GM Rick Spielman - his good moves and his dumb ones

vike daddy · Joined: 12 Mar 2005 Posts: 82975

let's make a list of each.

good move - signing Matt Cassel as an insurance backup to Ponder.
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vikingsrule · Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 12:37 pm Post subject:

Trading an injury prone, problem child for a 1st, 3rd and 7th.

Cash saved was used to acquire a better WR in Greg Jennings.
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byuvike88 · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 4605 Location: Shelley Idaho

Good Move: Signing Jennings. He has shown what he can do with a confident quarterback who can read defenses.
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PrplChilPill · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 10824 Location: Portland, OR

It is hard to do this.....also, when do we start his timeline?

Is Carlson a good or bad signing? He provided zero value last year, and that money could have gone for defensive help. This year, he was good for a few games.

Off the top of my head, with no thought, my opinion:

Bad:
John Carlson
Ignoring OG and LBer every offseason

Good:
Patterson
Rhodes
Harvin trade (how did he get that much, when everyone knew he wanted to trade)

Not getting credit for, imo:
I don't want to give him credit for the 4th overall pick, he should get a legit starter there
Ponder (not sure on when you want to start judging him)
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tickleMEpurple · Joined: 15 Jan 2010 Posts: 300

I can't honestly say that he has had any "dumb" moves since being promoted to GM. People seem to think that he was behind the drafting of Ponder which he wasn't. People also assume that he was behind the hiring of Leslie Frazier which he wasn't.

I think most of the moves he has made have paid off well. The Harvin trade worked out well, trading up for Patterson has worked out well, the drafting of Rhodes worked out well, Floyd hasn't had much of a chance yet.

Out of the 2012 draft, the two misses (so far) have been Robinson and Guyton, other than that, all of the players that we have drafted have been players and have worked out well. (I left Childs out of this because he has been injured).

It takes 3 years to evaluate a pick per the "draft experts," (I'm not looking at Todd McShay). That is not enough time to evaluate the two draft classes that Speilman has been in charge of. Both draft classes have been extremely productive so far. He is doing well at filling up the team with young, promising talent.

I saw on NFL Network that Ian Rappaport doesn't think Frazier or Ponder will be back for the 2014 season. It wouldn't surprise if me if Speilman and co. decide to clean house and go with "his guy." If he is as good at evaluating coaches as he is evaluating players, he should not have a problem at all.

With that being said, the Freeman move was pretty dumb, I'm not sure if that was Spielman or if that was Frazier since he's got an obvious fire under his butt.
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byuvike88 · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 4605 Location: Shelley Idaho

Good move: Trading up to get Harrison Smith
Dumb: Giving Carlson the money he got. He has been solid this year but spent way to much on him.

God move: Signing Robison to an extension! Dude is playing like a stud
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wcblack34 · Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 12:51 pm Post subject:

vikingsrule · Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 12:53 pm Post subject:

wcblack34 · Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 12:55 pm Post subject:

PrplChilPill · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 10824 Location: Portland, OR

wcblack34 · Posted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 1:02 pm Post subject:

fishtanked · Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Posts: 1087 Location: Canada

Good moves-

Harvin trade
Manipulating the draft (stockpiling picks then targeting specific players)
1st round picks (Kalil, Smith, Floyd, Rhodes, Patterson) will all be cornerstones moving forward
Using the later rounds to draft ST and developmental players (Walsh, Ellison, Cole, Blanton, Fusco, Mauti, Locke)
Felton signing
Simpson signing
Cassel signing
Jennings signing
Robison re-signing
Giving Les a year to prove if last year was a fluke

Bad moves-
Carlson signing
Winfield release (we had no replacement on the roster for that kind of leadership)
QB situation overall (I believe you should draft a QB every year if you don't have a bonafied QBOF and while Ponder was an unknown, more should have been done in the plan B department)
LB situation overall (I think a legit starter should have been acquired last off season. Daryl Smith, Jon Beason, etc)

Overall I think Rick has done a fine job the past two years.

If he can bring in some better game planning coaches and find a legit QBOF the Vikes could be contenders for the next 5-10 years with the young talent on the roster.
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PrplChilPill · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 10824 Location: Portland, OR

vike daddy · Joined: 12 Mar 2005 Posts: 82975

JMac79 · Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 2545 Location: St. Anthony, MN