How does everyone feel about what we have done so far?

[VikingBob]

I know I am always optimistic, but does anyone else feel underwhelmed so far at what the Vikings have done

[pumpf]

Not really. There wasn't much for them to do. Britt or Pryor would've been nice... but they were luxuries. We needed OTs... and we got 2 OTs. Not sure what else there was we should've done. When the FA Sweepstakes winner manages to win a Super Bowl because of it, then I'll worry.

[VikingBob]

We won the division 2 seasons ago and we're opening a brand new stadium, since starting 5-0 it seems like we are going the wrong way...

[Jayme96]

I think this was a home run. As much as can be expected given the constraints and overall situation this offseason. Riley Reiff was my #1 target in FA all along. Another OT, like Remmers, who has at least been a decent player and playing on good teams, was a must as well. I don't know what more you could REALISTICALLY expect or even hope for.

I've also been on record saying I thought this was a very good draft, so there is no point in wasting money on WRs or anything else in FA. Use that money on the OL, since that is the one position in the draft where you aren't going to add quality talent. So now you go into the draft without any serious holes and can target studs instead of reaching for shitty 3rd tier OL in 2-3. You might even be able to justify a trade up for someone like McCaffrey now if he slides to late 1. Keep in mind that a safety valve like him for the QB is going to help the pass blocking as much as anything. If you can get consistent yards and move the chains from a dump off to an electric receiving back like McCaffrey, the QB doesn't have to hold the ball so long. It all works together.

[Norse]

The way I look at it...We didn't get the best tackles out there, but we got 2 serviceable tackles an we still have money in the bank. Which gives us a little more leave way in the draft.
Mixed emotions about Captain leaving. But I think that was his plan all along. Sooner or later the young players need to step up.
We also got a few holes to fill yet, lets see what approach Rick & Zimmer take.

[Purp1eOne]

To me it seems like Rick knew going into FA he would have to settle with the second tier of OT. Sure he was gong to make an effort at players he had rated higher and try to retain Kalil because he drafted him, but with the cap space these other teams have there was no way he could outbid them.

His hand was forced to do something and while I am not overly happy with the OTs we got, the contracts aren't huge with the way the cap is going up every year and if the don't work out he can dump them in 2 years.

Do I think the Oline is better right now than at this point last year ..... no. Is it better than at the end of last year....... sure.

I think losing Captain is going to hurt the most of any player that was on the team last year. Newman had great value last year also and would be nice to get him back.

Rick is going to have to have a good draft.

[VikingBob]

I think he still needs to add 2 more players so that the draft isn't based upon need instead of BPA
Would love to see Hightower, Poe, Murray or Lacy, any serviceable WR 2-3 of those guys would be a home run. We have the money!!

[Purplemachine]

So far meh. Their hand was forced to sign a tackle or two.

Getting Poe would be great but $$$.

L. Murray would be nice.

As some have said before...they (Rick) has to NAIL this draft.

[Purp1eOne]

Mar 11, 2017 12:32:07 GMT -6 VikingBob said:

Lacy,

No way on Lacy.... dude is an injury waiting to happen because he is such a fat ass

[WisconsinVike]

Mar 11, 2017 10:38:30 GMT -6 VikingBob said:

I know I am always optimistic, but does anyone else feel underwhelmed so far at what the Vikings have done

I'm with you VB - underwhelmed
But what could they do?, not much available for the money they had
(which, in a perfect world, the Vikes should NEVER have been in such dire straits with their lack of quality OL men in the first place)
I'm more concerned about the amount of players leaving for "greener pastures".
Was led to believe this team was close, feels more like a rebuild year to me.

[VikingBob]

Mar 11, 2017 13:01:14 GMT -6 WisconsinVike said:

Mar 11, 2017 10:38:30 GMT -6 VikingBob said:

I know I am always optimistic, but does anyone else feel underwhelmed so far at what the Vikings have done

I'm with you VB - underwhelmed
But what could they do?, not much available for the money they had
(which, in a perfect world, the Vikes should NEVER have been in such dire straits with their lack of quality OL men in the first place)
I'm more concerned about the amount of players leaving for "greener pastures".
Was led to believe this team was close, feels more like a rebuild year to me.

Exactly. It almost has the feel of a rebuilding year.... 😪

[Purplemachine]

Mar 11, 2017 13:13:29 GMT -6 VikingBob said:

Mar 11, 2017 13:01:14 GMT -6 WisconsinVike said:

I'm with you VB - underwhelmed
But what could they do?, not much available for the money they had
(which, in a perfect world, the Vikes should NEVER have been in such dire straits with their lack of quality OL men in the first place)
I'm more concerned about the amount of players leaving for "greener pastures".
Was led to believe this team was close, feels more like a rebuild year to me.

Exactly. It almost has the feel of a rebuilding year.... 😪

Yeah. How many times have we done that before?  SMH!

[VikingBob]

Mar 11, 2017 13:31:04 GMT -6 Purplemachine said:

Mar 11, 2017 13:13:29 GMT -6 VikingBob said:

Exactly. It almost has the feel of a rebuilding year.... 😪

Yeah. How many times have we done that before?  SMH!

Too many!!!

[Uncle]

This was and is a critical offseason where Rick and the Front Office had to hit a home run to get the team back into playoff contention and make that trade for Bradford pay off. And he hasn't so far...

While he had to make some obvious moves in releasing Fusco and not picking up Peterson's $18m option, the failure to even get FA slot CB K'Waun Williams was the first "loss" of the offseason. Then, it did seem that Rick was a little late to the FA party; while other teams were really lining up their choices and wheelin'-n-dealin', we were showing interest only. If you wanted to play in the Day 1 FA game, you have to get your hand in the game well before Day 1. There was no reason for Rick to be at the OU Pro Day on Wednesday w/ Zimmer, who can do all the evaluating and interviews for the team. And it showed on Day 1 when we lost out on the top target in Wagner and then Rick lost out on Kalil who he wanted to keep (not me though), and while he lost out, the top LT on the market in Whitworth was signing a deal w/ LA that was well within the Viking's budget.

After that initial OT scramble, I think we settled for Reiff who we overpaid for. I don't think the play was to have Reiff play LT, but only in a pinch since he could, but since the remaining LT were pretty much gone (except for Beachum), he decided to overpay to solidify the RT spot in Remmers.

The home run play was Whitworth and Wagner and Rick had to be crafty and early to pull it off - he was neither. I do think that Reiff and Remmers are better than Kalil and Andre Smith so I think we're better than what we were heading into the 2016 season with, but I think they're a far cry from Whitworth and Wagner who weren't that much more.

On top of that, while Rick was busy solidifying both OT spots, he "lost" on both of the WR1 deals he was "in" on - Jeffrey and Pryor. And it really baffles me why he wasn't "in" on Marshall - who really could have given us the WR1 target for two seasons while Treadwell develops.

And now Captain left on a totally reasonable deal back to Carolina, leaving a hole at the slot CB position that it seems Alexander will have to take over - even though we made a play for K'Wuan Williams earlier this year.

If I had to give a grade so far, probably a C-. There's still time to get this back to the "B" level if can "win" the rest of FA by getting solid guys here on reasonable deals, but he's gonna have to jump in the pool much sooner and be much more aggressive. As of right now, he's going to have to have an "A"-level draft, and given his track record, that doesn't seem likely.

[Purp1eOne]

Mar 11, 2017 14:56:34 GMT -6 Uncle said:

but I think they're a far cry from Whitworth and Wagner who weren't that much more.

The lions structured Wagner so he will get 17.5 million the first year, thats a big chunk of the cap that would be tough to do

Whitworth costs 9.1 million the first year.

Reiff is 8.5 and Remmers is 5.1 so combined they are less than Wagner.