Hey, Brian, cheer up!

It seems as though this trade for a starting right guard from Philadelphia, Artis Hicks, may have brightened up what I might consider a grade "C" draft, or at least a "disappointing" draft...

I don't know what was so great in last year's draft! Sure most of them are still on the team, but none of them contributed as much as we had hoped. Even our two first-round picks struggled, Troy Williamson & Erasmus James. I was disappointed with those picks too, considering we could have drafted that stud middle linebacker Johnson that KC drafted and WR Mark Clayton instead. Both would have made their marks as starters. Guard Marcus Johnson still hasn't matrialized. Hopefully this year those three will improve.

I agree with you, however, in being disappointed because we didn't pick up Hodge at the MLB position who remained available for several of the middle rounds.

Maybe, just maybe, that unknown quarterback from Alabama will be able to learn from Brad Johnson and the coaching staff and be ready to start in the next year or two. If that happens, and he is really good, this draft can then be redefined as a very good draft...
Mike

This was a crazy draft. It was so disconcerting that it was hard to follow. I mean 2nd round for a guy not even listed in many publications as worthy of mentioning in 25 quarterbacks. And our center who can't really play center or any other position on the line cause he's really just too tall to move. The Dummy book cover really says it all. The first picks and the second day seemed alright although we did pick up a DE that was benched in his Junior year. Let's just hope it is us who are dummies and the Triangle is MENSA. I agree they should have drafted additional linebackers. It's not like they've got the position solved. Maybe they will pick up a veteran cut.

Amazing Website!

I think inexperience cost us a third round pick in this draft. If we were planning on trading up to get Jackson, we should have just taken him at pick 51 and kept both of our thirds and taken Cook and an ILB there. I think the Cook pick is the one nobody really understands. I can understand the Jackson pick because of his huge upside and the rumors that teams ahead of us in Round 3 had interest.

I also like the manuevering that got us the OLineman from Philly. BC is pencilling him in at RG as the starter so our line will be revamped 80% from what we had last year.

Thought a C- yesterday, and I suppose the addition of a veteran guard will let me bump it up to a C. I would like to believe that the trust was prepared and not overmatched, but it seems that a fast one was pulled on them (at least that's the reason they are giving...interest by others in 'their guys') and the reaction was to burn most of the first day picks. When your draftees pretty much admit they were expecting calls on Sunday, then you have to believe that round 2 was much too soon to take them.

I think you're being a little too harsh, COD. We didn't do amazing in the draft but it wasn't too bad, either. Think of it this way... at least we didn't pick Marcus Vick.

I'm mystified by the Cook pick like everybody else but that's really the only one. I do agree, in hindsight, that it would have made alot more sense to use the Cook pick on Tarvaris. However, the two picks from Sunday both look real good from my quick tour around the web so I'm willing to give the Triangle of Authority the benefit of the doubt and assume there must be something really extra special about Cook that nobody else on the planet understands.

Overall, I think I'd give it a B. There seem to be a lot of people already yacking up the Tarvaris pick as a good one. At least it's marginally exciting to have an actual project QB around. Who knows, a year on the bench, a season in NFL Europe and who knows? And remember it's not just Johnson that can teach him. McMahon already knows Childress' offense.

I want to trust in the "Triangle." The "Triangle" will come through for us in the long run. But, I hope they just had jitters for their first draft because they didn't do a very good job of managing the picks. Perhaps the UDFAs we signed: WR Hank Baskett UNM, DB Charles Gordon KU, RB Taureen Henderson TexTech, among others ( http://kffl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169984 ) will make this draft worthwhile. Hopefully, our picks that seem like reaches will prove otherwise in the long run. I think the "triangle" panicked. I can't grade our draft at this point because I'm of the philosophy that you can't grade a draft until a few years later. I'll give the "Braintrust" a grade of "D" for the way they managed the last three picks of the first round. We should have come away with five picks on the first day with Jackson being one of them. I can't fault "The Triangle" for drafting Jackson in the second if they really thought the guy was the fourth best QB prospect. Heck, they still could have taken Cook in and Dominique Byrd in the third if they played the draft right...look at how Denver moved up, and the packers moved around. I like that they drafted Greg Blue in the 5th. And, if Childress thinks that Artis Hicks will know what he expects from the O-line and will be our starting RG in September, fine. Ray Edwards? I don't know much about him. I'll do some searches.

Love your graphics COD.

One more thought. I wonder if they're possibly thinking of turning that Safety they picked up on Sunday into an LB?

Come on man. It sounds like you have been following football long enough to know that " Names" dont mean anything in this day and age. I have been a vikes fan since I could walk. Oh the history of this franchise is very frustrating I agree, However you and I both know of players like Hines Ward, Steve Smith, Tom Brady and so on. I am not sold on any of the three Qb's at the top of the draft.....I start thinking Kyle Boller, Akili Smith, Tim Couch.
I guess my point is ...We should not grade this draft till we see what we have on the field.
We could be the next New England? I hope that our draft personel sees something that we as people who haven't followed these guys dont. Tarvaris is very Raw but I think has a better arm then all 3 top QB's.
I would have liked to see Hodge with one of our pics. We will just have to wait and see. I think all these guys can get some PT and be sucessful from our system. I thought I was upset but when I did research on all these guys the sky is the limit. The DE that was benched it was for personal reasons between the coach and him to the num nuts that posted above. Thats half the problem most people dont know anything about these guys...."ESPN and the professionalsdraft analists are as accurate as weather people" Stay positive because I think we will see how good we did in this draft in time. It could be worse we could be depending on the MEATHEAD and his staff to bring guys along which would give us a new perspective.
BLankITCoverage- Vikingsarmy

Come on man. It sounds like you have been following football long enough to know that " Names" dont mean anything in this day and age. I have been a vikes fan since I could walk. Oh the history of this franchise is very frustrating I agree, However you and I both know of players like Hines Ward, Steve Smith, Tom Brady and so on. I am not sold on any of the three Qb's at the top of the draft.....I start thinking Kyle Boller, Akili Smith, Tim Couch.
I guess my point is ...We should not grade this draft till we see what we have on the field.
We could be the next New England? I hope that our draft personel sees something that we as people who haven't followed these guys dont. Tarvaris is very Raw but I think has a better arm then all 3 top QB's.
I would have liked to see Hodge with one of our pics. We will just have to wait and see. I think all these guys can get some PT and be sucessful from our system. I thought I was upset but when I did research on all these guys the sky is the limit. The DE that was benched it was for personal reasons between the coach and him to the num nuts that posted above. Thats half the problem most people dont know anything about these guys...."ESPN and the professionalsdraft analists are as accurate as weather people" Stay positive because I think we will see how good we did in this draft in time. It could be worse we could be depending on the MEATHEAD and his staff to bring guys along which would give us a new perspective.
BLankITCoverage- Vikingsarmy

One of the biggest losers in the draft is poor Michael Bennett! Here he signs with the N.O. Saints to try to resurrect his career, with high hopes of getting a starting job again and now has to play behind with probably one of the most hyped and talented players in the past decade, Reggie Bush.

I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. Studwell stuck up for the Cook pick, and he has the reputation for getting things correct more often than not. Gilliam, from what I read, turned the team on to Jackson, again he's been no slouch in finding talent. Although the GM and coach are different the scouting staff for the most part is the same one that we have respected for years.

Until we find out that Foley or Childress really went out of there way to run counter to the recommendations of the scouting staff (much like Denny did), let's wait and see how things pan out.

I'm not wild about some of these picks, but they could work out. I agree with most of the folks. They could have probably had most of these same guys without all the trading around.

WAIT! THIS JUST IN! MATT MILLEN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT ERNIE SIMS WILL BE CONVERTED TO WIDE RECEIVER TO KEEP THE TRADITION ALIVE...

I just wonder what Mike Tice would have done.

I think Tarvaris is a very intriguing pick. In reading around the various websites rating this draft, most are not too impressed with us, but say if he works out, this will have been a pretty good draft for us. On the other hand, I have been waiting since 1961 and am getting a little tired of it.

I'm really impressed with the list of undrafted free agents the Vikings picked up.

CB Charles Gordon was projected as a first day pick by a lot of people. Sports Illustrated had him as the top undrafted player in the country; Scott Wright had him at #6. Not sure why he fell; he was one of those Will Blackmon/Devin Hester types who played a number of different DB positions, a little WR, and special teams and seemed to do them all well. Lacks great speed but apparently has superlative instincts. A real coup.

P John Torp was widely regarded as the top undrafted punter in the country.

WR Hank Baskett is a big (6' 3") red-zone threat type WR with good hands whose only knock is a lack of top-end speed. He might compete with Aaron Hosack for the 5th WR job. He was mostly regarded as a 5th round pick.

RB Taurean Henderson is an excellent receiver out of the backfield (he posted 98 receptions as a freshman) and makes for a good 3rd down back type. He was also generally regarded as a 5th rounder.

ILB Oliver Hoyte seemed to be getting a lot of attention leading up to the draft and I'm suprised he wasn't taken; New England in particular seemed interested in him. He's considered to be a very intelligent player.

Plus I love that they picked up local LB Kyle McKenzie.

I personally know Taurean Henderson, in large because I played football as a fullback here for two seasons. First I would like to say that his posted time of 4.63 is bogus... he is in the 4.4 4.3 range, and if you saw him on the field, you would figure that out in a hurry! He has the hands of a wide reciever and the pass blocking skills of a Moe Williams type player. All we do here is pass, notice that's why I'm not playing, electing instead to goto Medical School. I think Henderson will make the 53 man roster, and see the field eventually. I also like the pick up of Hank Baskett. Over all I loved the Vikings draft, maybe because I'm not a name slut and know we really got some SOLID football players...especially Cedric Griffin from UT, he is my RIVAL, you know he is good if I am saying he's got skills!!!! Give the new Regime a break! Thanks for your time- Jo

Personally, the draft was a major disappointment for me when the Vikes didn't trade up for Leinart or Cutler. The way the reached in the 2nd round made it even more unbearable that they didn't package something to move up. I assumed when they didn't move up that they thought the picks were just too valuable. And then they burn them on guys most people agree would have last a round or two longer. Unbelievable.

you are worried about facing Nick Barnett and N'ail Diggs? Unbunch your panties. Plus we have a corner who can be called Bob Cobb. Good times...Good times.

I find it interesting your claim is the Vikings didn't do well in the draft because you could have seen them getting the players they took with their third and fourth picks were guys who could have been available in the 5th round. Interesting when one of the scenarios you laid out that you'd be happy with for the draft before saw the Vikings take players with their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th picks who would have been available in the fifth round.

Not saying the players are great picks, no way of knowing that yet. But clearly you had very little idea of a guys worth and how teams valued them going into the draft.