Re-sign Anthony Harris?

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@AGRforever said:
You have to answer how much playing next to Smith played into Harris being who he was last year?  We can likely afford 2 high priced DBs. So you pick em. Where should we drop the coin?

Is anyone else nervous about having virtually no one back for our DBs this year?  

The Hughes neck injury is huge. Do we even consider him as playing for the Vikings again?

XR needs to be cut
Waynes, Alexander, Kearse and Harris are all FAs. 

Whats that leave?  An injured Hughes, an aging Smith and a druggy Holton Hill 

Doubly so when you pair that with mediocre 3t play and Zimmer scheme. 

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@FSUVike said:
Guess which team led the NFL through the regular season in Forced Incompletions?  Wait for it....

Your 2019 Minnesota Vikings! Number #1 with 73 Forced Incompletions. 

Guess which team was 4th in Turnovers generated? Yep, Minnesota! And who tied for the lead in Interceptions in the regular season? Anthony Harris.

Harris and Smith do so much to erase the crap play from Rhodes, who was near Bottom 10 in the League, and Wayne's, who barely cracked the Top 50 at his position. 

Harris and Smith. Not the other way around. Anthony has factually become the better Coverage Safety, which has allowed Zimmer to continue to keep Harrison around the LOS.

How about some more facts? The Vikings played Zone Shell on about 70% of their snaps this year. So much for the notion that Mike needs sticky Man Coverage CBs who can figure his uber-complex scheme that takes years to learn.

And it gets weirder. The Coverage Scheme they played in the most? Cover 2 at roughly 21% of their snaps. Wait, what? But I thought Zimmer hated Cover 2 and could get CBs from 711 to play that scheme. 

Well, that was true. 5 years ago. He's constantly evolving. When misdirection and pick routes and bunch sets became the rage Mike wisely noted how many Defenses were switching to Zone to combat it. Zone is also usually more effective against the kiddie QBs proliferating the League now as they just don't have the experience to know where the natural holes are in Zones that guys like Brady, Brees and Rodgers know at a near-instinctual level from all their years picking it apart.

And guess what part 5? Minnesota allowed the 4th lowest Passer Rating in the League when playing Cover 2.

Having an Elite Eraser at the back of your Zone is what has helped make it so effective. Harris is so canny at figuring out which hole a QB is looking to exploit on which play.

If Harris leaves its Smith at the back of that Zone. I'm not sure he's as instinctive as Harris in anticipating where a QB will attack the Zone but even if he was he doesn't have the athleticism to do anything about any more. And Sendejo would just be running around like a headless chicken back there endangering everyone around him.

Look. Zimmer probably doesn't want to play that much Zone. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with his inability to trust Rhodes and Waynes in Man. But the fact is the Defense was 5th in Points Allowed. And 4th in Turnovers. It may Bend a lot more than in years past, but it wasn't Breaking.

Re-signing Harris has to be Priority #1 for the Defense. With him back and seeing as how the dreaded Zone that I've badmouthed so much has actually helped keep the Defense relevant, I see no reason why Minnesota can't add an aging vet or two and jettison Rhodes and Waynes, who are now 711 Corners. Be nice to keep Mac too. Keep Anthony Harris, draft a 3T, sign a CB or 2 and this Defense will likely be Top 5 in Points Allowed. Again. And as long as the Offense continues to improve that should be good enough. 

I am not really sure if I'm really piggybacking or contradicting some of this. But although it is similar to Cover-2 in a few ways the Vikings sat in Cover-4 quite a bit. Same conceptual ideal but the Corners completely own the outer 4ths. I wouldn't necessarily assume they go back to the look next season. Why? It was probably an over-reaction and a "last resort" type of move to protect a struggling secondary. 

Without getting too much into asset allocation, you aren't making much progress if you're playing bend but don't break defense with one of the highest paid units in the league. The scoring metrics looks fine but the finer details really are mediocre (1st downs allowed per game & 3rd down conversion rate). 

[Guest]

@"Geoff Nichols" said:

Without getting too much into asset allocation, you aren't making much progress if you're playing bend but don't break defense with one of the highest paid units in the league. The scoring metrics looks fine but the finer details really are mediocre (1st downs allowed per game & 3rd down conversion rate). 

I agree.  But does Rick Spielman know?   Or does the whole organization just sit there waiting for Mike Zimmer to decide if he can bear to let go of any of his high priced pets?

[Guest]

@"Geoff Nichols" said:

@FSUVike said:
Guess which team led the NFL through the regular season in Forced Incompletions?  Wait for it....

Your 2019 Minnesota Vikings! Number #1 with 73 Forced Incompletions. 

Guess which team was 4th in Turnovers generated? Yep, Minnesota! And who tied for the lead in Interceptions in the regular season? Anthony Harris.

Harris and Smith do so much to erase the crap play from Rhodes, who was near Bottom 10 in the League, and Wayne's, who barely cracked the Top 50 at his position. 

Harris and Smith. Not the other way around. Anthony has factually become the better Coverage Safety, which has allowed Zimmer to continue to keep Harrison around the LOS.

How about some more facts? The Vikings played Zone Shell on about 70% of their snaps this year. So much for the notion that Mike needs sticky Man Coverage CBs who can figure his uber-complex scheme that takes years to learn.

And it gets weirder. The Coverage Scheme they played in the most? Cover 2 at roughly 21% of their snaps. Wait, what? But I thought Zimmer hated Cover 2 and could get CBs from 711 to play that scheme. 

Well, that was true. 5 years ago. He's constantly evolving. When misdirection and pick routes and bunch sets became the rage Mike wisely noted how many Defenses were switching to Zone to combat it. Zone is also usually more effective against the kiddie QBs proliferating the League now as they just don't have the experience to know where the natural holes are in Zones that guys like Brady, Brees and Rodgers know at a near-instinctual level from all their years picking it apart.

And guess what part 5? Minnesota allowed the 4th lowest Passer Rating in the League when playing Cover 2.

Having an Elite Eraser at the back of your Zone is what has helped make it so effective. Harris is so canny at figuring out which hole a QB is looking to exploit on which play.

If Harris leaves its Smith at the back of that Zone. I'm not sure he's as instinctive as Harris in anticipating where a QB will attack the Zone but even if he was he doesn't have the athleticism to do anything about any more. And Sendejo would just be running around like a headless chicken back there endangering everyone around him.

Look. Zimmer probably doesn't want to play that much Zone. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with his inability to trust Rhodes and Waynes in Man. But the fact is the Defense was 5th in Points Allowed. And 4th in Turnovers. It may Bend a lot more than in years past, but it wasn't Breaking.

Re-signing Harris has to be Priority #1 for the Defense. With him back and seeing as how the dreaded Zone that I've badmouthed so much has actually helped keep the Defense relevant, I see no reason why Minnesota can't add an aging vet or two and jettison Rhodes and Waynes, who are now 711 Corners. Be nice to keep Mac too. Keep Anthony Harris, draft a 3T, sign a CB or 2 and this Defense will likely be Top 5 in Points Allowed. Again. And as long as the Offense continues to improve that should be good enough. 

I am not really sure if I'm really piggybacking or contradicting some of this. But although it is similar to Cover-2 in a few ways the Vikings sat in Cover-4 quite a bit. Same conceptual ideal but the Corners completely own the outer 4ths. I wouldn't necessarily assume they go back to the look next season. Why? It was probably an over-reaction and a "last resort" type of move to protect a struggling secondary. 

Without getting too much into asset allocation, you aren't making much progress if you're playing bend but don't break defense with one of the highest paid units in the league. The scoring metrics looks fine but the finer details really are mediocre (1st downs allowed per game & 3rd down conversion rate). 

But will they still be one of the highest paid units without Griff, Joseph, Rhodes and Waynes?

All those draft picks and contracts and it was still a Unit better known for not allowing a lot of points and getting off the field on 3rd downs. It was never an Elite Defense generating tons of 3 & Outs and Turnovers.

Well, they still don't get 3 & Outs at a rate commensurate with the investment but they are getting the Tornovers and they still aren't giving up a lot of points. So why invest a lot back into it? You keep Harris because he's a big part of the uptick in TOs but you let the rest walk and replace with lower tier FAs, draft picks and guys already on the roster 

Cover 4 covered up near worst in the entire League play from Xavier and barely average play from Trae. You can't do much worse than them, which is shocking but true. If Zimmer gets a 1st or 2nd Round CB he's going to want to go back to playing more Man but the kid will need at least a year or two to get up to speed so what's the point? Zimmer could be gone by then.

So get Ryan or Roby to pair with Hughes and Boyd and a 4th Round pick. Stay in Cover 4 and count on the pass rush plus the ballhawking skills of Harris, Smith, Kendricks, Hunter and Ogdenigo and focus the early Round Draft Picks on the O-Line and 3T.

My biggest fear is Mehkti Becton sitting at 25 and Zimmer pounds the table for Henderson instead. He's going to be a pretty good Corner one day, but he won't magically turn the Defense into something Elite. Which it won't need to be if the Offense takes the next step under Gary.

[Guest]

JAMAL ADAMSDB, NEW YORK JETS

ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini said "you can bet your mortgage" Jamal Adams will aim to overtake Eddie Jackson as the league's highest-paid safety.Jackson reset the safety market with his four-year extension last month, a deal that will net him $14.6 million annually. An All-Pro selection each of the last two seasons, Adams is due a modest $3.5 million in 2020. The two sides are expected to open extension talks soon, though in the meantime, the Jets will assuredly exercise Adams' fifth-year team option for 2021.
RELATED: 

• Eddie Jackson

[Guest]

JUSTIN SIMMONSDB, DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos have yet to open "serious contract talks" with impending free agent S Justin Simmons.Broncos GM John Elway has already said he wants to re-sign Simmons, but there's not been any progress to this point. That should change when the sides meet at the Combine later this month. Simmons is likely going to ask for more than the four-year, $58.4 million contract ($14.6M annually) Chicago gave to Eddie Jackson in January. The Broncos haven't ruled out franchising Simmons, which would pay him $11.5 million in 2020.

SOURCE: 9News Denver

[Guest]

@"BarrNone55" said:

JUSTIN SIMMONSDB, DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos have yet to open "serious contract talks" with impending free agent S Justin Simmons.Broncos GM John Elway has already said he wants to re-sign Simmons, but there's not been any progress to this point. That should change when the sides meet at the Combine later this month. Simmons is likely going to ask for more than the four-year, $58.4 million contract ($14.6M annually) Chicago gave to Eddie Jackson in January. The Broncos haven't ruled out franchising Simmons, which would pay him $11.5 million in 2020.

SOURCE: 9News Denver

We'll see what the combine holds but I think the franchise tag is going to be a very real possibility for Harris. 

[Guest]

https://thevikingage.com/2020/02/13/asse...gs-harris/

[Guest]

Can you imagine the fucking dumpster fire happening at the back end of the Secondary if Sendejo is out there instead of Harris? He covers so much ground and masks so many deficiencies back there that allows Harry to stay closer to the LOS. 

With him gone Mike will need to either find a true Centerfielder (McKinney in the 1st) or keep Smith back there and lose one of his most versatile weapons.

[Guest]

Give me Ant Man ™ and Dirty Harry and a couple 7/11 CBs if it comes to it...Hughes, if he's not a hit away from being a quadriplegic, Mac, Boyd, and Hill should be plenty for Zim to work with...