Free agency officially begins on Tuesday and the Minnesota Vikings will be active to fill numerous spots on their roster. Below is where their roster currently stands before free agency:

OFFENSE

Percy Harvin will be the Vikings biggest offseason question mark — Will they trade him? Will he hold out? Will they extend him?

Quarterbacks (3) – Christian Ponder, Joe Webb, McLeod Bethel-Thompson
*Note — look for the Vikings to add a veteran to this group.

Tight ends (5) — Kyle Rudolph, Rhett Ellison, John Carlson, Lamark Brown, Chase Ford

Wide receiver (5) — Percy Harvin, Greg Childs, Jarius Wright, Stephen Burton, Chris Summers
*Note — Percy Harvin remains a question mark as he enters the final year of his rookie contract and seems to be hinting at possibly holding out if he does not get a new contract.
Greg Childs is coming off a serve knee injury to both knees.

Running backs (4) — Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart, Joe Banyard, Matt Asiata

Guards (3) — Brandon Fusco, Charlie Johnson, Tyler Holmes

Tackle (3) — Matt Kalil, DeMarcus Love, Kevin Murphy

Center (1) — John Sullivan

DEFENSE

Defensive line (10) — Jared Allen, Brian Robinson, Kevin Williams, Fred Evans, Everson Griffen, Letroy Guion, George Johnson, D’Aundre Reed, Chase Baker

Defensive backs (11) — Chris Cook, Harrison Smith, Robert Blanton, Antoine Winfield, Brandon Burton, Josh Robinson, Mistral Raymond, Bobby Felder, Greg McCoy, Nick Taylor, Roderick Williams

Linebacker (4) — Chad Greenway, Audie Cole, Larry Dean, Tyrone McKenzie

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter (2) — Chris Kluwe, T.J. Conley
*NOTE — Chris Kluwe had off-season knee surgery

Long snapper (1) — Cullen Loeffler

Kicker (1) — Blair Walsh

FREE AGENTS
*Those who were on the Vikings last season but enter the offseason as free agents (restricted or not)

Offense – Devin Aromashodu (WR), Joe Berger (C), Jerome Felton (FB), Phil Loadholt (T), Geoff Schwartz (T), Jerome Simpson (WR), Troy Kropog (restricted — T)

Defense – Jasper Brinkley (LB), Erin Henderson (LB), A.J. Jefferson (restricted — DB), Marvin Mitchell (LB), Jamarca Sanford (DB), Andrew Senejo (exclusive rights — DB), Marcus Sherels (exclusive rights — DB)

Christian Ponder will head into next season as the Vikings starting quarterback.

Head coach Leslie Frazier gives end of year presser

Head coach Leslie Frazier gave his end of year press conference on Tuesday, although it was earlier than he had hoped. He is excited about 2013 and thinks the Minnesota Vikings have a very bright future with the likes of rookies Harrison Smith, Matt Kalil and Blair Walsh all stepping up to in their respective positions.

“We were looking at continuing our season but unfortunately that didn’t happen,” said Frazier. “I’m very, very proud of our football team and what they accomplished this season. Our guys worked extremely hard, going all the way back to April 23 when they came back in the building and set a foundation for this 2012 season. Because of their work we were able to secure a playoff spot.”

End of season injury report

Injuries: Jared Allen will have surgery on a labral tear after the Pro Bowl. Chris Kluwe will have surgery on his left meniscus. Tyrone McKenzie will heal on his own. Adrian Peterson is going to be evaluated after the Pro Bowl on his core muscles. Christian Ponder will heal on his own. Antoine Winfield is healing and should make full recovery. There were other minor player injuries that should heal on their own in the offseason.

Will Joe Webb remain a member of the Vikings?

» Continue reading “End Of The Season News Bulletin”

Peterson fell eight yards short of Eric Dickerson’s all-time NFL rushing record

Almost one month ago this Minnesota Vikings team was all but counted out of the playoff hunt. The Vikings had just left Lambeau Field, licking their wounds after a 23-14 loss. QB Christian Ponder put the loss on his shoulders, after a dismal showing and Head Coach Leslie Frazier said every game after that would have to be treated like a playoff game.

And the Vikings were ready. They went on to win their next four games; home against the Bears, at the Rams, at the Texans and home against the Packers, to sneak into the playoffs, nabbing that last wildcard spot.

“Just a great job by our football team,” Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier said moments after the game. “I’m so proud of our guys. A complete team effort all the way across against a very good football team. For our guys to be as resilient as they were throughout this ballgame…our fans were terrific throughout this game. It’s the first time in a long time I felt like, playing against Green Bay and being at home, we truly had home-field advantage because our fans were loud, they made it hard for their team to really function at times, and we needed that. I’m very, very grateful to our fans that really had an impact on this ballgame at Mall of America Field.”

» Continue reading “Vikings Run Past Packers and Right Into Playoffs”

The Minnesota Vikings had four players named to the Pro Bowl roster on Tuesday: RB Adrian Peterson, DE Jared Allen, FB Jerome Felton and rookie kicker Blair Walsh.  The 2012 Vikings, who are in playoff contention, doubled their amount of players they are sending to the Pro Bowl this season from two to four players.

Jared Allen and Adrian Peterson are both heading to their fifth Pro Bowl.

Allen, who is going as a DE backup, has totaled 11.0 sacks this season.

Peterson, on the other hand, is having his best season of his career despite coming off major knee surgery.  AD leads the league in rushing and looks to surpass 2,000 yards on Sunday.

“It just goes to show when you put your faith in God and you put in the work, you can accomplish great things,” Peterson said on his selection.

Jerome Felton and Blair Walsh will both be going to the first Pro Bowl.

» Continue reading “Four Vikings Named To Pro Bowl”

Election day may be over, but there’s still something to vote for

The 2013 Pro Bowl Ballots were released this week and the Minnesota Vikings have quite a few guys showing up on the ballot this year.

The Vikings (6-5) have had many standout players this year that have led to this turnaround season from last year’s dismal 3-13 record. Automatic Pro Bowl bid Adrian Peterson is leading running backs in the league with 1,236 yards, averaging 5.8 yards a run and seven touchdowns, less than a year after having major ACL surgery.

Percy Harvin, also a likely Pro Bowl bid has 62 receptions for 677 yards and four touchdowns. He also has 16 kickoffs and averages 35.9 yards per kickoff return. Harvin appears twice on the Pro Bowl ballot as a wide receiver and kickoff returner. Tight end Kyle Rudolph, among top tight ends, has 39 receptions for 361 yards and seven touchdowns.

On the defensive side of the ball, veterans are having standout seasons. DE Jared Allen has 32 tackles and seven sacks this season. CB Antoine Winfield has 81 tackles and 3 interceptions. DE Brian Robison is having an exceptional season with 30 tackles and 5.5 sacks. LB Chad Greenway has 107 tackles this season, which is good for second in the league.

Rookies also have a good showing on the 2013 ballot with K Blair Walsh going 24-26 on field goals, with a 55-yard FG on his resume. Safety Harrison Smith is also leading rookies with 63 tackles and one interception.

Voting is going on now on Vikings.com and NFL.com. Vote for your favorite Vikings players to get to Hawaii in 2013.

QB Christian Ponder looks to bounce back on a short week

After the Vikings 21-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, the Vikings had to quickly re-shift their focus to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they will face them Thursday night on NFL Network.  Thursday’s prime time match up for the Vikings is their only of the season, unless they are flexed in later on.

Notes from head coach Leslie Frazier’s Tuesday press conference:

• RB Adrian Peterson was held out of practice on Tuesday as he continues to deal with a sprained ankle
• WR Percy Harvin’s and DE Jared Allen’s reps in practice will be monitored ahead of Thursday’s game
• TE John Carlson “has not been cleared yet for any participation” after sustaining a concussion in Sunday’s game.  Frazier said “it would be very difficult to expect him to play this week.”
• Frazier praised CB Chris Cook’s growing confidence and the progress he continues to make each week after missing 10 weeks of the 2011 season: “We feel like he can match up against some of the best receivers in this League and it’s helped our defense.”

Notes from QB Christian Ponder’s Tuesday press conference: » Continue reading “Quick Notes On Vikings Short Week”

Vikings ground attack led them to a 21-14 victory over the Cards

Vikings won, despite less than spectacular performance by quarterback Christian Ponder.

Sunday’s game was certainly the ugliest of their 5-2 season. But despite a dismal game from Ponder, the Vikings, with the help of Adrian Peterson’s legs, ran their way to a 21-14 victory at Mall of America Field. Ponder ended the game with just 58 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

“To win an ugly game like this is huge,” said Ponder. “That shows how good of a team we are.”

Peterson was the star of the game, running for a season-high 153 yards and notching his first touchdown since week one. With a quiet day from wide receiver Jerome Simpson and tight end Kyle Rudolph, the Vikings needed Peterson’s feet to get them in the win column Sunday.

“There’s still a little missing. You guys probably think I’m crazy, but it is,” said Peterson. “I feel good. I’m not going to complain. I’m just going to keep working and just keep getting better each week.” » Continue reading “Vikings Pick Up Ugly Win Against Cardinals”

Vikings can thank Adrian Peterson for the 21-14 victory over the Cards

A win is a win is a win no matter how ugly the win is and the Vikings came out of Sunday’s match-up versus the Arizona Cardinals with a 21-14 win.  And trust me, the score is much prettier than the game was.

HOW THE GAME WAS WON

The Vikings defense and RB Adrian Peterson, with a bum ankle, carried the Vikings into a 21-14 victory over the Cardinals.

The Cardinals had no answer for Peterson who ran for 153 yards on 23 carries and one touchdown.

On the other side of the ball, the Vikings pass rushers had a field day in their time gathering seven sacks: three by Brian Robinson, two by Jared Allen, one by Antoine Winfield and Kevin Williams.  On one of Robinson’s sacks he forced a fumble, which Kevin Williams recovered.  Rookie Harrison Smith also intercepted Cardinals second-string QB for a touchdown of his own that turned out to be the difference in the game.

A testament to the Vikings defense, the Cardinals began four series in Vikings territory in the first half which resulted in only four points. D-E-F-E-N-S-E!  » Continue reading “Vikings Less Than Stellar In 21-14 Victory Over Arizona”

Vikings defense look to lead the way by getting to the Cardinals QB

Vikings look to the defense to get back on the winning track against the Cardinals at Mall of America Field this Sunday.

The Vikings defense, which is coming off a lackluster performance in Washington, will look to get back into sacking form this Sunday against a questionable Cardinals offensive line. The underperforming Cardinals offensive line is what led to a quarterback change in Arizona. Last week, QB Kevin Kolb was sacked and injured his ribs in their 19-16 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills. John Skelton, Arizona’s number one starter, is returning from an ankle injury and taking over the helm. The Cardinals have allowed a league-worst 28 sacks, 22 of which have come in the last three games.

The Vikings, who currently have 15 sacks on the season which is good for 11^th best in the NFL, will look to pass rushing expert Jared Allen to make a big statement. Allen has 26 sacks since the start of last season and four in his last four games.

On whether or not the Vikings defense would be changing their typical game plan to attack more on a weak Cardinals offensive line, defensive coordinator Alan Williams: » Continue reading “Vikings Focus on Defense to Get Back to Winning Ways”

Is Percy Harvin on his way to a MVP-type season?

The Minnesota Vikings are 4-1 and in first place in the NFC North. I REPEAT, the Minnesota Vikings are in FIRST PLACE (!!) in the NFC North. Raise your hand if you expected that? And if you raised your hand, you’re lying.

The Vikings not only have beaten TWO 2011 playoff teams this season, they are now beginning to beat up on the lower-tier teams.  After their week two loss to Indy, the Vikings have been putting forth a total team effort in each of their three victories since then.

HOW THE GAME WAS WON
The Minnesota Vikings came out today and flat out dominated the Tennessee Titans in their 30-7 victory.  The Vikings held the Titans, who were playing with their backup quarterback, Matt Hasselback, scoreless through three complete quarters.   Although the Vikings offense was effective and put the game away, credit for the win needs to be given to the surprisingly dominate Vikings defense.

» Continue reading “Vikings Win Big In 30-7 Blowout of Tennessee”