Stock Up, Stock Down for Minnesota Vikings Training Camp

At this article's publication, the Minnesota Vikings will have been in training camp for an entire week.

That's right, we're one week into the return of Vikings football.

Are you excited yet?

Local and national media members alike have flocked to Mankato, Minn., to assess and question every single move noteworthy Vikings make.

How was Christian Ponder's form when he received that cup of Gatorade? Did he consume it too quickly? Will he get a brain freeze? Oh the horror!

But seriously, sometimes there is too much analysis. But there are also some legitimate things we've learned this past week.

And that's what we're here to assess. We're talking four Vikings who have legitimately bolstered their cause for 2013 and four who have hurt their chances in 2013 based upon reports from Mankato.

Players can make this list due to on-field performance, off-field reports about their role within the team, how they're reacting to a new role or coaching or what coaches or teammates are saying about them.

SPOILER ALERT: Greg Jennings didn't make this list. What he has to say about Aaron Rodgers won't affect his standing within the team.

Down: Offensive Tackle DeMarcus Love

As if DeMarcus Love didn't have enough competition to make Minnesota's roster, he added his newest foe: a pending four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Love was considered on the bubble to sport Purple & Gold in Week 1, having missed all of 2012 with a torn pectoral muscle, and was on the practice squad for 2011.

Regardless of how he performs the rest of training camp, he'll have that black mark on his résumé. That black mark will force him to perform that much better than his competition, because if there's any doubt among the coaches about who should make the roster, the coaching staff will go against Love.

Up: Wide Receiver Cordarrelle Patterson

The expectations thrust onto Cordarrelle Patterson by many Viking fans are ridiculous.

There has only been one Randy Moss and will only ever be one Randy Moss and Cordarrelle Patterson isn't him.

Patterson is an elite talent, but the fans expecting him to take the NFL by storm like Moss in 1998 are insane. Given time and a willingness to be coached up, Patterson can become an impact receiver. 

Patterson is fourth on the depth chart, according to the Star Tribune, but that story says Patterson (rightfully) should move up that sheet of paper as the season advances. It just comes down to a matter of when.

But if he's willing to continue to work and develop into a more well-rounded receiver, which this NFL.com draft profile cites as a weakness of his, then he'll become something noteworthy one day.

And that's what he's doing, according to Fox Sports North. In that story, Patterson said he'll do what his coaches ask and doesn't expect anything. 

"I just want the ball in my hands," Patterson said in that story. "I feel like a special person. So once I get that ball in my hands, I feel like there's a lot of things I can do with it."

If he works hard and accepts coaching, then the time frame to expect great things of him will creep up sooner rather than later.

Down: Quarterback Christian Ponder

As the Star Tribune points out, it's tough to get a true read on what road Christian Ponder's 2013 season will travel on based upon his showing in training camp thus far.

There have been times he's looked studly and times he's looked like the inconsistent player he's been through his first two seasons.

This is the make-or-break season for Ponder. This is his third year and he's had 26 starts. After this season, should he be the full-time starter, he'll have 42 regular-season starts under his belt entering 2014.

The sample size will be large enough to adequately judge him after this season, especially given the acquisitions of Cordarrelle Patterson and Greg Jennings combined with improvements from Jerome Simpson (he can't be as bad as last season, can he?), Jarius Wright and Kyle Rudolph.

As previously mentioned, Ponder has had his ups and downs in camp.

But given that Minnesota has a veteran quarterback waiting in the wing for the first slip up from the 12th pick of the 2011 draft, the pressure is that much greater on Ponder to cement himself as the starter and make his play eliminate any talk of a potential quarterback controversy.

At this point, there's no reason to believe Matt Cassel won't replace Ponder at some point this season, and that's a negative for Ponder.

Up: Linebacker Desmond Bishop

With concerns about who their third linebacker would be, the Minnesota Vikings took a flier on Desmond Bishop.

The former Green Bay Packer missed all of 2012 with a torn hamstring injury. According to the Star Tribune, Bishop isn't showing signs of the injury being of the lingering variety.

That same story points out that Bishop is still behind Marvin Mitchell in the competition to become the weak-side linebacker. But that's not a huge shocker.

Bishop missed minicamp in May. Mitchell was there.

Mitchell worked with Minnesota and this defense last season. Bishop was recovering from a torn hamstring for most of 2012.

The deck will continue to be stacked against Bishop early. But as we progress in the preseason, Bishop should surpass Mitchell on the depth chart. He is too talented (if fully healthy) to sit behind a player of Mitchell's caliber, even if it's outside his natural position of middle linebacker.

This is a player that posted consecutive 100-plus tackle seasons in 2010 and 2011 when given the opportunity for regular playing time.

Bishop should be a starter come Week 1—it's all a matter of whether it's at middle or outside linebacker.

Down: Defensive Tackle Kevin Williams

Kevin Williams took a pay cut in the offseason to remain a Viking.

And now, according to 1500 ESPN, he's likely to take a cut in playing time, too.

Coach Leslie Frazier told 1500 he wants the 33-year-old Williams on the field for roughly 35 snaps per game. That didn't sit well with the veteran.

"It's low. That's low," Williams told 1500, "We'll work that out, haven't really talked with [Frazier] about reps yet."

The Vikings drafted Sharrif Floyd to be the heir apparent to Williams, and 1500 reports that many of Williams' potentially lost snaps will go to Floyd.

Williams' productivity dropped off in 2012, posting a career-low 30 tackles while playing 859 snaps. Some argue he did the little things well last season, such as creating opportunities for others. I am not buying it.

The former Oklahoma State Cowboy is nearing the end of his career, at least with Minnesota. If this is his last season with the Vikings, it doesn't appear to be starting on the best footing.

If his productivity continues to regress with reduced snaps, it could get ugly.

Up: Wide Receiver Jarius Wright

With Percy Harvin injured for the final six games (excluding the postseason), Jarius Wright found himself assuming a larger role as a rookie. And that's a role he looks to expand further in his sophomore campaign.

Wright caught 22 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns last season, playing mostly in the slot.

This season, he told Fox Sports North that he's out to prove he can make plays from the outside as well. Early in camp, that same article reports Wright has made plays when placed outside.

With Greg Jennings preferring to work from the slot, proving he is able to play outside will get Wright on the field more often. Versatility is Wright's friend in 2013.

Wright demonstrated glimpses of playmaking abilities last season. Minnesota hopes he can continue to develop and help expedite the growth of third-year quarterback Christian Ponder.

So far, Wright is right on track.

Down: Wide Receiver Joe Webb

The top of Minnesota's depth chart, barring any substantial surprises, is set in stone.

Jarius Wright, Greg Jennings, Cordarrelle Patterson and Jerome Simpson are the top four guys (in no particular order).

It's the fifth (and sixth, should Minnesota choose to keep that many receivers) that is up for grabs.

Joe Webb, the former quarterback making the transition to receiver, should be considered to have the inside track on that fifth spot. Minnesota has seen his elite athleticism on display since drafting him in 2010 and should cut him some slack since they are pushing him into a "new" position.

But it's training camp where anything is possible. And so far, the reviews on Webb are mixed.

As 1500 ESPN reports, Webb has shown the ability to run good routes and still is a physical specimen (6'4" and 220 pounds) but has struggled catching the football at times.

When 1500 interviewed Rick Spielman, the general manager said he was optimistic Webb would make the roster at the end of the day. And I believe he will, too.

But he need not give the coaching staff any reason to doubt that any potential impact he could make on special teams won't make up for offensive limitations, like dropping too many passes.

Up: Cornerback Marcus Sherels

Based upon the way he plays cornerback, Marcus Sherels shouldn't be in a Viking uniform in 2013.

Vikings fans have nightmares about some of the plays Sherels got torched on and pray they don't have to see him on the field for defense.

But based upon his versatility on special teams, Sherels could find his way back onto the roster.

He can return kickoffs, punts (he returned one for a touchdown against Detroit last season) and participate on kickoff coverage.

And, as the Star Tribune reports, he has the support of special teams coach Mike Priefer.

"There's so many things that he can do that you trust him about. You just say, 'Marcus, go do it.' And he's going to do it the right way," Priefer told the Star Tribune. "I know he's undersized and I know he's not the fastest guy out there, but he's faster than most people think. He's got great quickness, great intelligence and he's tough."

Sounds like a very strong endorsement from a voice that will matter come cut-down day.