wcblack34 Posted January 14, 2023 Share Posted January 14, 2023 By popular ( @Purplexing's ) demand!!! A new thread to discuss ways to improve the Vikings' Defense (or "defence" for @Robb_K) before the start of the 2023 season! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcblack34 Posted January 14, 2023 Author Share Posted January 14, 2023 Current Depth Chart: https://www.vikings.com/team/depth-chart Free agents CB Patrick Peterson Age: 32 Expiring contract: 1 year, $4,000,000 2022 salary: $4,000,000 CB Chandon Sullivan Age: 26 Expiring contract: 1 year, $1,750,000 2022 salary: $1,750,000 DE Jonathan Bullard Age: 29 Expiring contract: 1 year, $1,035,000 2022 salary: $1,035,000 CB Kris Boyd Age: 26 Expiring contract: 4 years, $2,629,257 2022 salary: $965,000 DT Khyiris Tonga Age: 26.5 2022 salary: $825,000 CB Duke Shelley Age: 27 2022 salary: $965,000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcblack34 Posted January 14, 2023 Author Share Posted January 14, 2023 Next year will be "Preventing Opponent Scores in 2024" 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb_K Posted January 15, 2023 Share Posted January 15, 2023 Clearly, The Vikings should re-sign Peterson to another 1-year cap friendly contract, and re-sign Tonga and Shelly to low-cost 3-year contracts. Bullard probably should be signed, too, as he is a good depth piece. Certainly they need to concentrate on defensive players, especially in the earlier draft rounds, but probably should take a WR in The 3rd or 4th Rounds. The big moves should be restructuring Cook's contract to be a lot more Cap-friendly, or trading him, and restructuring Thielen's contract to reflect a "discount", or if not possible, then letting him walk. They should let Hicks walk, and somehow lower Kendricks' Cap Hit, or let him go, if not possible. The main goal is to get younger, faster, and more athletic in the more important defensive positions/roster spots. They should extend Cousins' contract one year only, at as cap friendly a level as possible. The probably should take a CB, Edge Rusher, LB, with their first 3 choices (unless a blue chip WR drops too far to pass up on him). They should pick up a "sleeper" RB with a lower choice. IF Cook ends up gone, they should re-sign Mattison to a short-term "show me" contract, IF he doesn't get any good offers from other teams. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VikeManDan Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 At a minimum, IMO Fire Donatell. Re-sign: Peterson, Tonga, Shelley, and Boyd. Cut: Kendricks and Hicks 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Fobos Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 13 minutes ago, VikeManDan said: At a minimum, IMO Fire Donatell. Re-sign: Peterson, Tonga, Shelley, and Boyd. Cut: Kendricks and Hicks I'd like to see Sullivan replaced, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrplChilPill Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 If they keep Donatelli,I have no words. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VikeManDan Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 19 minutes ago, Sir Fobos said: I'd like to see Sullivan replaced, too. Yes, I meant to include him as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplexing Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 On 1/14/2023 at 2:32 PM, wcblack34 said: By popular ( @Purplexing's ) demand!!! A new thread to discuss ways to improve the Vikings' Defense (or "defence" for @Robb_K) before the start of the 2023 season! It starts at the top. Under-performers with little chance of recovery need to be replaced. Donatell must be replaced with someone who can make use of the D personnel that Kwesi thinks have a future with the team, based on their good performance (there's that word, again) in 2022. The new D Coordinator decides what front 7 scheme is to be employed, 3-4, 4-3, and he and Kwesi set up a plan to add the needed pieces on D to make the plan work. Some obvious moves are cutting or not re-signing the players not fitting the D scheme. Slightly less obvious moves are contract renewals for veterans who can teach the young and new players brought in; e.g. Peterson, H. Smith. Greater emphasis should be placed on upgrading the DL and LBs as there seems to be several DBs who may emerge as starters and solid players. Cine(Sp?) and Booth shouldn't be counted out, and might be counted in, depending on their current medical & rehab reports. A RB and TE under contract might be traded for resources to draft DL or LB, and decisions on their value going forward must be made EARLY in the off-season so as to obtain any players or draft picks in exchange. Only the top two TEs should be retained, unless 1 other is signed on a min vet contract. Cap space and draft capital needs to be increased to help with rebuilding the front 7. Summary: The focus need to be on the Front 7, wheter it be a 3-4 or 4-3, which will depend on the philosophy of the new DC, with only 1 rookie DB drafted above round 5. The only offensive players who should be considered in rounds 1-4 are IOL. The greatest impact in adding D players will be to increase pressure on opposing QBs which means hiring a DC who has proven ability to do so. Decreasing the opposing QBs time to throw.... creates a lesser chance that an opposing receiver gets open.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SemperFeist Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 1.) Fire Ed Donatell 2.) Find a DC who knows how to properly use Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter 3.) Make sure that same DC knows how to utilize Harrison Smith properly. As in, quit leaving him 15-20 away from the line of scrimmage. 4.) Cut and replace both Kendricks and Hicks 5.) STOP USING ZONE COVERAGE WITH PLAYERS WHO DONT KNOW HOW TO PLAY ZONE COVERAGE 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SotanKing Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 I doubt Sullivan will be here next season...dude had a terrible season 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SotanKing Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 Bynum also had a poor year 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcblack34 Posted January 16, 2023 Author Share Posted January 16, 2023 Just now, SotanKing said: Bynum also had a poor year Hopefully Cine makes it all the way back and helps alleviate that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SotanKing Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 1 minute ago, wcblack34 said: Hopefully Cine makes it all the way back and helps alleviate that. well that's the hope but Cline at the moment is a total unknown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CriminalMind Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 (edited) We need to invest high resources (draft or free agent) in a DT that fits whichever scheme we decide on after hopefully firing Ed Donatello. it should have been Jordan Davis #12 in 2022, so we’ll see what happens going forward. Edited January 16, 2023 by CriminalMind 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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