Tag: irv smith jr.

Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. tabbed as potential breakout candidate

Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. could have a huge year in 2021.

The Vikings lost Kyle Rudolph this offseason. Despite Rudolph’s big role in the Minnesota offense over the last 10 years, the tight end position is in relatively good shape.

That’s because of Irv Smith Jr., a tight end on the Vikings with the potential to break out, according to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox. Knox wrote:

“The departure of longtime starter Kyle Rudolph should lead to a bigger role for the former Alabama standout. Rudolph, a two-time Pro Bowler, posted 701 yards and seven touchdowns while splitting time with Smith over the past two years. Tight end Tyler Conklin remains, though he has just 32 receptions in three seasons.”

It wasn’t hard to find articles tabbing Smith as a breakout candidate in 2020, but now that Rudolph is gone, Smith having a big year is more of a sure thing. Also, expect Conklin to earn a pretty big role, assuming he is the second tight end.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer: There’s not ‘any bigger role’ for Irv Smith Jr.

Despite Kyle Rudolph’s departure, Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer doesn’t see a bigger role for Irv Smith Jr..

After a decade as the Vikings’ mainstay tight end, Kyle Rudolph departed for the Giants this offseason.

That led many to expect a bigger role for Irv Smith Jr. in 2021, but based on what Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer has said publicly, that does not seem to be the case:

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s any bigger role for him whatsoever,” Zimmer said, per Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated. “I think it’s a bigger role for Tyler Conklin. He’s kind of emerged as a guy that’s moving upward and with those two guys, we have a lot of weapons there. Irv always has been able to do what he’s been able to do whether Kyle was here or not. We’re excited about these two young tight ends that we have.”

I still think it’s worth pointing out that Tyler Conklin will probably not be the player that Kyle Rudolph was in a Vikings uniform. That means Smith Jr. will at least have a chance to be more of a focus in the offense. Zimmer doesn’t seem to feel that way, though.

Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. tabbed as Minnesota’s potential breakout player

Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. has a chance to make a huge leap in 2021.

The Vikings released Kyle Rudolph this offseason in what seemed like an obvious move. Minnesota needed cap space at the time and based on what Rudolph said publicly, a restructure didn’t seem in the cards.

There was also another obvious reason for Rudolph’s departure: Irv Smith Jr. has been promising. Now, Smith Jr. has a chance to take the tight end one reigns.

Bleacher Report tabbed Smith Jr. as Minnesota’s potential breakout candidate. Here’s what Gary Davenport of B/R wrote about Smith Jr.:

“Smith may not have a ton of catches, but he has taken advantage of the targets he’s received. He has hauled in over 73 percent of his targets, and per Noah Cierzan of Zone Coverage the second-round pick out of Alabama has recorded a rating of 134.4 on passes he was targeted on. The 6’2″, 235-pounder has dropped all of two passes in two years.”

Minnesota needs to make sure its offense doesn’t fall off after a good 2020. The Vikings need players like Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen to produce on the level they did this past season. They also need players like Smith Jr. to progress, in order to take on a bigger role and help the offense remain high-octane.

A look at Kyle Rudolph’s career earnings

Rudolph has made a big chunk of his money over the last two seasons.

The Vikings announced on Tuesday that they have released long-time tight end Kyle Rudolph.

The move didn’t come as much of a surprise considering the Vikings saved more than $5 million.

During his 10-year career with the Vikings, Rudolph made $50.87 million per Spotrac. More than $16 million of that came in the last two seasons.

We’ll see if Rudolph, 31, decides to sign with a new team and add to that total.

In the meantime for the Vikings, we can expect to see 2019 second-round pick Irv Smith Jr. get the majority of the reps at tight end.

Vikings release Kyle Rudolph: Three things to consider

The Minnesota Vikings announced that it released tight end Kyle Rudolph on Tuesday. Here are three things to know.

Signs were pointing towards the Vikings moving on from their longest-tenured player this offseason.

TE Kyle Rudolph said he was worth every dime of his contract this offseason and Minnesota appeared to be strapped for cash heading into 2021.

On Tuesday, the Vikings announced that they were releasing Rudolph from his contract. All of Rudolph’s 10 NFL seasons came with the Vikings. He has 4,488 receiving yards and 48 touchdown receptions in the regular season of his NFL career.

I’m sure Rudolph will find an NFL team this offseason and it will probably be weird for Vikings fans to see him in another jersey.

Here are three things to consider about the team releasing Rudolph:

Six potential Vikings breakout candidates for 2021

Here are six candidates on the Minnesota Vikings who could break out in 2021.

The Vikings had a new-look roster of younger, more inexperienced talent las season.

Minnesota had a chance to salvage its season with some wins down the stretch, but in the end, the team earned a deserving 7-9 finish. Still, there were some bright spots throughout the year.

Plenty of rookies and young players stepped up. Some of them could even break out in 2021. This is a list of Vikings players who could do just that.

Note: I did not put cornerback Cameron Dantzler and wide receiver Justin Jefferson on this list, because they already broke out as rookies during the 2020 season.

Irv Smith Jr. highlighted as player to watch in dynasty leagues

With Kyle Rudolph perhaps gone in Minnesota, Smith is a player to watch.

With it seeming like Kyle Rudolph might be on his way out of Minnesota, we’ll likely see the emergence of Irv Smith Jr. at the tight end position with the Vikings.

Even if Rudolph does stay, Smith will be the primary ball catcher at the tight end position.

Over at Pro Football Focus, Andrew Erickson listed five players to buy in  dynasty football leagues. Smith was his pick at tight end.

Here’s what Erickson wrote about Smith:

In the four-game stretch he played with Rudolph out due to injury, Smith ranked ninth in expected fantasy points per game (11.9) and eighth in actual fantasy points per game (12.8).

Smith ran 118 routes over this stretch (29.5 per game, eighth-most), which was drastically higher than his routes run per game (18) in his first nine games.

In 2020, Smith finished with 30 catches for 365 yards and five touchdowns. That’s not overly impressive, but in the last four games alone, Smith finished with 15 catches for 183 yards and three touchdowns.

Agent speculates Kyle Rudolph could be cap casualty

The Vikings would save more than $5 million if they release Rudolph.

Kyle Rudolph isn’t the threat offensively he once was.

While he’s a solid blocker and a good red zone target, that’s probably not worth a cap hit of $9.387 million in 2021.

Rudolph has discussed how he won’t take a reduction in pay, but if he doesn’t, he’ll likely be gone. If the team releases him, they’ll save more than $5 million.

Former agent Joel Corry has Rudolph on his list of players who could be playing elsewhere in 2021.

Here’s what Corry wrote about Rudolph:

Rudolph insists he won’t accept a pay cut. He isn’t happy about becoming more of a blocker because of 2019 second- round pick Irv Smith, Jr.’s emergence as a receiver at tight end. Rudolph, who is 31, could be in for a rude awakening financially if released.

With Smith and Tyler Conklin showing out late last season, the Vikings have plenty of talent at tight end without Rudolph. While he’d be great to have on the team with a reduced salary, it would be a mistake for the team to bring him back at his current salary.

Vikings 2020 season review: Tight ends

See the Vikings Wire review of the Minnesota Vikings’ tight end position for the 2020 season.

Despite finishing 7-9, the Vikings have plenty of upside across their roster. The team’s tight end unit is no different.

Many tabbed Irv Smith Jr. to be a breakout star in 2020. He had a slow start, but ended up putting together another productive season. He was a good red zone target and he found a way to create separation from the players covering him. The only downside was his injury issues. Kyle Rudolph remained a decent target for Kirk Cousins.

Even Tyler Conklin stepped up at times. This position group could undergo some changes in 2020. For now, here is a review of the position group as it stands:

Florida State DT Marvin Wilson listed as a senior bowl player the Vikings should covet

See why Florida State defensive tackle Marvin Wilson could be a good fit for the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings have some excuses for why their defensive line was so inconsistent in 2020.

Minnesota was missing Michael Pierce and Danielle Hunter. Pierce opted out after signing with the team in free agency. Hunter suffered a season-ending injury. The Vikings also traded away Yannick Ngakoue after a 1-5 start.

Still, even with Pierce and Hunter playing for the Vikings, the team could use an upgrade at defensive line. At least, that’s what Bleacher Report thinks. The outlet listed Florida State DT Marvin Wilson as a senior bowl player Minnesota should covet. Here’s what it said:

“Florida State’s Marvin Wilson could have gone pro last year, but he decided to stay another season with the Seminoles. He didn’t tally a ton of box-score stats this past year, but he did tie a school record with two blocked field goals in a single game. 

Wilson can be explosive off the snap and quickly get into the backfield. He did a better job using technique and active hands in 2020 rather than just relying on his size (6’3″, 319 lbs) and quickness to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.”

With how bad the Vikings were at generating pressure in 2020, Minnesota could use a presence like Wilson. Pierce won’t be able to play every snap and the Vikings desperately need a player who can thrive in the three-technique spot, so defensive tackle help would be a big boost.