2023 Vikings Off Season Thread

[Parfigliano]

5 hours ago, wabene said:

Fields has more than a lot to prove. I'll believe it when I see it. 

You wont.  Fields would be good if it was 1985.  It isnt.  Game has changed.  Thankfully da Bears never will.

[minnesotacubsfan]

man, its a good thing Fields has proven everything he's had to prove everywhere he's been, or I'd be worried

 

 

[Vanimal46]

12 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Zadarius and a sixth and seventh for two fifths. Not sure I get the point. But, I guess he wanted out. 

The defensive talent gets smaller… Yeah, he said early on in the offseason he wanted out. We clear cap space and hopefully sign a couple more free agents still sitting around. 

[Vanimal46]

Let’s also cut the cord with Dalvin too. We aren’t going to get anything more than a 6th in return so cut him loose. 

[nicksaviking]

On 5/13/2023 at 11:35 AM, minnesotacubsfan said:

man, its a good thing Fields has proven everything he's had to prove everywhere he's been, or I'd be worried

 

 

Yeah, just like every OSU QB. The NFL is littered with Buckeye passing success stories.

I get that Chicago wants to go the Hurts and Jackson route with Fields, as those two are sub-par passers, but Fields is on a completely different level.

The Vikings need to tear it down and rebuild, but at least they haven't hitched their wagon to the wrong young QB. That always sets you back years.

Not saying the Vikings won't do that next year too.

[nicksaviking]

On 5/13/2023 at 12:42 PM, Vanimal46 said:

Let’s also cut the cord with Dalvin too. We aren’t going to get anything more than a 6th in return so cut him loose. 

Rumor is they'll cut him loose and not trade him, though it sounded like there was interest from other teams, even if Dalvin had other options in mind.

On 5/13/2023 at 12:26 AM, Mike Sixel said:

Zadarius and a sixth and seventh for two fifths. Not sure I get the point. But, I guess he wanted out. 

And it also sounded like there was more interest than just the Browns, but that's where Smith wanted to go.

The Vikings seem to have some leverage in these dealings, but it seems like they are going out of their way to be accommodating. I'd like the better draft picks (or any draft picks), but with that survey coming out that the Vikings were the organization that received the top marks in player satisfaction, there's some league-wide equity to be built continuing on that path I suppose.

[Vanimal46]

16 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Rumor is they'll cut him loose and not trade him, though it sounded like there was interest from other teams, even if Dalvin had other options in mind.

Post June 1 release makes the most sense financially for the Vikes. I don’t know who would be willing to trade for him and take on his entire salary. 

[minnesotacubsfan]

what the hell is wrong with Dalvin Cook?

 

(shut up dummy., let the vikings get rid of their star rb and maybe the Bears can nab him cheap)

 

 

[nicksaviking]

On 5/15/2023 at 10:16 PM, minnesotacubsfan said:

what the hell is wrong with Dalvin Cook?

 

(shut up dummy., let the vikings get rid of their star rb and maybe the Bears can nab him cheap)

 

 

Chicago has the most cap space, he makes some sense there.

But he's not cheap and that's the point. Your RB room is already getting a bit crowded too. Herbert and the rookie Johnson both are intriguing and D'Onta Foreman was a vastly undervalued free agent RB. He's always looked good when starting, and while he's older, he hardly has any miles on his tires.

[minnesotacubsfan]

On 5/17/2023 at 8:50 AM, nicksaviking said:

Chicago has the most cap space, he makes some sense there.

But he's not cheap and that's the point. Your RB room is already getting a bit crowded too. Herbert and the rookie Johnson both are intriguing and D'Onta Foreman was a vastly undervalued free agent RB. He's always looked good when starting, and while he's older, he hardly has any miles on his tires.

It is crowded, but Herbert is a liability in pass protection and not a great receiving option. Forman might be better at the former, not great for the later.  I think Johnson might be more well rounded then either, but Cook certainly should be.

I dont think the Bears would pick up Cook, I think Poles and Eberflus are happy with the 3 they have. But I always think on the side of "what makes the team better" and Cook certainly would

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

49 minutes ago, minnesotacubsfan said:

It is crowded, but Herbert is a liability in pass protection and not a great receiving option. Forman might be better at the former, not great for the later.  I think Johnson might be more well rounded then either, but Cook certainly should be.

I dont think the Bears would pick up Cook, I think Poles and Eberflus are happy with the 3 they have. But I always think on the side of "what makes the team better" and Cook certainly would

 

 

Vikings thread....no one here wants to read about the Bears.

[minnesotacubsfan]

4 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Vikings thread....no one here wants to read about the Bears.

actually, the post is about a Viking, Cook

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

3 minutes ago, minnesotacubsfan said:

actually, the post is about a Viking, Cook

 

 

you've made your point......Cook is going to be cut. No one is trading for him.

[Mike Sixel]

On 5/13/2023 at 9:35 AM, minnesotacubsfan said:

man, its a good thing Fields has proven everything he's had to prove everywhere he's been, or I'd be worried

 

 

This one about Dalvin?

[minnesotacubsfan]

2 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

This one about Dalvin?

no, that one was about Justin Fields. It was also several days (week) ago.

 

 

 

[Vanimal46]

30 minutes ago, minnesotacubsfan said:

no, that one was about Justin Fields. It was also several days (week) ago.

 

 

 

Stick around man. It’s the dead period in the NFL with nothing else to talk about anyway. 

There’s some interesting tie ins with the Bears and Vikings. We both hired new GMs at the same time. Vikings ran it back with the same team and now doing a phased rebuild. Y’all tore it down to bare bones and now trying to buy a team in free agency. Should be interesting to see how each strategy works out for Kwesi and Poles. 

Huge development year for Fields in 2023. I think he’ll make that big leap in year 3 like Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts did…

I still think it’s the Vikings’ division to lose. But I’ll tell you what… I have more faith in the Bears going from worst to first than I do in the Lions winning the North in 2023. The Lions will always find a way to Lions it up. 

[minnesotacubsfan]

25 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Stick around man. It’s the dead period in the NFL with nothing else to talk about anyway. 

There’s some interesting tie ins with the Bears and Vikings. We both hired new GMs at the same time. Vikings ran it back with the same team and now doing a phased rebuild. Y’all tore it down to bare bones and now trying to buy a team in free agency. Should be interesting to see how each strategy works out for Kwesi and Poles. 

Huge development year for Fields in 2023. I think he’ll make that big leap in year 3 like Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts did…

I still think it’s the Vikings’ division to lose. But I’ll tell you what… I have more faith in the Bears going from worst to first than I do in the Lions winning the North in 2023. The Lions will always find a way to Lions it up. 

good point about GM's. I think the difference in their approach has to do with Cousins vs Fields. Cousins was an established franchise QB when Kwesi started, Fields had just finished his rookie season. Rebuilding with Cousins makes no sense, but rebuilding while your QB is real green is almost ideal because it frees up payroll so much and allows you to find younger guys to grow with the QB (in theory).

But there are Bears fans who hate the rebuild. The reasoning is that rebuilding is hard to do, doesn't always work, inst really necessary in today's NFL given the way so many contracts aren't guaranteed. Teams go from worst to first nearly every year, so why invest in any rebuild that is more than 1 offseason?

I disagree with what you are saying about the Lions, they beat the Pack lat last year and look very much like a franchise that has turned a corner. They quite honestly worry me a bit.

But I do agree with you on the Vikings, its their division to lose...so far.

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

On 5/19/2023 at 11:53 AM, minnesotacubsfan said:

good point about GM's. I think the difference in their approach has to do with Cousins vs Fields. Cousins was an established franchise QB when Kwesi started, Fields had just finished his rookie season. Rebuilding with Cousins makes no sense, but rebuilding while your QB is real green is almost ideal because it frees up payroll so much and allows you to find younger guys to grow with the QB (in theory).

But there are Bears fans who hate the rebuild. The reasoning is that rebuilding is hard to do, doesn't always work, inst really necessary in today's NFL given the way so many contracts aren't guaranteed. Teams go from worst to first nearly every year, so why invest in any rebuild that is more than 1 offseason?

I disagree with what you are saying about the Lions, they beat the Pack lat last year and look very much like a franchise that has turned a corner. They quite honestly worry me a bit.

But I do agree with you on the Vikings, its their division to lose...so far.

 

 

I agree with this whole post

[Parfigliano]

X-vike Cameron Dantzler released by Wash.  That didnt last long.

[Danchat]

Still waiting for action on the Dalvin Cook front... it is unclear if they are still trying to get him to take a pay cut or if they will trade him but just need to negotiate how much $$$ they'll eat. It doesn't seem like cutting him is on the table at this point.

[Mike Sixel]

15 minutes ago, Danchat said:

Still waiting for action on the Dalvin Cook front... it is unclear if they are still trying to get him to take a pay cut or if they will trade him but just need to negotiate how much $$$ they'll eat. It doesn't seem like cutting him is on the table at this point.

Agreed. I think he's a Dolphin next week, but we'll see....Maybe Dalvin and a 5th for 3rd or 4th.....

[Danchat]

Here's my latest depth chart with the PFF ratings:

[Mike Sixel]

Looks like they could use an upgrade at kicker.....

[Danchat]

20 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Looks like they could use an upgrade at kicker.....

At least there is competition this time around, and I had Podlesny as the top rated UDFA kicker (for what that's worth). Ryan Wright came out of nowhere last year to win the punting job, though I suspect that the Vikings value Joseph's ability to hit 50+ yard kicks and Podlesny was 2/4 in his entire career from that range.

[Vanimal46]

End of an era. I enjoyed watching him but this is the right (and obvious) move to make this offseason. 

Next up, figuring out how to pay Danielle Hunter. If we can’t, then he’s likely getting traded. 

[Mike Sixel]

Unreal you can't get anything for a guy like that. 

[Danchat]

Darn, it's hard to believe they couldn't even get a 2024 7th for him. This means they lose an extra $2M by cutting him rather than trading him because of the injury guarantee he had. I suppose teams just do not want to pay $9M for a RB who is more on the average side now.

The Vikings now go into the season with the least talented RB room in the league, but RB is a position where a 5th or a 7th rounder like Chandler or McBride could pop off, so I don't hate the approach.

I hope people don't have their expectations too high for 2023... because they're clearly taking a step back and gathering cap space for 2024. I don't think they win close to 13 games again.

[gunnarthor]

Didn't we have the salary cap to pay him this year? 

[Mike Sixel]

17 minutes ago, gunnarthor said:

Didn't we have the salary cap to pay him this year? 

Yes, but I'm guessing they are freeing up money to sign Hockenson, Jefferson, and/or Hunter. And, to have more money for next year. 

[Vanimal46]

3 hours ago, Danchat said:

I hope people don't have their expectations too high for 2023... because they're clearly taking a step back and gathering cap space for 2024. I don't think they win close to 13 games again.

I certainly don’t have high expectations. I like the direction Kwesi is taking. As you said, it’s clearly taking a step back before hopefully taking two steps forward. 

Overall, can’t complain. They’re gambling for upside with Davenport (26 years old) and Murphy (25). Almost every overpaid veteran is off the team now except Kirk and Harry the Hitman. Solid foundation of players 27 and younger… including two franchise tackles, game changing WR, and arguably a top 3 TE in the league. 

It will be interesting to see what happens with Hunter. I can go either way with that decision. He’s still young enough to be highly productive for 3-4 more years. But if someone offers a 1st round pick, that will help make a play for one of the top QB prospects next draft.