vikings/nfl
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 NFC
Ponder on Cassel pushing him, Harvin, a scary ER visit and more
Posted by: Mark Craig Updated: May 1, 2013 - 11:43 AM
When the QUARTERBACK!!!!! speaks, people listen. So here's the full Q&A between Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and local reporters during a break in the offensive players' offseason workout at Winter Park on Wednesday. It includes Ponder's thoughts on losing Percy Harvin, feeling competition from new backup Matt Cassel and a scary trip to the emergency room that turned out OK in February.
On the changes at receiver in the offseason:
A: "Well, obviously, there are some changes. Obviously, Percy was a very dynamic and good player that we obviously used a lot of the field. We lost a player for sure and Seattle got a good one. But to have Greg [Jennings] come in, obviously, we faced him every year twice. He was a good player and will be a good player for us. And to draft Cordarrelle [Patterson] and sign a couple of undrafted guys, it's going to be big. The big thing with Greg, who's obviously a great player, is he also provides that leadership. I think he's a true pro. He can show these young guys what it takes in this league. I think we have a good dynamic. Everyone has come and shown up to work. It will be good to get these rookies in this weekend. The dynamic has changed, but I think it's good."
On whether he asserts himself any differently this season:
A: "I think so. I think it's time for me to step up vocally and grasp ahold of this leadership position and work with those guys like Greg, John Sullivan, Charlie Johnson, Adrian [Peterson] and a bunch of other guys. It's time for us to make this our team. That's definitely the next step."
On what Patterson brings to the team:
A: "I think he's going to make an impact this year. A first round pick, had a lot of hype coming out. I watched some film on him and he's great with the ball in his hands. And he's a taller guy. He's 6-2. He's a legitimate size receiver. We'll probably put him at the `X' and do some things with him. We'll obviously try to get him the ball and see what he can do."
On his concerns going forward at receiver the day Harvin was released:
A: "We trust in Coach [Leslie] Frazier and [General Manager] Rick [Spielman]. They're smart guys. They know what they're doing. We're just here to show up and work, no matter which players are in place. We knew that was going to work itself out, and it did."
On whether he's sees the potential for a more diverse offense with Jennings and Patterson added at receiver:
A: "I'm sure [offensive coordinator] Bill [Musgrave] has stuff up his sleeve that we're going to do and utilize these guys. But, of course, it's a different team. We've got different guys on the team. We got a lot of key pieces back with the offensive line and Adrian and Toby [Gerhart] and the other receivers. Some new faces that we're going to utilize every single piece of this offense and these weapons we have."
On the offseason workouts the team is going through now:
A: "They're good. It's good to be back and be with all the guys. Everyone is showing up and working hard. I think last week with the conditioning that we started, we jumped in right away. Everyone has progressed great. I don't think there's any comparison this year to last year."
On whether he'll be more assertive in his communications with Musgrave:
A: "We had a lot of communication last year. That will continue this year. He's great working with every single one of us, especially me. We sit down every Friday and throughout the whole week about what I like and I don't like. I think that cocmmunication will continue to grow."
On whether he feels challenged by new No. 2 quarterback Matt Cassel:
A: "Even though they say [he's the backup], I think there's always competition. Matt has come in and worked his butt off. He's thrown well. He's a great asset to have on this team and for me. Some of the things we've already talked about is going to help me out. But there's competition there for both of us."
On whether he feels secure as the starter:
A: "That's my mindset. But in the back of your mind, you always think there's competition. I don't think you want to get very comfortable where you are no matter who's back there."
On his first offseason as a married man to ESPN reporter Samantha Steele:
A: "It's great. Sam obviously works in the sports field, so she knows what it takes to be great. She's been awesome to have. She keeps me straight. She pushes me. She knows what it takes. She's on me, so she's good."
On what he's tries to learn from Cassel:
A: "We talk about leadership. We talk about offense specifically. We watch film. We talk about how receivers should be running their routes. There's just a lot of communication going on between us. It's great. It's good to have a guy like that to bounce ideas back and forth. He worked with Tom [Brady] in New England and started in Kansas City, so he's got a lot of knowledge that I can soak up."
On how much throwing he does this time of year:
A: "We do it every day. It's structured Monday through Thursday for us with the receivers. And then Friday, anyone who wants to come in and get some extra work in, comes in. We'll go through four or five routes a day. It's a great time for us to get on the same page and be communicative on how we want a slant versus man to be run or how they should be coming out of a comeback route at the top of their route. Just a lot of communication and teaching going on."
After saying there was no lingering problems with the elbow injury that kept him from participating in the playoff loss at Green Bay, Ponder talked about how long it took to get healthy:
A: "A couple weeks after [the season was over], the injury came back randomly. The whole arm swelled up and I actually had to go to the ER and get that taken care of. It was a little scary with [concerns] about a blood clot. But it ended up being fine. The bruise came back. About two weeks after that, all the effects went away. Since then, I've been working out probably two months and it's been fine."
On what took place in the emergency room:
A: "They didn't do anything. I got an MRI [magnetic resonance imaging exam] and they said the contusion came back. I don't know why or how, but it did. It was just weird. All of a sudden, the whole thing got rock hard and swelled up. I was scared to death that it was a blood clot, so I went to the ER. They said it was fine. Just to ice it down or whatever and it would work itself out."
On what the phone call was like when he informed the Vikings he was heading for the ER with an arm issue:
A: "I called Sugs [head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman] first. Thanks goodness because the doctor at the ER, obviously, she was a great help but she wanted to go into surgery. She thought it was compartmental syndrome. It was a little scary. Luckily, Sugs called at the right moment and talked to the doctor and said don't do anything crazy. Just go get an MRI to make sure. And it ended up being fine. They were scaring me with what they wanted to do."
On whether he thinks this is a pivotal season for him:
A: "Obviously, it's important. We expect progression each year and for us to be a playoff team last year we expect even more this year. For me, I always have to have personal growth. I'm not putting too much pressure on myself that it's supposed to be a spectacular year. But I put pressure on myself that it should be a pretty good progression."
On what areas he's trying to improve on the field:
A: "I think any position, especially quarterback, there's always fundamentals you have to work on. Been doing some drills and I've come up with some of my own, and talking to coaches about drills I can do. And obviously you want to keep building on the chemistry with the receivers and throwing routes and stuff. But the biggest thing is fundamentals."
On how he dealt with not being able to play in the playoff game and how much it bothered him:
A: "Obviously that week and watching all the way to the Super Bowl was hard. Knowing that we were knocked out in the first round and to not even have a chance be a part of it [stunk], but once we got past that, once the Super Bowl was over and football was done, it was fine. It was time to get back to work, start focusing and move on."
On whether there's any part of him that's happy to move on from all the drama that Harvin brought off the field:
A: "Obviously, we're going to miss him. He was a part of this team. He was one of our teammates and one of our family members. He was a great player it was good to have on this team. It was tough to see him go, especially a team like Seattle, who has half their players are Vikings players. It will be interesting to face him when we do this seaosn. It was tough to see him go, but fortunately for us, we have some good guys to fill in though."
Vikings to give Cris Carter's son, Duron, a tryout
Posted by: Mark Craig Updated: April 28, 2013 - 1:49 PMThere aren't many caller ID numbers one picks up for before 8 a.m. on a Sunday after the NFL draft. Cris Carter's is one of them.
The Vikings newest Pro Football Hall of Famer was overjoyed. His great year had just gotten a whole lot better. He said his former team would be signing his son, Duron, as an undrafted rookie free agent. It turns out it's actually an invitation to try out during the team's rookie minicamp this weekend.
"I'm just so happy for him that he'll get an opportunity to continue doing what he loves to do," Carter said. "For him to get that opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings, a team I played for and love, it's just a blessing."
Duron, a 6-4 receiver, caught 13 passes for his dad's alma mater, Ohio State, in 2009. But after becoming academically ineligible, he went to Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. He then transferred to Alabama and then Florida Atlantic, but never played for either school.
"Very few have taken the route to the NFL that he's taken," Carter said. "Minnesota presents the best opportunity for him."
So, dad, what are the kid's strengths?
"He has really good size, 6-4," Carter said. "Good speed and his route running is probably his strength."
And the hands? They're attached to a family tree that's believed to contain some pretty good hands.
"Rumor has it," said Carter. "His hands are good."
If he's signed at the end of the tryout and makes it to Mankato for training camp, Duron might have to ask for a few days off in August. He'll be Cris' Hall of Fame presenter in Canton, Ohio.
"This is why I'm not bitter about it taking so long to get into the Hall of Fame," Carter said. "It's perfect timing. It's a big year in my life. But it's also a big year in Duron's life. He's getting an opportunity to make a name for himself."
Spielman: Drafting punter `has nothing to do with Chris Kluwe off the field'
Posted by: Mark Craig Updated: April 27, 2013 - 8:38 PMAs you might expect, the first question from the media to Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman at the conclusion of the third and final day of the draft today was whether the fifth-round selection of UCLA punter Jeff Locke had anything to do with all the attention that veteran punter Chris Kluwe draws as a social activist and strong supporter of gay marriage rights.
"It has nothing to do with anything Chris Kluwe is off the field," Spielman said. "When we're making decisions, we're purely making them based on trying to bring in the best competition possible, regardless of position. This was just another normal personnel move.
"It had nothing to do with Chris Kluwe off the field. I have no issues with [Kluwe]. If Chris Kluwe wants to express his opinion, that's his right. That's his freedom of speech. This is just a football decision to bring in a guy to compete."
A year ago, the Vikings drafted kicker Blair Walsh in the sixth round. The Vikings said he was brought in to compete with veteran Ryan Longwell. But Longwell was cut a week later after the team's rookie mini-camp.
Spielman was asked if that could happen with Kluwe this year.
"I'm not going to comment on anything right now," Spielman said. "We just finished the draft and signing college free agents. We'll sit down with the coaches and analyze where we're at with everything. But right now, going forward, we expect that to be a competition."
As for Locke, the first punter or kicker drafted, Spielman listed five things that set him apart from the other punters in the draft.
"One was the character," Spielman said. "Two, he's a left-footed punter which helps [create an unusual spin]. Three, he's a great directional kicker. Four, he's excellent in getting the ball inside the 20. He's a very good holder, a good athlete."
Kluwe: 'I'm the best punter the Vikings have ever had. So we'll see what happens.'
Posted by: Mark Craig Updated: April 27, 2013 - 3:03 PMPicks 6-10: Jets replace Revis, two guards taken
Posted by: Mark Craig Updated: April 25, 2013 - 8:32 PMHere are picks 6-10 ...
No. 6: Browns
The pick: Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU
The skinny: The Browns were believed to covet CB Dee Milliner, but went with another pass rusher to add to their conversion to a 3-4 defense. After signing Baltimore's Paul Kruger in free agency, the Browns added Mingo and should be able to put some heat on QBs. And that's a good thing when you have to play Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco four times a year. Overall, it appears to be a decent move for new Browns GM Michael Lombardi. Lombardi was in the Browns' front office back in the early 1990s, but then-coach Bill Belichick had final say on personnel moves.
No. 7: Cardinals
The pick: Jonathan Cooper, G, North Carolina
The skinny: New Cardinals GM Steve Keim played it safe and correctly by upgrading the offensive line. Cooper played left guard in college, but could also play right guard, where the Cardinals are looking to replace Adam Snyder.
No. 8: St. Louis
The pick: Tavon Austin, WR,
The skinny: The Bills must think -- and correctly so -- that they can get their QB later on. So they traded this pick to St. Louis, who beat the Jets (No. 9) to Austin, an explosive player with skills similar to Percy Harvin's. Austin is only 5-8, 174 pounds -- about 20 pounds lighter than Harvin -- but he ran the ball 72 times a year ago. He also has 214 catches the past two years. The Bills traded this pick and the 71st overall pick for the 16th, 46th, 78th and 227th.
No. 9: Jets
The pick: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
The skinny: Ah, what the heck. No one will remember this, so I'll just blurt it out and say this is the best pick in the top 10. Milliner is a big corner who can cover, tackle and even rush off the edge. There's been some concern floated about his shoulder, but he's never missed a game. He'll be fine. A good pick for new GM John Idzik, who took a lot of heat for trading CB Darrelle Revis to the Bucs. Milliner should give coach Rex Ryan a shutdown corner.
No. 10: Titans
The pick: Chance Warmack, G, Alabama
The skinny: Two guards in the top 10? Wow. This really is, as Eagles GM Howie Roseman said, "a meat-and-potatoes" draft. Warmack is a dominant drive-blocking interior lineman (just ask Manti Te'o, who was steamrolled by Warmack in the national title game). It's a pretty good bet Warmack is a solid pick considering the Titans' coach, Mike Munchak, is a Hall of Fame guard.
That's it for the pick-by-pick analysis. We'll be back later to discuss the Vikings' picks.
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