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Vikings relying more on youth with three rookies set to start against Saints

By Andrew Krammer

Only two Vikings rookies have started Week 1 games in three years under head coach Mike Zimmer. That number could more than double on Monday night against the Saints.

The team’s first unofficial depth chart of the season lists three rookies — running back Dalvin Cook, center Pat Elflein and linebacker Ben Gedeon — as starters after this weekend’s cuts down to the 53-player limit.

The Vikings decided on the combination of Elflein at center and Nick Easton at left guard before approaching Alex Boone about a pay cut, according to the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. The Easton-Elflein-Joe Berger interior combo worked well in Seattle, where Cook had his best preseason outing with seven carries for 40 rushing yards.

Overall the Vikings are relying more on youth after the release of Boone, linebacker Chad Greenway’s retirement and the inclusion of defensive end Danielle Hunter, cornerback Trae Waynes and three rookies in the starting lineup.

Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman anticipated such when picking an 11-man draft class after letting, and watching, a handful of veterans like cornerback Captain Munnerlyn exit in free agency.

The average age of the Vikings’ expected Week 1 lineup reflects the shift. Both offensively and defensively, the Vikings dropped 22 seasons of experience and erosion, or two seasons per player. The average starter is now 26 years old on both sides of the ball (26.27 on offense, 26.72 on defense), down from more than 28 years old on each side last season.
Vikings relying more on youth with three rookies set to start against Saints - StarTribune.com

QBREES9

LOL good luck to them . Ha Ha Ha Ha

Beastmode

You never know. Kareem Hunt turned the Pats D into school girls. He did something that has not been done by a rookie since 1970 to a projected better than top ten D.

halloween 65

That was unreal what the kid did. Minus the fumble he was great.

Beastmode

The fumble may have actually helped the Chiefs. Pats probably thought no way they keep feeding it to him but they absolutely did. Hardly ever see that unless it's a stellar player. We would have pulled Ingram's plug for a while.

CharityMike

Yeah and the flip side to Hunt doing good is that the Patriots D is not as good as they thought they were.

dizzle88

We are going to be starting rookies

Ramscyk, Anzalone, Kamara, Lattimore and Williams will play enough to justify calling them a starter.

jeanpierre

Rookie RB or a LBer is not as big a challenge as say a QB, LT, or even a FS...

And we've got two of those starting for us, away, in a hostile environment with bad fan history...

F*ck, em! Hope we demolish them and remind them after those years of losing close games on questionable calls...

we now own them...

Rugby Saint II

I wonder how many questionable calls we'll get called against us?

It's early in the season and the refs have been told by Godhell to screw us every chance they get. If they throw enough flags then maybe they will get to ride in Jerry Jones' party bus with Roger.

K Major

5 brand new O lineman for the Vikings ... communication and cohesion won't be there just yet. Expect DA to bring the house tonight. Saints were a good run stopping team last year and I think this year they'll be even better. Keep an eye on Dalvin Cook (rookie RB). He's a very good all around back and can catch the ball well in space. Hopefully Kenny V can keep TE Rudolph under raps (specifically on 3rd down).

Saints 17 sacks in pre season still stands out for me ... Rankins, Davison bringing heat from the interior could be huge. Kikaha could eat tonight.

Edit - I think Marcus will get a pick tonight.