Vikings most talented team in the North

[Guest]

Vikings have some nice skill players, but lots of questions in the D backfield and trenches...

Give me GB's OL/DL over ours and Chicago's DL over ours too. 

[Guest]

Most talented? I think so.  Division favorites? No. We had to bring in all this talent because seemingly half the team left town in FA and left gaping holes all over the roster.   

As much as I love the potential of our CB's, in 2020 I wouldn't trust them as far as I can throw Udoh. Hughes and Hill have hardly played (and rarely with each other) due to injuries and stupidity. Add 3 rookies to that and I see some great highlight plays balanced by a lot of "You got him, no you got him, oh crap!" next season. 

Then there's the OL.  If Reiff stays at LT, do we throw away the season by letting Elflein play LG again?  If Reiff kicks in to LG, then Cleveland gets thrown in the fire at LT.  Wish the Vikings hadn't cut Kline, but since they were dumb enough to do that they could make me feel much better by resigning him.

On the DL we're promoting Odenigbo to starting RDE and hoping Patterson can microwave Wonnum and Willekes into serviceable depth. 

WR I think we're already better than last year because '19 was wrecked by Theilen's hamstring.  He had only 30 catches for barely 400 yards.  A healthy AT will almost replace Diggs by himself. Then add Jefferson.  Tajae Sharpe>>>Treadwell. Bisi Johnson has a year of experience. Osborne? Just don't drop the punt, kid. 

What I see is a team that's in great position for 2021 but this season is likely to be a rollercoaster ride.

[Guest]

@MaroonBells said:
I know this will piss off a lot of you but...
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/05/01/vikings-win-total-nfc-north-sportsline-kenny-white/

I think that guy took his ball and went home.

[Guest]

@"BarrNone55" said:

@MaroonBells said:
I know this will piss off a lot of you but...
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/05/01/vikings-win-total-nfc-north-sportsline-kenny-white/

I think that guy took his ball and went home.

It appears so. Too bad. I enjoyed reading his takes. I guess he didn't like reading mine.

[Guest]

Anyone who thinks we are easily the top of the North is completely clueless. The reason Zimmer can't win big games is he can't win the line of scrimmage in big time division games.  GB and Chicago has dominated us in this area when we played them last 2 years.  Especially Chicago..moving our lineman with ease like high school kids playing professionals.  Oh and Aaron Jones and GB line eating us up in last game proved our run defense needs help. Its not even close..Zimmer and Spielmen are yet to build a respectable Oline.  When we won in Dallas..our Oline and Dline played really well that game..moving the ball, protecting and putting pressure on QB.. He has yet to prove that vs GB and Chicago, and SF game was pretty obvious..we were outmatched.  

[Guest]

@canadianvike said:
Anyone who thinks we are easily the top of the North is completely clueless. The reason Zimmer can't win big games is he can't win the line of scrimmage in big time division games.  GB and Chicago has dominated us in this area when we played them last 2 years.  Especially Chicago..moving our lineman with ease like high school kids playing professionals.  Oh and Aaron Jones and GB line eating us up in last game proved our run defense needs help. Its not even close..Zimmer and Spielmen are yet to build a respectable Oline.  When we won in Dallas..our Oline and Dline played really well that game..moving the ball, protecting and putting pressure on QB.. He has yet to prove that vs GB and Chicago, and SF game was pretty obvious..we were outmatched.  

So if I am understanding you correctly...you are saying the game is won or lost in the trenches?  Kind of a radical concept ,no?

[Guest]

@canadianvike said:
Anyone who thinks we are easily the top of the North is completely clueless. The reason Zimmer can't win big games is he can't win the line of scrimmage in big time division games.  GB and Chicago has dominated us in this area when we played them last 2 years.  Especially Chicago..moving our lineman with ease like high school kids playing professionals.  Oh and Aaron Jones and GB line eating us up in last game proved our run defense needs help. Its not even close..Zimmer and Spielmen are yet to build a respectable Oline.  When we won in Dallas..our Oline and Dline played really well that game..moving the ball, protecting and putting pressure on QB.. He has yet to prove that vs GB and Chicago, and SF game was pretty obvious..we were outmatched.  

I agree, some teams seem to match up better than others against Minnesota. Vikes need to get to a place where their lines are decent enough that matchups aren't such an issue, where they are generally competent enough no matter the opponent. 

[Guest]

So on D we lost almost the entirety of our CB room. We lost two aged but good players on the DL. We traded Diggs for an unknown rookie and for some strange reason cut our most consistent OL. 

Not to mention we’re in salary cap hell for the forseeable future. 

[Guest]

I don't see Zimmer taking us anywhere in year 7 regardless of how much talent he's given.  He had plenty in years 1-6 and showed he wasn't up to the task.  

[Guest]

@AGRforever said:
So on D we lost almost the entirety of our CB room. We lost two aged but good players on the DL. We traded Diggs for an unknown rookie and for some strange reason cut our most consistent OL. 

Not to mention we’re in salary cap hell for the forseeable future. 

I appreciate your optimism! Unfortunately, your seems to sum it up for these Vikings.
The current ownership, front office, coaching regime has had an inability to acquire a functional NFL caliber offensive line, or draft a franchise QB. Even Teddy was still a question mark at the time of his injury, and not unlike Kirk, needed a team around him to help carry him. This has been an achilles heel for these Vikings.

Now the defensive back whisperer has had a mass exodus of free agent losses. Yes they were up against a salary cap ceiling, but one has to wonder if there wasn't more behind the curtain than money.

So Diggs is gone and the defense is particularly dependent on a number of new starters.
So it appears the offense will have to pick up some slack for the defense, and that could happen. But like what seems like every year, it will depend on whether they can fix the offensive line.
Did they do enough?

The Vikings have a number of talented players. But a team is only as good as it's weakest links. 
So I don't see the Vikings as the most talented team in the North. But they aren't far from it. And if the O-line comes together and the defense gels a bit. They could be pretty good.

It seems like one of those seasons where that could go real good or real bad. Very unpredictable.