Five Vikings who deserve to survive

By Jonathan Mohr  |   Thursday, August 28, 2008  |  Comments( 9 )

Minnesota Vikings
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The preseason is over for the Vikings, who took their lumps en route to a 1-3 finish. But Minnesota’s foremost mission in its four dress-rehearsal games this past month was not an undefeated record. The goal was to put every player on the roster through an extended audition and, ultimately, to find the best 53 to trot down the tunnel Sept. 8 in Green Bay.

Vikings coaches will have some difficult decisions to make in the next couple of days attempting to trim 22 players from their roster. There appear to be several good battles going on at a number of different positions on the team; among them are cornerback, linebacker, receiver and tight end.

Several players have made a strong case to make the squad, but here are five who ought to be on the team come Week 1.

John David Booty – Let’s start off with a somewhat controversial name. Booty has looked average at best during his time under center this preseason, throwing a couple of ridiculously bad interceptions and displaying the kind of lead-footed mobility that makes Brad Johnson look like Fran Tarkenton. Many scouts said Booty, an ex-USC standout, had the college experience and coaching that would make his transition to the pro game less difficult. So far, and let's remember his career is still in its infancy, that hasn’t appeared to be the case.

But file this selection under the heading of “potential.” You have to give Booty the benefit of the doubt and hope he’ll improve. Because, let’s face it, the man he’s battling for the No. 3 spot, Brooks Bollinger, is a known quantity who is lacking in quality. Bollinger has had enough time in the NFL to show what he can do. Vikings fans witnessed what he had to offer during the regular season last year. Can any of those people truthfully say they have reason to believe the offense is really going to start humming along when they see Bollinger enter a game?

So, when it’s a choice between a kid who could one day become an effective NFL player and a veteran who has had enough time to develop into one but hasn’t yet done so, it would seem a wise decision to err on the side of youth.

Erin Henderson – E.J.’s younger brother has been one of the most pleasant surprises of training camp so far, and he doesn’t deserve to make the roster for the same reason as Booty -- because his competition is mediocre. Henderson has played well enough to earn his spot. He’s led the Vikings in tackles through the team’s first three preseason games, and had another good outing against Dallas. Henderson always seems to be around the ball and plays on all four special teams units, which certainly won’t hurt his chances.

Garrett Mills – A high ankle sprain has caused the tight end to miss most of training camp and the first three preseason games. Mills doesn’t have the ability to block like Jim Kleinsasser or the size of Visanthe Shiancoe. But he can run and catch better than the former and block and receive better than the latter. The former Patriots fourth-round draft choice can lead a running back into a hole or gain separation from a linebacker in the open field.

For a team that’s as thin at tight end as the Vikings, Mills could be a very important player if he can continue to develop.

Darius Reynaud – The undrafted rookie from West Virginia hasn’t gotten a lot of time in preseason games with the offense and the word is that he still needs to learn how to run better pass routes. But Reynaud may earn his shot as a return specialist while he continues to polish his receiving skills. Watching him run back kickoffs, you just get the feeling he’s close to breaking one every time he touches the ball. And while Aundrae Allison showed flashes as a kick returner last year, it’s been a long time since the Vikings had a legitimate return threat.

That may not be enough to earn Reynaud a spot in a receiving corps that is one of the most competitive positions on the team. But, as with Booty, it may make sense to go with potential over experience when choosing a player for the final position on a particular unit.

Brandon Sumrall – An undrafted cornerback from Southern Mississippi, Sumrall is a long shot to make the team, but he might be a candidate for the practice squad. Sumrall made a great one-handed interception in one preseason game and should have had another pick against Dallas. As with Henderson, he seems to end plays near the ball and is the kind of player that stands out when watching a game.

Whether Sumrall and the others fit the mold Brad Childress is looking for remains to be seen. In the wake of the Vikings' final preseason game, the head coach was not pleased his squad had suffered its third loss in four games. But in a post-game interview, he needed only four words to sum up what the Vikings have been looking for during their first four games: “We want 53 winners.”

Training Camp: An entirely new kind of fantasy game!
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About Jonathan Mohr

A lifelong Vikings fan, I live in the Twin Cities area (about a mile from Winter Park) and work as an editor at a boating magazine. As with all long-suffering Vikings fans, I patiently look forward to the day when Minnesota finally breaks through and wins a Super Bowl. Until then I eat my ...
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