Vikings fans: It’s okay to be upset The start of the season hasn’t nec

essarily gone the way the fans would have hoped. There are fans who understand that the regular-season is a process Dru Samia Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , and it takes 16 games to complete. However, there are others that just rage when the Vikings drop a single game. You know what I have to say about that? (you probably don’t care, but I’m going to tell you anyways). Go ahead, be mad. It’s okay to let your emotions out. I mean, the expectations for the season were set pretty high. Even before signing Kirk Cousins in the offseason, the bar was set for the following season. Sign up for FanPulse, our weekly Vikings survey.One thing that fans have been doing is comparing the Vikings to previous teams, and setting expectations based off other teams that have had similar struggles in the past. For instance, fans bring up how Minnesota started the season 2-2 last year, and still managed to make it to the NFC Championship with our apparent backup quarterback Case Keenum. Another example people tend to bring up are the 2014 and 2017 New England Patriots when the team started both seasons 2-2, and managed to go to the Super Bowl both times, winning it in 2015. Fans don’t need to reassure other fans that things will be alright because of this team, and that team. To me, it’s good to see fans get upset. It’s about time fans stop settling for mediocrity, because mediocrity won’t get the Vikings to the Super Bowl. I was always taught that when someone continues to give you crap, or constructive criticism, then that means that person cares about you. However, if you continue to not do something right, and someone doesn’t say anything about it, then that person doesn’t think you have it. Fans know that Minnesota has the capability to be better than how the team has been performing. The NFC North won’t be a two-horse race like we’ve seen in the past. There seems to be a lot more competition this year within the division, and at this point, it's completely up for grabs. The Chicago Bears are a whole new team on both sides of the ball with head coach Matt Nagy. He knows how to operate the offense and make it successful with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. By the way, where the hell did he come from? What an exciting player to watch when he’s on his game. The Bears defense is intimidating to watch, especially with a beast in Khalil Mack. As long as Aaron Rodgers remains quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, then the team will always be able to compete. Love, or hate Rodgers, the guy still knows how to win. Then there are the Detroit Lions, who may have finally found a run-game that has been absent for several seasons. Kerryon Johnson seems like the real deal, and will give Matthew Stafford some options he hasn’t really seen.There have been some road blocks along the way that have sent the Vikings on a detour to find its success. Road blocks to some Minnesota Vikings Jerseys 2019 , while others may think of it as excuses, take it how you wish. But, the Vikings were dealt a rough hand early in the season, with a shaken-up offensive line, the issues with Everson Griffen and having a kicker that for some reason can’t kick a field goal. Something that upsets me or worries me is the fact that even the Vikings’ defensive-minded head coach doesn’t know what’s going on with what’s supposed to be one of the best defenses in the league. Anthony Barr gave up a couple passing touchdowns against the L.A. Rams, but why in the hell is Barr playing pass coverage? Like, if someone can enlighten me, please do so in the comments. In my mind, if a team puts up 30-points, that team should win. It's a major let down when your offense lights up a defense, scores 31 points and still loses a football game. The only thing that didn’t upset me is the simple fact that Minnesota’s offense put 31 points up on what people are saying is a pretty respectable defense.It’s only just past the quarter-pole of the season, but it’s okay to be critical. Things need to be fixed sooner, rather than later. Because it’s that time again"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Vikings 2018 SeasonVikings 2019 OffseasonU.S. Bank StadiumMinnesota Vikings PodcastsMinnesota Vikings 2019 NFL DraftChris’ Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft v7.0: A View to a MockNew,140commentsBecause it’s that time againCDTShareTweetShareShareChris’ Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft v7.0: A View to a MockSince it’s that time of the week. . .and, frankly, because I’ve got some time to kill before Wrestlemania gets underway (hey, there, Cageside Seats). . .let’s do us another mock draft that will in no way, shape, or form reflect what’s going to actually happen for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2019 NFL Draft but gives us something potentially interesting to talk about anyway.If you’d like to see my previous installments in this series, here they are.Mock #1 - ThundermockMock #2 - You Only Mock TwiceMock #3 - MockrakerMock #4 - Mocktor NoMock #5 - The Man With the Golden MockMock #6 - License to MockThis means that we’ll once again be firing up the FanSpeak On the Clock Mock Draft Simulator. Here are the parameters that I’ll be using for this week’s simulation.Big Board - CBS Sports Aggregate (updated 4 April)Computer using random big boardsClassic difficultyFanSpeak team needs (G, OT, EDGE, WR, TE, C, CB, RB, S)As always Infant Dru Samia Jersey , these are the picks that we start out with in our role as Virtual Rick Spielman:With that, we are underway!We get no trade offers before the first round gets underway, nor do we receive any when it comes time for Pick #18, so here’s our first look at the board:Three offensive linemen have gone off the board in the first 17 picks: Jonah Williams to the Jets at ,3# Cody Ford to the Panthers at #16, and Jawaan Taylor to the Giants at #17.I’m really torn between three players in this scenario. I’ve expressed my affinity for T.J. Hockenson in this space before, because I think he’d make an immediate impact in the offense and serve as a replacement for Kyle Rudolph, who is in the final year of his deal. Andre Dillard is a plug-and-play left tackle and probably the best pass blocker in this class, but it would likely mean moving Riley Reiff inside to guard, which I’m not a huge fan of. Garrett Bradbury might be the best fit for what the Vikings want to do on the offensive line, but is selecting him a better idea than selecting Dillard?I’m going to kick myself for this, I think, but it looks like it’s the best move for the team in the long term.Round 1, Pick 18 - Andre Dillard, OT, Washington StateDillard is a fantastic athlete, and pairing him with Brian O’Neill would give the Vikings one of the most athletic tackle duos in the league. I think we can address the interior of the offensive line down the track, but with this pick the starting offensive line would, presumably, look like this from left to right:Andre Dillard - Riley Reiff - Pat Elflein - Josh Kline - Brian O’NeillIt’s not Murderer’s Row or anything, but it’s a start. I mean, maybe Reiff will be better at guard than I think he’s going to be. . .which, admittedly, isn’t setting the bar very high, but there you go.We move on to Round 2, and there are again no trade offers sent my way before the round kicks off. I do get a couple of offers when pick #50 comes up, and here’s what they look like:I’m not terribly interested in trading all the way out of Round 2, so I’m going to give both of these a pass.Here’s what the board looks like now that we’re up again:I almost managed to get two of the three players that I was debating in Round 1, but the Dolphins snagged Bradbury with pick #48. Frowny. So Dru Samia Jersey nfl draft , let’s try to help the offense in another way instead.Round 2, Pick 50 - N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona StateIn past mocks, I’ve emphasized my desire for the Vikings to get a bigger “outside” type of receiver because of the ability that both Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen have in the slot. Harry is just that sort of receiver, coming in at 6’3” and close to 230 pounds. He’s not necessarily a deep burner or anything, but he may be the best contested catch receiver in this year’s class and could immediately step in as WR3. I don’t think there’s any chance he’s available at #50, but he is here, so we’ll take him.Once again, as we start Round 3, there are no trade proposals sent my way before the round begins. No proposals come in when Pick #81 comes around, either, so let’s see what’s out there.The offensive linemen were flying off the board in Round 3, as picks 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78 all went to offensive linemen for their respective teams. There are a lot of offensive skill position players out there, but that’s not really the direction to take now, I don’t think. I spent most of the regular season saying that the Vikings probably needed to spend two of their first three picks in this draft on the offensive line, and with the way the board has fallen, I think that’s where I’m heading.Round 3, Pick 81 - Elgton Jenkins, C, Mississippi StateWith this pick, we’ve now addressed both the interior offensive line as well as the tackle position. Jenkins is the sort of player that can provide versatility along the interior, as he could play either guard spot or center. He would also provide insurance in the event that Pat Elflein’s struggles in 2018 weren’t simply a result of his injuries from the previous year. Jenkins is a versatile, athletic player that I think fits what the Vikings want to do on the offensive line going forward.Now that I think I’ve filled the screaming offensive line need, we’re probably going to do a lot of “best player available” going forward while still trying to fit into the team needs as best we can. Heading into “Day 3” of this simulation Replica Dru Samia Jersey , we’ve still got five picks, so we can maybe take some chances on a few guys.No trade offers come in for our fourth round pick before the festivities get underway, and none come in as we hit the board again, which means this is going to be our last selection until late in the sixth round. . .and this could end up being a no-trade mock whether I want it to or not. In any case, here’s the board as we get to pick #120:I’ve dedicated the entire first two days of our draft to offense, so I want to shift focus to the defensive side of the ball. Also, with questions surrounding Mike Hughes and Holton Hill being suspended for the first four games of 2019, you know that Virtual Mike Zimmer wants to scratch the cornerback itch here, so let’s have at it.Round 4, Pick 120 - Jamel Dean, CB, AuburnDean is the sort of big, outside corner that Zimmer would love to get to Minnesota. He’s been knocked for being a little stiff, but he should be able to fit in with the sort of schemes the Vikings want to run in the secondary. In the event that injuries hit the secondary again, or that the Vikings feel they want to trade a corner at some point, Dean would be someone that should be able to help out early on.Now, we sit back, grab a beverage, and wait for the rest of the fourth round and the entire fifth round to go by before we get a chance to pick again.As we finally get to our selection in Round 6, here’s what we’re looking at:BPA? BPA.Round 6, Pick 190 - John Cominsky, DE, University of CharlestonCominsky got to Charleston as a quarterback and weighed in at around 200 pounds. During his time in college, he moved over to defensive end and managed to pack on. . .get this. . .eighty-five pounds. And he managed to run a sub-4.7 40-yard dash. That makes him the sort of ridiculously athletic edge player that they like to take and mold into a refined defensive lineman, and I think that Andre Patterson would love to have him. It might take a bit for him to adjust to the level of competition, but once he does, he could be dangerous.Now, on to our second sixth-round selection, and a new look at the board:Man Dru Samia Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , there’s no one I’m enamored with here. None of the running backs are particularly appealing, so I may wait until the seventh. For now, I’m going to go off the board and get a developmental quarterback, even though it’s not explicitly expressed as a need.Round 6, Pick 209 (Compensatory) - Brett Rypien, QB, Boise StateI’ve said this on several occasions, but I think that the Vikings should stop messing around with “veteran” backups for Kirk Cousins and just give Kyle Sloter the #2 spot. They’d need a #3 guy, though, and Rypien could be that for this team. He’s probably not going to be a long-term starter in the NFL or anything, but could certainly have a decent career as a backup that won’t get your team killed if you need to rely on him for a week or two.On to the final round, and our last two Compensatory picks. Here’s one last look at the board as we get to the last two selections:Round 7, Pick 247 (Compensatory) - Donald Parham, TE, StetsonYeah, it’s another small school guy, but there are worse players to roll the dice with than a tight end that’s 6’8” and could end up being a receiver at the NFL level.Round 7, Pick 250 (Compensatory) - Bruce Anderson, RB, North Dakota StateI’m guessing that they could probably get Anderson as a UDFA, but there’s nobody else on the board that really excites me, so hey. . .one of us, right?That’s my seventh mock draft, and one that went down without any trades. I was only even offered a couple of trades, and I think the drop for either of them would have been too much to be acceptable.Here’s my full eight-player draft class for this sim.If you’d like to see how the entire scenario played out, you can take a look at it at this link here.What do you think, folks?