The Kyle Sloter Signing Gives At Least Some Reason For Concern
K. Joudry
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Last night, the news emerged that Kyle Sloter would be signing with the Vikings. He was formerly with the team, though he never made it into a game. Even still, Sloter became somewhat of a fan favorite due to his style of play during the preseason.
Bringing in an extra body makes some sense given all that’s going on. Sean Mannion is out due to Covid-19, leaving Minnesota with just Kellen Mond and Kirk Cousins. Part of the concern, of course, is that both are unvaccinated, so the chances of them being gone for an extended period is higher. That’s not a comment on the vaccine and its effectiveness, it’s merely the basic facts surrounding the NFL’s rules. Vaccinated players can come back quicker.
If we lay aside the pandemic, though, there is at least some reason for concern. The Vikings, quite evidently, had high hopes for Mond. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have chosen him with their 2nd selection and nor would they have moved on from their vets. The plan was for Mond to be ready to take over as the team’s QB2. So far, that hasn’t happened. He has made next to no impact as a rookie.
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By necessity, Mond dressed for his first game last week. Mannion can come back if he has negative tests, but the team still felt compelled to add another arm. Signing Kyle Sloter makes sense insofar as it’s a low-risk move for a QB with some familiarity with the system (the OCs are now different, but much of the terminology likely remains).
One wonders where Sloter will fall in the QB hierarchy, possibly jumping ahead of Mond. Daily Norseman suggests Sloter will by the QB2 if Mannion can’t come back. Zimmer recently offered some tepid praise for his rookie QB: “He keeps improving. He comes out here and works hard every single day.” Here’s the thing: that’s a pretty general statement, especially considering how underwhelming Mond has been. What are the chances Sloter actually sits at #3 on the depth chart?
The final chapter hasn’t been written on Kellen Mond. Sloter, in all likelihood, is merely here for Covid insurance. It’s at least somewhat concerning, though, that the team felt compelled to bring in a practice squad journeyman.
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