Duke *@#*ing Shelley
If KJO was my offensive MVP, then Shelley was my MVP on defense. What a find this kid has been. He just shows up, often in the receiver's hip pocket.
The Vikings' highest graded player vs. the Colts, via @PFF: CB Duke Shelley.
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 18, 2022
He played all 79 defensive snaps with an 83.9 grade, allowed 2 catches on 6 targets for 15 yards, and added 2 PBUs and 3 tackles, including a huge one late in the fourth.
Kids got game, may never be more than a #3 CB but in this pass happy league he can have a long profitable career with his game.
No doubt. He did his work. I love when KOC told him no one fucking wants you out there more than I do.
Duke Shelley. pic.twitter.com/HJ9FGsGM8Y
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 17, 2022
Yup, being heaping praise on him for some time now. This kid is going to be on the roster next year...
.
He has had some issues in earlier games, but for the most part, looks like a starter.
@"purplefaithful" said: Yup, being heaping praise on him for some time now. This kid is going to be on the roster next year....
Wouldn't surprise me if he's a starter. Put him in the slot with Evans at CB1 and Dantzler and Booth competing for CB2.
@"MaroonBells" said:@"purplefaithful" said: Yup, being heaping praise on him for some time now. This kid is going to be on the roster next year....
Wouldn't surprise me if he's a starter. Put him in the slot with Evans at CB1 and Dantzler and Booth competing for CB2.
I think they need to add some talent back there...
@"purplefaithful" said:@"MaroonBells" said:@"purplefaithful" said: Yup, being heaping praise on him for some time now. This kid is going to be on the roster next year....
Wouldn't surprise me if he's a starter. Put him in the slot with Evans at CB1 and Dantzler and Booth competing for CB2.
I think they need to add some talent back there...
Yeah, for sure. They'll likely lose Sullivan. Peterson might be agreeable to a reduced contract, but they should just plan as if he won't be back.
@"purplefaithful" said:@"MaroonBells" said:@"purplefaithful" said: Yup, being heaping praise on him for some time now. This kid is going to be on the roster next year....
Wouldn't surprise me if he's a starter. Put him in the slot with Evans at CB1 and Dantzler and Booth competing for CB2.
I think they need to add some talent back there...
Of course no pass rush and a bad scheme will make any CB look worse than they are. Just like LBs that don't get to proper depth in a zone, everybody has a job to do for about 5 seconds and when 1 part breaks down it makes the rest look bad.
@"purplefaithful" said: Yup, being heaping praise on him for some time now. This kid is going to be on the roster next year....
100%.
The vacancy for a slot corner has been filled.
Congrats to Shelley he has earned it.
Patrick Peterson was also excellent: 1 catch on 5 targets, PBU.
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 18, 2022
P2: "Me and Duke relied on one another all week."
Shelley: “I relied on him!”
P2: "I rely on him, too, man. That’s what these guys don’t know, these guys keep me young. I love coming to work each and every day."
I love that Pat Pete hosts dinner and film study at his house with the guys, that is really cool. Great way to bond and do work
Duke has played a lot of NFL games for being a backup. I think that has helped him in his time with the Vikings. The players have also embraced him as well.
The Kansas State prospect entered the draft in 2019, and the Chicago Bears picked him up in the sixth round. Despite his draft status as a late-round pick, Shelley appeared in nine games as a rookie. He primarily contributed to special teams.
In his second year, Shelley played 11 games and started two of them, including one against the Vikings. He played about 300 snaps on defense and special teams combined. In 2021, Shelley even started four games and played over 400 snaps on defense until a hamstring injury forced him to miss some games. His PFF grades looked like those of a backup with spot starts, which is precisely his role.
On August 31, the Bears waived the cornerback, and the Vikings signed him to the practice squad a week later, where he stayed for about two months before the purple team promoted him to the active roster.
Starter Dantzler was placed on injured reserve, Booth was a liability and later also hurt, and Evans missed time with two separate concussions. The Vikings relied on Shelley to step up, and he did just that. Impressive pass breakups were normal for the undersized cornerback, even against much bigger receivers. Shelley started the games against the Patriots, Colts, Giants, and Packers.
Per PFF, Shelley was targeted 36 times and allowed only 19 completions while making eight pass breakups. The quarterback’s passer rating when targeting Shelley has been 72.6. What the statistics don’t show is that he was in perfect coverage on a few other plays that resulted in catches.
Dantzler is back to full health, but the Vikings kept Shelley in the starting lineup and only inserted Dantzler when they pulled the starters in garbage time. Shelley has been a pleasant surprise for the Vikings and will likely continue to be the starter opposite of Peterson. His PFF grade, 76.6, is the 14th-best of all 74 eligible NFL cornerbacks.
The veteran cornerback is having a career year. After the season, he’ll be a free agent, and the Vikings will probably try to re-sign him. However, it will be interesting to see who will be the starter next season when the two rookies have spent a year in the league.
https://vikingsterritory.com/2023/general-news/unlikely-vikings-defender
@"purplefaithful" said: The Kansas State prospect entered the draft in 2019, and the Chicago Bears picked him up in the sixth round. Despite his draft status as a late-round pick, Shelley appeared in nine games as a rookie. He primarily contributed to special teams. In his second year, Shelley played 11 games and started two of them, including one against the Vikings. He played about 300 snaps on defense and special teams combined. In 2021, Shelley even started four games and played over 400 snaps on defense until a hamstring injury forced him to miss some games. His PFF grades looked like those of a backup with spot starts, which is precisely his role. On August 31, the Bears waived the cornerback, and the Vikings signed him to the practice squad a week later, where he stayed for about two months before the purple team promoted him to the active roster. Starter Dantzler was placed on injured reserve, Booth was a liability and later also hurt, and Evans missed time with two separate concussions. The Vikings relied on Shelley to step up, and he did just that. Impressive pass breakups were normal for the undersized cornerback, even against much bigger receivers. Shelley started the games against the Patriots, Colts, Giants, and Packers. Per PFF, Shelley was targeted 36 times and allowed only 19 completions while making eight pass breakups. The quarterback’s passer rating when targeting Shelley has been 72.6. What the statistics don’t show is that he was in perfect coverage on a few other plays that resulted in catches. Dantzler is back to full health, but the Vikings kept Shelley in the starting lineup and only inserted Dantzler when they pulled the starters in garbage time. Shelley has been a pleasant surprise for the Vikings and will likely continue to be the starter opposite of Peterson. His PFF grade, 76.6, is the 14th-best of all 74 eligible NFL cornerbacks. The veteran cornerback is having a career year. After the season, he’ll be a free agent, and the Vikings will probably try to re-sign him. However, it will be interesting to see who will be the starter next season when the two rookies have spent a year in the league. https://vikingsterritory.com/2023/general-news/unlikely-vikings-defender
Pay the man.
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