The Facts: NFL Media's Albert Breer reports Ponder will share first-team reps in offseason practices, along with Matt Cassel and first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater.
Diehards Line:As NFL.com's Chris Wesseling notes, the Vikings continue to send conflicting signals regarding Ponder's future with the club. Cassel was released and quickly re-signed to serve as a "bridge" starter. The Vikes then declined Ponder's $9.6 million fifth-year option for 2015. Then GM Rick Spielman insisted Ponder wasn't on the trade block entering the 2014 NFL Draft because the Vikings didn't want to be left with only one quarterback on the roster. Now that Bridgewater has joined Cassel in a quarterback competition, Ponder would seem to be the odd man out -- until he starts getting some first-team reps. Also worth noting: Ponder has dropped 2 percent of his body fat and gained five pounds of muscle, per Breer. Given all the evidence, Wesseling suggested a portion of those additional five pounds is the "'For Sale!' sign now dangling from Ponder's neck. ..." Wesseling believes teams with an established star such as the Packers, Saints, Panthers and Falcons should kick the tires on Ponder this summer instead of devoting late-round 2015 draft picks to long-shot developmental quarterbacks.