Post by Funkytown on Mar 7, 2023 9:53:54 GMT -6
Vikings release Eric Kendricks, ending an era on defense, setting the stage for the next by Alec Lewis
Link:
theathletic.com/4282012/2023/03/07/eric-kendricks-cut-vikings/
Greenway had also watched the Vikings defense this past season. From afar, Kendricks’ role was noticeably different from previous years.
You see, playing defense for former head coach Mike Zimmer, the linebackers were challenged to play in man coverage. They also spearheaded the defense’s efforts to get to the opposing quarterback. Even when Zimmer called zone coverages, the linebackers surveyed the landscape in front of them and attached themselves to an opposing route runner.
“You really had a man-to-man mindset on every snap,” Greenway said.
As Greenway saw it, Kendricks had mastered those job requirements. He comprehended offensive protection schemes and seamlessly applied that knowledge on the field. An offense would shift and motion, for example, and Kendricks orchestrated the defense’s adjustments.
As plays evolved, Kendricks diagnosed concepts. Greenway marveled at his ability to anticipate.
“He is probably the most instinctive player I ever played with, hands down,” Greenway said. “From that position, his cognitive ability to understand what was going to come, and then his physical ability to react and make a play, was really incredible.”
In some ways, these impressions are what made last season so jarring, which is what partially softened the emotional toll of this move. Kendricks appeared to misread routes. He seemed uncertain. It was almost like watching a spider lose its ability to spin a web.
To what degree were Kendricks’ struggles a product of eight seasons of wear and tear at age 31? On the other hand, how hamstrung was he by what fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell was asking of him? Only Kendricks’ future in the NFL will help us answer those questions.
The main issue in Minnesota, however, is this: Who will fill the void left by a player who started 113 games?
The Vikings have four inside linebackers on their roster: Jordan Hicks, Brian Asamoah, Troy Dye and William Kwenkeu. Hicks has started 106 games. The others have started six combined.
Asamoah, a third-round pick in last year’s draft, is the likeliest replacement. The 6-foot, 227-pounder darts across the field in pursuit, doing a respectable impression of Bullet Bill in the “Mario” franchise. Asamoah played 16 games in 2022, forcing one fumble and recovering another.
Standing in the locker room one afternoon late in the season, discussing the prevalent pass-focused offenses around the NFL, Hicks hinted at Asamoah’s future.
“That’s why you draft guys like him,” he said, pointing over.
There’s always the chance the Vikings add another linebacker for depth, be it through free agency or the draft. But, then again, additional cap-related cuts may put a spotlight on other needs. Wide receiver Adam Thielen, for example, also has a high cap number. So does running back Dalvin Cook. Their situations are worth monitoring, even if they, too, come with a tinge of sentimentality.
Greenway harkened back to the end of his own career, embracing the idea that he was nearing the end. At the time, in 2014, the Vikings drafted Anthony Barr, whom Greenway called “one of the biggest physical specimens I’d ever seen.” The following year, former general manager Rick Spielman gravitated toward another UCLA linebacker: Kendricks.
The Vikings paired the two former teammates and reaped the rewards. From 2016 to 2019, Minnesota ranked in the top 10 in points allowed all four seasons. Following his retirement, as he viewed their production from afar, Greenway fanboyed.
“I always took a small amount of enjoyment in the fact those guys had such great careers,” Greenway said.
Keeping in touch with him over the years, Greenway knew it was Kendricks’ goal to finish his career with the Vikings. Business and age intervened, which they often do in the NFL. Still, Greenway said, he knew Kendricks would be grappling with some sadness about not achieving that goal.
It truly highlights how much Kendricks cared. About the Vikings as a franchise, and about Minnesota as a community. Whoever grabs the baton next will have a high standard to live up to.
You see, playing defense for former head coach Mike Zimmer, the linebackers were challenged to play in man coverage. They also spearheaded the defense’s efforts to get to the opposing quarterback. Even when Zimmer called zone coverages, the linebackers surveyed the landscape in front of them and attached themselves to an opposing route runner.
“You really had a man-to-man mindset on every snap,” Greenway said.
As Greenway saw it, Kendricks had mastered those job requirements. He comprehended offensive protection schemes and seamlessly applied that knowledge on the field. An offense would shift and motion, for example, and Kendricks orchestrated the defense’s adjustments.
As plays evolved, Kendricks diagnosed concepts. Greenway marveled at his ability to anticipate.
“He is probably the most instinctive player I ever played with, hands down,” Greenway said. “From that position, his cognitive ability to understand what was going to come, and then his physical ability to react and make a play, was really incredible.”
In some ways, these impressions are what made last season so jarring, which is what partially softened the emotional toll of this move. Kendricks appeared to misread routes. He seemed uncertain. It was almost like watching a spider lose its ability to spin a web.
To what degree were Kendricks’ struggles a product of eight seasons of wear and tear at age 31? On the other hand, how hamstrung was he by what fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell was asking of him? Only Kendricks’ future in the NFL will help us answer those questions.
The main issue in Minnesota, however, is this: Who will fill the void left by a player who started 113 games?
The Vikings have four inside linebackers on their roster: Jordan Hicks, Brian Asamoah, Troy Dye and William Kwenkeu. Hicks has started 106 games. The others have started six combined.
Asamoah, a third-round pick in last year’s draft, is the likeliest replacement. The 6-foot, 227-pounder darts across the field in pursuit, doing a respectable impression of Bullet Bill in the “Mario” franchise. Asamoah played 16 games in 2022, forcing one fumble and recovering another.
Standing in the locker room one afternoon late in the season, discussing the prevalent pass-focused offenses around the NFL, Hicks hinted at Asamoah’s future.
“That’s why you draft guys like him,” he said, pointing over.
There’s always the chance the Vikings add another linebacker for depth, be it through free agency or the draft. But, then again, additional cap-related cuts may put a spotlight on other needs. Wide receiver Adam Thielen, for example, also has a high cap number. So does running back Dalvin Cook. Their situations are worth monitoring, even if they, too, come with a tinge of sentimentality.
Greenway harkened back to the end of his own career, embracing the idea that he was nearing the end. At the time, in 2014, the Vikings drafted Anthony Barr, whom Greenway called “one of the biggest physical specimens I’d ever seen.” The following year, former general manager Rick Spielman gravitated toward another UCLA linebacker: Kendricks.
The Vikings paired the two former teammates and reaped the rewards. From 2016 to 2019, Minnesota ranked in the top 10 in points allowed all four seasons. Following his retirement, as he viewed their production from afar, Greenway fanboyed.
“I always took a small amount of enjoyment in the fact those guys had such great careers,” Greenway said.
Keeping in touch with him over the years, Greenway knew it was Kendricks’ goal to finish his career with the Vikings. Business and age intervened, which they often do in the NFL. Still, Greenway said, he knew Kendricks would be grappling with some sadness about not achieving that goal.
It truly highlights how much Kendricks cared. About the Vikings as a franchise, and about Minnesota as a community. Whoever grabs the baton next will have a high standard to live up to.
Link:
theathletic.com/4282012/2023/03/07/eric-kendricks-cut-vikings/
... and neither is this Chris guy.