Posts: 1,242
Threads: 786
Joined: Jan 2014
Reputation:
294
https://www.fantasypros.com/2019/02/free...2-teams-2/
Minnesota Vikings (Estimated Cap Space: $5.3 million, 30th-most)
The signing of Kirk Cousins was supposed to be the final piece the Vikings needed to make a Super Bowl run. Instead, they missed out on the playoffs all together, and that’s despite staying relatively healthy all year. They now have both Anthony Barr and Sheldon Richardson hitting free agency, and it makes little sense for them to use a franchise tag on either player. If they lose Barr, it would create a massive need at linebacker. Alongside Richardson, Tom Johnson is also going to be a free agent (as he was last year), so the defensive line suddenly may need a few bodies. If they were able to retain one of Barr or Richardson, it would surely allow them to attack their biggest weakness on offense in the draft, which is their offensive line. Riley Reiff and Brian O’Neill are serviceable at tackle, but the interior is brutal. They desperately need help at guard and it’s time to move on from Pat Elflein at center. The good news is that their secondary is deep, their top wide receivers and running back are locked up for a few more years, and they believe they have their quarterback in place. This is a team who believes their window to win is over the next two years, so expect them to draft that way.
Pre-Free Agency Biggest Needs: OG, C, DT
That would be about the dumbest thing they could do IMO. He had a great rookie year and never seemed to be back to 100% last year. The two guards on either side of him should be the ones getting replaced. Do that and have him get healthy and strong again and I think we'll see a lot more out of Elflein than we did last year.
I still have high hopes for the young guy. He got some nasty injuries during that CG.
That said, imo he needs to show in 2019 that last year was a fluke...
Quote: @"SFVikingFan" said:
That would be about the dumbest thing they could do IMO. He had a great rookie year and never seemed to be back to 100% last year. The two guards on either side of him should be the ones getting replaced. Do that and have him get healthy and strong again and I think we'll see a lot more out of Elflein than we did last year.
"Seemed to be?" A devil's advocate would argue that we don't really know how much health played a factor. I think I read where he graded out as the 2nd to last center in the NFL last year. I would love to believe that it was just a slow recovery, but that's not something I know.
Personally, I think Elflein will be someone whose position in '19 will depend on two things: how he fits into what Kubiak likes in his OL and what we're able to acquire in the offseason.
Quote: @"MaroonBells" said:
@"SFVikingFan" said:
That would be about the dumbest thing they could do IMO. He had a great rookie year and never seemed to be back to 100% last year. The two guards on either side of him should be the ones getting replaced. Do that and have him get healthy and strong again and I think we'll see a lot more out of Elflein than we did last year.
"Seemed to be?" A devil's advocate would argue that we don't really know how much health played a factor. I think I read where he graded out as the 2nd to last center in the NFL last year. I would love to believe that it was just a slow recovery, but that's not something I know.
Personally, I think Elflein will be someone whose position in '19 will depend on two things: how he fits into what Kubiak likes in his OL and what we're able to acquire in the offseason.
Well considering he had multiple offseason surgeries and missed all of the preseason and the first two games of the regular season, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But you are right, no one outside of his family and the Vikings organization knows for sure. I just thought he played very well as a rookie and would hate for the team to let him go or trade him when his stock is at its lowest.
The short answer is no, they probably should leave him at center. Its a more natural position given his skill set. The longer answer is more of a maybe. You don't want to limit yourself this off-season on what talent you bring in. If you can bring in a high level C/LG and it pushes Elflein to RG you have to at least consider it.
The article was suggesting to move on from Elflein not move
him to G.
The article is a hackpiece written by some fantasy guy who
just looked at PFF grades and didn’t know why the grades are what they are. I also disagree with the premise that we
should be bringing in FA defenders and drafting OLine. That might be the right path, but we have to consider
if stacking multiple rookies on the OLine is what makes the most sense.
Quote: @"SFVikingFan" said:
@"MaroonBells" said:
@"SFVikingFan" said:
That would be about the dumbest thing they could do IMO. He had a great rookie year and never seemed to be back to 100% last year. The two guards on either side of him should be the ones getting replaced. Do that and have him get healthy and strong again and I think we'll see a lot more out of Elflein than we did last year.
"Seemed to be?" A devil's advocate would argue that we don't really know how much health played a factor. I think I read where he graded out as the 2nd to last center in the NFL last year. I would love to believe that it was just a slow recovery, but that's not something I know.
Personally, I think Elflein will be someone whose position in '19 will depend on two things: how he fits into what Kubiak likes in his OL and what we're able to acquire in the offseason.
Well considering he had multiple offseason surgeries and missed all of the preseason and the first two games of the regular season, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But you are right, no one outside of his family and the Vikings organization knows for sure. I just thought he played very well as a rookie and would hate for the team to let him go or trade him when his stock is at its lowest.
I think you misunderstood what the writer was saying. I don't think he was saying the Vikings should move on from Elflein, only that we should move on from Elflein "at center." He was a good center at OSU, but he was an even better guard.
Quote: @"Geoff Nichols" said:
The short answer is no, they probably should leave him at center. Its a more natural position given his skill set. The longer answer is more of a maybe. You don't want to limit yourself this off-season on what talent you bring in. If you can bring in a high level C/LG and it pushes Elflein to RG you have to at least consider it.
It's a nice bit of flexiblity. The best zone IOL in the draft is Bradbury. If they like him enough to draft him at 18, I could easily see them moving Elf to RG.
Quote: @"Geoff Nichols" said:
The short answer is no, they probably should leave him at center. Its a more natural position given his skill set. The longer answer is more of a maybe. You don't want to limit yourself this off-season on what talent you bring in. If you can bring in a high level C/LG and it pushes Elflein to RG you have to at least consider it.
I have read suggestions that the Vikings could sign Matt Paradis, but I don't know if that's based on any known interest by the team or simply speculation because he was a Bronco and played for both Kubiak and Dennison. Would he understand the new scheme and line calls more quickly, and how much would that help?
|
