Projecting the Vikings' 53-Man Roster: Defensive
Line

Yes. . .finally, after many delays, we are back into the projection of the Minnesota Vikings' 53-man roster.  We've done the entirety of the offense and special teams, so let's review who we currently have on the team.

QB Tarvaris Jackson
QB Gus Frerotte
QB John David Booty

FB Thomas Tapeh
FB Jeff Dugan

HB Adrian Peterson
HB Chester Taylor
HB Maurice Hicks

WR Bernard Berrian
WR Sidney Rice
WR Bobby Wade
WR Aundrae Allison
WR Robert Ferguson
WR Jaymar Johnson

TE Jim Kleinsasser
TE Visanthe Shiancoe
TE Garrett Mills

OT Bryant McKinnie
OT Ryan Cook
OT Chase Johnson
OT Drew Radovich

OG Steve Hutchinson
OG Anthony Herrera
OG Artis Hicks

C Matt Birk
C John Sullivan

K Ryan Longwell

P Chris Kluwe

LS Cullen Loeffler

That's 29 spots that are occupied. . .need to find ourselves 24 more, unless my counting is bad (which wouldn't be entirely surprising).

For this installment, we're going to be looking at a unit that might be the best of its kind in the National Football League in the Vikings' defensive line.  Like most of the spots on the Vikings' roster, the top of the depth chart is pretty obvious, but I don't think there's going to be quite as much drama at the end as there are at some positions.  Here are the defensive linemen that currently find themselves in the employ of the Minnesota Vikings.

NumberNameHeightWeightExperienceCollege61Martail Burnett6'3"255UDFAUtah66Leger Douzable6'5"300UDFACentral Florida69Jared Allen6'6" 2705Idaho State71Kenderick Allen6'5"3305Louisiana State73Otis Grigsby6'3"2604Kentucky90Fred Evans6'4"3053Texas State91Ray Edwards6'5"2703Purdue92Jayme Mitchell6'6"2853Mississippi93Kevin Williams6'5"3106Oklahoma State94Pat Williams6'3"31512Texas A&M96Brian Robison6'3"2752Texas97Ellis Wyms6'3"2908Mississippi State98Letroy Guion6'4"305RFlorida State

Defensive Tackles

It still kills me to no end that someone is still trying to make us believe that Kevin and Pat Williams are approximately the same weight.  If you actually believe that Pat Williams weighs in at 315 pounds, then I've got some lovely ocean front property in Nebraska that you might be interested in making an investment in.

With all due respect to Jared Allen, who we've devoted quite a bit of bandwidth to on these pages, the men that have made the Vikings' defense go over the past two seasons are the two big men in the middle of the defensive line.  Kevin and Pat Williams are, bar none, the best defensive tackle duo in the National Football League.  Kevin is widely regarded as being one of the best all-around tackles in the league.  He hasn't gotten back to where he was in his first two seasons in terms of generating a pass rush (he generated 22 sacks in his first 2 seasons, but has only mananged 12 since then), but how much help has he really gotten in that department?  The reports are that he's lost some weight this off-season in an effort to regain some of the quickness he felt that he'd lost over the past couple of seasons, and an even quicker Kevin Williams could, in my opinion, make the subject of best all-around defensive tackle in the NFL one that's not subject to debate.

But even with as talented and athletic as Kevin Williams is, there's been a debate as to whether or not he's even the best DT on the Vikings' roster.  Or whether he's even the best DT with the surname of Williams on the Vikings' roster.  Why?  Because of the performance over the last 3 seasons of the ageless wonder known as Pat Williams.  When it comes to defensive tackles that obliterate the opposing running game, there's Pat Williams, and then there's everybody else.  He doesn't generate a lot of pass rush, but that's not really his job, and he usually comes out of the game in obvious pass rushing situations.  There are few players that opposing centers hate to see lined up across from them more than Pat Williams. . .just ask Olin Kreutz (who Pat Williams, incidentally, owns).

Now, concerning the guys that are going to back these two gentlemen up, we'll start with Fred "BZZZZZZT" Evans.  I wasn't a big fan of the Evans signing when it was first made last year (largely due to the incident which gave him that nickname there), but he proved to be an asset at the DT position rather than a detriment.  With Spencer Johnson having departed for Buffalo, Evans is pretty much the top backup DT at this point and, really, you could do much worse at that spot than Evans.

The other backup DT is more than likely going to be Letroy Guion, who was selected in the 5th round of this year's draft out of Florida State.  The Guion pick is one that was made largely based upon potential, as it was largely thought he would have been better off going back to FSU for his senior campaign to get some more seasoning.  However, as it is, he came out for the draft, and now he's a member of the Beloved Purple.  Don't let it be said that Guion doesn't have a lot of potential, because he does.  He's got good size and pretty good athletic ability.  I think he'll make the roster, even though he might be inactive a lot.  I don't think we'd be able to sneak him through waivers or anything like that.

If the Vikings DO think they can sneak Guion through waivers, that might give Kenderick Allen the opening he needs to make it onto the roster.  As you can see, Kenderick is listed as the heaviest defensive lineman on the roster (again, if you actually believe that Pat Williams only weighs 315 pounds), and has been kind of a journeyman to this point.  The Vikings are the fifth team that Allen has played for (after the Saints, Giants, Packers, and Bengals), and he didn't play at all in 2007.  It is possible that he could provide some backup to Phat Pat at the nose tackle spot, as they're both known more for their run stuffing than their pass rushing.

Ellis Wyms was an interesting pick-up for the Vikings, too.  He's the sort of guy that coaches like to have hanging around the roster, as he has the ability to play both defensive end AND defensive tackle.  With as many defensive linemen as Brad Childress likes to have available on game day, he has to appreciate that sort of flexibility.  While he doesn't stand out in any phase of the game, he puts forth a good effort, and should be able to supply some good depth along a couple of line positions.

As far as Leger Douzable. . .I'll be honest, I don't know a damn thing about him.  I thought Douzables were the little green guys from Fraggle Rock that built the little things that the Fraggles kept eating.  It appears I was wrong.  Fortunately, I don't think getting to know a lot about him will really do me (or anyone else) much good, as I don't think he'll be around terribly long.

Defensive Ends

Like I've said, we've given a lot of space to Jared Allen over the past couple of months.  Well, there's a damn good reason that that's been the case, not the least of which is that he's probably the best defensive end to suit up for this team since Chris Doleman, and he possesses Doleman-like ability.  He will single-handedly make the Vikings' pass rush among the most formidable in the National Football League, partially due to his own pass rush abilities, and partially because he'll improve everyone around him as well.  It's going to be fun watching him destroy opposing offensive tackles week in and week out, starting with Week 1.

At the other starting DE spot, Ray Edwards has had an outstanding off-season, from all accounts.  I'm guessing he feels compelled to make up for his 4-game suspension at the end of the 2007 season when the Vikings, quite frankly, could have used him.  Still, he was tied for the team lead in sacks in 2007 despite missing those four contests, and if anyone will benefit from playing next to three all-world caliber players on the defensive line, it will be Edwards.  The guy shouldn't see a double team all season long, and he's already shown he's got some pretty good pass rushing ability.  I don't know if he'll break Michael Strahan's single-season sack record (as he predicted earlier this off-season). . .or even come close. . .but he should be very interesting to watch.

Brian Robison also showed some promise in 2007, notching 5 sacks of his own to be a part of the 4-way tie for the team lead in that category.  Robison has a motor that starts as soon as he hits the field for pre-game warmups, and doesn't stop until the final gun has sounded.  He's not going to be a starter on this line, but whenever one of the two main DEs need a rest, he'll be right there, and there's no reason to think that he won't provide a quality performance.

It's hard not to cheer for a guy like Jayme Mitchell.  Like Anthony Herrera on the offensive side of the ball, Mitchell came to the Vikings as an undrafted free agent, and after a few seasons, he's a solid member of the Vikings' defensive line rotation.  Mitchell works hard, and has some skills in both the run defense department AND as a pass rusher, though he'll probably never be elite in either category.

Otis Grigsby was a pleasant surprise for the Vikings last season.  Signed off the Carolina Panthers' practice squad, he saw a decent amount of action in a few games, even notching a sack and forced fumble in the game against San Francisco.  But with the level of talent that the Vikings have along the defensive line right now, I'm not sure if Grigsby has a real chance of making the squad.

The Vikings felt compelled to give Martail Burnett the highest signing bonus of any undrafted free agent in this year's signing bonanza, so they obviously see something that they like in him.  He's not a real big guy, but the book on him says that he's a natural pass rusher.  He's someone to keep track of in the pre-season to see how things work out with him.

So, after all that, here's what I think we're looking at for the Beloved Purple on the defensive line.

Starters:  Jared Allen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, Ray Edwards
Backups:  Ellis Wyms, Fred Evans, Brian Robison, Jayme Mitchell, Letroy Guion, Martail Burnett
Cut:  Kenderick Allen, Leger Douzable, Otis Grigsby

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if someone like Guion or Burnett got. . .ahem. . ."injured" during the pre-season and had to spend 2008 on injured reserve or something.  There's going to be some competition for spots along the defensive line, but this team is so good and so talented at defensive line that a few very good players are going to end up getting a visit from the Turk.  We'll just have to see which ones they are.

That's all for tonight, folks. . .we've got 39 spots on our roster filled, and 14 more to go (and, possibly, a few changes after all the smoke has cleared).  The next time we do the roster projection, we'll be looking at the linebacker position. . .where, frankly, there might be very little drama to be had.

We'll see you back here tomorrow, ladies and gentlemen!

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Peyton Manning's Greatest Games - #3

via i.cdn.turner.com

Game #3 takes us back to a game we all remember:  February 4, 2007, where the Colts battled the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.  This was the first time the Indianapolis version of the Colts had made the Super Bowl, and the first time since Super Bowl V that the Colts franchise had played there.  Ironically enough, that game was played in Miami as well, although that was in the now demolished Orange Bowl.  The Colts came into the Super Bowl having come from 18 down in the AFC Title game, and the Bears had put away the Saints in a cold and snowy game in Chicago.

The theme of the two weeks between the games was the same as it had always been around Peyton Manning:  Sure, he finally won a "big game" in his previous game, but could he win "The Big Game."  It was all about the great Bears' defense, and how the Colts couldn't win outdoors in the elements.  Manning was no match for Urlacher and the "Monsters of the Midway."

I don't think it is necessary to give a blow - by - blow account of the game, as we all can probably replay the game in our heads play by play.  What I'll do is hit some spots in the game where Manning showed why he is so great, and why this is #3 on the list of his greatest games.

On the Colts second possession, down 7-0, Manning and the Colts faced 3 3rd down plays.  The first, 3rd and 2, Manning found Marvin Harrison for 7 yards and a first down.  This was a great confidence booster for the offense, especially in the wet and soggy conditions.  They then converted a 3rd and 4 with a 6 yard pass to Dallas Clark.  Three plays later, the Colts faced a 3rd and 10 from the Colts 47.  The pocket had collapsed, and Manning was grabbed by Tank Johnson (see picture).  You can also see in the picture that Reggie Wayne was breaking away from the defense, and was wide open.  Manning flung the ball down the field, it was caught by Wayne, and the Colts were on the board.  It was an unbelievable effort by Manning to stay up, and an even better play to throw the ball 35 yards down field off of his back foot.

Manning struggled throughout the rest of the quarter, but drove the Colts down for 10 points in their next 2 possessions.  The Bears were using the same defense used by the Ravens earlier in the playoffs, which was to play the 2 safeties way back, and stop the big play.  At this point in the game, Manning started taking what the defense gave to him, and they methodically moved down the field.  This, in my opinion, is what got the Colts over the top in 2006.  He became very patient, took what defenses gave him, and the offense was more succussful.

Manning led the Colts into field goal range in the final 2 minutes of the half, only to have Vinatieri miss a field goal as time expired.  At halftime, the Colts were up 16-14, although they had outplayed the Bears on both sides of the ball.  Here are his halftime stats:

CompAttYdsY/ATDINTRating1726193
7.4
1
1
84.3

In a game with 4 fumbles already at halftime, Manning played pretty well.  The first drive of the second half saw the Colts go 12 plays, converting again on 2 3rd down plays with passes to Utecht and Addai.  The drive ended with a FG by Vinatieri to go up 5.  Manning and the Colts had taken 7:34 off of the clock to start the half.  This after having the ball the last 1:18 of the first half, the Bears had not had the ball in almost an hour of real time, thanks to the extra long halftime.  This opening drive put the Bears at a huge disadvantage, and their defense was now starting to suck wind.  It was a great drive, even though it only yielded 3 points.

The Colts tacked on another FG, thanks to Dominic Rhodes, on their next possession.  After the Hayden Interception, putting the Colts up by 12, the game seemed pretty much in hand.  The Colts defense had stuffed the Bears all day, and it seemed rather improbable the Bears could score 2 TDs, unless they were on special teams.  The Colts ran out the clock on a couple drives, all while starting the celebration of a World Championship.  Manning did a great job of game management, since they really didn't need his passing at the end.  His final stats:

CompAttYdsY/ATDINTRating2538247
6.5
1
1
81.8

In terms of statistics, this was a sub-par game for Manning, especially when compared to all the other games on this list.  However, this is one of those games that you need to look past the stats to see how well he played.  He did win the MVP.  I think we've become so used to amazing statistical games, that games where he does the little things, while not having the gawdy stats, seem like he played poorly.  He most certainly did not on this night.  Manning shut up every critic he's ever had (Bill Simmons never wrote an article on Super Bowl XLI).  He now was not mentioned in the same breath as Dan Marino.  He got his ring, with an MVP to boot.  A truly great game by Peyton Manning, the 3rd greatest game in his career.

Here are some video highlights from the game:

Here is the NFL.com Gamebook:

Our very own BigBlueShoes recap of the game:

Here is an article looking more in depth into Super Bowl XLI:

 

 

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http://www.stampedeblue.com/2008/7/5/565461/peyton-manning-s-greatest

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Hillbilly Orchestra

It’s been four months almost to the day since Brett said ‘no mas’ to football. There have been a few OTA’s and mini-camp in Green Bay, but for the most part there’s been nothing football going on that might make the waffling #4 decide he wants to come out of his four month retirement [...]

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http://www.green-bay-packer.com/2008/07/05/brett-favre-itch-return/

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Yahoo Team Fantasy Rankings: #30 - 49ers

Yahoo has been compiling a variety of lists discussing everything from the 11 coolest helmets in pro football history to nnon-football athletes who would excel in the NFL.  The one of interest ot 49ers fans is their "Juggernaut Index."  According to Yahoo, the Juggernaut Index is:

...our annual attempt to rank every NFL team for fantasy purposes. We're not concerned with real-life wins and losses here. No, here we just care about imaginary winning. If an NFL team gains lots of yardage, limits turnovers, and scores when they reach the red zone, then you'll want to own their skill position players in fantasy leagues. You'll find those teams at the top of the Juggernaut Index. We began at No. 32, the worst of the worst, and we're working our way to the elite fantasy offenses.

These rankings rely on hard, incontrovertible math. There are algorithms at work. This stuff is peer-reviewed. Seasons are simulated. You can't argue with science, so don't even try...

Considering how awful the 49ers were last year and the fact that many people think they'll be pretty bad this year, it's no surprising that they were ranked #30 in the index.  You can sense the tone of the article pretty quickly:

Maybe your opinion on the Niners is one of those optimist/pessimist things.

An optimistic person might see their glass as half one-third 20 percent no more than 10 percent full. A pessimist would basically just see a big empty cup.

They consider Frank Gore the 10 percent of positive possibilities.  In regards to Vernon Davis they said:

Is it possible that this could be Vernon Davis' breakout season? Sure. We all know that he's fast, skilled, and that he was both injured and unhappy last season. He was certainly a disappointment in 2007, yet few observers put much of the blame on Davis himself.

Pro Football Weekly had an important note on him back in March, though:

In regard to Davis’ performance last season, one of his teammates told a team source that he had never seen an NFL starter make so many mistakes.

Pro Football Weekly has made some good points in the past, but they've also thrown stuff outt to see if it sticks.  So I'm taking this opinion with a grain of salt.

They state that aside from Frank Gore, "there's just not much here for public leaguers to draft."  I guess that leaves the door open to consider Vernon Davis.  In ESPN's scoring system, Davis finished 15th among tight ends.  Personally Davis is a guy I would take this year to be my #1 tight end just based on his upside.  If he struggles there are plenty of guys to grab off the waiver wire.

Aside from this two, it's certainly reasonable to be concerned about 49ers fantasy options.  Whomever is selected as the starting QB could be a bye week option depending on who they're playing in a given week.  In the coming days I'm going to put together my initial chart of who is worth buying.  As training camp gets going we can then adjust the chart accordingly.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.ninersnation.com/2008/7/5/565336/yahoo-team-fantasy-ranking

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I Am Cutting Eli Manning Loose

Not manlove but manrespect

I've had some good laughs at Eli Manning's expense but no more. Where maybe once I publish unflattering pictures of Eli or portray him in a negative light with the media or pen outright hit pieces on Eli, those days are gone.

Eli has won a Super Bowl, was a gutty player all season and came through for New York in the big game. Today, Eli becomes just another rival quarterback. As such he loses the (lol) suffix in his name and I pledge not to go to great lengths to portray him as a buffoon actually I'm going to think on that one. Conflatulations Eli.

Tony Romo? LOL!



Eli Manning from here.

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http://curlyr.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-am-cutting-eli-manning-loose.html

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New SMU uniforms harken back to the Pony Express

With so much to look forward to with new head coach June Jones, the SMU Mustangs are donning new uniforms to honor the school's legendary past, complete with white helmets and uniform pants that harken back to the "Pony Express" days of the 1980s.

"The fans have spoken and we have listened. Since I arrived at SMU, I have stated that I wanted to return the Mustang football program to national prominence," said SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini. "When people think of SMU, they think of white helmets with a red Mustang logo. When you have a rich tradition like we do here at SMU, it only makes sense to draw from that."

The Mustangs dropped the "Southern Methodist" banner from the front of their jerseys during their last redesign in favor of "SMU" across the chest. That change is one of the only holdovers from the last coaching staff.

The helmet features the traditional red Mustang logo trimmed in blue, with a red facemask and blue and red stripes down the center line. The Ponies wore red helmets from 1915 - 1970s and navy helmets from 2003-2008, but most fans view the white shells as the "traditional" Mustang design.

Three jersey colors (white, red and SMU blue) feature a Mustang logo at the base of the collar. SMU will wear white pants with red and blue stripes for both home and away games.

Kudos to SMU for dropping the navy from the uniform and returning to the school's traditional color schemes. This is absolutely the best look that SMU could have come up with and absolutely the best looking uniform in Conference USA... by far.

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Saturday afternoon links and notes

It's not that Chad Johnson is hanging out with Vanessa Hudgens. It's that he's wearing a Cincinnati Bengals tee-shirt.

Someone else is weighing into the Marvin Lewis "on the hot seat" debate. The irony here is that the debate is actually if Lewis is on the "hot seat", not if he should be fired.

Corey Lynch will be at this year's ESPYS nominated with his team for the "Biggest Upset Award" after Appalachian State's 34-32 upset over Michigan. Lynch blocked the field goal to seal the win.

This piece ranks the Cincinnati Bengals with the third best offensive line... in the AFC North.

Chris Henry back with the Bengals?

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http://www.cincyjungle.com/2008/7/5/565278/saturday-afternoon-links-a

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Steelers cut Zabransky, pick up wide receiver

Before he even had a chance to make it to training camp, the Steelers released first-year quarterback Jared Zabransky and added wide receiver Marvin Allen to their practice squad as part of an NFL Europe international program. Zabransky, a three-year...

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http://www.steelersfootballblog.com/2008/07/steelers-cut-za.html

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Tennessee all-time team: Strong safety

I hope all of you had an enjoyable Fourth of July and will continue to enjoy the weekend. Please make it a safe one.Shifting gears to football, which is why we’re here, three strong safeties deserve your consideration as we continue the voting on our all-time Tennessee team.Blaine Bishop (1997-2000) — A ten-year NFL veteran, [...]

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http://mvn.com/nfl-titans/2008/07/05/tennessee-all-time-team-strong-safety/

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Happy Fourth Of July!

Just checking in (a little late) to wish you all happy barbecues, fireworks which seem to never end, and a cold beer or two. If you're really lucky, you'll be so content that you'll start to believe the Falcons could go undefeated this season. Ride that wave as far as you can.

Happy Fourth!

Read The Full Article:
http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2008/7/5/565168/happy-fourth-of-july

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