Vikings show interest in OT Ryan Schraeder

"deseperately need help at the position"   

do we?  is OT really where we are desperately thin?  Reiff, Hill, Collins, and ONeill.   I know they were working Collins into the interior last year,  but IMO if we are desperate for anything it would be OGs.   Of course we can just kick and OT into OG and we will be fine.

@"JimmyinSD" said: "deseperately need help at the position"   

do we?  is OT really where we are desperately thin?  Reiff, Hill, Collins, and ONeill.   I know they were working Collins into the interior last year,  but IMO if we are desperate for anything it would be OGs.   Of course we can just kick and OT into OG and we will be fine.

Not sure I'd recognize the Vikes if they weren't shuffling OLineman around every year.  :/

Retreads. Discards. Its how we got Remmers. 

Wait..he's available? Google says post June 1 release. Ryan Schraeder was the best RT in football in 2015, and very close to it in 2016 and 2017. Had a terrible year last year though. I have no idea why. 

So again, more interest in a right tackle. After the interest in RT Ju'wain James and now RT Schraeder, it seems clear to me that the Vikings want to move O'Neill to the left and either ditch Reiff or move him inside. 

@"MaroonBells" said: Wait..he's available? Google says post June 1 release. Ryan Schraeder was the best RT in football in 2015, and very close to it in 2016 and 2017. Had a terrible year last year though. I have no idea why. 

So again, more interest in a right tackle. After the interest in RT Ju'wain James and now RT Schraeder, it seems clear to me that the Vikings want to move O'Neill to the left and either ditch Reiff or move him inside. 

JMO, but I think the best the Vikings can wish for as a starting unit this year is: O'Neill-Reiff-Elflein-Easton-Schraeder (or equivalent). But I don't see how they sign both Easton and Schraeder. 

@"StickyBun" said:

@"MaroonBells" said: Wait..he's available? Google says post June 1 release. Ryan Schraeder was the best RT in football in 2015, and very close to it in 2016 and 2017. Had a terrible year last year though. I have no idea why. 

So again, more interest in a right tackle. After the interest in RT Ju'wain James and now RT Schraeder, it seems clear to me that the Vikings want to move O'Neill to the left and either ditch Reiff or move him inside. 

JMO, but I think the best the Vikings can wish for as a starting unit this year is: O'Neill-Reiff-Elflein-Easton-Schraeder (or equivalent). But I don't see how they sign both Easton and Schraeder. 

@"StickyBun" said:Retreads. Discards. Its how we got Remmers. 

I think the Remmers signing should be evaluated differently.  In his first years, Remmers played a solid RT  -- I believe he may have graded out as the second highest Olineman after Berger (https://vikingsterritory.com/2018/analysis/the-2017-pro-football-focus-grades-of-every-minnesota-viking.  Unfortunately, there were three cascading events that caused him to be moved to guard: (1) Berger retired; (2) Eason was injured; and (3) Vikes didn't draft a guard in the first round and ended up drafting a tackle in the second round.  This caused Remmers to be moved inside where he was terrible and overpaid.  Now, O'Neill is certainly a upgrade over Remmers but Remmers was a serviceable RT and if not for retirements/injuries and the way the draft fell, he would not have been the worse and most overpaid Olineman last year.

@"VikingOracle" said:

@"StickyBun" said:Retreads. Discards. Its how we got Remmers. 

I think the Remmers signing should be evaluated differently.  In his first years, Remmers played a solid RT  -- I believe he may have graded out as the second highest Olineman after Berger (https://vikingsterritory.com/2018/analysis/the-2017-pro-football-focus-grades-of-every-minnesota-viking.  Unfortunately, there were three cascading events that caused him to be moved to guard: (1) Berger retired; (2) Eason was injured; and (3) Vikes didn't draft a guard in the first round and ended up drafting a tackle in the second round.  This caused Remmers to be moved inside where he was terrible and overpaid.  Now, O'Neill is certainly a upgrade over Remmers but Remmers was a serviceable RT and if not for retirements/injuries and the way the draft fell, he would not have been the worse and most overpaid Olineman last year.

@"StickyBun" said:

@"MaroonBells" said: Wait..he's available? Google says post June 1 release. Ryan Schraeder was the best RT in football in 2015, and very close to it in 2016 and 2017. Had a terrible year last year though. I have no idea why. 

So again, more interest in a right tackle. After the interest in RT Ju'wain James and now RT Schraeder, it seems clear to me that the Vikings want to move O'Neill to the left and either ditch Reiff or move him inside. 

JMO, but I think the best the Vikings can wish for as a starting unit this year is: O'Neill-Reiff-Elflein-Easton-Schraeder (or equivalent). But I don't see how they sign both Easton and Schraeder. 

Schraeder a wide zone guy....

Like Jimmy suggests..The Vikings thinking here confuses me. G and T take a different skill set...I don't know why the Vikings can't figure that out and think that these positions are "interchangeable". T takes swift feet / nimble.... with an ability to engage from open space..where G are your road graders immediately and STAYING engaged. Maybe not as swift of feet as a T, but still need to be fast enough to pull.

@"VikingOracle" said:

@"StickyBun" said:Retreads. Discards. Its how we got Remmers. 

I think the Remmers signing should be evaluated differently.  In his first years, Remmers played a solid RT  -- I believe he may have graded out as the second highest Olineman after Berger (https://vikingsterritory.com/2018/analysis/the-2017-pro-football-focus-grades-of-every-minnesota-viking.  Unfortunately, there were three cascading events that caused him to be moved to guard: (1) Berger retired; (2) Eason was injured; and (3) Vikes didn't draft a guard in the first round and ended up drafting a tackle in the second round.  This caused Remmers to be moved inside where he was terrible and overpaid.  Now, O'Neill is certainly a upgrade over Remmers but Remmers was a serviceable RT and if not for retirements/injuries and the way the draft fell, he would not have been the worse and most overpaid Olineman last year.

@"Vanguard83" said: Like Jimmy suggests..The Vikings thinking here confuses me. G and T take a different skill set...I don't know why the Vikings can't figure that out and think that these positions are "interchangeable". T takes swift feet / nimble.... with an ability to engage from open space..where G are your road graders immediately and STAYING engaged. Maybe not as swift of feet as a T, but still need to be fast enough to pull.

I think they're more interchangeable than many think. No, you're not going to take a career guard and suddenly make him a tackle capable of blocking Khalil Mack. But the reverse happens all the time. I'd say half the starting guards in the NFL were tackles in college. And there are several examples of older tackles moving to guard later in their careers. That said, while I think it's pretty obvious by now that we want to move O'Neill to the left, it's less clear that means Reiff moves inside. Depending on how the draft goes, he could be traded or released. 49ers did that last year. Within minutes of drafting Mike McGlinchey, they traded Trent Brown to the Pats. 

The interest in Schraeder makes some sense. He was best when playing more stretch zone which is what the Vikings will be utilizing next season. At least he would be a guy who brings the right skill set to the table. 

I agree this likely would suggest the Vikings are viewing Reiff as a guard now. There is a better chance he would succeed inside compared to Remmers due to the differences in how they play. But I think the ultimate plan is to move on from Reiff in 2020 when the dead cap becomes manageable. Clearing his $10M will give them the space necessary for Thielen's extension (even if they do it this off-season) they also have a number of extensions / RFA's they'll need money for next off-season as well. 

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"VikingOracle" said:

@"StickyBun" said:Retreads. Discards. Its how we got Remmers. 

I think the Remmers signing should be evaluated differently.  In his first years, Remmers played a solid RT  -- I believe he may have graded out as the second highest Olineman after Berger (https://vikingsterritory.com/2018/analysis/the-2017-pro-football-focus-grades-of-every-minnesota-viking.  Unfortunately, there were three cascading events that caused him to be moved to guard: (1) Berger retired; (2) Eason was injured; and (3) Vikes didn't draft a guard in the first round and ended up drafting a tackle in the second round.  This caused Remmers to be moved inside where he was terrible and overpaid.  Now, O'Neill is certainly a upgrade over Remmers but Remmers was a serviceable RT and if not for retirements/injuries and the way the draft fell, he would not have been the worse and most overpaid Olineman last year.

Remmers was an upgrade, but I dont think I would call his results solid,  he was weak against the bull rush and a step slow with the speed guys, grading out as the second best OLman we had 2 years ago is again akin to being the second brightest kid on the short bus....  Remmers was a consolation prize 2 years ago after missing out on several FA OLman that went before we took Reiff and Remmers.

Arent we doing a huge assumption here that Oneil will make the transition to LT?  He played ok at RT last year but he was protected a lot. I know Reiff was no picnic at LT but.....it was better then what we’ve done at LT since Kalil’s second year. 

Also, where do we clear 10-15 million to sign an OL?

The Vikings, where we always have 7 tackles and 2 centers,
and can’t figure out why our guard play always sucks.

@"AGRforever" said: Arent we doing a huge assumption here that Oneil will make the transition to LT?  He played ok at RT last year but he was protected a lot. I know Reiff was no picnic at LT but.....it was better then what we’ve done at LT since Kalil’s second year. 

and Reiff was just fine in 17,  last year he played hurt, but I think about this... Reiff playing hurt was still a better option than putting Hill (who we just resigned)  in there.... Isidora (our only OG on the roster)  was not good enought to displace Compton and Remmers who by everybodys accounts... sucked.  We are so screwed if this draft doesnt go well.

@"FSUVike" said: Thank God someone else on here sees the truth. Remmers looked good IN COMPARISON to Clemmings.

Remmers knew Minnesota wanted him as a stopgap at RT and would eventually move him inside. I'm sure he figured a move to Guard would prolong his career. It's happened countless times and is akin to CBs moving to Safety.

But Rick, Tony, Zimmer and Remmers were wrong. Guys who transition to new roles later in their careers usually have the Talent to make it happen. Remmers doesn't have the Talent.

Do you think a late career Tackle-to-Guard transition is more likely successful in a power blocking scheme than zone? Age tends to decline mobility more quickly than strength.