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A couple of questions for fellow Vikings fans

demoncore1031

demoncore1031

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2008
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theslaughterhouse.freeforums.net
First off, I'm not sure who is set to be free agents next spring, so I'm not exactly sure what the roster will look like. A friend of mine and I were talking about next year's draft even though the 2016 season hasn't even kicked off yet. I told him I wanted to see a QB drafted in round 2 or 3. That kinda made him mad that I would suggest such a thing, so I wanted to ask the following questions.....


1. What are your impressions of Teddy so far? Do you think he is a franchise QB?
2. Do you think it's a good idea to draft a QB in the 2nd or 3rd round? Or maybe the 4th round?

Here is my thinking.
Teddy has been pretty good. He completes a high percentage of passes and makes good decisions most of the time. But he doesn't take chances that often and doesn't throw the deep ball much. One deep ball I do remember is where he overshot McKinnon who was open down the sideline against Green Bay. That would have been an amazing TD if he had connected. I think this year will tell a lot about the type of QB Teddy will end up being, because the o-line will be much better and he has a new target in Treadwell, who I think is a great fit for this offense. But so far I'm just not sold on calling Teddy a franchise QB. And that is why I think drafting a QB could be a good idea. Let a rookie back Teddy and learn the system until Teddy's rookie contract is up. By then the coaches will know for sure if Teddy is the man or not. Best case scenario is that he IS the QB of the future and then the rookie ends up being a good backup who could also be traded later on if needed. Worst case scenario is that Teddy doesn't improve much, throws for 3,000 yards and 15 TDs a year while completing 65% of his passes, and we still have the rookie as backup. The Vikings don't have a lot of needs, so I think this is worth at least considering.
 
I'm not sold on him yet either. I'd say see how he does this year with throwing downfield more and then decide whether to fish or cut bait with him.
 
This season will be very telling of teddy. I like him and want him to succeed, but this year he's going to have to show a lot.
 
demoncore1031 said:
First off, I'm not sure who is set to be free agents next spring, so I'm not exactly sure what the roster will look like. A friend of mine and I were talking about next year's draft even though the 2016 season hasn't even kicked off yet. I told him I wanted to see a QB drafted in round 2 or 3. That kinda made him mad that I would suggest such a thing, so I wanted to ask the following questions.....


1. What are your impressions of Teddy so far? Do you think he is a franchise QB?
2. Do you think it's a good idea to draft a QB in the 2nd or 3rd round? Or maybe the 4th round?

Here is my thinking.
Teddy has been pretty good. He completes a high percentage of passes and makes good decisions most of the time. But he doesn't take chances that often and doesn't throw the deep ball much. One deep ball I do remember is where he overshot McKinnon who was open down the sideline against Green Bay. That would have been an amazing TD if he had connected. I think this year will tell a lot about the type of QB Teddy will end up being, because the o-line will be much better and he has a new target in Treadwell, who I think is a great fit for this offense. But so far I'm just not sold on calling Teddy a franchise QB. And that is why I think drafting a QB could be a good idea. Let a rookie back Teddy and learn the system until Teddy's rookie contract is up. By then the coaches will know for sure if Teddy is the man or not. Best case scenario is that he IS the QB of the future and then the rookie ends up being a good backup who could also be traded later on if needed. Worst case scenario is that Teddy doesn't improve much, throws for 3,000 yards and 15 TDs a year while completing 65% of his passes, and we still have the rookie as backup. The Vikings don't have a lot of needs, so I think this is worth at least considering.
Click to expand...

I agree with all of the previous comments. This year he needs to prove he can get it done. He has overthrown wide-open receivers on deep routes too many times. That has to stop. He's just got to make those throws. I do like that he protects the football and is not a turnover machine. Also, you have to cut him some slack for the relatively poor pass blocking he suffered from a makeshift offensive line which should be improved this year.

Based on a limited volume of work, I like what I see out of Taylor Heinecke, the backup QB out of Old Dominion. He seems to be able to make things happen - most of them good.
 
I tend to wish we had a different quarterback at first though, for all the reasons mentioned above. But then I really think about it and realize that he is one of the better quarterbacks statistically in the NFL. I mean I bet 15+ teams would kill to have a quarterback with just "average" numbers. Look how far the Broncos got with a terrible Peyton Manning. Its possible to win with a bad QB if you have a good defense. and Teddy is far from bad, so I still have faith in him at the moment. I hope he breaks out of his riskless attitude a little this year though.

All he has to do is continue what he is doing while minimizing mistakes (fumbles within field goal range at the end of games, bad interceptions, etc). Our defense is good enough to pick up the rest of the slack
 
demoncore1031 said:
1. What are your impressions of Teddy so far? Do you think he is a franchise QB?
2. Do you think it's a good idea to draft a QB in the 2nd or 3rd round? Or maybe the 4th round?
Click to expand...

My answers
1. Teddy is 23 years old. He still has to prove he will be a franchise QB but that can mean different things to different teams. Not everyone is going to be able to draft an Aaron Rodgers type. Think of Teddy as an Andy Dalton type and expect him to get a contract like his first extension. Not a bad situation because it is obvious we will need to pay the young guys on defense in the next few seasons. And with AP's contract off the books and not breaking the bank on Teddy, we will be able to do so.

2. The team is actually very high on Taylor Heinicke. So much so they can't put him on the practice squad or another team will swipe him. With that said it's never a bad idea to draft a QB regardless who your starter is.
 
Last season the offense was running through AP first and it seemed to hurt Teddy. It seemed he couldn't get into a rhythm. Times when they would abandon the run, he seemed to start showing his potential. Long TD passes look good but there is nothing wrong with moving the chains steadily down the field. Keep doing that and the big play will happen.
 
I want to see Teddy play behind an above average oline before I am ready to cut bait on him. He was pressured on 36% of his dropbacks last year which I believe was highest in the league, and the offense was hesitant to use the shotgun, because it made Peterson less effective. I am hopeful that decent line play will really improve Teddy's game
 
I believe the defense will take another step forward, so protecting the ball, moving the chains, and hitting the occasional big play will all he will need to do. The new tight end they drafted along with Treadwell will provide more weapons, and the flood of offensive linemen will hopefully result in at least a couple of upgrades. I expect to see continued growth from both him and the team.
 
ISUguy said:
I believe the defense will take another step forward, so protecting the ball, moving the chains, and hitting the occasional big play will all he will need to do. The new tight end they drafted along with Treadwell will provide more weapons, and the flood of offensive linemen will hopefully result in at least a couple of upgrades. I expect to see continued growth from both him and the team.
Click to expand...

Yep the defense will be legit. There's talent all over the place. I really want to see Hunter's continued development. He was an awesome surprise last year, as most thoughtit would take time for him to develop. He has all the tools to be dominant
 
I really like Teddy. I haven't seen a QB that comfortable in the pocket since probably Brad Johnson. The problem with Teddy was that his OL was beat up the majority of the season, especially when Loadholt was out. You couldn't even get through saying "one Mississippi" before a hand was up in Bridgewaters face. I love the free agent signings we made this season on OL and I expect Kalil and probably Patterson will not be resigned, which will clear up some more cap space to either find the best free agent or sign a 1st round tackle. The only knock I have on Teddy is that his deep ball is way too loose. His game is dink-&-dunk short passes and slants which puts more emphasis on receivers making plays, which I think is why Treadwell is going to be a steal.
 
Mr Janny said:
I want to see Teddy play behind an above average oline before I am ready to cut bait on him. He was pressured on 36% of his dropbacks last year which I believe was highest in the league, and the offense was hesitant to use the shotgun, because it made Peterson less effective. I am hopeful that decent line play will really improve Teddy's game
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the % was actually something like 47% - highest in the league. Teddy does still need to improve, but those who doubt him so much need to take a look at what Tom Brady did against the Broncos when he was under siege. Brady's an HOFer and struggled big time. That was like every game for Teddy - pressure as soon as he turned around. I'm hoping that some OL pick-ups and some former OCs (Shurmur & Sparano) added to the offensive thinking will help. Norv was as predictable as they come.
 
Casual football watchers assign too much blame to Teddy and not enough to the OL for the passing game's struggles last year. The Vikings OL was abysmal at pass protection.
 
If the coaches feel highly about Heineke, then we probably won't draft a backup QB. I don't know much about the kid but I like what I saw last year in pre-season. I think we will see what Teddy is all about this year with a much better line. If Rudolph plays to his potential, Diggs repeats last year, and Treadwell plays as expected then Teddy should have a great season.

I'm predicting that Hunter will end up being a starter over Robison a litthe past the halfway point of the season. If Smith, Barr and Kendricks stay healthy, the defense will be one of the best in the league.
 
I agree with most of what's been said. I'm not 100% sold on Teddy but he has shown us that he's capable of being the guy. I love him and hope he proves his worth this year.
 
demoncore1031 said:
If the coaches feel highly about Heineke, then we probably won't draft a backup QB. I don't know much about the kid but I like what I saw last year in pre-season. I think we will see what Teddy is all about this year with a much better line. If Rudolph plays to his potential, Diggs repeats last year, and Treadwell plays as expected then Teddy should have a great season.

I'm predicting that Hunter will end up being a starter over Robison a litthe past the halfway point of the season. If Smith, Barr and Kendricks stay healthy, the defense will be one of the best in the league.
Click to expand...
I agree. And like most have said I feel like this is the year that Teddy has to prove his worth. With everything coming to form around him. He will finally have a quality O-Line with veterans and talented players. Our Skill position players, as you mentioned, should fit perfectly with the roles we need them to play to make Teddy successful.

As for defense, I think Hunter is one of the more underrated defensive players out there, dude is a FREAK athlete. We got a steal in him. And Robinson has been around for a while now, 33, and seems to be getting older. But he is not a slouch by any means, yet. I think the coaches will be able to throw him out there as a viable option on any down. The line is a beast to handle when our guys our health, with Everson, Hunter, Robinson, Linval, etc.. Our LB core may be one of the best in the leagues. With such quality young talent, who have played together before, and are learning and growing in the same system together, that can only be good for us. Not to mention they are both top level guys athletically as well as having what it takes intangibly.

Our Secondary is going to be fun to watch. People are still questioning how it will play out with this group. Personally I don't think Newman makes it the whole season as a starter, whether that be because of injury or Waynes just taking over. Trae is a very solid player who just needs his shot to make his mark. Alexander seems like a Mike Zimmer guy through-and-through. TBH I trust any CB core that is being taught by Mike Zimmer, he just gets it and always seems to get guys in the best situation possible to be successful, with his CB background. Harrison Smith, is Harrison Smith. Now, the opposite Safety position may be the most intriguing on the entire roster. I have heard nothing but good things about Kearse since he walked onto the practice field. Now, I am not expecting him to be the starter this season, but I would not put it past him to get meaningful minutes. I just don't trust Sendejo and TBH I don't know much about the Michael Griffin, and anything of quality that he were to put on the field is a plus in my eyes.

Overall, I am very excited about this squad. I think expectations are high for them, with good reason. But I get the feeling that they are holding themselves to a higher standard this year, than I have ever seen from them in recent memory. And it is getting me pumped up. I can't wait to catch a couple games in the new US Bank Stadium that is only going to add more hype to the hype-train that is already rolling in Minnesota.
 
srjclone said:
I just don't trust Sendejo and TBH I don't know much about the Michael Griffin, and anything of quality that he were to put on the field is a plus in my eyes.
Click to expand...

I don't either. I'm shocked that he not only was re-signed, but that it was a 4-year deal. I LOVE the Michael Griffin pick-up, even if it's just for depth. The leadership and coaching that he and Terrence Newman are providing to this secondary is going to pay off down the road.
 
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