Naufahu Tahi Retained

The Vikes decided to retain restricted free agent Naufahu Tahi on Friday. The Vikes matched the offer of the Bengals of a 1-year 1.4 million deal. Tahi seems to be happy to be returning to the Vikes this season. Tahi took over as the Vikings' fullback and the lead blocker for Adrian Peterson, early last season after free-agent acquisition Thomas Tapeh, who played in only two games and was released in part because he did not disclose that he had minor knee surgery shortly before signing.

Other Viking News:
The Preseason schedule for the Vikes this season.
Vikes @ Colts – Either August 14 or 15
Vikes vs Chiefs – Either August 21 or 22
Vikes @ Texans – August 31 (Monday Night)
Vikes vs Cowboys – September 4

Brady Rule and More

I can see why my wife gets so confused with the NFL. With all these rule changes year after year. It seems like it is getting a little ridiculous with the kind rule changes, all aimed to protect QB. Football started out as a mans game and it being turned into a pansy game. Here are the news approved rule changes for the upcoming season:

• Defenders who are knocked to the ground no longer can lunge into quarterbacks if the play is still going on.(Brady Rule)
  
• The initial force of a blindside block can't be delivered by a helmet, forearm or shoulder to an opponent's head or neck. An illegal blindside block will bring a 15-yard penalty.
  
• Initial contact to the head of a defenseless receiver also will draw a 15-yard penalty.
• On kickoffs, no blocking wedge of more than two players will be allowed.
• Also on kickoffs, the kicking team can't have more than five players bunched together pursuing an onside kick.
  

The players take a risks EVERY TIME they step out onto the field. There is a reason they are getting paid millions of dollars a year. It is kind of funny with the Brady Rule. The fact the it was instated after NFL's Golden Boy get injured. Nothing happened when Carson Palmer was injured in the playoffs a couple of years back.

Cornerback gets extended

The Vikings have given Cedric Griffin a contract extension.The Vikes do avoid having him as a free agent next season. He was reliable in the second half of the season. Griffin says he is happy where the team is headed. As long as he continues to improve on his play at the corner. There were many mocks saying that the corner back position was a team need for this years draft. In 2008, Griffin led the Vikings' secondary and ranked second on the team in tackles with 100. He had one interception in the regular season and one in the wild-card playoff loss to Philadelphia.

I am just not quite sure about this signing at this moment. He is a decent CB at the tackling aspect of the game. Now this season, we hope that he can be reliable to preventing receivers snagging the ball over his head.
What do you think about the contract extension that is believed to be 3 years?

Who is Karl Paymah

The Vikes have done it. They have signed their first player that was not a Vikes last season. His name is Karl Paymah...WHO?

Paymah is expected to add some depth to the secondary for the Vikes this season. He is expected to compete with Benny Sapp for the nickelback position. He signed a one-year, $1.55 million contract with the Vikings on Saturday.

Every Viking fan knows that the defense has been struggling with pass coverage the past few seasons. Maybe Paymah can help out the Beloved Purple a bit this season to keep team honest in game attacks on the Viking defense.

Here are some quick things about him:

• A fourth-year cornerback who has posted a team-high 31 special-teams tackles in a Denver uniform since his rookie season in 2005.
• Placed third on the Broncos in 2007 with two interceptions, the first of his career, while totaling a career-high six pass breakups and a personal-best 15 tackles in 15 games (three starts).
• Saw his first regular action on defense as a professional in 2006, totaling 14 tackles and two pass breakups for the Broncos.
• Led Denver with seven tackles on punt coverage in 2006 and ranked second on the club with 12 overall stops on special teams for the season.
• Ranked second on the Broncos with 11 special-teams tackles as a rookie in 2005, registering at least a share of the special-teams tackles lead in five games.
• Earned honorable mention All-Pacific-10 Conference recognition during his senior season at Washington State University, where he started the final 24 games of his collegiate career.
• Selected by the Broncos in the third round (76th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft.

Vikes Re-sign

Over the past couple of day, the Vikings have resigned two players from the 2008 team. Defensive Back Benny Sapp was resigned for a one year contract and reports say it is around 620,000 range. Sapp saw most of his playing time at the Nickel back position when Charles Gordon was injured.

The Vikes re-signed linebacker/special teams standout, Heath Farwell. Farwell will be the number one backup linebacker. He is the man on the special teams unit after being the captain on the unit 2006 and 2007.In 2008, the Vikes lost Farwell for the season with a torn ACL. Last season the special teams had no captian. The unit missed Farwell last season.extrememly, considering they were one of the worst in the league on kick coverage. Farwell had signed a three-year, $7.75 million contract that calls for $3.25 million in guarantees.

Vikes Lose Birk

With the loss of Birk, the Vikes will NEED to pick up a lineman in either the rest of Free Agency or the NFL Draft. It is going to be interesting to see how Chilly tries to plug in this hole now. Matt Birk had a visit with the Ravens yesterday. It looks like he was impressed with everything they had to offer. He then had to decide if he was going to stay with the Vikes or go to the Ravens,who were in the AFC Championship this past season. The St. Paul native cut with the only team he has played for. He agreed and signed with the Ravens, three years, $12 million, $6 million guaranteed.
Right now, the Vikes have John Sullivan or Ryan Cook at center. John Sullivan has not started a regular season game in the NFL. Ryan Cook many fans including myself wish that he would not be starting. Now with this blow to Vikes, now what are they going to do.

No Trade Talk

With Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler being ticked off after his name came up in a possible 3 team trade,that would have sent him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and landed Matt Cassel in Denver. Instead the Patriots trade Matt Cassel to Kansas City. Now the Broncos are claiming that that their QB is not on the trading block. New head coach Josh McDaniels and Cutler are scheduled to have a meeting next week to try to mend out the damage in thier relationship that has been done this past weekend.
The Vikings have contacted the team about possible trade talk, but what or who would they give up for a QB like Cutler. Cutler set a couple of passing recording for the club last season, yards passing in a season (4,526), completions (384) and 300-yard games (eight).
By the looks right now, I would be shocked if Cutler is not the starting QB for the Broncos this coming season. Who really know. Anything can happen between now and then.

Free Agency Update

Not holding my breath for this situation to happen. If the Vikes were to get him HOLY SHIT!!!!!!

Other News

Heath Farwell will be visiting with the Patriots as well as another unnamed club before returning to Minnesota. He is our special teams, it was shown last year. The Vikes next priority to get a hard worker like this to stay with the club.

TJ Goes Back to West Coast

With the Vikes one of the three teams on the verge of having the top free agent receiver. It was not meant to be I guess. T. J. Houshmandzadeh has agreed to be a Seattle Seahawk for the next 5 years and will be getting paid over $40 million with $15 being guaranteed. Considering that he lives in California the Seahawks are a team that is close to home.

He spent most Saturday and Sunday getting catered to by the Vikings. Houshmandzadeh was flown to Minnesota on a private jet owned by Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. He then was taken to Manny’s Steakhouse and dined with Vikings coaches and executives. Houshmandzadeh spent five-plus hours at Winter Park on Sunday and at one point team officials seemed confident they would get him.

It would have been nice to late TJ, but Vikes did not have luck on their side this time.