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By: Aj Mansour | KFAN.com
@AjKFAN

Minneapolis, MN - As the Minnesota Vikings players began official preparations for the 2013 NFL season this week at Winter Park, a lot of attention was obviously paid towards the team's quarterback Christian Ponder. Entering his third season as a pro, Ponder is poised to take the next step in establishing himself as the long-term solution at quarterback for the Vikings. An intimidating and scary proposition for some.

But it wasn't five minutes into our conversation with Ponder today that he shared word of a real fear that crept up on the second-year starter during this past off season.

Speaking for the first time since the Vikings lost to the Green Bay Packers in the opening round of the 2012 Playoffs (a game in which Ponder was benched with an injured elbow), Ponder shared that two weeks after the season, he was rushed to the emergency room as his injured elbow had once again swelled up.

"A couple of weeks after we were done [with the season], the injury came back randomly," Ponder shared. "All of the sudden the whole thing got rock hard and swelled up. I was scared to death it was a blood clot!"

Having been rushed to the hospital fearing the worst, Ponder placed a phone call to Vikings head trainer Eric Sugarman seeking his advice. The call, went through to Sugarman's voicemail. The doctors on site were prepared to conduct emergency surgery on Ponder's right throwing arm fearing that the quarterback was suffering from compartmental syndrome (a life-threatening condition which occurs after an injury, when there is not a sufficient amount of blood to supply the muscles and nerves with oxygen and nutrients because of the raised pressure within the compartment)."

"I called Sugs first and thank goodness because the doctor, obviously she was a great help, but she wanted to go into surgery," Ponder said. "It was a little scary and thankfully Sugs (Eric Sugarman), called me at the right moment, talked to the doctor and said, 'Don't do anything crazy! Just go in and give him an MRI.'"

The MRI allowed the team on site to better assess the situation where they then realized that the contusion had simply resurfaced and that there was no blood clot and not compartmentalization of the blood flow occurring.

Ponder went on to say that two weeks after the injury resurfaced, the swelling had gone down and things had returned to normal. For the past two months now, Ponder has been able to throw and work out at full speed and has encountered no further issues with the injured arm.

Aj Mansour covers Minnesota Sports for KFAN.com. Feel free to leave comments and questions regarding this post in the space provided below. For Vikings' updates and breaking Vikings' news, follow Aj on Twitter. @AjKFAN

1st round: 23rd Overall Pick	Sharrif Floyd - DT/Florida - 6'3", 303lbs: 2012 First-Team All-SEC...Ranked in the top 10 in the SEC and led Gators with 13.0 tackles for loss in 2012...Recorded 115 total tackles, 26.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in three-year career...2013 NFL Combine participant...Ran a 4.92 40-yard dash and recording a 4.75 20-yard shuttle...A top prospect that projects as a top-10 pick...Versatile athlete could play inside in a 4-3 alignment and on the outside in 3-4 formations...Good agility in small areas...Active hands help swipe away blockers...Changes directions and gets around double-teams well...Plays with too high a pad level at times...Doesn't close on the ball well and has shown questionable stamina on occasion.
1st round: 25th Overall Pick (from SEA)	Xavier Rhodes - CB/Florida State- 6'2", 217lbs: Named All-ACC First Team in 2012 with Florida State who was also the only player from the ACC to be named a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award...Made immediate impact with the Seminoles in 2010 during redshirt freshman campaign and was named a consensus Freshman All-American as well as the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year for his efforts...Appeared in a pair of games in 2009 for FSU, but suffered a hand injury on special teams which kept him out of action the rest of the way...Finished career with 140 tackles, of which 112 were solo...Logged seven tackles for loss, eight interceptions, 23 passes defended and three forced fumbles...Ideal size for blanketing the bigger receivers atthe next level...An aggressive player in the secondary who is capable of locking down his side of the field...Decided to forgo his final season at the college level.
1st round: 29th Overall Pick (from NE)	Cordarrelle Patterson- WR/Tennessee - 6'3", 205lbs: After dominating at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas in 2010, came to Tennessee and logged 46 receptions for 778 yards and five touchdowns in only full season at the Division I level...Had nine receptions for 219 yards and a touchdown in a Nov. 3 win over Troy...Showed promise as a rusher as well with 308 yards on 25 carries (12.3 ypc) and three touchdowns...Explosive as a return man as well, with 772 return yards and two touchdowns (one on a kickoff and one a punt)...SEC single-season record 27.6 yard returnaverage...Tennessee school record of 1,858 all-purpose yards...Elite athleticism, running a 4.42 40-yard dash and recording a 37-inch vertical leap at the NFL Combine...Easily creates separation from defenders thanks to a combination of explosiveness, precise route running and agility...Big and physical...Good vision...Solid run blocker...Merely average hands, oftentimes letting the ball into his body rather than snatching it out of the air...Maynot be as seasoned as other top receiving prospects, but freakish athleticism almost assures an early selection.
4th round: 120th Overall Pick	Gerald Hodges - OLB/Penn State - 6'2", 237lbs: A two-time All-Big Ten Second-team selection (2011-12)...Led PSU in tackles in both 2011 (106) and 2012 (109) with 18.5 TFL over that span...Stalks ball carriers and hits hard...Began college career as a safety and is aadept in dropping into coverage...High level of athleticism and agility...Over-pursues at times, leaving himself out of position to make plays.
5th round: 155th Overall Pick	Jeff Locke - P/UCLA - 6'0", 207lbs: 2012 First-Team All-Pac 12...Led Pac-12 with 34 punts inside the 20-yard line and 68 touchbacks on kickoffs in 2012...Consistent and accurate...Powerful leg...Has attempted and made field goals as long as 51 yards.
6th round: 196th Overall Pick	Jeff Baca - G/UCLA - 6'3", 302lbs: Named to Pac-12 All-Second team by league coaches in 2012...Earned theKenneth S. Washington Award for Outstanding Senior of the Year on Offense...Participated in the East-West Shrine All-Star Game...Made 45 career starts with 25 coming at guard...Missed significant time during junior and sophomore seasons due to eligibility and injury issues...Has good instincts...Needs to add strength to excel at the next level...
7th round: 213th Overall Pick	Michael Mauti - ILB/Penn State - 6'2", 232lbs: 2012 First-Team All-Big Ten...96 tackles, four TFL, 2.5 sacks, three INT, and three forced fumbles in 2012...Missed 2009 season, majority of 2011 season, and the final game of 2012 with injuries...Good football instincts and awareness...Ability to read plays...Not overly athletic...Despite solid football instincts, obvious health concerns are a red flag heading into the NFL.
7th round: 214th Overall Pick	Travis Bond - G/UNC - 6'7", 330lbs: Honorable mention All-ACC selection in 2012...Started every game at right guard for the Tar Heels during junior and senior seasons...Imposing figure with great size, using long arms to his advantage...Quick feet and solid overall athleticism...Rarely loses a block once engaged...Height of a tackle (6-7) but not quick enough to make the transition...Height causes him to bend at the hips and as a result loses leverage against quick defensive tackles...Inconsistent awareness...Sub-par strength despite size (22 bench press reps at NFL Combine)...Weight problems in the past, topping 370 pounds a junior.
7th round: 215th Overall Pick	Everett Dawkins - DT/Florida State- 6'2", 310 lbs: 2012 All-ACC Second-Team...Led Florida State defenders in 2012 with 41 career starts...Had career-year in 2010 and posted 29.5 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and six TFL, all career-highs...Had half a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss in helping Seminoles rank second in the country in total defense (254.1 ypg) in 2012...2013 NFL Combine participant...Recorded 5.06 40-yard dash, 4.88 20-yard shuttle and 23 reps on the bench press...Penetrates the line well...Strong first step...Stays low to keep leverage against blockers...Great footwork with strong moves in the pass rush...Lacks elite size...Can play out of control at times.

Information courtesy of www.sportsnetwork.com

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By: Aj Mansour | KFAN.com
@AjKFAN

Minneapolis, MN - With the 155th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft the Minnesota Vikings selected Punter Jeff Lock from UCLA. That's right, you heard me correct...a punter.

Locke, 6'0" and 207 lbs, is a left footed kicker who was named 2012 First-Team All-Pac 12 last year. He racked up 34 punts inside the 20-yard line and 68 touchbacks on kickoffs that season. Known to have a powerful leg, Locke has also stepped in for long range field goals.

This one was a head scratcher for me as I remember back to the interesting situation with Blair Walsh and Ryan Longwell after the 2012 draft. Team's don't usually carry more than one punter on roster and would never use a spot on the practice squad to stash an extra punter. What this tells me is that current Vikings punter Chris Kluwe may be on his way out of Minnesota or at the very least, in for the fight of his life.

UPDATE: Minutes after the pick was made, Chris Kluwe went to Twitter and said...

That's a bold move Cotton. Lets see how it plays.

— Chris Kluwe (@ChrisWarcraft) April 27, 2013

Aj Mansour covers Minnesota Sports for KFAN.com. Feel free to leave comments and questions regarding this post in the space provided below. For Vikings' updates and breaking Vikings' news, follow Aj on Twitter. @AjKFAN

By: Aj Mansour | KFAN.com
@AjKFAN

Minneapolis, MN - After taking Friday night off from the NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings kicked off their third day of selecting by addressing yet another need and drafting an outside linebacker.

With the 23rd selection in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Gerald Hodges, outside linebacker from Penn State.

Hodges, a converted safety, will likely compete for an outside position as it is thought that Erin Henderson will now make the transition from the outside will to the middle linebacker in the Vikings 4-3 defense.

NFL.com ANALYSIS:

STRENGTHS: Former safety with short-area quickness to handle coverage responsibilities on multiple levels. Stays with running backs and tight ends in man coverage, comes off one target in zone to lay a hit on the underneath route. Flashes downhill speed to wrap up ballcarriers or force them into decisions. Active hands when engaged, willing to be physical. Works through traffic to the ball in tight quarters. Stays with receivers on short outs, can knock away the pass without interfering.

WEAKNESSES: Has only average bulk and length to take on NFL-sized linemen and tight ends. Does not consistently take advantage of interception opportunities. Lunges and fail to break down in the open field at times so more elusive ballcarriers can avoid him. Can be fooled on misdirection plays. Needs to prove himself a capable blitzer, doesn’t beat blocks consistently to force quarterbacks into making throws. Will get locked onto blocks, doesn't always play with proper leverage.

NFL COMPARISON: Quincy Black

BOTTOM LINE: Hodges is a converted safety who is growing into a NFL starting Sam linebacker’s frame -– but he still has the movement skills to bring down ballcarriers in space. Hodges most impressive trait is his ability to cover, however. He needs to improve at disengaging from blocks, but his coverage skills will likely see him selected on the second day.

Aj Mansour covers Minnesota Sports for KFAN.com. Feel free to leave comments and questions regarding this post in the space provided below. For Vikings' updates and breaking Vikings' news, follow Aj on Twitter. @AjKFAN

By: Aj Mansour | KFAN.com
@AjKFAN

Minneapolis, MN - According to sources close to the situation, the Vikings were busy with more the just that little old NFL Draft thingy last night. Sources are reporting that the Minnesota Vikings and defensive end Lawrence Jackson have agreed to a one-year deal.

While the deal has yet to be made official, Jackson went ahead and spilled the beans on Twitter last night.

Can't say it enough, thank you, thank you, thank you LIONS FANS...u were good to me. #LJSP still lives on!!!!

— Lawrence Jackson (@LoJackson94) April 26, 2013

After hearing Vikings nation in person...watching the d line do work...I'm glad I can hop on board...made some big moves tonight #Vikings

— Lawrence Jackson (@LoJackson94) April 26, 2013

At 27 years old, Jackson spent the last five seasons with the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks. Jackson accumulated 98 tackles and 19.5 sacks over that period of time and will look to sure up a Vikings defensive line that could see a bit of transition over the next few years.

Aj Mansour covers Minnesota Sports for KFAN.com. Feel free to leave comments and questions regarding this post in the space provided below. For Vikings' updates and breaking Vikings' news, follow Aj on Twitter. @AjKFAN