HEY KWESI!

fuck no, there will be better opportunities in the future, but right now he is playing from behind and we are not quite to the point of going all in IMO. lets get back to a balanced point where we have a full compliment of picks and maybe more, and then start rolling the dice, we need to slot in some cheap talent to replace our aging vets to offset the cap crunch that is coming. we are in the position we are because of our talent at key positions, unfortunately those guys are already on their 2nd deals and those deals are largely back loaded. We need to offset that back load with premium players on cheap rookie deals IMO, and you dont get those by trading away picks.

I really like how the browns are doing it, loading up on picks prior the reload seems like a good plan, they can get their now guys, and then trade picks for higher round future picks to supplement in the coming years to really jam the window open with studs at complimentary positions.

As it stands right now we have more than a full complement of picks in 26 and a dearth of picks in 25. Plus no glaring needs. Find a difference maker. There’s a couple left but lots fewer when I posted this.

Nope. We say this every year about “top talent” still on the board. Most of us have no idea on these guys or how the Vikings would value them.

I’d prefer for us to trade down and add bodies to the roster. We’re quite light.

Lol.

If we had traded up for Henderson people would’ve hated that.

Gotcha

So, I guess WR3/WR4 and additional picks in 26 is more important than:

Adding a dynamic RB to replace Jones in 26 (Henderson or Harvey)

A rotational iDL for a team that has 3 starters who will either be 30 or coming off injury and 30 (Turner or Alexander or Jones)

A rotational S for a team with a starter in their last year and an unproven starter at the other (Emmanwori and at least 3 others)

Really?

Really?

Like the guy said in Tropic Thunder “Never go full retard”

JustInTime wrote:
So, I guess WR3/WR4 and additional picks in 26 is more important than:

Adding a dynamic RB to replace Jones in 26 (Henderson or Harvey)

A rotational iDL for a team that has 3 starters who will either be 30 or coming off injury and 30 (Turner or Alexander or Jones)

A rotational S for a team with a starter in their last year and an unproven starter at the other (Emmanwori and at least 3 others)

Really?

Really?

Like the guy said in Tropic Thunder “Never go full retard”

Heard the Vikings were trying to move up multiple times into the 50-60 range but other teams with more 2025 picks were able to edge us out.  It wasn't for a lack of trying, plus once we got into the 3rd round, the players we would have traded up for were long gone.

I still like Bowman at S, RB still has some strong prospects left, and there are some intriguing DTs left.  Vikings have two top 5ths today.  If they really like a guy in the 4th, it should be easier and less expensive to get one.

StickierBuns wrote:
Yeah, not necessary to move up. Save those '26 picks, the team will be glad they did. Slow, steady and on point is the way to win the Draft race this year. As I've said for weeks, next year is the time to draft a RB.

That's just it, the talent was good in the 20-60 range this year.  Vikings didn't have enough 2025 ammo to get a team to let them move up into the backend of Round 2.

I'm actually glad we didn't rob our 2026 stash of picks.  It would have likely taken at least our 2026 second and maybe a 2026 3rd and a pick this year to get into the back of the 2nd round.  By that point, would we have been happy grabbing R.J. Harvey at RB, Amos at CB, Turner at DT, or Mukuba at S for that comp?  I wouldn't.

Having a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and likely a comp 3rd, 4th, and maybe a 5th or 6th, plus whatever Day 3 picks we still have in 2026 will give us plenty of ammo to add talent next year.  I'd rather not be constantly in this position if entering every draft with a first rounder and only a couple late Day 2/Day 3 picks.  Then we'll be saying this same thing next year, boy wish we had a 2nd with all the talent available...

MAD GAINZ wrote:

Heard the Vikings were trying to move up multiple times into the 50-60 range but other teams with more 2025 picks were able to edge us out.  It wasn't for a lack of trying, plus once we got into the 3rd round, the players we would have traded up for were long gone.

I still like Bowman at S, RB still has some strong prospects left, and there are some intriguing DTs left.  Vikings have two top 5ths today.  If they really like a guy in the 4th, it should be easier and less expensive to get one.

Of course we were. I’m just a little surprised so many were opposed to the notion of moving up. Shortsighted and laughable to me.

Definitely some guy left. No one like Henderson or Harvey who could be true difference makers or Turner or Alexander who could provide valuable reps as well as continued roster continuity. Missed opportunity.

StickierBuns wrote:
RBs will be there next year......and every single year of the Draft. Not sure how that's retarded, but whatever. So the Draft wasn't as exciting as you wanted it to be, the bottom line is still how the picks actually pan out that have been selected. And as MAD said, I'm sure they tried some things to possibly get some guys they coveted, possibly RBs. They don't operate in a vacuum, picks/moves are made by other teams as well. So that dictates strategy as well in real time.

I'm guess I'm alone in not ever being upset about picks made each year, I get upset when they don't pan out in the future. I stopped really hardcore judging early when I found myself not liking the Justin Jefferson pick on Draft day. You just never know until you know.

Like I said pretty clearly I'm surprised so many were against moving up. Which we appeared to try to do. I'm guessing had we actually moved up at the cost of 26 draft capital we'd be hearing many singing a different tune. Or do you think people would be pissed had we acquired any of the prospects I mentioned? Doubt it, but then again I've been surprised at folks thought processes before.  :cool:

Pretty sure I didn't say I was upset about any pick. I did express my concerns over not taking a swing to address needs, while not glaring, still exist. Just takes a couple injuries to guys we acquired who were all pretty much coming off injuries to fuck up a season. Or an unproven starter to not fulfill their potential with a pretty bare cupboard behind them.

But, maybe that's just me.

JustInTime wrote:

Of course we were. I’m just a little surprised so many were opposed to the notion of moving up. Shortsighted and laughable to me.

Definitely some guy left. No one like Henderson or Harvey who could be true difference makers or Turner or Alexander who could provide valuable reps as well as continued roster continuity. Missed opportunity.

Maybe I missed it, but were a bunch of people here against moving up?  I certainly wasn't opposed to it if we could get a difference maker.  Problem is, most of those guys went in the first 10-12 picks of the 2nd round.  An area we likely couldn't get up to without sacrificing our top 2026 picks to jump any other teams trying to trade up and actually get the picking team to move off that pick.

I'm good with the result yesterday.  DT and RB are super deep and there are still some good players left.  We'll get some more guys today.  Maybe we make a minor trade to get a 4th and use the second early 5th to drop down after we pick again at 5(1) and get some extra picks?  Lots of ways for us to still grab some strong depth at positions of need with what is left out there.

2nd post in the thread, Wet.

MAD GAINZ wrote:

Maybe I missed it, but were a bunch of people here against moving up?  I certainly wasn't opposed to it if we could get a difference maker.  Problem is, most of those guys went in the first 10-12 picks of the 2nd round.  An area we likely couldn't get up to without sacrificing our top 2026 picks to jump any other teams trying to trade up and actually get the picking team to move off that pick.

I'm good with the result yesterday.  DT and RB are super deep and there are still some good players left.  We'll get some more guys today.  Maybe we make a minor trade to get a 4th and use the second early 5th to drop down after we pick again at 5(1) and get some extra picks?  Lots of ways for us to still grab some strong depth at positions of need with what is left out there.

I thought for sure we would move up. I was on board with moving up for Harvey. You and I had the discussion that I felt Harvey would go higher than expected. Robinson still on the board which I really want. Will have to move up to get him, but he could fall to us at the top of the 5th. 

West

Phillips

Robinson

Peagues 

There are DTs still there for the taking. We will have to get up to get them, however. Zy Alexander and Fraizer still there at CB, along with Strong and Bryant. I like all 4 if we wanted to have one. Still should be a fun day for the Vikings. I see us trading up to the 4th.

JustInTime wrote:

Of course we were. I’m just a little surprised so many were opposed to the notion of moving up. Shortsighted and laughable to me.

Definitely some guy left. No one like Henderson or Harvey who could be true difference makers or Turner or Alexander who could provide valuable reps as well as continued roster continuity. Missed opportunity.

People just overrate draft picks, almost as much as NFL teams do. You see a difference maker you believe in and it takes a future middle rounder or two to go get him, you do that. Every time. Of course you do.

MaroonBells wrote:

People just overrate draft picks, almost as much as NFL teams do. You see a difference maker you believe in and it takes a future middle rounder or two to go get him, you do that. Every time. Of course you do.

Absolutely.  But if we had to trade our 2026 first + 97 (and maybe more) to get to 38 for Trevyeon Henderson...  Is that smart?  I love him, but that's a lot of draft capital to give up for a RB.  And we have Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and Ty Chandler already on the roster.

Or is it better to wait until Day 3 and maybe get Skattebo, Jordan James, or Brashard Smith with how the board fell yesterday?  I really like Bowman as a center fielder at S to improve our coverage over Bynum.  Pegues is an intriguing DT still available.  And then RB is still really deep.

Everyone is forgetting that we also have 2nd year players Taki and LDR at DT.  Vikings can go a lot of different ways today and come away with some intriguing depth.

The 2nd through mid 3rd round of this draft had a huge value margin, Revel going at 12 in the 3rd was ridiculous. Like Jackson, but still think moving down would have been the best way to maximize value and would have given us the picks for more flexibility to move around and manage the board yesterday. However, the biggest factor affecting this draft is the Dallas Turner trade, which drained our draft capital for this year. Just not enough picks to really do much, hopefully Jackson and Turner become perennial pro bowlers and it would have all been worth it. As I watch the draft and think of previous years in which there was such a strong consensus on certain players and think of how often all the "experts" were wrong, you just never know how these kids talents will carry over to the NFL level.

MAD GAINZ wrote:

Absolutely.  But if we had to trade our 2026 first + 97 (and maybe more) to get to 38 for Trevyeon Henderson...  Is that smart?  I love him, but that's a lot of draft capital to give up for a RB.  And we have Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and Ty Chandler already on the roster.

Or is it better to wait until Day 3 and maybe get Skattebo, Jordan James, or Brashard Smith with how the board fell yesterday?  I really like Bowman as a center fielder at S to improve our coverage over Bynum.  Pegues is an intriguing DT still available.  And then RB is still really deep.

Everyone is forgetting that we also have 2nd year players Taki and LDR at DT.  Vikings can go a lot of different ways today and come away with some intriguing depth.

My answer to that will always be the same. You see a difference maker you really believe in, you go get him. If it takes a future middle rounder or two, so be it. 

Did you really hear we were offering our 1st rounder next year? No, I don't do that. But I'll give up a heapin' helpin of future middle rounders—the Chaz Surrats, Wyatt Davises and Dru Samias of the world—to move up small and get a player I think his head and shoulders above the "next guy on the list."

I'll go on record that there were some potential difference makers there in rd2 and I would have pulled the trigger with 26 assets for em.

Maybe they tried? But not hard enough for my liking or we would have acquired one.

Glad to have DJ here, but I didnt realize Xmas was going to be FA only. 

And the draft? Well the draft has been a mighty empty stocking hanging on the mantle. At least Grigson got himself a special teamer last night. 

I am disappointed - in myself. I should have seen this coming more clearly.

MaroonBells wrote:

My answer to that will always be the same. You see a difference maker you really believe in, you go get him. If it takes a future middle rounder or two, so be it. 

Did you really hear we were offering our 1st rounder next year? No, I don't do that. But I'll give up a heapin' helpin of future middle rounders—the Chaz Surrats, Wyatt Davises and Dru Samias of the world—to move up small and get a player I think his head and shoulders above the "next guy on the list."

No, but that is what I would have cost us at a minimum to get to 38.  It's why the Vikings were offering their 2026 2nd to try to get into the 50-60 range.  I was just stating that to get a true difference maker yesterday, we'd have had to get much higher than that and the cost would be more than a "few middle rounders".

Totally agree, if we have to give up a future 3rd and 5th or 4th and 6th, do it.  But that wasn't the case yesterday.

purplefaithful wrote:
I'll go on record that there were some potential difference makers there in rd2 and I would have pulled the trigger with 26 assets for em.

Maybe they tried? But not hard enough for my liking or we would have acquired one.

Glad to have DJ here, but I didnt realize Xmas was going to be FA. 

And the draft? Well the draft has been a mighty empty stocking hanging on the mantle. At least Grigson got himself a special teamer last night. 

I am disappointed - in myself. I should have seen this coming more clearly.

Well, you can't draft JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner every year. Like I said before, I'll be happy with a 2023 repeat. If Donovan Jackson, like Addison, starts from day one, makes the all rookie team, is voted rookie of the month and is a candidate for OROY, and we draft one more player, like Blackmon, who makes a big contribution as a part time starter, I'll be giddier than a...something that's really giddy.

MAD GAINZ wrote:

No, but that is what I would have cost us at a minimum to get to 38.  It's why the Vikings were offering their 2026 2nd to try to get into the 50-60 range.  I was just stating that to get a true difference maker yesterday, we'd have had to get much higher than that and the cost would be more than a "few middle rounders".

Totally agree, if we have to give up a future 3rd and 5th or 4th and 6th, do it.  But that wasn't the case yesterday.

We were trying to get to 38? Wow, I didn't hear any of this.

Yeah, not necessary to move up. Save those '26 picks, the team will be glad they did. Slow, steady and on point is the way to win the Draft race this year. As I've said for weeks, next year is the time to draft a RB.

MaroonBells wrote:

Well, you can't draft JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner every year. Like I said before, I'll be happy with a 2023 repeat. If Donovan Jackson, like Addison, starts from day one, makes the all rookie team, is voted rookie of the month and is a candidate for OROY, and we draft one more player, like Blackmon, who makes a big contribution as a part time starter, I'll be giddier than a...something that's really giddy.

We were trying to get to 38? Wow, I didn't hear any of this.

I didnt either...

Look, Vikings (hopefully) will be drafting in low 1st round for a while. Just like Ravens, Chiefs, Eagles...

I would not have given up a #1 for 38, but I would have given up quite a bit - if that talent I wanted was there. And it was.