Exactly, anyone can sign a contract with the team. It will be interesting to see how long he lasts. Right now I do not think he will make it past the first cuts.
Are you a professional halfwit or talented amateur?
Originally posted by evilwaldoExactly, anyone can sign a contract with the team. It will be interesting to see how long he lasts. Right now I do not think he will make it past the first cuts.
Depends what Minnesota's depth chart is at defensive line. Most likely it'll come down to if they can afford the roster spot to keep him on as a project (which may more than likely mean the practice squad if Brock's ego can stand it), and that's assuming that he shows the coaches something worth holding on to, which we don't know if he will or he won't yet.
It's that section of a team roster that doesn't count against the active roster, but it allows the team to keep projects such as Lesnar around without having to release him outright if they don't think he's ready to play.
Really if he's that intent on playing for the Vikings, the squad works in Brock's favor if he shows promise but not quite enough to be put into active duty right away.
In order for Brock to make the practice squad he needs to show some aptitude for being able to understand the defensive scheme and how he reacts to the snap.
Practice squad players have to pass through waivers before being assigned there.
I am not trying to talk him down but a lot of guys get signed as camp fodder and are cut after a couple of weeks. I see Brock as falling into that pile. Having raw physical talent is one thing, but the ability to withstand the physical abuse and stay mentally focused is another issue.
Are you a professional halfwit or talented amateur?
He can spend the whole year on the practice squad learning the game, if he has enough "raw material" they could bring him back next year on the practice team.
It's going to be a tough road for him with the Vikings, perhaps moreso than with any number of other teams. Mike Tice seems to have resented the notion that he should bring Brock in because of who he is from the start, and everything I've read from him since March has had a definite anti-Brock slant to it.
I'm not saying that Brock's getting a bad rap or making preemptive excuses for him in case he doesn't make it, because this would be a pretty steep uphill battle for him under the most inviting of circumstances. I would expect Tice to make things difficult for him, though, to see what he's really got if nothing else.
Well, all the talk about him making the team as a defensive lineman, but really, with his speed and his size, if he can show a nose for the ball, special teams may be his ticket to the NFL THIS season. Plus, it would allow him time with the coordinators and coaches and help his game along.
Originally posted by Aldo D 2112Is anyone getting a "Michael Jordan gives baseball a try" vibe out of all of this?
Yes and no. I see the parallel, but there are a lot more similarities between wrestling (the NCAA way, that is) and football than there are basketball and baseball. If you're a big strong guy who can grapple and jockey for position with other guys your size, you're close to making the jump between wrestling and football. I don't care how many free throws you can hit, you're not one iota closer to hitting a professional curveball than the average man on the street. The skill sets aren't even related.
Originally posted by Blanket JacksonDepends what Minnesota's depth chart is at defensive line. Most likely it'll come down to if they can afford the roster spot to keep him on as a project (which may more than likely mean the practice squad if Brock's ego can stand it), and that's assuming that he shows the coaches something worth holding on to, which we don't know if he will or he won't yet.
If he's being lined up as a DT as they're saying in that article he's up against Hovan and Kevin Williams for the starting jobs, both of whom are pretty damned good, not to mention younger than Lesnar to boot, so he ain't starting this year anyways.
Below that I don't think the Vik's have got a whole lot of depth. The only guy I can think of is Steve Martin who hasn't really done much of anything. They might have drafted somebody though, I really can't remember now, but Lesnar might at least have a shot of making the roster.
I'm with StaggerLee. If he does anything this season it'll probably be on special teams. The Vik's might actually be more reluctant to cut him than many people think simply because if he went on to do something elsewhere it would be a pretty high profile fuck up on their part.
Originally posted by evilwaldoI am not trying to talk him down but a lot of guys get signed as camp fodder and are cut after a couple of weeks.
Possibly, but I think if I was going to bring in camp fodder I would take someone who already knew the game at a high level so they would at least be competent camp fodder.
The fact that he is signed DESPITE not having a high knowledge of football technique suggests that he is more than camp fodder.
At to that the fact that Tice has been against this from the get-go, as someone mentioned earlier and it makes the signing seem more legitimate. I mean, Tice said Brock would really have to prove himself worthy for Tice to take a chance on him.
Vikings sign pro wrestling star Brock Lesnar Tuesday July 27, 2004 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Brock Lesnar is hoping to become the next big thing for the Minnesota Vikings.
Better known to World Wrestling Entertainment fans as ``The Next Big Thing,'' Lesnar signed a contract with the Vikings on Tuesday.
The former NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion from Minnesota wants to win a spot on the defensive line. At 6-foot-3 and 286 pounds, the 27-year-old Lesnar has not played football since his senior year of high school in South Dakota.
``He's very serious about this,'' said Lesnar's agent, Ed Hitchcock. ``He worked out today and (coach) Mike Tice said he wanted to sign him.''
Lesnar retired from the WWE in March. In April, he sustained a pulled groin, bruised pelvis, broken jaw and broken left hand in a motorcycle accident.
Lesnar tried out for the Vikings in June and had another workout with them on Tuesday. The Vikings open training camp on Friday.
After that workout a month ago, Lesnar said, ``This isn't a publicity stunt.''
``This is the real deal,'' he said then. ``It's something I want to do. I don't want to wake up when I'm 50 years old and say I should have tried.''
Scott Studwell, the Vikings' director of college scouting, was willing to give Lesnar another look.
``He is a project with a capital P,'' Studwell said in June. ``He's got physical tools, but he has a long way to go.''
Hitchcock said then-Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy expressed interest in Lesnar after he left school.
``Football is something he's always wanted to pursue,'' Hitchcock said.
The Vikings also signed guard Tam Hopkins. They released safety Ben Nauman and defensive tackle Jeff Womble.
Originally posted by BWTWell I'm actually surprised he made a team good for him and i wish him the best.
I've said it before(The W), and I'll say it again: if he's a Viking, screw him! :-)
70,000 fans at Lambeau chanting "YOU TAPPED OUT"...beautiful.
Star wipe, and...we're out. Thrillin' ain't easy.
THE THRILL ACW-NWA Wisconsin Home Video Technical Director...& A2NWO 4 Life! (Click the big G or here to hear the Packers Fight Song in RealAudio...or try .AU, .WAV or .MIDI!)
"Lesnar retired from the WWE in March. In April, he sustained a pulled groin, bruised pelvis, broken jaw and broken left hand in a motorcycle accident."
I had no idea he was hurt, and certainly not to that extent. Wow. That's only three months past.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
The Next Big Thing? Nah, just another day with the Vikes Wednesday July 28, 2004 By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Sports Writer EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) It just wouldn't be the start of Minnesota Vikings training camp without some kind of sideshow.
This year, a former professional wrestler who hasn't played football since his senior year of high school in 1995 will report for duty this weekend in Mankato and try to win a roster spot as a defensive lineman.
``Are you ready?'' Brock Lesnar asked in a normal voice, sounding nothing like a ringside announcer as he made sure local media members were prepared to begin asking questions at a news conference at Winter Park on Wednesday.
There were plenty of them, understandably, since this transition from World Wrestling Entertainment to the National Football League is not one that's often attempted and very few 27-year-olds without college experience are able to sign NFL contracts.
Lesnar, who had a standout career as a heavyweight for the University of Minnesota, performed in WWE's Smackdown series as ``The Next Big Thing.'' He quit the tour in March, tired of the on-the-road lifestyle despite the generous paychecks provided by it.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pounder from South Dakota didn't want to look back, decades from now, with regret. So he committed himself to getting in impeccable football shape and, despite a nasty motorcycle accident in April that left him with a pulled groin, broken jaw and broken hand and set his progress back weeks, he finagled a tryout with the local 11.
He got a second look on Tuesday, survived an intense 45-minute workout and impressed the Vikings enough in the process to earn an invitation to training camp.
Whether Lesnar is still around Sept. 6, the day after teams are required to reduce their rosters to the regular-season limit of 53, remains to be seen. A new rule this year allowing practice squads to be expanded from five to eight players gives him a better chance of sticking around in some capacity, but the learning curve is sure to be steep.
``I just know I'm a good athlete,'' Lesnar said, trying his best to simultaneously tout his skills and sell himself as a hungry, humble, coachable commodity.
He'll be brought along slowly, spending more time on individual drills than his sure-to-be-skeptical teammates while he attempts to bring his grasp of the game up to a professional level.
Lesnar is so raw that it's unlikely he'll be cut anytime soon. That means plenty of people will find themselves watching this physical specimen run around the practice fields eager to see whether he'll be initiating any big collisions or if he'll be the one getting knocked on his butt.
Once again, another story line beyond the usual depth charts, injuries and dark horses arises from the Minnesota River valley. It's always something with this team, it seems.
Last year, we witnessed a fourth-round draft pick fourth round! miss two days of camp while his agent bargained with the club for a better contract. Yes, Onterrio Smith should've been selected higher and he turned out to be quite a talent, but there aren't too many fourth-rounders that hold out.
In 2002, mammoth offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie missed all of training camp and half the regular season while owner Red McCombs and McKinnie's agents sparred over the negotiations.
The year before that, tragedy was the theme, when Korey Stringer died of heatstroke and cast a pall over the remainder of the season.
And in 1999, first-round draft pick Dimitrius Underwood showed up in fatigues and left after lunch on the first day of practice never putting on a purple jersey and embarking on a troubled journey around the country.
So this extracurricular stuff is nothing new. Even McCombs is amused.
``I've followed wrestling since I was a 15-year-old kid,'' McCombs said from his office in San Antonio. ``I think it's a great show.''
The same could be said, annually, about the three-week stint on the campus of Minnesota State University under the hot August sun. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I surfed thru the nightly news for the big 3 networks out of the Twin Cities last night, and they all had interviews with Brock, and also covered his press conference yesterday. He came across as very soft spoken, humble and honestly kind of in awe to be where he is at now.
Originally posted by JimBob SkeeterThere's no way Brock would even THINK about wearing that green and gold stuff. Ish. Just......... ish.
Yeah, man-baby Brock'll look much better in a helmet with a gigantic spermatazoon on the side. :-)
Who needs him? There's a lot of guys out there who "know they're good athletes" who have no qualifications whatsoever to be in the NFL.
Good luck with your project...I'm glad the Packers don't have to worry about him (see Mandarich, Tony.)
Star wipe, and...we're out. Thrillin' ain't easy.
THE THRILL ACW-NWA Wisconsin Home Video Technical Director...& A2NWO 4 Life! (Click the big G or here to hear the Packers Fight Song in RealAudio...or try .AU, .WAV or .MIDI!)
Even if you put aside the six game suspension, which really would have hurt the Raiders because they already traded their 2011 #1 pick, Big Ben is a risk with the new emphasis on head injuries.