You know, if a problem keeps rearing its head around you, and doesn’t seem to be an issue other places, maybe you’re to blame. Such could be the case with the Minnesota Vikings, who traded a fifth round draft pick to the Baltimore Ravens for kicker Kaare Vedvik and immediately broke him.
Vedvik missed two field goals in his Vikings debut and special teams coach Marwan Maalouf was not pleased.
“Disappointing,” Maalouf said. “It’s unacceptable. He (Vedvik) knows that. Hopefully this week we’ll get more opportunities. We plan on playing all the guys as much as we possibly can.”
Kaare Vedvik, who was traded by Ravens for a fifth-round pick, missed two FGs, leaving Zimmer 'at a loss' (via @CourtneyRCronin) https://t.co/sccUjcVXEj
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) August 25, 2019
The former kicker out of Marshall was pretty good before he landed on Minnesota’s roster. Suddenly, like every other kicker who puts on the purple and gold, he’s struggling. Perhaps the biggest kicking problem with the Vikings is on their coaching staff?
It’s a thought.
Vedvik could end up the kicker or the punter, as he’s battling for both positions against incumbents Dan Bailey, the kicker, and Matt Wile, the punter.
Mike Zimmer flummoxed by special teams issues. Said his concern with Kaare Vedvik’s misses is “high.” He said Wile has punted well and Bailey has kicked well since Vedvik arrived. “So I’m at a loss on that,” Zimmer said.
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) August 24, 2019
Minnesota will make its final cut-downs after their preseason game Thursday.
No news is no news on Ezekiel Elliott
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has no news on Ezekiel Elliott, but because he said the All Pro running back’s name aloud, much like saying Beetlejuice three times, everybody has to write about it. That includes me.
Jones did state that the team was prepared to open the season with out Elliott’s services, but with the expectations he’d be fresh and ready to go for the postseason.
“We have to be prepared to play without any given player,” Jones told 105.3 the Fan. “We may very well play without a player that’s not coming in on his contract. We’ll play and we’ll play well. …We’ve got a marathon here. We want Zeke when we get to the playoffs. We want Zeke when we’re in the dog days of this season.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't seem unnerved on @1053thefan with possibility team could start 2019 without RB Ezekiel Elliott. "We've got a marathon here. We want Zeke when we get to the playoffs. We want Zeke when we're in the dog days of the season."
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 28, 2019
But, ultimately, Zeke is still in Cabo and Jerry still has a full wallet. Nothing has changed.
“I don’t have anything to report there,” Jones said. “No we don’t have anything to report on our contract negotiations.”
Yet we’re still writing.