It was announced on Saturday that Baltimore Ravens LB Terrell Suggs was named the AP Defensive Player of the Year. Suggs had 70 tackles, 14.0 sacks, 7 forced fumbles and 2 INTs for a Ravens team that went 12-4 and won the AFC North. Of a possible 50 votes, Suggs received 21 and Allen received 14.

Allen had the best season of his career and the best season we’ve seen from a DE in a long time in 2011. He was named a First-Team All-Pro by the AP, made his 4th Pro Bowl appearance and also earned recognition from a variety of other outlets following a season in which he recorded a Vikings franchise record and near NFL record 22.0 sacks to go along with 4 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, 1 INT and 1 safety. There were only 3 games this season in which Allen did not register a sack, and he also had 6 multi-sack games and 3 games with 3+ sacks. He was consistently the Vikings best player all season, and opponents had a hard time stopping him even though it was their #1 priority coming into the game.

I can’t help but think the Ravens team success during the regular season was a big factor in the award going to Suggs. But with all due respect to Suggs, and he deserves a lot of respect for the season he had, the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award should be an award granted to the individual who had the best season. Allen had the best individual season of any defender in the League, and he should’ve been recognized appropriately by the voters.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t. So congratulations go to Suggs for earning the award. He certainly had an impressive campaign and is a worthy honoree. But I’ll stand by the claim that it should’ve gone to Allen.

I guess there’s always next year.

The storylines discussed in the 2-week build up to Super Bowl XLVI have been numerous and they’ve been interesting. Rematches from the regular season and the 2007 Super Bowl; Bill Belichick and Tom Brady trying to win their 4th Super Bowl together; Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning trying to win their 2nd Super Bowl together; Peyton Manning’s arch rival and Peyton Manning’s brother battling each other for a Super Bowl in the house that Peyton built in Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium); Injuries to key offensive players for both teams – New England’s Rob Gronkowski and New York’s Hakeem Nicks; The Giants pass rush versus Brady; The emergence of Victor Cruz, and the list goes on. Great storylines for this great matchup.

The one storyline I want to focus on today before the game, though, is the same storyline I discussed in last week’s Wobcast – the coaches in this game. Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin.

I have an appreciation for both of these coaches. I like the way both of them conduct their teams and their business. They are both from the Bill Parcells coaching tree and in fact they were once on the same staff together. This would be the 4th Super Bowl victory of Belichick’s career and it would further cement his legacy as one of the best coaches of all-time. But this would be Coughlin’s 2nd Super Bowl, matching the number won by Parcells, and it would push Coughlin into the discussion not as the best coach of all-time, but into that next tier of the elite coaches of all-time. Coughlin would indeed become a potential Hall of Fame type of coach. And to think that some were calling for Coughlin’s head before the season. Some probably called for his head during the season after the Giants had lost 4 in a row.

As for Belichick, I would think this would be his favorite Super Bowl win. He’s doing it with a team that includes 18 undrafted free agents, an unheralded defense, a WR (Julian Edelman) who plays nickel back, a TE (Aaron Hernandez) who led the team in rushing in a playoff game, and a punter who is from Romania.

Truly, this is a great matchup with two great coaches. I’ll be happy for whoever wins.

My pick is New England, by the way, in a close game. The only results that would surprise me would be a low-scoring game or a blowout by either team. I think it’ll be a mid- to high-scoring game that is close until the end. Should be a lot fun.

“Having watched Chris enter the Vikings Ring of Honor this past season, we’re very excited that he has now been chosen as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012,” Vikings Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf said. “Chris was a very important part of the organization’s success for ten years and his accomplishments on the field speak for themselves. He has earned this honor and we look forward to celebrating his enshrinement in Canton in August.”

A fellow Vikings Ring of Honor inductee and now a fellow Hall of Famer, John Randle has a special appreciation for Doleman because the two were both defensive linemen, were both outstanding pass rushers, and were teammates with the Vikings in the 1990s.

“I’m so, so happy for big Dole,” Randle said. “I never thought I would have a guy who was like a big brother on the football field, but Chris was that guy for me. I looked up to him and studied the way he worked. I’m so happy that he will be up on that stage in Canton this summer where he belongs. It’s really a testament to that defensive line we had with the Vikings during those days and the work of some great coaches. Chris deserves this so much and I’m probably more excited for him than he is for himself.”

“Our fans have been great about supporting the team throughout this process,” said Vikings Vice President of Public Affairs and Stadium Development Lester Bagley. “We’re now at a critical juncture at the State Capitol and we need fans’ voices to push us over the top.”

Anyone interested in more information on hosting a Stadium Huddle this weekend, joining Minnesota Momentum or other ways to get involved and make their support known can visit the new stadium playbook page on vikings.com. 

Additionally, Street Teams will visit various bars and restaurants around the state this Sunday to share stadium information and sign up new supporters. The teams will visit the following locations just prior to kickoff and during the first half of the game:

Mankato – Boomtown (1600 Warren Street, #17)
Maple Grove – Champps Sports Bar & Grill (135121 80^th Circle N)
Maple Grove – The Lookout (8672 Pineview Lane)
Maplewood – Champps Sports Bar & Grill (1734 Adolphus Street)
Rochester – Boomers (3737 40^th Avenue NW)
Rochester – Buffalo Wild Wings (3458 55^th Street NW)
St. Cloud – Buffalo Wild Wings (3701 W. Division Street)
St. Cloud – Howie’s Sports Bar & Grill (1101 Division Street)
Vadnais Heights – Jimmy’s (1132 County Road E East)

We had coverage of the Senior Bowl all of last week, and if you missed it I recommend going back through the vikings.com Blog and through the Media Vault to check it out. Today I’ll provide a few final Senior Bowl thoughts before we move on from the 2012 Senior Bowl and begin focussing on the next phase of the offseason.

Here are a few final thoughts…

– The culture of college football in the Deep South is fun to experience and it’s quite a shift from what I’m accustomed to living here in Minnesota. I’d characterize Minnesota as a state that pays more attention to pro sports than to college sports. That is not the case in Mobile and in most places in that part of the country. They are significantly more passionate about their college sports. There were thousands of fans at the game on Saturday evening, with many of them tailgating before the game. Fans were at the North and South team hotels all week seeking autographs and opportunities to interact with the players. It was a festive, football-loving atmosphere.

– One of my favorite moments included arriving at stadium before the game on Saturday and walking from the bus to the locker room. The whole time, fans lined our path to the locker room and were hoping to grab just a peek at the players. The enthusiasm these fans have for the college game and for the players was awesome to experience. Credit also goes to the Senior Bowl staff for making Saturday evening feel like a regular season or even a postseason football game.

– I think it’s fair to say that the South was a more talented team, which makes the North’s victory all the more impressive. I didn’t watch any of the South’s practices live, but I will say that the North’s practices were well organized and the North’s performance on Saturday evening reflected that. I thought the Vikings coaching staff worked hard all week, took the job seriously, and ultimately took big-time advantage of their opportunity to be around these players all week to see how they’re wired and what makes them tick.

– While I was exposed to the North team for most of the week, I must say that I couldn’t have come away from the week more impressed with South DE Quinton Coples, who is a product of the University of North Carolina. This kid already has an NFL-looking body, measuring in at 6-6, 281 pounds, and he plays angry and hard on every snap. Maybe he’s not a candidate for the Vikings if they keep the 3rd overall pick, but if a scenario unfolds where the Vikings trade back to the middle of the 1st round or even in the later part of the Top 10, I would not be disappointed if Coples was the pick. He has the look of a real game-changer at the NFL level. We’ll have to wait and see how he tests out at the Combine, but right now I’m saying Coples will be one of the best players in this year’s draft class.

– The most impressive players all week for the North, in my view, were DE Cam Johnson from Virginia, WR Brian Quick from Appalachian State, LB Bobby Wagner from Utah State and QB Russell Wilson from Wisconsin. I also thought that kicker Carson Wiggs from Purdue was impressive all week and during the game.

The list is limited to players from the North squad only, but keep in mind that several players from the South squad merit attention as well. In fact, NFL Network and Vikings preseason TV analyst Mike Mayock, who will serve as a game analyst on Saturday, has said that the South’s DEs may be the best position group in this game.

For now, though, we’ll focus on the North players and they’ll appear below in alphabetical order…

OL Mike Adams (Ohio State) – Listed at 6-7, 323 pounds, Adams has prototypical size for an NFL LT and I believe he’ll be playing LT during the game. With Mayock suggesting that the South squad’s DEs could be the best position group in this game, it will be interesting to see how Adams fares in pass protection. USC’s Matt Kalil, Iowa’s Riley Reiff and Stanford’s Jonathan Martin are considered by many to be this class’ top LTs, but a good showing by Adams in the Senior Bowl followed by a good week at the Combine could cause some to start shuffling their LT rankings.

DL Jack Crawford (Penn State) – I believe Crawford will play mostly DE in this game, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Regardless, Crawford appears to me to have an NFL-ready body and it won’t surprise me if he’s a 1st-round pick in April. He stood out more early in the week than later, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be a monster in the game on Saturday. He’s the type of player who could have an MVP-type of performance on Saturday, and he’s going to instantly make an NFL team’s DL better in a few months.

WR T.J. Graham (NC State)– While not the best WR on the North team, in my opinion, I do believe Graham has as good a chance as any player on the North team to wow those who watch the Senior Bowl. I believe this because he has great quickness and is a consistent “hands” catcher, which means he doesn’t typically catch a pass by trapping it against his body. He’ll play mostly in the slot, and I think he’s one to keep an eye on during this game.

DE/LB Cam Johnson (Virginia) – One of the North defense’s stand-out players this week, Johnson will likely play DE in this game. He’s listed as a LB, but I’ve seen him lined up as a DE most of Senior Bowl week. I believe he’s displayed the traits of a player who could be an effective base DE and a productive pass rusher at the NFL level. He does have some “hot-and-cold” to him, meaning he’s a streaky player, but it’s not a bad thing to have a streaky player on your team, especially during those times when he’s on fire.

CB Leonard Johnson (Iowa State) – Guys such as Morris Claiborne and Dre Kirkpatrick have gotten the most attention, but Johnson is a player who merits serious consideration once we get past the 1st round of the draft. He’s listed at a smidgen under 5-10 and 198 pounds, but I believe he’ll play a bit bigger than that because of his willingness to be physical and because of his tackling ability. He’s a feisty and emotional player, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him have a monster game on Saturday.

DL Shea McClellin (Boise State) – A gritty, hard-working, nose-to-the-grindstone type of player, McClellin has impressed during the week of practice. He’s listed as a DL and primarily plays DE, but he has also demonstrated the ability to stand up and play OLB. I’m guessing that he’ll have his hand on the ground as a DE in this game because the Vikings run a 4-3 defense, but I believe he’s gritty and talented enough to develop at either position. He’ll be around the ball a lot during the game.

WR Brian Quick (Appalachian State) – In my view, Quick is the most talented WR in the North team’s deep WR corps. He’s certainly a raw player in terms of ability and he has a lot to learn before he can play the WR position at the professional level, but from an ability and potential standpoint I think Quick is the North team’s best WR. He is a great leaper, has good speed, measures in at 6-3½, 222 pounds, and is a well-spoken individual who is quick to credit his teammates. He may play at a small school, but I think Quick has big-time ability and I’m excited to watch him play in the game after a great week of practice.

DB Harrison Smith (Norte Dame) – I’m a big fan of Norte Dame, but even with that bias set aside I believe Smith is a player who could wow some people during the game. He’s a long, rangy safety who doesn’t necessarily fit the traditional NFL mold, but he’s a good team player who could excel at the NFL level if he lands in the right environment and is asked to play the right role. He’s got some grit to him, and I think he’ll be an aggressive player against the run and against pass catchers coming across the middle. Smith is listed at just under 6-2, 212 pounds.

QB Russell Wilson (Wisconsin) – He’s shorter (5-10) than you’d like your QB to be, but there’s no denying that Wilson is a playmaker. And for what it’s worth, I’ve heard several of Wilson’s North squad teammates talk him up big-time during interviews here in Mobile. Wilson has charisma and the ability to make those around him better. We saw Vikings Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave use a lot of moving pockets with Christian Ponder during the 2011 season, and I think you’ll see something very similar with Wilson on the field and Musgrave designing and calling players for the North. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Wilson plays more than the other North squad QBs, and I believe Wilson could have an MVP-type of day.

Both teams had an hour-long walk-through at the stadium in the morning, returned to the hotel for lunch, and then players from both teams visited a local children’s hospital. While the players visited to the children’s hospitals, coaches stayed back at the hotel to make final adjustments to the game plan and meet with NFL Network for production meetings.

NFL Network will broadcast the game on Saturday, with kickoff slated for 3:00 p.m. CT. Paul Burmeister will have play-by-play duties, Mike Mayock and Charles Davis will handle the game analysis, and Heath Evans and Rebecca Haarlow will report from the sidelines.

DE/LB Cam Johnson
Listed on the Senior Bowl roster as a LB, Johnson has played a lot of DE during Senior Bowl practices and he’s been a standout performer. He does a great job of setting the edge on the outside, is rarely pushed backward or out of the way, and he’s often times penetrating the offensive backfield to be a disruptive force. I know Vikings coaches have been impressed with his week, and both Mike Mayock and Charles Davis of NFL Network have confirmed to me that they think he’s had a good week as well.

Johnson is listed at 6-4, 267 pounds, and he’s a product of the University of Virginia.

CB Asa Jackson
A product of Cal Poly, Jackson is a small-school CB but he displays big-time ability. More importantly, perhaps, I’ve noticed big-time hustle from Jackson over the course of the week. I’ve noticed that he’s a player who is constantly around the ball, and there was an instance on Wednesday that really stood out to me. It came during 7-on-7 drills, and he was playing on the opposite side of the field to where a pass had fallen incomplete. As the pass hit the ground, Jackson sprinted across the field toward the ball, scooped it up, and then sprinted to the end zone. That’s the type of hustle play that might seem innocuous, but I believe it’s the type of hustle play that many coaches and scouts notice, and I also believe it’s the type of attitude a small-school player should display while trying to prove he belongs playing at the professional level.

Jackson is listed at 5-10, 193 pounds.

CB Leonard Johnson
Johnson makes the list mainly for a simple reason – he passes the eye test. He’s a smooth-looking athlete with good speed and quickness. He looks the part of a solid cover CB in the NFL. He’s listed as 5-10, 198 pounds, but I think he plays bigger than his listed size. We don’t see a lot of press coverage from CBs at the Senior Bowl, but I’d be interested to turn on the tape and watch him play that style because he has the appearance of a guy who would excel in that type of scheme.

Johnson is a product of Iowa State University.

The North team has the morning practice each day and this morning everyone had arrived at the stadium in anticipation of trying to squeeze at least a portion of the workout in before the storms arrived. But only moments before practice was set to begin at 9:30 a.m. CT, Vikings and North team Head Coach Leslie Frazier wisely decided to move practice back to the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center, which is attached to the hotel in which both teams are staying.

Credit goes to Frazier and to the Senior Bowl operations staff for a smooth and timely transition from the stadium to the convention center while a violent storm began to bear down on the area. The North team arrived inside the convention center and the coaching staff took the squad through a thorough walk-through before breaking for lunch and then team meetings.

It was announced around 12:30 p.m. CT that the South team would also be holding its practice indoors.

But given that Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier and his staff are heading up the North squad this year, and given the intensity with which the Vikings staff is coaching, I wanted to take a quick moment to acknowledge the effort and hard work Coach Frazier’s group has committed to this week and to this North squad.

I wrote a full piece on this subject, which you can view by clicking here. But I also wanted to share one highlight of the story here with vikings.com Blog readers.

An example of a Vikings coach taking advantage of the opportunity to coach in the Senior Bowl and get the most out of these senior football players with the NFL draft just 3 months away is DBs coach Joe Woods, who has been with the club since 2006. Some coaches motivate and instruct subtly, some are more vocal and boisterous. Woods doesn’t blur the line – he’s one of the team’s most vocal coaches, and that makes it easy and fun to watch him at work with his players.

Woods actually was in quite the fish bowl during Wednesday’s practice as he worked with the North squad’s DBs during the individual drills portion of the workout. He was working with his players on changing direction, especially on the art of players shifting their body weight from one direction to the other as they responded to instructions from Woods during the drill. As Woods barked out instructions and his players labored through the drill, a rather large crowd of distinguished NFL personalities gathered to watch.

To one side was Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin, who worked with Woods in 2006 on the Vikings staff and before that in Tampa Bay. Standing next to Tomlin was Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff. On the other side of the drill was Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll, a former Vikings defensive backs coach as well. And standing behind the drill watching from the NFL Network set was Mike Mayock, a former defensive back himself and one of the top NFL draft and college football analysts in the country.

Certainly these individuals were not gathered to watch how an assistant coach conducted the drill, that’s not the point. They were gathered to watch the talented crop of individuals that comprise the North squad’s DBs group. But while Tomlin, Dimitroff, Carroll and Mayock watched those players, they were also subjected to the passionate style with which Woods coaches, not just here in Mobile but also back with the Vikings on a daily basis during the season and during the offseason program.

I’m not the only one noticing the excellent job Frazier and his staff are doing with this year’s North team.

“The Minnesota coaches are real,” Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Denard told the Star Tribune’s Dan Wiederer earlier in the week. “Coach Frazier put a lot of fire in our eyes. I like the way he talks. He let us know this was a big step and that we need to go hard every play all day long to stand out.”

The North squad players are not the only individuals standing out. Frazier and his staff are standing out as a passionate and talented group of coaches. Coming off a 3-13 season, the Vikings have a lot of holes to fill on the roster and a lot of improvement to make overall during the offseason.

If their performance during Senior Bowl practices this week is any indication, the Vikings coaching staff is already hard at work.