Iloka to Minny

[Guest]

Wow, I wasn't expecting that.  I wonder what Barr is thinking now?  On paper, this D is stacked.  I hope we see it dominate on Sunday's too.

[Guest]

@Jor-El said:

@MaroonBells said:
So the Vikings are still very clearly in the trade market for OL help and, apparently, LB help. Is Sendejo now on the market? Harris? Does Iloka, who goes 6-4, 225 maybe figure in at LB where the safety/linebacker hybrid is becoming very popular around the NFL. Or the Big Nickel, that gives you three safeties? 

I see the safety/hybrid possibilities, but 3 safeties - do you mean keep some of our excellent CBs on the sideline just to endure Sendejo trying to cover?? No. 

"Sendejo or Harris on the market": do you mean "waiver wire"?

We just exchanged a 30-year-old mediocre safety for a 28-year-old who is bigger, faster, more accomplished, and knows our coach and defensive system. 

No, you don't replace the extra corner with an extra safety in all nickel packages. You wouldn't do it in 3 or 4 wide sets, for example. But you might use it occasionally to cause pre-snap confusion, to disguise where the blitz is coming from, to help with two tight end offenses, the run, etc., where that 3rd safety becomes the aforementioned "hybrid" and acts more as a linebacker who is much better in coverage than any other LB you might have. There are offensive formations (two tights, for example) when a big safety might help you more than a slot corner. 

Now, all that said, I still think the most likely situation is that Dejo is on the market for OL help. Just saying there might be other options worth considering. Who really knows what our Mad Dr. Z has in mind?

[Guest]

3rd down. Passing down. 

Barr drops to RE
Griff slides over to DT
Richardson and Hunter man their positions
Harry steps down into the box as a LB next to Kendricks
Rhodes-Waynes-Hughes locked on their man
Dejo and Iloka man the centerfield

Yikes, especially for a team that forces a lot of 3rd and long

[Guest]

I agree Viking Girl. Dejo is the first player I thought of getting dinged with the tougher rules. He always goes helmet first.

[Guest]

@ArizonaViking said:
Expect some high dollar vet players to be cut and have rookies fill in for them.  The only way they can afford this team this year and the next.

That only holds true if Ilkola is signed for a multiyear deal.  I'd expect that next year we choose between Barr and Waynes with Waynes future looking dimmer and dimmer with the emergence of Hughes.  If it were my team though, I'd move Xavier Rhodes while his market is as high as it could ever be and resign Waynes.  The Patriots do it that way.  They always seem to buy low and sell high and that has let them be as successful as they've been for a decade. 

[Guest]

Dejo's contract calls for $3.5M this year and $5.5 next year.  You could conceivably keep him this year as an expensive backup?  But I would expect he'll either get traded prior to the deadline or cut for sure next year. 

[Guest]

@HappyViking said:
Wow, I wasn't expecting that.  I wonder what Barr is thinking now?  On paper, this D is stacked.  I hope we see it dominate on Sunday's too.

And Mondays and the occasional Thursdays and potentially Saturdays!

[Guest]

@Skodin said:
Damn Zim.  Let’s be honest. Dejo has made a lot of his career being a UDFA from Rice. He has, but he’s not on Iloka level.  GI is younger, just as familiar in the system and frankly gives this team more options and flexibiilty.  GI is one of the best centerfielders in football, and with him roaming the back side with confidence, Harry can play up, down, off the edge, in the box, you name it.  

We will upgrade our weakest position on D and increase the opportunities for our best defensive player.  That’s a win win.

If Iloka plays to the same level he played last year, this defense, has some how, become better.  

Amazing to think that the league’s best defense, upgraded at our weakest positions from last year, FS, Nickle CB, UT with 3 top level talents.

This could be a historic season and I don’t think it’s going to be any fun for Jimmy G game 1 at the Bank.  New OL, dinged up weapons, we are going to deliver the godlen boy that first L

Agreed. As a frequent Sendejo defender, I approve of this move.  Sendejo has had a nice career here, but I think this was a veteran cut that caught everyone by surprise (even some in Cinci).  And Zim couldn't pass up the opportunity to upgrade that weakest spot on our #1 D.

[Guest]

I'm not a big fan of the move.  Our defense was already stacked (albeit we did still have some weaknesses- at least weaknesses for us; other teams would probably be pretty happy with our "weaknesses").  The biggest "weakness" that actually has a chance of limiting our success is OL.  But Zim doesn't seem to care about helping the offense as much as he cares about making sure that "his" defense is the greatest ever.  That would be great if he were the Defensive Coordinator.  But he's the head coach.  And, in the end, his legacy will be about W-L's- and that includes W's in the Super Bowl.  

About the only "good" thing about this move (besides the obvious upgrade) is that it will keep the "15-yard penalty at any moment" Sendejo off the field.  With the new rules, I think Sendejo is going to be a liability.

[Guest]

@pumpf said:
I'm not a big fan of the move.  Our defense was already stacked (albeit we did still have some weaknesses- at least weaknesses for us; other teams would probably be pretty happy with our "weaknesses").  The biggest "weakness" that actually has a chance of limiting our success is OL.  But Zim doesn't seem to care about helping the offense as much as he cares about making sure that "his" defense is the greatest ever.  That would be great if he were the Defensive Coordinator.  But he's the head coach.  And, in the end, his legacy will be about W-L's- and that includes W's in the Super Bowl.  

About the only "good" thing about this move (besides the obvious upgrade) is that it will keep the "15-yard penalty at any moment" Sendejo off the field.  With the new rules, I think Sendejo is going to be a liability.

In all fairness, it was Zim's "great defense" that was the downfall to how things ended last season.  His defense was picked apart by both Brees and Foles in those playoff games.  Maybe he's trying to improve the D to prevent that from happening again?  I certainly don't have any problems with that.