Get to Know: Tight End Kyle Rudolph

from: Advocare.com

With Norv Turner coming to the Vikings, everyone has talked about how Cordarrelle Patterson will flourish in Turner's down field passing scheme. I really believe that will happen, though maybe not on the level of Josh Gordon last year. Not yet. But the other player that came out of nowhere last year in Norv Turner's offense with the Browns was tight end Jordan Cameron. The 6'5", 250 pound tight end caught 80 passes for 917 yards and 7 touchdowns. And guess what else? That came while catching passes from three different quarterbacks throughout the season. Yea, for Vikings receivers that's 'been there, done that'. But with a new offense and a little more stability at the quarterback position, all the signs are pointed in the right direction for a breakout season for Kyle Rudolph.

Kyle Rudolph played three years of college football at the University of Notre Dame, a school that's produced very good tight ends over the years. He played well enough that he felt confident he'd get drafted if he left a year early. 

from: blogs.ajc.com

When the Vikings drafted Kyle Rudolph in the second round of the 2011 draft, we still had an aging yet good pass-catching tight end in Visanthe Shiancoe on the roster. I expected more two tight end sets than what was actually used, and Rudolph ended the season with only 249 yards and 3 touchdowns. 2012 gave us a glimpse of what we could expect from the 2nd round tight end, as he caught passes for 493 yards, and 9 touchdowns. He even went to the pro bowl as a replacement for Tony Gonzalez. Things were moving in the right direction.  

Then 2013 happened. Rudolph only caught 30 passes for 313 yards and 3 touchdowns, beating out his stats from his rookie year by just a bit. I've heard lots of whisperings that this past year was a bad sign, that maybe he wasn't go to be very good. But he only played in 8 games! He broke his foot in the week 9 game against the Dallas Cowboys, on a large touchdown reception no less.  He didn't play the rest of the season.

But he's all better now. He better be, as the Vikings just gave him a 5 year, $36.5 million extension. Like Everson Griffin, Rudolph is being paid for potential. I love Everson Griffin and believe he will live up to expectations, but I believe the chances that Kyle Rudolph becomes the player the Vikings envision are greater than for Everson Griffin. 

from: m.1500espn.com

I think Rudolph will have a great year as long as he stays healthy. I'm predicting 700-800 yards receiving, and 10 touchdowns. Quite a jump, I know, but we don't really have a true redzone receiver, as in someone 6'3" to 6'5" who can make those ridiculous leaping catches. We've got Rudolph, and I think he'll produce nicely. At 6'6" and 259 pounds, he's a bit taller than Jordan Cameron, but also a bit heavier. He's not as fast as Jordan Cameron-Rudolph ran a 4.78 at the combine, while Cameron ran a 4.59-but Rudolph has been a great run blocker. As long as we have Adrian Pederson, that's a necessity. In Rudolph, we have a a great, soon to be the best, all-around tight end. With great quarterback play, Rudolph could easily be as good as Rob Gronkowski. His future with the Vikings will be great.

I really struggled to find information about Rudolph off the football field. What I did find comes from minnesota.cbslocal.com. Rudolph seems to have adapted to life in Minnesota quite well, which shouldn't be too surprising as he is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. Same region but more snow. Rudolph likes bass fishing and wakeboarding, two things I don't get much enjoyment out of, but I'd still love to hang out with him for a while. He also likes Kenny Chesney, so there's another thing we don't agree on. But hey, I still want him on my fantasy team.

from: espn.go.com

Kyle Rudolph definitely has some proving to do this year and for years to come, but I truly believe he will live up to his hype. Whether Cassel or Bridgewater starts this year, we should have more continuity at the quarterback position. Then especially with the new offense Norv Turner will be running, AP's carries should be slightly reduced, meaning we'll be throwing it more and throwing it farther down field. Rudolph will definitely be a player to watch this year. 

And just to throw this in, 'cuz I know you all want to know, Rudolph is my favorite Vikings player. I'm ecstatic we locked him up for another five years!