Valhalla Villager: News, Rumors and Gossip

[SteelKing728]

We had to make a move for Mullens.

Edited August 22, 2022 by SteelKing728

[Ozzy]

1 hour ago, swede700 said:

Sullivan is the slot.

Not a good one, still fact is he is a below average slot corner and if one asks him to really play slot and follow receivers across the field he will most likely fail at that.  Pretty sad but not sure he is that much better than Mac Alexander and no one on the roster fits the bill of fast, quick and super athletic at corner.  

 

23 minutes ago, Sir Fobos said:

Sullivan is unspectacular, but not bad. I think he'll be an average NCB in this defense, certainly if the pass rush lives up to its potential. Peterson is still solid and Dantzler is pretty good (though he's made some rookie mistakes). CB depth is certainly questionable, though I think some of these young guys will pan out.

 

The situation at Center seems much worse. There doesn't appear to be even a middle-of-the-pack quality C on the roster. Maybe Bradbury will finally put it all together or McConnell will scheme to limit that vulnerability, but Cousins isn't going to have solid protection in the middle unless something changes.

Unspectacular is an understatement.  The scheme helped him last year with their matchup type zone system where the receivers were not followed across the field always and just matched up in an area.  That is why Rasul Douglas had such a career year as well because of that scheme which teams did have trouble with.  As a pure tackler I think already Evans is a better tackler than Sullivan is no question, just can he follow quick receivers, not sure but still not sure about that with Sullivan either.  

 

Until proven otherwise Sullivan to me is just a meh player, I never thought of him on Green Bay as some great corner and why would he be now?  He was brought over because guys on the staff are familiar with him, similar to why Z. Smith was brought over, hire Green Bay guys you will get Green Bay players...

 

Bradbury I would hope as improved something over the course of the offseason, but sure if he has not then it is a problem.  Honestly though the team I feel is greatly depending on Booth to be awesome at corner, because last time I checked Peterson was nothing great last year and neither was Cam Dantzler despite these stats some throw out as if he is this great cover corner when he did not play much....  It is a big question, and again considering one has already got hurt and another is soon to follow it is a problem especially if one wants a quick, athletic and fast corner, Vikings do not currently have one of those on the roster.  No one fits that bill as super athletic and quick, they might have to depend on Kris Boyd now when before Booth got hurt he probably would have been cut.  

 

 

[solidvikingfan]

 

[swede700]

They still have 2 more to cut...I wouldn't be surprised to see one of them be Mannion either, but we'll have to see.  I would think they'd cut the other punter though too, but who knows.

[PrplChilPill]

If it's not Mannion, I'm confused. 

[wcblack34]

28 minutes ago, PrplChilPill said:

If it's not Mannion, I'm confused. 

Mullens won't be up to speed by next preseason game. So they may just let Mannion take reps to ensure Mond doesn't play the whole game...although that might be what is best for Mond.

[PrplChilPill]

13 minutes ago, wcblack34 said:

Mullens won't be up to speed by next preseason game. So they may just let Mannion take reps to ensure Mond doesn't play the whole game...although that might be what is best for Mond.

Fair. 

[swede700]

 

[Cearbhall]

2 hours ago, Ozzy said:

Until proven otherwise Sullivan to me is just a meh player, I never thought of him on Green Bay as some great corner and why would he be now?

I don't think anyone is saying that Sullivan will be a great corner. However, even you are saying that he is a meh player.

To me, a meh player is way better than an ugh player, and what the Vikings have at  center looks like an ugh player.  Hopefully Bradbury or someone else will work their way into being a meh player, but so far I haven't seen it. Why would Bradbury be some great center now?

I agree that corner depth is problematic on the team, but it still looks better to me than the center position.

[Ozzy]

16 minutes ago, Cearbhall said:

I don't think anyone is saying that Sullivan will be a great corner. However, even you are saying that he is a meh player.

To me, a meh player is way better than an ugh player, and what the Vikings have at  center looks like an ugh player.  Hopefully Bradbury or someone else will work their way into being a meh player, but so far I haven't seen it. Why would Bradbury be some great center now?

I agree that corner depth is problematic on the team, but it still looks better to me than the center position.

Even with Bradbury at center the past few years, the offense has been pretty damn successful, even last year they were middle of the pack to top 1/3rd of the league in most categories.  Bradbury has not played preseason has he?  I am holding out that his increased weight maybe he has improved a bit considering he is on the last year of his contract and his career depends on it.  

 

The defense was pretty close to last in most categories.  Booth just got hurt with a serious injury it seemed, and again Dantzler and Peterson will get hurt as well, at least one will.  Sullivan I have very little faith in at all, and the NFL one needs three legit starting corners to be a great defense and need to go at least 5-6 deep at the position.  Without it you have nothing and not sure the Vikings even have one legit starting corner.  Evans has been promising maybe he can slide into the slot but not sure about that because he might need to be out at the boundary.

 

Booth to me was very key and without him things could get ugly quickly.  At least for the C spot, improved OG play will improve the C position, and the Vikings have options at OG in Ingram, Hinton, Reed or Jesse Davis or even Wyatt Davis.  Those are options, something they do not really have especially at slot CB.  

 

 

[Ozzy]

A lot more options at CB in terms of free agents but a lot of those guys are pretty old and not sure any can play the slot outside of maybe Chris Harris and maybe Hargreaves.  JC Tretter no clue why he has not signed but maybe he has some health issues and not sure any of the other guys would be worth it at all.  Chances are a decent corner is cut a lot more likely than a decent center being cut so that might be the best option but again would almost have to be a guy familiar with the system and that the coaches currently know.

 

I did not remember but JC Tretter is the NFLPA president and apparently that is why he might not be signed because of his stance on certain issues, if that is the case that is nuts.  

 

Center Free Agents

JC Tretter
Matt Paradis
BJ Finney
Donel Stanley

 

 

Cornerback Free Agents

Chris Harris
Trae Waynes
Janoris Jenkins
Jimmy Smith
Joe Haden
Kevin King
Xavier Rhodes
AJ Bouye
Desmond Trufant
Vernon Hargreaves
Ross Cockrell
Iman Marshall
Bryce Thompson
Bryce Watts

 

 

 

All these teams have 4 to 6 good corners, and all are arguably Super Bowl contenders.  

 

Chargers: JC Jackson, Samuel Jr, M. Davis, Callahan
Bills: T. White, Jackson, T. Johnson, Elam, Neal
Rams: Ramsey, Hill, Long, Rochell, Kendrick, Durant
Buccaneers: Murphy-Bunting, C. Davis, Dean, McCollum, Delany, Gardner
Eagles: Slay, Bradberry, Maddox, McPhearson, Scott, Jobe, Vincent
Saints: Lattimore, Adebo, Roby, A. Taylor, V, Gray
Bengals: Awuzie, Apple, Hilton, Taylor-Britt, Flowers, J. Davis
Chiefs: Sneed, McDuffie, Fenton, Lammons, J. Williams, J. Watson
Ravens:  Humphrey, Peters, Fuller, Stephens, Armour-Davis
Packers: Alexander, Douglas, Stokes, K. Thomas

 

 

 

 

[swede700]

I, for one, am not significantly concerned about the CB position.  2 years ago when Daronte Jones was the DBs coach...with a lot of young players (until late in the season when scrubs like Corddrea Tankersley were thrown to the wolves) the CBs were decent.  In fact, they were downright competent.  While they certainly need to get a little more depth, I think they'll be fine, even if they have to put Harrison Hand or Akayleb Evans out there.  I'm far more concerned about depth at ILB should Kendricks or Hicks get injured than I am with the CBs.   Asamoah is good solid backup, but beyond that I have little faith.  

[Ozzy]

10 minutes ago, swede700 said:

I, for one, am not significantly concerned about the CB position.  2 years ago when Daronte Jones was the DBs coach...with a lot of young players (until late in the season when scrubs like Corddrea Tankersley were thrown to the wolves) the CBs were decent.  In fact, they were downright competent.  While they certainly need to get a little more depth, I think they'll be fine, even if they have to put Harrison Hand or Akayleb Evans out there.  I'm far more concerned about depth at ILB should Kendricks or Hicks get injured than I am with the CBs.   Asamoah is good solid backup, but beyond that I have little faith.  

You have faith in Daronte Jones?   A guy who was only a DB coach for the Vikings for one season?  He was a coach on Hawaii for one year, DB coach on Wisconsin for one year, assistant DB coach for Miami Dolphins two years, CB coach for Bengals two years then Vikings 1 year and then LSU DC one year then back to the Vikings.  Not an amazing track record and bounces around a lot, that would not happen that much if he was that great.

 

 

That D had Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris to protect those corners and not sure they did that well at all as a unit what so ever.  

 

Jeff Gladney (out of the league/Passed Away)
Holton Hill (out of the league)
Cam Dantzler
Harrison Hand
Mike Hughes (left and has been a lot better outside of Minnesota on KC and now on the Lions)
Cordrea Tankersley (had two tackles on the season started 1 game)

 

 

Sure they are better than that group now in terms of talent but that 2020 defense was near the bottom of the league in almost everything as well.  So if that is the bar, no thanks.  And Vikings last year with Peterson, Alexander, Dantzler, Boyd, Breeland were just as bad if not worse than the 2020 group.  

 

Sure maybe if the front 7 is so good the corners will just need to zone up out there and tackle, but who knows if that is the case and who knows what Z.Smith will be like.  At least Wonnum and Patrick Jones look pretty solid as backup 3/4 OLBs as does Robinson and even Vilain.  

I am not nearly as concerned with IL, Asamoah can fly around and Surratt who will be probably cut could be brought back if he is on the practice squad, Dye as well or Blake Lynch who reacts well to the football.  ILB you have options, four of them as a backup, do not really have that at CB yet.  

[vikingsrule]

5 hours ago, PrplChilPill said:

If it's not Mannion, I'm confused. 

Honestly thinking they cut Mond before Mannion and put Mannion on the PS if he’s still eligible. Seems like a decent guy to have in the QB room. Mond on the other hand, don’t see any upside there. 

[Ozzy]

45 minutes ago, vikingsrule said:

Honestly thinking they cut Mond before Mannion and put Mannion on the PS if he’s still eligible. Seems like a decent guy to have in the QB room. Mond on the other hand, don’t see any upside there. 

Sean Mannion is freaking 30 years old, Mond is what 23?  If anyone has no upside it is Sean Mannion.  

 

Sean Mannion has started 3 games in his 6 year career and played in 14 games.

 

Kellen Mond has thrown 3 passes in a NFL regular season game as a rookie, if they cut that kid because he threw two INTs against the 49ers, that is nuts.  Maybe Mond ends up not working out but little early to call that one, he has made good throws in the preseason and progress but yeah no one looked good last weekend at QB.