CharVike wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 10:35 am
Pondering Her Percy wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 8:40 am
You’re best bet is to actually research dalvin Tomlinson. He has played all over the interior. Everyone is pegging him as a NT because that was his listed position.
And as for Peterson, since Arizona got their new coach, they’ve been playing a ton of cover 1. Zim plays primarily cover 2 which could be exactly what Peterson needs at this age. Just because he’s 31 does not mean the “gig is up”. Not sure where you’re even getting that from. Guys like Richard Sherman, Jonathan Joseph, Terrance Newman, and plenty more have still played very solid football. They aren’t a 25 year old shut down corner but they are still very good.
You have much more knowledge than me about the guy. I just go by what I read and stats. Most of what I read is that he's a great run stuffer. I never saw anything good about his pass rush ability. And maybe that's not what the signing was for. 31 is old to be a football player. Can some guys play longer sure. Most don't make it that far. Position matters also. I'm not disagreeing with signing the guys because that's there decision. I was hoping for something different that's all.
Let me offer some perspective.
First of all, Tomlinson is not just a nose tackle. He played 3-tech in his rookie year in 2017, and he played it last year for the Giants after they acquired Dexter Lawrence. Tomlinson ranked in the 82nd percentile against the run in 2020. He also knows how to finish plays, with one of the best run-stop percentages in the NFL. In other words, if he gets his hands on you, he gets you down.
As a pass rusher, Tomlinson ranked 35th among interior defenders. That's middle-of-the-pack-ish. But even at that, his PFF pass-rush grade last year was 74.7, which blows away anything the Vikings put on the field at DT.
PFF has indicated that his $11 million per year contract is right in line with his capabilities as a 3-tech. As a nose tackle, he might have commanded even more money.
The signing is important for Minnesota in this. A lot of people believe "oh, you gotta stop the pass in the modern NFL." And that's true to an extent. But if you can stop the run with your defensive line and linebackers, you don't have to load up the box on early downs. That allows you to defend the pass better. For obvious passing downs, you can always rotate in a better pass rusher. Nothing wrong with that.
As for Patrick Peterson, this move surprises me, and it excites me. We're talking about a Hall-of-Famer here. I don't care if he's not the shutdown corner he used to be. The man knows how to play.
Here's the thing. Patrick Peterson was one of the most freakishly gifted athletes ever to go through the combine, and the trail technique he employed in his early years took advantage of that athleticism and ability to close ground. The Cardinals continued to ask him to do those things, even though he wasn't really able, so his decline looked worse than it was. Even last year, they had him shadow the other team's best receiver. We're talking guys like Terry McLaurin, D.K. Metcalf and Stefon Diggs. They expected him to be the 2012 version of Peterson, and he couldn't do it.
Even with that, his overall rank is deceptive. The Cardinals had him play a lot of slot, where his decline would be exposed even more. When he played outside, he ranked 29th out of 84 qualified corners in yards per cover snaps, probably the most important stat for a corner. Still not top-3 like he used to be, but not horrible. Especially given that they asked him to play a lot of man. Peterson's biggest problem last year was penalties. He had the most in the NFL at his position, which was a huge contributor to his low PFF score. Not surprising, given how he was being asked to do things his body simply wouldn't let him do.
If Mike Zimmer uses him correctly, he has every chance of having a Xavier Rhodes-like renaissance with the Vikings. And I think the chances of that are very good. Zimmer is really good at coaching techniques into corners that are designed specifically to overcome physical limitations. As good as Rhodes was, and as fast as Waynes was, neither was particularly flexible. Zimmer still coached them to be very good corners. Along with that, Peterson is an incredibly smart player who is really good at reading offenses and route combos. He also has good instincts defending in the run game.
Plus, it's a one-year deal. I don't see Peterson being horrible, but if he is, then he's out of the Vikings' lives in 2022.
I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised at what the Vikings have been able to do with their cap to become players in the free-agent market. They're still $6 million under the cap, but that's about what it'll take to sign the rookie class. So unless someone else restructures, they're probably done in free agency.
