The Daily Norseman Mailbag, April 21st, 2021

Good Morning!

This is probably the future of the mailbag going forward with my new schedule, article on the front page soliciting for questions on Monday, with the follow up post on Wednesday or Thorsday depending on what’s going on in my life.

No Twitter question this week.

For salary cap questions I’ll continue using overthecap.com so I’m consistent with the numbers I throw out there.

Any trades involving draft picks I’m using the updated NFL Trade Value Chart developed by Rich Hill available at https://www.drafttek.com/NFL-Trade-Value-Chart-Rich-Hill.asp

For evaluating or looking up draft prospects my go to is thedraftnetwork.com

If I can’t come up with what I think is a legitimate answer, I’ll ask someone who I think can provide one.

Enough from me, let’s see what was on everyone’s mind.

DelawareViking ponders:

How many here at DN will need a straight jacket after Zimmer drafts defense at #14 and ignores the OL?

Yes.

I think it depends on who’s still on the board as to whether we’ll see a full on DN style meltdown, if Rick were to select Kwity Paye with the 14th selection there might be some grumbling, same with Surtain or Horn. If he gaffs off one of the top tier OL, though and makes some bonehead selection...this place will burn, and I’ll be part of it.

Mn0Fan-OutWest asked:

What are your plans for watching the draft ? Are you going to watch the Vikings Report with Ted & Drew ? Every year our FF league gets together for RD1. Early look at the rookies for our future FF teams !!

I’ll start by talking about what I’ve done in the past; I love the draft although I generally tune out the talking head morans on TV. Every year Christopher and/or Mark posts a thread for each round, I tend to leave my TV on mute and comment in those. The year Kalil was selected we had just returned from one of my kids soccer tournaments and went out for pizza, I walked in just as the Vikings pick was selected. Last year we did a Zoom meeting for the first time, that was fun but a little frustrating since I couldn’t follow the picks on my laptop.

This year I’m working, so I’ll follow the picks here and post when I have time between patients.

bbadger22 ponders:

Seems like Orlando Brown situation is heating up a bit with the visit of Villanueva to Baltimore, have you heard anything new ?

I saw some stuff on Twitter a day or two ago, nothing substantial but from what I read the Chiefs and Raiders were rumored to be linked a sign and trade deal. I haven’t seen anything that links Brown Jr. to the Vikings, again all of this is speculation and rumor...nothing has happened.

HVike asked:

If the Vikings had to be represented by a food, what food would it be? Other NFL teams?

If the Vikings were represented as a food, I’d say they are a brisket. I really like brisket but it’s pricey so we only have it once or twice a year. Have you ever smoke a brisket? It takes a lot of time to learn to get it right and when it’s good, it’s good. But occasionally, when you think you’ve done everything right while smoking your brisket as you’re cutting it you find out it’s overcooked and dry. There isn’t much more disappointing than the excitement of cutting into a smoked brisket only to find out it’s dry and going to end up as chili. To me that’s the Vikings in a nutshell; excitement, hope and then disappointment.

piratefli777pondered:

Perhaps vikings should skip the draft, save the money, and just roll with the already coached up and potential all stars on the roster now...?

Jeffrey Sams asked:

If the medicals check out, picking up Maurice Hurst might be a great buy low move.. Of course Sheldon Richardson would be nice, but his price (and age) would be much higher.... One could easily imagine Hurst, after coach Andre instructs him, becoming a terror on passing downs.

For my own education I looked to see what exactly Hurst’s heart condition was, from my quick google search I found articles from 3 years ago about a “heart condition” but couldn’t find much else.

I’d be all for adding another quality pass rusher, the issue will be the cap and cost.

HefnerGOAT pondered:

I asked this question a week or 2 ago, I’m going to revisit it again: Long post, prepare yourselves

Why is WR3 seemed so important for this current offense?

I say it’s hardly important at all. Chad Beebe and Bisi Johnson got most of the targets last season at that position and also WR4. Their grand total targets per game, both positions combined = 1.6 targets per game.

Contrast that with Kris Boyd, who played a lot of CB3 last year. He averaged 3.5 targets per game. CB3 position seems twice as much more important than WR3 position in the NFL.

1.6 targets per game, and we “need” someone at that position? Seems crazy to me. Since we already have NFL-ready Beebe and Bisi on our team, why invest on a rookie who won’t be ready for a year or 2? Or, if you draft a stud like Rondale Moore, you most likely will be taking away targets from Jefferson and Thielen. Do we want our 2 WR studs to get less targets? Do we want Dalvin Cook to get less touches? It doesn’t make sense to me to invest capital for someone who will get 2 targets per game. Unless we are going to change our offense and run the Run-and-shoot?

There is, I guess a reason to pick a stud WR early in the draft. You plan on making him WR2 and phase out Thielen. That would make sense I guess.

I think our biggest needs are OL and entire defense and every single draft pick should reflect that.

**Disclaimer I would draft Trey Lance or Mac Jones if they are available at 14.

WR3 isn’t a big player the way this offense was run last year, let’s see what Kubiak Jr. can do with it, Thielen has missed some time in the last couple of years, plus he’s on the wrong side of 30. Need a guy who can go in and make plays when JJ or Adam are on the sideline. As for the 1st round pick, I’m all for picking the best player available on the board, no matter who it is...unless it’s another effing CB and even that isn’t out of the question with the Gladney situation.

I don’t think Lance or Jones are early 1st round picks, would not take Jones until the 2nd round if then. Trey Lance didn’t play but one game last year, to me he’s the biggest question mark of this draft.

Surly Viking asked:

SLOTERGOAT is available.

Will Wryck bring him in to replace Mannion, or will he overpay for a washed up former starter instead?

Ah, the GOAT, I miss him during pre-season games. Good background story, he’s had his opportunities but hasn’t latched on to the three or four teams he’s been signed to since he left the Vikings, so I doubt Rick and Zimmer would bring him in as a QB2.

Rickap pondered:

How many picks could Picker Rick pick, if Picker Rick could only pick 7th?

If Rick could be slick, and only pick, and stay with his shtick, he would draft all of the 7th round.

Apologies to Dr. Seuss:

Can you pick offensive line in the first?

No, I can’t pick offensive line in the first, that would be the worst.

Can you pick offensive line in the third?

No, I can’t pick offensive line in the third, that’s worse than the first and is a turd.

Can you pick offensive line in the fifth?

No, I can’t pick offensive line in the fifth, that’s the worst, a turd and a myth.

Can you pick offensive line in the seventh?

Why yes, I can pick offensive line in the seventh, that’s how we got “Buffalo Right, Seven Heaven”

*If you don’t remember what Buffalo Right, Seven Heaven refers to your DN membership is forfeited. (it isn’t)

Thank you again to everyone who took the time to pose questions either via email or in the mailbag post. I’ll solicit for questions for the next mailbag on Monday the 3rd of May and get the mailbag questions with my mediocre answers out that week.

Skol