RpMc Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 1 hour ago, SemperFeist said: With the new coverage rules, I think you’re going to see a big swing in that direction. I think there will be a swing, but not so much that only keep 4 LBs, and I think the swing will take the lineman types off of the units (front line of kickoff in particular), and replaced with LB/TE types Coley, should he make the team, doesn’t play on coverage units. Wright, should he make the team, doesn’t play on coverage units. Treadwell is a maybe, he has the last two years, but if he’s seeing significant offensive time... One of Iloka/Sendejo can play on coverage teams depending on snap count, but the signing also means that one of Harris or Kearse is likely gone, so there’s no net gain to specials there (Kearse being the gunner opposite Sherels normally). Idk. For me, 5 LBs is still the minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RpMc Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 42 minutes ago, gopherwrestler said: I agree with this, one thing with special teams Gedeon will most likely be stuck on there when needed. Really the only unit that could use extra linebackers is maybe the punting unit? Even then a safety like Sendejo or Iloka could fill that spot nicely Backers would play on both punt units. Need them in there on return to play defense against the fake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CriminalMind Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 If Zylstra shows up and has a good 3rd preseason game, what do you do? Are only 2 spots available between Wright, Coley, Zylstra? ... or keep 6 WRs altogether? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gnat Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 I think there's a fairly low chance that Wright makes the team. Unless they decide they really need a veteran WR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CriminalMind Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Hoping for: QB (3): Cousins, Siemian, Sloter RB (5): Cook, Murray, Ham, Boone, Thomas WR (5): Thielen, Diggs, Treadwell, Wright, Coley, Zylstra* TE (3): Rudolph, Morgan, Conklin OL (9): Reiff, Compton, Elflien, Remmers, Hill, Isidora, O'Neil, Collins, Edison Offense (25) DE (5): Griffen, Hunter, Robison, Bower, Odenigbo, Weatherly DT (4): Joseph, Richardson, Johnson, Holmes LB (4): Barr, Kendricks, Gedeon, Wilson, Downs CB (7): Rhodes, Waynes, Hughes, Alexander, Newman, Hill, Sherels S (5): Smith, Sendejo, Iloka, Harris, Kearse Defense (25) Specialist (3): Carlson, McDermott, Quigley Total (53) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krauser Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 They’re not keeping 5 RBs when they play 1-2 and 12 DBs when they play 4-5, but only 4 LBs when they play 2-3. One of the depth RBs will end up on the practice squad. It may be an easier choice than it seems, depending on how the rest of the preseason goes. If Iloka makes the team, they probably cut Kearse, whose value at this point is very limited (he’s a good punt gunner but a bad safety). I still have a suspicion that Newman is finally washed up but with him playing nickel while Alexander and Hughes are out this week, Hill could also be destined for the PS. He’s been a liability on special teams, so if they keep him on the roster it’s probably a pure redshirt year. Getting down to 4 RBs and 10-11 DBs would allow them to keep a 5th LB (Williams, Cliett or some vet to be added later), 10th OL (Gossett), or maybe a 4th TE or 6th WR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cearbhall Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 30 minutes ago, CriminalMind said: If Zylstra shows up and has a good 3rd preseason game, what do you do? Waive him and bring him back to the practice squad. One good preseason game isn't super likely to cause other teams to waive one of their players that already know their system. Of course, it depends on how good the game is for Zylstra and what kind of competition he's playing against at the time. If he plays, it is very likely he won't be playing against starters and likely not against the second team players. This will mute some of the impact in the eyes of other teams of any nice plays Zylstra makes. I'm just not sure how much hay Sloter to Zylstra can make in the fourth quarter. I doubt it is enough to put Zylstra at significant risk of being poached. He has literally showed nothing in games at the NFL level including preseason games. He played college ball in Moorhead, MN and played up in Canada; weather in Minneapolis is comparatively mild so he is less likely to reject a practice squad position with the Vikings in favor of joining some other team's practice squad. He already picked the Vikings over any team that had any interest in him based on his CFL play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krauser Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Zylstra mixed in with the starters before he got hurt. Backup WRs typically do rotate in with the starters over the course of a game. Preseason is only half over. The Vikings passing game has struggled and most of the targets have gone to backs and TEs. After Roc Thomas’ 114 yards receiving, the next highest total on the team through 2 games is Wienecke with 37. Diggs is the only WR with a reception of longer than 20 yards. Beebe is the only WR with more than 4 targets (he has 7, for all of 36 yards). So I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. Preseason games are all we get to see but the coaches have a lot of other information to evaluate players on. Players who miss games in preseason but play well when healthy can still make the team. We know the Vikings were high on Zylstra coming into the year. His competition hasn’t done much of anything to impress (Wright looks bad, Coley keeps getting hurt, Jones is facing a suspension and the UDFA rookies have been bad except for Beebe who’s not really Zylstra’s competition as an outside receiver). So he probably still has a good chance of making the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swede700 Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 On 6/18/2018 at 9:12 AM, swede700 said: Pre-summer vacation edition (changes are in red): QB (3): Kirk Cousins, Trevor Siemian, Kyle Sloter RB (4): Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray, Mike Boone, CJ Ham (FB) WR (6): Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Laquon Treadwell, Kendall Wright, Stacy Coley, Brandon Zylstra TE (4): Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan, Blake Bell, Tyler Conklin OL (9): Riley Reiff, Rashod Hill, Mike Remmers, Nick Easton, Pat Elflein, Tom Compton, Brian O'Neill, Aviante Collins, Danny Isidora DL (9): Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter, Linval Hungry, Sheldon Richardson, Jaleel Johnson, Tashawn Bower, Jalyn Holmes, Brian Robison, David Parry LB (5): Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Ben Gedeon, Eric Wilson, Kentrell Brothers (will be replaced by Devante Downs for first 4 weeks) DB (10): Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Harrison Smith, Andrew Sendejo, Mike Hughes, Mackensie Alexander, Terence Newman, Anthony Harris, Jayron Kearse, Holton Hill ST (3): Daniel Carlson, Ryan Quigley, Kevin McDermott Practice Squad: Ade Aruna , Cashaud Lyons, Dieugot Joseph, Storm Norton, Horace Richardson, Jack Tocho, Josiah Price, Korey Robertson, Johnny Stanton, Colby Gossett 1 Pre-3rd game of the preseason edition (changes are in red): QB (3): Kirk Cousins, Trevor Siemian, Kyle Sloter RB (4): Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray, Mike Boone, CJ Ham (FB) WR (5): Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Laquon Treadwell, Brandon Zylstra, Chad Beebe TE (3): Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan, Tyler Conklin OL (9): Riley Reiff, Rashod Hill, Mike Remmers, Tom Compton, Pat Elflein, Brian O'Neill, Aviante Collins, Danny Isidora, Cornelius Edison DL (10): Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter, Linval Hungry, Sheldon Richardson, Jaleel Johnson, Tashawn Bower, Jalyn Holmes, Brian Robison, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Stephen Weatherly LB (5): Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Ben Gedeon, Eric Wilson, Kentrell Brothers (will be replaced by Devante Downs for first 4 weeks) DB (11): Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Harrison Smith, Andrew Sendejo, Mike Hughes, Mackensie Alexander, Terence Newman, Marcus Sherels, George Iloka, Anthony Harris, Holton Hill ST (3): Daniel Carlson, Ryan Quigley, Kevin McDermott Practice Squad: Jeff Badet, Kobe McCrary, Dieugot Joseph, Storm Norton, Craig James, Jack Tocho, Roc Thomas, Korey Robertson, Colby Gossett, Jacob Judd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klomp Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 1 hour ago, CriminalMind said: If Zylstra shows up and has a good 3rd preseason game, what do you do? Are only 2 spots available between Wright, Coley, Zylstra? ... or keep 6 WRs altogether? If Zylstra plays well these last two games, I keep him. Coley and Wright are meh. And I actually like Beebe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cearbhall Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 1 hour ago, Krauser said: Preseason games are all we get to see but the coaches have a lot of other information to evaluate players on. Yes, the Vikings coaches know a lot more. I should have clarified better in my post that I was talking about coaches on other teams and the information that they would have in deciding to poach Zylstra while dumping a guy that has been in their system. Personally, I don't know a lot about how Zylstra has looked since I haven't seen him. I read good things about him but I have read good things about a lot of players in training camp throughout the years that didn't ultimately make the squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrplChilPill Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 It's unreal the dropoff from the top 2 WRs......I would not have predicted they'd ever be in that spot a couple years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 3 hours ago, PrplChilPill said: It's unreal the dropoff from the top 2 WRs......I would not have predicted they'd ever be in that spot a couple years ago. Yes...I agree. It would've been hard to predict 3 years ago that a tandem of a 5th round draft choice and a UDFA would be the top receivers on the Vikings, and even harder to predict that they would be two of the best receivers in the league! It's a situation that reminds me that dumb luck is still a part of football... even player evaluation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CriminalMind Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 “Mike, I think, will be the top kickoff returner,” special teams coordinator Mike Priefer said this week. “He’s so talented. He’s got good vision. He’s got such a great first step.” Hughes, a 21-year-old out of Central Florida, is benefiting from working with longtime Vikings return specialist Marcus Sherels, a former Gopher who Priefer said will start this season as the team’s punt returner. https://www.twincities.com/2018/08/23/vikings-rookie-mike-hughes-will-play-a-lot-of-specials-teams-this-season/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsrule Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 If those comments suggest that Sherels is the PR and Hughes is the KR, seems like we will be carrying 7 CBs. One of Newman or Alexander may end up a healthy scratch in place of a ST player in Sherels. Doesn't make sense to me that Sherels makes the team if Hughes can return punts competently. I'd rather have my best 5 CBs on game day, Sherels is not one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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