2023 Vikings Regular Season Thread

[Vanimal46]

We made it! Here is the initial 53 man roster. 

The lack of OL and DL depth terrifies me. I don’t like the balance of this roster at the moment. 6 safeties is way too many.  

[Vanimal46]

I’ve got to imagine Kwesi is on the lookout for any veteran CB to sign. I would seek out a better RB than Kene.  Reagor and Powell both making the roster is not what I expected. 

[nicksaviking]

Only six draft picks this year and McBride can't make the team even after Cook is cut loose. The picks from the last two years better step up big or this front office is going to need to find better scouts.

 

[Mike Sixel]

Those safeties are versatile, and can play fourth CB and, or, OLB and cover TE and RB. 

I can almost guarantee they'll get another OL and, or CB and cut or trade Raeger. 

[Mike Sixel]

Four freaking TE. Sigh. 

[Danchat]

Probable moves that are coming - Nwangwu to IR, at least 4 weeks. Reed is eligible to come off the NFI in 4 weeks and his salary is 100% guaranteed, so he will be on the roster when that happens. A veteran CB signing is a must, the room is as barren as can be as Booth Jr has been horrible in training camp / preseason and Thompson is here for ST. Not to mention all 3 starting CBs have injury histories. I expect a RB to be added in Nwangwu's place, probably someone like Zonovan Knight or Demetric Felton.

8 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Only six draft picks this year and McBride can't make the team even after Cook is cut loose.

I really liked the McBride pick but he doesn't appear to have the juice he did in college. He is coming off a hamstring issue that held him from practicing for a good 4-6 months, so he might be rusty. Or just not athletic, as we didn't get his measurements. He was a 7th rounder, which is a fine pick to blow on a risky type of player like him. They did also axe 2022 5th rounder Esezi Otomewo, who was a raw player that I thought was borderline draftable, I'm a bit more upset with that. But then again, all teams whiff on Day 3 picks at a high rate. What's costing us is the Day 1 and 2 picks from 2022...

I suppose Kwesi would look a lot smarter if he had taken Pace with that 7th rounder and landed McBride as a UDFA...

6 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Four freaking TE. Sigh. 

They did it because they wanted to protect Muse, but I'm unsure if the plan is to carry 4 for the whole year. Only 2 are going to get any kind of playing time.

[nicksaviking]

Vikings signed Myles Gaskin. Would have much rather gone with a young unproven RB with some upside like Malik Davis or Deneric Prince.

[Mike Sixel]

2 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Vikings signed Myles Gaskin. Would have much rather gone with a young unproven RB with some upside like Malik Davis or Deneric Prince.

Ya, from what I've read Gaskin can catch the ball, but isn't a good runner....

[Mike Sixel]

 

 

[Vanimal46]

I like this OL signing. He’s graded out fairly well on PFF in his career. Better pass blocker than run blocker. Good O’Niell insurance. 

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

 

 

Can he/would he play on the interior of the line?

[nicksaviking]

On 8/24/2023 at 10:49 AM, nicksaviking said:

Along the same train of thought as brining Trey Lance in, Matt Corral would interest me as a test subject for KOC. It's unclear what's going to happen with him in Carolina, but he has no long term future there.

Well he's available now. I'd be interested in him over Hall.

But I'd rather be interested in him AND Hall and let Mullins find a new home.

[Mike Sixel]

3 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Well he's available now. I'd be interested in him over Hall.

But I'd rather be interested in him AND Hall and let Mullins find a new home.

Mullins isn't winning any games on his own, and won't ever. Give me the upside guys and get lucky!

[Mike Sixel]

They're loading the PS with OL.....who must feel they have a good shot in playing.....

[Danchat]

Here's an updated version of our rosters (ratings are from PFF):

[Vanimal46]

1 hour ago, Danchat said:

Here's an updated version of our rosters (ratings are from PFF):

 

How short of a leash do you have with Ingram? Brandel graded out pretty well this preseason, especially with pass blocking. I’m hoping/wondering if Brandel is a Joe Berger type. My god, it’s sad I have to reference him as the last pretty good guard we’ve had. 

[Danchat]

12 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

How short of a leash do you have with Ingram? Brandel graded out pretty well this preseason, especially with pass blocking. I’m hoping/wondering if Brandel is a Joe Berger type. My god, it’s sad I have to reference him as the last pretty good guard we’ve had. 

My leash would be short, but clearly they are making it a long one because there hasn't been a shred of competition brought in to push him. It's going to take an injury to get him out of the lineup. Hard to say if Brandel can handle guard, but at this point I wouldn't expect him to be anything more than a decent backup.

[nicksaviking]

They signed Hockenson to an extension, no terms released yet.

I know this front office loves to procrastinate, probably to be as 'efficient' as they can with money, but PLEASE sign Jefferson to an extension this year. Waiting only opens the door for him to want out for some reason or another. What if the team unexpectedly stinks this year? What if Cousins walks and they don't have a legit QB for him next year? Do it now; don't gamble with the best player in the league.

[Mike Sixel]

The Hockensin trade and deal shows, imo, good teams should trade draft picks for very good to great players more often. Proven players are way more valuable than picks past round one. 

[Mike Sixel]

Turns out he got the massive deal!

[nicksaviking]

47 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

The Hockensin trade and deal shows, imo, good teams should trade draft picks for very good to great players more often. Proven players are way more valuable than picks past round one. 

Especially when you have yet to use those draft picks well!

[Mike Sixel]

4 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Especially when you have yet to use those draft picks well!

I was trying to keep that positive....and it is more cheeky than real. 

[gunnarthor]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

The Hockensin trade and deal shows, imo, good teams should trade draft picks for very good to great players more often. Proven players are way more valuable than picks past round one. 

Completely agree with this. 

[Cap'n Piranha]

The Hockenson deal is terrible.  They’re paying a guy who’s never had 100 catches, never broken 1000 yards, and never had even 7 TDs like he’s a number one receiver.  Not tight end, receiver.  He never gets this deal on the open market, and only got it because Kwesi traded for him in desperation last year, and now needs to prove it wasn’t a mistake.

Now that the Vikings have shown how much they’re willing to pay for a 90 catch, 900 yard, 7 TD player who’s 26, what do you think a 24 year old good for 120 catches, 1700 yards, and 10 TDs is going to get?

[Cap'n Piranha]

7 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

The Hockensin trade and deal shows, imo, good teams should trade draft picks for very good to great players more often. Proven players are way more valuable than picks past round one. 

I’d agree with this, if it weren’t for the fact that the 2022 Vikings were not a good team, and should have been accumulating draft picks, instead of giving them away for good-but-about-to-be-expensive veterans.

[Vanimal46]

58 minutes ago, Cap'n Piranha said:

The Hockenson deal is terrible.  They’re paying a guy who’s never had 100 catches, never broken 1000 yards, and never had even 7 TDs like he’s a number one receiver.  Not tight end, receiver.  He never gets this deal on the open market, and only got it because Kwesi traded for him in desperation last year, and now needs to prove it wasn’t a mistake.

Now that the Vikings have shown how much they’re willing to pay for a 90 catch, 900 yard, 7 TD player who’s 26, what do you think a 24 year old good for 120 catches, 1700 yards, and 10 TDs is going to get?

Hockenson’s deal is actually quite team friendly.

https://x.com/therealforno/status/1697364873791844637?s=46&t=YdnB8yC6KsAGCRK6WIUWqg

 

[Cap'n Piranha]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

Hockenson’s deal is actually quite team friendly.

https://x.com/therealforno/status/1697364873791844637?s=46&t=YdnB8yC6KsAGCRK6WIUWqg

 

So you’re saying the deal is a good one because it saves the Vikings less than 2% of the total cap in the year they least need it (since there are no valuable free agents left to sign), and they can get out of it if he’s not worth it (in which case valuing him at the level they did was clearly a mistake)?

This isn’t team friendly in the only way that matters—is the player more valuable than the money in the contract.  Hockenson is being paid like he’s the best tight end in football, and a top tier pass catcher regardless of position.  He is neither, thus this is not a team friendly deal.

[Aggies7]

Off topic, but the gophers looks absolutely abysmal against Nebraska. Like 3 points through 3 quarters bad.

[Aggies7]

Holy moly, this gophers offense is abominable 

[Aggies7]

And they somehow pull out the win 😂