Post by Purple Pain on Jun 24, 2021 18:06:48 GMT -6
Piece from The Athletic:
Predicting MVPs for all 32 NFL teams: From Patrick Mahomes and Bradley Chubb to Jimmy Garoppolo and Aaron Rodgers
theathletic.com/2659768/2021/06/22/predicting-mvps-for-all-32-nfl-teams-from-patrick-mahomes-and-bradley-chubb-to-jimmy-garoppolo-and-aaron-rodgers/
Besides Kirk Cousins (the most obvious pick), who has to be this year's MVP for the Vikings to have a successful season? What would that season look like to you?
Predicting MVPs for all 32 NFL teams: From Patrick Mahomes and Bradley Chubb to Jimmy Garoppolo and Aaron Rodgers
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Running back David Montgomery. At some point, the Bears will take the ball from quarterback Andy Dalton and give it to rookie Justin Fields this season. But both QBs will require a consistently productive run game to be successful. Montgomery finished fifth in rushing yards (1,070) and fifth in total yards from scrimmage (1,508) last season. His 10 total touchdowns led the team. The Bears expect him to surpass all those numbers in his third season. Montgomery also worked with a speed coach this offseason. — Adam Jahns
Detroit Lions
T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift are going to have big years, but I’ll go with the Lions’ most irreplaceable player: Frank Ragnow. For this team to have any chance of being competitive in Dan Campbell’s first season as head coach, the offensive line needs to dominate on a regular basis. Ragnow will be at the heart of that, both as QB Jared Goff’s extra set of eyes and as the pivot point on any number of run plays. Ragnow is tough enough to deal with the league’s best interior defenders, but he’s also quick and aggressive enough to be used quite a bit as a pulling blocker. He was second-team All-Pro last year; he might be the best center in football this year. Given what the Lions are going to be, he’ll have to live up to that billing. — Chris Burke
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers. My guess is he arrives in Green Bay some time during training camp and goes on another tear throughout the NFL, perhaps a run impressive enough to win back-to-back MVPs. Time heals all wounds, and with another couple of months of consideration for why he should stay with the Packers and play for his coaches, teammates and fans — even if he doesn’t like general manager Brian Gutekunst — Rodgers might decide to make another run at a Super Bowl with the only NFL team he’s ever played for. — Matt Schneidman
Minnesota Vikings
If we ignore the cop-out that quarterbacks will always be the most important player on any team and choose which players have a particularly outsized impact, it would have to be Eric Kendricks. The offense should perform well again this year, but the defense needs to catch up and Kendricks has a big impact on the defense, especially for a linebacker. His dual capability in coverage and against the run will need to show up once again if there’s a defensive revival. His injury near the end of last year cut short the Vikings’ push for the playoffs and their defensive turnaround. A healthy Kendricks will help the Vikings’ defense return to form. — Arif Hasan
Chicago Bears
Running back David Montgomery. At some point, the Bears will take the ball from quarterback Andy Dalton and give it to rookie Justin Fields this season. But both QBs will require a consistently productive run game to be successful. Montgomery finished fifth in rushing yards (1,070) and fifth in total yards from scrimmage (1,508) last season. His 10 total touchdowns led the team. The Bears expect him to surpass all those numbers in his third season. Montgomery also worked with a speed coach this offseason. — Adam Jahns
Detroit Lions
T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift are going to have big years, but I’ll go with the Lions’ most irreplaceable player: Frank Ragnow. For this team to have any chance of being competitive in Dan Campbell’s first season as head coach, the offensive line needs to dominate on a regular basis. Ragnow will be at the heart of that, both as QB Jared Goff’s extra set of eyes and as the pivot point on any number of run plays. Ragnow is tough enough to deal with the league’s best interior defenders, but he’s also quick and aggressive enough to be used quite a bit as a pulling blocker. He was second-team All-Pro last year; he might be the best center in football this year. Given what the Lions are going to be, he’ll have to live up to that billing. — Chris Burke
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers. My guess is he arrives in Green Bay some time during training camp and goes on another tear throughout the NFL, perhaps a run impressive enough to win back-to-back MVPs. Time heals all wounds, and with another couple of months of consideration for why he should stay with the Packers and play for his coaches, teammates and fans — even if he doesn’t like general manager Brian Gutekunst — Rodgers might decide to make another run at a Super Bowl with the only NFL team he’s ever played for. — Matt Schneidman
Minnesota Vikings
If we ignore the cop-out that quarterbacks will always be the most important player on any team and choose which players have a particularly outsized impact, it would have to be Eric Kendricks. The offense should perform well again this year, but the defense needs to catch up and Kendricks has a big impact on the defense, especially for a linebacker. His dual capability in coverage and against the run will need to show up once again if there’s a defensive revival. His injury near the end of last year cut short the Vikings’ push for the playoffs and their defensive turnaround. A healthy Kendricks will help the Vikings’ defense return to form. — Arif Hasan
theathletic.com/2659768/2021/06/22/predicting-mvps-for-all-32-nfl-teams-from-patrick-mahomes-and-bradley-chubb-to-jimmy-garoppolo-and-aaron-rodgers/
Besides Kirk Cousins (the most obvious pick), who has to be this year's MVP for the Vikings to have a successful season? What would that season look like to you?
... and neither is this Chris guy.