Kyle Rudolph

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@StickyBun said:

@MaroonBells said:

@StickyBun said:

@Ralphie said:
For how he's being used...and as Greed stated, the O-line issues... $7 mil a year is steep.

Yep. Just a guy/

Ah yes, the ol' snapshot in time telling the whole story. By this measure Rob Gronkowski and Jordan Reed are just guys, too. Actually, lesser guys. 

Before this year, averaging 5 TDs a year and 539 yards a season. That's a top TE? I guess I don't see it. Seems like very average/below average production that you could get from a lot of guys and he's making decent money. I guess I'll just leave it as my opinion, lol. 

a lot of what goes into numbers is how a guy is used.  Rudy starts most plays with his hand in the dirt and has to at least chip on  a DE or LB before he runs a route,  (classical TE use)  his numbers are going to pale in comparison to the more receiver type TEs with more established OLs that dont requite the amount of help that ours does,  and work in an offense that doesnt stress getting the ball out of the QBs hand in less than 2 seconds on most pass plays like ours does.  Honestly I am surprised how productive he has been able to be this year considering the help he has to give. 

If our OL was playing better and with Diggs and AT pulling coverages,  I would expect Rudy to have a great year if he was able to release immediately into some deeper routes,  but in this offense he is basically a dump off in the flat/shallow out route/ 5 yard curl type emergency target.

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@JimmyinSD said:

@StickyBun said:

@MaroonBells said:

@StickyBun said:

@Ralphie said:
For how he's being used...and as Greed stated, the O-line issues... $7 mil a year is steep.

Yep. Just a guy/

Ah yes, the ol' snapshot in time telling the whole story. By this measure Rob Gronkowski and Jordan Reed are just guys, too. Actually, lesser guys. 

Before this year, averaging 5 TDs a year and 539 yards a season. That's a top TE? I guess I don't see it. Seems like very average/below average production that you could get from a lot of guys and he's making decent money. I guess I'll just leave it as my opinion, lol. 

a lot of what goes into numbers is how a guy is used.  Rudy starts most plays with his hand in the dirt and has to at least chip on  a DE or LB before he runs a route,  (classical TE use)  his numbers are going to pale in comparison to the more receiver type TEs with more established OLs that dont requite the amount of help that ours does,  and work in an offense that doesnt stress getting the ball out of the QBs hand in less than 2 seconds on most pass plays like ours does.  Honestly I am surprised how productive he has been able to be this year considering the help he has to give. 

If our OL was playing better and with Diggs and AT pulling coverages,  I would expect Rudy to have a great year if he was able to release immediately into some deeper routes,  but in this offense he is basically a dump off in the flat/shallow out route/ 5 yard curl type emergency target.

If he was more of an athletic weapon, he'd be used as such. He's limited. You can say the same thing about any TE if 'the OL was playing better'. My point is for his production/abilities, he needs a contract renegotiation next season to stay on the team. If not, see ya. 

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He could be a victim of the scheme or maybe he's simply become who he is today at age 28...a solid but not dominating offensive player.  To quote Stuart Smalley, "and that's OK". 
The question is what that is worth in today's market (current cap # $7,675,000.00) and could we find better value to get same results.  I'm not throwing him under the bus, but would like to see him become more of a weapon beyond the occasional red-zone catch.

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@greediron said:
and one might wonder why TE production is down for the Vikings this year.  But look at another year where Kyle didn't put up great fantasy stats and what is the common factor?  O-line issues.  I would bet our TEs are being asked to help in protections much more than last year when Reiff was healthy and locked down that LT spot.

Then I think if we can spend Rudy's cap money to improve the OL, that's the direction we need to go. Better to have a good OL that let's the TE be productive as a receiver and an average TE than an above average TE who can be sent out on patterns because he's covering up OL deficiencies.

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@JimmyinSD said:

@MaroonBells said:

@FSUVike said:
Folks, I watch the RedZone channel religously. Few teams don't have a truly athletic TE. The Vikings are one of those few. They need to get with the times at this spot just like they need an RB that can line up in WR spots and run wheel routes.

I'm not sure what good it will do. Those athletic tight ends quite often just aren't very good. Ricky Seals Jones, ASJ, Jared Cook, that guy from Portland State...Julius Thomas, who I think is out of the NFL right now...Bucky Hodges was the most athletic TE in the '17 draft and no one was even close. Where is he? 

I just think this whole "must get an athletic TE" has completely turned a corner. 3, 4 years ago everyone started focusing on those athletic college TEs and drafted a dozen of them. So few have actually turned out. 

I like our combo of David Morgan (who is one of the best blocking TEs in the NFL) and Kyle Rudolph. Rudy's no elite TE, but until we stumble upon a sleeper late in the draft (only fools draft TEs high), I'm very happy with those two and Tyler Conklin as the developmental guy. 

You want them to produce more? Give the QB more protection. But even then, with the NFL's best WR duo, there's only so many balls to go around. 

What do you call an elite TE?  Just curious what you are looking for from the position.  As far as a true TE in a classical sense imo Rudy is one of the best in the game right now in terms of being an asset as both a blocker (run and pass) as well as being a good pass target.  I would agree though that as a historical TE he is not really elite.  I can't really think of any right now..maybe Kelce but I dont really get to watch the Chiefs enough to see his blocking . 

Great point: a lot of us have a historical perspective about TEs that doesn't really occur often, an expectation that is something like +1,000 yards in a season with 70 catches and 10 TDs. Gronkowski and Kelce have done that, and Jimmy Graham used to be able to do it, and of course Tony Gonzalez and Kellen Winslow - but that's rare company, beyond what we even had from Steve Jordan. I would like to see the Vikings offense spread pressure around to come from more than Diggs and Thielen, though.
When people talk about Rudolph possibly being asked to restructure or cut, I think it's easy to overlook that the team will have to bring his salary (and others like Sendejo and Remmers) into the considerations for keeping Waynes, Richardson, and Barr...

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@JimmyinSD said:

@MaroonBells said:

@FSUVike said:
Folks, I watch the RedZone channel religously. Few teams don't have a truly athletic TE. The Vikings are one of those few. They need to get with the times at this spot just like they need an RB that can line up in WR spots and run wheel routes.

I'm not sure what good it will do. Those athletic tight ends quite often just aren't very good. Ricky Seals Jones, ASJ, Jared Cook, that guy from Portland State...Julius Thomas, who I think is out of the NFL right now...Bucky Hodges was the most athletic TE in the '17 draft and no one was even close. Where is he? 

I just think this whole "must get an athletic TE" has completely turned a corner. 3, 4 years ago everyone started focusing on those athletic college TEs and drafted a dozen of them. So few have actually turned out. 

I like our combo of David Morgan (who is one of the best blocking TEs in the NFL) and Kyle Rudolph. Rudy's no elite TE, but until we stumble upon a sleeper late in the draft (only fools draft TEs high), I'm very happy with those two and Tyler Conklin as the developmental guy. 

You want them to produce more? Give the QB more protection. But even then, with the NFL's best WR duo, there's only so many balls to go around. 

What do you call an elite TE?  Just curious what you are looking for from the position.  As far as a true TE in a classical sense imo Rudy is one of the best in the game right now in terms of being an asset as both a blocker (run and pass) as well as being a good pass target.  I would agree though that as a historical TE he is not really elite.  I can't really think of any right now..maybe Kelce but I dont really get to watch the Chiefs enough to see his blocking . 

Couldn't agree more. I think he's underrated by so many Vikings fans. No, I wouldn't call him an "elite" TE, but that's just semantics. What the hell does "elite" even mean? Is he a big part of our offense? Yes. Is he worth his salary? Yeah, I'd say he is. He's the 10th highest paid TE in the NFL. And he's better than many of the 9 above him. He's such a valuable red zone target and his blocking is at times very very good. One thing I've really enjoyed watching is how he and O'Neill combo block on that right side. 

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@MaroonBells said:

@JimmyinSD said:

@MaroonBells said:

@FSUVike said:
Folks, I watch the RedZone channel religously. Few teams don't have a truly athletic TE. The Vikings are one of those few. They need to get with the times at this spot just like they need an RB that can line up in WR spots and run wheel routes.

I'm not sure what good it will do. Those athletic tight ends quite often just aren't very good. Ricky Seals Jones, ASJ, Jared Cook, that guy from Portland State...Julius Thomas, who I think is out of the NFL right now...Bucky Hodges was the most athletic TE in the '17 draft and no one was even close. Where is he? 

I just think this whole "must get an athletic TE" has completely turned a corner. 3, 4 years ago everyone started focusing on those athletic college TEs and drafted a dozen of them. So few have actually turned out. 

I like our combo of David Morgan (who is one of the best blocking TEs in the NFL) and Kyle Rudolph. Rudy's no elite TE, but until we stumble upon a sleeper late in the draft (only fools draft TEs high), I'm very happy with those two and Tyler Conklin as the developmental guy. 

You want them to produce more? Give the QB more protection. But even then, with the NFL's best WR duo, there's only so many balls to go around. 

What do you call an elite TE?  Just curious what you are looking for from the position.  As far as a true TE in a classical sense imo Rudy is one of the best in the game right now in terms of being an asset as both a blocker (run and pass) as well as being a good pass target.  I would agree though that as a historical TE he is not really elite.  I can't really think of any right now..maybe Kelce but I dont really get to watch the Chiefs enough to see his blocking . 

Couldn't agree more. I think he's underrated by so many Vikings fans. No, I wouldn't call him an "elite" TE, but that's just semantics. What the hell does "elite" even mean? Is he a big part of our offense? Yes. Is he worth his salary? Yeah, I'd say he is. He's the 10th highest paid TE in the NFL. And he's better than many of the 9 above him. He's such a valuable red zone target and his blocking is at times very very good. One thing I've really enjoyed watching is how he and O'Neill combo block on that right side. 

his blocking is leaps and bounds better than when he came into the league,  you can tell he has really worked on that aspect of his game to go with his pass catching abilities.  I would guess though that he is about as developed as he will get as a player, I dont expect him to get quicker or faster as he winds down his career,  although I dont think what he is doing is appreciated enough by many fans and would not be easily replaced with by a rookie.

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on the Spielman clock, Rudy is approaching midnight, enjoy him while we can...

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Hard to watch a guy like George Kittle...

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@Kentis said:
on the Spielman clock, Rudy is approaching midnight, enjoy him while we can...

If Rudy doesn't start padding his stats he might get BRobbed