Friday mailbag: Yes, people are concerned about the Vikings cutting their punter
Vikings fans want to know if the kicking operation is messed up now... and much, much more
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By Matthew Coller
Two more weeks everybody. Two more weeks. But before we can get to the regular season we have another preseason game and cutdown day so let’s get into your questions about the remainder of the offseason and what’s to come…
@thetuse Friday mailbag: Why do you think ESPN has the Vikes power ranked 23rd? QB or coaching staff? I think their draft and the creative moves with the salary cap has been solid
Gotta prove it, right? This team is 15-18 in the last two years and two of those wins were meaningless Week 17/18 games. They aren’t going to get national respect just because they changed coaches and have decent camp vibes. Also, everything in football is about how much the team is going to get out of their quarterback, so until people see this quarterback win more than half his games, they’re going to get ranked in the middle. Draft Kings has them 14th in terms of Super Bowl odds — they are +3500 and six other teams are +4000 right there with them. So basically they see it as the Vikings being bunched with a group between fringe playoff teams. They are free to change everyone’s minds. I mean, I won’t rant about power rankings but my gosh, who cares? If someone ranks them 23rd, are they still allowed to open the stadium? How is that a thing that’s still being done? It’s 2022, we can do better than putting all the teams in order and writing two sentences about them. Zzzzzzzzzzz.
Anyway, the draft picks, as of this moment, aren’t going to make an impact on 2022 outside of right guard and the salary cap wouldn’t make any difference to a power ranking.
@BIG_dannn Greg Joseph potential best season over now ? Didn’t he only really miss kicks with Wright holding? And even if we sign a punter off waivers after cuts, doesn’t it take a while for kicker/holder to get into a groove?
There was a day where Joseph missed two kicks with Wright holding. But special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said that Joseph’s opinion on the holding would matter in their analysis and they still picked Wright. I assume that means Joseph is comfortable enough with him. The operation between the kicker/snapper/punter is a delicate thing but I doubt Jordan Berry was the Joseph whisperer. I’m guessing that punters work on it knowing that it’s important. I don’t think it’s a huge concern. At the same time, who am I to tell Vikings fans they shouldn’t be worried about anything regarding kicking. Maybe the Vikings are playing a dangerous game with fate here.
@TigerTige In a dynasty rookie mock draft .5 PPR who are your top 12 picks? And you can’t say Ty Chandler or Jalen Nailor.
If I played fantasy, I would have a much better idea of what this means. I assume you mean rookies in the entire NFL at skill positions who will be the best long term? My first pick from this year’s class would be Chris Olave. He was my favorite receiver in the draft, so I’ll ride with that take. I also wouldn’t be surprised if George Pickens ended up being the top receiver from this entire class. After that probably Skyy Moore, James Cook and Romeo Doubs. Going any deeper than that I’d just be guessing random guys who were drafted last year. I wish I could be more helpful with fantasy advice but I’m terrible at it and generally have no idea how it works.
@GeofftheJohnson What's your read on the Vikings, and all other 31 teams (but mainly the Vikings!), showing no interest in JC Tretter to the point that he retired? They all just know his knees are that bad? He was blackballed because of his ongoing union activism? A mix of both?
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the same thing happened to Kevin Mawae in 2010 when he was the NFLPA president. There are lots of players with injury issues (Anthony Barr, for example) who get signed to cheap, short-term deals and given a chance to stay healthy. We’re talking about a guy who played the whole year at a top-five level, you’d think one of 32 would bring him in for a physical if there weren’t other issues at play. The Vikings were name dropped in the SI article because they had a potential opening at center but they are far from alone in this. For me it’s an entire league issue. Maybe you’d call it tinfoil hat if the NFL hadn’t already had to pay out millions to a certain blackballed quarterback.
@smccullough5 My crystal balls are telling me that there is a shocking loss to the Lions this year but also a shocking WIN but I can't tell what team is it against. What are your crystal balls telling you about this?
If you guys listened to the podcast episode with Ben Goessling of the Strib, that’s what Scott is talking about here — he’s not just being a weirdo. Since they play a lot of mediocre teams there are only a couple candidates. Would we call Philly Week 2 shocking? I don’t think I would. I wouldn’t consider Week 1 to be a shocking win either because they beat the Packers at US Bank Stadium in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021. At Lambeau toward the end of the season is a different story. That would probably be my pick. Maybe at Buffalo? That’s a tough one to see happening because of the likely conditions, the Bills’ quarterback and defense and receivers and coaching and all the broken and burning tables outside being naturally intimidating. I will enjoy the wings that week though.
@smccullough5 Now that Jordan Berry has been cut and there is no "punt off", what's the purpose of the pre-season?
It’s unfortunate. I bought the most expensive stopwatch on Amazon for the sole purpose of tracking both punters’ hang times. Now what am I going to do with it?
@joe_boring Why Diet Dr. Pepper and not Dr. Pepper Zero!?
My local target doesn’t have Zero. I’ve tried it and it’s pretty much the same. I’ve also tried Diet Dr. Pepper Cream Soda and that was decent but there’s nothing like the original.
@bulldogs13tv Would you rather watch another preseason game or another joint practice?
I can’t say that either one is all that exciting. At least with a preseason game there’s some pomp and circumstances — and I get to sit down in air conditioning or hang out at home (sorry, I’m not traveling to see Sean Mannion vs. Brett Rypien). The joint practices were helpful for the team but not all that breathtaking for us. Though I suppose they featured starters unlike the preseason. It’s always going to be the case that football can only really be played by pros at its best with the top players on the field, the best offensive and defensive schemes and the most intensity. Otherwise the USFL and XFL would be just as popular. So we hang around and wait for the real football to show up. Soon, friends. Soon.
@DarrickMoren What does our CB depth look like? Based on how the backups have looked, is it 2020 ish if a starter goes down?
If Andrew Booth Jr. has to miss any time it definitely looks like 2020 where they are lacking anybody reliable beyond the starters. In fact, you can play a game with your friends: Name the next man up on the depth chart past Booth Jr. Are we trusting Kris Boyd, Parry Nickerson, Tye Smith (who they cut and brought back) or Nate Hairston? To me the season rests on that unit’s health.
@KyleShaner Rank the NFL quarterbacks whose last name starts with M: Patrick Mahomes, Sean Mannion, Marcus Mariota, Baker Mayfield, Colt McCoy, Trace McSorley, Davis Mills, Gardner Minshew, Kellen Mond, Nick Mullens, Kyler Murray.
Sure, why not.
Mahomes 2. Murray 3. Mayfield 4. Mariota 5. McCoy 6. Minshew 7. Mullens 8. Mannion 9. McSorley 10. Mond
@JoeBMTN 5 WR trios in NFL history have eclipsed 1,000 yards each in a season. Is it crazy to think Jefferson, Thielen and Osborn could get close this year?
It’s not exactly crazy but assuming Irv Smith Jr. is fully back, he’s going to split the secondary targets with Osborn. I would expect Dalvin Cook and the other running backs get their fair share as well. Even with an average tight end like Tyler Conklin last year they still ended up throwing to him enough to take away from Osborn’s target total. Plus if they go off the Rams’ offense last year, the No. 1 receiver really dominated the receptions and yardage over the others. It wouldn’t be a shock to see that with Jefferson this year.
@J_B_Rose Do you believe Thurman Thomas gets the credit he deserves historically? I feel like he should be included in more all time great RB conversations.
Yeah, Emmitt Smith once introduced Thurman Thomas to his kids as “the best running back in the NFL.” Thurman was the engine of some of the all-time greatest offenses both as a runner and receiver. I’ll eat a shoe if any player ever leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage four years in a row again like Thurm did from ‘89-’92. In his first 78 NFL games he averaged 50 catches per season at 11 yards per reception as a freaking running back. Those would be good numbers for a No. 2 receiver in those days. To me, him, Walter Payton and Marshall Faulk are the best all-around running backs ever. He doesn’t quite get his due because you have to be old and from Buffalo to really get it since they didn’t win the Super Bowl and people didn’t have access to all the resources we do now. I just happen to be both of those things so I get it. Thurman is a GOAT.
@SKOL_doctor Fans only: do you think the Vikings are playing with fire by releasing Jordan berry and possibly messing with the kicker/holder exchange in which Greg Joseph seemed to have great chemistry with berry throughout camp?
He did kick well with Barry, yeah. This one is going to have to be judged only in hindsight. If Joseph has a fine season, we’ll all forget we ever talked about the punter. If he has some shaky days, we’ll go back and wonder if they galaxy-brained themselves out of the best holder in order to get 0.3 more net yards per punt or something. But I have no idea if it’s going to matter. History might suggest it will only make a difference in the biggest moments and otherwise will be fine. So sleep well, friends!
@Erik04172824 How do we get Muse on the 53? I think he’s a good enough blocker and a better option than Ellefson running routes. Bigger ceiling
I agree that he’s shown some things in the preseason. Ellefson is a solid dude though. When you’re looking for a No. 3 tight end, you need a guy who’s a good blocker who’s going to catch the ball when it comes his way and that’s Ellefson. There’s no problem with putting Muse on the practice squad and letting him develop for a year. Maybe he becomes the next Conklin. Nobody is stealing your seventh-round tight end off waivers.
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