SB Nation Minnesota - Minnesota Vikings End Draft Weekend By Adding Quite A Few New Faces

Vikings In No Rush To Sign Rookies, And That's Not A Cause For Concern

2012-05-16T17:16:22Z

The Minnesota Vikings are falling behind in a sense - in that they don't have any of their rookies under contract for the 2012 season, while most teams have already got started. That isn't necessarily a bad thing by any means, as things are made much simpler by the rookie wage scale in place. Rookies are sgiven a certain amount based on where they were drafted, give or take a few bucks here and there.

It still is a little odd as to why the Vikings haven't even gotten started, but the Pioneer Press sheds some light on things:

But there could be several reasons why the Vikings are waiting. Sometimes, it's as simple as cash flow/accounting. Teams want to make sure their books are in order. Maybe they haven't gotten around to negotiating with all the player agents. Some agents like to do business in person if they can. Such plans take time. Or maybe the team simply isn't ready.

As the piece goes on to note, the Vikings are simply being patient, and when they are ready to get players signed, it should come at a rapid clip. Even if rookies hold out to some extent, there's really no danger of entering training camp and the preseason with uncooperative rookies with the new wage scale.

Of course, it's a new scale, and there's a first time for everything!

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, go to Daily Norseman. You can also get all of your professional football news over at SB Nation's NFL hub.

2012 NFL Draft: 'Cleveland Did The Right Thing,' According to Vikings GM Rick Spielman

2012-05-01T15:45:18Z

The Pioneer Press had a Q&A with Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, who addressed a number of topics (even if he didn't touch a question about the recent arrest of running back Caleb King).

One of the issues discussed was what exactly transpired between the Vikings and Cleveland Browns during the first round of the NFL Draft.

The two teams, as you probably know, swapped picks, with the Browns moving up to No. 3 to get Trent Richardson and the Vikings dropping to No. 4 to get Matt Kalil, who they were expected to take all along at No. 3. The Vikes also landed Cleveland's fourth-, fifth and seventh-round picks.

From the Pioneer Press interview:

BS [Bob Sansevere]: One of the stories flying around is about Cleveland and whether any other team was prepared to trade with you....Was there a deal in place with another team?

RS [Rick Spielman]: We did have offers on the table, I can tell you that. I'm not going to tell you who or what. But I will say Cleveland did the right thing...

I think both teams benefited from that trade. Cleveland got a very unique running back (Trent Richardson), and it's very important for their offense - and I think we were able to accomplish what we wanted.

Over the weekend, The Cleveland Plain Dealer quoted Browns president Mike Holmgren saying that Cleveland had to pull the trigger on the move and didn't regret the bounty they gave up for Richardson.

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2013 NFL Mock Draft: Vikings Go Defense In Early SB Nation Mock

2012-04-30T15:44:38Z

We're barely through with the 2012 NFL Draft, so obviously it's time to start talking about the 2013 NFL Draft with a good old fashioned way-too-early mock draft!

The Minnesota Vikings made some good strides in this year's draft but still have work to do in order to catch up to their division, filled with offensively talented teams like the Packers and Lions. With that in mind, the new SB Nation 2013 NFL Mock Draft has the Vikings going toward the defensive side of things with the pick of a new DE/OLB, Sam Montgomery from LSU.

4. Minnesota Vikings, Sam Montgomery, DE/OLB, LSU

Their division rivals are going to be far ahead of the game. To compete, the Vikings need to become a defensive threat by adding an explosive pass rusher like Montgomery.

Assuming Christian Ponder turns into the first round pick that the Vikings thought he would be, building a defense to keep games in their court wouldn't be a bad start on the road to getting back to contention.

For more news and analysis on the Minnesota Vikings, check out The Daily Norseman. More on the NFL Draft, this year's and next's, can be found at Mocking The Draft.

2012 NFL Draft Grades: SB Nation Gives Final Grade Of A- To Vikings

2012-04-30T13:49:43Z

The Minnesota Vikings have been getting rave reviews from all over the place after what has looked to be a great 2012 NFL Draft. They added a bunch of important pieces, had a great trading strategy that saw them gain a bunch of picks and still get the guy they wanted in the first place -- it was a good one by most accounts.

SB Nation's video recap of the NFC North agreed with the solid reviews that the Vikings have been getting, giving Minnesota an A- for their work. In addition to Matt Kalil obviously, the SB Nation gang were impressed by the good load of wide receivers that were picked up with WR being a huge need for them going in. Dan in particular also seems to like the color purple in general.

Their A- was tied for the highest score given in the NFC North with the Green Bay Packers.

For more news and information on the Minnesota Vikings, head over to The Daily Norseman. More analysis on the NFL can be found at SB Nation's NFL hub and more on this season's draft in general can be found at SB Nation's specialized 2012 NFL Draft section.

NFL Draft Results: Vikings' Rick Spielman Shows Savvy In First Draft As General Manager

2012-04-30T13:00:53Z

When the Minnesota Vikings gave the title of General Manager over to Rick Spielman. . .after they may or may not have flirted with the idea of bringing in Bill Parcells (depending on what source you believe). . .the former Miami Dolphins' GM knew that he was starting a rebuilding project. A team that went to the NFC Championship Game in 2009 was making a transition from being one of the NFL's oldest teams to one of its youngest, and Spielman was selected to facilitate the process.

For the past two weeks, Spielman had been trying to drum up a trade market for the Vikings' first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the third overall selection. Outwardly, Spielman was attempting to make it appear that he was interested in LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, who was thought to be highly coveted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the end, however, it was Alabama running back Trent Richardson that held the key. Spielman knew that both the Cleveland Browns, who were selecting at #4 overall, and the Buccaneers at #5 were interested in Richardson. Obviously, there was no way that the Vikings were taking Richardson because they're already pretty solid at the running back position, so he managed to pit the Browns and the Buccaneers in a staredown to see who wanted the talented Crimson Tide runner the most.

About an hour before the draft, the Browns finally blinked. They sent the Vikings a fourth-round pick, a fifth-round pick, and a seventh-round pick for the right to move up from #4 to #3 and secure Richardson's services. After trying unsuccessfully to get Tampa Bay to move up from #5 to #4 to secure Claiborne, the Vikings went ahead and took the player they should have been focusing on all along anyway, that being USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil. Kalil was immediately penciled in at left tackle for the Vikings, and Charlie Johnson will get moved inside to left guard. . .a move that had, apparently, been discussed since Week 3 of last season.

The trade gave the Vikings a total of 13 picks, more than anybody in this year's selection process, and Spielman told reporters not to be surprised if the team traded back up into the first round. They did just that, sending their second-round pick and one of their four fourth-round picks to the Baltimore Ravens to jump back into Thursday's action at #29 and select Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith. The Vikings needed a safety, and the drop-off in talent at the position from Smith and Alabama safety Mark Barron (who went at #7 overall) was significant. Spielman had the ammunition to get what he wanted, and he showed the willingness to use it.

Throughout the course of the draft, the Vikings focused on their many needs. They continued to add to their woeful secondary by selecting Central Florida speedster Josh Robinson and Notre Dame safety/corner hybrid Robert Blanton. The team added to their talent at wide receiver by selecting Arkansas Razorback teammates Jarius Wright and Greg Childs. They may have even found a replacement for the retired Jim Kleinsasser in USC tight end/fullback Rhett Ellison. Minnesota managed to get a couple of steals in the seventh round in thumping linebacker Audie Cole and California defensive lineman Trevor Guyton. They even found a potential replacement for incumbent kicker Ryan Longwell in Georgia standout Blair Walsh.

Spielman did well enough for himself that he even managed to scoop up two draft picks for 2013. He got a fourth-round selection from the Vikings' division rivals, the Detroit Lions, and snagged a sixth-round selection from the Tennessee Titans in a couple of Saturday trades. That means that the Vikings already have nine picks for the 2013 draft, and if the rebuilding goes as planned, the Vikings could use those extra picks to really start turning a corner.

Many people, yours truly included, were skeptical of the Vikings handing the General Manager position over to Rick Spielman. However, if this weekend's draft was any indication, it looks like all of our worrying was for nothing.

For more on the Minnesota Vikings, be sure to check out The Daily Norseman. For NFL news, check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

2012 NFL Draft Grades: Minnesota Vikings Lauded For Draft Strategy

2012-04-29T22:30:06Z

It takes a well-thought out plan to excel in every aspect of the NFL Draft, but early indications are that the Minnesota Vikings were one of the biggest winners in the league over the weekend. The Vikings traded down to get the same player they wanted anyway in lineman Matt Kalil, and then pounced on a possible Pro Bowl safety one day in Harrison Smith at No. 29.

Instead of addressing the secondary positions right away, Minnesota stuck to its plan and was still able to add a pair of future starters with its second (Smith) and third picks (Josh Robinson). Because of the way they let the draft work for them, Chris Burke of SI.com bestowed the Vikings with an "A" in his team-by-team draft breakdown.

Minnesota Vikings: You can dock Minnesota if you think Claiborne should have been the pick at 4 over OT Matt Kalil. I think the Vikings did the right thing, and their subsequent pickups of S Harrison Smith (29), CB Josh Robinson (66) and WR Jarius Wright (118) just add to that belief. Grade: A

The decision to add a pair of Arkansas receivers in Jarius Wright and Greg Childs was also interesting, since it was well-known that the pair are best friends and have played together competitively since early childhood. Even during a year when Minnesota took a position that doesn't normally get referred to as a "great pick" at No. 4 overall, the Vikings still managed to draft well enough throughout to bring home an outstanding haul worthy of top marks. That's a testament to the impressive job done by first-year GM Rick Spielman and his staff.

For more on the Vikings, head to Daily Norseman. For more 2012 NFL Draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NFL Draft hub. And for more NFL coverage, check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Minnesota Vikings Agree To Terms With 15 Undrafted Players

2012-04-29T18:15:37Z

Defensive line was clearly not much of a priority for the Minnesota Vikings during the 2012 NFL Draft, as the team added just one player, California's Trevor Guyton, that can play on the line. To remedy this, as 1500 ESPN Twin Cities announced on Saturday, the Vikings have already agreed to terms with 15 undrafted free agents, and six of them play on the defensive line.

Only two of the 15 players, Derrick Coleman-RB and Kamar Jorden-WR, hail from offensive skill positions, as its clear that the Vikings needed the most help on the defensive side of the ball.

Here's a full list:

• Boise State DT Chase Baker
• UCLA RB Derrick Coleman
• Florida Atlantic DE Kevin Cyrille
• Nicholls State CB Bobby Felder
• Bowling Green WR Kamar Jorden
• Penn State DE Eric Latimore
• Iowa LB Tyler Nielsen
• Cal DE Ernest Owusu
• Hawaii LB Corey Paredes
• Virginia G Austin Pasztor
• North Carolina DT Tydreke Powell
• Missouri DT Terrell Resonno
• Mississippi State C Quentin Saulsberry
• Oregon T Darrion Weems
• South Carolina CB CC Whitlock

The Vikings' draft was given a B-plus by CBSSports.com, as top pick Matt Kalil is expected to anchor the offensive line for the next decade. Despite the long odds facing the 15 players above when it comes to actually making the active roster, general manager Rick Spielman is confident that he'll be able to find a few diamonds in the rough here, and maybe even a future starter down the line.

For more on the Vikings, head over to Daily Norseman. For more 2012 NFL Draft coverage, head over to SB Nation's NFL Draft hub. And for more NFL coverage, check out SB Nation's NFL hub.

Vikings 2012 NFL Draft Grades: Minnesota Receives High Marks For Filling Needs

2012-04-29T15:27:45Z

The Minnesota Vikings were able to get the player they coveted at the top of the first round in Matt Kahil while still moving back to gather more assets for the draft. According to WalterFootball.com, the Vikings did quite well using those assets to add players to improve their roster heading into next season.

(Vikings GM ) Spielman had a brilliant draft. He upgraded the line, acquired two promising targets for Ponder (coincidentally, both Razorbacks) and improved the secondary. I don't know if he needed to trade up for Harrison Smith, but he had the ammunition to do so because of the Kalil deal. Smith will be the quarterback of the secondary - a leader at safety that the Vikings haven't had since Darren Sharper.

All in all, the Vikings had one of the top drafts in 2012. I absolutely loved what they did.

Quarterback Christian Ponder remains the key to the Vikings next season but it appears this draft will help Ponder continue to develop into the QB the team hopes he can be.

Get even more 2012 NFL Draft coverage, scouting reports, teams needs, etc. at Mocking the Draft. For more Vikings coverage, check out Daily Norseman. Be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub for the broader view.