To me the biggest barrier to Cine starting is that Bynum, Metallus and Harrison Smith are all elite. Any time a defensive coach installs 3 safety looks, you've got 3 starting safeties. The other part of this equation is Flores who doesn't play the NFL game where you give Garrett Bradbury three years to figure it out. Ivan Pace, Jr played awesome and before his injury so did Jordan Hicks. Flores isn't like most NFL teams and he will literally play Najee Thompson at Safety if he does better.

I have been beating the drum for not throwing rookie QBs into starting in the NFL for many years, so I'm incredibly pleased most Vikings fans want to start Darnold. Obviously we all want a Mahomes, Rodgers or Romo all of whom had time to develop. But even Eli Manning who started immediately took far, far longer than Ryan Leaf ever had to do anything.

Most surprising to me was the Blake Brandel resigning. $7M. Was he really the best OL available for $7M?