Vikings DE Tashawn Bower isn't playing like an undrafted free agent

Practice squad potential. Way too raw for the roster at this point, needs some seasoning and some weight on that frame. 

@"StickyBun" said: Practice squad potential. Way too raw for the roster at this point, needs some seasoning and some weight on that frame. 

He wont make it to PS...

@"purplefaithful" said:

@"StickyBun" said: Practice squad potential. Way too raw for the roster at this point, needs some seasoning and some weight on that frame. 

He wont make it to PS...

With the premium put on getting to the QB, I wouldn't risk putting him on the PS...at this point for what we've seen...this guy is taking to coaching and starting to blossom quickly...

I think we need to tap the brakes a bit on Bower...  but he HAS stood out in training camp and had a very good game against Buffalo.  I mentioned this before...  he really comes across as a mature guy that talks more like a veteran player than an NFL rookie.  Everyone should check out his interviews on Vikings.com.

IMO, the Vikings did a great job landing some talented UDFAs this year.  Dylan Bradley. Tashaun Bower.  Eric Wilson.  Horace Richardson.  I said one of these guys is going to surprise us all and make the final 53.  My pick was Wilson at LB, but Bower could be that guy.

It should be fun to see how this plays out...

My tongue MIGHT be SLIGHTLY purple...

@"BarrNone55" said: With the premium put on getting to the QB, I wouldn't risk putting him on the PS...at this point for what we've seen...this guy is taking to coaching and starting to blossom quickly...

This,  we know that BRob is winding it down,  we have EG and other than that we dont know what we've got.  Hunter looks like he will be a monster, (will we be able to resign him if he really does explode? want to say yes, but who the hell knows for sure)  Weatherly looks ok at times, but again we dont really know.  IMO we need to keep the talent in the pipeline even if that means going thin at another spot.  These long DEs can contribute on STs just as easily as a LB,  maybe we carry one less LB in a group that really doesnt stand out instead of risking losing a potential future stud at a position of strength.   I hope all these young guys make the decision making very very difficult.

@"JimmyinSD" said:

This,  we know that BRob is winding it down,  we have EG and other than that we dont know what we've got.  Hunter looks like he will be a monster, (will we be able to resign him if he really does explode? want to say yes, but who the hell knows for sure)  Weatherly looks ok at times, but again we dont really know.  IMO we need to keep the talent in the pipeline even if that means going thin at another spot.  These long DEs can contribute on STs just as easily as a LB,  maybe we carry one less LB in a group that really doesnt stand out instead of risking losing a potential future stud at a position of strength.   I hope all these young guys make the decision making very very difficult.

That is my thought as well.  We have studs 3 deep, but beyond EG, Hunter and BRob, we are a bit thin.  So I don't doubt Bower can make the roster if he is taking to coaching and shows promise.

The coaches like the progress that Weatherly has made, even if fans haven't seen it.  I think he gets the nod over Bower for the last DE spot, he is bigger and faster.  The Vikings will likely release a player to keep Bower on the active roster until all other teams have their roster and PS set, then they will slide Bower to the PS and re-sign the player they released.  That way, another team will have to think twice before poaching Bower off the PS to their active roster.

@"Ponifan" said: The coaches like the progress that Weatherly has made, even if fans haven't seen it.  I think he gets the nod over Bower for the last DE spot, he is bigger and faster.  The Vikings will likely release a player to keep Bower on the active roster until all other teams have their roster and PS set, then they will slide Bower to the PS and re-sign the player they released.  That way, another team will have to think twice before poaching Bower off the PS to their active roster.

I know its done,  but really,  if another team likes Bower enough to sign him before their PS is set,  whats to keep them from releasing a PS player to sign Bower to their own PS or even to cut a weaker DE of their own to sign him to their roster?  The point to all of this is  that the kid is flashing at a position that is hard to flash at considering who his competition is on our team.  Bower is likely not better than Hunter was at this point in their careers or maybe not even that close, but the ceiling looks pretty high from what weve seen so far.  

I would much rather keep 5 DEs and have them all be starter material than keep a 6th LB that will never likely be more than a deep reserve/ST player.  if we ever get to the point of needing that 6th LB,  we are likely screwed anyway so we could go grab a street FA or another teams PS LB and be just about as good.   Keep the good football players with potential and move on from keeping guys just because they fill preconceived notion of needing X of a certain position.

Hell push comes to shove we could likely stand up a guy like Hunter or Bower,  or play a heavy nickle with an extra safety and be better than that 6th LB.

Long way to go this preseason... but weve got to yammer about something right?

Looking good in camp and in a preseason game is not the same as looking good against the holdmaster line in Green Bay or against playoff competition.

So far, the news is good, but it is still way too early to give Bower a roster spot.

@"Minniman" said: Looking good in camp and in a preseason game is not the same as looking good against the holdmaster line in Green Bay or against playoff competition.

So far, the news is good, but it is still way too early to give Bower a roster spot.

welcome to the board,  glad to have you posting.

nobody is saying to lock him into a roster spot,  just that if he were to continue to shine that it would be better to carry 5 DEs than to risk losing him to another team in order to carry a 6th LB who is likely to not really amount to more than a ST player.  We could have this conversation about any position that has great depth but a cloudy future in terms of players under contract.

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"Minniman" said: Looking good in camp and in a preseason game is not the same as looking good against the holdmaster line in Green Bay or against playoff competition.

So far, the news is good, but it is still way too early to give Bower a roster spot.

nobody is saying to lock him into a roster spot,  just that if he were to continue to shine that it would be better to carry 5 DEs than to risk losing him to another team in order to carry a 6th LB who is likely to not really amount to more than a ST player.  We could have this conversation about any position that has great depth but a cloudy future in terms of players under contract.

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"Ponifan" said: The coaches like the progress that Weatherly has made, even if fans haven't seen it.  I think he gets the nod over Bower for the last DE spot, he is bigger and faster.  The Vikings will likely release a player to keep Bower on the active roster until all other teams have their roster and PS set, then they will slide Bower to the PS and re-sign the player they released.  That way, another team will have to think twice before poaching Bower off the PS to their active roster.

I know its done,  but really,  if another team likes Bower enough to sign him before their PS is set,  whats to keep them from releasing a PS player to sign Bower to their own PS or even to cut a weaker DE of their own to sign him to their roster?

@"NoGoingBack" said:

My understanding is that once a player is on your PS he can only be signed onto another team's active roster, not just put on their PS. As far as clearing waivers, I think it works the same way. If another team wants him on their roster, nothing we can do, but nobody gets to put him on a PS before we get the chance, since we signed him as an UDFA.

I think that's the way it works anyway.

I think after a player is cut, he is free to sign anywhere.  Active roster, practice squad, any team.  But when on a PS, he must be signed to the active roster, not another PS.

@"greediron" said:

@"NoGoingBack" said:

My understanding is that once a player is on your PS he can only be signed onto another team's active roster, not just put on their PS. As far as clearing waivers, I think it works the same way. If another team wants him on their roster, nothing we can do, but nobody gets to put him on a PS before we get the chance, since we signed him as an UDFA.

I think that's the way it works anyway.

I think after a player is cut, he is free to sign anywhere.  Active roster, practice squad, any team.  But when on a PS, he must be signed to the active roster, not another PS.

Yeah, I was wrong. Figured we had some rights to him but nope.

But I figure he's more likely to sign to our PS than anybody else's assuming we want him. Obviously if he gets a chance to make a roster he's going to take it, but why not go with the PS you know, and the coaches you've been working with, as opposed to some other random PS?

@"NoGoingBack" said: Yeah, I was wrong. Figured we had some rights to him but nope.

But I figure he's more likely to sign to our PS than anybody else's assuming we want him. Obviously if he gets a chance to make a roster he's going to take it, but why not go with the PS you know, and the coaches you've been working with, as opposed to some other random PS?

Ability to get on the field and show your wares..  Here he is a #5 DE with 2 young guys ahead of him and a vet with a new contract.  On another team he might be a 3rd or 4th DE and be getting himself into position for a bigger payday in a couple years.