Zimmer: This year's CBs better than last year

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@FLVike said:
Zim, just play the best player, not the one that has been here the longest.

Or the player who was drafted higher.....

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Not a lot of talk about Holton Hill, but it sounds like he's quietly on track to be one of our starting outside corners. If Dantzler and Hill start, that gives us two 6-2 corners outside, and two 1st rounders at nickel and dime. 

https://twitter.com/NickOlsonNFL/status/...90016?s=20

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@MaroonBells said:
Not a lot of talk about Holton Hill...

Well, clearly that was just me spending a few days in the mountains. Sounds like Hill has been getting a lot of attention....

https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/vikings-training-camp-notes-holton-hill-shines-day-5

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I've read that Bradbury has taken a step up in his 2nd year, bigger and more stout at point of attack. 

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Zim probably thinks next years 1st, 2nd, and 3d round corners will be even better.

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@kmillard said:
Zim probably thinks next years 1st, 2nd, and 3d round corners will be even better.

This made me laugh. Well done.

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It's pretty clear that all the high draft capital that Zim and Rick spent on Waynes and Alexander didn't generate a lot of positive roi.  A couple good years out of Rhodes but his drafting predated Zim as did Harry's.   Anthony Harris is good but was a UDFA.   Same for Holton Hill.   The jury is out on Hughes at this point but his injuries are a concern.   

Revamping with youth is a good idea but how long til Zim picks his favorites and performance takes a back seat?  His love affair with Xavier hurt the team the last year or two, and the opportunity to trade X away for some real value was lost.   The team could see he was in decline as early as 2018 and that was the time to move him.   They need to stop making sentimental decisions to appease the coach who's won nothing and make smarter ones.

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@comet52 said:
It's pretty clear that all the high draft capital that Zim and Rick spent on Waynes and Alexander didn't generate a lot of positive roi.  A couple good years out of Rhodes but his drafting predated Zim as did Harry's.   Anthony Harris is good but was a UDFA.   Same for Holton Hill.   The jury is out on Hughes at this point but his injuries are a concern.   

Revamping with youth is a good idea but how long til Zim picks his favorites and performance takes a back seat?  His love affair with Xavier hurt the team the last year or two, and the opportunity to trade X away for some real value was lost.   The team could see he was in decline as early as 2018 and that was the time to move him.   They need to stop making sentimental decisions to appease the coach who's won nothing and make smarter ones.

I don't agree with that. The "love affair" comment implies that Zim irrationally stuck with him past his prime. But for two or three years Xavier Rhodes was one of the best corners in the NFL. He was 1st Team All Pro in 2017 and just turned 28 in 2018. Yes, he fell off but there is no way that could've been foreseen by anyone. Age-related declines don't happen at 28 years old. Hell, he just turned 30 this summer and it really shouldn't even be happening at that age either. I think the team was as surprised as all of us at the kind of performance he turned in the last couple of seasons. 

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Hill - Hughes on the outside, Dantzler first man up outside
Gladney on the slot

Again, the cupboard is no longer full of expiring overpriced items.

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@Tyr said:

@purplefaithful said:
The "cb situation" coming off last season was unbelievable...Bad taste in my mouth with all that draft capital walking. I say that even though it was clear XR was past his prime. 

The upside looks to be there with those kids, but you can't teach experience and the DL is a big concern. Packers and Bears defenses look to be much more stout than the Vikings.

On paper? The offense is clearly the strength of the team right now. 

I have not been a fan of how they managed CB. Letting two 1st rounders and a 2nd rounder walk stung. Rhodes at least made it to his second contract, but it was best for everyone to part ways. I'm also concerned because Hughes has two years left on his deal and there is a decent chance that he doesn't make it to a second contract. It just feels like a very inefficient strategy and it's hard for me to not think about other parts of the roster that are being neglected, because we've burned so many high round picks on corners.

So, do you give them a pass on Rhodes because he made it - barely - to a 2nd contract? It's hardly ideal to give a player a 5-year contract and have him perform well only for 1 of those years. Rhodes is still eating almost $5M of cap space here and more next year. I know players decline, sometimes without warning, but in Rhodes' case, it's mighty strange: no significant injury but his speed fell off the table at age 28? I think he lost his confidence somehow and the coaching staff didn't know how to get his head on straight. That's worrisome with a staff that's supposedly so good with DBs. If Rhodes has a rebound year with Indianapolis, his handling in Minnesota should get scrutinized.