Tag: Melvin Ingram III

How a position change can help maximize Calijah Kancey with the Vikings

Could the Minnesota Vikings take Pitt DT Calijah Kancey and have him change positions? @TheKevinFielder believes it could be great for him.

During the 2023 NFL Draft process, few prospects have been as polarizing as Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey.

That includes most of the quarterbacks (Anthony Richardson might have him beat) and many skill players in this draft. It also includes plenty of fringe first-round picks, like Kancey.

Many of the mixed opinions for Kancey originate from his NFL Scouting Combine performance. The 6-foot-1 interior defensive lineman posted a 9.60 relative athletic score, showcasing the explosiveness and athleticism that teams crave.

However, his size leaves a lot to be desired. He might have a similar profile to Aaron Donald, but there’s a good chance that Donald is nothing more than an extreme outlier. If that’s the case, Kancey’s future isn’t being painted by Bob Ross as a defensive tackle.

What if Kancey was just misunderstood, though? What if the solution to Kancey’s lack of size isn’t asking him to be the next Aaron Donald but instead asking him to switch positions in the NFL?

Melvin Ingram III and Nick Bolton’s late-game heroics keep Chiefs alive in AFC No. 1-seed race

Ah yes, a classic Melvin vs. Melvin showdown.

The Kansas City Chiefs spent most of Saturday’s road matchup against the Denver Broncos playing catch-up. They took a brief three-point lead early in the third quarter, but Denver quickly answered with a 47-yard touchdown from Melvin Gordon III to retake the lead. A Chiefs field goal cut that lead to 21-20, but Denver was driving to extend its lead.

That’s when the Kansas City defense stepped up to make one of the best plays of the season.

With the ball at the nine, Gordon was stuffed in the backfield by linebacker Melvin Ingram III, and he lost possession. Nick Bolton scooped it, shrugged off a would-be tackler in Denver quarterback Drew Lock and found paydirt 87 yards later. That touchdown ultimately proved to be decisive in a 28-24 win for the Chiefs.

The play preserved Kansas City’s hopes at earning the top seed in the AFC playoffs, a spot it is currently battling for with the Tennessee Titans. It also established Ingram as the NFL’s One True Melvin (there can only be one, I don’t make the rules).

The Chiefs, who finished the regular season at 12-5, still need some help if they’re going to clinch a bye during the wild card round, and the odds don’t exactly look great.

In spite of the win in Week 18, they still need a loss from the Titans, who conclude the season with a road matchup against the 4-12 Houston Texans. It would take a fairly massive upset for Kansas City to avoid playing next weekend, but the victory keeps that scenario in play.

Regardless of how the seeding ultimately breaks down, it’s been a phenomenal turnaround for the Chiefs during the second half of the season. The defending AFC Champions — who began the year just 3-4 and looked like they could miss the playoffs entirely — have rallied in recent weeks. Kansas City is 9-1 since then with the only slipup coming against Cincinnati last week.

As one of the hottest teams in the league right now, the Chiefs will be a popular pick to emerge out of the scrum of similarly situated AFC teams. If the Texans can stun Tennessee, Kansas City will need to win one less game to make that happen.

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Some potential free agents the Vikings could still sign in 2021

The Minnesota Vikings still have some holes to fill. Do you think the team does that in 2021 free agency?

The Vikings still have some holes on both sides of the ball that could be filled through free agency.

Minnesota has an open starting spot at left guard if Dakota Dozier does not return. The team also has openings at safety and left tackle. Of course, players currently on the roster, such as Ezra Cleveland when it comes to left tackle, could fill those voids in the 2021 NFL season.

There are also some positions that the Vikings may want to upgrade, like defensive end and wide receiver three.

So here is a list of remaining free agents that Minnesota could target this offseason: