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Dana Turner -> RE: General Vikes Talk (12/5/2019 6:59:21 PM)
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ORIGINAL: thebigo
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ORIGINAL: Richard Neussendorfer
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ORIGINAL: thebigo
I'm curious how the Vikings have this fabulous roster (held back massively by the coaching staff according to many hereabouts), despite on average drafting around the 20 spot, and only occasionally dabbling in free agency. How does that work?
Are you saying the roster isnt as good as it seems on paper?
There have been a number of posters that have stated this season that our roster is as good as or close to as good as any in the league, but our coaching staff is a major achilles heel. So this question is really for them, we draft late and we don't sign a lot of free agents, so how is it that our roster is so good?
I'm expecting <crickets> from them. It seems reasonable that they would have an answer though.
I'll take a stab at this. I am not sure I am one of the guys in the pool that you are speaking of, but I am critical of Zimmer and the coaching staff and i may have said we have a solid roster, so here goes.
I believe we need just compare positions and players from all teams to determine where we stand as a roster in the league.
No question that when healthy, the WR duo of Diggs and AT is one of the top five combo's in the league.
I'd say although he has a couple mental issues he's been fighting, Cousins has to be in the conversation of top ten in the NFL.
Our RB's are pretty good, both running and catching passes as wells as blocking from the FB spot, top seven in the league at a minimum.
Our TE's as a group have played pretty solid this year, I wouldn't rank them super high, only because we don't have a dynamic one now, but Smith looks to have promise. I'd say that it would be tough to keep the group out of the top five in blocking and since we are a run first team, that counts.
That brings us to the O-line. It is something that we only recently started spending capital on and the jury is still out, but if someone was to tell me that these guys aren't better than the group last year, I'd just dismiss that as having some kind of ax to grind. We are top five in the running game and our QB has taken very few sacks or hits this year, thus his turnovers are much better.
So when we look at the offensive players as a whole, I'd say top ten in the league isn't a stretch.
Defense? Well, the age of this group is beginning to show. Smith and Harris are still a top five pair of safeties, but I don't know how much longer Smith will perform at his level. Kearse has been solid this year.
Our corners is s spot we have spent considerable resources and the return has been mixed. Rhodes was drafted early and had a few good years, but his game is now in decline, it's only the stubbornness of the coaching staff that he is still starting. Waynes is another guy that had a solid year last year, but for some strange reason, this year has been odd for him. He has ball awareness issues, but he's a solid tackler and normally you find him in tight coverage, just not stopping the completion. Hughes is coming off an injury that we all know takes a couple of years to get back to form, the jury is still out on him. Mac is solid, enough said. Hill has promise if he can stay away from the weed, not sure if he will pan out, but when he's on the field he produces.
LB's, well Kendricks is easily playing his best year as a Viking. Not suggesting he doesn't make mistakes, everyone does, but he's been very solid. Barr, he is what he has always been. A dynamic player when he decides to play. Gideon is a solid but unspectacular roll player in run support. I know most here hate him for some reason, but the coaches are correct in their assessment of his value in run support, which brings me to Wilson. Pretty good in coverage, poor in run support. Only one of these guys is pro bowl worthy, the others, just good LB's, the league has a ton of them.
Tough to say our two DE's aren't top five in the NFL as a combo, and the rotational guys are also playing pretty solid.
Our DT's have been an issue. LJ is simply not the giant he once was and Stephen is a journeymen. Some of the younger guys might develop, that remains to be seen.
The defense still has a solid group, I have no idea why they are out of position so much. I am thinking the play calling is predictable for the offensive alignments they are seeing and the OC's from the other side of the field know what Zimmers tendencies are with down and distance.
Look at it this way. We get a new coaching staff for the offense and it is now top ten in the league. We don't change a thing with our defense and it goes from top five to middle of the pack. The only reason that happens is that coaches get exposed just like players do. The good coaches have that figured out and change their tendencies, some can some cant.
No doubt Mike Zimmer is a solid coach, he's just not what I would want as a head coach. I believe he is in a bit over his head and when times are tough, he gets exposed. We have some good coaches, but when stupid things like fake punts, poor play calling, bad time outs and the list goes on from there, I wonder if it isn't a reflection from the leader and that is Zimmer.
Just my view on the subject.
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