RpMc Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vike daddy Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 Many draft analysts felt former Texas cornerback Holton Hill was at least a late-round pick, even though the 6-foot-2 talent was suspended for his final month with the Longhorns and reportedly failed a drug test at the combine in February. The Vikings didn’t feel Hill was worth a draft pick, but pursued and signed him in undrafted free agency on Monday. After Hill’s first walkthrough with the Vikings, head coach Mike Zimmer defended the decision to bring him onto the roster. Zimmer: “We spent a lot of time with him. He was here on a top 30 pre-draft visit. We met him in Indianapolis. He’s a good football player: big fast, tough, good tackler. So we’ve had a lot of conversations with him. I’m excited. He’s got a chance. If he comes in here and does what we ask him to do, he’s got a chance. We’ve done our due diligence, we’ve talked with every one of his coaches he’s had in his entire life, I think. We’ve talked to a lot of people down at the University of Texas. We feel comfortable with the situation. But you know it’s an opportunity and what he does with his opportunity is up to him.” Hill joins a crowded Vikings secondary, one that said attracted him to sign with Minnesota after getting “five or six” offers from teams. He was projected as a fourth or fifth-round pick by NFL Media entering the draft, but reports of a failed drug test just two months prior likely didn’t help his cause. Hill: “You make mistakes in the past, but you move on. Build and go from there.”. http://www.startribune.com/mike-zimmer-on-talented-and-troubled-cb-holton-hill-what-he-does-with-his-opportunity-is-up-to-him/481765851/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc_vikingfan Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 I know it's extremely early but the way Zimmer has talked about Hill. Hill is somebody Zim really wanted but Speilman wasn't going to draft. With Newman ability to play Safety in a pinched I won't be surprised Hill makes the team barring he stay out of trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vike daddy Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 Mata’afa: “I chose the Vikings because they’re the best defense in the league and I want to be able to prove myself that I can compete with the best. If I’m competing with the best at practice, I can compete with the best across the league.” Mata’afa fell out the draft because, at 6-foot-1, 252 pounds, he was an undersized defensive lineman at Washington State. Way too small for the NFL. But maybe just the right size for a linebacker. Mata’afa led the NCAA in negative plays the past two seasons. Zimmer: “That will be the biggest adjustment for him. There has been several guys that have gone from defensive line to linebacker. Teddy Bruschi is a great example. Now, I’m not saying he’s Teddy Bruschi. Just that there are guys that have done that in the past.” https://www.twincities.com/2018/05/05/hawaii-native-hercules-mataafa-trying-to-live-up-to-his-name-with-vikings/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RpMc Posted May 5, 2018 Share Posted May 5, 2018 Rooting for the kid just because I wanna do this... https://goo.gl/images/thzxYx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede700 Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 Mata'afa is now listed as a DE on the roster...and Stanton is now listed as a RB. http://www.vikings.com/team/roster.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klomp Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 42 minutes ago, disaacs said: Mata'afa is now listed as a DE on the roster...and Stanton is now listed as a RB. http://www.vikings.com/team/roster.html Much better fit for Hercules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CriminalMind Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 Do we know if Mata'afa now being listed at DE is an actual indication of them playing/trying him out as DE. 2 different things, but we surely need help at the DE spot, especially if we move on from Robison since he was a non-factor in playoffs aside from being a snap eater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klomp Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 4 minutes ago, CriminalMind said: Do we know if Mata'afa now being listed at DE is an actual indication of them playing/trying him out as DE. 2 different things, but we surely need help at the DE spot, especially if we move on from Robison since he was a non-factor in playoffs aside from being a snap eater. Personally, I think they tried him out at multiple spots during rookie minicamp. The original roster listed him at LB, I think because it was the default listing for his NFL profile for whoever drafted him. The team did start him out at SAM (that was the plan, per Rick), so I'm guessing a change on the roster page would be indicative of an actual change. Just like how Jalyn Holmes is listed at DT now, unlike his default listing at DE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krauser Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 Holton Hill was an obvious target but I doubt many of us would've picked Korey Robertson and Garret Dooley as the 2nd and 3rd highest priority UDFAs. Compare that to 2017: http://www.espn.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/22827/vikings-gave-85k-in-bonuses-107-5k-in-guaranteed-salary-to-udfas Bower $45K Bradley $35K Collins $35K Richardson $22,500 Wilson $20K Quote LSU defensive end Tashawn Bower got the most guaranteed money, in the form of a $15,000 signing bonus and $30,000 guarantee. Southern Mississippi defensive tackle Dylan Bradley got a $15,000 bonus and $25,000 guaranteed. According to Spotrac.com, Bower and Bradley ranked fourth and sixth, respectively, in total guaranteed money given to a 2017 rookie free agent. The Patriots, 49ers and Vikings were the only teams to guarantee $40,000 or more to a rookie free agent, with both teams giving at least that much to two players apiece... TCU tackle Aviante Collins got a $15,000 bonus and $20,000 in guaranteed salary, while Cincinnati linebacker Eric Wilson got $10,000 in both a signing bonus and base-salary guarantee. SMU cornerback Horace Richardson got a $7,500 bonus and $15,000 base-salary guarantee, and Montana defensive end Caleb Kidder paired a $7,500 salary guarantee with a $2,500 bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battle2heaven Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 Surprised Herecules only got 19k. I figured he would be in high demand. Korey Robertson makes sense. If he tested better he would have went in the late middle rounds as his game tape is solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krauser Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 Of last year's top 5 Vikings UDFAs with the biggest guarantees, 3 made the active roster (Bower, Collins, Wilson) and the other 2 the practice squad (Bradley, Richardson). The UDFAs who made the team beat out some draft picks along the way (Collins kept over 2016 pick Willie Beavers, Wilson over 2017 pick Elijah Lee). This year's they paid 8 UDFAs ~$20K or more instead of 5 last year. Looking at them by position: WR: Robertson, Badet (note both given more guaranteed than Wieneke). Competing with Coley, Zylstra, Tavarres King and Cayleb Jones. RB: Thomas (note given more guaranteed than Boone). Competing with Ham, Mack. DL: Cothran, Mata'afa. Competing with Bower, Weatherly, Odenigbo, Bradley LB: Dooley. Competing with Brothers, Wilson and Davante Downs DB: Hill, Matthews. Competing with Sherels, Richardson and Kearse. Easy to imagine 4 of those higher paid UDFAs making the roster, and several more ending up on the PS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vike daddy Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 Pelissero: "The rookie cornerback working opposite of Hughes is another name to remember: Holton Hill, an undrafted free agent out of Texas. The Vikings really wanted to sign him, so much so that they gave him $75,000 in guaranteed money on his contract, which is one of the biggest guarantees you're going to find for an undrafted rookie around the league.They think that Hill has starter ability, and is maybe the most physical corner who came out in this draft class. He's 6-foot-2, and runs a 4.4 range 40. Ability was never the question, it was off the field issues, and specifically marijuana. I spoke with Holton about this on Wednesday. He acknowledged he sought treatment for that last fall, got help with it and just identified what he wanted his place in life to be and how he was going to get there and make better decisions. He said that he has not smoked since before he went and got that treatment. I asked him, 'How do you feel without it?' He said, 'Better.' He's hanging around the veterans, soaking up as much as he can and making sure he has positive influences around him." https://247sports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/Article/Minnesota-Vikings-believe-Holton-Hill-has-ability-to-start-at-cornerback-118658345 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDBrocks Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 Hill, please stick to Terrence Newman like glue. If Hughes and Hill can be developed, this might be a way to make Waynes expendable, freeing up 9 mil in cap space next off season. If I understand the 5th year option thing, players can be cut with no dead cap prior to opening day on the 5th year of the deal. Do I have that wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RpMc Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 Well, Waynes isn’t really someone you’d cut if he’s not going to be on your team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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