Unless he's starting, Minnesota Vikings QB Gus Frerotte unclear...

[Frank]

The sad part about this is that it would be in the Vikings best interest if neither Jackson nor Frerotte was the starter next year. If Childress enters camp with any QB currently on the roster as the designated starter, he should be fired for stubbornness.

In order for this team's offense to get to the next level, they need an upgrade at the QB position. Childress has screwed up Jackson by insisting the kid start before he was ready (in '07 and '08), and Frerotte is a career backup. If we don't land a QB in free agency, we can expect this circus to continue.

[Viking in IL]

Does any of it really matter? Even Joe Montana or John Elway would've looked mediocre as a quarterback with the current play calling. Chili needs to go.

[Nick]

What is Free Agency?

Essentially, free agency is a pool of free agent players. It's the market where free agents find themselves after their contract expires.

What is a Free Agent?

A free agent is a player whose contract has expired with the team he was playing with, and is therefore able to sign with another, or the same, team in the free agency market.

When can players start being signed from the '07-'08 free agency market?

Beginning at 12:01 AM ET, Friday, February 29, players can start putting their John Hancock on the dotted lines of a new contract whether it is with a new team or the same team.

Does the free agency signing period have an end date?

Yes, the '07-'08 free agency signing period ends on April 18 this year for restricted free agents; July 22 or the first scheduled day for the first NFL training camp(whichever is later) for unrestricted free agents; and for franchise players the first Tuesday after the 10th week of the season, or November 11th.

Who are "restricted" free agents?

A player is a restricted free agent after he has completed three accrued seasons in the NFL and his contract expires. Also, to be considered a restricted free agent, a player has to have received a "qualifying" offer from the NFL team he had been with prior to going onto the free agency market.(A qualifying offer is a salary level predetermined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL League and the NFL Players

[Nick]

Viking in IL wrote:

Does any of it really matter? Even Joe Montana or John Elway would've looked mediocre as a quarterback with the current play calling. Chili needs to go.

Wrong... Montana and Elway are smart enough to make a dumb chili call work. T-Joke is an idiot who can't handle 1/3rd of the playbook..

[Hayden Fox]

Get the heck outta here! Kluwe will be selling number 5 to Donovan McNabb in the off-season.

[WoodburyGary]

Bye bye Gus. Enjoy your time with your kids.

Please do us a favor and hire TJack as your babysitter so he has something value-added to do next season.

[WoodburyGary]

Oh, and bring down Grandpa Chilli as a back up sitter on the weekends.

[lrwade]

I could not agree more. The team won the games Gus started. The defense was superb, and the offense did enough to get the win. Gus is an interception machine, and a tackling dumming in the pocket.

Obie wrote:

Gus has been drinking the same kool-aid as a lot of sportwriters and fans who persist in the myth that he played well this season. His 74 passer rating ranked around 28th in the league, he led the league in interceptions when he played, and he was a statue in the pocket without any mobility. Yes, the TEAM had a winning record during his starts, but that was in spite of Gus and not because of him. Those who believe the W-L record of the team is the best measure of a QB effectiveness are probably the same ones who believed Bartolo Colon deserved the Cy Young award over Johann Santana.

[Johnny Utah]

capncuster wrote:

"The plain simple truth is that this team needs a franchise QB. I don't see one of those anywhere near our current roster....Oh yeah and a coach. This team needs an NFL head coach. DOn't see one of those anywhere around here either."
You mean besides Leslie Frazier?

What makes Frasier a quality head coaching Candidate? The fact that he inherited a lot of talent on Defense has not (statisically) improved them? Even with Jared Allen? We still can't cover a good WR, and the tampa 2 needs to be thrown out the window. The only thing that does is give ppl easy first downs, as evidence by Donovan hitting short first down pass after short first down pass. We need a D-cordinator who is not afraid to blitz and take chances. I would take Jim Johnson over him any day of the week and probably about 10 other D coordinators in the league. Leslie Frasier is a joke and so is his boss Chilly. Until we get some solid coaching this team is going nowhere. Send Frasier to Detroit and watch him spiral out of the league. This franchised is doomed with these coaches.

[Lawrence of St Paul]

Gus's desire is hardly surprising. He's requested the starting quarterback job his entire career---and he is still just a backup QB.

Read my lips people: Neither one of these guys, Gussy Boy or T-Jack, are the answer at quarterback.

[indyfan]

T-Jack needs more mental tenacity. He may have already been ruined by Chili's mind games but the jury is still out. He did do well coming off the bench. He should be kept and have open competion with some mobile veteran acquisition and a first round daft pick. Put Gus on a bus. Boot Booty.

Al Franken? Pleeeease. The rest of the country is laughing but not at the Froglidite. The joke's on Minnesota

[jeb]

the tampa 2 is predicated on the front four getting good pressure on a QB. when that happens the tampa 2 works great but when a QB has time to make a good throw and wait for space to open up it is not effective. our t2 was starting to work well until pat got hurt. then we had to start bringing LBs like last year, which left the middle open all the time. also, the t2 will give up more passing yards than most, but it also becomes harder to score against inside the red zone.

[buddy grant]

Some good comments about the coaches and Frazier. I'm not certain he had anything to do with a defence that was #1 ranked against the run when he became D co ordinator and only improved this year against the pass when they added a pro bowl DE. It's tough to say he had any impact whatsoever; excepting having to account for injuries at LB and safety for a lot of the season. I think he's a bust as are all the 24 other coaches.

[Censored Lion Fan]

buddy grant wrote:

Some good comments about the coaches and Frazier. I'm not certain he had anything to do with a defence that was #1 ranked against the run when he became D co ordinator and only improved this year against the pass when they added a pro bowl DE. It's tough to say he had any impact whatsoever; excepting having to account for injuries at LB and safety for a lot of the season. I think he's a bust as are all the 24 other coaches.

That's my concern, too. I think Frazier is a good D coordinator, but not HC yet.

[kfan]

He's bad - both quarterbacks should be replaced, that is if the organization is serious about winning (it seems as though it is not since it makes a nice healthy profit losing thereby making fools out of "loyal" - meaning dumb fans, content with losing).

Gus was never a good NFL QB and Mr. Stubborn head coach is inflexible and refuses to concede Jackson is not NFL caliber.

The joke called the Viikings goes on...

Recently, some fan wrote on this forum that dissenters should get the hell off this forum since they are somehow "disloyal" to the Vikings. That fan requires psychological refurbishing - he is an example of the problem - an enabler, like many, who is content with losing and displays loyalty towards billionaire profiteers who couldn't care less if he wakes up the next day but are more than happy to take this idiot's money season after season, offering little - certainly no championships - in return.

[harry]

indyfan wrote:

T-Jack needs more mental tenacity. He may have already been ruined by Chili's mind games but the jury is still out. He did do well coming off the bench. He should be kept and have open competion with some mobile veteran acquisition and a first round daft pick. Put Gus on a bus. Boot Booty.
Al Franken? Pleeeease. The rest of the country is laughing but not at the Froglidite. The joke's on Minnesota

How about Al Franken at QB? He's just as qualified for that as he is the Senate.

No, wait, I take that back. Our government is career politician idiots and we're screwed.

Time for a coup.

[Truth Hurts]

Gus can take a f**king hike to the nursing home. DONE!

[Truth Hurts]

any chance Hussein Obama wants to start at QB?
bet he can read a defense better than Tardvaris!

[Jeebs]

who honestly cares if gus frerotte is with the vikings or not. the guy is like 84 years old and is slow as a freaking statue. i am a little curious to see how mcnabb would do in minnesota but the eagles owner already said he plans to keep him in philly. i hope tj can get it together next year because i do see potential in him.

[harry]

CT Viking Fan wrote:

<quoted text>
You could be right. We really don't know what he will be like. It would be nice to be a fly on the wall at Winter Park. That would answer a lot of questions.

There is no fly.

Just a cricket.