Welcome to Minnesota Desmond Bishop!

[headless_norseman]

We have 3 young LB's that will benefit from the additional veteran player on the field.

Great point

[VikingLord]

I don't see anything desperate about it. A good, experienced player ended up on the market at a position where they could use more talent, so they checked him out and signed him. It's a low risk contract so if he's healthy enough to stay on the field and play as well as he has in the past, they got better with this signing. If he's not healthy enough, they took a chance worth taking and did it without much risk.

Jim

That's how I view it. At the very least Bishop gives them depth and experience, so even if Bishop doesn't start (and his contract is hardly a starter's deal), the Vikes will be able to breath a bit easier. I'm not any more excited about Bishop playing MLB than Henderson playing MLB, quite frankly. Everything else being equal, Henderson is younger and appears to have a chip on his shoulder, so I'd expect the Vikings to give him every chance to win the job.

[King James]

Desmond Bishop, if he gets to start, will probably be a short-term fix. I will like to see Michael Mauti eventually become the leader of this team. And getting to learn from a guy like Bishop is a plus.

[losperros]

Desmond Bishop, if he gets to start, will probably be a short-term fix. I will like to see Michael Mauti eventually become the leader of this team. And getting to learn from a guy like Bishop is a plus.

I get the feeling the Vikings are very interested in seeing what Mauti can do once the guy is truly recovered. In fact, I'm not sure anyone is concerned about whether or not Mauti has the needed skills to be a MLB. But can he stay healthy?

[TheCoolerOne]

I don't get how everyone can already be so attached to Mauti. How many players are there, ever, that have torn one ACL once, and the other one twice, and become an effective player? I mean I'm all for this guy coming back and being an effective linebacker for the Vikings but I really think that a 7th rounder who has a serious injury history will first be fighting to make the practice squad.

[Purple bruise]

I don't get how everyone can already be so attached to Mauti. How many players are there, ever, that have torn one ACL once, and the other one twice, and become an effective player? I mean I'm all for this guy coming back and being an effective linebacker for the Vikings but I really think that a 7th rounder who has a serious injury history will first be fighting to make the practice squad.

I am not sure where you came up with, "I don't get how everyone can already be so attached to Mauti"? I am not seeing that from anyone?
But if you have not been paying much attention these days there are lots of players coming back from these types of injuries and playing quite effectively. Plus a 7th round pick with tons of upside was well worth the chance.
Here are some of his highlights some of which are playing AFTER his acl repairs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QZIQW918_o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d75otL7naEs

[mansquatch]

Durability is obviously the big concern on Bishop and is most likely the major reason he was available for us to sign.

That being said, another aspect of his game that will be a great aid to the Vikings is his ability to get home on a blitz. We haven’t had a truly effective blitzing LB in what seems like forever. I know guys will say we don’t ever blitz, and that is true, but I suspect our low level of blitzing is due in part to the lack of ability by our starters to successfully pull off the pressure. In this respect Bishop is literaly light years ahead of our other starters, assuming he is healthy. Also, Alan Williams has shown he is willing to adapt the scheme to the talents of his starters so it is fair to think the Vikings will take advantage of this added skill.

I read a good piece picking apart Bishops’ game on Daily Norseman (sorry no link) and the author reached the conclusion that Bishop might be better suited to play the Strong Side position and put EH at the Mike since he felt that the EH had a better skill set for the Mike, especially in Coverage. The Author did point out that EH wasn’t great in coverage, just that Bishop might actually be worse.

How this position evolves on the Defense will be an interesting thing to follow during training camp. I’d say that overall at this point the Bishop signing is a net positive in terms of adding talent to a position group that really needed it.

[dead_poet]

I read a good piece picking apart Bishops’ game on Daily Norseman (sorry no link) and the author reached the conclusion that Bishop might be better suited to play the Strong Side position and put EH at the Mike since he felt that the EH had a better skill set for the Mike, especially in Coverage. The Author did point out that EH wasn’t great in coverage, just that Bishop might actually be worse.

Are you referring to this link? http://www.dailynorseman.com/2013/6/26/ ... -What-Role

[TheCoolerOne]

I am not sure where you came up with, "I don't get how everyone can already be so attached to Mauti"? I am not seeing that from anyone?
But if you have not been paying much attention these days there are lots of players coming back from these types of injuries and playing quite effectively. Plus a 7th round pick with tons of upside was well worth the chance.
Here are some of his highlights some of which are playing AFTER his acl repairs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QZIQW918_o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d75otL7naEs

Okay just did a quick search because I didn't know exactly where, but knew I had seen it a ton of times. I apologize if I am misquoting anyone.

I will like to see Michael Mauti eventually become the leader of this team. And getting to learn from a guy like Bishop is a plus.

If Mauti can actually come back and stay healthy, then I think their search for a MLB will be over

I'm really putting for Michael Mauti now.

I rather Cole or Mauti start than Henderson

If he is and stays healthy Mauti looks like a steal in the draft, he may surprise

If Mauti can get healthy ... What a steal he would be

[The Breeze]

Are you referring to this link? http://www.dailynorseman.com/2013/6/26/ ... -What-Role

That was a serious article the comments were good too.

The more I read into the LB situation the more I feel that it's up in the air. A lot can happen in camp depending on what guys like Hodges,Mauti and Cole do. This defense could be evolving scheme-wise.

[Mothman]

Durability is obviously the big concern on Bishop and is most likely the major reason he was available for us to sign.

That being said, another aspect of his game that will be a great aid to the Vikings is his ability to get home on a blitz. We haven’t had a truly effective blitzing LB in what seems like forever. I know guys will say we don’t ever blitz, and that is true, but I suspect our low level of blitzing is due in part to the lack of ability by our starters to successfully pull off the pressure.

I think it's primarily due to the scheme, which is predicated on applying pressure with the front 4 and taking away big plays with zone coverage. Once you start blitzing, you open up zones and leave the defense much more vulnerable to big plays. Consequently, most Tampa 2 teams don't blitz much.

[mansquatch]

I think it's primarily due to the scheme, which is predicated on applying pressure with the front 4 and taking away big plays with zone coverage. Once you start blitzing, you open up zones and leave the defense much more vulnerable to big plays. Consequently, most Tampa 2 teams don't blitz much.

That has certainly been the case so far. However, I have to think that if they had some guys at LB who could get there why wouldn't they add it to the mix? They have two guys who are likely to start at CB who are both big, physical, and excel at Press Coverage. If they've got a guy with a talent for the blitz it would make sense that they would add the package to the mix. Frasier coached under the late great Jim Johnson as well as under Dungy. Those Winfield blitzes we all loved were an example of this.

I think if Bishop can display that he still has this ability it will get incorporated to some degree. At a minimum it will add an element of versatility/unpredicability to our defensive schemes.

[King James]

[Mothman]

That has certainly been the case so far. However, I have to think that if they had some guys at LB who could get there why wouldn't they add it to the mix?

Well, it's already IN the mix but I think the reason they don't do it more often is because it leaves huge, easily exploitable holes in the defense. The rush has to get there or the results are likely to be ugly and the whole point of this scheme is to minimize big plays. If Cook and Rhodes allow them to start mixing in more press man coverage maybe we'll see more blitzing as well.

[S197]

I don't get how everyone can already be so attached to Mauti. How many players are there, ever, that have torn one ACL once, and the other one twice, and become an effective player? I mean I'm all for this guy coming back and being an effective linebacker for the Vikings but I really think that a 7th rounder who has a serious injury history will first be fighting to make the practice squad.

Greenway tore his ACL in both knees. I agree that expectations from a 7th round pick should be tempered, however, there is a lot of precedence of players coming back from these injuries.