Vikings like young linebackers

By John McMullen  |   Wednesday, August 27, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

Minnesota Vikings
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These days, the first NFL cutdown usually brings about nothing more than a yawn.

But if you know the league and were scouring the transaction wire Monday, you may have noticed a surprise in Minnesota. Among the anonymous names like Sean Dumford, Brock Pasteur and Daniel Davis was veteran linebacker Derrick Pope.

While certainly no superstar, Pope looked like a good fit in Minnesota. The Vikings lost their top backup linebacker from last season (Dontarrious Thomas) in free agency and his projected replacement (special teams ace Heath Farwell) to a knee injury.

It seemed like a foregone conclusion that Pope, a guy with four years' experience in Miami, would be a member of the team. Instead, he didn't survive the cut to 75.

The reason?

A quartet of young linebackers -- Erin Henderson, Rufus Alexander, David Herron and J Leman -- have caught the eye of both head coach Brad Childress and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.

The Vikings' starting linebackers are an impressive group. Middle man E.J. Henderson, a Pro Bowl alternate, is the leader of the defense and one of the game's best pure tacklers. Former first-round pick Chad Greenway mans the weak side and looks like a future star, while strongside backer Ben Leber is a solid, consistent all-around player.

Add special teams leader Vinny Ciurciu to the mix and the coaching staff needs to pick two more linebackers to round out the roster.

Rookie Erin Henderson looks like a lock. The younger brother of E.J., Erin leads the Vikings in tackles during the preseason and has fought his way onto all four of the club's special teams units.

Meanwhile, Alexander, a sixth-round pick in 2007 who missed his rookie season with a torn ACL, looks like the leader in the clubhouse for the final spot.

Alexander was a great college linebacker at Oklahoma and was set to earn a roster spot last season before the injury. His explosion is now starting to return and Alexander continues to show up on game film during the preseason.

Any stumbling in the preseason finale against Dallas could open the door for Herron, a 2007 rookie free agent out of Michigan State who was part of an interesting feud between Childress and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick last year.

Here's the background: After the final cutdown last year, Belichick called Childress to warn him that if the Vikings claimed tight end Garrett Mills from New England -- a player the Pats wanted to stash on the practice squad -- the three-time Super Bowl champs would retaliate by claiming a player the Vikes wanted on their practice squad.

The Vikings did claim Mills and Belichick -- true to his word -- plucked Herron from the Vikings. But the Pats eventually waived Herron, who ended up back in Minneapolis.

The long shot appears to be Leman, an instinctive, overachieving rookie out of Illinois who lacks NFL speed but always seems be in the right spot. The numbers game will likely spell Leman's fate, but he looks like a perfect fit for the practice squad.

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About John McMullen

John is the managing editor of The Phanatic Magazine, the assistant managing editor of The Sports Network and the co-host of the highly rated 'Johns on Sports' radio show on WTBQ in New York. Every Saturday from 6:30-9 p.m. (et) you can hear John along with his co-host, John Gottlieb, talk to the...
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