Well Za'Darius sure changes the draft strategy

[Guest]

@MaroonBells said:

@Wetlander said:
I think you do what the Packers did a couple years ago after they signed Preston and Z Smith (took Rashan Gary at 12?)... 

If a stud pass rusher falls, you take him. We've seen what this defense looks like without a pass rush.  It's the biggest reason Zimmer's defenses weren't good the past two years.

I wouldn't break my TV. Pass rushers are gold. But with Hunter and Smith and depth like Wonnum, J-Rob and PJ2, I think we'd be fools for ignoring our almost empty corner room. 

Well, I think we're only 8 or 9 days into FA, Maroon...  :-)

The Vikings will add to the CB room between now and the draft, there are still plenty of quality veteran CBs unsigned.  As far as our pass rushing depth you listed, it's mostly unproven (except for Wonnum) and we have two studs who've missed a lot of time recently.  Getting another young, talented pass rusher is as much a need as CB.

Luckily, this class is top heavy (and deep) at pass rusher and CB.  Depending on how things fall, I could see those two positions being our first two picks.

[Guest]

@Wetlander said:

@MaroonBells said:

@Wetlander said:
I think you do what the Packers did a couple years ago after they signed Preston and Z Smith (took Rashan Gary at 12?)... 

If a stud pass rusher falls, you take him. We've seen what this defense looks like without a pass rush.  It's the biggest reason Zimmer's defenses weren't good the past two years.

I wouldn't break my TV. Pass rushers are gold. But with Hunter and Smith and depth like Wonnum, J-Rob and PJ2, I think we'd be fools for ignoring our almost empty corner room. 

Well, I think we're only 8 or 9 days into FA, Maroon...  :-)

The Vikings will add to the CB room between now and the draft, there are still plenty of quality veteran CBs unsigned.  As far as our pass rushing depth you listed, it's mostly unproven (except for Wonnum) and we have two studs who've missed a lot of time recently.  Getting another young, talented pass rusher is as much a need as CB.

Luckily, this class is top heavy (and deep) at pass rusher and CB.  Depending on how things fall, I could see those two positions being our first two picks.

I think we need to see what J-Rob & PJ2 offer as pass rushers before we spend more premium picks on DE's. Surratt was also drafted because of his pass rush abilities.

[Guest]

@Knucklehead said:

@Wetlander said:

@MaroonBells said:

@Wetlander said:
I think you do what the Packers did a couple years ago after they signed Preston and Z Smith (took Rashan Gary at 12?)... 

If a stud pass rusher falls, you take him. We've seen what this defense looks like without a pass rush.  It's the biggest reason Zimmer's defenses weren't good the past two years.

I wouldn't break my TV. Pass rushers are gold. But with Hunter and Smith and depth like Wonnum, J-Rob and PJ2, I think we'd be fools for ignoring our almost empty corner room. 

Well, I think we're only 8 or 9 days into FA, Maroon...  :-)

The Vikings will add to the CB room between now and the draft, there are still plenty of quality veteran CBs unsigned.  As far as our pass rushing depth you listed, it's mostly unproven (except for Wonnum) and we have two studs who've missed a lot of time recently.  Getting another young, talented pass rusher is as much a need as CB.

Luckily, this class is top heavy (and deep) at pass rusher and CB.  Depending on how things fall, I could see those two positions being our first two picks.

I think we need to see what J-Rob & PJ2 offer as pass rushers before we spend more premium picks on DE's. Surratt was also drafted because of his pass rush abilities.

Agree with the first part, but I'm still waiting for my explanation as to why we drafted Surratt

[Guest]

It has to be CB unless Jordan Davis is on the board.  I think it would be foolish to pass up Davis if he was still there at 12, even in the 3-4, he can still be a major force.

A front 7 of:
Davis-Phillips-Tomlinson
Hunter-Hicks-Kendricks-Smith

Is the best in the league if healthy.  Backups of: Lynch-Watts-Twyman-Jones-Wonnum-Robinson-Surrat

A 2nd round corner, a vet (Patrick Peterson?  Bryce Callahan?), plus Dantzler, Hand, Boyd could be enough.  

If no Davis, then it's easy, take the best corner available (McDuffie or Booth)

[Guest]

@Wetlander said:
I think you do what the Packers did a couple years ago after they signed Preston and Z Smith (took Rashan Gary at 12?)... 

If a stud pass rusher falls, you take him. We've seen what this defense looks like without a pass rush.  It's the biggest reason Zimmer's defenses weren't good the past two years.

I would say it was the corner play, but they go very much hand in hand.

[Guest]

@Skodin said:
It has to be CB unless Jordan Davis is on the board.  I think it would be foolish to pass up Davis if he was still there at 12, even in the 3-4, he can still be a major force.

A front 7 of:
Davis-Phillips-Tomlinson
Hunter-Hicks-Kendricks-Smith

Is the best in the league if healthy.  Backups of: Lynch-Watts-Twyman-Jones-Wonnum-Robinson-Surrat

A 2nd round corner, a vet (Patrick Peterson?  Bryce Callahan?), plus Dantzler, Hand, Boyd could be enough.  

If no Davis, then it's easy, take the best corner available (McDuffie or Booth)

I doubt he gets to 12, but the thought excites the hell out of me. Imagine the potential. I think we can find corners later in the draft and second tier of free agency.

[Guest]

@MaroonBells said:

@Wetlander said:
I think you do what the Packers did a couple years ago after they signed Preston and Z Smith (took Rashan Gary at 12?)... 

If a stud pass rusher falls, you take him. We've seen what this defense looks like without a pass rush.  It's the biggest reason Zimmer's defenses weren't good the past two years.

I wouldn't break my TV. Pass rushers are gold. But with Hunter and Smith and depth like Wonnum, J-Rob and PJ2, I think we'd be fools for ignoring our almost empty corner room. 

Depends what they do at corner until now and the draft. If Stingley/Sauce are off the board prior to #12 I'm not convinced you're going to get a significantly better CB at #12 vs. the 2nd round. Trading back may be tough given how this drafts talent is spread so wide. So you may end up being stuck taking the BPA regardless of position which could easily be a pass rusher or even a WR.  

[Guest]

@Knucklehead said:

@Wetlander said:

@MaroonBells said:

@Wetlander said:
I think you do what the Packers did a couple years ago after they signed Preston and Z Smith (took Rashan Gary at 12?)... 

If a stud pass rusher falls, you take him. We've seen what this defense looks like without a pass rush.  It's the biggest reason Zimmer's defenses weren't good the past two years.

I wouldn't break my TV. Pass rushers are gold. But with Hunter and Smith and depth like Wonnum, J-Rob and PJ2, I think we'd be fools for ignoring our almost empty corner room. 

Well, I think we're only 8 or 9 days into FA, Maroon...  :-)

The Vikings will add to the CB room between now and the draft, there are still plenty of quality veteran CBs unsigned.  As far as our pass rushing depth you listed, it's mostly unproven (except for Wonnum) and we have two studs who've missed a lot of time recently.  Getting another young, talented pass rusher is as much a need as CB.

Luckily, this class is top heavy (and deep) at pass rusher and CB.  Depending on how things fall, I could see those two positions being our first two picks.

I think we need to see what J-Rob & PJ2 offer as pass rushers before we spend more premium picks on DE's. Surratt was also drafted because of his pass rush abilities.

Those guys were drafted on Day 3 as 4-3 defensive ends.  Robinson might be athletic enough to also play OLB in a 3-4, but I'm not passing up a premium pass rusher in this draft because we have those two.  Now if we still ran a 4-3, I'd have a different take, but we can't just assume everyone we've drafted the past two years on defense is going to be a fit for this scheme moving forward.

[Guest]

I think Kwesi may be protecting his comp picks while working with the budget.  Right now, overthecap shows us with 14.2M in cap space but it does not include the Thielen restructure which should net about 5M giving the team 19.2M in cap space.  But this does not include Smith who could come in around 4.7M and they need 4.3M to sign the rookies.  That leaves about 10.2M to try and sign a corner, interior OL, and maybe a safety.

If they cannot get Peterson then Janoris Jenkins was cut so he would not affect the comp picks.

I could see them using the #12 pick to take ...

Trevor Penning OT/OG 



... they can slide him next to O'Neill and possibly be very strong.

Ideally, they do this AND sign JC Tretter.

Penning did play some guard in college and at the Senior Bowl.

[Guest]

@MarkSP18 said:
I think Kwesi may be protecting his comp picks while working with the budget.  Right now, overthecap shows us with 14.2M in cap space but it does not include the Thielen restructure which should net about 5M giving the team 19.2M in cap space.  But this does not include Smith who could come in around 4.7M and they need 4.3M to sign the rookies.  That leaves about 10.2M to try and sign a corner, interior OL, and maybe a safety.

If they cannot get Peterson then Janoris Jenkins was cut so he would not affect the comp picks.

I could see them using the #12 pick to take ...

Trevor Penning OT/OG 



... they can slide him next to O'Neill and possibly be very strong.

Ideally, they do this AND sign JC Tretter.

Penning did play some guard in college and at the Senior Bowl.

I'm not opposed to Penning but if you want to draft a guard you mine as well trade back a few spots and take Zion. They can add more cap space if they need to since I don't think they'll hesitate to bonus restructure Kendricks or Dalvin if needed. 

Accounting for rookies, Thielen, Mannion, and Smith they should be closer to $11M in cap space. But you will need $5-6M for in-season moves and top 53 roster rules. So they effectively are working with $3 - $3.5M until they make another move.