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The good folks over at Pro Football Focus shined their featured article spotlight squarely on the 2013 Minnesota Vikings. And the results were not altogether pleasant, see for yourself right here. They took a look at the player grades from 2013 and devised a means of classifying players as "Undervalued" or "Overvalued" relative to their salary cap number. They've done this for every team in the league, but our very own Vikings got center stage in this one.
Their top two most undervalued players on the roster last year were Everson Griffen and Brandon Fusco. Here is what they had to say:
1. Everson Griffen – Defensive End
Everson Griffen tops the list of undervalued Vikings in 2013. He finished 19th overall in our 4-3 DE grading and his 52 QB pressures was also ranked in the top 20. His work in the run game was above average as well. Not bad for a guy that cost the Vikings less than a million dollars last year. With Griffen and Jared Allen up for free agency, the Vikings might want to put more effort into bringing back the younger Griffen.
2013 Cap Hit: $770k
2013 Jahnke Value Model: $5.9m
Value Differential: +$5.1m2. Brandon Fusco – Guard
After barely playing as a rookie in 2011, he struggled in all phases in 2012. Last year Fusco cracked the top ten among all guards in our overall rankings and turned into a nice surprise for the Vikings. His strong work in the run game was a huge factor as his +11.6 grade in that area ranked 5th overall. With Fusco and the also undervalued John Sullivan, the Vikings have a great interior line to look forward to in the future.
2013 Cap Hit: $594k
2013 Jahnke Value Model: $5m
Value Differential: +$4.43m
Their top two most overvalued players from 2013 were Jared Allen and Chad Greenway. Here is what they had to say about them:
1. Jared Allen – Defensive End
It’s hard to play up to the value of the 5th most expensive contract in the NFL last year, that’s part of the reason why Jared Allen is here. The other reason is age and wear and tear. Allen will be turning 32 this year and his numbers are starting to reflect that age. His pass rushing grade has been on a slow steady decline since 2008 when he put up a staggering +23.7 grade. In 2013 he graded negatively (-4.1) in pass rushing for the first time ever in our time evaluating. Allen could be back in Minnesota, but only for a fraction of the price.
2013 Cap Hit: $17.07m
2013 Jahnke Value Model: $3.23m
Value Differential: -$13.84m2. Chad Greenway – Outside Linebacker
It has been quite a precipitous fall for Chad Greenway. In 2008 he was PFF’s 4th best 4-3 OLB and showed talent in all phases of the game; pass coverage, run stopping, and even rushing the passer. He has gradually been slipping in all areas. Over the last 3 years no linebacker has allowed more yards in coverage. His run grade was also a career worst -11.0 in 2013 and overall he ranked 34th out of 35 OLBs. Greenway could be a cap casualty for the young and rebuilding Vikings.
2013 Cap Hit: $8.7m
2013 Jahnke Value Model: $825k
Value Differential: -$7.88m
Overall they rated the Vikings 2013 roster as the 3rd most under performing roster in the league. Seeing as how coaching staff was fired, and most of the members were not retained, things could be looking up in the very near future. With a competent coaching staff, they could turn this ship around pretty quickly. Again, you can see what other players made the list here.