Adrian Fedkiw
Each day leading up to the official start of the NFL football season, I will be providing you with player rankings, team previews, analysis, predictions, opinions and a whole lot more.
Even though the Minnesota Vikings overpaid and the Philadelphia Eagles got away with highway robbery, the Sam Bradford trade does make some sense.
First thing, Adrian Peterson is on the wrong side of 30 and his window is closing. The Vikings also have a stellar defense and while it isn’t up to the Denver Broncos’ level of last year, it has some serious potential and Bradford is going to be better than what Peyton Manning was last year.
The defensive line is stacked led by defensive end Everson Griffen and defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Sharrif Floyd. The Vikings have a superstar in the making at linebacker in Anthony Barr and cornerback Xavier Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith highlight a potent secondary.
Prior to the gruesome Teddy Bridgewater injury, I had the Vikings penciled in for 12 wins and the two seed in the NFC. And even had Shaun Hill started all 16 games, I still thought Minnesota could’ve been a playoff team. And speaking of Bridgewater, if he isn’t the quarterback he once was following the injury, at least Bradford is another option Minnesota can turn to, despite what I or anyone else thinks of him.
What hurts Minnesota is that Bradford has been brought in with just
a week until the regular season starts. He has to digest an entire playbook and build cohesion with his teammates. The Vikings also have a crucial game in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers at home. When I initially went through the schedules, I had Minnesota winning this game. Not anymore, not with Bradford getting thrust in so quickly. This Week 2 showdown wound up deciding the division and the No. 2 seed in the NFC for me. If the Vikings can win it, they’ll be in good shape considering how easy their schedule is in 2016.
Don’t be shocked if Minnesota makes a deep run come January.
Grading the Roster
QBs- Sam Bradford (7.4), Shaun Hill (7.2)
RBs- Adrian Peterson (8.3), Jerick McKinnon (7.3), Matt Asiata (7.2)
WRs- Stefon Diggs (7.5), Laquon Treadwell (7.3), Jarius Wright (7.2), Charles Johnson (7.2)
TEs- Kyle Rudolph (7.3), Rhett Ellison (7.2)
Ts- Matt Kalil (7.3), Andre Smith (7.3), T.J. Clemmings (7.3)
Gs- Alex Boone (7.4), Brandon Fusco (7.3), Michael Harris (7.3)
Cs- John Sullivan (7.5), Joe Berger (7.5)
DEs- Everson Griffen (8), Brian Robison (7.4), Danielle Hunter (7.3), Justin Trattou (7.2)
DTs- Linval Joseph (7.9), Sharrif Floyd (7.9), Tom Johnson (7.3), Shamar Stephen (7.1)
OLBs- Anthony Barr (8.3), Chad Grenway (7.3), Emmanuel Lamur (7.3), Edmond Robinson (7.1)
MLBs- Eric Kendricks (7.3), Audie Cole (7.1)
CBs- Xavier Rhodes (7.9), Terence Newman (7.3), Captain Munnerlyn (7.3), Trae Waynes (7.3)
Ss- Harrison Smith (8), Andrew Sendejo (7.2), Jayron Kearse (7.2)
K- Blair Walsh (7.3)
P- Jeff Locke (7.3)
KR- Cordarrelle Patterson (7.4)
PR- Marcus Sherels (7.3)
Team Rankings
Team- 7.430 (7/32)
Offense- 7.436 (11/32)
Defense- 7.456 (5/32)
Quarterbacks-7.3 (27/32)
Running Backs- 7.6 (1/32)
Receivers- 7.28 (30/32)
Offensive Line- 7.36 (16/32)
Defensive Line- 7.51 (4/16)
Linebackers- 7.4 (13/16)
Secondary- 7.46 (6/32)
Special Teams- 7.325
Coaches- 7.4
PREDICTION– 11-5 (2nd NFC North)
QUARTERBACKS
Bradford completed 65 percent of his passes last year in Chip Kelly’s offense, but those numbers were deceiving because his accuracy was erratic on some of the intermediate to deep tosses. He also has a stronger arm than people think due to his reputation of being a dink-and-dunk quarterback. Bradford helped the Eagles complete 14 passes of more than 40 yards, which was fourth in the NFL.
Bradford played a lot better in the second half of the season. He tossed 10 of his 19 touchdowns over his last seven games, but it was improved accuracy and better decision making which led to his interception total going down. He threw 10 picks over his first seven contests, but just four the rest of the way.
Bradford still has a quick release and puts the ball on the proper shoulder on most passes less than 10 yards.
RUNNING BACKS
Even at 31, Peterson still has that elite acceleration and lateral agility which allows him to set up defenders in the hole. His patience and vision are still top notch as well.
His upright running style allows him to punish defenders either with a vicious stiff arm or his burly shoulders. Even at his age, Peterson still has the speed to turn the corner and only needs a sliver of daylight to break off a long run. He excelled even further when the Vikings went away from their spread pistol scheme a year ago to a more conventional one-back offense.
Peterson still isn’t known for his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, but did notch 30 receptions, the fourth most of his career. If there’s a weakness to his game, he still puts the ball on the turf because of his physical style of running and wanting to initiate contact. He fumbled the ball seven times last year.
Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata are solid backups. McKinnon is quick and elusive, while Asiata is more of a bruiser.
RECEIVERS
Stefon Diggs emerged as a rookie last year with the fourth highest total for a first-year wideout in the team’s history, hauling in 52 receptions for 720 yards and four scores. He’s a polished route runner to go with a soft set of hands.
He and Laquon Treadwell have the potential to be a formidable due for years to comes. Treadwell ran just a 4.65 40-yard dash, but Alshon Jeffery didn’t run fast either. Like Jeffery, Treadwell plays faster and is very strong at the catch point. He will also be a solid blocker.
Charles Johnson broke out in 2014, but came back to reality in 2015, while Cordarrelle Patterson is a speed demon who has yet to learn how to be a wide receiver.
Tight end Kyle Rudolph is a reliable target and is athletic, but his blocking needs to improve. That’s what Rhett Ellison is there for, however.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Matt Kalil was a Pro-Bowler during his rookie season, but has struggled ever since, although he showed some signs last year. He struggles when being forced on an island and plays with poor technique. Andre Smith came over from the Cincinnati Bengals to be the right tackle.
Joe Berger beat out nine-year veteran John Sullivan at center. Berger did an outstanding job of filling in for Sullivan last season. He’s tough, physical and plays with a lot of effort in the running game. In pass protection he’s agile and maintains balance when sliding in either direction.
Alex Boone was signed as a free agent to play left guards. He’s a roadgrader in the running game. Brandon Fusco is the starter at right guard.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
It’s been back-to-back, double-digit sacks over the last two years for the underrated Griffen at defensive end. He pushes tackles back with ease using his great power, but also has the athleticism and agility to change direction. Griffen is also relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback. He uses that speed and strength effectively as well against the run, pushing linemen back and making plays down the line. Brian Robison starts at the other defensive end spot and Danielle Hunter came on as the season went along last year and provides a solid third option.
Joseph and Floyd form a powerful defensive tackle tandem in Minnesota. Joseph is a beast in the run game. He’s very strong at the point of attack and has also shown the ability to get into the backfield and pressure the quarterback.
Floyd took a couple years to develop, but he’s shined since head coach Mike Zimmer arrived in Minnesota. Floyd’s improvement in technique has helped him dominate opposing linemen. He has great quickness off the ball. He is also equally stout stopping the run. He uses his hands exceptionally well. Tom Johnson is underrated and another option at defensive tackle.
LINEBACKERS
Heading into his third season, Barr hopes to raise the bar even further. Barr was an outstanding pass rusher in college and hasn’t done it much the first two seasons, but when he has, Barr showed outstanding first step quickness and speeds around the corner to get to the quarterback. He also did a fantastic job on his blitzes through the A-gap. He still posted 3 ½ sacks.
In run defense, Barr has lightning fast closing speed and great range to chase the running back along the perimeter and from behind. Barr did, however, have some struggles in coverage. He didn’t do it much at UCLA and it’s shown so far but I believe he’s too big and too athletic to not improve. The aging Chad Greenway is still a solid starter at outside linebacker. Emmanuel Lamur is a former college safety and has speed. He provides good depth.
Eric Kendricks comes off a good rookie season, showcasing great awareness and instincts in coverage, solid tackling ability and good timing on his blitzes.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
At 6’2, 214 Smith is a great, physical in the box type of safety but can drop in coverage as well. Against the run, Smith is one of the best in the business from the safety spot. He comes off blocks and lays the wood in the open field.
In coverage, he plays with great instincts and intelligence as a center field safety. He reads and jumps routes well. He also takes the proper angles and attacks the ball when bringing receivers down. He is joined by Andrew Sendejo as the other starter at safety.
Rhodes’ hand usage and ability to press at the line of scrimmage is his biggest strength. So when you mix that with his length and speed, Rhodes locks receivers down. He’s got fluid hips and shadows opposing receivers very well. Like Smith, Rhodes is physical and aggressive in space, but did struggle in run defense in terms of forcing ball carriers back to the middle.
Terence Newman still gets it done despite being 37 and Trae Waynes looks to take a step forward in year two. Waynes also has fluid hips to go with long speed. Second-rounder Mackensie Alexander is an intriguing prospect.
TEAM PREVIEWS
AFC East: Buffalo Bills | New England Patriots | Miami Dolphins | New York Jets
AFC North: Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals | Pittsburgh Steelers | Cleveland Browns
AFC South: Indianapolis Colts | Houston Texans | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans
AFC West: Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs | San Diego Chargers | Oakland Raiders
NFC West: Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks | Arizona Cardinals
NFC South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Atlanta Falcons | New Orleans Saints | Carolina Panthers
NFC North: Chicago Bears
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NFL PLAYER RANKINGS