Rams might be absolutely going for it here in 2026

[Godhead]

Hard to hit on picks you don't have. After having just 4 top 100 picks in their last three drafts combined, Vikings have 4 in this year's draft alone. They need to do well on those picks. 

After a series of draft busts, Seattle drafted Zabel and Emmanwori in 2025 (both hits) and added them to a big free agent class that included Darnold, obviously the biggest addition. But people talk about how much the Vikings spent in free agency last year. And they did. They ranked 2nd. A recipe for failure? Not exactly. The teams who ranked 1st and 4th played in the Super Bowl. Gotta do both well.

3 ways to have players on a team that win!!!
Draft
FA and
Develop and retain the right players already on the team.
Gotta give the roster players good reasons to stay, then give the money to the right ones.
Vikings have the facilities

[JimmyinSD]

But the issue is here they never drafted Greenard, they've already paid him what, $19 million in salary a year and $42 million in guarantees? They never received that sweet value of an originally drafted player on his first contract. You can put all the stats up you want about what percentage each round hits but the bottom line is Minnesota needs to start hitting on their draft picks or they'll fade away. Its been horrific under KAM, which means there's next to nothing in that first contract pipeline.

If you can get a late first rounder for Greenard, they should do it. But I have zero problem keeping him on board also. The Rams have Matt Stafford, so they can care lesser sometimes about moving picks....he helps on the misses in FA or the Draft.

this is why i cringe anytime a KAM apologist tried to use Hock as an excuse for his draft day failures,  sure he traded that pick away,  IMO its because he didnt have confidence in finding the right guy on his own IMO.  in a cap free game,  sure trade those picks for proven commodities,  but that isnt the reality of the game,  so he needed to be held accountable for those wasted picks on veteran trades and other dumb uses that led to where we are now.

[medaille]

this is why i cringe anytime a KAM apologist tried to use Hock as an excuse for his draft day failures,  sure he traded that pick away,  IMO its because he didnt have confidence in finding the right guy on his own IMO.  in a cap free game,  sure trade those picks for proven commodities,  but that isnt the reality of the game,  so he needed to be held accountable for those wasted picks on veteran trades and other dumb uses that led to where we are now.

Hockenson was traded midseason because they were trying to run it back with Spielman’s roster.  I don’t think they were trying to wait for the draft.

[JimmyinSD]

Hockenson was traded midseason because they were trying to run it back with Spielman’s roster.  I don’t think they were trying to wait for the draft.

Kam was clueless and undervalued and wasted draft picks.  That move was a waste and many said so at the time.

[StickierBuns]

Kam was clueless and undervalued and wasted draft picks.  

Regardless about how anyone feels about KAM, at least this should be obvious to all.

JMO but I think KAM brought the organization to the edge of the abyss.....but not into it. Resetting the cap this year, a very solid draft and somehow hitting on a QB1 will turn this ship around in almost record time and then they can hit FA and a talent-laden 2027 draft to spring forward with momentum.

[MaroonBells]

this is why i cringe anytime a KAM apologist tried to use Hock as an excuse for his draft day failures,  sure he traded that pick away,  IMO its because he didnt have confidence in finding the right guy on his own IMO.  in a cap free game,  sure trade those picks for proven commodities,  but that isnt the reality of the game,  so he needed to be held accountable for those wasted picks on veteran trades and other dumb uses that led to where we are now.

Does the truth matter at all? Because the truth is that two day-2 picks were traded for TJ Hockenson. The ROI for those picks is represented by Hockenson. Whether that’s good value or bad value is your call to make. But the fact remains.

Using your logic, it wouldn’t be fair to factor in what we gave up for Dallas Turner as part of his ROI equation.