Troy McClure

I thought this summary of the Vikings' QB situatino might clear things up for everyone. Stolen from fark:

"Minnesota Vikings sign Koy Detmer to backup their backup QB who is backing up their other backup QB who is backing up their starting QB who would be a backup QB on any other team in the NFL. Got that?"

Access Vikings: » Blog Archive » Vikings go with Detmer

JCD

Sad but true.

Even worse, I think the most likely scenario in the off-season is that we....

...do nothing.

Childress has the Reid-esque mentality that with his super-genius and "kick ass offense", Jackson is all they need at QB. Unless Wilf steps in (like he was rumered to have done with Chester Taylor starting over Peterson), I can't see Childress bringing in a legitimate starting QB.

Vikes will be saddled with Jackson again next year en route to yet another losing season. Hopefully three years of total ineptitude is enough to get Childress fired and the Vikes some hope for the future.

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Troy McClure

How about this idea:

Direct snap to Peterson on every play. And dress your backup tight end or a tackle as QB. That would give Peterson 10 blockers.

Seriously, I would try to go for it over these next three seasons. Trade for a QB, sign one, or anything. RBs have such a short lifespan at this level that I would do everything I could to try and have Peterson carry me to a Super Bowl. The future is now.

JCD

The future is now more than you think. Because of several years or marginal drafting, the Vikes are not as young of a team as people might think. You look at the best players on the offense and defense, and most of them are up there in years.

Offense:
-Hutchinson
-Birk
-McKinnie
-Peterson
Birk is already starting to fade. Even looking at the young hopefuls, there isn't much to get excited about. Williamson is a bust. Marcus Johnson is a bust. Cook is somewhere between a bust and marginal. Rice is the only other offensive player that has shown some talent worth developing. Even he is a wildcard, because all he has shown to date is great athleticism. It remains to be seen if he the other qualities neccesary to be a quality starter, or if he is just another big athlete.

Defense is even worse:
-Kevin Williams
-Pat Williams
-Antoine Winfield
-Darren Sharper
-EJ Henderson
On that list, only Henderson and K-Dub are in their prime. The rest will retire over the next few years. None of the laundry list of defensive players drafted over the last few years have established themselves as players to build around.

The Vikes should start thinking about using some high picks to groom in defensive talent to take over for the aging starters (safety, tackle). But those picks are being tagged to address massive holes in the roster (O-line, QB, DE, CB).

Ugh. As excited as Peterson makes me, that sharp kick from reality brings me back to earth.

In an ideal world, Childress is fired and we make a run at Derek Anderson in the off-season (there are no FA QBs to speak and he is the only option that looks to be on the rise), but do it after the draft to make it a 2009 pick (I am assuming it will take a 1st roudner to get him).

Use the 2008 pick on the BPA (emphasis on WR, DE, CB and OT) and start spending some of our cap room on Grade A talent rather than overpaying Grade C wanna-be's. For example: Leber got 25 mil over 5 years while Julian Peterson got 54 mil over 7; Leber may cost only 2/3 what Peterson does per season, but is 1/4 of the player. A sad statement, we will pay Bobby Wade more this year than Moss will make even if he hits every single one of his bonuses.

All a pipe dream right now. Nothing will change with Childress in charge.

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hit_'em88

The vikings have to do something. I've liked what i've seen from sidney rice, but i've only watched 2 or 3 vikings games, and with a QB williamson can probably pickup his career.
i say pick up Dennis Dixon. appearantly Childress likes guys with some athletic ability, which jackson has. Dixon is just much better than jackson, and could make a Vick-Dunn type backfield with AP.
that probably sounds crazy, but the vikes need somethin

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JCD

Rice has really shown off his athletic ability. At the very least, he has the making for a good situational player (jump balls and deep routes). But this finer elements of his game are very poor still. He runs only a couple routes, hasn't shown "circus catch" ability or the awareness/body control to make the sideline plays. He rounds out those aspects, he is a real keeper.

You can stick a fork in Williamson. He simply can't catch. Doesn't matter who your QB is when you wiff on balls that hit you square in the chest. He also shows not ability to adjust to the ball in the air on deep routes, which effectively negates his great speed. Basically, he has to have a perfectly thrown deep ball for him to make use of his speed. Even then, it is 50/50 that he will make the catch. He is an NFL bubble player.

Childress has staked his reputation on Jackson. As long as he is still influencing decisions, Vikes won't be drafting another QB high. We are going with Jackson. To be fair, it doesn't take a whole lot to be better than Jackson. Vikes have, beyond any doubt, the worst QB situation in the league. We are looking up at 31 other team's starters, you can toss a good 10-15 back-ups that would be upgrades on our collection of QBs and a number of college teams as well.

Like previously stated, Vikes need to get quality QB play NOW. Our best players are older, so we need to be thinking of winning now. It is gun for a SuperBowl within 3 years... or overturn half the roster. If we are not going to make a run, we should start the vet firesale now while we can still get value.

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Gzus

McNabb sweepstakes?

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GzusJuice (15-1) 2007 FBB.com Fantasy Football League Champion *I R Romosexual*

Jay

Just give us a 2nd rounder and you guys can have Sage

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The Tyler

JCD

I would like to see it, but doubtful. The biggest reason why people seem to be saying that is because of the Childress connection. But if Childress is here, Jackson is the starting QB. And McNabb isn't a back-up.

IMO, McNabb has never really been that great of a fit in the WCO. He isn't all that accurate, but has a big arm and can run. I always that a more traditional 2-read-and-run type offense would be his ideal fit. On the plus side, the Vikes are still better adapted for that style than they are the WCO Childress is trying to shoe-horn in. Dump Childress, bring in a reliable underneath option as a saftey valve (which may be optional, provided Peterson can step up for that role), sign a proven vet WR (doesn't have to be a star, just adequate), slide Cook inside to guard and bring in a legit RT and McNabb might fit in well. Of course, that is at least 3 new starters on the offense. Kinda sad when we talk about replacing >1/4 of the starters and that is the better fit.

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JCD

No thanks.

Sage strikes me as another one of those guys who looks good as a back-up, but will be exposed as a marginal starter (Kelly Holcomb, AJ Feeley, etc.).

If the Vikes are going to give up a 1st day pick, go for it all. Trade away the 2009 1st rounder and try for Derek Anderson. I suspect the Browns would be happy to recoup their 1st rounder for Quinn; Vikings get a big-armed QB (I assume we go back to a vertical offense) who can contribute immediately.

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Troy McClure

I wouldn't wish that loser on my worst enemy.

LooseChange25

JCD: I agree with everything you have said. The time for the Vikes is now. And with Childress at the helm, I just don't see us being active and filling the positions we desperately need. I really like Derek Anderson. I think its worth a shot offering our 2009 1st round pick for him. They have a young hopeful in Quinn, and with 2 #1 picks, they can support around him. I say get rid of Childress this offseason and see what is available for coaches. I would have loved for us to fire Childress this last offseason, and make Tomlin our head coach.

We have enough talent right now, that if we were to fill the desperate positions (QB, WR, RT), we would have a playoff contending team. Childress just doesn't happen to see this. He is too busy staring at his "QB of the future" Tarvaris Jackson.

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All Day

JCD

Looking around, there are not going to be a lot of QBs on the market who can step in and start this summer. Far as I can:
-Leftwich or Harrington. My guess is Harrington, who I wouldn't want to see under center. Leftwich has more upside, but can't seem to stay healthy enough to actually develop it.
-Losman. Assuming the Bills move ahead with Edwards. I wasn't found of Losman coming out, but he may be a servicable player. He seems more like a gunslinger when we need a guy who makes sound decisions and leaves the plays up to Peterson.
-Carr. Not much to get excited about here.
-Grossman. Too much of a gunslinger.
-Anderson. Shortest resume of the group, but also one of the youngest and showing sound decision making.
-Pennington. Doesn't have the arm for our team.
-McNabb. Vet in decline, but I think he has a few good seasons left in him.

That is it. Seven guys that a team could sign to push for a starting spot. We need more of a game manager who can throw the deep ball if needed. Of that list, Leftwich, McNabb and Anderson fit the best. Anderson is the youngest.

I was originally excited about Childress. That wore off real fast. I got a bad feeling when he immediately feuded with Culpepper (though Culpepper shares that blame) and it only got worse from there. The loss to the Bills was when I knew we had problems. He took a 9-7 team, got a boost of talent and turned it into a 6-10 squad that was alienated from it's coach. This off-season cemented it as he went out and repeated the exact same mistakes as the previous year. 1st year coaches get some leniency. But they need to show improvement. Childress is no better of a coach now than he was Day One. The sooner he is fired, the better.

Sadly, keeping Tomlin wasn't an option. Childress has a guarenteed contract for another 3 years. Ziggy will still have to pony up millions to fire Childress even after this year. What is clear, is that Tomlin was the better coach. By far.

As for other options, who knows. Coaching ranks are pretty thin now-days as Coordinator jobs have suddenly become high profile positions and the college ranks is offering NFL-size paychecks with far more job security. Guys on my radar:
-Cowher. Pipedream though. He will be too expensive and is over-rated anyway.
-Al Saunders (Offensive Coodinator, Redskins). I think he is being groomed to take over for Gibbs though.
-Gregg Williams (Defensive Coordinator, Redskins). Failed as the Bills Head Coach, but has done a good job running the defense. Perhaps his second chance will be better.
-Singletary (Assistant Head Coach, Niners). No Head Coaching experience and a short resume, but has gone on a number of interviews and by all accounts brings a hard-nosed and fiery approach. Kinda luke-warm here, he strikes me as a homerun or 3-swing strikeout without much in between.
-Ryan (Defensive Coordinator, Raiders). Done a great job turning that unit around and developing the talent on his roster. Would have to bring in a offensive coordinator.
-Jim Mora. I thought he did a pretty good job for the Falcons. I think it is now clear that Vick was a bigger issue than Mora was.
-Schottenheimer. Sure he has never won anything, but the only guy out there other than Cowher that would immediately command respect from the team and show a committment to winning now. Martyball would actually work well with this team. Luring him out of retirement may be hard though.

I don't know enough about the college ranks to speculate there. What I can say is that there is no golden boy just waiting for his chance to coach. Everybody out there has warts to some degree. Just a matter if you want to roll the dice on a guy who has done nothing yet, or roll the dice on a guy you think can turn things around. Guys like Marty and Mora are lower risk, lower reward. Right now, I think that is the better way to go. We have not had quality coaching in 10 years, time to stop taking big risks.

We have more talent on the roster than our record and play indicates. We have more than enough to be the NFC-version of the Jags. All we need is for some competent play-calling and dedication to the running game.

We lost the KC game by FG. Peterson had 100 yards at halftime. So Childress benched him the second half (only 2 more touches).

We lost the Packers game by a TD. Peterson, despite averaging almost 10 yards a carry, was only given the ball 12 times.

We lost the Dallas game by 9. Peterson had just set the team single-game rushing record and carried the offense down the field on the opening drive (accounting for >75 of the yards on that drive). So he again was benched and only touched the ball 8 more times the rest of the way.

All three of those games could have been wins had Childress let Peterson play. If you believe the rumors, the word came down from on-high (Wilf) that Peterson was to start from now on. Without that, Chester Taylor may have been carrying the ball against the Chargers and we again could have found a way to lose. Heck, Peterson was put on the bench when he was only 2 yards away from the record. I have to wonder if Childress was again over-ruled and told to put him back in.

Now, I don't think we should burn Peterson out with 400+ touches as a rookie, but 15-20 carries a game should be a given. Instead, we had him returning kicks

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JCD

A big over-statement, wouldn't you think.

Over-rated? Likely. But without a doubt a good NFL starter. Question is, how many quality seasons does he have left?

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AD28

Is Chilly a terrible coach? Yes.

But what is more frustrating is that yes, he is a terrible coach...

But we could still be winning games. We're an ACCURATE QB away from being 6-2 or 5-3.

I think right now and for the rest of the season Bollinger gives us the best chance to win. The times I have watched him play, he has moved the offense pretty well.

With that being said, Chilly will try and start TJack. Frustrating.