Could The Vikings Trade Diggs This Offseason?

@"BarrNone55" said: https://thevikingage.com/2020/02/06/could-minnesota-vikings-trade-diggs/quote

30th in pass attempts
$58 million of a ~$200 million cap tied up in Cousins, Thielen, and Riggs

Remembering back to the days of Robert Ferguson and Bobby Wade, I'm not crazy about moving a talented but obvious diva, but man, how can you make a strong case for keeping him?  Especially in light of his desire to be gone?

I know at least one guy that will.

LInk's not working. Did Diggs say something? 

https://thevikingage.com/2020/02/06/could-minnesota-vikings-trade-diggs/

Does this one work?

Nothing really new from Diggs other than a few more cryptic tweets.

Of all the Playoff Teams which ones didn't want to establish an effective rushing attack early and often? Kansas City. Maybe Houston or New Orleans? I'd argue that all three wanted to but just didn't have the personnel.

The percentage of money vs. the cap tied up in the passing attack will change by the end of those contracts. Minnesota paid them when they had to bjt those combined deals will be less than the next big QB extension and say retaining 1 good WR.

What you're really complaining about is the lack of innovative ways to involve both Diggs and Thielen. That has been on the OCs. Every team wants to establish the run to make it easier to throw. So it's not the philosophy. 

The problem has been when the run isn't working and Play Action is less of a threat because of it why can't Diggs and Thielen take over? Because D-Flopper and Stefanski didn't have a plan. Well, D-Flop had like 30 plans and could never commit to any of them. Kevin's Plan B was try more Plan A.

Kubiak is not some hotshot kid that thinks he knows it all. He's earned his scars. And he'll have schemes ready to implement to crank up the passing game when the Vikings can't run it.

So why limit what he can do by trading Diggs? Now 32 teams will double Thielen. And can still double either Rudy or Irv. Who's going to take advantage of that? Bisi? Nice kid, more of a possession receiver. Draft Pick? Deep Class but if you end up with another Treadwell you're screwed. Free Agent? Would need to be a Tier 3 guy.

It's not the run-first philosophy or the contracts that are the problem. It's piss poor Pass Protection and highly questionable playcalling. This offseason hopefully fixes the former, Gary Kubiak fixes the latter.

I'd trade Diggs to move up and take Ceedee Lamb or Jeudy if they were there. I'd bet the farm both of them are the next couple of elite receivers in the NFL

I, for one, would not be too sad seeing him go.  Same with RB's.  Universities graduate dozens each year.  Put the money into linemen that can be with a team for a decade.

I think it's something to consider, especially given that this is mostly a run-first, two tight team. And we'd get a lot for him--probably get a 1st and a 3rd, which is tempting. Also arguing for it is the fact that while Diggs is one of the most talented receivers in the league, he struggles to get targets in this offense. I think I read he was the 38th most targeted receiver in the NFL. If that's all he's going to get in this offense, you might as well throw a journeyman out there.

The argument against is that Thielen and Cook become less effective, it only shaves about $5M from our cap, and Rick and Mike are in the last year of their contracts. So it's not in their best interest to trade a star for a draft pick. Without a commitment, those two will want to field the best team possible in 2020, not 2022. 

@"Ralphie" said: I, for one, would not be too sad seeing him go.  Same with RB's.  Universities graduate dozens each year.  Put the money into linemen that can be with a team for a decade.

THIS THIS and maybe a little more of THIS!

We need to build from the lines out,  DE is pretty set,  we are sorely needing a nose and 3T,  and OL is definitely on the wish list at all positions.   The notion that we should be looking at skill positions when the lines are not set is premature and unfortunately has been the direction of this team far to often.   After O an D line,  look at QB and LB,  then to the DBs and WR/RB... oh and just so Rick doesnt have complete withdrawls... letting him grab a special teamer every other year in the 6th or 7th rounds.

@"Hawkvike25" said: I'd trade Diggs to move up and take Ceedee Lamb or Jeudy if they were there. I'd bet the farm both of them are the next couple of elite receivers in the NFL

So create a need where there wasn't one before and then burn the 1st Round Pick to backfill the need you created. Meanwhile, there are still needs for OT, OG, 3T and CB. Safety to, potentially. 

If Maroon is right and Diggs brings a 1st and 3rd you are really only realistically getting 1 pick cuz you need the other to replace him. That just doesn't seem like enough to make it worth it IMO.

@"FSUVike" said:

@"Hawkvike25" said: I'd trade Diggs to move up and take Ceedee Lamb or Jeudy if they were there. I'd bet the farm both of them are the next couple of elite receivers in the NFL

So create a need where there wasn't one before and then burn the 1st Round Pick to backfill the need you created. Meanwhile, there are still needs for OT, OG, 3T and CB. Safety to, potentially. 

If Maroon is right and Diggs brings a 1st and 3rd you are really only realistically getting 1 pick cuz you need the other to replace him. That just doesn't seem like enough to make it worth it IMO.

5 million is a shit load of cap space? No wonder you hate Kirk's contract so much lol

If we're reflecting on how little he is used for what he's getting paid...

I want to know why he was extended in the first place - then Thielen - then Cousins brought in - to run THIS offense?! How much money do you need into the passing game to rely on a rookie offensive coordinator and a 2nd round RB you aren't going to want to pay anyway?

I mean, take just a step or two back in time past justifying moving Diggs because we're 30th in attempts - how the hell did we ever get to this point? It bothers me thinking about how shit our passing game recently was - to have Diggs emerge and get paid to continue doing it - to have Thielen get paid - then bringing in Cousins - and being right back where we were with all of them here!

Then promoting Kevin Stefanski and having the offense go 30th in passing attempts. I don't understand how Irv Smith is on the Kyle Rudolph career trajectory. I don't understand why Kyle doesn't run more routes (except, he's getting older and older). I want to pull my hair out contemplating how dis-coordinated it all really is.  

I want to pull my hair out because you guys are right - we don't need to pay for that shit if we aren't going to use it. We absolutely should be utilizing all of our WRs more. Usually you give extensions and pay players for what they are going to do on the field, not what they have already done. We've paid dudes and have gotten some pretty disconnected, directionless results.

Pretty much all of this went right down the drain this season with Dalvin. And more hair pulling; a lot of us don't want to resign him at a high price tag. So after resigning and spending so much money on the passing game, our offense now went through a lucky 2nd round pick who nobody wants to pay. What are we doing? How does all of this calculated, planned out shit from the front office culminate in that?

What would make far more sense if you did go down this road would be to trade Diggs for a LT and a mid-round pick. Deep Receiver Class. Maybe near-historically deep. You get a Starter and you use the mid-round pick to get Diggs' replacement without hurting another area of need like 3T or CB by burning an early pick on a WR.

I'm betting Minnesota will use a 4th or the earliest compensatory pick on a WR anyway. Too good a class and you need someone to push Bebe off the team. 

@"FSUVike" said: 5 million is a shit load of cap space? No wonder you hate Kirk's contract so much lol

how do you figure 5 million?  his base is 10.9 with another 600k in roster and workout bonuses.  At most that first rounder would likely cost around 3 million as I doubt you will get anything higher than a mid first rounder (if that even)  and that doesnt say you would have to replace Diggs with that first rounder either you could use our 2nd on a WR or even our 2nd first rounder and bring that 3 million down  more.

and for the record,  I hate most all QB contracts because so few are worth even close to what they are making in relation to what they do for the team.

@"FSUVike" said: 5 million is a shit load of cap space? No wonder you hate Kirk's contract so much lol

When we are $12 million in the hole, it looks like a lot.

$5 million this year but with a rookie deal vs Diggs it would be more in years two and three which would help get other guys. I'm not anti Diggs at all, just frustrated with his production in the playoffs given he's our #1 and we saw what other #1's produced in the postseason.

@"BlackMagic7" said: If we're reflecting on how little he is used for what he's getting paid...

I want to know why he was extended in the first place - then Thielen - then Cousins brought in - to run THIS offense?! How much money do you need into the passing game to rely on a rookie offensive coordinator and a 2nd round RB you aren't going to want to pay anyway?

I mean, take just a step or two back in time past justifying moving Diggs because we're 30th in attempts - how the hell did we ever get to this point? It bothers me thinking about how shit our passing game recently was - to have Diggs emerge and get paid to continue doing it - to have Thielen get paid - then bringing in Cousins - and being right back where we were with all of them here!

Then promoting Kevin Stefanski and having the offense go 30th in passing attempts. I don't understand how Irv Smith is on the Kyle Rudolph career trajectory. I don't understand why Kyle doesn't run more routes (except, he's getting older and older). I want to pull my hair out contemplating how dis-coordinated it all really is.  

I want to pull my hair out because you guys are right - we don't need to pay for that shit if we aren't going to use it. We absolutely should be utilizing all of our WRs more. Usually you give extensions and pay players for what they are going to do on the field, not what they have already done. We've paid dudes and have gotten some pretty disconnected, directionless results.

Pretty much all of this went right down the drain this season with Dalvin. And more hair pulling; a lot of us don't want to resign him at a high price tag. So after resigning and spending so much money on the passing game, our offense now went through a lucky 2nd round pick who nobody wants to pay. What are we doing? How does all of this calculated, planned out shit from the front office culminate in that?

ask the coach.

Khalil, Elf and Bradburry... all OL first round picks and only one of them have worked out (so far). Yeah let's trade a known and proven player and get picks... create a need at WR. Then use the two picks (we may get) to draft an OL player and hope he works out and also use the "other" pick to draft another WR to hopefully fill the void created by trading Diggs. Arent we a few years removed from trying to find WR 3? Let's start all over after all Bisi can become WR 2

I might think twice about trading away Diggs. Part of it could depend on how durable Thielen is. Hammies can be tricky but hopefully he doesn't have any lingering issues.

Elf was not a 1st Round pick.