Ezra to G?

Article seems pretty down on Cleveland.  Hopefully they coach him for NFL and gets strength training he needs.  We'll see, hope they keep him at tackle rather than move to guard.

FWIW, as a guy who was totally wrong on O'Neill, I think we got the left side equivalent in Cleveland. All the athletic traits are there for him to be a better than average to very good LT in short order. 

But, taking about a position switch, with no rookie camps or OTAs, I think is foolish...it would not be what is...better for Ezra...

What I get from that article is Reiff is going no where unless Hill takes over LT and Ezra will be a spectator this year.

This article mirrors my own thoughts, which I got just from reading the draft profiles of him.  I think he could probably be pressed into service his rookie year and it would probably look similar to Bradbury's rookie year.  He'd probably be immediately competent in the outside zone run scheme and sufficient in the PA's that come off it, but I think he'd just get bullied whenever we had to fallback to a more traditional look where strength is more important.  I think his lack of strength would be magnified against the larger DTs.
I kind of cringe at a starting interior OLine that looks like Cleveland - Bradbury - Samia just because it's so inexperienced and undersized.  I'd really like for there to be just some steady veteran in there somewhere.  If Bradbury takes a solid step forward this year, and Samia is solid than Cleveland at LG isn't as big of a deal, but that's depending on two if's.
That said, I think there's some hope for the situation, because by all accounts he needs "functional strength", but his bench press is solid.  I think that begs the question on if he actually needs muscle mass (core strength or whatever) or if he mostly needs technique improvement.

Everything in that article + lack of pre-season screams "REDSHIRT" season for Ezra. 

Scouting profiles are written for all schemes. Vikings are looking for only zone blockers. The vast majority of zone blockers are going to "lack functional strength." Still, I think Ezra is red shirted in '20. But that's mostly due to Covid. 

I think they downplay his turf toe -- an injury so bad he did not practice most of the season.  I am sorry but I believe it is hard to anchor and gain leverage with turf toe.  You could flip this and talk about how tough he was and what a team player he was to play with turf toe every week though he couldn't practice during the week.

@"purplefaithful" said: Everything in that article + lack of pre-season screams "REDSHIRT" season for Ezra. 

Yep. This is my thought too. I think he's going to be a good player for the Vikes, and I'm loving the O'Neill comps. But the Vikings only started O'Neill his rookie year after Reiff got hurt. So I wouldn't be shocked if the team is totally fine having him backup Reiff to start the year.

It would be a complete waste to put him at guard where he has never played before.  He is only on a 4 year deal too.

They need to see him develop like O'Neill before hopefully extending him.

Spending one year at guard does nothing for his development at tackle.

@"MarkSP18" said: It would be a complete waste to put him at guard where he has never played before.  He is only on a 4 year deal too.

They need to see him develop like O'Neill before hopefully extending him.

Spending one year at guard does nothing for his development at tackle.

Agree.  He is not a Guard.  To draft him with the thought to start him at Guard is not a good move.  If we don't think he could be a Tackle by mid-season, if needed, would mean drafting him instead of a 3T or making the deal for Trent Williams would be a mistake - IMO.  Which I don't think the brass thinks at all.  We must believe that Ezra is a true Tackle (L or R) and that our current crop of Guards is going to be an upgrade over last season  for some reason.  I, like many others, would have wanted a 3T and then a Guard a lot earlier then we did.  (let me put in my disclaimer before I get hammered :)  This is just my humble opinion.  I do not know more then any of our brass or coaches of course)  

Honestly I would have loved a 3T with that pick which their were many remaining.  So I would have liked a 3T or top G with our second round pick + Tent trade with the Reiff salary exchange.  Basically if Ezra is not a starting T within 2 years then I am not that thrilled with the pick.  If Ezra is Guard then WTF but I think that is just blog thought anyway.  Maybe Ezra taking over for Reiff early/mid next season at LT and Reiff moving to Guard would be best case scenario with Samia at RG.

IDK - from my armchair - I'm not sure about the Cleveland pick.  Was it because we nixed the Trent deal for various reasons which we may never know.  Again, back to my best case - draft a 3T in the second (Matubu or Elliott), make the trade for Trent and given up our second 4th rounder and a 4th next year (49'ers got 5th this and 3rd next) still been able to grab Dantzler with 3rd and Stenberg (G from Kentucky with our first 4th and I would have been thrilled.  

LT - Trent/Hill
RG - Samia, Stenberg, Elf
C- Bradbury
LG - Samia, Stenberg, Elf
RT - O'Neill/Hill

CB - no different that we ended up with - Gladney and Dantzler

DT - Peirce and Elliott or Matubu

You can't always get what you want....and all conjecture because no idea of what was going on behind the scenes.  Maybe Trent really didn't want to come here (which I don't believe) and reminds me of missing out on Whitworth (Cinncy) a few years ago.  He would have nailed down the LT and moved Reiff to G or moved on totally.  I do think Witworth did not want to come here because he had more play as a free agent where as Trent would have come here in a heartbeat.  

I don't get how anyone would think Cleveland is a guard. 

@"StickyBun" said: I don't get how anyone would think Cleveland is a guard. 

He's better suited at LT and that's his future, but Kubiak has already indicated that if moving Cleveland to guard gives him the five best, that's what he'll do.

It's also possible that our starting left guard is not even on the team. Josh Kline is still out there and getting little interest. Vikings could still sign him to a cheap, prove it deal. His best years were with New England playing left guard. Kelechi Osemele is still out there. Vikings have been interested in him in the past. 

I think they'll likely stand pat until training camp though. You can't bring those guys in and you have no idea what you've already got on your team. Definitely don't want to sign a guy that knocks a promising player like Collins or Udoh off the roster. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"StickyBun" said: I don't get how anyone would think Cleveland is a guard. 

He's better suited at LT and that's his future, but Kubiak has already indicated that if moving Cleveland to guard gives him the five best, that's what he'll do.

It's also possible that our starting left guard is not even on the team. Josh Kline is still out there and getting little interest. Vikings could still sign him to a cheap, prove it deal. His best years were with New England playing left guard. Kelechi Osemele is still out there. Vikings have been interested in him in the past. 

I think they'll likely stand pat until training camp though. You can't bring those guys in and you have no idea what you've already got on your team. Definitely don't want to sign a guy that knocks a promising player like Collins or Udoh off the roster.