Mike Zimmer: Vikings' offense will 'do what Kirk Cousins does best'

[purplefaithful]

Mike Zimmer said he talked to two head coaches who have worked with the new Vikings quarterback and “these guys just rave about him."The Vikings can formally begin their transition to the Kirk Cousins era on April 16, when the team can start offseason workouts at its new facility in Eagan. The process of indoctrinating Cousins into the offense will happen later in the spring, however, thanks to the NFL’s  offseason rules that curtail much on-field work until organized team activities begin in late May.
Coach Mike Zimmer told reporters who were at the NFL owners’ meetings in Orlando on Tuesday, though, that he expects Cousins’ transition in the offense to be fairly smooth. The Vikings plan to keep much of their terminology and offensive concepts consistent between Pat Shurmur and new coordinator John DeFilippo, to ensure continuity and minimize the adjustment period for the returning members of an offense that finished 10th in the league last season. There will be plenty of room within that structure, Zimmer said, to mold the offense to what Cousins likes.
“We’re going to do what Cousins does best,” Zimmer said. “He’s the most important player, really, on the offense, so we have to figure out what he does best, what he feels comfortable with and kind of go from there. I don’t anticipate it being a lot different, but there’s going to be some differences, partly because of him and partly because of the things DeFilippo likes to do.”
http://www.startribune.com/mike-zimmer-v...478158933/

[Guest]

After the Vikings start their work in Eagan, Zimmer said he plans to visit Cousins in the offseason, either at his home in Michigan or “where he’s at and what he’s comfortable with.”
Said Zimmer: “[I’ll] go see him, sit down, have dinner with him and just talk about different things. But I figure it’s better to get the football part going first, and then start to get to know him better.”

[Guest]

Guess he should have done that for Teddy's two years...

[Guest]

@jdr6000 said:
Guess he should have done that for Teddy's two years...

Tell em about it. I know he is no longer a Viking but all I think about is missed opportunity. I just have to believe the coaches who saw him day in and day out put him and the team in the best position to win.

[Guest]

@jdr6000 said:
Guess he should have done that for Teddy's two years...

and how do you know that they didnt put Ted in the best position to win based on what they saw?  Kirk is a seasoned vet with plenty of experience on tape to show his strengths and weaknesses at the pro level.  Teddy in year 1 was a rookie who wasnt supposed to start and was thrust in there due to  injury.  In year 2 he was playing in  a poor situation,  but by year 3 they were turning the corner and had created a Tedcentric offense that initially looked to be playing to him and not AD.  and really nothing would have changed.. Teddy could have still been hurt in practice,  sat out 2 years and still not be ready to play and so we would still be here having this same conversation.

[Guest]

It concerns me that we only hear about tailoring the offense to what Cousins likes to do... without any mention of what DeFilippo likes to do (especially the part about keeping alot of terminology the same).  That tells me- in my opinion- that they don't expect "Flip" to be around very long (and,therefore, why bother to change alot of things... when we'll probably go to Stepanski in a year or 2).

[Guest]

@pumpf said:
It concerns me that we only hear about tailoring the offense to what Cousins likes to do... without any mention of what DeFilippo likes to do (especially the part about keeping alot of terminology the same).  That tells me- in my opinion- that they don't expect "Flip" to be around very long (and,therefore, why bother to change alot of things... when we'll probably go to Stepanski in a year or 2).

you mean like this,
"partly because of him and partly because of the things DeFilippo likes to do.”

[Guest]

@JimmyinSD said:

@jdr6000 said:
Guess he should have done that for Teddy's two years...

and how do you know that they didnt put Ted in the best position to win based on what they saw?  Kirk is a seasoned vet with plenty of experience on tape to show his strengths and weaknesses at the pro level.  Teddy in year 1 was a rookie who wasnt supposed to start and was thrust in there due to  injury.  In year 2 he was playing in  a poor situation,  but by year 3 they were turning the corner and had created a Tedcentric offense that initially looked to be playing to him and not AD.  and really nothing would have changed.. Teddy could have still been hurt in practice,  sat out 2 years and still not be ready to play and so we would still be here having this same conversation.

and since Teddy won the division in year 2, I would argue that the proof is there that they put him in position to win.  Some here might argue that too much was done to put Teddy in position to win and too little expected of him. 

[Guest]

@pumpf said:
It concerns me that we only hear about tailoring the offense to what Cousins likes to do... without any mention of what DeFilippo likes to do (especially the part about keeping alot of terminology the same).  That tells me- in my opinion- that they don't expect "Flip" to be around very long (and,therefore, why bother to change alot of things... when we'll probably go to Stepanski in a year or 2).

I think that has been the plan the whole time.  The Vikings were fortunate that things worked out the way they did with the Colts job.  If the iggles OC had gotten that job sooner we likely wouldnt have been able to get Defillipo away from them as he would have likely stayed in philly as their OC until his HC offers came.  If he does the job we expect him to do,  he will be out of Minny very quickly and since the team block Stefanski to the Gmen I think they know they will be needing him sooner than later.  I think they thought Stefanski needed a little more time and exposure to other offensive elements and jumped at the chance to let him learn behind Flipper.  If KS isnt the OC next year I am thinking 2020 at the latest or not at all.

[Guest]

@pumpf said:
It concerns me that we only hear about tailoring the offense to what Cousins likes to do... without any mention of what DeFilippo likes to do (especially the part about keeping alot of terminology the same).  That tells me- in my opinion- that they don't expect "Flip" to be around very long (and,therefore, why bother to change alot of things... when we'll probably go to Stepanski in a year or 2).

IMO coaches who can adapt their philosophy/system to the players they have are the best ones.  I don't think coaches that have to clean house and bring in 'their style' of player are necessarily good coaches they just have an effective system they are intimately familiar with.  I think coaches that can adapt are the ones that are successful long term.

I would hope that is what they are trying to do, put good talent on the roster and hire coaches that can get the most out of it.