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TE Irv Smith Jr. - KC (1 Viewer)

Notebook: Stefanski Assesses Newcomers at Midpoint of OTAs

Excerpt:

Second-round pick Irv Smith, Jr., was a topic of conversation after a highlight-reel diving touchdown in the back left corner of the end zone that resulted from a pristine pass by another newcomer, free agent veteran Sean Mannion.

While many took note of Smith’s steady hands on the play, Stefanski said he’s been impressed by the way the youngest player drafted in 2019 has handled his business so far.

“Irv is doing a nice job. Like all of our young guys, he has a long way to go, and that is why he is working really hard with [tight ends] Coach [Brian] Pariani,” Stefanski said. “It’s important for those guys, and I think he understands that. He is a young man, but he is older in how he acts and presents himself. He understands he has a ton of work to do in the run game and the pass game, and certainly we thought enough of him and his skill set to get him up here, and you could see today, just putting him in some spots where he could go and make a play.”

Stefanski said the maturity that has been shown by the 20-year-old could partially have been influenced by his time at Alabama and his parents. Smith’s father was a first-round pick by the Saints.

“He is here and is very serious about minding his business,” Stefanski said. “We have some fun with him, but I am just impressed by the kid. He breaks the huddle, most of the time he knows what to do. … I can see this kid developing into a veteran who knows what to do every single time.

“He is a threat in the pass game, but we didn’t draft him just to be a threat in the pass game,” he added. “He needs to be a complete tight end for us and across the board for every one of our players.”
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Very excited to see what this kid can do. Drafted him 2.9 in a 14 team (standard) rookie draft. Complete steal, imo. 

 
Minnesota Vikings: Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. are better together

Vikings rookie tight end Irv Smith has a mentor in Kyle Rudolph

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Kyle Rudolph's extension is a four-year, $36 million contract.

Rudolph announced the deal himself on Twitter, but the terms of the contract were not known. The tight end was entering the final year of his deal, but this extension will tie him to the Vikings through the 2023 season. The $9 million new money average surpasses the $7.3 million per year Rudolph earned on his last deal and makes him the fourth-highest paid tight end in the game.

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter

Jun 11, 2019, 12:11 AM ET
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Seriously, how does the Rudolph contract change anything? Rudolph is who he is, and Irv is a completely different cookie. I don't see this changing things at all.

 
santo71 said:
Seriously, how does the Rudolph contract change anything? Rudolph is who he is, and Irv is a completely different cookie. I don't see this changing things at all.
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You don’t see how giving someone else 36 mill at his position where generally only one player is fantasy football viable at a time changes anything? You really don’t see a difference between that and trading Rudolph or letting him walk?

 
Man, I thought Rudolph was the easiest non-extension to call considering their cap situation. This is a killer for Irv Smith for the next few years.

 
osubuckeyeman said:
He really only got about 2 million more for this season guaranteed. Next season is only guaranteed if Rudolph is injured. Vikings killed this deal. Rudolph gets his 9 million for this season but after that, the Vikings control everything from there. Great job by the Vikings front office. Kyle Rudolph really wanted to stay in Minnesota. 
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That’s a different conversation if they can cut him with no cap penalty after this season and actually makes more sense. Nevertheless Irv takes a short term perception hit at the least.

 
Sounds to me like there were a couple of teams willing to pay Rudolph $7mil by trading for him(but apparently weren't willing to give up enough in compensation for MIN to make the deal). MIN was willing to pay him $9mil for a season. So if he just keeps playing as he has been he'll be a #1 TE somewhere this year, and likely beyond.

If you are in a league with short benches Irv might be a sell cheap, deep benches probably a hold.

Even in deep leagues Conklin looks like a release. He's the biggest loser in all of this. People forget that MIN traded up for him 2018. Would love to see NE send that Roberts 7th rounder in exchange for Conklin. They seem to be sniffing around the league for TE depth, without much at the top of the depth chart.

 
Speaking Thursday, Vikings offensive advisor Gary Kubiak said second-round TE Irv Smith has been impressing with his blocking.

Per Kubiak, the team was expecting explosive athleticism, but Smith has been "better than expected on the line." That would certainly be one way for Smith to force his way onto the field in two-tight end sets, or to even steal snaps from Kyle Rudolph. There are probably too many obstacles in front of Smith for him to have rookie re-draft value, but he is a compelling dynasty league hold.

SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter

Aug 15, 2019, 2:44 PM ET
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J Moyer @JMoyerFB

Irv Smith is generating great buzz with his route running. One under appreciated domain of route running is manipulating underneath zones. Especially important for slot WR and TEs working middle of field. Smith already displays old-man game here.
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Note: There is a video clip associated with this tweet that shows an example of Irv Smith Jr. running a route like an experienced veteran player.

 
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Thoughts at this point?

They’ve extended Rudolph.  However lots of Vikings fans on Twitter suggesting he’ll play receiver in 3WR sets. 

 
jm192 said:
Thoughts at this point?

They’ve extended Rudolph.  However lots of Vikings fans on Twitter suggesting he’ll play receiver in 3WR sets.
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He's possibly their 3rd receiver after they cut that one guy. With the roster the way it is, looking like they plan to run a lot of 2TE sets anyway.

 
jm192 said:
Thoughts at this point?

They’ve extended Rudolph.  However lots of Vikings fans on Twitter suggesting he’ll play receiver in 3WR sets. 
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Irv Smith looked very good during preseason and he was getting some praise for his route running which was somewhat of a question about him coming in and being such a young player. 

I was reading something awhile back which was breaking down personnel packages for Kubiak offenses over his long and successful history. 3 WR is only used about 30% of the time. He likes to have a FB in the lineup at times and he likes to run 2 TE.

From what I have seen and have been hearing it sounds like the Vikings are running Kubiaks offense. Stefnaski is the OC and will call the plays, but the philosophical structure of the offense they have installed is Kubiaks.

With Kubiak you get a lot of bootleg action and part of selling the waggle is having a FB or TE who can leak out the backside and usually be wide open. You just don't get the same action from the offense or reaction from the defense on these plays from a 3 WR set.

I would still expect Rudolph to have more receptions than Smith does. I am hoping that Cook will have more receptions than Rudolph. Even if Rudolph does have more than Cook, I still think Cook will have more receptions than Smith.

So you are talking about at best the 5th receiving option that has two star WR who will be getting the majority of those looks when they are not running the ball.

For dynasty I think Smith is a great player to have down the road despite Rudolphs new contract the Vikings can save money by releasing him if he doesn't play well. Most likely Irv is splitting with Rudolph for the next 3 years though because of the dead money.

 
Kleck said:
Stuff like this gets me really excited about Irv's future.  He's really developing into a complete TE.  Patience needed on the fantasy front, but he'll be an every down TE.  
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The lack of passing by design is not encouraging. Winning and not passing a ton is just going to make Zimmer even less likely to take the reigns off Cousins. Definitely a hold and he is a solid NFL TE in the making but I don't see big numbers in the next few years unless something changes. The D is so strong, it keeps the score low.

 
Irv Smith caught 3-of-3 targets for 21 yards in the Vikings' Week 8 win over the Redskins.

Smith has now gone at least 2/20 in three straight games, which isn't much, but an improvement on his early-season numbers. The Vikings simply don't need a big Smith contribution in the passing game right now. The rookie continues to look good when targeted. He enters the season's halfway mark on pace for 30/348. Smith would become a must add were Kyle Rudolph to go down with injury.

Oct 24, 2019, 11:43 PM ET
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Irv Smith caught 3-of-3 targets for 20 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' Week 11 win over the Broncos.

Not an atypical week for Smith during Adam Thielen's absences, as the rookie has now caught at least three balls in five straight games. Impressive, though Thielen will likely return following the Vikings' Week 12 bye. Especially with Kyle Rudolph playing better of later, Smith is going to have trouble establishing every-week TE2 value down the stretch.

Nov 17, 2019, 7:01 PM ET
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ESPN's Courtney Cronin expects second-year TE Irv Smith to have an expanded role this season.

Smith flashed as a rookie, catching 36-of-47 targets for 311 yards and two touchdowns while playing 60 percent of snaps. With Stefon Diggs gone, his target share is a lock to go up. Smith is still likely to open 2020 behind Kyle Rudolph, but he's set up for a Year 2 leap.

SOURCE: ESPN

Apr 5, 2020, 12:02 PM ET
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Worth a flier as a breakout candidate but honestly, he seems to me like one of those guys who goes from underrated to overrated once he appears in every pre-season sleeper article. The departure of Diggs opens up targets but I think they'll draft a good WR prospect and it's still going to be a hugely run-centric offense so I doubt Irv will have anything approaching consistent production. He'll pop up for a decent game here and there but firmly in the TE2 range for me. Not that exciting. 

 
I guess I would add that Kubiak when bein asked about the need for a 3rd WR before the Diggs trade and he mentions Irv Smith as being their 2nd WR for a lot of last year with Thielen out. 

Personally I thought that was Rudolph or Cook but not in Garys mind.

I am expecting an uptick in targets, doesn't mean Smith will be that useful for fantasy.

Just thought that was worth sharing, how Kubiak thinks of it.

 
Vikings stars on opposite paths? Adam Thielen set to rebound, but Dalvin Cook could disappoint

Excerpts:

With Stefon Diggs gone, 94 targets (from 2019) are up for grabs. How do you expect the target hierarchy to go behind Thielen and Cook? Is there a sleeper to prioritize in drafts?

Matt: The depth chart beyond Adam Thielen is completely barren of good veteran talent at wide receiver. Tajae Sharpe is not a consequential addition. Even if there’s a slow developmental curve because of the truncated COVID offseason, rookie Justin Jefferson should slot in behind Thielen among receivers. He will likely alternate between outside and inside with the vet. However, the targets for second-year tight end Irv Smith could be surprisingly high. The team wants to play two-tight end sets on a majority of their plays and Smith was a tantalizing talent coming out of Alabama.

Dalton: The biggest impact regarding Diggs’ departure is Thielen now becoming a no-brainer top-10 fantasy WR, but otherwise this remains a run-heavy team without many other exciting options. But Irv Smith is a sleeper at a deep tight end position, as he’s athletic and is the favorite to emerge as Minnesota’s No. 2 option in the passing game in 2020.

Scott: My colleagues have the right leans here. I am out on the support wideouts, will revisit Justin Jefferson next year (or perhaps in-season if he pops). But Irv Smith, as a second-year tight end, could be worth a flier in the late rounds, or at least a spot on the proactive watch list.
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#FantasyHotTaek

Matt: Irv Smith outscores Kyle Rudolph and is a top-15 tight end. The second-year player should be ready to roll after taking things slow as a rookie. Smith could see a big boost in targets considering the state of the wide receiver depth chart. The Vikings were already using him as a slot receiver on 33.4 percent of his snaps last year.
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The Athletic's Arif Hasan reports the Vikings have been "experimenting with lining Irv Smith up outside a little more often."

The Vikings will, once again, be among the league leaders in two-tight end sets in 2020 with Smith and Kyle Rudolph operating as a solid one-two punch. Rudolph is the superior blocker, while Smith has more upside as a receiver. Hasan believes Smith has improved as a route runner, which should translate to more targets. The Vikings have many available targets following Stefon Diggs' departure, and Smith should gobble a chunk of them up. Currently being drafted at the bottom of the TE2 range in fantasy drafts, Smith offers some upside as a last-round pick.

SOURCE: The Athletic

Aug 18, 2020, 6:34 PM ET
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Irv Smith caught 4-of-5 targets for 64 yards in Week 6 against Seattle.

Both the catches and yards are season highs for Smith, who had just six targets going into Sunday night. It's a step in the right direction after he'd been a non-factor in the Vikings' low-volume pass offense. Smith is a back-end TE2 for a matchup with Atlanta in Week 6.

Oct 12, 2020, 12:26 AM ET
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Vikings TE Irv Smith ran a pass route on 72.7 percent of the team's pass plays in Week 5 against the Seahawks. 

Smith caught 4-of-5 targets for 64 yards in the Vikings' Sunday night loss. His usage against Seattle was a far cry from Week 4, when Smith ran a mere 12 pass routes against Houston. While it's going to be tough for Smith or Kyle Rudolph to carve out a consistent role in the Vikings' low-volume passing game featuring a narrow target tree, Smith's usage uptick could make him a viable option in 14-team leagues next week against the Falcons.

RELATED: 

Kyle Rudolph

SOURCE: Jim Sannes on Twitter 

Oct 12, 2020, 8:45 AM ET
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I think part of the reason why Smith had a good game is because of Seattles defense (when they are in cover 3) has some weakness in the seams behind the LBers that made Smith a more useful option.

Could be the case against the Falcons as well although I am not sure their defense stops anything.

It doesn't help for Smith owners in fantasy but he has been blocking very well this year.

 
Fantasy Football Week 6 Bold Predictions: All systems go for Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Excerpt:

Desperation tight end play will deliver

Scott Pianowski: Irv Smith can be the answer to your tight-end problems, at least for this week. Smith got into the mix last week at Seattle (4-64-0), and now takes aim at a Falcons secondary that’s giving up the most fantasy points to tight ends. Minnesota’s offense has slowly but surely started to embrace more of a modern pass/run mix, and that could be heightened with Dalvin Cook likely out. Smith is ready for an appearance inside the TE1 cutline.
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Irv Smith caught 4-of-5 targets for 55 yards in the Vikings' Week 6 loss to the Falcons.

Smith was a popular DFS punt play and TE2 streamer this week. It was a worthwhile gamble. Smith's trend of playing more and seeing more targets continued, although negative game script played into the volume and production. In a perfect world, Minnesota wants to run the ball and only throw it to Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. With that said, fantasy tight ends are so bad that Smith can be a usable TE2 on 4-5 targets per game.

Oct 18, 2020, 4:42 PM ET

PREVIOUSNEXT
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Albert Breer for SI reporting that Kyle Rudolph is on the trade block for the Vikings and NFL teams are interested in him.

If Rudolph is traded (which makes a lot of sense for the Vikings due to their salary cap) then Irv Smith becomes the Vikings top TE who should not split looks with Tyler Conklin nearly as much as they are with Kyle Rudolph.

 
Vikings TE Irv Smith ran 12 pass routes and had one target in Week 8 against the Packers. 

When Dalvin Cook is healthy and the Vikings seize the lead, it's game over for Minnesota's pass catchers. Kirk Cousins threw just 14 passes against Green Bay, leading to a disappointing day for every Vikings receiver and tight end. Smith -- who had one catch for 16 yards against the Packers -- had seen an uptick in snaps and pass routes in recent weeks. For whatever it's worth, Smith ran three more routes than Kyle Rudolph in Week 8. 

RELATED: 

Kyle Rudolph

Nov 2, 2020, 8:45 AM ET
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