Feb 23, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; USC Trojans offensive lineman Matt Kalil speaks at a press conference during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Everyone including yours truly remains convinced the Vikings will take Matt Kalil #3 overall and everything else is just speculation and smoke screening. Did I say everyone? Well, there’s one person out there who actually isn’t convinced that Kalil will be the pick. It would be easy to dismiss this lone voice of dissent, if the voice in question didn’t belong to Adam Schefter, arguably the most inside of all the NFL insiders.

Schefter has suggested over the past few weeks that the Vikings might look at people other than Kalil with their pick. But in a Wednesday Q&A available only to ESPN Insider subscribers, Schefter put his money on the table and said he believes the Vikings will pass on Kalil. If the Vikings don’t take Kalil, Justin Blackmon would likely be the pick, even though Blackmon has been sliding on a lot of draft boards for a variety of reasons including a questionable Vegas trip.

And why should we believe Schefter any more than we should anyone else? Because Schefter has the best sources of almost anyone working the NFL beat today. If Schefter has doubts about the Vikings’ desire to take Kalil, it’s not based on speculation or guesswork, it means he’s spoken to somebody inside the organization. Of course it’s possible this source could be using Schefter to spread disinformation, hoping to drum up interest in a draft day trade, but does anyone think Schefter would be naive enough to get used that way? I’m guessing Schefter knows the difference between smoke screen bullcrap and real dope. And if he’s putting himself out there as strongly as this? He must be pretty sure about the legitimacy of the info.

As we say with all of these reports…we’ll know once and for all on draft day. And that day is now just 2 weeks away. Feel free to discuss the merits of passing on Kalil in the comment section, or on the site’s Twitter or Facebook.

Update: In response to a message from Adam Schefter I changed the wording of the above post. Initially I conveyed that Schefter was “convinced” the Vikings would not take Kalil. But Schefter is in fact not convinced, he simply believes the Vikings are not a lock to take Kalil. This is the exact wording from the Schefter Q&A in question:

The key to that would be Minnesota passing on Kalil, which I happen to believe the Vikings will. I’m in the minority
there and the Vikings are still deciding what to do, but I don’t think Kalil is the lock that others do — even if Minnesota stays at 3.

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According to an ESPN report given by Adam Schefter on NFL Live and now delivered in handy online form for those who can’t stand watching Schefter’s lips while he talks, the Vikings are among several teams who have called the Washington Redskins about trading for Donovan McNabb.

There’s no shock frankly that the Vikings would be interested in McNabb, given their need for a veteran QB and McNabb’s need to get the heck out of Washington. What is shocking is that Minnesota or any other team would offer anything to the Redskins in a trade when the Skins will surely cut McNabb before having to pay him any of his $12 million contract for 2011, making it possible for the team that wants him to then sign him without giving up a draft pick.

Pretty much everyone commenting on Twitter, from the beat writers down the lowliest football fan goof, is scratching their heads over this one. Some speculation holds that there isn’t actually any interest from the Vikings and this talk about them and “several teams” calling Washington is some trick to drum up a market that doesn’t otherwise exist.

If indeed Mike Shanahan is trying some shenanigans to trick the Vikings or anyone else into dealing for McNabb…well, I just hope Rick Spielman is smart enough to call Shanny on his bluff. Personally, I don’t think there’s a lick of truth to this story but we’ll wait and see. Maybe the Vikings really are that desperate to get a veteran, and maybe McNabb is their guy and they’re worried someone else will make a play for him.

I wouldn’t mind having McNabb, but I don’t want to see the team get fleeced in the process of acquiring him.

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What we don’t know yet is what level of trade-up the Vikings are looking for. The report could mean they’re trying to trade into the top 10 to go after a Cam Newton or a Blaine Gabbert. Or it could mean they’re trying to trade up from the second round into the first because they don’t like the options available to them with the 43rd overall.

Concerns have been raised that the Vikings could find themselves in limbo with the 12th pick – too low to get one of the top QBs, too high to grab for one of the second-tier guys. This leaves them looking to either trade back from 12 or, just maybe, use the 12 on a non-quarterback then trade back up into the first for Christian Ponder or Andy Dalton.

Either way, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that the Vikings will have a shot at Jake Locker, the QB some think they covet above all others. A certain Rolling Stones refrain occurs to me at this moment.

At the very least, Schefter’s report gives us something to chew on. Besides Easter leftovers, I mean.

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