Doss-Frazier reunion
The Vikings, who have been criticized for a lack of activity in free agency, added a possible starting safety today when Mike Doss signed a one-year contract for a reported $1 million.
Doss, who started 42 games in four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, said his role in the defense has yet to be determined but that he likes the direction in which the Vikings are headed.
He's also looking forward to playing for new Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, his former position coach in Indianapolis.
"Coach Frazier was definitely a factor in my decision-making," Doss said. "I wanted to get into a situation where I had a little familiarity with the organization and being with coach Frazier for two years definitely made my decision a lot stronger with the Vikings."
With the Vikings, Doss joins a crowded safety position that includes 2006 starters Darren Sharper and Dwight Smith in addition to Tank Williams and Greg Blue.
Doss, 26, missed the final 10 games of last season after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament in an Oct. 22 game against Washington but said he should be fine by training camp.
"I'll be coming in and working with the team doctor and team physicians starting next week and looking forward to being ready for training camp," he said.
Coach Brad Childress, in a team statement, said Doss' experience can only help the Vikings' defense.
"Mike has been a winner throughout his career and he gives us a veteran presence," Childress said. "It's always important to add quality football players to the roster. He's won a national championship (at Ohio State) and been part of a Super Bowl winner. That's experience you can't take for granted."
Doss, who started 42 games in four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, said his role in the defense has yet to be determined but that he likes the direction in which the Vikings are headed.
He's also looking forward to playing for new Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, his former position coach in Indianapolis.
"Coach Frazier was definitely a factor in my decision-making," Doss said. "I wanted to get into a situation where I had a little familiarity with the organization and being with coach Frazier for two years definitely made my decision a lot stronger with the Vikings."
With the Vikings, Doss joins a crowded safety position that includes 2006 starters Darren Sharper and Dwight Smith in addition to Tank Williams and Greg Blue.
Doss, 26, missed the final 10 games of last season after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament in an Oct. 22 game against Washington but said he should be fine by training camp.
"I'll be coming in and working with the team doctor and team physicians starting next week and looking forward to being ready for training camp," he said.
Coach Brad Childress, in a team statement, said Doss' experience can only help the Vikings' defense.
"Mike has been a winner throughout his career and he gives us a veteran presence," Childress said. "It's always important to add quality football players to the roster. He's won a national championship (at Ohio State) and been part of a Super Bowl winner. That's experience you can't take for granted."
posted by Don Seeholzer at 9:53 AM
10 Comments:
Probably the most talented players the Vikes have signed this year. This should allow Dwight Smith to move to corner and add solid depth throughout the secondary.
More than that, it solidifies another position we won't have to address in the draft, which could keep us in the running for CJ, provided he falls to at least #2.
If we can get Ian Scott, that would be good too!
I agree Colinito. It would be great to add the depth and future of Ian Scott. The defense is shaping out to be a force again, and maybe for years to come. However, I still don't think this changes the draft much or the possibility of Landry at #7. Doss and Tank are both on one year deals and Sharper is old. Landry would be a perfect replacement for Sharper at Free Safety after this year if they got him. Still, I would prefer a trade down and get more picks and better value. I would love to see CJ in purple, but I don't see the Vike's trading up farther than #5 with the Cards or #6 with the Redskins. I think he will be gone be then, and if he isn't, some other team will outbid the Vike's for the draft spot.
Is it just me, or is the defense loaded with twice as much talent as the offense? Does Childress think his superior offensive coaching, play calling ability, and vast experience (excuse me, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit) will carry the offense without game breaking talent? Didn't he blame the lack of success last year on the lack of offensive talent? I don't get it.
Hey if we would have gotten Kevin Curtis like we wanted, it would have been a decent haul on offense thus far, with the draft and free agency part deux still to come. (Depends on if you think Shiancoe will bust out ala Chester Taylor.)
I still think we'll add a RB, draft a WR high, and grab a couple more WRs, so hopefully we can get some much needed upgrades on offense before camp.
Back to CJ--though it is admittedly unlikely, our only real needs outside of depth concerns are DE, WR, RB, and CB. We take away a depth concern at S. If we can take away a depth concern at DT, we're that much better. At any rate, at least we could be prepared for a situation in which we give up 3 or 4 draft picks for the rights to Calvin Johnson.
Snagging CJ would remove a large stick from many peoples' asses, and suddenly turn WR into a position of strength. The thing is, we need 1 WR that can be a #1 WR more than we need a bunch of second- or lower- tiered WRs. We've got a bunch of WRs that have the potential to be great #2 and/or #3 guys.
One wonders if loading up on this depth at safety means that one of our current DBs (Sharper?) becomes trade bait in a draft-day transaction.
Right now the Vikes are just about in a perfect position to draft LaRon Landry . . . The Lions are in about the perfect spot to take CJ . . . I know teams (in any league) aren't wont to trade with their division partners . . . but it has me thinking. There's a few people who might be available at #7 that make more sense for the Lions than the Vikes . . . and they'd be big-time reaches at #2.
Or conversely, maybe the Vikes will trade out of the Landry spot at #7 to someone who really needs the guy, stockpile picks, and throw darts at the wall in training camp with a roster full of slot receivers and #4 guys.
And if they do stay at #7, I still think Landry's the pick, for reasons Shane delineated above.
To stay in the draft theme, I will throw out a scenario for you and you can tell me if you think it is ill advised. From what I have read (and following a pattern in Steelers draft history), the Steelers are looking at moving into the top 10, possible to pick Levi Brown. From what I have seen, Levi Brown is mocked as going anywhere from 6th to 12th. It seems reasonable that 7 might be a safe spot for Pittsburgh to move to insure they get him. With Tomlin and Vikings having a solid relationship, that maybe makes a trade even more probable. By looking at the draft value chart (which is more of a basic guideline than a solid mathematical table), the 1st (15th) and 2nd (46th) round picks of the Steelers add up to just 10 points short of the value of the 7th pick. With the 15th, 39th, and 46th picks, I think the Vikes could have an excellent draft and successfully address some of their most pressing needs, especially at wide receiver with one of two highly rated prospects. Olsen would also be intriguing at 15.
I like it Shane!
Robert Meachem
Chris Henry
Tim Crowder
in that order!!
After the Bengals debacle, I'm afraid of anybody named Chris Henry. Kidding.
Not sure if the Patriots are looking at anybody near the top, but they have the #24 and #28 pick in the first round. There's only a difference of 100 value points (in the Pats favor). With those two picks they could move to our #7 and give us two first rounders since we really need a few more picks. I could go for that as well.
Getting the Pats 2 picks would be cool too.
Profooballtalk's latest 2 round mock draft has the Vikes standing pat both rounds and taking Adrian Peterson and Anthony Gonzalez.
Now, I'm not well read on what DEs or CBs might be out there in later rounds, but I'd be happy with those 2 players.
The thing is, there were a lot of people who liked C. Taylor while he was in Baltimore, and some who argued that the Ravens should have started/kept him instead of Lewis.
There isn't anyone, other than Childress and possibly Siancoe's mother, who thinks that Siancoe should be starting in the NFL.
Regarding the draft, I like our safeties. I would much rather keep on drafting DEs until we get someone who can produce double-digit sacks. Even if our defensive backfield were an in-their-primes Woodson-Lott-Krause-Sanders, they would give up yards when the opposing qb can write his memoirs in the pocket. Bill Walsh is often quoted as saying that the key to success in the NFL is fourth quarter pass rush. At this point, we can't get pass rush during warm-ups.
It sucks to keep drafting DEs in the first round, but the fact remains that our most glaring needs are DE, QB and WR. While it would be nice to get a QB or CJ, I think that we would be wasting the rest of our defense if we don't get a pass rusher. Who cares if we can stop the run if teams come out in empty and throw all day? Even if we get another Randy Moss, does anyone have the confidence that we have the quarterback to get it to him?
As much as I would like CJ, and would be happy if we draft him, I am really wary of taking any other WR in the first round. Their historical production is, shall we say, less than inspiring.
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