hawkeyecub
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Everything posted by hawkeyecub
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I like that the Vikings picks are all favorites of Wes Bunting and the National Football Post because he's probably my favorite draft guy. He had Ponder as the #1 QB (Pete Prisco too), like everyone else he had Randolph #1 TE and top 30, Ballard (4th round pick) as the #11 DE and Burton (5th rounder) as the #8 CB. Burton came out early because he was given a 2nd round grade by the Draft Advisory Council. Ouch
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[expletive] yes, the Vikings got Ballard at 106. 9th pick in the 4th round. That's great value right there and fits perfectly with the Vikings needs. Makes up for passing on defense in the 2nd when they took BPA with Rudolph.
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The only thing I'll take issue with is your suggestion of how they could have moved. You say they had a shot to trade down and still get Ponder but Spielman said there was NO ONE willing to trade up to 12 and that was going all the way down to 32. Ponder was the guy they wanted but they took 9 minutes before turning the pick in. Schefter, Mort, LaCanfora were all saying the Lions were really trying to trade down at 13 and they couldn't do it either. As far as trading up to 9 or 10, they don't have a 3rd rounder because of the Moss trade. It was either give up a 2 to match Jax or probably something like this year's 4 and next year's 3. I'm a little meh on Rudolph for the same reason as you but I can't be too critical when I'm always wanting BPA and they said it wasn't even close, he was too high on their board to pass up. I wish we had addressed the defense or OL but TE was going to be an enormous need in a year and if Rudolph solidifies that spot for 8-10 years and is a security blanket for Ponder...
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I can't believe Ballard has fallen to the 4th, I would love to see the Vikings grab him if he's there in 9 picks. Before it came out that he tested positive for pot at the combine he was a late 1st, 2nd round guy. That was incredibly dumb but he's a pretty smart kid who isn't a character concern. He plays the [expletive] cello for crying out loud. I think he's going to be a really good NFL player though and is flexible.
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Vikings took Randolph with their 2nd rounder. Love him as a player and it's a good value pick there. Plus Shank is declining and will be a free agent next year and we have no one young behind him. Hopefully he can be an 8-10 year guy there. Plus a good TE is the great security blanket for a young QB. 2 good TE's, a great slot guy and the best back in the league will give Ponder a chance if he plays next year. That's if the o-line improves and doesn't get him killed. Disappointed they couldn't add anything defensively on the first two days though. Or o-line help.
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Yeah too bad they didn't have this last night. Faulk and Irvin add nothing and just detract from actual analysis.
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He was injured as a senior and that hurt his production and arm strength and that injury-plagued season, I think, is the reason people laugh at the pick so much. Most see him as he was as a senior and not as he was as a junior. That said, I still think the Titans, Vikings and Seahawks made the worst 1st round picks. All three were reaches with better players on the board. All true. I think the Titans and Vikings are unique though and the "reach" aspect isn't as important with a QB as other spots. As everyone knows if you don't have a QB, you don't have a chance. They both have new coaching regimes and that's the ideal time to start new with a QB. The Vikings tried trading down but couldn't find a partner. At that point you have to get your guy. If it works out it doesn't matter in 3-5 years if you took him 10 spots too high. If it's a bust, it's a 1st round bust either way. I'm just glad we've finally got a guy that you're going to build around. His success pretty much determines what happens with Spielman, Frazier, Musgrave, etc.
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If you want to feel better about Ponder, go check out anything Wes Bunting has written about him at the National Football Post. Ponder is Bunting's favorite QB in this draft and while I'm not sure he'd support taking him at 12, he feels more strongly about Ponder's eventual success than any other QB in this draft. Yeah that's encouraging. I like Bunting a lot and he's had him as the top QB in the draft. I saw Pete Prisco thinks he'll be the best QB in the draft also. Then you've got guys like Dilfer who said he didn't have him in the top 3 rounds but thinks Dalton is the best QB in the draft. It's a total crapshoot. Like I said, I like his floor. He has the leadership, smarts, toughness and accuracy plus good mobility/athleticism. This play shows that his arm strength looked pretty damn good as a junior: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Jar435rnc
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Because that's how you always want to start off a new coaching regime and help get a new stadium. Plus they're too talented to go 2-14 and get the 1st pick. Not talented enough to win anything this year, but they couldn't tank if they wanted to.
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I'm fine with the Ponder pick. They targeted Locker and he was gone. They tried trading up to 9 for Gabbert and couldn't match the Jags since they don't have a 3rd. I would have preferred either of them but it couldn't happen. At that point it was trade down or take a QB. They tried trading down and Spielman said they had no takers at that point (had some potential deals entering the draft to move down). I was hoping for Dalton at that point but obviously they like Ponder more and it looks like all of the Dalton pick was overblown. It was either take a QB there or you don't get one for another year because they weren't going to get Dalton/Ponder with their 2nd and didn't have the ammo to trade up. It's a reach but it doesn't matter if you hit on it. Spielman and Frazier were willing to tie their stakes to him so that's good enough for me to believe they're confident in him. He has the same strengths and weaknesses as Dalton and I've seen multiple guys describe him as the most ready to play. His ceiling isn't as high but I think his floor is higher than Newton and Gabbert and possibly Locker. Tough, super smart, good leader and good accuracy. I don't really care about superior arm strength in today's NFL.
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Mort and Clayton now both saying Gabbert could quite possibly fall to 12. Dalton is going anywhere from 8-30. Ponder between 16-40. Kaepernick somewhere between 15-40. Mallett anywhere. I want Locker at 12 or a trade down that results in Dalton.
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Jeremy Morin. He will be the goods, very excited about him I can type up a few paragraphs on my lunch break about some others That would be awesome. What's the deal with Kyle Beach at this point?
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Who wants to give a rundown of the young guys with a good shot at the roster for next year and what they bring?
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Speaking of Hossa, I'm hoping the longer offseason and rest will benefit him more than anyone next year. That guy has played a lot of [expletive] hockey in the last 4 years. 71 playoff games (64 in the previous 3 years) plus the Olympics.
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No one has any idea what's going on with the QB's. Clayton is hearing Gabbert could fall to 12 and the Vikings, Gosselin has 5 QB's going in the top 12. Locker is anywhere from 8 to late 1st. Dalton, Ponder and Mallett are all over the map from 10-40.
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Good read on the Westbrook/Durant dynamic. http://www.hardwoodparoxysm.com/2011/04/27/the-assassination-of-kevin-durant-by-the-budding-star-russell-westbrook/
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Can't believe there is so much doubt now as to whether Locker will even be available to the Vikings at 12.
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If Brunner had a neck he would have been a solid 6'8.
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There is no one to even half-root for in the West.
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Is there anyone that really played a good game besides Crawford?
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Was just coming to post that it was fitting that a bad turnover in our zone ended the season but already saw it. Crawford deserved better tonight.
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ESPN (I know they suck) has him as a 4-star, 15th best center in the country and 92 overall: http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/130064/gabe-olaseni This will be the first time in years that there is actual, legitimate competition for spots. And it should be the first time in 5 years that we're playing games that actually mean something. I'm [expletive] pumped.
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Freakin Dantonio Knew that was coming
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Iowa landed the 25 year old felon who served almost 4 years for a robbery he committed when he was 17. It was down to Iowa and Nebraska at the end. Maybe Maryland JUCO basketball completely sucks but he averaged 21, 10 and 5 while shooting 64% from the field as a 6'5, 220 pound wing. The consensus "inside" opinion seems to be that Fran is sure he's going to come in and start at the 3 next year and quite possibly be the leading scorer. Let the jokes begin...
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I thought it was definitely over when Campoli went down trying to keep the puck in their zone in OT which led to the 2 on 1. Thank God Johnson got on his horse and disposed of that rebound with a wide open net.
