Vikings Signing Michael Pierce

[Pondering Her Percy]

Billings got 3.5 million. At that price does he make more sense than Pierce?

What a steal for the Browns.

is this the Billings that many thought the Vikings should have drafted back when we took Willie Beavers?

Yes. I was one that pushed hard for Billings. I still feel like Pierce is better because he's simply a bigger body and better overall against the run. It's a good get by Cleveland. Pierce will be very similar, nearly identical to Linval in his early years here IMO.

[VikingsVictorious]

is this the Billings that many thought the Vikings should have drafted back when we took Willie Beavers?

Yes. I was one that pushed hard for Billings. I still feel like Pierce is better because he's simply a bigger body and better overall against the run. It's a good get by Cleveland. Pierce will be very similar, nearly identical to Linval in his early years here IMO.

I hated the Beavers drafting from the second it was announced and never stopped hating it. I just heard that Billings was talented and said OK him.

[IIsweet]

Random thought....
With Pierce and Dom Capers..... Any chance of moving to a 3-4 ?
I mean, makes Griffen expendable, saving $. We have rush LB in Barr.
Granted Hunter is not really a 3-4 DE but Holmes fits as a 3-4 DE.

[fiestavike]

Random thought....
With Pierce and Dom Capers..... Any chance of moving to a 3-4 ?
I mean, makes Griffen expendable, saving $. We have rush LB in Barr.
Granted Hunter is not really a 3-4 DE but Holmes fits as a 3-4 DE.

It would sure be fun to see it used as a wrinkle.

[J. Kapp 11]

Random thought....
With Pierce and Dom Capers..... Any chance of moving to a 3-4 ?
I mean, makes Griffen expendable, saving $. We have rush LB in Barr.
Granted Hunter is not really a 3-4 DE but Holmes fits as a 3-4 DE.

Read a GREAT article on our competitor site, the Daily Norseman.

The author talked about how the Vikings actually have the personnel to play EITHER scheme. With Pierce, we have the perfect 3-4 NT, but he would fit at the nose quite well in a 4-3, as well. Guys like Stephen, Watts, Johnson, Holmes, Mata'afa and Odenigbo are physically suited to play 3-4 DE.

And how about Anthony Barr and Danielle Hunter as your rush linebackers? Personally, I'm drooling at that prospect. Or mix Griffen in there if you bring him back, or even Odenigbo.

People forget, Barr played 3-4 in college as a rush linebacker and wreaked havoc. Both he and Hunter (and Griff) are plenty athletic enough to function in short zone coverage for the occasional play if the Vikings decided to zone blitz. Kendricks and Wilson can function well as the inside linebackers just fine.

The premise of the article was that the Vikings could actually be one of few teams that could play a hybrid defense ... 3-4 sometimes, 4-3 others. Maybe if you have a game coming up where the other team was more vulnerable to one, you play that one. The next game, you might play the other. Or you mix it up at times during the game.

One of the things I love about Mike Zimmer is that he isn't afraid to bring in experienced coaches who may not always have the same perspective as he has. Sometimes it doesn't work (Norv, Flip) but sometimes it works fabulously (Shurmur, Kubiak). It's interesting that this is really the first time he's brought in another perspective on the DEFENSIVE side of the ball.

Gonna be interesting to see how this plays out.

Link to article.