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What good will drafting a speedy WR do? We all know, just like the other teams, that Teddy has a weak arm. He has consistently shown he can't throw long down the field with accuracy. It would be a waste of our No. 1 pick. We need another Stefon Diggs who can run good routes and catch the ball. -- Chris Woudstra
I agree the Vikings could use another WR who can run quality routes and catch, and that Diggs is a good model of that. But I don't agree at all that Teddy has a weak arm and that his inability to throw deep passes is why the Vikings passing numbers aren't better. Teddy's arm strength is solid – it may not be his greatest asset but it's certainly not below standard. The Vikings need to improve its downfield passing attack is not a function of Teddy's lack of arm strength. It's a more complex issue than that, and it involves pass protection, the performance of the receivers and several other factors, including Teddy's decision making. I'm not suggesting Teddy is absent all blame whatsoever; he needs to play better. But it's not a problem with his arms strength and I do think acquiring another talented receiver can be a part of the solution.
With the Vikings moving into US Bank stadium this season, do you think playing indoors will have a negative impact on our team's improving defense? -- Brian H. Chicago, IL
Not at all. If it has any impact at all, I think it'll have a positive impact. I've been inside US Bank Stadium recently and one observation I had was that the cozy confines will help create an atmosphere in which Vikings fans can make that place very noisy. I also think playing on an artificial surface will help the Vikings pass rushers, in addition to quality athletes such as Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, because it'll be a fast track in a controlled environment.
Sounds like Cordarrelle is committed to improving his receiving skills for this season. With that being said, should we involve him more as a running back for next season? -- Tim Krouse
It would be great if that happens because we already know he can be a dynamic playmaker with the football in his hands. We see it every game as a kickoff returner and we saw it quite a bit when he was a rookie. But he has to continue developing as a WR in order for that to happen. Once he can become a threat in that role, then he'll be more effective as a ball-carrier. What you want to avoid is a situation where every time he's on the field, the defense is keying on him for a run of some kind. Once he develops as a receiver, then he'll be a dual threat and the defense won't be able to key on him as easily.
Do you think with the new indoor stadium, Norv will open up the long ball? Especially if we get a nice pick for a receiver, like Josh Doctson to complement Stefon Diggs. -- Gordon Overing
Certainly adding a downfield threat in the draft and playing in a controlled environment could help generate more opportunities in the passing game, but I feel a more important element to opening up the passing game is to improve the pass protection. The Vikings had the fewest passing attempts (454) in the NFL last season but allowed the sixth-most sacks (45); that tells you all you need to know about the need for improved pass protection.
With all this wishing for another WR with the 23rd pick, is unrealistic that the best player available could actually be another great LB or DT? -- Craig Osterman
That is completely realistic. In fact, the odds that the best player available is at any given position is small because there are so many different positions. If the Vikings wind up with one of the draft's better WRs at No. 23, that won't surprise anyone. But it also won't surprise me if the Vikings select an OL in that spot or if they give Mike Zimmer another stud on defense in the 1st round. You can make a compelling case for a number of different positions at pick No. 23 for the Vikings, including several positions along both the defensive and offensive lines as well as WR and positions within the secondary.
Do you ever think we'll see the day where the NFL will employ a 17-game regular season schedule where every team will play one of its games overseas? That way every team would be guaranteed eight home games in the regular season but would also be required to play one game in London, for example. This would take away the disadvantage teams who host the game in London have right now because they lose one of their eight home games. -- Kris Utah
This is an interesting topic of conversation to me and it's an idea I'm sure has been bandied about at some level within the League. It's not a bad idea, and I love the outside the box thinking by Kris on it. I wouldn't rule this out nor would I rule anything out with the NFL because they are very creative and always looking for ways to change and make the League better. But I see a scenario in which a team relocates to London and has eight home games a year over there before I see the League switching formats to a 17-game schedule and making every team go over there every year.
