So the Vikings liked Blake Brandel at RG then?

[StickyBun]

Got starts there in Week 14 and Week 18. Ideally, you draft a kid and have a competition, but that remains to be seen. The new contract he signed was alright, not sure if that's starting offensive guard money, but its probably close for low end OG. 

[Guest]

I have been impressed with Brandel, he has consistently played well wherever he has been plugged in to play, seemed to hold up against the better DL and an all around solid player.  I would feel good about him starting and feel he has deserved the shot.  I also thought the same when I saw the contract in that it could be a sign they are looking at him as a potential starter.

[Guest]

@JR44 said:
I have been impressed with Brandel, he has consistently played well wherever he has been plugged in to play, seemed to hold up against the better DL and an all around solid player.  I would feel good about him starting and feel he has deserved the shot.  I also thought the same when I saw the contract in that it could be a sign they are looking at him as a potential starter.

Here's my only question: he's 6'6+"....is that too tall for an OG to get low and leverage? I like Brandel, he's scrappy and long.

[Guest]

A few Twittiots have said that the money they gave him signaled that he is the de facto starter at LG. Seems to ring true.

According to PFF, he's not quite the pass blocker that Risner is, but he's a better run blocker. I think the Vikings will try to find some dev players in the draft but I think the starters are set with Brandel, Bradbury and Ingram. Need Bradbury to play like he did the first half of last year and need Ingram to continue improving. 

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:

@JR44 said:
I have been impressed with Brandel, he has consistently played well wherever he has been plugged in to play, seemed to hold up against the better DL and an all around solid player.  I would feel good about him starting and feel he has deserved the shot.  I also thought the same when I saw the contract in that it could be a sign they are looking at him as a potential starter.

Here's my only question: he's 6'6+"....is that too tall for an OG to get low and leverage? I like Brandel, he's scrappy and long.

Good question, I mostly remember Brandel filling in at OT, Hutchinson was one of our tallest guards at 6'5".  I have heard some QBs not liking tall interior OL to throw over.  Brandel seems super athletic, so I would think he is versatile and quick enough to get low.  

[Guest]

This just seems like a standard Vikings play of trying to plug someone in somewhere that just doesn't fit and doesnt make the unit better. Mike Remmers, Oli Udoh, Mason Cole, Chris Reed, and the list goes on. This is what starting Brandel inside at guard feels like to me. He's a backup swing tackle, but we are trying to plug him in as a starting guard. Just more foolishness without ever solving and upgrading the interior. 

[Guest]

@supafreak84 said:
This just seems like a standard Vikings play of trying to plug someone in somewhere that just doesn't fit and doesnt make the unit better. Mike Remmers, Oli Udoh, Mason Cole, Chris Reed, and the list goes on. This is what starting Brandel inside at guard feels like to me. He's a backup swing tackle, but we are trying to plug him in as a starting guard. Just more foolishness without ever solving and upgrading the interior. 

Yet every team in the NFL does this. Sure, I think we'd all love it if the Vikings had All Pros at every position on the line. Hell, All Pros at every position. But at the end of the day, it's still the IOL. There are no unimportant positions on a team, but if you were to rank them in terms of win/loss impact, the two guard positions would probably rank last and second to last. For example, the Chiefs had one of the best IOLs in the NFL last year. The 49ers had one of the worst--worse than ours. They lost the Super Bowl by three points. 

Also, when you have two elite tackles, the salary cap almost mandates that your IOL is manned by lesser players. 

[Guest]

Brandel is a success story, He plays every position on the line and a late round pick. Good for him earning his contract.  
Give me Taliese Fuaga at 11 and JPJ at 23 and let’s goooo!  Just kidding but boy could you pound the rock with that lineup. 
Edit - only about 25% kidding actually.  I love a team that wins in the trenches, usually they win the game. 

[Guest]

@MaroonBells said:

@supafreak84 said:
This just seems like a standard Vikings play of trying to plug someone in somewhere that just doesn't fit and doesnt make the unit better. Mike Remmers, Oli Udoh, Mason Cole, Chris Reed, and the list goes on. This is what starting Brandel inside at guard feels like to me. He's a backup swing tackle, but we are trying to plug him in as a starting guard. Just more foolishness without ever solving and upgrading the interior. 

Yet every team in the NFL does this. Sure, I think we'd all love it if the Vikings had All Pros at every position on the line. Hell, All Pros at every position. But at the end of the day, it's still the IOL. There are no unimportant positions on a team, but if you were to rank them in terms of win/loss impact, the two guard positions would probably rank last and second to last. For example, the Chiefs had one of the best IOLs in the NFL last year. The 49ers had one of the worst--worse than ours. They lost the Super Bowl by three points. 

Also, when you have two elite tackles, the salary cap almost mandates that your IOL is manned by lesser players. 

well fuck.... we've been doing that with the best of them for over a decade and dont have shit to show for it.  :p

[Guest]

@supafreak84 said:
This just seems like a standard Vikings play of trying to plug someone in somewhere that just doesn't fit and doesnt make the unit better. Mike Remmers, Oli Udoh, Mason Cole, Chris Reed, and the list goes on. This is what starting Brandel inside at guard feels like to me. He's a backup swing tackle, but we are trying to plug him in as a starting guard. Just more foolishness without ever solving and upgrading the interior. 

FWIW, I've been watching him play since 2011as a Freshman in high school. I watched him win back to back state high school championships and become the league player of the year as Senior. 

We went to the same high school.

His Head Coach and position coaches in High School were guys that I played with and against.  I wasn't very good but they were.

5 players from his high school team were drafted and played on Sundays. As far as HS teams go they were absolutely stacked.  That kind of experience at the high school level gave him an advantage that he didn't squander.

Then I watched him redshirt at OSU and start for 4 years. Coincidently,  he replaced Remmers at OSU at Tackle.  There's only 2 6A catholic  High Schools in Oregon, Remmers went to  our cross town rival  rival catholic high school.  Jesuit. I watched him play as well. 

From what I recall, Brandel didn't play Guard at either the High School or College level.   I could be wrong on that.

Also Brian O'neil is listed at 6'7, when Brandel is standing next to him, Brandel is clearly taller.  

What Blake lacks in athletic ability he makes for with mental discipline and technique.  IMO he's  a blue collar type of player that  has improved incrementally over time with experience. Some players are like that, they can just figure it out.  It's been impressive to watch him work at it to where he is today. 

 He needed time in the  incubator to get stronger in order to compete at the NFL and he's done it. 

From what I can tell  the Vikings like his game, work ethic and preparation and they're trying to get him on the field.

But Brandel at Guard versus a  6'2 350lb DT isn't a match up that favors him.

Vikings will draft an OG to challenge him in TC and PS.   I'm not saying he's gonna be All-Pro or that he's the second coming of Hutchinson. I'm saying Brandel is a smart, savvy, heady player that is gonna work his ass off to try and win a starting spot.  That's what the Vikings want. And if the rookie OG beats him out so be it, it'll mean it was earned.

Like you, I'm unsure how well he'll do at a position that is new to him.

As you point out, fans have seen this before and it didn't work.

I'm definitely pulling for him.