Kyle Rudolph signs an extension with Vikings

He is not coming to New England.

Of course this will fire up the "Gronk is not really retired" crowd...

Damn, Damn, Damn
I honestly believed he was going to end up here when the smoke cleared

Our WR/TE group is probably what we will have this season. Not great but it is what it is.

I'm okay with this. I definitely think the TE group could use an upgrade, but I'm always loathe to pay a lot of money for any receiver (TE or WR) that hasn't shown he fits in the system. It CAN work, but it's a risk at high dollars.

SammyBlueCat said:

Kyle Rudolph signs an extension with Vikings

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We were only in play to get something better done there.

TE group is pretty brutal, depending on what Ben has left in the tank. But can't be worse than 2013 when Hooman was our only TE.

Kdo5 said:

TE group is pretty brutal, depending on what Ben has left in the tank. But can't be worse than 2013 when Hooman was our only TE.

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Yeah, I have to think this will be better than the Hooman/Mulligan era. Even though it was only 6 seasons ago, it feels like a completely different era that a guy like Matthew Mulligan had a spot on an NFL 53.

There's the possibility the same way the Pats are considering carrying more LB's and fewer DE's, they're also considering carrying more WR's as well, especially some big blocking ones. They may use an extra O-Lineman instead of a TE and use more WR's.

Watson will be back eventually, Beck has potential, Anderson does as an HBack if he's learned how to block, and LaCosse can at least be a check down option if he can block.

If you don't have a good/great TE, then carry one less than the usual three and use N'Keal at the end of the line like they used Cordarelle, he's stronger.

They'll have three 225 pound WR's eventually, assuming Thomas comes back healthy and Gordon comes off suspension. I can see them running more stretch plays and getting those WR's blocking outside and downfield.

Fans are sleeping on my binky LaCosse.

Rudolph was a nice thought, but he was NEVER coming here. The key was his family. I knew he wasn't a real option when I read that his family didn't want to leave. At that point I figured that an extension was inevitable.

Families DO figure into a players decisions. He's been there several years, he has a house, kids in school, etc It's not easy to ask them to pull up roots and move somewhere mile away for what might be a year and then move again somewhere else. I think it was a MAJOR reason Josh McDaniel didn't take the Colt job. His young family is now deeply rooted in NE.

Now if the Vikes literally tried to f*ck him, then we'd have had a chance. But clearly Rudolph was willing to compromise a million or two and keep his family in a stable environment. He's likely already made his FU money (if he's been smart), and that figures into the equation as well. It SHOULD be that family trumps squeezing the last dime out of a team.

IMO that’s a dumb move for the Vikings. They’re cap-strapped as is. Plus they drafted Irv Smith in the 2nd round.

Ahh so its a sign and trade. Very good

Good. Can we stop obsessing over this guy now? We already have some big, physical receivers with height advantages who, like Rudolph, can line up close to the LOS but can't be expected to actually block well. Let's just change any of Thomas/Gordon/Harry/Inman's position to TE so we can get our own Kyle Rudolph and everyone will be happy.

Agreed

patfanken said:

Rudolph was a nice thought, but he was NEVER coming here. The key was his family. I knew he wasn't a real option when I read that his family didn't want to leave. At that point I figured that an extension was inevitable.

Families DO figure into a players decisions. He's been there several years, he has a house, kids in school, etc It's not easy to ask them to pull up roots and move somewhere mile away for what might be a year and then move again somewhere else. I think it was a MAJOR reason Josh McDaniel didn't take the Colt job. His young family is now deeply rooted in NE.
.

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SammyBlueCat said:

He is not coming to New England.

Of course this will fire up the "Gronk is not really retired" crowd...

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Looks like Gronk’s not really retired...

We’re onto OJ Howard.

UptownPatsFan said:

We’re onto OJ Howard.

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What? Is there any speculation whatsoever that they would move him?

SBLIII said:

Our WR/TE group is probably what we will have this season. Not great but it is what it is.

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Depends, healthy Thomas + sober Gordon + Edelman could arguably be the greatest WR group in NFL history.

Yep, that is what I will tell myself until September

I suspect that we will not make a high level signing at TE. The only major need that we have is vet/swing OT. And, yes, we might bring in a TE and/or a DL. Both positions could use upgrades.