Monday Morning Mailbag

Do you have a comment or question? Send it to the vikings.com Mailbag! Every Monday during the offseason we’ll post several comments and/or questions as part of the vikings.com Monday Morning Mailbag feature. Although we can’t post every comment or question, we will reply to every question submitted.

To submit a comment or question to the mailbag, send an email to Mike Wobschall at wobschallm@vikings.nfl.net. Remember to include your name and town on the email.

The new stadium designs look great! I know it's early, but I'm just curious if you have heard any rumors swirling about what they may name the stadium. If not, do you know when in the process they will decide on a name?
-- Zachary R.
Grand Forks, ND

Minnesota is fortunate to have 19 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, and my sense is the Vikings organization wants one of those Minnesota companies to hold naming rights to the new stadium. This will further enhance what already looks to be a building that will represent many fine qualities of Minnesota, such as progressive architecture, and it will therefore resonate with the residents of this state.

While naming rights is a high-profile part of the stadium process, expect much of this discussion/negotiation to happen behind closed doors. At this point there doesn’t seem to be a specific timetable for an agreement to be finalized, but I don’t expect it to be long, drawn-out process either.

I’m excited about Joe Webb moving to wide receiver. I would think he knows the playbook pretty well having been a quarterback for us. But the question is, does he have the technique? And do you think Webb can develop the technique in a short amount of time to make the team and have an impact? How do you feel about his chances making the team with 10 or so other receivers to compete with?
-- Corey S.

Webb will not be as technique-sound as he needs to be initially, but there’s reason to believe Webb will round into form quickly from that standpoint because A) he’s played the position previously and B) the Vikings have a well-respected wide receivers coach in George Stewart who will work with him diligently on this aspect of his game. Also, as Corey mentioned in his question, Webb also knows the playbook well already and shouldn’t have issues on that end because of his experience playing quarterback the past two seasons in this offense.

In terms of his chances of making the team, that’s nearly impossible to assess at this point. About the only thing we know for sure right now is that, as is the case in most positions, the competition at wide receiver for roster spots this year will be thick and fierce. The Vikings currently have 12 receivers on the roster, and that includes a few guys who should make the team – free agent pickup Greg Jennings, first-round pick Cordarrelle Patterson and second-year pro Jarius Wright. Considering most teams keep anywhere from five-to-seven receivers, you can see that nine or so receivers will be battling for two-to-four spots. Webb will be right in that mix, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t win a job. Aside from developing his technique and knowing the playbook well, one thing that could help Webb earn a spot is for him to show he can contribute on special teams, whether that means returning kicks or covering kicks.

I love the stadium design, but I haven't heard anything about the playing surface. With all the light, will they be going with natural grass or artificial turf? I would also suggest some portable bleachers to pull in front of the glass wall for the Packer fans who prefer to freeze while they watch their team play.
-- Rod P.

The plan is for an artificial surface similar to what currently exists at Mall of America Field to be installed in the new stadium. There is a wide array of companies that produce various types of artificial surfaces, so while the specific type of surface is yet to be determined we do know that it will be artificial.

Do you think that sunlight might be a factor in the Vikings new stadium? Would teams have an advantage in choosing to defend one goal from the other in overtime?
-- Roger A.

Sunlight will be a factor in the new stadium in that we’ll notice it and it will enhance the game-day experience, but it won’t be a factor in terms of competitive advantage or disadvantage for either the Vikings or the opposing team. The ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) material that will comprise a large part of the roof will yield a more “open feel” to the stadium while also defusing the light so it doesn’t create an uncomfortable temperature for fans or players inside the building. In my estimation, the ETFE roof is a unique dynamic that will set this stadium apart from any other stadium in the world. It allows the building and both the events and people that use the building to embrace all seasons and types of weather, which is an appropriate representation of Minnesotans.

I am a season ticket holder and I cannot wait until this new stadium opens. This will put our stadium up there as one of the best in the NFL. How do you feel about the new stadium?
-- Chris L.

When the State’s new stadium opens in 2016, the Vikings won’t have one of the best stadiums in the NFL, they will have the best stadium in the NFL. The venue has been described by its architects as the most versatile building in the world, making it user-friendly year-round for a variety of uses that includes a Super Bowl, NCAA Final Fours, MLS soccer, conventions, concerts, trade shows and more. In addition, some unique architectural features that make the building unique are: the largest pivoting glass doors in the world; the lightest and most efficient roof structure in the country that includes the largest clear ETFE roof in the world; some of the closest seats to the field in the NFL; two of the NFL’s highest-quality HD video boards; a skyway connection to the Minneapolis downtown community; many, many other amenities that make it state-of-the-art and the best venue in the NFL.

As you can tell, I’m ecstatic about the new stadium, and not just for the Vikings organization and members of the staff, such as myself, who will work there. I’m excited about this stadium for the State of Minnesota and for Vikings fans. I’ve seen most other NFL stadiums and I’ve seen the fan experiences those stadiums provide. The Vikings have the best fans in the NFL, and it’s only appropriate that the best fans in the NFL get to enjoy watching their team play in the best stadium in the NFL.

What's it going to be like for the Vikings playing outdoor ball? Do you see any issues that might disrupt the team’s game late in seasons?
-- Mathew D.

Not at all. Mathew raises a good point here in that the Vikings will play late-season home games outdoors during 2014 and 2015, which is a drastic change from their current indoor environment of Mall of America Field. In fact, the current NFL schedule rotation will give the Vikings at least 33 outdoor games in the next three seasons (2013-15). But if you look at the Vikings roster composition, you see a team that prides itself on running the ball and stopping the run. This is a tough, physical, hard-working team that will be able to transition smoothly from the comfort of the indoors at Mall of America Field to the rigors of TCF Bank Stadium during cold-weather, late-season games.

Do you know if people will be able to buy Mall of America Field seats when the new stadium is being built?
-- Brandon F.
Wayne, Nebraska

The Vikings are working with the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) on this issue. They are exploring the idea of making certain items (such as seats) within Mall of America Field available to fans in some capacity. I don’t want to comment with any more specificity than that because the two groups are still working through the process, but my sense is that something will be done to allow fans/season ticket holders/the general public to get their hands on certain items.