3 Up / 3 Down: Dye is Showing Promise, Dantzler is Struggling
K. Joudry
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On Monday’s episode of Notes from the North, Sam and I did a segment called “3 Up / 3 Down.” The basic idea is this: we briefly discussed three players who are trending upward in terms of their status on the team; we then discussed three players who are trending downward. As far as Minnesota Vikings roster analysis goes, it’s a topic that is as interesting as it gets for this stage of the season.
Folks who prefer to listen to their Vikings coverage can hop over to the podcast. At this time, though, I’m going to expand on some of that discussion.
3 Up
– Britton Colquitt: we all know the vet struggled last year. Heck, everyone struggled last year when it came to special teams. Colquitt then reworked his deal in the offseason so he could stick around in a purple uniform. It was concerning, then, to see him struggle so mightily in the opening preseason game.
Thankfully, he bounced back against Indy. Colquitt had plenty of punts. It’s not like he only had to drill one or two kicks. On the contrary, Colquitt had 8 punts that collectively went for 369 yards. He had an average of 46.1 yards and landed the ball inside the 20 3 times. It didn’t hurt that the coverage team played far better, but Colquitt was still excellent. Minnesota’s offense did essentially nothing and the defense still only allowed 12 points. Colquitt’s punting was a big part of that.
– Troy Dye: Dye, as we all know by this point, had an excellent game. His pick-six was our first (and still only) touchdown of the preseason. It was a great team effort that showcased contributions from the d-line, secondary, and linebackers. Armon Watts tipped the ball, Bashaud Breeland had tight coverage, and Dye took the interception back to the end zone.
Now, he could have had an even better game since he had a golden opportunity for another pick. Even still, it was a strong performance for Dye. He was noticeably better in run defense, and he also nearly got home for a sack. Indy still got the pass away, but Dye landed a hard, clean hit. Great play from the sophomore LB.
– Josh Metellus: I may now be among Josh Metellus’s top fans. Such fandom can sometimes get in the way of great Minnesota Vikings roster analysis, but I’ll do my best to be objective.
I get that he isn’t going to overcome Harrison Smith or Xavier Woods as one of the starters. I also get that we may be in trouble if Metellus needs to play on defense for an extended stretch. That being said, Metellus is excellent on special teams. He plays fast and physical, perfect traits for a Zimmer DB. He’s also a great tackler. All of this was on display in his special teams coverage Saturday night. He should be on the final roster.
3 Down
– Jake Browning and Kellen Mond: Admittedly, this feels like cheating a little since we’re talking about the same position. Nevertheless, there’s no doubt that they have occupied much of the focus within the internet’s collective roster analysis for our Minnesota Vikings. There’s just no way to get around it: the backup QBs have been lousy.
We’re now wondering what the Vikings may do to address the backup QB spot. Perhaps they’ll make a trade. Maybe they should call around to see if there are vets who want to be the backup to Kirk. Now, I’m not trying to suggest that Browning and Mond were completely incompetent. They each made a few nice plays. All together, though, they played really, really poorly. Our Vikings will be in trouble if either has to start this year.
Earlier this week, the Vikings brought in an expert to help answer ongoing questions about vaccines. The hope is that Minnesota’s franchise QB will finally get the vaccine so that he’ll both be healthy and available for his team throughout the season.
– Cameron Dantzler: We all were hoping for far more from the sophomore CB. Overall, Dantzler had an excellent rookie season. It’s easy to forget, though, that he had several rough games, battled injuries, and played within a sheltered defense. Partner all of these things with the usual young player struggles as he transitions from the rookie year to the sophomore year and it’s not altogether surprising that Dantzler is having a tough time.
The question at this point rests in how Dantzler will respond. His spot on the roster isn’t in jeopardy. He will be on the team, and the Vikings will need him to play at some point this year. Zim and the rest of the coaching staff need to find a way for him to regain some of the positives from his rookie season. I expect him to get plenty of reps Friday night.
The Send Off
Well, the Minnesota Vikings roster analysis is far from complete. The Vikings have their next preseason game this Friday night against Kansas City. Even after all the cuts, though, the roster won’t be completely stable. The team will continue trying to improve, so stick around. It’s going to be an interesting few weeks.
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