Luis Medina is a Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at@lcm1986. Souhan: If Vikings rebuild, should Spielman and Zimmer be in charge? Spielman called for patience with the team’s young cornerbacks and said injuries to linebackers such as Ben Gedeon (who hasn’t played since last season because of concussion issues) and Cameron Smith (who had surgery after a coronavirus test detected a heart condition) combined with Anthony Barr’s torn pectoral muscle to send the Vikings “scrambling to fill voids as best you can” — which the general manager said has been more difficult this year because of COVID protocols that delay a player’s ability to start practicing. Defenses in college football already play on a slanted field. He was drafted out of Oklahoma State in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft and was considered a “raw talent” coming out of the draft, per PistolsFiring. In between those events, the general manager spent his bye-week media availability attempting to simultaneously defend two theses: that a Vikings team which talked boldly of contending in 2020 hadn’t given up on the year despite a 1-5 start, and that the team’s young defenders need more time to develop. Die-hard Vikings fan? “I don’t know why we played so bad in the Atlanta game,” he said of the Vikings’ 40-23 loss to the previously winless Falcons on Sunday. But I know that’s why the coaches are really trying to work and figure out right now. Tank for Trevor? Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. So it's fair to question if the current Vikings general manager and coach should be making decisions for the future. “I know the situation that came up today — the trade — gave us an opportunity to look long-term and to add more draft picks as we continue to build this roster,” he said. “We didn’t know where Danielle was at the time — what you envision sometimes unfortunately doesn’t always come true,” Spielman said. The Vikings dropped linebacker Eddie Yarbrough from the 53-man roster to make room for Brailford and re-added Yarbrough to the practice squad after he cleared waivers on Monday. Only two teams in 30 seasons overcame 1-5 starts to reach the postseason when the field had 12 teams; the NFL is expanding to 14 playoff teams this year, but all three teams currently in line for NFC wild-card spots (the Packers, Rams and Cardinals) have at least three fewer losses than the Vikings. Lynch was the most impressive interior defensive lineman in his NFL debut and likely carved out a more significant role moving forward. for the latest breaking news, rumors and content out of Skol Nation! Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook. Spielman said the Vikings’ decision to send a second-round draft pick and a conditional fifth-rounder to Jacksonville for Ngakoue was based on the hope of pairing him with Hunter. Those challenges include three straight division games out of the bye, including road trips to Green Bay and Chicago. Ngakoue is traded for draft picks; surgery will halt Hunter's season. Is a Vikings roster, weakened by trades and potentially headed for more changes before the Nov. 3 trade deadline, strong enough to confirm Spielman’s thesis it can still win this season? Shuttle Drill time 4.30 or faster: Three Cone Drill Time 7.35 or faster: Broad Jump of at least 105 inches: 24 or more 225lb Bench Press repetitions The defensive line could see several shakeups with Lynch and Brailford now entering the mix. Wonnum joined Ngakoue by sacking Deshaun Watson. Gophers honoring Sid Hartman with helmet sticker Saturday vs. Michigan, 'His career will never be topped': Close personal encounters and memories of Sid Hartman, Cruz, Buxton each win two awards from Twin Cities baseball writers, Scoggins: New faces, external factors make Gophers defense a question mark. In his 6 games with the #Vikings Yannick Ngakoue graded and ranked: 63.5 Overall (51st) 45.2 Run Defense (110th) 74.3 Pass Rush (16th) 16 Pressures (T-30th) 4 Sacks (T-9th) #SKOL The Twins, in conjunction with the Twin Cities Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, announced the winners of the annual Diamond Awards on Friday morning. And while that type of presence would have offensive coaches and quarterbacks concerned about how a team would handle that type of pressure coming off the edge, he is now a problem for teams in the AFC North and elsewhere in that conference. Brailford was on Washington’s practice squad since Week 1, buried underneath a bevy of recent draft picks including No. His elevation straight to the Vikings 53-man roster shows Minnesota may fast track his progression into the defensive rotation. Host Rece Davis and Co. are back in town for Saturday's broadcast after making their first visit here last November. In addition to news, Bleacher Nation publishes both rumor and opinion, as well as information reported by other sources. “We’ve got two pretty good receivers, we’ve got a pretty talented tight end situation. The Bears and Vikings play twice in the second half, including a Monday Night Football tilt in three weeks. Bleacher Nation is a private media site, and it is not affiliated in any way with Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago Bears, or the Chicago Bulls. Fleck's program takes the next step and wins the Big Ten West. His player comparison by Mockdraftables: none other than Yannick Ngakoue, who was also undersized out of college but excelled on the same three tests. Ifeadi Odenigbo, linebacker Eric Wilson, Ngakoue and rookie James Lynch all sacked Russell Wilson in the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks. Hulu+ Live TV Set to Drop Marquee Sports Network Tomorrow, A Worst-Case Budget Projection for the Cubs Could Mean Releasing Star Player(s), Antonio Brown is Headed to the Buccaneers, Where He’ll Reunite With Tom Brady, Khalil Mack Did Not Practice on Friday, But It Might Just Be Precautionary, Cordarrelle Patterson Is Out There Recruiting AGAIN (I Love It). On Thursday, Rick Spielman was scheduled to talk to Minnesota reporters for the first time about trading for Yannick Ngakoue on Aug. 30. Brailford, 25, is relatively old for a second-year player. The Minnesota Vikings announced Thursday they traded Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens.. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Vikings sent a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2022 to Baltimore. Yannick Ngakoue’s time with the Minnesota Vikings is over after just six games. Brailford likely won’t make his debut with the Vikings by Sunday’s game against the 0-5 Falcons, although there is a chance if he gets up to speed the Vikings could give him some reps to familiarize Brailford with the game speed he has yet to see. Bleacher Nation is supported in part by affiliate advertising programs, which you can learn more about here. That put him on a pace for 13 sacks, 13 tackles-for-loss, and 19 quarterback hits. Those are numbers he was expected to put up after the Vikings traded for him this summer. It Doesn’t Sound Like the Bears Have a Timetable for Eddy Piñeiro’s Return, The Turf Monster Strikes Again, Banking Wins Matters, Bears O-Line Coach Returns, and Other Bears Bullets, Pre-Gamin’: Dodgers at Rays (7:08 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread, Javy Báez and Jason Heyward Show Up in New Nike Voting Ad, Bulls Will Reportedly “Stay Put” at No. Ngakoue picked up 5 sacks, 5 tackles-for-loss, and 7 quarterback hits in six games. “Look at some of the things that we have done,” he said. Minnesota Vikings defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (91) in action against Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Jake Matthews (70) in the first quarter during … So I don’t know if you call that a rebuild or not.”. The Baltimore Ravens and The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a trade to send DE Yannick Ngakoue to Baltimore. The general manager’s first synopsis of the Vikings’ 1-5 start centered on the “momentum” he saw from the team in a three-week stretch that included the team’s lone victory, over the Texans, sandwiched between blown leads that turned into one-point losses against the undefeated Titans and Seahawks. It’s worth watching whether the curious circumstances around his injury — the Vikings have publicly downplayed it, refusing to discuss it publicly in terms more specific than coach Mike Zimmer’s now-famous “tweak,” since Hunter last practiced on Aug. 14 — has exacted any toll on the relationship between the player and the team.