Bijan Robinson

@"TBro" said: If Bijan is the BPA at 23, should the Vikings take him? What if we move on from Cook and his $14 Million cap hit?

I'm warming up to the idea. If you haven't watched his highlights, I highly recommend you do. His receiving skills to go along with his electric running ability make him a dangerous weapon. 

I dont think we should ever have a 2nd contract RB. So yes, we should move on from Cook, but his salary might not allow it until next year. 

Good question. I would be surprised to see him still on the board at that point. Most mock drafts have him going in the top 15 picks. If we move on from Dalvin (I think a mistake), then I'd re-sign Mattison to start and go with Nwagwu and Chandler as the backups. It's going to be awful tough for that pick not to be spent on defense

If we move on from Cook, does that mean we also have moved on from Mattison?

I think we can have a serviceable backfield with Mattison and Nwangwu and Chandler. RB is certainly not the pressing need worth spending a #1 pick on when DL, LB, IOL, CB, WR (in no particular order) is essential to get right this year. 

@"AGRforever" said:

@"TBro" said: If Bijan is the BPA at 23, should the Vikings take him? What if we move on from Cook and his $14 Million cap hit?

I'm warming up to the idea. If you haven't watched his highlights, I highly recommend you do. His receiving skills to go along with his electric running ability make him a dangerous weapon. 

I dont think we should ever have a 2nd contract RB. So yes, we should move on from Cook, but his salary might not allow it until next year. 

@"mgobluevikes" said: If we move on from Cook, does that mean we also have moved on from Mattison?

I think we can have a serviceable backfield with Mattison and Nwangwu and Chandler. RB is certainly not the pressing need worth spending a #1 pick on when DL, LB, IOL, CB, WR (in no particular order) is essential to get right this year. 

We didn't need Randy Moss when we drafted him, but he was a generational player. Same with Peterson. If we drafted Robinson, we definitely would move on from both Cook and Mattison. I'm even willing to move on from both Cook and Mattison and let Ty Chandler take over as the feature back and draft another running back in the later rounds as depth. RB talent in this draft is deep and you don't have to spend high draft capital on a great player outside of Bijan. 

No. With so many holes on defense and only 4 draft picks, the only non-defense position we should consider is WR....maybe QB if one falls to us. 

What's more....Rhamondre Stevenson, Tony Pollard and Dameon Pierce, 4th round. Isaiah Pacheco, undrafted. Austin Ekeler, undrafted. 

@"MaroonBells" said: No. With so many holes on defense and only 4 draft picks, the only non-defense position we should consider is WR....maybe QB if one falls to us. 

What's more....Rhamondre Stevenson, Tony Pollard and Dameon Pierce, 4th round. Isaiah Pacheco, undrafted. Austin Ekeler, undrafted. 

I get what your saying, and I'm totally on board for drafting a WR at 23 if someone like Addison falls to us, but none of the guys you listed are at the same talent level as Robinson coming out of College IMO. He is Elite. My point is that we are not one player away from being a contender. We have needs on both side of the ball so I want to take the best player available that has the highest probability of having the biggest impact in their first year unless that is a first round QB. The defensive prospects at 23 are pretty weak IMO. They are fringe 1st rounders at best including the 20 something Cornerbacks the experts have us taking with our first pick. If you are going to target for need on Defense, then trade down and get more picks.  

I just don't see the advantage in drafting a RB high, regardless of their skill.  I don't think even a "generational" talent at RB is worth it.  We need studs on defense.  The biggest game changer we could get on offense would be interior OLine or a QB of the future.  If for some reason Thielen and KOJ are both out, WR might be a priority.

@"medaille" said: I just don't see the advantage in drafting a RB high, regardless of their skill.  I don't think even a "generational" talent at RB is worth it.  We need studs on defense.  The biggest game changer we could get on offense would be interior OLine or a QB of the future.  If for some reason Thielen and KOJ are both out, WR might be a priority.

The problem is that there are zero IOL at 23 worthy of a first round grade and we don't have a second round pick. I would love to draft our new center and we should be able to get a decent one in the 3rd or 4th round. I also would like to see a game changing Linebacker or DT but again, the pickings are slim where we will be drafting in the first. Better to trade down and get a 2nd and 3rd to add to what we have and hope you can plug some holes with the defensive needs. Simpson will be a late first, early 2nd; Sewell will be an early 2nd. Even Campbell would be a good addition in the 3rd to fill the talent void at Linebacker so stacking some additional picks by trading down might be the best option to fix the defense this offseason along with some free agency spend. With Cook potentially being a high cut target, that is why I would consider a rookie RB to replace him. I don't think anyone doubts Cook's talent, but I'm not paying him $14 million and I'm not pushing money out to the future with a restructure for an aging Running Back.   

Nope I don't want a running back drafted that high, there are way too many other holes to fill.

@"TBro" said:

@"medaille" said: I just don't see the advantage in drafting a RB high, regardless of their skill.  I don't think even a "generational" talent at RB is worth it.  We need studs on defense.  The biggest game changer we could get on offense would be interior OLine or a QB of the future.  If for some reason Thielen and KOJ are both out, WR might be a priority.

The problem is that there are zero IOL at 23 worthy of a first round grade and we don't have a second round pick. I would love to draft our new center and we should be able to get a decent one in the 3rd or 4th round. I also would like to see a game changing Linebacker or DT but again, the pickings are slim where we will be drafting in the first. Better to trade down and get a 2nd and 3rd to add to what we have and hope you can plug some holes with the defensive needs. Simpson will be a late first, early 2nd; Sewell will be an early 2nd. Even Campbell would be a good addition in the 3rd to fill the talent void at Linebacker so stacking some additional picks by trading down might be the best option to fix the defense this offseason along with some free agency spend. With Cook potentially being a high cut target, that is why I would consider a rookie RB to replace him. I don't think anyone doubts Cook's talent, but I'm not paying him $14 million and I'm not pushing money out to the future with a restructure for an aging Running Back.   

I will be surprised to see us not trade down and try and flip it for a few day 2 and 3 picks.

And no,  I dont spend a first on a RB.  Hell its likely easier to find a quality RB than any other player in the game.  Put RB down there with kickers and punters,   fix the damn OL and you won't need special/generational  talent at RB.

@"JimmyinSD" said: I will be surprised to see us not trade down and try and flip it for a few day 2 and 3 picks.

And no,  I dont spend a first on a RB.  Hell its likely easier to find a quality RB than any other player in the game.  Put RB down there with kickers and punters,   fix the damn OL and you won't need special/generational  talent at RB.

Easier said than done on fixing the OL. We need a new center, and you could argue that our guards will continue to perform below average based on what we saw this year. 

@"mgobluevikes" said:

@"TBro" said:

@"medaille" said: I just don't see the advantage in drafting a RB high, regardless of their skill.  I don't think even a "generational" talent at RB is worth it.  We need studs on defense.  The biggest game changer we could get on offense would be interior OLine or a QB of the future.  If for some reason Thielen and KOJ are both out, WR might be a priority.

The problem is that there are zero IOL at 23 worthy of a first round grade and we don't have a second round pick. I would love to draft our new center and we should be able to get a decent one in the 3rd or 4th round. I also would like to see a game changing Linebacker or DT but again, the pickings are slim where we will be drafting in the first. Better to trade down and get a 2nd and 3rd to add to what we have and hope you can plug some holes with the defensive needs. Simpson will be a late first, early 2nd; Sewell will be an early 2nd. Even Campbell would be a good addition in the 3rd to fill the talent void at Linebacker so stacking some additional picks by trading down might be the best option to fix the defense this offseason along with some free agency spend. With Cook potentially being a high cut target, that is why I would consider a rookie RB to replace him. I don't think anyone doubts Cook's talent, but I'm not paying him $14 million and I'm not pushing money out to the future with a restructure for an aging Running Back.   

I disagree in that I think there's at least  2-3 IOL worthy of a 1st round pick.

@"TBro" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said: I will be surprised to see us not trade down and try and flip it for a few day 2 and 3 picks.

And no,  I dont spend a first on a RB.  Hell its likely easier to find a quality RB than any other player in the game.  Put RB down there with kickers and punters,   fix the damn OL and you won't need special/generational  talent at RB.

Easier said than done on fixing the OL. We need a new center, and you could argue that our guards will continue to perform below average based on what we saw this year. 

@"MaroonBells" said: No. With so many holes on defense and only 4 draft picks, the only non-defense position we should consider is WR....maybe QB if one falls to us. 

What's more....Rhamondre Stevenson, Tony Pollard and Dameon Pierce, 4th round. Isaiah Pacheco, undrafted. Austin Ekeler, undrafted. 

I don't disagree at all. For the Vikings the question is around resource allocation. If they were to move on from Cook and save $7M in 2023 and $14-15M in both 2024/25 its easily a high-end starter you can find elsewhere. Or you can add 2-3 role players for the same price. So you just added a salary spots for Da'Ron Payne or maybe even 2 mid-level CBs, a CB/LB, etc. You get the point. Just tossing names around. But if you then take Robinson at #23 you are getting potentially a better RB on a rookie deal for 4 years + an advantageous 5th year option. He is a Barkley level prospect. So there is "value" associated with that depending on how you sum up the parts. The 1st round pick in Robinson just gives you more certainty than a mid-round selection if you are going in with no RB depth whatsoever. 

Doubt they do it. This would just be an argument for it. 

I don't think Robinson's game translate big time success in the NFL. The guy will have some incredible highlights. Some big games but I don't think he can survive a 17 game season. He runs a 4.49. I'm a Viking and a Longhorn fan. Now his team mate Johnson is 230 something runs a 4.50 and is very physical. Has great leadership and selfless. Johnson won't have Robinson highlights but will have a solid career.

@"TBro" said:

 I'm even willing to move on from both Cook and Mattison and let Ty Chandler take over as the feature back and draft another running back in the later rounds as depth. RB talent in this draft is deep and you don't have to spend high draft capital on a great player outside of Bijan.