All Things 2020 Minnesota Vikings In-Season Thread

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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Let's hope there is a full season!

Skol Vikes!!
 

per STrib:

As his contract with the Ravens expired after the 2019 season and the potential of a big payday in free agency inched closer, Michael Pierce began making subtle changes to his routine in hopes of guarding against a virus that was just beginning its grip on American life.

He holed up with his parents near Mobile, Ala., working out in their attic. He stopped eating in restaurants in February, mindful of how pneumonia had racked his respiratory system during his second year with the Ravens and how his family’s history with asthma could complicate things for anyone who contracted the coronavirus.

His father, Michael Sr., had been told to stay home from his job at the Mobile Public Housing Authority because of asthma, and Michael Jr. knew if he caught the virus, he could be putting himself and his family on a precipice.

“I’m one of those guys who took this thing seriously from the get-go because of my health,” he said. “I just was up against the clock, man, so I had to make that call.”

www.startribune.com

Vikings' Michael Pierce opts out of the NFL season

New defensive tackle Michael Pierce has a history of asthma and started taking protections against the coronavirus even before the pandemic shut down sports.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Skol Vikes!!
 

per STrib:

Running back Dalvin Cook underwent his first coronavirus test Tuesday morning, officially reporting for Vikings training camp amid contract talks, two league sources confirmed to the Star Tribune.

Cook, who amassed 1,654 yards from scrimmage last season, had held out of a few virtual meetings in June while dissatisfied with the team’s contract offers entering his contract year. But Cook’s leverage to hold out into training camp was undercut by the new collective-bargaining agreement, which states players need to report to camp on time to be eligible for an accrued season. Previous rules required reporting 30 days before the regular season.

In Cook’s case, he needed to report Tuesday; without a fourth accrued season this fall, Cook would be a restricted free agent next spring, meaning the Vikings could keep him well below market value.

The next step for Cook and the Vikings will be finding common ground, which was hard to find last month as Cook’s agent, Zac Hiller, said his client would hold out until given a “reasonable” offer. One holdup could be over money tied to per-game bonuses and incentives, given Cook’s injury history.

www.startribune.com

Sources: Dalvin Cook reports to Vikings training camp

Cook, who amassed 1,654 yards from scrimmage last season, had held out of a few virtual meetings in June while dissatisfied with the team's contract offers .
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Skol Vikes!!
 

I have to say I'm a little surprised that Cook showed up, but it's a nice surprise. I hope they can make him happy, but signing him to a long term deal just doesn't seem like a great idea.

Good to be getting the guys back in camp!
 

per Shama:

Although the Vikings opened training camp yesterday, word is sources close to the organization question whether an NFL season will happen due to the ongoing COVID-19 threat.

Vikings employees were shaken Monday when the announcement came that popular trainer Eric Sugarman, in charge of the team’s COVID protocol, tested positive for the virus along with members of his family. That news came on the same day several Vikings players, including 2020 top draft choice Justin Jefferson, were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The designation refers to a player who either tests positive for COVID-19 or who has been quarantined after having been in close contact with an infected person or persons.

Vikings and NFL decision makers are monitoring their own franchises and what’s happening in other professional sports leagues that are starting up. Pandemic concerns have already surfaced in MLB, forcing cancellation of games after teams began playing their 60-game schedules just last week.

Baseball is a sport that allows social distancing on the field, whereas pro football does not and has about twice the number of players on rosters. “If baseball can’t play, what does that say about the NFL and college football,” said a sports industry source who has heard about Vikings concerns.

Another Sports Headliners source with expertise shared a similar view. “I have a hard time believing it (the schedule) is going to get off and running,” he said. “If there is a (NFL) season, it might be eight to 10 games.”


Skol Vikes!!
 


At the risk of bringing up an obvious point, what is the concern over "social distancing" on the field if the players are literally getting tested every day, at least early on?
 

I imagine for potential cases where one gets infected but is not shedding when tested day before game but is day of game.
 

Sid: Mike Zimmer, Kirk Cousins right duo for Vikings' title hopes


The Vikings’ decision to give contract extensions to quarterback Kirk Cousins and coach Mike Zimmer this offseason mean that this club has made its decision on who can lead it to a Super Bowl.

There’s no doubt fans like to complain about the head coach of the football team and the starting quarterback more than any other positions in all of sports. But the fact is that Zimmer and Cousins are the right tandem for this franchise.

The biggest challenge for the Vikings under Zimmer has been finding some kind of consistency on the offensive side of the ball, and while fans might be concerned about losing some key defenders, there is zero question this coaching staff can produce a great defense.

With Cousins at quarterback and Gary Kubiak running the offense that he put in last season, this team can take another step in the right direction offensively. And that will make them Super Bowl contenders.

Zimmer said at his news conference announcing his new three-year contract, which will keep him here through the 2023 season, that Cousins’ great play in 2019 can get even better.

“Him being in the same system now for two years, I think it’s all in front of him,” Zimmer said. “I thought he played terrific last year. And if we can continue to improve in some of the other areas that we need to improve on with some of the protection things and running game things that we can all improve on, I think the sky is the limit for him.”

www.startribune.com

Mike Zimmer, Kirk Cousins right duo for Vikings' title hopes

www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Skol Vikes!!
 

per Sid:

JOTTINGS

• Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said he is not a patient man, but he knows he is going to have to be patient this season: “Just like the players. When they get a guy hurt they understand it’s part of the game and we all understand that if a guy misses two weeks because of COVID then somebody has to come in. And, again, they’re not going to cancel games. So we have to go out and figure out how to win them.”

www.startribune.com

Unproven Wes Johnson shows he's right coach for Twins pitching staff

www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Skol Vikes!!
 



For those that are in fantasy football leagues, what are you guys doing this year? Still going forward like normal? Not doing it this year?

We're having the discussion right now, it's just so hard to know what the season will end up looking like.
 

GophersInIowa said:
For those that are in fantasy football leagues, what are you guys doing this year? Still going forward like normal? Not doing it this year?

We're having the discussion right now, it's just so hard to know what the season will end up looking like.
Click to expand...

27th straight year of our league, a global pandemic will not stop us couch GMs!!

Skol Vikes!!
 

BleedGopher said:
27th straight year of our league, a global pandemic will not stop us couch GMs!!

Skol Vikes!!
Click to expand...
Our league's been around for about that long as well. I remember having to check the newspaper the following day to get all the stats and calculate the scores.

I think we're leaning towards doing the league again, just not for money. Too many things could happen. I'm definitely not into it nearly as much this year as normal.
 

GophersInIowa said:
Our league's been around for about that long as well. I remember having to check the newspaper the following day to get all the stats and calculate the scores.

I think we're leaning towards doing the league again, just not for money. Too many things could happen. I'm definitely not into it nearly as much this year as normal.
Click to expand...
I don't really see any reason to not proceed as you would any normal year. The only variable with this football season is the possibility of players missing a couple of games for COVID protocol, and players on your fantasy roster have just as much of a chance at missing a game or two as the players on any other roster?

It's the luck of the draw, not much different than if one of your star players got hurt in Week 1 or Week 3 and you're SOL; the difference between a season-ending injury and COVID is a player would likely miss one or two games at the most due to COVID; a season-ending injury could be devastating to your fantasy season!!
 



per Sid:

JOTTINGS

• The Vikings’ Mike Zimmer on the idea that he’s an old-school coach: “I know everybody says I’m old school and this and that, but at the end of the day if you don’t adjust and adapt and come up with new ideas and new things, you’re never going to make it. ... Same as life. I feel fortunate that I have never been fired. I take more pride in that than anything else. Not very many coaches can say that.”

• Pro Football Focus on what the Vikings need from first-round pick Justin Jefferson, the wide receiver from Louisiana State: “The biggest thing that the Vikings need to see heading into next season is that Jefferson can consistently win against press coverage on the outside. Much of his production at LSU came through finding holes in zone from the slot, rarely facing press-man coverage outside.”

www.startribune.com

Gersson Rosas proud of Wolves' response to difficult year

www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Skol Vikes!!
 

GophersInIowa said:
For those that are in fantasy football leagues, what are you guys doing this year? Still going forward like normal? Not doing it this year?

We're having the discussion right now, it's just so hard to know what the season will end up looking like.
Click to expand...
I'm the "commissioner" for the league in my office and I've been waiting for people to ask and only one has to say he's out. I'm guessing we'll still do it but I'm pretty indifferent and it seems most others are too.
 

FWIW - the Canadian Football League is canceling its season due to the virus.

the CFL had proposed a reduced season, but that was contingent on receiving some financial assistance from the Canadian govt. Govt said no, so the CFL pulled the plug.

This will be the first year since 1919 that the Grey Cup will not be awarded.

I was going to say no season this year for Chris Streveler, but then I found out he is going to training camp with the Arizona Cardinals as he tries to get an NFL job.
 

I know this ranks with the lamest thing that one can talk about, but we had our FF draft last night and given the unpredictability of the year, I am going with a totally new strategy that I am quite intrigued to see how it goes. I had the first overall pick in a 10 team snake draft and went with McCaffery, then saw a lot of quality RB/WR's go off the board. This is a league I joined last year and you can start two quarterbacks, plus TD's are worth 6 points, so the value of QB's are pretty high. So, with picks 20 & 21, I took DeShaun Watson and Kyler Murray (Mahomes and Lamar Jackson were already off the board).

Both those QB's put up big numbers in the league last season, even when not playing particularly well, and with those top 3 picks, if they stay healthy, I feel like I am going into each week pretty strong. My logic was also that every year, RB's and WR's emerge out of nowhere, but rarely do you see that with QB's-they definitely are a scarce resource and when you have the option of starting two, well, I talked myself into it being good logic.
 

per STrib:

The Vikings have reached an impasse in negotiations on a new contract for running back Dalvin Cook, after talks broke off between the team and Cook’s agent Wednesday.

Cook continued to participate in practice, splitting first-team snaps with Alexander Mattison during 11-on-11 drills.

Cook, 25, said last week in a videoconference that he would be “full-go” in training camp, even without a new deal, and that his focus was on getting ready for the season.

The latest development in a fraught set of negotiations, however, comes with less than four weeks before the Vikings are scheduled to open the season at home against the Packers on Sept. 13.

Sources with knowledge of the situation said the Vikings met with Cook’s agent, Zac Hiller, in Minnesota over the weekend, and the team expected a response to its offer by Tuesday. With the team and Cook’s camp still unable to agree on a deal, things officially came to a halt Wednesday.

www.startribune.com

Vikings' contract talks with Dalvin Cook stall

Running back believed to be seeking deal around $13M per year.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Skol Vikes!!
 

Sid: Don't be surprised if new-look Vikings defense is even better

The only thing harder than being one of the best defenses in the NFL is staying there, something the Vikings learned last season.

For the previous three seasons (2016-2018) the club dominated the NFL, allowing 14,408 total yards (300.2 per game). The next closest club to that mark was the Jaguars at 14,708 yards (306.4 per game). The next closest NFC team was the Bears, who allowed over 1,000 more total yards than the Vikings at 15,449 (321.9 per game).

So while the club did just fine last season in allowing 303 points (18.9 points per game), which tied for the fifth fewest in the NFL, their 5,465 yards allowed ranked 14th.

Then the Vikings lost key players such as defensive end Everson Griffen and defensive backs Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander, so there’s a lot of people expecting the defense to struggle in 2020.

But don’t be surprised if the exact opposite is true and this defense actually improves from a year ago.

www.startribune.com

Don't be surprised if new-look Vikings defense is even better

There's been plenty of turnover, especially in the secondary, but others are ready to step in.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Skol Vikes!!
 

coolhandgopher said:
I know this ranks with the lamest thing that one can talk about, but we had our FF draft last night and given the unpredictability of the year, I am going with a totally new strategy that I am quite intrigued to see how it goes. I had the first overall pick in a 10 team snake draft and went with McCaffery, then saw a lot of quality RB/WR's go off the board. This is a league I joined last year and you can start two quarterbacks, plus TD's are worth 6 points, so the value of QB's are pretty high. So, with picks 20 & 21, I took DeShaun Watson and Kyler Murray (Mahomes and Lamar Jackson were already off the board).

Both those QB's put up big numbers in the league last season, even when not playing particularly well, and with those top 3 picks, if they stay healthy, I feel like I am going into each week pretty strong. My logic was also that every year, RB's and WR's emerge out of nowhere, but rarely do you see that with QB's-they definitely are a scarce resource and when you have the option of starting two, well, I talked myself into it being good logic.
Click to expand...
I love the strategy, just not sure I like the picks!

I'm a Cards season ticket holder and I love Kyler Murray and I think he's going to be a great, great starter in the league. I was super impressed with his rookie year. But one of the biggest issues with the Cardinals offense last year, and an issue that has historically been an issue with Kingsbury-type offenses, is that they really, really struggle in the red zone. Cardinals were terrible last year. Second year in the system and adding D-Hopkins and a full year with Kenyan Drake in the building will help, but man, I just don't know if I buy it until I see it.

You want a tip? Pick up the Cardinals kicker, Zane Gonzalez. With offenses like this, moving the ball up and down the field and sputtering in the red zone, he'll mop up all season long (he was really really good last year). Another thing with kickers, the Cards division is 3 teams that play indoors and the 49ers at Levi Stadium, which is a good place to kick. Rule #1 with kickers in Fantasy; always have a kicker that plays indoors. Always, always, always. Should almost never miss indoors
 

Cousins gets it!!

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins follows the bouncing ball to stay in football shape


Last year Cousins picked up a tennis racket for the first time since middle school, in search of an activity that didn’t take him away from his two young sons as long as a round of golf or carry the injury risks that pickup basketball did.

Tennis became even more of an outlet during the 2020 offseason, when he could play with his brother Kyle in Florida, a coach he knew in Michigan, or Holcomb in Minnesota while staying within social distancing guidelines.

Learning the sport through thrice-weekly sessions, Cousins realized it transferred to his high-stakes work as a quarterback even more than he thought.

“No one ever told me that Pete Sampras, when he would warm up to serve, he started by throwing a football,” Cousins said. “It confirmed that, hey, maybe there is something here. If a tennis guy was using the football motion to warm up his serve, the serve could be a great way to, in a different way, keep your shoulder in shape for the football motion.”

A 40-minute tennis match would give Cousins the conditioning he sought in the same 6- to 8-second spurts he plays on a football field. Reacting to a drop shot, he said, is similar to when he drops back to pass, “the seas part and there’s an open A gap to run through to steal 5 yards.”

The ever-studious Cousins learned a tennis serve — as one of the few overhead motions in sports where an object stays in an athlete’s hand the whole time — can help ward off shoulder injuries by strengthening the muscles that aid in the deceleration phase of the movement.

“He asked me my opinion, and I didn’t think too much of it. I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds good,’ ” said Cousins’ trainer, Joe Tofferi. “And the more I thought about it, I thought, ‘That’s such a genius idea by him.’ Kirk’s never going to be a Barry Sanders and get out and do seven or eight hours of speed and agility, but it never hurts to be more agile. If you look at the serve and the overhead, and what the core does, and what the hips do, it’s spot on, man, for what he needs.

“I’m kind of disappointed I never brought it to him first.”

Cousins, who turned 32 on Wednesday, said tennis “will be a pretty consistent part of my routine going forward,” and he’s starting to dream about what it could look like as a competitive outlet after his NFL career is over. His wildest wish is to put in a grass court near his house.

“I don’t know how I’m going to do that, and I don’t know what the logistics are like,” Cousins said. “I think there’s a reason you don’t see them anywhere, because they’re pretty hard to keep up. But I have a dream to somehow find a way to [do it]. That’s kind of a funny side goal of mine.”

www.startribune.com

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins takes up tennis to sharpen some quarterbacking skills

www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Skol Vikes!!
 

per Shooter:

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has no leverage for the $12.5 million per year contract extension he’s apparently seeking, meaning he’ll have to accept an offer of at least $2 million less or play out the final season for $1.3 million, then be franchised for an anticipated $8.3 million.

www.twincities.com

Charley Walters: Ageless Cruz still going strong at 40

Nelson Cruz, who leads the Twins in batting (.333), home runs (9) and RBIs (25) in 27 games, turned 40 years old in July. “I think he’ll let us know when he wants to stop playing, but it sure doesn…
www.twincities.com www.twincities.com

Skol VIkes!!
 


BleedGopher said:
Vikes once again show they will go all in, really the only franchise in town that consistently does this.


Skol Vikes!!
Click to expand...

The only thing that slightly concerns me about this is that no one wants to talk about Danielle Hunter's status.
 


so:
Vikings are supposedly short of cap space.
Dalvin Cook deal is not done yet.
Still huge questions over offensive line.
Vikes have been claiming they could let Everson Griffen go because Ifeani Odenigbo was ready for a full-time role.

And yet, they go out and trade draft picks for a DE.

My question - in which drawer of his desk does Mike Zimmer keep Rick Spielman's testicles?
 

BleedGopher said:
Vikes once again show they will go all in, really the only franchise in town that consistently does this.


Skol Vikes!!
Click to expand...
Love the move, I just really hope they don't entertain signing him to a long term deal any time soon. The salary cap is going to at LEAST remain stagnant, if not even go down in the next year or two; mostly due to COVID and minimal to no fans in the stands and partially due to the increased social justice stances pushing more fans away. It's a shared revenue league, less money for football means less money for everyone. The last thing the Vikings can do is sign YN to a beefy long term deal right now without knowing what's going to happen with the cap though.

Gotta love a team that's willing to keep trying to get better and improve the roster though! Nicely done, Mr. Spielman!
 



And then today in some STrib notes on Vikings: https://www.startribune.com/vikings...ose-between-restructure-or-release/572274512/

Two weeks before the Vikings host the Green Bay Packers in the season opener at U.S. Bank Stadium, O’Neill moved to the left side for the first time in his NFL career. He took every rep as the first-team left tackle during Sunday’s practice, when Reiff watched from the sideline, and stood next to left guard Dakota Dozier again during Monday’s positional drills.

Veteran swing tackle Rashod Hill lined up alongside right guard Pat Elflein on Monday after sitting out the past two practices because of an apparent injury. With Hill held out Sunday, second-year tackle Oli Udoh took reps as the first-team right tackle.


Didn't we get rid of Elflein?!?! Jebus. That guy is 100% a bust. Easily one of the worst OL that we had last season.

If he's one of our starters again this year, then the OL is going to continue to suck. F'ing dumb.
 

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