The Vikings have every reason to pack it in for the year; yet they have not done so.
The not yet ready for primetime players on Minnesota put forth a valiant effort on Sunday against Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. The matchup actually was beneficial to coach Leslie Frazier’s squad because of the injuries in the secondary that he had incurred. If a pass happy club had come into Mall of America Field instead, the margin of defeat would have been four or five times as bad.
All week incessant updates were given on the status of Broncos defensive stalwart Von Miller and Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, but the plethora of ailments in the pass protection of the Vikings was overlooked. Specifically, Asher Allen, Chris Cook, Husain Abdullah, Antoine Winfield, and Tyrell Johnson were sidelined. The last three are even currently on injured reserve, so that puts the club in dire straits for future battles.
Unfortunately, the Detroit Lions are on the docket for this upcoming Sunday. While it’s true that they were defeated on Sunday night by the New Orleans Saints, quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for over four hundred yards. Detroit has numerous offensive weapons, so keying in on just Calvin Johnson is impossible.
Patrick Peterson came out of LSU a year too early for the Vikings and their predicament. The aforementioned injuries indicate their area of need. I realize that there is more than one deficiency on a team that has only garnered two victories thus far, but it certainly is the most glaring.
The SEC consistently provides the most talent for the NFL. This upcoming spring is no exception. The Vikings brass proved that they are willing to throw conventional wisdom to the wind by selecting Christian Ponder last draft. That mindset will aid the roster this time around if picking a defensive back is in the cards.
The only reason that I plan on watching the BCS title game is to see the quality players that will take the field in the NFL next season. Conventional wisdom dictates that Oklahoma State should play in the game instead of Alabama, but Mike Gundy doesn’t have the same pull in Stillwater as Nick Saban does for the Crimson Tide. The benefit of the current scenario is that three players in the secondary will suit up that could be future Vikings.
Mel Kiper’s Big Board currently has cornerback Morris Claiborne (LSU), cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama), and safety Mark Barron (Alabama) in the top fourteen of the first round. I will keep a special eye on Claiborne because he is the highest rated of the three and will be the most likely to be in purple. He has accumulated six interceptions this season to accompany his forty-six tackles.
What separates many receivers from quarterbacks in big time college football is usually height. Claiborne is only six feet and it will literally be a tall order when he has to defend the receivers in the future. It is possible and probable that he will be able to do so though because he is already accustomed to that scenario on a weekly basis during league play.
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