Core Offensive Players

[slapnut19]

I've been seeing and hearing a lot about the Vikes being a team on the rise and in thinking about that, I've been looking at the team and thinking about core players, players that appear to be clear "building blocks" who will still be starting for the team 3 or more years from now. I'm talking about players who will be with the Vikes because they're essential, key players, not just because their contract lasts that long. I'm also referring to players who have clearly shown, at this point, that they fit that description.

There are some obvious candidates on defense: Smith and Barr are perfect examples but the Vikes appear to have such players at every level of their defense now. There are probably 2 or 3 defensive lineman and Rhodes probably fits the description too.

Who are the core players on offense? Peterson's obviously a core player but perhaps only in the short term now, due to his contract and, perhaps, his age.

The only one I can come up with is Rudolph.

Many fans will say Bridgewater is a core player. I obviously don't think he's shown enough yet but I have little doubt the Vikings are hoping he'll become the centerpiece of their offense.

I imagine there will be disagreement, pro and con, about those two players. Beyond them, is there anybody who's shown enough at this point to establish themselves as a core player in the sense that a guy like Smith has on defense? I don't think McKinnon or Diggs has shown enough yet. There's nobody on the OL. The backup TEs are fine but I don't see them as core players.

What do you think? Do they have any clear, core players on offense and if so, who are they? If this is a team on the rise that's going to actually keep rising, I think this is a question that's going to need some better answers soon.

excellent post. i never really thought of it in these terms but you are spot on. outside of peterson what player on our offense was there week after week and could be counted on to contribute positively. i think teddy qualifies just because of his position. the only other one that came to mind is rudolph. it was nice to see him have a fully healthy season again even though he had to block a lot more than he probably wanted to. would be nice to see a few more offensive center pieces added to the roster this offseason.

[halfgiz]

With 2 new offensive coaches and maybe a slightly revamped offense. I think this will be the year to figure out who our future core players will be.
Phil who was one of our best tackles might not even end up on the team.
Like last year...this is going to be a big year.

[Mothman]

excellent post. i never really thought of it in these terms but you are spot on. outside of peterson what player on our offense was there week after week and could be counted on to contribute positively. i think teddy qualifies just because of his position. the only other one that came to mind is rudolph. it was nice to see him have a fully healthy season again even though he had to block a lot more than he probably wanted to. would be nice to see a few more offensive center pieces added to the roster this offseason.

Thanks.

I think adding a few more core players to the offense is going to be essential if the Vikings want to finish this mission they're on with a Super Bowl win.

As halfgiz wrote in his post, this is going to be a big year.

[jackal]

Teddy B
Fusco
Rudolf
Diggs
Sullivan ??
Wright
Pruitt
Ellison

I think that is the main group moving forward

[S197]

Seems like a lot of people are high on Pruitt. Don't get me wrong, he has a lot of potential but his actual body of work is rather small.

[Mothman]

Seems like a lot of people are high on Pruitt. Don't get me wrong, he has a lot of potential but his actual body of work is rather small.

Very small... he does have potential though.

I have to say, none of the lists we've been able to come up with in this thread look like the core of a Super Bowl-caliber offense to me. There's work to do!

[jackal]

Jim I agree I moved back in all the rounds
and rebuilt most of our offense.

[CbusVikesFan]

It is my belief that the majority of the "core" players on offense are not on the team yet. There are upgrades needed at most positions and if it can be done via the draft rather than FA signings would also make the rotation of players more viable cap wise. Big salaries vs. rookie contracts. There could be a significant upswing in talent at positons of need if the right guys fall to us and maybe make a move or three. I'm torn between drafting a safety, OT, or LB with the first pick. I would like to trade up to take a decent guard with the next pick.
These picks and next year could go a long ways in making this a championship team. Which will also make determination as to who would be a core player.

[PacificNorseWest]

When I think core, I think of the foundation you build around. I don't think you build around a Jarius Wright. He's more ancillary. Definitely not a Cordarelle Patterson. Rudolph is a solid answer and the first name I thought of was Sullivan, but his health stops me from committing to that.

The core is Teddy. He has a style of play and while most won't be happy with his ceiling, it's his continued improvement on efficiency that's his selling point. I'm fully confident he's the guy for the foreseeable future and someone to build around. We saw how much better he was in shotgun without AP in the game. With McKinnon in the backfield, the offense was dynamic at times. I like how the offense looks with his versatility. He's on his way to being a building block. Diggs as well. The problem is that everyone is young and unproven over a longer period, so you can't say with certainty. From where it stands, you have no choice but to build around Teddy and his style, therefore he's the core along with Rudolph and you build out from there.

On another note, but along the same lines, I hope AP's role lessens considerably next season. Save him for 4th quarters. He can put up the same stats he did this past season, but I think if that happens, that means the Vikings aren't where they want to be. As I alluded to with how the O looks with McKinnon in the game, they need more of that versatility. Pound AP in the 4th quarter when the defense is tired. A simple tweak in philosophy would do wonders in my opinion.

[Mothman]

When I think core, I think of the foundation you build around. I don't think you build around a Jarius Wright. He's more ancillary. Definitely not a Cordarelle Patterson. Rudolph is a solid answer and the first name I thought of was Sullivan, but his health stops me from committing to that.

The core is Teddy. He has a style of play and while most won't be happy with his ceiling, it's his continued improvement on efficiency that's his selling point. I'm fully confident he's the guy for the foreseeable future and someone to build around. We saw how much better he was in shotgun without AP in the game. With McKinnon in the backfield, the offense was dynamic at times. I like how the offense looks with his versatility. He's on his way to being a building block. Diggs as well. The problem is that everyone is young and unproven over a longer period, so you can't say with certainty. From where it stands, you have no choice but to build around Teddy and his style, therefore he's the core along with Rudolph and you build out from there.

On another note, but along the same lines, I hope AP's role lessens considerably next season. Save him for 4th quarters. He can put up the same stats he did this past season, but I think if that happens, that means the Vikings aren't where they want to be. As I alluded to with how the O looks with McKinnon in the game, they need more of that versatility. Pound AP in the 4th quarter when the defense is tired. A simple tweak in philosophy would do wonders in my opinion.

I apologize if this offends anybody but I get the impression there's a tendency to remember when the Vikes looked good with McKinnon in the game and Bridgewater in the shotgun and to forget when they struggled or just looked awful, as they did in several blowout losses.

I believe the Vikes want Bridgewater to be a core player but he'll need to raise his level of play considerably for that to prove a sound strategy in the long run.

[PacificNorseWest]

Doesn't offend me.

To clarify...They looked their most explosive as they ever had with Teddy when he was in the shotgun with McKinnon. It seemed to optimize the versatility of this offense. They struggled in it just as well, but when they found a rhythm, it seemed to sync up much more fluently than times when they may have "got it going" with Teddy from under center and AP in there.

The overall notion I'm getting at is that at this point, the Vikings need to find an offense and personnel that suits Teddy. When they drafted him and then when they made him the starter, they made a choice as to the point man of the offense. Maybe he flames out and things change, but at this point and for the foreseeable future, Teddy is the guy that needs to be built around (the core).

[The Breeze]

I think it's worth noting that last season was the first time starting for both McKinnon and TB. Plus it was McKinnon's first season as a RB
I think McKinnon is THE most improved player on offense, by a long shot. They are just scratching the surface with him now.
I like the idea of using AD more strategically than as a 'bell cow' kind of back.
I really don't give a darn about his personal goals and legacy. I think it would really make this offense more potent if tweaked they way they use him.
I don't know how big a factor the line was..but it sure looked like he got worn down during the last qtr of the season.

[Mothman]

Doesn't offend me.

To clarify...They looked their most explosive as they ever had with Teddy when he was in the shotgun with McKinnon. It seemed to optimize the versatility of this offense. They struggled in it just as well, but when they found a rhythm, it seemed to sync up much more fluently than times when they may have "got it going" with Teddy from under center and AP in there.

I guess it's hard to quantify but that wasn't my impression. McKinnon's versatility is appealing though.

The overall notion I'm getting at is that at this point, the Vikings need to find an offense and personnel that suits Teddy. When they drafted him and then when they made him the starter, they made a choice as to the point man of the offense. Maybe he flames out and things change, but at this point and for the foreseeable future, Teddy is the guy that needs to be built around (the core).

I see your point. They've committed to him so they need to build accordingly. From their point of view, that makes sense, especially if they're truly committed to him. Based on what I've seen from him so far, I have a hard time believing he'll still be starting for the Vikes 3 years from now but time will tell! It's not like my assessments of QBs haven't been very wrong in the past...

[slapnut19]

I think it's worth noting that last season was the first time starting for both McKinnon and TB. Plus it was McKinnon's first season as a RB
I think McKinnon is THE most improved player on offense, by a long shot. They are just scratching the surface with him now.
I like the idea of using AD more strategically than as a 'bell cow' kind of back.
I really don't give a darn about his personal goals and legacy. I think it would really make this offense more potent if tweaked they way they use him.
I don't know how big a factor the line was..but it sure looked like he got worn down during the last qtr of the season.

excellent point. he didn't look the same down the stretch. getting him around the 15-18 carry mark while mixing in mckinnon and his versatility is a must for next season imo. it's nice to have a back like peterson you can lean on for 25 carries if needed, but next season in a climate controlled environment with what i hope is a faster surface should benefit mckinnon.

[Mothman]

I think it's worth noting that last season was the first time starting for both McKinnon and TB. Plus it was McKinnon's first season as a RB
I think McKinnon is THE most improved player on offense, by a long shot. They are just scratching the surface with him now.
I like the idea of using AD more strategically than as a 'bell cow' kind of back.

I do too but I also believe they used him as they did because his power running and their defense complemented each other and covered up some serious shortcomings with the passing game. There's room for debate about the degree to which those shortcomings were due to pass protection, QB play or coaching but I think they rode Peterson as they did because they felt they had to do it. In other words, it was an adaptation rather than what they would have liked to do under more ideal circumstances.

I really don't give a darn about his personal goals and legacy. I think it would really make this offense more potent if tweaked they way they use him.
I don't know how big a factor the line was..but it sure looked like he got worn down during the last qtr of the season.

I think the line was part of it, predictability was part of it and he probably did wear down a bit. Some of it may have been that they were facing more playoff-caliber competition in the latter part of the season too.

It sure looked to me like teams knew if they could stop Peterson, they were likely to beat the Vikes. I don't think that was so much because of how the Vikes used him as it was their inability to do much consistently without him. I know others feel differently but that was my take.