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Zimmer just said in his presser that Keenum has "big balls."

End message.

dead_poet wrote:Zimmer just said in his presser that Keenum has "big balls."

End message.

Cracked me up. Watching the video was pretty funny. He just shrugged at the reporter, like "how else can I say that any better?"

Robison, Remmers, Sendejo all limited. Everybody else full. I'm a little surprised given how we had some guys dinged up. Very good news. Hopefully at least one of those three can suit up with the rest on Thursday.

Luckily the replacements for all 3 are doing well.

PurpleKoolaid wrote:Luckily the replacements for all 3 are doing well.

Think about that for a second. What is the Vikings biggest need for the 2018 draft?
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Maybe a QB decision, but that shouldn't be our target in the draft. We lose offensive linemen a lot (as do other teams) - we could use depth or upgrading there I suppose. I'm not sold on Gedeon, although he isn't playing much is he? Maybe a linebacker, although the position hasn't felt like a weakness. We keep wanting to replace Sendejo or Harris, but they've been magnificent in the last few games. I guess we can always use cornerback depth, and maybe we'll hit on another guy like Rhodes, with Zim's coaching. And I think we have average players at DT next to Linval Joseph, but the jury is out on Jaleel. Also, Everson's injury showed that we could use a third pro-bowl caliber player at end, when one of him or Hunter is injured.

But think about what that says about the roster. I'm not sure there's a position of weakness on the team. Some weird positions of strength too. It looks like our third tackle could start for a lot of teams. Our third QB certainly could start for more than half the teams. Our second halfback looks to be as good as half the league's top backs, now that he's healed up. And you can bet Seattle or the Rams could use our 4th cornerback.

It's so weird, how far the roster has come in 3 years.

John_Viveiros wrote: Think about that for a second. What is the Vikings biggest need for the 2018 draft?
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Maybe a QB decision, but that shouldn't be our target in the draft. We lose offensive linemen a lot (as do other teams) - we could use depth or upgrading there I suppose. I'm not sold on Gedeon, although he isn't playing much is he? Maybe a linebacker, although the position hasn't felt like a weakness. We keep wanting to replace Sendejo or Harris, but they've been magnificent in the last few games. I guess we can always use cornerback depth, and maybe we'll hit on another guy like Rhodes, with Zim's coaching. And I think we have average players at DT next to Linval Joseph, but the jury is out on Jaleel. Also, Everson's injury showed that we could use a third pro-bowl caliber player at end, when one of him or Hunter is injured.

But think about what that says about the roster. I'm not sure there's a position of weakness on the team. Some weird positions of strength too. It looks like our third tackle could start for a lot of teams. Our third QB certainly could start for more than half the teams. Our second halfback looks to be as good as half the league's top backs, now that he's healed up. And you can bet Seattle or the Rams could use our 4th cornerback.

It's so weird, how far the roster has come in 3 years.

Depth and talent has certainly improved substantially.

I would say G is a position of need, Berger may retire. Isidora is untested and Easton is okay. The rest depends on who they can keep, I don't know that they can sign a QB, Diggs, Barr, and Hunter to extensions. They should be in the market for a kicker, maybe a punter, and a new Special Teams coach. DT is another need to me. Even if Jaleel pans out, they need one more guy as Stephen is more of a NT type. Tom Johnson is getting up there in age.

Has Gedeon been playing?

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John_Viveiros wrote: Think about that for a second. What is the Vikings biggest need for the 2018 draft?
...
...
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Maybe a QB decision, but that shouldn't be our target in the draft. We lose offensive linemen a lot (as do other teams) - we could use depth or upgrading there I suppose. I'm not sold on Gedeon, although he isn't playing much is he? Maybe a linebacker, although the position hasn't felt like a weakness. We keep wanting to replace Sendejo or Harris, but they've been magnificent in the last few games. I guess we can always use cornerback depth, and maybe we'll hit on another guy like Rhodes, with Zim's coaching. And I think we have average players at DT next to Linval Joseph, but the jury is out on Jaleel. Also, Everson's injury showed that we could use a third pro-bowl caliber player at end, when one of him or Hunter is injured.

But think about what that says about the roster. I'm not sure there's a position of weakness on the team. Some weird positions of strength too. It looks like our third tackle could start for a lot of teams. Our third QB certainly could start for more than half the teams. Our second halfback looks to be as good as half the league's top backs, now that he's healed up. And you can bet Seattle or the Rams could use our 4th cornerback.

It's so weird, how far the roster has come in 3 years.

This goes back a little further, but remember the list of needs in 2012?

QB, WR, OT, DT, OLB, MLB, CB, S, K

Trying to convince Percy Harvin to be content, not sure if Adrian Peterson would return, Not having Griffen, BRob, or Jared Allen under contract after the year, facing the retirement of Kevin Williams and Antoine Winfield...

This team has completely flipped the roster and we're better than ever. The last 5 years hae been a tremendous journey (and hey, even 2012 was a fun year!)

PurpleMustReign wrote:Has Gedeon been playing?

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I think sparingly. He plays in base but not in nickel, which the Vikings are in a LOT. Honestly, he's been largely invisible to me.

S197 wrote: Depth and talent has certainly improved substantially.

I would say G is a position of need, Berger may retire. Isidora is untested and Easton is okay. The rest depends on who they can keep, I don't know that they can sign a QB, Diggs, Barr, and Hunter to extensions. They should be in the market for a kicker, maybe a punter, and a new Special Teams coach. DT is another need to me. Even if Jaleel pans out, they need one more guy as Stephen is more of a NT type. Tom Johnson is getting up there in age.

Absent the QB conundrum, the biggest off-season needs IMO: CB, DT, OG, TE, LB. I would've thought OT going into the season but our three OTs are getting it done. It would add to the top of my list if Remmers' concussion is substantial, though.

dead_poet wrote: I think sparingly. He plays in base but not in nickel, which the Vikings are in a LOT. Honestly, he's been largely invisible to me.

Nickel means only 2 LBs?

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dead_poet wrote:Absent the QB conundrum, the biggest off-season needs IMO: CB, DT, OG, TE, LB. I would've thought OT going into the season but our three OTs are getting it done. It would add to the top of my list if Remmers' concussion is substantial, though.

Just to clarify, DP, you aren't saying we need new starters at the positions you listed, right? While I'd like to have our top 3 CB's being Xavier Rhodes, Yavier Rhodes, and Zavier Rhodes (XYZ if you didn't figure it out), I think we're doing better than almost any of the other teams with Rhodes, Waynes, Newman, and Alexander. Really, our "needs" seem to be that we want to try to upgrade from league average guys to stars, rather than the last few years of trying to draft for positions that were truly weak (how Josh Robinson ever saw the field I'll never know).

And if you (and Rick and Zim) think about it that way, it should alter our drafting strategy. We should be drafting fewer guys who are solid players with low ceilings and high floors (because we have a lot of those guys now - Shamar Stephen, Ben Gedeon, Zendejo probably). We should be taking more risks on guys who might flame out, but could become superstars because of superior athletics but limited college production (Cordarelle Patterson, McKinnon, Danielle Hunter), or who have character issues and fall in the draft (Dalvin Cook for example), or are small college guys (Thielen). It's something to revisit after the season ends, and we'll see if injuries/retirements/salary cap issues leave us with true problem areas we don't see now.

But, as someone else stated in this or another thread about the QB position - who wouldn't want to come to Minnesota to play B, or play at any position. The last three seasons (even the one where we went 8-8) showed that the Vikings are a competitive team that plays a good brand of football, even facing adversity. [And now, Michael Jordan is a Vikings fan!]

One thing that works to our benefit IMHO is that Zimmer's teams tend to have good team stats, but not necessarily good individual stats. I often thought that Jared Allen went for sacks at the expense of playing smarter defense. As solid as the D has been, only Griffen has the individual stats that could get him a monster contract in free agency (and, I guess Harry too, although I remember the days when safeties got 8-10 interceptions per year) and we already have those guys signed. And on offense, who would be the top targets to be poached if everyone suddenly became a free agent and went for the highest bid. Someone would probably offer Keenum about $8 million. Rudy wouldn't get a better offer than he's getting now. Thielen might, but would he leave his favorite team? Diggs would probably be the only guy I might expect teams to go after hard, but then again, he hasn't been able to stay healthy enough to get to 1000 yards. There's a huge advantage to spreading the ball around on offense to five receivers and two running backs.

Last comment is a non-sequitur: you should go back and look at the 2014 draft discussion (http://vikingsmessageboard.com/viewtopi ... =1&t=26863). It might bring us a little humility on the evaluation process - so many Vikings fans wanted to draft Manziel, or move up to #1 to get a shot at Teddy. And Demi had Bortles nailed perfectly: "Doesn't go through progressions, can't read a defense, and isn't even consistently accurate on anything downfield."

With 31 teams picking in front of us we may be stuck doing BPA, is the last pick of the first round to early to take a G if hes a stud? I agree with others that CB or LB depth would be good, or another DT. I think we are set at WR and RB for awhile.

Grashopa wrote:With 31 teams picking in front of us we may be stuck doing BPA, is the last pick of the first round to early to take a G if hes a stud? I agree with others that CB or LB depth would be good, or another DT. I think we are set at WR and RB for awhile.

I like how you think!

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All Vikings participated today. Remmers, Robison, Sendejo all questionable for Thursday.