Vikings appear ready to go young at middle linebacker

[VikingLord]

On top of all that, there are still free agent options available so it's not accurate to say they have no other options...

I should have said no other options currently on the team.

As far as the FA option goes, if there is a guy out there worth getting, why are they waiting? Are there any options out there that would be better than Brinkley?

Seems Spielman is taking a big risk with the way he's played his hand here. He's not just hoping to strike it rich in the draft at MLB - he almost has to hit with the guy he picks, and he almost has to use one of those 2 first rounders on a MLB.

Brinkley might not have been the future at MLB, but he was a vet with experience in the Vikings defense. While not a star by any means, he was quality depth at the very least and his presence on the team would have made the choice as to which MLB to take and when to take him more about the merit of the player and less about the immediate need of the team.

[mansquatch]

I should have said no other options currently on the team.

As far as the FA option goes, if there is a guy out there worth getting, why are they waiting? Are there any options out there that would be better than Brinkley?

Seems Spielman is taking a big risk with the way he's played his hand here. He's not just hoping to strike it rich in the draft at MLB - he almost has to hit with the guy he picks, and he almost has to use one of those 2 first rounders on a MLB.

Brinkley might not have been the future at MLB, but he was a vet with experience in the Vikings defense. While not a star by any means, he was quality depth at the very least and his presence on the team would have made the choice as to which MLB to take and when to take him more about the merit of the player and less about the immediate need of the team.

My guess is the reason behind letting him walk was Salary Cap. The Vikes didn't want $2-$3MM tied up in a guy they believe will never be more than a Backup in a position other than QB. Part of the "Re-Signing your own guys" schtick is knowing when a guy isn't worth his price tag.

I think the Vikes know a difference maker at LB would be a big help for the defense. Brinkley wasn't that guy, so they figured they'd bring back EH and gamble on the draft. Keep in mind that EH can play in the middle. That might be the fall back plan if the draft nets an OLB vs. MLB.

[Purple bruise]

I should have said no other options currently on the team.

As far as the FA option goes, if there is a guy out there worth getting, why are they waiting? Are there any options out there that would be better than Brinkley?

Seems Spielman is taking a big risk with the way he's played his hand here. He's not just hoping to strike it rich in the draft at MLB - he almost has to hit with the guy he picks, and he almost has to use one of those 2 first rounders on a MLB.

Brinkley might not have been the future at MLB, but he was a vet with experience in the Vikings defense. While not a star by any means, he was quality depth at the very least and his presence on the team would have made the choice as to which MLB to take and when to take him more about the merit of the player and less about the immediate need of the team.

Brinkley's pass coverage liability alone was enough to get him released. This aspect of Viking's linebacker coverage abilities has been a festering sore spot for years and years. Teams exploit their poor linebacker pass coverage weekly and as tight ends are incorporated more and more into offensive schemes then it becomes even more of a glaring need to have some one with the ability to cover TE's and RB's.
As far as, " Seems Spielman is taking a big risk with the way he's played his hand here. He's not just hoping to strike it rich in the draft at MLB - he almost has to hit with the guy he picks, and he almost has to use one of those 2 first rounders on a MLB." do you think that he might just know a little more than you or I know about his plans here?

[Rus]

Singletary was on the 49ers staff that brought in Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. If i trust anybodies instinct on the LBs in the draft it's him.

Hear hear. Both of those guys are very good linebackers and that San Francisco defense was certainly not the problem out there when he was coaching them.

People who dog Singletary need to get their heads checked. He's not the problem with the Vikings linebackers. He wasn't the problem with the Vikings defense and he wasn't the problem with the 49ers. The 49ers were an incomplete rebuilding team when he coached them. They had their highs and lows, just like any team that still had holes but had some good players here and there. The Vikes just squeezed out a win in 2009, as I recall, and Singletary inherited a terrible offensive line (and the Vikings defensive line that year was very, very good). The Vikings defense hadn't made drafting a linebacker a high priority since they drafted Greenway, and EJ Henderson got hurt while Singletary was coaching the linebackers. The guy was making due with 2 out of 3 linebackers that were basically scrubs that were drafted on the third day most of the time.

I'm sure Mike will pick the best out of the top linebackers, and if he doesn't like any of them, Frazier and Spielman will know for sure. I'm hoping they do draft a linebacker or two, though...I'm not entirely ready to watch Audie Cole try and chase down Chris Johnson from behind, or attempt to tackle RGIII.

[Rus]

And when I watch tape on Oggletree he looks like he is easily taken out by offensive linemen. I don't think he'll be very effective against the run. He crushes QBs when he's unobstructed and he's fast and defends the pass well, but his deficiencies vs. the run scare me.

Oh yeah, he's definitely a 3-4 linebacker. I can't see the guy really manning the middle in a 4-3. I thought he'd perform a lot better at the combine and at his pro day performances, maybe show more speed than I thought he'd have...so maybe he could use that to overcome some of his issues. He wasn't bad, but he didn't seem as strong as I thought either.

Which is a pretty negative review on my part. He's definitely a playmaker, but he needs to learn some moves to get around blockers. The entire purpose of the 3-4 defense is that you can find those types of linebackers all over the draft...and good linemen usually get taken right away. So you can put more playmakers on the field without having to draft first/second round beasts to fill up your front 4. I kind of see Ogletree dropping into the second or maybe even third round...and I'd almost consider taking him as a strong side linebacker as I can see him running down tight ends. The SAM is probably the lowest priority of the linebacker positions, but with teams employing a lot of 2 tight end sets, it's probably not a bad idea.

[Rus]

Brinkley's pass coverage liability alone was enough to get him released. This aspect of Viking's linebacker coverage abilities has been a festering sore spot for years and years. Teams exploit their poor linebacker pass coverage weekly and as tight ends are incorporated more and more into offensive schemes then it becomes even more of a glaring need to have some one with the ability to cover TE's and RB's.

Brink got a lot of tackles, but the guy always seemed like he was out of position and taking a bad angle at guys. It always seemed like ball carriers were squeaking out a few extra yards against him. Part of that was playing in a Tampa-2, which seemed like it required more athleticism to get up and make a stop between tackles (or backpedal and break up a pass) than Brinkley actually had. Brink always seemed more like a traditional middle linebacker who played up in the box and used his strength to bust plays up rather than some kind of finesse Tampa-2 mike. That's also what Audie Cole is as well, so obviously the Vikings needed to find a guy who better fit the scheme.

[Mothman]

As far as the FA option goes, if there is a guy out there worth getting, why are they waiting? Are there any options out there that would be better than Brinkley?

I think Dansby would be better than Brinkley, although he'd have to learn the system.

Seems Spielman is taking a big risk with the way he's played his hand here. He's not just hoping to strike it rich in the draft at MLB - he almost has to hit with the guy he picks, and he almost has to use one of those 2 first rounders on a MLB.

Brinkley might not have been the future at MLB, but he was a vet with experience in the Vikings defense. While not a star by any means, he was quality depth at the very least and his presence on the team would have made the choice as to which MLB to take and when to take him more about the merit of the player and less about the immediate need of the team.

Drafting an MLB will still be about the merit of the player and if they didn't see Brinkley as starting material and planned to use a first round pick to draft his replacement, that choice was going to be about immediate need anyway.

Keep in mind that the cap is a factor in all this as well.

Anyway, I don't think we should get so wrapped up in mock drafts, workout numbers, projections, and concepts like value or drafting the "best player available"that those things start to take on greater significance than they should. It's been said a million times but evaluating players is a subjective process and determining the comparative value of players at different positions is even more subjective. When a pick comes up, unless an absolute steal has fallen into a team's lap, need is usually a big determining factor. For all the talk about BPA every year, most teams end up drafting players to address issues that need addressing, not based on merit alone. That's why mock drafts aren't just lists of the players available in order of perceived value. Team needs always play a substantial role in who gets drafted when.

I'd say the odds are pretty good they'll be able to find an MLB in the draft that can at least perform at Brinkley's level. They re-signed Mitchell so they may be comfortable with him and Cole as depth and they also have the option of moving Henderson or even Greenway to the middle if they draft a real bust. They may draft more than one LB too... let's see how it plays out.

[mondry]

Yeah I think too much is being put on Brinkley's ability. This is no big loss at all and I wouldn't even be surprised if they thought Cole could give them a comparable performance in a worst case scenario situation.