In a rare interview, Minnesota Vikings' head coach Brad Childress acknowledged today not only that the Vikings had made a hard push to sign mediocre wide-receiver Kevin Curtis, but also that Curtis rejected the Vikings' offer to take less money in favor of playing for the Philadelphia Eagles.
"Kevin just wanted to play for Philadelphia." Childress lamented.
But Childress is only acknowledging half of the truth. While it is probably to the Vikings' advantage that Curtis and his 400 receiving yards opted for the Eagles, the reason that Curtis went to Philadelphia had as much to do with his desire not to sign with Minnesota as it did to sign with Philly.
When Curtis first began making his free agent visits, he had two teams on his list--Minnesota and St. Louis. After a brief trip to Minnesota, that, we are now told, included a contract offer from the Vikings, Curtis hopped on a plane purportedly hoping to sign with the Lions where he would be reunited with former head coach turned offensive coordinator Mike Martz. When the Lions' deal failed to materialize, Curtis fired his agent.
Interestingly, Curtis did not return to Minnesota. Instead, he flew to New York to meet with Giants' officials. After hiring new agents, he flew to Philadelphia and signed with the Eagles.
What is clear from how the process played out, and from the ancillary comments that Childress offered today, is that Curtis signed with Philadelphia in spite of his offer from Minnesota--not because he was set on playing for the Eagles from the outset. That Curtis opted for a lesser deals with the Eagles also says quite a bit about impressions of Childress' offense as it respects receivers.
Up Next: More on Childress' comments. Plus, more draft discussion--considering the Vikings' dream draft. And, how the Vikings can be great as soon as 2007.
6 comments:
"Curtis opted for a lesser deals with the Eagles also says quite a bit about impressions of Childress' offense as it respects receivers".
Yeah, that's it. Could it be possible that he just wanted to play with a Pro-Bowl QB on a team that went deep into the playoffs last year, instead of on a team with no clear cut QB, who had a losing record last year? No, you're probably right, it's all about Childress and his offensive scheme. Pffftttt....
Boognish,
Read your own comment. How is it any less of an indictment on Childress and his system than what I wrote? Pfffftt...
Take some time to consider your posts.
VG
Take you own advice, pal. All I was saying is that ours is a team in transition, while the Eagles are an established power house.
I like Childress and his "system" and I think it will be successful, but the truth of the matter is that we're in the beginning stages of building a strong team. In a couple years, hopefully we'll have players choosing our team over another because of the pieces in place.
Boognish,
Actually, that's not at all what you said. And yet again you've manufactured an argument because you either do not understand what I have written or you simply choose to interpret it as you will. That's fine, but save the posts. And if that doesn't suit you, save the trouble of visiting the site.
VG
yeah, you may be right. Your blog does suck ass and you're as defensive as you are clueless about the Vikes. Probably a packer fan in disguise.
Can't say boog will be missed. Accusing the blog host of defensiveness after leaving a derisive, disrespectful comment that actually supports the point of the post? Seriously? Just a dumbass.
Nothing wrong with liking Chilly or thinking we're rebuilding, if you can support it. But the facts that we have no QB, a losing record due to a comicly woeful offense, and a demoralized fanbase all reflect on Childress, his offensive scheme, his personnel decisions, and his inability to create any optimism among players or fans. Curtis's opting out suggests player sceptisism that the system and the alleged "rebuilding" will bear fruit anytime soon. And tough to believe "we're in the beginning stages of building a strong team" when crap receivers have no interest in being our #1.
"In a couple years, hopefully we'll have players choosing our team over another because of the pieces in place."
Yeah. Hopefully. And where do those "pieces" come from when even crap receivers go elsewhere for less money?
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