Continuing the Rebuild (Updated)

[rpmwr19]

Continuing Down the Rebuild Path

Season Notes
• Vikings finish the season 6-10 (4th in NFC North)
• Vikings are awarded the 10th pick in the 2013 Amateur Draft
• Leslie Frazier, along with his coordinators, is relieved from their positions. Frazier was given the year to show progress and didn’t. The improvement in record was simply due to playing a last place schedule. Now Rick Spielman gets to bring in his guy.
• Gus Bradley is hired as the Head Coach
• Kris Richard follows Bradley from Seattle to be Defensive Coordinator
• Norv Turner, after being fired in San Diego, is hired as the offensive coordinator. The allure of working with Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, and Kyle Rudolph are more than enough for him.

In House Moves
• WR - Devin Aromashodu – not retained
• OL – Joe Berger – not retained
• LB – Jasper Brinkley – not retained
• TE – John Carlson – cut
• FB – Jerome Felton – re-signed (unsung hero of the run game)
• LB – Erin Henderson – not retained
• CB – AJ Jefferson – RFA tender
• WR – Michael Jenkins – cut
• RT – Phil Loadholt – re-signed (greatly improved)
• LB – Marvin Mitchell – re-signed
• S – Jamarca Sanford – re-signed
• OL – Geoff Schwartz – re-signed
• S – Andrew Sendejo – RFA tender (training camp body)
• WR – Jerome Simpson – re-signed
• DT – Kevin Williams – not retained


Free Agency
• DT – Terrence Knighton – JAX
• LB – Daryl Smith – JAX
• WR – Ramses Barden – NYG
• SS – William Moore – ATL (Prize of the Vikings free agent class)

Trades
• Jared Allen is traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a 1st and 3rd round pick. The Falcons rank toward the middle of the league in sacks and if they want to make a push with the current team that has to improve. John Abraham will be 35 years old next year and Ray Edwards has been a big disappointment. Allen has been great for the Vikings, and deserves to have a chance at a championship.
• Vikings parlay that pick into a 2nd and 4th rounder (much like the Chris Cook trade back we made
• Vikings trade this 4th round pick, and their original third round pick to move back up into the 2nd round.

NFL Draft
• 1st – Manti Te’o – ILB – Notre Dame
• 2nd (A) – Sheldon Richardson – DT – Missouri
• 2nd (B) – Dallas Thomas – OG - Tennessee
• 2nd (C) – Quinton Patton – WR – Louisiana Tech
• 3rd – Blidi Wreh-Wilson – CB – Connecticut
• 4th (A) – Markus Wheaton - WR - Oregon State
• 4th (B) – Kevin Reddick – LB – North Carolina
• 5th – 7th – BPA or used to move around the draft.

Analysis
The goal of this off-season is to improve the middle of the defense as well as provide Ponder or whoever is the QB with weapons on the outside. Kevin Reddick is this years version of the Everson Griffen pick. Extraordinarily talented, but with some work ethic issues. Please feel free to comment.
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Adopt a Viking - Erin Henderson
Stats:

[PrplChilPill]

Funny, I was just thinking while driving home from Lambeau last night that the Vikings should deal Allen to Atlanta.....

Not sure about any of the picks, but I agree with that part of the strategy. This team is just more than 1 year away, so time to deal the last old guy with value (like they should have done with Williams before).
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Wins are a team stat, not a QB stat

[AQuintus]

Not a big fan of the draft.

Te'o is good (Though I like Ogletree in the 20s way more than Te'o at 10 if we can trade back).

Richardson is good, though I question is fit with Dorsey since he's strictly a UT.

Not a big fan of taking an OG that high, but don't hate.

Don't like Marquess Wilson at all. He really struggles to get separation against college secondaries and is about 20 pounds too thin.

Don't hate CB in the third, but not a big fan either. I'd rather go Arthur Brown here and look at a CB like Nigel Malone or Nickell Robey in the 4th.

Don't like Stedman Bailey. We really don't need anymore slot receivers, especially ones that have their stats super inflated by the offensive system they play in.

Really don't like the Kevin Reddick pick. He's very athletic, but badly underachieving relative to his talent.

I haven't seen BPA play too much this year, but I've heard good things, so I'm alright with these picks.


Also, I'd be all for that Allen trade if we could do it. It's seems that he may be starting the downside of his career at this point and we have a solid replacement in Griffin. It also means that the team doesn't have to go for any shortsighted win now moves in order to keep him happy.

[PrplChilPill]

Oh, and I love an early OG. It is a myth they are easy to find, that's why the Vikes signed Hutchinson, and haven't been good there for years....they don't just grow on 5th round trees....
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Wins are a team stat, not a QB stat

[rpmwr19]

I don't view Stedman Bailey as a slot receiver. He's best on deep routes and deep crosses.

I love Arthur Brown as much as the next guy but I don't see him being available in the third following workouts.

Richardson and Dorsey do play the same position, but Dorsey is far from a sure thing and Richardson is a dynamic, athletic, presence in the middle. We can pick up a space eater later in the draft if necessary.

As I said in my analysis. Reddick does have some issues, but in the fourth round his talent is worth it. See Everson Griffen.

Not a fan of Ogletree. Injury, as well as off the field, concerns make me want to stay away from him. Te'o is the epitome of a defensive leader and fits the mold of a Rick Spielman draft pick.

Thank you for your comments.
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Adopt a Viking - Erin Henderson
Stats:

[KeystoneViking]

It looks like Marquess Wilson either left the team or was suspended...either way it significantly damages his draft stock...I'd say he is a 5th rounder if this report is true.

[rpmwr19]

[Darth Brooks]

[rpmwr19]

[PrplChilPill]

Can we not have every thread be about Ponder?
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Wins are a team stat, not a QB stat

[Darth Brooks]

[Darth Brooks]

(To get it off of CP)

I think that Chip Kelly will given a chance at head coach somewhere in the NFL. To go in the opposite direction, I'd also argue for Marty Schottenheimer. He's a bit of a dinosaur but he knows how to build a run game and how to build a team.
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[Chi_Vike1]

Honestly this just has too many moves to be a realistic off season, for the Vikings at least. I don's see any coaching changes being made, even though they should. Mainly OC. As far as the draft, Teo is a good pick, but not a fan of Wilson, or drafting Richardson if were signing Dorsey.

[AQuintus]

[vike daddy]