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Haven’t we seen this movie before? A long and athletic defensive end from LSU who had a hard time getting on the field in Baton Rouge, but is a beast for the Vikings. This sounds like the Danielle Hunter story, but so far in the 2017 NFL preseason the former Tiger who can’t stop making plays is undrafted free agent Tashawn Bower.
Experts weren’t surprised when Bower didn’t hear his name called in the 2017 NFL Draft. He made only seven starts in four college seasons, registering 5.5 career sacks. His athleticism was undeniable, but he was still seen as a development project, unlikely to produce results in the short term.
It’s going to be tough for Bower to crack the lineup on this defensive line, but his play in training camp and in the Vikings’ preseason opener has made one thing clear: this is no ordinary undrafted free agent.
Bower was a pain in the butt for Bills’ offensive linemen, including Minnesota native Seantrel Henderson, all night. Bower tallied five quarterback pressures, a sack and a tackle for loss in the 17-10 win. His efforts earned him a game grade of 90.7 from Pro Football Focus.
Practice squad potential. Way too raw for the roster at this point, needs some seasoning and some weight on that frame.
Quote: @StickyBun said:
Practice squad potential. Way too raw for the roster at this point, needs some seasoning and some weight on that frame.
He wont make it to PS...
Quote: @purplefaithful said:
@ StickyBun said:
Practice squad potential. Way too raw for the roster at this point, needs some seasoning and some weight on that frame.
He wont make it to PS...
Maybe, maybe not. I think the hype train is fast and furious right now for a lot of players on every team. I'd be dumbstruck if the Vikings made room for him on the final roster. Just can't see it. Now that doesn't mean that another team wouldn't make a spot for him, but I can't see how Minnesota would with all the other talent they have that is more advanced. Bowers could just as easily be invisible against the Seahawks Friday night.
With the premium put on getting to the QB, I wouldn't risk putting him on the PS...at this point for what we've seen...this guy is taking to coaching and starting to blossom quickly...
I think we need to tap the brakes a bit on Bower... but he HAS stood out in training camp and had a very good game against Buffalo. I mentioned this before... he really comes across as a mature guy that talks more like a veteran player than an NFL rookie. Everyone should check out his interviews on Vikings.com.
IMO, the Vikings did a great job landing some talented UDFAs this year. Dylan Bradley. Tashaun Bower. Eric Wilson. Horace Richardson. I said one of these guys is going to surprise us all and make the final 53. My pick was Wilson at LB, but Bower could be that guy.
It should be fun to see how this plays out...
My tongue MIGHT be SLIGHTLY purple...
Quote: @"BarrNone55" said:
With the premium put on getting to the QB, I wouldn't risk putting him on the PS...at this point for what we've seen...this guy is taking to coaching and starting to blossom quickly...
This, we know that BRob is winding it down, we have EG and other than that we dont know what we've got. Hunter looks like he will be a monster, (will we be able to resign him if he really does explode? want to say yes, but who the hell knows for sure) Weatherly looks ok at times, but again we dont really know. IMO we need to keep the talent in the pipeline even if that means going thin at another spot. These long DEs can contribute on STs just as easily as a LB, maybe we carry one less LB in a group that really doesnt stand out instead of risking losing a potential future stud at a position of strength. I hope all these young guys make the decision making very very difficult.
Quote: @JimmyinSD said:
This, we know that BRob is winding it down, we have EG and other than that we dont know what we've got. Hunter looks like he will be a monster, (will we be able to resign him if he really does explode? want to say yes, but who the hell knows for sure) Weatherly looks ok at times, but again we dont really know. IMO we need to keep the talent in the pipeline even if that means going thin at another spot. These long DEs can contribute on STs just as easily as a LB, maybe we carry one less LB in a group that really doesnt stand out instead of risking losing a potential future stud at a position of strength. I hope all these young guys make the decision making very very difficult.
That is my thought as well. We have studs 3 deep, but beyond EG, Hunter and BRob, we are a bit thin. So I don't doubt Bower can make the roster if he is taking to coaching and shows promise.
The coaches like the progress that Weatherly has made, even if fans haven't seen it. I think he gets the nod over Bower for the last DE spot, he is bigger and faster. The Vikings will likely release a player to keep Bower on the active roster until all other teams have their roster and PS set, then they will slide Bower to the PS and re-sign the player they released. That way, another team will have to think twice before poaching Bower off the PS to their active roster.
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