2021 Free Agency Thread NFL/MIN

[CriminalMind]

2 hours ago, solidvikingfan said:

So how trustworthy is Darren Wolfson in giving info out?

He is given info the Vikings wish for him to reveal. Very much team friendly, so there is a level of skepticism with the true details for me

[SemperFeist]

1 hour ago, CriminalMind said:

He is given info the Vikings wish for him to reveal. Very much team friendly, so there is a level of skepticism with the true details for me

What from his comment even remotely suggests that it’s info the team wants revealed? Seems like you’re trying to read into what you want. 

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by SemperFeist

[wcblack34]

13 hours ago, solidvikingfan said:

I think he wants to be in line with elite end numbers as that seems the main complaint that his original deal was too low so no I think his numbers will as much as 4 to 5 million higher not lower then it currently stands.

I can't remember the last time a team signed a guy to an extension that didn't lower his current season's cap hit. 

For a team up against the cap, that makes no sense whatsoever. It's stupid, in fact. Why raise his number and hamstring what you can do the rest of the season? All that matters are guarantees and averages. They can get those numbers up without increasing his cap number. If the player insists on raising his cap hit in the current year, then he just wants to be gone. 

[wcblack34]

6 hours ago, CriminalMind said:

He is given info the Vikings wish for him to reveal. Very much team friendly, so there is a level of skepticism with the true details for me

His contract will become available. What about a vet minimum deal do you think would motivate the team to engage in a conspiracy? 

[SemperFeist]

Beware the April Fools, fools. 

[CriminalMind]

5 hours ago, wcblack34 said:

His contract will become available. What about a vet minimum deal do you think would motivate the team to engage in a conspiracy? 

I think he might be overplaying the "other teams were interested" to soften the blow of us taking him back. I am pretty certain Zim mentioned his name, in the press conference yesterday to.  Adding the "he really likes it here", might actually be akin to "he really likes being paid and be in the league still"

[SemperFeist]

That’s quite the stretch 

[Ozzy]

23 hours ago, swede700 said:

I would rather have seen Kyle Hinton potentially struggle than watch Dakota Dozier again.  And when somebody tells you that it was Dozier's first year starting...the fact that it happened at age 29 should tell you everything you need to know.  

Joe Berger did not start double digit games until he was 28 years old in the NFL!  Years 23-26 he did not start a game in the league.  Then the next three years he did not get many starts either, then at 32 started 9 games, then 16, 14 and 16 the next three years up till 35.

 

So to pretend some players do not take awhile to develop, and to pretend that the Vikings have so many other options, yeah they do not and the contract is about as little as you can pay a dude his age at that position.  Bad move?  Nah, especially when they draft two guards in the draft then things do not seem so bad.

They see these dudes all the time and know that Hinton is not better than Dozier.  Would be amazing if Hinton is this gem sitting on the bench but I doubt it.  There is a reason Dozier was out there last season and not Hinton.

 

Everyone hated Pat Elflein last few seasons and wanted to get rid of him and they did.  He just signed a 3 year $13.5 mil contract with Carolina.  Foolish maybe but clearly someone thinks they can work with what he has.  Not to mention Mike Remmers who almost everyone hated and was awful on the Vikings, started on the Chiefs in that super bowl run and did surprisingly well.  

 

Was this, not sure I agree with Hill at LT but they draft a LT or LG and Dozier is a backup, is that so bad, no really.  Either way one will have competing to start probably two rookies, then Mason Cole, Dozier and Cleveland.  Not sure that is a bad thing.

LT Rashod Hill
LG Dozier
C Bradbury / Mason Cole
OG Cleveland / Mason Cole
RT O'Neill / Udoh

[vikingsrule]

I’d still go with:

LT Cleveland/Hill

LG Dozier/Cole 

C Bradbury 

RG Rookie 1st or 2nd (if acquired)

RT O’Neill

Guess I’d rather lean on a rookie RG than a rookie LT and Cleveland was projected to be a LT when drafted. Unless I’m getting a blue chip LT at 14, I’d see better value in Guards by trading down into the early 20s and gaining some picks. But that’s easier said than done I realize. 

[swede700]

1 hour ago, Ozzy said:

Joe Berger did not start double digit games until he was 28 years old in the NFL!  Years 23-26 he did not start a game in the league.  Then the next three years he did not get many starts either, then at 32 started 9 games, then 16, 14 and 16 the next three years up till 35.

 

So to pretend some players do not take awhile to develop, and to pretend that the Vikings have so many other options, yeah they do not and the contract is about as little as you can pay a dude his age at that position.  Bad move?  Nah, especially when they draft two guards in the draft then things do not seem so bad.

They see these dudes all the time and know that Hinton is not better than Dozier.  Would be amazing if Hinton is this gem sitting on the bench but I doubt it.  There is a reason Dozier was out there last season and not Hinton.

 

Everyone hated Pat Elflein last few seasons and wanted to get rid of him and they did.  He just signed a 3 year $13.5 mil contract with Carolina.  Foolish maybe but clearly someone thinks they can work with what he has.  Not to mention Mike Remmers who almost everyone hated and was awful on the Vikings, started on the Chiefs in that super bowl run and did surprisingly well.  

 

Was this, not sure I agree with Hill at LT but they draft a LT or LG and Dozier is a backup, is that so bad, no really.  Either way one will have competing to start probably two rookies, then Mason Cole, Dozier and Cleveland.  Not sure that is a bad thing.

LT Rashod Hill
LG Dozier
C Bradbury / Mason Cole
OG Cleveland / Mason Cole
RT O'Neill / Udoh

For the record, I didn't want the Vikings to get rid of Elflein.  I thought he still had the potential to be at least competent.  But, we've seen 3 years of Dozier, and even in the instances of where he was coming off the bench, he was below average.  FWIW, and depending upon how you view PFF, Elflein from 17-19 was above 60 in 2 of the years , while Dozier over the same period was above it once (in 2017 before he arrived)...and has gone down every year since, bottoming out last year.   

Yes, while I trust the coaching staff better to know whether Hinton is ready yet, I was only saying that I'd rather watch him struggle and potentially get better than watch Dozier tread in mediocrity and potentially even get worse (which as I indicated is what has happened over the time he's been here).  That may be certainly be an indictment on the Vikings' coaching staff, but I can only talk about what I know.  

But, after all of it, it may be rendered moot if they draft a guy or 2 and Dozier never makes the final roster...and I sincerely hope that's the case, because he has no business starting in the league...and at times, I question whether he should even be on a roster period.  

[Cearbhall]

20 hours ago, SemperFeist said:

My understanding is that no signing bonus and no guaranteed money would indicate that if he’s cut after the draft it wouldn’t cost the team anything. 

My understanding is the NFL players don’t get paid during the offseason, unless they have things like workout bonuses, signing bonuses, roster bonuses, etc. 

Your understanding is very close.

According to the CBA (article 23, section 4), veteran NFL players will get a per diem of $2,900 per week during training camp. 

The per diem is like gold to a college kid that earns his way onto a training camp roster. For many, it is the only money they'll make playing football in their entire life. However, for guys that have been in the league many would rather forego the per diem if it meant getting out of training camp.

Article 23 also mentions the teams will reimburse players for travel expenses to/from their residence to camp and pay room and board until the start of the season.

According to Article 21, payment for offseason workouts is $275 per day.

For minicamps according to article 22:

Quote

 

Section 4. Expenses

(a) Any veteran player who attends a minicamp will receive meal allowances in accordance with Article 34, Section 1 of this Agreement, plus all travel expenses to and from the camp, plus the prorated portion of the weekly per diem specified for the current League Year (as set forth in Article 23, Section 4). In addition, the Club will provide housing at minicamps for players coming from out-of-town.

 

With that I think your understanding is all straightened out 🤣

Edited April 1, 2021 by Cearbhall
Clarification

[gopherwrestler]

20 hours ago, CriminalMind said:

Austin Blythe, also choose the team (Chiefs) that gave him some guaranteed money ($990K), and incentives/team performance bonus ($760K). Looks like we might have pivoted to DD after Austin choose KC.

I mean, he also is getting to play for a championship team with QB named Patrick Mahomes.

[vikesfan89]

I don't much about this guy from the Chiefs but I would have been surprised if people would be happy with us signing another cheap center to play guard

[SemperFeist]

32 minutes ago, vikesfan89 said:

I don't much about this guy from the Chiefs but I would have been surprised if people would be happy with us signing another cheap center to play guard

People liked Blythe because he has also played guard in the past, and he played for the Rams who run the same style of blocking scheme.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Ozzy said:

So to pretend some players do not take awhile to develop, and to pretend that the Vikings have so many other options, yeah they do not and the contract is about as little as you can pay a dude his age at that position.  Bad move?  Nah, especially when they draft two guards in the draft then things do not seem so bad.

 

Ozzy, I agree with all you said...yet, one of the major changes in the NFL over the past couple of decades has been the erosion of patience with players coaching staffs need to develop.  Which is a shame, particularly for offensive linemen coming out of college.  Not many college programs develop the skills that make offensive linemen NFL ready.  The NFL needs minor league teams like they had in '60's and early '70's.  My hometown had the minor league team for the Saints.