2016 Vikings Free Agency Thread (News, Rumors, Transactions)

[Jordysghost]

It's not like we don't have any cap space and can't afford the guy

But, do rou really? According to the NFLPA, the Vikings have the 24th highest adjusted cap room.

[PacificNorseWest]

Very well said. It really is about the Super Bowl for me at this point, which isn't meant to imply that I can't enjoy the ride. Following the team is what ultimately makes their good moments feel so good and I appreciate how often the Vikes have made the playoffs over the years. I just want more.
Thanks (and right back at ya).

Bridgewater is definitely a huge part of things and I think Rick Spielman is an even bigger part. He's certainly had his successes but can he build a championship team?

Yes. I believe he can. Now, can he manage to one? I don't know. What I mean by that is, building a team that is the caliber of winning a Championship is one thing, but sustaining that window is a completely different challenge.

I feel the sentiment here isn't to say, let's build ONE great team to have the chance at that ONE Championship because on the same token, there have been a lot of Championship caliber teams that have been built to win, but fall short only to have that window slam shut in 2-3 years or less. What we all probably have learned, is that this shouldn't be looked at as a one season deal. Part of my culture speak, it was mostly in the direction of Zimmer, but there's a huge part of that which falls on the GM. That is, the continual rotation of hitting on draft picks and re-signing your core group to sustain a certain level of success (being contenders).

I really was about to go on and on and deleted another paragraph, but I should touch on it in clumps so it's not to soapbox-y. Bottom line is, I'd hate to have all this build up for the Vikings to reach a high, but not the ultimate peak, in the next few seasons, only for us fans to say "here we go again" with another rebuild after a painful loss...I don't feel that's the case with Spielman, but if we fall short when we expect high levels and reach that high level, but fall short of the highest level (SB win), that the Vikes still see that window remain open for an extended period this time and be a preseason contender each and every year. Give the Vikes shot after shot after shot after shot...Better the odds at this, ya know? Am I making sense?

[fiestavike]

You don't win championships by being "the best" team, or a perfect team. There is no best team or perfect team. You win championships by building an excellent team and being consistently in a position to try to win. That seems to be the goal. Just think of each season as a "shot" at the title and you want to take as many high percentage shots as possible.

Zimmer knows Bengals players. Its wise to spend FA money on the players you know. I don't think that means he's trying to import or become the Bengals.

I get the impression this conversation amounts to "something to talk about".

[dead_poet]

Emmanuel Lamur's 2-year, $5.5 million deal with #Vikings included $2M fully guaranteed this year. That was cost to lure him from #Bengals.

[Mothman]

Yes. I believe he can. Now, can he manage to one? I don't know. What I mean by that is, building a team that is the caliber of winning a Championship is one thing, but sustaining that window is a completely different challenge.

I feel the sentiment here isn't to say, let's build ONE great team to have the chance at that ONE Championship because on the same token, there have been a lot of Championship caliber teams that have been built to win, but fall short only to have that window slam shut in 2-3 years or less. What we all probably have learned, is that this shouldn't be looked at as a one season deal. Part of my culture speak, it was mostly in the direction of Zimmer, but there's a huge part of that which falls on the GM. That is, the continual rotation of hitting on draft picks and re-signing your core group to sustain a certain level of success (being contenders).

I really was about to go on and on and deleted another paragraph, but I should touch on it in clumps so it's not to soapbox-y. Bottom line is, I'd hate to have all this build up for the Vikings to reach a high, but not the ultimate peak, in the next few seasons, only for us fans to say "here we go again" with another rebuild after a painful loss...I don't feel that's the case with Spielman, but if we fall short when we expect high levels and reach that high level, but fall short of the highest level (SB win), that the Vikes still see that window remain open for an extended period this time and be a preseason contender each and every year. Give the Vikes shot after shot after shot after shot...Better the odds at this, ya know? Am I making sense?

Yes, you're making sense. I can't speak for anyone else but i'd definitely prefer to see the team create a substantial window of opportunity to win a Super Bowl rather than just building toward a one year, "all or nothing" shot to win it all.

[PacificNorseWest]

I've never heard if this guy. Who is he?

[mondry]

You don't win championships by being "the best" team, or a perfect team. There is no best team or perfect team. You win championships by building an excellent team and being consistently in a position to try to win. That seems to be the goal. Just think of each season as a "shot" at the title and you want to take as many high percentage shots as possible.

Zimmer knows Bengals players. Its wise to spend FA money on the players you know. I don't think that means he's trying to import or become the Bengals.

I get the impression this conversation amounts to "something to talk about".

I just can't really relate to what Jim is feeling, I wasn't old enough for all the superbowl losses and in 1998 I was 12 so I watched the games but I didn't have any idea if Green was a good coach or not or if the team was being built properly.

For me I just see a team dramatically on the rise and we don't know what their ceiling is but I don't think signing a couple bengals that know Zimmer's system hurts it at all or some how destroys the team vibe we have going.

Bottom line is this defense was terrible under Frazier and they went out of their way to address it and succeeded. Now the O-line was the obvious weak link and they're once again aggressively targeting it for improvement. I get the feeling some people just won't be happy no matter what happens but like I said, I can't relate, I wasn't there for the superbowl losses and maybe assuming the worst / most negative outcome is just ingrained into some fans at this point.

[dead_poet]

I've never heard if this guy. Who is he?

6'4/245 pound UDFA from Kansas State. Missed the 2013 season with a shoulder injury. Bengals DC after Zimmer thought he had three-down ability. Said Guenthur:

He’s got good ball awareness in zone and he’s a good man-to-man guy," Guenther said. "He’s a guy you like to go to with everyone playing two tight ends. He’s tall and he can run with those guys and you don’t get caught in a mismatch."

Also a productive special teams player.

During spring 2014 Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official website reported teammates and coaches have "just been raving about" SLB Emmanuel Lamur.

Suffered another shoulder injury in week 7, 2014 and a hamstring which affected him a bit and he never produced to the level the hype predicted. Was ranked 39/40 OLB by PFF following the season.

He was extended the second-round tender in 2015, though, which was an indication of how the team valued him. He chose not to resign with the team following the season (I believe he also dealt with a knee injury in 2015).

Bottom line from what I understand he has the tools/ability but hasn't put it together for one reason or another. He may compete for a starting job in camp and could push Greenway to the bench (if Chad is re-signed).

[dead_poet]

Rick dining OT Andre Smith @ Manny's Steakhouse tonight.

Before heading into Manny's, Rick Spielman said #Vikings remain in talks with Terence Newman and Chad Greenway.

[Pondering Her Percy]

But, do rou really? According to the NFLPA, the Vikings have the 24th highest adjusted cap room.

Yes we do. What is it going to cost to resign Greenway?? 1 year, maybe a million or 2. He wants to play 1 more year. We would have no problem resigning him and Newman for that matter.

[PurpleKoolaid]

I was kind of worried Emmanuel Lamur was brought in cause Greenway may be on the way out. Sentimental, but Greenway should be in the new stadium for the first year, imo.

[Mothman]

I just can't really relate to what Jim is feeling, I wasn't old enough for all the superbowl losses and in 1998 I was 12 so I watched the games but I didn't have any idea if Green was a good coach or not or if the team was being built properly.

For me I just see a team dramatically on the rise and we don't know what their ceiling is but I don't think signing a couple bengals that know Zimmer's system hurts it at all or some how destroys the team vibe we have going.

Bottom line is this defense was terrible under Frazier and they went out of their way to address it and succeeded. Now the O-line was the obvious weak link and they're once again aggressively targeting it for improvement. I get the feeling some people just won't be happy no matter what happens but like I said, I can't relate, I wasn't there for the superbowl losses and maybe assuming the worst / most negative outcome is just ingrained into some fans at this point.

I'm not assuming the worst, I just want the best for the team. If it's hard for you to understand where I'm coming from because you lack the experience, and if you were just 12 in 1998 when the Vikings fielded a 15-1 team that came up short of the Super Bowl, seriously consider how you might feel in 2038 if they still haven't reached the big game. That might give you an idea of why I'm not dazzled by one 11 win season and a first round playoff exit.

At the very least, by now you've seen enough Vikings football to know a team on the rise doesn't automatically rise to the top and a fall can be just around the corner if the team's not careful. After all, if you've been watching since 1998, you've seen the Vikes follow an 11 win season in 2000 with a 5 win season the following year. You've seen them win 12 games in 2009 only to fall to 6-10 a season later and you saw them make the playoffs with 10 wins as recently as 2012 only to slip to 5 in 2013. I'm not predicting a losing season next year but I've seen enough Vikings football to know the kind of success they had last season can be tenuous. They have a lot more work to do.

[fiestavike]

I'm not assuming the worst, I just want the best for the team. If it's hard for you to understand where I'm coming from because you lack the experience, and if you were just 12 in 1998 when the Vikings fielded a 15-1 team that came up short of the Super Bowl, seriously consider how you might feel in 2038 if they still haven't reached the big game. That might give you an idea of why I'm not dazzled by one 11 win season and a first round playoff exit.

At the very least, by now you've seen enough Vikings football to know a team on the rise doesn't automatically rise to the top and a fall can be just around the corner if the team's not careful. After all, if you've been watching since 1998, you've seen the Vikes follow an 11 win season in 2000 with a 5 win season the following year. You've seen them win 12 games in 2009 only to fall to 6-10 a season later and you saw them make the playoffs with 10 wins as recently as 2012 only to slip to 5 in 2013. I'm not predicting a losing season next year but I've seen enough Vikings football to know the kind of success they had last season can be tenuous. They have a lot more work to do.

I just don't understand the fixation in these discussions on win totals, 15 wins, 11 wins, etc. I would be just as excited about this team if they won 9 games last year, or 13 games last year. If you replayed last season every team wouldn't finish with the same record. There's a lot of variability. There's not some rank of "best team" that correlates with a teams record. What I'm excited about is that this is a good team, not that they won 11 games.

[slapnut19]

I was kind of worried Emmanuel Lamur was brought in cause Greenway may be on the way out. Sentimental, but Greenway should be in the new stadium for the first year, imo.

i don't think roster spots should be handed out for sentimental reasons. imo it's hard to have a 33 year old as your 4th/5th lb, especially considering those guys are normally special team guys as well.

[Mothman]

I just don't understand the fixation in these discussions on win totals, 15 wins, 11 wins, etc.

What fixation? It's just a way to help designate a successful season.

I would be just as excited about this team if they won 9 games last year, or 13 games last year. If you replayed last season every team wouldn't finish with the same record. There's a lot of variability. There's not some rank of "best team" that correlates with a teams record.

... and I didn't suggest anything of the sort. I was just pointing to examples of successful Vikings seasons that were immediately followed by unsuccessful seasons. We can agree that a 12 win season is better than a 6 win season, no?

What I'm excited about is that this is a good team, not that they won 11 games

You've made that very clear. However, despite your somewhat unique views regarding results, they actually matter. A good 9 win team might not make the playoffs, which means they won't get a shot to go further. A team that doesn't score enough might not even get to 9 wins. Points matter, winning matters and good teams win. I'm not fixated on win totals. I'm fixated on the end game which, as I've said before, doesn't mean I don't enjoy the ride. However, a team has to win to reach that end game and winning definitely matters once a team reaches it.

i'm getting awfully tired of having to justify why I don't have a near-religious zeal for Mike Zimmer's Vikings and especially for why I actually care about things like wins and production. The importance of both is so obvious that's absurd to have to keep defending it.