offensive neglect

[mosscarter]

at this point it appears zimmer is too overly defensive minded. what has been done to address our offensive line? absolutely nothing and that is the weakest part of our team.

[Norv Zimmer]

I really don't believe our line is too terrible. They got rid of johnson and he was the worst. I think Yankee will probably start at left guard. Remember o lineman can be found in later rounds, Sullivan was a 5th I believe and fusco a 6th. I absolutely love the kendricks pick.

[Vikings28]

Offense will be fine. Teddy's progression and getting Peterson back alone takes the offense to the next level. Add in a healthy Rudolph, more speed at WR, and hopefully something/anything from Patterson and the skilled positions are good to go.

Not sure what people expected to happen with the o-line. I understand being a bit uneasy after they didn't address it in free agency but this was expected in the draft. Vikings weren't going to spend a high pick on an interior offensive lineman. Spielman just doesn't do that.

I also don't mind focusing on defense since CB and LB were two of our biggest needs. IMO, an even bigger need than LG. I can't wait to see this beast of a defense in action. Went from 32nd in points allowed per game to 11th in Zimmer's first year. I'm definitely biased but with his track record and the guys they've added, I wouldn't be surprised if they're knocking at the door of being a top 5 defense as soon as next season. Having the type of defense Zimmer is building will only make the offense's job easier.

[mondry]

I like to think of it as defensive obsession! We're well on our way to having the 2000 ravens defense now. Seriously, outside of like maybe an upgrade to robert blanton we're so stacked! When this is a top 5 unit this upcoming season and Adrian rushes for 2100 yards and we go 16-0 you guys will get it!

#havefaith

[mosscarter]

norv: lets admit fusco was a total anomaly who would have ever thought that would have amounted to anything? i literally live 20 minutes from the slippery rock campus and none of those players are worth a damn at all.

[808vikingsfan]

I like to think of it as defensive obsession! We're well on our way to having the 2000 ravens defense now. Seriously, outside of like maybe an upgrade to robert blanton we're so stacked! When this is a top 5 unit this upcoming season and Adrian rushes for 2100 yards and we go 16-0 you guys will get it!

#havefaith

I love this draft so far. Vikings got the top CB and top LB in the draft. With Fusco back, the weakest link gone, I think the OL should be at least middle of the pack. With AD and Wallace, TB will be doing a lot of PA this year.

[mosscarter]

don't get me wrong i love both of those picks too, but the rest of our picks need to be on the offensive line.

[The Breeze]

I've been harping on the O-line for a few years now. It has improved from center to right guard and Kalil still has potential. There are still 4 rounds left in the draft and opportunities to add some line depth if not an immediate starter.

Having said that, I've been waiting for this team to field a dominant defense for even longer....years longer. I believe it is the lynchpin to sustainable greatness. The O-line is equally important and the timing of building each is kinda moot IMO....given that when AD has been on the field the offense seems to score points even when the line has been in worse shape. So, it's a wash to me because both elements(o-line/killer D) are desired and not necessarily simultaneously fixable.

Someone will play guard and be at least as good as the guy who played there the past 3 seasons,IMO. My bigger concern is that if that guy is Charlie Johnson-type, how does it effect Kalil's growth and how the staff is evaluating Kalil?

Hopefully there is a solid plan going into camp.

[mosscarter]

my question with the original post is might zimmer be TOO defensive minded? that was the question posed. simply adding mike wallace does not solve our deep threat. he is 6 ft tall he is no randy moss. he is fast, but so what? he has a poor attitude and has since he came into the league so i'm not exactly convinced. i hope johnson can step up, because i'm starting to belive patterson can barely read or write let alone run decent routes at the highest level.

[The Breeze]

my question with the original post is might zimmer be TOO defensive minded? that was the question posed. simply adding mike wallace does not solve our deep threat. he is 6 ft tall he is no randy moss. he is fast, but so what? he has a poor attitude and has since he came into the league so i'm not exactly convinced. i hope johnson can step up, because i'm starting to belive patterson can barely read or write let alone run decent routes at the highest level.

i think you have to wait and see the onfield results.

[dkoby]

Our defense has sucked for sooo long and now people are complaining. We have a defensive head coach, which is what we need. We have the best running back in football and one of the fastest wide receivers. We spent a number one pick last year on a QB. We spent a 3rd rounder on another running back last year. we have one of the better TE's in the league when healthy (not the teams fault). People usually B&TCH on this site if we pick a guard higher than 5th round.
I swear, no one here can be happy.
I wasn't sold on Waynes, but if Zimmer is happy, then I trust in Zimmer to develop him. Would you rather have him in the hands of Chilli or Frazier?
We need to counter the offenses in our division. When Chicago took White, I thought it a certainty that Waynes was going to be the pick. Would you rather watch Josh Robinson look helpless against Jay friggin Cutler again?
No thanks. I was hoping we would go major defense and build upon something we havent had in a while. I'm sick of Aaron Rodgers tearing us up like a rag doll.

[PacificNorseWest]

at this point it appears zimmer is too overly defensive minded. what has been done to address our offensive line? absolutely nothing and that is the weakest part of our team.

Zimmer isn't drafting by himself. I think Spielman has definitely bought into what Zimmer envisions and that doesn't have to be a bad thing.

I love the direction they're headed. CB depth, hopefully an impact player at LB and D-line depth on top of what is an up-and-coming defense that should only get better and it's already improved a lot.

I really don't believe our line is too terrible. They got rid of johnson and he was the worst. I think Yankee will probably start at left guard. Remember o lineman can be found in later rounds, Sullivan was a 5th I believe and fusco a 6th. I absolutely love the kendricks pick.

I agree to a point. They have talent and most the guys have all shown they can get the job done. It's putting it all together and hoping Kalil can finally get his crap together.

[Purple bruise]

Our defense has sucked for sooo long and now people are complaining. We have a defensive head coach, which is what we need. We have the best running back in football and one of the fastest wide receivers. We spent a number one pick last year on a QB. We spent a 3rd rounder on another running back last year. we have one of the better TE's in the league when healthy (not the teams fault). People usually B&TCH on this site if we pick a guard higher than 5th round.
I swear, no one here can be happy.
I wasn't sold on Waynes, but if Zimmer is happy, then I trust in Zimmer to develop him. Would you rather have him in the hands of Chilli or Frazier?
We need to counter the offenses in our division. When Chicago took White, I thought it a certainty that Waynes was going to be the pick. Would you rather watch Josh Robinson look helpless against Jay friggin Cutler again?
No thanks. I was hoping we would go major defense and build upon something we havent had in a while. I'm sick of Aaron Rodgers tearing us up like a rag doll.

Nice take and I totally agree. It would be a boring site if everyone agreed about every pick but if you take a close look it is basically the same complainers that find fault with most every move Ricky makes. Time will tell and every pick can't be a blue chip player.
This team is in very capable hands from the owner, the GM, the Head Coach and Norv Turner. I am betting that with AD back, a healthy Fusco, Loadholt, Rudolph and the additional deep threat provide by Wallace, this year will be a play-off year and next year, with their new stadium, a very deep play-off run or dare I say NFC championship

[Laserman]

face it, LB and CB were glaring needs, especially a LB who can cover which we don't have. We'll pick up and Oline in the later rounds today.

[MikethePurple]

As people have mentioned these have been positions of need so I don't see a problem with the picks as I would trust the staff's evaluations of the players over my own. My hope is that they really are picking best players available or at least have very similar grades to players who are available in positions of need.

I don't think anyone should have been surprised by a CB in Round 1 and LB in Round 2. However, DE may have been a little surprising but remember that Zimmer is big on rotations and Robison is not getting any younger and was massively overworked last season.

The lack of attention to the LG position is a concern but we can't assume that if you draft someone (unless very high and even then its no guarantee) that they are going to be this flawless plug and play player. Fusco and Sullivan have both been solid players but it took them time to develop. Hopefully, Yankey is coming along yet there seem to be concerns about him. At the very least we have Berger who ideally would be a great backup and not a starter but hopefully guard is addressed at some point as it is a problem, especially if Kalil can't get it together this year.