Was the Rudolph extension a mistake?

PFF had him 35th last year I believe.  Which means he's a backup caliber TE.  

35th out of 70 total TEs (which is where I got the 50th percentile stat), which includes a lot of blocking TEs... something Rudolph isn't that good at. I'd say he's a low-end starter at this point.

That's simply not true.  

PFF's ratings match the eye test.  Rudolph is an awful blocker and a limited offensive outlet.  Borderline starter sounds about right.

Your spin on the value of PFF to franchises and players around the league is not true.  

I'd go so far to say your attempt to characterize PFF was about as effective as a Kyle Rudolph block attempt.

Hmmmm, let's see about that:

Pro Football Focus has changed the way NFL teams such as Giants analyze data

I'd say it's up for debate how much teams value and utilize PFF grades, but every single NFL team is paying for this information and has them at their disposal.

I was taking a stroll through the off-season thread and happened to notice a trend of thought. One I find particularly troubling considering that this team is still far from an offensive juggernaut and is in no position to be jettisoning talent of any provenance. Kyle Rudolph...our number 3 receiving option is on the chopping block. 64 catches (3rd-by 24), 634 yards (3rd, by 329!) 4 TDs (4th, but more than the two behind him...yeah, only 6 guys caught TDs for the Vikings this year). For all the deserved hype Thielen and Diggs get, the Vikings need more targets, not less.

But, now we're getting rid of Rudolph appears to be the consensus? Apparently his $ 7.6 million cap hit is too much. And, he is just getting in the way of Tyler Conklin taking over and transforming the way we view the tight end position. This, despite the fact Conklin is a smaller, slower version of Rudolph...with a man bun.

Getting rid of 64 catches, which by my quick math is as many as Treadwell, Robinson, Beebe, Zylstra and Conklin combined. This site, or maybe Vikings fans as a whole, are almost as devoted to backup tight ends as they are third string QBs. Remember MyCole Pruitt? He's so great, he's on his third team since leaving here. He was supposed to be the guy to replace Rudolph too. Bucky Hodges? Yeah, he's on Pittsburgh practice squad and has never actually appeared in an NFL game.

Conklin had five catches on seven targets despite seeing time in every game. David Morgan caught as many passes on one fewer target in five fewer games and is little more than a glorified full
back.

And before you talk about limited opportunity to make an impact; Conklin played 146 offensive snaps, to Rudolph's 925. Big discrepancy-but 925 is roughly 6.3 times 146, 64 is nearly 13 times 5. And, the fact that he averaged only about 9 snaps a game on offense doesn't speak that highly either. In fact, in five fewer games, glorified fullback David Morgan played 85 more snaps.

My point is, this guy didn't show enough to crack the field much, and didn't produce when he did...aside from two games I barely remember him at all. He had a big drop in Seattle-which he kind of atoned for with a catch later. Then he had his "breakout" game against the Dolphins with two catches. That apparently is what makes everyone think he can replace Rudolph, based on the fact he didn't drop a pass when he was open by twenty yards. He then disappeared again for the rest of the season. Five catches. No impact for 90% of the year. But, next year he assumes the No. 1 TE job?

And what, exactly, is the upside to the hypothetical replacing of Rudolph with Conklin? As I mentioned, Conklin is 2 inches shorter, 20 lbs. lighter, and even more speed deficient than the SLO-MO TE, with none of the same history of proven production. He doesn't even appear to be a better blocker (the Vikings didn't use him much, and he was more of a receiver at CMU), and that wasn't really a strong suit of Rudolph's game.

Kyle Rudolph has almost 400 career catches, with 41 TDs, for a team that has never really emphasized the TE. He just had his second best season based on catches and yards. Is he limited? Yes, he lacks anything resembling speed and goes down to easily in the open field. But, he makes contested catches, has reliable hands, and provides a big body.

Would I like the Vikings to find another 6'6", 260 pounder with enough speed to attack the seam? Yeah I would love that. Problem is, it appears that TE is another area where Rick Spielman's talent selection doesn't seem to be remarkable. Is it bad? Not really. I seem to recall Pruitt was a fifth-round pick, Conklin is s fifth-round pick, Morgan a sixth-rounder and Hodges a seventh I think. None of these guys are EXPECTED to make a huge impact, but it would be nice to occasionally hit on a diamond in the rough.

Is $7 million too much for Rudolph? I don't think so-it might be a little rich, but not too much if you can expect him to grab 60 catches for 6 or 7 scores... especially considering the robbery the Vikings have committed on Adam Thielen the last two years. Is it beyond the pale to approach him about taking a pay cut? No. Do you cut him if he says no? Well, you'd be in essence cutting your third WR AND TE, without a viable option for replacing him. Laquon Treadwell? Hah! I think that ship has sailed. Aldrick Robinson? A borderline fourth receiver on a good team. Yeah, he caught five TDs, but overall just 17 passes on 35 targets...your third guy can't be a less than 50% proposition. Conklin and/or Morgan? You will see a DRASTIC reduction in productivity. The draft? You want to invest capital that could be used to shore up the OL for a TE? Or a WR? Because now you really need both. Or are you signing a TE? How much are you paying him? Does that salary leave you significantly more to work with than Rudolph?

I find myself as frustrated by Rudolph as anyone, though when you really look at it, you wonder why. A second round pick in 2011 who has provided a pretty solid value for that selection. A guy who has caught at least 7 TDs three times. 5 years of 49 or more receptions. The guy is a solid, if not spectacular, player. We need pass catchers. Thielen and Diggs can't do it all-the second half of the season proved that-and spectacular is going to cost more than Rudolph.

I think getting rid of Rudolph causes more problems than it solves. Yeah, it's a dilly of a pickle.