Bashaud Breeland News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/bashaud-breeland/ Minnesota sports, but different Sat, 18 Dec 2021 23:11:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Bashaud Breeland News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/bashaud-breeland/ 32 32 Vikings Waive Bashaud Breeland After Spat With Coaches and Teammates, More https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/vikings-waive-bashaud-breeland-after-spat-with-coaches-and-teammates-more/ Sat, 18 Dec 2021 22:03:33 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=37510 The Minnesota Vikings signed Bashaud Breeland during the offseason, they thought he’d be another veteran presence for a young secondary that, if nothing else, needed the depth. At times, he’s been pretty good.

Other times, he’s been really bad. But Breeland definitely provided something for Mike Zimmer, who played him as the starter for a majority of the defensive snaps when healthy. On Saturday afternoon, however, Breeland was waived. He tweeted “wow” minutes before the news broke.

What happened?

Tom Pelissero (NFL Network) first reported that Breeland had gotten into it with teammates and coaches at practice on Saturday. It must’ve been relatively early on if they gave him a non-participant designation. Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) indulged deeper into what happened between Breeland, Cook and others. The altercation started as trash talk but got so bad that it had to be broken up by Rick Spielman, himself.

Shortly after his waived status was made public, Chris Tomasson (Pioneer Press) reported that Breeland, who was on the injury report with a “non-injury related” designation on Saturday, was sued for $15,000 back in October, accused of smoking a lot of pot in his non-smoking apartment complex. There doesn’t appear to be a correlation between the lawsuit and Breeland’s release.

The Numbers

Breeland’s numbers this season certainly didn’t help his cause. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s allowed 13.5 yards per reception and a passer rating of 112.6 when thrown at. His 47.2 PFF grade ranks 117 of 119 cornerbacks in the NFL.

This leaves the Minnesota Vikings thin at CB. It’ll be Patrick Peterson, Cam Dantzler and Kris Boyd on the outside, with Mackensie Alexander patrolling the slot. Any updates that release in the next couple of hours will be added to this blog.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Sat, 18 Dec 2021 17:11:31 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Bashaud Breeland Gets Defensive with Media; Fires PFF Question Back at Tomasson https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/bashaud-breeland-gets-defensive-with-media-fires-pff-question-back-at-tomasson/ Fri, 08 Oct 2021 19:23:23 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=36515 Bashaud Breeland has had a rough start to his Minnesota Vikings career. It’s been written about extensively here, especially when we looked deeply into why he was still getting playing time over Cam Dantzler before the Browns game.

Well, Breeland started again against Cleveland but didn’t even make it out of the 1st quarter. He exited the game after giving up a 21-yard 3rd down completion ten minutes into the game, where he failed to pick up the correct assignment (see video below).

Bashaud got in front of Vikings reporters on Friday afternoon and his appearance didn’t even last four minutes. That’s all it took for fireworks to fly, though. Breeland was asked early-on about that last play of his game vs Cleveland and why he never returned after. Were the two related? What happened? He looked confused by the question and couldn’t seem to remember what play he was being asked about.

It was a great way to start an even better press conference that would only get better from here.

Breeland vs Tomasson

You can hear two reporters asking the questions that seem to be frustrating Bashaud Breeland. After taking the above question, he turns to Chris Tomasson (Pioneer Press), who is known for some of the heated exchanges he’s had with head coach, Mike Zimmer.

Tomasson asked Breeland about his PFF grade, which ranks 103 of 103 cornerbacks in the league, and if the former Chief is embarrassed by such things. Bashaud’s response couldn’t have been any better. First, he claimed not to be embarrassed by PFF’s ranking. Then, he turns the question on Tomasson and says Chris would probably be ranked 101st in his profession, if such rankings existed.

It was a legendary player/reporter exchange that I’m just glad I watched happen in real time.

What else?

Bashaud Breeland admitted to a poor start. He wasn’t up there trying to convince people that PFF’s rankings are wrong. Instead, Breeland pointed to a difficulty he’s had adjusting to a “new team and new scheme” but that he feels he’s getting better every week.

He challenged fans and media, saying “ya’ll just watch”, followed by “I can’t wait till Sunday”. We’ll see if a different Bashaud shows up on Sunday. Here’s his full interview.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Fri, 08 Oct 2021 14:23:27 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Zimmer’s Dislike For Dantzler Seems to Cloud His Judgement on Other Struggling Vikings CB’s https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/zimmers-dislike-for-dantzler-seems-to-cloud-his-judgement-on-other-struggling-vikings-cbs/ Sun, 03 Oct 2021 01:47:26 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=36398 Mike Zimmer felt overwhelmed with the thought of fixing his secondary when the Minnesota Vikings entered last offseason. That makes sense, given the many struggles of his rookie cornerbacks during a non-playoff 2021 season; one in which Mike’s defense was a driving force in the disappointment.

Oh, that was before the front office traded Mike Hughes to Kansas City for next to nothing and before they released 2020 1st round draft pick, Jeff Gladney, after he was indicted on domestic abuse charges.

But Zim perked up when Rick Spielman swooped in to save the day by signing established veterans, Patrick Peterson, Bashaud Breeland and former Viking, Mackensie Alexander.

And the Minnesota Vikings 2021 season lived happily ever after, right? Haha, good one.

The numbers

So, numbers can lie and are often used to paint a specific artist’s perception. But there are some numbers that just can’t be run away from. Bashaud Breeland, for example, is the NFL’s 100th-ranked cornerback by Pro Football Focus. PFF “only” ranks 100 cornerbacks. If you’re not catching on, that’s last place out of 100 other CB’s. That’s not a list you want to be at the bottom of. Yet, there’s Bashaud with a big Vikings logo right next to him.

Part of the reason Breeland’s numbers are so bad is because opposing teams continue to pick on him day in and day out. That must mean they’re afraid of Patrick Peterson, who man’s the other side of the field, right? Maybe.

But should they be? P2 has been thrown to just 13 times total, in the Minnesota Vikings first three games. Unfortunately, according to Pro Football Reference, opposing QB’s have completed 10 of those passes, one of them for a touchdown. That 77% completion allowed is by-far the worst of his career.

With those numbers, quarterbacks won’t be avoiding Peterson for much longer, even if they’re busy taking advantage of Breeland.

Zimmer doesn’t care

No matter how bad Bashaud Breeland looks to the rest of the world or how sick his grades and numbers make is feel, Mike Zimmer doesn’t seem to care. The only dude he continues to go after during press conferences is the only cornerback who’s exceeded any sort of expectations since joining the Vikings.

Cam Dantzler was drafted by Rick Spielman in the 3rd round (#89 OVR) of the 2020 NFL Draft and he stuck out to media and those inside the organization as soon as he hit the field. He and fellow draftee, Justin Jefferson, were the stars of Training Camp later that year.

Dantzler went on to start 10 games as a rookie for the 2020 Minnesota Vikings’ and wasn’t always great. Mistakes should be expected when a CB is a rookie playing in Mike Zimmer’s system.

But since the first time Zimmer stepped to the microphone at the start of 2021 training camp, he’s been taking not-so-subtle shots at Cam about his mental and physical toughness or his supposed unwillingness to play special teams.

Grow up, kid.

But social media posts like this, after a massive team win, is why Dantzler is a big part of the problem and why more people aren’t jumping on Zimmer.

Timing is everything and taking to social media at that moment was a terrible idea. It got deleted after about 20 minutes but screenshots live forever. But if you’re still reading this blog, you probably understand why Dantzler is upset.

Cam hasn’t even gotten enough reps to register a ranking at PFF but his overall grade of 70.5 is pretty damn good and way higher than either of the current Minnesota Vikings starters. We aren’t sure how he’d do with more playing time but at the end of the day, can he be any worse than Bashaud Breeland, the worst CB in the league? Probably not.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Sun, 03 Oct 2021 08:44:09 +0000 Minnesota Vikings Vikings Secondary Suddenly Stacked With Veteran Talent https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-vikings/minnesota-vikings-secondary-suddenly-stacked-with-veteran-talent/ Mon, 07 Jun 2021 01:19:30 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=35268

What a difference a year makes, eh Mike? Last offseason around this time, and for another 3 months until week one kicked off, Minnesota Vikings fans and media listened to Coach Zimmer’s calm demeanor when addressing his sudden lack of depth and veteran presence at the cornerback position. Unfortunately, his confidence (borderline cockiness) didn’t pay off when regular season passes started flying.

The secondary’s struggle bus should have been foreseen as it came around the bend, last summer. The Vikings’ front office, whether planned or not, cut their entire starting CB group loose in one fell offseason swoop. The exodus included all three starters, Xavier (don’t call him “Zavier”) Rhodes, Trae Waynes and (nickel) Mackensie Alexander. All three CB’s were drafted and raised by Mike Zimmer and all were given time to learn one of the league’s more sophisticated defenses, before being turned loose against the best quarterbacks and wide receivers in the world.

Don’t know what you’ve got till it’s…

How much cornerback experience was let go last offseason? Rhodes, Waynes and Alexander had combined for 16 years, 233 games and 160 starts in Zim’s secondary. Rhodes was an all pro in 2017 and has gone to three pro bowls since 2016.

To replace all of that production, Rick Spielman drafted two cornerbacks, Jeff Gladney and Cam Dantzler, in the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. When healthy the two rookies were thrown into the fire, starting 25 of 27 games between the two of them. Dantzler started 10 of the 11 games he was available to play and Gladney started 15 of 16.

The results weren’t pretty. By the end of week 17, Mike Zimmer’s defense was 25th in passing yards allowed, 23rd in passing touchdowns allowed and 30th in net yards per pass play. It was a season of clear embarrassment for a head coach who has built his reputation in the defensive secondary.

Learning from mistakes

But as human beings, learning from mistakes is a large part of growth and the 2021 offseason has proven that the Minnesota Vikings front office has grown from their disastrous secondary of 2020. Rick Spielman has had veteran CB’s on his mind throughout free agency, first adding future hall of fame cornerback, Patrick Peterson, before welcoming Mackensie Alexander back with open arms and then signing another starting-caliber veteran, in Bashaud Breeland.

Now, the Vikings secondary will enter the 2021 season with Peterson, Breeland, Dantzler and Alexander. On paper, that group makes last season’s bunch look like 3rd graders playing football during 5th grade recess. But, football games aren’t played on paper and there are still plenty of unknowns for this new Minnesota secondary too.

Patrick Peterson | 30-yrs-old | 154 Games

Patrick Peterson will be 31 by the time training camp gathers in August. To be blunt, Peterson’s been mediocre (or worse) for two seasons, allowing QB Ratings around 99.0 and completion percentages over 65% when targeted in 2019 and 2020. Those aren’t the numbers that launched Peterson into the NFL’s top-20 players from 2015-2017.

But while in Arizona, even if the results didn’t warrant it, PP was shadowing the opposing team’s #1 receiver. That’s something only taken on by the league’s elite and if you aren’t up for the assignment, you’ll be exposed just like Peterson has been recently. Zimmer won’t ask him to be a younger version of himself.

The Minnesota Vikings hope less responsibility, a change in scenery, a new system, and a (sort of) new number will be the exact rejuvenation Patrick Peterson’s career needs. The sudden stack of depth in the purple secondary should help that cause

Mackensie Alexander | 27-yrs-old | 68 Games

Mackensie Alexander is back in Minnesota Vikings purple after one season away at Cincinnati. Mack didn’t really skip a beat while gone, though he did allow a completion percentage that almost hit 70%, nearly 5 points higher than his career average before that. Still, QB’s held an 82.3 passer rating when they targeted Alexander, which is right on point with where he was in Minnesota. Mack will take over the Nickel CB position, the same spot he held down before leaving.

Bashaud Breeland | 29-yrs-old | 94 Games

Bashaud Breeland will compete with Cam Dantzler for a starting spot opposite Patrick Peterson. Breeland’s career numbers tell us he’s highly underrated and that Dantzler has his work cut out for him. As far as Vikings fans are concerned, this is beautiful music softly beating on eardrums.

In 2020, QB’s completed just 50% of the passes they threw vs Bashaud Breeland for a petty QB rating of 78.3. Dantzler allowed a 92 QB rating last season, along with a 63.4% completion.

One thing is for sure, Vikings fans should feel a lot better about their team’s secondary entering 2021 than they did in 2020.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Sun, 06 Jun 2021 20:19:34 +0000 Minnesota Vikings