http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/1293 Recent articles about Matt Birk en-us The Vikings go into camp with 80 men on their roster, and will have to trim that to 53 by the time the season starts.  The current position-by-position breakdown follows the jump (depth chart positions subject to debate in some cases; starters in italics): Offense Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson Gus Frerotte John David Booty Brooks Bollinger Running Back Adrian Peterson Chester Taylor Maurice Hicks Albert Young Fullback Thomas Tapeh Jeff Dugan Naufahu Tahi Tackle Ryan Cook Bryant McKinnie Marcus Johnson Chase Johnson Drew Radovich Guard Steve Hutchinson Anthony Herrera Artis Hicks Brian Daniels Mike Jones Center Matt Birk John Sullivan Dan Mozes Tim Mattran Tight End Visanthe Shiancoe Jim Kleinsasser Garrett Mills Braden Jones Wide Receiver Bernard Berrian Bobby Wade Sidney Rice Robert Ferguson Aundrae Allison Jaymar Johnson Martin Nance Nate Jones Darius Reynaud Daniel Davis Defense/Special Teams Defensive End Jared Allen Ray Edwards Brian Robison Jayme Mitchell Ellis Wyms Otis Grigsby Martail Burnett Defensive Tackle Kevin Williams Pat Williams Fred Evans Letroy Guiron Kenderick Allen Leger Douzable Linebacker E.J. Henderson Ben Leber Chad Greenway Heath Farwell Vinny Ciurciu Derrick Pope Rufus Alexander David Herron Erin Henderson Jeremy Leman Cornerback Antoine Winfield Cedric Griffin Marcus McCauley Charles Gordon Benny Sapp Dee McCann Marcus Walker Brandon Sumrall Safety Darren Sharper Madieu Williams Michael Boulware Tyrell Johnson Eric Frampton Jusain Abdullah Kicker Ryan Longwell Steven Hauschka Punter Chris Kluwe Long Snapper Cullen Loeffler Hard to find any real positional battles there.  The best one is probably at tight end, where I'm hoping Garrett Mills, who showed flashes in the final game of last season, will push Visanthe Shiancoe.  Maybe Marcus McCauley or Charles Gordon can make things uncomfortable for Cedric Griffin?  Everything else looks set, barring injury or guys suddenly forgetting how to play.  I'll continue to update this as camp progresses, reflecting cuts, and any changes in depth chart position. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:24:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294950 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294950 There are fairly firm arguments behind the Favre-to-Minnesota speculation.  One:  Favre is a West Coast guy, and the Vikings are a West Coast team.  Two:  The Vikings have Favre's old QB coach, Darrell Bevell, as their offensive coordinator, which would give Favre a certain comfort-level.  Three:  Favre was not comfortable having to play an outdoor game in Green Bay with the temperature nearing absolute zero, and would prefer to play for a warm-weather and/or dome team.  Four:  The Vikings have the running game, defense and offensive line to win…they just need a proven quarterback.  Five:  The Vikings receiver corps would become legit with Favre throwing them the ball. Unfortunately, to paraphrase Rick Blaine, arguments like these aren't worth a hill of beans in this crazy world.  We have no idea if Favre even wants back in (despite the pronouncements of people like Peter King, who act as though they can peer directly into Favre's mind).  We don't know what the Packers would do if Favre asked for reinstatement.  We do know that the fans in Green Bay would love him back, and according to PFT, the other Packer players - with the exception of Aaron Rodgers - would also welcome Brett with open arms. We know little for certain, so all we can do is raise hypotheticals.  Like:  What if Favre asked for reinstatement, and the Packers decided to make him the starting QB again, sending Aaron Rodgers to the bench? PFT thinks Rodgers would ask for a trade…and I agree.  He's been sitting there as the heir-apparent for years - finally the king leaves and it's his turn…and then the rug gets pulled out from under him.  Wouldn't you be pissed? Here would be a legitimate opportunity for the Vikes to jump in and take advantage of the Packers' sticky situation…by trading for Aaron Rodgers.  Many of the above arguments in favor of Favre would hold for Rodgers too:  He's worked in the West Coast system.  He was coached by Darrell Bevell.  He would have a good running game to lean on. Of course there are other arguments that don't fall in Rodgers' favor.  He actually has less game experience than Tarvaris Jackson.  He wouldn't have the best receivers to throw to, and lacks a reliable tight end.  However, Rodgers would give T-Jack legitimate competition in training camp.  Even if he was beaten out by T-Jack, he would have to be considered a better back-up than aged Gus Frerotte or green John David Booty.  At least, if Rodgers were on the roster, we wouldn't be staring at this frightening T-Jack or nothing proposition. But wouldn't acquiring Rodgers over Favre defeat the whole purpose of getting a new quarterback?  Isn't Favre desirable because he's established, and could lead us to the Super Bowl now? I prefer to deal in real-world possibilities, not pipe-dreams.  We're not getting Brett Favre.  No, we don't have much of a chance at Rodgers either…but Rodgers-to-Minnesota is at least in the realm of the semi-plausible.  And I say, if the chance does come up, make a run at him.  Maybe he doesn't help you win it in 2008, but the last I looked, Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen were still young.  The window is at least two years, maybe three (and yes I realize Pat Williams, Antoine Winfield, Matt Birk and some other guys are getting to the end).  Rodgers, if he worked out, would give you a QB across all of that window…not just for one desperate run.  Plus, Favre is old, and let's face it…he's due to get hurt. Maybe in Candy Land or Oz Favre would be a great idea for the Vikings…but in this universe, give me Rodgers. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:16:17 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287452 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287452 Brett Favre is coming back. Brett Favre isn't coming back. Brett Favre wants to return to the Packers but the Packers don't want him. Brett Favre would never have retired had Ted Thompson not been the GM. Who knows what's true and what isn't…beyond the fact that Brett Favre clearly enjoys being the center of attention. Forget about a nice relaxing life of hunting and fishing and piling wood…Brett Favre wants back in - to the spotlight at least. Then again, Brett never really left the spotlight, did he? Since the day he "retired" we've been seeing him and hearing about him. On Letterman. In endless speculative blog posts and PTI segments. How can a person stage a "comeback" when they never went anywhere? Brett can play for the Packers in 2008 if he wants. Or for Miami or Atlanta or some other team. Just don't call it a comeback if he does. And don't call it an unretirement either. It takes more than a tearful announcement to make a retirement…it takes actually walking away from your job. Which Favre hasn't done. All he's done yet is miss OTAs and minicamp…which may have been the whole point in the first place. Of course it takes two to tango. If Favre wants to stage his non-comeback, he will need the Packers to oblige him. The Packers hold all the cards…and they look ready and willing to transition to the Aaron Rodgers era, and leave Brett to his fish and his varmints and his woodshed. So Favre will need the Packers to release him…but why should they? Why give some other team, maybe one in their own conference, the advantage of a Hall-of-Fame quarterback? If Favre plays in 2008, it will be in a green jersey, and a yellow helmet with an antiquated logo emblazoned on it. Packer fans will not suffer the shock Cowboy fans knew when they saw Emmitt Smith in Cardinal red. But what are the chances of Favre ever taking another snap for the Pack? Odds are that, when Jared Allen lines up for the first time as a Viking against Green Bay the opening Monday night of the season, he will be trying to destroy Aaron Rodgers and not Brett Favre. And despite the yearnings of some, Brett will not be taking snaps from Matt Birk for the Purple. It would be suicidally stupid for the Packers to let Favre go so he could play in the Vikings' West Coast offense. The non-comeback is likely just a flame of rumor and speculation…deliberately fanned by Favre and his agent. Why? Because Brett is bored. Because Brett doesn't feel appreciated enough. Because the Packers removed his locker, and the players are all talking about moving on, and he wants everyone to remember who the man is. He never left…and he will apparently never leave. Not as long as there are accolades to be received. So much for the gunslinger riding off into the sunset. This gunslinger doesn't even want to get on the horse. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:59:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286773 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286773 Matt Birk's days in Minnesota may be more numbered than we thought…if we are to take seriously the bit of speculation thrown out by ProFootballTalk about former Browns center LeCharles Bentley being signed to take Birk's place. A little background:  Bentley, a one-time Ohio State Buckeye, was originally drafted by the New Orleans Saints, for whom he went to two Pro Bowls.  He then signed a 6-year, $36 million contract to return to Ohio as a member of the Browns.  Unfortunately, Bentley would never play a down for Cleveland.  He suffered a serious knee injury during camp ahead of the 2006 season, then contracted a near-fatal staph infection in the same knee.  He would end up missing the entire 2007 season as well. Bentley was hoping to make a comeback with the Browns in 2008.  Such a comeback would've required him to beat out starting center Hank Fraley however…a long-shot given the four-year deal the Browns signed Fraley to before the 2007 season. Having read the writing on the wall, Bentley asked for and was given his release by the Browns.  The PFT story asserts that Bentley and his agent must've had something else lined up, or it would've been foolish for them to force their way out of Cleveland hence destroying their chance to showcase Bentley's recovery to other teams.  PFT cast around for a shaky center situation somewhere in the NFL and came up with the Vikings, who have yet to offer a contract extension to Birk, who is set to become a free agent at the end of 2008. PFT's proposal:  Bentley could be signed to an incentive-laden contract, then compete with Birk in training camp.  Should Bentley show himself proficient, Birk could be let go.  The Vikings would then have a younger player in Bentley…who, by the way, did pass his physical the other day in Cleveland. Sounds good…except that Bentley is playing on a knee that was basically eaten away by a staph infection.  Birk has become the butt of jokes in Minnesota for all the sports hernia surgeries he's had over the years, but none of his physical ailments have been nearly as serious as almost having a leg chopped off. Plus there's the leadership void that would be created by the jettisoning of Birk.  And the fact that you're trying to bring along a young QB in Tarvaris Jackson…meaning now is probably not the best time to be switching centers. Even if Bentley did manage to outplay Birk in camp, there are intangibles that make Birk more attractive for this team at this time.  The only reason to take a chance on Bentley would be as a long-term guy…and in that regard he is a shaky proposition.  It makes more sense to leave Birk in there one more year, knowing you'll get solid work, and then deal with the center situation after the season. Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:19:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277130 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277130 Matt Birk's days in Minnesota may be more numbered than we thought…if we are to take seriously the bit of speculation thrown out by ProFootballTalk about former Browns center LeCharles Bentley being signed to take Birk's place. A little background:  Bentley, a one-time Ohio State Buckeye, was originally drafted by the New Orleans Saints, for whom he went to two Pro Bowls.  He then signed a 6-year, $36 million contract to return to Ohio as a member of the Browns.  Unfortunately, Bentley would never play a down for Cleveland.  He suffered a serious knee injury during camp ahead of the 2006 season, then contracted a near-fatal staph infection in the same knee.  He would end up missing the entire 2007 season as well. Bentley was hoping to make a comeback with the Browns in 2008.  Such a comeback would've required him to beat out starting center Hank Fraley however…a long-shot given the four-year deal the Browns signed Fraley to before the 2007 season. Having read the writing on the wall, Bentley asked for and was given his release by the Browns.  The PFT story asserts that Bentley and his agent must've had something else lined up, or it would've been foolish for them to force their way out of Cleveland hence destroying their chance to showcase Bentley's recovery to other teams.  PFT cast around for a shaky center situation somewhere in the NFL and came up with the Vikings, who have yet to offer a contract extension to Birk, who is set to become a free agent at the end of 2008. PFT's proposal:  Bentley could be signed to an incentive-laden contract, then compete with Birk in training camp.  Should Bentley show himself proficient, Birk could be let go.  The Vikings would then have a younger player in Bentley…who, by the way, did pass his physical the other day in Cleveland. Sounds good…except that Bentley is playing on a knee that was basically eaten away by a staph infection.  Birk has become the butt of jokes in Minnesota for all the sports hernia surgeries he's had over the years, but none of his physical ailments have been nearly as serious as almost having a leg chopped off. Plus there's the leadership void that would be created by the jettisoning of Birk.  And the fact that you're trying to bring along a young QB in Tarvaris Jackson…meaning now is probably not the best time to be switching centers. Even if Bentley did manage to outplay Birk in camp, there are intangibles that make Birk more attractive for this team at this time.  The only reason to take a chance on Bentley would be as a long-term guy…and in that regard he is a shaky proposition.  It makes more sense to leave Birk in there one more year, knowing you'll get solid work, and then deal with the center situation after the season. Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:19:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277130 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277130 Vikings minicamp has begun.  Matt Birk reported as we all knew he would.  From here on in it's all mandatory. The Viking Age presents 10 Pressing Minicamp Questions: Which player will wow everyone with his performance in spite of the fact that these are only minicamp practices and don't mean squat? Will Brad Childress wear his fisherman's hat? Which offensive lineman will Jared Allen get in a fight with first? When will Adrian Peterson suffer his first minor boo-boo, sending Viking fans into a state of near-hysteria? How many times will we have to hear about how awesomely fast Bernard Berrian is? Will the football-throwing machine be lonely without Troy Williamson? At what point will the media start whispering about the need to swing a deal for another quarterback? When will Antoine Winfield start acting like a bitch? Which practice squad player will become a minicamp superstar whose failure to make the team upsets all the fans who think he's better than the players we have starting? When do Super Bowl tickets go on-sale? Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:31:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275438 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275438 Vikings minicamp has begun.  Matt Birk reported as we all knew he would.  From here on in it's all mandatory. The Viking Age presents 10 Pressing Minicamp Questions: Which player will wow everyone with his performance in spite of the fact that these are only minicamp practices and don't mean squat? Will Brad Childress wear his fisherman's hat? Which offensive lineman will Jared Allen get in a fight with first? When will Adrian Peterson suffer his first minor boo-boo, sending Viking fans into a state of near-hysteria? How many times will we have to hear about how awesomely fast Bernard Berrian is? Will the football-throwing machine be lonely without Troy Williamson? At what point will the media start whispering about the need to swing a deal for another quarterback? When will Antoine Winfield start acting like a bitch? Which practice squad player will become a minicamp superstar whose failure to make the team upsets all the fans who think he's better than the players we have starting? When do Super Bowl tickets go on-sale? Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:31:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275438 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275438 This article includes the projected starters for the upcoming season, statistics and injuries from the past season, an overview of players on the line and an outlook for the 2008 season. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:58:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/254935 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/254935 Niners found guilty of tampering, Brett Favre hasn't officially retired, C Matt Birk is unhappy with the Vikings (or is he) and much more local hometown NFL news for Tuesday, March 25, 2008. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:29:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/217812 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/217812 Six of them are starting and Viking Country is buzzing. The Vikings will be represented with 3 starters on each side of the ball. On the offensive side they will have the entire backfield with Adrian Peterson and Tony Richardson. Peterson is having a monster year if you haven't noticed, but what some people overlook is the Fullback that gives the Halfback some of those wide open gaps. Richardson has been a staple in Minnesota on and off the field since he came from Kansas City last year. Also starting will be Steve Hutchinson. One of the best Guards in the league, I doubt anyone is really going to argue with this one, either. On the defensive side of the ball they will be represented by the two big guys in the middle. Kevin and Pat Williams are one of, if not the best combos in the league. And on top of the run stopping ability, Kevin has a knack for finding the end zone for six. The other rep is Darren Sharper at safety. Sharper is one of the league premiere ball hawks in the league, and all of the sports broadcasters love to spout stats about how many picks he's had in the past few years. Any snubs from the Purple? Well, some have pointed out the lack of Center Matt Birk in the starting lineup. Birk is having another solid year and the evidence of his stellar play is shown partly in Adrian Peterson's big year. He'll be backing up Anthony Gurode, but I'd rather see him as a starter. Another slight snub would be the Punter Chris Kluwe. Kluwe may have deserved to go, but no one is really going to gripe about it. Except maybe his Mom. And lastly, special teams expert Heath Farwell was not selected. The man can flat out rock people on kick-offs but he gets no love. I will hold true to the fact that Brendon Ayanbadejo always gets picked mainly for the fact that his name is first on the special teams ballot. Wed, 19 Dec 2007 03:57:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/48689 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/48689