So Long Michael Boulware . . .

He signed with Minnesota for an undisclosed amount

The Minnesota Vikings have signed safety Michael Boulware and defensive tackle Kenderick Allen. Both are veterans with starting experience and each will enter their fifth NFL season in 2008.

Boulware is a former second- round pick by Seattle in 2004 where he started 28 regular season games and earned consensus All-Rookie honors in 2004. He started in Super Bowl XL where he had an interception off Ben Roethlisberger and has 13 career picks, including playoffs. He was traded from Seattle to Houston prior to the start of the 2007 season and he saw time in all 16 games for the Texans.

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I didn't even know he was a free agent

A special tear in my eye as the Babin deal finally has some closure. I'm going to miss his occasional special teams tackle and him trailing a wide open receiver. Oh the memories.

... ... ... I hope we get Babin back ....

The only play I remember him from this season is blocking either a FG or an extra point. He did get close a few other times. I guess that's the only thing I'll miss about him.

What's a Babin?

TexanSam said:

I didn't even know he was a free agent

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Neither did I. So what did we give up to pick Babin? Was it two picks? So we end up with nothing.

Vinny said:

I'm going to miss his occasional special teams tackle and him trailing a wide open receiver. Oh the memories.

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I'm hoping he won't be asked to cover any tight ends like Dallas Clark in the NFC North.

Oh, wait, Greg Olsen is up there....

A Babin is a tweener-type, too small to play DE, too slow to play LB, player that your bone-headed GM spends too many picks (or whatever) to trade up to get, presumably because your bone-headed HC told him, "I want this 'Babin' at all costs."

PS-A Babin is still better than a Carr or a Boselli.

PS2-This team needs more Ryans, Daniels, Jones, etc. than Babins, Carrs, and Bosellis. That's why we got Smibiac.

Decent ST player, but I didn't see him do anything for Texans defense...guess our net for the Babin trade is a big zero.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/

VIKES ADD TWO
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 20, 2008, 6:51 p.m.

The Minnesota Vikings today added two defensive free agents, signing safety Michael Boulware.

Decent ST player, but didn't see if do anything for the defense.

“I had a great meeting with the coaches and liked the direction that the organization is going,” Boulware told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “I think this gives me a great opportunity to come here and get better as a player.”

Boulware is expected to back up starting safeties Darren Sharper and Madieu Williams, and he should be a solid addition to the special teams. Boulware spent three seasons with the Seahawks and at one point looked like one of the league’s more promising young safeties, but he lost his starting job in Seattle in 2006 and spent 2007 as a backup in Houston.

Mods pls move to NFL...I thought this was borderline.

Tbd

Here's a link:

http://ww3.startribune.com/vikingsblog/?p=1466

The further we get away from DCX2 and CC "the terrible", the better! We didn't even try to sign him for depth, even with our ??? in our secondary.

really bone headed player, who failed to salvage anything from that blown draft pick(s)

Assigning blame for the Babin deal and I don't see Vic Fangio's name even mentioned? What is wrong with this country? I think Boulware is still looking for Dallas Clark.

IIRC, Boulware was the one who was called for a holding penalty in the last JAX game when AD recovered the fumble. The fact he couldn't play his way onto a greatly depleted Texans secondary speaks volumes. May the remnants of dumb Casserly moves continue to be exorcised from the team.

Texan in Japan said:

Decent ST player, but I didn't see him do anything for Texans defense...guess our net for the Babin trade is a big zero.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/

VIKES ADD TWO
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 20, 2008, 6:51 p.m.

The Minnesota Vikings today added two defensive free agents, signing safety Michael Boulware.

Decent ST player, but didn't see if do anything for the defense.

“I had a great meeting with the coaches and liked the direction that the organization is going,” Boulware told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “I think this gives me a great opportunity to come here and get better as a player.”

Boulware is expected to back up starting safeties Darren Sharper and Madieu Williams, and he should be a solid addition to the special teams. Boulware spent three seasons with the Seahawks and at one point looked like one of the league’s more promising young safeties, but he lost his starting job in Seattle in 2006 and spent 2007 as a backup in Houston.

Mods pls move to NFL...I thought this was borderline.

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I think it was a net 0 for both teams, as Seattle got nothing out of Babin last year as well.

Babin will never live up the hype given to him be Capers.

Jason Babin was just a first round pick that never panned out.

Just like Reggie Bush and Vince Young were both first round picks that won't pan out.

But now Mario, he's definately one that will pan out.

Hoth-Boy said:

I think it was a net 0 for both teams, as Seattle got nothing out of Babin last year as well.

Babin will never live up the hype given to him be Capers.

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I am hesistant to say that. In a world where the 2002 Texans could cut a player like Greg White (because you know, we're just made of depth and we can throw away draft picks like cheap hookers can go through coke) and then the same guy can come back in 2007 for the Tampa Bay Bucs and rack up 8 sacks I'm not counting anybody out until they're way, waaaay out.

Hervoyel said:

I am hesistant to say that. In a world where the 2002 Texans could cut a player like Greg White (because you know, we're just made of depth and we can throw away draft picks like cheap hookers can go through coke) and then the same guy can come back in 2007 for the Tampa Bay Bucs and rack up 8 sacks I'm not counting anybody out until they're way, waaaay out.

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Maybe but I think Babin exploding for a huge seaon ala White is about as likely as Boulware having a double digit INT year.

I guess you're right. Everything associated with the trade to get Babin and the ensuing years of waiting for Babin to step up followed by the trade of Babin is just hard for me to look at. That we end up with absolutely nothing to show for all of it just seems somehow fitting doesn't it?

In hindsight I think that my own disillusionment with the Texans (version 1.0) really did begin with the trade up to secure Babin. I remember thinking "WTF?" during that draft when it was announced that we'd done that. It didn't last for very long but I was like "I have a doubt...." right there at that moment. The next year when they watched them trade down and ignore Jammal Brown and Derrick Johnson (among other notable players still on the board) to settle for Travis "The Slug" Johnson I was hit with another creepy "Oh man this ain't good" moment. 2005 of course was the year that it all came undone and we were finally free.

In both of those seasons in particular Casserly did some inexplicable crap and cost the team dearly. That's one man I think deserves to be repeatedly kicked in the nuts for all the damage he did to the early years of this team. Worst general manager I've ever seen work in my life by a long shot.