One guy that has been allowed to seek a trade is Steelers center Justin Hartwig.  Hartwig, age 31, weighs in at 312 pounds on a 6’ 5” frame.  He has 95 career starts and has appeared in every game over the last two years.

Given that John Sullivan underwhelmed during his first year as a starter and has now been sidelined for nearly all of the Vikings preseason activities, perhaps it is time for this Mankato native to come home.

The Vikings could surely use a boost to their offensive line, and Hartwig should come at a fairly low price.  If they were to trade for him, he would be owed a base salary of only $2.08 million for 2010.  If he is cut, the Vikings (or any other team) would be allowed to immediately negotiate a contract for his services.

Hartwig has been replaced int he Steelers starting lineup by first round pick Maurkice Pouncey.

As players continue to get cut, expect more stories like this one to be posted.  We have our eye on the offensive line and cornerback positions in particular.

The story of the game, as usual, was centered around quarterback play and there wasn’t many positives to take away.  Tarvaris Jackson missed on his first six passes, and ended up two for eight and gaining only two yards.  Sage Rosenfels wasn’t much better as he went one of four which gained 10 yards.

Joe Webb continued to produce some exciting plays including a 41 yard rush and a 63 yard touchdown pass to a wide open Javon Walker.  Despite going five of nine for 100 yards, Webb’s passes often looked ugly and one has to wonder how he would fare against a starting defense.

The biggest upside to take away from the game was the defense’s ability to produce turnovers.  Tyrell Johnson picked off Tebow and had a 41 yard return.  Erin Henderson was the star with a team high nine tackles, a sack, a quarterback hurry, a tackle for a loss, and two fumble recoveries of which one he returned for a touchdown.

Now only six days away from heading to New Orleans for the season opener, the Vikings have some very tough roster decisions ahead of them.  Stick with us on Saturday for an ongoing list of who the team releases.  Also, we’ll be keeping track of which players are released by other teams that may or may not be of interest to this team.

TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company, a subsidiary of the adidas Group, has introduced a new line of hats and visors, which features the primary colors and logos of all 32 NFL teams. Golfers across the country can now fly the colors of their favorite teams on the golf course (not on Sundays of course). Fans can choose from all 32 NFL teams at on-course and off-course retail locations, in addition to select sporting goods retailers. If you are a displaced fan and don’t think you will be able to find your favorite team locally, go to www.taylormadegolfgear.com for a complete selection.

Each hat and visor will feature an NFL team’s logo blazoned on the left panel. The team’s name will also be stitched onto the left corner of the hat/visor. The TaylorMade logo will appear in 3D embroidery on the front panel of the hat.

The hats will be available at retail at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $27.99.

Jason LaConfora of the NFL Network reports that the Seattle Seahawks are actively shopping receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh with hopes of making room in the accounting records for Vincent Jackson.

If you recall, the Vikings played host to Housh prior to the 2009 season and rolled out the red carpet.  Housh was outspoken about his decision to pick the Seahawks and cited the quarterback situation (Favre wasn’t in the picture at that point) as a major factor.

That didn’t work out too well for him as the Seahawks went 5-11 and the Vikings were 12-4.  Last season, Housh caught 79 passes for 911 yards plus a trio of touchdowns.  Those numbers were quite a bit lower than when he was catching passes for the Bengals.

I highly doubt the Vikings would be too excited about giving up draft picks in exchange for a contract that guarantees the player $7 million in the upcoming season. 

I suspect the team’s interest in another possession receiver like Housh will only peak if he is cut outright by the Seahawks, somehow passes through waivers unclaimed, and becomes a free agent once again ready to have the red carpet rolled out for him.

[EDITOR'S NOTE:  Thanks to Marty for reminding me that Housh has accrued enough years to not be subject to the waiver system.  If cut, he would instantly become an unrestricted free agent.]

Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, and Greg Camarillo are all solid receivers, but none appear to be number one material, and all of them have been unreliable to suit up on Sunday’s due to health and injury.

Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports penned an item today stating that the Vikings should go after disgruntled Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson.  The argument makes sense, and let’s face it, acquiring Jackson would put a definitive end to the team’s receiver worries as soon as week four of the regular season.  In fact, they’d likely be set at the position for years and years.

The article points out that Zygi Wilf has taken some criticism from other owners in how he has bowed down to Lord Favre, but that also provides a sense that Wilf isn’t afraid to spend the money needed to bring home the trophy.

Of course the Vikings would love to acquire a talent like Jackson as they prepare to make a run at the Super Bowl.  However, Jackson character, suspension(s), contract demands are all concerns on top of San Diego’s asking price.

Give the article a read by clicking here.

The (for lack of a better term) “story” died pretty quickly and was overshadowed by Favre’s annual dance with retirement.

With recent news breaking that the NFL is going to investigate a sex tape made with rookie Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes in the (for lack of a better term) “starring role.”  The NFL is investigating the matter to see if it breaks the personal conduct policy, despite the fact that the video is not believed to be unlawful and was created prior to Spikes being employed by the NFL.

PFT recently asked the NFL if that meant they would also investigate the (for lack of a better term) “allegations” thrown towards Favre.  After all, he was employed by the New York Jets at the time and the allegations stem from a former Jets employee, Jenn Sterger.

NFL Spokesperson, Greg Aiello responded to their inquiry by stating, “One can assume that we look into everything that is relevant, whether we say so or not.  This is not a confirmation of anything.”

The NFL seems to be trying to play this one cool for a while, and wait to see if the report continues to die a natural death.  If they have not investigated the matter yet, then they are probably going to be forced to do so soon and actually acknowledge it, or else they would be accused of holding Favre and Spikes to two different standards.

Now, the worst has happened. (oh, the horror!)

The Warwas family computer has bit the dust.

A replacement is on the way (hopefully in time for Thursday’s opener) but for now there is zero-chance of a live chat during the final preseason game. 

My apologies.  I blame a tech industry which moves way too fast to ever manage to put out dependable products.

I am not only amazed to see him on the field just 9 months after that horrendous injury vs. the Cardinals (I distinctly remember thinking in all confidence, that we would never see him play another down in the NFL) but I am absolutely aghast at the quickness he exhibited last week against the 49ers.

The Viking defense is vastly improved when Henderson is in the line-up. Not to slam Jasper Brinkley, but Brinkley just doesn’t show the instincts of Henderson. E.J. is nearly flawless at filling the proper gap time after time. Last Saturday was a great example. From the first play from scrimmage, Henderson showed good lateral movement and quickness in filling the open hole. He was in on several tackles on the opening drive alone. There was no hesitation that often happens when a player returns from a significant injury. No lack of commitment, no deer in the headlights pause before attacking. This is what impressed me most.

This is not to say that Henderson is all the way back. In pass coverage, there were a couple of times when E.J. was behind the receiver by a good step and a half. But this wasn’t because of bad technique or being caught out of position. It was because when he opens his hips and runs, he seems to have lost a step.  This is not unexpected, but is a bit of a concern to me.

So it was in the opening version of this new season, as the keys to the Limo were given to these two to compete for the role of driver until the Mississippi gunslinger takes over and hands one of them a baseball cap and a clip board. His bad ankle has spontaneously regenerated over the last two weeks, just in time to appear for 4 plays in game # 2 before taking over as starter in game # 3 and from now on (Barring injury).

A good thing in my humble opinion. Because from where I sit, this Viking squad looks to be the most complete and talented version in years… perhaps ever. Built to go deep into the playoffs…as long as #4 is on board.

Let’s take a look at the QB situation as is:

Exhibit A

- Tarvaris Jackson

Positives: Great athlete, cannon arm. Can make all the deep and intermediate throws. Can merely flick the wrist and the ball is 40-50 yards downfield. Is mobile, has quick, nervous feet. Is a huge threat to flee the pocket and kill the opponent with his legs. Has great natural gifts. He is strong, quick and works like a dog. Takes constructive criticism well and is very coachable. Has been patient in waiting for his opportunity and wants to be “Great”. Has good natural leadership skills.

Negatives: Not a natural read and react type. He has to see, process then implement his actions rather than displaying instant reactions to situations. No wonder defensive coordinators throw multiple blitzes packages at him in an effort to confuse.

There is Hope: He is much quicker to process info then earlier in career. Sheer repetition and experience has allowed the game to slow down for him. His short passes have little touch and they tend to sail. He throws a very “heavy ball”. He has a disturbing tendency to lose his mechanics under pressure and still doesn’t step properly into every throw. Tends to lock stubbornly on receivers and rarely goes past his second option. Prone to panic. Not instinctive….doesn’t read defenses nor pick up defensive shifts smoothly. Does not like to call “audibles”. Relies too much on his strong arm and will force the ball into tight coverage. He needs a tight leash and can get wildly out of control if he is not constantly structured. Doesn’t have a “Natural” throwing motion. His shoulder needs a long wind-up and his elbow to wrist leverage point is very long causing the ball to sail and contributing to his inaccuracy.

Overall: Jackson continues to improve. It is merely a question of whether his outstanding athleticism can overcome his mechanical flaws and lack of instincts. He is a better fit in a wide open vertical passing attack then in the precision West Coast offense.

Exhibit B

- Sage Rosenfels

Positives: Much more poised then earlier in his career and can read defenses well. A classic pocket passer who will stand in against the rush and delivers a soft catchable ball. Above average accuracy. Doesn’t force the ball into tight coverage. Is solid overall and doesn’t make many mistakes. Good fit for the West Coast offense employed by the Vikings. Much more accurate on short and intermediate routes then when throwing deep.

Negatives: Puts too much air under the ball, allowing defenders to recover. Doesn’t always see the entire field and will not always pick up on the deep receiver unless that is his first option. Tends to lock on to receivers too long. Throws INT’s in bunches. Has a tendency to allow mistakes to carry over. Needs to develop a shorter memory in terms of bad plays.

Exhibit C

- Joe Webb

Positives:  Off the chart athleticism. Good NFL arm and can make all the throws. Has not reached his peak, and with time and patience, could become a very good NFL quarterback.

Negatives: Raw, Raw, Raw… Comes from a small school that did not run a pro style offense.

The Vikings may not have the luxury of keeping him unless they feel his upside is high enough to release either Jackson or Rosenfels. But given Brad Childress’s fondness for quarterback development, nothing here would be a surprise. My guess is that the team doesn’t make the final decision until the last moment. No sense trying to sneak him past waivers and onto the practice squad as Brad Childress realizes he will never get through without being claimed.

So it really comes down to a whether Brad Childress feels that the potential of Joe Webb is just too good to pass up and are willing to gamble that Brett Favre doesn’t go down and there may be a need to go as deep as a third QB, and if so, who goes between Jackson and Rosenfels?  My personal feeling is that T. Jax has made great strides in terms of maturity, poise and the ability to read defenses. He looks more comfortable in the pocket and shows patience in allowing the play to develop. However, rumor has it that the team prefers Rosenfels as the back-up because of his accuracy and a tendency to commit fewer turnovers.

The results of the polls regarding offensive position battles were fairly telling (look a few posts down if you missed it) and I think it is a fun little way to occupy our time as we wait for the season to begin.  So, here is a batch of defensive questions plus a bonus special teams one.

DEFENSIVE LINE

It seems safe to assume that Jared Allen, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Ray Edwards are safe and sound.  However, just about every reserve defensive lineman has been very impressive this preseason and who to cut could be one of the toughest choices facing the Vikings.  Jimmy Kennedy, Fred Evans, LeTroy Guion, Brian Robison, rookie Everson Griffen, and Jayme Mitchell are all on the roster.

It seems unlikely that the Vikings actually carry all 10 of their top defensive linemen, however, and my question for you is who should be the first to go?

LINEBACKER

There isn’t a whole lot of mystery surrounding the linebacker position.  Chad Greenway, EJ Henderson, and Ben Leber occupy starting rolls.  Jasper Brinkley, Erin Henderson, and Heath Farwell seem to be safe. 

I guess the biggest question is if Kenny Onatolu makes the roster again in 2010.

CORNERBACK

The Vikings felt good about their corners just a week ago.  This caused them to be willing trade partners with the Dolphins, resulting in Benny Sapp leaving heading to Miami in exchange for Greg Camarillo.  In a fashion that perfectly fits in with the Vikings 2010 preseason, rookie Chris Cook injured himself and is expected to miss the season’s opener in New Orleans.

That leaves the Vikings with Antoine Winfield, Asher Allen, and Lito Sheppard as the primary candidates to start against the Saints high-powered passing attack.

Reserve cornerbacks DeAndre Wright and Marcus Sherels would be the next in line to step up, especially if Cedric Griffin isn’t healthy enough to play, which he probably isn’t.  So, my question for you is how the Vikes should approach the corner position at the start of the season.

SAFETY

There is an obvious open competition for the starting free safety spot between Tyrell Johnson and Jamarca Sanford.  Madieu Williams has not inspired much faith in Vikings fans of late, either.  So, the obvious question here is what combination of starting safeties would you start if you were in charge?

BONUS SPECIAL TEAMS QUESTION

One of the most interesting questions that will be answered this Saturday, is whether or not the Vikings are truly willing to give up a roster spot to a kickoff specialist.  It appeared that the answer was “Yes!” at one point in time, but Rhys Lloyd has yet to have an impressive outing in the preseason.  One thing to keep in mind, however, is that the fans may put more stock in the preseason performance than the team does.  After all, they are the ones that get to see him in practice and have watched film of his regular season performances of the past.  But, for the sake of fun, would you keep Lloyd around if you were in charge of the roster?