And with the 7th pick of the 2003 NFL Draft...

The Minnesota Vikings...pass?

As I sat in front of the TV Saturday morning I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The Vikings for the second straight year have been passed in the draft.

The rumor was that the Vikings were trying to trade their pick with either Jacksonville, Carolina, or Balitmore. It seemed silly that we'd be working w/ Jacksonville since they were right after us, and our draft needs were quite different. The Vikes believe (foolishly or not) that Daunte is our QB, while the three teams drafting after us were all in need of Byron Leftwich. So it would only make sense that we'd be talking to Carolina and Baltimore.

Once Jacksonville ran up to draft Leftwich followed closely by Carolina (OT Jordan Gross), it was obvious that the Vikes had been working with Baltimore and Brian Billick fucked us. What a dick!

As it turns out the Vikes and Baltimore agreed on a trade. The Vikings called it in to the league, but GM Ozzie Newsome says when he called the league, he got a busy signal, and time ran out.

The good news...the Vikes still got the guy they wanted...and Baltimore didn't get the guy they wanted, although Terrell Suggs is a pretty decent consoloation prize.

The bad news...the Vikes look like idiots for the second draft in a row, and will have to pay 7th pick money to a guy they picked ninth.

All in all... who cares? The fun of watching the draft is waiting until the New York teams pick and listening to the crowd cheer or boo. This was the first year in a long time that the Jets fans didn't boo like crazy after their first pick.

And besides...Joe Montana was a fourth round pick...the draft doesn't guarentee anything...

Only 3 months until training camp!

Skol Vikings!

Update from ESPN's TMQ:

Phone Stunt #1: Jax was drafting after Minnesota, and wanted Byron Leftwich; the Jaguars feared the Vikes would trade their pick to another team pursuing this quarterback. Jacksonville knew that Minnesota fumbled its 2002 first-round selection by failing to register its card in time, allowing the team following the Vikes that year to race to the podium with a pick.

So when the Vikings got on the clock, Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio called Minnesota management and began a long, rambling discussion of a possible trade. By accounts, Del Rio hemmed and hawed. He made vague offers but didn't get specific. Possibly he talked about the weather and the latest episode of "CSI: Beef Inspectors." Del Rio kept talking, talking. Baltimore was on the other line offering a hard deal for the Minnesota pick, and Vikes management did not have the simple common sense to hang up on the Jax bluff. Suddenly, Minnesota's time had expired without any trade being filed with the league; immediately a Jacksonville gentleman sprinted to the podium with the card, naming Leftwich, that Jags staff had already filled out on the assumption that the Vikings would fumble their time allotment for the second consecutive year.

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