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Report: Vikings’ Favre needs ankle surgery if he returns

Brett Favre’s decision to return for the 2010 season as quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings reportedly will hinge on whether he will undergo surgery for his left ankle.

Favre told ESPN in an email that the ankle injury he sustained in the NFC Championship Game against New Orleans in January has still not healed and that noted sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews informed the future Hall of Famer that surgery is unavoidable if he wants to play this season.

It’s a familiar situation for Favre, who last summer underwent surgery for a partially torn biceps tendon before coming back to play for Minnesota. He was hurt late in the 2008 season with the New York Jets.

Favre has already retired twice — after the 2007 season with Green Bay and following the 2008 campaign with the Jets.

Last summer, Favre was lured out of his second brief retirement and had one of the best seasons of his career. He threw for 4,202 yards with 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. His quarterback rating of 107.2 was second only to New Orleans’ Drew Brees.

The 40-year-old Favre was knocked around during the NFC Championship Game loss to New Orleans, needing help to leave the field at one point during the contest. He said after the game that he would need time to determine whether to return for a 20th NFL season.

2010 offers Pioneers new challenges, new opportunities.

Despite what fans may believe, every football season is its own entity; every team’s roster has its own identity. So is goes for the St. Paul Pioneers, who won a national championship in 2009 as members of the coast-to-coast North American Football League.

Not only have the Pioneers joined a new league – the Northern Elite Football League, with teams in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan – but they have added a handful of new players, new coaches and new front office personnel.

The result leaves the Pioneers in an exciting place for 2010. Fans and friends of the team don’t have to ask “How do you top a national championship?” Instead, they are asking, “Will this Pioneers team continue its winning traditions?”

Folks should begin finding out May 1, when St. Paul hits the road to take on the Brainerd Lumberjacks in Brainerd, Minn. Gazing at the Pioneers 2010 roster, an observer would at least be forgiven for keeping their expectations high. The Pioneers return many of the same players who won that national title in Miami last November. But they have added enough new blood to make the coaches wonder how this team will mesh and how they will perform when the 2010 going gets tough.

Here is a look at the St. Paul Pioneers’ early 2010 roster, by position group. Note: Semi-pro football rosters are notoriously subject to change. Guys still could be added, or change their minds about playing, by the time the Pioneers NEFL season begins May 15 against the Minnesota Phoenix.

St. Paul boasts an intriguing blend of old and new on their offense, which was one of the top units in the nation in 2009.

At quarterback, the Pioneers boast three new players: Semi-pro and Arena League gun-slinger Alex Neist is expected to lead the offensive attack, with Bryan Trulen and Kenneth Celestine backing up. Celestine is expected to see time at receiver as well.

At wide receiver, the Pioneers might boast one of the deepest units in the Upper Midwest. Perennial all-stars Joseph Mapson, Rasheem Sharpe and Damien Rochon-Washington will be joined in 2010 by Brandon Johnson, Dion Wilson, Jay Harding, and Reggie Houston. Mapson was the offensive MVP of the 2009 national championship game and Sharpe and Washington are experienced game-breakers who can take over a contest in the blink of an eye.

Neist will have even more passing game options in tight ends Joe Ubani and Jason Bailey, who are big targets with the speed to stretch the field. Both played key roles for the 2009 P-Unit.

At running back, the Pioneers return a deep and talented stable of top performers, led by the punishing Brian Holmes, speedsters Will Winters and Nick Graham, Ondreaus McCray and DeShay Hudson. Hudson is making the jump from defensive back to running back in 2010 and has looked very good in pre-season practices. Fullbacks John Robinson Jr. and Joe Sellwood are expected to not only help open holes, but fight for yardage of their own. Robinson has been a consistent and valued performer for the past several seasons.

At offensive line, the Pioneers return gigantic and punishing all-stars and all-America players in Lonal Van and C.J. Sanderson. Talented veterans Thomas Broussard, Shannon Johnson, Jacob Husnik and Anthony Minus return as well. New to the O-line will be Junior Moi Moi and Michael Bellamy, a defensive tackle who is challenging for a starting spot. Antoine Williams is expected to get playing time on the offensive and defensive lines.

First, the defensive line is once again expected to be stout, with returning all-America and co-defensive MVP Jeff McGaster once again wreaking havoc at defensive tackle. Cagey veteran Kym Trueblood and the talented Guillaume Paek return from the 2009 champions as well. Bellamy, who is working with the offensive line, still is expected to make an impact on defense as well. Impressive newcomers Dan White and Cliff Gordy are pushing for starting spots. Williams, 6-4 and more than 300 pounds, is a talented newcomer as well.

At linebacker, the Pioneers boast a unit with speed, size and experience. Middle linebacker and 2009 co-defensive MVP Josh Hollie is a returning all-America from Western Illinois. But Deventri Jordan, a punishing and smart Pioneers veteran who seems to get better every season, also returns. Jordan was one of the heroes in the Pioneers’ championship game victory. New to the team in 2010 is Brian Doyle, a longtime semi-pro stalwart who was a leading tackler for Concordia University-St. Paul. Brian Warden, who played offense in 2009, comes over to the linebacking corps in 2010 and is joined by Jay Barrow, the speedy Patrick Mitambo, veteran Jesse Luft and newcomer Thierre Thompson.

Perhaps the defensive unit’s deepest collection of athletes patrols the secondary, where four starters from a unit that scored more than a dozen defensive touchdowns return in 2010. Corners Terry Jones and Adrian Mitchell, strong safety Nate Beulah Jr. and all-America free safety Montae Bailey are expected to repeat their ball-hawking ways in 2010. They are joined by newcomer Ukee Dozier, a former University of Minnesota Golden Gopher, as well as veterans Darrell Young, Andre Spencer and Ben Campbell. Tim Cornish, a rookie corner and kick returner from Bethel University, will push for playing time in a crowded defensive backfield. All are expected to play significant minutes in defensive backs coach Kahn Powell’s multiple coverages and packages. Skilled defensive back Donte Pettis, another Arena football veteran and one of the heroes of the 2009 championship game, will start the season on injured reserve.

Jim Walsh – Defensive Coordinator
Star Tribune Staff Columnist

Campbell deal shows Raiders have lost patience in Russell

As JaMarcus Russell struggled through the worst statistical season for an NFL quarterback in more than a decade, Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis preached patience.

It appears that even Davis may have finally given up on his young quarterback.

With last weekend’s trade for Jason Campbell, the Raiders seem ready to close the door on the exorbitantly expensive and unproductive Russell era in Oakland.

The only remaining question looks to be if they cut ties with the former No. 1 overall pick before this weekend’s mandatory minicamp begins, wait until training camp, drag it out until final roster cuts or even keep Russell on the roster for another season as a backup. But his days as a starter are likely over.

After acquiring Campbell over the weekend from Washington for a 2012 fourth-round draft pick, coach Tom Cable didn’t want to get into what the future held for Russell. Cable said he expected Russell to be at minicamp Friday.

“There will be some decisions to be made here in the next month or so, whatever that is,” Cable said. “We’ll just leave it at that until we get through some of those decisions. Right now we felt like adding Jason to this football team was very important.”

The Raiders showed their confidence in Campbell by extending his contract through 2011, giving him a US$4.5 million deal that season on top of the $3.14 million he is owed this season.

If the Raiders do cut ties with Russell as expected, it will be an especially difficult decision for Davis. Davis believed Russell was the big-armed franchise quarterback he had been seeking to lead his team back to the Super Bowl when he took him first overall in 2007.

Davis made it clear when he fired Lane Kiffin in 2008 that drafting Russell was his idea, despite Kiffin’s protests.

“He is a great player. Get over it and coach this team on the field,” Davis read from a letter he sent Kiffin before the firing. “That is what you were hired to do. We can win with this team.”

But the Raiders were unable to win with Russell at the helm and Davis allowed Cable to bench Russell midway through last season. The move was popular in the locker room and gave the team a spark on the field as Bruce Gradkowski led comeback wins over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

Davis was not satisfied with Gradkowski as his standard bearer and the Raiders were linked to possible off-season deals for Donovan McNabb and Ben Roethlisberger. While the Raiders downplayed how serious those talks ever got, they did make the move for another quarterback when they acquired Campbell from Washington.

A former first-round pick in 2005, Campbell was unwanted in Washington after new coach Mike Shanahan acquired McNabb. Campbell started 52 games for Washington since being drafted. He has thrown for 55 touchdowns, 38 interceptions and has a passer rating of 82.3 in his career despite playing in three different offences in five seasons.

“He’s a guy in need of a fresh start himself,” Cable said. “He’s proven that he can do some things and have some success in the NFL. We’re all familiar enough with Jason to know that we’re getting a guy who has proven he can play in the NFL.”

All Russell has proven in his three seasons is that he will supplant Ryan Leaf as the NFL’s biggest draft bust in history. If the Raiders cut Russell before the start of the season, he will have been paid $39.45 million in three seasons.

Russell won only seven of his 25 starts as the Raiders extended an NFL-worst streak to seven straight seasons with at least 11 losses. He has completed just 52.1 per cent of his passes in his career with 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, 15 lost fumbles and a passer rating of 65.2.

That means Russell has been paid more than $5 million per win, more than $2 million per touchdown pass and more than $100,000 per completion.

While Russell’s numbers are superior to Leaf’s, he was paid considerably more money to do it and was picked first instead of second. Leaf’s rookie contract guaranteed him only $11.25 million.

Russell’s tenure in Oakland got off to a rough start and never got much better. He held out his first season, not signing a contract until after the first game of the regular season. That made his rookie season almost a complete loss, as he started only one game.

He showed some signs of progress in his second season, especially in winning the final two games of the year against Houston and Tampa Bay. But the problems of work ethic and his weight never disappeared and his third season was an utter disaster.

He was fined for being overweight when he showed up at training camp. He then put together one of the worst seasons in recent memory for an NFL quarterback. He completed 48.8 per cent of his passes, with three touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 50.0 passer rating that was the lowest since Leaf, Bobby Hoying and Craig Whelihan all finished below 50 in 1998.

Leaf played only four games after leaving San Diego before retiring in July 2002.

Russell still has a chance to resurrect his career — although it might not be in Oakland.

Matt Field
TenYards.com Sports Editor

Vikings use draft for future except at quarterback

The Minnesota Vikings had eight draft picks this year, and the quarterback they took in the sixth round will be moved to wide receiver.

So, however this season unfolds, with Brett Favre in charge or without him, the Vikings have set themselves up for more uncertainty at the sport’s most important position.

Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels are still around, but they’re still unproven options. Favre sure proved his worth last season, but if there’s one matter he’s never sure about it’s his status. At some point, he’ll have to retire.

For now, though, the Vikings won’t let on if they are worried about finding a permanent solution. Head coach Brad Childress even joked at his news conference after the draft on Saturday night that he saw the car commercial in which Favre accepts a 2020 NFL MVP award trophy and figured the situation would be fine.

“Maybe it was just seeing a lot of tape lately. Might have been dreaming,” Childress said, his face in deadpan mode. “The native thing in this is change. I think I said the other day, ‘Whether the guy that is going to be the quarterback here is on our roster or is somebody that we’re going to acquire just remains to be seen here.’ It just keeps changing. I’ll let you guys zero in on that and provide an opinion, but I’m going to stick by my dream.”

Childress and Favre exchanged a couple of text messages during the draft, but football’s 40-year-old passing king has not declared his intention for the 2010 season. Or 2011.

What’s clear, however, is the Vikings weren’t moved enough by his indecision to take a true quarterback over the weekend — even with opportunities to grab a high-profile prospect like Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy. They also passed on late-round sleepers like Jonathan Crompton and Tony Pike.

“We develop a quarterback board just like we develop every other position on our board,” vice-president for player personnel Rick Spielman said. “If there is a potential guy there that we feel is the right fit for what we want and what Brad wants and the coaches want to fit this offensive scheme, then we would pull the trigger just like we would with any other position.”

Most of the football world is confident Favre will come back, but regardless of his plan for this fall a quarterback who came in the draft this spring would have been more of a long-term development project. Clearly, the Vikings weren’t especially excited about this class of quarterbacks, and they refused to reach for one.

At other positions, they had more of a luxury — not filling immediate needs, but building for the future and shoring up their special teams units.

“You can’t just be a one-dimensional guy when you only have 45 guys on the roster,” Childress said.

If Favre comes back, the Vikings will essentially return their entire starting lineup from the NFC runner-up squad last season.

“We’ve built this roster up to the point where it’s hard to say that five or six or seven draft picks are all going to make it,” director of college scouting Scott Studwell said.

The Vikings are proud of their work in recent drafts. That, coupled with a series of effective big-money additions through free agency since Childress and Spielman arrived less than five months apart in 2006, has helped create a Super Bowl contender.

To stay there when veteran players from the current core move on or wear out, the Vikings followed the old best-player-available philosophy. Defensive end Everson Griffen, a fourth-round pick who slipped down from most projections, was a prime example.

With Jared Allen, Ray Edwards and backup Brian Robison, the Vikings don’t have a need at that position. For now.

“We have a pretty strong roster right now with our front-liners. You’re hoping some of these young guys, as you develop them, can eventually come in and step in,” Spielman said.

Matt Field
TenYards.com Sports Editor

Don’t miss TenYards.com’s own Rob Neumann on ‘3 Guys in a Garage: SportsTalk Radio’. Rob will be talking NFL draft with the guys tonight at 6:40pm. You can find links to the show and showpage by clicking the ‘3 Guys’ logo below or by logging in at sportstalkinkc.com or 1510.com. Also on the show tonight, former Chief great Christian Okoye. Enjoy the show!

Matt Field
TenYards.com Sports Editor

Rob Neumann recaps the Vikings draft

The 2010 NFL Draft has come and gone, and there are a few new guys in purple. No 1st round pick this year, as the Vikings chose to trade down a few spots, gambling that the player they wanted would still be there. Unfortunately, he was not, as the New Orleans Saints unexpectedly drafted Patrick Robinson with the 32nd pick. Time will tell if that trade was a mistake, as the player the Lions selected with the Vikings pick, Jahvid Best, has superstar potential. That one could come back to bite us in the tail…..but it is the Lions, so you never know.

Chris Cook, defensive back, University of Virgina. Good size for the corner position, standing measuring in at 6′ 2″. Needs to be more physical due to his size, but he will provide good depth at a need position for the Vikings. And anything that could lead to less playing time for Benny Sapp, I’m all for. With the Vikings signing on Lito Sheppard last week, the secondary is much deeper today than it was a week ago.

Toby Gerhart, running back, Stanford University. I personally love this pick. This is a power running, get the hell out of my way type of running back. At 6′ 0″, 230 lbs, he’s a load to tackle. He brings a short yardage, goalline threat the Vikings haven’t had recently. Adrian Peterson is a phenomenal running back, but his fumbling issues make him a liablity in short yardage situations. Gerhart comes in, and can pound the ball between the tackles, and is a smart player as well. He may not catch the ball out of the backfield as well as Chester Taylor did, but he should be able to come in and pick up the blitz right away.

Everson Griffen, defensive end, USC. Anytime you can get a guy with 1st round talent in the 4th round, you have to go for it. For a similar example, look at Ray Edwards. Griffen was in the first round of most mock drats, including mine, so this is a very solid value pick. Is it a need? No. But Ray Edwards is going to be an unrestricted free agent next year, and will be looking for HUGE money. This is his potential replacement, should it come to that. Griffen is athletic enough to line up anywhere, and could be used as a DT in passing downs, giving the Vikings 4 solid pass rushers along the D-line in 3rd down situations. Solid pick.

Nate Triplett, Linebacker, U of Minn. Don’t get me wrong, I like Nate Triplett. Hometown kid done well. But I think this was a reach pick by the Vikings. He doesn’t have the speed to play MLB in the NFL, which is what he projects as. More than likely, he’ll be a very solid special teams player, and while those are important, I felt the Vikings could have addressed other needs here.

Joe Webb, QB/WR, University of Alabama-Birmingham. Webb was one of the top dual-threat QB’s in the country last year, throwing for 2,000 yards, and rushing for over 1,000 more. The Vikings will be moving him to WR in the pros. He showed decent hands at the Senior Bowl this year, but is very, very raw in his route running ability. He’s a project, but his size (6′ 4″) probably make him worth a look at this point in the draft.

Mickey Shuler, Tight End, Penn State. I’m not really sure what this pick was about. With Shiancoe, Kleinsasser, and Dugan already in the mix, I think this was a waste pick. Shuler is not a pass catching TE, he’s a pure blocker. Maybe they see him as Jimmy K’s replacement, I don’t know. But I am a not a fan of this pick, even in the 7th round.

Ryan D’Imperio, Linebacker, Rutgers University. D’Imperio will apparently be moved to fullback in the pros, which is just fine with me. If this means the end of the Nauajaflaj Tahi era, then I’m all for it. I’ve never seen a fullback go nearly an entire season without catching a pass that gains positive yardage. Tahi is also only an OK blocker, not solid, but ok. If D’Imperio can come in and show physicality and toughness at FB, which he hasn’t played since high school, then he has a shot to earn real playing time as a rookie. Fullback is one of the positions the Vikings needed to address in the offseason. Hopefully, this one works out.

The Vikings also agreed to terms with 10 undrafted free agents as well. The list is as follows:

QB R.J. Archer, William & Mary

OG Thomas Austin, Clemson

OT Matt Hanson, Midwestern State

C Tommy Hernandez, UC-Davis

WR Aaron Rhea, Stephen F. Austin

SS Terrell Skinner, Maryland

WR Ray Small, Ohio State

WR Kelton Tindal, Newberry

CB Angelo Williams, Ferris State

OT Marlon Winn, Texas Tech

Of this group, Archer and Small have the best shot at sticking on the team. Archer is a sleeper QB prospect, while Small was a solid, if unspectacular, receiver at THE Ohio State.

As far as a draft grade for the Vikings, I’d say it was a solid draft. One potential home run pick in Griffen, but the rest were average at best. And, since I was an average student, I know what grade that lands the Vikings. A solid C. Hopefully a couple of these guys can step up and help the purple finally break through and win that Lombardi trophy next year.

And, with the draft over, we can all go back to focusing on “Favre Watch – 2010″

Rob Neumann
TenYards.com Correspondent

Weber State wide receiver, Tim ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ Toone!

Weber State wide receiver Tim Toone was taken by the Detroit Lions with the 255th selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, the latest player dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant,” the moniker given annually to the draft’s final pick.

The final four rounds of the NFL’s 75th annual draft took place on Saturday, typically the normal starting day for the event. The league shifted gears this year, as the first round commenced on Thursday followed by the second and third rounds 24 hours later.

Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard was the opening choice in the fourth round by St. Louis. The Rams, who made Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford the No. 1 overall choice on Thursday, grabbed the Bearcats’ all-time leader in receptions (204), receiving touchdowns (25), receiving yards (3,003), all- purpose yards (5,904), kickoff returns (93) and kickoff return TDs (four).

The New York Jets added Joe McKnight later in the fourth, trading up for the USC running back. The acquisition of McKnight, who rushed for 1,014 yards and eight touchdowns last season for the Trojans, led to the Jets trading Leon Washington on Saturday.

The Bears chose Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour with the 12th pick in the sixth round. Last year’s MAC Offensive Player of the Year finished his career with 12,905 passing yards, 102 touchdowns and 35 interceptions, while rushing for 2,948 yards and 47 scores.

Myron Rolle waited until the 207th overall selection to hear his name called, as the former Florida State safety was taken by the Tennessee Titans with the final pick in the sixth round.

Rolle did not play for the Seminoles last season after winning the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in the fall of 2008. He proceeded to study at Oxford and came back to play at the Senior Bowl. The 6-foot-2, 218-pounder made the second-team All-ACC team in 2008.

Matt Field
TenYards.com Sports Editor

Broncos’ McDaniels hitches his wagon to QB enigma Tebow

Josh McDaniels is going to change Tim Tebow.

Or is it the other way around?

A little bit of both, the Denver Broncos coach said with a chuckle.

“I think your goal as a coach is to certainly try to help change the players in any way you possibly can to help them improve their craft, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with allowing their personalities and their performances and the things they bring to a team to affect you, too, in a positive way,” McDaniels told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Tebow, the southpaw shotgun quarterback who won the 2007 Heisman Trophy and helped Florida win two national titles, will likely contribute this season in a sprinkling of wildcat — or, as the Broncos call it, wild horse — formations to take advantage of his running skills and get his feet wet in the NFL.

As Tebow grows more comfortable, honing his new throwing mechanics and footwork necessary to surpass backup Brady Quinn and supplant starting quarterback Kyle Orton, McDaniels knows he will have to tweak his offensive philosophies accordingly.

“I think I’ve been changed by a number of players, here and in New England. There’s nothing wrong with that,” said McDaniels, who tutored Tom Brady and Matt Cassel with the Patriots. “I think that’s just human nature. I think it’s OK for me to make somebody else a better player or a better person and it’s OK for them to make me a better coach or a better person.”

Tebow said he’s determined to repay McDaniels for making him the surprise No. 25 pick of the draft, suggesting that “proving him right and making him proud” is his new mission.

Accomplishing both goals would go a long way toward McDaniels and Tebow succeeding in Denver.

The Broncos paid a high price to draft Tebow, sending the Baltimore Ravens draft choices in the second, third and fourth rounds to move back into the first round and draft the quarterback with the most scrutinized selection of this year’s draft.

McDaniels will forever be known as the man who traded Jay Cutler in 2009 and drafted Tim Tebow in 2010.

“I’m not really concerned about a legacy,” McDaniels insisted. “We’re concerned about winning.”

With his already famous charismatic charm, Tebow promised to be the first to arrive for work at Dove Valley and the last to leave — and that may be out of necessity as McDaniels, with a glowing resume of quarterback pupils, works his wizardry on his newest project.

Tebow might just be the most intriguing pro prospect since Michael Vick.

This is the Heisman Trophy winner who some called the greatest college player ever. Now he is an NFL enigma, a big question mark because of his not-ready-for-prime-time throwing mechanics and footwork and the offence he ran at Florida.

Some scouts think it could take two years for Tebow to make the transition from combination college quarterback to prototypical pocket passer — if he ever does. Others argue his success in college, his passion for football and his work ethic will make the transition smoother and shorter.

When does McDaniels think Tebow could be ready to start in the NFL?

“I don’t know that. I think to put a time frame on any player is kind of unrealistic,” McDaniels said. “We’re going to give him all the opportunities that he deserves and he earns, and if he can earn more, then great. If he doesn’t, then that probably means that he’s made somebody else a better player.”

McDaniels is already raving about Tebow’s new passing motion that allows him to drop back with the ball at his shoulder instead of near his hip and release it quicker, and now Tebow is fixing his footwork.

He packed his bags to stay in Denver and start working with the Broncos right way but was told NFL rules prohibit him from doing so until next weekend.

Matt Field
TenYards.com Sports Editor

Campbell on Raiders deal: “I think it’s done.”

Jason Campbell sent NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora a text message that said, “I think it’s done,” regarding a trade from the Redskins to the Raiders.

Campbell going to Oakland isn’t a good sign for embattled Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell, who was benched during the 2009 season. Bruce Gradkowski had the most success — albeit modest — for the Raiders last season.

Campbell became expendable for the Redskins after the team acquired Donovan McNabb and Rex Grossman during the offseason. The team also has second-year QB Colt Brennan on its roster.

Matt Field
TenYards.com Sports Editor