A Theory on Vikings RDE Position Not Yet Widely Presented
Dustin Baker
|
What pass rushers can the Minnesota Vikings sign with their remaining cap space?
That’s the hot-topic question at this juncture of the offseason, theorizing players to be paired with Danielle Hunter in 2021 to inspire a pass rush. In 2020 – a maligned campaign for Minnesota – the Vikings finished with the NFL’s worst pass rush per Pro Football Focus. Stuff happens – but this dubious distinction is terribly incongruent with the ways head coach Mike Zimmer conducts business. Resultantly, fans yearn for an additional pass-rushing presence like Justin Houston, Melvin Ingram, or Everson Griffen. The Vikings currently have a cocktail of Stephen Weatherly, D.J. Wonnum, Patrick Jones II, and Janarius Robinson to perhaps split defensive snaps – or experience one of the men rise as the front-running starter.
As of early July, free-agent acquisition Stephen Weatherly is probably the presumed starter if the Vikings do not use the committee approach. But according to CBS Sports, that popular consensus should undergo a pumping of brakes. Contrary to the belief that Weatherly will likely start, CBS Sports’ Patrick Walker considers Weatherly a potential victim of a veteran “chopping block.” That is – he hints that Weatherly may not even make the team:
“Weatherly has unfortunately seen this movie before. It’s not his first dance with the Vikings, having been released after the 2019 season when he didn’t deliver as they had hoped. Two years later, he’s back with the team and facing another potential out — this time before he takes the field in Minnesota. The 27-year-old was recently released by the Carolina Panthers after struggling to perform in Charlotte as well, and must now contend with added competition that wasn’t present in Minneapolis when he signed his one-year deal in March. Rookie third-round pick Patrick Jones II and fourth-round pick Janarius Robinson bring a ton of promise to the Vikings defensive front, and the signing of Weatherly could easily be viewed as draft insurance — which is no longer required — that gives the Vikings $2 million back in savings if they cancel it.”
This theory is new.
Weatherly was the first newsworthy free-agent signing back in March, ushering in a whole slew of eventual signings on defense by general manager Rick Spielman. It was early March, and Spielman brought Weatherly home (he played in Minnesota for four seasons before a Carolina adventure), signaling the commencement of free-agent moves. Later, Patrick Peterson, Dalvin Tomlinson, Bashaud Breeland, Sheldon Richardson, and others followed.
The 2021 NFL Draft could have damaged Weatherly’s stock – according to Walker. While it is unusual for a Zimmer-led team to start a defensive lineman out of the gate, the working theory is that either Jones II or Robinson would escalate the depth chart, ending Weatherly’s stint with the Vikings in a premature fashion.
That plan is bold. Weatherly performed well when Everson Griffen missed time in 2018 but has struggled to replicate that six-game performance ever since. His trip to the Panthers didn’t work out – hence his return to a Zimmer safe-zone.
As for a rookie defensive end starting in 2021, Jones II or Robinson’s presence on the field at RDE1 would entail a paradigm shift. In Zimmer’s tenure with the Vikings, just two players have started at defensive end in their rookie seasons – Danielle Hunter for a single game in 2015 and D.J. Wonnum out of absolute others-are-injured necessity last year.
Ergo, for Walker’s idea to come true, Jones II or Robinson would really have to prove a lot to Zimmer – something even Hunter did not, for the most part, six years ago.
The silver lining? If it’s Jones II or Robinson early in the season instead of Weatherly – it will mean that a rookie has totally shined in training camp, causing Weatherly to be expendable. It’s a raw deal for Weatherly but exciting for the enterprise.