[OC] Danchat's Guide to the Offseason 2019
We're back to the NFL Offseason - and you know what time it is! The 4th Annual Guide to the Offseason! Before we start, just a reminder, this is not an article about predicting what will happen, but it's rather what I would do with the Vikings roster if I were the GM.
Here's the current cap situation for the Vikes:
Yikes, only $6.3M in cap room. Last year we had $53M to play with, so I'll be limited with what I can do. Here goes!
Releases / Waives
WR Laquon Treadwell (move saves $0M, all $3.16M is dead)
Goodbye, Bustwell. Despite putting up great numbers in college and displaying athleticism and great hands, none of that transitioned to the NFL. It seems to me that when he broke his fibula and dislocated his ankle in 2014 (it was a gruesome injury, look it up), he was never the same afterwards. All of his burst was gone and with no ability to separate from defenders, he could at least been a solid possession receiver. That didn't happen as Treadwell coasted on his talent (he admitted this in his sophomore year with the Vikings) and didn't bother to master route-running. All this has added up to a WR who can't get open, can't run routes, can't catch the ball, and doesn't seem to be bothered to improve his game. The Vikings offense will improve simply due to him not being on the field.
G/T Mike Remmers (move saves $4.55M, leaves $1.8M in dead money)
Remmers signed a 5 year, $30M deal with the Vikings, and I wouldn't say that it was a total failure. His 2016 season at RT was successful and he earned his pay. However, when Easton went down at the end of the 2016 season, Remmers moved to RG and that foreshadowed his permanent move to guard. Unfortunately, Remmers proved to be a below average guard who simply doesn't have the strength to move defensive linemen in the run game. His strength was always as a pass defender as a RT, and it was baffling locked him into the RG spot even when realistic alternatives existed. With RT Brian O'Neill appearing to be a mainstay there, I'll move on from Remmers to open some cap room. He'll get another crack at starting somewhere else because NFL teams are so desperate for offensive linemen.
SS Andrew Sendejo
Sendejo's contract has the 2019 season as an option that the Vikings can decline. I'll pass on paying Sendejo that, as Anthony Harris has taken over his job and played better than he ever did. That's not to say Andrew didn't play well as a Viking - he was a solid run defender and decent in coverage, and he provided a stable partner to Smith in the defensive backfield. He'll be 32 next season and his groin injury that cost him the season lingered far longer than expected, so I'd rather go with the younger guy who played better, but I'll give Sendejo a "happy trails" on his way out.
Remaining Cap: $16.4M
Re-Signing
Restructure DE Everson Griffen's deal - save $5M
I think restructuring Griffen's deal to give him some more guaranteed money while lowering his cap hit in 2019 is a win-win for each side. I'm not ready to have the Vikings move on from Griffen quite yet, and I'm not sure why exactly he started to regress in the second half of the season - he seemed to be healthy, mentally and physically, but he wasn't creating any pressure.
SS Anthony Harris - 3 years, $18M total, $5M guaranteed
Harris shot ahead of George Iloka when Sendejo went down with injury, and I'm willing to pay him now that he's about to hit free agency. The good news is that safeties don't make very much money nowadays, so Harris shouldn't be expensive to retain. $6M a year seems to be fair compared to other safeties getting that money (Micah Hyde/Quandre Diggs/Jonathan Cyprien). You could say that it's odd to retain Harris despite his inexperience compared to Barr and Richardson, but he'll be much cheaper and he easily outplayed those two in 2018.
ERFAs P Wile and FB Ham retained
Matt Wile and C. J. Ham can be brought back for next to nothing, so I'll have them return. Ham hasn't done much as a FB, and it'll be up to Stefanski to use him or discard the FB position. Wile had a good season as a first year starter and could get better in his second season.
Tender RFA T Hill - original round (about $800K)
Rashod Hill has been a decent backup tackle, so I'll bring him back on an original tender. Any other NFL team could offer him a deal, but I don't think he's good enough to warrant another team overpaying him to steal him away.
Sign WR Aldrick Robinson 1/$1.2M
Robinson and Cousins had some chemistry going (at least for a 4th WR), and I'd love to bring back Aldrick at a steeper price. He won't be guaranteed a roster spot, but I like his chances of sticking around as the 4th WR.
Remaining Cap: $12.3M
Players Being Let Go
DT Sheldon Richardson
Richardson was a surprise signing that most Vikings fans didn't expect to happen after Cousins' deal. Richardson delivered a decent season that was similar compared to his past efforts - plenty of pressure, not a ton of sacks, and decent run support. PFF rated him as slightly above average, and it's for that reason I'm not bringing him back. He should earn $10M+ a season, and for what he brings, he's simply not worth the money. The Vikings have many other needs that need to be addressed, and they won't lose much letting Richardson go.
OLB Anthony Barr
This was a tough one, but I'm letting Barr go. The 4 time Pro Bowler's potential was never quite reached with the Vikings, as I think he's better fit as a pass rushing-first 3-4 OLB role. Barr is a very capable run defender and decent cover LB, but his play for the Vikings fluctuate from fantastic to disastrous. Barr's 2018 was all over the place with a few dominant games (vs Dolphins, at Seahawks) and a few awful games (vs Bills, vs Bears). However, with the money he'll command (I'm thinking $13M a year or more) and the fact that when he's been injured, the Vikings defense has been fine... I'm letting him go. Replacing him won't be easy, but it must be done.
HB Latavius Murray
Murray had a solid two year run with the Vikings and proved to be a capable starter, but nothing more than that. In the five starts he received with Cook injured, Murray topped 70 yards once and ran for just 4.0 yards per carry in his Vikings career. He's a great pass protector, but brings little to nothing as a receiver (he also dropped a pass that was intercepted in the abysmal Bills game). I'd rather look for a younger and cheaper replacement, as the more I watch NFL games, the more I realize you can plug any HB behind a good offensive line and they'll run well, and that makes bringing back Murray of little value to me.
C Brett Jones
The Vikings acquired Jones for a 7th round pick, and they started him for 3 games and used him as the backup center for the rest of the season. Jones' PFF grade was very low, but his near-full 2017 campaign with the Giants was well-rated. He'll sign a small deal as a backup center somewhere.
G Tom Compton
Compton should have made the team as a backup guard who could fill in at a moment's notice. Instead, due to Easton's back injury, he ended up starting 14 games and was a poor blocker. Compton would have games where he would play relatively well, but when it came time to face guys like DeForest Buckner (3 sacks) or Aaron Donald (1 game-ending strip sack), he had no chance. Compton will make someone else's team as a reserve.
S George Iloka
Iloka was a 5th round pick who was developed by then-Bengals DC Mike Zimmer, and he was a good not great starting safety for Cincinnati for several years. The Bengals went with a rookie at safety and axed Iloka, and he took a backup job with the Vikings, and luckily for him, Sendejo had a groin injury that ended his season. However, something happened that nobody saw coming - Anthony Harris ran away with the job and never looked back. Iloka rotated as the starting safety alongside Smith, and while his play was average, Harris was on another level. Iloka might not get a starting job next year, but he's a great backup at this point.
QB Trevor Siemian
The Vikings made Siemian their backup after shipping this year's 5th round pick to Denver for him. With QB injuries frequently had here in Minnesota, Spielman wisely acquired one of the league's better backups, but I'm ready to move on from him. He should land a backup gig elsewhere and earn around $3-4M a season. I'm ready to move forward with Kyle Sloter as Cousins' primary backup.
G Nick Easton
I'll pass on figuring out Easton's back injury - I'm sure he'll be willing to come back for cheap, but I'm not interested in having big question marks on the O-line. His injury in 2017 season right before the playoffs crippled the O-line, and his 2018 injury was even worse as it forced Compton in. We need healthy O-lineman on this team, and I can't trust Easton to return and play a full season.
DT Tom Johnson
The Vikings were able to get Tom Johnson back in despite adding Sheldon Richardson, which was thanks to the Seahawks trying to sneak him into free agency for a week. In his rotational role, Johnson notched 4.5 sacks but didn't do much else, as he was a poor run defender. I think the Vikings are better off going with younger guys (Jaleel Johnson and Holmes) in the rotation to see if they can live up to their potential.
HB Ameer Abdullah
Special Teams coach Mike Priefer requested the waiver claim on Abdullah due to his ability in returning kicks. However, kick returning happens so infrequently now that he's not worth anything in that department. He was a dynamic back in college, but he fizzled out with the Lions. He'll land on someone's 90 man roster.
K Dan Bailey
I was all over signing Bailey over Daniel Carlson, and it appears that I was wrong. The Cowboys noticed that Bailey had declined, and it seems it wasn't due to the injury he suffered in 2017. Bailey was the next kicker to flop hard in Minnesota, hitting just 4/9 FGs between 40-49 yards and just one over 50 yards. There are still many teams hungry for a new kicker, so some other team can go pay him if they'd like. I'd rather find a young kicker to develop.
CB Marcus Sherels
I have plans to add a new punt returner, so it's time to say "so long" to Sherels. He's been a great punt returner, but he'll be 32 next season and I think it's time to move on.
Trade
Vikings send CB Trae Waynes and a 2020 5th rounder for NO OLB Alex Anzalone.
To open enough cap space for the moves I'd like to make in free agency, I will need to trade a CB, and I think Trae Waynes is the one to go. Trae has proven to be a solid #2 CB, but not much else than that. With Rhodes, Hill, and Hughes all capable of taking his place, it seems prudent to trade him now. I'll ship him off to the Saints, who need to find a #2 CB to Marshon Lattimore after the Eli Apple trade backfired. In return, the Vikings will get OLB Alex Anzalone, of whom I'm chalking up as my Anthony Barr replacement. A 3rd round pick entering his third season, Anzalone is the Saints' 3rd OLB behind DeMario Davis and AJ Klein, and with those two under contract, I believe the Saints would be willing to move him. He's played decently when on the field, but I think he has potential for more. The Vikings get two years of control over Anzalone, so I'll send the Saints a 5th rounder next year to help make up for that.
Remaining Cap Room: $20.4M
Free Agency
C Matt Paradis 5 years / $50M total / $22M guaranteed
Alright, here's our big free agency spending. The Vikings need to add some high-end offensive line talent, and Paradis qualifies as that. The Vikings have Gary Kubiak and Rick Dennison, who are familiar with Paradis, and offering a $50M sum should get him in town. This will move Elflein to competing for the LG spot and backing up Paradis at center.
T Ty Nsekhe 2 years / $7M total / $3.5M guaranteed
I wanted the Vikings to nab Nsekhe in free agency two years ago, and I want him back again. Nsekhe has possibly been the best swing tackle in the NFL, serving at LT and RT for the Redskins. I would like to bring in Nsekhe as the primary swing tackle, but also give him a chance to be the LG. He has the size to play guard, and if he fails there, then we have the league's best backup tackle, so I'll be happy with that.
HB T. J. Yeldon 2 years / $5.5M / $1.75M guaranteed
I think making a small investment at the HB position makes sense during free agency, and Yeldon would qualify as a high-upside flier. Yeldon struggled in his first two seasons with the Jaguars, but the latest two seasons he's run for a 4.36 YPC and 85 catches. He hauled in 4 receiving TDs and thrived as Leonard Fournette's compliment in the passing game, though he did get some boosts thanks to a ton of garbage time. Cousins could use a safety value HB to pass to, and it doesn't seem like Cook is going to fill that role.
DE William Hayes 1/$3M
This is a simple depth addition who may not end up making the team, but the 34 year old Hayes is one of the league's best rotational DEs. The problem is that he blew his ACL this past season - he's the one who tore his knee up while trying not to rough a QB during a sack. He's an insurance policy behind Griffen (and behind Weatherly) in case anything happens to him. You can never have too many DEs!
S Mike Mitchell 1/$1M
With Sendejo and Iloka gone, there are plenty of decent veteran safeties who will be willing to sign for next to nothing. Mitchell was a starter for the Steelers in 2017 and ended up as a reserve for the Colts in 2018, and played very well until injuring his calf and ending up on the IR. He'll be 32 in June, and while age and injury could be concerns, he won't be guaranteed a roster spot. Jayron Kearse may prove himself to be the next man up at safety anyways.
WR Travis Benjamin 1/$1.5M
Finally, I'll add another WR. Benjamin is slated to make $6.5M this season for the Chargers, but they aren't going to pay their 4th WR that much, so I'm projecting that he gets cut. Benjamin is a deep threat who won't do much else outside of that (he had a poor 2018 season when on the field)... but he was a very good punt returner in 2017, and I'm pegging him as my replacement to Marcus Sherels.
Cap Room Remaining:
$4.1M
Draft
Do note that this is a very early mock and I don't know that much about the draft prospects yet.
Pick 1-18: G Cody Ford
The Vikings don't just need to spend draft picks on offensive linemen, they need to spend picks on high-end O-line talent. Cody Ford qualifies as that, as the 6' 5" 335 pound man is not only massive but also quick on his feet. He's played right tackle at Oklahoma, but many project him to end up as a guard. Ford should be able to fill a guard spot in his rookie season without many problems and finally put some stitches in the bloody wound that the Vikings have tried to put band-aids on.
Pick 2-50: DT Isaiah Buggs
This is the best draft to take a DT in the 2nd or 3rd round; the reason being that the 1st round talent on the D-line is the best I've ever seen it. There are 7-8 interior DL first round prospects, meaning that good prospects like Buggs will slip down the draft board because of talented guys ahead of him. He notched 13.5 tackels for loss and 9.5 sacks on his second year starting on the D-line at Alabama, and he runs a sub 5.00 40'. With production and athletsicm, he should help fill the whole left by losing Richardson in free agency.
Pick 3-82: WR Terry McLaurin
Scouting WRs has proven to be incredibly difficult for NFL scouts and armchair GMs like myself. McLaurin wasn't a top target at Ohio State, but he's received rave reviews for his route running and hands. McLaurin also averaged 20 yards a catch over the 2018 season. I imagine Terry as a WR who can win the 3rd WR job and potentially step in for Diggs or Thielen for a few games if injury strikes.
Pick 4-114: TE Josh Oliver
Perhaps if Spielman throughs enough darts at mid-round TEs, one will eventually pan out. Oliver was successful as a receiving TE at San Diego State, going for 709 yards and 4 TDs. Since Rudolph is sticking around in this projection, I'll have another young TE push him and perhaps take his job in 2020.
Pick 6-180: G/C Sean Krepsz
I'm just throwing darts at this point. Krepsz would play guard or center with his size (6' 5" 325 pounds) and has played three seasons as a starting center in Nevada. Perhaps Krepsz can be the next Brandon Fusco - a late round OL who can become a starter in the future. For now, he'll back up both guard and center, just like Elflein.
Pick 6-comp: CB Saivion Smith
Here's a project for Zimmer to work on - Smith didn't play very much at Alabama, but he turned in good performances when he did get to play (3 ints, 5 passes knocked down). A late pick like this is perfect for drafting a great athlete who didn't get chances to play in college, and he could be developed into something in the future. Plus he's 6'1" 200 lbs, so it's not like he'll be limited as a nickel corner.
Pick 7-comp: LB Khalil Hodge
Time for Spielman's obligatory 7th round linebacker! Hodge racked up the stat sheet at Buffalo with 298 tackles in two seasons. The small school prospect doesn't stack up quite as well athletically as other LBs, but he'd make for a great special teamer and solid reserve.
Pick 7-comp: K Matt Gay
Alright, so I usually try not to draft kickers, but the end of the 7th round is a perfectly acceptable time to do it. Gay has hit 54 / 63 FGs in his past two seasons at Utah (85.7%) and can hit 50+ yard kicks reguarly. Unlike Walsh or Carlson, I haven't found anything on him about having streaks of inaccuracy, so sign me up and please don't choke your job away! Oh, and you'll be facing a UDFA kicker for your job, so don't get comfortable!
Alright... so let's see where that leaves us:
So that leaves us finished with just $2.03M in cap space, but we made it. Let's take a look at the hypothetical depth chart:
I'm pretty happy with this roster, as I think I've fixed most the problems on the team. I know some will complain about the backup QB, but I'm ready for Sloter to be the #2. Maybe the only change I would make, looking back, is to draft a tackle in the 3rd/4th round to develop behind Reiff and O'Neill. I guess I was thinking that phase 2 of the "fix the O-line plan" would be to find a prospect to develop at LT in 2020. Plus if neither Nsekhe nor Elflein worked at LG, then we'd fix the spot for good in 2020. The defense should be fine, and the new young guys will need to step up to replace Richardson and Barr.
Alright, that's enough from me, but what about from you? I'd love to hear about what you like or don't like in my plans - what would you tweak?
Here's the current cap situation for the Vikes:
Yikes, only $6.3M in cap room. Last year we had $53M to play with, so I'll be limited with what I can do. Here goes!
Releases / Waives
WR Laquon Treadwell (move saves $0M, all $3.16M is dead)
Goodbye, Bustwell. Despite putting up great numbers in college and displaying athleticism and great hands, none of that transitioned to the NFL. It seems to me that when he broke his fibula and dislocated his ankle in 2014 (it was a gruesome injury, look it up), he was never the same afterwards. All of his burst was gone and with no ability to separate from defenders, he could at least been a solid possession receiver. That didn't happen as Treadwell coasted on his talent (he admitted this in his sophomore year with the Vikings) and didn't bother to master route-running. All this has added up to a WR who can't get open, can't run routes, can't catch the ball, and doesn't seem to be bothered to improve his game. The Vikings offense will improve simply due to him not being on the field.
G/T Mike Remmers (move saves $4.55M, leaves $1.8M in dead money)
Remmers signed a 5 year, $30M deal with the Vikings, and I wouldn't say that it was a total failure. His 2016 season at RT was successful and he earned his pay. However, when Easton went down at the end of the 2016 season, Remmers moved to RG and that foreshadowed his permanent move to guard. Unfortunately, Remmers proved to be a below average guard who simply doesn't have the strength to move defensive linemen in the run game. His strength was always as a pass defender as a RT, and it was baffling locked him into the RG spot even when realistic alternatives existed. With RT Brian O'Neill appearing to be a mainstay there, I'll move on from Remmers to open some cap room. He'll get another crack at starting somewhere else because NFL teams are so desperate for offensive linemen.
SS Andrew Sendejo
Sendejo's contract has the 2019 season as an option that the Vikings can decline. I'll pass on paying Sendejo that, as Anthony Harris has taken over his job and played better than he ever did. That's not to say Andrew didn't play well as a Viking - he was a solid run defender and decent in coverage, and he provided a stable partner to Smith in the defensive backfield. He'll be 32 next season and his groin injury that cost him the season lingered far longer than expected, so I'd rather go with the younger guy who played better, but I'll give Sendejo a "happy trails" on his way out.
Remaining Cap: $16.4M
Re-Signing
Restructure DE Everson Griffen's deal - save $5M
I think restructuring Griffen's deal to give him some more guaranteed money while lowering his cap hit in 2019 is a win-win for each side. I'm not ready to have the Vikings move on from Griffen quite yet, and I'm not sure why exactly he started to regress in the second half of the season - he seemed to be healthy, mentally and physically, but he wasn't creating any pressure.
SS Anthony Harris - 3 years, $18M total, $5M guaranteed
Harris shot ahead of George Iloka when Sendejo went down with injury, and I'm willing to pay him now that he's about to hit free agency. The good news is that safeties don't make very much money nowadays, so Harris shouldn't be expensive to retain. $6M a year seems to be fair compared to other safeties getting that money (Micah Hyde/Quandre Diggs/Jonathan Cyprien). You could say that it's odd to retain Harris despite his inexperience compared to Barr and Richardson, but he'll be much cheaper and he easily outplayed those two in 2018.
ERFAs P Wile and FB Ham retained
Matt Wile and C. J. Ham can be brought back for next to nothing, so I'll have them return. Ham hasn't done much as a FB, and it'll be up to Stefanski to use him or discard the FB position. Wile had a good season as a first year starter and could get better in his second season.
Tender RFA T Hill - original round (about $800K)
Rashod Hill has been a decent backup tackle, so I'll bring him back on an original tender. Any other NFL team could offer him a deal, but I don't think he's good enough to warrant another team overpaying him to steal him away.
Sign WR Aldrick Robinson 1/$1.2M
Robinson and Cousins had some chemistry going (at least for a 4th WR), and I'd love to bring back Aldrick at a steeper price. He won't be guaranteed a roster spot, but I like his chances of sticking around as the 4th WR.
Remaining Cap: $12.3M
Players Being Let Go
DT Sheldon Richardson
Richardson was a surprise signing that most Vikings fans didn't expect to happen after Cousins' deal. Richardson delivered a decent season that was similar compared to his past efforts - plenty of pressure, not a ton of sacks, and decent run support. PFF rated him as slightly above average, and it's for that reason I'm not bringing him back. He should earn $10M+ a season, and for what he brings, he's simply not worth the money. The Vikings have many other needs that need to be addressed, and they won't lose much letting Richardson go.
OLB Anthony Barr
This was a tough one, but I'm letting Barr go. The 4 time Pro Bowler's potential was never quite reached with the Vikings, as I think he's better fit as a pass rushing-first 3-4 OLB role. Barr is a very capable run defender and decent cover LB, but his play for the Vikings fluctuate from fantastic to disastrous. Barr's 2018 was all over the place with a few dominant games (vs Dolphins, at Seahawks) and a few awful games (vs Bills, vs Bears). However, with the money he'll command (I'm thinking $13M a year or more) and the fact that when he's been injured, the Vikings defense has been fine... I'm letting him go. Replacing him won't be easy, but it must be done.
HB Latavius Murray
Murray had a solid two year run with the Vikings and proved to be a capable starter, but nothing more than that. In the five starts he received with Cook injured, Murray topped 70 yards once and ran for just 4.0 yards per carry in his Vikings career. He's a great pass protector, but brings little to nothing as a receiver (he also dropped a pass that was intercepted in the abysmal Bills game). I'd rather look for a younger and cheaper replacement, as the more I watch NFL games, the more I realize you can plug any HB behind a good offensive line and they'll run well, and that makes bringing back Murray of little value to me.
C Brett Jones
The Vikings acquired Jones for a 7th round pick, and they started him for 3 games and used him as the backup center for the rest of the season. Jones' PFF grade was very low, but his near-full 2017 campaign with the Giants was well-rated. He'll sign a small deal as a backup center somewhere.
G Tom Compton
Compton should have made the team as a backup guard who could fill in at a moment's notice. Instead, due to Easton's back injury, he ended up starting 14 games and was a poor blocker. Compton would have games where he would play relatively well, but when it came time to face guys like DeForest Buckner (3 sacks) or Aaron Donald (1 game-ending strip sack), he had no chance. Compton will make someone else's team as a reserve.
S George Iloka
Iloka was a 5th round pick who was developed by then-Bengals DC Mike Zimmer, and he was a good not great starting safety for Cincinnati for several years. The Bengals went with a rookie at safety and axed Iloka, and he took a backup job with the Vikings, and luckily for him, Sendejo had a groin injury that ended his season. However, something happened that nobody saw coming - Anthony Harris ran away with the job and never looked back. Iloka rotated as the starting safety alongside Smith, and while his play was average, Harris was on another level. Iloka might not get a starting job next year, but he's a great backup at this point.
QB Trevor Siemian
The Vikings made Siemian their backup after shipping this year's 5th round pick to Denver for him. With QB injuries frequently had here in Minnesota, Spielman wisely acquired one of the league's better backups, but I'm ready to move on from him. He should land a backup gig elsewhere and earn around $3-4M a season. I'm ready to move forward with Kyle Sloter as Cousins' primary backup.
G Nick Easton
I'll pass on figuring out Easton's back injury - I'm sure he'll be willing to come back for cheap, but I'm not interested in having big question marks on the O-line. His injury in 2017 season right before the playoffs crippled the O-line, and his 2018 injury was even worse as it forced Compton in. We need healthy O-lineman on this team, and I can't trust Easton to return and play a full season.
DT Tom Johnson
The Vikings were able to get Tom Johnson back in despite adding Sheldon Richardson, which was thanks to the Seahawks trying to sneak him into free agency for a week. In his rotational role, Johnson notched 4.5 sacks but didn't do much else, as he was a poor run defender. I think the Vikings are better off going with younger guys (Jaleel Johnson and Holmes) in the rotation to see if they can live up to their potential.
HB Ameer Abdullah
Special Teams coach Mike Priefer requested the waiver claim on Abdullah due to his ability in returning kicks. However, kick returning happens so infrequently now that he's not worth anything in that department. He was a dynamic back in college, but he fizzled out with the Lions. He'll land on someone's 90 man roster.
K Dan Bailey
I was all over signing Bailey over Daniel Carlson, and it appears that I was wrong. The Cowboys noticed that Bailey had declined, and it seems it wasn't due to the injury he suffered in 2017. Bailey was the next kicker to flop hard in Minnesota, hitting just 4/9 FGs between 40-49 yards and just one over 50 yards. There are still many teams hungry for a new kicker, so some other team can go pay him if they'd like. I'd rather find a young kicker to develop.
CB Marcus Sherels
I have plans to add a new punt returner, so it's time to say "so long" to Sherels. He's been a great punt returner, but he'll be 32 next season and I think it's time to move on.
Trade
Vikings send CB Trae Waynes and a 2020 5th rounder for NO OLB Alex Anzalone.
To open enough cap space for the moves I'd like to make in free agency, I will need to trade a CB, and I think Trae Waynes is the one to go. Trae has proven to be a solid #2 CB, but not much else than that. With Rhodes, Hill, and Hughes all capable of taking his place, it seems prudent to trade him now. I'll ship him off to the Saints, who need to find a #2 CB to Marshon Lattimore after the Eli Apple trade backfired. In return, the Vikings will get OLB Alex Anzalone, of whom I'm chalking up as my Anthony Barr replacement. A 3rd round pick entering his third season, Anzalone is the Saints' 3rd OLB behind DeMario Davis and AJ Klein, and with those two under contract, I believe the Saints would be willing to move him. He's played decently when on the field, but I think he has potential for more. The Vikings get two years of control over Anzalone, so I'll send the Saints a 5th rounder next year to help make up for that.
Remaining Cap Room: $20.4M
Free Agency
C Matt Paradis 5 years / $50M total / $22M guaranteed
Alright, here's our big free agency spending. The Vikings need to add some high-end offensive line talent, and Paradis qualifies as that. The Vikings have Gary Kubiak and Rick Dennison, who are familiar with Paradis, and offering a $50M sum should get him in town. This will move Elflein to competing for the LG spot and backing up Paradis at center.
T Ty Nsekhe 2 years / $7M total / $3.5M guaranteed
I wanted the Vikings to nab Nsekhe in free agency two years ago, and I want him back again. Nsekhe has possibly been the best swing tackle in the NFL, serving at LT and RT for the Redskins. I would like to bring in Nsekhe as the primary swing tackle, but also give him a chance to be the LG. He has the size to play guard, and if he fails there, then we have the league's best backup tackle, so I'll be happy with that.
HB T. J. Yeldon 2 years / $5.5M / $1.75M guaranteed
I think making a small investment at the HB position makes sense during free agency, and Yeldon would qualify as a high-upside flier. Yeldon struggled in his first two seasons with the Jaguars, but the latest two seasons he's run for a 4.36 YPC and 85 catches. He hauled in 4 receiving TDs and thrived as Leonard Fournette's compliment in the passing game, though he did get some boosts thanks to a ton of garbage time. Cousins could use a safety value HB to pass to, and it doesn't seem like Cook is going to fill that role.
DE William Hayes 1/$3M
This is a simple depth addition who may not end up making the team, but the 34 year old Hayes is one of the league's best rotational DEs. The problem is that he blew his ACL this past season - he's the one who tore his knee up while trying not to rough a QB during a sack. He's an insurance policy behind Griffen (and behind Weatherly) in case anything happens to him. You can never have too many DEs!
S Mike Mitchell 1/$1M
With Sendejo and Iloka gone, there are plenty of decent veteran safeties who will be willing to sign for next to nothing. Mitchell was a starter for the Steelers in 2017 and ended up as a reserve for the Colts in 2018, and played very well until injuring his calf and ending up on the IR. He'll be 32 in June, and while age and injury could be concerns, he won't be guaranteed a roster spot. Jayron Kearse may prove himself to be the next man up at safety anyways.
WR Travis Benjamin 1/$1.5M
Finally, I'll add another WR. Benjamin is slated to make $6.5M this season for the Chargers, but they aren't going to pay their 4th WR that much, so I'm projecting that he gets cut. Benjamin is a deep threat who won't do much else outside of that (he had a poor 2018 season when on the field)... but he was a very good punt returner in 2017, and I'm pegging him as my replacement to Marcus Sherels.
Cap Room Remaining:
$4.1M
Draft
Do note that this is a very early mock and I don't know that much about the draft prospects yet.
Pick 1-18: G Cody Ford
The Vikings don't just need to spend draft picks on offensive linemen, they need to spend picks on high-end O-line talent. Cody Ford qualifies as that, as the 6' 5" 335 pound man is not only massive but also quick on his feet. He's played right tackle at Oklahoma, but many project him to end up as a guard. Ford should be able to fill a guard spot in his rookie season without many problems and finally put some stitches in the bloody wound that the Vikings have tried to put band-aids on.
Pick 2-50: DT Isaiah Buggs
This is the best draft to take a DT in the 2nd or 3rd round; the reason being that the 1st round talent on the D-line is the best I've ever seen it. There are 7-8 interior DL first round prospects, meaning that good prospects like Buggs will slip down the draft board because of talented guys ahead of him. He notched 13.5 tackels for loss and 9.5 sacks on his second year starting on the D-line at Alabama, and he runs a sub 5.00 40'. With production and athletsicm, he should help fill the whole left by losing Richardson in free agency.
Pick 3-82: WR Terry McLaurin
Scouting WRs has proven to be incredibly difficult for NFL scouts and armchair GMs like myself. McLaurin wasn't a top target at Ohio State, but he's received rave reviews for his route running and hands. McLaurin also averaged 20 yards a catch over the 2018 season. I imagine Terry as a WR who can win the 3rd WR job and potentially step in for Diggs or Thielen for a few games if injury strikes.
Pick 4-114: TE Josh Oliver
Perhaps if Spielman throughs enough darts at mid-round TEs, one will eventually pan out. Oliver was successful as a receiving TE at San Diego State, going for 709 yards and 4 TDs. Since Rudolph is sticking around in this projection, I'll have another young TE push him and perhaps take his job in 2020.
Pick 6-180: G/C Sean Krepsz
I'm just throwing darts at this point. Krepsz would play guard or center with his size (6' 5" 325 pounds) and has played three seasons as a starting center in Nevada. Perhaps Krepsz can be the next Brandon Fusco - a late round OL who can become a starter in the future. For now, he'll back up both guard and center, just like Elflein.
Pick 6-comp: CB Saivion Smith
Here's a project for Zimmer to work on - Smith didn't play very much at Alabama, but he turned in good performances when he did get to play (3 ints, 5 passes knocked down). A late pick like this is perfect for drafting a great athlete who didn't get chances to play in college, and he could be developed into something in the future. Plus he's 6'1" 200 lbs, so it's not like he'll be limited as a nickel corner.
Pick 7-comp: LB Khalil Hodge
Time for Spielman's obligatory 7th round linebacker! Hodge racked up the stat sheet at Buffalo with 298 tackles in two seasons. The small school prospect doesn't stack up quite as well athletically as other LBs, but he'd make for a great special teamer and solid reserve.
Pick 7-comp: K Matt Gay
Alright, so I usually try not to draft kickers, but the end of the 7th round is a perfectly acceptable time to do it. Gay has hit 54 / 63 FGs in his past two seasons at Utah (85.7%) and can hit 50+ yard kicks reguarly. Unlike Walsh or Carlson, I haven't found anything on him about having streaks of inaccuracy, so sign me up and please don't choke your job away! Oh, and you'll be facing a UDFA kicker for your job, so don't get comfortable!
Alright... so let's see where that leaves us:
So that leaves us finished with just $2.03M in cap space, but we made it. Let's take a look at the hypothetical depth chart:
I'm pretty happy with this roster, as I think I've fixed most the problems on the team. I know some will complain about the backup QB, but I'm ready for Sloter to be the #2. Maybe the only change I would make, looking back, is to draft a tackle in the 3rd/4th round to develop behind Reiff and O'Neill. I guess I was thinking that phase 2 of the "fix the O-line plan" would be to find a prospect to develop at LT in 2020. Plus if neither Nsekhe nor Elflein worked at LG, then we'd fix the spot for good in 2020. The defense should be fine, and the new young guys will need to step up to replace Richardson and Barr.
Alright, that's enough from me, but what about from you? I'd love to hear about what you like or don't like in my plans - what would you tweak?
