I was surprised to see John Sullivan still in the league....

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@Jor-El said:

@greediron said:

@JimmyinSD said:

@StickyBun said:
Glad for him and at the same time, wondering why he was released in Minnesota. 

@ArizonaViking said:

@StickyBun said:
Glad for him and at the same time, wondering why he was released in Minnesota. 

I believe after a couple of back surgeries he wasn't up to full strength and probably needed a couple of seasons to get back where he was.  I guess the Vikings weren't willing to wait and his contract was probably increasing each season.

that is exactly why.  this is another case of short term memory loss,  Sully was always a guy that relied on leverage and technique more than brute strength to play and his back basically cost him 2 years while still in purple and would have taken another  year as he went to washington if memory serves and basically sat out there.  he was a good center for us early on,  but the injuries started to pile up.  No regrets by me on walking away when they did.

agreed.  He may have played in Washington, but I don't think he played well if he did.  I liked him as well and wish him luck.  But we weren't going to wait for the when and what if here. 

Greediron, maybe you were actually being critical of the organization for giving up too soon, and if that's so, forgive me for mistaking your statement as a case of defending the team's decisions.

[Guest]

@Jor-El said:

@greediron said:

@JimmyinSD said:

@StickyBun said:
Glad for him and at the same time, wondering why he was released in Minnesota. 

@ArizonaViking said:

@StickyBun said:
Glad for him and at the same time, wondering why he was released in Minnesota. 

I believe after a couple of back surgeries he wasn't up to full strength and probably needed a couple of seasons to get back where he was.  I guess the Vikings weren't willing to wait and his contract was probably increasing each season.

that is exactly why.  this is another case of short term memory loss,  Sully was always a guy that relied on leverage and technique more than brute strength to play and his back basically cost him 2 years while still in purple and would have taken another  year as he went to washington if memory serves and basically sat out there.  he was a good center for us early on,  but the injuries started to pile up.  No regrets by me on walking away when they did.

agreed.  He may have played in Washington, but I don't think he played well if he did.  I liked him as well and wish him luck.  But we weren't going to wait for the when and what if here. 

Why not? This thread has shown 3 examples of the Vikings letting a center walk and then seeing him play effectively for another team. Fusco is a 4th lineman. Doesn't that kind of scream, "We should stop dumping guys too early," or even, "This team's medical staff makes a lot of bad evaluations"??  Yet the Vikings waited a couple years for the Sharrif Floyd dream. Yes, we owed Floyd, but I believe Sullivan and Fusco were both on our "dead cap" list for a year after leaving.
Greediron, maybe you were actually being critical of the organization for giving up too soon, and if that's so, forgive me for mistaking your statement as a case of defending the team's decisions.

[Guest]

@Jor-El said:

@greediron said:

@JimmyinSD said:

@StickyBun said:
Glad for him and at the same time, wondering why he was released in Minnesota. 

@ArizonaViking said:

@StickyBun said:
Glad for him and at the same time, wondering why he was released in Minnesota. 

I believe after a couple of back surgeries he wasn't up to full strength and probably needed a couple of seasons to get back where he was.  I guess the Vikings weren't willing to wait and his contract was probably increasing each season.

that is exactly why.  this is another case of short term memory loss,  Sully was always a guy that relied on leverage and technique more than brute strength to play and his back basically cost him 2 years while still in purple and would have taken another  year as he went to washington if memory serves and basically sat out there.  he was a good center for us early on,  but the injuries started to pile up.  No regrets by me on walking away when they did.

agreed.  He may have played in Washington, but I don't think he played well if he did.  I liked him as well and wish him luck.  But we weren't going to wait for the when and what if here. 

Why not? This thread has shown 3 examples of the Vikings letting a center walk and then seeing him play effectively for another team. Fusco is a 4th lineman. Doesn't that kind of scream, "We should stop dumping guys too early," or even, "This team's medical staff makes a lot of bad evaluations"??  Yet the Vikings waited a couple years for the Sharrif Floyd dream. Yes, we owed Floyd, but I believe Sullivan and Fusco were both on our "dead cap" list for a year after leaving.
Greediron, maybe you were actually being critical of the organization for giving up too soon, and if that's so, forgive me for mistaking your statement as a case of defending the team's decisions.

[Guest]

@greediron said:

@Jor-El said:

@greediron said:

@JimmyinSD said:

@StickyBun said:
Glad for him and at the same time, wondering why he was released in Minnesota. 

@ArizonaViking said:

@StickyBun said:
Glad for him and at the same time, wondering why he was released in Minnesota. 

I believe after a couple of back surgeries he wasn't up to full strength and probably needed a couple of seasons to get back where he was.  I guess the Vikings weren't willing to wait and his contract was probably increasing each season.

that is exactly why.  this is another case of short term memory loss,  Sully was always a guy that relied on leverage and technique more than brute strength to play and his back basically cost him 2 years while still in purple and would have taken another  year as he went to washington if memory serves and basically sat out there.  he was a good center for us early on,  but the injuries started to pile up.  No regrets by me on walking away when they did.

agreed.  He may have played in Washington, but I don't think he played well if he did.  I liked him as well and wish him luck.  But we weren't going to wait for the when and what if here. 

Why not? This thread has shown 3 examples of the Vikings letting a center walk and then seeing him play effectively for another team. Fusco is a 4th lineman. Doesn't that kind of scream, "We should stop dumping guys too early," or even, "This team's medical staff makes a lot of bad evaluations"??  Yet the Vikings waited a couple years for the Sharrif Floyd dream. Yes, we owed Floyd, but I believe Sullivan and Fusco were both on our "dead cap" list for a year after leaving.
Greediron, maybe you were actually being critical of the organization for giving up too soon, and if that's so, forgive me for mistaking your statement as a case of defending the team's decisions.

So we should have paid Sullivan a high salary to rehab for another year or two?  That doesn't make sense.  Birk wanted to play elsewhere.  He stated this repeatedly, he and his wife wanted to experience somewhere other than Minnesota for his last few years.  And with Sully, there was no assurity he was going to fully recover. 

Fusco?  Haven't seen anyone claiming he has played effectively anywhere else.  Maybe ok, but nothing that screams we missed out on a star.
No, as Sticky surmises, I am the anti-Sticky.  How anyone can think we should hold onto an aging vet with health issues for several years hoping he will return to form.  And it isn't like he is an all-star, but a solid member of a good unit.

[Guest]

I am happy for him. I remember that his wife was really concerned for him. Who could blame her, back surgery is scary stuff. I wish him well.