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Scoggins: Vikings' Spielman is low on chips in high-stakes roster gameRecent roster moves show that the Vikings general manager is feeling real pressure to deliver a winner this season and can't afford to sit patiently and hope that things improve.Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of Rick Spielman’s bold but necessary trade for Sam Bradford in a Hail Mary attempt to save the Vikings’ 2016 season after Teddy Bridgewater’s devastating knee injury.
In the pecking order of Spielman’s personnel decisions last season, nothing comes close to acquiring a starting quarterback at the cost of a first-round pick. His next three most important moves were signing free-agent guard Alex Boone and drafting receiver Laquon Treadwell in the first round and cornerback Mackensie Alexander in the second round.
Now fast-forward one year.
Spielman cut Boone on Saturday, leaving $3.4 million in dead money on the team’s tab. Spielman also traded for veteran cornerback Tramaine Brock over the weekend, presumably as insurance because Alexander has yet to prove he can handle the nickel-corner job. In May, Spielman took a gamble on wide receiver Michael Floyd after Treadwell contributed next-to-nothing in his rookie season.
Those moves show that the Vikings general manager is feeling real pressure to deliver a winner this season and can’t afford to sit patiently and hope that things improve.
The Vikings haven’t won a playoff game since 2009. Their 2016 season became an epic unraveling. No doubt the Wilf ownership expects to see substantial improvement and signs that the organization is on a championship trajectory in a season that will end with the Super Bowl extravaganza being held in their new home.
This is a critical season for Spielman’s operation, which puts those aforementioned moves into context...
http://www.startribune.com/vikings-gm-ri...442710173/
8 seasons without winning a playoff game...You bet RS is on the hot seat. Another disaster this year and I'd bet he's out.
I would have canned him well before now, but the Wilfs haven't asked for my input.
I have a hard time blaming any of this on Spielman. The talent is there. The drafts have been good. And this notion from the article that Spielman foolishly entrusted his nickel corner spot to a 2nd year, 2nd round corner who is IDEALLY suited to play nickel is just ridiculous.
I know it won't be popular, but I put Zimmer on the hot seat before Spielman. I'm just not convinced he's the great coach many think he is.
I keep getting back to 1 win since 09...
And yah MB, the eye of Sauron is on Zimmer (but its an "and" with RS not an "or" for me).
All of this goes by the wayside if the team makes a playoff run. Another 7,8,9 win? Not so good for them or us fans.
Quote: @purplefaithful said:
I keep getting back to 1 win since 09...
The one win is about the QB. After Culpepper, this team couldn't find a QB. Favre took us to the championship. Then it was a misfire on Ponder, the biggest mistake Spielman has ever made in my opinion, but really the only really big one. Then it was the develop Teddy years, and the year he was going to emerge, he suffers a catastrophic knee injury. But that was covered pretty well by the Sam move.
Yeah, it's all about the QB. Chiefs have 1 playoff win since 2009. Until last year, the Falcons had 1 playoff win in the same time period. Ryan emerged. Raiders don't have any playoff wins over that time period. But I suspect they will soon, now that Carr is emerging. It's all about the QB. Unless you're the Lions. Lions have had their franchise QB since 2009 and have won ZERO playoff games in that time period.
Quote: @purplefaithful said:
I keep getting back to 1 win since 09...
And yah MB, the eye of Sauron is on Zimmer (but its an "and" with RS not an "or" for me).
All of this goes by the wayside if the team makes a playoff run. Another 7,8,9 win? Not so good for them or us fans.
Definitely - Zimmer and Spielman are a package deal. RS picked Zimmer and all his players, so if the coach fails, Spielman has to go. And dropping Spielman without Zimmer is tough because then we have to hire a GM and demand that he likes Zimmer.
A playoff win would fix all concerns, yes. But there might be more latitude this year because IMO the Wilfs are more concerned with hosting a SB than anything else. Would they love to have the Vikings playing in the game? Hell yes. But at the same time, I think they will try to avoid the impression their franchise is a mess, so if they finish with 8 or 9 wins, maybe even 7, they will just find some rationalization (injuries, suspension, whatever works) and keep the management in place.
Newer stadium. Brand new training/corporate headquarters facility. Either Bradford or Teddy at starting QB in 2018. The cupboard isn't bare, so it'll be an attractive position, both for HC and GM candidates. The pressure is on for Zimmer and Spielman.
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
I have a hard time blaming any of this on Spielman. The talent is there. The drafts have been good. And this notion from the article that Spielman foolishly entrusted his nickel corner spot to a 2nd year, 2nd round corner who is IDEALLY suited to play nickel is just ridiculous.
I know it won't be popular, but I put Zimmer on the hot seat before Spielman. I'm just not convinced he's the great coach many think he is.
I would agree with that. So far I am not completely blown away by Zimmer at all. I've had that stance for 2 years now. But I also think you have to stick with a coaching staff like the Steelers do. I think just like players, coaches need to grow into their positions as wall, and constantly starting over just prolongs the issue.
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
I have a hard time blaming any of this on Spielman. The talent is there. The drafts have been good. And this notion from the article that Spielman foolishly entrusted his nickel corner spot to a 2nd year, 2nd round corner who is IDEALLY suited to play nickel is just ridiculous.
I know it won't be popular, but I put Zimmer on the hot seat before Spielman. I'm just not convinced he's the great coach many think he is.
MB, I put a lot of blame on Spielman for neglecting the offensive line for as long as he did. His failures in that area continue to haunt us. Before this draft, Beavers and Clemmings were the highest drafted OLinemen since Kalil. I don't blame him on Kalil. He had the pedigree but didn't have the desire IMO. Clemmings and Beavers were risky picks as 4th rounders and the amount of failed picks in between in the later rounds shows how flawed his strategy was thinking he could pick up starters in later rounds. Boone wasn't a fit for the system Shurmur runs and never lived up to the hype when we signed him. We will see what happens this year with Reiff and Remmers but he has nobody else to blame for having to spend all that money on questionable FA Tackles but himself with how he handled the draft for that critical area of the team.
Quote: @TBro said:
@ MaroonBells said:
I have a hard time blaming any of this on Spielman. The talent is there. The drafts have been good. And this notion from the article that Spielman foolishly entrusted his nickel corner spot to a 2nd year, 2nd round corner who is IDEALLY suited to play nickel is just ridiculous.
I know it won't be popular, but I put Zimmer on the hot seat before Spielman. I'm just not convinced he's the great coach many think he is.
MB, I put a lot of blame on Spielman for neglecting the offensive line for as long as he did. His failures in that area continue to haunt us. Before this draft, Beavers and Clemmings were the highest drafted OLinemen since Kalil. I don't blame him on Kalil. He had the pedigree but didn't have the desire IMO. Clemmings and Beavers were risky picks as 4th rounders and the amount of failed picks in between in the later rounds shows how flawed his strategy was thinking he could pick up starters in later rounds. Boone wasn't a fit for the system Shurmur runs and never lived up to the hype when we signed him. We will see what happens this year with Reiff and Remmers but he has nobody else to blame for having to spend all that money on questionable FA Tackles but himself with how he handled the draft for that critical area of the team.
It's hard for me to blame him for neglecting the OL since I sort of agree with the school of thought that says you don't need top draft choices on your OL. I've said it many times, but if I were in charge (and damn it, why aren't I? ), I'd never use a 1st rounder on an OL. HOWEVER, I'd use the 2nd and 3rd round as my OL rounds. Spielman's problem is that he used the 4th round and below, which reduces your chances of hitting significantly.
Sounds like he may have adjusted correctly this year, using a 3rd for Elflein. He may have gotten lucky in the 5th round with Isadora as well. My biggest complaint about Spielman (or maybe Zimmer) is that our OL scouts don't seem to be very good at finding down draft OL talent. And our OL coaches haven't been very good at developing them. If one is bad, then the other has to be very good, and that hasn't been the case.
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