Did You Know?

On a chilly, overcast morning in the Minnesota hinterlands, with practice in full swing on the MSU-Mankato practice field, a covey of Canada geese, perfectly shaped in a classic V, flew low and noisily over the field.

Insider Fantasy Tip

You and I can argue about the worthiness of the Vikings giving tight end Visanthe Shiancoe $8.2 million of guaranteed money in free agency. I consider it a ridiculous example of cap money burning a hole in a team's pocket. But I am not coaching this team. Brad Childress is, and he likes Shiancoe's athleticism and good hands. Childress told me he needed a tight end who can make plays, and he thinks Shiancoe is that guy. Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

But the fact is Minnesota has a young quarterback (assuming the guy is Tarvaris Jackson) who is going to need a security blanket, so plays will be designed to get the ball out of his hands quickly. That's why I'd recommend taking Shiancoe in your draft. Not ahead of an L.J. Smith, let's say, but Shiancoe is going to have the chance to catch 50 balls and should score six or seven touchdowns.

On the Menu

I missed lunch today, but I can tell you the dark-roast coffee at the 7-Eleven near campus was fine, with a dollop of half-and-half.

Camp Confidential

So everyone wants to know: How's Tarvaris Jackson doing?

My answer: We won't know until he gets in a few series against first-team defenses in preseason games, but here's my scouting report:

Arm: Very good. In fact, his spiral most often zips from here to there with no wavering at all. His velocity is above-average, miles better than his competitor for the starting job, Brooks Bollinger. Very noticeable.

Release: Quick, decisive.

Confidence in the pocket: Still developing. You can tell his mind's working a mile a minute, trying to process who's open while the rush is in his face. Good thing for him that he's dealing with a front seven that's going to challenge him in camp.

Accuracy: Shaky. He overthrew a couple of open receivers this morning. I noticed in a practice against the Chiefs on Saturday night that he sometimes throws too fast a fastball on short throws. He needs to be a better touch thrower.

Work ethic: Seems good. Childress told me he came back to Minnesota early, before the start of the offseason program, and took extra throwing time with his receivers. (This is what Childress wanted from Daunte Culpepper before last season -- but the veteran QB was unwilling to work in Minnesota when he was rehabbing from knee surgery.)

I like Jackson more today than I did before I saw him this weekend. I can see why Childress fell in love with him before the 2006 draft. He's a yes-sir, no-sir, bright guy, a quiet guy who wants to soak up knowledge. After practice this morning, he talked to me, then went back to the practice field to throw with a couple of rookie receivers for 20 minutes. They were the only Vikings left on the field. I've got a good feeling about Jackson, but having a good feeling about a guy is no guarantee he'll succeed. There's no doubt he'll take his lumps if, as I anticipate, he beats out Bollinger for the starting job.