text: Chester Taylor | Vikings Stop Blog
  Archive for the Chester Taylor Category
  Vikings! Quick, Grab Michael Vick!
  By Jay Urban on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 | Comments Off on Vikings! Quick, Grab Michael Vick!
  Brett Favre has made a decision.
  He will not play for the Vikings this season.
  In a breaking AP article, Favre was reported as having called Vikings coach Brad Childress to inform him of his decision. He stated that the reason for his decision was that he did not believe that his body could stand up to another NFL season.
  The response by the Vikings should be swift.
  If you want to at least repeat the success of last season, you must get a quarterback that can make a few big plays.
  Tarvaris Jackson simply makes too many mistakes. Sage Rosenfels has never been the answer… anywhere.
  Vick will obviously not be available until October, and even after he comes back he may not be able to function as a capable NFL quarterback in a West Coast offense.
  What Vick does bring to the table is that he has experience in both regular season games that matter and has won a big playoff game. He did so while playing in an Atlanta system that implemented a strong running game and made use of his big arm for play action and vertical passing.
  Atlanta would later move to a system that featured a shorter passing game, which was intended to make reads easier for Vick. It didn't work.
  Vick has shown throughout his history that he will probably never be the type of quarterback that completes more than 60 percent of his passes, makes the perfect read, and consistently delivers the short pass to the running back or tight end on the check-down.
  What he can do though, is escape pressure. He can also throw a great deep ball. Usually, he can do both at the same time.
  If the Minnesota running game can continue to be as strong as it has been, Vick could be exactly what this team needs. Not only can he deliver the ball once the safeties move up, but he can also advance the football with his feet.
  Having Vick would force opposing defenses to slow their pursuit when the ball goes to Adrian Peterson. Along with Bernard Berrian, this team would be loaded with the kind of speed that can break a game wide open.
  Michael Vick may not be considered the quarterback of the future anymore. He probably isn't a long term answer for the Vikings either. However, by focusing on the skills and abilities that he naturally has, a talented Vikings team could find itself in a much better situation than it has been recently, hoping that an old veteran from Mississippi will answer their prayers.
  By Andy Rarick on Sunday, July 26th, 2009 | Comments Off on Minnesota Vikings: Would the Contract-Year Players Be Worth Trading?
  Let me start out by saying that I love some of the players discussed in this article. It's tough for us fans to part with some of our favorite players.
  With players such as Chestor Taylor, Ray Edwards, and Tarvaris Jackson entering contract years, it's hard to believe that the Vikings will be able to keep any combination of them.
  Chestor Taylor wants to start in the NFL. He doesn't care to be the second back to Adrian Peterson and believes he still has some good years left in him.
  Tarvaris Jackson has been a brilliant quarterback at times, but more often than not, he's terrible. He struggles to hit the easy shots down the field and consistently overthrows his targets.
  Ray Edwards predicted he would break the single-season sack record in 2008. He was playing with three Pro Bowl lineman and was entering his third season in the league.
  He only came up about 18 sacks short of breaking the record, but it was a close race…
  Of the three main players, only one has a legitimate shot of re-signing with the team and that man is Ray Edwards.
  Jackson has already stated that if the Vikings sign Favre, he wants to be traded. He has progressively gotten better every season and doesn't think he needs to sit and watch anymore.
  Taylor just wants to be the main guy on the field.
  There isn't really going to be a market for Ray Edwards unless he records 14 sacks next season. I think he's stuck with the Vikings.
  So what do we do with a player that has prematurely demanded to be traded and another that has expressed deep interest to start?
  There will be a market for both Jackson and Taylor in 2010. Even if Jackson starts, he has progressed under Brad Childress. It doesn't seem like much, but he has.
  Taylor has proven he can still carry the load at the tender age of 30. He'll likely command four years and $16 million somewhere else.
  The Vikings shouldn't even consider giving a backup $4 million a year. They need depth in more areas.
  I don't think there's even the slightest chance that Taylor will be on the roster one year from now.
  Brian Robison adds great depth to the defensive end position. After that, there isn't much to look at.
  Robison is ready to start in the NFL and if given the chance, could prove to be a valuable asset in the near future.
  Is trading away Ray Edwards this season worth the risk in favor of Robison?
  I like both ends, but if something were to happen to either one, the Vikings would be starved for depth.
  There isn't much at the running back position, but undrafted free agent Ian Johnson has shown great promise as the third running back.
  After all, it's because of Johnson that Adrian Peterson failed to win a bowl game in his senior season at Oklahoma.
  I think Johnson could take over for Taylor, but I don't think it's this year.
  Jackson's status is up in the air. He would command some trade value right now. With Sage Rosenfels and John David Booty, the Vikings have as good a quarterback group as they have had since the Culpepper era.
  Well, I guess that's not saying much.
  Jackson could be expendable, but trading him could be a fatal mistake.
  There aren't a lot of places the Vikings need to improve. It's hard to say what they would get for any combination of these players.
  The team lacks depth in some key areas, but all three contract-year players have valuable starting experience.