Chris Doleman is fourth on the all-time career sack list with 150.5, trailing only, Kevin Greene (160), Reggie White (198), and Bruce Smith (200). He spent 10 seasons in Minnesota, and is second on the franchise single season sack list, recording 21 in 1989. Doleman was an 8 time Pro Bowler and a 2 time first team All-Pro, playing for the Falcons, 49ers, and Vikings. There is no doubt after you take a look at his numbers, that he belongs in the Hall.

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Thanks to pro-football-reference.com

Pay a mill to change number or keep the mill n continue to wear 28?! That's a easy one... Hell 28 it is!!! Lol

February 1, 2012 11:54 am via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@AdrianPeterson

Adrian Peterson

#1 I'm in the top jersey sales! # 2 I see maybe 10,000 from those sales#3 I get paid under 1million a year#4 but I oder to change MY number

February 1, 2012 11:49 am via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@AdrianPeterson

Adrian Peterson

I have to pay a Million Bucks! Somebody's winning in that situation & ITs not me! So clearly with that said I won't be changing my number

February 1, 2012 11:51 am via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@AdrianPeterson

Adrian Peterson

Props to AP for calling them out on this one. I certainly agree that there should be a fee for switching numbers, but asking for a ridiculous amount just seems petty. Does the NFL not realize they would probably sell more AP jerseys next year with the new number?

How did things work out for Lebron James who switched to #6 last season? Oh, he just lead the league in sales, no big deal. Now obviously James also switched teams, which I’m sure had something to do with the sales, but there is no way an AP #23 jersey would sell less than the current #28.

Personally, I like the #28 for AP and I’m glad that he’s not switching, but from a business standpoint, I’ll have to disagree.

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Porter is coming off of his fourth NFL season, and 2011 was a decent one for him, recording 52 tackles and 1 interception. Since he started getting regular playing time in 2009, Porter has always hovered right around these numbers. He’s certainly not a guy who jumps off the page at you, but he has shown potential in his young career to maybe become a Pro Bowler.

Porter’s previous contract was for 4 years/ $4,200,000, so he’s not that expensive of a pickup. His new contract should be for a much more sizable amount of money, but it shouldn’t get too crazy. Porter’s most notable claim to fame came in Super Bowl 44, when he picked off Peyton Manning late to seal the win for the Saints. He could definitely use this for some leverage when signing a new deal.

At this time it’s not clear if Porter wants out of New Orleans, or if they want him back. All I know is that he’s a good free agent cornerback, something the Vikings need badly.

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Thanks to NFL.com, Spotrac.com

One would have to think that with an entire off-season and by not going under the knife, that Gerhart will be at 100% Week One for the Vikings. I would even bet that he could have make it back in 4-6 weeks if this happened in the middle of the regular season. There is no such thing as a good knee ligament tear, but I would call this one, not so bad after all.

The Vikings will be counting on Gerhart more than ever in 2012. With Adrian Peterson coming of an ACL and MCL tear, there is no way he will get his normal amount of carries in the first few games in 2012. These carries will go to Gerhart and he better make the most of them. This will be Gerhart’s 3rd season in Minnesota and he needs to prove his worth. Running backs are a dime a dozen and there are plenty of other guy’s capable of backing up Peterson.

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Many people considered Finley’s 2011 season a disappointment, I’m not one of them. Finley hauled in 55 balls, for 767 yards, and scored 8 TD’s. Did I think he would have better numbers? Sure, but if your tight end has 8 scores in a year, that’s pretty good.

Maybe Finley’s “lack” of production was due to the fact he was upset about not having a new deal in place with Green Bay? If so, that only increases the chance he signs elsewhere. Maybe he would like to get back at the Packers for not giving him the deal he wanted? He’d get two chances a year in Minnesota to do so.

Minnesota seems to have a solid future tight end with Kyle Rudolph. The rookie tallied up 249 yards and 3 TD’s this year and has the makeup of a star tight end. Is having two great tight ends really a problem? I think the New England Patriots would say no.

Tight ends seem to be the next big thing in the NFL these days. “Hybrid Tight Ends,” as they’re often called, mix speed and strength to form a unique weapon for many modern day offenses to use. Having Finley and Rudolph together could easily form the next dynamic tight end duo in the league.

So the big question, can the Vikings afford Finley? Finley’s previous deal was for 4 years/$2,385,000. Shaincoe’s deal was for 5 years/$18,200,000. Clearly, Finley will get a much larger deal wherever he signs, but just by looking at the numbers, you’d have to say the Vikings could afford him.

Talents like Finely don’t come around all that often, even in today’s NFL. The Vikings have a young quarterback who could use a solid pair of tight end’s for a safety blanket. Jermichael Finley is much more than a safety blanket, he’s a Pro Bowl caliber player, who can wear purple and gold next year.

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Thanks to NFL.com, Spotrac.com

1. E.J. Henderon (LB)

2. Husain Abdullah (S)

3. Devin Aromashodu (WR)

4. Lorenzo Booker (RB)

5. Greg Camarillo (WR)

6. Fred Evans (DT)

7. Heath Farwell (LB)

8. Letroy Guion (DT)

9. Erin Henderson (LB)

10. Tyrell Johnson (S)

11. Matt Katula (C)

12. Jarrad Page (S)

13. Visanthe Shiancoe (TE)

In future articles, I’ll take a look at who the Vikings should keep and who they should let walk.

Thanks to Spotrac.com

Special Assistant: Mike Singletary

No one really knew what was going to become of Singletary in 2012. Last year he coached the linebackers and many thought he would get fired with Alan Williams taking the Coordinator position, but in a surprise twist, Singletary has been promoted, sort of.

I like the idea of Mike Singletary being a special assistant to Leslie Frazier. They apparently are buddies and it seems that Frazier is building a staff of guys he can trust. With Singletary being his “right-hand man,” trust is what he will get. You can say what you want about Singletary, but I don’t think you can question his heart and dedication to football. Being an assistant is a great role for him because it removes the pressure of being the head guy and allows him to focus on motivating players, which is his strong suite.

Defensive Coordinator: Alan Williams

Williams and Leslie Frazier are also buddies from their days together in Indianapolis. You can learn all about Alan Williams by clicking here.

Linebackers Coach: Fred Pagac

When I heard the Vikings had offered Pagac a chance to stay on the staff as the linebackers coach, I thought there was no way he was going to take it. It’s just something that doesn’t happen very often in professional sports these days. Is Pagac staying on the staff a positive for the Vikings? I say absolutely it is. A young coordinator like Williams is going to need all the guidance he can get, and what better man to do it than the one who was just there last year. The Vikings clearly like Pagac and he clearly likes them, certainly not a bad thing.

Defensive Line Coach: Brendan Daly

Daly returns to the Vikings for the first time since 2008, when he was a defensive assistant. He has spent the last 3 seasons as defensive line coach with the St. Louis Rams. Again you see the theme of familiar, trust-worthy coaches being brought back to the staff.

Miscellaneous Positions

According to the Star Tribune, Joe Woods will remain defensive backs coach, while Jeff Imamura will go from assistant to linebackers coach, with Pagac.

For those critical that the Vikings decided to stay with the ‘Tampa 2′ scheme,  you have to realize that is the horse the Vikings are riding right now with Leslie Frazier. He is the man right now and it’s foolish to not fully invest in what he wants to do. If you want to change the system, you change head coaches, and it’s too early to tell with Fraizer. Even in the “what have you done for me lately,” world of the NFL today, Frazier deserves at least one, if not two more years.

The Vikings have built a defensive staff of coaches educated in what they want to do. This is the right strategy to take if you’re sticking with Frazier. The Cover 2 will always be around in the NFL, because it’s a proven scheme. It’s a scheme that’s all about out executing the opponent. What’s the best way to out execute people? You out coach them.

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Here’s a look at what you need to know about Alan Williams:

-Born on November 4, 1969 in Norfolk, VA. Married, and a father of three.

-Played College Football at William and Mary (1988-1991). Williams rushed for 1,220 yards and tallied 1,331 receiving yards in his career. Led team in receptions (57) in 1991, and he holds school’s single-game post-season record with four touchdowns against Massachusetts in the Division 1-AA playoffs.

-Coaching career started in 1992 at Norview High School as defensive and running backs coach. In 1996 he returned to William and Mary to do the same. First broke into the league in 2001 with Tampa Bay, where he coached on defense with great football minds such as Monte Kiffin and Mike Tomlin. Indianapolis came calling in 2002 to have him coach their defensive backs, where he stayed until his hiring with Minnesota in 2012.

-In his career he has coached Pro Bowlers Ronde Barber and Bob Sanders, and oh yeah, he wears a Super Bowl Ring.

It’s a pretty impressive resume, considering he’s only 42 years old. Williams will continue to run the ‘Tampa 2′ defense that he always has, in Minnesota. There seems to be no doubt that Williams and Frazier will be on the same page in their defensive philosophy for the Vikings in 2012.

When I first heard of the hiring, I thought, why not? If you’re not going after a big name, you take a chance on a guy like Williams. He fits what you want to do schematically and as a ‘young’ guy he’s eager to prove himself. Williams’ strength is the Vikings weakness. The secondary in Minnesota right now is okay at best. The Vikings needed a guy to put a special emphasis on pass coverage and this hire is great for that.

Alan Williams is not yet a household name, but if the Minnesota secondary drastically improves in 2012, he very well could be.

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Thanks to Colts.com

It’s always tough when a great player gets to the end of his career and a team has to make the choice whether or not to bring him back. The situation with Hutchinson is a little different, he’s still on the books for 2012, due to make $6,950,000, a hefty price tag to say the least. This is the last year of the deal and Hutchinson is planning to finish it out.

So it seems that the Vikings are stuck with Hutchinson, whether they want him or not. It’s unlikely another team will want to pick him up with his age and price tag.

Given the circumstances the Vikings should just roll with this. Hutch is a 7 time Pro Bowler and potentially a Hall of Famer, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. If he thinks he’s got one more year in him, give him a shot. Even at 34 he’s still better than most at his position. I think there’s a lot to be said for a guy giving all he’s got in one last year. A lot of times with that motivation, players muster up one last good run.

The reality is that no one is gonna be calling with a great deal to acquire Hutchinson, and the Vikings don’t have a better option already on the team. They need to just let this play out and hope that Hutchinson can return to his Pro Bowl form one last time.

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Thanks to NFL.com, Spotrac.com 

With Indianapolis holding the first pick, they will take Andrew Luck or RG3. If they don’t they’re stupid, plain and simple. The Rams hold the second pick, and already have a franchise quarterback in Sam Bradford. This leaves the Vikings with a chance to take Luck or RG3 and trade them, or trade the pick altogether. Both are considered franchise quarterbacks, and it’s rare to have two of this caliber in the same draft class, advantage Vikings.

On one hand keeping the pick almost certainly insures the Vikings getting the guy they want. On the other, while they may not specifically get their man, they could get two or three guys to help out their re-building process. At this time I’m leaning towards keeping the pick, because that way you can get your guy and there still could be an offer for that guy, that ultimately is the best move for the team. Keeping the pick gives you the most options.

The reality is that it’s way to soon to jump on the bandwagon either way, I mean were 2 months out from the draft. Whatever decision is made, will dramatically alter the future for several franchises in the years to come.

Lots more draft coverage to come. 

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