{"id":80122,"date":"2024-01-13T07:48:40","date_gmt":"2024-01-13T07:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/?p=80122"},"modified":"2024-01-13T07:48:40","modified_gmt":"2024-01-13T07:48:40","slug":"vikings-rumors-vikings-showed-very-little-interest-in-3-million-all-pro-kieu-linh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/vikings-rumors-vikings-showed-very-little-interest-in-3-million-all-pro-kieu-linh\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Rumors: Vikings Showed \u2018Very Little Interest\u2019 in $3 Million All-Pro"},"content":{"rendered":"

Minnesota Vikings\u00a0general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted that first-round pick\u00a0Lewis Cine\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0lived up to his billing\u00a0through his first two seasons \u2014 a sign of some potential regret considering the Vikings could have had\u00a0Baltimore Ravens\u00a0All-Pro safety\u00a0Kyle Hamilton.<\/p>\n

\"Kwesi<\/p>\n

Inheriting the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft, the Vikings had many needs on defense, including at safety. Hamilton was the consensus No. 1 safety in that year\u2019s draft class. However, the Vikings did not have a strong enough opinion on Hamilton to stick and pick at No. 12 overall,\u00a0KSTP\u2019s Darren Wolfson\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey didn\u2019t like him. I said it in the moment, I\u2019ll reiterate it now: They didn\u2019t have a healthy opinion for whatever reason,\u201d Wolfson said on a January 11 episode of SKOR North\u2019s\u00a0\u201cMackey and Judd\u201d podcast.\u00a0\u201d I haven\u2019t gone down the rabbit hole too much, but I just know on the surface, pre-draft, there was very little interest shown in Kyle Hamilton. The Kyle Hamilton camp just never got any sort of vibe that the Vikings were all-in on him or even half-in on him. He just wasn\u2019t their guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of signing Hamilton, who earned All-Pro honors in just his second season as a cornerstone of the Ravens\u2019\u00a0No. 1-ranked defense, the Vikings opted to trade back and take Cine 32nd overall \u2014 a move that produced two additional picks in the second round.<\/p>\n

Coming off a lower leg fracture he suffered three weeks into his rookie season, Cine was a healthy scratch in 8 of 17 games and logged just eight defensive snaps this season\u00a0 \u2014 all in a blowout Week 16 loss to the\u00a0Green Bay Packers.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile Hamilton, on a\u00a0four-year, $16.2 million contract, has outplayed his $3.6 million cap hit this season. Over The Cap has valued his 2023 performance to be worth $13 million this season.<\/p>\n

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Addresses Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth\u2019s Futures<\/h2>\n
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\"Lewis<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Adofo-Mensah used his top two picks to rebuild the Vikings\u2019 defense, however, Cine nor second-rounder\u00a0Andrew Booth Jr.\u00a0have become consistent contributors to the defense so far.<\/p>\n

The Vikings general manager defended the two young players, saying player development isn\u2019t a linear process, but also conceded that the NFL is a results-driven business.<\/p>\n

\u201cCine didn\u2019t have a rookie year pretty much,\u201d Adofo-Mensah said , per\u00a0The Star Tribune. \u201cHe got the injury and now he comes to learn a new defense with Brian Flores, so I think that has to be considered. Then, Andrew Booth, same thing, learning from a new defense, adjusting to this style of play. We are continuing to believe in our people, pour into them with our player development resources \u2013 all the things we have in this building \u2013 but, as I said earlier, it is a results business at the end of the day, and we will see where we end up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vikings GM Adofo-Mensah Redeems Himself With 2nd Draft<\/h2>\n
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\"Kwesi<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Arriving in Minnesota in January 2022, Adofo-Mensah didn\u2019t inherit an ideal situation to rebuild through the draft. the Vikings didn\u2019t have a second-round pick and had only three selections inside the top 150. Through several trades, Adofo-Mensah ultimately turned those first three picks (No. 12, 46 and 77) into six selections \u2014 picks No. 32, 42, 59, 66, 165, and 169 \u2014 and four picks in the first two days.<\/p>\n

Rd. 1, No. 32:<\/strong>\u00a0S Lewis Cine
\nRd. 2, No. 42:<\/strong>\u00a0CB Andrew Booth Jr.
\nRd. 2, No. 59:<\/strong>\u00a0G Ed Ingram
\nRd. 3, No. 66:<\/strong>\u00a0LB Brian Asamoah
\nRd. 4, No. 118:<\/strong>\u00a0CB Akayleb Evans
\nRd. 5, No. 165:<\/strong>\u00a0DT Esezi Otomewo
\nRd. 5, No. 169:<\/strong>\u00a0RB Ty Chandler<\/p>\n

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While trading back and having more chances to land contributing role players is good in theory, it hasn\u2019t materialized in the 2022 draft class so far.\u00a0Ed Ingram\u00a0is the only pick inside the top 100 who has developed into a capable starter, while\u00a0Akayleb Evans\u00a0and\u00a0Ty Chandler\u00a0have shown some promise but aren\u2019t surefire starters for the final two years of their contracts.<\/p>\n

Despite a poor first draft, which wasn\u2019t afforded the same preparation considering the changing of regimes in January, Adofo-Mensah redeemed himself with his second draft.<\/p>\n

Adofo-Mensah\u2019s second rookie class is already looking much better with\u00a0Jordan Addison,\u00a0Mekhi Blackmon\u00a0and\u00a0Ivan Pace Jr.\u00a0looking like steady contributors for the future.<\/p>\n

Pro Football Focus has the Vikings\u2019 No. 2 in wins above replacement (WAR) from rookies on a per snap basis \u2014 meaning the Vikings got the second-highest quality snaps out of their rookies that played \u2014 second only to the\u00a0Houston Texans\u00a0who rode\u00a0C.J. Stroud\u00a0and\u00a0Tank Dell\u00a0to their first playoff berth in four years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Top 10 in WAR per snap:<\/p>\n

Texans
Vikings
Lions
Dolphins
Packers
Steelers
Seahawks
Bills
Titans
Raiders<\/p>\n

— Brad Spielberger, Esq. (@PFF_Brad) January 9, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n