Grady Jarrett‘s performance in the Super Bowl served as a reminder of what the Vikings defense is sorely lacking, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune writes. Jarrett, a second-year defensive tackle, had three sacks on Tom Brady before the Patriots evened the score and ultimately won. The Vikings missed their chance to draft Jarrett, but they can try and find a similarly disruptive force on the open market this offseason. At this point, the Vikings cannot bank on Sharrif Floyd becoming that player on a consistent basis.
More from the NFC North:
- More from Vensel, who wonders what it might take for the Vikings to trade back into the first round. As it stands, the Vikings are one of two teams without a first-round pick. However, GM Rick Spielman loves to wheel and deal and it’s always possible that Minnesota could trade up again. Minnesota has eight picks in total with two in the third round and two in the fourth round, so the needed ammunition is there. Using the NFL draft pick trade value chart, Vensel figures that the Vikings could package their No. 46 or 47 pick (depending on the coin toss) in the second round with their own third-round choice to get something in the range of the No. 29 selection. Of course, the No. 29 pick in particular might not be the wisest target since it is currently owned by the Packers.
- The Packers could be more aggressive in free agency this year than they have in the past, but team president team president Mark Murphy won’t force GM Ted Thompson to do so (link via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky). “Ted and I talk all the time, and he knows that he has all the resources he needs, but the way I manage and work with people, I would never tell Ted what to do,” Murphy said. “My philosophy is hire really good people, give them the resources they need, and you support them. I think that’s worked well for us. And yeah, we haven’t been real active, but when we do go into free agency, we usually get pretty good players.”
I would love to take the Vikings Pick package of two 2nds and a 3rd or a 4th for #29
why would you ever think we would do that?
So would everyone else. Too bad the Vikings only have one second round pick.
Team president team president. You might want to fix that
Hi here in Green bay we like to keep our streak of making the playoffs every year looks good on the resume you betcha. We don’t actually wanna go to a Superbowl that’s for those big cities.
Dallas has the #28 pick. I can definitely see them trading down for more picks.
I have a feeling that the Packers are gonna be agressive in free agency get a shutdown corner and resign there own and the Vikings can trade for Aaron Rodgers in about 15 years .The Vikings are the NFC Buffalo Bills LoL
Are you nuts not with dumb and dumber at the helm
Ted Thompson is useless. I wish we had belicheck as coach and wolf as gm
Spielman needs to stay put and pick bpa when their number is called and find o-line help thru free agency. Giving up a 2nd and 3rd to move to the bottom of the first on a prospect makes no sense. Our first round pick was wisely used on a first round QB last September. The vikes are only a few players away from being a great team.
Man what ever gapped to training young men.there are so many football players out there…c’mon Zim coach and train!
Kind of hard to tell someone what to do when they run the whole show anyways.