Archive for May, 2008

Vikings rookie safety Tyrell Johnson took time out from the grind of OTAs to talk to Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press.  The interview was largely one of those getting-to-know-you pieces that can be used for future trivia bits assuming Tyrell sticks around long enough.  Among the topics discussed:  What Tyrell would want for his last meal: I’d want my last meal to be cheese dip. I love cheese dip. I’d wash it down with grape Kool-Aid. I know Kool-Aid and cheese dip don’t mix. But minus the heartburn, that’d be what I want. A lot of people would [...]

Adrian Peterson missed OTAs again today, this time for personal reasons (the same as Tarvaris Jackson who was also out today). The AD alert level remains at blue.

From today’s Access Vikings OTAs report: With [Tarvaris] Jackson gone [for personal reasons], veteran Gus Frerotte took the majority of snaps with the first team offense. Frerotte has limited experience in the West Coast offense and made it clear that he’s still learning on the job. Frerotte did make a few nice passes, including a 40-yard completion that he threw on a rope to Bernard Berrian down the right sideline. Berrian was covered by cornerback Antoine Winfield and safety Madieu Williams on the play. Our two best DBs together can’t cover Bernard Berrian. He’s going to be a beast.

A little final twist in the Erasmus James story…today it was announced that the Vikings pulled James back from waivers just before the deadline, then traded him to the Redskins for a conditional 2009 seventh-round draft pick. Apparently new Redskins defensive line coach John Palermo, who coached at Wisconsin when James was there, sold the team on James to the extent that they didn’t want to chance someone putting in a waiver claim on him ahead of them. Anyway, James won’t have to worry about being out of a job right away.  He gets to continue trying to rehab his [...]

Entertaining highlight reel of Jared Allen set to the theme song from Blazing Saddles. One thing…what’s with that gay little move he does during his sack celebration? That’s gotta stop.

Erasmus James was drafted in the first round in 2005 after a stellar career as a speed pass rusher with Wisconsin. James showed flashes of talent in his rookie season…and also a propensity to hit quarterbacks out of bounds. Unfortunately, James tore his ACL against Carolina in Week 2 of 2006. He fought to return in 2007, but was only able to play a few snaps before having to be shut down again. In the meantime, players like Ray Edwards and Brian Robison emerged as solid prospects at James’ right-end position. Then the bombshell trade for Jared Allen which completely [...]

Wednesday was the third day of OTAs for the Vikings, and so far, everything is fine with superstar running back and franchise savior Adrian Peterson. AD, reports Access Vikings, participated in all activities on Monday, then put in a half-day on Tuesday. On Wednesday Adrian remained on the sidelines, but this was only the normal sort of precaution you take with your most important player and not a sign that AD is hurt or prematurely worn-out. This puts us at Code Blue on the AD Alert System:

Kevin Seifert (who quit the Star-Tribune but still hasn’t left) reports that Bryant McKinnie missed Tuesday’s OTAs to attend a hearing related to his arrest for brawling outside a nightclub in Miami.  McKinnie’s reps at left tackle were taken by Artis Hicks, the man who would presumably replace Bryant were he to miss any significant time this year due to suspension.

OTAs began Monday for the Vikings, with the media access period to start on Tuesday (so there will be plenty of legit reports for me to paraphrase). The big news so far is not news…that Matt Birk has decided not to show up for the voluntary workouts.  Matt is still angry that the team has elected not to extend him before the expiration of his contract.  Given the team’s habit of extending veterans well prior to their becoming free agents, our only conclusion is that Birk does not figure in the Vikes’ plans beyond 2008.  It was a nice ride. [...]

If we’ve learned anything the last couple of years, it’s that being sad over your dead grandmother is not considered a valid excuse for being absent from your NFL team. The Vikings taught us this last year when they fined Troy Williamson for not getting back in time after the funeral of his grammy.  And now the Cincinnati Bengals have delivered the lesson even more sternly, by outright cutting Odell Thurman for missing voluntary OTAs due to his grandma’s expiration. Of course there were extenuating circumstances for Thurman…like the fact that he had spent the last two years suspended for [...]