vikings/nfl

I think the injuries last year took it's toll on the Vikings, I am optimistic because there is a lot of talented vets still on the team. Get lucky on the health side, and the new guys brought in pan out, I think that the Vikings can surprise some folks. The secondary and O Line are the areas that other teams targeted. Hopefully with the return of the starting corners add in Matt on the O Line and I think there is a lot of upside.

Are you kidding me??? Preparing for a "turnaround"??? Here is just a few reasons why there will be NO "turnaround" for the purple this season. AP is starting the season on the pup list, nothing was done talent wise to improve the NFL's worst pass defense, Ponder as the starting QB with absolutely no quality WRs, the shaky O-line no longer has Hutch to lean on, Frazier is still the head coach, Musgrave is still the O-coordinator, Spielman is the general manager and the purple are still in the NFC North Division, Frazier has yet to beat a NFC North Division opponent (0-11 in the Division to be exact) in his lackluster one and a half years as head coach, and the purple will again have to face Cutler, Rodgers and Stafford twice this season. LOL!!!

Actually, they're going to need distractions this year because the product on the field isn't going to be very good.

If the Vikings don't have off the field distractions, that means the fans will be more focused on what is happening on the field. Not sure that is a good thing either.

@vikesjnx - You bring up good points, but a few false ones. First, AD is starting training camp on the PUP list, not the season. Talent for DBs was addressed in the draft. WR does have talent, unless you forgot Harvin and FA acquisition Simpson. You're spot on some of the other things, though, such as Speilman and Frazier. Enjoy your koolaid.

@steavis - Talent for DBs was addressed in the draft??? Sorry steavis, rookies do not count as addressing talent until they actually pan out. Chris Cook is a perfect example, he hasn't lived up to the hype in regards to what he was supposed to bring to the purple's defensive backfield and probably never will. The WRs are a joke at best (mediocre at best if you are being honest with yourself) Harvin has some talent but is not a number #1 reciever you can build an offense around. He can return kicks, punts and be used for gadget plays that work twice a season. As for Simpson, he was let go by the Bengals because he was not a reliable week in week out starting reciever. The fact that he was unable to make it as a starter in Cincy is proof that he is nothing more than a poor man's Ocho Cinco type that has speed but little else (remember Troy Williamson). Good luck and next time inject some reality into your purple Kool-Aid before the season starts.

The Vikings have some talented vets coming back. Jared Allen, Peterson, Harvin, Winfield, Greenway, Cook, Gerhart, Kevin Williams, these guys can play. Before we wright the season off, why don't we give the new guys a chance to see how they fit in? You need a mixture of vets and youth and possibly the Vikings do have that in place. TE looking promissing with Randolf, Safety with Harrison Smith, Kalil, Simpson at WR these all could fit. And Ponder did show potential last year.

@DrewPuzia - You cannot use Chris Cook and "talented" in the same sentence let alone lump him in the "talented vets" category with Peterson, Kevin Williams, Winfield (three years ago) and Harvin.

@thetruthinc - Well, your analysis of the WRs has no basis in fact nor in the opinion of any reputable source. Plus I say the yet-unproven DBs we drafted couldn't be any worse than what was put on the field. Besides that, your analysis is spot on ;)

Seifert used to rule this place. Now we are stuck Pete and Re-Pete (Mark and What's His Face). Guess the Strib must compensate these guys with spam sandwiches on stale white bread because no one in their right mind would pay American money for this "reporting". Ugh.