Souhan on Vikings not drafting Winfield Jr or Johnson

[BleedGopher]

per Souhan's Q&A:

I’m a lifelong MN fan who grew up in E.P. but now live in Vegas You wrote that the Vikings drafting Antoine Winfield & Tyler Johnson was “not what the team was after.’’ So...you don’t think the Vikings could use an unanimous All-American safety and an uber-productive wide receiver?- @JacksonRKruger

A: The Vikings would have had to take Winfield in the first round, or trade up dramatically in the second round to take a player who would have been stuck behind their current starters. That wouldn’t make sense. Given that the Vikings had a million draft picks and didn’t take Johnson indicates that they didn’t value him as much as Gophers fans would have hoped.

Souhan's Mailbag: Will the Vikings ever win the Super Bowl?

One reader has a question about Bud Grant's wisdom. Others ask Jim Souhan about Wild prospects, Wolves management and Springsteen lyrics.

www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[MGGopher]

As both a massive Vikings and Gophers fan, I would've liked to see it happen, but I get the logic. Vikings have a ton of money tied up in two safeties, but they were desperate at CB. Perhaps Winfield can play nickel slot, but he didn't do it much in college...so it could take a long time to develop him there.

I think most believe TJ will work best out of the slot in the NFL, and after taking Jefferson in rd 1, the VIkes already had two very dynamic WRs who work best out of the slot. I personally think TJ will be a massive success in the NFL regardless of where he lines up, but I get the thinking. He'll thrive with Brady. My personal nightmare (but I know it was the dream of some on this board), was that he'd end up in GB and just shred the Vikings for 6/80/1 every time they played. Rogers would know how to use a guy like TJ who will always be in the right spot, knows how to create windows, and wins tightly contested balls.

 

[Some guy]

per Souhan's Q&A:

I’m a lifelong MN fan who grew up in E.P. but now live in Vegas You wrote that the Vikings drafting Antoine Winfield & Tyler Johnson was “not what the team was after.’’ So...you don’t think the Vikings could use an unanimous All-American safety and an uber-productive wide receiver?- @JacksonRKruger

A: The Vikings would have had to take Winfield in the first round, or trade up dramatically in the second round to take a player who would have been stuck behind their current starters. That wouldn’t make sense. Given that the Vikings had a million draft picks and didn’t take Johnson indicates that they didn’t value him as much as Gophers fans would have hoped.

Souhan's Mailbag: Will the Vikings ever win the Super Bowl?

One reader has a question about Bud Grant's wisdom. Others ask Jim Souhan about Wild prospects, Wolves management and Springsteen lyrics.

www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!

I think the Vikings would’ve been much more likely to draft Winfield if Rhodes didn’t suck last year.

Winfield would’ve been a great guy to draft to be Nickel and returner as a rookie and then take over when you can no longer afford both safeties in 2021.
But Rhodes being bad enough to get cut means needing two corners instead of 1.
Can’t draft a 2021 safety when you need 2 2020 corners...could maybe do it if you only needed one.

As for Johnson. The Vikings are trending away from 3, 4, and 5 wideout sets...
Theilen, 1st round guy

They need so much more defensive and OL help that taking fliers on late round guys at that position makes more sense than destiny ANY wideout who at most was going to see 15-20 snaps a game.
No doubt theyd have taken Johnson instead of Miami guy had he still be available

 

[Stuff]

The good news for T. Johnson and AWJr is that since they did not get drafted by the Vikings, they have a chance to win a Super Bowl.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

The good news for T. Johnson and AWJr is that since they did not get drafted by the Vikings, they have a chance to win a Super Bowl.

Also get to hang out in Tampa, not bad.

 

[gopher7]

When I was younger I was irate when the Vikings passed on Chris Darkins. I learned my lesson.

 

[Veritas]

As both a massive Vikings and Gophers fan, I would've liked to see it happen, but I get the logic. Vikings have a ton of money tied up in two safeties, but they were desperate at CB. Perhaps Winfield can play nickel slot, but he didn't do it much in college...so it could take a long time to develop him there.

I think most believe TJ will work best out of the slot in the NFL, and after taking Jefferson in rd 1, the VIkes already had two very dynamic WRs who work best out of the slot. I personally think TJ will be a massive success in the NFL regardless of where he lines up, but I get the thinking. He'll thrive with Brady. My personal nightmare (but I know it was the dream of some on this board), was that he'd end up in GB and just shred the Vikings for 6/80/1 every time they played. Rogers would know how to use a guy like TJ who will always be in the right spot, knows how to create windows, and wins tightly contested balls.

There really is no such thing as "The Minnesotat Vikings". There is only The Vikings, a group of mercenaries who are incorporated and do their best to maxmize the profits of the owner who lives in New Jersey. They are currently playing their "home" games in Minnesota. They have the same "loyalty" to Minnesota that Walmart, McDonalds, Google or any other company has to this state. I just don't see the should in this debate.

 

[FredCoxRocks]

Also get to hang out in Tampa, not bad.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Gotta be honest.... I hate arm pants too...

 

[MGGopher]

The good news for T. Johnson and AWJr is that since they did not get drafted by the Vikings, they have a chance to win a Super Bowl.