Predict the Final 53: The Far Too Early Version

[Vikes_Bolts1228]

I dunno. I think this is the year Mannion finally beats out Kirk.

[Robbroy45]

QB (2): Cousins, Browning

RB/FB (4): Cook, Boone, Abdullah, Ham (Boone traded for 2021 6 on cutdown day)

WR (6): Thielen, Jefferson, Sharpe, Johnson, Davis, Beebe

TE (3): Rudolph, Smith Jr., Conklin

OT (4): Reiff, O'Neill, Cleveland, Hill

OG (4): Udoh, Samia, Elflein, Collins

C (2): Bradbury, Jones

 

DE (5): Hunter, Odenigbo, Wonnum, Willekes, Zettel

DT (5): Pierce, Mata'afa, Lynch, Watts, Holmes

LB (5): Barr, Kendricks, Wilson, Dye, Gates

CB (6): Gladney, Hughes, Dantzler, Boyd, Hill, Clark

SAF (4): Smith, Harris, Hand, Mettelus

K (1): Bailey

P (1): Colquitt

LS (1): Cutting

 

Practice squad

QB Stanley

RB Brooks-James

WR Osborn

WR Shane Zylstra

TE Griffin-Stewart

OL Hinton

OL Brandel

OL Lacina

DT Moa

CB Sayles

SAF Cole

SAF Dorn

[Purplepride323]

3 hours ago, Vikes_Bolts1228 said:

I dunno. I think this is the year Mannion finally beats out Kirk.

Mannion is the goat 

[SteelKing728]

QB (2): Cousins, Stanley

RB/FB (4): Cook, Mattison, Boone, Ham

WR (6): Thielen, Jefferson, Sharpe, Johnson, Davis, Osborn

TE (4): Rudolph, Smith Jr., Conklin, Griffin-Stewart

OT (4): Reiff, O'Neill, Cleveland, Hill

OG (3): Udoh, Samia, Collins, Hinton

C (2): Bradbury, Jones

 

DE (5): Hunter, Griffen, Odenigbo, Wonnum, Willekes, 

DT (5): Pierce, Johnson, Lynch, Watts, Holmes

LB (5): Barr, Kendricks, Wilson, Gedeon, Dye

CB (6): Kirkpatrick, Hughes, Hill, Gladney, Dantzler, Boyd

SAF (4): Smith, Harris, Hand, Mettelus

K (1): Bailey

P (1): Colquitt

LS (1): Cutting

[swede700]

QB(2):  Kirk Cousins, Sean Mannion

HB/FB(5): Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, Mike Boone, Ameer Abdullah, CJ Ham

WR (5): Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, Tajae Sharpe, Olabisi Johnson, Alexander Hollins

TE (4): Kyle Rudolph, Irv Smith, Jr, Tyler Conklin, Brandon Dillon

OL (9):  Riley Reiff, Brian O'Neill, Garrett Bradbury, Dru Samia, Dakota Dozier, Brett Jones, Ezra Cleveland,  Rashod Hill, Oli Udoh

DL (10):  Danielle Hunter, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Shamar Stephen, Michael Pierce, Eddie Yarbrough, Armon Watts, Jalyn Holmes, Kenny Willekes, DJ Wonnum, James Lynch

LB (5):  Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Eric Wilson, Cameron Smith, Troy Dye

CB (6):  Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, Jeff Gladney, Kris Boyd, Cameron Dantzler, Nate Meadors

S (4):  Harrison Smith, Anthony Harris, Harrison Hand, Brian Cole II

Specialists (3): Dan Bailey, Britton Colquitt, Austin Cutting

Notable Cuts:  Chad Beebe, Jaleel Johnson, Anthony Zettel, Ben Gedeon, Hercules Mata'afa

[byuvike88]

19 hours ago, RpMc said:

Underperforming, last year of his deal - it wouldn’t shock me. 

I'd easily take him over Stephen

[swede700]

24 minutes ago, byuvike88 said:

I'd easily take him over Stephen

I read all the arguments back and forth previously, and I'm sorry, Stephen is light-years better than Johnson, who has been largely non-existent since he came into the league.  He's certainly not great...I'd put him in the same category as @Krauser did, average.  But Johnson isn't anywhere near even average.

[byuvike88]

14 minutes ago, swede700 said:

I read all the arguments back and forth previously, and I'm sorry, Stephen is light-years better than Johnson, who has been largely non-existent since he came into the league.  He's certainly not great...I'd put him in the same category as @Krauser did, average.  But Johnson isn't anywhere near even average.

Light years is definitely an exaggeration. What is one thing the Stephen does above average? As a starting 3 tech he had 6 pressures the entire year. Not 6 QB hits. Not 6 sacks. Just six pressures. 

[swede700]

Like Krauser said, that wasn't his job.  I'm not saying he's that good, I'm saying that Jaleel Johnson is that bad.  He has been a non-factor his entire time here....almost a waste of a roster spot...and I expected more from him.  He's got the build of a decent 3-Tech, but has never delivered on it, while Stephen, at the very least, has proven to be a competent NT.  Maybe he shouldn't be starting as a 3T, but he is far more valuable to the team than Johnson is.  And light-years, while an exaggeration, isn't all that far off from being accurate.

Edited April 27, 2020 by swede700

[vikingsrule]

1 hour ago, swede700 said:

I read all the arguments back and forth previously, and I'm sorry, Stephen is light-years better than Johnson, who has been largely non-existent since he came into the league.  He's certainly not great...I'd put him in the same category as @Krauser did, average.  But Johnson isn't anywhere near even average.

I agree, but I don’t think we need to decide between the two. Johnson is still miles ahead of Holmes and Hercules. Now could they emerge, maybe. I think Lynch was drafted to essentially replace both Hercules and Holmes.

[RpMc]

Expect to see some moves that will make the 53 person roster a moving target after today:

 

[Krauser]

22 minutes ago, vikingsrule said:

Johnson is still miles ahead of Holmes and Hercules. Now could they emerge, maybe. I think Lynch was drafted to essentially replace both Hercules and Holmes.

The player Johnson needs to worry most about is Watts.

They probably won't carry 4 DTs who don't play in nickel. They usually only dress 3 on game days. Watts was only kept as a 4th DT last year so as not to expose him on the practice squad. 

Watts was really good as a rookie in his limited snaps. If he can be a versatile DT/NT backup (as Stephen was in 2017, or Johnson last year), then Johnson is expendable. That's doubly true if Lynch can be good enough as a true DT that he could offer some depth on early downs.

Holmes might stick around as a rotational pass rusher, especially if he still has versatility at DE where they'll be pretty thin after the starters. He's looked OK in preseason as a pass rusher, but didn't get anything done in his limited nickel snaps last year. I don't think they can trust him to be an every down DT. 

I think the ship has sailed on Mata'afa. I don't expect him back.

[swede700]

35 minutes ago, vikingsrule said:

I agree, but I don’t think we need to decide between the two. Johnson is still miles ahead of Holmes and Hercules. Now could they emerge, maybe. I think Lynch was drafted to essentially replace both Hercules and Holmes.

I kept Holmes over Johnson because he still has 2 years left on his deal, while Johnson only has 1.  But, as far as Hercules, I'm of the same thinking as @Krauser, that ship has sailed.  I like him, but he'd have to be vastly improved to make the team this year.

[RpMc]

Updated Depth Chart (positions taken from Vikings website)
Drafted Rookie
Undrafted Free Agent
Free Agent

WR - Thielen (19), Sharpe (11), Osborn (17), Hollins (15), D. Davis (16), Chisena (85)
WR - Jefferson (18), O. Johnson (81), Beebe (12), Mitchell (13), Q. Davis (14), Addison (89)
LT - Reiff (71), Cleveland (72), Brandel (64)
LG -Elflein (65), Collins (76), Higby (60)
C - Bradbury (56), Jones (61), Lacina (63)
RG - Samia (73), Dozier (78), Hinton (68), Aiello (67)
RT - O'Neill (75), Hill (69), Udoh (74)
TE - Rudolph (82), Smith Jr. (84), Conklin (83), Dillon (85), Griffen-Stewart (89)
QB - Cousins (8), Mannion (4), Browning (3), Stanley (7)
RB - Cook (33), Mattison (25), Abdullah (31), Boone (23), Brooks-James (35)
FB - Ham (30), Bargas (40)

LDE - Hunter (99), Yarbrough (52), Wonnum (57), Keely (90)
NT - Pierce (98), Watts (96)
UT - Stephen (93), J. Johnson (94), Mata'afa (51), J. Lynch (66), Moa (60)
RDE - Odenigbo (95), Zettel (92), Willekes (60)
SLB - Barr (55), Gates (47), B. Lynch (48)
MLB - Kendricks (54), Smith (59), Fehr (49)
WLB - Gedeon (42), Wilson (50), Dye (45)
LCB - Hughes (21), Dantzler (27), Boyd (38), Fields (32), Hall (37)
SS - Smith (22), Cole II (39), Dorn (43)
FS - Harris (41), Mettellus (44)
RCB - Gladney (20), Hill (24), Hand (29), Meadors (26), Sayles (36), Clark (34)

K - Bailey (5)
P - Colquitt (2)
LS - Cutting (58)

 

[Cearbhall]

17 minutes ago, RpMc said:

Updated Depth Chart (positions taken from Vikings website)
Drafted Rookie
Undrafted Free Agent
Free Agent

WR - Thielen (19), Sharpe (11), Osborn (17), Hollins (15), D. Davis (16), Chisena (85)
WR - Jefferson (18), O. Johnson (81), Beebe (12), Mitchell (13), Q. Davis (14), Addison (89)
LT - Reiff (71), Cleveland (72), Brandel (64)
LG -Elflein (65), Collins (76), Higby (60)
C - Bradbury (56), Jones (61), Lacina (63)
RG - Samia (73), Dozier (78), Hinton (68), Aiello (67)
RT - O'Neill (75), Hill (69), Udoh (74)
TE - Rudolph (82), Smith Jr. (84), Conklin (83), Dillon (85), Griffen-Stewart (89)
QB - Cousins (8), Mannion (4), Browning (3), Stanley (7)
RB - Cook (33), Mattison (25), Abdullah (31), Boone (23), Brooks-James (35)
FB - Ham (30), Bargas (40)

LDE - Hunter (99), Yarbrough (52), Wonnum (57), Keely (90)
NT - Pierce (98), Watts (96)
UT - Stephen (93), J. Johnson (94), Mata'afa (51), J. Lynch (66), Moa (60)
RDE - Odenigbo (95), Zettel (92), Willekes (60)
SLB - Barr (55), Gates (47), B. Lynch (48)
MLB - Kendricks (54), Smith (59), Fehr (49)
WLB - Gedeon (42), Wilson (50), Dye (45)
LCB - Hughes (21), Dantzler (27), Boyd (38), Fields (32), Hall (37)
SS - Smith (22), Cole II (39), Dorn (43)
FS - Harris (41), Mettellus (44)
RCB - Gladney (20), Hill (24), Hand (29), Meadors (26), Sayles (36), Clark (34)

K - Bailey (5)
P - Colquitt (2)
LS - Cutting (58)

 

This is obviously going to change a lot before cuts are made. They mostly default to the veterans, a default that I happen to agree with. It is interesting seeing they already have Gladney listed as the top RCB. This also reaffirms which positions the team currently sees these guys at right now.

The other thing that caught my eye is that they already have Samia listed in front of Dozier. That surprises me, but matches what many other had been expecting.