Allen to Vikings... "is close to being in place"

[Zool]

I think the problem is that they gave up 3 picks plus a big contract to a risk guy. If it works out genius. If not, its only going to help us. No one ever accused the Viking front office of not taking chances.

Demetrius Underwood anyone?

Come on Zool. That wasn't a taking a chance, that was someone not doing their homework. The dude was flat out nuts. Denny Green had all the power in the front office and he did no research.

You guys are kinda reaching for analogies here. I don't see too many valid comparisons on these two events. Drafting Pac man Jones was a similar excercise in stupidity only at the top of the first round in stead of the bottom like with Underwood.

Fine then. Moss was a risk that panned out. Your boys are players in FA every year, but that hasn't seemed to help out much. The Underwood shot was just for funsies.

[Tarlam!]

Well, I still hope they are competitive and that we are a match for them. I liked winning over the Vikings better when they had Moss and Culpepper.

That AP still scares the crap outta me. I see us playing 8 in the box and daring them to pass. If their QB turns out to be anything at all, it will be two tough games a year. And that's without even mentioning this ne DE.

[Chester Marcol]

Their other options sucked.

I have to disagree. If one has patience, especially in a draft with as much depth as this years, the Vikes had plenty of options. They could have parlayed that 17th pick into a few more picks and perhaps a first rounder next year. Not to mention having 2 third rounders to play with.

I'm glad the person pulling the trigger on this deal is only close to Green Bay geographically. This trade is not just 3 picks and a lot of cash. A smart GM who didn't want to draft in the first round would have had several more picks this year and perhaps next year. That's why solid teams like the Patriots always seem to have an extra first rounder. From teams willing to chase rainbows.

I have good freinds who are Vikings fans that it wouldn't suck so bad if the Vikings did well. For them, I hope it works out. I just don't see it being more than a 1 or 2 year fix, especially without much depth on either OL or DL's.

[mngolf19]

Their other options sucked.

I have to disagree. If one has patience, especially in a draft with as much depth as this years, the Vikes had plenty of options. They could have parlayed that 17th pick into a few more picks and perhaps a first rounder next year. Not to mention having 2 third rounders to play with.

I'm glad the person pulling the trigger on this deal is only close to Green Bay geographically. This trade is not just 3 picks and a lot of cash. A smart GM who didn't want to draft in the first round would have had several more picks this year and perhaps next year. That's why solid teams like the Patriots always seem to have an extra first rounder. From teams willing to chase rainbows.

I have good freinds who are Vikings fans that it wouldn't suck so bad if the Vikings did well. For them, I hope it works out. I just don't see it being more than a 1 or 2 year fix, especially without much depth on either OL or DL's.

I'm almost positive the Vikes will draft OL with their 2nd rd pick this year. And their DL depth is not bad.

[b bulldog]

Harv, closet Vikings fan, pretty brilliant, even from someone like you I'd take the Williams bros over any tandem we have in the interior, even a homer like you that can't see reality must admit to that. I guess being realistic and honest in your eyes, makes me a Cowboys fan, Vikings fan, Pats fan ect. This year I'll take the Chargers and the Bolts in the SB so now I must be fans of them also and I can pretty much guarantee that I won't be the only person picking the Vikings to win the North this year.

[Bretsky]

No way would I put the Vikes as the favorite, but the recent trade undoubtedly makes them a threat. Stellar DL and OL along with a great back makes them scary. But........

Who is their starting QB again ? The better question might be do they have one on the roster.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Harv, closet Vikings fan, pretty brilliant, even from someone like you I'd take the Williams bros over any tandem we have in the interior, even a homer like you that can't see reality must admit to that. I guess being realistic and honest in your eyes, makes me a Cowboys fan, Vikings fan, Pats fan ect. This year I'll take the Chargers and the Bolts in the SB so now I must be fans of them also and I can pretty much guarantee that I won't be the only person picking the Vikings to win the North this year.

You've been shaking in your boots about the Vikings the last few years. The Williams Sisters (got that from Tony Richardson, he said that's what the Vikings players call them) are the best tandem in the league. What's your point? If I remember, you predicted the Vikings would be better than the Packers each of the last two seasons. You believe the hype about the Vikings every year. I'm going to wait until they actually do something before labeling them division champions. With all of this talent they've had in your mind (e.g. great DTs, Henderson better than Barnett, Greenway better than Hawk, Leber better than Poppinga, Sharper and Smith better then our safeties, Winfield better than our corners, etc.) how come their defense wasn't better than our defense (a defense you've degraded)?

San Fran added stud rookie Patrick Willis and supposed stud corner Nate Clements last year. They added safety Michael Lewis. They were supposed to be a lot better. Their defense was actually worse. You don't win on paper. These guys have to mesh and prove it on the field. I like some of the Vikings defensive talent (Williams sisters, Henderson, Leber). I think much of their talent has been slightly overrated (Sharper, Winfield in pass coverage, Greenway, Erasmus and Udeze before last year). The problem for me with the Vikings is that they are dependent on star players. You take one of the Williams "brothers" or Winfield or Henderson out of their lineup, and they have a dramatic drop-off. More than most teams. Maybe a lot of it is coaching, but they haven't fix that.

[b bulldog]

First of all, I never stated that Henderson was better than 56 but he is probably as good. Greenway and Hawk are a wash and Leber and Chillar is most likely a wash. As far as D's go, the Minny O was terrible and never could stay on the field and that obviously wears on a defense. Their QB play was horrible, no getting around that. Last season, we had a QB that did scare oppossing DC's, this year we may not. The big difference last season was the QB position, this year it still may be or it may not. The Vikings may have landed the best DE in the game at the moment and that will open up their interior guys even more. We have nobody that can generate a passrush other than Kampy, KGB can't consistently. This was painfully obvious after the Carolina game last season. Their talent on D may be overrated in your eyes, this year, now that they have a healthy, legit DE, we will get a chance to see. As for taking guys out of the lineup and not having big drop-offs, what would our D look like without Kampy, Harris, Woodson or Barnett?? This is called salary cap football buddy.

[Fritz]

I did some reading on ESPN.com and CBS Sports, and took in the Queens' fans comments posted on said sites...they are pretty much loudly and wholeheartedly writing the Vikings into the NFC Championship game right now.

I like Rastak - good guy - but I laugh at the reactions to this trade. No, it's not exactly like Herschel Walker - or John Hadl - but it's a little closer to Javon Walker to Denver for a second. How'd that work out for Denver? 'Cept in this case, it's drunk driving not an injury, and it's not a second it's two thirds and a first.

I think McCarthy has to worry it out - gameplanning will be tougher - but Ted has to be quietly laughing about the Queens' future. Or lack thereof.

[Freak Out]

How well did he do in the game last year against us?

[Freak Out]

How well did he do in the game last year against us?

2 solo tackles one assist and half a sack.

[Partial]

No way would I put the Vikes as the favorite, but the recent trade undoubtedly makes them a threat. Stellar DL and OL along with a great back makes them scary. But........

Who is their starting QB again ? The better question might be do they have one on the roster.

Do we?

[b bulldog]

I hope ARod will be ok but to say we are set at the QB position is crazy. For all we know, ARod will not be starting week two because of injury.

[HarveyWallbangers]

ARod could be as bad as TJack was last year. Nobody knows. We could finish anywhere from 1st to 4th.

Brett was overrated though and had lost a lot. ARod shouldn't have any problems replacing him.

[hoosier]

As long as the Kampman comparisons are coming up, how about Allen's ability against the run? Is he more like Kampman or KGB in that regards? Teams already know that they most likely won't get much from running up the middle. How does this affect the edge of the DL against the run?

From what I've read he isn't a liability so you can play him every down but I would guess not as good as Kampman against the run. I read he had improved but wasn't exactly a run stopper.

Assuming Allen plays RE for Minn they really don't need him to be a run-stopper, just as long as he's not a complete pushover a la KGB in early 2006. But who is Minn fielding at LE? The SN depth chart says Jayme Mitchell. Can that be right? Is Ray Edwards also in the running?