Cut/Released: Xavier Rhodes (signs 1 year, $5 mil with IND) and Linval Joseph (signs 2 years, $17 mil with LAC)

[MMC]

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[MMC]

 

[Trap Jesus]

Jospeh has had a mediocre couple of seasons but is still a player. Rhodes is beyond cooked.

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

Joseph can still play a little, but given age plus salary, it makes sense.

Rhodes went from Top 3 CB in the league to sieve pretty quick. Seems the nagging injuries he seems to get one of game finally caught up to him. Spielman left the door open for both to return on the cheap if nothing is up to their liking in FA.


I think Waynes and Alexanders both walk in FA. Which will leave them with former first rounder Mike Hughes, who's been injury prone/mediocre, and Holton Hill, who's probably getting suspended again as I'm typing this. CB will definitely be address in the first 2 rounds (again). Waynes is more likely to come back than Alexander.

At DT they have the very average Shamar Stephen and Jaleel Johnson and the last years 65h rounder Armon Watts, who the seem to like a lot, but Ross Blacklock may be an option at 25.

And we can't forget Everson Griffen still hasn't re-signed yet. This defense is going to look a lot different. You still have studs in Hunter, Smith (who's getting up there) and Kendricks. And Barr can play at a pro bowl level at times, but after that yikes. Anthony Harris is gonna cash inn FA, backup S Jayron Kearse, who's a key STer and look solid when filling in, is gonna leave too since he's tweeted about being underappreciated. So they're going to need a S too (Winfield Jr?), but Zimmer hates Safeties so they'll probably just sign trash Sendejo again. I'm glad Zimmer wasn't here in 2012, no way he would have let Spielman draft Smith.


The VIkings have a lot a work to do on defense and the OL if they wanna be any better than 7-9 next year.

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

Blocking TE David Morgan got the ax too today, he spent all year on IR last year. But they're pretty set at TE with Rudolph/Smith/Conklin.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Joseph can still play a little, but given age plus salary, it makes sense.

Rhodes went from Top 3 CB in the league to sieve pretty quick. Seems the nagging injuries he seems to get one of game finally caught up to him. Spielman left the door open for both to return on the cheap if nothing is up to their liking in FA.


I think Waynes and Alexanders both walk in FA. Which will leave them with former first rounder Mike Hughes, who's been injury prone/mediocre, and Holton Hill, who's probably getting suspended again as I'm typing this. CB will definitely be address in the first 2 rounds (again). Waynes is more likely to come back than Alexander.

It's pretty crazy that with how much the Vikings have invested in corners high in the draft over the years it's gone to a position of weakness this quickly.

2013: Rhodes (1-13)
2015: Waynes (1-11)
2016: Alexander (2-54)
2018: Hughes (1-30)

 

[Avs_19]

Rhodes was expected. There was no way he was coming back at his current salary and it's probably best to move on altogether. He has had injuries and once he lost a step, it was a wrap. I always liked him and he was great in his prime so hopefully he can reinvent himself and catch on elsewhere.

Linval isn't too surprising either but I thought they'd try to get him to take a pay cut and come back. Maybe that's still possible if he doesn't get a good deal in free agency. Unlike Rhodes, he's not a liability but he has also had some injuries and is no longer the same player he was a few years back. We have to see how free agency and the draft play out but I wouldn't be surprised if they give Watts every opportunity to replace him.

Vikings now have just over $20m in cap space but I still can't see them being big players in free agency. Reiff's contract sticks out like a sore thumb so I wonder if they try to do something there. He's not great but he's mostly solid so it doesn't make sense to cut him outright without a replacement.

 

[Voight]

Rhodes was the talk of the town not too long ago.

 

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[Kel Varnson]

2 major needs filled so far. No real viable QB yet but one problem at a time.

 

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[Trap Jesus]

If you watch every Vikings game you know how unlikely that is. The guy was literally going to the sidelines every game with some type of ailment.

 

[MMC]

If you watch every Vikings game you know how unlikely that is. The guy was literally going to the sidelines every game with some type of ailment.

Yep. The Colts cutting Desir for Rhodes was a mistake and they will regret it