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2022 Minnesota Vikings (1 Viewer)

While this is true that the Vikings play mostly nickle defense, teams have exposed the Vikings defense with 2 and 3 TE sets forcing a 3rd LB onto the field and the Vikings need to solve that problem.

The Lions and Colts last year, 49ers on opening day would be another example of the Vikings defense being exposed by these types of offensive packages. Teams will keep doing that until the Vikings do something to make them change their mind.

 
With about $15 mill in cap space available, we have some money to sign a free agent but the best available free agents isn't much.  Rey Maualuga formerly with Cincy and DeAndre Levy formerly of Detroit are probably the best fits but......

There could be some June 1st cuts that we could consider.  It might end up we go with one of the guys we have now until the final cuts and maybe we get someone there via a minor trade.

 
I think that cap space is set aside for extensions for Xavier Rhodes and perhaps Anthony Barr as well. Both players are already pretty large salaries, so the extensions may not use up that much more additional cap apace. Reserving some cash for Teddy/Bradford likely as well.

Not sure if Levy will be healthy enough to play well again. Seems like he would have a team by now if so.

 
Vikings signed WR Michael Floyd, formerly of the Patriots, to a one-year contract. -- The deal is worth roughly $1.5 million and can reach $6 million via incentives. The Vikings were the only team connected to Floyd in free agency, and he can't report to the club until June as he continues to serve a house arrest sentence stemming from last year's DUI. A Minnesota native, Floyd was the No. 13 overall pick of the Cardinals in 2012 before his career came crashing down in 2016. He was inactive for the Super Bowl with the Patriots and won't be guaranteed a roster spot on the Vikings. Still, Floyd's signing is another ominous sign for 2016 first-rounder Laquon Treadwell.

-

Nice to see us take a cheap flyer on him.  Last time we did something like this we got Cris Carter  Seems like low-risk/high reward opportunities here

 
A friend of mine went to high school with Floyd and had to play against him in practice. He has nothing but good things about Floyd and how he was going to be a star.

He wanted the Vikings to draft him over Matt Kalil prior to that draft. He will be very happy when he hears this news.

The Vikings defensive coordinator got popped for a DUI last year. It would be pretty hypocritical of them to not give a player a second chance to put this issue behind them. It really doesn't send a good message to fans, that the health and safety of the general public is not a priority to them. Driving drunk has adverse affects on peoples lives that can never be reversed. It is a incredibly irresponsible and selfish thing for someone to do.

That said this is a legal matter and it should not prevent him from the opportunity to worki and better himself. Just someone please provide these guys transportation.

If he can sober up and take his craft serious, the upside is enormous. The Vikings could have four good WR if Treadwell develops and Floyd can put it together.

 
A friend of mine went to high school with Floyd and had to play against him in practice. He has nothing but good things about Floyd and how he was going to be a star.

He wanted the Vikings to draft him over Matt Kalil prior to that draft. He will be very happy when he hears this news.

The Vikings defensive coordinator got popped for a DUI last year. It would be pretty hypocritical of them to not give a player a second chance to put this issue behind them. It really doesn't send a good message to fans, that the health and safety of the general public is not a priority to them. Driving drunk has adverse affects on peoples lives that can never be reversed. It is a incredibly irresponsible and selfish thing for someone to do.

That said this is a legal matter and it should not prevent him from the opportunity to worki and better himself. Just someone please provide these guys transportation.

If he can sober up and take his craft serious, the upside is enormous. The Vikings could have four good WR if Treadwell develops and Floyd can put it together.
Millionaires don't know how to use uber. I was hoping he might find his way to Detroit, but I suppose we could always go back to the well with boldin while golladay learns. 

 
That Murray signing looks pretty rough right now, he's a much more expensive Asiata at this point. I'm expecting Cook to start, and McKinnon to stay in his change of pace 3rd down role. That leaves short yardage for Murray and backing up Cook. 
No way in hell you take Cook off the field on 3rd down. 

 
No way in hell you take Cook off the field on 3rd down. 
What's rough is the announcement that they will use a committee. Maybe that's to put Murray/McKinnon at ease, and perhaps only for a year. They have used a committee basically the last few years, just another reason to bump Cook to the end of tier 1 or maybe more.

 
Andy Dufresne said:
Floyd was no good in Arizona or New England.

It will be a surprise if he makes the team.
Definitely, but as @Snorkelson said, the upside is way big for a $1M investment on a former 1st round WR. And as @canadiannfljunkie said this does seem like an ominous sign for Treadwell, but one can always hope. With 2 first round WRs, two bright stars with Diggs and Theilan and a former ProBowl RB, there's offensive skill position talent there for the team.

 
Andy Dufresne said:
Floyd was no good in Arizona or New England.

It will be a surprise if he makes the team.
Yet another negative comment... :shrug:  From 2013 to 2015 he had pretty good numbers .... 164 catches 2731 yds and 17 TDs, so he avg'ed 55 catches, 910 yds and 6 TDs which would have made him the tied for 68th for catches, 34th in yards and tied for 25th in TDs.  He'll be the deep threat.  I would assume he should make the team based on what we have after Diggs. Thielen and Treadwell.  One of the kids we drafted will probably win the kick-off return role, leaving 1 probably 2 more WR spots.

 
A bit puzzled, I'm pretty sure the last few years the Vikings were one of the first teams to have their rookie class under contract yet this year, I believe we didn't sign anyone yet....odd?  Is there something I'm missing here??

 
Lunchbreak: Vikings Could Use Cook's Skills in Passing Game

The rookie from Florida State has the speed, vision and power to be a difference-maker in the run game for the Vikings. But don't overlook his pass-catching ability in the Vikings' West Coast offense. That gives him added value on third down and in red zone situations.

Bowen noted the Vikings could use Cook similar to the way the Chiefs used running back Jamaal Charles, who is now in Denver, in recent seasons. 

Bowen posted a highlight of Charles using his quickness to beat a linebacker out of the backfield on an out route that produced a touchdown.

Cook, Bowen noted, could be used the same way.

This is a high-percentage throw, but perhaps more importantly in QB Sam Bradford's case, it's a quick high-percentage throw. That's key in the Vikings' passing attack with an offensive line that struggled last season. Cook has the skill to win on these short to intermediate passes.

 
 


What went wrong


They committed a lot of money to Latavius Murray. With that said, it does seem weird that the Vikings paid significantly more to Murray than the Saints ended up giving Peterson in April. Murray flashed promise with a couple of big runs while in a limited role in 2014, but in two years as the Oakland starter, he has averaged an even 4.0 yards per carry behind one of the league's best offensive lines. The two backs he split time with last season -- DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard -- averaged 5.6 yards per rush behind the same line.


 

Murray's three-year, $15 million deal is really just a one-year, $4.4 million contract with a pair of options, but it seems like a relative waste of money given that the Vikings drafted Dalvin Cook in the second round later during the offseason. It's true that Spielman couldn't have known Cook would be available, but in a running back-heavy draft, it was likely the Vikings would have had a shot at least one useful running back to team with Jerick McKinnon.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/page/Barnwell2017GradesNFCNorth/bill-barnwell-2017-nfl-offseason-report-card-free-agency-draft-nfc-north-chicago-bears-detroit-lions-green-bay-packers-minnesota-vikings

Mr Barnwell is preaching to the choir.  I would go as far as to say we didn't need to sign Murray or trade up for a running back.   All i can do is hope that the next GM the Vikings hire is a Belichick disciple. 

 
Its not much of a negative that Barnwell points out. He even explains that Murrays deal is basically a one year deal with a couple options. If that is all that went wrong then the Vikings are doing pretty well.

Murray is a very good blocking RB who can run and catch the ball. With the Vikings trying to improve pass protection, Murray can really help accomplish that goal. He is an upgrade from Matt Asiata and to some extent Rhett Ellison as well. 

The Vikings have not had any trouble managing the salary cap even though they have allocated more cap space to the RB position than perhaps some other teams have. It wasn't expected that Dalvin Cook would be available in the second round. Having Murray gives the Vikings a reliable pass blocking option until they can trust Cook in that area. 

If I were to talk about a negative it would be that the Vikings didn't get a decent rookie tackle to hopefully beat out Clemmings for the back up swing tackle position. 

 
Its not much of a negative that Barnwell points out. He even explains that Murrays deal is basically a one year deal with a couple options. If that is all that went wrong then the Vikings are doing pretty well.

Murray is a very good blocking RB who can run and catch the ball. With the Vikings trying to improve pass protection, Murray can really help accomplish that goal. He is an upgrade from Matt Asiata and to some extent Rhett Ellison as well. 

The Vikings have not had any trouble managing the salary cap even though they have allocated more cap space to the RB position than perhaps some other teams have. It wasn't expected that Dalvin Cook would be available in the second round. Having Murray gives the Vikings a reliable pass blocking option until they can trust Cook in that area. 

If I were to talk about a negative it would be that the Vikings didn't get a decent rookie tackle to hopefully beat out Clemmings for the back up swing tackle position. 
Last year they gave Adrian Peterson a raise for being suspended and were up against the cap.  Green Bay surprising release their pro bowl guard Josh Sitton just prior to the season.  Who knows if the Vikings would have been interested in him but it really didn't matter since they had no money to sign him.  Sitton signed with the Bears.  Wasting money when you don't know who may come available is bad business.  They had to squeeze cap room to sign Jake Long - who was just terrible. 

I don't buy anything that the Vikings are selling.  Spielman: "Dalvin Cook makes the offensive line better."  Talent offensive lineman make the offensive line better.  Please see the Tennessee titans and the Dallas Cowboys.

You don't sign a running back like Murray because he is a reliable pass blocker.  They could get a free agent full back to do that if you think that is his job.  The play calling will not fool anybody if they only pass when Murray is on the field. 

Bottom line is I want this franchise to win games.   I do not care if they have a franchise running back.  A franchise running back makes them more marketable but I rather have a line that can block and win games. 

 
Murray is getting less per year than guys like Dion Sims and Markus Wheaton (who are insignificant enough that Barnwell didn't even manage to fit them into his Bears writeup). $4.4M might be a bit of an overpay, but it's not much to worry about.

 
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Murray is getting less per year than guys like Dion Sims and Markus Wheaton (who are insignificant enough that Barnwell didn't even manage to fit them into his Bears writeup). $4.4M might be a bit of an overpay, but it's not much to worry about.
So are you saying that the stupidity of other teams should somehow excuse the stupidity of the Vikings. 

PFF rated TJ Clemenings as the worst left tackle in the entire NFL.  Vikings lost 2 tackles to injury last year and replaced them with over-payed free agents.  It not out of the realm of possibility that injuries happen again at that position this year.  Spielman decided that their wasn't one pick they could use on a tackle that that could challenge Clemmings for his spot on the roster.  I find that hard to believe. The Vikings were 2-4 in the division in 2016 and I do not think they have improved at all from last season.

 
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It is your choice to deny that the Vikings have made any improvements Donny. I don't think they can show you what improvements they have made until the season starts. 

Riley Reif and Mike Remmers are not great tackles, but they were some of the best tackles available in free agency. I think the Vikings did better than a lot of the other teams in need of offensive tackles. It is not like a rookie is going to come in and play well. Especially when the 2017 draft was pretty poor for offensive linemen and especially tackles. Plus the Vikings didn't have a 1st round pick to get one even if there was one worth taking. So Reif and Remmers pretty much the best they could do.

As already discussed two of the tackle targets the Vikings may have been considering with their second round pick were selected at the end of the 2nd round, then the Patriots traded ahead of the Vikings and selected Garcia, who I think was the last guy who might actually be able to play as a rookie.

The Raiders took Sharpe who will be a project and therefore uncertain if he could beat out Clemmings or not. That is what Clemmings was too, a project. There were a couple other tackles that the Vikings might have considered, but they were projects too. I think it would be worse to reach for a player who isn't as talented as other players available, just to draft a position of need. 

If you think the Vikings should have passed Dalvin Cook, who should they have selected instead?

Personally I can't complain about what the Vikings have been doing too much. It won't be too long before you see what a steal the Vikings got in Dalvin Cook.

 
I thought these summaries of coaches statements about the drafted players to be an interesting read. Here is the Vikings part.

Speaking: Rick Spielman on days 2 and 3. Jamaal Stephenson on Fourth round picks. Mike Zimmer on the entire draft.

Received:

2017 second-round pick (No. 41)

Traded to Bengals:

2017 second-round pick (No. 48)

2017 fourth-round pick (No. 128)

2 (41). RB Dalvin Cook, FSU - Started making calls as soon as they knew he was falling to the second day. Too talented of a player to not take a swing. Great value… No concerns with medical. “Some things in his background” might be the reason of Cook fell. Extensive research. Spoke with Cook for 45 minutes on the morning of day two… Cook’s sincerity and honesty were important. Spielman says Cook was never charged for alleged bar incident. No concerns at all. Told Spielman he will leave the bad influences behind… Watched him live against Ole Miss. great balance and vision. Explosive plays out of the backfield as a receiver. Needs to clean up pass pro. Willing to do it, but needs to clean up technique… New RBs coach will put an emphasis on ball security. “No doubt” we can correct Cook’s... Zimmer had no influence on bengals trade. Had a good feeling he wasn’t going to last until No. 48… A good running back can help an offensive line. Brought up Barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson… All of the scouts liked the player… “Has all the physical tools you could want at the position”... Hard to play action pass when you can’t run the ball… You can control the game more when running game is successful

Received:

2017 third-round pick (No. 70)

Traded to Jets:

2017 third-round pick (No. 79)

2017 fifth-round pick (No. 160)

3 (70). C/G Pat Elflein, Ohio State - Had doubts they could get an offensive lineman they targeted at 79, so they traded up… Tone setter up front. Can play C and G. Coaches will decide best spot. Visited as a top 30. Brings physical… Got a lot better in the running game on day two… Fielded 20-30 calls on day two about trading picks. “Just put it out there” is his philosophy… Compensatory picks allowed for even more trades… Nasty playing style. Physical. Brute strength. Tone setter. Athletic limitations, but having bumpers on the side of you helps that… Perfect fit for what we want to do… “Bit back” at Spielman during Combine interview. You can tell how competitive he is, easier to get him there… Watched him for many years because thought was he would declare in 2016… The kind of guy we’ve been looking for… Will start off at center. Very good there…

Received:

2017 third-round pick (No. 104)

2017 fourth-round pick (No. 132)

2017 seventh-round pick (No. 245)

Traded to Chiefs:

2017 third-round pick (No. 86)

---

Received:

2017 fourth-round pick (No. 109)

2017 seventh-round pick (No. 219)

Traded to 49ers:

2017 third-round pick (No. 104)

4 (109). DL Jaleel Johnson, Iowa - Had a target in round three, but adding picks with the amount of players they like on the board, trade down made sense… Trading up and down is the funnest part of the draft for Rick Spielman… Have a lot of contact with Iowa. Big man. Strong. Athletic… Several defensive tackle contracts up after the 2017 season… Will be a swing guy. More of a power rusher than quickness. Explosive hips… Felt that the big defensive linemen would go off the board early. Outstanding Senior Bowl.

4 (120). LB Ben Gedeon, Michigan - Loves to play the game. Tough guy. LB depth shallow at the moment… Can play inside or outside. Good at the point of attack. Instinctive… Played a lot of special teams…

Received:

2017 fourth-round pick (No. 139)

2017 seventh-round pick (No. 230)

Traded to Eagles:

2017 fourth-round pick (No. 132)

---

Received:

2017 fifth-round pick (No. 170)

2017 fifth-round pick (No. 180)

Traded to Chiefs:

2017 fourth-round pick (No. 139)

5 (170). WR Rodney Adams, USF - Explosive athlete. Likely a slot receiver. Jet sweeps. Possible returner.

5 (180). G Danny Isidora, Miami -

Received:

2017 sixth-round pick (No. 201)

2017 seventh-round pick (No. 220)

Traded to Redskins:

2017 sixth-round pick (No. 199)

2017 seventh-round pick (No. 230)

6 (201). TE Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech - When you get to the late rounds you see athletes and then rely on coaching staff to go from there… Used out of position last year… Spielman attended the Miami game (3 TDs). Tremendous upside as an athlete. Coaching staff thinks they can develop off unique athletic traits… When jared Cook went to Oakland, team was on the lookout for a mismatch tight end. Hodges possibly can do that.

7 (219). WR Stacy Coley, Miami - Best player on the board when drafted. Saw him play vs. Virginia Tech. Inside and outside. Can create big plays. Wanted more playmakers on offense. Have a separate board for prospects with return skills.

7 (220). EDGE Ifeadi Odenigbo, Northwestern - Pass rush ability. Extremely long arms. Can never have enough cover guys, can never have enough pass rushers. Defensive end.

7 (232). LB Elijah Lee, Kansas State - Brought him in a top 30 visit. Tall, rangy, athletic. Type of athlete the coaches want to work with. Unique in pass coverage. Unique range on the field.

7 (245). DB Jack Tocho, NC State -

 
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Rick Spielman still able to talk a really long time without saying anything.

8th surgery for Mike Zimmers eye. Hoping this time is the charm. He is resting in his home in Kentucky for the recovery. Spielman says it is a good thing he is far enough away from the Vikings facilities to keep him from coming in, so he can get the rest he needs for his eye to heal.

Pat Shurmur says some good things about Treadwell over the last 5 weeks he has been doing everything asked of him and has improved from last year. There is a video of him catching the ball over his head where he tracks it well and makes the catch with his hands. This would have been an excellent play except that Treadwell loses his footing after the catch.

Joe Berger is playing RG while Elflien and Easton battle for the Center position.

 
Vikings OTAs: 7 Positions Up for Grabs

The Vikings turned the roster over at offensive line, which should actually benefit the unit’s depth. Riley Reiff, Alex Boone, Pat Elflein, Joe Berger and Mike Remmers are all starters when healthy and will make the squad.

However, players such as T.J. Clemmings, Rashod Hill, Zac Kerin, Jeremiah Sirles, Nick Easton, Danny Isidora, Aviante Collins, Freddie Tagaloa, Reid Fragel, Austin Shepherd and Willie Beavers are all fighting to make the team. The Vikings will likely roster 10 offensive linemen this season.

Who makes the team as backups? We’ll see who the Vikings line up in the trenches during OTAs.

 
http://www.dailynorseman.com/2017/5/24/15688520/nflpa-vikings-rookies-not-to-sign-contracts

I was wondering why none of the rookie class of the Vikings, to my knowledge, has signed yet while in previous years, they were one of the first teams to have everyone signed............
I don't really have a good answer for that. I do recall the signings happening sooner. I have not heard reports of any Vikings rookies having signed yet.

The salaries are pretty much set so not sure what the delay if there is a delay might be. 

From what I recall they would usually sign the lower draft picks before the earlier ones too. Maybe because they have 11 picks they are taking their time about it? Really not sure.

 
Last year I was very high on the Vikings defense while they were still under the radar.  They were one of the defenses that consistently were getting better every year but many didn't notice.  I was able to get them cheap and it paid off early.  I think they still have a good defense and it seems the rest of the fantasy community is as well.  My question this year is can they do what they did at the start of last year for a full season or are they just another decent defense?

 
The touchdowns off of turn overs early on in the season was not sustainable. For any defense.. So short answer no.

The defense is still capable of making big plays and scoring on defense. That was actually part of how they improved from 2015 season. The Vikings forced 27 turnovers in 2016 which was tied with Denver and Carolina for 7th most. In 2015 the Vikings forced 22 turnovers which was slightly below the average of 23 that season. Xavier Rhodes stopped dropping interception opportunities and some other players stepped up like Trey Waynes. 

At the same time Anthony Barr played worse, so that is one question mark. Another question is how well Mackenzie Alexander will play, if he will be able to handle the slot corner role, or if they have to play Newman there.

The key for the Vikings defense to be successful is to improve their run defense and score more on offense. Playing against the pass is what the defense does best. The defense struggles against teams who can run the ball, and that run more 2TE sets. This is more about the linebacker play than the defensive backs. Chad Greenway and Anthony Barr didn't play well enough last year. Greenway is gone. The Vikings have Kentrell Brothers from last years draft and 4th round pick Ben Gedeon to try to replace Greenway in 3 LB looks. Elijah Lee is another LB who could compete for playing time. Barr just needs to play better. They used the 5th year option on him but he is playing for a new contract in 2018.

Captain Munnerlyn is a loss and Newman keeps defying father time. The coverage might not be as good as last season.

The pass rush should still be strong. They added more talent there. Jaleel Johnson should help the defense against the run. If Sharriff Floyd is able to play that would be an unexpected bonus. The Vikings may be cutting defensive linemen who can play. They have a lot of depth there.

 
To me the key will be how the Vikings' Defense tries to stop the run.  As good as some players like Joseph and Smith are on D, it comes down to who can fill in for Floyd and Greenway this year.

 
The touchdowns off of turn overs early on in the season was not sustainable. For any defense.. So short answer no.

The defense is still capable of making big plays and scoring on defense. That was actually part of how they improved from 2015 season. The Vikings forced 27 turnovers in 2016 which was tied with Denver and Carolina for 7th most. In 2015 the Vikings forced 22 turnovers which was slightly below the average of 23 that season. Xavier Rhodes stopped dropping interception opportunities and some other players stepped up like Trey Waynes. 

At the same time Anthony Barr played worse, so that is one question mark. Another question is how well Mackenzie Alexander will play, if he will be able to handle the slot corner role, or if they have to play Newman there.

The key for the Vikings defense to be successful is to improve their run defense and score more on offense. Playing against the pass is what the defense does best. The defense struggles against teams who can run the ball, and that run more 2TE sets. This is more about the linebacker play than the defensive backs. Chad Greenway and Anthony Barr didn't play well enough last year. Greenway is gone. The Vikings have Kentrell Brothers from last years draft and 4th round pick Ben Gedeon to try to replace Greenway in 3 LB looks. Elijah Lee is another LB who could compete for playing time. Barr just needs to play better. They used the 5th year option on him but he is playing for a new contract in 2018.

Captain Munnerlyn is a loss and Newman keeps defying father time. The coverage might not be as good as last season.

The pass rush should still be strong. They added more talent there. Jaleel Johnson should help the defense against the run. If Sharriff Floyd is able to play that would be an unexpected bonus. The Vikings may be cutting defensive linemen who can play. They have a lot of depth there.
I think the biggest reason the defense seemed to get worse as the season went on last year was they got wore down due to the total ineptitude of the offense.  When the offense cannot sustain drives the defense was on the field way too much and eventually wore down.  If the offense can play better (and get a lead) it will help the defense stay where they want to be (rushing the passer).  This helps the weakness (run defense).  I think the biggest thing needed for the defense to sustain their production is the offense playing better. 

 
I think the biggest reason the defense seemed to get worse as the season went on last year was they got wore down due to the total ineptitude of the offense.  When the offense cannot sustain drives the defense was on the field way too much and eventually wore down.  If the offense can play better (and get a lead) it will help the defense stay where they want to be (rushing the passer).  This helps the weakness (run defense).  I think the biggest thing needed for the defense to sustain their production is the offense playing better. 
It is definitely a factor. The running game was terrible last season and because of that harder to sustain drives.

In 2012 when Peterson ran for 2k yards, with Christian Ponder, part of the reason they were able to do that is the Vikings had a lead for most of that season. Getting some points early definitely helps.

That said the defense needs to figure out how to defend against multiple TE formations better than they have. 

 
Here is an article talking about the delay in signing the rookies this season. Which all of the rookie picks are now signed.
Unfortunately that doesn't explain what the issue is, just that a few players have signed regardless of the NFLPA concerns and, likely, with those concerns still in the language of the contracts.

 
Hankmoody said:
Unfortunately that doesn't explain what the issue is, just that a few players have signed regardless of the NFLPA concerns and, likely, with those concerns still in the language of the contracts.
Yeah I am not sure what the issue was. On the Daily Norseman Arif talks about it being the offsetting language and some speculation about the NFLPA reacting to Teddy Bridgewaters contract tolling if he starts the season on the PUP. The language of the contracts hasn't changed from previous years, so why the NFLPA was telling players to not sign yet still remains a mystery.

:shrug:

 
Yeah I am not sure what the issue was. On the Daily Norseman Arif talks about it being the offsetting language and some speculation about the NFLPA reacting to Teddy Bridgewaters contract tolling if he starts the season on the PUP. The language of the contracts hasn't changed from previous years, so why the NFLPA was telling players to not sign yet still remains a mystery.

:shrug:
That would definitely suck for a rookie. Here he finally makes the big time and his union is telling him don't sign because they want to teach the team a lesson.

 
Zimmer on His Eye, Team's Progress, Teddy's Health

Zimmer clowns the press by saying his doctor told him to minimize his contact with the media.

He goes into detail about the condition of his eye and hopeful that he will be ok. He doesn't know if 20/20 vision will return to him or not yet though. It is still healing.

He is asked about Brian Robison adjusting to Dannelle Hunter getting more playing time and Zimmer says that Robison has handled it like a pro. Robison is willing to do whatever the coaches ask of him to help the team. Based on Zimmers response, it sounds like Hunter will be the starting LDE.

Emanuel Lamur has been out the last 5 days of OTAs and Edmond Robinson has played well the last couple of days and getting more comfortable with it. He says he isn't opposed to one of the younger guys winning the job. 

In regards to Teddy he says it is up to the doctors as far as him being able to do more, that Teddy has a long way to go in his recovery and ultimately it will be the doctors decision as far as when he can do more.

He talks about it being good to have Sam Bradford more familiar with the other players and more comfortable with what the offense is doing. He had some soreness in his arm so they rested him a bit today. On a follow up question about it he says he expects to see Bradford participating tomorrow. They joke about the injury report being on Friday.

He says that players need to be careful with jaw jacking Terrance Newman, that they might wake up the bear.

 
Danielle Hunter's growth, Everson Griffen's flexibility give Vikings options

Griffen spent some time during the Vikings' open practice on Tuesday working as an interior pass-rusher, revisiting the spot where he saw most of his playing time during his first three years in the league. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Griffen played 678 of his 1,572 snaps at defensive tackle from 2010-13, notching 12.5 of his first 17.5 sacks from there. His ability to move around the Vikings' defensive front could help the team in two ways this season.

 
Minnesota Vikings Position Battles: The Final 53

QUARTERBACKS (3): Sam Bradford, Taylor Heinicke, Case Keenum

RUNNING BACKS (3): Jerick McKinnon, Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray

FULLBACKS (1): C.J. Ham
*Though the Vikings used fullback Zach Line only 20 percent of the time last year — and even less once Pat Shurmur took over as offensive coordinator — Mike Zimmer may see it as a necessity to keep a lead blocker if the team is going improve in its short-yardage offense. This is certainly not a guarantee, however, if the team would prefer to keep a fringe player at another position.

WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Laquon Treadwell, Jarius Wright, Michael Floyd, Rodney Adams
*The signing of Michael Floyd knocked my sixth wide receiver, Isaac Fruechte, off the team. It also doesn’t bode well for Stacy Coley, who is already behind the 8-ball with an undisclosed injury that has forced him to miss practice.

TIGHT ENDS (3): Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan II, Bucky Hodges
Interesting bits about CJ Ham and perhaps reduced use of a FB with Shurmur. I think Morgan could possibly play that role.

I recall Zimmer in his rookie season saying that he would prefer to carry only 5 WR. However with the injuries at the position recently maybe he has changed his mind about that. The use of more 3 and 4 WR sets makes sense to carry 6,

I wonder if one of the other 3 TE the Vikings currently have could make the team or if the Vikings should try to upgrade there. Seems thin to me only having one guy you can count on to block.

 

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