Fistpump!

Also, now that he has been officially released:

It would be awesome/hilarious if the Vikings replaced Chester with LaDainian Tomlinson

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/pos...sign-tomlinson

there is no way chester would actually go sign with the lions though right?

interesting speculation on C Taylor

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...y-in-2010.html

Does LT have much left in the tank?

I think he'd be more than a useful backup. I don't know that a lot of people agree though. Imo his decline has been overrated because:

A. The Chargers sucked at run blocking this season and were very good a few years ago
and
B. They've seen it happen to RBs so many times before

LdT this season didn't, imo, look anything like late career Shaun Alexander or any other RB I've seen play way past their prime.

It would definitely be interesting to see what LT has left, but I'd rather see Chester stay. If CT wants to go elsewhere, I hope we go after LT.

Chester is basically gone imo. I think he is going to be looking to be a #1 again.

What makes you think that?

I just get the feeling that he thinks he is still a starter and that at least a couple of teams will agree.

He hasn't had many carries over his career, has great hands, is a great blocker.

Yeah, he would be a good starter.

I am hoping he sees the big picture about the situation he has here - he gets significant playing time for one of the most talented teams in the league and doesnt take the beating of a starter. He gets paid well, and will likely play for a longer period of time here as opposed to taking a beating as a starter somewhere else.

I havent really heard anything from him or any people with insider knowledge about what he really wants to do.

would love to bet on whether or not Chester get's a starting gig this year. (i dont think he will).

I hope you're right.

I'm saying even if he is a FA i doubt a team is stupid enough to make him their starter. I also think the vikes resigning him would be stupid.

i don't know. i think he's among the top 20 RBs in the world.

Top 35 rushers from last season, pick any 15 you'd take CT over.

1. Chris Johnson
2. Steven Jackson
3. Thomas Jones
4. Maurice Jones Drew
5. Adrian Peterson
6. Ray Rice
7. Ryan Grant
8. Cedric Benson
9. Johnathan Stewart
10. Ricky Williams
11. Jamaal Charles
12. Frank Gore
13. DeAngelo Williams
14. Rashard Mendenhall
15. Fred Jackson
16. Knowshon Moreno
17. Marion Barber
18. Matt Forte
19. Michael Turner
20. Jerome Harrison
21. Brandom Jacobs
22. Joseph Addai
23. Cadillac Williams
24. Pierre Thomas
25. Beanie Wells
26. Ahmad Bradshaw
27. Laurence Maroney
28. Kevin Smith
29. LaDainian Tomlinson
30. Felix Jones
31. Julius Jones
32. Mike Bell
33. Ronnie Brown
34. Correll Buckhalter
35. LeSean McCoy

Not that these are even the best 35 backs, but I did this for simplicity sake. I think there are a few guys that CT might be better than on this list (under 5) and probably a similar amount of guys on this list that CT is more valuable than.

CT is a 30 yr old above average 3rd down back w/ very little value as far as upside and his running is already below average.

1. t. jones
2. grant
3. benson
4. r williams
5. mendenhall
6. f jackson
7. moreno
8. barber
9. jacobs
10. addai
11. wells
12. bradshaw
13. maroney
14. j. jones
15. bell
16. buckhalter
17. cad williams

there's 17

I think I take Barber over CT.

ill give u addai(debatable) ... that's 1. CT doesn't have much left, I'll bet under on 1250 rushing yards from here on.

bears targeting Taylor?

If we lose Chester to free agency could the Vikes pursue Sproles ? Think of the Chilly ball possibilities with Sproles.

Thinking about chillyball makes me ill.

I don't think so, too expensive to be a pure backup.

Vikings only gave Ray a 1st round tender which means I get to sweat. That is a snapcall for me if I'm a late 1st round team who runs a 4-3. Would probably go much higher too if I though I could work out a reasonable long-term deal with him.

Saw on the star tribune website that the tenders for 4 or 5 year people all had a 'right of first refusal' in them--and the only step up from a first round pick (and that right) was a first and a third (and that right). But the article didn't say what the Vikings did. Was there a first refusal? Or was that for certain tenders by a particular date, and there's another set of compensation for later offers?

Of course, hopefully noone does something like the vikes did with Hutchinson (and Seattle did with ??? the next year)...Jared probably makes matching an offer like that pretty unlikely.