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@DerekWetmore -- Mike Zimmer said Gerald Hodges and Jabari Price probably won't play this week. Blanton should return to practice today, Prater tomorrow.
@MasterStrib -- Zimmer said Matt Cassel will start against the Chiefs. "Possibility" Bridgewater could play with first team
@VikingUpdate Linval Joseph starting to do some rehab but Zimmer doubts he will play Saturday. .
@mattvensel -- Mike Zimmer said he is still trying to figure out how to proceed at MLB and safety. He didn't see them in the right situations Saturday.
@DerekWetmore -- As Zimmer continues to evaluate safeties, he said he's more interested in learning about what they can do in coverage than at the line.
@GoesslingESPN -- Interesting response from Zimmer when asked about Blanton and Robinson; gave injury update on Blanton, and said, "The other guy? Who knows."
@GoesslingESPN -- Robinson was the player Zimmer was asked about last week when he said, "You can't make the club in the tub." Seems patience wearing thin
dead_poet wrote:
He's showing his "Parcells" side.dead_poet wrote:
Maybe but I think there's a good chance Zimmer is just trying to keep him motivated to get back on the field. It's not an uncommon tactic from NFL coaches.HardcoreVikesFan wrote:Yikes. It is too bad, I always had high expectations for Josh. I thought there might be a chance that Josh could have been a poor man's Asante Samuel, but it appears his time with this team is near its conclusion.
It's sounds like coverage might be the key in Zimmer's eyes, which could explain why Blanton was at the top of the depth chart before his injury.As for Blanton, the sooner he can get out there the better. I have held out hope for him becoming the starter next to Harrison Smith since he was drafted in 2012. Blanton has the ability to cover well. The biggest issue with Blanton is it remains to be seen how well he can be in an enforcer in the box, which, if he is playing SS, is a key component of playing that position.
For good reason. I still don't think we have the defensive backfield talent to be much more than marginally upgraded from last year. That's IF all the starters stay healthy. We're going to need some major defensive pressure to alleviate their deficiencies and I don't think that's going to be monstrous enough to get it done. I hope I'm wrong.Mothman wrote:It's sounds like coverage might be the key in Zimmer's eyes, which could explain why Blanton was at the top of the depth chart before his injury.
I know it's early, but I can't help but think that one of the stud CBs or Safeties would have been a smarter choice than Barr, whose role in the D seems fuzzy at this point. We have a serious problem w/ lack of talent in the secondary.dead_poet wrote: For good reason. I still don't think we have the defensive backfield talent to be much more than marginally upgraded from last year. That's IF all the starters stay healthy. We're going to need some major defensive pressure to alleviate their deficiencies and I don't think that's going to be monstrous enough to get it done. I hope I'm wrong.
We also have a huge problem with lack of talent at linebacker, arguably even more so than in the secondary.Texas Vike wrote: I know it's early, but I can't help but think that one of the stud CBs or Safeties would have been a smarter choice than Barr, whose role in the D seems fuzzy at this point. We have a serious problem w/ lack of talent in the secondary.
maembe wrote:
We also have a huge problem with lack of talent at linebacker, arguably even more so than in the secondary.
Or Ryan Shazier, who looks like he's going to be all-world in Pittsburgh.Texas Vike wrote: Most definitely. I just think we could have used a MIKE like Mosley instead of Barr.
It's way too early to tell but I agree that he doesn't look particularly fast, even though the beat writers have commented on his speed and have even said they thought he may be able to beat Peterson and Harvin in a foot race. I'd disagree and it appears as though his on-field speed isn't nearly that of Harvin's. Hopefully he's holding back a bit because he's young and still thinking.mrc44 wrote:I wish we would have drafted a CB in the middle rounds instead of Jerrick Mckinnon, I don't see anything special about this kid. He is not fast and just lacks burst just like Asiata. We should have drafted one of the top CBs left in the 3rd round.
Hopefully Jerrick gets better, but as of now, he looks like a waste of a 3rd round pick IMO
I wanted Shazier so bad...Eli wrote: Or Ryan Shazier, who looks like he's going to be all-world in Pittsburgh.
I hope you're right about Barr and wrong about McKinnon.mrc44 wrote:
I have to disagree with you, I think we had to draft Barr after the loss of Williams and Allen. It is just preseason, but Barr leads the team in sacks and is the only one with a forced fumble. He will end up being a key part of this defense.
I wish we would have drafted a CB in the middle rounds instead of Jerrick Mckinnon, I don't see anything special about this kid. He is not fast and just lacks burst just like Asiata. We should have drafted one of the top CBs left in the 3rd round.
Hopefully Jerrick gets better, but as of now, he looks like a waste of a 3rd round pick IMO
It's too early to start the second guessing, though, even if it's really tempting to do it. I guess we're all just arm-chair GMs at heart.Brian Robison: Anthony Barr can be a force for Vikingsmrc44 wrote: I have to disagree with you, I think we had to draft Barr after the loss of Williams and Allen. It is just preseason, but Barr leads the team in sacks and is the only one with a forced fumble. He will end up being a key part of this defense.
"He can give us that versatility on defense to where we can all kind of move around and have different parts of the defense and allow us to keep offenses offbeat," defensive end Brian Robison said, per The Star-Tribune. "(Offenses) can't key in on one guy. If they have one guy they need to take care of, they can't because they don't know where he's going to be.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... or-vikingsThe once-upon-a-time fullback at UCLA is showing the upside that scouts gushed about during the draft. Robison believes it's only a matter of time before offenses take notice.
"(Barr has) got such raw talent with just his speed and stuff," he said. "If he starts learning some of the hand techniques and stuff like that, he's going to be a force to be reckoned with."
