What's your initial feeling on the Vikings signing Freeman?

[yezzir]

I almost don't really understand this signing..... I know Ponder has his issues, Cassel looked good in his lone start, but neither of the 2 are our future guy... I don't know if Freeman can be that guy either. Time will tell. I was hoping we could find a potential franchise guy in the draft.

Drafting and developing a QB in the next draft would essentially kill off 2-3 more years of AD in his prime. So you either trade AD and draft a QB to develop, or bring in a young QB with NFL experience that has shown elite talent multiple seasons and go from there.

It was a good move.

[yezzir]

Besides Zygi being a selfish a-hole businessman ripping money from MN citizens, I frickin love him being the owner of this team.

[CbusVikesFan]

As of right now, the Vikings have 4 QB's on the roster. They should play each QB for a quarter. Rotate them for the next 4 games so they will all have the opportunity to start and who ever comes out on the other side with the better stats/look is the starter.

It just may cause enough confusion for the defense......
(not by mistake there are 4 rofl)

[akvikingsfan]

Josh Freeman was expected to join the Minnesota Vikings by Monday afternoon, but the team won't try to get its newly signed quarterback ready by Sunday. Coach Leslie Frazier told reporters Christian Ponder or Matt Cassel will start the Vikings' Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers.

Not that this is a surprise to anyone. Just thought I'd share. Maybe by week 7 Freeman will be the starter?

[S197]

I disagree with this being a long-term move, it's a last ditch save THIS season effort. Just look at the contract. Despite the Vikings record, they're only a game and a half out of 1st and they get to play Chicago and Detroit at home. Their losing margin is slim, two coming on last minute TD's. If Spielman and Frazier are smart, they stash Ponder away for 4-5 weeks to "heal" and let Cassel and Freeman battle it out. It won't take Freeman long to learn the 4x6 index card Musgrave calls a play sheet. By the time Ponder is ready, they'll know if the season is salvageable and maybe if they have a potential QB for next year. If Freeman or Cassel play well during Ponder's time out, it'll be enough ammo to bench him rather than Cassel beating a winless team as the only evidence.

The bottom line is Frazier and his staff will be out of jobs at the end of the year if the Vikings keep losing and Spielman is giving him the best shot possible (in terms of a in-season move) to keep his job. Worse case scenario is if Freeman has another one hit wonder year and we extend him leaving us back in the perpetual merry-go-round of quarterbacks. But I think this scenario is unlikely, we'll find out if Freeman can be back to his 4,000 yard season or continue on as his lazy, ball turnover self.

[thatguy]

The bottom line is Frazier and his staff will be out of jobs at the end of the year if the Vikings keep losing and Spielman is giving him the best shot possible (in terms of a in-season move) to keep his job. Worse case scenario is if Freeman has another one hit wonder year and we extend him leaving us back in the perpetual merry-go-round of quarterbacks. But I think this scenario is unlikely, we'll find out if Freeman can be back to his 4,000 yard season or continue on as his lazy, ball turnover self.

I think that that alone is reason to consider this a long-term move. Given his "prove it" contract that he just received, he can either prove that he's worth what people originally thought of him, or he can fade away and the Vikings can move on. In any scenario, we've either found a QB that we can rely on into the future, or we can move forward with finding the QB of the future in the draft. I like the move because it moves away from stagnation and gets away from the "QB merry-go-round" one way or another.

[VikingLord]

In any scenario, we've either found a QB that we can rely on into the future, or we can move forward with finding the QB of the future in the draft. I like the move because it moves away from stagnation and gets away from the "QB merry-go-round" one way or another.

How do you figure this represents evidence of long-term thinking on either party's part?

Spielman apparently offered a 2 year deal while Freeman wanted a single "year". Neither of those are what I consider to be long-term.

The contract is for $3 million for essentially 12 games, of which I would be shocked if Freeman could realistically contribute for more than 8. That's provided he works his behind off to learn the offense and get reps with the starters, which is going to be extremely difficult for the Vikings to manage considering whomever is starting needs to get those reps in prep for the games that keep coming now.

There is nothing long-term about this on either side and I continue to be amazed at how many people seem to believe there is. For all anyone knows, Freeman just took the highest offer to pad his bank for the rest of the year and insisted on a 1-year deal knowing he has no intent of staying with Minny. This is a QB-starved league and he may have several more viable options this coming offseason even if he doesn't step foot on the field again this season.

But I agree the silver lining is this move blows up the Vikings at QB and will force change at the position this coming offseason, and I am looking forward to that.

Here's a prediction - none of the QB's currently on the roster will be with the Vikings when they open next season. Good or bad, Ponder must have had it with this move and the vote of no-confidence it represents. Cassel must realize he is not viewed as more than backup, and I don't think Freeman really wants to play football anymore and if he does, it will be somewhere nice and warm where we can settle into a nice backup role and collect a paycheck. You heard it here first.

[losperros]

You really think he was signed to be depth/backup?

It could possibly end up that way if Freeman can't outperform Ponder or Cassel.

I don't know what the Vikings are planning right now and I agree with the "don't just plug and play QBs." OTOH, this is kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't dynamic. Something had to be done. Hopefully, one of these three QBs can step up before the season ends.

I'm with Jim in being in "wait and see" mode. For now, anyway.

[losperros]

But I agree the silver lining is this move blows up the Vikings at QB and will force change at the position this coming offseason, and I am looking forward to that.

And that's exactly how this should be seen. The present QB status quo has come to an end. Changes are on the way next season.

[mondry]

Here's a prediction - none of the QB's currently on the roster will be with the Vikings when they open next season. Good or bad, Ponder must have had it with this move and the vote of no-confidence it represents. Cassel must realize he is not viewed as more than backup, and I don't think Freeman really wants to play football anymore and if he does, it will be somewhere nice and warm where we can settle into a nice backup role and collect a paycheck. You heard it here first.

Wow, pretty far out there, would be incredibly shocked if that happened!

[PurpleHalo]

I was a little shocked. I opened nfl.com to check the score on the early Sunday night game, and there it was breaking news. My first actual thought was that finally the Ponder era ends. He's a nice guy by all accounts, but that doesn't make you NFL QB material.

[dead_poet]

How do you figure this represents evidence of long-term thinking on either party's part?

Spielman apparently offered a 2 year deal while Freeman wanted a single "year". Neither of those are what I consider to be long-term.

The contract is for $3 million for essentially 12 games, of which I would be shocked if Freeman could realistically contribute for more than 8. That's provided he works his behind off to learn the offense and get reps with the starters, which is going to be extremely difficult for the Vikings to manage considering whomever is starting needs to get those reps in prep for the games that keep coming now.

There is nothing long-term about this on either side and I continue to be amazed at how many people seem to believe there is. For all anyone knows, Freeman just took the highest offer to pad his bank for the rest of the year and insisted on a 1-year deal knowing he has no intent of staying with Minny. This is a QB-starved league and he may have several more viable options this coming offseason even if he doesn't step foot on the field again this season.

But I agree the silver lining is this move blows up the Vikings at QB and will force change at the position this coming offseason, and I am looking forward to that.

Here's a prediction - none of the QB's currently on the roster will be with the Vikings when they open next season. Good or bad, Ponder must have had it with this move and the vote of no-confidence it represents. Cassel must realize he is not viewed as more than backup, and I don't think Freeman really wants to play football anymore and if he does, it will be somewhere nice and warm where we can settle into a nice backup role and collect a paycheck. You heard it here first.

We're on the same page here, save for the Ponder prediction. He's the only QB that's under contract in 2014 (I think MBT is a exclusive rights free agent and Cassel has a "player option"). Spielman won't cut Ponder and go into the season with MBT as the only QB. Ponder will represent an inexpensive safety blanket for whatever rookie they draft, leading to a "competition" that hopefully the rookie wins easily and never looks back. The other possibility is that Cassel will exercise his option with the hope he can win a three-way QB competition.

The more I think about this, the messier it gets.

[Mothman]

You really think he was signed to be depth/backup?

I honestly don't know but it's unlikely. I think the most likely scenario is that they'll give him some time to adjust/prepare and then start him but I don't think that's the only plausible scenario. I'm interested in seeing how it plays out.

[Eli]

Explain to me how a guy on a one-year deal (actually, a 12-game deal) is a long-term move.

Exactly.

Here's the logic that fans seem to think follows these one year deals: We get to see if he works out, and if he does, oh boy, we can sign him to a longer term contract next year. Yippee! Nothing to lose!

Except, he's under zero obligation to sign here next year. If it works out, it's "High bidder, here I come." If it doesn't work out - if he were to get marginal playing time, or if he clashes a little with the OC - then he's flat out of here.

It's a very non-committal move by the Vikings, and sometimes you get in return exactly what you put into it. In this case, it's very little.

[Crax]

Carolina and NY are both winnable games with Cassel. As long as Cassel is winning, I think he may stay the starter. As soon as they lose though, it'll be interesting to see where they go.