2020 Offseason News Thread (Signings, Coaching changes, etc.)

[Pondering Her Percy]

MICHAEL PIERCE
DL, MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Citing respiratory issues, Vikings NT Michael Pierce has joined the growing list of players opting out of the 2020 NFL season.
Pierce, who signed a three-year, $27 million contract with Minnesota in March, has asthma and has had pneumonia in the past three years. “If I caught (the coronavirus), I probably would be in some real trouble,” Pierce told the Pioneer Press. He'll be eligible for the $350,000 stipend for players who opt out due to health reasons.

SOURCE: Pioneer Press
Jul 28, 2020, 1:12 PM ET

I believe this is a wise decision by him, but devastating to the Vikings Defense. We have nobody capable of replacing him.

I think this is the tip of the iceberg. The list of players opting out is growing. There's like 6 Patriots now. Guys like Russel Wilson and Wentz just had kids. Heck, even Cousins and Thielen have young kids. This could very easily snowball.

Could be but didnt everyone just get to camp today? I feel like if those guys wanted to opt out, they would have done it already. I could be wrong

[Ohjay]

Could be but didnt everyone just get to camp today? I feel like if those guys wanted to opt out, they would have done it already. I could be wrong

Well, Michael Pierce had notified the team he was going to opt out but still traveled to camp to have one final discussion face to face with Zimmer and Spielman even though the opt out was already decided and agreed upon.

According to beat writers there are a lot of players that have told their teams they are opting out but the paperwork is not done yet so there's no official word on it yet (they haven't mentioned which teams the players are part of, but it's most likely league wide)

[J. Kapp 11]

Could be but didnt everyone just get to camp today? I feel like if those guys wanted to opt out, they would have done it already. I could be wrong

Well, Michael Pierce had notified the team he was going to opt out but still traveled to camp to have one final discussion face to face with Zimmer and Spielman even though the opt out was already decided and agreed upon.

According to beat writers there are a lot of players that have told their teams they are opting out but the paperwork is not done yet so there's no official word on it yet (they haven't mentioned which teams the players are part of, but it's most likely league wide)

Also, I have a feeling that guys are looking at the Miami Marlins situation, where 12 players and some coaches have tested positive, and may be having second thoughts.

I mean, MLB has outlawed spitting, for crying out loud. Meanwhile, NFL players are grappling all game long, passing along sweat, spittle, even urine. Mike Golic has talked about how if players have to urinate during a game, they simply stand there and piss their pants. Nobody could blame an NFL player for thinking, "If 12 guys on a baseball team can get it, and they don't even touch each other, how am I going to keep from getting it?" If one player who is positive slips through testing, it would likely decimate both teams.

I pray there's actually an NFL season. I fear that when all is said and done, there won't be.

[VikingPaul73]

if every other team has every single player opt out and all have to sign guys off the street to fill their roster.....and vikings have their entire team (and Pierce changes his mind)......would the Vikings win the super bowl? I think a fluke like this is the only chance the vikings will ever have

but somehow I am sure they'd find a way to blow it!

[S197]

I think this is the tip of the iceberg. The list of players opting out is growing. There's like 6 Patriots now. Guys like Russel Wilson and Wentz just had kids. Heck, even Cousins and Thielen have young kids. This could very easily snowball.

Could be but didnt everyone just get to camp today? I feel like if those guys wanted to opt out, they would have done it already. I could be wrong

I think nearly everyone wants to play but it will depend on how the numbers look over the next month is my guess. Also guys need to play for just 1 game to accrue a season so there could be a lot of turnover early in the season if we can't get this under control.

[RandyMoss84]

Ifeadi, Cameron, and Oli has been placed on covid list

[VikingsVictorious]

if every other team has every single player opt out and all have to sign guys off the street to fill their roster.....and vikings have their entire team (and Pierce changes his mind)......would the Vikings win the super bowl? I think a fluke like this is the only chance the vikings will ever have

but somehow I am sure they'd find a way to blow it!

First of all if every other team had their entire team opt out and we had nobody opt out I wouldn't derive any satisfaction of winning. Second of all Mr Positivity can you tone down all that optimism a little?

[StumpHunter]

Ifeadi, Cameron, and Oli has been placed on covid list

That is a lot of players and I am almost certain not all of them have it and were just in contact with someone who did.

If that truly is the case and that is what is going to happen during the season as well, Hunter, Theilen, Smith, Kendricks, Barr and Cook better live in a bubble this year. Most of the starters are replaceable, but those guys go down for two weeks and it is a big step back with whoever replaces them.

[VikingsVictorious]

Ifeadi, Cameron, and Oli has been placed on covid list

That is a lot of players and I am almost certain not all of them have it and were just in contact with someone who did.

If that truly is the case and that is what is going to happen during the season as well, Hunter, Theilen, Smith, Kendricks, Barr and Cook better live in a bubble this year. Most of the starters are replaceable, but those guys go down for two weeks and it is a big step back with whoever replaces them.

Great post. How about bubble wrap?

[RandyMoss84]

Anthony Barr placed on covid list

[VikingsVictorious]

More good news.

RICK SPIELMAN
G, MINNESOTA VIKINGS

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports the Vikings signed GM Rick Spielman to a multi-year extension.
Spielman has held the title of GM since 2012. The Vikings have posted two losing seasons in his eight-year tenure and have a 72-54 record under Spielman. He previously served as the Vice President of Player Personnel in Minnesota for six seasons before assuming his current role. The Vikings have Kirk Cousins under contract through 2022 and head coach Mike Zimmer locked up through 2023. Spielman is an aggressive GM and his tenacity has largely been rewarded. Minnesota has one of the brightest outlooks from an organizational perspective in the league.

SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter
Aug 2, 2020, 8:33 PM ET

[RandyMoss84]

Vikings trade conditional 7th round pick to Raiders for defensive tackle PJ Hall, Raiders will get the 7th round pick if Hall is on the active roster for 6 games

[VikingsVictorious]

Vikings trade conditional 7th round pick to Raiders for defensive tackle PJ Hall, Raiders will get the 7th round pick if Hall is on the active roster for 6 games

Pretty great move right. Vikings get useful DT or give up nothing. Hall was a 2nd round pick just two years ago. Played a lot his first two years and was pretty well regarded by PFF. Came into camp overweight and got in Gruden's dog house.

I hope we are still trying to acquire a better Nose Tackle to fill in for Pierce this year.

[RandyMoss84]

Vikings trade conditional 7th round pick to Raiders for defensive tackle PJ Hall, Raiders will get the 7th round pick if Hall is on the active roster for 6 games

Pretty great move right. Vikings get useful DT or give up nothing. Hall was a 2nd round pick just two years ago. Played a lot his first two years and was pretty well regarded by PFF. Came into camp overweight and got in Gruden's dog house.

I hope we are still trying to acquire a better Nose Tackle to fill in for Pierce this year.

Yeah it is a good move but Vikings could have gotten him for free since Raiders was about to release him

[Thaumaturgist]

Pretty great move right. Vikings get useful DT or give up nothing. Hall was a 2nd round pick just two years ago. Played a lot his first two years and was pretty well regarded by PFF. Came into camp overweight and got in Gruden's dog house.

I hope we are still trying to acquire a better Nose Tackle to fill in for Pierce this year.

Yeah it is a good move but Vikings could have gotten him for free since Raiders was about to release him

If he stays on the roster, it's well worth one of the twenty-three 7th round picks Slick Rick will have accumulated by then.