The Often Overbearing, But Otherwise Ordinary Offensive Line

[Robb_K]

2 hours ago, VikeManDan said:

That ship has sailed, he'll have to earn his next contract next season. If I'm reading this chart from OTC right it would have Bradbury's 5th year projected salary at $12.745M.

https://overthecap.com/fifth-year-option-projections/

Would The Vikings, after not taking the 5th year option, offer Bradbury a level somewhere between the veteran minimum and a veteran back-up level, like $2.5 to 3 Million per year, if he plays similarly to how he played in The Steelers game over the last 4 games?

[SemperFeist]

11 minutes ago, Robb_K said:

Would The Vikings, after not taking the 5th year option, offer Bradbury a level somewhere between the veteran minimum and a veteran back-up level, like $2.5 to 3 Million per year, if he plays similarly to how he played in The Steelers game over the last 4 games?

They could offer it, but why would Bradbury accept it? 

[Robb_K]

5 hours ago, SemperFeist said:

They could offer it, but why would Bradbury accept it? 

He's decent enough in downfield blocking to be a starter with a team with no decent centre or guards, but his pass blocking has been very weak up until the past two weeks.  I suppose that if he pass blocks well over the last 4 games, he'll be worth other teams taking a chance on him.  And with the odds greater that Zimmer will be gone next season than still around, and the offensive scheme subject to change, he might be less inclined to accept a little less to stay with The Vikings, especially if he'll have more chance to be a starter on the new team.  So, it will be more likely he'll leave than not.  But, I'm hoping he'll stay, as he's looked pretty good over the past 2 games, and I still think he'll turn into a reliable, slightly better-than-average interior lineman (perhaps better at guard than centre).

 

Cole has also looked much better at RG over the last 2 games, just as he did with The Cards.  I'd re-sign him to play RG, and have him compete with Wyatt Davis for the starting job next season.  I don't think that The Vikings will have enough Cap space left to sign

Hunter to a big, long-term contract, and also sign both a UFA centre and a RG.  So, Cole might be a good stopgap to cover the RG spot until a new draftee can take over, and The Vikes should sign a UFA centre.

Their top 2 draftees need to be a shut-down CB, and a high-quality DE, unless a really good-looking QB prospect falls to their 2nd choice spot.  And they probably should draft an interior OL as a long-term replacement for the FA they sign (at least in the 3rd Round, or 2nd, if a much more highly-touted one drops precipitously.

[SemperFeist]

3 hours ago, Robb_K said:

So, it will be more likely he'll leave than not.

Bradbury is still under contract for next season. 

[VikeManDan]

 

 

[swede700]

I can't see them picking up Bradbury's option next year.  Let him play out  at least half the season next year and we'll see where he stands at that point before considering whether to offer him a long-term deal.

[wcblack34]

20 minutes ago, swede700 said:

I can't see them picking up Bradbury's option next year.  Let him play out  at least half the season next year and we'll see where he stands at that point before considering whether to offer him a long-term deal.

Also, if there is a new coach and scheme, he may not even fit into the new regime's plans past next season. 

[SemperFeist]

1 hour ago, wcblack34 said:

Also, if there is a new coach and scheme, he may not even fit into the new regime's plans past next season. 

Quite frankly, a new coach would be foolish to switch away from zone blocking. 

[wcblack34]

1 hour ago, SemperFeist said:

Quite frankly, a new coach would be foolish to switch away from zone blocking. 

We actually have a good mix of linemen for multiple schemes. We’ve got the athletic guys, but Zimmer and Spielman brought in some bigger guys too this past offseason. That said, we still aren’t a line of maulers. But there are some possibilities with scheme flexibility. 

[SemperFeist]

2 hours ago, wcblack34 said:

We actually have a good mix of linemen for multiple schemes. We’ve got the athletic guys, but Zimmer and Spielman brought in some bigger guys too this past offseason. That said, we still aren’t a line of maulers. But there are some possibilities with scheme flexibility. 

There’s the possibility, sure. But these players were brought in for zone blocking, they’ve been practicing, playing, and growing with this system. And the offense is in no way shape or form an issue. In fact, it’s the strength of this team. Changing schemes would only move them backwards. 

[vikingsrule]

10 hours ago, SemperFeist said:

There’s the possibility, sure. But these players were brought in for zone blocking, they’ve been practicing, playing, and growing with this system. And the offense is in no way shape or form an issue. In fact, it’s the strength of this team. Changing schemes would only move them backwards. 

I’m fine keeping the ZBS. But I want to target players who are very strong and can anchor in pass protection but still have the feet and agility to play in the ZBS. This years draft class is a good example of this whereas a player like Bradbury shouldn’t be targeted. ZBS is fine, I just don’t want OL that get bullied around. Darrrisaw, Cleveland, O’Neill are all long term fixtures, good fits. Davis looks the part of what I’d want to see at RG too but he needs to play. Not confident that Bradbury should be a player for this new OL moving forward. 

[swede700]

Expect the return of either Udoh or Dakota Dozier.

[SteelKing728]

Man Akiem Hicks did him dirty!!

[wcblack34]

1 hour ago, swede700 said:

Expect the return of either Udoh or Dakota Dozier.

When it rains, it pours and someone dynamites the dam up the river from your house...

[vike daddy]

Rookie Christian Darrisaw looks like a major addition to the line that will pay dividends going forward, the first Minnesota has had since it drafted Brian O’Neill on the other side of the line. Darrisaw finished with a 71.8 PFF grade after allowing 22 pressures in 11 games. The tackles were the two best-graded members of the line, and the only two above 70.0 overall. O’Neill was the lone Vikings lineman to play snaps this season who earned a pass-blocking grade above 65.0, and that is where Minnesota’s biggest area to target improvement needs to be.

Minnesota has some reason for optimism. Sure, the o-line too often resembled a sieve at various points over Zim’s time as head coach, but there’s finally some legit reason to have optimism.

Brian O’Neill is already a rock-solid NFL tackle. Christian Darrisaw is on his way to similarly establishing himself as a strong tackle. He played 652 snaps along the offensive line, finishing with the 15th-best run blocking score in the league. He’s a mauler in the run game who has the necessary strength/athleticism combo to continue developing in pass pro. That pair is a major reason why the Vikings should feel reasonably hopeful moving forward, especially since Ezra Cleveland took a step forward this season.

https://purpleptsd.com/a-glass-half-full-approach-to-minnesotas-underwhelming-o-line-ranking/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook