Questions Answered: Denzel Mims Theories, Harrison Hand, Dantzler’s Confidence
Dustin Baker
|
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the August 26th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”1081648″ player=”26281″ title=”Why%20the%20Nick%20Mullens%20Trade%20Feels%20Different” duration=”872″ description=”Dustin Baker examines the recent history of the Vikings late-summer trades. It ain’t pretty.” uploaddate=”2022-08-23″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19439/snapshot/1081648_th_1661274779.jpg” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19439/sd/1081648.mp4″ width=”16″ height=”9″]
Q: Should the Vikings be in on trade talks for New York Jets WR Denzel Mims?
A: No. He isn’t that good, and WR is one of the Vikings deepest positions.
If the Vikings are to execute a trade any time soon, they should find player to make the roster deeper at suspect areas — like center, cornerback, or EDGE. Those positions aren’t “in trouble,” except for perhaps center, but any trades by Adofo-Mensah should address shortcomings. Acquring Mims would feel like a “just because” move.
Minnesota has about seven wide receivers who could make the active roster. Leave it be.
Q: Why did the Vikings let Harrison Hand slip away if they just re-signed Tye Smith, who is nearly guaranteed not to make the 53-man roster?
A: The Vikings thought Smith would clear waivers. And sources tell VikingsTerritory that the team planned to re-sign Hand. But the Giants jumped in the way.
Such is life. In reality, Hand was trending toward a CB6 job, so the “steal” by New York isn’t devastating. That is always the risk — waiving a player still coveted by the organization — as teams have a quasi-free-for-all while bidding.
It also explains why Tye Smith was brought back — CB depth for the final preseason game of the year. Down the road, Hand could land back with the Vikings. He’s gone for now, and it’s not that big of a deal.
Q: How important is it for Dantzler when he claims to “have his confidence back?”
A: Well, Dantzler was pretty damn good in 2020 and 2021, so any cake-topper of additional confidence or swagger is welcomed.
Dantzler was quietly the NFL’s 17th-best CB in 2021, according to Pro Football Focus. If he adds a dose of machismo into the toolbag, the sky is the limit.
But don’t forget that Dantzler has already progressed adeptly as a young corner with or without supersized swagger.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
