Cutting Smith leaves Vikings thin at safety

Safety went from a possible need position for the Vikings to a high priority on Wednesday following the sudden release of veteran Dwight Smith.

[Steve]

While everyone seems to focus on the obvious weak offensive links the D is beginning to spring some leaks. And remember Pat Williams is no longer a spring chicken at 35 and 400 pounds. He could hit the wall anytime. Let the rebuilding begin.

[Scruffy]

Man, I'm not sure what to think about this. I don't think it will help the Vikes D at all. Will it help the Vikings team be better in the "Chilly" regime? Maybe. Did Dwight do anything wrong? Not sure. I understand the stairwell incident.... yes, totally illegal but really??? Chilly get your team, you have 2 more years at most. I don't agree with this one but I understand it.

[dan b]

like anything will help, they suck...we're not talking about a superbowl team here..

[wVikesguy]

Someone out at Winter Park might want to tell Chilly you can't win without
a team. You can't keep cutting players just because they don't fit your mold.
I hope he has plans for a couple of free agents.

[frank a]

Four INTs in both years as a Viking! Chidress just took the pass defense from really bad to HORRIBLE!! In both his years as the head coach, he has had bad relationships with his players. Perhaps it is Childress that needs to be shown the door!!

[RA Ries]

Smith was his own worse enemy here, and I for one am glad he will be moving on. His two interception Super Bowl with Tampa added to the allure of having him on the team, but it also brainwashed Smith into thinking that he is one of the best safeties in the league. I'd like to see Hamlin come in, unless the Vikes feel a young guy has a shot to shine that is already on the roster. I would think that either Doss or Tank will more than likely re-sign, but Tank has a multiple injury background, and Doss has hardly been a reliable option. Move Winfield to safety, just to see if his hard hitting style can be extended at that position.

[frank a]

Why would you cut one of the more productive players from your defense that needs all the pass defense it can get? Personality conflict? Only Childress seems to have a conflicting personality!

This team is getting worse, not better!

[jon-floodwood]

chilly did it again-weakened the team because of is inability to create a team-he has 0 leadership skills and needs to go--which will happen and most hope sooner rather than later

[Fire Childress]

This will only continue while this idiot "coaches" the team. Childress would rather have a bunch of submissive losers on his team than actual productive players that might challenge his lousy coaching ability. It will be interesting to hear player comments when this loser finally gets canned. My bet is that he is despised by the majority of his players.

[Kaveman]

I'm not a Childress fan but I am really sick of all of the Childress bashers. Tell me one NFL coach that does not want to run the team their own way with players that don't get in trouble. Hell Parcells has done it for decades and he wasn't the most like coach by his fan base either. The bottom line is Childress hasn't won. And winning is everything in this league.

[Grumpy]

With the exception of A P Brad Childress has'nt brought in any great players. Do we have a solid QB? NO Do we have a solid defense? NO WR's NO etc. etc. etc. Were is the accountability?

[Gen Burkhalter]

Kaveman, you hit the nail on the head. Childress is not a winner. I admit I am a Chilly basher. I never thought he was a good choice. When there are only 32 HC jobs you have to get the best of the very best and I just never thought he was in that league. I hope 2008 proves me wrong and I have to eat my words. We'll see....

[420 DuDe]

Hey "dwight" now you have more time to PARTY....Please take it to a DIFFERANT STATE..us MINNESOTANS(Judges) are done being "NICE" to you Mr. Smith.. Hey "Chilly" bring in a rookie he'll do 100 percent better than that "dwight" character..for sure

[SOTIC]

Just last week every post was to get rid of the cancer Smith. What happened?

Smith was let go by two other teams for a reason.

Hopefully they can find someone to replace Smith. D-Back is suppose to be very weak in this years draft.

[RA Ries]

People keep forgetting that it was Tice that brought in Williamson, Udeze, and Erasmus. Childress and his coaches have had banner drafts ever since he took over. When we talk about Viking drafts, why do the Childress haters all want to leave AD out of the conversation, remember how many teams passed on him before Childress and Co. snatched him up. The jury is still out on Brad, as his legacy here is fully entwined in his QB Tarvaris. Brad has been a work in progress which he readily admits, and for that I give him credit. I will not give him any more free passes when it comes down to
1.) challenging a play with the red flag
2.) making game time adjustments
This is where I have the biggest problem with the current coaching staff. If Tarvaris can continue a steady improvement, Childress will have you haters ducking for cover.

[Butch]

Smith getting the axe after a fairly solid season is just more proof that the "culture of accountability" is a complete joke and is not working with Professor Plum aka Secret Squirrel running the show. This coach is a circus sideshow.
He does not have the ability to lead NFL football players PERIOD! He does not inspire greatness out of average to solid players.(see Tom Coughlin)
They now are dangerously thin at safety and have an already weak secondary. Oh yeah that's right we were DEAD LAST in the NFL against the pass, we can sure afford to cut DB's off the roster.
Good job professor plum.

[Realistic]

RA Ries, "continuing a steady improvement" for TJack? Really, he had some good games up until the Bears, Redskins and Broncos games where he once again didn't learn from his mistakes(jump passes and poorly thrown balls into coverage for int's), which is very similar to what he was doing in the beginning of the season. So where is the improvement. We need a veteran QB in here to give him some competition, then maybe he'll learn from those mistakes.

Although Smith didn't see eye to eye with Childress and had some off the field problems, this move definitely leaves us very thin at safety, which is not good for a team that was dead last against the pass. They better make a FA signing because a draft pick will not help out the next couple of years. We'll see what happens, but this move doesn't look so good right now.

[Greg from Louisiana]

The difference in the responses to this story between Minneapolis and St Paul are very interesting. Mineapolitans are interested in team purity and St. Paul fans are interested in Winning. I'll go with winning.

[chilli sucks]

sick and tired of players being let go because of their personal lives our confilcts with chilly. Who hasn't had a conflict iwth Chilly, maybe he's the problem. They are paid catch, run, tackle, not be nice, moral, stand-up citizens. Glad we gave moss away because he had a bad attitude, give me a break the guy was a football super-star.

[tom kelly]

were going to get sean taylor