TGIF - Twitter Edition

Well, fellow Vikings, it's FRIDAY - means it's time for the team to take a breather and sportswriters feel a need to think of shocking headlines that mean nothing at all come September.  Hence the fuss about Matt Birk and the White House.  He has his right to his beliefs, although I'm surprised he sat out the White House ceremony.  I guess the ring's the thing?

Loadholt resigning - I hadn't read much about this before, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Loadholts live in Minneapolis year round and consider it their home.  I hope that means his desire to stick around will lead both to productivity and a willingness to restructure should it be necessary.  Still, a $25 million, 4 year extension should enable us to count on him for a while to come.

Robison's injuries/recovery - well, we all remember last year.  Robison being strapped and padded from wrist to throat, quick enough off the mark, but not free enough in the arm to do his job by season's end.  Thankfully we had Everson Griffen to take over, but losing your first-team DE and his 8.5 sacks isn't a good proposition for any team.  He's 30 now and in the last year of his contract, and according to Twitter has healed up well without surgery.  If he makes it through the season without a major injury I can see us resigning him for another 3, maybe 4 years and hopefully having him retire in purple and gold.  If he gets torn up again, I'm afraid that might not happen.  But if he has healed as well as everyone says he has, maybe he'll get the big digits, a renewal, some big bucks...and maybe even something shiny!

Speaking of Everson Griffen, he's also in the last year of his contract, and so is Jared Allen.  I predict we'll resign at least one of them, two if they can avoid injury.  I can see us dropping one of them, especially if we draft a big prospect in 2014.  Look at this year's draft -
Sharrif Floyd - DT
Xavier Rhodes - CB
Cordarrelle Patterson - WR
Gerald Hodges - LB
Jeff Locke - P
Jeff Baca - OG
Michael Mauti - LB
Travis Bond - OG
Everett Dawkins - DT 
- we can afford to go big for DE and maybe RB next draft.  Depends on free agency and how we end up with respect to our W/L record and draft position.

*Read today that Jared Allen is finally "sleeping through the night" since his shoulder pain has been eliminated by the surgery.  Maybe it was exhaustion, as well as pain, that sapped his productivity last season?  Let's hope so - and that he stays well rested this year!

John Carlson swears he's healthy now, and is happy with the relationship he's developed with the rest of the offense.  I hope that's the case, because I have been begging, praying and swearing for some two-TE sets and five-wides for literally years now, and if Carlson and Rudolph are both healthy, and Ponder's head is screwed on straight, Mr. Frazier, I do believe it's time we see them.

Joe Webb returning punts - that last spot on the WR list is looking tougher to secure after the first two weeks of OTAs, and it sounds like he's straining every nerve to win it.  Good for him, I say.  I love having competition for slots - improves play and team spirit.

Harrison Smith has made some noise in the OTAs so far - just one INT though, I believe.  Will he have a sophomore slump?  I sure hope not, but I'll wait for training camp to really make a judgement.  He's big, he's solid, and from all accounts he's as dedicated to the mental side of the game as he is the physical.  I'm hoping this will push him over the hump, but as I say, I'm waiting for training camp at least, and preseason before I start hyperventilating.

OTA attendance - I've mentioned it before, but we've had practically 100% attendance for these voluntary OTAs and I'm beyond psyched about that.  Childress had a tough time making the guys turn up and toe the line, and of course last year there was a lockout that royally screwed all that side of things up.  This gives me hope that Frazier is the guy to hold this team together, calmly, strongly, fairly and lead them (and us) to a good run in the postseason.

I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I don't like our new helmets either.  This matte crap is for the birds - bring back the old shiny kind!  At least we still have the same horns.  The Jags' new helmets look horrible!

Apparently McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw a very lovely pass to TE Chase Ford, who hauled it in for a TD at the end of yesterday's practice.  I've been watching for his name ever since he beat out Sage Rosenfels last year, and I keep wondering what's going to happen with him.  Wish I could get my hands on some footage of him...anyone got a link they can point me to?

The Vikings have all five starters on offensive line back and healthy.  How about them apples?

Saw a video of Blair Walsh talking about OTAs and working with our new punter, Jeff Locke.  He seemed dedicated and down-to-earth but I was completely distracted by the fact that he desperately needs a haircut.

Fantasy note - apparently Matt Cassel is rated ahead of Christian Ponder by some sites.  Anyone who believes that is going to be VERY sorry come December!

Happy Friday everyone - SKOL!