Friday mailbag: 65-question edition (part 2)
We continue to answer every fan question about what's next for the Vikings
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By Matthew Coller
Hey everyone… here’s the remainder of our 65-question edition of the Friday mailbag…
@nathan_t_wright Do you think hiring anyone involved with the drafting of jalen reagor over jj could be bad for the Vikings? I’ve seen names of multiple from the Eagles being considered
Now that was a totally wacky pick in which the Eagles outsmarted themselves but every team has that type of pick. The Raiders drafted Henry Ruggs over Lamb and Jefferson. Washington picked a defensive end instead of Justin Herbert. How in the world did Carolina take a defensive tackle in THAT draft? Detroit took Jeff Okudah when AJ Terrell is a star. Tennessee selected a guy they had to cut right away. The Chiefs took a running back! Like Forest Gump said, s— happens (in the draft).
@mikekerrane It looks like there’s a focus on analytics with the GM search. If the Vikings do end up hiring an analytics minded GM, what HC candidates would make sense as targets?
That’s a little hard to pinpoint but teams like Buffalo and Tampa Bay deciding to go full 1990s Houston Oilers and just throw every play is pretty interesting when it comes to Leftwich and Daboll. Tampa Bay cleared everybody else by around 400 yards this year and had 15 more Expected Points Added passing than the next best team. That might just be Brady being MVP but they threw 731 times. That’s insanity, in a good way. In the interview process, the GM just has to make sure they’re on the same page with staying up to date on how things are done in a modern way. The coach doesn’t have to be a fourth down mad man, he just has to understand what the studies on these things say and how to deploy the right theories.
@BenOlsonMN Simply, what do the Vikings do at quarterback?
My guess is that they will trade Cousins and aim to form a GM/HC/QB triumvirate. It doesn’t always work but when it does, you get everybody on the same page like in Buffalo, Kansas City, Cincinnati, LAC, Arizona. How many times has it ever worked that the coach who’s tasked with solving a QB ever actually does that? A lot of great offensive minds have worked with Cousins i.e. Shanahan, McVay, Stefanski, Kubiak and they’ve all gotten the same results. I’d be wary of any candidate who sells themselves as the person who can finally unlock something. He’s not a young prospect, he’s approaching mid-30s. Even the Rams with McVay and an unbelievable roster still got the Matt Stafford who throws multiple picks in the games where he’s needed most.
@Alexandre_Zen Give us your perspective on O'Neill and Kendricks' comments regarding culture and locker room environment. Just heard the podcast with Sirles and it gets stronger in me the train started to derail after the Cousins signing and key players release such as BRob, Teddy and so on...
Zimmer has always been Zimmer. When things went sideways in 2016, you ended up with an offensive coordinator “quitting,” the team melting down against a bad Colts team and players going rogue in a game against Green Bay at the end of the year. In 2017, they were winning and had really good leadership to overcome the things like Zimmer insulting Case Keenum every other week but once Teddy, BRob and Newman were gone, it was a lot harder to keep the train on the tracks. Sirles said it on the podcast well: Players were afraid to make mistakes because Zimmer would “lose it” on them. He said that when things were down, the demeanor changed, which is maybe why this team melted so often in the biggest moments. That’s not to say Zimmer was always a tyrant or that he was a bad coach — every single player I’ve ever spoken to says he is as smart as advertised with X’s and O’s, technique and game planning. But he created a very uncomfortable atmosphere at times that strayed far from type of even keel you see from a lot of the NFL’s best coaches.
@VikingsCouch How directly was the firing of Rick Spielman connected to his success rate of finding a championship quarterback? It didn't seem to matter that he found us very nice supplemental roster pieces.
He really didn’t do a good job at finding supplemental roster pieces after they signed Cousins. He needed to thread a very tight needle and consistently missed on picks, made bad signings, overspent to keep their own players etc. But everyone’s success is connected to finding a championship quarterback. That’s why when you lock into an average QB with the second highest cap hit in the league, you’re not likely to win much.
@Yofollowme2 what do you think about the Vikings drafting a QB like Malik Willis, Sam Howell or the intriguing prospect EJ Perry ?
I’m just getting done eulogizing Zimmer/Spielman and googling these GM candidates, so I haven’t gotten into watching draft QBs yet. My stance is: If the NFL decides that three dudes are first-round talents, taking any one of them is a good idea. I do know that I’m already going to have a meltdown when people keep saying Howell is Baker Mayfield because they look alike. What’s our best guess on the funniest comparison Malik Willis gets? David Garrard? Seneca Wallace?
@HannesKannes09- Will Klint Kubiak finally get fired when we have a new GM & HC? - Do you think big names of the team will get traded/cut (ex/ thielen, smith, cook, etc.)?
Yes, they’ll move on from Kubiak and pick their own OC. I saw Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap say Danielle Hunter could be cut because of the way his contract is structured (basically re-do his deal or cut him). That one would be a tough pill to swallow.
@FarrahNate Two questions who’s your top five coaching candidates and what do you think about the 49ers offensive coordinator as a Darkhorse candidate ?
Top five are: Leftwich, Moore, Hackett, Bieniemy, Daboll. I haven’t heard a lot of buzz about Mike McDaniel but he falls under the same category of coming from a very successful offensive style. Throw him on the pile. There’s probably equal odds of any one of these fellas working out and they have similar traits. Pick the one that the GM will get along with best and go.
@SKOLkid90 Who would be your top 5 "bridge-type" QBs that could replace Cousins if we move on from him, without sacrificing too much production?
Aside from Mariota, Gardner Minshew, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mitch Trubisky. I’m not sure there’s a fifth. Teddy makes sense but that feels weird to say. Zero interest in Jameis Winston because of the character problems or Tyrod Taylor because a bunch of teams have gone down that road now. I’ve seen enough Andy Dalton for a lifetime. Go with the athletes or gunslingers.
@HokNate Besides Cousins, do you think the Vikings might look at trading some of the high cap hit players for draft capital? If so who do you think might be traded?
Here’s my question: If a GM candidate came in and wanted to go scorched earth, would the Wilfs want that? Mark Wilf talked about this not being a rebuild but there’s a case to start burning stuff down. If they traded Smith, Thielen and Cook, they realistically end up with several second round picks and a lot of cap space, right? Compare a new crop of young players and money to spend on free agents versus three players who are very good but not top notch for much longer. It makes a lot of sense but I’m not convinced they want to go that radical. Or maybe it was always Spielman who wanted to keep his own guys. Hm.
@cmaek09 I just want youguys to talk about eg STARK contrast that would happen if Mike McDaniel was the new HC compared to Zimmer!
At this point, almost any of the candidates they look at are going to be the opposite of Zimmer because… there just aren’t many Zimmers left.
@withinthemonth I know Josh McDaniels should not be even considered for the Vikings job, especially after what he did to the Colts. Am I wrong to think that he wouldn’t be a good fit or is there something that I am missing?
I agree with you. He’s really not on my list. It isn’t just what he did to the Colts, it’s how he managed the Broncos. That’s two red flags too many.
@jeffkauff It would seem that Eliott Wolf would be a slam dunk for GM. He is only 39 and has had success at several stops, not to mention his pedigree. What are your thoughts on Mr.Wolf?
Works for me. I’m sorry that I can’t provide better takes on GM candidates, it’s just that they aren’t like coaches where we can look at schemes, interactions with players, press conferences, quotes about them and so forth. Getting someone on the younger side with a background as a front office executive rather than scout does make sense…I think?
@rbrtjh Which is the more important hire to get right, GM or Coach? And why?
Probably the GM because he’s the one deciding on what to do with the quarterback. Here’s how much the QB choice matters: I was googling what everyone was saying about Zac Taylor last year in Cincinnati and it was hilarious. He was on his way out and then whoooops Joe Burrow is amazing and now he’s got a chance to win Coach of the Year. If they take the right approach and nail the QB thing, everyone’s going to look brilliant.
@McKinneyMN Got into a Twitter argument because someone said I was crazy to suggest that the Vikes could get a 1st rounder for Cousins. How realistic do you think that possibility is? I don't see it outside the realm of possibility based on recent trade compensation for other QB's.
Sure, I’d say 60-40 that they could get a first-round pick. There’s going to be teams that would really benefit from having Cousins. How about the New York Giants? That’s not a bad roster. With Cousins that team is 9-8 and they’re at least back to being relevant. How about a Goff-Stafford style deal with Cousins and Daniel Jones? Cousins for Jones and a first? I’m in. The funniest trade that makes a ton of sense would be sending Cousins back to Washington.
@RobDN1 Two questions-what was the source with Zimmer’s beef with Tomasson and which rookie QB are the Vikings going to draft and which HC candidate fits best with this year’s rookie QB class?
I’ve never been able to pin down Zimmer’s issue exactly but his behavior that you’re referring to was a window into how he treated people. If I had to guess which rookie QB they’re going to pick, I’d say it’s between Willis and Howell but at this point we have no idea how the QBs are going to shake out. Once the Combine is over, we’ll have a better sense for that. Any of the guys I mentioned like Leftwich, Daboll, Moore, Hackett — they’re all well qualified to work with a young QB who needs to develop. Daboll and Willis could be a Daboll/Allen type of deal.
@Petzer14 If the next GM goes for a mini-rebuild, wouldn't it make sense to trade Justin Jefferson? He'll demand a big contract in 1-2 years and we won't a serious contender at least unitil 2024, he would get the Vikings a huge haul of picks and this team needs to get younger and cheaper.
I saw people were giving you a hard time on the internet about this and I’d just like to say that the official stance of the Friday Mailbag is that all questions, even if they are off-the-wall, are welcome. No, it doesn’t make sense to trade Jefferson because things change fast. The Rams were horrific under Jeff Fisher and then the No. 1 offense the next year. I don’t think it has to take until 2024 to be a contender. Even then, paying a guy that good is a good idea. See: Adams, Davante or Diggs, Stefon. You can work around an expensive WR contract.
Now a fun experiment is: What would you trade Jefferson for? My list: Mahomes, Burrow…. that’s the list.
@JRG_2154 Hey hilarious podcast w Cronin talking about funny moments with Zim, I was laughing out loud when you said “ that’s not my music” ….Ok question, if you were the GM what would you do at QB position??? Thanks!
Thank you, that was a fun episode. Since this is going to be a common question, I’ll try to answer it with a different option that makes sense. So let’s say rather than going the Mariota route, they were trying to find a rookie to pair right away with Jefferson. Getting that Rodgers-Adams or Allen-Diggs or Burrow-Chase chemistry is super, super important, right? If we figure Matt Corral goes earlier than where the Vikings are picking (spend your own draft pick, do not trade up!), Kenny Pickett and his deep ball pair well with Jefferson. If there’s some rocky times in Year 1, it still could be exciting to see Pickett airing it out to Jefferson and then Year 2, you plan to be a legit contender.
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