Vikings Draft Options

So the 2012 NFL Draft is slowly approaching, and the Vikes have the 3rd pick overall. We got a lot of holes to fill, so this year's draft is crucial. Here are a few guys that I really like, and I'd love to see the Vikes take a chance with them:

Morris Claiborne - CB, LSU
 Everybody knows who Morris Claiborne is in this draft. I'd love to see the Vikes go after him with the 3rd pick. As crucial as a left tackle is for our young quarterback, the Vikes need a ton of help at cornerback. I think Claiborne is gonna be one of the best corners in the NFL eventually. Plus, in a division that we have to take on Calvin Johnson, Greg Jennings, and Brandon Marshall... we're gonna need a shutdown corner. There is no way we can survive with the secondary we have now, and it's time to bring in the young guys. I wouldn't be disappointed with Kalil or Blackmon at all, though. All three of these guys have top talent and I think will all be great athletes in their career.

Harrison Smith - S, Notre Dame
Second round and I think the Vikes should go with some more defensive backs. Harrison Smith is a bright kid who has proven to be a great football player. The guy had three picks in his bowl game and solidified himself as a great draft prospect. I'm just hoping he can fall to us in the second round. It's gonna be a crazy draft, so who knows where he could land. I think if he's available to the Vikes in the second round we should go with him. Again, in a division with probably the best receivers in the NFL, we gotta beef up that secondary and try to slow down these passing threats. Harrison Smith at safety would be a solid pick here.


Mohamed Sanu - WR, Rutgers
I have discussed this guy over the last few months with a lot of people. Nobody thinks he will be an all-star but they can't disagree with his athletic ability. I don't think he'll be an amazing game-changing guy, but that isn't what the Vikes need on offense. Ponder just needs another target. We have been talking to former Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson, which would be a nice signing, but if we don't get him, we're gonna need to find someone. I think Sanu could turn out to be better than expected. He's got a lot of raw talent which can easily be molded into some skills in the NFL. I'd love to see the Vikes snag him if he drops to the third round.


Kirk Cousins - QB, Michigan State
I have probably been the biggest supporter of Kirk Cousins over the last few weeks. I have seen this guy's highlights, and I really have no idea how he is not a guaranteed first round pick. Can anyone tell me what is wrong with this guy?? Really, I have no idea... please help me figure this out. I actually think he is the third best QB behind Luck and RGIII. I don't know why everyone is talking about Tannehill. Cousins is gonna be a great quarterback, and even though the Vikes have Ponder, there is high value in this pick. If anything happened to Ponder, or maybe he just didn't turn out how we'd hoped, Cousins could be a tremendous insurance quarterback. He is someone who clearly understands the game and his position.

Doug Martin - RB, Boise State
The Vikes don't really need a runningback, after we signed like 3 free agents this offseason, but Martin wouldn't hurt. He's a young guy with some speed. He's just an all-around great runningback. I would go to high on him, but if he's a fourth round option, I would like to see us take a chance. There are far too many position players I have been looking at for the Vikings, but I think these might be good options. If Peterson and Gerhart continue to struggle with injuries, Martin would be a nice fill in alongside some of the other guys we have signed, such as Lex Hilliard and Jordan Todman. I'd like to see us find a back somewhere in this draft, even if it is the late rounds.


Markus Zusevics - OT, Iowa
Here's a big boy that would be a good draft pick for the Vikes. He's got good size and strength and would be a solid fourth or fifth round pick. He has been overshadowed by the guy on the other side of the line, Riley Reiff. The Vikes obviously need some work up front on the line, especially with the departures of Anthony Herrera and Steve Hutchinson. Zusevics is a guy that I think we can develop into a starter, either as a tackle or a guard. From what I've read, he seems to be pretty underrated, and he's a good kid with a lot of upside. Here's my offensive line suggestion for the Vikes.


Jaquies Smith - OLB, Missouri
This guy is pretty much a monster. He's a little undersized, but he plays big. Another guy that has been overshadowed by a stud who played in front of him. Last year Aldon Smith (who had an amazing rookie season) was the guy that silenced the skills of Jaquies Smith. I think this guy will go late and he will be a good pick for whoever gets him. Hey, the Vikes could use a little help at linebacker... let's try him out and see how it works. I think we will be hearing Jaquies Smith's name as an impact defender in the NFL in the near future.



Keshawn Martin - WR, Michigan State
Here's another guy I've been high on for a while. I don't know what it is that impresses me so much with these Michigan State guys... I think Keshawn Martin is highly underrated. He was an impact performer who was always a go-to-guy in the final minutes. On the other side B.J. Cunningham was getting all the attention, yet it seemed like nobody could keep up with Martin. Cousins said that Martin was gonna be a surprised to a lot of people, and I agree with him. Huge upside with this pick, and I think we can get him on a last day pick. He'll be a steal wherever he goes.


Dale Moss - WR, South Dakota State
Ok, this is a homer pick. Gotta go with the South Dakota guy in round seven. I got to see this guy play football and basketball against my high school, so it would only be awesome to see him play for the Vikings. I don't know how great he'll be, but we might as well take a chance. From what I've heard, he's an extremely athletic kid. Also, he has a lot of size and speed. That's a pretty good combo for a wide receiver. Best of luck to Dale in his professional football career.

Well, the Twins Suck

The Twins are off to a 0-4 start in which they haven't held a lead. They lost 3 in Baltimore, and yesterday got off to a bad start against the Angels, losing 5-1. They play the Angels again tomorrow. I didn't expect them to be a great team this year, but come on guys. Mauer is getting paid $23 million to hit under.100 thus far. Our hitting is awful. I don't think we're gonna even win a game this year... (at this pace we won't)
But in all honesty, can't wait to hit up some games at Target Field. Even if we stink this year it will be fun to get to watch. I think the Angels are gonna be the team to beat this year. They look really good, and I'll probably end up rooting for them toward the end of the season. I'm glad we finally got some baseball, since I'm kinda sick of basketball and the Wolves (who have lost 6 straight now). Good work Minnesota! (not).

Timberwolves Are Pretty Much Done

The Wolves are now 3 and a half games out of 8th place in the Western Conference. In a battle with four other teams, and falling far behind, I don't think they can make it. They were awesome at the beginning of the season and I gotta salute them for trying, but I just can't see them making the playoffs right now. Hopefully this is the greatest obvious jinx attempt ever though... With the loss of Ricky Rubio, and later the loss of Nikola Pekovic, the Wolves have not bounced back to the team they were before. But how can you do that without two of your three best players? Not possible.... They got the Kings tonight, so hopefully we can just scrap up some of these wins against bad teams. Still a big Wolves fan and I'm happy that we've changed the atmosphere here in Minnesota.

Vikings New Stadium Plan

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton along with Vikings owner Zygi Wilf proposed the plan for the new stadium in Minneapolis yesterday. This is huge news for Vikes fans, as it means the we'll have a good chance of keeping the team here in Minnesota for a long time.
The stadium proposed would go over where the Metrodome is at right now and open up a lot of room for parking and tailgaiting. The central location is perfect for getting this deal done, as it is a good place for fans to come and a prime spot for lawmakers who think this stadium will benefit the economy. This also keeps the stadium right next to the light rail, making it much easier to get to and from games. The new dome has been predicted to be a more "playful version of Lucas Oil Stadium", which is where the Indianapolis Colts play right now. It would have a fixed dome, which is cheaper and better for a Minneapolis climate anyway. Architects want to design a stadium that would represent the downtown district well, most likely playing off what the Twins have done with Target Field, which has been very well-liked by many baseball fans around the country. Above is probably a good representation of what the finished stadium would look like, but it's still very early to tell.
This is huge for Vikings fans and the city of Minneapolis. Minneapolis has been known for having a great downtown zone with all of our great buildings, such as the Guthrie Theatre, Gold Medal Park, Target Field, and everything in the Mill City District. Even for those who don't like football, I think this stadium is gonna be something that people in Minneapolis really appreciate for many years. As you can probably tell, I'm really excited about this deal, and I'm glad a deal finally got done!

Joel Zumaya Out for Season

Twins new pitcher Joel Zumaya will be out for the season with a torn elbow ligament. He tore his UCL to be exact, which is very heartbreaking, and tough to make it back from as a pitcher. Twins fans were really looking forward to seeing Zumaya play this year, as he has a crazy awesome fastball that would have really helped the Twinkies pitching staff. Looks like Minny is gonna need to pick up a new guy or bring up someone from the minors. This is a sucky time for Twins fans, as Justin Morneau has also been having problems with his injury. We're really hoping that Joe Mauer can stay healthy this year as well. Here's what infielder Luke Hughes had to say about the situation:

Luke Hughes ‏ @lukehughes38

Sad day in Twins camp today with Joel Zumaya finding out he has a torn UCL.

All-Star Snub: Ricky Rubio

Why isn't Ricky Rubio an All-Star? Can you say snub?? Yeah dude, this guy is awesome and is gonna get rookie of the year. He is 3rd in the NBA in assists! How does he not make it?? You are funkin' high! That's all I have to say about that...
At least Rubio and Derrick Williams will be playing in the Rookie-Sophomore game before the All-Star game. Hopefully we'll see him a lot over the All-Star break. I think Rubio would definitely be a great candidate for the Skills Challenge. Right now I'm just excited to see him take on Jeremy Lin tonight. Should be an awesome matchup.

Vikings Draft Prospects

So what are the Vikes gonna do in the draft this year? I have no freakin' clue, but I have some ideas. We have a lot of holes to fill, so anyone would help right now. This also one of the more talented drafts in my opinion. Here are the guys that I would love to see playing in purple next year:
1) Matt Kalil - OT, USC
Kalil is huge dude and he knows how to block defenders. He is especially good pass blocker, which is exactly what we need in Minnesota. Ponder is gonna need a lot of protection in his second year, especially since we have some injuries to our backfield. I hope we can also grab a receiver in the later rounds to really build this offense around Ponder. That is a key issue for the Vikes this year, so I think Kalil is the best pick at this spot.
2) Morris Claiborne - CB, LSU
This might be the best player in the draft right here, which is why it is very difficult to pass on Claiborne. He can just flat out defend and he has great size. He has awesome awareness and can catch to make big plays. I definitely think this guy is gonna be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL at some point in his career. He is gonna be able to take on any receiver. There wasn't a single guy that could beat Claiborne in college so he has proven he is ready for the next level. I'd love to see the Vikings grab Claiborne here as well, as we need a lot of help in our secondary. He would be a huge addition to our defense.
3) Justin Blackmon - WR, Oklahoma St.
I think St. Louis will probably be taking Blackmon with the second overall pick, but if not, maybe the Vikes will take a chance on him. I don't think he is going to be anything fantastic, but he definitely has the skills to make it in the NFL. His speed is one of the main attributes that will help him to succeed as a pro. I don't think the Vikes will have a chance at him, but you never know. He would also be a big factor to help out Ponder and the rest of our offense.

Niko Pekovic

Nikola Pekovic has been a boss lately for the Wolves, putting up a couple 20 point games lately. Recently, he destroyed Kris Humphries and the Nets, and last night had another huge game against the Kings. It really helps having him in there with the absence of Kevin Love, because he is playing out of his mind right now. I hope we can keep Pek around for a while because he is a huge fan favorite in Minnesota. We'll be cheering for him again tonight as the Wolves go to Memphis to take on Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies.

Where is Anthony Randolph?

I have a problem right now... Anthony Randolph is not playing as much as he should. Is he injured? I haven't heard anything. Discipline? I haven't heard any of that either. All I know is that he came in that Lakers game at the end of the third quarter for the first time and totally changed the game. Where was he against the Pacers last night late in the game? The guy is a total game changer, and I think the Wolves gotta use him more. I'm a huge fan of Rick Adelman, but he's gotta learn how to use his players a little better. I don't what the deal is. I would also like to see a little bit more of Anthony Tolliver, who always seems to hit a big shot or play some good defense in every game. He's had his ups and downs, but at least throw him in there and see what he can do. Where are the Anthonys?? We played a horrible game against the Pacers last night, but we will bounce back this weekend as the Wolves play the Nets and the Rockets. We gotta get back to .500, because I think this team has the potential to be a solid playoff team. Let's go Wolves.

Kevin Love is a Boss

Kevin Love is my boy! Wolves beat Clippers 101-98 last night, and they are getting ready to take on the Utah Jazz tonight. Wolves had to make a comeback in last night's game, but they were able to come together and play some great defense in the second half. Darko had a huge game also with 22 points, and he even swatted Blake Griffin a few times. Just a great game all around, and Love really stepped up. Here's his tweet after the game:

@kevinloveKevin Love I appreciate the love! Felt great to get that win.