Minnesota Vikings News and Links, 23 March 2024

“Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.” – Samuel Johnson

I have to say it is fantastic to debate/argue/whatever about what the Vikings will do, can do, should do in this upcoming draft!

It gets heated at times which is normal especially here. Over the years there have been some real doozies.

It shall pass.

I am still hoping that the team is able to bring back Dalton Risner. I know the contract they gave Blake Brandel has led many to believe he will be the starter but I think it is because of his position versatility. You need that and if you have to pay a quality backup more money then it is a wise investment.

News and Links

Vikings Report 2024 NFL Draft Preview: Offensive Line

Minnesota Vikings Free Agency 2024

Four Verts: Justin Fields can be Steelers’ starting QB next year, and Vikings are about to take a big risk

Vikings are about to do something incredibly risky

The Vikings have made something very clear: They’re going to get a quarterback in this year’s draft. After losing Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, the Vikings quickly made a move to position themselves for a quarterback. They traded with the Texans to acquire the 23rd pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, to pair with the 11th pick they already own. That plus a future first-round pick should be enough ammunition to get the Vikings in range to get a quarterback either before the draft or during it.

The problem is, they won’t exactly have their full selection of who they can take with whichever pick they end up trading to.

It’s an understandable risk, but a heavy risk nonetheless.

There’s a recent example of this failing in a spectacular manner with the 49ers trading three first-round picks for the right to draft Trey Lance, who never got going before suffering an injury and being traded to the Cowboys.

The third quarterback drafted has been a mixed bag in recent years. Justin Herbert and Josh Allen carry that title, as do Paxton Lynch and Blaine Gabbert. It mostly depends on the actual quarterback — Anthony Richardson was the third quarterback drafted in 2023 and he looked incredibly promising before getting hurt.

Opinions on quarterbacks will vary from team to team, but what isn’t questionable is that the Vikings are about to capital P pay for one. This will be a fascinating case study once the final compensation is announced and the selection is made.

How might a Patriots-Vikings trade play out? Breer breaks it down

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer confirmed that belief Thursday on NBC Sports Boston’s Arbella Early Edition.

“My understanding is that trade they made with the Texans … does not happen unless they lose Kirk Cousins,” Breer said of the Vikings. “So, what does that tell you? It tells you this is about a quarterback for them … and being aggressive, and they’re comfortable with the top four guys, because they couldn’t immediately get into the top three.”

“I think a scenario we could see happen is, if the Patriots decide they like Drake Maye and not Jayden Daniels, or the other way around, and the Commanders take the one that they like, and the one they don’t like falls to them, then of course they would be open to moving the pick,” Breer said. “And unless the Commanders decide to declare their intentions, you’re not going to know until you’re on the clock.

“I think that’s a very realistic scenario, because you’re not going to see all of these guys the same way. So, that scenario is possible where they decide there are two — not three or four — high-end quarterbacks in this year’s draft, and if one of those two doesn’t fall to them, they could decide to move out.”

2024 NFL Three-Round Mock Draft: Patriots trade back, still land J.J. McCarthy; three QBs go in second round

Another Michigan Quarterback? J.J. McCarthy Details ‘Amazing’ Patriots Interview

McCarthy, however, hopes his box scores don’t come to define him.

“Stats, for me, wasn’t really the big thing,” McCarthy said, per Tony Garcia of the Detroit Free Press. “All I cared about was being the best teammate I could possibly be, be the best quarterback I can possibly be, whatever was asked of me.

“The only stat I care about is W’s and we did pretty good in that category.”

NFL insider doesn’t rule out Patriots taking J.J. McCarthy with No. 3 pick

“I heard significantly more interest and excitement for how high Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy might go relative to how high LSU QB Jayden Daniels might go,” Solak wrote Monday morning.

For most of the last two months, the Patriots’ draft plans — at least as it pertains to the quarterback position — have revolved around Maye and Daniels, who took home the Heisman Trophy during the 2023 season.

But Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer added on Monday that the Patriots have not ruled out McCarthy as a potential option with their coveted first-round selection.

“It sounds like the Patriots are exploring all their options at quarterback,” Breer wrote. “So it’s fair to consider [Baker] Mayfield there. I also wouldn’t totally dismiss the idea of McCarthy, maybe in a trade-down scenario or even at No. 3.”

Oh no!

Jerod Mayo leads large group of Patriots staffers at Michigan Pro Day

Favorite, least favorite 2024 free agency moves for all 32 NFL teams

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Favorite: EDGE Jonathan Greenard

2023 PFF Grade: 76.7 (30th/112)

2023 PFF WAR: 0.18 (24th)

Fit/need grade: A+

Value grade: A-

Contract: Four years, $76 million ($19 million per year), $42 million guaranteed

PFF projected contract: Four years, $76 million ($19 million per year), $52.5 million total guaranteed

Minnesota lost both Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum on the edge, so getting younger with the talented Jonathan Greenard makes a lot of sense. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores will surely love Greenard’s ability against the run, in addition to a still-developing arsenal of pass-rush moves, with his super long arms keeping him clean against tackles as he turns the corner.

Least favorite: QB Sam Darnold

2023 PFF Grade: 66.0 (N/A)

2023 PFF WAR: 0.19 (44th)

Fit/need grade: A

Value grade: C

Contract: One year, $10 million, $8.75 million fully guaranteed

PFF projected contract: One year, $4.75 million

Darnold reunites with former teammate Josh McCown, who is now the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings under Kevin O’Connell. Minnesota obviously needs a bridge quarterback, or this could be the 2024 version of the Baker Mayfield experience in Tampa Bay, but with so many options available, they just had to give Darnold a greater than 100% raise over 2023. It feels like there’s baked-in compensation so Minnesota can say, “Hey, we don’t need to trade up. We have a starter we believe in!”

That said, there were legitimate flashes at the end of the 2022 season in Carolina for Darnold, and we know teams still believe in the former No. 3 overall pick. At the end of the day, with Kirk Cousins off to Atlanta, Minnesota had to make a fairly sizable move with their first-round draft pick sitting at No. 11 overall, and player agents were well aware of that reality. We now wait to see if they add a rookie signal-caller at No. 11 or after a trade-up.

Yore Mock

This is not a prediction of what the team will do. Just what I would do.

Trades

Vikings Receive: Round 1, Pick 5; Round 3, Pick 69

Chargers Receive: Round 1, Pick 11; Round 1, Pick 23; 2025 1st

…

Vikings Receive: Round 3, Pick 65

Panthers Receive: Round 3, Pick 69; Round 5, Pick 167

…

Vikings Receive: Round 5, Pick 146

Titans Receive: Round 5, Pick 157; 2025 5th

…

5. Jayden Daniels QB LSU 6’4’ 210

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

65. Braden Fiske DT Florida State 6’3.5” 295

Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

108. Blake Fisher OT Notre Dame 6’6” 310

Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

129. Javon Baker WR UCF 6’1.3” 208

Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

146. Elijah Jones CB Boston College 6’1.6” 182

Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

177. Isaac Guerendo RB Louisville 5’11.6” 220

Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

230. Eric Watts EDGE UConn 6’5.4” 277

Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

232. Nathaniel Watson LB Mississippi State 6’2.1” 244

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

An Alternate Mock

Trades

Vikings Receive: Round 1, Pick 15; Round 2, Pick 46

Colts Receive: Round 1, Pick 11

…

Vikings Receive: Round 2, Pick 33

Panthers Receive: Round 2, Pick 46; Round 4, Pick 129; 2025 3rd

…

15. Dallas Turner EDGE Alabama

23. Byron Murphy II DT Texas

33. Bo Nix QB Oregon

108. Jaylen Wright RB Tennessee

157. Hunter Nourzad OC Penn State

167. Elijah Jones CB Boston College

177. Cornelius Johnson WR Michigan

230. Dominique Hampton S Washington

232. Tip Reiman TE Illinois

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