While many NFL fans/bloggers/media-types (including Packergeeks) have focused on Favre/Vikings news, I am growing more and more interested in another Viking story – the holdout by Antoine Winfield. I read recently (forgive me, I can’t recall the source), that Winfield is simply asking to be paid as a top 10 NFL cornerback. If this is even close to being true, the Vikes must be on crack for not having this figured out yet. In my opinion, Winfield is one of the top 2 or 3 corners in the NFL right now behind Asomugha and maybe Charles Woodson. Despite his shorter stature, he plays big, he hits hard, he is a stellar open-field tackler, has tremendous instincts and often draws the most talented WR from the opposing team. I realize he is 32 years old, but he can still play at a very high level. I would be surprised if Vikings’ management didn’t give a little in these negotiations soon – a Vikings’ defense without Winfield would be a lot easier for opposing offenses to attack.
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packergeeks 
July 15, 2009 at 11:14 am |
Since we haven’t had any new threads lately, I’ll add a coment to an old one. Here’s from MSNBC this morning:
Hornung’s new wager? Bet against Favre
Posted by Mike Florio on July 15, 2009 10:37 AM
The man who once was suspended an entire year for gambling is looking to place a new wager.
Former Packers running back Paul Hornung thinks that former Packers quarterback Brett Favre will fail as a member of the Vikings. And Hornung is willing to put his money where his mouth is.
“[Favre] ain’t going to win in Minnesota,” Hornung recently declared at a local rubber-chicken dinner, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “I’ll bet on it.”
Hornung isn’t the first Hall of Famer to openly root for Favre to flounder. Several weeks ago, former Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton said he’s hoping that Favre fails, prompting a back-and-forth with former NFL defensive end Marcellus Wiley regarding the question of whether guys who used to play the game should wish bad things on those who currently wear the NFL shield.
July 15, 2009 at 2:08 pm |
Favre says he’ll give the Vikings an answer by July 30
Posted by Mike Florio on July 15, 2009 12:52 PM
During his final years with the Packers, quarterback Brett Favre developed a bad habit of taking his good old time when it came to deciding whether he’d return for another year.
In what would likely be his only year with the Vikings, Favre is again dragging his feet.
According to the Associated Press, Favre will let the Vikings know whether he plans to play in 2009 by July 30, one day before the team opens training camp.
So much for Favre’s supposed desire to avoid a media circus; if he waits until July 30, he’ll be facing a heavier-than-otherwise crush of reporters when he shows up at Mankato.
A cynic (and, again, it’s good we don’t know any) might think that Favre’s reluctance, supposedly due to the performance of his surgically-repaired throwing arm, could be aimed at bolstering a built-in excuse, in the event he doesn’t play well this season.
Just as he blamed a five-game meltdown to finish the 2008 campaign on his flinging wing, Favre can attribute any mediocrity to lingering problems with his football money maker.
As a result, we continue to believe that Favre will play for the Vikings in 2009, and that the drama is fabricated.
Our confidence arises in part from the fact that our pal Paul Allen of KFAN, who handles play-by-play duties for the radio broadcast of Vikings games, remains absolutely convinced that Favre will be playing in purple.
July 15, 2009 at 6:07 pm |
Hornung’s new wager? Bet against Favre
Posted by Mike Florio on July 15, 2009 10:37 AM
The man who once was suspended an entire year for gambling is looking to place a new wager.
Former Packers running back Paul Hornung thinks that former Packers quarterback Brett Favre will fail as a member of the Vikings. And Hornung is willing to put his money where his mouth is.
“[Favre] ain’t going to win in Minnesota,” Hornung recently declared at a local rubber-chicken dinner, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “I’ll bet on it.”
Hornung isn’t the first Hall of Famer to openly root for Favre to flounder. Several weeks ago, former Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton said he’s hoping that Favre fails, prompting a back-and-forth with former NFL defensive end Marcellus Wiley regarding the question of whether guys who used to play the game should wish bad things on those who currently wear the NFL shield.
July 15, 2009 at 6:10 pm |
Favre says he’ll decide on comeback by July 30
Retired QB wants arm to be ‘100 percent’ before signing with Vikings
HATTIESBURG, Mississippi – Brett Favre acknowledged he’s “running out of time” to decide whether he’ll play for the Minnesota Vikings this season.
The quarterback told The Associated Press that he’ll give the Vikings an answer on whether he’ll play by the July 30 start of training camp. Favre has been working out with the Oak Grove High School football team three days a week all summer, but added a Sunday workout this week.
“There’s two weeks left and I’m doing everything I can,” Favre said. “I was down here Sunday morning working out. I’m trying to get everything to where I feel 100 percent when I go in. I can’t go in any less. When you’re 39 years old, it’s hard enough. But it’s getting there.”
The former Packers and Jets quarterback said surgery to repair a biceps tendon in his throwing arm was successful and that he has enough velocity to return to the NFL. He’s just not sure whether that means he’ll be able to compete for an entire season.
“I felt like going to New York last year that I still had it,” Favre said. “I didn’t know my arm was hurt at the time. So that’s what I try to get across to people. I had that fixed, the surgery to fix that. So I’m trying to make sure that if I go back that that part is completely resolved.”
It sure looked like it Wednesday morning, when a jovial Favre hit a variety of passes to high school and college wide receivers. He was crisp on short timing passes and was hitting receivers in the end zone from about 50 yards away. He attempted a few deep passes off bootlegs and usually hit his targets in stride.
Favre’s spirals held true and he proved he still has plenty of zip when he tossed a deep pass to a college receiver who dropped by to work out. The pass split the receiver’s hands and hit him in the face.
“He’s a senior from Southeastern Louisiana, so I put a little more on it,” Favre said with a smile.
Favre said if the arm strength wasn’t there, he wouldn’t be making a bid to return for his 19th season in the league.
“I don’t think Minnesota would even consider it if I didn’t have it,” Favre said. “Second of all, I wouldn’t even think about it if I didn’t have it. Now, having it here and having in on the field on Sundays is two different things, I know that for a fact. I know what it takes to play on Sunday and I still believe I have that.”
Favre said his hesitation is more about what those watching him practice might not see. He used a golfing analogy to explain his situation. What if, he asked, Tiger Woods came back and found he didn’t have the same game?
“He goes out and hits a 2 iron and he thinks it will go the normal distance it has all his life, then all of a sudden it’s 13 yards short, and he says, ‘I don’t know why that is because everything felt perfect,’ so that’s what I have to get through,” Favre said.
“If you’re throwing and it’s a little off and you have a little pain, it’s a little bit understandable. If there’s no pain and there’s no excuse, that’s where you’ve got a problem. So I want to go out and have one of those days throwing and then have another where all of those throws you make, every warmup throw you make or just in general, feels perfect.”
July 26, 2009 at 6:45 am |
Winfield has 3 INT in the last 2 years. You are the one on crack to suggest the guy is a top 10 CB.
The vikings were 20th in pass defense last season.
Take your purple glasses off.
July 26, 2009 at 8:40 am |
Jimmy – you’re wrong here.
*Interceptions are only a part of playing CB – but a CB doesn’t have to have a ton of picks to be great at CB.
*Winfield forced 4 fumbles last year – his total # of turnovers caused last year put him at the top of his position (better than Al Harris, Champ Bailey, Asomugha, Terrance Newman, Asante Samuel).
*Winfield is one of the best tacklers/hardest hitting CBs in the NFL. In fact, it is Winfield tackling ability to me, that sets him apart from most corners.
*Often, the really good CBs don’t end up with many interceptions (Asomugha, Al Harris, Winfield) because QBs stop throwing in their direction.
Importantly, the rest of the Vikings secondary was not stellar last year – Winfield was not responsibility for their deficiency. And finally, just read around a bit – you’re in huge minority thinking Winfield isn’t a top corner.