Vikings News

"How tough is it to trade up four spots in the NFL draft? Vikings vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman showed 35 media members Wednesday, providing an inside look at the draft-day trade that allowed the team to select Arkansas State safety Tyrell Johnson in the second round. A speaker at coach Brad Childress' second Coaching 101 Media Clinic, Spielman said the Vikings began making phone calls to assess their trade-up and trade-down options after identifying the five teams above them as potential threats to take Johnson before they were due to pick at 47. From 42-46, those five teams were Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit and Cincinnati. "

"Former Vikings defensive end Darrion Scott — 6-foot-3 and 289 pounds of football fury — put a dry-cleaning bag over the head of his 2-year-old son and then held him down as he kicked and screamed, according to charges filed today against Scott. The child's mother, who had gone to Scott's home to pick up the boy, heard the cries, ran to her son's aid and got him out of Scott's Eden Prairie home, police claim in an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint. "

"The scene alleged is frightening: Former Vikings defensive end Darrion Scott — 6 feet 3 inches and 289 pounds of football fury — put a dry-cleaning bag over the head of his 2-year-old son and then held him down as he kicked and screamed, according to charges filed Tuesday against Scott. The child's mother, who had gone to Scott's home to pick up the boy, heard the cries, ran to her son's aid and got him out of Scott's Eden Prairie home, police claim in an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint. "

"Tyrell Johnson isn't shy about calling himself the top safety in the 2008 NFL draft. He just does it politely. 'I view myself as the best,' the Vikings' second-round draft pick said, mentioning two of the other heralded safeties, Kenny Phillips of Miami (Fla.) and DaJuan Morgan of North Carolina State. 'But being a senior, you don't let a junior come and take your spot. 'I'm not taking anything from those guys. But I'm going to give myself the benefit of the doubt.' The comments might appear cocky, but Johnson takes the edge off by peppering many of his answers with 'Yes, sir' and 'No, sir.' "

"Monte Kiffin, the former Vikings defensive coordinator who is defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaners, used to be an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska. "We used to recruit Minnesota in those days, and we won a lot of those battles with the Gophers," Kiffin said Tuesday. "But," he added, "we lost this one." That loss is Jared Allen, the pass rusher the Vikings signed for $31 million guaranteed on April 23. Allen, traded by Kansas City, also considered Tampa Bay — but not after visiting Minnesota. "We never got him on campus, and that hurts," Kiffin said."

"Former Vikings defensive lineman Darrion Scott was charged Tuesday with assaulting his 2-year-old son last week by holding a plastic dry cleaning bag over the kicking and crying boy's head in his Eden Prairie townhome. According to the criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court: The boy's mother heard the child's muffled cries and found Scott, who is 6-3 and 290 pounds, holding the bag over the boy's head on April 26. She said the boy was on his back on the floor, his legs kicking and that Scott was holding the bag tightly around the boy's neck."

"Kyle Wright's phone finally started to ring on the second day of the NFL draft last month. Nonetheless, the quarterback from the University of Miami had his concerns. Entering the process, Wright's expectation was that he would be a late-round selection. But now he saw quarterbacks projected to go ahead of him falling. This couldn't be good. "I was getting calls in the fifth, sixth and seventh round," Wright said. "But when I saw those guys like John David [Booty] that weren't going like everybody else expected, I knew that was going to drop me a little from where I was expected to go." And that was enough to drop Wright out of the draft. "

"Before departing Sunday's minicamp at the Vikings' headquarters in Eden Prairie, the undrafted free agents were told to leave their phone numbers with team officials. Tom Busch, a former Park (Cottage Grove) standout, is still waiting for his phone to ring. "I'm trying not to stress out about it,'' said Busch, a bruising fullback who started for four seasons at Iowa. "There is no time frame (to hear from them), and that's OK. I don't know if they call me or my agent.'' "

"Mike Morris doesn't take much seriously. Not his NFL career (12 seasons as a long snapper). Not his wardrobe (150 black T-shirts and counting). And certainly not his popular early-morning radio show on KFAN, where his moniker is "the Superstar." But he has one activity that's no laughing matter: the MILO Barbell Club. After unofficially leading workouts in his basement weight room for the past 12 years, Morris is officially recruiting members to join his barbell club in a nondescript office building in Burnsville. "

"Kevin Rogers has been a football coach for 33 years, 28 in college. Among the players the Vikings quarterbacks coach has guided was Syracuse's Donovan McNabb, one of the NFL's top quarterbacks with the Philadelphia Eagles. Rogers also coached at Ohio State, William & Mary, Navy, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. He said the Vikings' quarterback situation right now is a lot better than when he joined Brad Childress' staff in 2006. And Rogers is a big backer of Tarvaris Jackson, the Vikings starting quarterback. The veterans backing him up currently are Gus Frerotte and Brooks Bollinger."

"The cell phone is the first indication that Jaymar Johnson can't be lumped into the category of "just another football player." Call Johnson and you won't hear music as you wait for an answer. Instead, there is a passage from the Book of Matthew: "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Said Johnson: "I used to call people's phones and you'd hear all this music and stuff like that. I was like, 'Man, if I'm going to put something like that on my phone, it's going to be something to help somebody.' ""

"Jaymar Johnson's seven siblings did all they could to protect their baby brother. Growing up in Gary, Ind., which consistently is ranked among the most dangerous cities in the United States, Johnson's five brothers and two sisters tried to shield him from gangs and drugs and steer him toward school and sports. "They always kept me on the right track," said Johnson, 23, a wide receiver chosen in the sixth round by the Vikings in last weekend's NFL draft. "

"Wright isn't sure how many teams wanted to sign him to a free-agent contract after the draft because he quickly decided to join the Vikings. He already had developed a rapport with quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers, and he was impressed with head coach Brad Childress. It didn't hurt that Rogers, Childress and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell all have backgrounds working with quarterbacks. "I think it's better to go where you're wanted," Wright said. "They called me after their last pick and said, 'If things don't work out, we want you really bad.' " "

"The Vikings will voluntarily pay the 2008 salary of defensive end Kenechi Udeze, who will miss the season as he fights an acute form of leukemia. Coach Brad Childress confirmed the team's intentions Friday on the first day of rookie minicamp at Winter Park. The Vikings put Udeze on the reserve/nonfootball injury (NFI) list, opening an additional roster spot, but at the same time informed Udeze they will pay his $807,500 base salary for 2008."

"Erin Henderson got a few tips Thursday night as he prepared for his first practice in a Vikings uniform. "I went over most of the playbook with my brother last night," Henderson said. "How many guys can say they had the opportunity to do that? This definitely has its plusses and minuses, but I can deal with the minuses with a plus like that." Henderson, the younger brother of middle linebacker E.J. Henderson, signed a free-agent contract with the Vikings after going undrafted last weekend."

"E.J. Henderson can't seem to shake his little brother. "I was a superstar at Aberdeen (Md.) High School before he was. I was a superstar at Maryland before he was. Now he's coming to the Vikings," E.J. said. After he was passed over last week in the NFL draft, Erin Henderson, a Butkus Award semifinalist as an outside linebacker at Maryland, picked the Vikings over at least four other teams. Erin swears it is a coincidence. "

"When a friend’s phone call came last week with the news that Jared Allen had been traded to the Vikings, Chuck Tabor’s heart sank. Tabor, you see, is the working partner and general manager of the Jared Allen Sports Arena & Grill, a spacious new restaurant/bar on Southwest Boulevard that Tabor and Allen opened in March. “Up until last week, he and I had no idea a trade might happen,” Tabor said as he welcomed several Wednesday lunch-goers to the place. “And I tell you what: We’d have never built a restaurant had we known a trade might happen. Never.”"

"A Hennepin County District Court hearing for Vikings legend Carl Eller was postponed Wednesday until May 19. Eller was to be in court for a hearing on charges related to his allegedly profanity-laced, drunken and violent confrontation with police at his north Minneapolis home three weeks ago. "

"Former Vikings defensive lineman Darrion Scott was arrested Wednesday by Eden Prairie police for "probable cause felony assault" and a search warrant was executed at his residence. Scott, who was arrested around 3:30 p.m., was booked into Hennepin County jail on one count of assault, one count of assault/domestic and one count of malicious punishment of a child."

"Tim Mattran weighed two offers after he wasn't selected in the NFL draft over the weekend. "It came down to Minnesota and Baltimore," said Mattran, a center from Stanford. "They're both good situations, but for different reasons." Ultimately, Mattran chose to stay home as a free agent with the Vikings. "

"The Vikings favored to win the NFC North? I agree. In fact, they should be prohibitive favorites to take the division title. But ... Maybe — maybe — everyone should slow down a little bit. "

"After trading away almost as many draft choices as they used, the Vikings settled in for a relatively quiet weekend at Winter Park. None of their five new rookies projects as a starter in 2008, and it's not clear how many of them will even make the team."

"Vikings Pro Bowl center Matt Birk didn't have any qualms about the team selecting his potential replacement Sunday in the NFL draft. In fact, Birk might have a personal connection to Notre Dame center John Sullivan. "

"Dan Deckas, a former Edina High School linebacker, is a redshirt sophomore linebacker at Southern California. Last season, he played on scout teams that defended in practices against quarterback John David Booty, the Vikings' fifth-round pick in Sunday's NFL draft."

"This draft won't be judged on the draft picks. It will be judged on what Jared Allen does. If Allen continues to be an all-pro defensive end, few fans will care if any of these picks contribute."

"Tom Busch isn't looking for fame and fortune, just an opportunity. The Minnesota Vikings are giving him one."

"After giving up three picks for Allen, the Vikings moved out of the fourth round Saturday so that they could acquire Arkansas State safety Tyrell Johnson in the second."

"With the first of their two sixth-round picks, they picked center John Sullivan of Notre Dame. Pro Bowl center Matt Birk is entering the final year of his contract, and he is not attending the Vikings' organized team activities. Childress insisted Birk didn't"

"John David Booty fit the profile so well, at least in the Vikings' minds, that they made a trade with archrival Green Bay during the second day of the NFL draft Sunday to move up to the second pick of the fifth round and grab the quarterback from Southern California."

"Southern California has been a dominating college football team since Pete Carroll took over as head coach in December 2000. He has helped develop some outstanding quarterbacks, with two Heisman Trophy winners (Carson Palmer in 2002 and Matt Leinart in 2004) and Matt Cassel, who was a seventh-round choice in 2005 and now is a backup to Patriots star Tom Brady."

"Other than the fact that it's hard to picture the words "Brad Childress," "Booty" and play "call" in the same sentence, the Vikings have put together an interesting collection of quarterbacks."

"The Vikings selected the smallest draft class in team history over the weekend, starting with safety Tyrell Johnson on Saturday, mostly because predraft moves solidified their roster."

" The Vikings traded up 13 spots in the fifth round to select Booty, who started 23 games at Southern California, passing for 6,125 yards and 55 touchdowns with 21 interceptions. "

"In the erratic NFL, where dramatic rises and falls are the norm, the Vikings enter the quiet portion of the offseason as the team to beat in the NFC North. The Vikings haven't won a division title since the 2000 season, yet their aggression and the attrition of their NFC North peers clearly have enhanced their standing. "

"There's no timetable for playing football again. I would like to wake up some morning and start working out and getting ready for the season. All I'm looking forward to is taking control of the day. Right now, it's hard to think about football when my health is the most important thing. I tell everyone football isn't going anywhere, and neither am I."

"The Vikings were so enamored with Arkansas State safety Tyrell Johnson that they told almost no one of their interest. Least of all Johnson."

"Instead, they moved up four spots in the second round, sending their fourth-round pick to Philadelphia and picking up the Eagles' fifth-round choice before grabbing Arkansas State safety Tyrell Johnson with the 43rd overall selection."

"Zygi Wilf wore a perpetual grin Saturday as he shuffled through the Vikings' 2008 draft party/pep rally at Winter Park. He shook hands with fans -- well, high-fived most of them -- pumped his fists like a conquering hero and even tried his hand at play-by-play, announcing his newest player by intoning a broadcaster's voice and saying, "Sack by Jaaaaaaaaaared Allen!""

"The absence of a first-round pick didn't dampen the spirits for the Vikings' Draft Party on Saturday at Winter Park. The Vikings built the event around their newest starter, all-pro defensive end Jared Allen, and they weren't disappointed. "

"Jared Allen is a man of many passions. He talks about his 'life list,' a collection of goals and experiences that is as eccentric as its originator. "

"If you could fight through the crowd, you would find that the cowboy hat accessorized the fu-manchu mustache, the steering-wheel-sized belt buckle, the boot-cut jeans and worn cowboy boots, all of which accessorized new defensive end Jared Allen -- hunter of boars, quarterbacks and spotlights."

"The Vikings sold 100 new season tickets the day that the trade for Jared Allen was announced, and the renewal of season tickets jumped to more than 80 percent."

"The Vikings entered Saturday's NFL draft without a first-round choice, but owner Zygi Wilf still called it "a very special day." The team paid a heavy price in picks and money in Tuesday's trade for former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen, but his arrival has raised expectations among more than the Vikings' fan base. "

"Putting together a mock draft of the first round of the NFL draft is tough enough. Trying to predict what a team will do with all six of its selections is asking for trouble. Nevertheless, here's a look at which players the Vikings could take in a dream draft."

"1. They will draft an offensive tackle in an attempt to cover themselves if Bryant McKinnie messes up again."

"During the courtship of newly signed defensive end Jared Allen, Vikings coach Brad Childress got word to Allen he would be flown to Minnesota in team owner Zygi Wilf's private jet. Allen sent a text message back to Childress that said, "I feel special. Wear something cute.""

"Without a first-round pick for the first time in 16 years, the Vikings will have plenty of time on their hands Saturday as they await some action. After giving up the No. 17 overall pick to acquire defensive end Jared Allen from Kansas City, the Vikings are not positioned to select a player until midway through the second round (No. 47 overall). So despite new draft rules that limit teams to 10 minutes between picks in the first round and seven minutes in the second, the Vikings likely will remain idle until approximately 7:30 p.m. -- 5 1/2 hours after the draft's 2 p.m. start."

"Now that the Vikings have solved their defensive end deficiency with the trade for Jared Allen, they are likely to focus on offensive line and tight end with their first pick (second round, No. 47 overall) Saturday in the NFL draft. Offensive tackles Sam Baker of Southern California and Duane Brown of Virginia Tech are expected to be available for Minnesota at No. 47. Either could shift to guard if necessary. Tight ends John Carlson of Notre Dame and Litchfield, Minn., and Fred Davis of Southern Cal also are expected to get serious consideration. "

"The Vikings might be in win-now mode, but that doesn't mean they're going to try to trade their way back into the first round of Saturday's NFL draft. Vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman indicated at Thursday's pre-draft news conference that such a scenario is unlikely while not entirely ruling out the possibility. "I think you never, ever, box yourself out of an option," Spielman said, jokingly adding, "Now, the Wilf family has spent a lot of money this offseason, and I think we'd have to get clearance from them to get more cash for a first-round pick." "

"1. The Vikings could invest two picks on the offensive line, most notably at tackle. But the Vikings may also consider a center given the slow-brewing issues with Pro Bowl center Matt Birk. Mike Pollak of Arizona State, Steve Winston from Wake Forest and Steve Justice of Notre Dame are three options."