Beware of Quarterback

INDIANAPOLIS — Who would you want staring Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin in the eyes, in the huddle, on a key drive, marching them down the field?

Minnesota needs to think long and hard about its next decision. The Vikings are playing game of chess with their future, and right now they're contemplating their next move.

A mistake could set Minnesota back even further at this point — wasting years of young talented skill players without anyone worthwhile to get them the ball.

It's more than just a talent thing too. Jamarcus Russell could throw the ball a mile. And I'm sure Ryan Leaf had skill.

But it's a between-the-ears kind of game too. That's not just how you mentally prepare for the game, but the type of person you are too. Will the community embrace the new face of the franchise?

More importantly, are Peterson, Rice and Harvin going to respect and trust the young gun from the start?

Of the quarterback's available in this year's draft there are a few that Minnesota should be wary of. All of the top guys obviously have the skill — they've proven as much at the college level. But what separates the Peyton Manning's and the Ryan Leaf's is the stuff between the ears and the intangibles.

Beware of Ryan Mallett.

Now here's a disclaimer, I never was at Michigan while Mallett was there. And I do not know him personally. But word around campus was that he was a knucklehead — but my fellow students used different, more colorful language. They were referring to how he acted off the field — when they saw him at the bars or around campus.

On Saturday, the difference was almost like night and day: watching a humble and excited Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick answer questions then minutes later observing Mallett's cockiness and bravado drip off his sentences.

Forget the drug use allegations hanging over Mallett. He didn't have the same charisma or poise you could hear from Sam Bradford last year, and Cam Newton this year. Take it for what it's worth — I don't know if I would want Mallett to be my quarterback.

Rams General Manager Billy Devaney said that when St. Louis was looking into Sam Bradford's background last season the Rams' brass went to dinner with him back home. Devaney asked the restaurant's owner what kind of person Bradford was and how he treated other people.

In short, they want to find out what kind of person you are. And it makes a difference.

Now, there have been examples of guys with similar personalities having success in the NFL. San Diego's Phillip Rivers is a great comparison. And he's won games, but not championships.

As far as football players go, the rule should be that who you are and what you do away from the game doesn't really matter until it impacts your play on the field or your teammates' play. Look what happened to Ben Roethlisberger, though.

He was suspended, but then four months later he led his team to the Super Bowl.

I'm not defending his actions in any way. In the results-driven NFL, if it works, it works.

Mallett or no Mallett, Minnesota has to be extremely careful with this next move. Drafting a player at the No. 12 spot basically handcuffs you to that player for three years.

Also, the decision may have more implications than just on the field. The right pick could return Minnesota to prominence and potentially have an affect on whether or not the Vikings get a new stadium.