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Let's Delve Into Dalvin Cook


Klomp

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1 hour ago, SemperFeist said:

The idea of Zimmer not playing rookies is really an over exaggeration from 2016. We saw our rookies pay a considerable amount of snaps in 2014 and 2015. 

I agree completely. It is a narrative pushed by some of us trying to rationalize our hope that the Vikings 2016 draft class was not terrible. I'll keep hoping, but the sad reality is that the team may not get much out of the 2016 draft class. The reality is that Zimmer has played rookies quite a bit.

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4 minutes ago, Cearbhall said:

I agree completely. It is a narrative pushed by some of us trying to rationalize our hope that the Vikings 2016 draft class was not terrible. I'll keep hoping, but the sad reality is that the team may not get much out of the 2016 draft class. The reality is that Zimmer has played rookies quite a bit.

I'm not sure I agree.  Outside of Beavers and MoBo, they have gotten some out of the class...they just have seemed to be a little slower to develop and seem to be more depth players than stars. No, they aren't Kendricks, Hunter, and Diggs from the 2015 draft...but, I don't think you should expect that.  

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I'm not ready to declare the 2016 class a failure yet either. 

Treadwell was one of the youngest players in the 2016 draft, and is still one of the youngest receivers in the NFL. Had it not been for Thielen bursting into the scene and taking everyone by surprise, I think we would have seen Treadwell play a much larger contribution to the offense last year. Against New Orleans, we already saw the improvement that Treadwell has made and that he was getting open on almost all of his routes. Now it's just a matter of Bradford getting comfortable with him. 

As for Alexander, he's really been asked to play out of position. It was no surprise to see him struggle a bit as a rookie knowing the demands that Zimmer puts on his corners, but asking Alexander to play nickel is asking a lot from a young corner, especially one who didn't play nickel in college. It's an extreme learning curve. 

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Sorry, Adrian Peterson, but Dalvin Cook is reminding us that running back will always be a young man’s position. A week after rushing for 127 yards, Cook’s young legs continued to dazzle, particularly on a 25-yard run to within inches of the goal line. Cook gets to the edge quickly, which then shifts the numbers in his favor. Safety Mike Mitchell found that out when Cook made a sharp but subtle cut that caused Mitchell to lose his balance and fall.

Cook: “I saw an opening, pressed the line of scrimmage and got one on one with the safety. I know I can make the safety miss. That cut has been my game since I first touched the football. I’m going to continue carrying that part of my game over to this level and keep getting better at it.”

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-five-extra-points-kicker-woes-a-sensible-fake-punt-attempt-and-other-key-observations/445197573/

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17 minutes ago, vike daddy said:

Sorry, Adrian Peterson, but Dalvin Cook is reminding us that running back will always be a young man’s position. A week after rushing for 127 yards, Cook’s young legs continued to dazzle, particularly on a 25-yard run to within inches of the goal line. Cook gets to the edge quickly, which then shifts the numbers in his favor. Safety Mike Mitchell found that out when Cook made a sharp but subtle cut that caused Mitchell to lose his balance and fall.

Cook: “I saw an opening, pressed the line of scrimmage and got one on one with the safety. I know I can make the safety miss. That cut has been my game since I first touched the football. I’m going to continue carrying that part of my game over to this level and keep getting better at it.”

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-five-extra-points-kicker-woes-a-sensible-fake-punt-attempt-and-other-key-observations/445197573/

i have no idea why all the l's and i's are bolded.... lol

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In his first two NFL games, Cook has carried 34 times for 191 yards and a sparkling 5.6 average. That’s the most yards rushing by a Vikings player in his first two games, passing the 169 Adrian Peterson had in 2007.

Zimmer: “Dalvin has been a great kid since he’s come in here. He’s come in here and worked hard. He’s studied hard and prepared hard. Our expectations were really high for him, and he at least met those expectations. Every week he does something. He shows great speed and acceleration. I think he continues to get better each week. We’re extremely happy and pleased with his progress so far.”

http://www.twincities.com/2017/09/20/vikings-rb-dalvin-cook-ready-to-show-bucs-what-theyre-missing/

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2 hours ago, vikingsrule said:

That seemed to be Peterson's breakout of carries too. Didn't seem that he got going until the second half. I just want a RB who can start hot and catch the ball. Hopefully Cook can improve in both areas.

His pass catching (in)ability has been disappointing. Meanwhile, his pass protection has been quite good for a rookie RB. The Vikings might want to stop trying to toss it to him this year but hopefully he will have a chance to work on it after the season and earn some trust in that area.

As far as starting out hot, I think that has more to do with the offensive line than the RB. They can't seem to run block very well early in the games for whatever reason. Whether that is because the team needs to pass to setup the run, they need to tire out the defense, or something else I do not know. The bigger runs later in the game are because the offensive line is doing a much better job of run blocking later in the game IMO.

All in all, we have to be very happy with Cook's first couple games. Importantly, he hasn't been fumbling the ball away.

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Vikings rookie running back Dalvin Cook has had enough with these slow starts. In first halves of his two NFL games, Cook has rushed 14 times for just 25 yards. In his two second halves, he has had 20 carries for 166 yards.

Cook: “I just got to start faster, and that’s what I’m working on with me, to start faster and get in a good jump at that. Starting in the third quarter can’t help my team, so I got to start faster in the first quarter.’’

Zimmer: “We’ve had better success in the second half of games running the football, but I don’t think it has anything to do with him. He’s good.’’

http://www.twincities.com/2017/09/21/vikings-rookie-rb-dalvin-cook-determined-to-overcome-slow-starts/

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Cook finished the game with 97 yards on 27 attempts. His 288 yards through Week 3 set a team record for most rookie rushing yards after three games, passing Adrian Peterson (271 yards in 2007).

 

Cook: “I don’t care too much about the statistics; I just like us getting that ‘W.’ But having that impact on the program is good. This season, man, it’s been amazing. I haven’t thought about the record, really, because I just like to win. But it’s amazing how all these guys have welcomed the rookies into the locker room. It’s a great start. It’s a great start to a good season, an exciting season for us. It’s a good start for everybody, and we just gotta keep going from here.”

http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/Dalvin-Cook-Scores-1st-Career-TD-Breaks-Vikings-Record-Against-Bucs/e1f74e32-8bbd-48f6-b64e-ca4b0d0bb320?sf116417594=1

Edited by vike daddy
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As an FSU fan it was INSANE to me that he fell to the 2nd round, and even then, people saying Minnesota "took a chance" on Dalvin. Are you kidding me? Yeah he's had some problems, but most kids from the rougher parts of Miami do. He's a good kid at heart. Dude's got tons of talent. Great vision. Great burst. Great patience. He's got South Florida speed.

Oh but his combine numbers! Yeah, and Kareem Hunt ran a 4.6 40. At some point those numbers are meaningless.

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