As the resident Vikings fan on the RATASS Staff, I feel I should weigh in with my take on their off-season maneuvers, so here goes...
MOUNT MCKINNIE RELEASED - I was pretty surprised when I heard the Vikings released Bryant McKinnie, and I was also pretty disappointed. I know he showed up to training camp out of shape, but I was hoping they would give him some time before they let him go. Big men like McKinnie do not grow on trees, and he will certainly be hard to replace. New LT Charlie Johnson seems like a nice enough guy, and the fact that people call him Charlie makes me like him even more, but I seriously doubt he's the blocker Mount McKinnie was. I'll miss the big guy, and I'm still holding out hope they re-sign him in the future.
Here's how the Vikings O-Line looks at the moment (according to Vikings.com):
LT - Charlie Johnson
LG - Steve Hutchinson
C - John Sullivan
RG - Chris DeGeare
RT - Phil Loadholt
Outlook: Uh-oh. What was a major strength on the Vikings just a couple years ago now appears to be middle-of-the-pack at best. I'm sure Donovan McNabb is missing Bryant McKinnie a lot more than I am right now. DeGeare was a 5th-round pick in 2010 out of Wake Forest (I had to look that up). With two untested guys (Johnson and DeGeare) facing off against pass rushers like Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, and Ndamukong Suh on a regular basis... I'm a little worried.
VIKINGS ADD WIDE RECEIVERS - Sidney Rice is off to Seattle, and the Vikings have brought in Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashodu to help fill the void. Both have size (Jenkins is 6-4, Aromashodu is 6-2) which will help complement the speed and shiftiness of Percy Harvin. Would I have preferred to see Roy Williams (who signed with Da Bears) in purple? Yeah, probably. But I believe Jenkins can be a nice big target and help the team out.
Here's how the Vikings WR Depth Chart looks (as of August 9):
WR - Bernard Berrian, Michael Jenkins
WR - Percy Harvin, Greg Camarillo
Outlook: A top three of Jenkins (the big guy), Harvin (the small, shifty slot guy), and Berrian (the outside burner) with Donovan McNabb at the helm actually doesn't sound that bad. But from what I hear, they're going to line Harvin up outside more often. Oh well, I trust that new OC Bill Musgrave knows what he's doing. I'd have to say that although Rice is gone, this current group has some potential this year.
REPLACING PAT WILLIAMS - One half of the Williams Wall is now gone, as DT Pat Williams was not re-signed. It's likely that Williams has played his last game, and he performed superbly for the Vikings. He will certainly be missed. The Vikings signed Remi Ayodele, former of the Saints, to help fill the space.
Here's the Vikings D-Line depth chart:
DE - Brian Robison, Adrian Awasom
DT - Remi Ayodele, Fred Evans
DT - Kevin Williams, Letroy Guion
DE - Jared Allen, Everson Griffin
Outlook: The Vikings front four should be among the best in the NFL this season. Allen and Williams are perennial Pro-Bowlers and Robison has shown signs that he can get to the QB off the edge. Pat Williams will not be easily replaced, but Ayodele is 6-2, 318, and will hopefully help the Vikings remain among the top run-stuffing teams in the league.
MOUNT MCKINNIE RELEASED - I was pretty surprised when I heard the Vikings released Bryant McKinnie, and I was also pretty disappointed. I know he showed up to training camp out of shape, but I was hoping they would give him some time before they let him go. Big men like McKinnie do not grow on trees, and he will certainly be hard to replace. New LT Charlie Johnson seems like a nice enough guy, and the fact that people call him Charlie makes me like him even more, but I seriously doubt he's the blocker Mount McKinnie was. I'll miss the big guy, and I'm still holding out hope they re-sign him in the future.
Here's how the Vikings O-Line looks at the moment (according to Vikings.com):
LT - Charlie Johnson
LG - Steve Hutchinson
C - John Sullivan
RG - Chris DeGeare
RT - Phil Loadholt
Outlook: Uh-oh. What was a major strength on the Vikings just a couple years ago now appears to be middle-of-the-pack at best. I'm sure Donovan McNabb is missing Bryant McKinnie a lot more than I am right now. DeGeare was a 5th-round pick in 2010 out of Wake Forest (I had to look that up). With two untested guys (Johnson and DeGeare) facing off against pass rushers like Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, and Ndamukong Suh on a regular basis... I'm a little worried.
VIKINGS ADD WIDE RECEIVERS - Sidney Rice is off to Seattle, and the Vikings have brought in Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashodu to help fill the void. Both have size (Jenkins is 6-4, Aromashodu is 6-2) which will help complement the speed and shiftiness of Percy Harvin. Would I have preferred to see Roy Williams (who signed with Da Bears) in purple? Yeah, probably. But I believe Jenkins can be a nice big target and help the team out.
Here's how the Vikings WR Depth Chart looks (as of August 9):
WR - Bernard Berrian, Michael Jenkins
WR - Percy Harvin, Greg Camarillo
Outlook: A top three of Jenkins (the big guy), Harvin (the small, shifty slot guy), and Berrian (the outside burner) with Donovan McNabb at the helm actually doesn't sound that bad. But from what I hear, they're going to line Harvin up outside more often. Oh well, I trust that new OC Bill Musgrave knows what he's doing. I'd have to say that although Rice is gone, this current group has some potential this year.
REPLACING PAT WILLIAMS - One half of the Williams Wall is now gone, as DT Pat Williams was not re-signed. It's likely that Williams has played his last game, and he performed superbly for the Vikings. He will certainly be missed. The Vikings signed Remi Ayodele, former of the Saints, to help fill the space.
Here's the Vikings D-Line depth chart:
DE - Brian Robison, Adrian Awasom
DT - Remi Ayodele, Fred Evans
DT - Kevin Williams, Letroy Guion
DE - Jared Allen, Everson Griffin
Outlook: The Vikings front four should be among the best in the NFL this season. Allen and Williams are perennial Pro-Bowlers and Robison has shown signs that he can get to the QB off the edge. Pat Williams will not be easily replaced, but Ayodele is 6-2, 318, and will hopefully help the Vikings remain among the top run-stuffing teams in the league.
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