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Vikings Release Longwell

The Vikings on Monday released K Ryan Longwell, a 16-year veteran who spent the past 6 seasons with the Vikings.

“Ryan has meant a great deal to the Vikings organization both on and off field over the past six seasons,” Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier said. “We wish him all the best in the future and thank him for his service to the Minnesota Vikings.”

Longwell is the Green Bay Packers all-time leading scorer (1,054 points) and also ranks as the 3rd all-time leading scorer in Vikings history with 633 points over his 6 seasons in Minnesota.

Kalil, Blanton Stand Out In First Practice; Other Observations

The Vikings 10-player draft class plus 61 other players trying out for the club joined Vikings coaches and scouts on the field Friday morning for the first of five scheduled practices at this year’s rookie minicamp. Conditions were perfect, with the coaches and players working under sunny skies, moderate temperatures and a slight breeze.

The group of 71 players is comprised of the 10 draft picks from last weekend, 15 rookie free agents, 7 pre-draft signees and 39 players present on a tryout basis. The players were in helmets, jerseys and shorts with no pads, with the individual and team drill work similar to a full-squad minicamp practice; they are non-contact practices, however.

There will be another practice this afternoon at 2:55 p.m., two more on Saturday and then one final practice on Sunday. Here are a few thoughts from this morning’s practice…

– Although it’s presumed he’ll be the starter at LT from Day 1, #4 overall pick Matt Kalil doesn’t have an entitled attitude. Speaking with reporters after practice, Kalil acknowledged he has plenty of learning to do and he said playing next to a veteran such as Charlie Johnson – who will likely play LG in 2012 – will be an advantage.

– Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier came away impressed with Kalil after the first practice. “You can see why we have high hopes for him,” Frazier said. “He was excellent today.” Frazier was also asked about CB Josh Robison, whom the Vikings selected in the 3rd round, and Frazier said he noticed Robinson had an impressive burst while fielding kicks/punts.

– When asked what he’s looking for out of the rookies and tryout players in attendance this weekend, Frazier noted that standout plays are what catch coaches’ attention. Keep in mind, during the season and even training camp, coaches want to see playmakers but they also emphasize consistency and making routine plays. At this minicamp, though, a premium is being placed on making splash plays.

– Several Vikings veterans, who are not permitted to participate in this weekend’s minicamp, observed the morning practice from the sidelines. The players I noticed watching practice were: QBs Christian Ponder and Joe Webb, TEs John Carlson and Kyle Rudolph, OL Brandon Fusco, Charlie Johnson, Phil Loadholt, DeMarcus Love and John Sullivan, DL Everson Griffen, WR Manny Arceneaux and RB Jordan Todman.

– Last year during training camp I made mention of players who passed the “eye test” during practice. Today’s eye test winners were Kalil and S Robert Blanton. I already explained that Frazier was impressed with Kalil, but what I liked about Blanton was the way he carried himself on the field and added energy to the defense. He appears to be an intelligent player with a passion for the game. That observation is off of one practice, admittedly, but it was obvious this morning that Blanton enjoyed being on the field.

– K Blair Walsh met with a group of reporters after practice and said it was an honor to be on the roster with a player of Ryan Longwell’s stature and accomplishment. Asked if his best trait was his strong leg, Walsh acknowledged that many people credit him with a strong leg, but he also noted that all NFL kickers have strong legs and that he isn’t distinguished among them. Walsh also said that a player has to earn his place in the NFL, regardless of whether he was selected in the NFL draft or not.

– There are five former University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in camp this weekend. They are: WR Da’Jon McKnight, TEs Tiree Eure and Nick Tow-Arnett, DE Anthony Jacobs and DT Brandon Kirksey. McKnight met with a fairly large group of reporters after practice and called it a “blessing” to be in camp with the Vikings. He dealt with a knee injury last season, but says the knee is completely healed now.

– Two other under the radar players who stood out today were CB Bret Lockett and WR Josh Philpart.

– There are three QBs in camp this weekend. They are: Blake Bolles (NW Missouri State), McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Sacramento St.) and Spencer Ohm (Concordia – St. Paul).

Senior Bowl Experience Paved Way For Vikings Interest In Harrison Smith

It seems like such a long time ago now, but the Senior Bowl is always an important aspect of the evaluation process for the Vikings. That aspect became even more important this year because the Vikings were assigned to coach the North squad.

While there’s no question coaching in the Senior Bowl is a taxing endeavor for many parts of the organization, there’s also no doubt that coaching in the Senior Bowl can give a team a significant advantage in the pre-draft player evaluation process. Having players sit in team meetings and run through the coaching staff’s position drills gives coaches and scouts the kind of up-close look they normally would not see.

“That was the one huge advantage of being able to coach the Senior Bowl because we got to know those players inside and out and know what they are about,” Vikings GM Rick Spielman said. “How they are in a meeting room. How they are out on the field. Our coaches know what it’s like to coach that player so that was a huge advantage for us and we know exactly what we are getting in Harrison Smith.”

Smith did enough at Notre Dame to warrant consideration as a 1st-round pick in this year’s draft. But it sounds like the Vikings experience with Smith at the Senior Bowl was more than enough to create significant interest in the 6-2, 214-pound safety.

“I thought I played well and did a good job and tried to do what they wanted me to do,” Smith said late Thursday night after being selected with the 29th overall pick. “But they never said anything about that they were going to draft me; there were a lot of good players down there.  I think it was just trying to get to know each other well and at the end of the day, I think they think I’m a good fit for them and I 100 percent agree.”

Why is Smith a good fit for the Vikings? Oh, let Spielman count the ways.

“I think he can do both, and that’s the thing that’s most appealing,” Spielman responded when asked if Smith was better versus the pass or run. “I know that he’s very aggressive in run support, very smart football player, very smart with his angles. Big safety that plays fast, but I also know how smart he is in coverage. Just watching the angles he takes to break on a pass, the anticipation to watch the quarterback and get a jump on a throw as its coming out. He has a lot of those instincts, that ability to make plays because he’s so smart and so instinctive.”

Frazier Says “So Far, So Good” On Peterson’s Rehab

This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows Adrian Peterson or has even observed his career with the Vikings, but the superstar RB is doing well in his recovery from two torn knee ligaments suffered back on December 24.

“So far, so good,” Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier said on Tuesday, according to the Star Tribune’s Dan Wiederer, who spoke to Frazier at a Tony Dungy speaking function in Edina.

Wiederer writes that the Vikings were impressed with Peterson last week when he began running on land at Winter Park for the first time, and that Peterson “continues to amaze the Vikings staff with his ambition.”

While desire and determination have never been lacking for Peterson when it comes to football and doing whatever it takes to be the best, ligaments – especially in the knee – can be fickle when on the mend. That’s why the optimism coming from Frazier on Tuesday and Vikings GM Rick Spielman last week should be viewed as such good news.

Vikings Hosting “Top 30″ Visit As Draft Day Nears

Every year since GM Rick Spielman joined the club in 2007 (back then as VP of Player Personnel), the Vikings have held a “Top 30 visit,” in which 30 prospects in the upcoming draft are invited to Winter Park over the course of two days. This year’s visit is occurring as we speak, and we mention it here because it’s the most recent significant event in the build up to the 2012 NFL Draft.

While it’s titled the “Top 30 visit,” the athletes invited are not necessarily the best 30 prospects on the Vikings draft board. Rather, the 30 athletes at Winter Park are a collection of 30 prospects that, for whatever reason, the Vikings personnel and coaching staffs want to see up close and personal another time. This year, though, with the Vikings slated to pick 3rd overall, the guest list includes plenty of blue-chip players.

For sensitivity reasons, we won’t list the 30 players who’ve arrived at Winter Park. If the Vikings wanted people to know who was present at the Top 30 visit, they’d publish the names. But it’s worth noting on the vikings.com Blog that Spielman, Head Coach Leslie Frazier and the Vikings entire personnel and coaching staff are hard at work trying to evaluate this year’s draft class in what will surely be a pivotal draft for the Vikings as they try to re-build this roster.

Tuesday’s Hot Topic: Tim Tebow’s Next Team

It was only 12 days ago that QB Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts parted ways, but it felt like 12 weeks with all the coverage of Manning’s search for a new team. On Monday, Manning made a decision, and that decision was to play for the Denver Broncos.

Once the Manning-to-the-Broncos news emerged, questions were immediately raised about what that meant for Tim Tebow’s NFL future. Tebow, of course, infused life into a listless franchise and took a team that began the season 1-4 all the way to the playoffs, even winning a Wild Card round game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Following the news of Manning’s desire to join the Broncos, a report quickly surfaced that Denver would try to trade Tebow rather than keeping him on the roster behind Manning. So that begs the question: Where will Tebow play in 2012?

Let’s start it off by looking at the Vikings. I’d be interested in the Vikings considering adding Tebow because, in my opinion, he is a winner and will make any team he joins better. Let me state my case…
– If he came to Minnesota, it wouldn’t be so the Vikings could hand him the keys to the offense. Christian Ponder is the future at QB in Minnesota.
– I believe Vikings Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave and his staff could find a way to utilize Tebow’s skill set.
– If nothing else, Tebow is a good runner who averages 5.4 yards per carry for his career. We know how much Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier values a sound running game, plus superstar RB Adrian Peterson is coming back from a serious knee injury.
– One potential hurdle is the presence of Joe Webb on the roster. We all know about Webb’s athletic ability and most of us share an interest in trying to find a way for Webb to contribute. Perhaps adding Tebow to the fold with Webb already in the mix would only complicate matters in Minnesota?
– I’m not sure if adding Tebow would yield positive results, but that’s for Vikings coaches and scouts to decide. They know much more about it than me. But for the time being, I’m interested in adding Tebow.
– My interest in adding Tebow says nothing about the players already on this roster and everything about the admiration and respect I have for Tebow and his football ability.

I’m certainly not anticipating the Vikings getting into the mix for Tebow. I’m only raising the possibility in this forum to generate discussion among the fan base. So aside from debating whether or not the Vikings should acquire Tebow, I’ll list a few other teams that I believe should consider acquiring Tebow. Let us know what you think by leaving your thoughts in the comment section below this entry…

Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins – These two franchises are at the front of the line in terms of teams that should acquire Tebow. He is from Florida, played college football at the University of Florida and he would immediately improve both teams. He’d also create a buzz in both towns that would help sell tickets and hope for fan bases who must certainly be pessimistic after many seasons of watching a losing product.

New England Patriots – If he doesn’t end up with the Vikings, my next choice would be New England. Just as is the case in Minnesota, Tebow would not be handed the keys to the offense in New England. He’d be used as a utility player, for lack of a better term, and I’d love to see how Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick could use Tebow’s talents.

New Orleans Saints – I don’t want to see this happen because the Saints play in the NFC with the Vikings. But Saints Head Coach Sean Payton is one of the most creative offensive minds in the NFL, and it’d be interesting to see what kind of production he could get from Tebow in that offense.

Philadelphia Eagles – I  there anyone better at getting production out of QBs than Andy Reid? Look what he’s done in resurrecting Michael Vick’s career. Look how he made Kevin Kolb look like a potential franchise QB. Just as I think Musgrave and Co. could find ways to use him here, I know Reid and his staff could utilize Tebow’s skills appropriately.

San Francisco 49ers - They lost out on the Manning sweepstakes, so why not take a stab at Tebow as a consolation prize? Alex Smith did a nice job last season, but he’s still an unrestricted free agent and we don’t know where he’ll end up. Even if Smith returns to San Francisco, there’s still room for Tebow. Jim Harbaugh is a good football coach, so I think he could figure out how to use a good football player.

Others who should consider Tebow: Buffalo, Cleveland, Green Bay and St. Louis

A Colt Connection In Vikings Secondary?

Three days ago, the Indianapolis Colts signed free agent S Tom Zbikowski – who had been with the Baltimore Ravens – to a contract. The move reunited Zbikowski with Chuck Pagano, who was the defensive coordinator in Baltimore but is now the Colts head coach.

That got me to wondering if a similar type of reunion might be a way for the Vikings to address their secondary, too. Former Colts DBs coach Alan Williams is now the Vikings defensive coordinator, and former Colts DB Melvin Bullitt is still an unrestricted free agent. It would be a somewhat ironic turn of events, with Pagano now with the Colts after Williams’ (and much of the rest of the Colts staff under Jim Caldwell) departure and Zbikowski now with the Colts after the release of Bullitt.

But none of that matters, the Vikings have holes to fill in the secondary and a part of the solution could be the addition of Bullitt.

Bullitt stands at 6-1, 201 pounds and will be just 27 years old when the 2012 season begins. He fits the bill of a typical Rick Spielman-type of free agent signing as a guy coming off his rookie contract with an ascending career arc and aspirations for more playing time.

A 5-year veteran out of Texas A&M, Bullitt has a background that Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier will appreciate, entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Colts in 2007 and finding a niche on the roster until he finally earned a starting role. It’s a similar career path to Frazier’s with the Bears in the 1980s.

Bullitt was a standout specials teams player and a special teams captain with the Colts, but he also developed into a regular contributor on defense, starting 21 games in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He has nearly 200 tackles, 13 passes defensed, 7 INTs and 2 forced fumbles in 50 games played. Injuries have limited his playing time the past two seasons, though, and now he’s looking to bounce back with a new team.

Will the Vikings be that team? Only time will tell. To my knowledge the Vikings haven’t expressed interest in Bullitt, but that doesn’t mean something won’t materialize over the next couple weeks or so. It’s just a name to watch this offseason.

Vikings Release 3 Veterans

The Vikings on Saturday announced the release of 3 veteran players – CB Cedric Griffin and OGs Anthony Herrera and Steve Hutchinson.

“It was a tough decision as we move forward and prepare for the upcoming season and the future of our organization,” Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier said. “All three individuals have meant a great deal to the Vikings organization both on and off field over the years. We wish all of them the best and thank them for their service to the Minnesota Vikings.”

All 3 players had been core members of the team for the past several seasons and played key roles in the team winning back-to-back division titles in 2008 and 2009 as well as making a run to the NFC Championship Game after the 2009 season. It’s likely that a combination of factors – clearing salary cap room, performance and rebuilding the roster – factored into the decisions to part ways with the players.

We’ll have more reaction to these moves and analysis and what it means for the future of the Vikings soon.

23 Quick Observations From The 2012 NFL Scouting Combine

1. Andrew Luck solidified his standing at the #1 prospect in this draft. Robert Griffin III did the same at the #2 position. I’d argue that in any other year dating back to 1998 (Peyton Manning), RG3 would be #1 player in the draft class, with the possible exception being 2001 (Michael Vick).

2. The St. Louis Rams, who hold the #2 overall pick right now, WILL trade out of that spot, and I think Cleveland is in the best position (#4 overall) to move up and get him.

3. Matt Kalil is the best LT prospect in this class, just ask him. But I do agree, and the Vikings and Vikings fans should be pleased to get him.

4. Might want to scratch WR Pierre Garcon off your free-agent wish list. A prominent ESPN personality predicted to me that he’ll stay in Indy. Also, Peter King of Sports Illustrated suggests Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne might be a package deal in free agency.

5. Expect a large number of teams to utilize the franchise tag to retain their most-valued free agents. This will shrink what appears to be a thick market at several positions.

6. WR Vincent Jackson is not a likely candidate to be tagged, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Vikings take a run at him, although the Vikings certainly won’t be the only team interested. Outside of Jackson, though, I don’t think the Vikings will be major players at the top end of the free agent market.

7. It was interesting to hear insiders talk about the significance of schools hosting their Pro Days before the NFL begins its free agency period (March 13). This means that at the start of free agency, most NFL GMs will be on the road scouting draft prospects.

8. Expect a fairly liberal roster turnover for the Vikings this offseason.

9. Interesting to hear Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier explain the team must prepare as if CB Chris Cook will not be on the team in 2012. That’s not Frazier making any prediction, it’s just him simply explaining that the team must prepare for the worst-case scenario. I’d add that regardless of Cook’s status, CB is still a need for the Vikings.

10. Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd was a winner at the Combine because he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds. That’s quicker than some anticipated, and I think it assures he’ll go in the 1st round rather than the early part of the 2nd round.

11. Other WRs who jumped up during the Combine were Georgia Tech’s Stephen Hill (4.36 in 40-yard dash), Wake Forest’s Chris Givens (think: Jeremy Maclin) and Appalachian State’s Brian Quick (played for Vikings staff at Senior Bowl).

12. The “best player available” (BPA) strategy will be in play for the Vikings this year, especially as it pertains to the team’s 2nd-round pick (currently #35 overall). Even if the BPA is a DE, RB or TE, I wouldn’t put it past GM Rick Spielman and his personnel staff to simply select the best football player on the board, regardless of position, when they’re on the clock. That’s a good way to infuse a talent-depleted roster with some talent.

13. An underrated aspect of this year’s draft class is the depth and top-end talent at DT. “I’ve got anywhere from five to seven potential first-round defensive tackles, which is atypical,” NFL Network’s Mike Mayock said of the DT class during this week’s Wobcast. “Usually in a year you might have three first-round grades. So twice as many potential first-round picks. There is depth throughout the entire defensive tackle class, regardless of position.” Memphis’ Dontari Poe stole the show at the Combine, but he’s not the only talented, potential run-stopping DT out there. I also like Michael Brockers, Fletcher Cox, Kendall Reyes, Devon Still and Jerel Worthy.

14. Speaking of NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, he’s THE best in the business at analyzing these college players and communicating his opinions under the bright lights with the cameras rolling. Truly a treat to work with him.

15. Not one national reporter/personality I spoke with at the Combine was negative on Christian Ponder. Most anticipate the Vikings adding talent around him to put him in position to succeed.

16. CB Janoris Jenkins is an interesting prospect. He’s a kid with clear 1st-round talent, but off-field issues might cause some teams to pause. “I’ve made a few mistakes and I’ve learned from them,” he was quoted as saying by Peter King. As King later noted, the question is, who will take a shot on a very good talent at a vital position, who is such a risk? Maybe the Vikings if he falls as far as #35, or even falls far enough for the Vikings to consider trading up to get him?

17. Indianapolis is a tremendous host city for big events such as the Combine. It’s in the Midwest, the residents are generally courteous, happy people, there’s a brand-new airport close to downtown, there are plenty of hotels and great restaurants, an elaborate skyway system links most of downtown, and Lucas Oil Stadium is a first-class facility.

18. A few small-school CBs to watch in this year’s draft class: Dwight Bentley (UL-Lafayette), Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson (Montana) and Ryan Steed (Furman).

19. I prefer Caribou Coffee to Starbucks. Our hotel had a Starbucks on the 2nd level, which I frequented each day and was satisfied with, but I prefer Caribou.

20. I wonder if hailing from such a great program (University of Alabama) has inflated the draft stock of LBs Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw. I just wasn’t impressed with their on-field workouts, but I’ll also acknowledge game tape means much more than the Combine, plus they still have their Pro Day.

21. This was my 5th visit to the NFL Scouting Combine, but just the first time I tried a pizza parlor called Bazbeaux. Awesome thin crust pizza with a generous portion of toppings, a great atmosphere, a cool bar area and quick seating despite the place being packed to the brim on a busy Saturday night.

22. I thoroughly enjoyed my two days of co-hosting radio Voice of the Vikings Paul Allen’s weekday 9-noon radio show on KFAN.

23. A couple of sleeper picks for the Vikings in the 2nd round: S Harrison Smith (Notre Dame) and DL Nick Perry (USC).

Decompressing After Information Overload On Friday

Today the OL and special teams players will have their on-field workouts, QBs, WRs and RBs will go through more administrative duties and the DL and LBs will arrive. But before we worry about today, let’s go over a few important developments from Friday.

– I once again joined radio voice of the Vikings Paul Allen for his 3-hour morning show on KFAN and we had a rock-star list of guests all day. Dallas Morning News columnist Rick “Goose” Gosselin joined us right out of the gate and was excellent. If you’re not familar with him, Gosselin is known as a heavy hitter in the draft analyst world, specifically as it relates to researching players, speaking with NFL teams and then compiling highly accurate mock drafts. Last year, Gosselin had Tennessee taking Jake Locker and he even had the Redskins taking Christian Ponder at #10. Anyway, we had an NFL-wide type of conversation with Gosselin, but he did say he is optimistic on Ponder for the Vikings and he also thinks this year’s draft features great depth at CB, which is good news for a Vikings team that will need to add CBs in the middle rounds of the draft.

– Leslie Frazier joined us midway through the show and we touched on a variety of topics with him. I’ll refer you to KFAN’s on-demand page so you can listen to the whole interview, but Frazier was great with us and it was fun to catch up with him. One of the most interesting points came right at the end when PA brought up the Chris Cook situation. It’s a sticky issue to speak on, even for me, so I won’t get into it much here. But Frazier said the team basically has to plan as if he won’t be on the team because of the uncertainty that surrounds his off-field issues. That’s not to say Frazier is predicting Cook won’t be with the team, but it is to say that in some cases you have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

– One more interesting takeaway from the Frazier conversation is that he indicated the Vikings may be looking to play some more man coverage in the future, rather than relying on almost exclusively zone coverage. That part of the conversation began when I asked him about the physical characteristics he looks for in a CB. The stigma with Frazier and his defense is that he wants big, physical CBs who jam receivers at the line and then drop back into zone coverage. Frazier responded with his comment about playing more man coverage and about looking for CBs who are just good football players, regardless of size and build.

– NFL Network and CBS analyst Charley Casserly joined us just after Frazier and he provided some great insight as well. On Ponder, Casserly said: “I think he’s going to be fine. I think they reached on him when they drafted him, but most quarterbacks are reached on.” That’s a great point by Casserly, a guy who was a GM in the NFL for 20+ years and who wisely chose DE Mario Williams over RB Reggie Bush – despite consensus that Bush should’ve been the top pick – when he was GM of the Houston Texans.

– We also had other guests on the show, including NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora, Rich Gannon, former Vikings S Jack Brewer, MN native and sports agent Blake Baratz. To check all of it out in on-demand format, head to the KFAN audio section of vikings.com by clicking here or you can also go to this page on KFAN.com.