Good morning/afternoon, Vikings fans. Submit your questions now. We'll get started here in a couple of minutes.
No, Teddy doesn't appear to be a generational talent like Andrew Luck. Can he be as good as, say, Matt Ryan? I think that's possible. The concerns with Teddy are his durability, his arm-strength limitations and where he has exceptional, and not just good, accuracy. At the very least, I think Teddy will become an above-average quarterback that a team can win with if he is surrounded with a strong core of talent.
Rhodes and Newman are the starters. Based on what we have seen over the past couple of weeks, it looks like Munnerlyn will be the nickel cornerback. So Waynes might not have a significant defensive role right away. But no need to panic. Count on him working his way into the lineup at some point this season.
If he stays healthy -- and that's a big if with Kyle -- then yes.
Good question. They were undisciplined at times with their rush lanes last year. Zimmer's pass rush is set up to contain the quarterback and then have the pocket collapse on him. If the Vikings don't keep contain against Kaepernick, he will hurt them with his legs for sure.
Great question, Gary, especially since I haven't had lunch yet. I've been here for a year and a half and still haven't been to Matt's, which is a mistake on my part. But I can't recommend the Blue Door highly enough. I live a few blocks away from the one in Longfellow and walk over there at least once a month. They have some exotic flavors, and I have had most of them. Their wings are also very good, too. I would also recommend the Nook across the river in St. Paul.
Bill, that is still an unknown. But I think we will see Adrian in some of those situations, especially in 3rd and short. Matt Asiata is the best pass protector and Jerick McKinnon is the best receiving back. So the Vikings will take Peterson off the field for longer distances. Plus, that's one way to spell Peterson a little bit. I know he's a cyborg, but I'm pretty sure age is a factor for them, too.
From my perspective, I think it's just that there are no better options. Exum seemed like he was ready to challenge him, but then he got hurt midway through the preseason, which ended that opportunity. I think Exum could still get into the mix if Blanton struggles. It's interesting, though, that some people I respect rate Blanton very highly. Pro Football Focus graded him as one of their top-10 safeties last year. And Matt Miller of Bleacher Report had him high on his list of safeties.
Hey, Lindsey! I think so, yeah, at least in the short term. The Vikings made Berger a priority this offseason and his two-year deal has incentives for playing time, so they both knew there was potential for him to play a lot in the event of an injury. This Sullivan situation is mysterious, though. If they were to lose him for an extended period of time, that would hurt because he's the leader of the offensive line and probably their best lineman, too.
Thanks, Clifford. That's the plan. By the way, I enjoyed your books as a kid.
Jabari Parker? The former Duke player who got drafted by the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks? Truthfully, Noonan, I didn't watch the NBA much last year... OK, I'm done busting your chops. I know you meant Jabari Price. Yeah, he showed some progress this summer. He's here for depth, though. He is also suspended for two weeks, and the team will have to decide whether to add him to the active roster then or cut him. As for Exum, I like him and think he could factor into the mix at some point.
Buzz, you are a homer, but I also think there is some legitimacy to the comparison. I'm not going to say that Gerald is a "poor man's" Bowman because I save my best cliches for print. But they are both Penn Staters and they do have a similar skill set. Bowman is an All-Pro, though. Hodges has yet to nail down a starting spot (until now?) so I'm sure there is a reason for that.
Joe, Audie isn't great in coverage. He's a big guy who lumbers around. But reading between the lines, it sounds like Audie isn't a consistent practice player, and that means something. I know he has flashed in a couple of starts, but I think it's fair to question whether he can actually play like that for 16 games.
Anything is in the realm of possibility. We have been unable to get answers on that, other being told both publicly and privately that it's not a big deal. But it is telling that Sullivan hasn't even been out there to watch practice while he has been injured. That suggests that his injury isn't just minor.
Under. Randball and I did a bunch of over/unders on last week's podcast and I projected Teddy to be in that 65-67 percent range. By the way, you guys should download and listen to the podcast if you haven't given it a chance. Listen to us while you're mowing the lawn, running on the treadmill, etc.
Good question. I'm making a rare office cameo today, so Chipotle is the frontrunner.
He is more athletic, but he lacks the power that Loadholt did, at least a couple of years ago. Clemmings will likely be a downgrade in the short term. But Loadholt might have been in jeopardy for next season even before his Achilles injury, so it might be a good thing that Clemmings will be thrown into the fire.
We did this over/under on the podcast, too. Tune in! But yeah, I had him under 4,000 for sure.
Brian, there is no way for me to predict whether a guy will get hurt or not. Maybe Miss Cleo is doing a chat somewhere. But is Kyle worth a late-round flier at tight end? Definitely. He'll be targeted in the red zone as long as he is out there.
