VT Question of the Week: If you could add any current player to the 2015 Vikings roster, who would it be?
Lindsey Young
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Brent: Luke Kuechly, MLB, Carolina Panthers
There is something to be said about adding a top WR to the roster in hopes of helping Teddy Bridgewater and I would have a hard time arguing against that logic. However, adding Kuechly would be tremendous for this defense. Simply the best at his position, Kuechly is excellent against the pass and the run and would serve as a the leader of the defense. Filling a big hole on the Vikings defense, his consistency would allow Zimmer to be super creative and flexible with his other defensive studs and would give the Vikings two of the top young linebackers in the league.
Austin: Luke Kuechly, MLB, Carolina Panthers
The Minnesota Vikings have one gaping hole on the defensive side of the ball – middle linebacker. With Patrick Willis retired and Navarro Bowman returning from a gruesome knee injury, Kuechly begins 2015 as the league’s best middle linebacker. Since entering the NFL in 2012, Kuechly has racked up 473 tackles and is a constant presence around the football. He possesses a rare combination of speed and aggressiveness, and consistently uses his football IQ to diagnose plays in the backfield. He’d step in immediately and contribute on Mike Zimmer’s unit.
Andy: Earl Thomas, FS, Seattle Seahawks
Adding the NFL’s most elite centerfielder would really open things up for Mike Zimmer’s defense and — most importantly — Harrison Smith. Smith would then be free to take on a Kam Chancellor-type role where he spends most of his time in the box. Which is a position where we’ve seen him reek havoc during his first three seasons in the league and also allow him to freelance more ala Troy Polamalu. Additionally, having Thomas would allow Xavier Rhodes and the rest of the cornerback crew a larger margin of error than they currently have. So… Who’s gonna call John Schneider?
Lindsey: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
Okay, I’ll go with the obvious choice here. I was going to attempt a creative and unique answer, but I’m too big of a J.J. Watt fan to NOT pick him. Watt is arguably the best all-around player in the league, and he’s solely responsible for making the Texans a respectable team. Practically speaking, I would love to see Watt on the Vikings roster as Brian Robison is not getting any younger and hasn’t had amazing numbers the past two years. Not to mention, Watt always finds ways to make both the defensive and the offensive plays. He immediately makes a team better.
Plus, Watt just released Ben Dogra as his agent, so that in itself wins him extra points.
Adam: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
Taking Aaron Rodgers away from the Packers would be so satisfying on so many levels. Andrew Luck is arguably the most valuable player in football due to his youth and talent. I think the honest answer to this question would realistically come down to these two guys if a real G.M. were faced with such a dilemma, but I know that isn’t in the spirit of this question and I don’t want to be the one to derail the Teddy hype train. So, if I eliminate quarterback from the equation and consider the current Vikings roster, I have to vote for J.J. Watt. And, you know what, I don’t think an explanation is really even needed for that. He’s everything any team would want in a player and as a person.
Brett: Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots
Though it was tempting to further bolster the Vikings developing defense, the prospect of adding Rob Gronkowski to this offense was ultimately too much to pass up. Picture this: Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson (potentially, but bear with me…), Mike Wallace, Charles Johnson, Kyle Rudolph and Rob Gronkowski. There isn’t a defense in the NFL that could match up with that sort of unit! It goes without saying that Gronkowski can single-handedly wreck a defense and cannot be defended. A generational talent at tight end could do wonders for the development of Teddy and put the Vikings offense over the edge.
Carl: Luke Kuechly, MLB, Carolina Panthers
Kuechly led the NFL in tackles as a rookie and won the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2012. Yes, that’s right, the same year the Vikings selected Matt Kalil with the forth overall pick when they could have taken Kuechly instead.
Guest of the Week
Master Tesfatsion, Star Tribune: Khalil Mack, LB, Oakland Raiders
I’m basing this off what the Vikings need right now. Since someone already said Luke Keuchly, which was my first choice, I’m going with Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack. I loved him coming out of college (Buffalo) last year, and I feel like he flew under the radar last year because he played for Oakland. I watched every snap of the Raiders last year (what is wrong with me?) to get a better look at quarterback Derek Carr and Mack. Make no mistake, he had an excellent season and will turn into one of the best linebackers in the game very soon. Imagine pairing Mack with Anthony Barr and the Vikings’ front four? That’d be a huge upgrade over an aging Chad Greenway, and head coach Mike Zimmer would be scheming unique blitz packages for years to come with Mack and Barr.
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