Peterson plea deal...

[J. Kapp 11]

They should employ themselves to build a solid running game that can be a strength fo their offense.....but hoping to find an AD type back in the draft is less likely than getting a franchise QB IMO.

Rock-solid point.

I'd rather see the Vikings sign and pay Adrian Peterson, rather than trying to find another Adrian Peterson in the draft. THAT would be the fool's gold. AP is a once-a-generation back.

[The Breeze]

Rock-solid point.

I'd rather see the Vikings sign and pay Adrian Peterson, rather than trying to find another Adrian Peterson in the draft. THAT would be the fool's gold. AP is a once-a-generation back.

We agree for sure.

I was keen to hear your take on the journalists making waves on this issue. It's disturbing to watch the lack of oversight and accountability on display in todays sports journalism.....maybe all journalism for that matter.

The inmates are literally running the assylum in some respects.

[Pondering Her Percy]

They should employ themselves to build a solid running game that can be a strength fo their offense.....but hoping to find an AD type back in the draft is less likely than getting a franchise QB IMO.

Yeah but you also don't need an AP type RB to have a successful running game. My god the Jets were 3rd in rushing offense this year with gross RBs like Ivory and Johnson. Carolina was 7th with a bunch of average joes. Baltimore was 8th with a 29 year old average Joe that came out of nowhere. We were 14th with Matt Asiata for christs sake.

AP isn't the end all, be all. We don't have to find the next AP in the draft. We need to find another Jeremy Hill type player that can be a workhorse. That's where guys like Gordon, Gurley, Coleman, and Ajayi come into play. Sorry but I'll never buy that Mckinnon is a workhorse. Bottom line is, we don't need AP in order to succeed and have a good running game. This class is loaded with backs. Let AP go, save money, and get younger at the position. It's the best move for the franchise IMO

[frosted]

Yeah but you also don't need an AP type RB to have a successful running game. My god the Jets were 3rd in rushing offense this year with gross RBs like Ivory and Johnson. Carolina was 7th with a bunch of average joes. Baltimore was 8th with a 29 year old average Joe that came out of nowhere. We were 14th with Matt Asiata for christs sake.

AP isn't the end all, be all. We don't have to find the next AP in the draft. We need to find another Jeremy Hill type player that can be a workhorse. That's where guys like Gordon, Gurley, Coleman, and Ajayi come into play. Sorry but I'll never buy that Mckinnon is a workhorse. Bottom line is, we don't need AP in order to succeed and have a good running game. This class is loaded with backs. Let AP go, save money, and get younger at the position. It's the best move for the franchise IMO

I'm interested to hear why:

A. You feel we have to employ a 'workhorse'

B. You don't feel McKinnon can be a 'workhorse'

Am I the only one who thinks McKinnon can be a legit RB?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Pondering Her Percy]

I'm interested to hear why:

A. You feel we have to employ a 'workhorse'

B. You don't feel McKinnon can be a 'workhorse'

Am I the only one who thinks McKinnon can be a legit RB?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I mean just about every team has a workhorse and a spell back. As for Mckinnon, we have no clue if he can stay healthy and he's 5'8. Just because he's an athlete and strong doesn't mean he can carry the load. I mean how many 5'8 workhorses are out there?? Not a whole lot. If AP is gone and we go into this season relying on McKinnon and Asiata, it could be one of the dumbest things we could do. Because if McKinnon goes down which could be very possible if he was to see 15-20 carries per game, then we're back to square one with Asiata. We would be going in blind with McKinnon, not knowing what to expect. There are a lot of 5'11-6'0 backs in this draft, go get a guy with some size that can take the pounding

[Mothman]

Couldn't agree more, Jim.

I am typically VERY critical of today's media. I cut my journalistic teeth in the era of "you WILL NOT publish any piece of information unless that information can be verified by two on-the-record sources." Today's "Tweet now, verify? ... eh, maybe later" methods make me sick to my stomach. Big props to a member of the media criticizing his own. Because y'know, publishing things like "Adrian Peterson vows he'll never play for Vikings again" when Adrian Peterson can't even SPEAK to the Vikings until April 15 ... well, that DESERVES criticism.

And Craig makes great points, especially when he talks about paying the man. I've been questioning all along ... why would you PAY Adrian Peterson a million a week to sit at home for 2014 if you're just going to cut him in 2015? Or, as Craig so brilliantly puts it, "Why make a down payment if you're never going to move into the house?" He's also correct in admonishing Peterson to remember that the Vikings TRIED to bring him back last year but were buried under an avalanche of bad publicity (who among us can forget that this entire board shut down in protest of the Vikings reinstating Peterson?).

Just a great column. Sure wish we could see more like it.

I do too and it sure stands in contrast to that load of garbage Powers wrote a couple days ago or the rumor-mongering that drives you, me and many others nuts.

Thanks for posting about this. I've been looking forward to your thoughts!

[The Breeze]

Yeah but you also don't need an AP type RB to have a successful running game. My god the Jets were 3rd in rushing offense this year with gross RBs like Ivory and Johnson. Carolina was 7th with a bunch of average joes. Baltimore was 8th with a 29 year old average Joe that came out of nowhere. We were 14th with Matt Asiata for christs sake.

AP isn't the end all, be all. We don't have to find the next AP in the draft. We need to find another Jeremy Hill type player that can be a workhorse. That's where guys like Gordon, Gurley, Coleman, and Ajayi come into play. Sorry but I'll never buy that Mckinnon is a workhorse. Bottom line is, we don't need AP in order to succeed and have a good running game. This class is loaded with backs. Let AP go, save money, and get younger at the position. It's the best move for the franchise IMO

I don't believe by any stretch that you need an AD type to be successful.... and history agrees.
However, if you have him under contract, that's different issue.
I'm not convinced one more season of AD at 12mil holds them back. But it's not my money and just my opinion. I guess it would be easier to calculate after free agencey.
My main point is questioning whether we are better served in the long run spending our 1st rd pick on that position, based on what we agree it takes to have success running the ball. I think you feel the same if I am remembering correctly from draft threads.

At ths point in my view, I'd rather have a HoF LB or CB than the same at RB/WR....I have a suspicion the former are rarer historically. I don't know though.

The Cowboys recent superbowl teams are famed for the HoF triplets....but I remember pretty much all their o-linemen from that era as they were practically household names.
There's certainly much better places to spend money IMO.

[The Breeze]

I really believe McKinnon can carry the load. He reminds me of Joe Morris for Parcels' giants.

Whether he does it or not, who knows?

[VikingLord]

I wonder how AD thinks he might actually play for another team? I mean, for that to be an option one of two things has to happen (neither of which I think are very likely, although one would be possible provided AD is willing to do it):

1) Vikes cut him outright
2) Vikes trade him

For Option 2) to happen, AD would have to renegotiate his contract. His base salary for next season is supposed to be $12 million. With incentives, I've seen that number reach $15 million for the year. As good as AD may be, nobody besides the Vikings would consider paying him that, and even if they were willing to, they certainly wouldn't part with high draft picks to do it. To get anywhere near what Spielman swung for Harvin would require AD to reduce his base to the $6-8 million per year range at least, and if I'm Rick Spielman, I'm looking for compensation on the order of what I got for Harvin.

So if AD really wants a trade, he's going to have to want it bad enough to give up a big chunk of change. If he tries to force a trade or force the Vikes to cut him, they'll just fine him and start clawing any money they pay him back. He's not in a position of power.

We have a ways to go. Unless someone is filling AD's head with fantasies about what he can do, I bet he comes to his senses at some point and realizes he's still got it pretty good in Minnesota. And if he really is so dumb he can't understand that and he is actually willing to do what it takes to get the trade he wants, then I wish him the best and hope what the Vikings get in return will in turn vault them to several future Superbowl appearances.

[J. Kapp 11]

We agree for sure.

I was keen to hear your take on the journalists making waves on this issue. It's disturbing to watch the lack of oversight and accountability on display in todays sports journalism.....maybe all journalism for that matter.

The inmates are literally running the assylum in some respects.

It definitely has permeated into all journalism, not just sports.

In this era of instant news, the aim now is to be first. Nobody seems to care whether you're actually RIGHT. It's all about being able to say, "Jason LaConfora reports," or whomever's name is attached. The actual story doesn't even seem to matter, only who "broke" it.

There is a term in journalism called "libel." It pertains to the printed word, which I assume includes Twitter. Libel, like "slander" in the spoken word, means you're spreading lies. And it can get you sued.

Now, if you're spreading lies about a regular Joe, someone who is not deemed to be a "public person," then you can get in trouble pretty quickly. The standard for proving libel is much lower than it is for a celebrity, public person, newsmaker, etc. That standard is, basically, what you said isn't true, even if you didn't mean to tell the lie. But for a public person, the standard is higher, as it should be. There can be lots of conflicting reports about celebs, so you don't want to punish the media for keeping an eye on government. So for public persons, the standard is, "It's not true, AND you had actual malice."

It's the term "actual malice" that seems to be evolving.

In my journalism days during the 90s, even though the actual malice standard was higher, you still had to do your job. Actual malice could mean you simply didn't perform your due diligence. You didn't check your facts. You didn't get your two on-the-record sources, or you didn't look up the public record, or whatever. It could be that little, and that laziness could get you (and your organization) in trouble. These days, it appears that NOTHING is actual malice. Nobody checks ANYTHING until AFTER it's reported. Just Tweet it ... if you're wrong, oh well. It's just a Tweet. But if you're right, and you're first ... well, do that enough and you'll land on ESPN or Fox Sports as a big-money commentator or "NFL insider." Truth? A mere inconvenience.

I don't know what it's going to take to change things, but I'm concerned. The Fourth Estate is no longer doing its job, which is to watchdog those who can influence and control our lives. Watergate was a horrible moment for our country, but it was a great moment for journalism. The process was done correctly, and it brought down a corrupt administration. Nowadays, government makes a mockery of the whole thing, using the drooling media's desire to win ratings shares to advance its own agenda. Where will it end? What will it take for us to wake up? In the grand scheme of things, tweeting about AP's agent getting into a tussle with Rob Brezinski seems like small potatoes. But there are a lot more important things that can be manipulated through the media. At what point will it become nefarious? And will we, the rumor-starved public, even recognize when it happens?

[Mothman]

We have a ways to go. Unless someone is filling AD's head with fantasies about what he can do, I bet he comes to his senses at some point and realizes he's still got it pretty good in Minnesota. And if he really is so dumb he can't understand that and he is actually willing to do what it takes to get the trade he wants, then I wish him the best and hope what the Vikings get in return will in turn vault them to several future Superbowl appearances.

I think he'll probably end up playing for the Vikings too but I wouldn't characterize a willingness to be traded as dumb. I don't know if Peterson is genuinely interested in that possibility or not but if he is, and if his family's wishes are a part of that willingness to be traded, I wouldn't say he's being dumb. He might not stand to lose as much money as people think either. If I'm not mistaken, none of the money on his contract is guaranteed after this season. IF he was traded, he might have to take less money to play in 2015 but he might be able to negotiate a multi-year deal that would pay him as much or more guaranteed money as he stands to make now.

[chicagopurple]

I think everyone getting all in a lather about losing AP are really missing the point. It is not keeping AP that is critical, its having the top-notch OL to make the holes for a good RB that is so important. AP was (might/might not still be) the rare RB who found having a OL to be optional. He could pound out great runs with no Ol in front of him at times. Without him, we just need a good/avg RB as long aswe have a good OL. Having a good OL makes it less critical to have a ProBowl RB and also helps make our young QB more valuable. We need an OL more then AP

[Purple bruise]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKzHUggk8kI

How quickly we forget!! This is not just any running back that can be replaced by a good running back playing behind a better line

[chicagopurple]

I question that assumption......for the price of APs contract you might develop a monsterous OL

[Purple bruise]

I question that assumption......for the price of APs contract you might develop a monsterous OL

It has been quite apparent that he does not even need a "monsterous OL". He has done many remarkable things with and average to poor line. Another reason to retain him IMO. What is he capable of doing with a QB of TB's capabilities?