08/01/22 Training Camp Notes

Last time, I projected the Vikings would keep two quarterbacks in the hopes that Mond would overtake Mannion with a fully healthy offseason. While the Vikings are making it clear that Mond and Mannion are battling for the backup quarterback spot by rotating them in training camp, Mannion has far more experience with full-speed reps and has performed better in those reps. Mond seems robotic and takes too long to decide to get rid of the ball. He hasn’t made up for it with consistent big plays or precise passing, so he seems poorly suited to be a backup. He still has potential, however, and if he can speed up his process, his arm strength and athleticism would be an intriguing option down the road.

Zimmer was right about Mond.

Will be interesting to see who the new regime drafts next year.

Mond should never have been taken in Round 3 last year.  I was pissed when we spent a pick on him and caught a lot of flack, but take away his running ability and he was awful in college.  His mechanics are terrible, he is slow to process...it is nothing new...there really isn't much there worth investing in aside from he's a good athlete, a good kid and seems to be a hard worker (but that doesn't make you a good QB).   He's been a robot/mechanical thrower his entire college career (it's painful to watch).  There is nothing natural about his as a thrower of the ball.  Knowing that, there should have been enough  input from a guy like McCardell, who got to see plenty of him in 21, that there is absolutely no excuse for not taking a flyer on Carson Strong in round 6 ......ZERO excuses.

Strong would have been a 1st round talent had it not been for injury concerns, the kid is loaded with talent.  Medium case scenario....you lock down a perennial backup who can excel when needed, but you don't have to depend on week in week out from a durability standpoint.  Best case scenario...the knee holds up and you have a future replacement for Cousins, Worst case scenario you wasted a 6th round pick.  There was no reason not to take the risk with him that late with as poor as our backups are.  

Qwese was the guy I wanted, but so far I'm giving him a C+.  I think he's done some good things and some bad things....we will see.  But I especially question some of the draft moves we made and I still don't see the value in the Phillips signing.  On the draft...I'm not saying we didn't get some decent players...but I felt we got out manuevered, taken advantage of and left value on the table.  I'm also not so sure I see the value in trading back 20 places with game changers on the board from 12 -32 and taking a S.  Not that I have a problem with Cine, but Safeties don't really change games.  We've had Harry for a long time, he's been one of the top Safeties in the League during his career and a big asset to the team....but he doesn't have the ability to take over a game.  Safeties are not game changers...particularly in this day and age when they can't lay people out.  In my opinion, you don't pass on 20 first round picks to draft a player at a position that is limited in how it can change the game!  QB's can take over games, RB's can take over games, WR's can take over games, CB's can shut down a primary target effectively taking away a teams best player and/or shutting down 1/3 of the field, NT can take over a game (see Akeim Hicks).  Safeties....can't do that.  If our original spot was at 32, I'd have no objection the pick...but we passed on a lot of potential game changers.  And then to follow that up with not taking a single QB...particularly one of Strong's upside when still on the board late in the draft when you know the cupboard is bare...I just think he didn't make the most of his opportunities.  I feel like he went into the draft with 15-20 players he thought could be there when he drafted and didn't adjust to what the board provided him.

Anyway, based on some comments early in the summer it sounded like Mond had made some progress so I thought maybe a more offensive minded coach might be having a positive impact and maybe he'd be better than I projected....but apparently....he still sucks and we are going to be stuck with Mannion again.  


    

100% agree, until you have your QB of the future on the roster, you should always be working on finding one.  We had several chances to take Willis in the draft, I would have rather taken a shot on a guy like that than a LB who is going to be a backup.  

Andrew Krammer
@andrew_Krammer
Vikings QB pecking order in individual drills is Cousins, Mond, Mannion