Squall ASF
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NFL Training Camp/Preseason Thread 2012 - A Farewell to snes :(
- Thread starter chuckddd
- Start date
Cool
Dutch Gronk
Banned
B1gg_Randall
Member
Hey chuckddd check your pm..
BlackGhost
Banned
Football! football! but im pretty excited to see how Manning does
hahah thats a awesome name
I'm just ready to see football in general myself. I'm also curious to see how Weeden does. I followed Weeden before the draft, simply because it was rumored that Denver would draft him (this was prior to Manning of course).
Elfforkusu
Member
Pollard wouldn't do it, he and Eli are united against evil.
Found this on the pats forum. Apparently this was the play. Seriously though if Hightower can cover even just a little bit I will be extremely happy. From all the reports in camp so far Hightower and Jones seem like the real deal. I can't wait to see them play tomorrow.
I saw that the Pats signed Kyle Hill, one of our senior captains last year. Pretty good pass blocker but had a couple of false starts that you don't expect from a senior.
Elfforkusu
Member
GraveRobberX
Platinum Trophy: Learned to Shit While Upright Again.
God I love PCU
I <3 you Larry!
"You want a paper on Sanskrit, not Sandskrit... a 3,000 year old dead language"... So Good!
MEAT TOSSER!
Anyone in the market for some used Air Jordans? Warren Sapp has some on ebay.
Buckethead
Banned
goldlion054
Member
I wasn't even involved in this convo.....
Dutch Gronk
Banned
One day, I will be able to dance like that.
Sure. But your avatar heard the word 'bacon'. There's no stopping a motivated and youngry Stafford.
BannedEpisode
Member
For this to happen you need to get in the perfect mix of horrible financial advice, stupidity, and poor purchases.
goldlion054
Member
Don't slander Fatfford with that word, por favor
DeaconKnowledge
Member
Please 26th. I'm emceeing a wedding on the 25th.
I can teach you. It's pretty easy, all you need is rhythm.
BlackGhost
Banned
Found this on the pats forum. Apparently this was the play. Seriously though if Hightower can cover even just a little bit I will be extremely happy. From all the reports in camp so far Hightower and Jones seem like the real deal. I can't wait to see them play tomorrow.
didnt he still catch the Td?..
Alligatorjandro
Banned
Found this on the pats forum. Apparently this was the play. Seriously though if Hightower can cover even just a little bit I will be extremely happy. From all the reports in camp so far Hightower and Jones seem like the real deal. I can't wait to see them play tomorrow.
Hightower right now is probably the 2nd best defensive player behind Wilfork
Where can I download rhythm?
Dutch Gronk
Banned
We are already happy that he's almost close to
covering somebody.
Progress baby!
I think I already have that app.
Really? I don't think he's a better run defender than Spikes. From watching him the last two years his coverage skills are average. Rolando looked better in coverage at Bama than Hightower ever did.
Normally on 3rd down Bama would line him at end and drop a safety, Barron, down to play nickel backer.
Preseason Writeup: New York Giants
It's good to be the king. The preseason always feels better when you're the reigning Super Bowl champion, but the Giants still have a lot to prove and aren't ready to give up the crown. Despite being the champs, the players haven't had a problem finding a reason to play with a chip on their shoulder, feeling that far too many people believe their Super Bowl victory was lucky or a fluke.
The Giants come into the season looking to prove they are the team that finished the year winning their last six games to secure the Super Bowl and not the one that was 7-7 (including dreadful losses to the Redskins, twice, and the Seahawks) and needed to win out just to sneak into the playoffs. Can they stay healthy enough to make another run?
OFFENSE
QB - New York's most popular backup quarterback has been the story of the year so far. Humanitarian, underwear model, and darling of the national media, everyone in New York has been going DAVID CARR-RAZY. Will he take his shirt off and run in the rain? Who knows, but I'm erect just thinking about it. Real talk: Hard to improve on a season when you were the Super Bowl MVP, but Eli's focus in camp has been working on reducing his turnovers and making smarter decisions. The only thing to note is that Eli is working with a new QB coach this year after Mike Sullivan took a promotion with Tampa Bay.
HB - Ahmad Bradshaw(44) returns as the sole starter now that Brandon Jacobs is in San Francisco. Bradshaw's biggest concern this year will be trying to stay healthy, something he has failed to do the last few years. Even though he has often managed to gut through it, Bradshaw has frequently been playing on busted feet. First round pick David Wilson(34) has shown explosive speed in camp and will eventually be the backup to Bradshaw, but the Giants expect their RBs to be able to pass protect, something Wilson will take time to learn. Until then, veteran DJ Ware(28) will share backup duties. Speedster Da'Rel Scott(33) and Andre Brown(35) will compete for the final RB roster spot, with the edge going to Scott.
FB - Henry Hynoski(45) returns after a nice rookie season and will likely retain his starting spot. Rutgers graduate and New Jersey native Joe Martinek(38) is also in camp and has been getting praise from the coaching staff, but I don't believe he has the size or experience to be the run blocking FB the Giants require.
WR - Victor Cruz(80) and Hakeem Nicks(88) return as one of the best receiving duos in the league. Nicks is looking to return from a broken foot that has caused him to start training camp on the PUP, but it is looking more and more likely that he will be back in time for opening day against Dallas. The real competition is for the third WR spot now that Mario Manningham is gone. This will likely be for an outside receiver role, since the Giants love how valuable Cruz is in the slot. The top three for the spot are likely veteran Domenik Hixon(87), second year WR Jerrel Jerrigan(12) and second round pick Rueben Randle(82). In my mind, this spot ideally goes to Randle, but the Giants offense is extremely complex for wide receivers and it will take him a bit to fully learn it. Ramses Barden(13) will look to finally reach his full potential and should have been in the mix for the third receiver spot, but early camp reports on him haven't been great.
TE - Martellus "The Black Unicorn" Bennett(85) enters camp as the likely starter at TE for the Giants, both because of his contract and because they really have no one better. Bear Pascoe(86) returns this year, but will likely spend as much time shifting into the backfield to block. Travis Beckum(47) begins the year on the PUP after tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl and is still a ways from coming back. Draft pick Adrien Robinson(81) is extremely raw and has a lot to learn. The Giants have proven they don't need much from this position to be successful, but even so they are really lacking in this area. They have to hope Bennett can stay healthy and that he truly was being held back in Dallas. Good blocking and some mediocre receiving numbers will be more than enough for the Giants.
OL - Arguably the biggest area of concern for Giants fans. The Giants return most of their line from last year, with the exception of starting RT Kareem MacKenzie, who had really started to show his age by the end of the season. David Diehl(66) is moving over to replace him, although that could change depending on the health of starting LT Will Beatty(65) who has chronic back problems. Backup Kevin Boothe(77) will be moving into a starting role at LG after looking pretty good there in extended play last season. Center David Baas(64) is looking to improve on a disappointing, injury-plagued first year with the Giants. Coughlin's son-in-law Chris Snee(76) returns at RG. Mitch Petrus(62) and James Brewer(73) will serve as primary backups, but are young players still trying to make progress and gain experience. Veteran tackle Sean Locklear(75) is around to provide depth as well. Basically this is a unit that looks pretty solid for its starting 5, but just an injury or two could throw the line into chaos. Not great when the group is relatively old and has a couple of players that are known to be injury prone.
DEFENSE
DE - STACKED. A healthy Justin Tuck(91), a happy Osi Umenyiora(72), and a beastly Jason Pierre-Paul(90) means the Giants will once again have one of the best pass rushes in the league. Their NASCAR lineup (4 DEs, often including DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka) that is used on passing downs is sure to wreck havoc. Several young pass rushers are in the mix to replace Dave Tolefson as the fourth DE in the Giants' rotation.
DT - A position that worries me more than most. Starters Chris Canty(99) and Linval Joseph(97) both return, although Canty is beginning camp on the PUP due to offseason knee surgery and it is looking likely that he may miss the season opener. The Giants brought back Rocky Bernard(95) and signed Shaun Rogers(73) for veteran depth. There has been word that Rogers is extremely motivated for a ring, to the point that he has lost 50 pounds getting ready for the season. Not that he didn't have an easy 50+ to lose given his weight, but if Rogers could somehow play even close to his potential he will be a great addition for the Giants. Marvin Austin(96) has a ton of potential, but it has been two years since he played an organized game of football and he apparently had some conditioning issues during OTAs.
LB - The Giants have a ton of legit depth at LB for the first time in years. Michael Boley(59), Mathias Kiwanuka(94) and Chase Blackburn(93) return as the starting three linebackers. They are followed with by a core of young, talented depth in Greg Jones(53), Jacquain Williams(57) and feel good story Mark Herzlich(58), who is currently pushing for the starting MLB role and may take it over sooner rather than later. Keith Rivers(55) was also brought in from the Bengals and will likely see a lot of snaps, especially with Mathias Kiwanuka often being put into a pass rushing role.
CB - A position that was absolutely ravaged by injury last year, the Giants are looking to create some stability this season. Corey Webster(23) will certainly be starting on one side. Terrell Thomas(24) was making a comeback from his second ACL surgery when an "aggravated ACL" in camp (initially diagnosed as a third ACL tear) has sidelined him for the next 4-8 weeks. Prince Amukamara(20) will look to make up for his disappointing rookie year, which was ruined by injury, and fill the other starting spot. Michael Coe(37) has been seeing snaps with the first team at times and Justin Tyron(30) and Bruce Johnson(25) could also be in the mix. Rookie CB Jayron Hosley(36) has been having a pretty good camp so far and could see a decent chunk of playing time if his progress continues.
S - Kenny Phillips(21) and Antrel Rolle(26) both return and will be starters. At the end of the day though, Rolle may be asked to reprise the slot CB role he filled towards the end of last year. The success of undrafted free agent Will Hill(38) has been one of the biggest stories of training camp so far and may be filling the 3rd safety spot in the Giants defense (which sees a starter's number of snaps). Tyler Sash(39) was in the mix to fill this spot and has been making good progress, but he will miss the first four games of the season due to a positive test for Adderall.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The kicking spots are solidified with Lawrence Tynes and Steve "THE MOTHERFUCKING SUPER BOWL" Weatherford both returning from last year. KR/PR are largely up for grabs, with numerous players (Hixon, Randle, Hosley, Ware) in the mix.
It's good to be the king. The preseason always feels better when you're the reigning Super Bowl champion, but the Giants still have a lot to prove and aren't ready to give up the crown. Despite being the champs, the players haven't had a problem finding a reason to play with a chip on their shoulder, feeling that far too many people believe their Super Bowl victory was lucky or a fluke.
The Giants come into the season looking to prove they are the team that finished the year winning their last six games to secure the Super Bowl and not the one that was 7-7 (including dreadful losses to the Redskins, twice, and the Seahawks) and needed to win out just to sneak into the playoffs. Can they stay healthy enough to make another run?
OFFENSE
QB - New York's most popular backup quarterback has been the story of the year so far. Humanitarian, underwear model, and darling of the national media, everyone in New York has been going DAVID CARR-RAZY. Will he take his shirt off and run in the rain? Who knows, but I'm erect just thinking about it. Real talk: Hard to improve on a season when you were the Super Bowl MVP, but Eli's focus in camp has been working on reducing his turnovers and making smarter decisions. The only thing to note is that Eli is working with a new QB coach this year after Mike Sullivan took a promotion with Tampa Bay.
HB - Ahmad Bradshaw(44) returns as the sole starter now that Brandon Jacobs is in San Francisco. Bradshaw's biggest concern this year will be trying to stay healthy, something he has failed to do the last few years. Even though he has often managed to gut through it, Bradshaw has frequently been playing on busted feet. First round pick David Wilson(34) has shown explosive speed in camp and will eventually be the backup to Bradshaw, but the Giants expect their RBs to be able to pass protect, something Wilson will take time to learn. Until then, veteran DJ Ware(28) will share backup duties. Speedster Da'Rel Scott(33) and Andre Brown(35) will compete for the final RB roster spot, with the edge going to Scott.
FB - Henry Hynoski(45) returns after a nice rookie season and will likely retain his starting spot. Rutgers graduate and New Jersey native Joe Martinek(38) is also in camp and has been getting praise from the coaching staff, but I don't believe he has the size or experience to be the run blocking FB the Giants require.
WR - Victor Cruz(80) and Hakeem Nicks(88) return as one of the best receiving duos in the league. Nicks is looking to return from a broken foot that has caused him to start training camp on the PUP, but it is looking more and more likely that he will be back in time for opening day against Dallas. The real competition is for the third WR spot now that Mario Manningham is gone. This will likely be for an outside receiver role, since the Giants love how valuable Cruz is in the slot. The top three for the spot are likely veteran Domenik Hixon(87), second year WR Jerrel Jerrigan(12) and second round pick Rueben Randle(82). In my mind, this spot ideally goes to Randle, but the Giants offense is extremely complex for wide receivers and it will take him a bit to fully learn it. Ramses Barden(13) will look to finally reach his full potential and should have been in the mix for the third receiver spot, but early camp reports on him haven't been great.
TE - Martellus "The Black Unicorn" Bennett(85) enters camp as the likely starter at TE for the Giants, both because of his contract and because they really have no one better. Bear Pascoe(86) returns this year, but will likely spend as much time shifting into the backfield to block. Travis Beckum(47) begins the year on the PUP after tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl and is still a ways from coming back. Draft pick Adrien Robinson(81) is extremely raw and has a lot to learn. The Giants have proven they don't need much from this position to be successful, but even so they are really lacking in this area. They have to hope Bennett can stay healthy and that he truly was being held back in Dallas. Good blocking and some mediocre receiving numbers will be more than enough for the Giants.
OL - Arguably the biggest area of concern for Giants fans. The Giants return most of their line from last year, with the exception of starting RT Kareem MacKenzie, who had really started to show his age by the end of the season. David Diehl(66) is moving over to replace him, although that could change depending on the health of starting LT Will Beatty(65) who has chronic back problems. Backup Kevin Boothe(77) will be moving into a starting role at LG after looking pretty good there in extended play last season. Center David Baas(64) is looking to improve on a disappointing, injury-plagued first year with the Giants. Coughlin's son-in-law Chris Snee(76) returns at RG. Mitch Petrus(62) and James Brewer(73) will serve as primary backups, but are young players still trying to make progress and gain experience. Veteran tackle Sean Locklear(75) is around to provide depth as well. Basically this is a unit that looks pretty solid for its starting 5, but just an injury or two could throw the line into chaos. Not great when the group is relatively old and has a couple of players that are known to be injury prone.
DEFENSE
DE - STACKED. A healthy Justin Tuck(91), a happy Osi Umenyiora(72), and a beastly Jason Pierre-Paul(90) means the Giants will once again have one of the best pass rushes in the league. Their NASCAR lineup (4 DEs, often including DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka) that is used on passing downs is sure to wreck havoc. Several young pass rushers are in the mix to replace Dave Tolefson as the fourth DE in the Giants' rotation.
DT - A position that worries me more than most. Starters Chris Canty(99) and Linval Joseph(97) both return, although Canty is beginning camp on the PUP due to offseason knee surgery and it is looking likely that he may miss the season opener. The Giants brought back Rocky Bernard(95) and signed Shaun Rogers(73) for veteran depth. There has been word that Rogers is extremely motivated for a ring, to the point that he has lost 50 pounds getting ready for the season. Not that he didn't have an easy 50+ to lose given his weight, but if Rogers could somehow play even close to his potential he will be a great addition for the Giants. Marvin Austin(96) has a ton of potential, but it has been two years since he played an organized game of football and he apparently had some conditioning issues during OTAs.
LB - The Giants have a ton of legit depth at LB for the first time in years. Michael Boley(59), Mathias Kiwanuka(94) and Chase Blackburn(93) return as the starting three linebackers. They are followed with by a core of young, talented depth in Greg Jones(53), Jacquain Williams(57) and feel good story Mark Herzlich(58), who is currently pushing for the starting MLB role and may take it over sooner rather than later. Keith Rivers(55) was also brought in from the Bengals and will likely see a lot of snaps, especially with Mathias Kiwanuka often being put into a pass rushing role.
CB - A position that was absolutely ravaged by injury last year, the Giants are looking to create some stability this season. Corey Webster(23) will certainly be starting on one side. Terrell Thomas(24) was making a comeback from his second ACL surgery when an "aggravated ACL" in camp (initially diagnosed as a third ACL tear) has sidelined him for the next 4-8 weeks. Prince Amukamara(20) will look to make up for his disappointing rookie year, which was ruined by injury, and fill the other starting spot. Michael Coe(37) has been seeing snaps with the first team at times and Justin Tyron(30) and Bruce Johnson(25) could also be in the mix. Rookie CB Jayron Hosley(36) has been having a pretty good camp so far and could see a decent chunk of playing time if his progress continues.
S - Kenny Phillips(21) and Antrel Rolle(26) both return and will be starters. At the end of the day though, Rolle may be asked to reprise the slot CB role he filled towards the end of last year. The success of undrafted free agent Will Hill(38) has been one of the biggest stories of training camp so far and may be filling the 3rd safety spot in the Giants defense (which sees a starter's number of snaps). Tyler Sash(39) was in the mix to fill this spot and has been making good progress, but he will miss the first four games of the season due to a positive test for Adderall.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The kicking spots are solidified with Lawrence Tynes and Steve "THE MOTHERFUCKING SUPER BOWL" Weatherford both returning from last year. KR/PR are largely up for grabs, with numerous players (Hixon, Randle, Hosley, Ware) in the mix.
ConradCervantes
Banned
Dutch Gronk
Banned
There is no doubt in my mind Spikes is the better LB, but the dude can't stay healty. He's injured again.
BlackGhost
Banned
really? damn thats sad to hear, i always liked spikes
Alligatorjandro
Banned
I just want to see how the defense plays.Im most curious about the linebackers .
I think the offense will be ok probably better with a deep threat like Lloyd now.
TheLegendary
Member
Hey guys.
guys.
guys.
Nice work! Added to the op.
HowardRoark
Member
I'm optimistic about what Ras-I can bring to the secondary. Here's hoping he stays healthy!
Buckethead
Banned
I can do a write up for the Packers if no one else is doing one.
Because dime cornerback Jarrett Bush is much improved and when I posted it, it was 24 hours (his number) until kickoff.
AngmarsKing701
Member
You're feeding conspiracy theorists.
Nice BigAT. Giants OL always seems to be an issue but Eli always makes do, just like his brother always did. On paper they seem loaded
edit: I don't know when BR moved beyond slideshows, but this is a pretty thorough piece on Eli in relation to all NY QBs
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1289225-eli-manning-is-already-the-best-qb-in-new-york-history
edit: I don't know when BR moved beyond slideshows, but this is a pretty thorough piece on Eli in relation to all NY QBs
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1289225-eli-manning-is-already-the-best-qb-in-new-york-history
Futurevoid
Member
Nice write up, Big!
Wellington
BAAAALLLINNN'
OK I'm awake, I'm awake.
We play Friday eh? All I pray for is no more injuries.
We play Friday eh? All I pray for is no more injuries.
Thanks.
I think Hanlon has said there's nothing official about that depth chart, so I tried not to use it. I kind of have a hard time thinking Jerrigan is the man to beat for PR after he had so many issues last year, but who knows. He's certainly in the mix though.
I really think that if they stay healthy, the Giants will do a lot of damage this year. They don't have too many glaring weak areas, but many strengths. Depth at a couple of spots is one of their few problems.
Wellington
BAAAALLLINNN'
There is an interesting stat from that article which is interesting. Eli has never won a playoff game when the other team scores more than 20 points. Both he and Simms benefited greatly from dominant playoff defenses.
Defense may no longer be the key to regular season success, but it does matter in the playoffs. Peyton always had to score for his team to win the playoffs (except that SB). Brady hasn't won a SB since their D fell off. Big Ben is really the only guy who carried his team to a SB victory.
BannedEpisode
Member
VIKEBIKE WRITEUP
Where to begin? The problem with the Vikings is that very few people realize that as an organization, this team rarely stays down long. In the 51 years that the organization has been part of professional football it has reached the playoffs 26 times. The Vikings hold the 6th best regular season win percentage (all time). They are give or take a few games even with their two biggest rivals, the Bears and Packers. All told, an impressive wrap sheet, but the discerning eye might notice something missing: A championship.
Well shit, you cant get em all!
Anyway, back to my point. Despite having a shit image, the Vikings are poising themselves positively for an improved year toward rebuilding their team. After the better part of 6 years spent patching up leaks, the front office has decided to start from the ground up and it is well over due. The mantra for the Vikings in the coming years will be, "draft smart, acquire reasonable free agents, and build around our remaining stars (and why didnt we think of this sooner?)". The good news is that they have made some sound decisions and a couple steps in the right direction, with some luck The Vikings will be back at the big kid's table soon.
With that said lets take a look at the team as is:
[QB]
Christian Ponder: The prodigal son. The reach incarnate. The intangible kid.
I'm not going to bother expanding on the others. The season and future starts or ends with Ponder.
The truth is that Ponder really does have potential. In his rookie year he showed equal parts flash and startle. Unlike his fellow draftees he had the honor of taking second string reps for the first half of the year behind Mister McRibb. When he was thrust into the starting position he struggled, and reasonably so. He rushed his reads, made bone headed throws, ran too soon, and looked completely shell shocked. He looked like a rookie. A rookie lacking an semblance of an offensive line, one wide receiver, and who took 30 sacks in 10 games.
He also made some good stuff too, enough for me to think he will surprise some folks with the positive additions made this offseason.
[O-LINE] The only returning linemen at the same position are Load"hold" and Sully at center. Fusco has impressed in camp, Charlie Johnson is back at his natural position, and Kalil has managed to hold his own against the best pass rusher in football throughout camp. This line is going to be MUCH better than it was last year. As a result I expect Ponder benefit
[TE] Kyle Rudolph is going to blow people away regardless of QB play. He has been absolutely astounding in camp, catching nearly everything in a bubble around him. His biggest weakness from last year, his route running skills, have been improved. He is the defacto starter and his statline will reflect that. Many have noticed that he has dethroned Percy as the go to target for the QB's at camp.
John Carlson will bring a level of maturity and skill at the position if he can stay healthy. If this can be managed the two TE set the Vikes want to copy so badly from New England may be feasible. So far he cant. Rhett Ellison, the rookie TE/FB, is looking to fill the void of the now retired Jimmy Kleinsasser. (I feel as though he will have a successful tenure with the Vikings as a role man)
[WR] One of the biggest weaknesses on the Vikings roster has only improved enough for me to tentatively call the group average until I can see some players in a game situation. Simpson has the potential to bring the desperately needed deep threat to this offense but he will be absent until week 3. Harvin will be good as usual but he needs to stay on the field. Greg Childs looked like a diamond in the rough before he blew out both of his knees last saturday. This group is a gigantic question mark.
[RB] By all accounts AP is coming back stronger than ever. He is a freak and a medical wonder at the rate his recovery is going. With that said, he had better take it easy for the first half of the season. He will be his old self but not if he gets himself killed. The development and success of Ponder rests on the shoulders of AP.
In the mean time Toby Gerhart will take the majority of the RB snaps in his more than capable hands. He finished last season with a 4.9 average per carry and could easily start on a lot of teams in this league. He will get his chance to show everyone his potential and the ridiculous shape he has gotten into.
[D-Line] One of our few bright spots. We have the sack record holder (He didnt get a freebie) and a number of talented and young linemen at each position. I expect good things.
[Linebackers] Thin and shakey. Greenway will play well, as is expected, but the middle and opposite side will have to come out in the wash. The younger henderson and brinkley have a lot to prove. There is also a dark horse with Everson Griffen vying for a role as a rushing LB. He is an athletic freak that needs to be on the field, I hope he does well.
[CB] Much improved but still unproven in almost every sense outside of Winfield. Cook showed promise but needs to keep his head on straight. We need that boy to step up to megatron, Jennings and Marshell so we dont get embarrassed as badly as we did last year. The new guys from the Bears and Ravens will have to contribute. Robinson, the fastest player in this years draft has impressed in camp and will see his way into the rotation. If he can clean up his game he can be dangerous.
If the group can stay healthy it will be 1000% better than the travesty we fielded last season
[Safety] Expect Sanford and the rookie Harrison Smith to start. I expect Smith to make a lot of plays on the ball if they unchain him. He has excellent vision and needs to make plays and strong tackles. The rest suck. Horribly.
[Special Teams]Harvin will score his usual 2-3 TD's on KR. PR is up for grabs but I'm hoping Robinson gets the job. He is absolutely electric quick.
Blair Walsh is the new placekicker, and has already cleaned up the technical issues that ruined his senior year. He has looked accurate and his leg has been incredibly strong. I loved Longwell but it will be nice to see some touchbacks.
Kluwe is still Kluwe.
[Random] Joe Webb needs to be on the field. Using him as a backup QB is an absolutely shameful waste of his natural abilities. I dont give a fuck what they do but they are leaving points on the field if he isnt out there is some capacity. He isnt cut out to be a QB, he has thrown a pick every day at camp. He'll confuse the hell out of Defensive coordinators that havent prepped for him but thats it.
[Conclusion] This is the year of Christian Ponder. This is his make or break. If this fails our team is taking a major step back, if he does well we keep moving forward. At this point nobody expects the guy to be an elite talent. What they expect is for him to make smart decisions and to show improvement over last year.
That sentiment really goes for the whole team but it all starts with him. I expect the Vikings to take a step forward and get back to standing up. A 6-10 or 7-10 season is the goal. Anything less is failing.
VIKEBIKE!
(Im not proof reading this, I probably said something stupid and I dont care)
Where to begin? The problem with the Vikings is that very few people realize that as an organization, this team rarely stays down long. In the 51 years that the organization has been part of professional football it has reached the playoffs 26 times. The Vikings hold the 6th best regular season win percentage (all time). They are give or take a few games even with their two biggest rivals, the Bears and Packers. All told, an impressive wrap sheet, but the discerning eye might notice something missing: A championship.
Well shit, you cant get em all!
Anyway, back to my point. Despite having a shit image, the Vikings are poising themselves positively for an improved year toward rebuilding their team. After the better part of 6 years spent patching up leaks, the front office has decided to start from the ground up and it is well over due. The mantra for the Vikings in the coming years will be, "draft smart, acquire reasonable free agents, and build around our remaining stars (and why didnt we think of this sooner?)". The good news is that they have made some sound decisions and a couple steps in the right direction, with some luck The Vikings will be back at the big kid's table soon.
With that said lets take a look at the team as is:
[QB]
Christian Ponder: The prodigal son. The reach incarnate. The intangible kid.
I'm not going to bother expanding on the others. The season and future starts or ends with Ponder.
The truth is that Ponder really does have potential. In his rookie year he showed equal parts flash and startle. Unlike his fellow draftees he had the honor of taking second string reps for the first half of the year behind Mister McRibb. When he was thrust into the starting position he struggled, and reasonably so. He rushed his reads, made bone headed throws, ran too soon, and looked completely shell shocked. He looked like a rookie. A rookie lacking an semblance of an offensive line, one wide receiver, and who took 30 sacks in 10 games.
He also made some good stuff too, enough for me to think he will surprise some folks with the positive additions made this offseason.
[O-LINE] The only returning linemen at the same position are Load"hold" and Sully at center. Fusco has impressed in camp, Charlie Johnson is back at his natural position, and Kalil has managed to hold his own against the best pass rusher in football throughout camp. This line is going to be MUCH better than it was last year. As a result I expect Ponder benefit
[TE] Kyle Rudolph is going to blow people away regardless of QB play. He has been absolutely astounding in camp, catching nearly everything in a bubble around him. His biggest weakness from last year, his route running skills, have been improved. He is the defacto starter and his statline will reflect that. Many have noticed that he has dethroned Percy as the go to target for the QB's at camp.
John Carlson will bring a level of maturity and skill at the position if he can stay healthy. If this can be managed the two TE set the Vikes want to copy so badly from New England may be feasible. So far he cant. Rhett Ellison, the rookie TE/FB, is looking to fill the void of the now retired Jimmy Kleinsasser. (I feel as though he will have a successful tenure with the Vikings as a role man)
[WR] One of the biggest weaknesses on the Vikings roster has only improved enough for me to tentatively call the group average until I can see some players in a game situation. Simpson has the potential to bring the desperately needed deep threat to this offense but he will be absent until week 3. Harvin will be good as usual but he needs to stay on the field. Greg Childs looked like a diamond in the rough before he blew out both of his knees last saturday. This group is a gigantic question mark.
[RB] By all accounts AP is coming back stronger than ever. He is a freak and a medical wonder at the rate his recovery is going. With that said, he had better take it easy for the first half of the season. He will be his old self but not if he gets himself killed. The development and success of Ponder rests on the shoulders of AP.
In the mean time Toby Gerhart will take the majority of the RB snaps in his more than capable hands. He finished last season with a 4.9 average per carry and could easily start on a lot of teams in this league. He will get his chance to show everyone his potential and the ridiculous shape he has gotten into.
[D-Line] One of our few bright spots. We have the sack record holder (He didnt get a freebie) and a number of talented and young linemen at each position. I expect good things.
[Linebackers] Thin and shakey. Greenway will play well, as is expected, but the middle and opposite side will have to come out in the wash. The younger henderson and brinkley have a lot to prove. There is also a dark horse with Everson Griffen vying for a role as a rushing LB. He is an athletic freak that needs to be on the field, I hope he does well.
[CB] Much improved but still unproven in almost every sense outside of Winfield. Cook showed promise but needs to keep his head on straight. We need that boy to step up to megatron, Jennings and Marshell so we dont get embarrassed as badly as we did last year. The new guys from the Bears and Ravens will have to contribute. Robinson, the fastest player in this years draft has impressed in camp and will see his way into the rotation. If he can clean up his game he can be dangerous.
If the group can stay healthy it will be 1000% better than the travesty we fielded last season
[Safety] Expect Sanford and the rookie Harrison Smith to start. I expect Smith to make a lot of plays on the ball if they unchain him. He has excellent vision and needs to make plays and strong tackles. The rest suck. Horribly.
[Special Teams]Harvin will score his usual 2-3 TD's on KR. PR is up for grabs but I'm hoping Robinson gets the job. He is absolutely electric quick.
Blair Walsh is the new placekicker, and has already cleaned up the technical issues that ruined his senior year. He has looked accurate and his leg has been incredibly strong. I loved Longwell but it will be nice to see some touchbacks.
Kluwe is still Kluwe.
[Random] Joe Webb needs to be on the field. Using him as a backup QB is an absolutely shameful waste of his natural abilities. I dont give a fuck what they do but they are leaving points on the field if he isnt out there is some capacity. He isnt cut out to be a QB, he has thrown a pick every day at camp. He'll confuse the hell out of Defensive coordinators that havent prepped for him but thats it.
[Conclusion] This is the year of Christian Ponder. This is his make or break. If this fails our team is taking a major step back, if he does well we keep moving forward. At this point nobody expects the guy to be an elite talent. What they expect is for him to make smart decisions and to show improvement over last year.
That sentiment really goes for the whole team but it all starts with him. I expect the Vikings to take a step forward and get back to standing up. A 6-10 or 7-10 season is the goal. Anything less is failing.
VIKEBIKE!
(Im not proof reading this, I probably said something stupid and I dont care)
I trust your assessment of him as a player. I just think he has a chance to a better version of Spikes. I'm really excited to hear the reports of the attitude he brings to camp. Spikes and Hightower on run defense is going to be a lot of fun to watch. In Pats camp the report has basically been Hightower has been better than advertised in coverage, but he has a ton of work to do. I think Jones is the pick that has a chance to be special. BTW LJ how is Mark Anderson? I really liked him as a Patriot last season, and he really seemed to improve towards the end of the season. He should get a lot of favorable matchups this season.
I really like Spikes but he seems like a weird dude. Was worried about him last year with those weird tweets and stuff.
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Yup. And I mention Webb at the end. I love the guy but he needs a lot of development at QB despite his tools. He has also managed to toss quite a few picks in camp.
Also, as impressive as his running is, its almost always his first instinct.