Forum The Longship Biggest Surprise

Biggest Surprise

VikingOracle
Joined Oct 2014
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I like polls, I think they spur discussion.  Saw an article about the biggest offseason surprise and I thought it would be a good poll topic.

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#1 · Aug 26, 2:16 PM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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Why it’s got to be the Norwegian guard, aka Mr Mankato, Big Oli…!  ;) B)  

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#2 · Aug 26, 2:19 PM
DE
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Olisaemeka Udoh, definitely Norwegian lol. But he has been a great surprise. Good for him.

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#3 · Aug 26, 2:23 PM
DE
Joined Apr 2026
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It's not very exciting, but for me it's got to be KJO. That came out of nowhere. He was awful last year and in my first 53-man prediction I didn't even have him making the team.

Now, the most satisfying surprise? Oli Udoh. Given his draft buzz, the game against Chicago, coach comments, and the fact that he probably would've started at RT if we had to move O'Neill, him starting at RG probably shouldn't be too surprising. Sure does feel good though. 

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#4 · Aug 26, 2:27 PM
DE
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Honestly,  I dont think any of those are a surprise. 
Udoh had good buzz last year.
I wasnt super impressed with Dantzler last year,  I like him better than Gladney,  but I still thought his game had holes at times.
KJ was a rookie with no real offseason,  i expected growth and for a team with no #3...why not him?
the 2 rookie OL were both coming in with injury issues when drafted, so once again not a complete surprise.
well we know Zim likes his veterans,  even ones with noodle legs.
Richardson and Griff both.. not an eye popper,  each a little shocking in their own right,  but nothing that takes my breath away or makes me giddy with anticipation of the first game.
maybe the vet QB thing, but when you are dealing with what seems like an iron man at QB... why waste the money, especially when we were told for 2 years how high they were on Browning... and the fact they just drafted a QB fairly high.

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#5 · Aug 26, 2:30 PM
DE
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I have enjoyed watching K.J. Osborn too. It was a hard choice as far as good surprise. Sucks about Davis and Darrisaw.

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#6 · Aug 26, 2:36 PM
DE
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Too many to vote for just one.  Settled on Richardson, never thought he would be back, but for a steep discount?  In a backup role?

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#7 · Aug 26, 3:01 PM
DE
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Osborn was a dead man walking coming into camp. Oli moving to G probably put the biggest smile on my face. 

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#8 · Aug 26, 3:42 PM
DE
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Oli for me is the biggest surprise (followed by the return of Everson).  I don't recall any talk of moving Oli inside during the offseason; it seemed like an afterthought when Davis landed in the doghouse for some reason.  I really didn't think they would bring in Everson because of his tweets -- I thought that would create a weird locker room problem.

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#9 · Aug 26, 4:01 PM
DE
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@"greediron" said: Too many to vote for just one.  Settled on Richardson, never thought he would be back, but for a steep discount?  In a backup role?
Yup, that almost got my vote too.

I think SR off the bench as a 3t rotation? 

AWESOME! 

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#10 · Aug 26, 4:12 PM
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@"purplefaithful" said:
@"greediron" said: Too many to vote for just one.  Settled on Richardson, never thought he would be back, but for a steep discount?  In a backup role?
Yup, that almost got my vote too.

I think SR off the bench as a 3t rotation? 

AWESOME! 



And now with Griff being rumored to be making that switch to playing more 3T role,   I would say having both of them inside with Hunter, and Weatherly or other outside on passing downs... damn well better be lights out.  I have visions of Eli throwing the ball away on 1 MISSI... back when JA was terrorizing him.

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#11 · Aug 26, 4:55 PM
DE
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Oli.  When I read at the start of TC that neither Wyatt Davis nor Mason Cole was being given a shot at RG and Dozier's "competition" was Oli playing G for the first time in his life, I was convinced Zimmer had rigged it to hand the RG job to Dozier again. Udoh beat him out in two weeks  B)

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#12 · Aug 26, 10:50 PM
DE
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honestly, nothing better for me than a bone crushing sack...
behind that.....a powerhouse O lineman with some “nasty”

All about Oli

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#13 · Aug 26, 11:47 PM
DE
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@"RS Express" said: Oli.  When I read at the start of TC that neither Wyatt Davis nor Mason Cole was being given a shot at RG and Dozier's "competition" was Oli playing G for the first time in his life, I was convinced Zimmer had rigged it to hand the RG job to Dozier again. Udoh beat him out in two weeks  B)
Iirc zim sets his starters at the start of camp based off of the previous year and lets them lose their positions.  Which was certainly the case with Dozier. 
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#14 · Aug 27, 5:14 AM
DE
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@"VikingOracle" said: Oli for me is the biggest surprise (followed by the return of Everson).  I don't recall any talk of moving Oli inside during the offseason; it seemed like an afterthought when Davis landed in the doghouse for some reason.  I really didn't think they would bring in Everson because of his tweets -- I thought that would create a weird locker room problem.


There wasn't much talk about Oli at guard in the offseason, but there was plenty of talk about it last year. He was practicing at guard before and during the season. Just makes me wonder how things might've been different if we'd simply given him a shot to replace Dozier then. 

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#15 · Aug 27, 6:52 AM
DE
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@"Vanguard83" said: honestly, nothing better for me than a bone crushing sack... behind that.....a powerhouse O lineman with some “nasty”

All about Oli


Exactly.  If we can reestablish the dominance on both lines, it will go a long way to set the team up for success.

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#16 · Aug 27, 9:35 AM
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