Relative Athletic Score) and PFF grades, and create a board that I use to judge the 'accuracy' of draft picks and what account for as 'reaches' and 'value picks'. For this article, I'll compare every 1st and 2nd round pick from 2018 and 2019 to what my draft board recommended, and see which teams would have benefitted from taking my advice and see which would have suffered. So, for example, here's my 2019 draft board:



And let's see how the Packers did compared to my recommendations:



Key:
Actual = The player the team chose in that pick
Recommend = The player that my board prefers. If both players match, then nothing happens.
Actual AV = PFR's AV stat. This is the per year AV that the team's selection has generated
Actual PFF = PFF grade melted down into a tiered system, that being from 1 (Elite) to 5 (Average) to 9 (Abysmal / Did not play enough). This is what the player who was selected is graded as
My AV = The per year AV that my recommended player has generated
My PFF = The PFF tier that my recommended player falls into

So in 2019, the Packers selected Rashan Gary, while my board would have preferred Montez Sweat since both players are 3-4 edge defenders. In most scenarios, I kept the positions the same in order to reduce complexity. Only in a few situations where I either had a specific opinion on a player (Giants, don't take a RB at pick #2) did I switch the position.

Then Gary and Sweat are compared - both have similar PFF grades, but Sweat has generated more AV, so the Packers are given a -2 score. This totally not arbitrary number is how I ranked all teams.

Now, let's see the graph of all of the teams graded, to see if I (well, the draftniks I chose) know more than NFL teams!



The results are in - NFL teams are right more often than me by a slight measure: about -0.4. Teams in the bottom left are the ones who would have been better off following my board, and the ones in the top right quadrant would be worse off taking my advice. Well, it's not a shocking conclusion, but there were teams that could use my help. Let's see how the Cardinals could improve:



Turns out I liked Lamar Jackson more than Josh Rosen, so the Cardinals would have gone down a much different path in this scenario. Since they found their franchise QB (and I didn't love Murray going at #1), I instead had them take my #1 player on the board, Nick Bosa. Now instead of having one good QB, the Cardinals have one good QB (that I personally think is better) and an elite pass rusher. You can thank me later, Arizona!

Now let's see the opposite side of the spectrum - how would I screw up the Browns? [insert Browns joke here]



While I keep the Mayfield pick the same, I waste the 4th overall pick on Josh Jackson, who fell to the 2nd round and should have fallen farther, as he's already been cut and is a end-of-the-roster player compared to the #1 CB Ward has become. I make one good move in upgrading from Corbett to Daniels (Corbett was a total flop with the Browns but the Rams fixed him, but I'm not counting that), but then completely screw up by not taking Chubb and blowing a pick on Derrius Guice. Then I miss out on Greedy Williams (who has been underwhelming in his own right) for Justin Layne, who has played 150 snaps on defense in his whole career and is only good at special teams work.

Finally, what about the Vikings?



This ends up being basically even. I was clear that I loved Will Hernandez over Mike Hughes, but Hernandez turned out to be a below average guard who got benched. Still, he provided more value than Hughes who was always hurt and usually only played a part-time role. 

I was surprised to see Orlando Brown ranked ahead of Brian O'Neill on my board, and even though Brown would not be a scheme fit, I think the Vikings may have missed out on a really good LT. They don't get dinged for that very much since O'Neill has turned out to be very good in his own right.

Finally, I loved Andre Dillard in the 2019 draft, which turned out to be a very bad opinion since he couldn't even win the starting LT job of the Eagles over a 7th round pick. He's just a swing tackle now, which is even a far cry from Garrett Bradbury. AV makes Bradbury look like a competent center - which he isn't - but Dillard is clearly an even bigger bust than Bradbury.

So, would you like to see any other teams' grades compared to my boards? Or would you like to see some expanded analysis that goes beyond the 2nd round or even into the 2020 draft? Let me know what you think!
Since 2018, I've been creating draft boards that are based upon the consensus of a few specifically chosen 'draftniks'/scouts in the media that I find to be accurate, throw in some other metrics like