Vs Packers

This is going to be a short post. There isn't a lot to say. Against the Packers offense, we can't shoot ourselves in the foot. When Aaron Rodgers only throws for 156 yards, but throws 3 touchdowns, we obviously had problems.

Short and sour. Field position sucked. The Packers didn't have to move the ball far to score.

Turnovers. When Ponder throws an interception on back to back drives, in our own territory, it's not going to end well no matter who we play.

from: foxnews.com

Playcalling. I understand Ponder isn't Bridgewater. Ponder doesn't have the vision, but why do people forget about Ponder's legs? Ponder won't run linebackers over like Tebow could occasionally, but I believe he's just as fast. Why couldn't Ponder run the same read-option scheme that Bridewater was running against Atlanta? Or have him run a traditional read option like the 49ers scheme. Asiata and McKinnon would get a lot of running, and we could get Jerome Felton involved more. I understand Turner's offense is a lot different, but instead of cutting the playbook down because you can't trust Ponder, maybe tailor the offense for Ponder, for just a game? 

from: the-daily-news.com

The defense was put in a hard situation. With the Packers average starting field position the way it was, our defense played ok. They weren't amazing, but they didn't lose the game for us. Griffin notched another sack in what has been a quietly productive season for him. 

from: topbet.eu

Honestly, this didn't turn out as short as I had initially planned. It was just an ugly loss. I don't have the hate towards Ponder that everyone else does. He was an extreme reach by an organization that was in desperate need of a quarterback. Rather, they felt they needed a quarterback to keep up with the rest of the NFC North. Ponder never lived up to his draft status, but he shouldn't have been drafted that high in the first place. You're not going to find many coaches willing to tailor an offense to a specific style of quarterback play like the Broncos did for Tebow, but even if someone was willing to meet Ponder halfway, I think he would have turned out much better. But we need to move on. We've got Bridgewater. Yes, Bridgewater and the Detroit game, coming to a blog near you, if you happen to have access to a computer, the internet, and are actually reading my blog. 

Who Could Make the Switch?

The Vikings have always run a 4-3 defense and will probably always run a 4-3 defense. Even with new defensive coordinators, our defensive scheme seems as stable as the horn that sounds after each Vikings’ touchdown. Mike Zimmer is shaking things up a bit, though. We expect to actually see blitzes from the linebacker position and linemen dropping into coverage at times.

But what if the Vikings ran a different defense? A 3-4 is the first that comes to mind. Who would play what position? I want to take that a step further: what 4-3 defensive ends would make the best 3-4 outside linebackers, and vice versa?

4-3 ends into linebackers

Everson Griffin. I have to start with a Vikings player. We’re going to get a good long look at Griffin this year, but we already know a bit about his production from last year. For 273 pounds, Griffin is fast; he ran a 4.66 forty yard dash at the combine. That was four years ago, but I doubt he’s lost any of that speed. With his ability to rush inside and out, and his combination of size and speed, Griffin would make a fearsome rush linebacker.

from: profootballfocus.com

Robert Quinn, Rams. He’s a stud. He has the power to bull rush, and, sadly to admit, an even quicker burst than Everson Griffin. With a slightly smaller frame, Quinn could be decent in coverage as well.

from: espn.go.com

Michael Johnson, Buccaneers. For all the same reasons as Quinn. Johnson is fast, and while he may not be as strong, he can still get to the quarterback. He’s bulked up to about 270, so he may benefit from dropping a bit of weight if he had to make the switch, but he would still be very effective.

Ezekial Ansah, Lions. A raw product who hasn’t played football long, he’s a crazy athlete. As a 3-4 outside linebacker, he’d be a bit big, but his athleticism would allow him to excel.

Dion Jordan, Dolphins. I love Oregon, and Dion Jordan was all over the defensive field playing multiple positions. While he hasn’t lived up to his early draft position yet, hopefully that turns around soon. Jordan will excel by being lined up all over the place. As an outside linebacker Jordan could rush from multiple positions.

from: philly.com

3-4 linebacker into ends

Aldon Smith, 49ers. He has some personal issues to deal with, but Smith would be a terror lined up as a left or right end. He can rush the passer and stop the run equally well, and he’s very fast for 265 pounds.

Quinton Coples, Jets. At 290 pounds (this varies based on what website you reference), Coples could really be a small 4-3 tackle or a 3-4 end, which means he could play a bigger 4-3 end. He’s not nearly as quick as the others in this article, but coming out of college playing at 280 he ran a 4.78 forty yard dash. That’s very good for his size. He’s got the arm length to reach to either side of the tackle to pull down a runner and enough of a burst to occasionally get a sack.

from: newsday.com

Jadeveon Clowney, Texans. Need I say anything? Ok, I will. He played a 4-3 end at South Carolina, and he’s a freak athlete. Done.

Brian Orakpo, Redskins. He’s just great at everything. He can shed blockers on his way to the passer and to bring down the runner. I would imagine he could do something similar from a three-point and four-point stance.

from: washingtonpost.com

Robert Mathis, Colts. Mathis has proven he can play both positions. He was a stud in their 4-3 defense two seasons ago and led the NFL with 19.5 sacks last year. If he needed to, I believe he could make the switch back to an end. If he hadn’t torn his Achilles, of course. That might slow him down.

I know I left plenty out as there are a lot of crazy defensive athletes in the league, but these are the first ones I thought of. Feel free to comment with others you think could easily make the switch.

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!

Vikings Expected Defensive Scheme

I will be creating a page specifically for the Vikings Defensive Scheme, but until we know for sure what that is, I'm going to surmise in a blog post.

The Vikings have and will continue to run a base 4-3 defense. In it's very basic that means there are four down lineman (down meaning they have their hands on the ground) and three linebackers. See the image below.

from: bleacherreport.com

For many years the Vikings had run a cover two 4-3 defense, which meant that the four down lineman were relied upon to provide the pass rush while the linebackers were in pass coverage and run support. On a run play, each player of the defensive line and each linebacker would be in charge of a specific gap, such as between the guard and center or between the tackle and tight end (the image above examples this very nicely. For more information, you'll have to go to bleacherreport.com). We fared well with that when we had Pat and Kevin Williams and Jared Allen. With the loss of Pat Williams, though, we didn't have the big run stuffing nose tackle to go along with the 3 technique pass rushing defensive tackle of Kevin Williams. Now, before the 2014 season, the cover two is gone, replaced by Mike Zimmer's more aggressive, bringing-pressure-from-other-positions 4-3. Finally. We need this.

 While I am not completely sure what Zimmer is going to do with our defense, I can surmise based on personnel, what he's said, and what he's done in the past. Defensive Coordinator George Edwards should help a bunch as well, as he has extensive experience on the defensive side of the ball. 

Based on personnel, we will be putting Linval Joseph at the nose guard position. He will line up between the center and guard most often and be expected to take on double teams. He'll shift from side to side based on where the tight end lines up if there's a tight end. Shariff Floyd will play the 3-technique, lined up opposite Joseph but between the guard and tackle for most base sets. He'll be leaned upon for interior pass rush and run support. Then we have Everson Griffin and Brian Robison. Plan for Griffin to play the right defensive end spot to replace Jared Allen. In his first full season as a starter, Griffin will be relied upon to bring a lot of pressure from the typical pass-rushing end spot (I hope to be seeing a lot of the below image from Griffin). Brian Robison will play the left end spot, where he's been solid ever since we chose not to resign Ray Edwards in 2011. Robison doesn't usually put up flashy numbers, but he's always been solid against the pass and the run.

from: bleacherreport.com

The linebackers are much more of a mystery. Chad Greenway will definitely be starting at one position, but whether that's on the left side or the right side remains to be seen. Anthony Barr, the Vikings first, first round draft pick will most likely get the start on the other side. However, I can see him and Greenway being shifted around based on the opposing personnel and situation. Don't expect Barr to be in pass coverage very often, though with his athletic ability, I hope that gets better quickly (see my breakdown on his skillset: http://theinconsistentviking.blogspot.com/2014/05/first-round-analysis-anthony-barr.html). He was drafted for his athletic ability and potential, but the best way he can contribute immediately is with his pass rushing skills. The middle linebacker is more of a mystery. Typically in a cover two the linebackers would be smaller and quicker, able to get to a running back but also to cover a specific zone on the field. Expect that to change a bunch in Zimmer's scheme. In the past Zimmer has run more man coverage. With our corners being put into man coverage more often, our linebackers will be free to blitz. Expect Anthony Barr to be blitzing at least sixty percent of the time during his rookie season. Greenway could see some blitzing as well, as will our middle linebacker, but the pass rush from the linebacker position should focus on Barr.

If we're comparing what to expect to what was in the past, Barr would play a similar position to what James Harrison played for the Bengals. Harrison, however, was a situational pass rusher and didn't play often. The Vikings want Barr to play much more than that. Zimmer has already said he envisions Barr in a similar role to the one Von Miller plays for the Broncos. Miller is a superstar, rushing the passer from the linebacker position in some sets and from the defensive end position in other sets. One thing we could see coming is shifting Barr down to the right defensive end spot, taking Linval Joseph off the field, and sliding Everson Griffin into the defensive tackle spot. That gets four great pass rushers on the field at once. I'm seeing the Giants NASCAR set, where they would have their four best pass rushers down on the line, oftentimes that being four defensive ends. It's a thought that gives me chills. And the air conditioning isn't even running. They could also play only three down lineman and play Barr as a linebacker up against the line of scrimmage, like James Harrison is doing in the image below.

from: cincyjungle.com

Greenway could play a spot more similar to Vontaze Burfict of the Bengals. Granted, their skillsets are much different. Greenway is no longer the athlete he used to be, but he is still the Vikings smartest defender by a long shot. He should still break triple digits in tackles, meaning he may often be playing mop up duty. I'm very comfortable with that role for him. As to the middle linebacker, that's harder to predict. For the Bengals, Rey Maualuga was the starter for the last few years. He's big, able to dish out huge hits, but slow. They also had Emmanuel Lamur, who played a lot on passing downs as he was smaller and much faster than Maualuga. Who could play those roles for the Vikings. Well, returning from a year stint with the Cardinals is Jasper Brinkley. He's good in run defense but that's it. He's not fast and he's terrible in pass coverage. Then we have Audie Cole, seen below, who could be very solid, though he's not nearly the athlete that Lamur is. Cole has very little experience, yet what he does have has been very promising. We also have Michael Mauti, and Gerald Hodges will need to find a position somewhere. I really have no idea what could happen (though honestly, I'd prefer if Jasper Brinkley was our third or fourth option).

from: thevikingage.com

Obviously, a major part of this defense working is our secondary's ability to switch to man coverage. One thing we have going for us is that Xavier Rhodes should actually be more comfortable in man than in zone. The Vikings are relying heavily on the second year corner to guard the likes of Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Jordy Nelson. Captain Munnerlyn is a good addition in this aspect. He and Josh Robinson should compete for covering the slot corner. From what I've seen (and I will be shocked if I'm actually right), Josh Robinson has been better on the outside even with his blazing speed. That will allow Munnerlyn to play in the slot, where he should be very good. With Harrison Smith playing amazing-typical-we do still need a little help from the other side. Jamarca Sanford has not been great-about average at best, which is better than not even close to average-and his time may be coming to a close. Antone Exum may be a long shot for the other safety spot-he's only a year removed from a severe lower body injury-but his experience working out of the corner could translate nicely to what the Vikings may be doing. Give him a year or two to bounce back from the injury and learn the defense, then plug him beside Harrison Smith. Giving him some reps this year, even three or four snaps a game, could go a long way towards his development.

Just as our offense will benefit from a complete overhaul, our defense is going to benefit from the shift from the traditional cover two to a more aggressive, more man coverage dominated 4-3. Expectations are always high this time of year. I know the Jaguars and Raiders are super psyched about their rosters and their chances. They should be. No one has played a game yet. But the Vikings were long overdue for this change. With most defenses today throwing in exotic sets and blitz packages, and seeing the success that many of them have had (see Jets, Patriots, Bengals, Broncos, Seahawks), it was time the Vikings start doing something more unpredictable. What? You mean all three of our linebackers are going to drop into zone coverage again? I really didn't expect that. How shall they ever combat the four down lineman blitzing straight ahead like they have for the last eight games of the season? I'm very excited to see how our new defense fairs. Even if we aren't great this year, I see great things for the future. But we will be great. I mean, come one. We're undefeated so far this season. We're practically the best team in the league. 

End of Year Results for Vikings Rookies - According to Madden

from: blog.pier59.com

I love the Vikings. I love Madden. I was extremely bummed when no Vikings players were considered for the Madden 15 Cover Vote. But that's not what this post is about. This post is about how the Vikings rookies ended up after their first year in Madden 25. The rosters were downloaded from the Madden Community, and they include the 2014 draft picks for each team from rounds one through three. I did a little tweaking just because the cornerbacks taken in the first round had abysmal ratings. The tight ends suffered as well (Eric Ebron was behind Joseph Fauria and Brandon Pettigrew? Please). I only altered Teddy Bridgewater slightly, giving his awareness rating a slight bump up to 75.

In the first run-through I simmed the whole season. Teddy Bridgewater got the start at quarterback, Jerrick McKinnon was the backup to AP, Anthony Barr started at the left outside linebacker spot, and Scott Crichton backed up Everson Griffin as the right end. I used the stock Minnesota offensive and defensive playbook, though I did add a few more plays where Barr would be rushing the quarterback.

from: fansided.com

Teddy Bridgewater: 77 overall rating. 2875 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He had a 51% completion percentage. He also had 225 rushing yards with 1 touchdown. Let's compare that to the other first round quarterbacks. Johnny Manziel threw for 3568 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. More yards, but the Browns don't have Adrian Peterson. Blake Bortles backed up Chad Henne the whole year, but he did come in for a couple games and threw for 422 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. Bridgewater definitely needs to get better, but he managed the game like we needed. 

Jerrick McKinnon: 71 overall rating. 749 rushing yards with 7 touchdowns. Peterson went down for a few games, so McKinnon saw a lot of action. He also had 105 receiving yards.

Anthony Barr: 82 overall rating. 58 total tackles, 9 tackles for a loss with 6 sacks. That's compared to Jadeveon Clowney who had 7 sacks and JJ Watt who led the league with 19 sacks. 

In this example, the Vikings went 10-6. We even beat the Packers in the Wildcard round, but then lost to the Seahawks in the Divisional round. I'd say that's a solid year all-around.

In my second example, I tweaked things a bit. I added a few more deep passing routes to the playbook, along with more wide receiver screens. For the defense, I used the Broncos playbook and added a few multiple fronts. I wanted to get Barr more involved rushing the passer, especially since Mike Zimmer has said he wants to use Barr in a similar role to how the Broncos use Von Miller. I simmed this season as well.

Teddy Bridgewater threw for 3,210 yards, with 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. 

Jerrick McKinnon got injured for a couple games and only ended with 132 yards and 1 touchdown. 

Anthony Barr had 48 tackles, with 15 for a loss and 14 sacks. He even had a forced fumble. Kind of think this was a bit ridiculous, but Barr gained a ton of experience!

Scott Crichton failed to get even a single tackle. Granted, Everson Griffin played very well, recording 12 sacks. Wasn't on the level of Barr, but if this happens in the upcoming season, it will legitimize the chance the Vikings have given Griffin.

The Vikings went 11-5 this time. We lost in the first round to the Packers.

In my third example, I did my normal tweaking. I used the Colts pass heavy offense with a lot of WR screens thrown in, and even signed T.Y. Hilton when the computer decided to release him from the Colts (yes, the computer does some very stupid things). I completely overhauled the defense. I switched from a 4-3 to a hybrid multiple front, started Linval Joseph at the nose tackle, Everson Griffin as a pass rushing right end, and moved Shariff Floyd over to a run stuffing left end. Barr played a 3-4 outside linebacker, which he is extremely well suited for, Crichton still backed up Griffin, and I shifted Chad Greenway to a middle linebacker. Yea, buddy. Rhodes is going to have to step up big in coverage 'cuz I'm sending the house on lots of plays. 

Teddy threw for 3,914 yards, with 28 touchdowns to only 9 interceptions. He also had a 60% completion percentage. That's the kind of game management we need from him (though if you've read my previous post, I'd prefer we wait a year to get it).

from: maddentips.com

Jerrick McKinnon only had a couple hundred yards with one score, but that's because AP ended with 2,283 yards with 20 touchdowns.

Anthony Barr ended with 71 total tackles, 13 sacks, and 1 interception. Again, a very good showing for him. Clowney beat him out for defensive rookie of the year, however, with 15 sacks. Combined with J.J. Watt's 24 sacks, the Texan's defense was crazy (their offense still struggled mightily, though). 

Scott Crichton only ended up with 5 tackles, but he did back up Everson Griffin who ended with 17 sacks on the year.

The Vikings went 14-2, but lost in the divisional round of the playoffs (I simmed it), so all in all, it was a very successful year. 

In conclusion, my Madden seasons have never been an accurate prediction of real life. When I'm controlling the offense, the Vikings are guaranteed at least 13 wins (and I'm not even that good. The all-madden difficulty just needs a lot of work, which supposedly is coming in Madden 15). Even simming the seasons didn't turn out very realistic. I honestly believe we can expect an 8-8 season, 9-7 at the best. But I don't play Madden to predict the upcoming or current season; I play Madden to control my favorite team and see how far and how well I can utilize those pixilated characters run by a somewhat vast ratings system that can be tweaked to my hearts content. 

First Round Analysis - Anthony Barr

For the third year in a row, the Vikings have at least two first round picks. That's pretty great, considering the talent we've gotten. In 2012 we got Matt Kalil and Harrison Smith, both who should be starting and performing at a very high level for us for years to come. Last year we got Xavier Rhodes, Shariff Floyd, and Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson burst onto the scene in all three aspects of the offensive game-passing, running, and returning kickoffs-and Norv Turner's offense is going to feature him a lot more this year. Floyd and Rhodes are both going to be assuming starting roles and look to be in good shape to do so. After trading down one spot with the Browns and getting an additional 5th round pick, the Vikings drafted Anthony Barr.

Anthony Barr, OLB UCLA:

from: nfl.si.com

There were rumors floating around about the Vikings being interested in Barr, but I honestly didn't think it would happen. At nearly 6'5" and 255 lbs, he's a bit big for the prototypical 4-3 linebacker size, and he's a bit small for a 4-3 defensive end. He'd been repeatedly mocked to the Titans, who will be running a 3-4 this year, as he is seen as a pass rushing outside linebacker. 

But Barr has all the athletic tools to succeed in any system. While he's only played on the defensive side of the ball for two years, his production during those two years is a good indicator that Barr can grasp a defensive scheme and handle his assignments well. If we're just looking at projection, who knows how high his ceiling could be? He hasn't been playing defense for long. He ran a 4.66 forty yard dash at the combine, which is good, but then he ran a 4.45 at his pro day, which is astounding. He has the sideline to sideline speed that you always hear about that teams covet. 

I'm going to analyze Barr in relation to the different assignments he'll be asked to play. I'm getting most of this information from the scouting report posted on bleacherreport.com. I'm going to start with a graph rating different aspects of Barr's game.

from:bleacherreport.com

Pass Rushing: This is the skill that made him stand out and pushed him into the conversation for a top first round pick. He has a very quick first step (what everyone says about why Jadeveon Clowney will be so good), and then he follows that with tremendous speed. Hence the 8 he scores for initial quickness. He also has a great counter, as in when he gets the tackle to commit to the outside speed rush he cuts underneath to the inside. His crazy agility allows him to pull off those stunts. Yet according to the graph, Barr only registers a 7 overall for pass rushing. That's because he still has plenty to work on. His power moves need the most work. But that can be taught, and I don't have any doubts that we have the right coaches to help with that. A little more strength will help as well (he didn't put up awesome bench numbers), and that's a weight room assignment that he will have many chances to rectify.

from: all22breakdown.com

Run Support: This needs some work. At a 5, the only ranking lower is his strength, which would help immensely in run support. He doesn't shed blocks well, and once a lineman has engaged him he's pretty much out of the play. Most of his power comes from his legs, so once he gets his upper body stronger he should be able to push off easier. He has the awareness-he knows where he needs to be-he just needs more practice and experience. Working against someone like Matt Kalil and learning from Everson Griffin and Brian Robison will benefit him tremendously. Chad Greenway will also be great at showing him the ropes, as Barr will most likely play the opposite linebacker spot. One thing Barr does extremely well in run support is chase the ball carrier from behind, especially when the play is going away from him. It's all about speed and athleticism in those situations, and Barr already has that.

from: nfl.com

Pass Coverage: A prospect scouted as a pass rushing 3-4 outside linebacker probably isn't good in coverage, right? Most of the time, yeah, but that's not the case with Barr. He doesn't have the awareness and experience yet, but he has the speed and agility necessary to play well in space, especially in the zone that I think the Vikings will be running with their linebackers most of the time. At the point he's at now, he gets a rating of 7 for zone coverage, and 6 for man coverage. That's good for a linebacker who will probably be used to rush the passer on most downs. He picked up his role on defense quickly at UCLA, so I don't expect him to struggle for long when learning what his role in Zimmer's 4-3 defense will be. 

I personally do not know what Zimmer's defense is going to look like. The question right now, when discussing Barr, is how often are they going to blitz more than four players. In the past, the Vikings have been all about rushing only their four down lineman. With Barr though, you have to think Zimmer will be sending him at the passer, at least on obvious passing downs. Xavier Rhodes should take a step forward in his ability to cover, and Munnerlyn will help a lot on the back end. The Vikings will still draft a safety yet to hopefully start next to Harrison Smith or to provide valuable rotation minutes, and I still think they take another linebacker who excels in coverage, like Telvin Smith from Florida State or Christian Kirksey from Iowa. Better coverage means we can afford to send another guy to harass the quarterback. I'm exited to see what Barr can do when combined with Robison, Griffin, and Floyd against the NFC North's quarterbacks. A few more plays with Aaron Rodgers on his backside, or watching Cutler and Stafford try to scramble away from pressure, will always be welcome.