RpMc Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RpMc Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 That sucks, good for him though and will go to another team who might use him more in the passing game. He is not just a blocker but that is what they made him into recently. Could have been far more productive if they asked him to be and gave him opportunities. Is arguably the best leader on the team and arguably the best high character player on the team, multiple time NFL man of the year nominee from the organization I believe. So that is a huge loss, Vikings will have to address the TE position in the draft now because Irv Smith and Conklin are not the blocker Rudolph was. Curious what they do with the money saved, but maybe just an attempt to get closer to even. Hunter Long could be a great replacement for Kyle, can do it all as a TE and has great size. Miller Forristall I like a lot but does get hurt often, is a great blocking especially in the WR screen game and out in space. Tommy Tremble is the best blocking TE/HB in the draft so he should be a target, 2nd is probably Luke Farrell who can really block as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsrule Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Nice player who will always be appreciated, but MN really did hang onto him one year too long. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsrule Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 13 minutes ago, Ozzy said: That sucks, good for him though and will go to another team who might use him more in the passing game. He is not just a blocker but that is what they made him into recently. Could have been far more productive if they asked him to be and gave him opportunities. Is arguably the best leader on the team and arguably the best high character player on the team, multiple time NFL man of the year nominee from the organization I believe. So that is a huge loss, Vikings will have to address the TE position in the draft now because Irv Smith and Conklin are not the blocker Rudolph was. Curious what they do with the money saved, but maybe just an attempt to get closer to even. Hunter Long could be a great replacement for Kyle, can do it all as a TE and has great size. Miller Forristall I like a lot but does get hurt often, is a great blocking especially in the WR screen game and out in space. Tommy Tremble is the best blocking TE/HB in the draft so he should be a target, 2nd is probably Luke Farrell who can really block as well. What’s wrong with Tyler Conklin? I thought he flashed. It just doesn’t seem Cousins looks that way that much and Jefferson, Thielen and Smith should get the bulk of the receiving targets. I’d look to add a blocking TE but that’s a mid round priority at the earliest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SemperFeist Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Great Viking, but it was time. I’ll miss his ridiculous grabs in the endzone, but I’m looking forward to what Smith can do as the full time starter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SemperFeist Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 3 minutes ago, vikingsrule said: I’d look to add a blocking TE but that’s a mid round priority at the earliest. I’ve always liked the idea of finding one of those super athletic, yet undersized offensive tackles, who may have been a converted tight end in college, and move them to tight end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 57 minutes ago, vikingsrule said: What’s wrong with Tyler Conklin? I thought he flashed. It just doesn’t seem Cousins looks that way that much and Jefferson, Thielen and Smith should get the bulk of the receiving targets. I’d look to add a blocking TE but that’s a mid round priority at the earliest. Conklin played well late last year in the passing game but is not much of a blocker and neither is Smith, improved but nothing great. Maybe they have high hopes for Dillon becoming the blocker at TE but without Rudolph they absolutely need a blocking TE because I do not have a ton of faith in Conklin and Smith being great blockers, they are not bad but Rudolph was better than them and he made himself into being a good blocker after being asked to do it. Early in his career and in college he was not a great blocker at all and not asked to do it much. I could see the Vikings spending a late 3rd or 4th round pick on a TE no doubt about it. In a two WR offense without trips often, they need three if not four good TEs then. 56 minutes ago, SemperFeist said: I’ve always liked the idea of finding one of those super athletic, yet undersized offensive tackles, who may have been a converted tight end in college, and move them to tight end. Got any examples of that? Villanueva was a TE on Army and developed into a fine OT in the NFL. Jason Peters was a TE only in college and develop into arguably a HOF OT in the NFL. Not a ton of guys play OT in college then move back to TE in the NFL that I can recall. Unless you are talking a jumbo package and they just use the backup OT and put them on the end like a TE. Is there any TE in the NFL now that was a OT in college? Not sure there is, usually it is the other way around. I always like those prospects in college though, the jumbo TEs who could transition to OT but even those are pretty rare to see a 280-300 pound TE that is a legit TE and not just a DL playing it for a few plays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplepride323 Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Anthony Barr is next... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelKing728 Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Rudolph brought back hope for our future #82s. Really, that's all we could've asked for from him after the Troy Williamson experiment. He did that and then some. I hope he finds success moving forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelKing728 Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 (edited) 3 minutes ago, Purplepride323 said: Anthony Barr is next... Zimmer likes him a lot though. I wouldn't be so sure. Now Bailey or Shamar Stephen...totally different story! Edited March 3, 2021 by SteelKing728 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelKing728 Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 1 hour ago, SemperFeist said: I’ve always liked the idea of finding one of those super athletic, yet undersized offensive tackles, who may have been a converted tight end in college, and move them to tight end. I just want another Jim Kleinsaucer. Is that too much to ask? Haha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplepride323 Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 9 minutes ago, SteelKing728 said: Zimmer likes him a lot though. I wouldn't be so sure. Now Bailey or Shamar Stephen...totally different story! He has the worst contract on the team (Cousins included) and he said he won’t take any pay cut. I don’t care if he’s Zimmer’s adopted son, he is not worth that contract. Shamar Stephen had a pretty good year, so I don’t think we should drop him unless we draft Marvin Wilson or Christian Barmore. I understand he’s not much of a pass rusher but him and Pierce would likely be one of the best run-stopping DT tandems in the league. If our starting D-Line is: Hunter- Pierce- Stephen- Rousseau I think we’ll be solid. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 10 minutes ago, Purplepride323 said: He has the worst contract on the team (Cousins included) and he said he won’t take any pay cut. I don’t care if he’s Zimmer’s adopted son, he is not worth that contract. Shamar Stephen had a pretty good year, so I don’t think we should drop him unless we draft Marvin Wilson or Christian Barmore. I understand he’s not much of a pass rusher but him and Pierce would likely be one of the best run-stopping DT tandems in the league. If our starting D-Line is: Hunter- Pierce- Stephen- Rousseau I think we’ll be solid. The worst contract on the team is Michael Pierce as of right now. 3 years $27 mil and $18 guaranteed. He was good on Baltimore, not sure he was that good much less not being in a 3/4 defense who knows how good he will be. So that contract is a huge question mark, and here is a question did the Vikings have to pay him for last season even though he sat out? I hope not but clearly they did in a way because of that $18 guaranteed. Barr is also a worse contract than Rudolph because of his injury issues of late and lack of elite performance. Rudolph's contract, sure his production was not that great but his blocking was which was better than any TE on the team, and his character is better than anyone else on the team as is his leadership arguably. So he was the most stable veteran presence on the team and has been a Viking longer than anyone else on the roster correct. He had intangibles few on the team have, so it will be a loss for the locker room no doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsrule Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Is Harrison Smith now the longest tenured Viking? He was drafted in 2012. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.