All-NFC North Team

What great news for a Monday!  The all-division teams have been announced and the Vikings did spectacularly with 9 players selected for the NFC North team!

Here's the list:

OFFENSE -
Quarterback - Aaron Rodgers
Runningback - Adrian Peterson
Wide Receivers - Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Greg  Jennings
Tight End - Kyle Rudolph
Offensive Tackles - Jermon Bushrod, Matt Kalil
Guards - Brandon Fusco, T.J. Lang
Center - John Sullivan

DEFENSE - (4-3)
Defensive Ends - Jared Allen, Julius Peppers
Defensive Tackles - Ndamukong Suh, Henry Melton
Outside Linebackers - Clay Matthews, Chad Greenway
Inside Linebacker - Stephen Tulloch
Cornerback - "Peanut" Tillman, Sam Shields
Safeties - Harrison Smith, Glover Quin 


Players per team -
Bears - 5
Lions - 4
Packers - 4
Vikings - 9


I have to say I'm pretty surprised that we have so many offensive players selected.  It makes me think we'll lean towards defense next draft, because we NEED youth on defense.  We're the Vikings!  We've always been a defensive powerhouse.  I'm glad we have Harrison Smith, Sharrif Floyd, and Xavier Rhodes, but they're only three.  Still, Frazier and Spielman seem to be doing pretty well with drafts lately, and maybe our team has enough going for it that we can make a good run this season.

And, I like to think that if special teams were included, our kicker at least would have that spot too!  Hopefully our new punter proves to be just as valuable.  I resent Urban Meyer for the way he left Florida (if he'd just left when he said he would the first time, our program would've recovered a LOT faster and we would probably have won more games), but the man sure knows special teams, and I happen to agree with him 100% that your placement on the field has a heck of a lot to do with your success.  A good return man and a better punter can do so much for you during a game!

So, with this many offensive players selected, this team had better produce some great scores this season.  I can't wait to see Rudolph and Jennings in action...and hopefully, I'll be happy to see Ponder too.

SKOL!