Former Packers GM questions Shiancoe deal
In an interview with Peter King of Sports Illustrated, former Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf mentioned Visanthe Shiancoe's deal in bolstering the wacky free-agent market.
"This market's amazing," Wolf told SI. "Al Johnson, what did he play last year? Seven plays?
And he gets $7 million... No, he didn't just play seven plays, but he didn't start. And the Vikings pay $7 million to Shiancoe? Amazing."
King then took some shots of his own.
"He's right about the $7 million in 2007 money for Johnson, beaten out for the Dallas center job by Andre Gurode last year," King wrote in his popular Monday NFL column. "But he understated the money for Shiancoe, who caught 35 balls (for a 7.2-yard average) in four years as Jeremy Shockey's backup. Minnesota will pay him, in bonus and salary, $8.2 million this year.
"Even in a spending spree like the one the NFL has seen in the last week and change, the Shiancoe deal has stunned people around the league," King continued. "Stunned is putting it nicely. The Vikings are being belittled for spending so much on a guy who, even when he got the chance with Shockey hurt so much, never proved himself a remotely reliable receiver."
"This market's amazing," Wolf told SI. "Al Johnson, what did he play last year? Seven plays?
And he gets $7 million... No, he didn't just play seven plays, but he didn't start. And the Vikings pay $7 million to Shiancoe? Amazing."
King then took some shots of his own.
"He's right about the $7 million in 2007 money for Johnson, beaten out for the Dallas center job by Andre Gurode last year," King wrote in his popular Monday NFL column. "But he understated the money for Shiancoe, who caught 35 balls (for a 7.2-yard average) in four years as Jeremy Shockey's backup. Minnesota will pay him, in bonus and salary, $8.2 million this year.
"Even in a spending spree like the one the NFL has seen in the last week and change, the Shiancoe deal has stunned people around the league," King continued. "Stunned is putting it nicely. The Vikings are being belittled for spending so much on a guy who, even when he got the chance with Shockey hurt so much, never proved himself a remotely reliable receiver."
posted by Sean Jensen at 12:47 PM
12 Comments:
This deal (with Shiancoe) is just the straw that breaks the camel's back. I've been a season ticket holder for almost 10 years and a lifelong Vikes fan before that...and even in the "Whiskey Wade" (Wilson) days, I always looked forward to the next season with great hope and aspirations of our upcoming success.
This year is the first ever - where I'm not the least bit excited about ANYTHING that this coaching staff, recruiting experts or ownership team have done "off the field".
We've lost Wiggins, Harris, Brad Johnson, Rosenthal, Whittle and Smoot - arguably all "OK" losses...but we've done NOTHING to add talent to this team - and I've still seen nothing to address Childress' completely inept inability to call plays.
Tell me, please, what SHOULD I be excited about.
$7M for a second-rate tight-end, after losing one of our leading TE receivers, and while still have rights to Richard Owens and Klein-sissy. Was that the best use of that money? Was that really the place we most needed a new resource?
Ugh...
Rich,
I know I posted this. But I have heard a lot of good things about Shiancoe... the only concern is how much the Vikings paid for him.
Get past that, though, and give them the benefit of the doubt. I've heard from several scouts I respect a lot that Shiancoe is a very good tight end who happened to play behind a better one.
If Peter King thinks it's a bad deal then automatically it's a good deal. Reading Peter King has taught me that, as a rule, the opposite of everything he says is usually true.
OK, even if he IS a good TE...was that the best use of our money? Was that really the glaring need on the team?
Heck...TEs come a dime a dozen and most don't amount to anything...seriously, think of your fantasy football teams, once you get past the top 3-4 TEs in the league...what's left? Little or nothing.
I don't hear anyone saying that he's GREAT or a blockbuster...so WHY BOTHER? We have TEs on the roster and could have kept Wiggins if we needed a receiving TE.
Seems like a waste of time and money given the situation here.
Where's a receiver?
Where's a good pass-rushing DE?
Where's another solid Defensive Lineman (Pat Williams ain't getting any younger)?
If we are going to win the superbowl, we need laser-focus on our weakest links. The TE position doesn't seem, to me, as a position that is going to make much of a difference this year...
Ron Wolf's comments are interesting when you consider that he once traded a first round draft pick for a QB who hadn't started a game and wasn't wanted by the current coaching staff in Atlanta. Guess Favre turned out OK....
Daniel Graham wasn't a #1 TE either, and look at the money he got.
I've been a season ticket holder for >15 years and I'm actually encouraged by the current approach of trying to find people who can play instead of going for someone with a name but no game left. Looks to me like they are doing what they think is best without regard to 'public opinion'. I respect that and hope they see a reward down the road.
Shiancoe was a fairly high draft pick. It sounds like Childress worked him out before he was drafted and liked him and has watched him from a distance for 3 years. I feel good about that.
Childress also played against Shiancoe when he was in Philadelphia. Maybe Shiancoe can improve over his past production, but were I his agent (and had the Vikings not offered an absurd amount of money), I would be down-right petrified of sending my client here. Jermaine Wiggins, owner of the worst body in professional sports, caught a ton of balls in Scott Linehan and Steve Loney's offences. Last year, he fell off the map.
As Rich alluded to, there is little reason to have hope given how awful the offence was under Childress. I'm still angry that Childress would not let Johnson audible. What is the point of having a 15 year vet if you won't let him audible? We would have started the season 3-0 if we had audibled from the absurd trap (fumble) in week 3. This year, we're going to battle (most likely) with Bollinger or Jackson at QB. If we had double-TEs of Kellen Winslow (I) and Mark Bavaro, the offense would still be awful.
I will allow Shiancoe to show us what he has on the field before passing judgement on him personally. But this is one of the top 3 of 4 targeted players by the organization? I find it very hard to be impressed so far.
I dare them to move up and get CJ in the draft. What a positive buzz this would create with season ticket holders and all the other fans. Plus, what a weapon to boot. The Vikes sorely need an impact player.
Finally, it does matter what the fan base thinks; you alienate them, their support will eventually erode (financialy and and emotionally). I hate the attitude that you cannot honestly evaluate the team and still be considered a fan. Those who question the direction of the team are some of the most passionate fans the Vikes have.
P.S. Any news on the draft party? Nothing posted on the league web site. Maybe they don't think we deserve one this year.
I have to agree with Brad,
and to add to his posting, I would also like to point out that much has been made of the fact that Shiancoe has been Shockey's backup.
That said, Shockey has also had multiple periods where he has been injured. In 03 Shiancoe started 7 games..Stats: 10 rec. 56 yds. 2 TD's. In 04 started 7games..Stats: 5 rec. 25 yds. 1 TD. In addition to that, he has not caught a TD since 04. Somebody please explain to me the justification for 8.2 mil. Guaranteed in 07. Go ahead.. I'll be waiting.
I actually think Shank has a decent amount of upside. That, and I remember another career backup that Childress brought in amongst criticism, and he turned to be a pretty good pick up. His name was Chester Taylor...
I hope you are right Paul. It would be nice to have a TE that can block AND catch. Last year the personnel package would pretty much give away if it was a run or pass by which TE was in the game.
Jimb A, you read my mind. This guy may have been a career backup, but he still got his shot when Shockey went down and proved very little. But to be positive, maybe Shiancoe just needs to be placed in a "kick-ass offense" to become great. I have heard good things, but will wait to see it before I believe it.
Reading all of you so-called Viking fans and your pathetic posts remind me that I was lucky to actually grow up a true fan and not a fair-weather whining bunch of cry babies as are most of you in the Twin Cities. Maybe it stems from growing up in North Dakota and now living in Colorado (among folks with common sense) but whining over an off season in which there wasn't that much talent to begin with is ridiculous. Most of you "fans" ran Moss out of town and now wish you had him back, now you are crying over Wiggins getting let go for an unproven TE in Shiancoe. Wiggins ain't getting any younger and Shiancoe is just hitting his prime. This ownership has stated they want to build through the draft - I say let it happen (which takes time and is hard to deal with in today's "immediate gratification" mentality). I'm willing to give it another year or two before I turn tail and start criticizing Childress and the Wilfs. I see them in a damn if you do/don't situation in the eyes of most of you "fans.". Stop whining, let them build their team and recover from the McCombs era, and for heaven's sake vote to build them a new stadium. I am tired of the Vikings being a laughing stock down here in Denver and throughout the country due to the tight wallets of you so called "fans." At this rate you folks are lucky the Wilfs don't pull the team out of Minnesota and put them in a location where they will get the support they need to win.
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