Welcome, Bernie!
[Editor's note: don't look now, it's another football posting. 'Tis the season!]
Another day of free agency and another huge signing by the Vikings: wide receiver Bernard Berrian. After checking a few message boards, I noticed that quite a few Vikings fans are less than ecstatic over this signing. I am just blown away by their reaction. In my opinion, signing Berrian is a double whammy: we instantly upgrade our wide receiver tandem significantly, and we severely weaken a divisional rival’s offense (the Bears have lost both Muhammad and Berrian -- I guess when you've got Nathan Vasher and Devin Hester on your roster you don't need anything else?).
I’ve concluded that these Vikings “fans” bitching about Berrian are the same people who threw a fit when the Vikings traded for Steve Hutchinson (why would you need an All-Pro guard? All they do is block! What are the Vikings thinking?!). They are also the same people who were shaking their heads when the Vikings drafted Adrian Peterson last April (he has a bum collarbone -- he may never be able to play in the NFL! What are the Vikings thinking?!). In fact, I’ve decided these are also the same people who would complain that the Vikings won the Super Bowl by a point, because they should have won by two touchdowns. Some people are not happy unless they are unhappy.
In my view, Berrian is one of the better up-and-coming receivers in the league. He’s young and the sky is the limit for this guy. Berrian had 71 receptions for 951 yards last year (courtesy of that fearsome duo of Grossman and Griese), far exceeding any other Vikings receiver last year; Berrian had more receiving yards than Sydney Rice, Visanthe Shiancoe and Robert Ferguson combined last season, and almost equaled Troy Williamson’s three year total. Berrian’s 11 touchdowns over the last two seasons are more than Rice, Wade, Williamson, Kleinsasser, Ferguson and Shiancoe combined last year. Think about that. How have the Vikings not improved themselves by signing Berrian? Who would these people rather have seen the Vikings sign? Randy Moss? Here’s a clue for you all: That bridge has been burned to a crisp. Moss isn’t coming back. Get over it and move on.
Perhaps these pundits would be happier with Marty Booker on the roster? Or Troy Brown? Or Reche Caldwell? Or Keary Colbert? Or Devard Darling? Or Tim Dwight? Or Jabar Gaffney? Or Eddie Kennison? Or Brandon Lloyd? I got a great idea, let’s bring back Troy Walters! All of them are free agents. Heck, Isaac Bruce was available for a while until the 49ers snagged him. Damn, we missed out.
Perhaps some will argue that the Vikings should have signed Donte Stallworth, but I couldn’t disagree more. Stallworth had the opportunity to be the go-to guy in New Orleans and Philadelphia and he threw both opportunities away. He was supposed to be the #2 target in New England last year and was outplayed two-to-one by Wes Welker. If I wanted an overrated receiver on my roster, I would have kept Marcus Robinson.
Next it sounds like the Vikings are going to make a push to ink kick return specialist Maurice Hicks, who had the second-most return yards in the league last season. Makes sense to me.
Whether Vikings fans like it or not, the fact here is we got the best free agent wide receiver available (I don’t count Moss, because it couldn’t happen) and I think the Vikings have put themselves in an excellent position to make a serious playoff run this coming fall (we were painfully close last year). The one component that tempers my enthusiasm is Tarvaris Jackson, who I am not sold on in the least. Then again, several teams have proven that you do not need a great QB to go deep into the playoffs.
However, something tells me the dust hasn’t settled yet….
Another day of free agency and another huge signing by the Vikings: wide receiver Bernard Berrian. After checking a few message boards, I noticed that quite a few Vikings fans are less than ecstatic over this signing. I am just blown away by their reaction. In my opinion, signing Berrian is a double whammy: we instantly upgrade our wide receiver tandem significantly, and we severely weaken a divisional rival’s offense (the Bears have lost both Muhammad and Berrian -- I guess when you've got Nathan Vasher and Devin Hester on your roster you don't need anything else?).
I’ve concluded that these Vikings “fans” bitching about Berrian are the same people who threw a fit when the Vikings traded for Steve Hutchinson (why would you need an All-Pro guard? All they do is block! What are the Vikings thinking?!). They are also the same people who were shaking their heads when the Vikings drafted Adrian Peterson last April (he has a bum collarbone -- he may never be able to play in the NFL! What are the Vikings thinking?!). In fact, I’ve decided these are also the same people who would complain that the Vikings won the Super Bowl by a point, because they should have won by two touchdowns. Some people are not happy unless they are unhappy.
In my view, Berrian is one of the better up-and-coming receivers in the league. He’s young and the sky is the limit for this guy. Berrian had 71 receptions for 951 yards last year (courtesy of that fearsome duo of Grossman and Griese), far exceeding any other Vikings receiver last year; Berrian had more receiving yards than Sydney Rice, Visanthe Shiancoe and Robert Ferguson combined last season, and almost equaled Troy Williamson’s three year total. Berrian’s 11 touchdowns over the last two seasons are more than Rice, Wade, Williamson, Kleinsasser, Ferguson and Shiancoe combined last year. Think about that. How have the Vikings not improved themselves by signing Berrian? Who would these people rather have seen the Vikings sign? Randy Moss? Here’s a clue for you all: That bridge has been burned to a crisp. Moss isn’t coming back. Get over it and move on.
Perhaps these pundits would be happier with Marty Booker on the roster? Or Troy Brown? Or Reche Caldwell? Or Keary Colbert? Or Devard Darling? Or Tim Dwight? Or Jabar Gaffney? Or Eddie Kennison? Or Brandon Lloyd? I got a great idea, let’s bring back Troy Walters! All of them are free agents. Heck, Isaac Bruce was available for a while until the 49ers snagged him. Damn, we missed out.
Perhaps some will argue that the Vikings should have signed Donte Stallworth, but I couldn’t disagree more. Stallworth had the opportunity to be the go-to guy in New Orleans and Philadelphia and he threw both opportunities away. He was supposed to be the #2 target in New England last year and was outplayed two-to-one by Wes Welker. If I wanted an overrated receiver on my roster, I would have kept Marcus Robinson.
Next it sounds like the Vikings are going to make a push to ink kick return specialist Maurice Hicks, who had the second-most return yards in the league last season. Makes sense to me.
Whether Vikings fans like it or not, the fact here is we got the best free agent wide receiver available (I don’t count Moss, because it couldn’t happen) and I think the Vikings have put themselves in an excellent position to make a serious playoff run this coming fall (we were painfully close last year). The one component that tempers my enthusiasm is Tarvaris Jackson, who I am not sold on in the least. Then again, several teams have proven that you do not need a great QB to go deep into the playoffs.
However, something tells me the dust hasn’t settled yet….
