I understand. Free agency has basically eliminated the possibility of keeping a collection of talent like that together for an extended run. However, it's clearly still possible to put together a team like that and win a Super Bowl.The Breeze wrote:Sure....A scenario where one team has gathered a group of guys that can routinely physically out perform the opponent. Like the SteelCurtain, PPEs, Doomsday D, the Hogs in DC, the Aikman O-line and the trips, practically the whole niners of the 80's.
It's one trick to even get that kind of talent in one place anymore due to all the investment in leaguewide college scouting but also because the gaps between player A and B are becomig smaller as time goes by. The vikes have fast receivers, for example, but are they significantly better, performance-wise, as a result of that speed in regards to the average WR? I don't think so....the gap is too smal.
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If you do manage to put together a physically dominant unit, it doesn't last (couple years?) cause those individuals become FAs, who are then desirable to teams with more money. Like what happened to the Ravens, Saints and now Seattle etc. QBs cost money cuts are made elsewhere.
I disagree that Turner's offense requires above average players across the board to be successful. I don't think his system requires more talent than any other. Most NFL teams run the same plays so the primary differences in how offenses are run involve organization and terminology, with tweaks like running a no huddle. The organizing principles of Turner's offense make it more difficult to utilize the kind of flexibility the Patriots offense utilizes because the terminology is more cumbersome and specific but the talent requirements probably aren't any more demanding than other offenses.In regards to the Vikes philosophy: they are running an offense that requires above average players across the board to be sustainably successful. To his credit, when Norv has that, he makes it work well...but what are the odds of that happening really? Meanwhile teams like GB and NE (maybe Cincy, Giants, Pitt,AZ and Carolina) build flexible schemes around key pieces and mortar it together with plug n play guys who don't command high salaries.
It sounds to me like a failure of management and personnel acquisition/development.IMO,The vikes are overpaying at TE,RB one WR, RT(even before the injury considering the requirements of this system) and pinning their success on the shoulders of a 2nd year QB, when they haven't succeeded in cobbling an offensive line together in nearly a decade. And whether that is just a matter of scheme, coaching or talent...I dunno.
They should be able to tell long before that. Even this year's makeshift o-line isn't so bad that it renders evaluation of Bridgewater's performance impossible.I assume the thinking was that with AD back and healthy line, that they'd caught ligtning in a bottle and the ofense would just go. I know I did.
Clemmings is not that good yet. Sully is an undersized center coming off of 2 spinal surgeries, concussion problems, microfracture surgery? and a hernia too?
Loadholt, who was not a consistently good pass blocker, with an achillies recovery? It might be 3 seasons before this group is solid enough to demonstrably prove that Teddy might not be a good fit for this system.
I imagine the thinking going into the season was much as you suggested but they were ill-prepared to handle injuries to an already suspect line and Bridgewater hasn't been able to thrive throwing downfield to speedy receivers and Rudolph.I think they expected to be able to run the ball behind the starting 5 they had, draw more defenders into the box, and then throw over the top. However, they don't block well enough to dominate in the running game like they did a few years ago and it turns out Bridgewater doesn't have much of a downfield game. Oops.
They don't need an offense composed of nothing but above average players to run Norv's system successfully but they do need to block effectively and they definitely need a QB whose skill set fits their strategy. I'm not sure that's Bridgewater and I'm still wondering why they thought he would be a good fit.