Vikings Now News Posts
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Posted on Feb 6, 2012It's no secret stellar quarterback play can mask roster deficiencies and help head coaches land contract extensions. Sunday night amplified that. The Vikings might have watched Eli Manning and Tom Brady throw bullets inside Lucas Oil Stadium with the hope Christian Ponder one day will manage a similar trajectory on his passes.
Just as last season's Vikings felt they were a few plays from turning three wins into seven, similar optimism suggests Ponder might be a few throws from proving he can compete with the elite quarterbacks in the NFC North.
That journey will take time, no doubt. That... Read more..
Also Mentioned: Peyton Manning
Posted on Feb 3, 2012Jumping back into blog mode after some time away, and with the relatively slow news day, it seems like a good time to take a look at some of the Vikings' in-house free agents under discussion at Vikings headquarters.
This time of year, Rick Spielman's staff is breaking down each player as it prepares for the NFL combine and looks to fulfill needs. And as the Vikings plan to get younger in an effort to rebuild the roster, the financial decisions with in-house guys won't carry the same weight as last year with Sidney Rice and Chad Greenway, who netted nearly $40 million in combine... Read more..
Also Mentioned: Rick Spielman
Posted on Jan 24, 2012As expected, the Vikings are taking a hard look at cornerback and wide receiver this week at the Senior Bowl. No doubt those are big needs. They are also scanning the North and South rosters for offensive linemen, even though the best in the draft, USC's Matt Kalil, is an underclassman.
But which of the three is really the Vikings' biggest need? All three positions are a mess. Wide receiver needs upgrading, to no fault of Percy Harvin. The secondary can't get much worse aft... Read more..
Also Mentioned: Fred Pagac
Posted on Jan 23, 2012We’re getting settled in here at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., where some of the game’s top draft prospects practice for scouts, executives and coaches from NFL teams. Coach Leslie Frazier was kind enough to let the local media observe his staff’s introductory meeting Sunday with the North team, which the Vikings will be coaching all week. In case you missed it, here’s our Senior Bowl advance with a few video clips of Frazier talking to the team. A few nuggets from last night: *The meeting took place at 8:30 p.m., so the entire Vikings coaching staff was huddled [...]
Posted on Jan 22, 2012Now that coach Leslie Frazier has finalized a staff that’s in Mobile preparing to coach a Senior Bowl team, the Vikings’ most coaching intriguing tandem will be Fred Pagac and Mike Singletary, who both hold the title of linebackers coach (Singletary is also the “special assistant to the head coach”). Both coaches were retained — with Pagac demoted from coordinator — at a time when the Vikings had the option to blow up the staff and start over after a 3-13 finish. The Vikings made minimal changes on the personnel and coaching sides, setting the stage for owner Zygi Wilf [...]
Also Mentioned: Zygi Wilf
Posted on Jan 18, 2012First, here’s the latest: Alan Williams expected to accept defensive coordinator offer, Mike Singletary expected to remain on staff as special assistant to the head coach. The way this is shaking out, especially if Fred Pagac accepts the demotion to linebackers coach (he’s mulling offer) and defensive backs coach Joe Woods returns (which I’m hearing is a strong possibility), the Vikings will head to the Senior Bowl this weekend without the major defensive shakeup that some expected. Williams comes from a Tampa-2 background, and considering the candidates Frazier has interviewed for the job, those hungry for a switch to the 3-4 [...]
Posted on Jan 16, 2012Colts defensive backs coach Alan Williams is the latest name linked to the Vikings’ defensive coordinator job, which officially became vacant Friday when the Vikings relieved Fred Pagac of his duties. NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora reports Williams is expected to interview in Minnesota on Tuesday. If Williams is hired, he’ll be following the path once traveled by Frazier, the Colts’ defensive backs coach from 2005-06 before the Vikings hired him to run the defense. Surely these two have a relationship from their Indy days. Williams has been with the Colts for 10 seasons and also worked with the Bucs under [...]
Also Mentioned: Mel Tucker
Posted on Jan 15, 2012The Vikings relieved Fred Pagac of his defensive coordinator duties Friday morning but have offered a job to return as linebackers coach, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation. The Vikings have not yet been informed whether Pagac, who coached the Vikings linebackers from 2006-10 before assuming the coordinator job last January, will embrace the demotion or look for work elsewhere. Speculation has persisted for weeks about Pagac’s departure after the defense fell to 21st in total defense, 26th in passing defense and 11th in rushing defense, an area in which the team finished in the league’s [...]
Posted on Jan 15, 2012The Vikings relieved Fred Pagac of his defensive coordinator duties Friday morning but have offered a job to return as linebackers coach, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation. The Vikings have not yet been informed whether Pagac, who coached the Vikings linebackers from 2006-10 before assuming the coordinator job last January, will embrace the demotion or look for work elsewhere. Speculation has persisted for weeks about Pagac’s departure after the defense fell to 21st in total defense, 26th in passing defense and 11th in rushing defense, an area in which the team finished in the league’s [...]
Posted on Jan 13, 2012The two Jaguars who popped into Winter Park on Wednesday — defensive coordinator Mel Tucker and defensive line coach Joe Cullen — returned to Florida and decided that Minnesota wasn’t for them. With the Senior Bowl nine days away, coach Leslie Frazier has to take a fully-stocked staff to Mobile for a week of coaching the North team. I’ve been told the Vikings already have made travel arrangements for defensive coordinator Fred Pagac, linebackers coach Mike Singletary and defensive backs coach Joe Woods to coach in Mobile, despite the reality that all three might be replaced. Unless new coaches take over [...]
Also Mentioned: Joe Cullen
