The Mike Tice years in Minnesota were an interesting time. He was and still is a fantastic offensive line coach. One of the best. As a former player he understands players. Sometimes his trust of players might have been a little too trusting. The players did a lot of stupid stuff under his watch. One thing that was always present was the effort on the field. That effort was always a lot higher than the talent. His marginal teams were in the playoff chase three out of his four years. In the one playoff appearance the Vikings upset the Green Bay Packers in one of the most memorable wins in team history. They were taken apart by the Philadelphia Eagles the next weekend but that Packers win will live forever. Another memory that seems to live forever is the unfortunate events at the 2003 NFL Draft.
The Vikings had the seventh pick in that draft. Good or bad, Mike Tice was an open book with the media. It was very well known that the Vikings were interested in a defensive tackle to pair with the emerging Chris Hovan. There were a bunch of defensive tackles that were expected to go high in that draft. Dewayne Robertson, Jonathan Sullivan and Jimmy Kennedy among them. The Vikings had their eye on another and were certain that they could get him later and add a few picks in the process. They were looking to trade back a few spots. The Baltimore Ravens, coached by former Vikings offensive coordinator Brian Billick, were sitting at ten. Tice and Billick coached together in Minnesota. Tice likely thought there was a level of trust and respect that Billick didn't share. The Ravens were looking for a quarterback and Byron Leftwich were on their radar. Jacksonville, at eight, shared the Ravens view of the Marshall quarterback. The Vikings and Ravens agreed to a trade. The Vikings comfortably sat back knowing that their defensive tackle would still be there. The next thing they saw was Jacksonville running to the podium with their choice of Leftwich. Carolina was right behind with their selection of Utah offensive tackle Jordan Gross. It looked like a parade and the Ravens weren't part of it. The Vikings fifteen minutes had expired and the Ravens hadn't phoned in the trade. Both teams have to confirm the trade with the NFL and the Ravens hadn't done so. The Vikings finally got to the podium with what turned out to be the ninth pick. They selected Oklahoma St defensive tackle Kevin Williams. He was the player that they wanted all along and he has proven every year to be a fantastic choice. In the long run the Vikings saved money in that Williams' first contract was based on being selected ninth rather than seventh. That was a little perk that appealed greatly to Vikings owner Red McCombs but was unsettling to Williams and his agent. The Ravens, sitting all innocent and still at 10, chose Arizona St pass rusher Terrell Suggs.
Watching this mess take place on TV was confusing and frustrating. Why were these teams picking before Minnesota? The ESPN commentators found it all very funny. They found it even more funny each year after. For Vikings fans, the joke was old immediately. The only thing that the Vikings did wrong was tryst that the Ravens would act professionally. Instead, the Tice-led Vikings were seen as buffoons. Last year, the Ravens and the Chicago Bears agreed to a trade at the end of the first round. The Bears ended up doing the very same thing that the Ravens did eight years earlier. They failed to phone in the trade. The Ravens cried foul and continued crying for days. Poor babies. A few days ago, NFL Network posted a poll of the most memorable draft day moments. The Vikings missed pick of 2003 was on that list. I can think of a few thousand memorable draft day moments before I come close to landing on that one. This one was old and forgettable as soon as it happened. But, that's just me.
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