Sid Hartman and Peter King Both Convinced Vikings Won’t Draft QB In 1st

Apr 26, 2012; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman talks with the media after the introduction of the 2013 1st round draft picks at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Veteran scribes Sid Hartman and Peter King are on the same page on this one. When the Vikings’ turn comes to draft on the evening of May 8, the selection will be anything but a quarterback.

Rick Spielman has spoken to both King and Hartman, and apparently convinced each man that the plan is to go BPA at 8 and take a quarterback later.

“While there is much speculation that the Vikings will select a quarterback with the No. 8 overall pick in the NFL draft, General Manager Rick Spielman made it clear that he won’t draft a QB with the pick because he said they will take the best player on the board with their first selection, and there is no reason to believe that a quarterback will be the best player on the board,” Hartman said in a Sunday column.

The estimable Mr. Hartman quoted Spielman explaining why the Vikings would do well to pass on a QB this year and address other needs.

“There are some very good defensive players, some very good receivers in this draft, some good offensive linemen,” Spielman said. “There’s some significant linebackers that can play not only standing up but also help you rush the passer as well. I think we’re going to have a lot of options at 8, but we’re also going to potentially look to move out of that pick as well.”

Peter King’s MMQB segment on Spielman included similar quotes. “That’s a big reason why we made it a high priority to sign Matt Cassel back. Every one of these quarterbacks … nothing is a sure thing,” Spielman told King. “There’s no Andrew Luck, no Peyton Manning. It is such a mixed bag with each player—every one of them has positives, every one of them has negatives. And if that’s the way you end up feeling, why don’t you just wait till later in the draft, and take someone with the first pick you’re sure will help you right now?”

In the same piece, King pointed out that the Vikings will have a minicamp days before the draft, and indicated that Minnesota will use that minicamp to get a read on where Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder both are.

The implication being that the Vikings could still elect to draft a quarterback at 8, if they become convinced that their present QBs aren’t good enough.

Despite Spielman leaving the door open on taking a QB at 8 if their on-roster QBs stink enough, King told a Twin Cities media personality that he thinks he thinks he knows the Vikings will go away from QB at 8.

In a tweet to Meatsauce responding to a question about what the Vikings will do at 8 King said, “Not a quarterback. They want a sure thing.”

Straight from the keyboard of King and the quill pen of Sid Hartman. No quarterback for the Vikings at 8 this year.

So Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, any other quarterbacks who think they have a chance of being taken #8 overall? You can cancel that order for purple apparel, you can call off that Twin Cities area house search, you can delete all those sweet Minneapolis honies from your phone.

Minnesota ain’t gonna happen for you.

Memo to any teams expecting the Vikings to take a QB at 8? Listen to Sid Hartman and Peter King. It’s not going to happen. So submit your Ha Ha Clinton-Dix/Aaron Donald/C.J. Mosley/Jake Matthews/Odell Beckham-related trade proposals now.

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