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”

Christian Ponder needs to prove in 2012 he is the Vikings quarterback for years to come

Hey NFL fans, FOOTBALL IS BACK Tomorrow, So ya gotta hang on ‘Til tomorrow … Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya Tomorrow! 

Below are five things I will be keeping an eye on tomorrow when the Vikings open their season at home versus the Jacksonville Jaguars at noon C.T.:

1. Christian Ponder

The development of second year QB Christian Ponder will be something to keep an eye on all year.  It’s important for Ponder to show he is fully capable of being a starter in this league and that the Vikings have found their quarterback for years and years to come.

Ponder’s first year with the Vikings had some bright spots, but nothing to say, “WOW, this is our guy!.”  Ponder’s rookie season was greatly affected by the lockout so he didn’t even have a real offseason before his first season.  Once a CBA agreement came about, the Vikings had traded for Donovan McNabb, who got the majority of first team reps in training camp.  When the Vikings realized things weren’t working out with McNabb at QB, Ponder was thrown in there without a lot of practice with the first team offense.

The weapons around Ponder were also unimpressive for the most part so it’s hard to judge Ponder’s performance.  For this season, the Vikings brought in a deep threat in Jerome Simpson, but with Simpson’s three game suspension, Ponder will be without a real deep threat for three games.

Ponder’s number one target will be Percy Harvin, but Harvin needs other threats on the field in order to get some attention of the other team off of him.  The Vikings also brought in John Carlson who will form a 1-2 TE combo with second year TE Kyle Rudolph.

If Ponder does what the Vikings expect of him, he’ll settle into the Vikings quarterback position for years to come.

2. Secondary

» Continue reading “Five Things To Look For During Vikings Season Opener”

Well, football is FINALLY back tonight for Minnesota.  The Vikings kickoff their preseason tonight in San Francisco versus Randy Moss and the 49ers.  Although the starters won’t be getting much playing time, football is still back! YIPPIE.

Basic game information:

Who: Minnesota Vikings versus San Francisco 49ers

What: Preseason opener

Where: Candelstick Park in San Francisco, California

When: Friday at 8 p.m. CT and can be seen on CW channel in Minneapolis

What Coach was saying heading into the game:

• Who won’t be playing: Robert Blanton (hamstring), John Carlson (knee), Kamar Jorden (hand), DeMarcus Love (pectoral), Geoff Schwartz (sports hernia), Jordan Todman (ankle), Josh Robinson (hamstring), and of course Adrian Peterson (knee).
• How long will the first unit offense be on the field: “We are not going to keep them in that long, but we do want to get them maybe a little bit more than what we have done in the past.” — look for the first team offense to be on the field for a series or two, it depends on how the first one goes
• Vikings will be cautious with RB Toby Gerhart, who is coming off his own knee injury

Defensive line gets work in on their first day with pads
Credit: Fox9 Sports

Monday marked the Vikings third day of practice, but the first practice with pads.  Below are some highlights from those in Mankato covering training camp.

Adrian Peterson is ready to go: Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is coming back from an knee surgery that shortened his 2011 season, but he is determined to get on the field as soon as coaches and trainers allow him too.

“I’m going to try to fight against (going on the PUP list) so I can get out there and be involved,” he said. “But ultimately, I know these guys are going to do what’s best for this team.”

“It feels good just to be around the guys and be around everyone who has supported me through this process, and even more importantly it’s going to feel good to be able to participate and do some things with the guys,” Peterson said. “So I’m just excited to be here. I’m excited to get things going.”

Peterson is an important part of the Vikings’ offense but it’s not worth rushing him back and him sustaining another injury.  The Vikings have Toby Gerhart to carry the load in the backfield until AP is ready.

Peterson also re-emphasized his innocence relating to an arrest in Houston.

“That’s something I’m letting my attorney handle. I’ll know when that time comes around, so hopefully it gets dismissed,” Peterson said.

» Continue reading “Vikings News Bulletin: Players And Coaches Arrive At Training Camp”

First off, Matt Kalil will be at training camp after signing his contract on Thursday.

According to NFL sources, the deal got done after the Vikings dropped their demand for offset language in the fourth year of the deal.

It’s believed to be a fully guaranteed deal worth about $20 million over four years, with a fifth-year option.

The Vikings managed to sign all 10 of their rookies.  Vikings players are expected to arrive in Mankato today by 4 p.m. CT.

1500ESPN is also reporting Adrian Peterson is excepted to open camp on the active/PUP list.

» Continue reading “Vikings News Bulletin: Kalil Signs and Peterson Update”

Earlier today I blogged about how Vikings first round pick Matt Kalil and third round pick Josh Robinson remained unsigned.  Well, in typical fashion, moments later the Vikings announced they had come to terms with Robinson.

Josh Robinson who declared for the NFL draft after his junior season at Central Florida impressed at the NFL Combine when he ran the fastest 40 time (4.33 seconds).  The Vikings selected Robinson with the 66th overall pick.

During his three years at UCF, Robinson finished fifth in school history with 10 career interceptions.  During his junior and final season at school, Robinson tallied 15 passes defended, which was second most in school history.

Robinson will compete for a starting job once training camp practice starts on Friday.

» Continue reading “Sike! Only One Vikings Rookie Remains Unsigned”

Two Vikings draft picks remain unsigned: The Vikings report to training camp tomorrow and their top draft pick, Matt Kalil remains unsigned due to the Vikings wish to include offset language.

With training camp a day away and negotiations seemingly stuck between the Minnesota Vikings and top draft pick Matt Kalil, the so-called “offset” language in what will be a four-year, $20 million contract with a fifth-year option continues to be the most pressing of several issues the sides must work out.

Kalil’s agents, Tom Condon and Ben Dogra of CAA, don’t want to set a precedent of taking a seemingly lesser deal when several players drafted around the athletic left tackle … already have signed deals that don’t include offset language, AKA an insurance policy that offsets guarantees in a player’s contract if he gets cut and signs elsewhere.

Hopefully the issue will be resolved by the Vikings first practice on Friday.  Matt Kalil plays the important position of protecting Christian Ponder’s blindside and it’s best if his contract situation can be solved sooner rather than later.

CB Josh Robinson out of Central Florida also remains unsigned, but 1500ESPN reports that the Vikings are said to be close to a deal with their third round draft pick.

» Continue reading “Vikings News Bulletin: Players Report To Training Camp Tomorrow”

Vikings off-season grades: Matt Williamson of ESPN.com graded each team’s off-season.  The Vikings received a C+ which was the second best grade in the NFC North (Chicago Bears received a B+; Green Bay Packers received a C; Detroit Lions received a C-)

» Continue reading “Vikings News Bulletin: Offseason Grades and Harvin Update”

Minnesota media flooded Winter Park today to get a glimpse of the 2012 Minnesota Vikings on the field during their first day of their three day mandatory mini-camp.  Below are the top tweets from the reporters in attendance.

Tom Pelissero (1500ESPN)

» Continue reading “Twitter Recap of Vikings Mini-Camp Day 1″