You Do the Math

by Elgar on Aug 23, 2009 3:45 PM CDT

Pretend today is Saturday, September 5, 2009. You are the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. You're trimming down your roster to those 53 men who will make the final cut, and you know your job is on the line, no matter how nicely your boss smiles on TV. (That was his smile, right?)

So far, you have filled all of these slots shown in the list as follows (Sorry, this is just a game--maybe you'd never do this, but please just humor me):

3 special teams players
5 cornerbacks
4 defensive ends
7 linebackers
4 safeties
5 defensive tackles
2 centers
4 fullback/tight ends
2 guards
2 tackles
1 offensive lineman who can play tackle or guard (just pretend it is Artis Hicks)
3 running backs (imagine one of them is Albert Young)
4 quarterbacks (the plot thickens and is intended to make things interesting)
6 wide receivers/returners

That's three special team guys, 25 defenders, and 24 offensive players, which means you've got one roster spot left to fill. You look down at your big, multi-purpose coaching clip board and signal-calling security shield and have to make your final management decision.

Below is a list of players you are considering, and you know that all of but one of them will be cut. Whom do you keep?

Poll

Which last guy do you keep on the regular 2009 Vikings roster?

Glen Holt (you want another special teams guy)

16 votes

Drew Radovich (another offensive tackle)

12 votes

Chris Clark (another offensive tackle)

2 votes

Nick Urban (another offensive tackle, one from Winona State)

4 votes

Garrett Mills (another tight end, and you still hate Belichick)

13 votes

Jake Nordin (another tight end and hometown guy)

3 votes

Ian Johnson (running back, and a guy who proposed on TV)

38 votes

88 votes | Poll has closed

This FanPost was created by a registered user of The Daily Norseman, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the site. However, since this is a community, that view is no less important.

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Comments

Happen to like your breakdown

I was trying to figure a way to keep:

Booty
Renaud and Jaymar Johnson
Ian Johnson

And I think this does it….

I think the only two we will really risk losing are Garrett Mills and Glen Holt. Pretty sure Radovich will easily make it to the practice squad as will Urban.

by PurpleJesus on Aug 23, 2009 8:32 PM CDT reply actions

He did say 4 Quarterbacks and 6 Wideouts.

That is Favre, Tjack, Sage and Booty for the QB’s and Berrian, Rice, Harvin, Wade, Johnson and Reynaud.

I personally would have a hard time deciding between Ian Johnson and Garrett Mills.

by Bjorno on Aug 23, 2009 8:57 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, I know...

That’s why I said I liked it and that I think that his plan does it…. He laid it out on paper which is something I didn’t do.

I get the tough time between Mills and Johnson. Whichever one you cut is definitely gone. I just think Ian Johnson has more value down the road.

by PurpleJesus on Aug 23, 2009 9:47 PM CDT up reply actions

he’s only got 5 cbs though. that leaves a dime package with 1 backup. and only 2 backup oline. we’ll keep more linemen than that i would think.

by iseepurplepeople on Aug 25, 2009 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions

But we have swing players at Safety also, like Tyrell Johnson, who can easily play CB. Point is we have 9 CB/Safeties and that should work.

by PurpleJesus on Aug 26, 2009 8:13 AM CDT up reply actions

Booty needs to 'get hurt'

And go on IR for the season. That way, we can keep Ian and Garrett. I voted for Mills, but I’d really like to keep Johnson, too.

Also, your 4 fullbacks/ends are: Shaincoe (obvious keeper), Kleinsasser (ditto), Tahi (Childress likes him, too much, I’d say), and Dugan (Kleinsasser’s heir apparent), right? You’re assuming that Broughton gets cut.

Specialists are Longwell, Kluwe, and that longsnapper guy, right?

Who’re the five conrnernacks and four safeties?

Who woulda thunk that we’d have such a great problem on our hands?

by virginia viking on Aug 23, 2009 9:24 PM CDT reply actions

+1

I’m pretty much with you on that assessment, except that I voted for Johnson because I think he’s the most ‘at risk’ player of that list.

Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!

by DCPurple on Aug 24, 2009 9:08 AM CDT up reply actions

NFL.Com has Ian Johnson on the fringe also leading in votes.

Sounds like he is a fan favorite. I watch him all four years at BSU great guy hard worker good luck to him.

by AHHHWoooooo on Aug 23, 2009 9:27 PM CDT reply actions

Help me with the breakdown...

Is Ryan Cook your second center?? As much as I hate that false start machine, he is a versatile backup… I voted for Radovich, but if we had Cook and Hicks as our backups on the line… I still don’t think that we can seriously justify carrying such a thin Offensive line to carry a 7th receiver… Maybe if we carry 4 corners… He’d have to show something more than just be a gunner…

Ian Johnson would also have to show some nastiness on Special Teams… Here are the guys I see on Special Teams making plays…

Heath Farwell, Hussain Abdullah, Eric Frampton, Erin Henderson and Glenn Holt had that nasty tackle in the first preseason game… The end of the bench is pretty full right now, I guess it’s a good problem to have…

by ctowner35 on Aug 24, 2009 12:51 PM CDT reply actions

I voted Radovich too

we have two new starters on the o-line and I don’t have a whole lot of confidence in the backups either. Although I like Ian Johnson, I’d rather have a little bit of extra security backing up the line.

If you can't laugh at yourself... Who can you laugh at?
The Packers, that’s who.
-- The almighty Manimal

by TheViking83 on Aug 24, 2009 1:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Yes

In fact Ryan is my second center, and a possible guard and tackle backup (even though his penchant for false starts from that latter spot is becoming something of an ancient Viking legend).

I wanted to see if it were possible to keep all four quarterbacks in case an insufficient offer for any of them comes from other teams. It is not an impossible move to keep them all. Eight guys sit out every week, and if one of them were always the fourth QB, that would be a plus in figuring out who sits every week. You could also scour the waiver wire and stock your practice squad with offensive linemen on September 6, should injuries strike the team later in that area. Maybe we could avenge the loss of Thigpen upon some unwary team. (Personally, I’m fond of a fantasy of using Jared Allen as a goon at at guard to retaliate should anyone do something intentionally nasty to any of the o-linemen. Of course this concept is insane, but I like it anyway. I probably lived near Boston for too long at got the idea from the Bruins.)

The whole idea of this survey is to take a look at all the talent on hand now and the many options and factors involved in making roster cuts could play out. It is no fun when they ask for your play book and tell you to have a nice life before they show you the door, but I’m sure some guys cut by the Vikings will get picked up somewhere, and that’s a good sign regarding depth. (Plus, I get to see how many play more with their hearts and who play more with their heads among us bloggers. It takes a balance of both sides to win.)

In my imagination, I’m keeping five corners for special teams, nickel and dime back use, and the thought I’d rather have corner at safety than expose the run defense to a safety at corner in case of one of those tragic Charles Gordon events occurs. The seven linebackers help with special teams coverages as well.

As I said, some players with NFL-level talents are not going to make the final 53 (even if you only keep three QBs), but the team is in better shape having to fret about those who get left behind than to fret about those they had to be kept in order to stock all the positions.

by Elgar on Aug 24, 2009 3:17 PM CDT up reply actions

good post!

this discussion could go on for months. we do have talent.

by iseepurplepeople on Aug 25, 2009 12:15 PM CDT reply actions

I have to vote for Nick Urban as I go to Winona State….I’m actually waiting for my real estate investment class to begin as I type this

by Loki The Viking God on Aug 25, 2009 12:27 PM CDT reply actions

This is how I see it

4 QBs – Favre, Sage, TJack, Booty
3 RBs – AD, CT, Ian Johnson
1 FB – Tahi
5 WRs – BB, Rice, Harvin, Wade, Jaymar Johnson
3 TEs – Shiancoe, Kleinsasser, Mills
8 OL – Cook, Hicks, and Drew Radovich (who can back up the left side)
4 DE
5 DTs
7 LBs
6 CBs
2 FSs
2 SSs

Thats 24 offensive players and 26 defensive players

Still leaving 3 spots open.

I’m not sure why you reserved 3 spots for special teamers, when it’s our back up LBs and secondary players who usually play special teams.

by PurplePeopleEaters09 on Aug 26, 2009 3:44 PM CDT reply actions