The time is
soon approaching to Thursday April 25th for the NFL draft and this
guy can’t wait. My wife and I will be making the trek to US Bank for the
Vikings draft party which I attend every year and our wedding anniversary is
the 28th so the draft party is usually part of our extended
anniversary celebration.
The upcoming
season will be my 20th year of season tickets and I look at the
schedule and use the word brutal. It is full of playoff teams and just plain
great teams.
It was 2 years
ago the magical season as the Vikes headed to the NFC Championship game in
Philadelphia only to get crushed so then last year I was fired up for another
run but as it turned out far from a repeat trip to the NFC Title game.
The new
season once again is coming quickly and my favorite weekend of watching draft
coverage will soon. Yes. I attend the first night but then spend countless
hours on the couch with my remote in hand watching the draft and flip to other
channels during commercials to catch any info I can. I shake my head with the
knowledge these guys display since as Mel Kuiper and Todd McShay to name a
couple. Yes I know there are people behind the scene that gather info on
players from DIII schools. I can’t hear enough or watch enough football especially
this weekend. I do spend a lot of time in February watching the combine so when
the draft time comes I am familiar with a few names.
I also state
by the time draft day comes I am so glad because it ends the endless Mock
drafts which in my opinion are worthless. Who really knows who will take who? I
look at last year when the Cleveland Browns stunned the sports world by
drafting Baker Mayfield which I happened to love.
The draft is
a crap shoot but sometimes can be a huge win as how many high picks have we
seen be a complete bust? I look at the Vikes and it’s hard to admit but the
Christian Ponder and Troy Williamson were major disappointments to name a
couple.
The draft
not knowing what young man will be Hall of Fame caliber, or 53 man roster
worthy took a huge hit when Tom Brady drafted at pick 199 by New England now
will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
I now look
at the offseason by the Vikes and see some huge losses with the likes of
Latavius Murray, Marcus Sherels and Sheldon Richardson all leave via free
agency so more holes to fill. I add my heart was ripped when Sherels left as he
was one of my favorite players and story making the NFL the hard way. I have
nothing but respect for Marcus and wish him the best even if it is with New
Orleans.
As for my
thought on the draft and what I would love to do with the first round pick in
the upcoming draft and my heart whole heartedly says Offensive Linemen. I spent
the last season contemplating going to the chiropractor as watching repeatedly
seeing Kirk Cousins taking a beating and I couldn’t stop shaking my head in
disbelief. I always try and be positive but on this it’s hard because it was
brutal watching the beat down Cousins took.
I must also
add the line play was awful but a lot of times I must add it just didn’t seem
Cousins had the awareness that he was about to get hit. My wife and I yelled
and yelled to Kirk but it just did not help. I give Cousins some credit in his
toughness but if we are going to have this man run the offense and his salary
to boot we need to protect him a lot better. You look at a Tom Brady and his
line play giving him the time.
I know Coach
Zimmer publicly made it known he wants to run the ball way more is concerning
how he professed in public his idea of a game plan because if I know and heard
him say won’t the other 31 teams know as well?
I am a big
fan of Coach but that did bother me the way it came out. I agree the run game
should be important but to have a run game there must be consistent blocking
and holes opened. The ground game what we had was by virtual of running backs
making their own yards.
I have read
and heard speculation that Riley Reiff could switch to guard and I have also
heard consideration of moving Pat Elflein from center to guard as well. I guess
no matter what when it comes to the draft any kind of lineman drafted would be
much appreciated.
I know the
saying take the best player available I don’t believe the Vikes can do unless
that best player is an Offensive lineman.
The past
drafts the Vikes have found some mid to later round players who have made a
great impact such as Danielle Hunter for a prime example of later
The draft is
to get needs as well as depth to make the Minnesota Vikes a threat to make it
back to the NFC Title and of course hopefully the big game.
One more
final point on why I want Offensive Line I look at the schedule and see home
games: Washington, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver, Oakland, Chicago, Green Bay
and Detroit. The road goes like this: New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle
Seahawks, Kansas City, Los Angeles Chargers, Bears, Packers and Lions.
I look at
this and think Khalil Mack twice this season with the Bears and Joey Bosa
(Chargers) DeMacus Lawrence (Cowboys) as 3 of the best pass rushers in the
league.
That’s all
for now
Thank you
for reading
Purplestick
Let’s get a
keeper in the 2019 NFL Draft
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