Vikings QB Christian Ponder is ready to take the next step (Associated Press)

I spent yesterday at Winter Park with the Vikings, and I came away impressed with second-year QB Christian Ponder. I’m not even talking about how he played during OTAs.

Using legendary QB Brett Favre as an example, Ponder has, one-by-one, taken teammates out to dinner. He’s trying to be a leader by bonding, spending time with the guys, and growing close. It’s a worthwhile activity.

“If they’re going to follow me, if we’re going to play close together as a team, we have to get closer off the field,” Ponder said. “I really have taken that to heart. It’s something I’m going to try and improve on and do the rest of the offseason.”

This is one reason to have confidence in Ponder. If you wanted another reason, GM Rick Spielman offered me some statistical analysis to explain why he predicts big things from his passer.

Check out my story on Ponder and his progression on NFL.com.

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