Speilman: Build thru the draft?

[Laserman]

Goodness? Build thru the draft? We have Zero, i Mean ZERO skilled Wide outs on the team. Our WRs are the worst in the NFL. What are we gonna do? Draft 2 WRs and start 2 Rookies? What? Pick up some washed out cheap, WRs, CB, or safety nobody else wants? I don't get Speilman. There are WRs available in FA , go get one Man PLEASE . you don't have to be the dophins and go hogwild in FA but it won't break the bank to get one good WR:steamed:

[The Breeze]

out of 53 FA WRs....2 have signed with new teams

6 have resigned with their current team...including Jerome Simpson

the rest remain unsigned.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/freeagen ... position=1

[Mothman]

Goodness? Build thru the draft? We have Zero, i Mean ZERO skilled Wide outs on the team. Our WRs are the worst in the NFL. What are we gonna do? Draft 2 WRs and start 2 Rookies? What? Pick up some washed out cheap, WRs, CB, or safety nobody else wants? I don't get Speilman. There are WRs available in FA , go get one Man PLEASE . you don't have to be the dophins and go hogwild in FA but it won't break the bank to get one good WR:steamed:

We're just over one day into free agency. As you said, there are WRs available so let's wait a bit and see what happens. How do we know the Vikings aren't talking with some of the representatives for those WRs right now? Just because they didn't dive in and overpay for a receiver in the first 24 hours doesn't mean they aren't going to try to sign some free agent WR help. They're probably waiting for the market to settle a little, which isn't necessarily a bad idea.

Someone should write a paper on the 5 Stages of NFL Free Agency for fans of teams that don't make an immediate "splash" signing:

1.) Anticipation
2.) Disappointment
3.) Panic
4.) Anger
5.) Acceptance (or it Resentment?)

[VikingLord]

A lot of the teams that are very active in FA are the worse teams in the NFL. The consistently good ones are not jumping over themselves trying to sign this guy or that guy, but are retaining their own key talent and preparing for the draft.

I'm guess that Spielman views last year's finish as an aberration more than a sign the Vikings are ready to compete, and his moves so far are consistent with the long view that the team needs to go back to the well a few more times to put the key pieces in place for an eventual sustained run. That doesn't happen if you're keeping over-priced vets, nor does it happen if you're blowing big chunks of your cap on over-priced free agents. And unfortunately for a team that still has a lot of gaping holes on the roster, that most likely means going into next season with some significant question marks at WR.

Look at the bright side though - the Vikings should be peaking overall at about the same time that shiny new stadium opens.

[dead_poet]

Goodness? Build thru the draft? We have Zero, i Mean ZERO skilled Wide outs on the team. Our WRs are the worst in the NFL. What are we gonna do? Draft 2 WRs and start 2 Rookies? What? Pick up some washed out cheap, WRs, CB, or safety nobody else wants? I don't get Speilman. There are WRs available in FA , go get one Man PLEASE . you don't have to be the dophins and go hogwild in FA but it won't break the bank to get one good WR:steamed:

There's still time. Cruz, Jennings, Amendola, Alexander are all available (some more than others).

But IF we're headed into the season with two rookies and Wright as our starting receivers in a make-or-break season for Ponder it's poised to be a rough one that probably will cost him his job (of course he must also improve). With rare exceptions it takes 2-3 years for rookie receivers to find their stride (if they do at all). I'm not sure Ponder (or some could argue Frazier) has that kind of time.

[PurpleKoolaid]

A lot of the teams that are very active in FA are the worse teams in the NFL. The consistently good ones are not jumping over themselves trying to sign this guy or that guy, but are retaining their own key talent and preparing for the draft.

I'm guess that Spielman views last year's finish as an aberration more than a sign the Vikings are ready to compete, and his moves so far are consistent with the long view that the team needs to go back to the well a few more times to put the key pieces in place for an eventual sustained run. That doesn't happen if you're keeping over-priced vets, nor does it happen if you're blowing big chunks of your cap on over-priced free agents. And unfortunately for a team that still has a lot of gaping holes on the roster, that most likely means going into next season with some significant question marks at WR.

Look at the bright side though - the Vikings should be peaking overall at about the same time that shiny new stadium opens.

You mean by the time AD's is done? Yeah, I agree. Such a waste. But we cant have any old FA's. Going to have to let the few remaining ones go next year and re-sign the Erin Henderson's and Sanford's. We are going far!

For the second straight year they do NOTHING to address the WR situation. Boggles the mind. And no, I dont think Spielman has plans to sign any decent ones. Maybe more 3rd or 4th string ones. But we have a roster of those already.

[mosscarter]

what difference does it make we are only one day into free agency? wake up, there isn't anyone out there even worth pursuing at this point. jennings will be back with green bay, and then what? in my opinion, he was the only high priced receiver even worth going after. another total flop in free agency for the vikes, and yet, how can anyone be surprised?

[dead_poet]

what difference does it make we are only one day into free agency? wake up, there isn't anyone out there even worth pursuing at this point. jennings will be back with green bay, and then what? in my opinion, he was the only high priced receiver even worth going after. another total flop in free agency for the vikes, and yet, how can anyone be surprised?

Free agency splashes don't necessarily translate into immediate or long-term success. Lots of variables in play. We must be patient.

...or I can release the hounds.

[losperros]

But IF we're headed into the season with two rookies and Wright as our starting receivers in a make-or-break season for Ponder it's poised to be a rough one that probably will cost him his job (of course he must also improve). With rare exceptions it takes 2-3 years for rookie receivers to find their stride (if they do at all). I'm not sure Ponder (or some could argue Frazier) has that kind of time.

You absolutely hit the nail on the head. The Vikings can't afford not to bring in a very good FA receiver. I was hoping that they could get their WRs from the draft (and I still hope they will draft two receivers) but then they go and deal Harvin away. This isn't a step backward. It's big leaps backward, given what's left the of the WR corps.

I've been thinking about how this could impede Ponder's growth and adversely affect Frazier's standing. I also don't like thinking that other teams are getting better while the Vikings are going the other way, which is how it seems to me *right now.* As I said in another thread, I can't see into the future so I don't know what Spielman has planned yet. But I do know that right now the WR corps and the D secondary have both suffered huge hits, depleting them even further in terms of quality. The Vikings absolutely should not go into next season with those two dynamics in place.

Although I've said this before, I'll repeat it here just to defend Spielman. I definitely agree with his build through the draft philosophy. I just think it's not a bad move to re-sign some of the team's best players to new contracts along the way.

[Mothman]

There's still time. Cruz, Jennings, Amendola, Alexander are all available (some more than others).

But IF we're headed into the season with two rookies and Wright as our starting receivers in a make-or-break season for Ponder it's poised to be a rough one that probably will cost him his job (of course he must also improve). With rare exceptions it takes 2-3 years for rookie receivers to find their stride (if they do at all). I'm not sure Ponder (or some could argue Frazier) has that kind of time.

Good point. It certainly wouldn't be very sporting of Spielman to put Ponder in that position. He drafted the guy, he has a responsibility to give him the offensive weapons necessary to succeed. Going with some combination of Wright, Simpson, Burton, Summers and rookies would be a risky scenario that probably wouldn't do Ponder any favors. If they could even add someone like Gibson that could help, although he's supposedly drawing interest from the Jets and Dolphins.

I assume Spielman has a plan here but it's not easy to discern.

I suppose the upside of the above would be that the Vikes won 5 of their last 7 with Wright, Simpson and Jenkins as their top 3 WRs so IF they replaced Jenkins with a gifted rookie and IF Simpson played much better in 2014 and IF Carlson actually made the kind of contribution he was originally expected to make, things might work out just great... but that's sure not something to count on.

[dead_poet]

I suppose the upside of the above would be that the Vikes won 5 of their last 7 with Wright, Simpson and Jenkins as their top 3 WRs

And all it took was the greatest seven-game stretch by a running back in NFL history. Spielman simply cannot count on that.

[The Breeze]

I wouldn't count on it and it will probably earn me the label of fool....but I believe Simpson will have a solid season next year, if he keeps healthy.

Not suggesting that will solve the WR issue by any stretch. I just don't think he is as bad as he looked last season and I think Wright is a player. We are one guy away from having a respectable starting group IMO.... what scares me is the complete lack of depth.

Spielman brought in 3 new WRs last year. One got wrecked before the season, one played well with the snaps he got and the other underperformed and was resigned for less money.

I see nothing to suggest that Spielman will stand pat here.

[Mothman]

You absolutely hit the nail on the head. The Vikings can't afford not to bring in a very good FA receiver. I was hoping that they could get their WRs from the draft (and I still hope they will draft two receivers) but then they go and deal Harvin away. This isn't a step backward. It's big leaps backward, given what's left the of the WR corps.

I've been thinking about how this could impede Ponder's growth and adversely affect Frazier's standing. I also don't like thinking that other teams are getting better while the Vikings are going the other way, which is how it seems to me *right now.* As I said in another thread, I can't see into the future so I don't know what Spielman has planned yet. But I do know that right now the WR corps and the D secondary have both suffered huge hits, depleting them even further in terms of quality. The Vikings absolutely should not go into next season with those two dynamics in place.

Although I've said this before, I'll repeat it here just to defend Spielman. I definitely agree with his build through the draft philosophy. I just think it's not a bad move to re-sign some of the team's best players to new contracts along the way.

It's not a bad move but re-signing players has actually been his priority so far. The Vikings have been very active in free agency even if it doesn't quite feel like it. They've signed Loadholt, Simpson, Henderson and Felton (and let's not forget Berger!) in the first 24 hours. Those are all returning players so I know that doesn't seem like a step forward but as of 3 PM yesterday, none of them would have been Minnesota Vikings (and most of them weren't). Losing say, Loadholt and Felton would have felt like another big step backwards.

[PurpleMustReign]

It's not a bad move but re-signing players has actually been his priority so far. The Vikings have been very active in free agency even if it doesn't quite feel like it. They've signed Loadholt, Simpson, Henderson and Felton (and let's not forget Berger!) in the first 24 hours. Those are all returning players so I know that doesn't seem like a step forward but as of 3 PM yesterday, none of them would have been Minnesota Vikings (and most of them weren't). Losing say, Loadholt and Felton would have felt like another big step backwards.

Yeah, but is it that much to ask to sign ONE outside player? I'm sorry, but I am disappointed with this FA period so far. I was hoping for something.

[losperros]

Yeah, but is it that much to ask to sign ONE outside player? I'm sorry, but I am disappointed with this FA period so far. I was hoping for something.

That's a fair question. On that note, as I stated before, it might be necessary to sign at least a free agent WR now. The WR corps is too depleted, plus Ponder needs some weapons to work with or it's almost certain that he'll continue to struggle.