Shane Frederick
Free Press Staff Writer
Fri, May 16 2008
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Editor’s note: This is the first of three columns opining on whom the Vikings should select in the first round of Saturday’s NFL Draft. Jim Rueda’s column will appear Thursday, and Chad Courrier’s will run Friday.
A year ago, I argued that the Minnesota Vikings had a chance to draft the new face of the franchise.
I argued that, heading into the NFL draft, that the Vikings were in full-blown rebuilding mode, that they were a team lost without an on-field leader. I said they had a chance, with the seventh overall pick, to take player whose name would become synonymous with the team, a player whose name and jersey number would pop into the heads of even the most causal of football fans every time they heard the words Minnesota Vikings.
I’m happy to report that the Vikings took my advice and selected Adrian Peterson.
What’s that? I didn’t make a case for Peterson? That was Rueda?
OK, OK. So I made a pitch for quarterback Brady Quinn. I said the Vikings had to quit this Tarvaris Jackson nonsense and get a real franchise quarterback. Quinn and JaMarcus Russell, I said, fit that mold.
But the Vikings did right by choosing the electrifying Peterson, who very nearly burst on the scene like Randy Moss did nine years earlier.
Now, Minnesota is weighing its options for Saturday’s 17th overall pick.
Quarterback time, right?
Wrong.
Barring an injury, Jackson is coach Brad Childress’ man. He’s the quarterback the Vikings are going to live or die with, no matter the public or media sentiment.
So now the Vikings are obligated to give him some help.
They’ve already started doing just that by trading receiving bust Troy Williamson — who, by the way, did nothing to help the young quarterback’s confidence in both training camp and the regular season — and by signing former Bears wideout Bernard Berrian as a free agent.
Bolstering the offensive line should be the Vikings’ next order of business.
This draft is deep at offensive tackle with three of the big fellas — all are 6-foot-6 or 6-7 and at least 310 pounds — projected to be taken among the top 15 picks: Boise State’s Ryan Clady, Vanderbilt’s Chris Williams and Michigan’s Jake Long. Pittsburgh’s Jeff Otah is also expected to land in the first round, and a couple of others could rise, too.
Vikings fans often rave about the offensive line and the holes left guard Steve Hutchinson — the 17th overall pick in 2001, by the way — and company opened for Peterson and the league’s top rushing team. But the right side of the line never quite solidified, and the group allowed too many sacks, 38.
Throw in left tackle Bryant McKinnie’s legal problems — he’s scheduled to go to trial on felony aggravated battery charges in June — and cloudy future with the team and taking someone who could possibly protect Jackson for the next 10 years or more is a no-brainer.
Offensive linemen aren’t sexy picks like quarterbacks, running backs and receivers are. But a year ago, the Cleveland Browns selected tackle Joe Thomas with the third overall pick, and he helped transform their offense, most notably the play of once-unknown quarterback Derek Anderson.
All Anderson did was finish fifth in the NFL with 29 touchdown passes and cause some Vikings fans to covet him as a free agent before he re-upped with the Browns.
Perhaps the right lineman could do the same for Tarvaris Jackson.
Shane Frederick is a Free Press staff writer. Access his college hockey blog through www.mankatofreepress.com.
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