Offseason update: Minnesota Vikings

[Bretsky]

Maybe I should put my English Major to work

Then again, you'd send me plenty of emails saying I blow goats

I didn't know you could use your English Major to critique my slang.

Ziggy, I didn't actually tell them they blow goat. It was what I thought though. I was just embellishing my story.

I can write
I can criticize
I can be ornry and impatient and judgemental
and I can embrace the playmaker theory when building contenders

Being Cliffy Cristl would not be that hard

and I'm pretty dam sure I'd be controversial

Oh well, one can only dream of being a sports guy for a living

[MJZiggy]

OK, but it would've been funnier if you'd actually done it.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I get it. Sorry Bretsky, I totally misjudged your post.

[HarveyWallbangers]

You're too negative to replace Christl.

[MJZiggy]

I can write
I can criticize
I can be ornry and impatient and judgemental
and I can embrace the playmaker theory when building contenders

Being Cliffy Cristl would not be that hard

and I'm pretty dam sure I'd be controversial

Oh well, one can only dream of being a sports guy for a living

And they can't hire you unless you apply...

[Bretsky]

You're too negative to replace Christl.

Cristl would mimic my view on the offensive side of the ball

[Bretsky]

I can write
I can criticize
I can be ornry and impatient and judgemental
and I can embrace the playmaker theory when building contenders

Being Cliffy Cristl would not be that hard

and I'm pretty dam sure I'd be controversial

Oh well, one can only dream of being a sports guy for a living

And they can't hire you unless you apply...

Yes, good point

[the_idle_threat]

Telling them they blow goat will also help the cred of your e-mail immensely...

Well, it's not as bad as telling them they blow goat and suck a little on the balls.

[oregonpackfan]

I've always like Bretsky's financial advice. Perhaps he can draw up a financial retirement plan for Christl.

[wist43]

I think it's easy to say Chicago has more talent b/c of their success on the field, and Minnesota's lack of success. But therein lies my point to some degree... Minnesota has talent, but is a rudderless ship, and I fully expect them to remain so, while Chicago is a well run organziation.

You could fill out a roster with 22 pro bowlers, but if the front office is poorly run, and the coaching is sub standard, all of that talent will go for naught.

The Vikings - and I'll apologize in advance to Rastak for the bluntness of these comments - are kind of a skuzzy organization. Whether it's Dennis Green's sexual exploits, or Randy Moss's idiocy, or Tice's scalping, or half the team's "love boat" shenanigan's, or the owners defense of all of it... it just seems that character never enters into their thinking when they bring people into their organization - and it shows.

In short, I don't think it matters how much talent the Vikings have on the field... I don't think they'll ever be able to win it all b/c of the shortcomings in their overall organization.

[HarveyWallbangers]

What constitutes talent? Apparently, having a big name is your criteria. Udeze is a big name, but hasn't done much. Sharper has lost a step. McKinnie has never been as good as some make him out to be. Birk wasn't quite as good as he has been in the past, but that's understandable--since he was coming off a serious injury. They have some talent, but are their LBs more talented than our LBs? Let alone Chicago. How about their corners? Let alone Chicago. How about their DEs? Let alone Chicago. Their safeties are better, and their DTs are better. On offense, Jackson is no different than Aaron Rodgers at this point. They have great RBs. Their WR and TE corps may be the worst in the league. Hutchinson is a stud, but is their OL better than Green Bay's as a whole? Not really. They weren't last year. I'd take Clifton over McKinnie. Tauscher is better than their RT. Birk is better than Wells, but on the downside and might not be for long. Hutch is better than Colledge. RG is a wash. If you take position group by position group, I think Minnesota's talent is comparable to Green Bay's talent, but the Packers still have an advantage at QB. The Bears are more talented across the board than both teams.

[HarveyWallbangers]

This for Rastak.

According to reliable sources, Jackson has improved in recent days. It also looks like you might have found yourself a player in Bryan Robison. Sidney Rice continues to struggle. Suddenly, I'm not as hyped on the Packers drafting him as I was in April.

[mngolf19]

Wist, I don't think you can still say the Vikes are a skuzzy org. They've had their years and ownership, but it hasn't always been that way and now they certainly don't put up with the same things they did in the past. You can question Childress's ability, I still do, but ownership and Childress have created a much better atmosphere and require players of better character. They may not translate to wins though.

Harv, as many often say the MN OL needed time to jel. Birk didn't play the year before, Hutch was new, Hicks was new and Cook was new. I fully expect that they will be much better this year and live up to more of that hype. If they aren't, then you are 100% correct. And the reason I believe that they will improve this year is that. Jackson will have much more time, an even better running game to hand off to, and certainly the WR's could only be better than what they had last year.

[Rastak]

This for Rastak.

According to reliable sources, Jackson has improved in recent days. It also looks like you might have found yourself a player in Bryan Robison. Sidney Rice continues to struggle. Suddenly, I'm not as hyped on the Packers drafting him as I was in April.

Well, they drafted 3 wideouts using TT's method of quantity drafting.....at least one should work out!

[HarveyWallbangers]

Harv, as many often say the MN OL needed time to jel. Birk didn't play the year before, Hutch was new, Hicks was new and Cook was new.

None of them were rookies (besides Cook, who didn't start that many games), and only one was a second year player. Shouldn't a veteran be better able to handle that? Also, doesn't that speak well to the Packers OL--who had a first year starter at OC and 3 rookies with at least 10 starts each? Green Bay had 4 young guys that played extensively at the interior OL positions that all may have shown more last year than the likes of Cook and Johnson have. So, what makes the Vikings young guys more "talented?" Draft position?