2014 Free Agent Tracker & Discussion

[saint33]

Are people complaining that we didn't trade for a 31 year old backup running back? Seriously?

If sproles were released, awesome. But no way you trade a 5th for him. Give me lache seas trunk or d'anthony Thomas in the 5th over a 31 year old

[headless_norseman]

[quote="NextQuestion"

Leverage? He's been brutal the last couple of years.[/quote]


Led team in tackles this year, and I'm sure the past couplle of seasons, also.

[KSViking]

Who cares about the "ST" guys we signed. We're 3 days into FA and you're crying about special teams guys. It just seems like you're another fan that doesn't have a clue. Every year there's at least a handful of guys that b#### and complain about Spielman not going out and signing the big dogs. When has that ever worked out with any team? You've yet to answer that question. You build a team through the draft. I mean we just landed one of the better, up and coming NTs out there and have two promising young players on visits currently.

It amazes me how many times you repeat "Look how it worked out for Miami and Washington". But ever since Free Agency's inception, many of the Superbowl winners have used free agency to land the final pieces needed to get that ring. Or even get to the Superbowl.

Reggie White - GB Packers
Deon Sanders/Ken Norton Jr - 49ers/Cowboys
Peyton Manning
Brett Favre - So maybe we lost the NFC Championship, but what we did that year, compared to previous years without Favre was pretty amazing.
Bill Romanowski, Gary Zimmerman, Ed McCaffrey - Mid 90s Broncos.. won 2 superbowls

Do I need to keep going? I think many of the teams that took a championship home were augmented by good Free Agents. While I think the best way to win over a long period of time, is developing your guys in the draft, Free Agency is something that should always be explored to improve your team as well as the draft.

Or I could just be another fan that doesn't have a clue.

[saint33]

It amazes me how many times you repeat "Look how it worked out for Miami and Washington". But ever since Free Agency's inception, many of the Superbowl winners have used free agency to land the final pieces needed to get that ring. Or even get to the Superbowl.

Reggie White - GB Packers
Deon Sanders/Ken Norton Jr - 49ers/Cowboys
Peyton Manning
Brett Favre - So maybe we lost the NFC Championship, but what we did that year, compared to previous years without Favre was pretty amazing.
Bill Romanowski, Gary Zimmerman, Ed McCaffrey - Mid 90s Broncos.. won 2 superbowls

Do I need to keep going? I think many of the teams that took a championship home were augmented by good Free Agents. While I think the best way to win over a long period of time, is developing your guys in the draft, Free Agency is something that should always be explored to improve your team as well as the draft.

Or I could just be another fan that doesn't have a clue.

There's a difference between going out and getting a big name guy here or there, and going out and signing multiple high priced free agents regularly. That's the point I think he's trying to get at here. Free agency is a good way to supplement the roster, but it's a poor way to build one. This video is great:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-free-agen ... ipe-dreams

[KSViking]

You're actually better off sitting out day 1, that's where most of the busts and over payments come from.

For every Winfield or Fat Pat there are 5 Madieu Williamses and Bernard Berrians.

To me, FA has some similarities to the draft. Except sometimes the players are a bit older. And they have some input on where they end up. However there is a risk involved with all of them. And, in general the best players are signed in the first day or 1, and if you wait too long, there are al ot more Madieu Williams and Berrians. Also, just like the draft, its about finding the "right" free agents that you can use to improve your team.

[Superfreak84]

Do any of you know if Linval Joseph will be our starting NT? I don't know much about the guy.

[KSViking]

And just for clarity, I'm pretty happy with everything the Vikings have done this year. But there have been years, where I'm sitting down here in Kansas City, watching the Chiefs grab this guy, and that guy, and listening to all the blowhards talk about everything they have done in Free Agency to improve their teams, and I head out to the Vikings page to see what they have done, and ooooooh.. Yaaay, we signed Jimmy Hitchcock. I think there is a balance, you don't want to go after every guy that is out there, and pay whatever you need to get them. But you also have to be somewhat active in free agency, to plug the holes that you are losing as players retire, leave in FA, or get cut due to bad performance.

Also, on average the draft only nets you around 2-3 starters, and that is if you have a good draft. The rest are projects and need to be developed. When you are a team like the Vikings have been, having new coaching staff every other year, new schemes, new everything, its hard to develope guys into what you want them to be. Because what you want them to be changes every year.

Someone up there pointed out GB and Pitt, NE, and some of these other successful teams. They have had stability in coaching. They have also been lucky enough to find and develop some good QBs.

[Pondering Her Percy]

There's a difference between going out and getting a big name guy here or there, and going out and signing multiple high priced free agents regularly. That's the point I think he's trying to get at here. Free agency is a good way to supplement the roster, but it's a poor way to build one. This video is great:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-free-agen ... ipe-dreams

This is exactly what I mean. Thanks for clarifying saint!

[CbusVikesFan]

And just for clarity, I'm pretty happy with everything the Vikings have done this year. But there have been years, where I'm sitting down here in Kansas City, watching the Chiefs grab this guy, and that guy, and listening to all the blowhards talk about everything they have done in Free Agency to improve their teams, and I head out to the Vikings page to see what they have done, and ooooooh.. Yaaay, we signed Jimmy Hitchcock. I think there is a balance, you don't want to go after every guy that is out there, and pay whatever you need to get them. But you also have to be somewhat active in free agency, to plug the holes that you are losing as players retire, leave in FA, or get cut due to bad performance.

Also, on average the draft only nets you around 2-3 starters, and that is if you have a good draft. The rest are projects and need to be developed. When you are a team like the Vikings have been, having new coaching staff every other year, new schemes, new everything, its hard to develope guys into what you want them to be. Because what you want them to be changes every year.

Someone up there pointed out GB and Pitt, NE, and some of these other successful teams. They have had stability in coaching. They have also been lucky enough to find and develop some good QBs.

Jimmy Hitchcock Never a more frustrating FA. He had his moments but most of them were bad.
The Vikings are headed in the right direction. Patience will pay off.

[KSViking]

Jimmy Hitchcock Never a more frustrating FA. He had his moments but most of them were bad.
The Vikings are headed in the right direction. Patience will pay off.

I notice that a lot of people on this board are like me, Vikings fans, displaced in the middle of a market where another team resides. Chiefs for me, Looks like Cbus Vikes fan in middle of Cin/Cle area. ect ect. Too me, if you aren't also a fan of the local team, then its always 10 x more frustrating watching those teams do well in the draft or Free Agency, watching them build a team, while yours doesn't seem to be trying to do anything. And I know its just perception, since every team wants to win, and do things to make that happen. But sometimes perception kills. And as fans, we have no power or influence on what happens, so all you can do is #### about it.

[Mothman]

And just for clarity, I'm pretty happy with everything the Vikings have done this year. But there have been years, where I'm sitting down here in Kansas City, watching the Chiefs grab this guy, and that guy, and listening to all the blowhards talk about everything they have done in Free Agency to improve their teams, and I head out to the Vikings page to see what they have done, and ooooooh.. Yaaay, we signed Jimmy Hitchcock. I think there is a balance, you don't want to go after every guy that is out there, and pay whatever you need to get them. But you also have to be somewhat active in free agency, to plug the holes that you are losing as players retire, leave in FA, or get cut due to bad performance.

Also, on average the draft only nets you around 2-3 starters, and that is if you have a good draft. The rest are projects and need to be developed. When you are a team like the Vikings have been, having new coaching staff every other year, new schemes, new everything, its hard to develope guys into what you want them to be. Because what you want them to be changes every year.

Someone up there pointed out GB and Pitt, NE, and some of these other successful teams. They have had stability in coaching. They have also been lucky enough to find and develop some good QBs.

Good post, especially those last two points. Hopefully, unless Zimmer is an unmitigated disaster, the Vikings will shows a little more patience with him than they did with their last coach, especially if Spielman strikes out on a QB again.

[Mothman]

I notice that a lot of people on this board are like me, Vikings fans, displaced in the middle of a market where another team resides. Chiefs for me, Looks like Cbus Vikes fan in middle of Cin/Cle area. ect ect. Too me, if you aren't also a fan of the local team, then its always 10 x more frustrating watching those teams do well in the draft or Free Agency, watching them build a team, while yours doesn't seem to be trying to do anything. And I know its just perception, since every team wants to win, and do things to make that happen. But sometimes perception kills. And as fans, we have no power or influence on what happens, so all you can do is #### about it.

LOL! I've spent my whole life in Chicago Bears territory so I know what you mean but you're right, it's just perception and over the years, I've grown to understand and accept that. It's helped my blood pressure.

[dead_poet]

Fred Evans - DL - Vikings
Vikings re-signed DT Fred Evans.

[CbusVikesFan]

There is only one team for me, they wear Purple and Gold. I follow the other teams in my area by default. Coach Zimmer was a household name to me and I was holding my breath when Coach Frazier was let go that Zimmer would finally get his shot and field a winning team, with the Vikings. Lo and behold! And as far as the frustration goes, I am a Vikings fan, and well, I am used to the disappointment. I've seen a lot of it. But they have brought me much joy even though the Golden Ring has eluded them. My disappointment has been the draft over the years more than the play.

[Pondering Her Percy]

Personally, I like how Spielman is approaching FA this year. We got our one splash signing in Joseph, we have Melton and Munnerlyn currently on visits and the rest will most likely be depth signings. Similar to last year, Jennings was our splash, Cassel was middle of the road, and the rest were depth. We don't need to light the market on fire. As saint and I have said, you don't build a team through FA. You get a key player or two like Joseph and Melton/Munnerlyn, and a few mid-low range depth/prove yourself guys