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Vikings Trade for Yannick Ngakoue DE


CriminalMind

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I'm torn on the move.  I like it, but I'm not necessarily that fond of the repercussions that come from it.  Obviously, it will just intensify the situation with Cook, because now, they are going to be at the point of really having no option other than franchising him.  Also, Hunter is even more clearly going to be underpaid, so maybe some grumbling will come (even though he's still got 3 more years on his deal after this one).  I think cap-wise, in the end, they may be fine, but it's still going to be tight next year, because Kirk's number is going to go up, while the cap is going down. 

And while I shouldn't be concerned about his character, I am somewhat based on his twitter-rants against the son of the owner of Jax.  I do expect a little more professionalism...I don't want a more outspoken version of Stefon.  

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54 minutes ago, swede700 said:

Obviously, it will just intensify the situation with Cook, because now, they are going to be at the point of really having no option other than franchising him.

I was thinking it makes it less likely they would franchise Cook because now there is a chance the team will be using their tag on Ngakoue. RBs are far more replaceable than DEs so if both players look the part the team should use it in the DE.

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6 minutes ago, Cearbhall said:

I was thinking it makes it less likely they would franchise Cook because now there is a chance the team will be using their tag on Ngakoue. RBs are far more replaceable than DEs so if both players look the part the team should use it in the DE.

I think, based on his willingness to take a pay cut to get out of Jacksonville, it's far more likely that he won't need to be franchised.  And even so, there's a lot less money tied up in a franchised RB than a franchised DE, so that makes it the more likely option.  Plus, without having invested long-term in Ngakoue, it would be far easier for them to just let him walk than let Cook walk.  

Edited by swede700
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9 minutes ago, swede700 said:

I think, based on his willingness to take a pay cut to get out of Jacksonville, it's far more likely that he won't need to be franchised.  And even so, there's a lot less money tied up in a franchised RB than a franchised DE, so that makes it the more likely option.  Without having invested long-term in Ngakoue, it would be far easier for them to just let him walk than let Cook walk.  

Maybe, but I also think the team has options with Cook other than franchising him. They can sign him before free agency or let him test free agency and then bring him back. They can also let Cook go and bring in a different RB. Cook isn't that special and RBs are relatively easy to come by. The Jags just released Fournette. He isn't devoid of talent and no team would give him the $4M salary they would have had to take on this year if they traded for him. The fortunes of RBs change so fast it is hard for me to be too worried about the position beyond the current season. There will be options from which the team can choose.

I don't know that less money for a position's franchise tag makes it more likely. There is a reason the number is less. The position isn't as valuable. If Ngakoue is looking good $14.4M would be a great deal to retain him. If Cook is going strong, $8M would be a good deal too but the position isn't a position the team could count on for more than a year or two. That makes it short-sighted to use the tag on a RB. A high level DE at Ngakoue's age should be running strong for 4-6 more years.

Late add:

I don't understand the last statement in the quote above. The team hasn't invested long-term in either player at this point. Previous investment in Cook was a second round pick. Ngakoue is costing the team a second, a conditional pick, and $12M -- more than they ever invested in Cook. I must be misunderstanding though because that doesn't matter at all for who is the better player to invest in for the future. Their choice will be a 26 year old RB that hasn't been effective in half the games since joining the team or a DE of the same age that has been a difference maker in a higher percentage of his team's games. Obviously, a lot more depends on how they both perform this year.

Edited by Cearbhall
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Cook has been a long term investment in that this is his 4th year with the Vikings while Ngakoue hasn’t played a game in purple.

They’re not going to franchise Ngakoue after he just forced his way out of JAX in order to avoid playing on the tag.

Franchising Cook would remain an option but it’d be easier in the short term to fit an extension under the cap.

Cook is a very good RB, and I’m worried that they’ll invest too much draft capital to replace him, but the smart thing to do would be to let him walk after this year.

Best use of the tag next year would be a second tag on Harris. The tag would probably be a little over $13M, basically market rate for a safety if he continues playing at a high level. And they’d have an extra year to find and develop someone to replace him. 

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1 hour ago, swede700 said:

I think, based on his willingness to take a pay cut to get out of Jacksonville, it's far more likely that he won't need to be franchised.  And even so, there's a lot less money tied up in a franchised RB than a franchised DE, so that makes it the more likely option.  Plus, without having invested long-term in Ngakoue, it would be far easier for them to just let him walk than let Cook walk.  

DE is far more valuable than RB and I'm pretty sure Kubiak has made magic regardless of who his RB is.

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49 minutes ago, SteelKing728 said:

DE is far more valuable than RB and I'm pretty sure Kubiak has made magic regardless of who his RB is.

I understand that, but I also think that it's going to be easier to extend Ngakoue, so it'll be unnecessary to put the tag on him.  In the end, I think the tag will be put on Cook.  I think they, as an organization, value showing as much loyalty as they can to their players, so will place the tag on Cook and continue to try and work with him on a long-term deal.  They aren't going to just let him walk.  They're far more likely to just let YN walk because they don't have the history with him.  That's just my opinion.

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4 minutes ago, wcblack34 said:

Would you guys have traded Dalvin to Jacksonville for Ngakoue and Fournette, no draft picks?

I understand that cost-wise, we don't have the cap room. Just a hypothetical scenario because I'm procrastinating on writing something for work. 

You'd have to give me a pick or two to take on Fournette.

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I like this move because I was nervous about Hunter being out. It's an insurance move that ensures that the D-line remains somewhat respectable. I like Ngakoue's explosion off the edge and when Hunter comes back our pass-rush should be top-notch. 

Reiff may be restructured/cut/traded as all of you are finding out by tomorrow. I've always liked Reiff, but if a team needs a LT and the Vikes feel comfortable moving on, make the trade happen to free up some cap space. 

Here's hoping the team can figure out how to manage the monies to make this move work.

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1 hour ago, TENINCH said:

I'd rather keep the 25-26 year old Ngakoue than Dalvin Cook. The 49ers and the Chiefs showed you last year you can win with just another guy at running back. 

The Chiefs have a potential HOF QB and the 49ers base their entire offense on a revolving set of RBs with specific skills.  The Vikings don't have either.  

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1 hour ago, TENINCH said:

I'd rather keep the 25-26 year old Ngakoue than Dalvin Cook. The 49ers and the Chiefs showed you last year you can win with just another guy at running back. 

Yep yep. me too and it isn't even close. Our OC has also shown that he can plug and play RBs. Like I said earlier, this is all predicated on both players doing well this year and the team needing to choose between the two. That is a somewhat unlikely set of circumstances but if it comes to that keeping Ngakoue would be an easy choice for me.

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