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Additional Minnesota Viking Commentary

In Good Faith  
It's funny how we are sent very strong messages but we tend to ignore the obvious.  There is a reason that Kyle Sloter is the only quarterback on our roster for the 2018 season.  The message is ... this is your future franchise quarterback.  It's now time for this Vikings organization to send a message throughout the league and that happens upon the wielding genius of the pen of Rick Spielman.  It's true .. It's true ... the pen is mightier than the sword.

To start, Spielman should start with Kyle Sloter's agent to direct a Super Bowl winning statement.  In 2018, Kyle should be the highest paid back-up in the league, where that amount will be guaranteed in 2018, his 2nd year in the league.   The assumption here is that he will eventually assume the role of our franchise quarterback.  In his 3rd year, if he's still our backup quarterback, his contract in 2019 will be guaranteed at 10% more that his 2018 salary & if he starts & wins more than 8 games, his guaranteed contract for 2019 will jump to 60% more than his 2018 salary.   In Kyle's 4th year, the Vikings will be given the option to guarantee his 2020 contract at 150% of his 2019 contract if he's he does not meet the starter requirement in 2019 (he's still our back up quarterback).  If Kyle's  the starter in 2020, the Vikings will have the option of guarantying his contract at 75% of the top 25 quarterbacks in the league.  In his 5th year 2021, the Vikings will have the option to pay him the average of 2020's top 25 quarterbacks, treating him as if he were a number 1 pick in the bottom order of the draft.  If Kyle doesn't work out, his contract will be void-able after the 2018 season.  The incentive is obvious, to be the highest paid back-up in the league & if he becomes our valued franchise quarterback ... he'd be paid accordingly similar to what was done for Wilson progression in Seattle but with greater "franchise player" incentives.  It's time to get creative by investing in the franchises future.

Best of all, a contract of this type is so convoluted, that a commentator would have to reluctantly spend an inordinate amount of time to explain the in-s & out's of a series of 1 year contracts that would lock down a future franchise player & pay an unknown 2nd year player a ridiculous salary.  It also takes potential money off the table that would be either be thrown at useless free agents or over-spent on our own re-signed players.  Creativity has its own rewards.  It comes from statement were a lawyer would tell you to cash any check that you'd receive where we can always go back and argue later.  Believe me, if Sloter turns out to be that franchise player, he'll still have the leverage that the needs to get what he's worth.  

As for Kirk Cousins, he will certainly be a mega fat contract with great expectations but little in results when it counts.  

If there was anything that could be learned from the 2017 season is that we were void of super stars & their fat contracts, less maybe Bradford.  You go back & research history & you'll find Barnyard Berrian fat contract with little to no result.  What good is a high price free agent in a Viking Key position when they gut you like a pig when the chips are down.  Does anyone remember the end of our 2015 season with Blair Walsh's kick, or Gary Anderson's kick ending our 1998 season, or Favre's interception in the 2009 championship, or now Case Keenum's pick 6, followed by a 2nd interception or his fumble in the red zone.  The only focus this franchise should have is on doing your best to pay your own pending free agents and developing true Vikings to put at the helm when the crap hits the fan.  Kyle Sloter can be that person.  Keenum & Bradford will never be where it's time to walk away from Ram's QB reclamations. 

Just because the media goes nuts over the thought of Kirk Cousins ram-rodding this organizations salary cap ... to ensure the statement ... we all know how this ends, we need to reshape our process into winning championships.  Mike Zimmer's crystal ball (truth detector) didn't work because he was forced to rely upon Keenum where his interest lies with his pocket ... not this franchise.  Would is surprise anyone if Keenum directed the dive for bookie money at the last minute.  Imagine a 5 million dollar bonus payout, over his measly 2 million dollar 2017 salary for having Eagle Green on that Super Bowl LII trophy.  Did is happen?  No, but maybe we should Leave it to your imagination. 

Will Teddy return in 2018?  Well there are only so many starting jobs in the NFL.  Keenum will have one & someone will be stupid enough to give Bradford the reins based upon his incredible skill set alone.  You've got to figure in Kirk Cousins as gang green will lavish him with the only green he's ever cared about.  Don't for a moment think Drew Brees will change venues at this juncture based upon a few dollars knowing of those incredible weapons & a defense that he's always longed for ... if he walks he's out of his mind.  That doesn't leave much for Teddy although Buffalo is an option with Joe Webb but the horizon is vastly different in up-state New York than it is in the friendly confines of the Ship.
 Whatever he is offered is going to be waived under Zimmer's nose & it will take about 30 seconds for Spielman to launch that torpedo.

Then there's McCarren, drafted in the 5th round in the 2014 draft ... now an unrestricted free agent.  Will he beat Teddy to the punch
In the end, things happen for a reason. Every one of these quarterbacks would both love & relish the opportunity of starting in Minnesota.  Maybe it's time this franchise stop dropping its pants every time its about to make a sale.  Reggie White ended up in Green Bay because he heard the words, "God wants you to play in Green Bay", from Ted Thompson.  Maybe that's exactly what we should do ... listen to what God tells us ... or better said, what he has made us to bear.  Maybe it's time to tell the media to go pound sand.

I remember the first time I saw Kirk Warner play.  It was the one and only Barnstormer games I ever watched.  My thought ... this Warner guy should be playing in the NFL.  He's playing on a short track & he throws the ball with the precision of Tarkenton.  Enter Marshal Falk & the rest is history.  Mouth agape ... I watched the tapes on this kid Sloter & my only thought was ... franchise quarterback.  Thank you John Elway's ego.

Now we see "(John) Defilippo's Impact" taking over as our new Offensive Coordinator.  Yes, things do happen for a reason but no one seems to see it yet.  This is the guy that brought this league Derek Carr as he exploded on the scene.  He then chuck's Sam Bradford to the scrap heap & tells us that this Carson Wentz kid can play starting him out of the gate in that 2016 season leading us all to that 2017 Super Bowl.  Now he's brought to this Vikings franchise to supposedly evaluate Kyle Sloter & lead this offensive unit.  To be direct, everyone of that Vikings coaching staff already know exactly what they've got in Sloter but they need both the clout & a new set of eyes to confirm it all.  What follows is Defilippo's statement, "We are going with this Sloter kid (as our starter) because he can play".  Neither Spielman or Zimmer can say this either together or on their own without the heavens opening hell upon them.  The problem of course is timing.  If Defilippo said it today we'd say he was nuts but as some point in the pre-season, the world is going to have is chair ripped-out from under them.  The Stay Puff Marshmellow Man has been unleashed ...  

Everything has it's purpose ... and everything has its time.  It's now time for that unexplained strategic move, followed by ... "I like the kid".  What????


The Viking Ghost Writer
http://MyVikingBlood.org
Date: February 28, 2018


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