It's always worth it to add defensive backs to your rosters; it's a passing league, and a team ought to add players to try defense an opponent's passing game. But it also helps in a passing league to have a passing game. The Vikes have another young defensive back, and that should be a good thing. But the Vikes also passed on an opportunity to add another potential quarterback or another potential wide receiver to give the offensive air game some further thrust.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Passing on the Passing Game
At this point, absolutely everybody is flummoxed by Brad Childress' total faith in Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback. Should Jackson not turn into a competent pro, there is neither a long-term backup plan or an immediate backup player. We might also be vexed at the Vikings' assessment that the one move necessary to upgrade a horrible group of wide receivers was Bernard Berrian. I like the Berrian signing a whole lot, but that is one move that should be made to improve those receivers. Evidently the Vikes also have faith that Sidney Rice and Aundrae Allison will make competent contributions.
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When we moved up 4 spots in front of Chicago to pick I was jumping up and down with total excitement as if Adrian had just broken free for another touchdown run. Chili's going after Brohm, Chili's going after Brohm. The pick came and it was like I was hit in the gut...disbelief. Ok, the Safety is a good player. The problem...IF, and it is a possibility Tjack may not pan out. What do we have? We also lost our 4th round pick with the move up. The experts believe Brohm is a capable QB to step in if needed, not even a project. What makes this worse... The Packers grabbed Brohm. We just rejoiced when Favre retired. If Brohm surpasses Tjack, I don't think it is an if but when... We will look at Chili in dismay. This is Adrians second year and RB's shelf life is short, it is a shame if the Tjack project fails and we waste even more years on AP's legs.
ReplyDeleteAll our eggs in one basket!!!
To move up 4 spots and give away our 4th rounder. What a joke.
Chili and Spielman must GO!!!
I was hoping for Brohm as well, but there are other West Coast-type QBs who will be around in the later rounds. Tulsa's Paul Smith is a pretty good one, and the Vikes could get him in the 5th or 6th round.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand all the Vikings fans worried about the WR position. The receiver corps is fine. Berrian is an OK #1, Rice is an OK #2 and maybe a good one, with some improvement, and Wade is a good #3. There's no real problem there.
It is reasonable to worry about the WR position. It was the weakest position on the team last season, and:
ReplyDelete#1: While I'm optimistic about Berrian, we've seen a lot of above-average-but-not-elite wide receivers disappoint after changing teams via free agency.
#2: While Sidney Rice MIGHT be a solid #2, he doesn't yet have 500 yards to his name, so we shouldn't just count on him as a solid #2.
#3: Yes, Bobby Wade is a solid #3 at best.
I agree with the first comment ,We have a great team put together with the exception of QB. TJ might turn it around but wheres the competition? If hes not a good leader (cant read defenses,ect)Do we wait till next year to draft a GOOD QB? This falls on the coach
ReplyDeleteand if TJ fails if CHILI dont go the fans WILL
Even if Berrian doesn't live up to expectations, the WR position still isn't a huge problem. The Vikings just aren't that bad compared to other teams in the NFL. Sure, a few teams are loaded at receiver... the Patriots, Packers, Cardinals, Lions, and at least if Chad Johnson counts, the Bengals, with maybe a couple others.
ReplyDeleteBut the majority of NFL teams really do not have the stellar WR corps that many Vikings fans apparently think should easily be assembled. I think the Vikings group is better than or basically equal to these teams:
Atlanta
Baltimore
Buffalo
Carolina
Chicago
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Miami
New York Giants
New York Jets
Oakland
Philadelphia
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
St. Louis
Tampa Bay
Tennessee
Washington
Now I'm sure arguments could be made in a few of those' groups favor, but based on present ability, not career catches, that's pretty close. And a couple teams could arguably be added, such as Denver or Cleveland.
Many teams of course have a better passing game because of other positions, such as QB or TE. But that has nothing to do with the receiving corps itself. A good QB would do plenty of damage with the Vikings' receivers.
Well, I've now read four different draft analysts say the guys the Vikings drafted was the best available safety in the draft, and while draft analysts are far from reliable indicators, when four of them pick out a small school guy, it's likely that there is some talent there. Eh, they need good players everywhere, so if they thought this guys was clearly the best player available, I can't fault them.
ReplyDeleteThis entire draft was driven by the Vikings having bad luck with regard to Erasmus James' and Udeze's healh. If Udeze doeasn't get sick, and James had stayed on the field, a rotation of James, Udeze, Robison and Edwards probably would have been good enough. Once they had to give up a first and a third to fill a big hole a de, and they filled it extremely well, that necessarily meant that other areas weren't going to get addessed.
john david booty is your quarterback.
ReplyDeleteRK
John David Booty at the top of the fifth round is a much better value than Brian Brohm in the second. I like the move. I like that we got one of the two best safeties in an otherwise thin crop. I'm disappointed that we have yet to address depth at the offensive line, or take a flier on a tight end. I would expect the remaining three picks to be on a tackle, an end, and a center.
ReplyDeleteyeah, Booty represents good fifth round value. He's a decent fit for Childress' offense, he's used to reading progressions like an NFL qb, and a broken finger hampered him last season.
ReplyDelete