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2019 Draft Talk


swede700

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The reason that this team is built to win in all of those areas is precisely because they HAVEN’T done what you are suggesting. They are getting great value and production out of most of their draft picks by staying put or making small maneuvers.

Right now, Rieff is an average left tackle, they lost their starting LG, Elflein looks like he is continuing to get better, and O’Neill is one of 3 tackles in the NFL with 300+ pass pro snaps and 0 sacks allowed. Who knows what this line would have looked like with a healthy Nick Easton at this point in the season?

I agree that the guard position needs to be improved, but are you mortgaging the ability to extend the window to trade up from the low 20s to draft a guard? I don’t think it’s the smartest way to build the OL. 

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3 minutes ago, JDBrocks said:

The reason that this team is built to win in all of those areas is precisely because they HAVEN’T done what you are suggesting. They are getting great value and production out of most of their draft picks by staying put or making small maneuvers.

Say it again. But, louder. 

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48 minutes ago, Virginia Viking said:

if that player has a better than average chance to be a major presence on the offensive line for years

What’s a better than average chance? 

We’ve seen a number of “can’t miss” offensive line prospects fail in recent years (2013 alone is littered with them). 

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45 minutes ago, JDBrocks said:

The reason that this team is built to win in all of those areas is precisely because they HAVEN’T done what you are suggesting. They are getting great value and production out of most of their draft picks by staying put or making small maneuvers.

Right now, Rieff is an average left tackle, they lost their starting LG, Elflein looks like he is continuing to get better, and O’Neill is one of 3 tackles in the NFL with 300+ pass pro snaps and 0 sacks allowed. Who knows what this line would have looked like with a healthy Nick Easton at this point in the season?

I agree that the guard position needs to be improved, but are you mortgaging the ability to extend the window to trade up from the low 20s to draft a guard? I don’t think it’s the smartest way to build the OL. 

What leaves the impression that Elflein "continues to get better"? He's regressed and he's graded out as a bottom five starting center. I'm not ready to give up on him, he needs help from both guard spots, but I think it's misleading to say he's getting better or even an average starter. 

Reiff and O'Neill are a good starting group of tackles in terms of pass blocking.

I think O'Neill is the only long term starter at the moment that I have any confidence in. Who knows with Reiff and how many more years he can go and Elflein still has lots to prove.

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2 hours ago, Virginia Viking said:

Let's face it, this team is built to win in all areas, except that  it has one really major weakness...offensive line.

I think this is a key point here, we are pretty strong at other positions across the board. No really glaring weaknesses. I think this would be the year to try and move up to acquire an OL - if one is deemed worthy. However, I'm also  content grabbing BPA at OL or DL when we pick. Seems there could be a lot of DL selected before our pick which will likely push other talents down the board.

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3 hours ago, JDBrocks said:

The reason that this team is built to win in all of those areas is precisely because they HAVEN’T done what you are suggesting. They are getting great value and production out of most of their draft picks by staying put or making small maneuvers.

Right now, Rieff is an average left tackle, they lost their starting LG, Elflein looks like he is continuing to get better, and O’Neill is one of 3 tackles in the NFL with 300+ pass pro snaps and 0 sacks allowed. Who knows what this line would have looked like with a healthy Nick Easton at this point in the season?

I agree that the guard position needs to be improved, but are you mortgaging the ability to extend the window to trade up from the low 20s to draft a guard? I don’t think it’s the smartest way to build the OL. 

Now you know why I have never been offered a GM position for a professional sports franchise...and why I never win at poker night!  :D

That being said, I think Spielman plays it safe when it comes to the draft.  It has served the Vikings well EXCEPT at offensive line.  I think there needs to be a new bold strategy to improve the line.

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3 hours ago, JDBrocks said:

The reason that this team is built to win in all of those areas is precisely because they HAVEN’T done what you are suggesting. They are getting great value and production out of most of their draft picks by staying put or making small maneuvers.

Right now, Rieff is an average left tackle, they lost their starting LG, Elflein looks like he is continuing to get better, and O’Neill is one of 3 tackles in the NFL with 300+ pass pro snaps and 0 sacks allowed. Who knows what this line would have looked like with a healthy Nick Easton at this point in the season?

I agree that the guard position needs to be improved, but are you mortgaging the ability to extend the window to trade up from the low 20s to draft a guard? I don’t think it’s the smartest way to build the OL. 

What have they won? Not taking whitehair was a terrible decision, imo. Not taking Collins was too. I said both at the time. 

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On 11/29/2018 at 8:31 AM, vikingsrule said:

What leaves the impression that Elflein "continues to get better"? He's regressed and he's graded out as a bottom five starting center. I'm not ready to give up on him, he needs help from both guard spots, but I think it's misleading to say he's getting better or even an average starter. 

Reiff and O'Neill are a good starting group of tackles in terms of pass blocking.

I think O'Neill is the only long term starter at the moment that I have any confidence in. Who knows with Reiff and how many more years he can go and Elflein still has lots to prove.

When I say that Elflein gets better I meant working back from injury. I should have been more clear.

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21 hours ago, PrplChilPill said:

What have they won? Not taking whitehair was a terrible decision, imo. Not taking Collins was too. I said both at the time. 

Give me a break on Collins. Every single team passed on him on draft day for good reason.

If you are suggesting that Cody Whitehair fixes the offensive line today I guess I don't know what to say.

I'll never say that the Vikings have been good at finding OL, whether through the draft or in FA. But suggesting that they haven't tried or have ignored the position group is disingenuous at best. 

These are the choices based on draft spot. IMO, not one of these players makes Minnesota a better team right now, than the actual selection. Maybe Cody Whitehair, but marginally better at best.

Trae Waynes or Andrus Peat/Cedric Ogbuehi/DJ Humphries/Laken Tomlinson

Eric Kendricks or Jake Fisher/Rob Havenstein/Ty Sambrailo

Laquon Treadwell or Germain Ifedi/Josh Garnett

Mack Alexander or Cody Whitehair

Dalvin Cook or Taylor Moton/Dion Dawkins

 

 

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19 minutes ago, JDBrocks said:

These are the choices based on draft spot. IMO, not one of these players makes Minnesota a better team right now, than the actual selection. Maybe Cody Whitehair, but marginally better at best.

Trae Waynes or Andrus Peat/Cedric Ogbuehi/DJ Humphries/Laken Tomlinson

Eric Kendricks or Jake Fisher/Rob Havenstein/Ty Sambrailo

Laquon Treadwell or Germain Ifedi/Josh Garnett

Mack Alexander or Cody Whitehair

Dalvin Cook or Taylor Moton/Dion Dawkins

If that is how the team thinks, we may have figured out the root of the problem. If they can't see bigger and think bigger than that list of choices the problem is systemic.

 

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I'd like to add that what would have been the potential cost of trading up in certain situations?  Is it quite possible that they would have lost the chance to draft Danielle Hunter in order to trade up to get a Donovan Smith or Laken Tomlinson instead of standing pat and drafting Eric Kendricks?  That's a question that would have to be answered as well.  Is that something you would have been okay with, in retrospect?  

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