There will be some very interesting competition for starting spots and roster spots when the Minnesota Vikings open training camp on the Mankato State campus in just over five weeks. Some positions are set. Teddy Bridgewater will be under center or in the shotgun. Adrian Peterson will be behind him or next to him. Everson Griffen will be rushing the passer. Harrison Smith will everywhere. A few other positions are set. Several are open. Some are wide open. The Vikings talent level has increased to the point where some football players that will be cut would have started for the team about a decade ago. That increase in talent level will make for some very interesting and spirited competition at several positions. Here are some of those on the offensive side of the ball.
Offensive line
The only spot on the Vikings offensive line that's not up for grabs is left guard. Alex Boone was signed in free agency to fill that spot and bring some attitude to an offensive line group that seriously needs some. The main reason that there's so much competition for starting spots across the line is that the group struggled so much last year. All five starters from 2015 return but there's no guarantee that any of them will start in 2016. They will have to fight for those starting jobs. Matt Kalil's play at left tackle did improve last year after a couple down years but a lot more is expected from a player that was selected fourth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. Kalil will likely remain the starter at left tackle but he'll face some competition from T.J. Clemmings. As a rookie, Clemmings was forced into a starting role at right tackle last year after Phil Loadholt tore his achilles tendon in the the preseason. Loadholt is back but he'll face strong competition at right tackle from free agent addition Andre Smith. Brandon Fusco started and struggled at left guard last year. He's moving to right guard where he started and mostly shined for a few seasons prior to last year's move to the left side. Fusco will compete with Mike Harris, Joe Berger, and possibly rookie Willie Beavers at right guard. Berger started at center last year when back issues kept long-time starter John Sullivan out for the entire season. Berger was probably the most solid, certainly the most consistent, Vikings offensive lineman last season. Sullivan returns as the likely starter but he'll compete with Berger as well as youngsters Nick Easton and Zac Kerin. Berger might be most valuable as a backup as he can fill in at all three interior line spots. While probably considered longshots, Jeremiah Sirles and Carter Bykowski are in the mix at the tackle spots. There are nine linemen on the roster that have started at least an entire NFL season. That's nine linemen that should expect to start. Only five can start. Competition makes everyone involved a better football player. At least that's the hope of the Vikings. The offensive line has to get better. Tony Sparano was hired to coach the line. His coaching should amp up the attitude and the intensity throughout an offensive line group that too often let the action come to them during games. The competition in training camp for every position can only improve the offensive line. It has to improve the offensive line.
Receiver
Receiver was targeted as a position of weakness this offseaon. Nearly every talking head in the media said that the Vikings had to get quarterback Teddy Bridgewater more weapons on the outside. Seeing as they drafted Laquon Treadwell in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft the Vikings probably agreed. It's only offseason practices. About a dozen practices in shorts. Practices with no contact or press coverage. But, the Vikings receiver group might actually be a team strength. A lot of that has to do with two players. Charles Johnson and Cordarrelle Patterson. Johnson was supposed to be a breakout player last year. He came off of the Cleveland Browns practice squad to become Bridgewater's favorite target at the end of the 2014 NFL season. He was supposed to be "the guy" last year. He wasn't. A rib injury kept him on the sideline for the majority of the season. Patterson was supposed to be a superstar by now. He was electrifying the last month of his 2013 rookie season. Catching, running, mostly running, returning kicks. He could do it all. He was a game-breaking threat every time he had the ball in his hands. He's the best kick returner in the league but he's been completely absent from the offense the last two seasons. It's become a an accepted belief that Patterson's problem has been that he's always gotten by on his tremendous, natural, athletic talents. He's always worked hard to stay in shape but he's never worked hard at understanding the nuances of the receiver position. He's rarely been where he's supposed to be when he's supposed be there on the football field. Perhaps it's because he's in the final year of his rookie contract. Perhaps it's because he finally understands that he can't get by on his physical gifts alone at the NFL level. Patterson has finally taken an offseason to work hard at understanding the position that he plays on offense. That work has shown up in the dozen offseason practices. He's looked much like the receiver that the Vikings hoped he'd be when they selected him in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. With Johnson and Patterson playing at the level expected of them, at least through a dozen practices without pads, the Vikings have a talented receiver group that goes six deep.
Stefon Diggs
Laquon Treadwell
Jarius Wright
Charles Johnson
Cordarrelle Patterson
Adam Thielen
That's a tough group to crack. It's also a tough group to trim. Keeping six receivers is probably closer to the norm of today's pass-happy NFL. It's still a bit of a luxury for a run-heavy team like the Vikings. In only a few seasons Thielen has grown from a training camp invite to a valuable member of the team. He's a talented, versatile receiver but it's his special teams play that truly shines. It's that part of his game that should insure his spot on the roster. If Johnson and Patterson continue to shine like they have so far this offseason there really isn't any competition for roster spots. It's those six and the competition at training camp will be for playing time. As for the starters. Diggs and Johnson received most of the starter reps through the offseason practices. Treadwell was selected in the first round to contribute immediately, start immediately. Diggs and Treadwell are expected to be the Vikings starting receivers for the foreseeable future. Wright is the top slot receiver and is also effective on the outside. He's the least talked about, most underrated of the bunch. All he does is make plays, chain-moving plays. Behind those six are sixth-round pick and German import Moritz Boehringer, Isaac Fruechte, Terrell Sinkfield, Marken Michel, and Troy Stoudermire. Before Johnson and Patterson played like they did in the offseaon, I thought that Boehringer could make the Vikings final roster. He has such unique size and speed that some other team would grab him if they tried to stash him on the practice squad for some needed seasoning. Now, I think that the Vikings only option is to try and get Boehringer on the practice squad. He has those unique natural skills that can't be taught but he's still so raw that he has some learning to do and adjustments to make to be ready for the NFL and the size and speed of the players. Fruechte has terrific size and was on the practice squad last season. Sinkfield might be the fastest player on the roster. Michel and Stouermire have talent or they wouldn't be making the trip to Mankato this summer. But, they are all really fighting for practice squad spots and a better shot next year after the Vikings have made contract decisions on Johnson and Patterson.
Tight End
The competition at tight end at Mankato will come down to numbers. The Vikings have usually kept three tight ends on the roster. They are going to have some tough decisions to make in a few months. Three or four? The fullback position might even come into play. The Vikings have six tight ends on the roster.
Kyle Rudolph
Rhett Ellison
MyCole Pruitt
David Morgan
Brian Leonhardt
Kyle Carter
Kyle Rudolph is the starter. When healthy he's often been an impact player. He even has a Pro Bowl MVP award on his trophy shelf. He just has to be an impact player more consistently and he has the talent to do so. The real question at tight end is the health and future of Rhett Ellison. He's been excellent in a "do-everything" role since he was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, he tore the patellar tendon in his right knee in week 17 last season. It's the sort of injury that's tough to overcome. It's the sort of injury that forced the Vikings to sign Brian Leonhardt and draft David Morgan. Both are players that provide the sort of versatility that Ellison has provided the last few seasons. Ellison is supposedly on schedule to be physically ready for training camp but that's a pretty quick turnaround. Ellison has been one of my favorite Vikings players since his first snap with the team. He's the sort of all-hustle, do-everything player that every successful football team needs. Based on the way that he plays every snap if he doesn't make it back from this injury it won't be from lack of effort. MyCole Pruitt is a unique "movement" tight end like Charles Clay of the Buffalo Bills. The Vikings will move him around to create mismatches or a distraction. He might line up in the backfield, split wide, in line, or go in motion. He's a little smaller and much quicker than most tight ends. He's a unique player with terrific hands. I expected a little more from him as a rookie last season but due to the offensive line struggles the Vikings needed the added blocking of Rudolph and Ellison. Hopefully, an improved offensive line will allow Pruitt to be the receiving threat that he has the talent to be. David Morgan could be a draft day steal. If not for his college ball coming at itty-bitty Texas-San Antonio the Vikings might not have found him in the sixth round. In terms of versatility and hustle he's a lot like Ellison but he has the talent to make more of an impact in the passing game. Brian Leonhardt and Kyle Carter have to perform out of their minds this summer to be a factor in the final roster decisions. But, you never know.
In the NFL roster numbers game tight ends and fullbacks are sometimes grouped together. Keeping four tight ends might be more of a luxury for the Vikings than keeping six receivers. Keeping four tight ends might end up threatening the roster spot of fullback Zach Line. Ellison has often lined up in the backfield as a blocking back. Morgan, and possibly Pruitt, could do the same. Personally, I really don't think that the final tight end decision will threaten Line's role on the roster. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner still favors having a fullback. A true fullback. Not a tight end posing as one despite their ability to do so. As much as it pains me, I think that Ellison's presence on the final roster is the one most in question. If he's not fully recovered from the injury perhaps the Vikings protect him by putting him on injured reserve. All that really does is push the tight end roster decision down the road a year. Seeing as Rudolph is a cornerstone player and the potential is great for Pruitt and Morgan, I think that the competition at tight end is going to come down to Rhett Ellison vs. the numbers. Does he force the Vikings into keeping four tight ends? The Vikings offensive roster numbers have often come down to 3 quarterbacks, 3 running backs, 1 fullback, 3 tight ends, 5/6 receivers, 9 offensive linemen. If it's six receivers (which I expect), that's 25 offensive players. Any more than that and the numbers start cutting into the defense and I don't see that happening on a Mike Zimmer-led team. Ellison's injury really changed the Vikings tight end position even if he's completely recovered from it.
That's a look at some of the competition that will take place on offense in Mankato. There's more. There's always competition for NFL roster spots. Will youngster Taylor Heinicke leapfrog Shaun Hill to backup Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback? That could be one of the most talked about competitions in Mankato this summer.
Tomorrow: A look at some of the defensive competitions.
No comments:
Post a Comment