THE GOOD:
Wide Receiver Percy Harvin– I was not at all surprised at the news that Harvin had been traded. I had been saying since the Seattle game last year that he was as good as gone. You cannot have a player as disgruntled and as obnoxious as Harvin stick around to bad mouth the coaching staff and his quarterback. It does nothing but create drama and strife in the locker room. The Vikings did better than I had anticipated they would be able to do by securing a 1st and 7th round pick this year and a mid round pick next year (likely a fourth rounder).
Right tackle Phil Loadholt– signed to a 4 year/$25 million contract extension. I was a little surprised they didn’t franchise tag Loadholt, especially since they really didn’t have anyone else to use it on. My fear is that the Vikings were going to try to go cheaper with Loadholt to try to make more room under the salary cap (even though they said all along that he was their top priority). That is probably also yet another reason Harvin cited for wanting to leave the team.
Fullback Jerome Felton– 3 year/$7.5 million contract extension was earned. A big reason why AP racked up so many yards this past season is because of Felton. I think they may have overpaid a little, but I’m okay with that. AP was never a fan of running behind someone else… until this year. I’m a fan.
Wide Receiver Mike Wallace– I, for one, am not sorry that Mike Wallace has taken his talents to South Beach instead of the Land of 10,000 Lakes. I don’t believe for a second that he is worth $60 million over five years. There’s a reason the Steelers cut bait on him. I don’t think he would have fit with what the Vikings are needing anyway.
THE BAD:
WLB (weak-side linebacker) Erin Henderson: Signed a 2 year/$4 million dollar contract. I’m not a huge Erin Henderson fan. I understand why the Vikings brought him back, since they literally have nothing else. Hopefully they will look to the draft to improve this position going forward.
Tight End John Carlson– restructures his base salary for 2013 to give the Vikings a tiny bit more room under the salary cap. It wasn’t enough of a cut for it to really have much of an impact, however. Carlson was an even bigger disappointment than Jerome Simpson, in my opinion.
Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin– I do not understand why the Vikings didn’t make a more aggressive offer on Boldin. Rumor is that they offered Baltimore a 7th round pick and he went to San Francisco for a 6th rounder. He’ll make around $6 million, which really isn’t bad. I would have liked to see the Vikings offer a 5th for Boldin to sweeten the deal. He would have been good for the young and inexperienced receivers, but he also would be very good for Ponder and his apparently fragile ego.
THE UGLY:
Wide Receiver Jerome Simpson– Signed to a one year deal, undisclosed amount. He’s the Vikings leading returning wide receiver (and that’s highly disturbing). I can see signing him as a third or maybe a fourth option, but for him to be a top 2 WR on a team in the NFL is a complete joke. Spielman and Frazier seem to think it was Simpson’s suspension during the first few games of the season and subsequent injury that lead to his very underwhelming performance. Apparently the Vikings are so thin at WR that they were desperate enough to give Simpson one more year. I’m dying to hear how much money they are shelling out for him. If it’s over league minimum, it’s too much.
Cornerback Antoine Winfield– Was released by the Vikings on Tuesday, much to the disgust of many fans (including myself). Winfield has been the veteran leader of this defense for many years, is a three-time Pro Bowler, and all around shining example of class and professionalism his entire career. At his age, he isn’t worth the
WHAT THEY STILL NEED:
A VETERAN Wide Receiver– As I said previously, I am not unhappy that the Vikings didn’t sign Mike Wallace. However, I very strongly feel that they need to bring in a veteran wide receiver to help mentor these young guys. This is a very young team and they are in need of some veteran leadership. Greg Jennings would look legit in purple, Spielman.
A ROOKIE Wide Receiver– I know he has some injury issues, but my money is on Keenan Allen. I realize he has some injury concerns, but his upside far outweighs those concerns for me. Allen is out of Cal and is a very, very good possession receiver. He runs good routes, can block, is very athletic, is fast off the line and is a very good combination of speed and size. He is a hard worker and is aggressive. He will make a very good #2 receiver and is the guy I’m hoping the Vikings will draft with their first round pick.
A Middle Linebacker– There will be several MLB available in the first two rounds, but I think Kevin Minter fits with the Vikings’ needs more than the rest. He’s a very physical linebacker who can drop into coverage. He can play in any scheme and is a 3 down linebacker, which definitely something the Vikings will be looking for.
A LEGIT backup quarterback– Obviously the Joe Webb experiment has been exposed as a complete failure. And please do not suggest for one minute that we should put him at WR or I will stab you with an icicle. I’d be on board with bringing in Matt Cassel if the price is right. The idea that Christian Ponder’s ego is so fragile that he can’t handle any competition at the QB position is ludicrous. If he can’t handle competition, then I question why he is a starting quarterback in the NFL.
