Vikes thread!

[LPS]

I have not been a big fan of him but he has been doing good.  Now if the D can keep it up we may have something here. 

[Gunner55]

   Thought glenn would've liked your last post by now Steve-o.                                         

[glenn57]

  Thought glenn would've liked your last post by now Steve-o.                                         

he aint in 1rst place in any category, so..........................................

[Gunner55]

     If he was he'd be getting paid like Russel Wilson or Mahomes. You could then probably say goodbye to Harrison Smith, Hunter, Kendricks, Barr, Cook, & just about anyone else who's any good too!!   

[dutchboy]

Glenn, you might be able to trade him to Buffalo for Trubisky.....oh wait, the money won't work there.   

[Steve-o]

This is WAY too much data for a post, but it is fun to scroll down and see which quarterbacks are making what money and figure out why it is the way it is.

These salaries are for this year only.  I have no clue what the cap hits are.  But Patrick Mahomes and John Allen are making $13M and $10M MORE than Cousins this year.  I wonder how long teams like the Chiefs and Bills can stay relevant when they have at least $10M less to spend on other players compared to most other teams.

It still seems the best formula is to bottom out, draft a QB with a high pick, pray he isn't an over-hyped bust (historically its a 50-50 shot), and hope that he gets really good before his rookie contract runs out.

And outside of quarterbacks who are vastly outperforming their rookie contracts (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Justin Herbert, etc.) AND Tom Brady, is there anyone on the list below Kirk Cousins who you would rather see as the Vikings QB right now?

(You might be able to cherry pick a couple of names, but there aren't many - at least they way I see things.)

Who ya thinkin?    Gimme some names. 

Patrick Mahomes   $45,000,000
Josh Allen   $43,000,000
Dak Prescott   $40,000,000
Deshaun Watson   $39,000,000
Russell Wilson   $35,000,000
Jared Goff   $33,500,000
Aaron Rodgers   $33,500,000
Kirk Cousins   $33,000,000
Carson Wentz   $32,000,000
Matt Ryan   $30,000,000
Ryan Tannehill   $29,500,000
Jimmy Garoppolo   $27,500,000
Matt Stafford   $27,000,000
Derek Carr   $25,005,000
Tom Brady   $25,000,000
Ben Roethlisberger   $14,000,000
Teddy Bridgewater   $11,500,000
Taysom Hill   $10,500,000
Andy Dalton   $10,000,000
Ryan Fitzpatrick   $10,000,000
Trevor Lawrence   $9,198,372
Joe Burrow   $9,047,534
Kyler Murray   $8,789,661
Zach Wilson   $8,787,695
Trey Lance   $8,526,315
Baker Mayfield   $8,170,745
Nick Foles   $8,000,000
Tua Tagovailoa   $7,568,859
Sam Darnold   $7,561,924
Justin Herbert   $6,644,689
Daniel Jones   $6,416,014
Case Keenum   $6,000,000
Tyrod Taylor   $5,500,000
Jameis Winston   $5,500,000
Jacoby Brissett   $5,000,000
Mason Rudolph   $4,985,199
Justin Fields   $4,717,988
Mac Jones   $3,896,585
Joe Flacco   $3,500,000
Marcus Mariota   $3,500,000
Jordan Love   $3,095,868
C.J. Beathard   $2,500,000
Mitchell Trubisky   $2,500,000
Tim Boyle   $2,400,000
Taylor Heinicke   $2,375,000
Lamar Jackson   $2,367,913
Blaine Gabbert   $2,000,000
Drew Lock   $1,752,705
Chad Henne   $1,625,000
Jalen Hurts   $1,506,294

[glenn57]

  and to think I wanted to be a union thug!!

[LPS]

I've always been curious about Garappalo. 

[Bobberineyes]

Great read Steve o, some big names even on the bottom of the list.  Is that the Love fella on green bays roster?? Making that kinda money doing zip??

[Steve-o]

Great read Steve o, some big names even on the bottom of the list.  Is that the Love fella on green bays roster?? Making that kinda money doing zip??

Yeah, those QBs-in-waiting will make more money holding a clipboard in one year than most of us will in a lifetime.  Its all Monopoly money for professional athletes.

And that isn't exactly the bottom of the list.  I didn't include all the backups and third stringers.  Here are some other names we might recognize.

Mike Glennon   $1,375,000
Kellen Mond   $1,305,853
Geno Smith   $1,212,500
A.J. McCarron   $1,212,500
Colt McCoy   $1,212,500
Chase Daniel   $1,075,000
Brian Hoyer   $1,075,000
Sean Mannion   $990,000
Josh Rosen   $850,000
Jake Browning   $165,600
Kyle Sloter   $165,600

A few of these guys were supposed to be "Franchise Quarterbacks" a couple years back.  And now they are "barely hanging on" making around $1M each.

[LPS]

Yup very interesting.  That's a lot of QB's.

[Gunner55]

  Well, this https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/29/report-tom-brady-restructures-contract/ has a lot to do with this https://sports.nbcsports.com/2021/02/07/quarterbacks-with-the-most-super-bowl-wins/ IMO.

[dutchboy]

Throughout history there are some mediocre quarterbacks who have won a Super Bowl or been considered a top tier quarterback. They all have a couple of things in common, they have good offensive lines, they don't throw interceptions, they have defenses that can bail them out of mistakes.

Cousins isn't great, bit he isn't the worse thing here i've watched in the last 50 years.

[Gunner55]

  Would've like to have seen what difference a healthy Cook & Pierce made, if any.

[Steve-o]

I don't remember all the plays they ran after Cook came back into the game at the end, but I assumed one of his primary responsibilities was going to be picking up the blitz - cause the dude can block and is willing to do it.

And they better figure out how to stop the blitz, cause now teams have a book on how to de-horn Kapt. Kirk.

[LPS]

He was screaming like a girl after the first quarter.  And noone talks to him on the bench.  They know he is shell shocked.  No camaraderie there that I have ever seen. 

[Gunner55]

  I thought the announcers said that they didn't hardly need to blitz at all because they got that good of pressure with just their front 4. A good run game would've slowed down that rush some with the play action plus if they'd had to blitz it would've created more single coverage on the the guys catching the ball. Pierce is a stud at stopping the run game & will often get double teamed, he's also surprisingly good with the pass rush too for a really big guy(340#'s) because of his quickness. With Hunter & Griffen on the ends, at least in passing situations, they can't double team everybody.

[Steve-o]

Yes, you are absolutely correct about the Browns not needing the blitz.  Hopefully the Vikes won't face a defensive front 4 that is as good as them the rest of the way.

And it doesn't help that Christian Darrisaw has given them nothing.  Or maybe it isn't Darrisaw's fault for being incurred.  Maybe it is the front office's fault for not picking a player in the first round who is ready to contributed.

And the Vikes will forever be haunted by the fact that we could have had Patriots starting quarterback, Mac Jones.    After they dump Kapt. Kirk, they will be back to square one looking for stop-gap quarterbacks to bridge from one season to the next - trying to catch lightening in a bottle.

Unless lightening does strike twice and the Vikings can lure Aaron Rodgers to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, ol' Number 4!

[LPS]

I agree SteveO.  We have gained almost nothing for our future.  So many of our players are about done too.  Including Barr, Smith, etc.  Then what?  No QB in sight for us at this point unless Mond surprises me. 

[dutchboy]

Everything will get swept clean when they decide not to resign Cousins. At that time a new coach, new GM & new promises will be brought in.

Results won't change but the names of those who blame will.

[Steve-o]

Since when did NFL Quarterbacks become such snowflakes that they melt when an organization selects another QB high in the draft?   

So much so that GMs are reluctant to do it?

It is clear that Spielman and Zim had a win-now philosophy going into this draft - because if they didn't win, they were going to be gone next year.  They know they need a QB in a year or two, but they kicked that can down the road again.

What happens when you draft for need in the first round instead of taking the best player available?  You miss out in the long run.

Unless Darrisaw starts playing and saves the season, Spielman and Zim will have screwed the pooch again with the offensive line and missed out on a guy who might be a very good starting Quarterback, who will be dirt-cheap for the next 5 years. 

But from where things are right now, and where they seem to be heading, wouldn't you rather have Mac Jones waiting in the wings for this season, dump Cousins next year, and then start rebuilding your offensive line (again) and replace you aging defensive starters with younger players? 

[LPS]

Absolutely.  Who is the boss, the Coach or the QB?  If you don't like the new guy waiting to take your job you better step up to the plate and do your job.  And yes Darrisaw better get his azz in line.  Barr is a pansy too.

[Gunner55]

  What has haunted the Vikings FOREVER is the dumbest trade in the history of the league in 1989.  How many QB's, GM's, & HC's have there been since then? Same team, same draft day philosophy, same results no matter who's calling the shots.  

[dutchboy]

I think it's fair to hold them accountable. How many times has this roster turned over since they got here. I think a guy tossing darts at a board can do as well as Spielman's drafting. Zimmer I could care less about. He isn't that great but who out there would be better?

[glenn57]

I agree, no sense in bringing up the past. This regime has been here long enough to rid of the past stigma.

[Gunner55]

I agree, no sense in bringing up the past. This regime has been here long enough to rid of the past stigma.

Exactly my point, they've had 7 GMs & 6 HCs since & they couldn't get it done either so it's just wash, rinse, & repeat!!  Besides Zygi & Mark still have veto power, especially on draft day, don't they? 

[Steve-o]

Being an NFL owner is like being king of the team.  I think the Wilfs are smart enough to know they aren't football savants.

I would love to see report cards from all the other GMs around the league in terms of draft mistakes and free-agent signings that didn't work out.

I'll be most GMs are 50/50 hits and misses.  But its like blackjack, if you can string some good hands together, you have a good night.  In Football, if you can hit on draft pics that pan out for a few years running, free agents earn what you pay then, avoid injuries, and with a little extra good luck, you'll have a some good playoff runs.  But for everyone else, you going to be stuck in the middle or the bottom.

[dutchboy]

It's my belief that most years if you draft later then 10 it's a crap shoot. Very good scouting departments and development coaches can get a guy in later rounds thats as good as a mid to late first round guy. Every once in a while you have a real strong draft class that the top guys are available in the mid teens but not that often. Spielman is excellent at piling up picks, I just don't know how good he is at recognizing and selecting players. Maybe it's Zim who actually makes the pick? IDK. Here is what we do know......the Vikings have done nothing to close the gap between them and Green Bay while Chicago keeps nipping along. Can you imagine if Detroit was ever any good?

Broom them both out. There really isn't much difference between being 8-9 and 10-7 as far as draft picks go. Steckle is retired I think so how much worse can we really do?

[LPS]

This Detroit game is going to be paramount.  I was thinking of who we could even get for a new coach?????   I wonder if Josh McDaniels would be interested?  I don't want a college coach but Jim Harbaugh may not be a bad choice if he was interested in getting back in the big leagues.  To just replace with no one better will just be many more years wasted.  And when they kick Zim and Spielman to the curb they better take Quirk with them. 

[Steve-o]

I don't want a college coach but Jim Harbaugh may not be a bad choice ...