2023 Sign, Draft, or Promote: Starting ILBs

[swede700]

Now that we have the new DC in Brian Flores in place, I'd like to gauge people's opinions on how the Vikings should address various positions on the team...obviously, this will probably be heavy on the defensive side of the ball since that seems to have the most glaring holes.  Next position up, the starting inside linebackers

2022 depth at the position:  Eric Kendricks, Jordan Hicks, Brian Asamoah II, Troy Dye, William Kwenkeu, Ryan Connelly

2023 Outgoing Free Agents:  None

Potential Free Agents Available: Devin Bush, Tremaine Edmunds, Kyle Van Noy, Kwon Alexander, Raekwon McMillan

Potential Draftees:  Drew Sanders, Trenton Simpson, Henry To'o To'o, Noah Sewell, Jack Campbell, Daiyan Henley, Marte Mapu, Owen Pappoe

[gopherwrestler]

Hicks probably has to go, nothing special. 
I can get behind Kendricks stay or going either way.

I’m sure at some point we will have a early LB drafted.

[battle2heaven]

Start asamoah. 
 

sign Germaine Pratt. Let both kendricks and Hicks go. 
 

draft some heat seeking lbs in later rounds (5th-7th). 

[JDBrocks]

Pratt, Devin Bush, someone else. Just not Hicks or Kendricks. Asamoah seems like a lock to start and is perfectly suited for this defense. I voted sign a FA, but I would like to see better depth from the draft. Troy Dye is not an option, IMO.

[SemperFeist]

Cut Kendricks and approach Hicks about a pay cut. Hicks is a better fit for this defense and he’s just as good as most of the other stopgap linebackers set to hit free agency. If he doesn’t accept a pay cut, then move on from him and sign a different stop gap at linebacker.

Head into the draft with Asamoah and Hicks, or other veteran linebacker, as the projected starters, and look to draft a player who has legit early starting potential. There are a quite a few solid linebackers in this draft. 

[VikeManDan]

I'm in the camp that both Kendricks and Hicks need to go. A veteran stop gap makes a lot of sense as to not 100% rely on a rookie to come in and start from day 1. There are a few FA LB's from the Flores' prior stops, will be interesting what he recommends from that group.

[swede700]

People here clearly know my position, as I've made that evident over the last couple of weeks.  🤣  But, if that does not occur, then I'd be in the camp of starting Asamoah and signing a cheaper free agent to start alongside him.  I'm definitely not in favor of drafting another starter because I don't believe it's productive to have 2 new starters inside.  I think they'd just be asking for more wide-open receivers in the middle of the field.  And I think, just based on what we know about Flores, that guy would likely be Van Noy.  

Edited February 13, 2023 by swede700

[PrplChilPill]

I'm ok with keeping Kendricks IF he takes a good sized pay cut. There are SO MANY other issues.....just NO to Hicks and yes to Asamoah. I thought Kendricks was terrible last year, but if the DC thinks it was scheme, I'm ok with that. I'm also OK if they cut him.

[Cearbhall]

I voted to start Asamoah and a free agent, but should explain that I am not against keeping Kendricks.  I just don't want him on his current contract. Since there wasn't an option to keep him on an adjusted contract I decided to treat a contract adjustment as "sign a free agent" because it required negotiating a contract either way.  That and the fact that I would cut Kendricks if he didn't agree to an adjustment.

Edited February 13, 2023 by Cearbhall

[swede700]

2 minutes ago, Cearbhall said:

I voted to start Asamoah and a free agent, but should explain that I am not against keeping Kendricks.  I just don't want him on his current contract. Since there was an option to keep him on an adjusted contract I decided to treat a contract adjustment as "sign a free agent" because it required negotiating a contract either way.  That and the fact that I would cut Kendricks if he didn't agree to an adjustment.

It could go either way.  I didn't address contract renegotiation even though that certainly is in the cards with the keeping of Kendricks, as I generally assumed that was a given (at least I viewed it that way but can understand how that may not have been clear).  

[battle2heaven]

So thinking about this more, Asamoah is all but guaranteed to start. Do we really want to draft a rookie high and have him start as well? Having two green ILBs in the middle of the defense is going to be rough IMO. I think the Vikings know that as well. I imagine they'll bring in a ILB in free agency, maybe a little bigger guy to compliment  Asamoah. 

There are some solid veterans in their 20s that will be available. Unless you are top tier, off ball LBs tend to not have the bank broken on free agent contract. I imagine the Vikings can get decent value here with someone and save with cuts to Kendricks and Hicks.

[SemperFeist]

If a great player in the draft is available, their experience shouldn’t matter. Let them learn on the job. As we saw last year, vets make a lot of mistakes too. I’d rather watch and suffer through a young player’s growing pains, than watch a 6th year player make the mistakes that they have yet to learn from. 

A stop gap player isn’t a bad idea, and almost assured if they cut vets like Kendricks and/or Hicks. But they should definitely avoid signing someone that you commit enough money to that it essentially guarantees them a spot. A vet on league minimum should be the only commitment they make to the position. 

[vikingsrule]

Kendricks has to go. Hicks should be cut too. Need to fill the voids in FA and the draft it looks like. The level of production doesn’t warrant the comp. 

[The Gnat]

I'm torn on Kendricks because it's a lot of money for him after a very down year. But I don't know how much of that is him declining or the defensive scheme. But I tend to think that he's a fairly easy cut to save money if the Vikings want. Asamoah would get promoted and then the question is do you keep Hicks or not. And I could see the Vikings holding onto him longer as they see how the LB market shapes up in FA or even through the draft.

[PrplChilPill]

1 hour ago, The Gnat said:

I'm torn on Kendricks because it's a lot of money for him after a very down year. But I don't know how much of that is him declining or the defensive scheme. But I tend to think that he's a fairly easy cut to save money if the Vikings want. Asamoah would get promoted and then the question is do you keep Hicks or not. And I could see the Vikings holding onto him longer as they see how the LB market shapes up in FA or even through the draft.

Hicks was terrible. No way he should be back.