|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 11, 2024 19:00:08 GMT
Well, it looks like the idea of a managed transition from Kirk Cousins to some QB of the future to be named later is out the window, as Kirk Cousins will sign a 4-year deal with Atlanta. In some ways, I don't really mind it. Cousins performed statistically very well last year, but we weren't a good team with him. We would not be a very good team with him this coming season, either. So why break the bank on a short-term deal, ruin our cap situation, and still most likely be mediocre while not building for the future? This is a clean break, and I am fine with it. Whether we commit to a high draft pick this fall, or sign some journeyman to bridge the gap, it seems to make more sense to me than spending $75-80 million for him for two years. I've been hearing/reading a lot about this prospective deal the last few weeks and most of the talking heads thought it would be a good move for Atlanta. I just don't get it. Why would Atlanta want to spend that kind of money and put their offense in the hands of a 36 year-old (in August) QB coming off a torn Achilles? I have to think Cousins' best years are behind him, and Atlanta doesn't have the weapons that Cousins had in Minnesota. And what is their goal? Do they actually think they'll make some noise in the playoffs or be a Super Bowl contender with Cousins? I thought Atlanta might draft a QB, maybe move up in the draft. Are the Atlanta fans happy about this move?
|
|
|
NFL
Mar 12, 2024 12:58:58 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Mar 12, 2024 12:58:58 GMT
A lot of action yesterday in roster changes.
The Vikings signed young vet journeyman QB Sam Darnold to a 1-year, $10m deal, presumably to hold down the fort and mentor some QB of the future to be named later. Obviously he's nowhere near the QB Kirk Cousins is, but he's a lot cheaper and a much lesser investment.
We also signed three defenders, including local product Blake Cashman, an Eden Prairie (suburban MN) LB who played for the Gophers and in the NFL with the Texans. I predict he'll be the most popular Viking from Day One.
|
|
|
NFL
Mar 12, 2024 14:07:14 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 12, 2024 14:07:14 GMT
The Eagles signed Saquon Barkley. I love the move. When healthy (and that's not a given by any means) he is a Top 5 running back. Now, I just hope they use him.
|
|
|
NFL
Mar 12, 2024 14:11:27 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Mar 12, 2024 14:11:27 GMT
The Eagles signed Saquon Barkley. I love the move. When healthy (and that's not a given by any means) he is a Top 5 running back. Now, I just hope they use him. Alas, the modern NFL, where the run is an occasional change of pace just to surprise the defense... It's a different era from what I grew up in! The Vikings also made a running-game focused move this morning, agreeing to terms with recently released Packers RB Aaron Jones. He's not a back you lean on, but the Vikings don't lean on backs anymore anyway. And he is a fast, somewhat nifty runner. When healthy...
|
|
|
NFL
Mar 12, 2024 14:25:04 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 12, 2024 14:25:04 GMT
The Eagles signed Saquon Barkley. I love the move. When healthy (and that's not a given by any means) he is a Top 5 running back. Now, I just hope they use him. Alas, the modern NFL, where the run is an occasional change of pace just to surprise the defense... It's a different era from what I grew up in! The Vikings also made a running-game focused move this morning, agreeing to terms with recently released Packers RB Aaron Jones. He's not a back you lean on, but the Vikings don't lean on backs anymore anyway. And he is a fast, somewhat nifty runner. When healthy... The last year or so, there appears to be a...re-emergence...of the running back. Teams are game planning and concentrating so much on stopping the passing game that the change of pace of a running back, especially a good one, can be valuable. See Isiah Pacheco with the Chiefs. The Eagles are loaded with the passing game. Jalen Hurts has A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. However, teams were starting to make it a priority to stop that attack and Hurts was frustrated. D'Andre Swift was good but they stopped using him as the season progressed. Saquon Barkley is now another valuable weapon. He can run inside, outside, catch passes, and pass block. The Eagles have a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore, and I'm looking forward to what he implements. Unfortunately, The Eagles still have a lot of holes to fill on defense.
Oh, and I think Aaron Jones is excellent.
|
|
|
NFL
Mar 12, 2024 15:35:41 GMT
via mobile
Kapitan likes this
Post by B.E. on Mar 12, 2024 15:35:41 GMT
The Eagles signed Saquon Barkley. I love the move. When healthy (and that's not a given by any means) he is a Top 5 running back. Now, I just hope they use him. As a Giants fan, I hate the move. Of all the teams to go to! At times like these, I’m just glad I’m not really into football anymore.
|
|
|
NFL
Mar 12, 2024 17:03:39 GMT
Post by kds on Mar 12, 2024 17:03:39 GMT
The Ravens have reportedly just signed former Titans RB Derrick Henry.
He's probably not the workhorse he used to be, but if Keaton Mitchell is healthy, that could be a solid one-two punch out of the backfield.
|
|
|
NFL
Apr 25, 2024 12:34:26 GMT
kds likes this
Post by Kapitan on Apr 25, 2024 12:34:26 GMT
Tonight is Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. (I'll fight to stop myself from complaining--at least other than in this parenthetical--about my strong preference for the old format of a two-day draft over a Saturday and Sunday.)
Obviously fans are always eager to see what their teams will do, and the Vikings are especially interesting this year. It's almost a unanimous opinion that they are going to trade up to pick their quarterback of the future. The real questions are, how high up will they go? What quarterback will they choose? And how much will they give up to take him?
We're still gun-shy about big trades when it comes to the Vikings, even though it was thirty-five years ago(!!!) that we gave up five players (among them three starters/key players), eight draft picks (three 1st rounders, three 2nd rounders, one 3rd rounder, and one 6th rounder) for Herschel Walker, two 3rd rounders, a 5th rounder, and a 10th rounder.
Walker, of course, was supremely talented and thought to be the missing piece to put the Vikings over the top to win a Super Bowl. Instead he was good, but not great: 667 yards and 5 TDs rushing in 11 games in 1989; 770 yards and 5 TD in 1990; 825 yards and 10 TD in 1991; and that was it. Meanwhile, the picks we sent to Dallas became Emmett Smith, Russell Maryland, and Darren Woodson. Whoops.
Plus, our history with 1st rounders on QBs is mixed-to-poor. Fran Tarkenton worked out OK... Daunte Culpepper was great for a short while but got hurt. Christian Ponder was a reach and never became a good starter. And Teddy Bridgewater was a workmanlike but charismatic game manager whose career was derailed by a horrible leg injury. But that is it: just four 1st round QBs in the team's history.
The chatter has us moving up to the 3-11 range, with most people anticipating our target as either UNC's Drake Maye (if we move up to 3) or Michigan's JJ McCarthy (if we land lower than 3). I like both guys, but am not totally sold on either one as a sure thing. I don't mind trading up, but neither would I mind going another route. Are those guys definitely going to be better than Bo Nix or Michael Penix? Hopefully the team doesn't feel pressured into giving up the farm for somebody.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Apr 25, 2024 13:49:50 GMT
I don't like the current format either, but I also don't have a dog in the race. I don't think I've spent a significant amount of time watching the NFL Draft since sometime in the late 00s (I'm thinking 2008 because I vividly remember the Ravens drafting Joe Flacco).
But, nowadays, with getting instant updates on my phone of the Ravens picks, I don't feel the need to sit and watch it. I have to go the NFL credit though. They've taken something that, on the surface shouldn't be entertaining, and turned it into a major event.
|
|
|
NFL
Apr 25, 2024 17:46:46 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Apr 25, 2024 17:46:46 GMT
Yeah, I have to admit I don't tune in the way I used to anyway. But part of that is the changing coverage. Maybe I'm romanticizing the past, but I loved holing up in the basement TV room as a teenager for a weekend, eating junk food, drinking way too much pop or Kool-Aid (how was I not obese? I was thin, goddamnit!), and geeking out on serious football.
But it's become more and more like hybrid fashion show, fluff personal interest pieces, gambling app ads, and occasionally a little football thrown in there. At least that's how it seems to me. So every time I tune in now, it just isn't worth watching: it's "the inspiring story" of somebody's climb from a single-parent home to the NFL draft. So cliche. So not football. I just don't enjoy it as much. In recent years, I'm far more likely to just monitor the picks online.
|
|
|
Post by kds on Apr 25, 2024 18:21:00 GMT
Yeah, I have to admit I don't tune in the way I used to anyway. But part of that is the changing coverage. Maybe I'm romanticizing the past, but I loved holing up in the basement TV room as a teenager for a weekend, eating junk food, drinking way too much pop or Kool-Aid (how was I not obese? I was thin, goddamnit!), and geeking out on serious football. But it's become more and more like hybrid fashion show, fluff personal interest pieces, gambling app ads, and occasionally a little football thrown in there. At least that's how it seems to me. So every time I tune in now, it just isn't worth watching: it's "the inspiring story" of somebody's climb from a single-parent home to the NFL draft. So cliche. So not football. I just don't enjoy it as much. In recent years, I'm far more likely to just monitor the picks online. This was just the way back then. Hell, as a child, I probably went days at a time without drinking an ounce of water. How the hell are we still walking? I think it was just a cultural thing. I noticed while rewatching The Wonder Years, they're always drinking soda, iced tea, or lemonade. Never water.
|
|
|
NFL
Apr 26, 2024 11:43:46 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Apr 26, 2024 11:43:46 GMT
While we gave up a lot of draft picks to do it, the Vikings moved up twice last night to take players intended to fill two of our biggest needs: quarterback and defensive end (or, as they seem to say nowadays, "edge rusher").
We took JJ McCarthy of Michigan at #10, giving away a 4th rounder and a 5th rounder as well as our own #11 pick to move up that spot. (We also got a 7th rounder in return.) I am not opposed to McCarthy, but neither am I sold on him. Being a B10 QB, I've seen him a reasonable number of times. I like him. He's always seemed in control. But he was always in the role of game manager, so it'll be interesting to see how that translates to the Vikings' offense.
Then we moved up from #23 to #17 to take Alabama's DE Dallas Turner, giving up next year's 3rd and 4th rounders to get it done. I don't know Turner, but everything I read of him is exciting: speed, power, and great instincts? What else do you want from a DE?
|
|
|
NFL
Apr 26, 2024 18:39:55 GMT
Post by Kapitan on Apr 26, 2024 18:39:55 GMT
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell openly contemplates--and is in favor of--an 18-game regular season, cutting down to just 2 preseason games. Obviously we know what would drive that idea: money. But I don't like it. Frankly I don't even like 17 games. We're just going to see more and more injuries as they lengthen the regular season. And let's not pretend cutting a preseason game helps in that respect, because most key players sit most of the preseason anyway. What's more, though this is probably a secondary thing, I hate what it does to statistics and records. It's already strange having to keep in mind that players get an extra game now. They'll totally rewrite the books with two extra games. www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40031468/roger-goodell-mulls-18-game-slate-president-day-weekend-super-bowl
|
|