2022 Case Keenum Thread - Houston Texans back home where he belongs

https://twitter.com/GregBailey13/status/955269209784832000

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https://twitter.com/jared_gogets/status/955270019692290053

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A little bit of a hometown feel.

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You keep reading and hearing about Shurmur. “Shurmur made Case good to great this year” True but how many playbooks has Case learned since he entered the NFL? Every single year you see QB contracts that results in major failures. The Vikings organization has learned first hand on how to get the better of Case. He is certainly going to be more affordable than Brees, Cousins, Garopollo or even Smith to name a few. The Vikings need to find an OC to use Case’s strengths and get him to improve in other areas. Having a full off season and training camp with the first Team is huge. Yes we are all “homers” but it would be foolish for the Vikings to start from scratch.

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Spielman (Vikings GM) was asked specifically about “tolling” Bridgewater’s (TB) contract with the Vikings on a radio interview. He got very evasive in his answer about how it applied to TB, speaking of only generalities of the rule in the NFL CBA.

For those that don’t know what “tolling” refers to, it is when a player is entering the last year of his contract and is injured. If he is placed on the PUP list, as TB was, the team has the option to “toll” the contract, which means to bring him back for one extra year at the current salary he is making. In TB’s case, that is only $1.35MM. Specifically with TB, he had an option year that the Vikings declined before the season, making this the last year of the contract. Many believed it was with the purpose to toll him if his outlook was still uncertain.

I believe that is exactly what the Vikings want to do, and it involved Case. If they do toll TB’s contract, and it is only a $1.35MM hit to the cap, then the Vikings will absolutely, without a doubt, 100% franchise Case at $23.555MM for a 1-yr “prove it” season. You keep Sloter on the practice squad or at league minimum on the active roster and you have three QBs for only $25MM of cap space. You draft another QB, but focus on linemen in the draft.

If Case is able to replicate his success in 2018-2019, then you work a long term deal. If he isn’t, then you let him go. TB is on a “see if he can fully recover” contract, and you are paying Sloter relatively little to be #3.

If this is what happens, I think Spielman is a genius. He has an experienced starter who led the team to its best finish since 2009, you didn’t sacrifice the long-term future of the team for a big contract allowing you to see if Case really is a starter in this league, you kept the fan favorite TB, and you drafted for the future to give your QB the best chance to be successful behind a good OLine.

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Things change alot year to year but as of now Viks 2018 schedule is rough.

http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/2018-Minnesota-Vikings-Schedule/7fcc59c3-c37c-411a-8f24-adfd90bd3866

That away schedule
 woof.

I could completely see them going undefeated at home, but on the road and depending when they play NE, the Jets, GB and Philly (early or late Fall is a big difference), they could split those 8 at 4-4, maybe worse.

@92010Coogs I think you and I among others have watched a lot of Vikings football this year. I saw every single one from the start of their second half schedule - a total of 10 games including the two playoffs.

And my strongest conclusion was that at no point did their HC Zimmer have faith in Keenum being the undisputed QB of the team. And this wasn’t just because of the lack of naming him the starter week after week (that could have been just a tactic for the media’s benefit).

I believe this from watching the play calling game after game, drive after drive. It was astonishingly the most conservative, play-not-to-lose, run heavy, short pass offense I’ve probably ever seen on a pro level. *** For Coog fans think opening week vs Arizona with Kyle Allen’s debut
multiplied by 15 games.

Not only did they never allow Keenum to open up an aerial attack, but keep in mind they even lost their starting tailback and still called more running plays on 1st and 2nd downs splitting time with two backups.
I’m almost positive before every game and drive the coaches urged him to simply just not throw a pick whatever he does. That would account for so many swing passes, screens, quick slants that I saw.

They really thought their defense was impregnable, and rode that horse until as you keenly pointed failed them entirely with a brilliant Pederson/Frank Reich combo in the Eagles! But not practicing a good offense really came back to bite them dearly.

Now I’m willing to believe that the Vikings management/coaches can reset their expectations with a full off-season/training camp/preseason of Keenum playing with the 1st team should they bring him back, but if that’s not their thinking I don’t see how Case should want to return there.

What good does familiarity with the franchise and offensive teammates do for a player when you’re not allowed a head start, even after advancing one game from the title game!

So with that, I think it’s a 50/50 at best he’ll be with Minnesota, and also believe he personally will consider other options simply because he shouldn’t and doesn’t deserve to be hampered with this past conservative offensive strategy. - He can easily match and surpass what someone like Alex Smith did with KC this year: over 4000 yds passing/25 TDs in 15gms.

And with this year under his belt I expect he’ll be confident enough to do so with other clubs.

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I think it is out of Zimmer’s hands. He is focused on defense anyway. Spielman will be deciding.

Good observations all around and keep in mind that only Zimmer knows what plays he wanted Shurmur to call. Imo Zimmer does not believe that Case has a “down field arm” I might get chastised for writing this but it became clear to me that this was the case in the last third of the Season. This is completely on the Vikings Coaching staff. Case has thrown deep routes, down the field and be successful at it. He even did with the Rams. What made this Eagles game so painful was the fact that the Eagles went down field. The Vikings never did. They dared & attacked the Vikings CB & DB’s time after time. It is crystal clear that Zimmer was not prepared for that. That is troubling to think so. Yes Zendejo is a huge play maker for them but the entire Vikings defense was either late, flat footed or in the wrong spots. In the playoffs you dare and you roll the dice. The Patriots and the 49ers do/did it every single game. They “tear” you apart because they go to the jugular. Gronk out? No problem Amendola picks up the load. They always have a plan B. they are aggressive.
I would love to seat down and listen to Chad O’Shea and understand their specific attacking concepts. I wrote it yesterday but having Chad O’Shea re-join the Vikings as an OC might be their best call in the off season. I am also very high on Bevell. He could utilize Case like he did with Wilson. Arizona wants him though. Sparano is a very good OL Coach. This is where they need to add some pieces, same with the LB, CB & DB. I will write it one last time. It would be idiotic to let Case join another Team. His stats alone justify it. How many QB can say the same. Winston is considered a super star. Three seasons and their record is 6-10, 9-7 & 5-11. Carr seasons 3-13, 7-9, 12-4, 6-10 and a new Coach. It is easy to say/write that Case is back up but then what do you make of these so called super stars?

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I think the offensive play calling was, less an indictment about lack of confidence in Case, and more about what the Vikings want to do on offense. Zimmer is a defense HC, with possibly the best defense in the league. He wants to eat clock and score enough to win. He’d take a 60/40 time of possession split over 30 offensive points scored going into every game he coaches. The formula worked too, until it didn’t in Philly.

Zimmer said it himself in the pressers these last few days. “He maybe stick too long” to certain plays. This reminded me of so many Coaches that stay conservative in the playoffs. It never works. Playing it safe is an invitation to disaster. The Vikings are another example of it. Yes, injuries was a major problems but Zimmer has to look at himself. Belichick looks like the most conservative Coach but he is the exact opposite. He zeros in areas that he can exploit, exploit bit.
Pederson did it. For that alone the Patriots are on notice.

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Well said. I think the same could be said about our offense. We ran the same plays over and over. As the season went on everyone had us figured out. Better teams figured us out by halftime.

No they figured it before they played us.

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Darrell Bevell is being interviewed by the Norsemen.

As you all know he was the Seahawks OC. It is interesting to note that Wilson and Keenum are what I call “instincts” QB. They both are able to step up in the pocket but more importantly are able to extend plays outside of the pocket. This is where hiring Bevell can only be a good sign to Case staying with the Vikings. In addition you can also point out that they will face the NFC West. Case and Bevell know the division better than most scouts. All of this could point out to either a franchise tag or a multi year contract.
Zimmer made it a point to talk about the locker room and how great it was. Case was a huge reason for that. Everywhere he has been that has been true. Ask how the Rams players felt about Case beating them. They still admire the guy.

“Nonetheless, Keenum’s salary floor should be the three-year, $45 million deal Mike Glennon signed with the Bears last offseason in free agency as a less-proven commodity. Keenum is also more accomplished than Brock Osweiler was when he received a four-year, $72 million contract containing $37 million fully guaranteed from the Texans in 2016 free agency after just seven rather pedestrian career starts. The average contract packages for expected 2017 starting quarterbacks signed as veterans (i.e.; not under a rookie contract) is approximately $20.4 million per year and contains slightly more than $45.5 million in guarantees. Just under $30.75 million is fully guaranteed at signing with 3.39 years as the average length.”

I still feel like the big X factor that most of these analysts are forgetting is that Case went from third string to starter with only about 5 to 6 months of knowing the playbook. It is very similar to when he went from practice squad to starting QB for the Texans.

The situation was definitely not ideal but he really made the most of it. When he was a Texan that was just an awful team but he still did pretty well considering the jump from practice squad to starting. Now with the Vikings he went from third string to starting and winning a lot of games and also putting up some of the best stats with the top QBs in the league. A lot has to be said for that.

I think if he is re-signed and they don’t make drastic changes to the offense, he will excel even further due to the fact of knowing the playbook and having even better chemistry with all the players.

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Signing Case to a reasonable but lucrative contract would also allow the Vikings to go after OLinemen in free agency and the draft. They need some better OGs. Signing Case is not only the smart thing, it is the right thing.

Edit: it is important to see who they hire for OC. If it is the guy from the Seahawks - Bevell or Stefanski, their current QB coach, you can expect Keenum to be re-signed.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they use the transition tag on Keenum. It allows Keenum to get a market value contract without the Vikings overpaying to retain him.

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Completely agree. The good thing is that Case is not greedy so they should be able to sign him at a good rate or lock him down and strengthen that OL and lock down their WRs etc.

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