Long KFAN interview with Rick Spielman

[Mothman]

Yo can listen to it here:

http://www.kfan.com/player/?station=KFX ... d=22863366

or here:

http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/audi ... 8c99bd4ae2

[CalVike]

I did listen, Spielman never says much about the future, but it was interesting to hear him talk about last year's draft.

[Mothman]

I did listen, Spielman never says much about the future, but it was interesting to hear him talk about last year's draft.

I enjoyed that part of the conversation the most. Spielman's never going to give away too much about his plans but it's nice to hear him give an extended interview. It helps provide a little more insight into how he thinks.

It sounds like if he can find a way to trade down once or twice and snag a few more picks in this draft, he'll do it. It also sounds like he considers getting WR help on the outside a genuine need, which is good because it IS a need!

[Mothman]

I'm posting this here because of the quote from Spielman (below) and because I thought it might stimulate a discussion that goes beyond the parameters of the Loadholt talk going on in the 2013 Free Agent Tracker & Discussion thread.

Minnesota Vikings want to keep Phil Loadholt on roster

"Phil Loadholt is a good football player for us," Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told the team website. "Our offensive line had a lot of wholesale changes up front, getting Matt Kalil, moving Charlie (Johnson) inside to left guard, the emergence of (John) Sullivan, who I think is a Pro Bowl center, the development of Brandon Fusco and Phil Loadholt. Our objective is to hopefully keep all those guys together for the next three, four, five years.

"Continuity is a huge part of it on the offensive line because those guys have to work as one unit and they have to know each other inside and out. They work together on combination blocks, on picking up stunts and twists when they're in pass (protection) passing off. I think continuity is a big key to that. We'd love to keep Phil Loadholt, so we'll try to do everything we can to keep Phil Loadholt but we also have a lot of guys we'd like to keep."

I wonder if we should take all of that at face value or not. Spielman often talks about the team always looking to get better so I have to think if they saw a good opportunity to upgrade at guard, they would. However, I believe him when he says they'd love to keep Loadholt and I agree with the importance of continuity on the line. It will be interesting to see what the starting o-line looks like next September.

[VikingLord]

I wonder if we should take all of that at face value or not. Spielman often talks about the team always looking to get better so I have to think if they saw a good opportunity to upgrade at guard, they would. However, I believe him when he says they'd love to keep Loadholt and I agree with the importance of continuity on the line. It will be interesting to see what the starting o-line looks like next September.

They have to keep Loadholt. There is no way they let him go. I don't think Spielman will franchise him because I don't think it will be necessary, but at the same time they must get him locked up.