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VikesCentric is written by Twin Cities football writers Bo Mitchell and Patrick Donnelly of SportsData, and Ted Carlson of TST Media. They are Twin Cities-based Vikings and NFL experts who crunch numbers, watch video and tell you what's on their minds.
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VikesCentric: What they gave up for Patterson
Posted by: Patrick Donnelly Updated: April 26, 2013 - 11:30 AM
The first round of the NFL Draft was a whirlwind on Thursday night. The Vikings got a gift when Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd fell to them at No. 23, and they got a replacement for Antoine Winfield in Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes at No. 25.
But the biggest story of the night was yet to come. The Vikings pulled off a deal with New England, sending four picks (Nos. 52, 83, 102 and 229) to the Patriots for the 29th pick, which they used to select Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
(One quick aside: The Purple needed a quality receiver for a couple of important reasons – to make up for the loss of Percy Harvin, and to give themselves the best chance possible to truly evaluate Christian Ponder this year. At the end of the 2013 season, they absolutely have to know whether Ponder is capable of being their franchise quarterback. Thus far, his rookie year was a wash due to the NFL lockout that robbed him of his first offseason, the presence of Donovan McNabb and late-season injury problems. Last year, it wasn't entirely clear whether Ponder's struggles were self-inflicted or caused by an anemic crop of receivers that became downright putrid when Harvin missed the last two months with an ankle injury. The additions of Greg Jennings and Patterson should remove any excuse for Ponder and allow the coaching staff to assess exactly what they've got in their third-year starter.)
The reaction to the Patterson trade was predictable. Fans gathered at Mall of America Field were beyond thrilled to see the Vikings maneuver back into the first round and grab a big-name player they could instantly envision slicing through opposing defenses in that slick new uniform. The national take was not as kind, in part because "four for one" always sets off alarms, and in part because the national media always swoons in the presence of Bill Belichick.
But what did the Vikings actually give up in that trade? The oft-cited Draft Trade Value Chart popularized by former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson in the early 90s has somewhat fallen out of favor among football insiders, but given that the talking heads on TV are usually about a decade late to the dance, you'll probably see the following breakdown at some point in the discussion:
|
Pick |
Value to NE |
Value to MIN |
|
29 |
|
640 |
|
52 |
380 |
|
|
83 |
175 |
|
|
102 |
92 |
|
|
229 |
--- |
|
|
TOTAL |
647 |
640 |
So, pretty much a push, right? Factor in the Vikings' desperate need at wide receiver, and it makes even more sense to spend that draft capital on a potential impact player at that key position in a critical juncture for the franchise, with a likely make-or-break year for Ponder looming.
As for history, what kind of return can the Patriots expect on those picks? Or to put it another way, let's slap some names on those draft picks and see who was taken there in the last five years. Players in bold are considered likely starters heading into this year.
|
Pick No. 52 |
|||
|
Year |
Player |
Team |
Notes |
|
2012 |
Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina |
TEN |
16 games, 68 tackles, 5.5 sacks |
|
2011 |
Marvin Austin, DL, North Carolina |
NYG |
7 games, 8 tackles, no starts |
|
2010 |
Jason Worilds, LB, Virginia Tech |
PIT |
42 games, 45 tackles, 10 sacks |
|
2009 |
David Veikune, DE, Hawaii |
CLE |
14 games, no starts, out of NFL |
|
2008 |
Quentin Groves, LB, Auburn |
JAX |
on 4th team in 6 years, 29 starts |
|
Pick No. 83 |
|||
|
Year |
Player |
Team |
Notes |
|
2012 |
Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers |
CIN |
8 games, 16 rec, 154 yds, 4 TDs |
|
2011 |
Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy |
NYG |
17 games, 3 rec, 22 yds, 0 TDs |
|
2010 |
Corey Peters, DT, Kentucky |
ATL |
2-year starter, lost job to injury |
|
2009 |
Brandon Tate, WR, North Carolina |
NE |
solid PR/KR, 37 catches, 643 yards |
|
2008 |
Jeremy Zuttah, G, Rutgers |
TB |
74 games, 60 starts |
|
Pick No. 102 |
|||
|
Year |
Player |
Team |
Notes |
|
2012 |
Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan St. |
WAS |
Solid backup to RGIII |
|
2011 |
Jordan Cameron, TE, Southern Cal |
CLE |
22 games, 20 rec, 226 yds, 1 TD |
|
2010 |
Darryl Sharpton, LB, Miami |
HOU |
27 games, 11 starts, 60 tackles |
|
2009 |
Donald Washington, DB, Ohio St. |
KC |
32 games, 5 starts, out of NFL |
|
2008 |
Jeremy Thompson, DE, Wake Forest |
GB |
15 games, 3 starts, out of NFL |
|
Pick No. 229 |
|||
|
Year |
Player |
Team |
Notes |
|
2012 |
Bryce Brown, RB, Kansas St. |
PHI |
564 yds, 4 TDs, filled in for McCoy |
|
2011 |
Jonathan Nelson, DB, Oklahoma |
STL |
2 games, out of NFL |
|
2010 |
Eric Cook, C, New Mexico |
WAS |
6 games, no starts, out of NFL |
|
2009 |
Manuel Johnson, WR, Oklahoma |
DAL |
2 games, 1 catch, out of NFL |
|
2008 |
Cary Williams, DB, Washburn |
TEN |
2-year starter in BAL, now in PHI |
Of course, the Patriots (like any organization) will argue that they'll do a better job of player evaluation and come up with a few diamonds in the rough, but the tables show that in the last five years, just 35 percent (7 of 20) of the players drafted in with the four picks the Vikings gave up for Patterson went on to become starters. That's not to say the Vikings robbed New England or vise-versa. We just wanted to lay out the facts and let you decide, rather than have one of the TV talking heads tell you who got the better end of the deal.
Patrick Donnelly is a Senior Editor at SportsData, a contributor to the 2012 Vikings Yearbook, and has covered the Vikings for FOXSportsNorth.com, Viking Update and the Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at @donnelly612.
VikesCentric: Up close with Vikings new uniforms
Posted by: Bo Mitchell Updated: April 25, 2013 - 7:07 PMThe Minnesota Vikings unveiled their sparkly new uniforms at their Draft Party Thursday night. Yeah, I know the uniform images were surreptitiously leaked all over the Internet earlier this week, but this was our first chance to get an up-close and personal look at the new outfits. If nothing else it was a good pre-draft diversion for those in attendance at Mall of America Field.
As you can see, the new uniforms have something of a throwback look.
The overall feel is somewhat reminiscent of their old uniforms from the 1970s and 1980s, especially the pants stripe, which I tried to capture in the final photo below.
VikesCentric: Best and worst of the first round
Posted by: Patrick Donnelly Updated: April 24, 2013 - 1:16 PMThe Vikings have made 51 first-round draft picks dating back to their NFL debut in 1961. We're not going to rank all 51 of those picks because we don't have a death wish, but would you be interested in seeing the best and worst of those picks? If so, read on.
1. (tie) Carl Eller – 6th overall pick, 1964
1. (tie) Alan Page – 15, 1967
1. (tie) Ron Yary – 1, 1968
1. (tie) Chris Doleman – 4, 1985
1. (tie) Randall McDaniel – 19, 1988
Maybe that's a cop-out, but how do you rate one Pro Football Hall of Famer over another? You might look at value and say McDaniel was the best pick, or say that Page was the man because he won the NFL's MVP award, but honestly, you could make the case for ranking these five in any order and you'd get no argument here.
6. Adrian Peterson – 7, 2007
He's a sure-fire future Hall of Famer who only solidified those credentials with his super-human effort returning from a torn ACL to post the second-most rushing yards in a season in NFL history. He'll be up there within that top class the day his bust is unveiled in Canton.
7. Randy Moss – 21, 1998
Just like Peterson, you'll see Moss in a garish yellow blazer within the next decade. He gets a few demerits for not fully living up to his potential in Minnesota – seriously, he could have been the greatest receiver who ever lived had he cared enough to try on every play – but he changed the fortunes of the entire franchise the first day he took the field in Mankato.
8. Chuck Foreman – 12, 1973
Here's another player who revolutionized his position. Foreman never truly got the accolades he deserved nationally, perhaps because he was part of those Vikings teams that couldn't win the big one, but Jerry Burns' precursor to the West Coast offense wouldn't have been nearly as effective without Forman's unique rushing and pass-catching abilities.
9. Korey Stringer – 24, 1995
His career was tragically cut short after just six seasons, but he made a huge impact on the franchise in his too-brief time in Minnesota. Stringer had just made his first Pro Bowl and was emerging as a possible heir to McDaniel as the leader on the offensive line and in the locker room when he succumbed to heat stroke during training camp in 2001. His death not only sent the Vikings into a spiral – they missed the playoffs in six of the next seven seasons, after they'd made the postseason in eight of the previous nine years – but also triggered policy changes regarding practicing and playing in oppressive heat and humidity from youth football up to the NFL that has likely prevented numerous other fatalities.
10. Joey Browner – 19, 1983
A nine-year starter and six-time Pro Bowler, Browner was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. Plus, he had the strongest hands in the NFL – as Vikings fans were reminded every week by network announcers who thought they were breaking news – which he used to yank down opposing carriers and pick off 37 passes, fourth-most in team history.
11 through 46 – all kinds of great, good, mediocre and bad players, not to mention a few guys who remain works in progress (Matt Kalil, for one, has a great shot at cracking the top 10). But we're running out of pixels here, so let's dive into the five worst first-round picks in Vikings history.
47. D.J. Dozier – 14, 1987
His best season was his rookie year, when he rushed for 257 yards and five touchdowns. He wound up retiring from the NFL to play pro baseball. But his failure did arguably more damage to any franchise than any player in history, because if he'd delivered what the Vikings thought they were getting, they never would have made the Herschel Walker trade.
48. Derrick Alexander – 11, 1995
The Vikings needed a defensive lineman. They took Alexander, who finished his five-year NFL career with 164 tackles and 20 sacks. They passed on Warren Sapp, who finished his 13-year NFL career with 438 tackles, 96.5 sacks, and a bust in Canton. Oops.
49. Leo Hayden – 24, 1971
Who? That's right, the Vikings took a guy named Leo Hayden in the first round of the 1971 draft. He appeared in seven games as a rookie, never touched the ball, and washed out of the league two years later after an unremarkable stint with the Cardinals. Who did they pass up that year? Jack Ham, Dan Dierdorf and Ken Anderson, just to name a few better options.
50. Dimitrius Underwood – 29, 1999
Dennis Green infamously referred to Underwood as an "extra pick" acquired from Washington in exchange for Brad Johnson. Green obviously thought Underwood was worth the gamble, despite numerous red flags and unenthusiastic reports from his own coaches at Michigan State. Underwood showed up for training camp in battle fatigues, suggesting he was ready for combat, then walked out on the team after his first practice in Mankato, never to return.
51. Troy Williamson – 7, 2005
Underwood hurt the Vikings by not playing. Williamson hurt the Vikings by playing. His selection was a textbook overreaction on so many levels. The No. 7 pick came from the Raiders in the Moss trade, and they clearly felt pressure to use that pick to replace Moss. They reached for a receiver who looked great in shorts and a T-shirt at the NFL Combine but had one little problem that plagued him in his three years in Minnesota – he couldn't catch the ball. In 39 games here he caught 79 balls – and dropped at least half that many – despite numerous creative efforts to improve his vision, his hands and his route-running. They all failed, earning him the coveted title of the worst first-round pick in Vikings history.
Who'd we miss, good or bad? Let's hear about it in the comments.
Patrick Donnelly is a Senior Editor at SportsData, a contributor to the 2012 Vikings Yearbook, and has covered the Vikings for FOXSportsNorth.com, Viking Update and the Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at @donnelly612.
VikesCentric: The Vikings' first-round history at this year's 'need' positions
Posted by: Bo Mitchell Updated: April 23, 2013 - 11:50 AMThe countdown to the Thursday night start of the NFL Draft is officially on. No, we don't have an actual clock ticking down the seconds on the wall here at the SportsData offices, but I wouldn't be opposed to the idea. Then again, I'm sure NFL Network and ESPN will have one gracing the corner of their screen soon enough.
| Vikings First-round selections | |||
| Defensive linemen | Wide Receivers | Linebackers | Cornerbacks |
| Erasmus James (2005) | Percy Harvin (2009) | Chad Greenway (2006) | D. Washington (1994) |
| Kenechi Udeze (2004) | Troy Williamson (2005) | Dwayne Rudd (1997) | |
| Kevin Williams (2003) | Randy Moss (1998) | Fred McNeill (1974) | |
| Chris Hovan (2000) | Gene Washington (1967) | Jeff Seimon (1972) | |
| Dimitrius Underwood (1999) | Jack Snow (1965) | ||
| Duane Clemons (1996) | |||
| Derrick Alexander (1995) | |||
| Gerald Robinson (1986) | |||
| Chris Doleman (1985) | |||
| Keith Millard (1984) | |||
| Doug Martin (1980) | |||
| Randy Halloway (1978) | |||
| James White (1976) | |||
| Mark Mullaney (1975) | |||
| Alan Page (1967) | |||
| Jerry Shay (1966) | |||
| Carl Eller (1964) | |||
| Jim Dunaway (1972) |
| Vikings First-round selections by position | |||||||
| QB | RB | WR | OL | DL | LB | CB | S |
| 3 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
VikesCentric: What uniform changes do you want to see?
Posted by: Patrick Donnelly Updated: March 31, 2013 - 1:05 AMThe news rocketed through the Internets this week – the Vikings will introduce a redesigned uniform at their 2013 Draft Party at Mall of America Field on April 25. Ever since the team overhauled their look in 2006 (aka Year 1 of the Wilf Regime) traditionalists have been grumbling about their space-age clown suits that look like rejects from an Arena Football League catalog.
And let's face it – for the first 45 years in the Vikings' history, not much changed in their uniform set. Purple pants were briefly an option in the early 60s, the tint of the home jerseys seemed to lighten a bit over the years, and the stripes on the sleeve of the purple jerseys disappeared for a time. But that's about it. So a bit of resistance to the 2006 change was to be expected.
But rumors are swirling that the new look will bring the team closer to the throwback versions they've worn from time to time in the last seven years. You know, the uniforms that generally set Twitter ablaze with Vikings fans saying they should wear them every week.
Even though Nike is behind the redesign, the hope here is that the Vikings return to more of a classic look. If you can't wait until April 25, go to VikingsUniformInsider.com and sign up for an account that will allow you to leverage various forms of social media to earn sneak previews of the new uniforms.
Here's a quick list of changes one life-long Vikings fan would like to see:
1. Get rid of the swooshes. I know, it's Nike, but the contrasting panels on the sides of the jerseys and the horn-like stripes down the sides of the pants scream "branding opportunity." Solid purple, solid white, with traditional purple-and-gold stripes on the pants, please.
2. A darker shade of purple. The home jerseys look positively washed out compared to the glory days of the 1970s. Maybe they decided to lighten the tint when the team moved indoors, where the old lighting and dingy dome roof made every game feel like a night game, but come on – they're not the Lavender People Eaters. Besides, the current roof at the dome allows much more light to filter through, and they'll be outdoors for two seasons, so let's get back to the darker purple jerseys and helmets.
3. Gray facemasks. For 20 years, the team was fine with gray facemasks. They dabbled with white for five years, but they've been purple since the mid-80s. But the gray cages look so sweet with those throwback jerseys. Just bring them back full-time.
4. Black shoes. Did you know that the Vikings switched to white shoes in 1983? What else happened in 1983? Oh yeah … Les Steckel happened in 1983. The football gods clearly were not happy with the flashy footwear. The Wilfs brought back the black kicks in 2006, probably the only true improvement in that set of uniforms. Let's keep 'em.
5. No more purple pants, at least for home games. I realize this is more of a regulation on the usage of the uniform components, but if the choice is no purple pants or the possibility that the Vikings taking the field looking like a giant bruise, I'll go with the first option. If they promise to only wear purple pants with their white jerseys … OK, I'm down with it. But please, let's not repeat this ever again.
What changes do you want to see when the new uniforms are revealed on April 25? What do you like best and hate most about the different looks the Vikings have sported over the years? Leave your observations in the comments.
Patrick Donnelly is a Senior Editor at SportsData, a contributor to the 2012 Vikings Yearbook, and has covered the Vikings for FOXSportsNorth.com, Viking Update and the Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at @donnelly612.
VikesCentric: Jennings' value (both real and fantasy) remain intact
Posted by: Bo Mitchell Updated: March 21, 2013 - 11:05 AMThe signing of Greg Jennings by the Minnesota Vikings represents decent value, even if you think five years and $48 million is fairly pricey. Face it, that's the market for wide receivers of his ilk. It's a more palatable contract than the five-year, $60 million deal that Mike Wallace signed for in Miami. It's also easier to swallow than the five-year, $56 million deal that Dwayne Bowe signed for in Kansas City this offseason or the five-year, $55.6 million Vincent Jackson was given by Tampa Bay last offseason.
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recent posts
- VikesCentric: Moving Joe Webb to wide receiver is worth a shot
- VikesCentric: Did Vikings give up too much for Patterson?
- VikesCentric: Thumbs up for purple pants
- VikesCentric: Best and worst of the first round
- VikesCentric: The Vikings' first-round history at this year's 'need' positions
- VikesCentric: Successful 20-somethings
- VikesCentric: 'Strength of schedule' supports idea that Vikings have a tough one
- VikesCentric: Talent can be found with the 23rd and 25th picks
- VikesCentric: What uniform changes do you want to see?
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