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Super excited that Anthony Harris signed [his franchise tender]. Now we can hope that those two (Harrison Smith and Harris) can keep that young secondary up to snuff. Pick-sixes all season baby. Skol.
— Pete Westmoreland
Count me among the people that were happy to hear that news, too. Anthony is a great person and player, and he will get a well-deserved raise in 2020. He's worked his tail off after being an undrafted free agent in 2015, becoming a special-teams ace before exceling as a starter over the past two seasons.
This move gives the Vikings stability at safety, where they arguably have the best tandem at that position in the league in Harris and Smith. Both players are considered among the best at their position, and their experience will be needed on the back end with such a young group of cornerbacks on the roster.
The depth at wide receiver is a battle that I'm looking forward to. I think we might see some relatively surprising cuts (i.e. Bisi Johnson and Chad Beebe) to make room for the first-year Vikings. How do you think the depth will shake out and how many receivers will we keep on the roster with [Vikings offensive coordinator Gary] Kubiak liking his tight ends?
— Isaac from Minnetonka
I can't wait to see what changes the outcomes from our offseason bring. That being said, I've noticed that one name keeps being left off whenever there is talk of our receivers. What is happening with Chad Beebe? There has been no update on his rehab or if there has been, I've completely missed it. Is he not expected to come back? Or if he is, in what capacity? Thank you!
— Patti James in Savage, MN
We'll group Isaac and Patti's emails since they both cover the WR group. This is a position group that I'm also interested in seeing how things shake out. The Vikings currently have 12 wide receivers on the roster, and the odds are they only keep four or five of them on the 53-man roster.
To start, Adam Thielen is now the clear-cut No. 1 receiver after the trade of Stefon Diggs, and he is viewed as the leader in that room. I expect the likes of Bisi Johnson, Tajaé Sharpe and first-rounder Justin Jefferson to battle it out for the No. 2 spot.
Beebe is in that mix, too, although the staff will likely look to get him in winnable matchups in the slot and elsewhere.
As for Beebe, he was actually mentioned a week or so ago by Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer when he was asked about the offense. Zimmer said he expects the WR group to look different now that Beebe is healthy … remember that he missed almost all of the 2019 season with an ankle injury. He's been rehabbing and involved in virtual meetings, so he presumably should be ready to roll. He'll be expected to provide depth and compete for playing time as a key member of that room.
But there are a host of young guys who are hungry to prove themselves and make a push for a roster spot. Davion Davis, Alexander Hollins and Dillon Mitchell have a year under their belt in Kubiak's system. Bralon Addison, Dan Chisena, Quartney Davis and K.J Osborn are all in their first year with the team.
We'll see how the competition shakes out once players can return to the facility and get on the field. Special teams are likely to be a key factor in determining who wins the final roster spots.
Who could replace Everson Griffen in case he leaves the Vikings? I hope he doesn't.
— Michael Murphy in Mexico City
With Everson Griffen voiding his contract and remaining unsigned as a free agent, the Vikings need to fill the starting spot at defensive end opposite Danielle Hunter.
The person in line appears to be Ifeadi Odenigbo at this point. He spoke to the Twin Cities media on Thursday and said he is "taking that approach" as if he will be the starter in 2020.
You can read the full story about Odenigbo and his outlook for the 2020 season here.
It may not be the best description, but we got a steal in Troy Dye. He has many similarities to Isaiah Simmons like height, weight, 40 time-4.48 (Dye) vs 4.39 (Simmons), tackles, forced fumbles, interceptions. Dye only allowed 211 yards in pass coverage. One of the biggest knocks on Dye is his play strength. That is one of the easier attributes that can be changed. I expect big things from Dye.
— Gerald Goblirsch
Good comparison here between Simmons and Dye, although Simmons was the No. 8 overall pick for a reason. That guy was all over the field for Clemson in 2019.
But with that said, I do think the Vikings may have gotten a steal in Dye in the fourth round — and that he could contribute right away as a rookie. Perhaps he pushes Eric Wilson and Ben Gedeon for that 3rd LB spot, or maybe he excels on special teams. Either way, he should make a little noise in 2020.
You are right about his talent, too. Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic actually had Dye as a projected first-round pick a year ago, but as you mentioned, there were some concerns about his play strengths. There's no reason he can't fix that by getting in an NFL training regimen and learning from the likes of Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr.
