The Viking Age » john clayton

It's Not Over: ESPN Says Favre Sent X-Rays of Shoulder to Vikings

Dan Zinski — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:29:12 +0000

Reported just now on ESPN by John Clayton (apparently Jeremy Schaap gets credit for the original scoop): Brett Favre has sent X-rays of his right shoulder to the Vikings for them to have a gander at. I’m assuming Brett didn’t just do this for yuks, but by Minnesota’s request. Not being a medical professional, I have no idea how much you can tell about a torn biceps tendon from looking at X-rays. Perhaps someone out there who knows something can shed light on this. My understanding has been that Brett can play with his injury, but not without pain. And if he wants to relieve said pain he can have a procedure to complete the tear of the tendon, and just play without it, like John Elway did at the end of his career. This one’s not going away yet.

Update: Schaap says the Vikings are evaluating the X-rays as we speak and – hold your breath kiddies – if they like what they see, Favre…will…be…signed.

Guess Yahoo! Sports can shove it?

Update 2: Bus Cook has chimed in. Guess what? He doesn’t know anything about any X-Rays. Does he know if he has pants on?

The Cost of Cutler

Dan Zinski — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:22:00 +0000

What would it take to get Jay Cutler in purple? Sean Salisbury‘s special friend John Clayton thinks the price (link to podcast) would be at least a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick. And no, John did not merely pull that out of his pasty white troll-butt: He bases it on the last instance of a big-armed QB being traded in his prime. That was Jeff George getting sent from the Colts to the Falcons back in the early ’90s…another example of a quarterback not being able to get along with his coach - Ted Marchibroda in that case – and having to be shipped away. Clayton qualifies this projection by mentioning the Broncos‘ need for a serviceable QB to hold the fort until Josh McDaniels can develop someone new, and their likely desire to receive said QB as part of any Cutler trade. He then mentions six teams as likely destinations, placing the Lions and Browns as front-runners, and the Vikings in the second tier with the Bears, Jets and Buccaneers.

Three draft picks, all 3rd round and higher, would obviously be a lot to give up. What we don’t know yet of course is how hot the market for Cutler will actually be when and if the Broncos officially start shopping him. Character questions could make teams reluctant to give up so much, forcing Denver to lower its price. It all depends on how desperate they really are to get rid of him. I’m assuming they haven’t given up trying to reconcile. That would be a lot easier if Cutler would stop acting like such an over-sensitive punk.

T-Jack Chased Off Housh?

Dan Zinski — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:12:46 +0000

T.J. Houshmandzadeh made it clear that he chose Seattle over the Vikings partly because of the quarterback situations of each team, but now thanks to an email tip sent to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, we have a better idea of Housh’s specific feelings about the Vikings’ QBs. The email as reprinted by Mr. Seifert:

I’m a HUGE Vikings fan living in Los Angeles. One of my employees and his brother know T.J. Houshmandzadeh. When asked why he passed on Minnesota, he told them that it was all good until they brought Tarvaris Jackson into talk to him (and basically signal to him that he is their starter). …

Seifert himself is careful not to lend too much credence to this email, but does point out that John Clayton already reported on the meeting between Jackson and Housh. Here’s what I would like to know: Did Housh flee Minnesota at the mere idea of Jackson being the starter, or did something happen in the meeting that convinced him he’d be better off signing with Seattle? Cause let’s face it – T-Jack doesn’t exactly project a lot of self-confidence when you see him talk. It’s possible Jackson mumbled Housh right out of town. A revolting development, if you ask me.