Vikings Message Board.Com

bigskyeric wrote:Why wasn't Favre on the list?

Anyone but Ponder or Webb.

Who do I want to see as the starter in 2013-2014? A leader, a winner, an accurate passer with touch yet capable of throwing a long one. Andrew Luck would be nice... do you think we could swing some kind of trade? Well, a guy can dream.

Now, who do I THINK will be the starter? Given the dearth of quality QBs in next year's draft, the pickings are slim. So I think it will be Ponder. Really.

I hate how there is so many good quarterbacks we've missed out on. Ponder will be the starter (which I am not happy with) but I would love to see someone like Alex Smith in there. He could be our starter for 5-6 years and by then we woukd have drafted a new quarterback.

GBFavreFan wrote:I heard Ryan Fitzpatrick might be out in Buffalo too and maybe Carson Palmer too. Any takers? Ryan scored a great Wonderlic!

It looks like there's going to be a flood of very average QB's on the market this Spring, which Alex Smith will end up sticking out as the big prize in relation to the others because of that. Good for Alex Smith and his bank account, not good for our chances of getting him. Looks like teams in the market for a starting QB for 2013 are the Vikings, Cardinals, Jaguars, Bills, Jets, and possibly Chiefs and Raiders too. Yikes, looks like it might be Ponder: Year Three for us after all.

Are there any good sophomore QB's in college right now we can draft with our #1 pick in 2014?

If there are average QBs out there Spielman and Fraizer can find the worst of em, and start them next year if they dont have Ponders name aleady slated in.

Smith is still under contract. Is there talk he's going to be released?

Rosenfels

Laserman wrote:Rosenfels

Sage would have been nice this year if they wanted a shot at the playoffs. I dont want him starting next year.

Here's what I'd like to see the Vikings do at QB this offseason:

- Find a vet who can man the wheel if necessary and maybe even win the job outright. With AD so effective all the Vikes need out of their QB is competence. He doesn't have to be a world-beater. I don't think Vick is the answer, but he should be an option and he, along with a few others, would be good enough when paired with AD to put the Vikes into contention for the North.
- Target Aaron Murray (QB - Georgia) with their 4th rounder if he lasts that long. The kid is a decent prospect. He's on the shorter side, but his production doesn't lie. Compares favorably to a guy like Brees. Can process the game and makes good decisions. Is consistent. Can become a reliable starter and would be worth a 4th IMHO.
- Ratchet up the pressure on Ponder this offseason. They're not going to cut him, but they have to make it clear nobody is guaranteed anything and they want to find an answer, then see how hard he's willing to work for it. Make sure the job is an open competition coming into camp next year, and put viable competition on the roster.

Let me see how Webb plays after 22 starts. Or just 16 next year. He's carried the clipboard for three years. It's his time.

This would be the way we would be talking about Webb had he been an untested rookie - as long as he had been blessed by Mel Kiper to be worthy of a high draft choice.

But he's not a high draft choice untested rookie. He's better - a QB with a handful of productive NFL games.

Is he worse than Rich Gannon was with the Vikes? The Rich Gannon we let go, who ended up in the Superbowl with the Raiders.

John_Viveiros wrote:Let me see how Webb plays after 22 starts. Or just 16 next year. He's carried the clipboard for three years. It's his time.

This would be the way we would be talking about Webb had he been an untested rookie - as long as he had been blessed by Mel Kiper to be worthy of a high draft choice.

But he's not a high draft choice untested rookie. He's better - a QB with a handful of productive NFL games.

Is he worse than Rich Gannon was with the Vikes? The Rich Gannon we let go, who ended up in the Superbowl with the Raiders.

Sorry, John, I just do not agree. Is Joe Webb an intriguing athlete? Sure. But he has not had many productive games. He has 3 passing TDs and 5 INTs. He benefits from the fact there is little film on him, so when he does play, he's a bit of a wild card. And a guy with his level of athleticism can take advantage of that. That's why he has 4 rushing TDs. But he is a less than average QB. He has two games where he looked fairly good, but has a starting record of 1-4. I think many people remember his game in relief against Washington and forget all the others.

He can be an exciting player to watch at times, but he just does not warrant the optimism, IMO.

BGM wrote: Sorry, John, I just do not agree. Is Joe Webb an intriguing athlete? Sure. But he has not had many productive games. He has 3 passing TDs and 5 INTs. He benefits from the fact there is little film on him, so when he does play, he's a bit of a wild card. And a guy with his level of athleticism can take advantage of that. That's why he has 4 rushing TDs. But he is a less than average QB. He has two games where he looked fairly good, but has a starting record of 1-4. I think many people remember his game in relief against Washington and forget all the others.

He can be an exciting player to watch at times, but he just does not warrant the optimism, IMO.

He also had the comeback in Detroit last year that fell just short. [cough - FACEMASK - cough]

I agree that he's an intriguing athlete. He's in the mold of RG3 physically, although he seems to be built a little sturdier to me. His biggest advantage as QB is that he won't face many blitzes or man coverage, because of his escape ability. Go back and watch how the defenses have to adapt to him.

So yes. He has had good and bad games as 5 game starter, sometime relief pitcher. I don't know anyone who has ever said that we can evaluate a QB after maybe 7 games. And I certainly don't know how we can rule out a player who looked like he was the best player on the field for maybe two of those games. There's an incredible upside there. Why does Ponder, who has maybe three games in his career where he looked legitimate (like a starter, not like an all-pro), and three where he looked like the worst QB ever to wear purple, get the benefit of the doubt with respect to proving himself over the long term, while Webb, who looks like a rookie half the time, and an all-pro the other half, is considered a known quantity.

I liked the Seahags approach to the QB position this offseason. Sitting with an underperforming incumbent (TJack) they brought in a high profile FA (Flynn) and drafted a sleeper/second tier guy in the 3rd (Rusell Wilson) and truly let them battle it out. No BS about that like the Vikings have done since the Chilly days.

Let's bring in a FA (Smith? Colt McCoy? anyone but Vick) and draft someone in the 3rd/4th (Ark. QB? Tyler Bray? guy from Clemson?) and have a true competition.

Pandering to Ponder has to be over. His play doesn't warrant such coddling. In fact, it might do him some good, mentally, to know that he has to FIGHT for it. Survival instincts kick in and he'll stop hesitating so damn much.

BGM wrote: Sorry, John, I just do not agree. Is Joe Webb an intriguing athlete? Sure. But he has not had many productive games. He has 3 passing TDs and 5 INTs. He benefits from the fact there is little film on him, so when he does play, he's a bit of a wild card. And a guy with his level of athleticism can take advantage of that. That's why he has 4 rushing TDs. But he is a less than average QB. He has two games where he looked fairly good, but has a starting record of 1-4. I think many people remember his game in relief against Washington and forget all the others.

He can be an exciting player to watch at times, but he just does not warrant the optimism, IMO.

Do you honestly think ponder has done any better? And not to mention ponder has had much more experience than Webb. I agree that Webb is not a good starting quarterback, but neither is ponder.

Who? Smith, if he's available...I don't know. For those few who would actually be willing to suggest Favre, I'd say K. Warner. He's two years younger, rested and a proven winner. Otherwise, it might as well be a rookie, let's see what happens.

Addendum: Matt Cassel did great in New England, but went to a team that struggled severely, and it didn't work. Which is the real Cassel? The one who was great on a really good team, or the one who was bad on a really bad team. Maybe Minnesota would be a better fit and his star would shine again. For anyone who says he is terrible, that's it, he couldn't be that bad? I'd say he's pretty good, and as much as I like KC, the atmosphere was negative. Negativity effects all within, and Minnesota is fairly positive except in the QB position. Note, I said fairly positive...he could become the good Cassel and stand tall again!

...wisdom