Deadline deal was never in Vikings' plans

[dead_poet]

Every team has limited cap resources and must divide them wisely. No team has two receivers with contracts averaging at least $6 million a year -- which is precisely what the Vikings would have been staring down with Bowe and Harvin after the season.

That's why draft picks are valued so highly and receiver is likely to be among the Vikings' top targets in April. Early projections have Cal's Keenan Allen, Tennessee's Justin Hunter and Southern Cal's Robert Woods as first-round prospects.

They could go the free-agent route, too, as they tried with Pierre Garcon before he signed a five-year, $42.5 million deal with Washington in March. But the crop of receivers under 30 with expiring contracts is thin, with Bowe and Green Bay's Greg Jennings a sizeable cut above the rest.

For now, it's Harvin, Jerome Simpson and Michael Jenkins, plus whatever they can get from Stephen Burton, Devin Aromashodu and Jarius Wright. Simpson and Aromashodu are on one-year deals, and Jenkins has a $2.425 million roster bonus due in March that almost surely won't be paid.

The Vikings can do better. They know that better than anyone. But they're building for the long haul, not selling out for 2012, and expecting a quick fix at any position was a pipe drem.

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Peli ... Vikings%29

[mansquatch]

As much as the WR play outside of Harvin has been lack luster, I am just fine with this approach. Going a different route would make a lot of sense if we felt we were that team that is 1 guy away, but we are not that team right now.

[Mothman]

I don't have a problem with it either and Tom Pelissero did a nice job of outlining just why the Vikings didn't make a move to get someone like Bowe before the trade deadline.

Supposedly, despite his protests to the contrary, Simpson still isn't 100%, which may explain why he's not getting the kind of separation we'd like to see. With luck, he has an extra gear we haven't seen this season and will see soon and that will make a difference. If he can solidify one of the outside positions, and if the Vikes can then re-sign him, a well-chosen draft pick might give the Vikes the other outside WR they need and complete a good trio of wideouts. Then they'll just need to improve depth.

Sounds easy, eh?

[PurpleKoolaid]

Interesting. No problem overpaying for an injury prone TE, but for the love of god, dont pay a viable WR to help our happy feet QB. yeah, makes sense.

[mansquatch]

They signed Carslon to a lot less guarranteed money than some of the big ticket FA out there. They can (and at this point, probably will) cut him and the hit will only happen next year and then he'll be off the books.

FA is always a gamble, so far Simpson is ticking more towards a bad move than a good one. The fan reaction to him is only muted because his peers on the team are just that much worse than he is. Carlson doesn't have that luxury.

I don't mind their strategy. They are in a position to offer Harvin the contract he has earned. If they had taken the plunge on a CB or WR we might not be in that position.

[Lash Man]

Guess im a desenting fan because the good teams like New England just do it when they need help at position they do what it takes . The best way around overpaying is just sign them to a one year prove it deal then go from there , we can make all the excuses about it but in my opinion wideout is the biggest weakness of this team and Bowe is an upgrade over everyone but Harvin .

[joe h]

Mark my words, Harvin will be getting a slap in the face offer, and will most likely hold out until the start of the 2013 season. At which point the Vikings could offer him the world and he won't take it. We will have 3 wr, a qb, and several db holes that need to be filled before we can be considered perennial contenders again.

I would rather we trade Harvin for a garbage pick or two, if Spielman/Frazier are no longer playing to win.

[Mothman]

Guess im a desenting fan because the good teams like New England just do it when they need help at position they do what it takes . The best way around overpaying is just sign them to a one year prove it deal then go from there , we can make all the excuses about it but in my opinion wideout is the biggest weakness of this team and Bowe is an upgrade over everyone but Harvin .

Bowe's contract expires after this season. Once his contract is up, it's unlikely he'd settle for a one year deal and it's unlikely he'd have to settle for one. The Vikes would either have traded a draft pick (or picks) to acquire Bowe for 1/2 a season or they'd need to pay him pretty serious money next year to keep him. That money could be in the form of a long term deal with a substantial signing bonus or it could be "franchise tag" money which means they'd be paying him as if he was a top 5 receiver... which he's not.

[S197]

As long as this keeps Harvin here, I'm fine with not going after Bowe.

[Lash Man]

Bowe's contract expires after this season. Once his contract is up, it's unlikely he'd settle for a one year deal and it's unlikely he'd have to settle for one. The Vikes would either have traded a draft pick (or picks) to acquire Bowe for 1/2 a season or they'd need to pay him pretty serious money next year to keep him. That money could be in the form of a long term deal with a substantial signing bonus or it could be "franchise tag" money which means they'd be paying him as if he was a top 5 receiver... which he's not.

Wow a franchise tag lol I was just wanting an option on getting a better player at a position of need lets not over react to my opinion and it is an opinion only the Vikings org, will do what they want no matter what I or you or any other message board messiah thinks .

[Mothman]

Wow a franchise tag lol I was just wanting an option on getting a better player at a position of need lets not over react to my opinion and it is an opinion only the Vikings org, will do what they want no matter what I or you or any other message board messiah thinks .

I think you may have misunderstood me. I wasn't suggesting you think Bowe is a franchise player. You wrote "The best way around overpaying is just sign them to a one year prove it deal then go from there" and I was responding to that part of your post. My point w s that bowes is only under contract through this season. If the Vikes had traded for him, they'd be guaranteed to have him on their roster for the rest of this season. That's it. 8 games plus the postseason, if they get there. After that, he'd be a free agent and he could choose to go to any team that made him an offer he liked unless the Vikes either re-signed him or used the franchise tag to prevent him from leaving.

Put simply, signing him to a one year contract probably wouldn't be an option. A team doesn't make a trade like that unless they think the player is the missing piece to a current run at the Super Bowl or unless they're willing to give him the lucrative long term deal he'll be seeking.

[J. Kapp 11]

Bowe's contract expires after this season. Once his contract is up, it's unlikely he'd settle for a one year deal and it's unlikely he'd have to settle for one. The Vikes would either have traded a draft pick (or picks) to acquire Bowe for 1/2 a season or they'd need to pay him pretty serious money next year to keep him. That money could be in the form of a long term deal with a substantial signing bonus or it could be "franchise tag" money which means they'd be paying him as if he was a top 5 receiver... which he's not.

Heck, Jim ... they'd have to pay some serious money THIS SEASON. I believe the article says he has $5.04 million left on his contract. Considering he wouldn't be up to speed for probably the first 3 or 4 games, that's way too much.

We have an outside chance of making the playoffs this season, but only because the other NFC divisions are are so bad, outside of their leaders. There is no reason to sell the farm to get one player who would likely walk after the season in search of even bigger money.

[Mothman]

Heck, Jim ... they'd have to pay some serious money THIS SEASON. I believe the article says he has $5.04 million left on his contract. Considering he wouldn't be up to speed for probably the first 3 or 4 games, that's way too much.

It sure is... and I wasn't even thinking about that!

[Arma]

FYI no team locks up 2 WRs at 6m each. Bowe was never an option. But hey, lets hate our FO its a cool thing to do right?

[Lash Man]

FYI no team locks up 2 WRs at 6m each. Bowe was never an option. But hey, lets hate our FO its a cool thing to do right?

Who said anything about hating the front office ? I just said id like to get Bowe because I see this season as being better than I expected and thought he could be a big help .