A performance the Vikings draft experts can’t afford to repeat is 2005. The Vikings chose wide receiver Troy Williamson (No. 7) and defensive end Erasmus James (No. 18) in the first round. Then they selected guard Marcus Johnson with the No. 49 selection on the second round. None of the three contributed. That was prior to vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman joining the Vikings in 2006.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Arizona draft a wide receiver in the early rounds with Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald Jr. having only one year remaining on his contract with the Cardinals. Even if Sidney Rice makes a contractual commitment to the Vikings in the offseason, the franchise needs more playmakers at wide receiver. Would Fitzgerald, a former Vikings ball boy, want to come home?
Gophers’ senior associate athletics director Marc Ryan, who has administrative responsibilities for football, was impressed with new coach Jerry Kill and his experienced staff during spring practices.
“How that adds up in wins and losses…looking at the 2011 season, (I) can’t predict how that will shake out. Without question I think we’ll be an extremely well coached football team,” Ryan said.
Ryan said the Gophers will receive $400,000 for playing USC in Los Angeles in their opening game on September 3. Minnesota paid the Trojans the same amount for a visit here last September.
Kill is in Brainerd tomorrow for an Elks Lodge fundraiser benefitting youth programs.
A Gophers fan said he wants to see Minnesota play at UCLA. Why? He could say he saw Minnesota in the Rose Bowl (UCLA’s regular season home field).