Monday Open Thread: August 27, 2018

Merry Monday to you all!

I hope everyone had a fun and enjoyable weekend. It’s hard to let go of the weekend, but at least it’s Monday, and Mondays make it a little easier to say goodbye to our beloved weekends. I love rolling in to work on Monday morning, nice & early, bright tailed & bushy eyed, ready to attack a new and fresh work week.

Besides it being another wonderful Monday, is there anything else to be excited about? Well, if you’re a Vikings fan, and I’m guessing most of you are, then fortunately, you have much to be excited about! The preseason is winding down, and that means the 2018 season is lurking around the corner, and there is every reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season if you’re a fan of the purple and gold.

Say what you will about the past and all the gonad-crushing kicks, gut-punches, and blindside-baseball-bat-blows to various other body parts that we’ve taken as Vikings fans, but I don’t believe in curses & such things, so every season is a fresh start, and this team is in a position to have a tremendous year.

Some say the front office hasn’t done enough to address areas of need in years’ past. Honestly, there may be an element of truth to that statement, but I don’t even think Rick’s harshest critics can say the front office hasn’t exhausted every reasonable resource to address areas of need this year. Historically, this front office has stuck to a “philosophy” in their approach to the off-season, and specifically, to signing players via free-agency. I love having a plan, and following said plan, but one thing you have to remember with plans is that sometimes those plans need to be altered. Circumstances outside of your control can turn your carefully thought-out, brilliant plan, into an ineffective plan, and you have to be willing and able to alter course if necessary. The team obviously thought it was necessary this year, as they’ve deviated from the norm on several occasions, as they strive to give the coaching staff the tools they need to get the job done. A big HUGE free agent signing, other “bigger splash than usual” free-agent signings, a deal here, a deal there, and now......a trade! Details will follow in the stories below, but the team got a solid, versatile player to fill a void on the O-line, a position group that is easily the biggest question mark of any position group on this team.

The moves they’ve made don’t seem like desperation moves to go “all-in” on one season and then wilt away if they don’t make it (cough.....Chilly......cough). They do seem like moves made by a front office that knows they have a team with the pieces in place to make a legit run at a championship, but needed some luck to get there. They saw an opportunity to make strategic moves to give the coaches the tools they need to get the job done, so they deviated from the norm, and made them. I’m excited for this year, probably more excited than I’ve ever been prior to a season, and that’s saying something, because I’m a consummate optimist. SKOL!!!!

Around the DN since our last open thread:

Chris shared the first report of the trade mentioned above, as the Vikings made a trade with the Giants to acquire C Brett Jones from the Giants.

Big Blue View also reported the trade, and they also tell us more about Brett Jones.

Chris gives us an update of the Vikings’ selections for the 2019 draft.

Ted was a guest on Good Morning Gjallarhorn with Dave and Drew, check it out.

Wludford has an update on the Vikings’ O-line.

Coach Zimmer had some somewhat unusual comments (and possibly foretelling, now that we see the trade that occured after those comments) regarding Pat Elflein, per Chris.

Need a parking spot at the MN State Fair? It looks like you’ll need to shell out more than a measly $84 million. Some people always try to get out cheap. The nerve.

Saxyprince posted Climbing the Podcast: Episode 105 [FOOTBALL IS RUINT].

Vikings news from other sources and news from around the league:

Over at Vikings.com, watch Coach Zimmer as he addressed the media yesterday, see highlights from Friday’s win over the Seahawks, and there’s lots more to sift through in the media vault.

From NFL.com, Eric Decker has announced his retirement from the NFL. Apparently, grit has an expiration date, so he’ll have to eat from his lunchbox while sitting in the stands.

We come to today’s media selection:

Our tradition lives on. Ladies and gentlemen, strike up the band!!!!

.Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

• No discussion of politics or religion
• No feeding of the trolls
• This isn’t a male version of The View, so leave the gender hatred at the door
• Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
• Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
• No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
• If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
• While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm

With that, the beer light is on and the bar is open. Belly up and tie one on. Don’t forget to tip your waitress, and try the blood sausage