Chris Cook Won’t Be Available For Opener

By The Jazzy One on August 31st, 2010

Minnesota Vikings LINKS 01 Chris Cook Wont Be Available For Opener

Rookie Chris Cook is expected to be sidelined for at least two weeks and perhaps longer after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee Saturday in the Vikings’ preseason victory over Seattle, according to NFL sources. That means Cook won’t be available for the Vikings’ regular-season opener on Sept. 9 at New Orleans.

Read The Whole Article Here:Rookie Cook has meniscus tear | StarTribune.com

Rookie corner Chris Cook injured his knee against Seattle last Saturday. That comes as a bit of a disappointment, since he might have had a chance to start the opener against New Orleans.

Lito Shepherd will probably start in that spot now.

It sounds like Cook will only be out 2 weeks, which means the New Orleans game should be the only one he misses. He’ll likely be able to play against Miami in the home opener

Footage from Practice With Javon Walker

By The Jazzy One on August 24th, 2010

Minnesota Vikings HIGHLIGHTS 01 Footage from Practice With Javon Walker

Obviously it’s hard to tell much from watching practice, but the Vikings new receiver Javon Walker is working on getting some timing down with the Vikings QBs.

Here’s a video of the practice:

Javon Walker might have lost some speed over the years, but he’s a good receiver with strong hands. If Favre can put the ball in a place where Walker can catch it, I think we can expect Walker to be able to come down with the ball.

If Berrian is healthy and can stay healthy, he should be able to reclaim the spot of the Vikings deep threat receiver. Hopefully Walker can fill in some of the role of the possession receiver that Sidney Rice plays so well.

Minnesota Vikings Footage from Practice With Javon Walker

Sidney Is Out For a While, Javon Walker is Officially a Viking

By The Jazzy One on August 24th, 2010

Minnesota Vikings LINKS 01 Sidney Is Out For a While, Javon Walker is Officially a Viking

Earlier this morning we were told Javon Walker was at Winter Park.

Now, the Vikings have made his presence official by announcing they have signed the wide receiver. The team made room on its roster by waiving running back Ryan Moats.

Walker will be counted on to help replace Sidney Rice, who is expected to miss the first half of the season after undergoing hip surgry on Monday. The Vikings also have uncertainty at wide receiver because of Percy Harvin’s continuing battle with migraines.

Read The Whole Article Here:Vikings make Walker signing official | StarTribune.com

Sidney Rice did indeed have surgery on his hip. He will miss the beginning of the season… possibly up to 8 games.

That’s bad.

Very very bad.

With the uncertainty in the Percy Harvin situation, the Vikings went from having one of the best receiving squads in the league to having a whole lot of questions at that position.

The Vikings are trying to come up with some backup plans, though, and they signed Javon Walker today. Walker is a few seasons removed from his great years, and at 31 years old he might not have the break away speed that he used to, but at least he’s someone that Favre is somewhat familiar with. Walker had his best seasons with Favre in Green Bay before spending a few years in Denver and Oakland. He didn’t produce much in Oakland… but then again, neither did Randy Moss, so that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

Hopefully it doesn’t take Walker long to get up to speed. He has played in a West Coast system before, but most players say the hardest part is learning the new terminology.

I’m guessing he’ll see a lot of playing time on Saturday to try to get him up to speed as quickly as possible.

Vikings Release Depth Chart For This Season

By The Jazzy One on August 10th, 2010

Minnesota Vikings TEAM NEWS 03 Vikings Release Depth Chart For This Season

The Minnesota Vikings released a depth chart today. Of course at this point, everything is still “fluid” as Brad Childress might say, mostly due to injuries, waiting to see what happens in preseason, and seeing if certain quarterbacks decide to play this season.

Here’s what was released:

OFFENSE

Wide receiver Position 1:
Bernard Berrian, Greg Lewis, Marquis Hamilton, Logan Payne/Marko Mitchell, Freddie Brown

Left tackle:
Bryant McKinnie, Pat Brown, Chris Clark

Left guard:
Steve Hutchinson, Chris DeGeare, Adrian Battles

Center:
John Sullivan, Jon Cooper

Right guard:
Anthony Herrera, Ryan Cook, Thomas Austin

Right tackle:
Phil Loadholt, Drew Radovich, Bill Noethlich

Tight end:

Minnesota Vikings Vikings Release Depth Chart For This Season

Fourth Stringer?

Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser, Jeff Dugan, Garrett Mills/Mickey Shuler

Wide receiver Position 2:
Percy Harvin, Jaymar Johnson, Taye Biddle, Ray Small

Quarterback:
Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels, Joe Webb, Brett Favre (did not report to camp list)

Fullback:
Naufahu Tahi, Ryan D’Imperio

Running back:
Adrian Peterson, Albert Young, Toby Gerhart/Darius Reynaud, Ian Johnson/Ryan Moats

DEFENSE

Left end:
Ray Edwards, Jayme Mitchell, Mike Montgomery

Nose tackle:
Pat Williams, Jimmy Kennedy, Fred Evans

Under tackle:
Kevin Williams, Letroy Guion, Tremaine Johnson

Right end:
Jared Allen, Brian Robison, Everson Griffen

Strong-side linebacker:
Chad Greenway, Heath Farwell, Kenny Onatolu

Middle linebacker:
E.J. Henderson, Jasper Brinkley, J Leman

Weak-side linebacker:
Ben Leber, Erin Henderson, Nate Triplett

Left cornerback:
Antoine Winfield, Benny Sapp, Chris Cook

Right cornerback:
Asher Allen, Lito Sheppard, DeAndre Wright, Marcus Sherels

Strong safety:
Tyrell Johnson, Jamarca Sanford, Eric Frampton

Free safety:
Madieu Williams, Husain Abdullah, Colt Anderson

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter:
Chris Kluwe

Kicker:
Ryan Longwell, Rhys Lloyd

Long snapper:
Cullen Loeffler, Jared Allen

Kickoffs:
Ryan Longwell, Rhys Lloyd

Holder:
Chris Kluwe

Kick returner:
Percy Harvin, Darius Reynaud, Jaymar Johnson

Punt returner:
Darius Reynaud, Jaymar Johnson, Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian

There are no big surprises, really. Sidney Rice isn’t listed on the chart because of injuries. He will likely be in front of Percy Harvin on the second list of receivers. Brett Favre is listed as a fourth string QB, but of course that’s just because he didn’t go to camp. As soon as he steps foot inside the Vikings practice facility next week (Uh… I mean, IF he does, of course), he’ll be the first string guy.

There are a couple things that did surprise me a little bit, though.

For one, Longwell is still listed under “kickoffs”. Again, this is not a final Week One depth chart, but I wonder if there has been a change of heart as far as keeping two kickers on the roster? Could it have something to do with wanting Joe Webb to be on the active roster? If the Vikings want to be able to use Webb not only as their third string quarterback, but also a wide receiver/wildcat guy, they have to list him on the game-day active roster (as opposed to listing him as an emergency QB). I don’t see the Vikings wanting to do that if they also have two roster spots taken by kickers.

Of course that’s just speculation.

Another minor surprise is that Asher Allen is currently listed above Lito Sheppard and Chris Cook. Of course if Griffin is healthy, he’ll have the 2nd corner spot, but even though I knew that spot would be up for grabs between these three guys, seeing Allen’s name on the top of the depth chart surprises me a little.

Listing both Brian Robison and Everson Griffen behind Jared Allen (who NEVER takes plays off, it seems) seems like a waste of potential pass rushing ability, but I’m sure the Vikings will find ways to work them into the rotation.

A potentially interesting note is that Albert Young is listed as the second string running back in front of rookie Toby Gerhart. I’m still holding out hope that the Vikings will be creative with Gerhart because of his size and use him as more of a RB/FB hybrid. But… I know that I shouldn’t hold my breath with that one.

Childress Confirms That Harvin Has Been Dealing With Migraines

By The Jazzy One on August 10th, 2010

Minnesota Vikings TEAM NEWS 06 Childress Confirms That Harvin Has Been Dealing With Migraines

Recently I asked if there was something wrong with Percy Harvin. Today Coach Brad Childress confirmed that I was correct about the situation.

MANKATO — Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin has been dealing with migraine headaches after the death of his grandmother, according to coach Brad Childress. Harvin has not practiced since July 31 and it remains uncertain when he will return to the team. There appears a real chance he might not return to Mankato, considering that training camp practices end Thursday.

Read The Whole Article Here:SportsFanLive.com: Childress: Harvin’s absence due to migraines

Percy Harvin, while a member of the Minnesota ...

Image via Wikipedia

Hopefully this is something that Harvin will be able to get through somewhat quickly. I say that admittedly with a little selfishness in place, because I want to see Percy Harvin on the field at peak performance at the beginning of the season, but I also say that for his sake. Migraines are not fun, obviously. I’ve dealt with them only from time to time and on a very small level…. nothing even close to what Harvin deals with. That small level was more than enough for me. It’s a very excruciating form of a headache, and it renders a person pretty much unable to do anything without lots of pain.

Minnesota Vikings Childress Confirms That Harvin Has Been Dealing With Migraines

The Vikings Cornerback Situation

By The Jazzy One on August 2nd, 2010

Minnesota Vikings TEAM NEWS 06 The Vikings Cornerback Situation

One of the areas of concern for the Minnesota Vikings this coming season will be the position of cornerback. The concern doesn’t come from lack of talent… Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin both played very well in their positions last year… but instead it comes from a potential lack of football health.

Antoine Winfield missed several games last year because of a problem with his foot. Winfield might be the smallest guy on the team, but his effect on the defense as a leader was very evident in the games he missed. The defensive backfield seemed to be less aggressive and much less solid in their ability to make good tackles. Even when Winfield came back toward the end of the season, he played inside a lot more than he has in the past couple of years, and he took a lot more plays off than he usually does. That told me that he wasn’t at 100% and that the Vikings were trying to “save” him as much as possible.

Minnesota Vikings Winfield The Vikings Cornerback Situation Cedric Griffin was healthy for most of the year until covering the opening kick off for the overtime period in the NFC Championship game. During the kick off, he tore his ACL, which usually requires at least six to eight months to recover from.

The bad news for the Vikings is that we’re just now hitting the 6 month period for Griffin’s recovery, and although Cedric is anxious to get on the field, the Vikings want to play it safe with him. He hasn’t done any heavy work at camp so far, and the Vikings announced today that he will miss the week one game against the New Orleans Saints.

The good news is that Leslie Frazier has said that Winfield is looking good and is showing no ill-effects from last year’s foot injury. Winfield should be good to go at 100% for the game against the Saints.

So if Griffin is out, where does that put the Vikings with their backfield?

Well, we can all breathe a sigh of relief when we realize that Karl Paymah is no longer on the team.

That’s a good sign. So who takes over?

My guess is newcomer Lito Sheppard. The Vikes acquired Sheppard in an off season trade, and I have a feeling that this is exactly why.

Sheppard is entering his 9th season in the NFL. He spent the first seven of those seasons playing in Philadelphia where he started quite a few games. Last season he played for the New York Jets. He started 9 of the 11 games that he played in and was a contributor to the Jets great defense. He is solid in coverage, and he has the experience to make smart decisions.

Likely we’ll see Benny Sapp, Asher Allen, and rookie Chris Cook fill in at the nickel spot and spell the two starters.

Sapp is a good defender and a great athlete. His problem seems to be that he doesn’t always do the smart thing before, during, and often after the play.

Asher Allen is a favorite among the Vikings internet fans, but his playing time was somewhat limited last year. Maybe this year he’ll see more time on the field to show us what he’s really capable of.

The big question in this group will be Cook. From the sounds of it, Cook is a big strong athlete and is good enough to play in coverage. At 6′2″ and 212 pounds, though, he’s quite a bit bigger than our other corner backs. In fact, he’s bigger than our safeties. I haven’t really heard any news about it, but I wouldn’t be totally surprised to see Cook play a few downs as a safety from time to time.

Minnesota Vikings The Vikings Cornerback Situation

Vikings Don’t Want Chester Pitts

By The Jazzy One on July 20th, 2010

Minnesota Vikings LINKS 01 Vikings Dont Want Chester Pitts

The Vikings have no interest in free-agent wide receiver Terrell Owens (no surprise) and won’t be involved in the bidding for veteran offensive lineman Chester Pitts (mild surprise).

Read The Whole Article Here:Spielman: No interest in T.O. or Pitts | StarTribune.com

There’s no surprise in the fact that the Vikings have no interest in Wide Receiver Terrell Owens. For one, the Vikings are pretty solid at receiver with Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian, and Percy Harvin. Not that Owens couldn’t have an impact in the Vikings passing game, but if they’re going to spend big money it will probably be at another positions.

Not only that, though, but Vikings head coach Brad Childress was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia when Owens had his blow up with his quarterback and his team. I don’t think we’ll be seeing a reunion between them any time soon.

But I am disappointed that the Vikings don’t seem interested in Pitts.

I think our offensive line was a concern last year, especially in the running game, and I think a big part of that problem came from the spot between Center John Sullivan and Right Guard Anthony Herrera. I was hoping to see someone else start over Herrera for an upgrade at the position.

It sounds like that’s not going to happen this season, though.

Chester Pitts Will Work Out Tomorrow

By The Jazzy One on July 19th, 2010

Minnesota Vikings LINKS 01 Chester Pitts Will Work Out Tomorrow

Pitts, 31, told Sirius NFL Radio earlier this offseason that five teams, including the Vikings, had expressed interest in him and at that time he indicated he planned to workout for the teams on July 15. That date was moved back a few days.

It isn’t clear if the Vikings remain in the mix for Pitts, who has drawn interest from Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle. Pitts would be a potential fit with the Vikings as a backup guard and could get an opportunity to challenge right guard Anthony Herrera for a starting spot.

Read The Whole Article Here:Report: Pitts to hold workout on Tuesday | StarTribune.com

I want the Vikings to go after Pitts. I think Herrera was one of the two weak spots in the Vikings offensive line, and personally I don’t think it would be much of a “challenge” for Pitts to take the job.

I guess, though, we’ll see how well he works out tomorrow. If he has recovered from his injury, the Vikings need to grab him

Darius Reynaud is a running back?

By The Jazzy One on April 5th, 2010

Minnesota Vikings TEAM NEWS 05 Darius Reynaud is a running back?

Darius Reynaud is moving to Running Back

We’ve spent a lot of time recently wondering what the Vikings are going to do at the running back position since the departure of Chester Taylor. Obviously Adrian Peterson is still the number one back, but what about the rest of the spots? Would the Vikings get a new number two through free agency? Would Albert Young be put into the role?

Minnesota Vikings 549561 Darius Reynaud is a running back? Well, that was partially answered recently when the Vikings announced that wide receiver/punt returner Darius Reynaud would be moved to running back this coming season.

Reynaud played running back in high school, but has always lined up as a receiver when playing for the Vikings. However, he’s built more like a half back, and he’s shown that he has the moves to make people miss when he has returned punts.

The Vikings say that Reynaud will continue to return punts for the Vikings, but he’ll also compete with Albert Young for the position of 3rd down back.

I’m a big fan of Albert Young, but I think having Young and Reynaud as Peterson’s backups is a great idea. I think Young will be the patient, style-change runner when compared to Peterson, much like Taylor was, and he can catch, as he’s shown for two straight preseasons now. Reynaud obviously has the ability to catch, so I believe that lining him up in the backfield could lead to versatile things for the Vikings.

Let’s toss around some ideas for a minute…

Last year there were several times that Percy Harvin lined up as a wide receiver, only to motion into the backfield. Now if Reynaud is a running back with experience at the wide receiver position, he can provide the Vikings with the opposite option… line him up as a wide receiver, but motion him into the slot.

Obviously the Vikings (and every other team) have done that with running backs for ages, but you have to assume that Reynaud is going to a more affective route runner than an average running back would be.

I hope Young doesn’t get lost in the shuffle, but I like the addition of Reynaud in the Vikings backfield.

Quick Note: Benny Sapp signs

By The Jazzy One on March 9th, 2010

Minnesota Vikings TEAM NEWS 05 Quick Note: Benny Sapp signs

Just a quick note: Benny Sapp has re-signed with the Vikings, according to his agent.

Sapp can certainly be an idiot sometimes, but his errors typically come after a play rather than during it. He’s an athletic corner that plays well out of the nickel, and can even cover the wideouts when he’s needed to. Unfortunately his temper and sometimes lack of common sense have chalked up too many penalty yards for the Vikings over the past couple of season. If he could get that under control, he’d be a valuable player.

I think this is a good move by the Vikings, considering recent injuries to Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin. The Vikings let Paymah go, which is a move I was totally in favor of, so it makes sense to keep Sapp on board for depth reasons.

The Viking Ship

Write For Us!

Browse Our Site

Categories

Archives

Recent Posts

FBZ Network

Sponsors

My Other Sites

Chris Cook Won’t Be Available For Opener

Footage from Practice With Javon Walker

Sidney Is Out For a While, Javon Walker is Officially a Viking

Vikings Release Depth Chart For This Season

Childress Confirms That Harvin Has Been Dealing With Migraines

The Vikings Cornerback Situation

Vikings Don’t Want Chester Pitts

Chester Pitts Will Work Out Tomorrow

Darius Reynaud is a running back?

Darius Reynaud is moving to Running Back

Quick Note: Benny Sapp signs

Subscribe!

Our Features

Top Commenters

Vikings Blogs

Write For Us!

Browse Our Site

Popular Posts

Categories

Archives

Tags

Recent Posts

FBZ Network

Sponsors

My Other Sites

Darius Reynaud is moving to Running Back

Subscribe!

Our Features

Top Commenters

Vikings Blogs