Jun 11, 2013; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder (7) passes in drills at the Minnesota Vikings minicamp at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Reports on Christian Ponder have been mixed all through OTAs and into the beginning of minicamp. Terms like “spotty” keep being thrown out there to describe Ponder’s performance thus far in drills and long-time observers like Judd Zulgad are openly questioning Ponder’s footwork and sharpness. Zulgad said of Ponder:

Watching Christian Ponder out there, the footwork didn’t look great. The passes didn’t look all that sharp. You know what’s not there? Crispness/ There’s not a sharpness. At times you would expect things to look second nature to Ponder. … That’s not what we’re seeing so far.

Adam Schefter got in on the act by tweeting the following rather ominous report:

Christian Ponder is Vikings starter. Yet some believe Matt Cassel is good enough to challenge for starting job this year.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 18, 2013

The Pondermaniacs certainly have a response for these naysayers. YO IT’S ONLY OTAS AND MINICAMP! OUR GUY WILL BE READY TO ROCK BY THE SEASON!

Fair enough. But at the same time, you can’t help being at least a tad concerned. If you have an objective, rational bone in your body. We’re into Ponder’s third year now and he’s still struggling with footwork? He still looks like he’s not very sharp? The game still isn’t slowing down for him even in minicamp practices when everything should be relatively easy?

Sorry Pondermaniacs but things do not look good for your guy. You had better hope he is just strugging to shake off the offseason rust. You better hope the footwork thing gets sorted out. Because this year the Vikes have a legit #2 option in Matt Cassel.

This isn’t to say I think Ponder should be yanked at the first sign of trouble. I still believe the same way I believed last year during Ponder’s struggles. You are invested in this guy so you might as well leave him out there, even if he isn’t getting it done.

That really hasn’t changed in my mind. You are still invested in Ponder as the starter and you should still leave him out there until you have no choice. That’s why I’m not really buying the whole “Cassel could challenge Ponder” line. That feels more like made-up media drama than anything. Let’s stir up a quarterback controversy for the sake of hits!

A QB controversy would be good entertainment and certainly great for business around these parts, but I don’t believe one exists. Ponder is the starter no matter what happens in minicamp or regular camp or preseason. And I think he’ll be given plenty of leeway during the season too.

Bottom line: Rick Spielman drafted Ponder. A big chunk of his credibility as a GM is tied up in Ponder. So he’s going to make sure Ponder has a chance to prove himself. He didn’t spend all that dough on Greg Jennings just cause he likes Jennings’ mentoring ability. That was all about making Ponder better.

Will Ponder respond? Will he validate his GM and silence his doubters? We’re a long long way from knowing that. But the early reports are not promising.

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Jun 11, 2013; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end John Carlson (89) catches a pass in drills at the Minnesota Vikings Minicamp at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Rick Spielman has received plenty of love over the last couple years for his drafting genius and prudent way with money. But even the mastermind Spielman has made his mistakes. Probably the largest black mark on his record so far has been the 2012 signing of John Carlson.

Spielman gave the not-exactly-sought-after tight end a $25 million, five-year contract coming off an injury season in Seattle. Observers scratched their heads at the time, and scratched them even more as the season progressed and Carlson remained a complete non-factor in the offense.

Was the terrible performance entirely Carlson’s fault? Probably not. You must lay some blame at the feet of Christian Ponder who does not exactly excel at maximizing the talent around him. And you have to also factor in the preseason injury that put Carlson behind the game in learning Bill Musgrave’s offense.

But there’s also the possibility that Carlson just isn’t a good player and would not have done anything significant even with a better QB and more practice time in the early-going.

Any way you slice it, the Carlson signing was bad one. The Vikings more-or-less acknowledged this in the 2013 offseason by forcing Carlson to renegotiate his deal. This doesn’t get back the money they wasted on him in 2012 but it at least softens the blow going forward.

The good news for Carlson? He still has a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of fans. The Viking PR department is only too happy to help this process. Hence the glowing reports coming out about Carlson after day one of minicamp.

According to Bagdad Bob, Carlson really stood out in Tuesday’s drills. And this was going up against our linebackers who we know are all so great in coverage. If Carlson keeps this up, he will be soon be pushing Kyle Rudolph for the #1 tight end spot. Could an All-Pro campaign be in the offing?

All kidding aside, let’s hope there is at least some truth to the Carlson PR spin. Obviously Bill Musgrave wants to heavily feature the #2 TE in this offense or he would not have encouraged Spielman to pursue Carlson last year. And Carlson would not have been kept around for season 2.

A productive Carlson, I hazard to say, is probably essential to this offense working the way Musgrave envisions. So keep getting after it John. Like it or not, we kind of need you. And don’t worry. Eventually Ponder will learn to go past his first read and you’ll get a couple balls thrown your way.

Maybe.

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Aug 9, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop (55) is tended to by members of the Packers

Today, the Green Bay Packers released veteran Middle Linebacker Desmond Bishop.  It was made public that the Packers were not willing to pay him the salary that he was due for this season when they were attempting to trade him around draft time this year.  The former sixth round draft pick was scheduled to make $3.464 million this year as a part of his four year, $19 million contract extension that he signed in 2011.  Bishop claims that the team never approached him about a salary reduction prior to his release.

Bishop is coming off a severe injury that left him on the sidelines all of last season.  He tore his hamstring tendon in the preseason opener last year and has been rehabilitating that injury to be prepared for this season.  Bishop claims to be healthy now, and that claim will be tested by the Minnesota Vikings when they bring him in for a workout.

Bishop has never been the type of player to need motivating factors to get fired up, but the Packers seem to have lit a fire under the young player.   Here are some excerpts from his conversation with ESPNWisconsin.com’s Jason Wilde:

Jan 15, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers inside linebacker Desmond Bishop (55) breaks up a pass intended for New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard (85) during the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE-STAR LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

“This is definitely a motivating factor. For several reasons, moreso I think than anything in my entire career.  Just from the standpoint of actually being cut. You figure it’s going to happen to everybody eventually at some point in their career, but I felt like I was the type pf player who can go out on their own time.”

“There’s something about being released that’s definitely going to add another chip to my shoulders. It’s motivation. It’s nothing negative about this whole situation. I think it’s all part of the plan, and I have to keep playing it out. I think it’s going to be good. I think all that is going to help me reach my goal.”

“If you had to go in a dark alley, I’d be one of the guys you’d take with you because you knew what you were going to get.  At the same time, I feel like I haven’t done enough – as a Packer or as a football player. I feel like I have a lot more potential to fulfill. That’s my next goal, wherever it is. I still feel I can do a lot of great things.”

Don’t be surprised if Desmond Bishop’s visit to Minnesota ends up as a permanent stay.  This is a match made in heaven for this player and team.  The Vikings are currently in the middle of an open competition for the starting Middle Linebacker position and could use a veteran like Bishop to help anchor this young team.  Meanwhile, Desmond Bishop gets a starting job and gets to play against his former team at least two times a year.