Archive for the ‘Minnesota Vikings’ Category

Next Thursday you’ll hear the words “there’s been a trade”. You’ll look away from your beer soaked pretzels (or your pretzel soaked beer) to remind yourself who’s currently on the clock, and who were the prospects widely projected to come off the board in that slot. You’ll identify the motivation for a trade back by the team involved (poor value? a need that can be addressed later? a player in high demand, and an auction is essentially taking place?), and who the trade partner will be.

Or maybe only us writer and nerdy mother’s basement dwelling types do that, because we’re just the coolest. But rest assured that you’ll hear those words several times next Thursday, as there will be multiple early hot spots for trading activity, and a few playoff teams at the back of the round looking to move up and address significant needs.

The Falcons are likely one of them, since drafting either an elite tight end or cornerback will be difficult at No. 30, when guys named Tyler Eifert and Desmond Trufant are long gone. Now, another team has possibly surfaced to entertain us with their bartering.

Enter the Minnesota Vikings.

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Even after the addition of Greg Jennings, this man still needs help.

Christian Ponder had a fast, versatile, and young top receiver at his disposal when Percy Harvin was healthy. Now he’s been traded, and replaced by a slower, older, and far less versatile receiver.

Greg Jennings will do fine things in Minnesota. Wonderful things even, but he’s not nearly the vertical threat that Harvin was, as Jennings primarily excels on intermediate routes. That may actually be good since Ponder in turn often excels while throwing an abundance of short throws.

But stretching the field is a requirement to both win football games, and to continue Ponder’s development towards being a more dynamic passer. To do that, a field stretcher is needed in the first round.

The Vikings have multiple needs to address early, though, which is why their multiple picks in the opening round (23rd and 25th overall) after the Harvin trade are pretty convenient. Along with St. Louis, the Vikings are one of the two teams with two first-round picks.

So which wide receiver is best suited to replace Percy Harvin by being the next Percy Harvin? I asked that question, and Ted Glover from the Daily Norseman answered. And then he answered four more.

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