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https://www.vikings.com/news/2023-depth-...unofficial
I was just perusing this first "unofficial" depth chart and noting the number of new STARTERS on Offense vs. Defense (yeah, I know, I have a good grasp for the obvious).
The only two new starters on Offense appear to be
RB (Mattison)
Slot R (Addison)
But on D, I counted seven new starters.
OLB Marcus Davenport
DE Dean Lowry
NT Tonga
ILB Asamoah
CB Murphy
CB Evans
S Bynum
Not to mention the elephant in the room on Defense...BFlores.
Bynum started last season and pretty sure Tonga started most of the season. So we got Lowry, swapping Kendricks for Asamoah, Zadarius for Davenport, and Pat Peterson for Murphy. I think the changes on defense are being hugely overrated. Guess we will all find our soon...
Doesn't mean much right now.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell issued a warning to the Purple zealots of Vikings Nation soon after the team officially released its first unofficial depth chart of the 2023 season.
"We're very much right into the competition part of training camp," O'Connell said Monday. "I would not over-evaluate one particular area. We have a lot of jobs guys are still fighting for, and we're going to allow for our practices, joint practices [with the Titans and Cardinals] and preseason games to play out before we make any final determinations."
One notably interesting spot on the depth chart was backup running back, where Kene Nwangwu is listed No. 2 behind starter Alexander Mattison despite seeing little action in camp because of an injury. Second-year pro Ty Chandler, who flashed in the 2022 preseason, has looked good as the No. 2 back in camp so far. He is listed No. 3. "That backup spot is still really fully in the competition," O'Connell said. "I will tell you that sheet of paper, we are not making any decisions at this point.
"I really want to see those guys get a full body of work before we determine overall what that position looks like. Ty has been really looking solid running the football and showing those instincts you saw last year in the preseason that we're excited about.
And he continues to grow from an understanding of protection."
https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-vikings-depth-chart-training-camp-kevin-oconnell-notebook/600295447/
Tonga started the last 2 games of the regular season …
Quote: @supafreak84 said:
Bynum started last season and pretty sure Tonga started most of the season. So we got Lowry, swapping Kendricks for Asamoah, Zadarius for Davenport, and Pat Peterson for Murphy. I think the changes on defense are being hugely overrated. Guess we will all find our soon...
Differences in scheme and play calling can't be overstated. Still have my doubts whether we can stop the run, or won't get smoked more than average in the passing game, but expect us to be at least 8 spots higher in scoring defense. Probably still in the bottom 3rd of the league.
Any tendencies figured out on tape from Zimmer or Donatell is now useless.
Flores can use that to his advantage.
They'll make fewer mistakes. That alone will lead to improvement.
Given that we have a new scheme, I'm less concerned with how many new starters we have and more concerned with how many guys we have that aren't starting caliber.
Hunter and Davenport in a Flores scheme is at the very least a wash with Hunter and Z in a Donatell scheme. Outside of scheme, biggest upgrade in my mind are the corners. P2, Dantzler and Sullivan to Murphy, Evans and either Booth or Blackmon. Biggest downgrade is easily Tomlinson to Lowry.
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
Hunter and Davenport in a Flores scheme is at the very least a wash with Hunter and Z in a Donatell scheme. Outside of scheme, biggest upgrade in my mind are the corners. P2, Dantzler and Sullivan to Murphy, Evans and either Booth or Blackmon. Biggest downgrade is easily Tomlinson to Lowry.
How are the CBs an upgrade? We're downgrading from P2 to Murphy and then have a bunch of guys who've never played. I'm hopeful for Blackmon, but I don't think Booth is going to be able to stay healthy enough to learn the position at an NFL level. I think if we're lucky we'll have two starting caliber CBs that will have to play all the snaps and never get injured. I think they're easily the biggest weakness on the team.
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