Valhalla Villager: News, Rumors and Gossip

[SteelKing728]

24 minutes ago, SemperFeist said:

I think you’d be lucky to get a 5th. 

Well then he's probably best just kept around for the year before hitting FA

[Krauser]

Rudolph is threatening to hold out to force a trade so he can lock in an extension this year, instead of waiting a year to hit free agency. The team evidently sees him as the TE2 going forward, so they won’t pay too much to extend him. And Irv Smith even as a rookie is likely to cut into his targets and stats, which will affect his market next year.

It’s basically the same move Adrian Peterson pulled, coming back from his suspension in 2015. But Rudolph doesn’t have the kind of leverage Peterson did, as by far the biggest star on the team. 

If the Vikings hold firm, Rudolph will have to show up and play. The idea that this was a move the team would welcome in order to sign Bradbury (which was the take in the media as recently as Monday) is gone now that Kendricks restructured. Rudolph has been well paid on his 2nd contract, and I don’t think fans are going to be at all sympathetic if he hurts the team in pursuit of his 3rd contract.

I think either Rudolph comes back to the table and they work out a fair but not lucrative medium term extension ($6-7M for 3 years), or he shrugs his shoulders and comes to camp with an aim to put up the kind of numbers this year that can make him more money than that in free agency in 2020. 

I’ll be pretty stunned if the Vikings trade him for less than a 3rd rounder (not that I think that would happen). They’re in line for a 4th rounder in 2021 anyway once he plays out this year and signs elsewhere next year for $25M/3 as a free agent. 

[byuvike88]

On 5/14/2019 at 2:34 PM, SemperFeist said:

Has anyone told Cian?

Haha for real. That guy is so annoying 

[vikingsrule]

10 hours ago, Krauser said:

Rudolph is threatening to hold out to force a trade so he can lock in an extension this year, instead of waiting a year to hit free agency. The team evidently sees him as the TE2 going forward, so they won’t pay too much to extend him. And Irv Smith even as a rookie is likely to cut into his targets and stats, which will affect his market next year.

It’s basically the same move Adrian Peterson pulled, coming back from his suspension in 2015. But Rudolph doesn’t have the kind of leverage Peterson did, as by far the biggest star on the team. 

If the Vikings hold firm, Rudolph will have to show up and play. The idea that this was a move the team would welcome in order to sign Bradbury (which was the take in the media as recently as Monday) is gone now that Kendricks restructured. Rudolph has been well paid on his 2nd contract, and I don’t think fans are going to be at all sympathetic if he hurts the team in pursuit of his 3rd contract.

I think either Rudolph comes back to the table and they work out a fair but not lucrative medium term extension ($6-7M for 3 years), or he shrugs his shoulders and comes to camp with an aim to put up the kind of numbers this year that can make him more money than that in free agency in 2020. 

I’ll be pretty stunned if the Vikings trade him for less than a 3rd rounder (not that I think that would happen). They’re in line for a 4th rounder in 2021 anyway once he plays out this year and signs elsewhere next year for $25M/3 as a free agent. 

I think a 4th round comp pick is a bit unrealistic. The TE market isn't ever significant in FA, seems like really good ones don't hit the market. Further, Rudolph will be 30 and has never been a dynamic player.

I'd be happy with a 6th round pick in 2020. I just don't see Rudolph having much of a future in MN and the gain in cap space would be a nice pickup for the season (could use a veteran WR and maybe a cheaper veteran TE) in addition to having more cap flexibility to add players during the season in the case of injury.

[wcblack34]

11 hours ago, Krauser said:

Rudolph is threatening to hold out to force a trade so he can lock in an extension this year, instead of waiting a year to hit free agency. The team evidently sees him as the TE2 going forward, so they won’t pay too much to extend him. And Irv Smith even as a rookie is likely to cut into his targets and stats, which will affect his market next year.

It’s basically the same move Adrian Peterson pulled, coming back from his suspension in 2015. But Rudolph doesn’t have the kind of leverage Peterson did, as by far the biggest star on the team. 

If the Vikings hold firm, Rudolph will have to show up and play. The idea that this was a move the team would welcome in order to sign Bradbury (which was the take in the media as recently as Monday) is gone now that Kendricks restructured. Rudolph has been well paid on his 2nd contract, and I don’t think fans are going to be at all sympathetic if he hurts the team in pursuit of his 3rd contract.

I think either Rudolph comes back to the table and they work out a fair but not lucrative medium term extension ($6-7M for 3 years), or he shrugs his shoulders and comes to camp with an aim to put up the kind of numbers this year that can make him more money than that in free agency in 2020. 

I’ll be pretty stunned if the Vikings trade him for less than a 3rd rounder (not that I think that would happen). They’re in line for a 4th rounder in 2021 anyway once he plays out this year and signs elsewhere next year for $25M/3 as a free agent. 

I agree with this. I don't think Rudolph's agent is doing him any favors. They will get some sort of compensatory pick for him if he walks. There's also not a veteran TE on the market that would be worth bringing in to try to replace him. Rookie TE's don't generally produce right away, and Cousins needs all the help he can get. 

[vike daddy]

The Vikings are trying to figure out a way to balance the books, and Kyle Rudolph‘s desire to stay in Minnesota. But the veteran tight end told Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he wasn’t prepared to take a pay cut to do so.

Rudolph replied “No way” to a question about taking less, and then added: “No I won’t, I am too young for that.”

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/05/16/kyle-rudolph-no-way-hes-taking-a-pay-cut/

[swede700]

14 minutes ago, vike daddy said:

The Vikings are trying to figure out a way to balance the books, and Kyle Rudolph‘s desire to stay in Minnesota. But the veteran tight end told Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he wasn’t prepared to take a pay cut to do so.

Rudolph replied “No way” to a question about taking less, and then added: “No I won’t, I am too young for that.”

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/05/16/kyle-rudolph-no-way-hes-taking-a-pay-cut/

Didn't he basically just say about a month and a half ago that he was willing to take a paycut?  

[vike daddy]

i just cut and paste the quotes.... lol

[swede700]

Just now, vike daddy said:

i just cut and paste the quotes.... lol

Oh, I know...it's just ridiculous and how he's waffled all of a sudden.  

[vike daddy]

8 minutes ago, swede700 said:

it's just ridiculous and how he's waffled all of a sudden.  

Hamburger Helper and waffles. not a good combo.

[Krauser]

2 hours ago, vikingsrule said:

I think a 4th round comp pick is a bit unrealistic. The TE market isn't ever significant in FA, seems like really good ones don't hit the market. Further, Rudolph will be 30 and has never been a dynamic player.

I'd be happy with a 6th round pick in 2020. I just don't see Rudolph having much of a future in MN and the gain in cap space would be a nice pickup for the season (could use a veteran WR and maybe a cheaper veteran TE) in addition to having more cap flexibility to add players during the season in the case of injury.

UFAs tend to get over- not underpaid. 

Cameron Brate got $6.8M AAV, Jared Cook got $7.5M, Burton got $8M last year. 

Rudolph’s worth at least $7.5M, which would be a 5th round comp pick value. $8M+ is no stretch, that’d be a 4th 

Vikings don’t have the cap room to sign a UFA of their own next year so they wouldn’t cancel out the deal on the comp pick calculation list. 

The floor should be a 5th. Cap space is still negotiable this year, for instance they could get Smith to restructure the way Kendricks did. 

14 minutes ago, swede700 said:

Didn't he basically just say about a month and a half ago that he was willing to take a paycut?  

No he said he was open to an extension that would lower his cap hit this year. That wouldn’t be a pay cut, he’d still get all his money, and in fact more guaranteed. 

There’s no way he was ever going to unilaterally lower the one non guaranteed year on his deal just to do the team a favor. Players are willing to take pay cuts in the last year or so of their career, when they’re likely to be released otherwise and won’t recoup that price on the market (like Winfield in 2013). But that’s not the situation with Rudolph this year. 

[swede700]

 

 

1

2 hours ago, Krauser said:

No he said he was open to an extension that would lower his cap hit this year. That wouldn’t be a pay cut, he’d still get all his money, and in fact more guaranteed. 

There’s no way he was ever going to unilaterally lower the one non guaranteed year on his deal just to do the team a favor. Players are willing to take pay cuts in the last year or so of their career, when they’re likely to be released otherwise and won’t recoup that price on the market (like Winfield in 2013). But that’s not the situation with Rudolph this year. 

That may be the case, but at this point in time, if they were to cut him, he likely wouldn't be able to recoup it on the market, since everyone has likely already addressed their needs at TE.

[Krauser]

10 minutes ago, swede700 said:

That may be the case, but at this point in time, if they were to cut him, he likely wouldn't be able to recoup it on the market, since everyone has likely already addressed their needs at TE.

It's not a question just of the $7.6M this year. He'd do better than zero guaranteed, and nothing on his contract beyond 2019. 

Rudolph's point is that he wants long-term security. That's why he was open to an extension lowering his cap number this year (note: not the same thing as lowering his AAV overall). 

The media doesn't understand how NFL contracts work and so Hartman's question confuses the possibility of an extension with a pay cut. 

[vike daddy]

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Vikings and Rudolph have not ended talks (contrary to a recent report that they have). However, the two sides aren’t making much progress.

The Vikings, according to the source, have offered Rudolph a five-year extension, which would give Rudolph a new-money average among the highest paid tight ends in the league. That extension also would, presumably, reduce Rudolph’s current cap number of $7.625 million.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/05/16/kyle-rudolph-vikings-are-talking-extension-but-not-making-much-progress/

[swede700]

6 hours ago, vike daddy said:

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Vikings and Rudolph have not ended talks (contrary to a recent report that they have). However, the two sides aren’t making much progress.

The Vikings, according to the source, have offered Rudolph a five-year extension, which would give Rudolph a new-money average among the highest paid tight ends in the league. That extension also would, presumably, reduce Rudolph’s current cap number of $7.625 million.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/05/16/kyle-rudolph-vikings-are-talking-extension-but-not-making-much-progress/

If true, I imagine he's probably balking because it probably doesn't contain a lot of up-front money or guarantees, so he would inevitably be cut after 2 years or so.