PHP's "Early Bird Gets the Worm" Mock Offseason

[Pondering Her Percy]

I always say, I'm not saying this is what's going to happen. Will it be correct, no. I have hit on a decent number of picks over the years (Munnerlyn, Hill and Jennings in FA, Waynes, Patterson, Hodges, Harrison Smith and Floyd (at the time I had us getting Floyd in the 2nd before he shot up draft boards),) but it's next to impossible to ever get these right but I know you guys enjoy the read. I look to assess our current needs as best as I can and keeping it as realistic as possible.

I must say, I do a lot of research on these guys and if you look at my previous mocks, many of the guys I have us selecting may not be making an impact for us but they are making a big impact elsewhere. A few years ago, I had us getting Devonte Parker, Denzel Perryman, Tevin Coleman, Tre Jackson, Jamon Brown, etc. All who were either starting or making some noise as rookies. Also had us drafting Su'a Cravens and Graham Glasgow last year.


REMEMBER ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!!!!


The Vikings finish 8-8 and receive the 15th pick of the 2nd round (47th overall) in the 2017 NFL draft



OFFSEASON OVERVIEW






2016 Vikings Free Agents

LT- Matt Kalil- Resigned/1 year, 2nd year option contract - (We're in a pickle with both OTs being free agents and not having a first round pick. He is the younger option, give him a prove-it deal with an option

CB- Captain Munnerlyn- Resigned/1 year deal - Still playing at a high level, loves playing for Zim, a leader on the team, I say hold onto him plus it provides more depth and doesnt force Alexander in there if he doesnt need to be

WR/KR- Cordarrelle Patterson- Resigned/3 year deal - Made huge strides this year as a WR and is a pro bowl KR. I say he's a must keep. Nobody on this team is more dangerous with the ball in his hands than this guy.

FB- Zach Line- Resigned/2 year deal - Been a fairly solid FB for us. No reason to go look for a new one

RB- Matt Asiata- Resigned/1 year deal - Not a fan of him at all as a runner but is somewhat useful in 3rd down situations.

LB- Audie Cole- Resigned/1 year deal - Depth/ST purposes




RT- Andre Smith- Let go - Not getting any younger and coming off a bad injury

LT- Jake Long- Let go - I feel for the guy. Use to be a great tackle but too many serious injuries

QB- Shaun Hill- Let go - If Teddy's rehab looks promising, no need to hold onto Hill

DE- Justin Trattou- Let go - Have his replacement in Weatherly

P- Jeff Locke- Let go - Time to bring in a new punter




LB- Chad Greenway- Retires - One of the greats but father time has gotten to him. He'll be missed

CB- Terrance Newman- Retires - He could[/b] come back another year but with Waynes getting more and more reps, I feel like this is his last year.



RB- Adrian Peterson- Released - Hurts me to say this but it's time. We cant rely on him to stay healthy because if he's now, our running game is worse than anyones. Time to get a fresh start at the RB position.


WR- Jarius Wright- Traded to the Cleveland Browns for 2017 6th round pick - There is no point in paying Wright this money if he is hardly ever active. Get what you can for him









Spielman continues to go after youth and not over spend in free agency



RT- Ricky Wagner - 4 year deal

-Wagner has started 46 games and counting for the Ravens. I dont think his price will be anything overly high. He would be a good option to plug in right away at RT.






CB- Dre Kirkpatrick - 2 year deal

-Dre was drafted when Zim was in Cincy. He hasnt lived up to his first round pedigree so we could get him on the cheap. He knows this defense and could play a big depth role behind Rhodes and Waynes.






OG- Patrick Omameh- 2 year deal

-Has started 32 games over the past 3 seasons. Not your typical household name but another good depth piece to have at the guard spot. He's had quite a few good weeks over the past 3 seasons according to PFF.







OLB- Alex Okafor- 2 year deal

-Okafor is a good depth piece that can rush the passer. He will compete with Lamur for Greenways spot












Round 1 - NO PICK (Traded to Philadelphia)



-------TRADE-------

Vikings trade their 2nd round pick (47th overall), 4th round pick (via Miami) and 7 round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for their 2nd round pick (35th overall)



Round 2

OT - Ryan Ramczyk - Wisconsin

Ramczyk has been a stud at Wisconsin. His biggest strength is pass protection which is clearly something we could use. He shows a lot of power in the run game too. He's very athletic and would be an immediate upgrade to the OL. He will immediately compete with Kalil and if he doesnt win the job year one, he very well could by year 2.



Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj2K7AYm7yM




Round 3

DT - Charles Walker - Oklahoma

Walker has been on the rise lately and we could use some more depth at the DT position with Tom Johnson getting older and Floyd up in the air. The thing with Walker is that he did bail on his team to prepare for the draft and it caused a lot of media stir. He could go anywhere from round 1-4. I say he slides a bit and it could be a huge hit for us.



Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IczJgLdWqY




Round 3 (via Miami)

RB - Semaje Perine - Oklahoma

I always have at least one man crush every year and this is easily my #1. When I see this guy run the ball, all I can see is Maurice Jones-Drew. This guy is an absolute monster that is a true down hill runner. One of the strongest RBs I have ever seen coming out of college. He will be an immediate starter at RB.



Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYChH34dBuc




Round 4

OT/OG - Forrest Lamp - Western Kentucky

First of all, great name. Second, he's currently an OT in WKU but is only 6'4 and will probably play guard in the NFL. He's a hard-nosed lineman that can immediately compete with Fusco and also provides a lot of depth.



Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1vBFZRXa0k



-------TRADE-------

Vikings trade their 5th round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their 5th round pick and 7th round pick



Round 5 (via Tampa Bay)

TE - Cole Hikutini - Louisville

I wasnt big on taking a TE here but with Pruitt leaving, we need another receiving TE in case Rudy went down. Hikutini is a very good receiving TE that would provide a good depth piece.





-------TRADE-------

Vikings trade their 6th round pick (via Clevelands trade for Wright) to the Arizona Cardinals for their 6th round pick and 7th round pick and 2018 6th round pick



Round 6 (via Arizona)

CB - Brandon Facyson - Virginia Tech

Facyson is a huge corner at 6'2. You can never have too many CBs. He will provide depth and play special teams to start





Round 6

OT- Jon Heck - North Carolina

Heck has been a solid pass protector for Trubisky and provides more depth at the tackle spot. He will play RT and back up Wagner





Round 7 - NO PICK (Traded to Jacksonville)



Round 7 (via Arizona)

QB - Brady Gustafson - Montana

Gustafson is a monster (6'7). He will be a developmental guy that we can look to groom.





Round 7 (via Tampa Bay)

P - Cameron Johnston - Ohio St.

Johnston averaged 46+ yards per punt at OSU and will take Locke's place.




....Hope you guys enjoyed the read!!!

[Texas Vike]

I did, indeed, enjoy the read, as always.

I have liked Perine for the Vikes for some time now, my only concern is that he is injury prone. He runs hungry and mean when he's healthy though. I would be satisfied with that scenario of moving up in the 2nd to address LT and most of your FA moves make sense to me. Good mock!

[PurpleMustReign]

I would love Perine in Purple. I thimk he will befire the 3rd round though.

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[PurpleMustReign]

I also like Dre Kirkpatrick. I am hoping to keep Munnerlyn. I would rather use Asiata as a FB as i am not big on Line.

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[Husker Vike]

Good work!, I see Ramczyk as more of a right tackle in the NFL, will probably need hip surgery so that may effect draft position still has a year of eligibility left .

[losperros]

I love this, PHP! Very well thought out. The way you have it the Vikings definitely upgrade their team in spots badly needing it.

Thanks also for also including your take on the free agency. I pretty much agree with you about who the Vikings will re-sign and who will hit the market. And yes, I believe Peterson will play elsewhere, sad to say. He's been a force as a RB, but he'll be gone because of his age, price, and recent injury history.

I like Ricky Wagner at RT. Better than what we have now, in my view.

Regarding the draft, I'd love to see the Vikings get Ryan Ramczyk. His overall athleticism is something the Vikes have needed on their offensive line for years.

I also like Semaje Perine a lot. I've only seen him play one full game but the guy is a beast. There are times when he seems almost impossible to tackle. He would bring stud power to the team's RB position again, though he's a different runner than Adrian Peterson. I hope Perine will still be available for the Vikings. He may go higher than projected.

[Bigwehrm]

Didn't Cleveland just draft 15 receivers? Did none of them pan out? Or why do they want Wright?

[Pondering Her Percy]

Didn't Cleveland just draft 15 receivers? Did none of them pan out? Or why do they want Wright?

Outside of Coleman who didn't do much, none of them panned out. They drafted 5 in all. Wright would be an immediate starter for them. Pryor, Coleman and Wright would be a decent young WR corps

[Pondering Her Percy]

Thanks for the feedback guys!!

[mansquatch]

I always appreciate the work you put into this.

I think it is extremely unlikely they'll part way with both Smith and Long assuming both are NFL viable in 2017. If they are serious about a championship run they have to make TJ Clemmings the backup to the backup, where he belongs.

I wonder if they are going to do something drastic at RT?

[Mothman]

I always appreciate the work you put into this.

I think it is extremely unlikely they'll part way with both Smith and Long assuming both are NFL viable in 2017.

If they keep either one of them, I'm going to be very frustrated. They'd likely be setting themselves up for more injuries and disappointment, they need to learn from this season's mistakes, not repeat them.

If they are serious about a championship run they have to make TJ Clemmings the backup to the backup, where he belongs.

I don't think he belongs on the roster either.

[Pondering Her Percy]

I always appreciate the work you put into this.

I think it is extremely unlikely they'll part way with both Smith and Long assuming both are NFL viable in 2017. If they are serious about a championship run they have to make TJ Clemmings the backup to the backup, where he belongs.

I wonder if they are going to do something drastic at RT?

I mean with my offseason, for tackles we have Kalil, Ramcyzk, Wagner, and Heck. Clemmings as just a floater even though he very well could be cut. I see no reason to keep Long or Smith. I kept Kalil who is the best of the 3 IMO, signed Wagner in FA and drafted Ramcyzk and Heck. Plus I drafted Lamp who can also play tackle

[VikingPaul73]

I always appreciate the work you put into this.

I think it is extremely unlikely they'll part way with both Smith and Long assuming both are NFL viable in 2017. If they are serious about a championship run they have to make TJ Clemmings the backup to the backup, where he belongs.

I wonder if they are going to do something drastic at RT?

they would both be on IR by October. PLEASE do not keep either one..

[Pondering Her Percy]

they would both be on IR by October. PLEASE do not keep either one..

Yeah like I said there is no need if you keep Kalil and draft/sign right. This is all very doable IMO

[VikingPaul73]

I am very curious to see what happens with Kalil. I agree if they can sign him for backup $$ , I'd probably do it

I wonder if he will retire if no one offers him starter $$