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Kyle Rudolph (1 Viewer)

BoltBacker said:
The devil is always in the details(guaranteed money) but on the fact of things it really makes you wonder why they didn't make this decision earlier.... like before the NFL draft.
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Negotiations are tricky. In Rudolphs case they were trying to get a deal done before the draft. They reached an impasse on the details of the deal (Rudolph and agent asking for more garunteed money than the Vikings wanted to pay) and there was a report of these negotiations stalling before the draft.

Instead of drafting Mattison to backup Cook they could have had Sanders/Henderson/Harris which all would have been a pretty big upgrade. Of course, I also think they could have had a better RB by simply drafting Justice Hill instead of Mattison but my opinion may be in the minority as he is a very different style of runner.
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You are not completely alone on this. Arif Hasan who covers the Vikings and in my opinion one of the best journalists to listen to about the Vikings said the same thing on his podcast, that he preferred Justice Hill to Mattison. I can understand that, I like Justice Hill a lot. Hill is more similar to Cook than he is to Murray though. Murray is who they were looking to replace with the Mattison pick. The Vikings seem to like having a big RB as a COP to Cook, which makes sense as one of Cooks weaknesses is running straight into the defense with power. They would like to have a different RB for this purpose. That used to be Murray, now it likely will be Mattison. 

*shrugs you are not the only person who really liked how Hill would fit this offense. Honestly I think Kubiak was on board with the Mattison pick but the only report about this I have read says Mattison was a Stefanski (Vikings OC) favorite. I haven't heard Kubiak talk about Mattison yet (maybe he has I just missed it). It would make a difference to me hearing Kubiaks blessing of the player.

OR they could have drafted Dieter at OG to actually have some quality and depth on OL for the first time since.... my lifetime?
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I would have preferred they draft Du Samia over Deiter who is a better fit for man blocking scheme than zone blocking. They got the guy I thought was a 2nd round value in the 4th round.

OR in a draft with deep quality at WR they could have complimented Diggs/Thielen with a big WR like Metcalf/Arcega-Whiteside.
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Irv Smith obviously higher on their board. Also it is becoming very apparent that the Vikings have been planning to go heavier TE personnel groupings even before Smith fell to them in the 2nd round. 3 WR sets are not a priority anymore for the Vikings. Was discussing this a lot with Andy and other Vikings fans before the draft. They wanted the Vikings to go for a WR higher as well with 3 WR sets in mind. If Theilen or Diggs get injured, then there could be a problem. Treadweell definitely inst the answer.

OR they could have even taken Grier as a developmental QB if they are starting to worry they made the wrong decision with Cousins. Having recently watched the pre-playoff game with CHI it really makes you wonder if they should be developing a guy just in case. Really, I don't understand why more teams aren't developing a second QB.
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In the 2nd round? Your losing me now.

It just seems like they could have gone so many different directions in the draft if they had made these hard decisions/negotiations BEFORE the draft. And please don't explain to me that they needed a blocking TE. Yeah, every team in the NFL has a blocking TE on the roster.... they just don't generally burn the 50th overall pick on a blocking TE. They generally sign for the vet minimum or get drafted on day 3, and often not early on day 3 of the draft. Conklin was a recent 5th rounder so I guess they are dedicated to being REALLY deep at TE.
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Actually the Vikings used a 2nd round pick on Jim Kleinsasser back in the day. Great blocker. Perhaps the best blocking TE/FB in Vikings history. I recall Bloom saying this was a wasted pick by them at the time, and I don't really disagree with him as far as draft capital goes but Kleinsasser was a good pick.

Irv Smith no where near the blocker that Sauce was, nor is he as good at that as David Morgan who the Vikings already have (and who should play a lot) or Rhett Ellison who now plays for the Giants.

Irv Smith is a receiving TE whos body type and skill set reminds me of Steve Jordan more than any other TE they have had. I don't think the Vikings planned to select him as he should have been drafted before pick 50. They got lucky so they took him.

If this all sounds like a diatribe from a Rudolph dynasty owner that was hoping to spin the wheel and have him land in a better destination(Oak/NE).... it is. The assumption of rational roster management by NFL teams often times will come back to bite you. He's been "Good" in MIN and I expect that to continue, I just think he could have been great in some other places.
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He could be better for your fantasy team if he went somewhere else and got 120 targets again. I totally agree.

I think the Vikings front office has done more planning than you may be aware of though.

 
Biabreakable said:
Hill is more similar to Cook than he is to Murray though. Murray is who they were looking to replace with the Mattison pick. The Vikings seem to like having a big RB as a COP to Cook, which makes sense as one of Cooks weaknesses is running straight into the defense with power. They would like to have a different RB for this purpose. That used to be Murray, now it likely will be Mattison. 
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I think this is a great point.

Still, if it were me and I were trying to build around Cook on a team that wan't to run, run, and run some more I would have just taken the BPA@RB and if I needed a compliment just grabbed another guy later. As things turned out they could have used pick #247 on E.Holyfield/A.Barnes or used pick #217 on M.Weber. I really like Dillon Mitchell(pick#239) and not only think he has a chance to crack the roster but very well could be WR#3 by the end of the season so I wouldn't change anything about that pick. Honestly, I kind of expected Snell to be available somewhere close to pick #217 but Steelers gonna Steeler. If you ask me any one of the guys I just listed with Cook/Hill would have been so much more exciting and deep than what they have now.

But I digress, because that's all assuming you are using your 2nd round pick on a backup TE. IMO there are times on the NFL calendar where you have to make hard decisions. They should have made their decisions with regard to Rudolph before the draft and traded him on draft day for WHATEVER to gain the salary cap space they needed or signed him to the extension before hand. It sounds like Rudolph wanted to stay in MIN all along so I have a hard time believing he wouldn't have signed something similar before the draft but admittedly that is purely speculation on my part. He certainly didn't seem pressured into doing anything before the extension was signed just recently, though.

 
Well they were talking with teams about trading Rudolph before and during the draft. 

They didnt get an offer they liked enough to take it.

I think there were still some trade talks post draft as well but not rich enough offers then either.

The asking price for Rudolph I am guessing was a 2nd or 3rd round pick just based on the size of Rudolph's contract they could have possibly got a 3rd round comp pick if they didnt sign him to an extension. 

I dont think Rudolph is worth what they are paying him but the Vikings value him more than I do. His blocking still sucks.

 
Kyle Rudolph doesn't expect the Vikings' offense to become less run established.

"That’s the kind of offense that coach Zimmer wants to have, that’s the kind of mentality that we’ve had success with in the past," Rudolph, who has four catches for 20 yards, said. "We run the football, we play good defense, we change field position on special teams and we win games in the fourth quarter." Rudolph is barely even a TE2 in the Vikings' new-look offense.

SOURCE: Courtney Cronin on Twitter

Sep 26, 2019, 1:57 PM ET
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Rudolph has played 92% of snaps.  He is on pace for 19 receptions and 115 yards.  It is a level of futility hard to imagine.

 
Kyle Rudolph caught 6-of-8 targets for 58 yards and one score in Minnesota's Week 7 win over the Lions.

Rudolph's targets, catches and yards were all season-high marks. Sunday's touchdown was also his first of the season, putting the Vikings up by two scores with only 1:10 remaining in regulation. Although an encouraging performance, it can be scratched off as an outlier considering rookie Irv Smith (5/60) and FB C.J. Ham (1/5/1) were also involved through the air in this one. Barring a monumental shift in usage, Rudolph remains a fantasy bust.
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Listened to Rudolph interview after the game and I loved how he said he hasn't been a good blocker in the past but this is something he has really focused on improving.

It shows on the field.

 
Kyle Rudolph caught 3-of-3 targets for 17 yards in the Vikings' Week 8 win over the Redskins.

Coming off his best two-game stretch of the year, Rudolph could have had a bigger night, but the Vikings didn't have to throw after the break. When Kirk Cousins did throw a pass, it was an easy completion (23-fo-26). Rudolph will be needed for more against the Chiefs in Week 9, but he can't be trusted as anything more than a mid-range TE2. The veteran is on pace for a pathetic 34/292/2 at the season's mid-way point.
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Kyle Rudolph caught 5-of-5 targets for 67 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' Week 11 win over the Broncos.

Unlike Week 10 against the Cowboys, Rudolph's score was a legitimate big play. Sprung by beautiful play action execution, Rudolph had the entire left side of the field to himself as he housed a 32-yard score. Rudolph has been much more involved as a pass catcher with Adam Thielen on the shelf, but Thielen should return after the Vikes' Week 12 bye. Especially with all 32 teams playing in Week 13, Rudolph will revert to uncertain TE2 status.

Nov 17, 2019, 6:56 PM ET
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Kyle Rudolph caught 4-of-6 targets for 50 yards and one touchdown in the Vikings' Week 13 loss to the Seahawks.

Rudolph has scored in four straight games and five of the last six, giving him six scores in that span after not finding the end zone Weeks 1-6. He's topped 36 yards three times this year. A major TD-or-bust entity, Rudolph gets the Lions at home in Week 14. Rudolph had 5-58-1 against them in Week 7.

Dec 3, 2019, 12:22 AM ET
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His perceived lack of usage at beginning of season, after all the trade talks and eventual extension, was baffling.  Thankfully they’ve decided to lean on him more, he’s certainly helped out at a position that hasn’t been steady all year

 
Mystery Achiever said:
The timing of Rudolph's ascent dovetails with when Thielen barely played or was out. 
https://www.fantasypros.com/nfl/games/adam-thielen.php
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This is an excellent point as Rudolph averaged 1.8 targets in the first 6 games of the season with Theilen healthy and 5 targets per game the last 6 games with Theilen out of the line up.

To that point Adam Theilen did not practice today although the optimism is high for him to return as always.

 
The unknown is whether his usage reverts with Thielen back or if Cousins is now used to working with him. leading to a more even distribution. I only have Rudolph in a consolation bracket "means nothing" game, but I still think I'll only use  him if Thielen is out.

(eta- To clarify, I use Andrews as TE; Rudolph consideration is for flex)

 
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Kyle Rudolph caught 4-of-5 targets for 63 yards in the Vikings' Week 10 win over the Bears.

Rudolph's night began with the Bears forcing a fumble on him that they then recovered. It was the 10-year veteran's first lost fumble ever. Fortunately for Rudolph, his 63 receiving yards were a high dating back to Week 11 of 2019. His big day was likely the result of second-year tight end Irv Smith being inactive for this game. The most targets Rudolph had seen in a game this season up to this point were four. Once Smith returns, Rudolph will likely lose all of his recently-gained fantasy value.

Nov 16, 2020, 11:56 PM ET
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Kyle Rudolph caught 7-of-8 targets for 68 yards in the Vikings' Week 12 win over the Panthers.

No Adam Thielen and Irv Smith made Rudolph a strong TE2 streamer option, and he paid off in a big way after the Vikings found themselves trailing by multiple scores for the entire second half. Rudolph was a chain mover, but touchdowns went to Justin Jefferson (x2) and Chad Beebe. Depending on the statuses of Thielen and Smith, Rudolph could be in play next week against the Jaguars.

- Rotoworld
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Kyle Rudolph ran 37 pass routes in Week 12 against Carolina, the second most among all tight ends headed into Monday night. 

With Irv Smith sidelined, Rudolph caught 7-of-8 targets for 68 yards against the Panthers, serving as an excellent streaming option. Only Hunter Henry has ran more pass routes than Rudolph this week. Game script generated more opportunity for Rudolph -- along with Justin Jefferson -- in a back-and-forth game in which the Vikings couldn't take the air out of the ball in the second half. The Vikings seem unlikely to see similar game flow next week against the Jaguars. 

RELATED: 

Irv Smith

Nov 30, 2020, 9:19 AM ET
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Kyle Rudolph (foot) did not practice Wednesday.

He and Irv Smith (back) were sidelined Wednesday, leaving Tyler Conklin as the No. 1 tight end. The Vikings are planning to sign TE Hale Hentges to the 53-man roster as insurance.

Dec 9, 2020, 5:43 PM ET
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Kyle Rudolph (foot) is doubtful for Week 14 against the Buccaneers.

"He's a pretty fast healer so we'll just see," coach Mike Zimmer said on Rudolph's pending outlook. Even so, Rudulph was unable to practice at any point this week and appears all but ruled out for Sunday. Assuming Irv Smith (groin, questionable) is able to go after back-to-back sessions, he would file in as an on-the-bubble TE1 given the inevitable shootout between these two teams on Sunday.

SOURCE: Courtney Cronin on Twitter

Dec 11, 2020, 1:45 PM ET
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@Broncobiv

Kyle Rudolph (foot) didn't practice Wednesday. 

Rudolph has yet to practice since going down in Week 13. The Vikings said he was close despite being listed as doubtful last week. Irv Smith will remain a plug-and-play TE1 if Rudolph misses another game.

Dec 16, 2020, 2:39 PM ET
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Kyle Rudolph (foot) is out for Week 15 against the Bears. 

Irv Smith, who caught four of four targets for 65 yards and a score last week with Rudolph sidelined, becomes a top streaming option against Chicago. Tight ends have seen 24.83 percent of the targets against the Bears this season, the second highest rate in the league behind only the Bengals. The Panthers and Bills are the only teams that have allowed more tight end receptions than the Bears in 2020. Smith is a high-end TE2 this week. 

RELATED: 

Irv Smith

SOURCE: Minnesota Vikings on Twitter 

Dec 18, 2020, 2:11 PM ET
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Kyle Rudolph (foot) is out for Week 17 against the Lions. 

Rudolph is technically being sent to injured reserve, which is just a formality at this point since the Vikings' season will be over this time next week. Sidelined since Week 13, 31-year-old Rudolph heads into the offseason with his lowest catch (28) and yardage (334) totals since 2014. Due a whopping $7.65 million next season, Rudolph's release would clear more than $5 million in cap space. That number increases to $8 million if he's designated a post-June 1 cut. With Irv Smith continuing to come on, Rudolph will probably at the very least be asked to restructure his contract. Rudolph is a low-upside hold in Dynasty leagues. 

Dec 29, 2020, 4:39 PM ET
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Kyle Rudolph said he wouldn't take a pay cut for the same role he had in 2020.

Rudolph shared on the Unrestricted with Ben Leber Podcast that he hasn't been happy with his usage over the last two seasons. Rudolph had a career-low one receiving touchdown last season and watched his target share drop in favor of Irv Smith, Adam Thielen, and Justin Jefferson. Heading into his age-32 season, Rudolph feels like he can contribute more as a receiver instead of falling into the blocking and mentor role. The Vikings and Rudolph may divorce this offseason. A pre-June 1 trade or release would save Minnesota $5.0 million against the cap but comes with $4.4 million in dead money. If Rudolph is let go, Irv Smith would become a more attractive TE2. He was the TE22 per game as a second-year pro.

RELATED: 

Irv Smith

SOURCE: Unrestricted with Ben Leber Podcast

Feb 16, 2021, 1:15 PM ET
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Vikings released TE Kyle Rudolph. 

A Viking his entire 10-year career, Rudolph was on the record as not willing to take a pay cut, making this an expected cut. The move clears $5.037 million in cap space,  a number that increases to $7.937 million if he is designated as a post-June 1 release. Headed into his age-32 campaign, Rudolph's 28 receptions last season were his fewest since his injury-shortened 2014. He made it clear in a February interview that did not sit well with him. Rudolph's experience and wingspan should draw plenty of interest as a goal-line threat and chain mover. His departure from Minnesota paves the TE2 way for Irv Smith, a third-year pro who could make the leap to TE1 status in 2021. 

RELATED: 

Irv Smith

SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter 

Mar 2, 2021, 5:43 PM ET
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Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reports Kyle Rudolph would be interested in signing with the Browns if the team doesn't retain David Njoku. 

This comes as NESN's Doug Kyet reports the Patriots are interested in signing the veteran tight end. Cabot cited a source who said Rudolph -- released by the Vikings on Tuesday -- would be open to reuniting with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who was Minnesota's offensive coordinator in 2019. That year, the lumbering Rudolph caught 39 passes for 367 yards and six touchdowns on 48 targets. Njoku probably won't be back with Cleveland. He's heading into his fifth-year option year at $6.013 million, and since the salary isn't guarantee until the first day of the league year March 17, the Browns can release Njoku with no dead cap space or trade him. Rudolph's addition to Cleveland's roster likely won't affect Austin Hooper's opportunity any more than Njoku or Harrison Bryant did in 2020. 

RELATED: 

David Njoku

, Harrison Bryant

, Cleveland Browns

, New England Patriots

SOURCE: Cleveland.com 

Mar 3, 2021, 9:53 AM ET
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NESN's Doug Kyed reports free agent Kyle Rudolph is interested in signing with the Patriots.

The Patriots were involved in trade talks for Rudolph before he signed an extension with the Vikings in 2019. They could be a potential landing spot, though Rudolph isn't much of an upgrade on Ryan Izzo, and his presence would likely block one of Dalton Keene or Devin Asiasi after New England invested a pair of third-round picks in them last offseason. Rudolph has also expressed interest in signing with the Browns.

RELATED: 

New England Patriots

, Cleveland Browns

SOURCE: NESN

Mar 6, 2021, 12:21 PM ET
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Giants signed TE Kyle Rudolph, formerly of the Vikings, to a two-year, $14 million contract.

Rudolph wanted to out of Minnesota because he wasn't being utilized as a pass-catcher. The 31-year-old had 367 and 334 yards over his last two seasons with Kirk Cousins in town. But now he'll compete with Evan Engram for looks over the middle. It's possible that Engram is traded before the season, however, as he only has one-year, $6.0 million left on his rookie contract. Either way, Rudolph doesn't project well in fantasy for 2021. The Giants are looking to sign Kenny Golladay this evening.

RELATED: 

Evan Engram

, Minnesota Vikings

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter

Mar 18, 2021, 2:49 PM ET
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NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports the Giants' medical staff is concerned with Kyle Rudolph's foot.

The team doctors believe Rudolph will need surgery, which means his two-year contract may have to be re-worked. It's possible Rudolph is released without playing a snap in New York, although there are other ways to keep him around at a likely less lucrative salary. He was signed to compete with Evan Engram at tight end, but Rudolph was best viewed as a low-ceiling TE3 in fantasy circled even at full health. The Giants will be shoving the ball to Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay in 2021.

SOURCE: Mike Garafolo on Twitter

Mar 23, 2021, 6:31 PM ET
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TE Kyle Rudolph signed with the Giants after an issue with his medical status cropped up this week. 

Our long national nightmare is over. Rudolph will get $12 million over two years, with $4.5 million guaranteed. The team's medical correctly believed Rudolph would require surgery on the foot that kept him out for much of the 2020 season. Rudolph will reportedly undergo surgery and be ready for Week 1. Rudolph will presumably play behind Evan Engram and will have no fantasy value unless Engram misses time in 2021. 

RELATED: 

Evan Engram

SOURCE: ProFootballTalk.com 

Mar 24, 2021, 11:24 AM ET
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Kyle Rudolph (foot surgery) is expected to be ready for training camp. 

Rudolph got in some light minicamp reps this week, so he should be 100 percent for camp late next month. Although he should see some red zone looks, there are not going to be enough targets to go around in this offense for Rudolph to generate anything more than touchdown-based TE2 streaming value in fantasy. 

SOURCE: NJ.com 

Jun 10, 2021, 6:08 PM ET
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Kyle Rudolph (foot surgery) will open training camp on the PUP list. 

Rudolph was expected to be ready for the start of training camp, so this isn't ideal for his early season status. It remains unclear if the tight end suffered a setback. Rudolph got surgery fairly late in the offseason after his medical with the Giants flagged an issue, so he may simply be working back from foot surgery.

RELATED: 

Evan Engram

SOURCE: Zack Rosenblatt on Twitter

Jul 22, 2021, 5:28 PM ET
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Kyle Rudolph caught 4-of-5 targets for 20 yards in the Giants' Week 9 win over the Raiders.

Rudolph led the Giants in targets and receptions this week although he unsurprisingly finished fourth in receiving yards. With Sterling Shepard out and Kenny Golladay returning for his first game since Week 5, New York opted for a heavy dose of both tight ends. Rudolph could get some extra run until Sterling Shepard returns but his mark of 5.2 yards per target on the year speaks for itself. He can remain off all fantasy rosters.

- NBC SportsEDGE
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