Move Kalil to Guard??

[BuckSutherland]

Wonder if he could make the transition and play guard?? Seems like the guy just doesnt care, and is not playing with all his ability at all. Have not seen the last two games, but I saw him get beat with speed too many other times this season. All the Qbs/RB/WR in the world wont matter if we can block for at least two seconds. I was a fan of the pick, but this guy for some reason just hasnt had his head in the game since the first season. Maybe he would play better at G if he didnt have to worry about all that speed every game.

Guys coming out of USC in recent years seem to kinda flop in the NFL.

[schmitty3]

Move his A$$ to the bench. His penalties and complete blow by's are coming at the worst times, and starting to cost us games.

[kfk]

I'm with Schmitty3.

[FISHINGURU]

I was thinking we should ship him to Abu Dhabi.

[RumRiverRat]

Practice squad is a better option.

He sucks.

[gunner55]

Maybe the JETS would take him.

[solbes]

We absolutely need him to play at a high level at left tackle. Does us very little to take a high draft pick like that and relegate him to play guard.

I don't get it with him. Seems to have all of the physical traits and tools. I do think he cares. Maybe its all up in his noggen, and just needs to break out of this funk in some way.

I am fine with benching him this week and see what effect that has.

[Big Dave2]

Kind of like taking a guy making 23 million who hits for no power and sticking him at first base. Who would do stuff like that?

[LABS4ME]

I guess they could bench him and put Ponder in at LT...

I suppose it would be no worse...

Either way with Norv's less than creative plays and no one on the left side to block, Teddy Bricklofter will be just another stat on the MN QB charts for the past 20 years... he ought to be fairly well beat up by season's end.

[RumRiverRat]

Kind of like taking a guy making 23 million who hits for no power and sticking him at first base. Who would do stuff like that?

IALTO

[fishersofmen]

How much time do the Vikings give Kalil as bad as he is playing? If they want better qb play they need to start making changes to that o-line sooner than later.

Interesting little article.

A highly touted offensive tackle from a successful college program taken with a top-5 draft pick by a NFC North team that turns out to be an absolute disaster on the field? For those who immediately think "Matt Kalil", this scenario has played out before and long-time followers of the Purple know how it ends.

In 1989, the Green Bay Packers drafted Tony Mandarich out of Michigan State with the 2nd overall pick in the NFL draft. Mandarich, nicknamed "The Incredible Bulk" by Sports Illustrated was everything a team could want. He was 6'6", 330 pounds, with a mean streak. He punished defenders two at a time in college and dominated everyone who went up against him. The Packers drafted Mandarich and expected him to be a stalwart at the offensive tackle position for years to come. But whether it was the rampant steroid use, the addiction to pain-killers, or just Mandarich's inability to transition to the pro game, he was finished with the Packers after his rookie contract expired in 1991 having not played a single down his final year with the team. He is considered one of the all time busts in NFL draft history.

Enter Matt Kalil and the Minnesota Vikings.

In 2012, the Vikings drafted Kalil with the 4th overall draft pick and had penciled him in to be their long-term answer at left tackle. Kalil had the skills and tools to be extremely successful in the NFL: excellent family lineage, quick and nimble feet, deft and agile hands, bulk and power to dominate the run game, and a demeanor that was deemed calm, collected, yet fiery when needed. The team and fanbase were all smiles and Kalil seemed to be as sure of a thing that one could get in a draft pick. He would be the long-term answer at left tackle, tasked to protect young quarterback Christian Ponder's blind side for years to come.

Kalil fired out of the gate with a rookie performance that everyone had hoped for. His powerful run-blocking opened gaping holes that paved the way for running back Adrian Peterson's near record-breaking 2012 season. His pass blocking protected Ponder and the Vikings made an unexpected run to the playoffs with a 10-6 record following a 3-13 season in 2011. He earned a pro-bowl roster spot for the NFC and the future was extremely bright for the young man as a long and successful career seemed to be in the cards.

But everything since that magical season has gone very astray.

Watching Kalil on Sunday, I as a fan cannot even recognize the player that he has become since that astounding rookie year. His feet, once so quick and nimble, have become slow and plodding. He is slow off the ball and has very little burst. His hands, once so deft and agile, now clutch and grab, desperately attempting to maintain contact. He no longer overpowers and drives defenders, and where he once gracefully moved laterally providing protection to his quarterback, he now stands like a statue and flails and punches at his opposing defender as they blow by him toward another sack. Last, but not least, his demeanor that seemed so cool and collected has now turned to fragile and despondent and the fire within him appears to have been doused. Unlike Mandarich, no drug usage has been rumored, but something is definitely amiss with the the hulking left tackle.

Sadly for Kalil and the Vikings, a decision on his future will be necessary soon. His rookie contract expires after next season and what seemed like such a sure re-signing now has question marks and red flags everywhere. General Manager Rick Spielman, slow to admit draft mistakes (see Ponder, Christian for example) may have no choice and, like Mike Holmgren for the Packers in 1991, end the employment of a player he had no intent of ever requiring to do so.

Should that come to pass, the NFC North may add another to the list of all-time draft busts in NFL history.

[SkunkedAgain]

Personally I can't understand how you can call a pro-bowl rookie a draft bust. It sounds more like the guy had the tools and was a great draft pick. It sounds more like the coaching staff failed him or he purely self-imploded. He's got the tools to be very good and therefore could be good again.

Did he start dating anybody in the last year?

"Women weaken legs" - Mickey Goldmill

[BuckSutherland]

I would not consider him a total bust, but he is playing terrible. I just dont think he has the heart for MN and skunked u might be right about the woman thing. Or perhaps he is carpooling to the games with I am a maroon Ballerina Patterson and they are hot boxing it the whole way in. The effort is not there from either of them.

On the bright side if we did not take him and would have taken one of the other players we probably would have been just as disappointed.

Some notables drafted in that class.

1. Andrew Luck- Future HOF and total no brainer

2. RG3- Talk about a dumpster fire. He has ruined the team/franchise in WASH. Just another stupid scrambling RB playing QB. They gave up a ton to have dismal QB play

3. Trent Richardson to Cleveland. Guys off the street are just as good as this Alabama pie stain

4. Kalil

5. Justin Blackmon- This pie stain doesnt even play anymore (Jacksonville)

6. Morris Claiborne- remember this "shut down" corner barely got his name correct on the wonderlick test. Total bust and Dallas traded up to get him.

7. Mark Barron- Another Alabama bust. This pie stain went to TB, and then was traded to STL and now sits on the bench.

8. Ryan Tannehill- He has been ok for Miami

9. Luke Kuechly- An absolute stud for Carolina

10. Stephen Gilmore- Just a ho-hum CB for Buffalo

[fishersofmen]

Well Kalil played alot better this week!!

[traveler]

I tried to watch him today, and wow, he just gets beat...and beat....

I can't see him lasting in that position if something doesn't change, big time.

[gunner55]

Plus he had 3 drive stopping penalties.

[BuckSutherland]

I dont know what has happened to him, but its not good. He showed so much promise after the first year. The o-line coach needs to go whoever that is. The thing with Kalil is that if he can lock you up square you are done. Its the speed around the edge and the sloppy footwork that is owning him. If he gets his hands on you it over though. Not gonna go through him. I would be fine moving him into guard and getting a new LT. That way you need one player, but you are still addressing 40% of the line.

[DREZLER]

Ben Leber on KFAN has came out and basically said that Kalil has no where near the proper skill set/physical attributes for Guard and that it is not a possibility to move him there.

[rundrave]

He must have had a bad day at the office lol: http://deadspin.com/vikings-tackle-matt-kalil-knocks-a-hecklers-hat-off-his-1662615391

[Hester]

I actually think he would look good playing guard........on the practice squad that is.

[CaptainMusky]

I love the chose who threw the beer at him as he walked away. Whiffed just like kalil did.

[BuckSutherland]

Maybe he is the Kurt Cobain of NFL LTs. He is just so good that he cant handle it and is gonna squander his talent.

[FISHINGURU]

Maybe it's his knee injury still lingering. The only thing between his Pro Bowl season and him being owned is injury. Not giving him excuses but going against the fastest rushers in the league with a lingering knee injury wouldn't be the easiest of jobs.

I also heard the Leber comments saying how he doesn't have the body type to play guard. How about trying him at RT where he'd face slower pass rushers instead of LT where he is getting owned by speed, atleast until he's healthy, we really couldn't do any worse trying him in Loadholts spot and trying someone else at LT for now.

[TR21HP]

The opposing team would just rotate the speed rusher over him at Right tackle. About the only team that doesn't have the knowledge or ability to move rushers around on defense is the Vikes. I watched 5 or 6 games on Sunday and they constantly were moving their rushers around to take advantage of mismatches. Kalil is way too slow and lacks any footspeed as well as agility to play guard. He either improves, gets healthy or get rid of him.

[schmitty3]

Moving him over to right tackle would at the least give Bridgewater the chance to see the unblocked rusher coming at him rather than coming from behind.