Vikings Say Goodbye to Papp

Starting running back heads south to division rival Tampa
By "Cole Winter"

Off-Season 2079 (Minneapolis, MN) - The Mike Papp era in Minnesota lasted only one tenuous season. After a year that saw Papp become the first Minnesota halfback to not gain 1,000 yards in 42 seasons, much of the blame for the team missing the playoffs for the third straight season fell on the young back's shoulders. An anonymous league source with knowledge of the situation explained it this way, 'When Tampa came in and made that huge offer to (Papp) the Minnesota front office decided to just let him go and move on.' And that is obviously what happened. When asked whether Minnesota even made any attempt at keeping him, Papp's agent Slick DeLight stated, 'I never even got a phone call from Mr. Lombardo.'

Unless they can find a veteran running back to fill the hole, Minnesota will be entering the 2079 season with third year back Preston Matthews as their starter. Lombardo has said of Matthews, 'We're very high on Preston and we think he can do the job.' Only time will tell if Matthews will be able to start a new streak of Minnesota 1,000 yard rushers.

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