I've got a brand new pair of horns

[Maelstrom88]

Hey guys! I am new to the forum and Vikings fanhood and just wanted to introduce myself and offer up some observations from a fresh set of eyes on the team. I am a Missouri native and was raised as a Rams fan but the way the owner trashed the city and fanbase to get what he wanted has left me searching for a new team. Enter the Vikings. I have always been a fan the colors and helmet (I'm a sucker for horns). I remember beating you guys in the divisional playoffs in the Jeff George days and always enjoyed watching the offenses with Carter and Moss. Plus my dad grew up in Illinois as a Purple People Eater fan. So anyways time for a few observations about football. I have been going back an watching all of the Vikings games from this season and am about halfway through the schedule and I can say that the offense definitely needs to be overhauled in the offseason. I still think AP has at least two great years left in him but the oline needs to stop allowing him to get hit so often in the backfield. They can block bad defenses okay but can't cut it vs. good front sevens. I'm also not sold on Bridgewater and would like to see the team draft a Qb in the middle rounds to develop. As a former Rams fan I can tell you Shaun Hill is a wasted roster spot. He is awful and if he ever has to start you can mark it down as a loss. Getting a great WR to pair with Diggs would be my first round priority. Someone who makes defenses keep both safeties deep. The defense is pretty good especially if Waynes and Hunter develop like they should. Get the offense to score 24 points a game and we will be tough to beat. Also stop being so predicable. I can pretty much always say if Teddy is inder center it's going to AP and if he's in the shotgun it's a pass. They need to do more missdirection with Patterson on end arounds, playaction shots deep on first down, and rollout passes off playaction.

Skol!

[IrishViking]

Welcome to the board.

I think most would agree that our offense needs an huge overhaul but apart from a big body receiver our WR core is actually pretty deep. What we really need is to imporve the Oline dramatically.

[Maelstrom88]

Welcome to the board.

I think most would agree that our offense needs an huge overhaul but apart from a big body receiver our WR core is actually pretty deep. What we really need is to imporve the Oline dramatically.

Thanks! I had high hopes for Wallace and thought that was a good move last year and think Patterson is very talented and can be as good as he wants to be but it hasn't panned out yet. I am hopeful that they can get an offensive lineman and safety in free agency and a WR in the first round. I'm a big believer in drafting offensive lineman in the middle to late rounds and coaching them up. Greg Robinson and Jason Smith soured me lol. Now if a Pace or Hutchinson type talent was available... How much cap space will they have? I know cutting Wallace saves quite a bit.

[IrishViking]

Thanks! I had high hopes for Wallace and thought that was a good move last year and think Patterson is very talented and can be as good as he wants to be but it hasn't panned out yet. I am hopeful that they can get an offensive lineman and safety in free agency and a WR in the first round. I'm a big believer in drafting offensive lineman in the middle to late rounds and coaching them up. Greg Robinson and Jason Smith soured me lol. Now if a Pace or Hutchinson type talent was available... How much cap space will they have? I know cutting Wallace saves quite a bit.

The cap space is a little murky right now mostly because we don't know how they are going to restructure Wallace and Peterson and there are so many contracts up NEXT year that they may try to take one of those blows this year so soften the load the following off season. IDK how closely you follow the Vikings but our money guys are actually very very good. I cannot recall a time under the current leadership where we were in a bind and couldn't afford someone Rick or the staff really wanted.

[Maelstrom88]

That is good to know. I get the impression that Wallace must restructure or go. Peterson I think will get his money this year but unfortunately unless he has an amazing year and they are forced to keep him based on how well he performs it will be his last year with the team. I see him wanting to play for the Cowboys and not willing to restructure. Hope I'm wrong as I would love to see him retire a Viking but that's the impression I get. Who is up next year? Floyd and Smith?

[Just Me]

Sucks about the Rams moving. I've caught several Vikings/Rams games at the dome in St. Louis. (Is it just going to be just the Blues that play there now?)

[autobon7]

Sucks about the Rams moving. I've caught several Vikings/Rams games at the dome in St. Louis. (Is it just going to be just the Blues that play there now?)

I'm with you.....I have been fortunate enough to see the Viks 5 times in St Louis as I live only an hour away. Plus I do feel bad for the local fan base as I hate to see any team move away. Unfortunately its a business 1st and a game 2nd.

[Mothman]

I'm with you.....I have been fortunate enough to see the Viks 5 times in St Louis as I live only an hour away. Plus I do feel bad for the local fan base as I hate to see any team move away.

I feel especially bad for them because this is the second time an NFL team has moved out of St. Louis.

[Maelstrom88]

Sucks about the Rams moving. I've caught several Vikings/Rams games at the dome in St. Louis. (Is it just going to be just the Blues that play there now?)

The Blues play in the Scottrade center. I don't know what they are going to do with the done but they still owe like 100 million on it I believe.

[Just Me]

The Blues play in the Scottrade center. I don't know what they are going to do with the done but they still owe like 100 million on it I believe.

That's right, I had forgotten. My last hockey game I went to there was about 10 years (or so) ago. I was at the 2014 opener for the Vikings though. I think the Cardinals should just move back there. (I always have thought the Arizona Cardinals was a weird name. Arizona Roadrunners maybe, but not the Cardinals.

[akvikingsfan]

The Rams will be back, or at least somewhere besides LA. Look at the number of teams that have left LA in the past. Including the Rams.

[HardcoreVikesFan]

You do realize that you are in for a grand ol' time of pain and suffering correct?

Just kidding. Welcome to the board.

[Maelstrom88]

You do realize that you are in for a grand ol' time of pain and suffering correct?

Just kidding. Welcome to the board.

Can't be worse than being a Rams fan over the last decade right?

Thanks!

[dead_poet]

Can't be worse than being a Rams fan over the last decade right?

shhhhh....

Nobody. Say. Anything.

*nervously*

Ha ha! RiIIght! Exactly! You're in good hands here. It's great! You'll have so much fun.



*sits quietly in corner of room. Begins to weep again*

[mike2mike]

Who is up next year? Floyd and Smith?

Capitain Munnerlyn's contract expires following the 2016 season as well.

Harrison Smith and Matt Kalil will become free agents in 2017 IF* we don't extend them this offseason or sometime during the year. In fact, if we don't trade or extend their contracts beyond like March 9th or something, their contracts become fully guarenteed. The cost would be just over $5M for Harrison Smith and $11M for Matt Kalil.

Spielman has been very upfront about wanting to extend or trade players the final year of their contract. For example, in spite of trade rumors the year before, we waited to trade Percy Harvin until the offseason before he entered his final contract year. The 1st round pick we got that year became Xavier Rhodes, and the 3rd rounder the following year became Jerrick McKinnon I believe.

Rhodes, Patterson and Floyd will enter their 4th years and be given their 5th year options this year to come into effect the following year. Which means in 2017 we will try to trade or extend them long term in the limited window of time we have.

That also means in 2017 if the following 2018 free agents are still on the team, we will look to extend or trade them. The exception are Anthony Barr and Teddy Bridgewater who's contracts only expire if we do not tender them a 5th year option, which would never happen.

Adrian Peterson RB 30 MIN TBD $18,000,000 UFA
Mike Wallace WR 29 MIN TBD $11,500,000 UFA
Brian Robison DE 32 MIN TBD $6,600,000 UFA
John Sullivan C 30 MIN TBD $5,833,334 UFA
Anthony Barr OLB 23 MIN TBD $4,054,750 UFA
Tom Johnson DT 31 MIN TBD $2,350,000 UFA
Teddy Bridgewater QB 24 MIN TBD $2,179,387 UFA
Scott Crichton DE 24 MIN TBD $933,081 UFA
Jerick McKinnon RB 23 MIN TBD $828,750 UFA
Antone Exum FS 24 MIN TBD $718,947 UFA
Shamar Stephen DT 24 MIN TBD $706,287 UFA
Jabari Price CB 23 MIN TBD $705,455 UFA
Zach Moore DE 25 MIN TBD $690,000 UFA
Taylor Heinike QB 22 MIN TBD $618,334 RFA
Nick Easton C 23 MIN TBD $615,000 RFA
Anthony Harris SS 24 MIN TBD $615,000 RFA

The free agents in 2017 Spielman would prefer to actually deal with now to give us more certainty about the future and possibly free up future cap room by taking a greater cap hit now.

They are: Matt Kalil LT 26 MIN TBD $11,096,000 UFA
Phillip Loadholt RT 29 MIN TBD $7,750,000 UFA
Harrison Smith FS 26 MIN TBD $5,278,000 UFA
Captain Munnerlyn CB 27 MIN TBD $4,583,334 UFA
Shaun Hill QB 36 MIN TBD $3,250,000 UFA
Sharrif Floyd DT 23 MIN TBD $2,569,700 UFA
Xavier Rhodes CB 25 MIN TBD $2,483,887 UFA
Cordarrelle Patterson WR 24 MIN TBD $2,297,607 UFA
Joe Berger C 33 MIN TBD $1,035,000 UFA
Jeff Locke P 26 MIN TBD $721,048 UFA
Kevin McDermott LS 26 MIN TBD $675,000 UFA
Austin Wentworth RT 25 MIN TBD $600,000 RFA
Brandon Watts OLB 24 MIN TBD $600,000 RFA
Jeremiah Sirles G 24 MIN TBD $600,000 RFA
Charles Johnson WR 26 MIN TBD $600,000 RFA
Isame Faciane III DE 24 MIN TBD $525,000 ERFA
Zac Kerin C 24 MIN TBD $525,000 ERFA
Isaac Fruechte WR 24 MIN TBD $450,000 ERFA
Toby Johnson DT 24 MIN TBD $450,000 ERFA
John Lowdermilk SS 23 MIN TBD $450,000 ERFA
Terrance Plummer ILB 22 MIN TBD $450,000 ERFA
Blake Renaud LB 23 MIN TBD $450,000 ERFA
Alex Singleton LB MIN