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***OFFICIAL*** Minnesota Vikings 2016 Season Thread (1 Viewer)

snogger

snogger

Footballguy
Free agency starting, and trades already happening it is time for the 2016 thread to begin!! :popcorn:

 
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Vikings also save money by cutting Mike Wallace.

Happy to see Loadholt back. The Vikings still need to address the tackle or guard position through the draft if possible.

Other signings have been RFAs and the Vikings also signed DT Ellis and LB Audie Cole to a one year deals.

Vikings, Sendejo Agree to a Four-Year Contract

4 years for Sendejo. Jerry Gray pointed out in an interview I listed to that Sendejo started most of the 2015 games and was an important part of a top 5 defense.

In my opinion Sendejo has been the weakest link of the defense and I would love to see the position upgraded. If that happens then Sendejo will be a quality back up option who has a lot of experience playing within the structure of the defense.

 
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Biabreakable said:
Vikings also save money by cutting Mike Wallace.

Happy to see Loadholt back. The Vikings still need to address the tackle or guard position through the draft if possible.

Other signings have been RFAs and the Vikings also signed DT Ellis and LB Audie Cole to a one year deals.

Vikings, Sendejo Agree to a Four-Year Contract

4 years for Sendejo. Jerry Gray pointed out in an interview I listed to that Sendejo started most of the 2015 games and was an important part of a top 5 defense.

In my opinion Sendejo has been the weakest link of the defense and I would love to see the position upgraded. If that happens then Sendejo will be a quality back up option who has a lot of experience playing within the structure of the defense.
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$30 Million saved by releasing Wallace is big.. Looking over the WR Free agents out there.. :oldunsure:

Not anything to get excited about which leads me to believe WR will be our 1st round pick.

 
So we can give Sendejo 4 mil a year but can't come up with a couple more mil a year to sign Iloka to play alongside Harrison for the next 5 years? I don't get it.

 
I do like the Boone pickup though. Lessens the disappointment of not getting Iloka a little bit. 

 
yea they were saying on the radio Sendejo was ranked like 77 out of 80 some safeties last season. Not sure what exactly that means or how they measure that but he was pretty weak last season regardless. Hoping they can find a better starter there...

 
No Iloka for you!  Nelson is a good player though and certainly Zim will know how to use him if you guys sign him.  I would think you guys would be the favorite for his services.

Now stop trying to steal all my Bengals ;)

-QG

 
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We don't know what the behind doors thinking was on all of this.  Maybe Iloka and Smith are too similar and we didn't want to offer the bank to a concept that might not have worked?  I'm betting we'll get a FS at some point to compete with Sendejo though.

Boone is a great pickup.  If he hit FA two years ago, he'd have been one of the most sought after linemen in the league.  He's going a little under the radar after having some complaints in San Fran and a somewhat underwhelming season.  Could be a great pickup though.  I like the under the radar guys we've gotten the last few years... Linval Joseph anyone?

 
Isn't Boone the guy that wanted to fight Harbaugh because he worked them too hard? 

I think the guy is a bit of a headcase, though probably minor compared to a lot of NFL players. Good signing for the Purple. 

 
Well Nelson, Weddle, and Gipson still out there for the Vikings to fill their gaping hole at Safety. Vincent Rey still being talked about also so maybe we aren't done yet. Wouldn't mind inquiring on Jermaine Kearse at WR. Bigger WR with good hands and runs crisp routes. Seems to be a low key team first guy from what I have observed from far away. 

 
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Beo said:
So we can give Sendejo 4 mil a year but can't come up with a couple more mil a year to sign Iloka to play alongside Harrison for the next 5 years? I don't get it.
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A few analysts have said the same thing that the post below said.  We shouldn't be too surprised about Iloka not signing.  The talk is that him and Smith both play a similar game and Iloka is most effective in the box.  Who knows, maybe an offer was extended, but they didn't want to break the bank on him for that reason.  I would imagine Zimmer knows Iloka pretty well and would have a justified reason to sign or in this case not sign him.  In Zimmer we trust.

encaitar said:
We don't know what the behind doors thinking was on all of this.  Maybe Iloka and Smith are too similar and we didn't want to offer the bank to a concept that might not have worked?  I'm betting we'll get a FS at some point to compete with Sendejo though.

Boone is a great pickup.  If he hit FA two years ago, he'd have been one of the most sought after linemen in the league.  He's going a little under the radar after having some complaints in San Fran and a somewhat underwhelming season.  Could be a great pickup though.  I like the under the radar guys we've gotten the last few years... Linval Joseph anyone?
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Free Agency: Vikings Active on Day One

People are penciling in at LG right now the Vikings. Boone is 6' 8" which is very tall for a guard. He has played some tackle. They also signed Mike Harris who has played RG and RT for the Vikings (not well at tackle). So if Sullivan is healthy that is Boone, Fusco, Sullivan, Harris and Berger to work with inside.

The also signed safety Michael Griffin from the Titans. Not sure how well he played last season or if he is better than Sendejo.

 
Biabreakable said:
Free Agency: Vikings Active on Day One

People are penciling in at LG right now the Vikings. Boone is 6' 8" which is very tall for a guard. He has played some tackle. They also signed Mike Harris who has played RG and RT for the Vikings (not well at tackle). So if Sullivan is healthy that is Boone, Fusco, Sullivan, Harris and Berger to work with inside.

The also signed safety Michael Griffin from the Titans. Not sure how well he played last season or if he is better than Sendejo.
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Also heard Andre Smith is coming in for a visit. If nothing else, they are creating major competition on the line which wasn't very good last year. Also, Clemmings was initially thought to be a guard as well. 

I love what they have done so far...solidify depth and then draft well (hopefully) at the "glamour" positions so you get them cheaper...

 
Any word on Reggie Nelson? I haven't heard any news or rumors concerning him since Day 1 when it was reported we were interested. 

 
I wouldn't mind kicking the tires on Bjoern Werner. He flopped as a 3-4 edge rusher but I always thought he should have been a 4-3 DE instead. He has alot of talent and I think Zimmer would be the perfect guy to coach him up. I know we have Hunter waiting in the wings to take over for BRob but as a rotational backup I think Werner would be good pickup. 

 
I'm also in the same boat of why did we re-sign Sendejo when he played poorly last year and $4 million per for 4 yrs?  YIKES.  Griffin signing is puzzling too. I would have referred to draft someone in the 2nd or 3rd round at Safety, but perhaps that will still happen now, but with what we have in depth, plus the possibility of Newman re-signing and playing some Safety too, there's not going to be a lot of playing time to go around to whomever we draft.

Boone signing is very nice.  From what I read, he's a bit of a head-case which is welcomed here.  Also he spoke to a number of guys who are on the team who told him what the locker-room is like so he WANTED to come here.  That is something that not many wanted to come here.  Having a good player's coach, a new stadium and a good young team on the rise will only make this happen more and more.

So what's next for us?  I heard somewhere that we were trying to get Marvin Jones but lost out to the Lions, so does that mean we are targeting WR with our first pick?  I don't see us going for O-line early on with all the guys we have under contract.  I'd have to think WR goes in first 2 rounds for us.

I still think we're going to trade down from our current draft spot to obtain 10 picks again.  We didn't gain any comp picks so we still have 7 picks

 
FunkyPlutos said:
Also heard Andre Smith is coming in for a visit. If nothing else, they are creating major competition on the line which wasn't very good last year. Also, Clemmings was initially thought to be a guard as well. 

I love what they have done so far...solidify depth and then draft well (hopefully) at the "glamour" positions so you get them cheaper...
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Andre Smith although somewhat old would give the Vikings 3 legitimate starters at tackle. Offensive linemen can play well into their mid thirties, so these guys being 30ish does not mean they can't play at a high level for 3+ more years.

I agree it is too soon to count Clemmings out of the rotation as well. He did not play well and I would hope the Vikings have someone better than he was starting in 2016. He is a young player however and inexperienced playing offensive line as well being converted from defense. He may end up being good in a few years. Not sure if tackle or guard is his best fit. I don't think he should be starting based on how he played last season.

 
From what I am hearing Andre Smith is more of a run blocker than pass blocker. Similar to Loadholt. The Bengals used a bunch of draft picks on tackles recently. Two of them last year. So it makes sense that they are letting Smith go. I am just not sure he would really help unless Kalil regresses again. He is old, so not a long term solution if he did end up replacing Loadholt this season.

I was happy to learn that Boone has played LT before, when Luke Staley was injured. The 49ers did not throw the ball much when he was starting at LT but they had some exceptional 200 yard rushing games with him there. It is good to know that Boone could be an option there in a pinch.

I guess I do see Smith being an upgrade unless Loadholt cannot play this year.

 
So, not counting on a OL Draftpick what does the OL look like?  The only sure thing is Sullivan at C, right?

 
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I think Sullivan was the Vikings best offensive lineman before his back injury. So if he is fully recovered (which is worrisome with back injuries) he may be the best lineman they have in 2016. Berger played very well in his place, so if he isn't recovered Berger has shown he play well with little or no drop off. Boone, Fusco, Harris and Berger would be the top options at guard. Possibly Clemmings if he isn't kept at tackle. There are a couple more players the Vikings have as developmental prospects as well, but these should be the four who make the team I would think. Clemmings played tackle all last year though so it would make sense to try to keep developing him there. Kalil, Loadholdt, Smith, Clemmings would be the top tackles going into camp. There is also Shepherd and Bykowski back from IR to compete at tackle in camp.

If the Vikings keep 10 offensive linemen on the final roster I would expect them to be Sullivan, Berger, Kalil, Boone, Fusco, Harris, Loadholt, Smith, Clemmings,Shepherd.

I feel pretty good about this group across the board although none of the tackles are very good in pass protection. 

If the Vikings add more offensive linemen through the draft then Clemmings and Shepherd could be on the bubble to make the team unless the Vikings decide to keep 11 linemen.

Smith is actually making more money than Loadholt is after he re-negotiated his deal. I still would give the inside track to Loadholt to win the starting job, Smith is nice insurance. Smith is only signed for 2016 so drafting a tackle to take over his spot next season still makes sense. Rick likes one year deals.

As far as the rest of free agency the Vikings brought back usual suspects in Asiata, Sherrels, Theilen and Ellison is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery and has signed a new deal with the Vikings for 2016. So most of the players from 2015 will be back for training camp. 

 
Interestingly enough, Vikings now have the NFL's most expensive OLine (and probably not the best still)

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25520429/vikings-sign-andre-smith-have-the-nfls-most-expensive-o-line

Loadholt took a pay cut to stay with the team this season, but given his injury, seems unlikely to come away with the right tackle job. Boone and Smith, guard Brandon Fusco (or Michael Harris), returning center John Sullivan (missed last season after knee surgery), and left tackle Matt Kalil seem like the likely starters at this point. It's still not a top-flight offensive line, but it should be a sizable improvement over last year.
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Also, I know a lot of lineman are trained at multiple positions, so I wonder if the line might shuffle a bit to make sure the best 5 players are on the line.

 
So does this pretty much mean we're going WR with our first pick?  I'd think that we're going to slide from our #23 spot not, just not sure if it's up or down.  Yes I know Spielman likes to have 10 draft picks but we don't need 10 draft picks now do we?  We'll have a hard enough time trying to stash 5 or 6 of these guys on the practice squad so I wouldn't be surprised if we trade up a few spots and maybe throw in a lineman as part of that bait to do so.  I'd think with the draft being very deep at the DT spot, we'll get one by the end of day 2?

 
I really wish there was some way to get up and get Ramsey in the draft. He would put this Defense into a league of their own. Just think of how many looks we could throw at an offense with Harrison and Ramsey being virtually interchangeable and also being able to move Ramsey to corner at any given moment. Barr, Kendricks, Ramsey, and Harry always lining up in different spots to hide coverages and blitzes. Zimmer could do so much damage it would be scary. We have alot of current players coming up for extensions soon so I would not be opposed to burning a couple 1st rounders and some 2nd rounders to move up to get Ramsey.

 
Cjw_55106 said:
A couple of firsts and some seconds? Count me out. 
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It is alot but all I have to do is think of all the 1st and 2nd round busts we have had and just think that for the price of Christian Ponder, Cordarelle Patterson, Chris Cook, and Toby Gerhart we can move up and get the best player in the draft. Ok I'll toss in a Tarvaris Jackson and a Raonall Smith as well to get Ramsey.....lol. 

 
It is interesting to think about Beo as I agree that would make the secondary very very good.

But I don't see any way that Rick pays the price it would require to be able to move up that far.

While there have been bust picks I think RIck is batting above 500 on players panning out and some of them have been special, such as Harrison Smith, More picks = more chances to get a good player. You trade away all your picks for one guy now all your eggs are in the same basket. When teams have done this in the past, it didn't really work out too well. Ditka trading his whole draft for Ricky Williams for example.

 
I'd rather just sit tight or move up a few spots to ensure Josh Doctson, and hope Zimmer can work his magic with 2nd or 3rd round talent.

 
Biabreakable said:
It is interesting to think about Beo as I agree that would make the secondary very very good.

But I don't see any way that Rick pays the price it would require to be able to move up that far.

While there have been bust picks I think RIck is batting above 500 on players panning out and some of them have been special, such as Harrison Smith, More picks = more chances to get a good player. You trade away all your picks for one guy now all your eggs are in the same basket. When teams have done this in the past, it didn't really work out too well. Ditka trading his whole draft for Ricky Williams for example.
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Yeah I don't think Rick is doing a bad job but my thinking is that we have had alot of picks the past couple of years and our focus has to turn to keeping all the talent we have assembled through the draft rather than adding 20 more draft picks the next 2 years. I mean realistically how many more draft picks can crack the starting lineup? Our Defense is 1 great player away from elite and we have a 2 year window here with Adrian to get to the Super Bowl. I think the time is now to go up to 3 and snag Ramsey. That will still give us a couple of picks this year and next to grab some depth and who knows maybe hit on another Diggs in the 5th or so. It is costly but I think worth it. You think the Falcons care about those picks they gave up to get Julio Jones? Didn't they turn out to be like Barkevious Mingo and a couple other gimps? 

 
As much as I like Ramsey, I can't see us going that way.  I would not be surprised if we do trade up to get someone, maybe a WR before some of the other teams around our current draft position trades up.  I don't see us trading down to get the traditional 10 picks that Spielman likes to do.  We don't have that many spots available on our roster now.  I would think we're going to go after a WR or another DL, preferably someone to challenge Robison and Hunter at DE early on, then a LB and DL help soon/early after, yes perhaps two D-line early.

 
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I agree that the roster has improved to a point where it will be difficult for rookies to make the team. I don't think that is enough of a reason for Rick to change a philosophy that has been working. This kind of thinking reminds me of the draft where right after the made the NFC title game which they lost to the Saints. The team was in win now mode with Favre and Peterson and they neglected to keep improving the team through the draft. The team got old and bad really quickly following that type of thinking.

Defensive line does need to be addressed because we need to have 3 DE who can start for injury insurance and to use rotation to keep them fresh. Griffen and Hunter are both young so it may not be seen as an immediate need, but it would be better to have another developmental end in place for when Robison does decline. At defensive tackle the Vikings have a rotation of four players in Joseph, Floyd, Tom Johnson and Shamar Stephen. They also signed Ellis who filled in for Stephen as the back up NT who has experience in the system. From what I saw of him the little that he played, he did not play as well as Stephen did in his limited chances. Floyd has not been able to stay healthy a full season yet. He needs to if he wants the Vikings to consider his 5th year option. There are many good defensive tackles in this draft, so adding additional insurance would give the Vikings more flexibility in regards to their decision about Floyd later on.

That said I think another  safety is more important to completing the defense than a developmental DE or a DT. There are quite a few good safety prospects, none of them are Ramsey, but many of them such as Cash could play well in a more SS role, while there are also some guys who might be functional as a FS. I would expect the Vikings to address the safety position in the second or third round. There are enough of these lower level prospects that I do not think the Vikings need to reach to fill the position, they do have Sendejo who isn't the worst safety in the league by any means. He could start for several other teams as well I think. But if they do not add a safety in the draft then I think that would be an indication that they really like Anthony Harris, who I did think played well in coverage, he plays the ball and that is what the Vikings need is another safety who can play the ball, but he needs work on his tackling and just getting stronger in general.

 
Joe Berger played well at center last season and Fusco can move to center if needed as well. With Boone and Harris available to play guard the Vikings should be fine. Perhaps this will free up a roster spot for one of those developmental centers the Vikings picked up last season.

 
Biabreakable said:
Joe Berger played well at center last season and Fusco can move to center if needed as well. With Boone and Harris available to play guard the Vikings should be fine. Perhaps this will free up a roster spot for one of those developmental centers the Vikings picked up last season.
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That article is from October of last year.

 
simsarge said:
.
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So if not WR with our top pick at #23, what else would we consider to go for?  I can see some D-line help we'd go after day 2 but would we go after a D-lineman first then hope WR's like  Corey Coleman or Tyler Boyd fall and are still available at 54?  Seems 23 might be too high to go after either one of these guys and 54 seems too low, so do we trade down 5-10 spots in the first round to gain extra picks then go after one of these?  I don't see us going after a linebacker this draft but I can see help at Safety still, besides DE and DT depth and an interior C-G type.

 
Arodin said:
Burned too many bridges in GB after going to Minn?
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Perhaps his wife did. Naw he did some of that himself. Did not seem to really like Aaron Rodgers.

CanadianNFLJunkie -

I doubt Coleman will be available to the Vikings at pick 23. No way he will be available at 54. Boyd very well could be available at 54 but I don't think he is that good and the Vikings could do better than him. I would not mind Boyd as depth but he isn't a guy I want to hang my hopes on starting for the long term.

Josh Doctson seems like the best fit for the Vikings but I am not sure he lasts to pick 23 either. Thankfully there is still Treadwell and Michael Thomas to consider and I think those guys would be good fits for Teddy. 

I think that is enough possible fits so the Vikings can let the draft come to them. Some might think 23 is too high for Thomas, I would much rather have him at the cost of pick 23 or perhaps the Vikings trade down to pick 29 or so?) than settling for Boyd at 54.

There are so many good DT one may fall to pick 23 and become the pick because of BPA despite the Vikings greater need at WR.

 
I'm high on Coleman, more than others are and I agree that I don't see him there at 23 even though a lot of mock drafts show him going late 1st/early 2nd.  Boyd is like the 5th or 6th best WR so I see him available for us perhaps.  I'm not high on Thomas or Fuller as I am on Treadwell and Dotson but it seems Thomas/Fuller would make more sense because of the deep threat speed they have.

 
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