Quote: @FSUVike said:
@ dadevike said:
No question our O-line is the biggest problem. I was hopeful on Isidora for a while. Now, not so much. Also need to see who we lose after the season. Easton, Compton and Brett Jones are all UFAs after this year. Barr flashes, but he is not consistent. If we have to choose between Richardson and Barr, it's not even close for me. Tom Johnson and Ant Harris are also UFAs. Johnson is like Sherels - every time you think you've got his position covered with a younger player, he proves you wrong.
Jaleel Johnson and Jalyn Holmes in back to back Drafts. One of those guys needs to replace Richardson. You can't invest that kind of Draft Capital (borrowed from Booger McFarland who used that term 30 times last night during the Titans/Cowboys stinker) and only end up with rotational depth pieces.
Keep Easton ONLY if cheap and healthy. Yes, Minnesota has done a lot to develop him...and he's still barely League Average.
I'm sort of shocked that Jones isn't getting any run at LG. Looks like the cupboard at Guard is bare, which is a shame. Izzy looks less like the guy the more reps he gets. Compton stinks. I like Collins but there's no way he's counted on for anything but depth next year at this point. Remmers is not cutting it.
Time for spend a pick in the first 3 Riunds AND add a solid FA signing to shore up that position. If that means losing someone like Richardson so be it. If this team had consistent Guard play they'd be Elite today.
I'd keep Anthony Harris, though. Iloka too. Harris can cover and Iloka can be the Big Nickel guy that replaces Barr until Zimmer can a suitable freak athlete to take the spot permanently.
I hope you are right about the shift in draft strategy to fix OG, and if you (and many others) are right that Isadora isn't going to be a good starter, it better be the final nail in the coffin of the Vikings' "we can draft offensive linemen on day 3" strategy.
Not sure I go along with the idea that Jaleel Johnson and Jalyn Holmes mean we can part with Richardson - unless we see more from one of them yet this season. In the little Holmes has played, he has been used at DE, his college position. The coaches might have decided he isn't going to be a DT. Besides, the next draft is supposedly rich in defensive linemen...betcha anything that Zimmer is going to be in love with some of them and convince Spielman they're getting top 10 value later in the first round if they pick a DL.
I felt last year we were going CB in the first round - although I thought it would be Jaire Alexander or Josh Jackson. As it stands now, it looks like we are going OL early, maybe even in the first this year. But we need to see what happens with injuries and free agency. I assume we lose Brett Jones and Nick Easton. That reinforces an early O-line pick. But if we lose Barr and/or Richardson, that could change.
I agree about Jaleel Johnson and Jalyn Holmes not having shown enough to let Richardson walk without replacement. But rather than try to replace him, we may be better off re-signing him. Unless he wants Donald level money; that won't work. Barr has not been greatly missed. His splash plays have become few and far between. Wilson did a nice job last week. I don't know enough about Brothers or Downs to say whether they can replace Barr.
But I do not see any way around an early O-line pick. They better do their homework on interior O-linemen in the 2019 draft. I would guess no later than the 2d round.
Dade, Zimmer needs good cover skills and tackling out of Barr's position. Splash plays only if they come within the context of that.
If Anthony had 2 picks,.4 sacks and a fumble recovery but was still getting torched by RBs and TEs and not tackling soundly Zimmer would want his ass off the team. Mike's system is about doing your job. If everyone does their job the 'Spalsh Plays' come naturally and are spread around pretty evemly.
And I can virtually guarantee you that Richardson will look to be the 2nd highest paid DT in the League.
Quote: @dadevike said:
I felt last year we were going CB in the first round - although I thought it would be Jaire Alexander or Josh Jackson. As it stands now, it looks like we are going OL early, maybe even in the first this year. But we need to see what happens with injuries and free agency. I assume we lose Brett Jones and Nick Easton. That reinforces an early O-line pick. But if we lose Barr and/or Richardson, that could change.
I agree about Jaleel Johnson and Jalyn Holmes not having shown enough to let Richardson walk without replacement. But rather than try to replace him, we may be better off re-signing him. Unless he wants Donald level money; that won't work. Barr has not been greatly missed. His splash plays have become few and far between. Wilson did a nice job last week. I don't know enough about Brothers or Downs to say whether they can replace Barr.
But I do not see any way around an early O-line pick. They better do their homework on interior O-linemen in the 2019 draft. I would guess no later than the 2d round.
I think we'd be fools for letting Easton go. I suspect he'll draw a lot of interest on the market, and he'll likely get a nice little raise, but we should be the ones to pay it. I think he could have a Rodger Saffold type career. And I sorta think he'll just be looking for a fair offer to stay. I think Barr's gone and his replacement will be drafted in the 1st round to compete with Eric Wilson. Richardson will be all about what we think of JJ. Sheldon's been very good, but I tend to think he'll be looking for the kind of money that might be better used elsewhere. Our 2nd rounder should be a guard.
Draft mindset can't be determined until A) we see where we draft and B) we see the scouting reports on whether any Oline grades out high enough to consider first round picks
Maroon, Saffold is a guy you know I've always liked. But comparing Easton to him? Just not seeing it. Nick is barely League Average. And he only reached that level last year. Not a lot of history of solid play to justify getting scooped up on the open market. I'm sure he can still develop, I just want it to be for as little $ as possible.
As for Barr, he's getting replaced by a Thomas Davis type Safety/Linebacker hybrid. Very few guys like that go in the 1st Round since they're natural tweeners.
AKVike, this is a much stronger Tackle Class than the last Draft. 4 will go I the 1st according to current Mock Drafts I'm reading. And there are good Guards too.
I personally heart Dalton Risner out of K-State. Viking Age does too!
Quote: @FSUVike said:
Maroon, Saffold is a guy you know I've always liked. But comparing Easton to him? Just not seeing it. Nick is barely League Average. And he only reached that level last year. Not a lot of history of solid play to justify getting scooped up on the open market. I'm sure he can still develop, I just want it to be for as little $ as possible.
Saffold was barely league average for several years. He was just always hurt. That's what I meant. If you remember, he signed a modest deal with the Raiders after his 1st term, but it was voided because he failed the physical. Rams gave him a lesser deal and he's now put together a couple good seasons. Yeah, I think Easton can eventually round into a player every bit as good as Saffold. In fact, it may not take him as long. For much of last season, Easton was probably our best pass blocking lineman.
More than anything, I like the odds of Easton helping to solidify the OL in '19 more than anyone but maybe a 1st round draft pick.
I liked Easton ok - nothing special, but plenty serviceable. But he will be coming off a season lost to injury before it even got started - a neck injury, I think. That adds a whole other dimension of uncertainty in his contract year. No predictions, I'm just assuming he and Jones are gone after this year.
As for Barr, I think he is an asset and I would like to keep him, I just don't think he is worth what he will likely want. Not everyone on our defense can get paid top of the market money. And at some point it gets tough to look Thielan in the face and say yeah, you may be All Pro, but you need to make a fraction of what Diggs, Kendricks, Griff, X, Hunter, Reiff, Smith, and Richardson make, and now let's throw in Barr, too.
If we let both Barr and Richardson go, Zimmer will likely want to replace one of them in the first round or FA.
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