Teams Minnesota Vikings - Skol Vikings

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The Vikings are in the market for a new Offensive Line coach. The OL was definitely a weak point for the team this year, but injuries to key players had a major part to play in that situation. I consider Jeff Davidson as the fall guy in this and circumstances beyond his control contributed to his demise. That being said the OL has been pretty poor for a number of years and maybe a coach hand picked by Zimmer/Turner would better contribute to success on the offensive side of the ball. The Vikings OL scheme could best be described as a power blocking scheme, but that scheme seemed to lack the right personnel to be successful.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Vikings will not renew the contract of offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, coach Mike Zimmer announced on Tuesday.
Davidson, 48, had coached the Vikings’ offensive linemen when Leslie Frazier was promoted to head coach before the 2011 season. He was one of a few assistant coaches to remain when Zimmer was hired in January 2014, including receivers coach George Stewart, tight ends coach Kevin Stefanski and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer.

“I didn’t want to,” Zimmer said when asked why he decided to not renew Davidson’s contract.
The Vikings allowed 45 sacks in the regular season and dealt with season-ending injuries to right tackle Phil Loadholt and center John Sullivan before Week 1. Davidson helped oversee the selection of left tackle Matt Kalil with the fourth-overall pick in the 2012 draft.
“Sporadic,” was how Zimmer described the offensive line’s play this season.
They’ve reportedly expressed interest in former Miami Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell. Zimmer didn’t reveal their level of interest, saying “everybody’s a possibility” when asked of Campbell’s candidacy to coach the offensive line. They’ve also reached out to current New York Giants offensive line coach Pat Flaherty, according to FOX Sports. Flaherty coached with Norv Turner as part of the Washington staff in 2000.
Zimmer said he hasn’t been contacted about teams wanting to interview OC Norv Turner or DC George Edwards for head coaching openings. He added he expects Turner to remain offensive coordinator. The Vikings finished 29th in yards per game (321.2) and 16th in points per game (22.8) this season
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Pulled from another site: Free Agent targets..

1 OT
Cordy Glenn, Bills
Andre Smith, Bengals
Ryan Schraeder, Falcons

2 OG
Kelechi Osemele, Ravens
Alex Boone, 49ers
Jeff Allen, Chiefs

3 S
Eric Berry, Chiefs
Eric Weddle, Chargers
George Iloka, Bengals

4 WR
Alshon Jeffery, Bears
Rishard Matthews, Dolphins
Marvin Jones, Bengals


Thoughts?

For me Alshon Jeffery would be a very interesting replacement for Wallace if the Bears don't tag him and we let Wallace go.
Otherwise I think targeting some of the top OT/OG makes sense... don't think we should be overpaying a safety sitting next to Smith, especially when his pay day is still to come. We had a top 5 D with Sendejo out there and with Harris getting healthy and Exum still learning maybe we already have replacements on the roster. However maybe Zimmer and Spielman have faith in the OL talent (like Kalil) and are confident a new coach is all that's needed.

Would also be interested to hear what you guys think about AD? Should we look at moving him (with many thinking his inclusion in the team is stunting teddy's growth) or do we try and ensure he remains a one team player?
 
J Shuttlesworth said:
There is no way the Bears let Jeffery go. Didn't even get to see him alongside White yet.

Has some injury history but surely not.
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Agreed - I'm pretty sure the Bears let Brandon Marshall go in anticipation of giving Jeffery a big contract.
 
BTW - The Vikings have about $25 million in cap space for 2016 and that's with big numbers for Matt Kalil ($11 million) and Harrison Smith's ($5.3 million)5th year options as well as $11.45 million for Mike Wallace. I'd expect new contracts for Kalil and Smith that will result in lower cap numbers for 2016 as well as a renegotiated contract for Wallace.

When the Vikings say they want to keep Wallace, I'm sure they're saying "we'll keep you if you take less money" - there's no way Wallace is worth over $11 million.
 
Agree. We also have far more leverage now than we did 18 months ago in terms of onfield and offield attractiveness. Get the feeling that we have some pull factors now that weren't there more recently. The Frazier experiment was pretty nasty.
 
The Vikings have previously taken a pretty conservative approach to free agency. The Vikings have made the occasional big splash but Spielman is more comfortable taking players that he perceives as being in the wrong scheme on other teams that would benefit from a change over to the Vikings. Given Zimmer's track record with his ability to coach players, I don't see any changes coming to the Vikings free agency philosophy.
 
Source: Sparano to coach Vikings' offensive line

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings moved quickly to find a new offensive line coach, hiring another member of Bill Parcells' coaching tree.

According to a league source, the Vikings will hire former Miami Dolphinscoach Tony Sparano to replace Jeff Davidson, whose contract was not renewed after two disappointing seasons for Minnesota's offensive line. Sparano worked with Vikings coach Mike Zimmer under Parcells in Dallas from 2003-06, and Parcells hired Sparano to be the Dolphins' head coach in 2008.

After the Dolphins fired Sparano in 2011, he worked as the Jets' offensive coordinator in 2012 and spent 2013 and 2014 with the Oakland Raiders, becoming the team's interim head coach in 2014. Sparano was the San Francisco 49ers' tight ends coach in 2015.
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Saw an article that claimed Bridgewater to be the leagues mist accurate QB this season.

Needs to hit a couple more bigger plays (not massive plays 20 or so yarders)

Well done teddy
 

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happydude said:
Saw an article that claimed Bridgewater to be the leagues mist accurate QB this season.

Needs to hit a couple more bigger plays (not massive plays 20 or so yarders)

Well done teddy
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For anyone else interested http://www.dailynorseman.com/2016/1...teddy-bridgewater-most-accurate-passer-in-nfl

After his first two NFL seasons, there are a lot of people that still like to rail onMinnesota Vikings' quarterback Teddy Bridgewater for his lack of big numbers compared to some of his contemporaries. Frankly, in this writer's opinion, anybody that's down on Bridgewater at this point either a) doesn't actually watch football or b) is really kind of dumb. As we've pointed out before, Bridgewater is one of the few quarterbacks in the NFL. . .if not the only one. . .who is generally forced to take a backseat to a running back in his team's offense. If he was allowed to be the centerpiece rather than a member of the supporting cast, his raw numbers would likely be much more impressive.

Enter the folks from Pro Football Focus, who have released a quintet of "crazy good stats" from this past NFL season, and they lead off with one that should make most Vikings fans happy. . .the fact that Bridgewater finished this season as the most accurate passer in the National Football League.


Ever since the Louisville pro day debacle before the 2014 draft, critics have been out in full force on Teddy. He's too slender. He's weak-armed. His release point is too low. His traditional stats haven't helped him much, either. 30 games in to his career (including a playoff game), Teddy has 28 touchdowns, 21 interceptions and a passer rating of 87.0.

What the traditional stats don't show, however, is just how accurate Bridgewater is. The Viking led the NFL in 2015 with an accuracy percentage of 79.3. While this number is inflated by the large amount of short throws required by the Minnesota offense, it is no small feat to be the most accurate in the league. In fact, Teddy scored his best passing grades on throws between 10-19 yards, and broke even on throws over 20 yards.

You have to wonder if Bridgewater's modest touchdown and yardage totals are more a product of the Vikings' offensive style, rather than an indictment of the QB's abilities.

That last sentence really does sum it all up. Teddy Bridgewater has shown all the abilities to be a big time, productive quarterback given the opportunity. Unfortunately, he runs an offense whose strategy is, more often than not. . .

-First down - Handoff to Adrian Peterson
-Second down - Handoff to Adrian Peterson
-Third down - Hope that Bridgewater can make something happen with three or four defenders in his face and/or while running for his life because it's 3rd-and-7 and everyone knows the Vikings have to throw
-Either punt on fourth down or repeat steps one through three

A lot of people aren't going to want to hear this, but at some point this team would probably be best served by making a real, honest-to-goodness commitment to Teddy Bridgewater and his development as a quarterback and, ultimately, the focal point of the Minnesota offense. I'm not sure when it's going to happen or how they're going to go about doing it, but it has to happen at some point. The other quarterbacks that have been drafted over the past few years aren't constrained by run-run-pass-punt, and hopefully there will come a point where Bridgewater isn't, either.

In his two years as Minnesota's quarterback, Bridgewater has shown a propensity to not kill his team with stupid decisions and giving his receivers the opportunity to make plays after the catch. He's capable of significantly more. Hopefully, in 2016, we can find out exactly how much more.
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Vikings hire former Eagles OC Shurmur to staff

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...gles-oc-pat-shurmur-jay-glazer-reports-012316

With three offensive coordinators in Philly, there wasn't room for a fourth, so the Eagles' loss was the Vikings' gain.

Minnesota has hired former Eagles OC Pat Shurmur to join coach Mike Zimmer's staff, NFL on FOX insider Jay Glazer reported Saturday night.

Earlier this month the Eagles hired Doug Pederson, the Chiefs' offensive coordinator, as their new head coach. Pederson, in turn, hired Chargers OC Frank Reich and Browns OC John DeFilippo, who will coach the quarterbacks.

Last season under Shurmur, the Eagles offense ranked 12th in the NFL while Minnesota's ranked 29th. However, head coach Chip Kelly was fired at the end of December as the Eagles wrapped up a 7-9 season.
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Vikings Sign Minnesota Native, CFL WR Terrell Sinkfield To Reserve/Future Contract

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The Minnesota Vikings have signed WR Terrell Sinkfield to a reserve/future contract. The Minnetonka, Minn., native most recently played in the Canadian Football League for the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Sinkfield caught 10 passes for 120 yards and had 613 return yards and a touchdown in 7 games for Hamilton, averaging over 100 all-purpose yards per game helping the TiCats to the Grey Cup game in 2014 where they fell to the Calgary Stampeders.

Prior to his time in the CFL, the University of Northern Iowa product spent time with the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers as a rookie free agent, before joining the Buffalo Bills for their 2013 training camp. He spent the remainder of the 2013 preseason with the New York Giants. Sinkfield was a three year starter for UNI, playing in 39 games and accumulating 1,097 yards through the air for 10 touchdowns. He averaged 14.4 yards per reception on 76 total catches during his career as a Panther. Following his playing career at Hopkins High School, Sinkfield was named to the Minneapolis Star Tribune's 3rd-Team All-Metro.
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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-vikings-latest-contract-details-and-reaction

Minnesota Vikings announced they have signed CFL wide receiver Terrell Sinkfield. The details of the contract have not been released as of yet.

ESPN.com's Ben Goessling initially reported the news.

While playing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last season, the 25-year-old ranked 12th in the CFL with 1,030 receiving yards.

It's a homecoming for Sinkfield, who hails from Hopkins, Minnesota. Attending college at Northern Iowa, he also made a splash at the University of Minnesota pro day in 2013, running a 4.19 40-yard dash per Goessling.

With that time, he would've set a record at the NFL combine for the fastest 40 time ever. But it was met with skepticism, such as from Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith:

But come on. If someone timed Sinkfield at 4.19 seconds, that means someone had an itchy trigger finger on his stopwatch. Does anyone seriously believe that Sinkfield, who has no major track and field accomplishments beyond high school, is faster than Broncos return man Trindon Holliday, who won the NCAA 100-meter dash title?

It still got him a chance with the Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers,Buffalo Bills and New York Giants. But he was never able to make the team and headed to the CFL instead.

According to Associated Press (via ESPN.com), the Cedar Rapids Gazette clocked Sinkfield at 4.32 and 4.30 after a video review at the Northern Iowa pro day that same year.

At 6'1", he isn't the small burner that many would expect to exude that kind of speed. Sinkfield takes long strides that chew up a lot of yards to help burn his defenders. It's that kind of explosiveness that helped Hamilton reach the Grey Cup, Canada's Super Bowl, in 2014.

While speed is important, Sinkfield also showed in the CFL that he has a set of reliable hands, having caught 69 passes in 15 games.

For a Minnesota Vikings team whose leading receiver was Stefon Diggs with 720 yards, wide receiver is a position that could use a bit of a lift this offseason. While Sinkfield isn't the kind of player that will completely overhaul the group, he should create competition for a third or fourth spot among receivers.
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Date of birth: December 10, 1990 (age 25)
Place of birth: Minnetonka, Minnesota
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
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Good to see the staff getting a shake up :thumbsu:

Going to be another exciting off season I think. Loved everything they did last off season, let's hope for more of the same.
 
Kiper had pretty high praise for the group of draftees that the Minnesota Vikings brought in this past season, moving his grade up from a "B" to a solid "A." Here's what he had to say about the Vikings' draft class of 2015:

When you consider how much the Vikings improved, and that they should have had at least one playoff win, this rookie class looks even more impressive. Trae Waynes had his share of struggles, but you expect that from a rookie corner, and he'll get better. Eric Kendricks is a stud, and Danielle Hunter looks like an absolute steal. Stefon Diggs is a player I couldn't imagine falling so far during his final year at Maryland, but there he was in Round 5 and the Vikes got a steal. We'll see what becomes of T.J. Clemmings, but he's got some ability to work with. Even Edmond Robinson played well on special teams. Just a fantastic start for a class -- no way around it.
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More specifically, Kiper named the Vikings' 2015 draft class the second-best in the National Football League, behind only the Washington Redskins.

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2016/1/20/10801698/mel-kiper-bumps-up-minnesota-vikings-draft-grade

Excuse the news spam. Just having a surf :p
 
Vikings Name Pat Shurmur Tight Ends Coach

Eden Prairie, MN (January 25, 2016) – The Minnesota Vikings have named Pat Shurmur Tight Ends Coach. Shurmur, a former NFL head coach with Cleveland, enters his 18th season coaching in the National Football League. Shurmur was the Philadelphia Eagles Tight Ends Coach from 1999-01 where he developed three-time Pro Bowler Chad Lewis.

Vikings 11-year coaching veteran Kevin Stefanski will take over as Minnesota’s Running Backs Coach.

Shurmur joins the Vikings after spending the previous three seasons as the Eagles offensive coordinator and most recently served as Philadelphia’s interim head coach for one game, a 35-30 win over the New York Giants, in the 2015 season finale.

Shurmur’s Coaching Background
1988-89.................... Michigan State (Graduate Assistant)
1990-97.................... Michigan State (Tight Ends/Special Teams/Offensive Line)
1998......................... Stanford (Offensive Line)
1999-01.................... Philadelphia Eagles (Tight Ends/Offensive Line)
2002-08.................... Philadelphia Eagles (Quarterbacks)
2009-10.................... St. Louis Rams (Offensive Coordinator)
2011-12.................... Cleveland Browns (Head Coach)
2013-15.................... Philadelphia Eagles (Offensive Coordinator)
2015......................... Philadelphia Eagles (Interim Head Coach)
2016......................... Minnesota Vikings (Tight Ends)
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Full story:
http://www.vikings.com/news/article...ds-Coach/4f030be2-cb58-4247-9349-f945477c9636
 
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said new TEs coach Pat Shurmur and new OL coach Tony Sparano will bring "different ideas" to the offense.

Zimmer was quick to say Shurmur and Sparano, who are both former head coaches and offensive coordinators, will have the same responsibilities as any other position coach, but he also implied the pair will challenge current OC Norv Turner. "The No. 1 thing is, they're all good coaches," Zimmer said. "No. 2 is, when you're a head coach, you're never afraid to speak your mind. The possibility of all of them sitting in there, and the personalities of guys like Tony and Pat, they're not afraid to speak their minds on ideas. I just think the more good coaches you can get, the better it is." The Vikings have finished 27th and 29th in total offense under Turner and had the second-fewest passing yards in the league last year. Much of that is down to Zimmer's conservative style, but the team still needs to create more explosive plays on offense moving forward.

Source: ESPN
 
GG.exe said:
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said new TEs coach Pat Shurmur and new OL coach Tony Sparano will bring "different ideas" to the offense.

Zimmer was quick to say Shurmur and Sparano, who are both former head coaches and offensive coordinators, will have the same responsibilities as any other position coach, but he also implied the pair will challenge current OC Norv Turner. "The No. 1 thing is, they're all good coaches," Zimmer said. "No. 2 is, when you're a head coach, you're never afraid to speak your mind. The possibility of all of them sitting in there, and the personalities of guys like Tony and Pat, they're not afraid to speak their minds on ideas. I just think the more good coaches you can get, the better it is." The Vikings have finished 27th and 29th in total offense under Turner and had the second-fewest passing yards in the league last year. Much of that is down to Zimmer's conservative style, but the team still needs to create more explosive plays on offense moving forward.

Source: ESPN
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It's an interesting mix considering Pat Shurmer is more a west coast offence king of guy and Norv Turner is definitely an air coryelle guy.

You'd think that Teddy Bridgewater's skill set would work better in a west coast type of offence with short passes and YAC being the way to get down the field rather than an offence based around a 7 step drop and a deep ball thrown down field. The only problem with a west coast offence for the Vikings is that teams already stack the box to counter Peterson, so ideally you'd want a deep threat to force the safeties back.

Tony Sparano has definitely been brought in to help the run game, an area where he has excelled in the past.
 
Sven said:
It's an interesting mix considering Pat Shurmer is more a west coast offence king of guy and Norv Turner is definitely an air coryelle guy.

You'd think that Teddy Bridgewater's skill set would work better in a west coast type of offence with short passes and YAC being the way to get down the field rather than an offence based around a 7 step drop and a deep ball thrown down field. The only problem with a west coast offence for the Vikings is that teams already stack the box to counter Peterson, so ideally you'd want a deep threat to force the safeties back.

Tony Sparano has definitely been brought in to help the run game, an area where he has excelled in the past.
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Shurmur learned the up tempo offense under chip kelly, so maybe implementing aspects of that.
 
from 1500espn.com

Questions facing the Vikings this offseason are welcomed work compared to hurdles this time last year, when Adrian Peterson’s NFL status was in limbo and their defense middling in a rebuild.

We can now say ‘rebuilt’ with the Vikings’ defense after a top-five season in both points allowed and third-down defense buoyed Minnesota to 11 wins, a NFC North title and a place among the best in the NFC. Focus this offseason falls on the offense, where the Vikings tussled with both identity and production last year.

1. What shape does the offense take? — Following another successful season and his third career rushing title, Adrian Peterson spoke candidly about how he wants to become a “better fit” for the Vikings’ offense under coordinator Norv Turner. Routes and pass protection were the two areas specifically mentioned by Peterson, suggesting the Vikings want to go back to the spread/shotgun offense in which Teddy Bridgewater found some success as a rookie in 2014. Bridgewater spent significantly more time under center last season, and his development didn’t happen as fast as many hoped. Between the micro (arm mechanics) and macro (scheme) adjustments, he’ll be the focus of a reconfigured puzzle. Head coach Mike Zimmer also assured they’ll have new ideas at the table between new assistants in Pat Shurmur (TE) and Tony Sparano (OL), both former head coaches with backgrounds in a variety of offensive schemes.

2. How will the offensive line be addressed? — The Vikings’ successful season came despite a snakebitten offensive line that lost two starters to injury before Week 1. Now they have flexibility should they want to reshape this group. Their critical decisions begin with contracts, including three high-priced starters scheduled for 2016. First, left tackle Matt Kalil is coming off another uneven season. He’s guaranteed over $11 million on the fifth year of his rookie deal if he’s on the roster at the start of the league year (March 9). Second and third, right tackle Phil Loadholt (cap of $7.75 million) and center John Sullivan ($5.83 million) are also slotted to be among the Vikings’ highest paid for next season. Both are returning from season-ending injuries. In the next month, all three could be let go for less than $3 million in dead money. Their only starter about to hit free agency is tackle/guard Mike Harris, who should be a priority to re-sign. The Vikings could begin a complete retooling, though that might not the best path for a team just graduated from rebuilding project to division winners. They’ve aimed to draft and develop all positions, especially offensive line, under GM Rick Spielman. A valued pick or two here could bring some much-needed competition to the trenches.

3. When to extend safety Harrison Smith? — The Vikings take care of their own young talent, exemplified by recent extensions for Jarius Wright, Blair Walsh, Kyle Rudolph and Brandon Fusco. The next on that list should be safety Harrison Smith, who just finished his fourth NFL season as a Pro Bowl alternate and one of a handful of Vikings to garner All-Pro votes. Smith has started 54 games since he was drafted 29th overall in 2012. His fifth-year option was exercised last spring, though the Vikings are reportedly expected to pursue a multi-year extension before next season. For reference, New England’s Devin McCourty was one of the last major extensions signed by a safety at $9.5 million per year, just shy of Earl Thomas’ league high of $10 million per season.

4. Stay or go for handful of veterans? – An easy decision for the Vikings may be to bring down or shed receiver Mike Wallace’s projected $11.5 million cap hit, none guaranteed, after his disappointing season in a lackluster passing offense. Two tougher choices come with a duo of locker room leaders as cornerback Terence Newman and linebacker Chad Greenway are free agents in a month. Both contributed beyond expectations last season, and could be welcomed back if the price is right. Though like all NFL teams, one eye will be fixated on the long-term future. Establishing young players, like cornerback Trae Waynes, and keeping Greenway or Newman aren’t mutually exclusive. The Vikings could benefit from keeping both players inside of the facility even if they aren’t viewed as starters. While Greenway says he wants to return to Minnesota for one more season, Newman’s intentions aren’t yet decided or public.

5. Trio of fifth-year options? – This spring, the Vikings have to decide on fifth-year options for the trio of 2013 first-round picks in defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. These options, created when the 2011 CBA capped rookie contracts at four years, can be picked up or denied by front offices. Generally, they’re granted as another low-risk season of control of a young player, as the salary is only guaranteed for injury until that league year begins. However, declining the option can be a sign the franchise is already ready to move on. The Vikings exercised fifth-year options on Matt Kalil and Harrison Smith last year, but two years ago opted against for 2011 first-round pick Christian Ponder. Days later they drafted Teddy Bridgewater. The Vikings could send another message to Patterson by declining his option, though it seems just as likely they’d add another year for one of the league’s top kick returners.
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Vikings stadium now 90% complete

here's an inside shot showing progress on seat installation and one of the stadium screens

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and here's one taken outside showing the huge entrance doors.....
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