Sloter saves the day again LOL

The hard part about QB is youre either playing or youre not. Its not like a DE where you might play sub packages with a couple different guys and they have the oppertuniry to play even if they dont start. 

sometimes when you have a guy supremely confident in his ability (rightly or wrongly) the best way to get him to realize his shortcomings/test him is to put him in a position where you expect him to fall flat on his face.

Put him in against top players, if he struggles maybe he will see how he needs to improve, if he does't fail maybe you are onto something...

 Cousins is a .500 QB and is likely to remain so. Can Sloter be the heir apparent? Mannion isn't. Otherwise it is Browning or a draft pick. But if it comes to that, it will probably be the choice of a new head coach and/or new GM. In which case Sloter won't be offered much of a chance either.
I remember when Gannon wasn't given a chance, because there was a clause in his contract that said he would have a substantial increase in salary if he took a single regular season snap. Johnson may have had the same clause, I'm not sure.
But it was BS, and Gannon did well elsewhere. I just hope they aren't as short sighted with Sloter, and give him a chance.

As frustrated as fans are, can you imagine how Sloter feels? All he does is perform, and he's never even given a second look.

I have no idea why the Vikings insisted on bringing him in, and keeping him on the roster so no one else could snag him, just to hand the QB2 job to outside guys like Siemian and Mannion in consecutive offseasons. 

I'm so confused by all of it. When Sloter gets the chance, he'll be moving on to a team that'll give him a legitimate opportunity to move up the depth chart, because that's not happening in Minnesota. 

@"jargomcfargo" said:   I remember when Gannon wasn't given a chance, because there was a clause in his contract that said he would have a substantial increase in salary if he took a single regular season snap. Johnson may have had the same clause, I'm not sure. But it was BS, and Gannon did well elsewhere. I just hope they aren't as short sighted with Sloter, and give him a chance.

   Gannon eventually got quite a bit of playing time with the Vikings, (35 starts over 6 years) so they did give him a chance. He then spent the next 5 seasons in Washington and Kansas City and did nothing. Finally, in Oakland for his 12th season he became a Pro-Bowl QB. It's not really fair to call the Vikings short sighted on Gannon when when they gave him 35 starts and he was let go by 2 other teams after that.   As for Sloter, I hope they do keep him until he has a legitimate chance to prove himself.

Pete Bercich was raving about Sloter the other day when I was listening to the Vikings game.  He said that he has that "moxie" you look for in a QB and everybody in the locker room genuinely likes the guy.  If you remember, a bunch of his teammates were sporting SloterHaus shirts last season...  that's not common at all for a QB3 and shows he has some of that proverbial "it" factor.

I get the sense he's kind of like Keenum where he makes plays in practice and then has stretches where he struggles.  Zimmer was reluctant to commit to Keenum for that very reason, despite him playing pretty well most of the season.  It sounds like that is what happening with Sloter...  makes enough mistakes in practice where you wonder if he can play well in games and then he goes out and makes plays all over the field in preseason.

Honestly, I think the team wants a veteran guy in Cousin's ear as the QB2 as Geoff has alluded to in the past.  Mannion has what...  3-4 years as a starting college QB in a power conference and 5 years in the NFL?  Meanwhile, Sloter played one year of QB in college and is just entering his 3rd NFL season...

The interesting thing to me is if something happens to Cousins...  would the team play Sloter and keep Mannion as that veteran guy in his ear on the sidelines?  Hard to say...  but I don't get the angst over whether he is the QB2 or QB3 since he'll be on the team again this season IMO.

@"PurplePotato" said: As frustrated as fans are, can you imagine how Sloter feels? All he does is perform, and he's never even given a second look.

I have no idea why the Vikings insisted on bringing him in, and keeping him on the roster so no one else could snag him, just to hand the QB2 job to outside guys like Siemian and Mannion in consecutive offseasons. 

I'm so confused by all of it. When Sloter gets the chance, he'll be moving on to a team that'll give him a legitimate opportunity to move up the depth chart, because that's not happening in Minnesota. 

One thing that occurred to me is that the coaching staff may want Mannion at #2 because he is similar to Cousins in his playing style - that is, neither uses mobility as a primary strength, but are pocket passers who follow the called play exactly. So when Mannion leads a practice with starters and near-starters, the offense feels essentially the same as it does with Cousins.
Sloter, OTOH, is useful to run the scout team, especially when they are preparing for teams with mobile QBs. (Would you have Statue Mannion pretend he's Russell Wilson??)
I kind of understand if that's some of the rationale...but it's a philosophy that is totally saying, "Cousins is our ONLY important QB, and these other guys are just here to play specific supporting roles in practice". Kind of dangerous.

@"Wetlander" said: Pete Bercich was raving about Sloter the other day when I was listening to the Vikings game.  He said that he has that "moxie" you look for in a QB and everybody in the locker room genuinely likes the guy.  If you remember, a bunch of his teammates were sporting SloterHaus shirts last season...  that's not common at all for a QB3 and shows he has some of that proverbial "it" factor.

I get the sense he's kind of like Keenum where he makes plays in practice and then has stretches where he struggles.  Zimmer was reluctant to commit to Keenum for that very reason, despite him playing pretty well most of the season.  It sounds like that is what happening with Sloter...  makes enough mistakes in practice where you wonder if he can play well in games and then he goes out and makes plays all over the field in preseason.

Honestly, I think the team wants a veteran guy in Cousin's ear as the QB2 as Geoff has alluded to in the past.  Mannion has what...  3-4 years as a starting college QB in a power conference and 5 years in the NFL?  Meanwhile, Sloter played one year of QB in college and is just entering his 3rd NFL season...

The interesting thing to me is if something happens to Cousins...  would the team play Sloter and keep Mannion as that veteran guy in his ear on the sidelines?  Hard to say...  but I don't get the angst over whether he is the QB2 or QB3 since he'll be on the team again this season IMO.

^^^

This is spot-on imo...

He'll be on the team either way at @ 2 or 3
They need another vet QB today for the Qb room and on the sidelines for Cousins 
He is still inconsistent enough @ practice, calling plays, getting everyone lined-up correctly etc. 
He will benefit from another year of curating

Next year I could see him moving to QB2.

I'd have liked to see what he could have done against better level of NFL competition this pre-season. Mannion will probably start vs Bills? But it wouldn't surprise me if Sloter gets a lot of extended play - maybe even in Q1. 

@"Wetlander" said: Pete Bercich was raving about Sloter the other day when I was listening to the Vikings game.  He said that he has that "moxie" you look for in a QB and everybody in the locker room genuinely likes the guy.  If you remember, a bunch of his teammates were sporting SloterHaus shirts last season...  that's not common at all for a QB3 and shows he has some of that proverbial "it" factor.

I get the sense he's kind of like Keenum where he makes plays in practice and then has stretches where he struggles.  Zimmer was reluctant to commit to Keenum for that very reason, despite him playing pretty well most of the season.  It sounds like that is what happening with Sloter...  makes enough mistakes in practice where you wonder if he can play well in games and then he goes out and makes plays all over the field in preseason.

Honestly, I think the team wants a veteran guy in Cousin's ear as the QB2 as Geoff has alluded to in the past.  Mannion has what...  3-4 years as a starting college QB in a power conference and 5 years in the NFL?  Meanwhile, Sloter played one year of QB in college and is just entering his 3rd NFL season...

The interesting thing to me is if something happens to Cousins...  would the team play Sloter and keep Mannion as that veteran guy in his ear on the sidelines?  Hard to say...  but I don't get the angst over whether he is the QB2 or QB3 since he'll be on the team again this season IMO.

I have no trouble with Mannion as our #2 and Sloter as #3. But there was some talk before camp (here and in the media) that whoever didn't win that competition would be released, with Browning on the practice squad. It seems like that is a near impossibility now given the performance of Sloter. It even sounds like Zimmer is coming around to the idea that Sloter just might be one of those gamer types. And you can't release or trade a kid like that until he absolutely proves he's not.

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Wetlander" said: Pete Bercich was raving about Sloter the other day when I was listening to the Vikings game.  He said that he has that "moxie" you look for in a QB and everybody in the locker room genuinely likes the guy.  If you remember, a bunch of his teammates were sporting SloterHaus shirts last season...  that's not common at all for a QB3 and shows he has some of that proverbial "it" factor.

I get the sense he's kind of like Keenum where he makes plays in practice and then has stretches where he struggles.  Zimmer was reluctant to commit to Keenum for that very reason, despite him playing pretty well most of the season.  It sounds like that is what happening with Sloter...  makes enough mistakes in practice where you wonder if he can play well in games and then he goes out and makes plays all over the field in preseason.

Honestly, I think the team wants a veteran guy in Cousin's ear as the QB2 as Geoff has alluded to in the past.  Mannion has what...  3-4 years as a starting college QB in a power conference and 5 years in the NFL?  Meanwhile, Sloter played one year of QB in college and is just entering his 3rd NFL season...

The interesting thing to me is if something happens to Cousins...  would the team play Sloter and keep Mannion as that veteran guy in his ear on the sidelines?  Hard to say...  but I don't get the angst over whether he is the QB2 or QB3 since he'll be on the team again this season IMO.

I have no trouble with Mannion as our #2 and Sloter as #3. But there was some talk before camp (here and in the media) that whoever didn't win that competition would be released, with Browning on the practice squad. It seems like that is a near impossibility now given the performance of Sloter. It even sounds like Zimmer is coming around to the idea that Sloter just might be one of those gamer types. And you can't release or trade a kid like that until he absolutely proves he's not.

@"MaroonBells" said:

I have no trouble with Mannion as our #2 and Sloter as #3. But there was some talk before camp (here and in the media) that whoever didn't win that competition would be released, with Browning on the practice squad. It seems like that is a near impossibility now given the performance of Sloter. It even sounds like Zimmer is coming around to the idea that Sloter just might be one of those gamer types. And you can't release or trade a kid like that until he absolutely proves he's not.

I think that is partly because we gave Browning a huge signing bonus (for an UDFA) and many assumed that he might be in line to be the "developmental QB".  But Browning hasn't stood out according to the training camp reports I've read and he hasn't played at all in preseason.  It sure looks like the QB room will be Cousins, Mannion, and Sloter.

@"Wetlander" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

I have no trouble with Mannion as our #2 and Sloter as #3. But there was some talk before camp (here and in the media) that whoever didn't win that competition would be released, with Browning on the practice squad. It seems like that is a near impossibility now given the performance of Sloter. It even sounds like Zimmer is coming around to the idea that Sloter just might be one of those gamer types. And you can't release or trade a kid like that until he absolutely proves he's not.

I think that is partly because we gave Browning a huge signing bonus (for an UDFA) and many assumed that he might be in line to be the "developmental QB".  But Browning hasn't stood out according to the training camp reports I've read and he hasn't played at all in preseason.  It sure looks like the QB room will be Cousins, Mannion, and Sloter.

Maybe with H. Hill playing Cheech and Chong, that'll take pressure off the roster for the bulk of this season?

@"purplefaithful" said: Maybe with H. Hill playing Cheech and Chong, that'll take pressure off the roster for the bulk of this season?

I fear the opposite - that Zimmer and Gray will feel they need 2 CBs to do what Hill might be able to do.

That is why he was playing cheech and chong and a little bit of spiccolli just to round it out.

Now back to sloter ---here's hoping if the wheels come off cousins or injury happens they roll out sloter instead of wasting time on mannion.  Mannion's bio says has a nice personality--enough said.

Sounds like the question is starting to grow louder, as it should IMO.  The author brings up some other good points as well regarding players besides Sloter.  And I say all of this as a big Mike Zimmer fan, but some of his seemingly stubborn favoritism is starting to get a little old.

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2019/8/26/20832296/does-performance-matter-mike-zimmer-minnesota-vikings

Does Performance Matter to Mike Zimmer?We hear a lot about creating competition in the off-season and training camp, and the importance of performing well - but what does it matter if no changes are made?

@"SFVikingFan" said: Sounds like the question is starting to grow louder, as it should IMO.  The author brings up some other good points as well regarding players besides Sloter.  And I say all of this as a big Mike Zimmer fan, but some of his seemingly stubborn favoritism is starting to get a little old.

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2019/8/26/20832296/does-performance-matter-mike-zimmer-minnesota-vikings

Does Performance Matter to Mike Zimmer?We hear a lot about creating competition in the off-season and training camp, and the importance of performing well - but what does it matter if no changes are made?

Was just checking to see if anyone else had posted that article.  Great read.  

@"vikingknights" said: What are the chances that the Vikings can unload Sloter to a Quarterback strapped team for a 1 and a 3rd?

Zero point zero zero

@"SFVikingFan" said: Sounds like the question is starting to grow louder, as it should IMO.  The author brings up some other good points as well regarding players besides Sloter.  And I say all of this as a big Mike Zimmer fan, but some of his seemingly stubborn favoritism is starting to get a little old.

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2019/8/26/20832296/does-performance-matter-mike-zimmer-minnesota-vikings

Does Performance Matter to Mike Zimmer?We hear a lot about creating competition in the off-season and training camp, and the importance of performing well - but what does it matter if no changes are made?

Zimmer seems short sighted regarding offensive players in particular. I like Zimmer but I am fearful, this may be the season it jumps up and bites him in the ass.

Great article, especially regarding Elflien and the O line. In the past they brought in Remmers and Compton and simply handed them the starting position. Evidently that continues despite the Kubiak influence.

From the article, this is the bottom line for me.
"All that points to the reality that there was never a real competition for the backup quarterback spot - either last year or this year. Zimmer wanted a veteran, a veteran was acquired, and that was that."

@"RS Express" said:

@"SFVikingFan" said: Sounds like the question is starting to grow louder, as it should IMO.  The author brings up some other good points as well regarding players besides Sloter.  And I say all of this as a big Mike Zimmer fan, but some of his seemingly stubborn favoritism is starting to get a little old.

https://www.dailynorseman.com/2019/8/26/20832296/does-performance-matter-mike-zimmer-minnesota-vikings

Does Performance Matter to Mike Zimmer?We hear a lot about creating competition in the off-season and training camp, and the importance of performing well - but what does it matter if no changes are made?

Was just checking to see if anyone else had posted that article.  Great read.