Terrell Suggs Tears Achilles Tendon

Ravens' linebacker Terrell Suggs will likely miss the entire 2012-2013 NFL season with a torn Achilles tendon in his right leg. This is a huge blow to the Baltimore Ravens, as Suggs may be the best player on that defense (alongside guys like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Haloti Ngata). Ball So Hard University is in deep trouble as their most famous alum is off the field.
I don't wanna say this ends playoff hopes for the Ravens, but this guy is the NFL Defensive Player of the Year from a year ago. This is huge. I don't think this Baltimore defense will be the same without him, and fans will be surprised by how much worse they could be... Good thing they were able to get Courtney Upshaw in this year's draft.
Suggs seems to think he will be back by mid-season, which is very hopeful for Ravens fans. We'll see how this turns out for their future, and good luck to Suggs in his recovery.

Junior Seau Dead at 43

Junior Seau has reportedly died of a gunshot wound to the chest today. Investigators right now believe that Seau committed suicide. A sad day all around the sports world, as Seau was one of the best players in NFL History. He retired in 2009 after a season with the Patriots. Seau is leaving behind a wife and three kids. Thoughts and prayers of many are with them as they deal with this unfortunate loss. RIP Junior.

NFL Draft: Round 1 Recap

As expected, the NFL Draft was freakin' awesome in round one! I love watching the Draft every year. It's so awesome to see these guys get drafted and have their dreams come true. This year is especially fun since the Vikes drafted early. As expected, Andrew Luck went number one, followed by Robert Griffin III at two were the first two picks. After trading to the Browns, who took Trent Richardson with the third pick, the Vikes grabbed big offensive tackle Matt Kalil from USC. This dude is a total beast, and I can't wait to see him blocking for Adrian and keeping Ponder safe all year.
There were a few strange picks as well. I definitely was not expecting Seattle to take Bruce Irvin with that high of a pick at 15. Also I thought Shea McClellin went to high at 19 to Chicago. The best part of the draft to me was at pick number 29. The Vikings trade up and take probably my favorite guy in the draft: Harrison Smith. The safety from Notre Dame was a four-year starter, and the only player to record 200+ tackles in his career at ND. Not to mention the guy is also a ball hawk and finished with seven interceptions last year. Can't wait to see this kid play.
There is more Draft tomorrow starting at 6pm. I am definitely ready for a weekend full of this. No plans for the weekend, but chillin' and watching the draft. I'd love to see the Vikes take Brandon Boykin from Georgia with that 3rd rounder tomorrow. I think he will definitely be a good choice. We'll see what we can get though!

Mrs. Irrelevant?

Damn... Good luck to Mr. Irrelevant I guess....

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.

Nike Unveils New NFL Uniforms Today

Nike is presenting each team with their new uniforms shortly. I'm surprised nobody has really been talking about this, because I'm thinking we're gonna see a lot of changes. So far, I've heard the Panthers have black helmets, and the Redskins have made a lot of changes to their uniforms. I have also read through Twitter that the Seahawks either have SICK jerseys (via Jermichael Finley) or UGLY (via Kevin Seifert). Either way, should be fun to see what every team will be sportin' this year. Percy Harvin is the Vikes' representative and I hope he's stylin' today.

Tim Tebow EXCITED to be a New York Jet

This is just too funny. I love Tim Tebow, but you gotta poke fun at him every once in a while. He is so cheesy when he does press conferences. Here he tells the media how excited he is. He doesn't just tell them once... or twice... or thrice. He tells them that he is excited 45 TIMES! Good work Teebs, good luck in New York.

Bill Parcells - Next Coach in New Orleans?

Bill Parcells could be exactly what Sean Payton needs right now. While Payton will miss the entire season with his recent suspension, he need someone to fill in for the head coaching position in New Orleans. He reached out to his mentor Bill Parcells this week, which could be huge for the Saints. Parcells could keep the Saints alive this season, while not threatening Sean Payton's job. Or so some people think....
I think Parcells is a great coach. That's why I think this would be a bad decision for him. He doesn't wanna take a job for one year unless he really thinks this could be a year to take a team to the Super Bowl. The Saints are a great team, but I just don't think they can make it with Parcells as the coach. Sean Payton has built an amazing offensive system, and I don't think Parcells can come in and take over there. That's just my opinion on the matter, we'll have to see how this ends up...

Tebow News Conference as a Jet

Tebow was officially welcomed to New York today as a member of the Jets. I just loved seeing bits of this press conference (as I was in class and couldn't watch the whole thing). He's such a classy guy and a fun player to watch. I liked a lot of responses he had to the questions he was asked. He avoided going into his faith, as he said the conference was about the Jets. He also said he is not a wildcat package player in the NFL. Both kinda cool answers. Plus he just had the cheesiest smile the whole time, which is classic Tim Tebow. Best of luck to the Jets and Tebow this year. Here's a kinda catchy tune I found while browsing YouTube today. Hope you enjoy!

Matt Forte Is Gonna Leave Chicago

The Bears signed running back Michael Bush today to backup Matt Forte. Bush signed a deal worth $14 million over 4 years. This is about equal to the contract that Forte has right now under his franchise tag. Here's what Forte had to say about it over Twitter:

Matt Forte ‏ @MattForte22

There's only so many times a man that has done everything he's been asked to do can be disrespected! Guess the GOOD GUYS do finish last....

Matt Forte ‏ @MattForte22

for the record I'm not mad at the signing of another running back. This is 4th time that's happened. I embrace competition as well as help

Matt Forte ‏ @MattForte22

But as for not taking care of ur own and undervaluing a player under his market value is another story! #twitterrant

Matt Forte ‏ @MattForte22

Just Keeping it real...hate it or love it

Forte has every right to be mad about this situation. He has easily been the biggest offensive weapon on the Bears for the past 4 or 5 years. He has proven that he is one of the most, if not the most, talented running backs in the league. Last year he made the Pro-Bowl. And what does he get for it?? He gets paid the same as a below average running back. I think Forte is definitely gonna want out of Chicago. They are just straight up disrespecting him, and I think he needs to find a better team. He could really be the missing piece for a lot of teams. But like he said, he's a nice guy. I just hope he isn't too nice to actually get what he deserves. Good luck to Matt Forte in finding what you need man!

Saints Penalized for Bounty

Yesterday Commissioner Roger Goodell came down on the Saints with the largest punishment in league history. This included a year-long suspension of head coach Sean Payton, a 8-game suspension of GM Mickey Loomis, a 6-game suspension of assistant coach Joe Vitt, and a half-million dollar fine. On top of that there will be an indefinite suspension to defensive coordinator Gregg Williams decided after this season. There will also be player suspensions and fines to go along with that.
This was such a huge punishment that is definitely deserved. Many people have criticized Goodell for being to hard on the Saints organization, but I feel he did the right thing, maybe not even enough. His main goal in this situation is to guarantee the league that there will be no more bounties. If that's the case you need to come down super hard on the offending team. You need to make other teams see that this will not be tolerated in any way. The health and safety of players should come first.
And for anyone who thinks he did come down to hard on the Saints, I hope you all realize that they were trying to knock guys out and hurt them. They were trying to end their game, their season, and their career. These are humans with families, and this is how they make money to put on the table. I think people need to realize what is happening here, and know that you can't over-penalize a team enough for doing something like this.

Tebow to the Jets

Tim Tebow has been traded to the New York Jets for a 4th round pick in this year's draft. This is an interesting trade, as it means Tebow will be playing under raunchy, but hilarious, head coach Rex Ryan. I think the Jets robbed the Broncos in this trade, as Tebow as shown to be a great football player and a great leader in the NFL. I'm really hoping Tebow will get a shot on the field this year, even as just a specialty package guy. I think Mark Sanchez probably has some of the lowest confidence in the NFL, which could be crucial in helping Tebow to earn that starting job at some point.
I can't hate on the Broncos, because they have Peyton Manning. I certainly hope there is some way that the Broncos will regret trading Tebow, because he is certainly a good football player. Best of luck to Tim and the Jets this year, as well as Peyton and the Broncos.

Peyton Manning to the Broncos

Peyton Manning will be a Denver Bronco this fall, as he announced today that he wants to play under John Elway. It sucks because I'm a huge Tebow fan, but I really like Manning, so I don't really know how to feel about this. I hope Tebow can sit a few years under Manning and learn from one of the best in the game. I'd love to see Tebow come back with more skills and the same passion for the game.
Manning will most likely be seeing a five-year contract with the Broncos which means he will finish his career in Denver. I hope he has a great end to an awesome career, and I can't wait to see how the Broncos will do with that defense and possibly a great offense. Should be a fun team to watch this season.

Free Agency Update

 

Free Agency began in the NFL yesterday afternoon, and it was a pretty wild day. To kick things off, the Bears made a trade in which they received Brandon Marshall for two third-round picks. He will be the top target in Chicago and should be fun to watch now that he has Cutler back throwing to him. The Bears also were able to snag Jason Campbell out of free agency, so there will be no more going back to Caleb Hanie.
One of the biggest signings was Vincent Jackson, who signed in Tampa Bay early yesterday. We knew they would be going after a receiver at some point and Jackson will really help that offense. The Bucs also spent big money on the offensive line, as Carl Nicks joined the team last night. He's probably the best lineman that was on the board, so that is huge. They also signed CB Eric Wright to a five-year deal. Tampa is really spending the money they need to become a great team in the NFL.
There were a few more big receiver signings as well. Reggie Wayne is gonna go back to Indy, which definitely surprised a lot of people. I think everyone pretty much thought he would follow Manning wherever he went, but I think it's kinda cool that he wants to finish where he started. The other former Colts receiver signed a big five-year contract in Washington to play with the Redskins yesterday too. The Skins also signed Josh Morgan and plan to sign Eddie Royal as well. They are really diggin' those receivers for the arrival of Robert Griffin III. The Patriots also plan on signing Brandon Lloyd soon.
Cortland Finnegan got a big contract from the St. Louis Rams yesterday as he reunites with his old coach, Jeff Fisher. Finnegan is one of the top defensive players, and probably the most valuable defensive back. There is also Brandon Carr, who could sign in Dallas soon. The Bills may sign Mario Williams, who is the best defensive player out there right now. They have a contract ready for him that would make him the highest paid defensive player in NFL history. I don't know how you wouldn't sign that...

Overall it has been very interesting. I'll probably make more updates as the free agency period continues, because I would like to see where Matt Flynn, Eric Winston, LaRon Landry, and of course, Peyton Manning end up. It should be a fun week in football.

Randy Moss Signs with Niners

One of my favorite NFL players of all-time is back in the league officially today. Randy Moss signed a one year deal with the San Francisco 49ers today. I think this is a huge signing for the Niners, especially with the year they had last year. Reports were that Moss looked "like the old Randy" in his tryouts with the team. If San Fran can sign Alex Smith back they are gonna be a team to look out for. I think Jim Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in the NFL, and I think they are gonna be a pretty kick ass team this year. Look for that downfield passing game with verticle threats like Moss, Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree. I wish the best of luck to Randy and the Niners this season.

Peyton Manning to be Released

It has just been announced that Peyton Manning will be released by the Indianapolis Colts tomorrow. After 15 years in the league as a Colt, Manning will find a new home next fall. The team is cutting Manning to avoid a $28 million cap hit, making him the most coveted free agent since Reggie White. Manning has been the face of this Colts franchise since his rookie year in the league. Sad day to see Manning leave his team that he basically built. I'm hoping he ends up in a good place where he can finish his great career. I'm thinking he will get offers from Washington, Cleveland, and the New York Jets. Wherever he goes, I'm sure he'll be great, because he is just a great player and a great leader.
This most certainly means that Andrew Luck will be in Indianapolis next season. I would be surprised if the Colts went with anyone different. I don't know how great this will be for Luck however. With Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon potentially leaving Indy, there are not gonna be a lot of weapons for Luck to go to. I wouldn't expect Luck to get far next season, but hopefully that doesn't slow him down. I think he'll be an amazing quarterback in the future. He could even be the next Peyton Manning.

Stevie Johnson Re-Signs with Bills

 


The Bills wrapped up receiver Stevie Johnson for five more years worth $36.25 million, $19 million of which is guaranteed. This is a huge signing for the Bills as they will hold on to their number one target for a while. It's an even better deal for Stevie Johnson who will keep his job as the number one target and get paid some big bucks. I was hoping that the Vikes would close in on Johnson over the free agency period, but I guess that won't be happening. Good luck to Stevie in Buffalo! Here's what he said on Twitter about his quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, who shaved his hair in honor of Stevie getting signed. Look at that picture!

Stevie Johnson ‏ @StevieJohnson13

My man Fitzmagic came thru for me & all of you. Had to sign...check it out. 13 isn't anything w/out14, now you see whypic.twitter.com/lIJMmAh3

Saints Organized Bounty

I'm sure everybody has heard the news of the New Orleans Saints bounty to injure opposing players, administered by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. This is particularly interesting to Vikings fans, such as myself, as well as Cardinals fans. Everyone saw the dirty hits the Saints laid out on Kurt Warner in the NFC Divisional Playoffs in 2009. Then Brett Favre took those dirty hits the next week in the conference championship. I'm sure it is likely that other teams have bounties in the NFL, but this is the only one I'm hearing of, other than that in Washington where Gregg Williams was also coaching...
I think there needs to be major punishment to this team and especially the coaches and players involved. Anyone who is purposely trying to hurt players deserves nothing less than a big fine and suspension. I would hope that Gregg Williams gets suspended for the season, as well as some of those guys who were leading the charge.
Of course Darren Sharper denied the allegations that there was a $10,000 bounty to knock out Favre in the championship game. But looking back it is pretty obvious that they were trying to kill the guy... I gotta give some credit to Favre for sticking in that game and playing the whole thing. He showed just how tough it is to knock out the Ironman of the NFL. Even $10,000 couldn't take out Favre. Heres how Percy Harvin responded on Twitter the other day...

Percy Harvin ‏ @Percy_Harvin

I hope what I'm hearing on this bounty program saints had on my man Brett ain't true

NFL Scouting Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine starts tomorrow, and this is one of the greatest moments of the offseason. I love watching to see how players perform in this, because it can really bring value to a lot of guys. I'm looking forward to watching Morris Claiborne, Justin Blackmon, and Vontaze Burfict as players to have monster days showing off to scouts. Should be really interesting and I will probably have a follow-up post to talk about some guys that have great days at the combine. Make sure to watch it live on NFL.com!

2nd Round Draft Prediction: Mohamed Sanu to the Vikings?

I haven't done as much draft research as I need to be doing, but I have found a few guys that I think could be big names in the NFL. Last week I discussed the first round options for the Vikes with their 3rd overall pick. I think I've come to the conclusion that Morris Claiborne is the best pick at that spot, but I wouldn't mind drafting Matt Kalil there either.
Then there is discussion of who the Vikes take in the second round. With the 35th overall pick, I wouldn't mind, and it wouldn't surprise me, if we went after a receiver. I don't think our receivers are too bad right now, but after seeing the highlights and the stats that this guy put up, I would love it if we took Mohamed Sanu right here. This guy is insanely athletic and catches anything thrown his way. In fact, the most surprising thing to me in mock drafts is that this guy isn't a top 20 pick. Is there something I'm missing here??
Sanu led Rutgers last year with 115 catches for 1206 yards and seven touchdowns. And at 6'2" with 215 lbs, the dude has some pretty good size. He is a tremendous blocker which is a huge positive for a receiver these days. He has a lot of raw talent, and I've read that he needs to work on his route running techniques, but other than that he seems to be an all-around good football player. Everywhere I've read that he is very coachable and a really smart kid. I just don't know how he isn't considered a higher pick! Maybe the combine will change people's minds, but if not, I really hope the Vikes can snag this guy at 35th. I really can't wait to look back on this post in a few years and see if I was correct with this prediction. Mohamed Sanu is a beast! Here's a quick highlight vid: