What do ya think?

[cybermuskie]

As I sit here watching who the Vikes are talking to and who they have signed, I am kinda wondering if we are going forward at all? I agree with going after Hutchinson,and Longwell I can see. I know they are bringing in S Dexter Jackson, S Will Demp, and Green Bays fullback William Henderson, and QB Craig Nall.

Where are the bigger names I thought they would go after?

Guys Like Runyan, Akin Ayodele LB, Julian Peterson LB, Chris Hope S. and others. I guess I am just confused. What do you guys think?

[IceHawk]

I agree I say if we got some money for free agency let's get some proven players. I like going for Hutchinson but what's with all of the others. I would like to also see them go after some bigger fish. I was hopeing for Edgerin James but hes gone. It looks like the vikings are going with the same concept as they have used for years. They in there opinion are takeing the best available talent. If Ziggy has all this cash lets not be like Mcombs and let it rot let's get some proven big name guys before there gone.

[Down to Earth]

Hope that Longwell deal works out for you. As a Packer fan, I think it was a good thing to let him go. Last year he had his second worse season as a pro. Hopefully moving indoors will benefit him, but last year he was 2-4 in the game at the Metrodome. Granted they were a 40+ and 50+, but he did hit 2 others in that range in the game. Personally I think he is a kicker on the downhill side of his career, but like I said maybe the move indoors will benefit him. He's never been a strong kick off guy either so you'll probably have to get something worked out there as well.

[mnwild]

I am a Packer fan too and you are right its time for him to go. Last year was a hard one to watch with him kicking. Now the Pack can go sign Vintiari with all the money they still have to spend.

[outdoor ran]

Thats what people thought about Sharper too, time to go. He turned out to be the queens best player. I can hear it now, longwell kicks a 50 yarder to beat the Packers. Wow, the queens are starting to look like the Packers everyday. Whats next we give them Favre. I'm just frustrated, when was the last time the Packers made a good decision?

[IFallsRon]

Longwell's 2005 season was a symptom of a bigger problem in Green Bay. He'll have a nice two-year career with the purple.

[nofishfisherman]

I here the pack is going after Vanderjact (sp?) the drunken kicker.

Viniteri will almost assuredly stay in New England.

I personally think the vikes are doing some decent things.

Everyone says lets be like New England. Well New England has good players, very few stars. Just guys that fit the system. Thats what it sounds like we are doing here. We need west coast offense guys and Tampa 2 defense guys. Not everyone can fit that role.

Alot of the stars that are free agents are older guys that you may have for 2-3 years, I would rather go get a guy that is signing is first contract after his rookie year. A guy you can have for 5-6 years.

Chester Taylor maybe be a stud in the making you never know. If we get Hutchinson and one more solid LB I will be content. Its tough to fill every hole with a stud all in one year. O-line is the worst part so lets get a stud there. Maybe next year we pick up another stud at safety, but if we are smart we will always have alot of cap space to go make things happen. Thats better then signing all the big name guys in one year. If it doesn't work out you are like the Titans and have to cut good players just to get under the cap, and then you can't sign anyone.

[buzzsaw]

Quote:

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Thats what people thought about Sharper too, time to go. He turned out to be the queens best player. I can hear it now, longwell kicks a 50 yarder to beat the Packers. Wow, the queens are starting to look like the Packers everyday. Whats next we give them Favre. I'm just frustrated, when was the last time the Packers made a good decision?

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That is exactly the way a Packer fan should be thinking in my mind... We get Sharper and all the packer backers say he's washed up... don't even try and deny it, because it's true and then he goes out and kicks arse and plays in the pro bowl etc... now Longwell was a pro bowl kicker and we nabbed him away from the melting cheese wiz and I'm pretty certain he will be good in the dome! The Vikes are doing good things and the packers are doing absolutely nothing and are being held ransom by Favre as to if he is retiring or not.... then your new coach.. oh my gosh, you guys are in trouble! 3 - 4 wins next year for the pack at most and no you cannot count the pre-season otto.

[otto_man]

I guess all I can do is cheer for the Vikings this year! They'll have mostly ex-Packers so I'll have no choice!!

It's such a pleasure to watch the high expectations come crashing down in Vikingland year after year...

[Ballbuster]

Quote:

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I guess all I can do is cheer for the Vikings this year! They'll have mostly ex-Packers so I'll have no choice!!

It's such a pleasure to watch the high expectations come crashing down in Vikingland year after year...

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You can always support the real team in the NFC North; DA BEARS.

[fishyguy]

Quote:

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It's such a pleasure to watch the high expectations come crashing down in Vikingland year after year...

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Especially when the Pack are sitting below us to break our fall

[buzzsaw]

Fishyguy with the shot and the goal!!!

Longwell looks good to me guys... heres his bio

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1727

Otto, how many games is your cheese wiz going to win this year?

[Down to Earth]

Here's a quote I found out on a GB message board. Probably has a good point as to why we didn't spend the big money to resign Longwell.

"No sense on having an expensive kicker, without any games for him to win."

[cybermuskie]

Well Saftey Dexter Jackson isn't coming for a visit....he just signed with the Bengals, 4 yr deal. Another one gone to a team who moved quicker. Just keep moving down the list!!! If Seattle matches Hutch, all we have picked up thus far is potential.

Lets get back to how we think the Vikes are doing.

[fishyguy]

If the Vikes lose out on Hutchinson, their big "splash" into the free agency market will have been just a minor ripple. It would be disappointing to say the least.

[otto_man]

Buzzsaw you've got to give me a little time to see who we draft. if favre takes his 30 interceptions and mows lawn with them. if green's knee and fumble surgery are all better. if we sign edinger. if the new coach can speak english. i need details before i can say how many games we'll win...

[buzzsaw]

alrighty Otto man, I'll take your pulse after the draft... thats more fair anyways.

[cybermuskie]

The Dallas Cowboys signed linebacker Akin Ayodele, who had been with the Jacksonville Jaguars, to a five-year contract on Monday.

Another one gone to a team other than the Vikes.

As it stands we will be lucky to win 5 games next year! One guy on the O-line can't take you to the playoffs! I wish they would get their heads out of their a**!

[WallyGator12000]

I gotta disagree with you, I think the Vikes know exactly what they are doing. Every year in the free agency guys get way overpaid and overhyped, you can't just throw teams of studs together and expect to win if they can't play together. I think we are going to land Hutch, and if we don't we still got Birk back this year and OL becomes our biggest need in the draft. But its so refreshing to have an owner who isn't opposed to spending money, but that doesn't mean we should go Dan Synder and waste the space under the cap we have. Do I hope we go out and get a guy like Julian Peterson? Heck yes, but I do trust that the guys in charge of the team and scouting know a bit more than I do. We are patiently filling our needs with guys now, and then can shore things up with the draft. The patriots example is a great one, a team of players, not selfish studs.

[cybermuskie]

Your right Gator...I may be wrong but right now all they have gotten in free agency is potential. But what if that potential fades away? We had gotten alot of players in the past that have potential that haven't amounted to a hill of beans. All I am saying is that maybe they should get some guys that have proven their potential. I know Longwell hasbeen good, but maybe he is sliding, Taylor hasn't had alot of reps, but when he did Lewis was able to keep his starting job, Leber is coming off a foot injury, and even though he says "he's almost 100 percent" he lost his starting job too. And yes if we land Hutchinson they say we will have a great left side to run behind. What about the right? Are we always going to run left? All I am saying is that you can go out and get some proven studs that aren't selfish. Also if the team is really high on a player, do you let that player go and visit other teams first? Case in point Dexter Jackson. Now you don't have the option of which saftey you get, we have one choice thus far. I averaged our players based on ESPN's ratings, and the people we got have a average score of 71.4. If we get Hutch it goes up to 74. M Bennett had a rating of 73, and look at him! The other guys they are looking at are FB Henderson, He is going to be 35. And they say "He is an adequate backup or a short-term fill in." We want this guy?

As far as the Dan Synder comment, I like the fact that he had his planes on standby at 12:01 and ready to go get the players he was most interested in so they couldn't get away.

Like I said I hope I am wrong about these guys, but I like what other teams are doing better!

Ok I am done for now!

[nofishfisherman]

Cybermuskie,

I think you put to much stock into the ratings you are talking about. Those are just numbers assigned by some other sports rube that probably doesn't have all the knowledge on every player in the NFL.

YOu keep saying that these guys might not work out, that their potential might not be there. Lets look at the positive side. The coaches scouted these guys intensely, they see them play, and they know what they want in a player. I am guessing that they didn't sign a guy without thinking about it pretty carefully.

Honestly, I am not that impressed with the overall quality of the free agent pool. There are some good guys available but looking specifically at RB if you didn't sign Edge then all you had left was guys with potential. If we signed Edge we couldn't sign Hutchinson which would in turn leave our o-line weak, and that isn't easy to run behind so paying Edge would be pointless.

I think beefing up the O-line and signing a young RB is a better way to go.

Just keep the faith, its way to early to turn on the new coaches and owners. Just try to focus your frustration toward booing the Packers. Its never to early to start doing that.

[Down to Earth]

From initial reactions I'm reading out there it appears Seattle will end up matching Minnesota's offer on Hutch, so it looks like he may be staying in Seattle.

Also, John Clayton was on ESPN Radio this morning and indicated that right now Miami is the only possible suitor for a Culpepper trade. The bad thing is they are also pursuing D. Brees, so if they end up signing Brees it looks like Culpepper will remain a Vike unless they reduce their asking price in a trade or outright cut him.

[cybermuskie]

Quote:

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From initial reactions I'm reading out there it appears Seattle will end up matching Minnesota's offer on Hutch, so it looks like he may be staying in Seattle.

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Poison Pill, Anyone?

Viking Update Staff - Scout.com

March 14, 2006 at 8:45am ET

The Vikings' pursuit of Steve Hutchinson is taking things to new heights of planting poison pills.

The Vikings clearly want to land Steve Hutchinson . Not only have they given him an offer sheet that will make him the highest paid guard in NFL history, they've made it virtually impossible for the Seahawks to match the deal...or pay dearly if they do.

The contract the Vikings signed Hutchinson to has a pair of surprising stipulations. The first is how the money is disbursed. Due to a roster bonus instead of the standard signing bonus, Hutchinson will count an enormous $13 million against the 2006 salary -- a short-term burden the Seahawks may not want to match.

But an even bigger poison pill comes in the form of contract language that says if Hutchinson isn't the highest paid member of his team's offensive line at any time during the remainder of the contract after this year, the entire $49 million is guaranteed. The Vikings can easily afford that offer, since they don't have anyone that would exceed Hutchinson's price tag (the closest would be a new contract for Bryant McKinnie ). The Seahawks have left tackle Walter Jones, whose contract exceeds that of Hutchinson's already.

What does that mean? If Seattle matches the offer sheet they will either have to guarantee all seven years, pay Hutchinson even more than the $49 million the Vikes are offering or release Jones. None of those options looks especially rosy, so don't be stunned if the Seahawks begrudgingly let Hutchinson leave -- thanks to the Vikings and a poisonous little pill.

[nofishfisherman]

ESPN.com mentioned that Oakland was back in the running for culpepper as well.

But they also said they were considering resigning Collins.

Basically they know nothing but the still need to fill columns and air time.

I don't know if any of you listen to KFAN but PA and Dubay just had a good take on the free agency period. The vikes are building a base that should be good for several years to come. They aren't going out and building a team in one year that is only good for one year. This is franchise building not team building.

[cybermuskie]

Come on now Nofish I only used the numbers in a few sentences! I just figure they pay guys to do nothing but look at these players, so yeah I put some stock in them. And hey I said I hoped I was wrong....it has happened several times in the past! (Well that what my wife says anyway!)