BRob.02

[Guest]

I am done with Rudy. I really like Jace Sternberger out of A&M. He isn't quite as polished as the top TEs but he is everything you want out of todays TEs. If you look at his footage, you can see the separation that he gets and he helped his QB out on multiple occasions. Once he gets more polished on his route running you will have a very good modern day TE

[Guest]

@Jor-El said:

@njvike said:
I can't comment on whether or not this rumor has merit or not, but I will say it doesn't surprise me. I recall Pops' vociferous disgust about Schpielman after Brian's departure last year. I have no insider knowledge by any means, but you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to put the pieces together. Brian was asked to restructure and did. My guess is that there was some sort of "gentleman's" agreement regarding what the team would do with Brian, rather than formal language in a contract. Ricky and the Vikings reneged on that handshake agreement and Pops was justifiably pissed. I think that became common knowledge among Vikings players and didn't sit well with many...and giving $84 million guaranteed to a QB with a shit-ass record against winning teams, prime-time games, playoffs, etc., just exacerbated the situation.

Again, just my opinion. As an old geezer and longtime fan, I've learned to pay much more attention to what people/organizations DO as opposed to putting much stock in what they SAY.

Richard has talked a good game since 2006, but the results just have not been there. Spin the Vikings playoff record anyway you choose, but you can't find a more anemic 13 year stretch of playoff futility in the team's history than the current stretch the Vikings are on since Ricky took over the scouting and personnel departments. That's not my opinion...its a fact.

Peace.

NJ, I have agreed with you more often than many posters here, and for one reason: you usually describe a specific measurable that Spielman's Vikings teams have failed to meet: winning playoff games.
But holding on to aging players due to sentimentality, alleged handshake agreements, or even our sympathy for a player's father who hangs around, are NOT requirements of your "Just win playoff games" criteria. You could make a pretty good argument that being ruthless is a necessity for winning. Did the Vikings get closer to their playoff goals by honoring Jared Allen's contract for a final year (2013 & 5-10-1) or keeping Adrian Peterson around for a couple more expensive seasons?
You can justify steadily attacking Spielman if your reasons are consistent, but not if you criticize him for any and all actions, which may be contrary to each other.
Regarding the two players in the OP:
I think EG's value is overrated by a lot of people on this board, especially in terms of potential trades. He was injured in 2017, and in 2018 he had a mental breakdown and looked ineffective when he came back on new meds. So he's 31 and might be either a public embarrassment or a non-contributor - that's someone you take a chance on when he gets waived and will sign for a cheaper deal, not trade a draft pick to acquire and owe his full $12M salary. If this was the NBA the Vikings would probably be sending him to another team and giving them a draft pick to take his salary off our hands.
As for Rudolph, I would love to see a flex TE as a complement, but not necessarily a replacement. He's a bit overpaid but someone I would like to keep on the team. I think this "not interested in restructuring contracts" is the first salvo in negotiation by agents, anyway.

Not sure I follow your logic.

I have no problem with getting rid of players a year early rather than a year (or two) late. Did not agree with Allen's last year, for example.  

My criticism was for the manner in which it happened, assuming my suspicions are correct. If they, or he, had no intention of keeping him, why ask him to restructure and lead him to believe he could have one final season? Just say "thanks for the memories" and let both parties move on. BR would have had a better chance to land with another team. You can be a hard nosed, business/team first exec without being a lying douche bag. THAT is my issue.

Also, did B Rob's absence really make the team better, since we are talking resukts and playoff success here? I doubt they would have done worse....,and I recall NUMEROUS threads wishing there was a LEADER on the team during Griffen's, er, sabbatical. Robison's name was mentioned numerous times. 

We'll have to disagree on this. Letting go of an aging player is a fact of life in the NFL, but you can handle it without lying to or disrespecting him. 

And Marion Balls.....I notice you don't have a snappy comeback to the current 13 year playoff anemia FACT. Truth hurts, don't it?

Peace

[Guest]

WWBBD?

If this was the Patriots they'd re-structure or be shown the door...

I know, such an easy, blanket statement right?  Its smacks of some truth in Rudolph and EG scenarios though. 

[Guest]

Very much ok with getting rid of Everson.  Rudolph has had solid production and isn't terribly over paid. 

[Guest]

I don't agree with any of the shit talking, but I agree with the core of what NJ was getting at.

I don't see why veterans wouldn't look to what happened with Brian and not be prepared to avoid that situation... I think you take the risk and ask the team to let you go ASAP so you can get into FA earlier, potentially have more options and actually have time to learn your new system/playbook.  ... there's potential that they are offered something extra lucrative.

I get that it's a "business," it's not a one way street. It's a "business" for players too. Sure, the Front Office has every incentive to do what they did and Brian wasn't the first that it happened to... but this reaction from current veterans when it comes to renegotiating existing deals is the ramification of making that kind of move...

I think without that shit, both of these guys probably enjoy their time here and would would have been open to the idea. When you find out redoing your deal just makes the teams liability for cutting you less, why do it? You can force the team to let you go and have more time to get shit together, even if it is for "less" than a renegotiation would pay out. A lot of times, that line of reasoning proves to be bullshit anyways as other teams offer more in competition with other teams anyways.

... none of that really hits on these players worth or value (because I don't disagree with the takes on these players either). I guess I too see a connection between BRob and vets currently asked to renegotiate and it's not surprising. It's disappointing to think that these guys both may have renegotiated without that happening last year...

I guess we will see soon if other veterans feel the same way about renegotiating.

[Guest]

whether or not the treatment of BRob affects other vets will remain to be seen.  As to the report, it could be summarized as such
Just my guess: veteran players not eager to take pay cut.

[Guest]

@greediron said:

whether or not the treatment of BRob affects other vets will remain to be seen.  As to the report, it could be summarized as such
Just my guess: veteran players not eager to take pay cut.

it most definitely will have that affect... BRob was a locker room leader and the rest of the players were shown exactly how they would be handled if they are asked to take a pay cut for the team.  I dont blame any player that has to deal with Rick for not being willing to offer a discount or to trust him to do the right thing.

[Guest]

Jimmy clearly doesn't watch ESPN. How do I know that? Because there is a large number of former Players from every team sport serving as commentators on the talk shows with a nearly Universal opinion that Players don't let what others Players are going through contract-wise get to them.

They don't care about who is holding out. Who is making noise about a new deal. Or who is in a tough restructure situation.

They only care about their own situation. And that is according to dozens of former athletes. It's the only thing they can control.

Now if we're talking Agents that's another thing. If Griff or Rudy has BRob's Agent it could get ugly as they absolutely hold a grudge with GMs and even Organizations.

[Guest]

@FSUVike said:
Jimmy clearly doesn't watch ESPN. How do I know that? Because there is a large number of former Players from every team sport serving as commentators on the talk shows with a nearly Universal opinion that Players don't let what others Players are going through contract-wise get to them.

They don't care about who is holding out. Who is making noise about a new deal. Or who is in a tough restructure situation.

They only care about their own situation. And that is according to dozens of former athletes. It's the only thing they can control.

Now if we're talking Agents that's another thing. If Griff or Rudy has BRob's Agent it could get ugly as they absolutely hold a grudge with GMs and even Organizations.

no i dont watch a lot of espn,  but human nature is human nature and these players are human,   BRob friends have surely learned a little on how Brian was treated only a year ago when he was in a similar situation.   they may not care about other players and what they are doing this year... but they will certainly use historical information as they  handle their own business.... as will their agents.

[Guest]

Its hard for me to buy the “speilman has a vendetta or lies”. angle.  its all business decisions. We all loved Brob, but it was a little overboard here in the reaction to the front office and i attribute that to the presence of insiders here and people wanting to be respectful to him/them.