Is Ponder the future for Minnesota?

[ChrisK]

I haven't really had the chance to watch him play. What are people's opinion? Could he be my future QB?

[Shawn]

Good games and bad games thus far, typical rookie ups and downs for Ponder. Too early to tell if he's the long term answer, but I think they'll at least give him another year or two to find out, in another words I don't think they'll spend their top 3 draft pick on another QB this coming year.

[Never Veto1]

Good games and bad games thus far, typical rookie ups and downs for Ponder. Too early to tell if he's the long term answer, but I think they'll at least give him another year or two to find out, in another words I don't think they'll spend their top 3 draft pick on another QB this coming year.

If he is available I imagine they will go with Matt Kalil.

[Warren]

I haven't really had the chance to watch him play. What are people's opinion? Could he be my future QB?

He looks to be the best option on your current roster, although if you have a shot at Luck I would strongly consider taking him. Another idea would be to see if you could acquire Locker if he could be had for a reasonable price or on the cheap. I think he will immediately become a top-10 QB if handed the starting gig next year.

[kris_kapsner]

Ponder is the future in MN...unless they get a shot at taking Luck, or trading up a spot or two to take him.

Ponder has Jay Cutler fantasy upside in my opinion. So, he doesn't excite me from a fantasy perspective.

That excitement could change though. I think there is a strong likelihood that the Vikes sign a big name free agent WR like Vincent Jackson. If that's the case, Ponder could get really interesting quickly. He would have Harvin and VJax to throw to with ADP keeping defenses honest.

[ChrisK]

I haven't really had the chance to watch him play. What are people's opinion? Could he be my future QB?

He looks to be the best option on your current roster, although if you have a shot at Luck I would strongly consider taking him. Another idea would be to see if you could acquire Locker if he could be had for a reasonable price or on the cheap. I think he will immediately become a top-10 QB if handed the starting gig next year.

He's definitely my best QB, which shows how bad my situation is....

I have pick 1.5. I don't see Luck going that low in my league, and taking RGIII or Barkley that high may be a reach but I doubt they make it to 2.5.

[henry1jg]

I like Ponder, hes a tough kid and has shown some flashes this year. Their WR's, aside from Percy, are horrendous. I think Kalil goes 2 to the Rams and Blackmon goes to Min

[Water Buffalo]

I like Ponder, hes a tough kid and has shown some flashes this year. Their WR's, aside from Percy, are horrendous. I think Kalil goes 2 to the Rams and Blackmon goes to Min

It's unlikely that the Rams have the #2 pick over the Vikings based on strength of schedule tiebreakers. Obviously if the Vikes win a game that wouldn't matter, but that's a big, big if given how terrible and unlikely to beat anyone the Vikings are right now.

[ascherb]

Minnesota homer here, obviously.

I believe Ponder will get another shot next year, but only so much of his struggles this season can be blamed on the O-line, WR corp and the play calling.

As someone who watched every Vikings game very closely, Ponder has had his moments, but also is woefully timid when he's standing inside the pocket. He is much better when he is allowed to run outside the pocket and not have to read defenses ala Tim Tebow. I haven't seen him stand in the pocket and dissect the defense very often, which is concerning. If you watch the Lions game, he threw some BRUTAL interceptions.

Yes, he had had very little time and his targets are very subpar aside from Harvin and the tight ends, so I believe the Vikes will not draft or bring in another QB to challenge him for the job, but even as a Vikings fan, I'm NOT completely sold on him as a future star.

[JohnnyFive]

I haven't really had the chance to watch him play. What are people's opinion? Could he be my future QB?

He looks to be the best option on your current roster, although if you have a shot at Luck I would strongly consider taking him. Another idea would be to see if you could acquire Locker if he could be had for a reasonable price or on the cheap. I think he will immediately become a top-10 QB if handed the starting gig next year.

He's definitely my best QB, which shows how bad my situation is....

I have pick 1.5. I don't see Luck going that low in my league, and taking RGIII or Barkley that high may be a reach but I doubt they make it to 2.5.

You should try to trade back a spot or 2 and draft CG3 at 1.6 or 1.7 and get some more in return for trading back. Depending on where Luck goes maybe you keep it and draft CG3 at 1.5 if you have enough depth at your other positions.

[Water Buffalo]

Minnesota homer here, obviously.

I believe Ponder will get another shot next year, but only so much of his struggles this season can be blamed on the O-line, WR corp and the play calling.

As someone who watched every Vikings game very closely, Ponder has had his moments, but also is woefully timid when he's standing inside the pocket. He is much better when he is allowed to run outside the pocket and not have to read defenses ala Tim Tebow. I haven't seen him stand in the pocket and dissect the defense very often, which is concerning. If you watch the Lions game, he threw some BRUTAL interceptions.

Yes, he had had very little time and his targets are very subpar aside from Harvin and the tight ends, so I believe the Vikes will not draft or bring in another QB to challenge him for the job, but even as a Vikings fan, I'm NOT completely sold on him as a future star.

Vikings homer here too, and I'd agree with this analysis completely. He's thrown some pretty darn terrible picks this year....

[gaz29]

He will be given another year for sure.

You have to remember that there was minimal offseason this year due to the lock out, that is the time when the rookie QB's in particular get time to develop. They were denied that this year.

This offseason will be the time they truely develop chemistry with the team and understand the playbook.

Add in to that and upgrades the Vikings get to the O Line or the WR corp will aid Ponder as well

[Krang]

He will be given another year for sure.

You have to remember that there was minimal offseason this year due to the lock out, that is the time when the rookie QB's in particular get time to develop. They were denied that this year.

People always bring up the lack of a full offseason as an excuse/reason for guys doing poorly, and while there is truth to that, you can only stretch that excuse so far. When you start for most of the season, as guys like Ponder and Gabbert have, there has to be an expected level of "on the job learning" that I just haven't really seen with either of them. You can't possibly tell me all the mistakes they both are still making and the timidness they've shown is only because of the limited offseason; there's just no way that is as big a factor at this point in the season as people say.

The Vikings will stick with Ponder next year, and probably rightfully so. The kid IS a rookie after all, and it is completely unfair to write him off already. In the rather unlikely event the Vikings end up with the #1 pick, though, I would think they'd be VERY hard pressed to not think loooooong and hard about taking Luck. His potential alone is infinitely higher than Ponder's was/is, and now that the first pick doesn't cost you $475314854686546 anymore, you can afford to take risks on "once in a generation potential" even if you did just pick a guy highly last year (not to mention Ponder was over drafted anyways, and if I were them, I'd much rather cover up that error by taking Luck than choosing not to simply because they did take Ponder at 12).

[gaz29]

He will be given another year for sure.

You have to remember that there was minimal offseason this year due to the lock out, that is the time when the rookie QB's in particular get time to develop. They were denied that this year.

People always bring up the lack of a full offseason as an excuse/reason for guys doing poorly, and while there is truth to that, you can only stretch that excuse so far. When you start for most of the season, as guys like Ponder and Gabbert have, there has to be an expected level of "on the job learning" that I just haven't really seen with either of them. You can't possibly tell me all the mistakes they both are still making and the timidness they've shown is only because of the limited offseason; there's just no way that is as big a factor at this point in the season as people say.

The Vikings will stick with Ponder next year, and probably rightfully so. The kid IS a rookie after all, and it is completely unfair to write him off already. In the rather unlikely event the Vikings end up with the #1 pick, though, I would think they'd be VERY hard pressed to not think loooooong and hard about taking Luck. His potential alone is infinitely higher than Ponder's was/is, and now that the first pick doesn't cost you $475314854686546 anymore, you can afford to take risks on "once in a generation potential" even if you did just pick a guy highly last year (not to mention Ponder was over drafted anyways, and if I were them, I'd much rather cover up that error by taking Luck than choosing not to simply because they did take Ponder at 12).

I appreciate your point about on the job learning but i would be pretty timid in the pocket if I was faced by the Packers D in my first start in the NFL which is what happened to Ponder. Gabbert has faced both the Steelers and Ravens D. Not easy to go against them.

The point I was trying to make about missing an offseason was they lose so much time to build up chemistry with both the O Line and WR's and you can only do that so much on the field. You need practice reps to do that.

I saw something else about how Stafford is only now earning trust with Titus Young which proves my point.

"After slow start to the season, Matthew Stafford says he is earning trust in Titus Young and won't hesitate to throw to the rookie if defenses are hellbent on stopping Calvin Johnson.
Young isn't a reliable fantasy producer, but he's come a long way since an injury-ruined camp. "Obviously we haven't had a ton of games together, haven't had a ton of practices," Stafford said. "This is his first year. He's learning a lot. ... He's a very explosive kid. He's got a lot of speed, can stop on a dime, has really good hands. So I have no qualms about going to him. If they're going to kick the coverage to Calvin, I'm going to him."

[Krang]

Oh, there's no doubt the lack of offseason practice has an impact on a guy's development, I agree with you on that. I was just saying that can only explain so much. As for the timidness, its not just against intimidating defenses, its against everyone. Ponder has made some pretty terrible throws after waiting way too long to throw it, and Gabbert seems to completely refuse to set his feet when he throws. Those are intangible things that should click after a while, and I haven't seen it yet.

In fairness to both of them, I suppose, they both ended up on ridiculously bad (and similar) teams.