PHP's "Way Too Early But I Love It" 2016 Mock Offseason

[IIsweet]

Free Agency and hopefully 1st rd picks are signed for helping now. Draft picks are needed for future success.
I am hoping that a Boyd is drafted in rd 2 and not expected to be the #1 or 2.
However, a restructured Wallace, 2nd year Diggs, and Boyd with McKinnon in the backfield offers problems.
The key again will be giving Teddy time.
Now get FA OL and figure this out !

[Angels Wings]

Its way too early to know but, with Jaylon Smith declaring for the draft despite having reconstructive knee surgery, if, IF he falls out of the 1st round, should the Vikings use a 2nd or 3rd on him IF he's there?

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[jackal]

Next season if I was GM

players gone

Patterson, Locke, Kalil, Shaun Hill, Wallace, Greenway, Robison, Berger, Sendahoe(sp) Robison

Peterson in trade with Dallas for switch of second round and fifth round picks

FA signings Boone LG SF, Chris Ivory RB Jets Justin Bethel CB Arizona, Travis Benjerman WR CLe
Mike Adams LT Pit

Fusco back to RG ...Loadholt RT Sullivan C LG Boon LT Adams

Diggs and Benjerman starting wideouts

[Pondering Her Percy]

Next season if I was GM

players gone

Patterson, Locke, Kalil, Shaun Hill, Wallace, Greenway, Robison, Berger, Sendahoe(sp) Robison

Peterson in trade with Dallas for switch of second round and fifth round picks

FA signings Boone LG SF, Chris Ivory RB Jets Justin Bethel CB Arizona, Travis Benjerman WR CLe
Mike Adams LT Pit

Fusco back to RG ...Loadholt RT Sullivan C LG Boon LT Adams

Diggs and Benjerman starting wideouts

Don't agree with Kalil. Or Greenway. Or Patterson. Would much rather stick with Harris before Fusco. I wouldn't mind Boone, Bethel or Benjamin

[Crax]

Why would we cut Patterson? We'd lose 900K in dead money by cutting him(Contract is about 2.3 but 900k is guaranteed) and it would only save us 1.39 million if we cut him before June 1st. $1.39 million for the NFL leader for avg kick return isn't awful. Special teams are important and maybe, just maybe we'll get some other use out of him next year.

I guess if you are desperate for the roster spot, but who are you putting back there instead that is going to contribute somewhere else as well?

[jackal]

Why would we cut Patterson? We'd lose 900K in dead money by cutting him(Contract is about 2.3 but 900k is guaranteed) and it would only save us 1.39 million if we cut him before June 1st. $1.39 million for the NFL leader for avg kick return isn't awful. Special teams are important and maybe, just maybe we'll get some other use out of him next year.

I guess if you are desperate for the roster spot, but who are you putting back there instead that is going to contribute somewhere else as well?

I would cut him because I want more depth at OLor LB ...I have not cared for Patterson, for a couple years...I think he is a lazy foolish player,
with a ton of talent. The other game where he fumbled we could have lost the game and he is over on the sidelines smiling with not
a care in the world.

[slapnut19]

the key points to remember about wallace are:

1. zimmer likes him

2. spielman likes him

3. wr coach stewart likes him

if wallace likes being here he will rework his deal in some fashion and be here in 2016. like it was posted earlier. he can still make more money here than on the open market and this is probably his last shot to get some more guaranteed money.

[Crax]

I would cut him because I want more depth at OLor LB ...I have not cared for Patterson, for a couple years...I think he is a lazy foolish player,
with a ton of talent. The other game where he fumbled we could have lost the game and he is over on the sidelines smiling with not
a care in the world.

If I have this straight, you would cut him and not sign a returner so you are saying we should use an existing member of our team to return kicks? I realize the roster may change a bit, but if you want to carry an extra OL\LB, then that means you can't replace Patterson with a new guy(unless there is some OL\LB that returns kicks )

Who? Diggs? I wouldn't want him to do full time KO returns. Thielen? I don't think he's the right guy. Sherels? I guess, but I'm not sure who else you have and none of those are likely to be better than Patterson who led the league in AVG return and was the only guy with 2 in the regular season.

Him smiling too much has nothing to do with the decision of if he's worth 1.39 million as the best returner in the league. I say you keep him and unless you draft a WR/CB you really believe in to replace him, you don't have to think about it too hard. Like Zimmer said, he can learn to be a WR or he can just be a returner. I don't think they'll cut him as he isn't making all that much.

It may not be realistic, but I still have hope of him doing everything the coaches ask him to do this offseason and comes in next year ready to go.

[akvikingsfan]

Patterson gets a lot of heat on this board. Probably rightfully so, he was a first round pick. He hasn't done much of anything since his rookie year. But I still see value in him. The problem is Norv wants to use him as a traditional receiver and that's not what he is. He's an athlete. He needs to be used on screens, reverses, end arounds, jet sweeps, etc. Not expecting him to run routes and get open. Yes, as a receiver that is what he *should* be able to do, but at this time that is not what he is best suited for. I believe that if he was used in those gadget type plays that he could be very effective (see his rookie season). Get the ball in his hands and let him make stuff happen.

Edit: Not to mention he has been the most explosive kick returner in the league the three years that he's been here.

[dead_poet]

Patterson gets a lot of heat on this board. Probably rightfully so, he was a first round pick. He hasn't done much of anything since his rookie year. But I still see value in him. The problem is Norv wants to use him as a traditional receiver and that's not what he is. He's an athlete. He needs to be used on screens, reverses, end arounds, jet sweeps, etc. Not expecting him to run routes and get open. Yes, as a receiver that is what he *should* be able to do, but at this time that is not what he is best suited for. I believe that if he was used in those gadget type plays that he could be very effective (see his rookie season). Get the ball in his hands and let him make stuff happen.

Edit: Not to mention he has been the most explosive kick returner in the league the three years that he's been here.

He probably needs to be a base WR or at least "start" when in three-wide sets. As others have mentioned, the coaches seem to believe his performance to date (and in practices) do not warrant him being ranked that high on the depth chart. In theory he should also have enough speed to be used as a deep threat. Other than risking Wallace's pride/salary, I don't think he could've done anything "worse" in Wallace's spot this season. It's not like Mike Wallace's strength is contested balls either. It's unfortunate to keep such an electric talent off the field. I want to know what Patterson did (or was unable to do) after Norv came in here and said he was going to "immediately put in 10 Patterson plays."

[Cliff]

He probably needs to be a base WR or at least "start" when in three-wide sets. As others have mentioned, the coaches seem to believe his performance to date (and in practices) do not warrant him being ranked that high on the depth chart. In theory he should also have enough speed to be used as a deep threat. Other than risking Wallace's pride/salary, I don't think he could've done anything "worse" in Wallace's spot this season. It's not like Mike Wallace's strength is contested balls either. It's unfortunate to keep such an electric talent off the field. I want to know what Patterson did (or was unable to do) after Norv came in here and said he was going to "immediately put in 10 Patterson plays."

Could be about long term development. Patterson was raw coming out of college and perhaps because he just needs a little more time. Perhaps he'll be better prepared (for whatever he's lacking in the coaches mind) coming into next year. It's possible that because his "style" was working he wasn't working on actually learning the game and they're trying to correct that.

[Pondering Her Percy]

I would cut him because I want more depth at OLor LB ...I have not cared for Patterson, for a couple years...I think he is a lazy foolish player,
with a ton of talent. The other game where he fumbled we could have lost the game and he is over on the sidelines smiling with not
a care in the world.

You don't have to cut him in order to get depth on the OL or LB

[Crax]

Kiper just put up a way to early mock on espn insider(which I don't have access to https://t.co/tzdu6RO2Gy), that has the Vikings taking TCU WR Josh Doctson

[Mothman]

Kiper just put up a way to early mock on espn insider(which I don't have access to https://t.co/tzdu6RO2Gy), that has the Vikings taking TCU WR Josh Doctson

A certain Vikings fan who dwells in Texas and posts on this board might be happy to hear that...

[Texas Vike]

A certain Vikings fan who dwells in Texas and posts on this board might be happy to hear that...

Who? Me?

I'd be pretty happy to have Doctson, as I think he has serious skills that will convey at the next level. I don't know if WR is the position we have to get so high in the draft, though. But even so, that would definitely make me happy!