Category: Vikings

 

Anyone who claims to know for certain who the Vikings will draft first next week is hallucinating.

The Vikings have eight picks in the NFL Draft next Thursday, Friday and Saturday including the No. 8 choice in the first round.  The team’s personnel decision makers have extensive information on prospects and know who they prefer and what their needs are going into next week’s seven round draft.

But locked and loaded on who to choose first?  No chance.

Look at last year’s draft when general manager Rick Spielman made trades that gave his franchise three first round picks, not one.  In 2012 Spielman maneuvered to secure two choices in the first round and extra picks in later rounds.

Spielman’s past willingness to make trades and shuffle his team’s draft order is a clue about what might happen next week.  So, too, is the background of new head coach Mike Zimmer who made his reputation in the NFL as defensive coordinator of the Bengals.  He will take his best shot at upgrading Minnesota’s defense as fast as possible.  That could mean a preference in this draft for aggressive and rangy defensive players.

While the Zimmer file provides some draft clues, remember the offense looks like it will be at least partially entrusted to new coordinator Norv Turner.  A former head coach and veteran quarterback authority, Turner’s views on offensive personnel figure to weigh heavily in the draft.

Opinions about the potential of the top quarterbacks are varied and controversial but if Turner is enamored with one or two prospects that could mean the Vikings stay at No. 8 in the first round, or even try to move up in the draft.  Chris Burke’s mock draft in this week’s Sports Illustrated has the Vikings choosing Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles.  At 6-foot-5 with a strong and accurate arm, Bortles not only has classic NFL quarterback attributes, but his intelligence also seems like a good fit for Turner’s complex offense.

Spielman has scored in the past with some quality players in the draft including tight end Kyle Rudolph and wide receiver-kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson but his reputation with fans is tarnished because Christian Ponder, his No. 12 choice in 2011, hasn’t developed into a franchise quarterback.  But because Spielman was burned with Ponder doesn’t mean the Vikings won’t risk another high draft choice on a quarterback.

It’s possible the Vikings could trade up in the draft to find their quarterback, or fill a linebacker spot with highly regarded Khalil Mack from Buffalo.  To do that the Vikings might trade with the Rams who have the No. 2 pick.  The Vikings could offer extra lower round draft choices to the Rams, plus their No. 8 first round spot.

Probably more likely, though, is a move by the Vikings to boost their total number of picks from eight to 10 or more for what is considered a draft deep in talent.  The Vikings need help at so many positions, particularly on defense, that increasing the number of draft choices makes sense.  Then, too, Zimmer is expected to work effectively with players who are regarded as projects and could be lower round selections.

The 49ers, a team in need of a personnel adjustment or two to perhaps return to the Super Bowl, might be a trade partner for Minnesota.  The 49ers have the No. 30 pick in the first round but they have 11 total draft choices.  Burke predicts the 49ers will take Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby at No. 30 but wrote the 49ers have the “ammo for a leap up the board.”

The 49ers have six picks in the top 100 while the Vikings own four.  Those are attractive numbers for both franchises.  The stuff of trades but until draft day comes nobody knows for certain what’s next including those who are paid to make the moves.

Worth Noting 

Burke’s mock draft for Sports Illustrated has defensive end Jadevon Clowney from South Carolina going No. 1 overall to the Texans.  He predicts Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel will be the first quarterback drafted at No. 4 by the Browns.

Here’s what Burke forecasts for Vikings NFC North rivals in the first round: Lions at No. 10 choose UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr; Bears, No. 14, pick Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald; Packers, No. 21, take Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier.

Burke’s second round includes the Vikings choosing BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy at No. 40.

Gerry DiNardo said on the Big Ten TV Network Monday night Iowa and Nebraska are the teams most likely to win the Big Ten Conference’s new West Division next fall.  His choices in the East are Michigan State and Ohio State.

DiNardo said the Gophers, a member of the West, need to improve their offense.  In eight Big Ten games last season Minnesota was 8^th in rushing, 12^th in passing and 10^th in scoring.

The Wild, who open a second round Stanley Cup playoff series tonight in Chicago against the Blackhawks, will have tickets for Minnesota’s home games going on sale tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m. at Xcel Energy Center and Ticketmaster.  Single game tickets range in price from $49 to $146.

It will be interesting to follow the local TV ratings in the series.  Wednesday night’s game seven first round finale between the Wild and Avalanche was the highest-rated telecast ever in Fox Sports North history.  The telecast had a 16.4 household rating in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, according to Nielsen Media Research.  The previous record, a 15.3 rating, was in August of 2010 for a Twins-White Sox game.

In the Minneapolis–St. Paul market, 17,280 households represent one rating point. That means over 283,390 households tuned in Wednesday night. The telecast received a 32 share, signifying 32 percent of the viewing audience in the Twins Cities area watched the game. During overtime the telecast reached its peak viewing audience with a 18.3 rating and 49 share, indicating nearly half of Twin Cities households were tuned in.

Coach Richard Pitino’s 2014 six-man recruiting class includes one Minnesota native, shooting guard Zach Lofton who attended Columbia Heights High School and is transferring to the Gophers from Illinois State.  Lofton will sit out next season as a transfer and junior forward Joey King from Eagan will be the only scholarship Minnesotan on the roster.

Pitino’s 2015 recruiting class could be led by two Minnesotans, DeLaSalle point guard Jarvis Johnson and Grand Rapids forward Alex Illikainen.  Both have been ranked as top 100 recruits by Rivals.com but neither has made a college commitment.

New Gophers women’s basketball coach Marlene Stollings is working on completing her staff.

The Twins lost a doubleheader with the Dodgers yesterday as part of a three game interleague series.  The Dodgers won all three games in the series including the extra innings finale last night, the longest in Target Field history at 5 hours, 11 minutes.

Aaron Hicks, who has seen his playing time reduced recently, started in center field in both games.  He was hitless and his average for the season dropped to .178.  Last year as a rookie he batted .192.  Hicks left the second game after suffering concussion-like symptoms.  If healthy, and not on the injured list, it seems probable that when Twins outfielders Josh Willingham and Oswaldo Arcia return from injuries Hicks will be demoted to Triple-A Rochester.

The National League Dodgers have a history here. The Dodgers not only played the Twins in the 1965 World Series but during the 1950s had their American Association farm team in St. Paul.  The Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958 but before that tried to convince the New York borough to build major league baseball’s first domed stadium.  The New York Giants, who operated the Minneapolis Millers farm team here, joined the Dodgers in California in 1958 by moving to San Francisco.  Before deciding on California the Giants seriously considered moving to Minneapolis.

KARE TV’s Randy Shaver will speak at the Thursday, May 8 CORES luncheon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington.  Shaver, who is well known for his work in raising money for cancer research and patient aid, was a sportscaster at the station for almost 30 years before becoming a weeknight news anchor.  Reservations for the lunch and program should be made by next Monday or sooner. Contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.  CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

The Gustavus Adolphus men’s tennis team won the MIAC regular season championship for the 26th consecutive season.  This year’s title is the 47th for the program since 1940 and the fifth for head coach Tommy Valentini since taking over the program in the 2009-10 season.  Within their run of 26 straight league titles, the Gusties won 242 consecutive MIAC matches.

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