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 Roster moves
The Kevin Murphy era ends before it began
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: May 17, 2012 - 10:54 AM
The Vikings have announced two roster moves this morning, waiving offensive lineman Kevin Murphy and cornerback C.C. Whitlock.
Murphy? Well, the Vikings had just claimed him off waivers on Tuesday atfer the 49ers let him go. Apparently his work with the team Wednesday must not have been too impressive.
Whitlock, meanwhile, is a 5-foot-10, 181-pound defensive back who played his college ball at South Carolina. He was one of 15 undrafted free agents the Vikings signed immediately after the draft ended.
Rick Spielman faces big decisions with potential roster moves
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: March 10, 2012 - 9:38 AMRick Spielman? As Michael Corleone? Take a look and we’ll explain.
As the Vikings’ new general manager, this is the line Spielman must have at the ready. Especially now, this weekend, when hard decisions must be made.
Free agency will open across the NFL on Tuesday at 3 p.m. To prepare for that open market frenzy, teams have already begun making significant roster moves. The Giants, for example, released veteran running back Brandon Jacobs on Friday. In Indianapolis, the Colts’ roster overhaul included the release of Joseph Addai, Dallas Clark, Melvin Bullitt and Gary Brackett.
Nothing personal. Strictly business.
So what should we be monitoring for Spielman and the Vikings as they make a series of important business decisions? Logic says that as Spielman moves forward with his promise to make the roster much younger, veterans with big contracts should be on alert for a call to discuss their futures. Here’s a snapshot look at the top four candidates for such calls.
Steve Hutchinson
Why a call may be necessary: Hutchinson is due to make close to $7 million in 2012 in the final year of his contract, a price the Vikings absolutely do not want to pay for a 34-year-old lineman with 11 NFL seasons of mileage on his odometer. So now comes the tricky part of negotiations. Just how much would Hutchinson have to restructure his contract for the Vikings to keep him around? And will he be amenable to taking a major pay cut? If not, the Vikings would have no choice but to release Hutchinson, who would then have to decide whether to find a new team or simply retire.
What could happen: There’s been widespread belief that the 2012 season will be Hutchinson’s last. And at 34 with six seasons under his belt in Minnesota, it’s hard to imagine he’d be all that ecstatic about starting anew someplace else for what could be nothing more than an eight-month tour of duty on the march to retirement. So now Spielman and the Vikings have to decide how low the price would have to fall for them to want Hutchinson back as a veteran leader on the interior of the o-line.
Cedric Griffin
Why a call may be necessary: Griffin had an awful season in 2011. He struggled mightily in coverage and his confidence seemed to dip substantially throughout the second half of the season, leading up to his outright benching in Week 14 in Detroit. By season’s end, it seemed clear that Griffin’s days in the Twin Cities were numbered, the veteran cornerback looking for a change of scenery and an escape from a situation that seemed to grow quite toxic through last year’s struggles.
What could happen: Due to make more than $4 million in 2012 with a contract that runs through 2014 Griffin should be set free. The environment in Minnesota soured too much at the end of 2011 for a second chance in ’12 to have much realistic value. Yes, the Vikings are low on depth in their defensive backfield at present and are still awaiting a verdict in the felony domestic assault trial of cornerback Chris Cook. But even keeping Griffin around as an insurance policy doesn’t seem to make much sense.
Anthony Herrera
Why a call may be necessary: Like Hutchinson, Herrera doesn’t fit the profile for the youth movement Spielman wants to enact. He’s played eight seasons and has provided the Vikings’ offensive front with an admirable measure of toughness and tenacity, a big reason he’s a favorite of head coach Leslie Frazier. But Herrera is due to make $2.65 million in 2012, another expense that would be worth chopping if at all possible.
What could happen: If the Vikings are dead set on taking Southern Cal left tackle Matt Kalil with the No. 3 pick in next month’s draft, that means Charlie Johnson is likely to slide inside from left tackle to one of the guard positions. The Vikings also have starting guard candidates in Joe Berger and Brandon Fusco (a Spielman favorite). Chris DeGeare is also around to provide depth. Translation: from a financial standpoint, it certainly wouldn’t be prudent to keep both Hutchinson and Herrera around with the team in rebuilding mode. It also wouldn’t be a shock if both guards were thanked for their services and shown the door.
Antoine Winfield
Why a call may be necessary: Winfield is another long-in-the-tooth veteran with a hefty paycheck. A call to the talented cornerback with a request to restructure his deal wouldn’t be outlandish. But it’s certainly far from necessary.
What could happen: Likely nothing. Winfield has been around Winter Park often during the offseason as he continues rehabilitation from the season-ending collarbone injury he suffered in Week 9 in Green Bay. Frazier sees him as a smart and energetic veteran leader for a secondary that could badly use some smarts and energy. Winfield will likely be used often in a nickel role going forward with Frazier having no designs on converting him into a safety. And his value to the secondary was proven in the 11 games he missed last season
It’s also worth noting that the Vikings have 18 other players whose contracts will expire when the new league year begins Tuesday. Of that group, only five were significant contributors this past season – tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, linebackers E.J. Henderson and Erin Henderson, safety Husain Abdullah and receiver Devin Aromashodu.
Odds are that Shiancoe and E.J. Henderson will both be allowed to test the open market and will likely move on. The Vikings would love to re-sign Erin Henderson and may try hard to get something done before Tuesday. They also have a difficult decision with Abdullah, who is a low-maintenance and intelligent defensive back but has had four concussions over the past two seasons. That gives the fifth-year safety a bright red stamp as a medical risk and the Vikings will have to negotiate accordingly.
Aromashodu? He too will be allowed to test the open market after a 2011 season in which he caught 26 passes for 468 balls. If the Vikings decide to ultimately bring him back for 2012, it will have to be at a reasonable price. But Aromashodu will not be a top priority for Spielman in the coming days.
It’s not personal. Strictly business.
Spielman's week-long adventure starts at Gophers pro day
Posted by: Mark Craig Updated: March 5, 2012 - 4:14 PMVikings General Manager Rick Spielman kicked off a busy week of pro day visits with a stop at the University of Minnesota earlier today. He'll leave town tonight for the bigger fish of UCLA on Tuesday, USC and left tackle Matt Kalil on Wednesday and Oklahoma State and receiver Justin Blackmon on Friday.
Then it's back to Winter Park on Saturday one final team meeting with ownership before the start of free agency on March 13.
Today's pro day started with 27 local prospects, including eight Gophers.
"All these kids are going to be late-round, free-agent type guys," Spielman said. "Hopefully, there will be some guys that we'll definitely invite or maybe sign in college free agency."
Spielman brought about six to eight members of the organization with him today. Although it's unlikely the Vikings will draft anybody that they saw today, Spielman used the name Marcus Sherels to prove it's not a waste to attend the Gophers' pro day. Sherels, the team's top punt returner and a backup cornerback, was signed after being invited to a rookie tryout in 2010.
One of the standouts today was Gophers defensive lineman Anthony Jacobs. Listed at 6-2, 291 pounds, he ran the 40 in the 4.7-4.8 range and had a 35 1/2-inch vertical jump that was much better than a lot of the smaller players.
Spielman wouldn't say which players he liked to disliked, but when asked about Jacobs' numbers, he said, "That should get him a look."
Another impressive number: 27. That was the number of times Gophers running back Duane Bennett bench pressed 225 pounds.
Here are some of the other highlights of Spielman's interview with local reporters:
- On the conditioning level of the Gopher players:"I think they got this program going in the right direction. I think Coach [Jerry] Kill has done an outstanding job. I heard he's got a very good recruiting class coming in. I'm very excited to see these kids and what happens down the road."
- On whether anything has changed about the Vikings' intentions to field offers for the No. 3 overall pick in the draft: "No. We got 52 days left until draft day. Everybody knows we're open [to trading down]. We're open for anything right now."
- On guarding against getting too carried away with combine and pro day drills (think Williamson, Troy): "You always remember what you've seen on [game] tape. That's the most important thing. And then you add this as part of the process. But it always comes down to what they do between the white lines."
- Spielman said the Vikings will have their rookie minicamp the week after the draft.
- On pro day success stories such as Sherels: "I think Marcus Sherels was our biggest success story coming out of here. He was a college free agent. We had him at our rookie minicamp and signed him there. He ended up making our team and did some good things for us. That's why you go out to these pro days, because you never know what you're going to find. There was some kids from these small schools that popped up a little bit as well."
- On where the team stands in its free agency planning: "We're done. Everbody is just sitting and waiting for the 13th. There's not much more we can do. We were done before we went down to the combine. Now we're focused on the pro days."
- On whether the team will be active in free agency: "If there's a guy there that we covet. Other than that, we'll probably be patient. We'll see how that shakes out. I know there are a lot of franchise tags going out the door [recently]. So we'll see where things shake out on the 13th."
- On guarding against relying too heavily on free agency to build a team: "You're hoping that you're always drafting and keeping the guys you draft as you bring them up through your system. If you're able to keep those guys, I think that's the best way to do it. But if there is a free agent out there that you think is unique, or a trade like when we traded for Jared Allen, if something pops up like that then you try to go ahead and do that if you can. But for the most part you're hoping to re-sign some of the guys as they get to the end of their contract from their rookie deals."
- On when the Vikings will cut the veterans they intend to cut: "I think if we have any roster moves, it will be before the 13th. We have a pretty good idea [what moves we'll make]. We had some meetings with our ownership on Friday. We'll get together on Saturday, one last meeting before everything gets started."
- On what the team will do with the third pick (yeah, I wasn't expecting him to answer this one, either): "I don't know who we're going to take. What if one of the quarterbacks slides down? Do you trade or do you take one of the quarterbacks? We got to do a lot more work on Blackmon, and everybody knows what [LSU cornerback Morris] Claiborne is, too. All those are areas of need that we need to look at."
- On the issue of bounties that's sweeping through the league: "The bounty thing is a league matter. We'll let the league handle that."
- On pro days in general: "I love the combine. Love the Senior Bowl. I love going out to these pro days. I'll have some private dinners as we go through this. It gives you a chance to meet them, meet their families. This is the time of year you can really hone in. You know what they are as football players. Now, you try to really hone in on what they are as people and whether they fit what you're looking for."
How does 3-13 merit a promotion? Rick Spielman responds
Posted by: Dan Wiederer Updated: January 4, 2012 - 3:34 PMUpon accepting a promotion to become the Vikings' new general manager Tuesday, Rick Spielman promised to be more upfront and more available to the media going forward. On Day 2 of the job, Spielman began making good on that promise, doing lengthy interviews with Mike Florio on NBC's Pro Football Talk web show and with Judd Zulgad and Joe Anderson on "Judd & Phunn" on 1500 ESPN.
If you're not on your toes, Spielman has a skill for slithering away from direct questions, often speaking in very broad terms. That's why in the coming months, as Spielman continues to magnetize the spotlight on center stage, you'll hear a lot of generalities repeated. Just to get those out of the way, Spielman accepts responsibility for the Vikings' disastrous 3-13 seasons, has a goal of bringing championships to Minnesota and believes his promotion will help create clarity in the decision-making processes at Winter Park as they relate to personnel. (Don't expect Spielman to directly answer many questions about April's draft, the Vikings' plans in free agency or the changes to the coaching staff that Leslie Frazier is currently considering.)
But Spielman did open up to Florio, Zulgad and Anderson on several matters of note today. Here are the Spielman quotes of note from those interviews.
On why the Vikings opted to elevate him into a GM's role: "I think everyone that's in the playoffs for the most part has this type of structure. I know everyone in our current division -- and you know, we play in the toughest division in the NFL right now -- has this type of structure. And they've had success with this type of structure. And I felt our ownership felt very strongly about going in this direction."
On how he landed a promotion after the Vikings finished 3-13 this season: "I think what the ownership is doing is they see the body of work that's been done. I think what they want to see is by putting this structure in place, is this going to help clarify things on how we're doing things moving forward? And I know in this role, you're going to have to prove yourself. You're going to have to make the right decisions. You're going to have to get this football team better. But that's part of making some changes and putting me in this role."
On what he saw in Christian Ponder during his rookie season: "I'm very excited about some of the things he has shown. He also had his struggles just like most rookie quarterbacks have had during the season. But very excited about some of the unique tihngs that he was able to do on the field when he was there. What you saw is when he first came in it was almost like he didn't know what he didn't know and played pretty well. Then all of a sudden, when you see some of the turnovers happen, then all of a sudden they start thinking a little bit. 'Well, I better not turn the ball over.' And not playing as, what I would say, loose. Then I think what you saw a little bit towards the end, is he started to play a little bit better toward the end and not worrying so much."
On Adrian Peterson's recovery from major knee surgery and whether he will be available for Week 1 of 2012: "I know that we're going to make sure that he is 100 percent. Until our medical staff and doctors rell us that he's 100 percent to go on the field, we're not going to put him out there to risk injury. But I also know Adrian is a pretty unique indvidual. Not only what he does on the field, not only his physical ability, but how he's going to attack this rehab. In just speaking with Adrian and knowing his attitude, it's 'I'm going to prove that this ACL is not going to affect me in any way, shape or form. In fact, I'm going to be better than I was coming off this thing. And I'm going to attack tihs rehab like it's going to make me better.'"
On evaluating the roster makeup going forward: "Again, when you're 3-13, you're going to look at every area. But I think we'll start that process next week. We have our personnel meetings next week. All our scouts are in. Our coaches are in. We conduct it similar to how we do draft meetings and [unrestricted free agent] meetings. And we're going to have to have open and frank and very objective discussions on 'Can this guy play for us? Can we win with this guy or we can't?' And if we can't win with 'em, then we're going to have to move on. But then the next process is, OK, we're going to move on from this player, how are we going to replace that player? That's where the UFA meetings come into effect and that's where you get the draft coming into effect too."
On his philosophy on what needs to be done: "I believe that you have to get young and you have to continue to get young year in and year out. And you can't let your roster get old all at once. Because if you do, then it's hard to replace all those guys at one time. So we started that process a little bit last year. We had nine of our 10 [2011] draft picks make it. A lot of them ended up contributing this year. And we're going to have another nine or 10 draft picks this year. ... And we'll expect every one of those guys to come in and contribute as well."
On building a foundation to sustain success: "Those teams that continually have a competitive roster year in and year out, don't go that all-in type theory that was started '09 and bring that same roster back in 2010 because we were so close. Because eventually that catches up to you. And the quarterback's the key. The head coach and the quarterback and the talent you can put around the quarterback and playing good defense."
On the biggest change fans might see in Spielman now that he's the GM: "Again, with the general manager's title, you're going to be out in front more, dealing with issues that do arise. You're going to know from the standpoint of when we do make personnel moves and personnel decisions who's responsible for those decisions. It's not going to be, 'Did he do this?' Or 'Did he do that?' It's all my responsibility now. That's going to be the biggest change. Now when we start making roster moves and things like that, the coaches and everybody will be involved in that process. But I'll have the ability to make the final say on how we're going to move forward.."
King, Shuler promoted to 53-man roster
Posted by: Mark Craig Updated: December 26, 2011 - 3:15 PMThe Vikings just made four roster moves, placing Adrian Peterson on injured reserve, releasing tight end Allen Reisner and promoting tight end Mickey Shuler and running back Caleb King from the practice squad.
Reisner, an undrafted rookie, has one catch for 5 yards. He'll likely be re-signed to the practice squad, where he began the season. Shuler was a seventh-round draft pick of the Vikings last year. He was cut before the season and saw some action with the Dolphins in 2010. He was brought back this season as a free agent after being released by Miami.
ADVERTISEMENT
recent posts
- Update: Winfield and Ponder on Vikings' injury report
- Behind Enemy Lines: After slow start, Aaron Rodgers carved Vikings up last week
- New cast may be key to keeping Winfield on the field Saturday
- Peterson, Walsh named NFC players of the month
- Michael Jenkins justifying his title as "The Professor"
- Sanford's investment, rapid growth typifies Vikings' resurgence
- Frazier on Harvin not being around team: 'It's purely up to him'
- Vikings experimenting with slot options in case Antoine Winfield can't play
- Ponder limited with bruised right elbow
- The words in Christian Ponder's pre-game speeches don't matter
- Ex-Viking Larry Bowie dies
- Walsh wins his third NFC special teams Player of the Week award
- Jared Allen: No 5-year plan, 'I'm here to win now'
- Practice indoors or outside? Vikings opt to straddle the fence
- Vikings defense still has plenty to worry about after Green Bay's explosion
- 'Instant Classic': Erin Henderson couldn't get enough watching Sunday's win back
- Playoffs nothing new to Charlie Johnson
- Pro Bowler Felton hopes he's found long-term home with Vikings
Post By Category
- Update: Winfield and Ponder on Vikings' injury report
- Behind Enemy Lines: After slow start, Aaron Rodgers carved Vikings up last week
- New cast may be key to keeping Winfield on the field Saturday
- Michael Jenkins justifying his title as "The Professor"
- Sanford's investment, rapid growth typifies Vikings' resurgence
- Frazier on Harvin not being around team: 'It's purely up to him'
- Peterson, Walsh named NFC players of the month
- Ponder limited with bruised right elbow
ADVERTISEMENT
inside the StarTribune
-
425 Portland Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55488
(612) 673-4000
- Company
- Subscriber Services
- Website
- Buy Ads
- Store
- Connect with Us
© 2013 StarTribune. All rights reserved.
StarTribune.com is powered by Limelight Networks
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters