Saints to Sign Nick Easton

sure is making it look like a misake to have signed Cousins last year... has to be looking like a  mistake on his part as well for turning down the extra money elsewhere to come to a team with a proven inability or unwillingnesss to take the QBs protection even remotely seriously.

@"AGRforever" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: Seems inevitable that the Vikings won't even have an average OL.

lol average?  the real question is whether we can afford warm bodies. 

I'm not sure Easton was good enough to be a starter.  Good for him that he struck gold with NO, but I really don't mind the Vikings not overspending on someone they don't feel is worth the money.  He might not even play up to the level he was at two seasons ago, and even that was just average.

Lots of time left to get the line fixed before September.

@"HappyViking" said: I'm not sure Easton was good enough to be a starter.  Good for him that he struck gold with NO, but I really don't mind the Vikings not overspending on someone they don't feel is worth the money.  He might not even play up to the level he was at two seasons ago, and even that was just average.

Lots of time left to get the line fixed before September.

time they got...money and available quality is not there... we will likely have to sign a couple cheap as hell  (compton type players) and then pray like hell that we can pull 2 better interior guys out of the draft or at least hope that the notion to move Reiff inside works out,  or maybe Collins comes back ok and can resume his transition to OG...  lots of hope and prayers to fix a glaring need.

@"MaroonBells" said: Damn...this one stings. Some of the low ball numbers I'd seen fans throw around in mock offseasons were ridiculous for a 26 year old with this pass blocking grade, versatility and starting experience. $6M per is just as crazy. But the market is what it is and the Vikings have to adjust. 

I don't know how the Vikings expect to compete for players like Easton, Schraeder, etc., without any cap space. Waynes should've been traded weeks ago. I'm even questioning the wisdom of restructuring Griffen instead of just releasing him. Reminds me of an undisciplined kid who wants this, that and the other thing, but isn't willing to make the sacrifices to get there. 

MB, I agree.  I love Griff, but feel his time has passed with us.  Waynes I'm torn about but would understand if it meant in essence trading his skill set to land a top OG.  The Aint's may have over paid for Easton but as many have said, quality OL help ain't cheap no mo'....

@"HappyViking" said: I'm not sure Easton was good enough to be a starter.  Good for him that he struck gold with NO, but I really don't mind the Vikings not overspending on someone they don't feel is worth the money.  He might not even play up to the level he was at two seasons ago, and even that was just average.

Lots of time left to get the line fixed before September.

I'm not convinced that the Coaching staff we had last year was competent enough to evaluate and develop OLine talent. I would not be surprised to see Easton thrive in New Orleans just like Coby Gossett thrived in Arizona and started several games for them after he was plucked off our practice squad. I guess Compton and Remmers were doing so well at guard for us last year we just didn't need him. O'Neill's potential has been the only bright spot on the entire line. 

@"Vikergirl" said:

@"AGRforever" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: Seems inevitable that the Vikings won't even have an average OL.

lol average?  the real question is whether we can afford warm bodies. 

Average is a pipe dream. I can't help but wonder what Kubiak is thinking.

@"Vikergirl" said: Seems inevitable that the Vikings won't even have an average OL.

Well it ain't over till it's over and I still have hope that if the Vikings can somehow land, say, Kline and Schraeder (moving O'Neill to the left and Reiff inside) and draft a couple of starters, they can be better than last year. But given their current cap space, that ain't gonna happen. As Wet says the Vikings have backed themselves into a corner. The only way out is to make sacrifices on the other side of the ball.

I'll take "Vikings cap solutions" for $9 million, Alex.  Take one piece off the "D" by adding one "D" to a DB.  What is Trade Waynes? 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: Seems inevitable that the Vikings won't even have an average OL.

Well it ain't over till it's over and I still have hope that if the Vikings can somehow land, say, Kline and Schraeder (moving O'Neill to the left and Reiff inside) and draft a couple of starters, they can be better than last year. But given their current cap space, that ain't gonna happen. As Wet says the Vikings have backed themselves into a corner. The only way out is to make sacrifices on the other side of the ball.

I'll take "Vikings cap solutions" for $9 million, Alex.  Take one piece off the "D" by adding one "D" to a DB.  What is Trade Waynes? 

@"SFVikeFan" said: Well that's going to sting.  Now we need 2 starting OG's and a backup.  Expect trade talk to heat up.

Let's not forget, Aviante Collins was playing LT well before he got injured.  Potentially, they could kick Reiff inside to LG and put Collins at LT. 

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2018/8/13/17686428/aviante-collins-wheres-his-best-fit 

My one hope out of all of this shit show that we have now is that the coaching we have in place will make a whale of a difference. We need some serious chicken salad miracle out of Kubiak and Dennison.

The Saints are going to start Easton at center to replace Unger. 

I do think they wanted to keep Easton but $4M/yr was probably closer to what they were willing to spend. When you're so tight against the cap it is very hard to lock up more than that in a player who's season has ended due to injury two years in a row. I'd still expect them to sign someone like Kline. They really like Aviante Collins and if not for his injury I believe they thought he would start last year. 

As the off-season has shaped up they were planning on using the draft to fix the O-line all along. They will spend 2 of their first 3 or 4 picks on lineman which will give them options. Although it makes fans leery the game plan is to add cost control on the line to offset Cousins deal. If they can successfully pull it off its their best option in the long-run. There is definitely risk it blows up in their faces though too. 

@"lakeerievike" said:

@"SFVikeFan" said: Well that's going to sting.  Now we need 2 starting OG's and a backup.  Expect trade talk to heat up.

Let's not forget, Aviante Collins was playing LT well before he got injured.  Potentially, they could kick Reiff inside to LG and put Collins at LT. 

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2018/8/13/17686428/aviante-collins-wheres-his-best-fit 

I guess I’m not super-worried at this point.  I still think we need to draft two guards and
bring in a FA to push them or be there in case one sucks.  It didn’t look like we were going to get a
premier FA guard, so I’m not sure overpaying for Easton fixes much as even with
Easton we’re hoping for our guards to be an upgrade.

@"lakeerievike" said:

@"SFVikeFan" said: Well that's going to sting.  Now we need 2 starting OG's and a backup.  Expect trade talk to heat up.

Let's not forget, Aviante Collins was playing LT well before he got injured.  Potentially, they could kick Reiff inside to LG and put Collins at LT. 

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2018/8/13/17686428/aviante-collins-wheres-his-best-fit 

@"Wetlander" said:

@"lakeerievike" said:

@"SFVikeFan" said: Well that's going to sting.  Now we need 2 starting OG's and a backup.  Expect trade talk to heat up.

Let's not forget, Aviante Collins was playing LT well before he got injured.  Potentially, they could kick Reiff inside to LG and put Collins at LT. 

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2018/8/13/17686428/aviante-collins-wheres-his-best-fit 

It's hard to say where the Vikings view his best position...  personally, I think it's at OG or RT.  He's definitely athletic enough to play either LG or RG in the Vikings scheme and that might be his best fit (on the interior).
Looking at our current depth chart, it's laughable...  we have:

LT:  Reiff
LG: Collins?
C:  Elflein, Edison
RG: Isidora?
RT: O'Neill
Backups: Rashod Hill (swing tackle), Storm Norton (Fringe player), and Adam Bisnowaty (T - Fringe player)
That's it...  if that's our starting 5 and depth, we're screwed.  LOL

@"Geoff Nichols" said:

@"Kentis" said: Wow, guess they reacted to Max Unger’s retirement, w/ quite an offer...

How Easton got $6M/yr is beyond me. Best guess is that they can get out of it rather easily considering he is coming off a major injury. 

@"Geoff Nichols" said:

@"Wetlander" said:

@"lakeerievike" said:

@"SFVikeFan" said: Well that's going to sting.  Now we need 2 starting OG's and a backup.  Expect trade talk to heat up.

Let's not forget, Aviante Collins was playing LT well before he got injured.  Potentially, they could kick Reiff inside to LG and put Collins at LT. 

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2018/8/13/17686428/aviante-collins-wheres-his-best-fit 

It's hard to say where the Vikings view his best position...  personally, I think it's at OG or RT.  He's definitely athletic enough to play either LG or RG in the Vikings scheme and that might be his best fit (on the interior).
Looking at our current depth chart, it's laughable...  we have:

LT:  Reiff
LG: Collins?
C:  Elflein, Edison
RG: Isidora?
RT: O'Neill
Backups: Rashod Hill (swing tackle), Storm Norton (Fringe player), and Adam Bisnowaty (T - Fringe player)
That's it...  if that's our starting 5 and depth, we're screwed.  LOL

I think you're on the right track. I would tend to think he is either a swing tackle or RG. If they had to run with their players as of today I think they would roll with 

LT - O'Neill 
LG - Reiff 
C - Elflein 
RG - Isidora
RT - Hill 

To be completely honest I don't think that would be any worse than what they played with last season. Remmers & Compton were the worst two guards in the NFL. So it doesn't take much to move up from there. 

@"medaille" said: I guess I’m not super-worried at this point.  I still think we need to draft two guards and bring in a FA to push them or be there in case one sucks.  It didn’t look like we were going to get a premier FA guard, so I’m not sure overpaying for Easton fixes much as even with Easton we’re hoping for our guards to be an upgrade.

This. We all gotta take a deep breath here.  I think they are relying HEAVILY on what Kubes will bring to this offense, especially the run game.  If you get that fixed, our play action will be deadly. As a fallback we have 2 wr’s that consistently get open even getting the ball out quickly and you cant double both of them.