Vikes Draft....what will they do???

[Water Hazard]

There was an article today saying that Peterson reinjured himself during his team's bowl game and that he might not be ready to start the preseason.

If I remember right, Cedric Benson wasn't ready to start the year for the Bears (that was about money) and it has taken him forever to get up to speed.

Not sure drafting injured goods is the right idea...

[Tripleplay]

Spielman was on KFAN yesterday morning with the Powertrip guys and he said that the Vikings have decided that there are 8 blue chippers in this draft. What scares me is that he said two of them were CB's Hall (Michigan) and Reveis (Pitt). Everybody else has them as the top 2-3 CB's but nobody has them expected in the top 10 or so picks with a few exceptions having the Vikings taking Hall at #7.

I did like his comment that unless C. Johnson falls to #7 there isn't a WR worthy of taking at that slot. Of course he could be blowing smoke up our you know whats and hoping that the competition picks up on his comments but who knows. He had a better sense of humor than I realized when he jokingly said we should start some sort of rumors about C. Johnson and Peterson hoping that will make them slide.

I've been watching the mock drafts pretty close and the most recent ones have been starting to make me a bit nervous. Previously it seemed to be showing the Vikings staying at #7 and getting one of the following three players: Landry, Peterson or Quinn. In recent days and with some projected trades factoring in a bit, alot of the mocks are showing all three of those players gone and us ending up with J. Anderson (DE), a reach for a WR or Hall. I'd be OK with any of the three players mentioned of Landry, Peterson or Quinn and would love for Adams or one of the others to fall but I just don't see that happening.

I do like the mocks showing us grabbing a WR like Gonzales, Davis, Jarrett or Steve Smith in the second round as they could be a starter by the end of training camp. (Rice scares me since our previous Gamecock WR hasn't exactly panned out.)

I'm definitely ready for Saturday and I hope we get a little lucky and we get one of those mentioned players whether we need them for 2007 or not.

[marbleeye2]

I'm a lifelong Vikes fan, but the last couple years I have really started to lose interest. I don't know if I'm just getting old and curmudgeonly or if the on and off field problems have just caused me to find better things to do than worry about them. That being said, I think they need to make a splash...not necessarily to get Calvin Johnson, which I don't think they'll be able to do, but get a couple of players people know about and can get excited about. I don't think I'm alone in experiencing waning interest in this team. I think they need to do something to give fans hope or a reason to get excited. Pick an Adrian Peterson and then grab one of the other top receivers, one of whom should be around in round 2.

I know AP is a bit injured, but he wouldn't be counted on to carry the load yet this year. Pick him, let him heal and learn the pro game. Quinn will likely be gone, Russell, too. WHoever they pick, I hope it's someone that gives us a little reason for excitement.

[Coach1310]

Well, this is how I HOPE it goes.... Oak- Russell, Det-Johnson, Clev-Quinn, Tampa-Thomas, Pick 5. with Thomas gone-Arizona trades down with Buffalo(Arizona Loves the big OL from Penn State and he is a big reach here) @ 5. Buffalo takes Peterson, 6. Washington either trades down or take Okoye(DL from Louisville) 7. Vikes have Landry as best on the board, but New England covets him and they know he won't make it past Atlanta at 8. so the Vikes swap with NE and get their 2 first rounders and a 5th for the #7. With # 7 the Pats take Landry....the Vikes end up with 2 of the following...Meachem, Hall, Rivies, Bowe, etc. Isn't it fun to dream?????????

[Coach1310]

OR They just take another Defense Lineman that we never hear from again!!!!

[slotlimit]

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OR They just take another Defense Lineman that we never hear from again!!!!

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I heard Underwood started is own WHY YOU SHOULDN'T DO WHAT I DID motivational speaking business.

[so haaad]

They may trade up for Johnson, although it might be a tough to make a trade with another team in the leauge (Detroit). An injured Peterson who hasn't played much football in the last year is a little risky at 7. And they don't need safeties, and the Vikes' interest in a cornerback (KFAN) is a smokescreen. I agree somewhat with Coach1310 in that they may draft down to get another draft pick in the lower 1st/2nd round level and then go after a receiver or even a running back. Darkhorse pick that the Vikes will seek: Tight End.

[Walleyes4Matt]

Rounds

1. RB Adrian Peterson or DE Jamaal Anderson

2. WR Dwayne Jarrett

3rd or 4th. TE Matt Spaeth

[jigging-matt]

Adrian Peterson. Can't really complain about that pick.

[OLY]

10-15 carries a game for chester, 10-15 carries a game for AP. LOVE IT! Now hopefully they can get a good reciever with their second pick, and then I will be impressed.

[bucketmouth64]

Round 2 Sidney Rice WR from South Carolina. Good first two picks.

[soldoncass]

I like the Vikes first 3 round picks. REALLY glad Quinn wasn't picked( I see a bust there). A rb at 1, a receiver at 2 ,and a cb at 3 all seem reasonable positions to address to me. It all depends on how they develop, and stay healthy. The three young defensive guys from the last few years were all injured, and we really haven't seen their potential yet. Udeze, James, and Greenway we'll see more of this year. That will tell the story, but the Vikes may get a d. end yet that could develop. We'll see. Qb is still a BIG question mark.

[slotlimit]

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Round 2 Sidney Rice WR from South Carolina. Good first two picks.

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Not when Jarret was still on the board. Now we have another Game Cock who has trouble catching the ball, doesn't run precise routes, wouldn't even run on his pro day on a perfect day because the ground was too hard supposedly. sounds like a baby to me.

[WallyGator12000]

I'm not sure what you're talking about with "trouble catching the ball"...Rice has outstanding hands, excellent size, tons of potential. Make sure you know a little about a guy before you bash him...

Here's his scouting report:

"Has excellent size with long arms and a rangy frame...Outstanding ball skills...A smooth natural athlete...Excellent leaper who high points the ball...Has big, soft, and very reliable hands...Terrific body control...Plays faster than he times...Tracks the ball well and has great hand / eye coordination...A terror in the red zone...Will make the spectacular catch...Able to separate and is a great vertical threat...Was extremely productive and pretty dominant in the SEC...Still has a ton of potential"

I wanted Jarrett too, but Rice was my #2 choice, and ultimately I think could end up being better than Jarrett...so far all I can say is WOW!!! Great draft Vikes!

[james_walleye]

This gamecock has one of the best sets of hands in the draft. And there are alot of guys who will not run period, so its not being a baby. It hurt at the time when they passed on Jarrett but reading up on Rice a little bit has eased the pain. Hes a big physical guy as well and looks like he'll be a nice weapon.

I was disappointed that they passed up the DE Charles Johnson out of Georgia with their 3rd round pick. But overall if Peterson lives up too what hes suppose too do and if Rice pans out they have added too the future quite nicely. Rice is a nice addition, he should be a great red zone target from the footage i've seen.

[NAPAFISH]

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I'm not sure what you're talking about with "trouble catching the ball"...Rice has outstanding hands, excellent size, tons of potential. Make sure you know a little about a guy before you bash him...

Here's his scouting report:

"Has excellent size with long arms and a rangy frame...Outstanding ball skills...A smooth natural athlete...Excellent leaper who high points the ball...Has big, soft, and very reliable hands...Terrific body control...Plays faster than he times...Tracks the ball well and has great hand / eye coordination...A terror in the red zone...Will make the spectacular catch...Able to separate and is a great vertical threat...Was extremely productive and pretty dominant in the SEC...Still has a ton of potential"

I wanted Jarrett too, but Rice was my #2 choice, and ultimately I think could end up being better than Jarrett...so far all I can say is WOW!!! Great draft Vikes!

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Boy this sounds like the greatest WR ever. Boy, u guys have the purple colored glasses on.

[james_walleye]

Hes quoting a scouting report, how is that having purple colored glasses on.

[WallyGator12000]

It's a scouting report from Scott Wright's NFL Draft Countdown website, one of the most accurate independent scouts out there...James Walleye is 100% right, I didn't write that about Rice, Scott Wright did...Rice is going to be solid for the Vikes, and maybe because he is good friends with Troy Williamson we can help Troy feel more comfortable here, thereby helping his game...who knows?

[WallyGator12000]

SWEET! I just found out the Vikes got Aundrae Allison in the 5th! Another solid late round selection!

[slotlimit]

And Vic C wrote what I said as he was drafted on the NFL draft site. Maybe your right about bashing him before I know him. But maybe you should not pronuounce him savior before seeing what he actually does. You read one thing on him I read another. Doesn't make you more right then I. Yes I will wait and see.

[Tripleplay]

Loved Peterson at #7. As I stated earlier I would have preferred Jarrett but I also think that Rice has got a ton of potential. That said, a number of commentators and scouting services said that Rice is young and immature so you have to question whether he is ready to play in the NFL. I did see that he was a basketball player mainly in high school so his football skills should continue to get better and better. He has higher upside than Jarrett if he matures and develops his game so I'm OK waiting him out but we probably would have benefited this year from a more NFL ready player like Jarret but it's not like I'm expecting a Superbowl this year anyways.

A third round CB that was benched mid-season means super high upside but which player did we draft? The possible top-15 pick based on his junior year or the concussion suffering, non-starting end of senior year player? I hope it is the junior year player who got his eyes opened.

Everything I've heard about Robison is good and well worth moving up for in the fourth. Many pre-draft reports had Allison out of East Carolina as one of the sleepers at WR so getting him in the fifth round is awesome (many mocks had him going in the third round). Don't know enough about the remaining drafted players to comment. I did hear Ben Patrick the TE out of Delaware went in the seventh and he was also considered a sleeper so his name might have looked pretty good in purple as well.

Yahoo has the Vikings at a B grade for the draft. Highest grades in the NFC went to San Fran and Atlanta with some other B grade teams as well. After some of the previous drafts I would have begged for a B so I'll take it.

[james_walleye]

Everything i've read and heard says hes a big physical reciever that has great hands. I dont think anyone has called him a savior, in fact i never stated at all that i liked him over Jarrett. I just simply stated what i have read and heard.

[koonie]

slot limit

can you let us know where you read that he had problems catching the ball. Maybe a website or a link of some sort. Everywhere I've looked, they've said he's got good hands. There were even some sites that said he had the second best hands in the draft behind only CJ. If needed I'll provide some links on Rice. I was hoping we'd take Jarrett. It's been said that Rice is a bit immature and raw. They also said if he'd have stayed in school he would have been a top 15 pick next year.

[slotlimit]

I know this is going to shoot my story in the foot but I'm man anough to admit when I'm wrong. On the NFL web site during the draft Vic C and another guy where giving a little analysis of each player after they where drafted. What I wrote is what Vic C. wrote under him in the draft tracker. Now when I went back there the is nothing written about anyone under their names. I was just going off of what Vic had written. I never watched him play in person or on tv so I guess I shouldn't have believed it just because one guy wrote that about him. But I give my word that's what was written.

[WallyGator12000]

Hey, it's understandable, and it doesn't mean you were wrong, just that you were going off of what another guy said. I honestly haven't watched the kid play except for highlight reels, and of course he is going to catch the ball then. So I assume he has great hands because that is what I read about him. I think the truth is just that all of us should hope this kid can get it together and reach his full potential!

[eglleftcoast]

Here is Gil Brandt's Analysis

Rice is another player who has been in school three years. He has got a lot of work to do before he's an NFL receiver. He has got a lot of talent, but not a lot of experience as a wide receiver. He has got to learn to run routes better and hang onto the ball. At his Pro Day at South Carolina this year, there were 20 scouts to see him run. It was a perfect day, but his agent told him not to run because the grass was too hard. That's an indicator of a lack of maturity.

[koonie]

Wasn't trying to bust your b----s slot. The draft site I'm usually on is very uptight and they always want a link or site for proof. There are about a million analysts out there so I really have no doubts what you said was true. I need to unwind after being on that draft sight for the last four months.

[slotlimit]

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Here is Gil Brandt's Analysis

Rice is another player who has been in school three years. He has got a lot of work to do before he's an NFL receiver. He has got a lot of talent, but not a lot of experience as a wide receiver. He has got to learn to run routes better and hang onto the ball. At his Pro Day at South Carolina this year, there were 20 scouts to see him run. It was a perfect day, but his agent told him not to run because the grass was too hard. That's an indicator of a lack of maturity.

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This is just like I read. It sounds like a player I don't want on my team. But I will be willing to wait and see.