DAILY CLIPS MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2019 - Amazon S3

DAILY CLIPS

   MONDAY,
JANUARY 14, 2019

LOCAL NEWS: Monday, January 14, 2019

                                                       Star Tribune

On second-generation pros, Nick Foles and Vikings' draft woes
By Jim Souhan
http://www.startribune.com/on-second-generation-pros-nick-foles-and-vikings-draft-woes/504303072/

                                                       Vikings.com

Monday Morning Mailbag: Skill Position Upgrades An Offseason Priority?
By Mike Wobschall
https://www.vikings.com/news/monday-morning-mailbag-skill-position-upgrades-an-offseason-priority

                                                     VIKING Update

Sunday slant: Releases, restructures to create cap space
By Tim Yotter
https://247sports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/Article/Releases-restructures-to-create-cap-space-for-Minnesota-Vikings-
127756648/

                                                        1500 ESPN

What the Vikings can learn from the final four
By Matthew Coller
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2019/01/vikings-can-learn-final-four/

PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 1/14/19
On second-generation pros, Nick Foles and Vikings' draft woes

By Jim Souhan

Everything you didn’t think you needed to know about the NFL playoffs:

• When I moved to Minnesota to cover the Vikings in 1990, one of the first players I met was Steve Jordan.

Three years later when I switched to the Twins beat, one of the first players I met was Pat Mahomes.

Next Sunday, Steve’s son and Pat’s son will try by very different means to lead their teams to the Super Bowl.

Pat’s son is Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Steve’s son is Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan.

The Twins drafted Pat and hoped he would become a middle-of-the-rotation starter in the mid-1990s. Patrick’s
brilliance and cool make him easy to root for. Having known his father, that’s even easier.

Pat was a superb athlete who bounced around the big leagues for more than a decade. The first time I met him,
the former basketball player was leaping into the rafters of the Twins’ old minor league clubhouse in Fort Myers,
comparing his vertical with Willie Banks’.

Mahomes was not a phenom like his son, but he built a longer-than-most major league career in part by being
humble and coachable. In a sport filled with a lot of behind-the-scenes grumbling, I never heard anything bad
about Pat as a human.

As for Patrick, he is the most exciting player in America’s most popular sport. Nice work, Dad.

Steve Jordan was one of the classiest members of an often-chippy locker room, a pass-catching tight end in an
era when teams didn’t use pass-catching tight ends as creatively as they do today. His son, a four-time Pro
Bowl selection, is an excellent pass rusher, and also one of the best run defenders among the NFL’s many
quality ends.

• Another semi-local angle played out Sunday. Vikings fans are familiar with the work of Nick Foles. He
shredded the Vikings in last year’s NFC Championship Game and won a Super Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium. His
loss on Sunday at New Orleans likely means that he will be playing elsewhere next season, and North Dakota
State product Carson Wentz will start for the Eagles with a less-threatening backup on the roster.

• Defense wins championships? Sure, and rotary phones are great for making long-distance calls. The top four
scoring offenses in the NFL are the final four teams remaining in the playoffs.

• Championship Sunday will feature four excellent coaches of varying résumés.

There is Bill Belichick, whose résumé needs no addendums. There is Sean Payton, who has won a Super Bowl,
and Andy Reid, who might be the best coach in the league who has not.

Then there is Sean McVay, who is the same age as Ryan Saunders, yet has made the playoffs twice and just
won in the playoffs for the first time.

• Tom Brady and Mahomes were born 18 years and 1 month apart. Drew Brees and Jared Goff were born 15
years and 9 months apart. Those are the first- and third-widest margins in NFL playoff history. No. 2? Brady vs.
Marcus Mariota. The Patriots won that one, 35-14 over the Titans a year ago.

• Saints All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas caught 12 passes for 171 yards on Sunday and led the NFL in
catches this year. In 2016, the Vikings chose Laquon Treadwell with the 23rd overall pick in the draft. The Saints
chose Thomas with the 47th.

• The latest shuffling of NFL coaches is remindful of the arrival of Dennis Green in Minnesota. He had never
been an NFL head coach, but he amassed what I believe is one of the greatest coaching staffs in league
history.

Tony Dungy. Monte Kiffin. Tom Moore. Willie Shaw. Ty Willingham. John Teerlinck. Brian Billick. Tom Batta.

One of the best members of that staff was John Michels, the longtime offensive line coach revered by great
players such as Randall McDaniel. Michels died last week at 87. He coached in all of the Vikings’ Super Bowl
appearances and was as good-hearted and tough as anyone I’ve met in the game.

That staff is a constant reminder that head coaches need a lot of help, and a lot of diverse personalities, if
they’re going to survive.

• Brady will appear in his 13th conference title game on Sunday. The Vikings have appeared in 10.

PUBLICATION: Vikings.com DATE: 1/14/19
Monday Morning Mailbag: Skill Position Upgrades An Offseason
Priority?

By Mike Wobschall
Do you have a comment or question? Send it to the vikings.com Mailbag! Every Monday we’ll post several
comments and/or questions as part of the vikings.com Monday Morning Mailbag. Although we can’t post
every comment or question, we will reply to every question submitted.

Click here to submit a comment or question to the mailbag. Remember to include your name and town on
the email.

I know in the offseason the offensive line will be a key towards improvement overall for the Vikings. As far
as adding skill positions players, what position should we focus on to help some of our offensive line
issues. Wide receiver? Another versatile running back out the backfield or an athletic tight end who has
speed with great hands?
-- Dennis Thomas

Let’s take a quick peek at all three positions because I’m hard-pressed to say any of them are a more
distinct need than the others at this point. The third receiver position will be interesting this offseason
because the Vikings have some interesting options already on the roster, such as Chad Beebe and Aldrick
Robison, and they should also supplement the talent pool via the draft and free agency. The cupboard is
certainly not bare at tight end but that’s another position that could certainly be addressed. At running
back, Latavius Murray’s status bears monitoring and there’s seemingly always very workable options at
every level of the draft at running back.

Would you agree the criticism of Kirk Cousins since the season ended has been overdone? I am glad we
have both Kirk and a great head coach for our next run.
-- Bill Dunn

Taking criticism, whether it’s fair or not, is part of the deal in the NFL when you’re a quarterback,
especially when you’re as handsomely-paid as is Cousins. With that being said, I do think some of the
criticism of Cousins has gone over the top. The guy came into a high-pressured and new environment and
quickly assimilated into the culture and locker room, and then went out on the field and threw for 4,200
yards and 30 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. Did he play perfectly? No. Were there mistakes and
plays he’d like to have back? Yes. Reducing turnovers and refining some skills, such as movement within
the pocket, will be a focus this offseason. But to suggest, after all the dust settles from the 2018 season,
that Cousins was part of the problem is nonsensical. Cousins is part of the solution and the Vikings need
to find a way to play better around the quarterback.

How hard will it be to upgrade the offensive line? Many other teams have the same issues! Any chance
any players restructure their contracts to accommodate our effort to put together a more complete
offensive line?
-- Adam Rosendahl

It’s difficult to construct a great offensive line, but there’s no question it’s worth the effort and is a doable
task for the Vikings this offseason. For starters, there are some pieces already in place that can serve as
the foundation, including youngsters Pat Elflein and Brian O’Neill. The Indianapolis Colts, who not much

more than a year ago had an offensive line that consistently struggled, spent a first-round pick on a left
guard and second-round pick on a right tackle this past offseason and the results paid dividends right way
because that group suddenly became one of the best in the NFL. There are plenty of examples of teams
who fixed their offensive lines in a hurry and the Vikings will look to be the latest success story over the
next several months.

Latavius Murray has said that he wants to be a starting running back, so I don’t know if we’ll be able to
retain him for 2019. If he does get signed to a team in need of a running back, is Mike Boone the answer
at RB2?
-- AJ Bergren
St. Cloud, MN

Boone will be a candidate. But he won’t be the only candidate. Roc Thomas will also be a candidate and
there’s no question the Vikings will add to the running back population this offseason. The draft and/or
undrafted free agency will certainly be areas the Vikings use to add talent, but it also wouldn’t be
surprising to see the Vikings dip into the free agent market to add a running back if they do indeed lose
Murray this offseason.

PUBLICATION: VIKING Update DATE: 1/14/19
Sunday slant: Releases, restructures to create cap space

By Tim Yotter

For now, the Minnesota Vikings focus on their need to fill several key coaching spots, even after
hiring Kevin Stefanski on a full-time basis as their offensive coordinator.

Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer, who like many assistants had an expiring contract,
elected to leave head coach Mike Zimmer and the Vikings and take the special teams job with his
hometown Cleveland Browns under their new head coach, Freddie Kitchens.

In addition to filling that spot, the Vikings will be looking for a quarterbacks coach, which they
could hire from within after Stefanski’s promotion, and an offensive line coach. Just days before
training camp opened in 2018, offensive line coach Tony Sparano unexpectedly died and the
Vikings shuffled their offensive coaching staff to fill that position. Former Packers offensive line
coach and interim head coach Joe Philbin is a possibility for that role.

But after all of that is settled in the coming week(s), the Vikings will have to focus on their free
agents. Along with that will be the need to clear salary-cap space. After numerous big-buck
extensions for their star players in recent years, and the three-year, $84 million contract for
quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Vikings are up against it in 2019.

They could have as much as $10 million in salary-cap space (it is based on a percentage of the
gross income from the previous year). Either way, the Vikings will have to find the financial room
to sign free agents and draft picks alike. How can they manage that? We take a lot at some
possibilities that make sense for freeing up money.

POTENTIAL RELEASES
DE Everson Griffen: The Vikings stuck by their star defensive end after he went through mental-
health issues that came to a head a day before a Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills. Griffen
allegedly made threats regarding a weapon at a downtown hotel, although no gun was found,
before he was taken for a mental health evaluation after another, less serious, series of strange
incidents near his home in the western suburbs later that same day. Griffen missed five games
while being treated for his mental health, but he didn’t return the same productive, sack-producing
defensive lineman he had been. He is scheduled to count $11.743 million against the salary cap
in 2019 but would cost only $1.2 million to release, saving the team about $9.5 million in cap
space. With the improved play of Stephen Weatherly during Griffen’s absence, a trade or release
would make a lot of sense for a cap-strapped team. Moving on from a valued, long-time
productive player is often one of the hardest moves for a franchise, but Griffen is 31 years old and
has fallen out of the window of great productivity with an emerging player behind him.

S Andrew Sendejo: For years, Sendejo was the underdog that could, and did. But his hard-hitting
style may be catching up to him. He has delivered many a big hit during his days, yet also
punishing his own body in the process. And, at times, those hits cost him fine money and the
Vikings field position with penalties. Given Anthony Harris’s strong play filling in for Sendejo and
Jayron Kearse’s ability to play safety, too, if the Vikings can work out a deal with Harris,
Sendejo’s $5.5 million cap hit is too much for a team in need of that space.

CB Trae Waynes: The Vikings elected to pick up the fifth-year option on Waynes’ rookie contract,
meaning he is scheduled for more than a $9 million hit against the cap. While Waynes generally
played well in his fourth season, the Vikings also like what they saw out of first-round pick Mike
Hughes before his torn anterior cruciate ligament and saw signs of development from undrafted
rookie Holton Hill. Nickel cornerback Mackensie Alexander also played well. In addition to Xavier
Rhodes, that gives the Vikings three capable options to replace Waynes if they release him – the
fifth-year options are guaranteed only for injury and Waynes finished the season healthy. If not a
release, perhaps the Vikings should strongly consider trying to work out an extension that doesn’t
carry such a big one-year price tag.

POTENTIAL RESTRUCTURES
OL Mike Remmers: Remmers had a solid 2017 before being moved from right tackle to right
guard in the final games because of injuries. He remained at guard in 2018, but he appears to be
a better fit at tackle than guard. He graded out No. 42 among guards that played at least 50
percent of the snaps this year, according to Pro Football Focus, and tied for third in giving up the
most pressures. He surrendered seven sacks, five hits and 30 hurries while also being flagged for
eight penalites, sixth-most among guards. The seven sacks were fourth-most and the 30 hurries
were fifth-most. If the Vikings commit to adding offensive linemen, as they should, Remmers
could still be a valued swing man between tackle and guard, but with his performance at guard
and Brian O’Neill emerging as a solid right tackle, Remmers would be best-suited as a backup.
His $6.35 million cap hit wouldn’t fit with being a backup – that’s top-20 guard money – so the
Vikings may end up in a position where they tell Remmers it’s a restructure or a release.

DT Linval Joseph: The big run stuffer is scheduled for a $2.7 million increase in his cap hit in
2019 and again that much more in 2020. While he has been one of the better defensive tackles
against the run, he is 30 years old and his body is showing it with different injuries he endured
throughout 2018. The problem for the Vikings is that they don’t really have much leverage yet in
2019 since he would cost $3.6 million if released, which would be a mistake. However, with four
years – effectively three with a team option in 2022 – left on his contract, it might be time to see if
he is interested in a deal that might pay him less in 2019 and beyond for more security to actually
see the end of his deal.

It’s not as easy in the real-world NFL as playing “fantasy general manager,” but if the Vikings
would release Griffen, Sendejo and Remmers, along with extending Trae Waynes at about $7
million per season, they could create about $23 million cap space, giving them more than $30
million overall. That would allow them to re-sign Anthony Barr or Sheldon Richardson – or
perhaps both if an expensive outside offensive lineman isn’t brought in – find a veteran kicker, re-
sign Harris and pay their draft picks.

It’s a rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul approach, but it wouldn’t derail their future years of the salary cap too
much and allow them to keep younger players entering their prime.

There is plenty of work to do in crafting the roster for 2019, but it might start by tearing down with
a few releases or restructures before building it back up.

PUBLICATION: 1500 ESPN DATE: 1/14/19
What the Vikings can learn from the final four

By Matthew Coller
The Minnesota Vikings and 28 other teams will be watching championship Sunday next week and looking
for things they can take away from this year’s group of successful clubs. At the top of the list will be:
Offense wins. The top four scoring offenses in the regular season are still alive. But the lessons the
Vikings can learn about achieving offensive (and defensive) success are buried in the details of each
team. Let’s have a look at lessons from each winning squad and what they teach us about winning and
how that applies to the Vikings…

Los Angeles Rams
Lessons:

Play-action wins
11 personnel wins in the run game
Health matters
Nickel corner is worth investing in
Linebacker might not be worth spending top dollar
Key stats:

Jared Goff used play-action on 34.6 percent of drop backs, No. 1 in the NFL
Todd Gurley faced 8-man boxes on 8.2 percent of runs
All five staring OL played all 16 games
Nickell Robey-Coleman was the third highest rated Ram on defense
Highest paid Ram linebacker Mark Barron ranked as PFF’s worst Rams defender
Takeaways:

– New offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski is sure to follow Mike Zimmer’s wishes and run more play-
action than the 19.9 percent of drop backs in 2018. Kirk Cousins has been one of the NFL’s best QBs
when using play-action.

– There isn’t one perfect way to handle personnel. Kyle Shannahan uses a fullback all the time and he got
8.4 yards per attempt out of Nick Mullens. But clearly running the ball out of three-WR sets has given the
Rams a distinct advantage, allowing Gurley to never face eight-man boxes. Dalvin Cook saw them on 18
percent and Latavius Murray 28 percent.

– The Rams spending on DBs is reflective of the Vikings’ spending on DBs, which has been worth it as
they have consistently had elite passing defenses under Mike Zimmer and have found a new nickel corner
in Mackensie Alexander.

– The Rams spent a lot of cash,

Kansas City Chiefs
Lessons:

Throwing to running backs is good
Spending on one extra receiving weapon can be worth it
Good scheme can make up for underwhelming guard play
Pressure can mask some issues on defense
Pass efficiency is everything
Key stat:

82 receptions by RBs this season
Sammy Watkins only had 40 catches, but averaged 9.4 yards per target, nearly four yards per target more
than the Vikings’ No. 3 WR
Guard Cam Erving ranked last among all KC offensive players by PFF
Chris Jones had 73 pressures, Dee Ford 78
No. 1 in the NFL in Adjusted Yards per Attempt (8.8/pass, next best 8.1)
Takeaways

– Every team has an impressive group of skill players on offense, but the Chiefs lost their No. 1 running
back and still found ways to use RBs in the passing game. Damien Williams and Spencer Ware combined
for 43 receptions out of the backfield. The lesson here is the Vikings should have been continuing to work
the ball to RBs in the passing game even when Dalvin Cook was hurt. And when he was healthy, should
have thrown it to him more.

– Everyone in Vikings land wants to find the next Will Shields, but a more savvy scheme could have
helped cover up some of their weaknesses. Of course Patrick Mahomes is more mobile than Kirk Cousins,
but Erving gave up 30 pressures and the Chiefs worked around his shortcomings by using a highly
effective short passing game. Mahomes had a 128.3 rating when throwing under 2.5 seconds after taking
the snap.

– If the Vikings are considering making trades with defensive backs, they might be able to justify it with the
Chiefs dealing Peters and still finding ways to win in the playoffs using pressure from the front four.

– Kevin Stefanski’s No. 1 task is making the Vikings’ offense more efficient. They ranked last in yards per
completion and 14th in ANY/A.

New England Patriots
Lessons:

Deep group of weapons in pass game
Multiple rushing contributors
Offensive line development
Deep group of pass rushers
When it isn’t there, throw it away
Key stats:

Nine players with double-digit catches, six with 30-plus receptions
Five rushers over 100 yards
29th in payroll on offensive line
10 players with more than 100 pass rushing snaps
Brady ranked third in throwaways
Takeaways

– Fantasy owners were pleased to see Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen clear 100 catches, but receiving
options were limited beyond the two stars. While Laquon Treadwell grabbed 35 passes, he was inefficient
in doing so, averaging less than six yards per target. Adding to the supporting cast for Kirk Cousins is key
this offseason.

– Patriots top rated pass blocking O-linemen by PFF was a third-round pick in 2016, starting LT was a
seventh-round pick by the 49ers who signed for under $2 million, starting RT was a 2011 fifth-round pick,
starting RG was a fourth-round pick. The Vikings have several young OL in Pat Elflein, Brian O’Neill,
Aviante Collins and Danny Isidora who they should continue to develop. And they should not overpay for
OL just as the Patriots let Nate Solder walk.

– When it comes to a decision on Everson Griffen, the Vikings should keep in mind that teams have had
success with deep groups of rushers. Mike Zimmer has said “you can never have too many” about DBs,
but it appears you can say the same for rushers.

– Kirk Cousins dropped back 669 times and only threw the ball away 17 times despite routinely being
pressured. At times, it could have helped him avoid a key turnover.

New Orleans Saints
Lessons:

Get the ball out quick
Field position is helpful
Situational offense is key
Run stuffing doesn’t hurt
Key stats

Brees fourth highest percentage of drop backs under 2.5 seconds
Saints ranked No. 1 in average drive start
Seventh in third down percentage, second in fourth down success (13-for-16), fourth in red zone
Second in yards per attempt allowed
Takeaways

– Cousins ranked 17th in time to release and 15th in DB% under 2.5 seconds. Unless the Vikings pick up
Orlando Pace in free agency, they will still have some protection issues and need Cousins to get the ball
out faster.

– Vikings were seventh in average drive start, which is likely due to having the fourth ranked defense and
solid coverage units on special teams. They will need to repeat their field position success next year.

– The Vikings ranked 26th on third down, 28th on fourth down and 21st in the red zone. They need severe
upgrades in those areas to compete.

– While the Vikings performed well against the run, Sheldon Richardson was 50th in Run Stop Percentage
via Pro Football Focus and was graded 38th vs. the run by PFF.