PHP's Mini Mock Offseason

[Pondering Her Percy]

I'm hoping they replace all three interior lineman this offseason. I'm so tired of this offense being bullied up the middle. I miss the days of Hutchinson, McDaniel, and Christy.

Replacing all 3 is extremely unrealistic. Maybe Bradbury due to him being a FA. But they aren’t just going to bench Cleveland. And I doubt they give up on ingram that fast

[CharVike]

I'm hoping they replace all three interior lineman this offseason. I'm so tired of this offense being bullied up the middle. I miss the days of Hutchinson, McDaniel, and Christy.

Replacing all 3 is extremely unrealistic. Maybe Bradbury due to him being a FA. But they aren’t just going to bench Cleveland. And I doubt they give up on ingram that fast

Your right there's not a chance that will happen. They didn't pick and start Ingram just to move on. Worst case he rides the bench. If Bradbury get's a huge contract offer then they will need to decide if it's worth a huge cap hit for a guy with a back problem. I think he's gone.

[Maelstrom88]

I'm hoping they replace all three interior lineman this offseason. I'm so tired of this offense being bullied up the middle. I miss the days of Hutchinson, McDaniel, and Christy.

Replacing all 3 is extremely unrealistic. Maybe Bradbury due to him being a FA. But they aren’t just going to bench Cleveland. And I doubt they give up on ingram that fast

True but a guy can dream. I thought Ezra was a FA?

[MossCarterJefferson]

Replacing all 3 is extremely unrealistic. Maybe Bradbury due to him being a FA. But they aren’t just going to bench Cleveland. And I doubt they give up on ingram that fast

True but a guy can dream. I thought Ezra was a FA?

Ezra is not a free agent until next year

[Pep2Moss]

Trey Lance will be offered around the league this off-season. Any interest?

[StanM]

A real good center won't be in FA. Teams keep there good players. Maybe someone a hair better than Bradbury but that still means we are soft in the middle. If we draft a guy the 1st year will be garbage. Maybe year 2 or 3 ect,,,, Supposedly Bradbury was rated 10th best. He will get a boat load of money in FA if that's the case. I get the feeling teams won't be cashing him with the money vault.

The best the Vikings can hope for in FA as far as the center position is concerned is that some team with an established veteran center lets him walk due to cap constraints and a belief they drafted his replacement at some point. That vet center needs to have a few good seasons left on the tires ala what the Vikings got out of Patrick Peterson at CB.

The Vikings aren't going to find a 10 year impact starter at center in FA or probably even in trade. To find that guy they're going to have to draft him.

There is no way Bradbury gets a big money offer in FA. If I were KAM I'd let him look and let the market set his asking price. He's a backup at best IMHO.

I like your plan. I would say keep Reed as one of a few who played some center. Bradbury’s back is a concern. My back problems first popped up in my mid 20’s and are still an annoyance at 71. That is something that tends to stay with a person their whole adult life. I have learned to live with it but I don’t run into 300# guys for a living.

I think what we need to do is make a list of needs, wants and wishes. Four draft picks, not much in the way of trade bait and more holes to fill than the Titanic are going to make things difficult. Not impossible but everything has to go right with draft picks and free agents. The worst thing that happens to teams is the old whack a mole type rebuild. Fix one position group and another one ages out. I think we have a lot of work to do. 13-4 is impressive for the first year ut it’s going to be a tough act to follow. There are going to be some rough years but I think we have the right people in place. I hope we have some patience and don’t jump the gun with the fire button.

[Pondering Her Percy]

Trey Lance will be offered around the league this off-season. Any interest?

I’ll pass. Was never sold on him

[CharVike]

The best the Vikings can hope for in FA as far as the center position is concerned is that some team with an established veteran center lets him walk due to cap constraints and a belief they drafted his replacement at some point. That vet center needs to have a few good seasons left on the tires ala what the Vikings got out of Patrick Peterson at CB.

The Vikings aren't going to find a 10 year impact starter at center in FA or probably even in trade. To find that guy they're going to have to draft him.

There is no way Bradbury gets a big money offer in FA. If I were KAM I'd let him look and let the market set his asking price. He's a backup at best IMHO.

I like your plan. I would say keep Reed as one of a few who played some center. Bradbury’s back is a concern. My back problems first popped up in my mid 20’s and are still an annoyance at 71. That is something that tends to stay with a person their whole adult life. I have learned to live with it but I don’t run into 300# guys for a living.

I think what we need to do is make a list of needs, wants and wishes. Four draft picks, not much in the way of trade bait and more holes to fill than the Titanic are going to make things difficult. Not impossible but everything has to go right with draft picks and free agents. The worst thing that happens to teams is the old whack a mole type rebuild. Fix one position group and another one ages out. I think we have a lot of work to do. 13-4 is impressive for the first year ut it’s going to be a tough act to follow. There are going to be some rough years but I think we have the right people in place. I hope we have some patience and don’t jump the gun with the fire button.

It's good to let Bradbury test the market that sets the price. But that back problem could be a major concern for teams that are looking for a center. A huge contract might not be there. He did play better this year but was pushed around that playoff game. Maybe we can get a one year injury concern contract fot him.

[CharVike]

Trey Lance will be offered around the league this off-season. Any interest?

I’ll pass. Was never sold on him

In his first start against the Bears this season he didn't even complete 50% of his passes. No thanks you can find that anywhere. He will be a cheap backup/change of pace QB for them. The 49ers missed on that deal but they made up for it with Purdy. If there's a GM of the year it has to be the 49er person. Purdy saved the season for them.

[Texas Vike]

I’ll pass. Was never sold on him

In his first start against the Bears this season he didn't even complete 50% of his passes. No thanks you can find that anywhere. He will be a cheap backup/change of pace QB for them. The 49ers missed on that deal but they made up for it with Purdy. If there's a GM of the year it has to be the 49er person. Purdy saved the season for them.

It's worth remembering that the 49ers - Bears game was played in torrential rain and wind. The field had standing water on it. That game was a cluster f. I watched part of it and it's a small miracle that anyone completed ANY passes that day.

But I don't think that highly of Lance either. Off all the off season stories that will be interesting to watch (Rodgers, Brady, what the Raiders do, what Chicago does with #1 pick, What the Colts do at HC and QB, etc.) I think the 49ers QB situation will be the most interesting. It is absolutely impressive that they are on their 3rd QB and are still very much in the running for the SB this year. That's the kind of team I would love to see built here.

[CharVike]

In his first start against the Bears this season he didn't even complete 50% of his passes. No thanks you can find that anywhere. He will be a cheap backup/change of pace QB for them. The 49ers missed on that deal but they made up for it with Purdy. If there's a GM of the year it has to be the 49er person. Purdy saved the season for them.

It's worth remembering that the 49ers - Bears game was played in torrential rain and wind. The field had standing water on it. That game was a cluster f. I watched part of it and it's a small miracle that anyone completed ANY passes that day.

But I don't think that highly of Lance either. Off all the off season stories that will be interesting to watch (Rodgers, Brady, what the Raiders do, what Chicago does with #1 pick, What the Colts do at HC and QB, etc.) I think the 49ers QB situation will be the most interesting. It is absolutely impressive that they are on their 3rd QB and are still very much in the running for the SB this year. That's the kind of team I would love to see built here.

I didn't watch the game. Let's face it Lance has value. The 49ers have a solidly built team without a glaring weakness. We have huge weakness in every position group. That comes down to scouting and drafting. Even Jimmy G has bright moments but can't stay healthy. Jimmy G is a FA and he should get some offers. Purdy is taking advantage of a great supporting cast. I can't believe a guy like that fell to round 7 in a league that is QB starved.

[Texas Vike]

It's worth remembering that the 49ers - Bears game was played in torrential rain and wind. The field had standing water on it. That game was a cluster f. I watched part of it and it's a small miracle that anyone completed ANY passes that day.

But I don't think that highly of Lance either. Off all the off season stories that will be interesting to watch (Rodgers, Brady, what the Raiders do, what Chicago does with #1 pick, What the Colts do at HC and QB, etc.) I think the 49ers QB situation will be the most interesting. It is absolutely impressive that they are on their 3rd QB and are still very much in the running for the SB this year. That's the kind of team I would love to see built here.

I didn't watch the game. Let's face it Lance has value. The 49ers have a solidly built team without a glaring weakness. We have huge weakness in every position group. That comes down to scouting and drafting. Even Jimmy G has bright moments but can't stay healthy. Jimmy G is a FA and he should get some offers. Purdy is taking advantage of a great supporting cast. I can't believe a guy like that fell to round 7 in a league that is QB starved.

Purdy is kind of exhibit A in the most enigmatic aspect of evaluating college talent for the NFL. For QB, more than any other position, what determines their success is truly a combination of the player's talent and the "fit" with the situation into which they are drafted. There are some players who would excel ANYWHERE. Others (most) need the right situation to have success.

[J. Kapp 11]

I am on board 2/3. I want to see how Ingram develops. He was a rookie this year. Let's see. I have NEVER liked Cleveland at G and I am not a Bradbury fan at all. As mentioned give me Avila or Schmitz. Even Fromberg. Draft another Guard. Cleveland has 1 more year I think then he becomes a FA. Let him walk.
Btw, on Spotrac, they have Bradbury's fair market value at $11.9mil/season.
NO THANKS !!!

I didn’t mind Bradbury’s play this year before he got hurt. We definitely saw a dropoff when he went down.

But $11.9 million? Not a chance I’d pay that. I was thinking maybe $5 million. If he can get 11.9 elsewhere, then good for him.

I’m also with you on Ingram. His issues are with technique, which he can improve in the off-season if he’s willing to work and accept coaching.

Cleveland is an enigma. I never understood why they moved him inside. He’s got a tackle’s body. It seemed like he was really improving early on, but as the season wore on, he gave up more and more pressures. Dude got abused against the Giants.

[J. Kapp 11]

I know that some are calling for a lot of veteran heads this offseason but we have to be careful at the same time unless we're shifting into full rebuild mode which I dont foresee. If we just cut all our aging veterans, we're going to have a plethora of holes to fill with 4 draft picks (will be 6 after compensatorys) and very little leadership left, especially on the defensive side.

Here is what I'm thinking (and I've already been slowly chipping away at my big mock offseason):

1.) Restructure Harrison Smith- he's not prime Harrison anymore but he's also not hurting us. As I said a few days ago, Smith is the Eric Weddle type that will be able to play well into his 30's at a solid level. He also had a pretty decent year and was disgustingly misused. That saves us about $8 million.

2.) Restructure Brian O'Neill- I dont have a problem pushing his cap down the line because I think he still has a lot of good years left in him.

3.) Release Eric Kendricks- just too slow and cant stay with guys. This saves us $9.5 million with only $1.9 in dead cap.

4.) Release Zadarius Smith- looked like a great signing early but his injuries showed up again and only piled up 0.5 sacks in the 2nd half of the season. This saves us $13.6 million with $3.3 in dead cap.

5.) Release Adam Thielen- not a good way to go by this one. Restructuring pushes his massive cap down the road and he's not much of a help to us anymore. This saves us $6.4 million but we soak $13.5 in dead money. Again, his contract is easily the toughest to navigate because there is no easy way around it. Maybe someone can help me here.

6.) Release Jordan Hicks- easy move, too slow, too old. Saves us $5 million with $1.5 in dead cap.

7.) Release CJ Ham- I dont see the value here when we rarely use him. If we want a fullback, I feel like it's easy for them to find at a much cheaper rate. Saves us $3 million and only $750k in dead cap.

8.) Release Chris Reed- we didnt really use him and it saves us $2.5 million with only $250k in dead cap.

9.) Release Ross Blacklock- Tonga proved to be the better option here anyways. Saves us $1.7 million with zero dead cap.

....all of this puts us at $37.1 in cap space.

Now couple things....

1.) What do we do with Dalvin Cook? I say trade him. He definitely carries value and I think we could fetch a 4th for him. Played 17 games with no injury hiccups and went for 1,000 yards. Highest his value will ever be. If we trade him that gives us another $7.9 in cap space with $6 million in dead cap. Do we re-sign Mattison here or look elsewhere. I'm leaning towards a 1-2 punch with Mattison and Chandler. This doesnt force us to waste a draft pick on a RB or dip into a very weak FA pool.

2.) Definitely extend Hockenson which could free up some space.

3.) Resign big name veterans like Patrick Peterson who had a resurgence this year and is only asking for 1 year deals and Dalvin Tomlinson who still brings a lot of value to the DL.

4.) I say you also re-sign Bradbury. He had a resurgence in this offense as well and graded out as the #10 center in the NFL. Was 7th (I believe) in run blocking and 17th in pass blocking (which isnt great but way higher than he's ever been before). I dont think he will cost anything crazy.

5.) I would almost say extend Danielle as well. Not sure if we will go back to a 4-3 or not but for this guy to also be embarrassingly misused and in a scheme he's never played before, he was still a stud, especially later on after he got comfortable in a 3-4.


In the end, these moves can give us over $40-$50 million in cap space before resigning any of our guys like Peterson, Tomlinson, etc. This still leaves us some valuable veterans on defense like Danielle, Tomlinson, Phillips, Harry, Peterson, etc. without really collapsing this entire roster and all it's veterans. This is an absolute crap ton of contractual moves but I think it needs to be done. I trust Kwesi to figure out this cap situation with Bryzinski.

....Again, this is a mini-mock offseason preview I'll be doing. But plenty, plenty more to come

I’m in agreement with pretty much everything you’ve outlined here, especially the veterans.

One reason I think you re-structure Smith is that I believe Donatell misused him in a huge way. Harry is on of the great in-the-box safeties in Vikings history, yet Donatell insisted on playing him in the parking lot. Even with that, he managed five picks. But Donatell almost completely removed him from being effective against the run, and he almost never used Harry to blitz, which he excels at. Safeties can play effectively past 30, so with the right coordinator, I think he’s got a couple good years left.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case with Adam Thielen, one of my favorite Vikings of all time. He ranked almost dead last against man coverage, even though he saw a lot of it as teams doubled and tripled JJ. He also ranked very poorly in contested catches. He just doesn’t have the explosion anymore.

The other cuts seem obvious to me.

Cook … I won’t get deep into it because I’ve already spoken at length on the subject. It’s time to cut ties. If they can get anything in trade, they need to do it. However, I doubt there’s much of a market for him. He can still play, but with his $10M base salary traveling with him, he’s almost untradeable. Who’s going to give up draft capital AND inherit that cap hit for a running back? Another brilliant move by Rick Spielman.

[StumpHunter]

I know that some are calling for a lot of veteran heads this offseason but we have to be careful at the same time unless we're shifting into full rebuild mode which I dont foresee. If we just cut all our aging veterans, we're going to have a plethora of holes to fill with 4 draft picks (will be 6 after compensatorys) and very little leadership left, especially on the defensive side.

Here is what I'm thinking (and I've already been slowly chipping away at my big mock offseason):

1.) Restructure Harrison Smith- he's not prime Harrison anymore but he's also not hurting us. As I said a few days ago, Smith is the Eric Weddle type that will be able to play well into his 30's at a solid level. He also had a pretty decent year and was disgustingly misused. That saves us about $8 million.

2.) Restructure Brian O'Neill- I dont have a problem pushing his cap down the line because I think he still has a lot of good years left in him.

3.) Release Eric Kendricks- just too slow and cant stay with guys. This saves us $9.5 million with only $1.9 in dead cap.

4.) Release Zadarius Smith- looked like a great signing early but his injuries showed up again and only piled up 0.5 sacks in the 2nd half of the season. This saves us $13.6 million with $3.3 in dead cap.

5.) Release Adam Thielen- not a good way to go by this one. Restructuring pushes his massive cap down the road and he's not much of a help to us anymore. This saves us $6.4 million but we soak $13.5 in dead money. Again, his contract is easily the toughest to navigate because there is no easy way around it. Maybe someone can help me here.

6.) Release Jordan Hicks- easy move, too slow, too old. Saves us $5 million with $1.5 in dead cap.

7.) Release CJ Ham- I dont see the value here when we rarely use him. If we want a fullback, I feel like it's easy for them to find at a much cheaper rate. Saves us $3 million and only $750k in dead cap.

8.) Release Chris Reed- we didnt really use him and it saves us $2.5 million with only $250k in dead cap.

9.) Release Ross Blacklock- Tonga proved to be the better option here anyways. Saves us $1.7 million with zero dead cap.

....all of this puts us at $37.1 in cap space.

Now couple things....

1.) What do we do with Dalvin Cook? I say trade him. He definitely carries value and I think we could fetch a 4th for him. Played 17 games with no injury hiccups and went for 1,000 yards. Highest his value will ever be. If we trade him that gives us another $7.9 in cap space with $6 million in dead cap. Do we re-sign Mattison here or look elsewhere. I'm leaning towards a 1-2 punch with Mattison and Chandler. This doesnt force us to waste a draft pick on a RB or dip into a very weak FA pool.

2.) Definitely extend Hockenson which could free up some space.

3.) Resign big name veterans like Patrick Peterson who had a resurgence this year and is only asking for 1 year deals and Dalvin Tomlinson who still brings a lot of value to the DL.

4.) I say you also re-sign Bradbury. He had a resurgence in this offense as well and graded out as the #10 center in the NFL. Was 7th (I believe) in run blocking and 17th in pass blocking (which isnt great but way higher than he's ever been before). I dont think he will cost anything crazy.

5.) I would almost say extend Danielle as well. Not sure if we will go back to a 4-3 or not but for this guy to also be embarrassingly misused and in a scheme he's never played before, he was still a stud, especially later on after he got comfortable in a 3-4.


In the end, these moves can give us over $40-$50 million in cap space before resigning any of our guys like Peterson, Tomlinson, etc. This still leaves us some valuable veterans on defense like Danielle, Tomlinson, Phillips, Harry, Peterson, etc. without really collapsing this entire roster and all it's veterans. This is an absolute crap ton of contractual moves but I think it needs to be done. I trust Kwesi to figure out this cap situation with Bryzinski.

....Again, this is a mini-mock offseason preview I'll be doing. But plenty, plenty more to come

I’m in agreement with pretty much everything you’ve outlined here, especially the veterans.

One reason I think you re-structure Smith is that I believe Donatell misused him in a huge way. Harry is on of the great in-the-box safeties in Vikings history, yet Donatell insisted on playing him in the parking lot. Even with that, he managed five picks. But Donatell almost completely removed him from being effective against the run, and he almost never used Harry to blitz, which he excels at. Safeties can play effectively past 30, so with the right coordinator, I think he’s got a couple good years left.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case with Adam Thielen, one of my favorite Vikings of all time. He ranked almost dead last against man coverage, even though he saw a lot of it as teams doubled and tripled JJ. He also ranked very poorly in contested catches. He just doesn’t have the explosion anymore.

The other cuts seem obvious to me.

Cook … I won’t get deep into it because I’ve already spoken at length on the subject. It’s time to cut ties. If they can get anything in trade, they need to do it. However, I doubt there’s much of a market for him. He can still play, but with his $10M base salary traveling with him, he’s almost untradeable. Who’s going to give up draft capital AND inherit that cap hit for a running back? Another brilliant move by Rick Spielman.

How so? After he is cut this off season, he will have made about 8 million per year over his 3 seasons here, while having asignificantly higher impact on his offense than most RBs out there and who more importantly, remained more healthy than most RBs out there.

Cook's contract was actually a good signing, and this is coming from one of Rick's biggest detractors.