Rick Spielman
This offseason is a change for the Vikings. Wilfs don’t change that often, but it was time. However, the new regime still inherits a list created by Rick Spielman.
That’s all going to change. We’ve already seen some of this change unfold. Guys like Dakota Dozier and Tuff Borland are already gone. Saying goodbye to the boys of the Adopho-Mensah and Vikings Spielman project will not end this change.
Although no one really thought Dozier and Borland were released, this indicates the end of Spielman’s time. Now, Kwesi and Kevin can recreate the team in an image that suits the style of the team they want to build. The draft they have put together and the free agency gives us a decent insight into what it looks like.
First and foremost, the Vikings want defenders who can play fast and downhill. After that, they want an offensive lineman who can actually pass the block. After all, they want versatile boys.
This is quite a change from Spielman. In an interview last year, Spielman said he only drafted and signed the boys. He Feels good. He then lets the coaches decide how to use them.
Obviously, it didn’t work. Koyesi wants to work alongside building a team with a purpose.
No Vikings project players are excluded
Especially this year there will be some serious changes in the defensive side of the ball. Players are going to need different styles for new defensive plans. Cornerbacks, for example, need to be able to play man-coverage.
It’s looking at many of the boys the Vikings brought to Spielman Minnesota as potential cut boys. Here are a few that could get the ax this year:
- Chaz Surat – Surratt cut looks like a no-brainer. Honestly, he’s not good enough. Her biggest struggle is that she is too small and unable to get blocks. Couple that with his non-physical style of play, and you have a guy who, at best, builds a practice squad.
- Wyatt Davis – Davis may surprise many people to be on this list. I am too, because I was really high on getting out of his draft. However, Davis didn’t have a backup grade in the Vikings’ scouting department, but Spielman drafted him anyway. Although he picked a relatively high draft pick, he has a good chance of building his team in the practice squad.
- Genarius Robinson – Robinson defensive line chase surat. He is a speed racer, but lacks physique during the attack. He could be released unless he had to be more physical and set the edge. Although, I think he is a great candidate in the practice squad.
- Chris Boyd – Boyd this list shouldn’t surprise anyone. Spielman has the frame he liked in a cornerback. However, he is not good enough to play in a defense that requires a lot of man coverage.
Mitch Massman is a lifelong fan of the Vikings. His first heartbreak was playing in the 1998 NFC Championship. His full-time job as an economic development professional in rural Minnesota. He imagines the Vikings winning the Super Bowl one day, but until then he will write about the Vikings. Follow him on Twitter skol_vikings3
