*** OFFICIAL*** Minnesota Vikings offseason thread (6 Viewers)

[Jules Winnfield]

this is sweet revenge for sticking with a jerky like harvin who was trained to by the biggest jerky ever randy moss and brett john edwards part ii filanderer favre and canning chilly the family man because he would not get pushed around by the likes of those desparados from down under so once again like the old swcer says when you stick with chumps and can the good guys you get what you deserve in the end and watch when you do not trade him you just know he is going to have a bunch of waa waa headaches so he can not play and just make it miserable for everyone meanwhile chilly will be somewhere working hard for his family and doing it the right way well all minnesota can do is wish they have him back take that to the bank bass fishin brohans

Christ on a cracker son...wtf? Do you know what the . and the , keys are for?

 

[griff321]

Christ on a cracker son...wtf? Do you know what the . and the , keys are for?

I said the same thing at first. Try reading aloud his post verbatim and see how long it takes you to run out of breath. It's great fun and some of the best shtick in the pool.

 

[Faust]

Former Vikings GM Mike Lynn, in sweetheart deal, making millions of Metrodome

By Josh Katzowitz | NFL Blogger

When the Vikings move into their new stadium in 2016, at least one former Minnesota resident will miss the confines of the Metrodome. That's because he made a ton of money from a pretty sweet arrangement that's lasted the past 30 years and the past two decades since he left the team.

Make sure to check out this story from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, as author Brian Murphy tells the tale of how former general manager Mike Lynn continues to profit from the team, to the tune of millions of dollars, years after he left the organization.

As Murphy points out, Lynn is probably best remembered as the Vikings executive who dealt a rash of draft picks (seven) and five players to the Cowboys for the opportunity to employ running back Herschel Walker. Dallas went on to win three Super Bowls. Minnesota watched Walker gain less than 2,300 rushing yards in 42 games in parts of three seasons (he did score 20 touchdowns, though).

And while that deal didn't work out so well for Minnesota, Lynn made out fabulously when, early in his 15-year reign as the team's general manager, he negotiated a contract that gave him 10 percent of the luxury suites revenue for every event that occurs inside the Dome. That's not just football games, mind you. Any event that occurs pays him more money. Including University of Minnesota games, Twins games, high school contests, tractor pulls, concerts, etc.

The paper reports that Lynn has profited between $14 million and $20 million for the deal that began in 1982 -- and has continued the 22 years since he left the team. Until the Vikings take leave of the Metrodome after the 2014 season, Lynn will continue to earn between $750,000 and $1 million per year.

So, just how bad has this deal been for the Vikings (and conversely so damn good for Lynn)?

"It's one of the worst sports deals anybody ever did," Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based SportsCorp consulting firm, told the paper. "You can't have somebody taking 10 percent of significant revenue clubs do not have to share with the league. It's untenable and one of the contributing factors for why the Vikings have needed subsidies from teams all these years."

Lynn apparently was offered a buyout from the deal at least once. Not surprisingly, he turned down that offer.

Make sure to the rest of the story. It's an interesting and well-researched look at how sometimes the NFL owners are the ones who get screwed.

 

[Herb]

Former Vikings GM Mike Lynn, in sweetheart deal, making millions of Metrodome

By Josh Katzowitz | NFL Blogger

When the Vikings move into their new stadium in 2016, at least one former Minnesota resident will miss the confines of the Metrodome. That's because he made a ton of money from a pretty sweet arrangement that's lasted the past 30 years and the past two decades since he left the team.

Make sure to check out this story from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, as author Brian Murphy tells the tale of how former general manager Mike Lynn continues to profit from the team, to the tune of millions of dollars, years after he left the organization.

As Murphy points out, Lynn is probably best remembered as the Vikings executive who dealt a rash of draft picks (seven) and five players to the Cowboys for the opportunity to employ running back Herschel Walker. Dallas went on to win three Super Bowls. Minnesota watched Walker gain less than 2,300 rushing yards in 42 games in parts of three seasons (he did score 20 touchdowns, though).

And while that deal didn't work out so well for Minnesota, Lynn made out fabulously when, early in his 15-year reign as the team's general manager, he negotiated a contract that gave him 10 percent of the luxury suites revenue for every event that occurs inside the Dome. That's not just football games, mind you. Any event that occurs pays him more money. Including University of Minnesota games, Twins games, high school contests, tractor pulls, concerts, etc.

The paper reports that Lynn has profited between $14 million and $20 million for the deal that began in 1982 -- and has continued the 22 years since he left the team. Until the Vikings take leave of the Metrodome after the 2014 season, Lynn will continue to earn between $750,000 and $1 million per year.

So, just how bad has this deal been for the Vikings (and conversely so damn good for Lynn)?

"It's one of the worst sports deals anybody ever did," Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based SportsCorp consulting firm, told the paper. "You can't have somebody taking 10 percent of significant revenue clubs do not have to share with the league. It's untenable and one of the contributing factors for why the Vikings have needed subsidies from teams all these years."

Lynn apparently was offered a buyout from the deal at least once. Not surprisingly, he turned down that offer.

Make sure to the rest of the story. It's an interesting and well-researched look at how sometimes the NFL owners are the ones who get screwed.

Friggin' Mike Lynn... He certainly did everything in his power to tear down a team he originally did such a good job in building. I really hope that none of the people involved in securing this stadium (Bagley, Mondale, etc) get sweetheart deals like that.

 

[Faust]

Leslie Frazier: 'Very good chance' AP ready for opener

By Gregg Rosenthal

Around The League editor

There have been a lot of Adrian Peterson updates all offseason. At first, conventional wisdom said he wasn't likely to be ready for the season opener. Everyone is more optimistic now.

The reality is that we don't know when Peterson will be back. Here's what we do know, courtesy of Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier.

"I don't know if we'll put him on the practice field anytime soon when we get to Mankato," Frazier told Judd Zulgad on ESPN Radio. "But everything indicates there's a very good chance he may be ready for that Jacksonville game (the season opener.) We're still far enough out that you really can't say that right now."

Peterson is unlikely to practice to start training camp -- which could briefly put him on the physically unable to perform -- but that's a procedural move true of a lot of rehabbing players. The Vikings will carefully ramp up work to see if he can get ready for Week 1. Even if Peterson does play the opener, fantasy owners may not love how he's used.

Tom Pelissero wrote that Toby Gerhart is likely to carry the load early in the season even if Peterson is playing. The Vikings will be protective of their huge investment in Peterson. The hardest part for Frazier is holding Peterson back from doing too much, too fast.

"It's a challenge because he does things a little bit different," Frazier said. "When you compare him to other guys that have had ACL injuries, he's just so far ahead of where they would be at the same time."

Quotes like that make it easy to imagine Peterson taking snaps against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.

 

[SWC]

if they are crazy enough to rush ap back then they are nuts in the membrane insane in the brain because if you rush him back he will get hurt again and worse and it is not worth it let him heal and let ponder get another year under his belt and let the whole harven going crazy thing and getting traded drama mamma get over with and be good next year take that to the bank brohans from the crappy side of the big muddy

 

[Biabreakable]

if they are crazy enough to rush ap back then they are nuts in the membrane insane in the brain because if you rush him back he will get hurt again and worse and it is not worth it let him heal and let ponder get another year under his belt and let the whole harven going crazy thing and getting traded drama mamma get over with and be good next year take that to the bank brohans from the crappy side of the big muddy

Did you folks clean up your water there or something?

A recent study found almost 90 percent of storm water outfalls tested in Milwaukee contained human sewage. Almost a third were rated as contaminated at serious levels.

Researchers found bacteria specific only to people in storm water sampled over four years.

The tests do not react with fecal matter from other sources like animals such as dogs, said Sandra McLellan, associate professor and senior scientist at the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Beach clean-ups and high levels of E.coli – a bacterium present in feces – in storm water prompted this study, McLellan said.

She and her team work with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District to improve city sewage pipes.

“Their crew investigates these problems upstream and tries to pin-point where the exact problem is,” McLellan said.

The group also works with the Milwaukee Riverkeeper, local advocates for waterways, by sampling storm water outfalls from 10 and a half miles of the Menominee River, said Cheryl Nenn, the riverkeeper for that group.

Past studies have looked for fecal contamination and E.coli, a bacterium that could be attributed to different sources like raccoons and even waste left on pavement, Nenn said.

This study, however, proved the presence of bacteriodes – the indicator of human feces.

“Our study is a good screening method,” McLellan said.

Based on their results, city engineers added dye to sewage to see where it turned up in the storm water and smoke to the sewer system to check where it exited through leaks. They examined faulty pipes on mini cameras on wheels to locate the problems.

Other studies have come to similar conclusions.

A U.S. Geological Survey study conducted last year in Wisconsin investigated the source, transport and occurrence of human intestinal viruses in municipal well water.

“With viruses now understood to be in drinking water and causing illness, the question becomes what are the sources and how do they get into the wells?” Randall Hunt, a researcher at the U.S. Geological Survey, wrote in an email.

All the water samples, which tested positive for viruses, were also positive for the presence of wastewater, Hunt said.

Stormwater outfall in Milwaukee. Image: McLellan Lab, Great Lakes Water Institute.

Leaky sewage pipes are one source of entry for the viruses.

“It is a lot of detective work,” said Nenn. More research is needed.

“We have kids playing, people wading, kayaking and canoeing in the stream, where there is human sewage,” she said. “This is a problem we can solve, but there isn’t enough funding devoted to pipes.”

This problem is aging sewer systems dating to the early 1900s and that are not maintained. And it isn’t just in Milwaukee.

“We have failing pipes all over,” said Nenn.

U.S. Sen., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., recently awarded Lake Michigan a C for water quality because cities dumped 65 billion gallons of raw sewage into it last year, reported the Chicago Sun Times. He gave beach water quality a D. Kirk is pushing for a ban on sewage dumping in the lake.

A recent University of California study came to the same conclusions as McLellan’s group. They added dye to sewer pipes in the Santa Barbara, Calif. area and traced it to nearby storm drains.

The age of the sanitary sewer systems, their leakages and the short distances separating them from drinking water wells create public health risks, wrote Hunt.

McLellan hopes the study makes people willing to invest in sewer upgrades. Most people do not think about sewage pipes because they are underground, but these old pipes could lead to chronic and expensive problems, she said.

http://greatlakesecho.org/2011/08/16/leaky-pipes-researchers-finds-sewage-in-most-milwaukee-stormwater-discharges/

 

[SWC]

it is not the menominee it is the menomonee so your article is clearly about some other place and anyhow we do not drink the sewer water around here i guess that is what sets us apart from the twin s@#tties take that to the septic tank bank brohans

 

[mr roboto]

Oh SWC. How's the weed taste?

 

[Biabreakable]

it is not the menominee it is the menomonee so your article is clearly about some other place and anyhow we do not drink the sewer water around here i guess that is what sets us apart from the twin s@#tties take that to the septic tank bank brohans

I thought we were talking about football? But you go and throw the technical foul like this is basketball or something? I did not know you were so particular about proper spellings oh one with no vowels in their name.I will meditate on this proper spelling of menomonee and what you poor folks are drinking when I drop duces brah!

 

[SWC]

you guys are right i should have been more nice with my posts i like minnesota sort of even thogh i do not like the way you drive around too slow in the fast lane and i have been to your stadium and think it is a dump but for the most part you are good people like most people from the midwest are except cleveland which is a hell hole so take that to the bank brohans

 

[Faust]

Christian Ponder has grown, says Vikings QB coach

By Dan Hanzus

Writer

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder stepped in for Donovan McNabb last season and showed flashes of the ability that made him the 12th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Ponder wasn't without flaws -- no rookie QB is. While he displayed an NFL-type arm and good pocket presence, it he also struggled to read some defenses and go through his progressions properly.

Vikings quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson was still with the Tennessee Titans during Ponder's rookie season, but the coach believes the quarterback has already improved from his last game six months ago.

"I think there's no question, he's come light years," Johnson said, according to ESPN Twin Cities. "Obviously, getting a chance to work out a lot of the kinks, a lot of the problems that you find out as a young player, that's when you get a chance to work on them, is usually in the first offseason afterwards. Having been through this with a couple of other quarterbacks, I kind of know how it goes."

McNabb's ineffectiveness last season perhaps forced Minnesota's hand sooner than the Vikings would have liked. There's risk involved with putting a rookie under center before he's ready (see: Gabbert, Blaine), but Ponder showed enough last season for the team to be optimistic.

 

[Faust]

Toby Gerhart could spot Adrian Peterson for Vikings

By Dan Hanzus

Writer

As we count down the days to training camp, Around the League will examine one player from every team set for a breakout campaign in 2012. Next up: the Minnesota Vikings.

Toby Gerhart will help Vikings ease Adrian Peterson back into lineup

We continue to hear positive dispatches out of Minnesota regarding Adrian Peterson's quest to return for the season opener, but don't assume Peterson will immediately get back to being the stud we knew prior to his ugly knee injury.

Though a player of Peterson's stature very well could be an outlier, it's more likely it will take time for him to get back to something that resembles his old form. The Vikings will be sure to take precautions with their franchise star.

That will likely mean more opportunities for Toby Gerhart. Now entering his third year, Gerhart produced in Peterson's absence last season, finishing with 531 yards rushing on just 109 carries (4.9 yards per carry) to go with 23 receptions for 190 yards and three scores.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier made it clear during organized team activities that Gerhart isn't just an insurance policy in case Peterson suffers a setback.

"Before we send him home and come back to training camp, we'll give him a prescribed weight," Frazier said last month. "But we wanted to take a look at him at where he is right now and just see how it would affect his quickness. Because there's a very good chance he's going to have to really carry the load early on."

Gerhart isn't going to create a running-back controversy in Minnesota (do those exist?), but don't be shocked if he makes the most of the carries that will inevitably come off Peterson's plate.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Anyone think we give WR Josh Gordon a look in the Supplemental draft with our 3rd or 4th round pick?

 

[FunkyPlutos]

Anyone think we give WR Josh Gordon a look in the Supplemental draft with our 3rd or 4th round pick?

Through draft trades this past year, they have an extra fourth and an extra sixth already so I wouldn't be surprised if they put in a 4th - 6th round bid for him...

 

[Faust]

Percy Harvin a bargain for Minnesota Vikings

By Brian McIntyre

Around the League writer

"Around the League" is taking a look at each team's salary-cap situation heading into training camp. We continue with the Minnesota Vikings.

Adjusted cap number: $122.735 million

Cap room remaining: $10.52 million

Best bargain: Through his first three seasons in the NFL, Percy Harvin has 218 catches for 2,625 yards and 17 touchdowns. He notched a career-high 87 receptions for 967 yards despite playing in fewer than 60 percent of the Vikings' offensive snaps in 2011. Harvin is not happy with his limited role in the offense. He briefly demanded to be traded and hinted at dissatisfaction with his contract, but will reportedly show on time for training camp. Harvin should have a larger role in the offense this season, and with a $915,000 base salary and $2.043 million cap number, his production could make him one of the bigger bargains in the league.

Potential camp casualty: Normally, a 35-year-old cornerback coming off a season during which he missed 11 games with injury -- after missing significant portions of previous seasons with injuries -- wouldn't be long for a spot with a rebuilding team. But a lack of reliable options on the outside -- Chris Cook has battled injuries and off-the-field issues the last two seasons, Chris Carr started just one game for the 2011 Baltimore Ravens and Asher Allen abruptly retired -- means Antoine Winfield should be back and starting on the perimeter this season. It also helps that his base salary this season was reduced from $7 million to $3 million, likely ensuring his return.

Veteran wide receiver Michael Jenkins is coming off a knee injury and might not be a fit in the Vikings' long-term plans. With Percy Harvin, Jerome Simpson and a pair of fourth-round draft picks (Greg Childs, Jarius Wright) locks to make the team, Jenkins and his $2.5 million base salary could be deemed expendable.

Contract issue looming in 2013: Though he's not scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent until 2014, Harvin is expected to ramp up his pursuit of a new contract next offseason. Around the League has already pointed out that Harvin's current base salary of $1.55 million in 2013 could increase to as much as $3,343,750 by the time the new league year begins, (though that sum would, a source with knowledge of his contract points out, decrease by $72,500 if Harvin skips the offseason workouts). The Vikings have some leverage over Harvin, as the club could control him through the 2014 season, thanks to the franchise tag. The tag for a receiver is projected to be worth $10.062 million that season (provided the salary cap remains flat).

 

[The Gatekeeper]

What's the hold up on Kalil getting signed? I thought after Luck and Griffin signed it would be a domino effect and he would be signed by now. Last thing we need is a training camp holdout situation.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Well Richardson got signed today so maybe tomorrow will be the day for Kalil.

 

[Faust]

Vikings impact players to watch

By Joe Oberle | CBSSports.com

After the 3-13 debacle last season, the Vikings are overhauling their lineup -- they (and their fans) won't be satisfied with more of the same in 2012 -- despite it being excused by rebuilding. Several young players need to make significant contributions for the team to improve on its record this season.

QB Christian Ponder will be trying to live up to one coach's plaudit that he has progressed “light years” from year one. He's had a full offseason, has been the given the starting job and acquired some new offensive weapons. It's on him to make a huge leap forward in leadership, execution and wins.

Rookie K Blair Walsh, with no competition in camp, is attempting to rebound from a down season at Georgia in 2011. Walsh doesn't want to struggle and necessitate any mid-season calls to a Florida golf course for former Vikings K Ryan Longwell.

With the departure of DT Remi Ayodele, who will stop the run alongside DT Kevin Williams? Will it be Letroy Guion, Fred Evans or is second-year player Christian Ballard ready to contribute? The opportunity is clearly there for someone to make a move.

Where will the versatile and talented DL Everson Griffen (who saw reps at LB during the OTAs) end up? Will he back up the defensive line, push the starting LBs for playing time or take more reps as the gunner on kick returns? The coaching staff is intent upon getting him on the field.

How will Adrian Peterson look in camp? Will he be ready for Week 1, or will backup Toby Gerhart -- who showed off a new, bulked up physique at OTAs -- make a big early move? If he does, Gerhart can make the coaches' decision of sitting Peterson until he's 100 percent healthy an easy one.

LT Matt Kalil came out of college after his junior year and, once he's signed, will jump right into the fray in training camp, having to block DE Jared Allen in practice. His abilities and readiness (or lack thereof) will be on display early, and the assignment of blocking Allen will surely help him get up to speed in the NFL.

Second-year man Kyle Rudolph and newly signed free agent John Carlson are QB Ponder's pass-catching TEs, but the FB/HB/blocking TE role vacated by retired Jimmy Kleinsasser is up for grabs. Ryan D'Imperio saw work at fullback last season, but the team drafted USC FB/TE Rhett Ellison to challenge for the spot. They also signed journeyman Jerome Felton, but Felton muddied the waters by getting arrested for a DUI during OTAs. Whoever gets the job has Kleinsasser's huge shoes to fill.

CB Chris Cook's time to shine has arrived. Veteran Antoine Winfield will land either a CB or nickel spot, and the 35-year-old Winfield (coming off a broken clavicle) must stay healthy and productive. But Cook (with two seasons of unfulfilled promise thanks to injury and off-field issues under his belt) must regain the trust of his teammates and lock down a starting CB position. Rookie Josh Robinson , a third-round pick with plenty of speed, and free-agent signees Chris Carr (Ravens) and Zack Bowman(Bears) will battle for a spot. Robinson, will likely learn the ropes while deferring to the vets, but it might be Cook's last chance to restart his NFL career.

By not resigning free agent E.J. Henderson, the Vikings will have a new starting MLB for the first time since 2004, and Jasper Brinkley is slated to be the player. But Brinkley, who missed all of last season after undergoing hip surgery, has been slow to secure the position due to a groin injury and perhaps lingering hip issues. He missed many OTA reps, but announced on Twitter recently “It has been a while but I'm ready.” Those lining up to challenge Brinkley include rookie Audie Cole, hard-hitting former CFL player Solomon Elimimian and free agent Marvin Mitchell. It's Brinkley's job to lose, but depth at LB will be key given his recent health.