NorthCountryEvo's First Mock

[NorthCountryEvo]

Okay y'all, this is my first offseason mock ever, so I will give it my best shot. Feel free to rip me as much as you'd like.

My mindset going into this mock will be geared towards how I feel the Vikings and GM Rick Spielman will actually approach free agency and signing (or not signing) our own free agents, rather than what I am hoping for. When it comes to the draft, I will be mixing more of my personal feelings towards guys i'd like to see on our team and what the team looks for in prospects.


RESIGNED

RT- P. Loadholt- 5 Years
FB- J. Felton- 3 Years
LB- J. Brinkley- 1 Year
LB- M. Mitchell- 1 Year
WR- J. Simpson- 1 Year
S- J. Sanford- 3 Years
G- J. Berger- 1 Year
CB- A.J. Jefferson- 2 Years
S- A. Sendejo- 1 Year
T- T. Kropog- 1 Year


NOT RETURNING

G- G. Schwartz
WR- D. Aromashodu
CB- M. Sherels
LB- E. Henderson


RELEASED

HB- M. Asiata
DE- D. Reed
DT- L. Guion
WR- M. Jenkins
TE- J. Carlson
QB- M. Bethel- Thompson
QB- J. Webb

RESTRUCTURED/ RESIGNED

J. Allen
K. Williams
E. Griffen






FREE AGENT SIGNINGS

WR- Brandon Gibson- STL- 3 Years

Gibson is a solid #2 and will provide an immediate upgrade to our WR corps. While he isn't super flashy, he is young, and can complement well in our west coast offense.

DT- Sammie Hill- DET- 3 Years

Hill is a depth signing who can also contribute if needed to start. With Fred Evans still on the roster and Hill coming in, regardless of drafting a DT, we can rest assured that someone on the roster can at least hold their own starting along side Kevin Williams. Hill has been purely depth in Detroit's defense, and could surprise people.

S- Louis Delmas- DET- 2 Years

While I personally would love for us to bring in William Moore from Atlanta, I just don't see our front office springing for two mid-level or better players, and with Gibson being signed, Moore gets looked over unless he is willing to take the low end of what he is worth. Delmas is a pretty darned good safety when he is healthy, and that is his biggest knock. He can come in cheap because of the injury risk, and we can take that risk since Sanford is still on the roster. Also, staying in the NFC North could be a selling point.

QB- Drew Stanton-IND- 1 year

Stanton provides depth and backup experience. Joe Webb showed us that he just isn't going to be able to hold the main backup role if Ponder goes down, and while it would be nice to bring in a more accomplished backup like Matt Moore, no one stands out as a person who would be willing to come in knowing that they are going to strictly be a backup.

WR- Danario Alexander- SD- 2 year

Danario has done little in his career because of continuous injuries, but last year he proved that when healthy and given the chance, he can be quite a threat. 658 yards and 7 TD's over 37 receptions while not even seeing the field until the second half of the season makes Alexander an interesting option. He could come fairly cheap, and the Chargers have given him a low tender, making him worth the Vikings bidding for.


THE PERCY HARVIN "SITUATION"

This is probably the most difficult part of the offseason for me and the most difficult part of this mock. Despite all of his whining off the field, you really can't argue with his on the field production. Some people are willing to trade Harvin away because they feel that Jarius Wright could fill his slot position, but no one can truly replace Harvin. Another factor with doing away with Harvin is how it affects our return game. In my mock I have Sherels being released, and if Harvin goes, we are left with few options for returners.

So we are left with 3 options:
-Resign Harvin and fork out a lot of money, which he is worth, but have to worry about wear on his body and always worry about his off the field ego. This would be my personal choice because I feel like he just brings too much to the table to let go.

-Trade Harvin for a few picks. Trading Harvin removes the looming contract issues, stops us from having to fork out a hefty bit of dough, and allows us to build our team by gaining several players through the draft. As we all know, the draft is very hit or miss, and realistically we could not find equal value from the players picked from the compensation picks.

-Let Harvin play out his contract and re-assess at the end of next season. This is possibly the biggest gamble of all the options. Harvin does not feel correctly compensated on his current contract, and honestly he is not. The issue is that he should be a professional, and keep his wants out of the public eye. Good players get the contracts they deserve, but when you start making demands, you are seen as a liability. Regardless, Harvin is willing to err more towards the non-professional side, and this leads most to believe that without a new contract, he will hold out this coming season. This would be horrible for the Vikings, as they would lose the chance to receive any compensation via trade for Harvin, and they would be lacking one of their best offensive weapons.

While I would like us to bite the bullet and resign Harvin to a deal that will keep him quiet and keep a weapon on our team, I have to keep with my theme of doing what I believe Spielman and the team is going to do, and that would be trade Harvin. Spielman likes draft day trades, and this is when Percy gets dealt.

** Vikings Trade WR Percy Harvin to the Dolphins for Mia 2nd round (42) and 5th round**
Miami resigns Brian Hartline but still is looking for another dynamic offensive option for young QB Ryan Tannehill. Miami is still left with a 2nd round pick and is content. Harvin is happy to be back in Florida.




NFL DRAFT

ROUND 1:
SYLVESTER WILLIAMS - DT - NORTH CAROLINA
Williams can come in and start immediately reforming the Williams wall. His development will provide stability in the middle of the D-Line for years to come.


ROUND 2:
PICK (42)
JUSTIN HUNTER - WR - TENNESSEE
Hunter showed very well in the combine, showing his speed is returning. He is able to stretch the field with his speed on the outside, is an average blocker, and goes up from the ball with fairly reliable hands giving us both the deep ball and red zone threat that the team has not had since the Randy Moss era.


PICK (52)
ARTHUR BROWN - LB - KANSAS ST.
With Kevin Minter presumably off the board, Arthur Brown is the best LB available and fills a large need. We could also look at a CB at this pick, someone like Jordan Poyer, Logan Ryan, or Robert Alford.


ROUND 3:
DA'RICK ROGERS - WR - TENNESSEE TECH
Da'Rick adds another WR to our corps, increasing the chance that we hit on at least one guy to be a long term starter. Other WR options with this pick are Robert Woods, Quinton Patton, or Markus Wheaton.

ROUND 4:
PICK FROM DET
JON BOSTIC - LB - FLORIDA
Bostic has all the tools to develop into a long term MLB for us.

LEON MCFADDEN - CB - SAN DIEGO ST.
McFadden could be considered a steal in the 4th, and hopefully will groom into a successful replacement for Winfield as the nickel corner.


ROUND 5:
PICK FROM MIA
HUGH THORNTON - OG - ILLINOIS
A classic mauler in the middle, to develop and contribute in the future.

TYLER BRAY - QB - TENNESSEE
Bray has a strong arm and takes MBT's third string job, is able to develop on practice squad.


ROUND 6:
THEO RIDDICK - RB/ST - NOTRE DAME
Riddick comes in and takes over as the primary return man, as well as 3rd string RB and possibly a wildcat back.


ROUND 7:

KHALID WHOOTEN - CB - NEVADA

JOSH BOYCE - WR - T.C.U.




DRAFT RECAP
1. SYLVESTER WILLIAMS-DT
2A. JUSTIN HUNTER-WR
2B. ARTHUR BROWN-LB
3. DA'RICK ROGERS-WR
4A. JON BOSTIC-LB
4B. LEON MCFADDEN-CB
5A. HUGH THORNTON-OG
5B. TYLER BRAY-QB
6. THEO RIDDICK-RB/ST
7A. KHALID WHOOTEN-CB
7B. JOSH BOYCE-WR


So, this is my mock. As I said, go ahead and rip it. I think that we could have fewer pick ups in free agency and trade downs in the draft, both which would fit a bit better with the front office and Spielman's style, but this is my thoughts and hopes for how our offseason unfolds.
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"ARMY AVIATION: HIGH ABOVE THE BEST"

[vikesnewcoach11]

nice first mock! I added you into my thread by the way
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Straight cash homie!!

[NorthCountryEvo]

[rpmwr19]

You've got a few guys going later than they likely will in Brown and Rogers but its a solid first mock.
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Adopt a Viking - Erin Henderson
Stats:

[vike daddy]

[vikings209]

[NorthCountryEvo]

I added Danario Alexander to my mock as a FA. I really love what he did last year, and if he can stay healthy, I see no reason why he can't do it again. I expect him to be a low risk signing because he still has to prove he can stay healthy, and he has recieved a low tender from SD.
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"ARMY AVIATION: HIGH ABOVE THE BEST"

[Freakout]

I swear I must be the only one that doesn't view Sylvester Williams as a NT.
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[KeystoneViking]

[Eric dunn]

[AP_ALL_DAY_28]

I LOVE this mock, Hunter & Rogers are my 2 favorite WR's & I think both of those guys are going to be beasts in the NFL.

Williams A-
Hunter A+
Brown A+
Rogers A+
Boston B
McFaden A-
Thorton B+
Bray (If he falls that far itd be great value) B
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AP, BM, & CH', & Chiefer's SOTD
NBA: Lakers
NFL: Vikings
MLB: Indians
NCAA: Trojans
NHL: Kings

[NorthCountryEvo]

[Purple blood]

If we got all those players I'd give the draft an A+ good picks
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