Post by whoskmoon on Oct 20, 2020 18:08:40 GMT -6
The 2020 season is for all intents and purposes over, and it is time to start looking towards the future.
To that end, I have a plan that I think could make this team viable in 2021.
Step #1: Fire Rick and Zimmer. I know this has been discussed ad nauseum, but for my plan to work we need a GM who isn't tied to the QB and a different type of HC. Hire a GM who actually plans for the future and an innovated offensive minded HC. That is not Bienemy who is Brad Childress 2.0 and only riding the coattails of Reed and his offensive genius. I am not educated enough on front offices to put forward a GM, but for HC I go with Greg Roman. He turned that offense around in Baltimore, something that I can't say about Bienemy in KC.
Step #2: New GM goes to Cousins with an ultimatum, restructure to remove the final year of his 2 year deal or get cut 2 days into the new league year and not get that money anyway. This makes him tradeable, and some QB needy team will be willing to pay him 21 million to mentor some young QB they just drafted.
Step #3: Trade Cousins for a 5th round pick. I don't care which way that 5th round pick goes, either to the team we are trading him too, or from the team who is getting Cousins.
Step #4: Take our top 5 pick and draft Trey Lance. Roman got to the SB with Kaep as his QB, and is great at getting the most out of athletic QBs. Lance might be Wentz 2.0, but I will take that if he gets us a SB win with the help of Nick Foles in his second season.
Step #5: Cut Barr, Rudy and Stephen. This gets the Vikings to about 12 million under the cap after rookies have been signed. A lot of people probably want Reiff gone too, but that doesn't make sense with a rookie QB. The three I listed are not living up to their contracts and don't make the team worse if they are gone.
Step #6: Bring in Sam Darnold to compete for the starting job against the rookie. A trade likely needs to occur for this, but a 6th round pick likely gets that done. I know he has sucked for the Jets, but if you have ever watched him play he looks like a good QB getting held back by a really bad team.
Step #7: Re-sign Wilson (2 years, 8 million), extend Smith (saves 4 million this year), re-sign Odenigbo (2 years 12 million), sign Justin Simmons (5 years, 50 million). Simmons is a monster against the run and solid in coverage and we can afford one big free agent signing if we move most of the cap hit to 2022 and beyond. Something possible if we don't have Cousins on the books. Wilson and Odenigbo have done enough where I want them back cheap next year. Their contracts would be structured with most of the hit coming in 2022 as well.
There are still holes on this team going into 2021, primarily at 3 tech and guard, but with Pierce and Hunter coming back, the secondary being a year older, and Simmons filling the hole Harris will leave, this team should at least be competing for a playoff spot. It won't be good enough to win the SB, but it will be building to that in 2022 when the Vikings will have a ton of cap with Cousins 45 million off the books.
To that end, I have a plan that I think could make this team viable in 2021.
Step #1: Fire Rick and Zimmer. I know this has been discussed ad nauseum, but for my plan to work we need a GM who isn't tied to the QB and a different type of HC. Hire a GM who actually plans for the future and an innovated offensive minded HC. That is not Bienemy who is Brad Childress 2.0 and only riding the coattails of Reed and his offensive genius. I am not educated enough on front offices to put forward a GM, but for HC I go with Greg Roman. He turned that offense around in Baltimore, something that I can't say about Bienemy in KC.
Step #2: New GM goes to Cousins with an ultimatum, restructure to remove the final year of his 2 year deal or get cut 2 days into the new league year and not get that money anyway. This makes him tradeable, and some QB needy team will be willing to pay him 21 million to mentor some young QB they just drafted.
Step #3: Trade Cousins for a 5th round pick. I don't care which way that 5th round pick goes, either to the team we are trading him too, or from the team who is getting Cousins.
Step #4: Take our top 5 pick and draft Trey Lance. Roman got to the SB with Kaep as his QB, and is great at getting the most out of athletic QBs. Lance might be Wentz 2.0, but I will take that if he gets us a SB win with the help of Nick Foles in his second season.
Step #5: Cut Barr, Rudy and Stephen. This gets the Vikings to about 12 million under the cap after rookies have been signed. A lot of people probably want Reiff gone too, but that doesn't make sense with a rookie QB. The three I listed are not living up to their contracts and don't make the team worse if they are gone.
Step #6: Bring in Sam Darnold to compete for the starting job against the rookie. A trade likely needs to occur for this, but a 6th round pick likely gets that done. I know he has sucked for the Jets, but if you have ever watched him play he looks like a good QB getting held back by a really bad team.
Step #7: Re-sign Wilson (2 years, 8 million), extend Smith (saves 4 million this year), re-sign Odenigbo (2 years 12 million), sign Justin Simmons (5 years, 50 million). Simmons is a monster against the run and solid in coverage and we can afford one big free agent signing if we move most of the cap hit to 2022 and beyond. Something possible if we don't have Cousins on the books. Wilson and Odenigbo have done enough where I want them back cheap next year. Their contracts would be structured with most of the hit coming in 2022 as well.
There are still holes on this team going into 2021, primarily at 3 tech and guard, but with Pierce and Hunter coming back, the secondary being a year older, and Simmons filling the hole Harris will leave, this team should at least be competing for a playoff spot. It won't be good enough to win the SB, but it will be building to that in 2022 when the Vikings will have a ton of cap with Cousins 45 million off the books.
... and neither is this Chris guy.