PFW Preview and Other Thoughts

Peter King picks the Vikings to win the NFC as did former CNNSI writer Duane Cross last year. I said the Vikings would win the Super Bowl, I fell short due to Randy Moss's injuries the last 3/4 of the season. If Randy Moss had been healthy and the Vikings played like he did on Offense with him healthy, then I really believe they would have made a run at a World title. It should be noted though that Peter King is more known as a beat writer than a Scout per say. If Scouts.INC over at ESPN insider picked the Vikings too make it to the Super Bowl, I would take notice. Pro Football Weekly is another outfit that makes me take notice, when they say something. Dr.Z is pretty good, but he also said Randy Moss would not be the 20st best receiver in the 1998 draft. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/events/1998/nfldraft/news/1998/04/14/z_picks/. How you can say something so stupid about a 6'5 receiver with 4.2 speed, who was dominate at the College level?

King picked a Jacksonville team to make the Super Bowl last year, that didn't make the playoffs, and a Seattle team that wouldn't have made the playoffs any other year.

PFW tidbits here is where Vikings went overall in their total mock draft. This is if hypothetically, you were going to build a 10 team, 27 player league, 22 starters, and 5 specialists.

8. Daunte Culpepper
34. Kevin Williams
47. Antonie Winfield
107. Matt Birk
109. Bryant McKinnie
144. Darren Sharper
152. Corey Chavous
217. Nate Burleson
221. Jim Kleinsasser

Side Note: Randy Moss-Number 10. Surpise: No Fred Smoot, or Pat Williams

PFW Top 50 Player Rankings. Best players in league regardless of position.

3. Randy Moss
10. Daunte Culpepper
44. Antoine Winfield.

Comments on position rankings.

QB- I would put Brady at 1 due to playoff superiority instead of Manning, so switch PFW'S rankings. I agree with McNabb at three. I am in limbo on number 4 as they have Brett Favre over Daunte Culpepper. If you look at their playoff game and stats this is no contest in Daunte Culpepper's favor. I thought maybe Favre got the edge because of his ability to perform down the stretch as he did in the Metrodome on Christmas Eve. I had sold Culpepper short in this area before, but I might have been wrong. Culpepper against the Giants last year through a bad pick with the game on the line, leading to a loss. Since he one time had Charles Tillman rip the ball out of Randy Moss' hands in Chicago. The Defense blew games at GB and INDY in 2004. He did throw that ill-advised pass to Micheal Boulware costing them against Seattle. Then against Green Bay at home, Matt Birk got that bad penalty. Culpepper has led them to late wins on the road at Houston, and Detroit. So looking at the playoff game last year vs Green Bay, I would rate for the 2005 Season, Daunte Culpepper ahead of Brett Favre.

TE- Jim Kleinsasser is rated 8th as a tight end, granted he is coming off injury. This is a tough position to evaluate. The seven guys ahead of Jimmy K are all clearly better pass--catchers (T. Gonzales, A.Crumpler, J.Shockey, A.Gates, T.Heap, R. McMicheal, and B.Franks), though Kleinsasser is a superior blocker to all of them. The question than comes down to value to a team. I would rather have Kleinsasser than McMicheal of Franks, on the Vikings due to the fact that they already have a pass-catching TE in Jermaine Wiggins, and the Vikings don't really need a second receiving option like those guys. So if one were to start a team from stratch, I think Kleinsasser's tremendous value in blocking would add more to a team than either McMicheal of Franks as receivers more than blockers. So I would have Jimmy K at 6.

I figure this is a good place to stop for the night, as Erik will be happy. More tommorrow, I think.