Wednesday June 19, 2013
Dan Wiederer began covering the Vikings in 2011, enthusiastically delivering insight on the team across the Star Tribune's print and digital products. Prior to joining the Access Vikings team, he spent seven seasons covering ACC basketball at The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer. He also covered the Chicago Bears in 2003 and 2004. Follow him on Twitter @StribDW.
Mark Craig has covered football and the NFL the past 20 years, including the Browns from 1991-95 and the Vikings and the NFL since 2003. Since 2008, Craig has served as one of the 44 Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors. He can be followed on Twitter at @markcraignfl.
Posts about Vikings defense
With contract issues on hold, Jared Allen aiming to have big 2013
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: May 23, 2013 - 11:06 AM
As you well know, Jared Allen has reached an unfamiliar point as he enters his 10th NFL season. He’s suddenly in a contract year, playing out the final season of the deal he signed in 2008 and due to make $14,280,612 in base salary this season with a cap number north of $17 million.
Given Allen’s age (31), his battles with shoulder and knee injuries in 2012 and the expensive price tag he’ll certainly command until his playing days are over, it’s very possible his time as a Viking could be nearing an end.
We’ll dive deeper into that possibility with a column that will run in Friday’s Star Tribune. So stay tuned for that. But in a candid one-on-one interview recently, Allen shared also his thoughts on a number of other topics including his contribution to the team’s courtship of Greg Jennings in free agency; what the Vikings’ 2012 wild card run means for 2013; and, yes, his confirmation that he was never approached about a possible contract restructuring.
Oh, and you also should know that when Allen went to get his haircut a few weeks back, he decided to go back to his trademarked mullet.
“I’m going to rock it, man. Let’s bring it back,” Allen said. “I figured why not end my contract the way I started it.”
Here’s more of what Allen shared in our interview last week with additional candid thoughts coming in Friday’s column.
On whether the Vikings came to him about restructuring his current contract over the offseason …
“You use the word restructure and that to me makes it feel like they’d want me to take a pay cut. And if anybody asked me to take a pay cut, I’d be through the first door out of there. So no. We haven’t talked one iota. It is what it is. And we’re going to go about our business and play good ball and try to win a Super Bowl. And like I said the business stuff? We take care of that in the offseason. I have people to do that. That’s why I don’t get into it. You’re not going to hear it from me. I won’t complain. I go about my business.”
On what he wanted to convey to Jennings during the team’s free agency dinner with him …
“When you compete against someone for many years, you develop a healthy respect. And I’ve gotten to know Greg a little bit off the field too. He’s a good human being. And that was my thing to him, that we need guys like him. We have a quality team. [Owner] Zygi [Wilf] brings in quality people. And I was telling him, ‘You would fit into this team.’ We have quality people in this locker room. And what Greg was going to bring to our team is that expectation of winning. Here’s a guy who has won a Super Bowl. And he knows that making it to the playoffs isn’t enough. And I’m going to tell it like it is and he knows that. I was like, ‘If you come here, you’re going to be the guy. You won’t be one of five. You’re going to be the guy. We’ve got to get you the ball.’ He and Adrian [Peterson] are going to work great together as far as if you’re going to put eight in the box, nine in the box, go ahead. We’ve got ways to attack that. The way Greg has toasted us over the years, I just wanted to get him on our side.”
On which Vikings helped his transition to the team when he came over via a trade with Kansas City in 2008 …
“I know when I came here to talk to Pat [Williams] and Kevin [Williams] it made a difference to me. Coaches put on a sales pitch a lot of times. Players can relate through other players, especially if you have a relationship. Greg knew I wasn’t going to b.s. him and I’d tell it like it is. Hopefully he respected that. Well, he signed. So ... I’m excited to have him. He gives us an ability at the receiver position, especially after losing Percy [Harvin], that he’ll fill an obvious void for us. … Sometimes you hear the sales pitch but you really just want to know what it’s like with a team. Especially because I’ve been successful in this organization and when a player comes here, especially when they’ve been successful somewhere else, they want to make sure they can continue their success. That’s the best way to put it. And that’s how I tried to relate to Greg. Again, talking to Kevin and Pat when I came in it was like, ‘OK I can work with these guys. This is the truth coming here.’ This is how it’s going to play out and you go forward.”
On his lasting feelings following last year’s 10-6 march into the NFC playoffs …
“I want to win a Super Bowl. And I feel like I’ve invested and put a lot of work into the Minnesota organization and becoming a leader and becoming a core guy and unifying with the vets like Adrian and [Chad] Greenway. And making the playoffs isn’t good enough. Not for us. We expect to make the playoffs and we want to go far in the playoffs. So I feel like last year I got cheated out of an opportunity from going deeper in the playoffs. We made a heck of a run and then we blew it in the first round. I’ve got that bad taste in my mouth and I want to get the Vikings to the Super Bowl.”
On whether he found encouragement in the Vikings’ surprising turnaround in 2012 after a dismal 3-13 campaign in 2011 …
“Yeah. But the thing with football is go back and look throughout the league. How often do teams repeat the exact same season they had? No one would have thought that 3-13 was going to go to 10-6, ya know. No one would have thought that the Giants were going to go from the Super Bowl champs to all of a sudden not in the playoffs. Or the Saints [and their 2012 decline]. So for me, each year stands on its own merits. You don’t know who’s going to get hurt. We play such a violent sport that injuries become a big part of the game. I guess that’s why I say I got cheated out of an opportunity [last season]. We were in the playoffs. And we got beat, bottom line. I say we were cheated because you won four games to get there and it kind of starts to build and there’s momentum and it’s like, ‘Hey, this is the kind of run that Super Bowl teams go on.’ So you start gearing up for a run in the playoffs and then bam! It’s over. So you have that dirty taste in your mouth.
“But I mean yeah, it’s encouraging to have the same players back now. If they put the same work ethic into this offseason as they did last and we come to training camp and we see the same type of growth, we can be pretty good. And we’ll see ourselves with a 100 percent Adrian all year who’s going to be even better. So yeah we have expectations. And our expectations are to win the division. Our expectations are to make it to the playoffs. Our expectations are to go deep into the playoffs. And our expectations are to hopefully get to the Super Bowl. But it’s hard to sit here and feel too good. You can look back and say, ‘Yeah great, we built some great things last year.’ But you also see we don’t have Antoine [Winfield] now. That’s a huge loss in our secondary the way he played. So someone has to fill that role. There’s a lot of that. It’s the NFL. So it’s tough to say what you can do and who you can be until you get into the season. Do we expect to win? Absolutely. Are we encouraged about rattling off four wins in a row to close the season to make into the playoffs? Absolutely. But that was last year. This year you never know what’s going to happen.”
Vikings sign three draft picks; Chuck Muncie dies; Urlacher "rumored" to Vikings ...
Posted by: Chris Miller Updated: May 14, 2013 - 2:27 PMThe Vikings signed three draft picks -- linebackers Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti, and defensive tackle Everett Dawkins -- today.
Hodges was a fourth-round selection (120th overall), while Mauti (213th) and Dawkins (229th) were seventh rounders. Hodges and Mauti are from Penn State, while Dawkins played at Florida State.
The signings were announced by the team. Hodges posted his signing on Twitter. He called it the happiest moment of his life.
A video review of the Vikings picks, if you have a little time to watch, is here. Sid also broke down the Penn State linebackers here. (Just wanted to use "Sid broke down" in the context of Sid breaking down film. Not sure that line worked.)
Other Vikings notes:
- Chuck Muncie, who played briefly for the Vikings at the end of a career plagued by substance abuse, has died at age 60. News reports say Muncie, a star with San Diego, had a heart attack.
- And former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher and the Vikings have been mentioned in the same sentence by a Chicago Sun Times "gossip" columnist.
Michael Sneed, who apparently is quite comfortable referring to herself in the third person, wrote: Sneed hears that former Chicago Bear Brian Urlacher, whose stellar, longtime career with the Bears began with a growl and ended with a whimper, is getting close to finding a new pigskin playground. Sneed is told that Urlacher, whose decision to leave the Bears followed their offer of a $1.6 million renewal contract, has been talking to the Minnesota Vikings and the Denver Broncos. “It’s getting close to happening, but Brian is leaning toward heading to Minnesota and is talking a one to two year contract,” said a source close to Urlacher.
As they used to say on Hee Haw, we don't like to repeat rumors ... so you better listen closely the first time.
Erin Henderson stepping into new role with 'more lead in my pencil'
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: May 1, 2013 - 2:03 PMVikings linebacker Erin Henderson wants a heightened role. He wants more freedom on defense. He wants to use his athleticism and mobility and hunger to make big plays. And now he may be getting the greatest opportunity of his career. Heading into his sixth season and with the Vikings still looking to find a three-down middle linebacker, Henderson will get the first shot at locking down that role. Last year’s starter at middle linebacker, Jasper Brinkley, left for Arizona during free agency. And when the Vikings passed on the opportunity to draft a middle linebacker three times on the first night of last weekend’s NFL Draft, the door opened for Henderson to give things a try, an opportunity he’s been waiting for and preparing for since the end of last season.
On Wednesday morning at Winter Park, Henderson took a break from the team’s strength and conditioning workouts to meet with reporters. Here’s what he had to say …
What are your thoughts here on possibly sliding inside here to play middle linebacker?
I’m excited for the opportunity, man. My time here has been spent playing the will linebacker. But I got a taste of that mike and what it’s about when I’ve had the chance to play in those nickel situations. I look forward to the challenge. It’s something new for me to learn, something new for me to put my brain to and help me refocus a little bit with the kind of work and time I have to put in in order for us to be successful.
When did they first talk to you about the possibility of moving to middle linebacker?
It was kind of early in the offseason. It was something I kind of threw out there to Coach Pug [linebackers coach Fred Pagac]. Just letting him know I was more than capable of doing it and more than willing to make that transition if they needed me to. Now it’s just a matter of going out there and showing improvement and letting everybody know that they made the right decision.
So is that where you expect to be?
Right now, yeah. That’s what I expect. But you never really know how things go and what things they might talk about as we move forward and what they might decide that they want to do. Right now, that’s where my mind is, that’s what I’m studying and that’s what I’m trying to prepare myself for.
What’s going to be the biggest difference for you if you do end up inside?
Honestly, you guys won’t see the stat lines with two tackles, four tackles anymore. People won’t be able to give me a hard time about that. I’ll be in the middle, I’ll be able to move around a little bit and use my best ability, which I think is my agility and my ability to run from sideline to sideline. So I’ll have a chance to do that and be involved in more of the plays. I think that will be one of the biggest differences for me. I’ve already had to make checks and make corrections and different things like that playing the nickel mike. I think people understand in this day and age, 75 percent of the game is played against the nickel package anyway. So more times than not, I was running the show already. Now it’s a matter of doing it full-time when we come out to practice and everything else. I’m excited about the opportunity. I look forward to it.
Personality-wise, are you now at a point in your career to take that next step and be a guy calling the shots?
Oh yeah. I think I have the respect and trust of my teammates and my coaches. Which I think is very important, especially when you’re put into a leadership role and they’re asking you to do certain things. I think them moving me to that position and giving me a chance to play it shows that they trust me upstairs. I love the locker room that we have and the guys who look up to me and respect me for what I’ve done and what I want to be able to do in the future. As well as how I carry myself around here. I’m not mean to anybody. I’m not rude to anybody. If anybody has a question, they can come talk to me and ask me whatever they want to know, whether that be on the field or off the field. I think it’s a good fit.
What changes do you make preparation-wise for this move to middle linebacker?
I’m coming back a little bit heavier this year. In the past I’ve been 240 or lighter. Right now I’m about 248, 249. I know I’m going to have to have a little bit more lead in my pencil so to speak when you’re playing in the middle, playing that mike. So it’s just that and getting a little bit stronger at the point of attack and being able to take the next step from there.
Do you tap your older brother, E.J., for tips at all?
Not quite yet. I’m going to pick his brain a little bit. [But I want to] figure out some stuff on my own. And that way I can ask better questions and better know what to present to him and what he can really help me out with.
Did you come close to leaving here in free agency?
Nah. Not really. You get a chance to talk to people every now and again. And you hear some things from different teams. But I knew this is where I wanted to be. I knew this is where I wanted to play. I understood the opportunity that may be afforded to me here. There’s also a certain comfort level that comes along with being in a place going on six years now with the same coaches. And having the opportunity to build the relationship that’s there.
So were you preparing for this move to the middle early on after last season ended?
In my brain, yeah. Even though they wouldn’t really give me a definite answer or let me know what might happen. I knew the draft would play a big part of it. But it’s something I was kind of anticipating and hoping came into fruition.
You talked at the end of last year or making sure you stay home on defense and are in the right spot doing what’s asked of you. How do you get over that hurdle of making sure you’re doing that as consistently as you can?
When you’re playing the mike, it’s not as big of a deal. It’s not quite the same. Playing the will, you pretty much have to stay on that backside B gap no matter what’s happening. The ball could be going the other way and you want to go chase and you want to go be a part of the action. And then the running back might make a cut and get back through your B gap. It’s not really the same kind of situation once you move over to that mike. You still have to stay at home, still have to stick to your responsibilities. But I think they give you a little bit more freedom here at the mike to go find the ball and make plays.
So has the coaching staff talked to you even in the past couple of days, since the draft, since they didn’t draft a middle linebacker high, that this is where you have to be zoned in?
They pretty much told me, coming into OTAs, I’m going to be at the middle spot. It’s just a matter of me going out there. And the best three ‘backers will play. That’s what they told us. So now I have to go out there and take care of business.
Vikings land defensive tackle, cornerback, wide receiver
Posted by: Mark Craig Updated: April 25, 2013 - 10:58 PMThe Vikings made the biggest splash on the first night of the NFL Draft, landing defensive help with their own picks and then making a shocking trade to pick up a wide receiver.
Defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd of Florida was taken at No. 23, cornerback Xavier Rhodes of Florida State was taken at No. 25, and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson of Tennessee was landed at No. 29.
Still, the circus isn't coming to town. The Vikings, in desperate need of a middle linebacker and completely in love with Notre Dame, opted not to take Notre Dame middle linebacker Manti Te'o, who you might have heard, was entangled in a bit of an embarrassing internet girlfriend hoax.
The Vikings had to trade both their Friday picks, the second and third rounders, in the Patterson deal. They also sent a fourth and seventh to New England for the talented, but troubled, wideout.
Floyd, who is 6-2 1/2, 305 pounds, can play nose tackle this year and move to under tackle next year, when Kevin Williams is expected to be done as a Viking. Williams turns 33 this August and will make a guaranteed $4.9 million in the final year of his restructured contract.
Floyd is the first defensive linemen taken by the Vikings in the first round since Williams was taken ninth overall in 2003. Floyd also is the first defensive tackle taken above the fourth round since Williams was taken 10 years ago.
Vikings GM Rick Spielman didn't wait long to replace Antoine Winfield, taking Rhodes two picks later. A big corner who some thought would go earlier seems like a decent pick that should start or at least be among the top three corners.
Spielman was holding a news conference to discuss the team's first two first-rounders when he sprinted out of the room and the trade with New England was announced a short time later.
Patterson addresses another big need after the team traded star Percy Harvin to Seattle in the offseason. He will give quarterback Christian Ponder the big, outside receiver he's been missing
Antoine Winfield chooses Seahawks
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: April 12, 2013 - 10:51 PMThe Vikings’ hopes of reeling Antoine Winfield back to Winter Park have officially been dashed. The 35-year-old cornerback agreed to a one-year deal with the Seahawks on Friday, ending his month-long exploration through free agency.
Winfield began a visit in Seattle on Tuesday and apparently liked what he heard from General Manager John Schneider, coach Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. But it was not an easy decision. The Vikings had made a significant push to bring Winfield back and it took until Friday for a deal to be finalized with the Seahawks.
"It was a very tough decision for me because of the relationships that I have in Minnesota," Winfield told ESPN's Josina Anderson. "I've been there nine years. I've had some really great coaches, teammates and fans there. I'm very grateful to the Vikings organization for my experience."
Winfield had made it known since being released by the Vikings on March 12 that he was looking to find an ideal fit and latch on with a team in position to contend for a Super Bowl. Seattle certainly fits that bill.
The Seahawks already have two outstanding outside cornerbacks in Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner. Now they can add Winfield to the mix as a slot corner and veteran leader.
After nine seasons with the Vikings, Winfield joins a Seattle team that was an eyelash away from reaching the NFC Championship last season and has since added some big-name talent in its quest to take the next step. The Seahawks acquired receiver Percy Harvin in a blockbuster trade last month and then struck two days later by signing free agent defensive end Cliff Avril
The Seattle defense ranked second in the NFL against the pass in 2012 and will hope Winfield still has some juice left as he enters his 15th season. Winfield was as reliable as ever last season with the Vikings, steadying a young secondary. According to team stats, he contributed 110 tackles, 11 of those for loss and intercepted three passes. His professionalism and positive energy were frequently lauded by both teammates and the Vikings’ coaching staff during the team’s surprising push into the NFC playoffs.
As head coach Leslie Frazier noted last month: "He was the glue. The way that he was in our meeting rooms, at practice, his participation in the offseason program. He was one of those guys who had not been around a lot in the offseason [previously]. And he was at everything a year ago. So his influence, you can't put a dollar figure on that. It made a big difference on our season and in the development of a lot of players as well."
Still, Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman made the executive decision to cut Winfield last month in the hour before free agency began, needing to clear salary cap room that the cornerback’s $7.25 million salary for 2013 was clogging up.
The Vikings then spent the first week of free agency re-signing seven of their in-house free agents, most notably right tackle Phil Loadholt, fullback Jerome Felton and linebacker Erin Henderson. The organization also signed receiver Greg Jennings and quarterback Matt Cassel.
According to a source, before being cut Winfield was never formally offered an opportunity to restructure his contract and initially felt blindsided by the Vikings’ decision, news given to him on a day he had gone to the team’s Winter Park facility for a routine workout.
A few hours after releasing Winfield, Spielman said he was leaving the door open for a possible reunion. And Leslie Frazier reached out to Winfield on several occasions to express his feelings and appreciation for Winfield’s talent and leadership.
But the veteran cornerback was certainly confused by the mixed messages from an organization that didn’t feel he was worth keeping around at a high price but was still asking him to consider a return shortly after.
Winfield began testing the open market when free agency began and had one other visit with the Redskins. In Seattle, it turns out, he found the fit he was seeking. ESPN reported Winfield’s deal with Seattle to be worth $3 million. And at the very least, Winfield’s move slammed shut the door Spielman had promised to keep open.
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