DocBauer

Jamie, just curious, Bremner vs Wood, even though they are projected so close together. IIRC correctly, Wood missed a lot of the 2024 season but has a ton of talent. And no doubt his CWS gives him momentum. Both have good stuff and potential. Why Bremner in particular?

I agree with pretty much everything you said Greg. I do think draft slot and prospect status play a small part, but draft slot and prospect status are also a part of POTENTIAL. And you always give a little more leeway to that potential. But YES, defensive ability plays a major part in him getting that greater leeway. Where I disagree with you somewhat is in regard to his defensive ability. While not a great defensive SS, I think he's a step above "serviceable". I've seen enough of him there to give him a slight bump there. I believe he's potentially very good at both 2B and 3B. Playing either more consistently would increase his defensive viability at either spot. What has encouraged me is his growth as a hitter, even though he's absolutely not close to being a finished product yet. IMO, his 185 PA in 2024, while also fighting through injury, makes him a veritable rookie coming in to this season. He still K's too much, and extends the zone too much. But we're also seeing him grow and develop as a hitter. I'm still uncertain HOW GOOD his ceiling might be, but I believe he's going to be a quality starter for the Twins. But where does he play? Or better yet, where does he fit best? IMO, a healthy Lewis can be a FINE 3B as long as his throwing yips are gone. But unless the Twins decide Keaschall is best as a multi position utility player...once his elbow finally heals...he would seem to have the ability to be an athletic fixture at 2B. MAYBE 1B if the elbow/arm doesn't come around, but that's getting WAY ahead of ourselves! And while Correa isn't going anywhere soon, and is still a fine SS, where does Culpepper play a year or so from now? And what if the great season Schobel is having, interrupted by injury, is only briefly interrupted and he finishes the season strong and MIGHT be a utility option in 2026? And I'm not even going to get in to what DeBarge might bring in the near future as I'm already getting WAY AHEAD of today's reality. The Twins very much attempt to follow the Dodgers formula of position flexibility. They've done so OK here and there, season to season, and I advocate for that approach, as long as you have the talent to do so. Again, it's worked at times, but not always. Were I in charge, considering TEAM NEED, and the talent on hand, I'd put Lee at 3B on a daily basis, knowing he can cover SS and 2B solidly. I'd put Keaschall at 2B where his athleticism should play greatly, and even average arm strength should be fine. (His arm could easily be better with time). And I'd make Royce the primary 1B who also plays some 3B when you mix up the lineup, days off, injuries, etc. Lewis is a team player. He has the athletic ability to be a fine 1B, with strong offense, and MIGHT just be the best 1B, overall, since Morneau held that spot. And that's how I'd pitch it to him. Lee, Correa, Keaschall, Lewis could be an excellent INF as soon as 2026. Culpepper might end up as a temporary utility player. Schobel MIGHT be a solid replacement for Castro, at least until DeBarge arrives. Of course, I'd still be in favor of re-signing Castro on a 2yr $18M deal, but I digress. There's STILL opportunity for either Miranda or Julien to be part of this construction; Miranda as a 3B/1B/DH option, and Julien as a 2B/1B/DH option. I honestly think Julien has the better shot. IF Rodriguez can ever be healthy and start to realize his potential, the whole lineup and depth starts to change. And I only bring up Rodriguez because of the fact that Lee is being allowed to play and develop and grow. The Brewers, also a mid market team, seem eager to promote their top prospects "early" and let them grow and figure it out. Similar to what the Twins are doing with Lee right now. I'd put Lee at 3B in 2026 and Lewis at 1B. But that's TOMORROW and not TODAY. For NOW, we have the "luxury" of Lewis playing 3B and DH, and Lee playing 3 spots, and a great utility man in Castro playing everywhere, and the OK Clemens as a versatile 13th man who pops some big hits once in a while.

Love these reports as it gives us a chance to reflect on the prospects more. And share thoughts on them. Good for Chaney to keep chasing the dream. And who knows, he might turn in to a usable arm one day. But if we want to talk about somewhat older prospects that were brought in, I'm much more intrigued by Trent Baker, who was recently promoted to AAA after performing well at AA, brought over in the MILB rule 5 draft from St Louis. Just like any sport, the draft and development is your lifeblood for an organization. But late picks and UDFA are sometimes a wonderful surprise waiting to happen. I think that's John Klein. He's got an ideal pitchers build, and can throw in the 95-97 range. That's huge! And at just over 23yo, he's young enough to be a legitimate prospect. Obviously it still comes down to control/command of all his pitches, and just how good his secondaries can be. But what we have to remember is guys like Festa, Matthews, Morris, Culpepper, and Ober before them, often don't throw more than an inning or two...if even that...when drafted. Most debut the next season. Despite being an avid draft and MILB follower, nobody really knew who ANY of these guys were until they performed well to be noticed and stamped as quality prospects. If you look deeper in the system, you'll see the 2023 and '24 draft picks in their 2nd or 1st year of pro ball. Who becomes the next Festa, Matthews, etc? Well, Klein is stepping up to be noticed. To be honest, Fedko has never been on my radar. Other than maintaining a solid OB%, he really hasn't shown much and had a poor 2024. I really thought he was kept just for depth this season. But boy has he been good! While a .266 AVG isn't great, an OB% of .382, a SLG% of .527, and OPS of .910 is worth paying attention to. He's a completely different ballplayer at this point. Frankly, I think he should be at St Paul very soon. The Twins really need a young RH OF with a good, productive bat. While Gonzalez has drawn huge attention this season...rightfully so...Rosario has been very good after a slow start. And while some are fixated on Olivar because he can catch some, and has a decent bat, his power is lacking. To @Mike Sixeland @Major League Ready, I'm personally not obsessed with RH bats the way some are. LH bats still rule the day! But considering how generally poor most LH bats fare against LHP, having another RH bat in the OF...who doesn't stink against RHP...is a necessity to provide better balance in the lineup when facing LHP when you have Wallner. Larnach, and hopefully Rodriguez in the near future. Personally, I'm still more interested in LH options, but BALANCE is needed still. I don't want any more cheap, "can only hit LHP" options taking up a roster spot. But a solid RH OF bat who can be OK against RHP, but rake against LHP is something this team has been lacking as of late.

If this draft took place I would be very happy after round 1. 😀

Thank you for always being right, and the voice of reason, and never be condescending. 🥸

I sure appreciate your enthusiasm @Fatbat. It's been a good 5-10 years since our OL has looked this good, at least potentially. And at least a few years since the DL has been this exciting. Hargrave and Allen make a real difference on the DL, no question. But personally, I'm almost as excited what LDR, Taimani, and Redmond due with a season under their belt as young reserves, with upside, might do as rotation pieces. Add in rookie Ingram-Dawkins, and I'm having a hard time figuring out how the team can carry 7 DL and 6 OLB, which they probably can't do. I still think Kelly...knock on wood he stays healthy all season...is the KEY to the OL. There are some on different sites that weren't impressed too much by rookies Jurgens and Rouse last year, but when I watched the preseason games, I was genuinely impressed, though I certainly saw flaws. But they were rookies. When our #2's hold their own against another team's #2's, I feel pretty good about the potential there. Skull is a relatively young and experienced #3 OT. I feel good about him. And I think a lot of people are down on Brandel as a 6th man. He's been solid as a 6th man previously, and looked really solid as a 1st time starter before Darisaw went down. How much of that was lack of continuity vs a long season I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've always wanted Brandel to play some CENTER. A couple years ago he did in OTA's, but that's a non contact passing camp primarily. I'd really like to see him get actual reps at CENTER to be a 3rd option behind Jurgens. I also think UDFA Joe Huber from Wisconsin is an interesting IOL option for the PS. He's not a Pro OT. He's a GUARD profile that has briefly played CENTER. He needs to add a little more strength, and he needs to learn to block LOWER. He has a habit of bending upward and that doesn't work at the NFL level. If he can make a adjustments on the PS for a year, he might be a steal. Speaking of steals, how did Logan Brown not get drafted after being ranked as a 4-5 pick? He's only played 1 full season as a starter after transferring to Kansas from Wisconsin. But the size and strength and natural ability from a former 4* prospect seems tantalizing. Would he slip to the PS as one of the best UDFA signings? The OL looks really good, potentially. And I kinda like the young depth as well. No question we have a really good 1-2 punch at RB. I disagree somewhat on Felton, despite being a talented 3rd round pick with potential. You just can't ignore what Nailor did in 2024, and now he's added some muscle to hopefully give him a little better ability to fight off DB. And if healthy, Rondale Moore could be a Wild Card to the return game and the offense.

When you look back on that draft, there were some quality players that came out of the 1st round. There always are. But IIRC, it was considered to be a poor draft in regard to top end talent. And the Twins needed pitching. Again, IIRC, Jay wasn't a normal reliever as he often pitched more than 1 inning, and had a couple solid offerings. It was a gamble for sure, but I'm still not sure it wasn't a gamble worth taking at the time. As unpredictable as the ML draft is, sometimes any year's draft can be shallow or deep, just like any draft. Perhaps the mistake was drafting a talent arm that was needed in the system vs just drafting the BPA. And I've already stated my disappointment in how Jay turned out. But I agree with @Doctor Wuthat I sure don't want the Twins to never take an arm in the 1st round again. In fact, in THIS upcoming draft, there's only about 3 college bats that I feel really good about. But there's also about 3 or 4 arms that should be available when the Twins pick with really good upside. Despite doing a great job with talented arms later in the draft, I wonder if this isn't the year to lean in to a college arm again and start with some clay already above average.

A very good choice and well deserved. I kept hearing he had a good glove, great arm, and MIGHT be able to stay at SS. Remember, he wasn't the primary SS until 2024. I kept hearing solid bat to ball skills, but he does chase a little more than you'd like. And he's probably got double digit HR power but probably won't hit 20. Enough speed for double digit SB as well. Fast forward to this season and everything I read now is legitimate defense, chase rate is down, hittinf for AVG and solid power with speed on the bases. Makes me wonder if even the Twins scouts are a little surprised by how good he's looked. I don't like timetables and undo pressure ever put on a prospect. They develop as they develop. And he's only been at AA for a little over a week, but he really hasn't slowed down. With a strong 2nd half, he could be ready for AAA in 2026. Reminds me of the Keaschall pick where a lot of us, or most of us, weren't entirely sold when drafted. But the team just loved both players ability, potential, and makeup. Boy it looks like they were right!

That's a great question. What do I want? Or what do I see? For the latter, it's really hard to say until/unless Rodriguez and Jenkins are healthy the next 2+ months and provide quality production and hope. If they do that, an arguement could be made for Jenkins to be at AAA to begin next year, or an early promotion. And you could make an arguement that Rodriguez might be ready, or ready enough, to consider moving Larnach in a deal. BUT, I think there's room for all 3 of Wallner, Rodriguez, and Larnach between OF/DH. It would be fun to have Bader back as a 4th OF, but I'm betting someone is going to offer him more than the Twins can afford and make him their starting CF. But he would be a really nice "keep" for around the same salary. And while I also like Castro and would live to re-sign him...especially since so many utility options seem about a 1/2 year or so away...but again, I'm betting ownership won't spend the $ to keep him. So Wallner, Buxton, and probably Larnach as potential given. Rodriguez is in the "oh so close" category if he finishes 2025 healthy and strong. Still need a RH OF AGAIN with Bader probably gone. Your guess there is as good as mine, unless they think Martin is ready for the job. Fedko, Gonzalez, Rosario, and Olivar all could debut in 2026, but not begin the season. Unfortunately, we're probably looking for some help in the OF yet again. But it could be the last year for a while in which we have to do so.

What ultimately was so disappointing, IMO, is that Jay's floor appeared to be a quality late inning LH arm out of the pen. And he never became even that.

The extension was reported recently. The actual time frame for the extension is unknown. Hayes reported it when he had confirmation. Could have happened during the winning streak, could have happened before the season started. Its just a report.

To be honest, @LA VIkes Fanhas already stated most of what I could say myself. I know this is probably unpopular with a lot of people who feel the general "running it back" idea for 2025 wasn't a good idea. And some aren't on the side of Falvey saying he still likes the team as a whole, but we need to get everyone back on track, etc, etc. But I'm, more or less, on that bandwagon. Ownership really blew momentum to pieces following 2023. We all know that. Regardless of your opinion of the FO, they've had little to work with, unless you wanted them to just blow everything up. But the additions of Bader, France, and Coulombe have all 3 been very solid, if not good. I keep hearing "sell, sell, sell" from some posters. But unless you really and truly believe the team is beyond salvaging the 2025 season, who are you going to trade that brings back anything helpful in the near future? IF the Twins are just OUT OF IT in a few weeks, I guess, sure, go ahead and get what you can for France, Bader, Castro, and Coulombe. But what do you get besides some AA or lower level prospects. Is that really what the Twins need right now? I don't think this team is that far removed from contention with better health, and some tweaks that might come in the offseason, as well as promotion within. Unfortunately, some of what I'd do is fantasy land without a change of ownership, or Joe standing up the family and stating he's going to take CHARGE. You tell me what is most likely to happen. 1] I'd really like to sign Castro for 2yrs at $16M. He's really good, not great, has had some ups and downs, but has been a major contributor. OK. So maybe 2yrs and $18M. That's a good deal for a regular who doesn't have a single position. Bader probably is looking for a bigger deal. Despite a solid season so far, is there a market that gives him a starting job somewhere? Maybe there is. But I'd keep him, if possible, and offer him a 2yr $20M deal. It's a big payday for both, but isn't too much on the trade market if younger prospects begin to take charge in 2026. 2] I'm a fan of Paddack and what he's overcome to be a solid starter for the Twins here in 2025. But unless he falls apart suddenly, he's going to get $10-13M in the offseason from someone looking for a 30yo SP with experience. You HAVE to trust in SWR, Matthews, Festa, Morris, Lewis, Culpepper, etc, eventually. I'm NOT saying trade Paddack for a couple of prospects right now. He could be a part of a good 2nd half, especially with Lopez still out until August. But I am saying I don't think I'd re-sign him because you NEED to run with the younger upside SP options on hand. IF you can get something solid for him in return, and Matthews comes back fairly soon, and Festa and SWR keep developing, move him. Otherwise, let him help the 2025 season hopefully amount to something and let him go. 3] I've stated over and over again to let Lee play daily and he'll be OK. We're starting to see that now. The Keaschall we saw in 1 week of ball is probably an illusion. That doesn't mean he isn't a really good ballplayer with a variety of skills and talent. And at some point in July, he will be back. 4] I object to topics concerning trading Larnach. He's a really solid bat and producer who is just reaching his ceiling the past 2 seasons. I don't like him as a top 5 bat, but I really like him as a 6th option or lower. Until Rodriguez or Jenkins step forward, he's a quality bat in the lower 3rd with Wallner in the top 5. 5] I agree with letting the kids play as much as possible. Though "kids" is debatable. In the rotation, you bet. In the lineup? I don't agree with pushing Culpepper to MLB. Not yet. He's a possible 2026 option. As Uber talented as E Rodriguez is, it's really tempting to say "go ahead kid, do your best". I just can't get on board with that until I see at least a month of production at AAA where he looks great. Honestly, Rodriguez is an enigma of super talent. That doesn't mean he has to be rushed. But DAMN, it would be exciting to see him health and raking and at least get a September promotion. When things AREN'T WORKING you have to look at other options. You can build a roster and think you have a good one. But again, if things aren't working, you have to look at different options. In 2023 the team got a jump start from talented prospects. Julien and Wallner were part of that. Wallner has been struggling from his IL return, but has looked better recently. Julien has looked really good in June and might be an option to help going forward. And he might deserve another shot. But BIG picture, the Twins shouldn't be limited for sure. There's a lot of good arms and bats right on the precipous of contributing. But disappointment from what we're seeing right now with ridiculous inconsistent production, I still think this team is so close to being very good.

SURPRISES: France isn't as good as I hoped for (less power) but better than I expected, including with the glove. Clemens had his big month, and has settled down now, but is a solid bench piece. Never saw his addition coming or being playable. I didn't dislike the Bader signing, but he's been better than I expected. I didn't expect Keaschall up so soon. MILD SURPRISE: I actually expected Buxton be generally healthy and play 120 games. But as good as he's been in stretches, has he ever been THIS GOOD? He's one of the top performers in all of MLB, IMO. I thought Lee would start to figure it out, and he has. DISAPPOINTMENTS: The offense. 1B isn't manned by a difference maker, despite solid contributions from France. And I actually had hopes/expectations that his return to a trainer he worked with previously and had good results with would have Lewis more healthy. But even still, I NEVER expected Correa to be this out of whack with his feet healthy again and coming off a great season. I never expected 2B to be such a question mark, even with options there. (Injuries have affected this spot to a degree, indirectly at least). I never expected BOTH Miranda and Julien to perform so poorly. (Julien IS starting to look better at AAA in June). Wallner seems to be built impervious to damage, so I never expected his injury. But even still, I thought there was enough talent available for a medium ranked offense, with the potential for top 10. I really, really thought this was the year Alcala was used properly and would reward the Twins with dividends by being an outstanding 6-7th inning arm. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but the "injury curse, including top prospects" spread an even wider net this season. The dependable Wallner and Lopez got hurt, and then Matthews. At AAA injuries have hit Rodriguez, Martin, Morris, and now even Gasper and 3rd catcher Camargo, (TJ surgery). Before the season even began, half the projected AA rotation was on the IL to begin with. And a step down, Soto has been on the IL for weeks now. Total injuries at the ML level haven't been as desimating for the Twins as it has been for some teams, but there have been enough to really screw up any momentum that they were building.

Just to add someone to your list, if the surprising Sabato keeps this up on to August, he might deserve a looksee as well. Good post!

I've had my eye on German Marquez for a while now as a potential breakout candidate out of Colorado. But he's 30yo now and still trying to get back to form following surgery. With an expiring contact and a struggling season, what good would he do? I'm not sure what here improves the team. But I'm not expecting ownership to add payroll anyway. Maybe a little in the offseason if they are still holding the team, but not until then.

I've thought for a while he should throw his knuckleball more as it's such an unusual and devastating pitch. But as his primary pitch? I thought I heard his velocity dropped somewhat last season and there was hope it would return in full this year. Any word on that? The cutter addition could end up being really smart. But now he's learning a new pitch AND leaning more on the knuckler? That's a lot of adjustments to make simultaneously. Right now I'm just hoping they know what they're doing and we see improvement in the 2nd half.

The Saints are still an operating professional team that's expected to field a team. Some of their pitchers have been hurt, some have been promoted, and they've released a couple recently that were just awful. So they grab guys like Gillespie and Urena to fill out their roster. And if someone like Urena could help the Saints pen, that wouldn't be a bad thing. There's 3 or 4 arms I'd rather see promoted before these 2, and that's probably the way it would go. These are AAA moves that might be cut before the year is over and others get healthy and promoted.

Granted the IL is considered an offense geared division, but it's still AAA and a step above AA. Sabato has been a massive disappointment as a prospect and might be lucky to have even been brought back this year. But he is such a completely different player this season that it's hard to ignore. If he keeps mashing at AAA, when do we accept the fact he may simply be a late bloomer who's figured it out? Asking for a friend who's team has a perpetual hole at 1B.

Going along with the whole offseason theme of "whats been done and what might still be done", it was reported today that the Oliver re-sign added addition 2025 FA $ to the bank. I'm generally good with the roster as is. But with about a month until camps begin, those FA remaining are probably looking at inexpensive deals, very probably 1 year options. The Vikings now have about $23.5M to work with. Personally, I believe that $ will be saved for injuries that might happen and subsequent moves, as well as carrying over as much free $ as possible to make the 2026 cap more manageable. But it could allow for a last minute move or two.

Touching on the pitching subject, the Twins are experimenting with arms that might not/probably can't be ML starters but could very good as quality middle guys who could very good for the middle innings. Think about a pen with Duran, Jax, Varland, Sands, Stewart, and Coulombe for reference sake as a trusted LH. Instead of IP fodder in blowouts or injury type replacements that get cut and shuttled up and down in the last couple of spots, you had a pair of guys who were good enough to be counted on for 2-3 IP twice a week as bridge guys. Think Adams, Ohl, maybe LH Rozak as examples. No more...or at least a lot less...churn and burn. Instead, 6 quality 1 IP guys and 2 who you can actually count on to do a quality job twice a week, ever 3 days. That's a hell of a bullpen! And a novel idea. In the lower minors, SP often only go 3 or 4 innings, 5 once in a while. That's a lot of 18-20yo getting their feet wet and developing their stuff and slowly being ramped up and stretched out. I don't recall this being anything other than normal practice for decades. As far as the upper levels, starters are usually stretched out more, with some sort of pitch limit, and usually pulled if they have a 30-35 pitch inning just to protect them. But remember, some of these short starts are because a guy might be coming back from an injury. Culpepper and MacLeod, for instance, are being ramped up after missing time. Matthews, Festa, Morris, and others have usually been tossing 5 innings unless they just tire or have one of those bad innings that go long. I don't know that anyone has a special book on how to develop arms. And I don't know that the Twins are any more right or wrong than anyone else in how they do so. But young kids throw fewer innings initially. Older prospects at the upper levels throw more. Most of the "fewer innings more often" are the medium level guys who still have potential that they are developing to be potential middle IP guys who could change the future of pen depth and usage.

While the Twins need a spark, I'd still keep Julien down a but longer to see if what hes doing is sustainable. I want them to really be confident he's made good adjustments. Noah Cardenas doesn't really have that much power, unless he's begining to unlock something. But don't dismiss him as a solid #2 backstop with a decent bat, good eye, good bat control, solid defense, and a good arm. Sorry, but a brief fantasy indulgence on my part: A 2026 INF of Lewis, Correa, Keaschall, Lee, and Sabato with Culpepper and Schobel at some point, and Clemens as a fill in. (Sigh) OK, back to reality. Honestly, if GG keeps hitting like this, does he get a month at St Paul to finish the season? Really happy to see E Rod and Martin healthy and back playing again. Still have a whole 2nd half of the season for them, and Jenkins to produce.

While i don't expect much of Gasper, it would be nice to have him available to see if his next opportunity might have him take a step forward and possibly provide some spark. Just hard to believe someone can hit that well at AAA and just be able to contribute some at the ML level. But the injury hits just keep coming! Don't look now, but if he keeps doing what he's been doing the past few weeks, Julien might be the next man up.

To be fair, i should answer my own questions. While there's hardly a move they've made that doesn't look solid to me, I think i might be most excited about CENTER Ryan Kelly. In the history of the Vikings, they've had some really good players there, and even some solid temporary options there. But ever since Sullivan went down with injuries a decade ago, they've struggled to find a quality pivot who could really LEAD the OL and provide quality work in both the run game and pass game. I'm still trying to remove nightmares of watching Bradbury get overrun by DL while trying to set a pass block. I know he's 32yo, but he's still really good. I don't know that his successor is on the roster or not currently...I kinda like Jurgens and would love to see Brandel get some work there...but he might be my favorite signing. Im also excited, with some consternation, about Rogers at CB. The talent and speed are undeniable. His PFF numbers, for what they're worth, have been good for his career. Flores seems to LOVE the kid. That's enough for me. My dark horse, under the radar signing is WR Rondale Moore. I know he's coming off an injury, and has had his career derailed some by injuries, but I've watched this kid since he was a freshman. He's explosive! If he's healthy, he's a dynamic option as a #4 or co #3 option, depending on formation and play, etc, who can also be explosive in the return game. He's a bit of a wild card, but man could he be a nice addition. My biggest concern? Well, I'm a tad worried about SAFETY depth, as I've stated, just to get through the preseason and not having anyone in the development pipeline. But really, my biggest worry, which might sound strange, is the 3rd RB spot. Chandler just hasn't developed the way I hoped he would. And while Jones was mostly healthy all of 2024, and has Mason to split time with him, the running game has been a priority. And I just don't know if Chandler is going to ever take that step forward and show his early career flash on a regular basis.

To be fair, I'm not exactly worried about the SAFETIES as I think Jackson has been groomed as a Bynum replacement and is ready for a breakout. (No slight to Bynum). If Ward takes a step forward in his 3rd season as the #4 option, we'll be just fine, though I expect a SAFETY to be selected next draft for sure. I agree with your assessment of the way DB's are handled in the Flores defense. A lot of disguises used. That makes me wonder about a guy or two on the current roster that might cross train some at SAFETY. But like you, never opposed to adding more talent. I think there's a slight chance they add another body back there, but I'm begining to think they are set.

1] Honestly, Howell wasn't my 1st or 2nd choice. But I really like the move to get him. He wasn't really on my radar initially as I just didn't see him being an available target. He's athletic, and he has a live arm, and while his experience hasn't been on great teams or with great results, the year he spent as the starting QB for a bad Washington team is still NFL battle experience. There's a good chance he could have a Darnold type of progression, albeit as a backup. 2] I think we're all very excited about the additions to both lines. That's not to say it's an easy choice...it is...but those have seriously been, probably, the biggest areas of concern for a few years now. 3] I also can't believe Asamoah hasn't taken a step forward. He was drafted with a different D coordinator in charge, but he seems a PERFECT fit for a Flores defense! Where is the disconnect? I was surprised they didn't bring back Grugier-Hill as I thought he played pretty well in a reserve role. But I liked Wilson when he was with the Vikes previously, snd am kind of excited about his coming back. Comments about his play and contributions and leadership in camp are excellent. Maybe they like him better in coverage as a backup to Cashman? I think the rookie King might be a solid downhill kind of LB similar to Pace, but not sure what to expect from him as a rookie. I could see an off the ball LB being a selection next draft.