Kyle Rudolph Fantasy News

Vikings sign TE John Carlson for five years, $25 million
Wednesday, March 14, 2012, 5:13pm

Vikings reached agreement with former Seahawks tight end John Carslon on a five-year, $25 million deal.

Monday, November 21, 2011, 10:00pm

Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph suffered a quad contusion Sunday and TE Visanthe Shiancoe suffered a mild strain of his hamstring.

Sunday, September 4, 2011, 1:04pm

The Minnesota Vikings are hoping tight end Kyle Rudolph can make significant contributions as a rookie. Rudolph left Notre Dame early and didn’t have the benefit of a regular offseason, but he flashed in training camp.

Their coaches are considering using more two tight end sets with Rudolph and Visanthe Shiancoe on the field together. It’s also worth noting that the second round pick appears to be developing chemistry with first rounder Christian Ponder, which bodes well for the long term future of the tight end.

Thursday, August 25, 2011, 4:43pm

Vikings beat writer Mike Craig on Kyle Rudolph: "No player in camp has looked better than the big kid from Notre Dame. Meanwhile, Shiancoe has missed most of camp with a hamstring injury. He hasn't played in the preseason and probably won't since the team has already ruled him out of the third game on Saturday night. I don't think Rudolph moves ahead of Shiancoe. And in this offense, there's room for two pass-catching tight ends. But I do think Rudolph is earning himself more playing time, whether that means more two tight end sets or some kind of rotation with Shiancoe."

Monday, August 22, 2011, 5:55pm

In the first-team offense's 15 snaps on Saturday, Vikings OC Bill Musgrave deployed five personnel groups. One of them was a two-tight end with rookie Kyle Rudolph standing up in the slot on four snaps.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011, 7:18pm

Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph has a fan. Larry Fitzgerald was effusive in his praise for the potential of the second-round pick from Notre Dame.

"He's 270 pounds and he's 6-foot-7," Fitzgerald said. "He can run. He can move and get out of his breaks. He's got great hands. He can hold the edge when he needs to block.

"I was teasing him already -- I call him (former New York Giants star) Mark Bavaro reincarnated. He's going to be special like that, I think, and I'm excited to see his progression."

Visanthe Shiancoe has also taken a shine to Rudolph.

"That's going to be my buddy," Shiancoe said of Rudolph after both participated in Larry Fitzgerald's group workout on the "U" campus.

"That's going to be my pal right there. So, we're going to get it going. I'm going to show him everything I know."

Tuesday, May 24, 2011, 3:53pm

One Vikings veteran to watch this offseason will be TE Jim Kleinsasser. The mainstay might not have a roster spot locked up with the addition of second-round pick Kyle Rudolph and with the team needing to make a decision on Visanthe Shiancoe, whose deal has one more year left

Saturday, April 30, 2011, 4:19pm

On Friday night, the Vikings returned to their usual means of operation and stayed true to their board by selecting Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph in the second round. However, the decision was a bit of a surprise considering that of the Vikings' many positional needs, tight end didn't seem to be near the top of the list.

Rudolph joins a depth chart that includes starter Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser and Jeff Dugan. All three will be entering the final season of their contracts, and Rudolph's presence likely means it will be difficult for Dugan to make the roster. Kleinsasser is 34 and will be entering his 13th NFL season, and it's uncertain how much longer he will play after 2011.

Rudolph, who declared for the draft after his junior season, likely would have been a first-round pick if he hadn't suffered a severe hamstring injury last season. He played the first six games with a sore right hamstring before tearing two tendons off the bone against Pittsburgh. He underwent season-ending surgery in mid-October.

Rudolph admits that, in retrospect, he should have shut himself down until what had been a hamstring pull was healed "instead of trying to be a tough guy and grind through it."

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave envision the potential of having the 6-6 Rudolph and 6-4 Shiancoe on the field at the same time in some packages.

"[That] would really create some mismatches for defenses," Frazier said. "In our game, that's a big part of what we are trying to do, create mismatches."