Minnesota Vikings News and Links, 25 January 2024

“The optimist believes this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears they may be right.”

The offseason is off to a pretty good start. Lots of wailing and gnashing of the teeth.

Are you not entertained?

Since yore last open thread

Perhaps the time has come to forgive Joe Buck

Vikings late-season struggles were NOT KOC’s fault

Other Vikings News

NFL Insider Drops Bombshell Report On Vikings’ Kirk Cousins

“There’s two great quarterback mysteries in this offseason in the NFL,” NBC Sports’ Peter King said on “The Cook & Joe Show” on January 23. “One is Kirk Cousins. Because he will not go back to Minnesota on a one-year contract.”

“A lot of people are going to say, ‘Wow, he’s going to be 36 [years old] next year, coming off a torn Achilles. Do we want to commit to him for two years,’” King said. “I would if I were a team. But we’re also talking two years, $90 million, which is excessive. But it’s also the market. So I’m not saying it’s a bad deal or a bad idea.”

Why extending Kirk Cousins could make sense for the Vikings — and why it might not

Bringing back Cousins would make sense only if the Vikings feel they are close to contention.

How Minnesota fans have suffered through 32 years of heartbreak

2023 Vikings Position Recap: Inside Linebackers

Report: Vikings wouldn’t ’bat an eye’ at steep price to move up for QB

“If they’re going to take one, it’s going to be someone we love or we’re not doing it,” Goessling told KFAN’s Paul Allen Tuesday. “If you have to give up a couple first-round picks for future years, I don’t think they’d bat an eye at that.”

“They have certainly looked at this as ‘we need to get the guy that we can plant our flag with for the next 10 years and if it costs a lot to do that, so be it,’” continued Goessling. “I don’t think they’re going to limp in on this, so to speak, and be like, ‘Well, if it’s QB5 and we’re kind of OK with him let’s take him anyway.’”

In 2023 the Panthers traded their first- and second-round picks (No. 9 and No. 61) in the 2023 draft along with their first-round pick in 2024, second-round pick in 2025 and receiver D.J. Moore for the No. 1 overall pick.

If Minnesota is going to trade up into the top three it’s going to take something similar. The Vikings currently have their next three first- and second-round picks though they lack players who could be valuable trade chips.

“You have to have [the trade compensation] be enough that whoever may feel the same way about those quarterbacks that you do says ‘This is better,’” continued Goessling. “You have to give somebody enough that either New England or Washington says ‘No, we’re OK passing up on a guy that we think can be a great player for a long time.’ And maybe they won’t see it the same way, that would help the Vikings out. But you have to figure somebody else will. So you have to outbid all them and make the Commanders or Patriots say, ‘As much as we like this guy it’s hard to pass up this kind of a package.’ It would cost a lot and you’re probably going to pay a premium to get up and get one of those guys given the way the board breaks for a lot of these teams that need quarterbacks.”

“They looked at it last year. They probably didn’t have quite enough capital to get up to three or four [to get Anthony Richardson]. Richardson, Stroud, Young, they liked all three of them,” Goessling said.

Monday Morning Mailbag: A Quarterback-Driven Offseason

Vikings Sign Cornerback A.J. Green III to Futures Contract

Vikings Won’t Have Any Compensatory Picks in 2024 NFL Draft

The Davenport signing cancelled out a probable 3rd round compensatory pick for losing Tomlinson. Kwesi does it again!

Ex-Vikings GM predicts $172.5m Justin Jefferson deal to ‘get done soon’

Former Minnesota Vikings general manager Jeff Diamond is predicting the 24-year-old superstar wide receiver will sign a five-year contract extension wroth $172.5 million, including a $50 million signing bonus and a $125 million of his contract guaranteed.

The former GM also believes the new deal will save Minnesota around $10.2 million on Jefferson’s 2024 cap hit, which could help free up money to re-sign quarterback Kirk Cousin and edge rusher Danielle Hunter.

He expects at least $45 million a year to re-sign Cousins and about $25 million annually to ink Hunter to an extension.

That is going ALL-IN!

Steelers Among Favorites for Vikings QB

‘Has it all’: Is Bo Nix the perfect QB for the Vikings?

Nix was evaluated by Trestman way back in June and drew rave reviews from the former Chicago Bears head coach who has decades of experience as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in college and professional football.

“Nix is the fourth quarterback I’ve evaluated early in the expected 2024 NFL Draft class. With limited exposure and no personal time with any of these players, I have no reservations about placing Nix in the top tier with Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Michael Penix Jr.,” Trestman wrote in his review for the 33rd Team.

Lions’ Success Emphasizes Importance of Upcoming NFL Draft for Vikings

Vikings drafting truly has been less than stellar to say the least especially in the early rounds save for JJ, Darrisaw, and Addison.

The 2020 draft was where the team had the chance to do like the Packers and could have drafted Jordan Love instead of Jeff Gladney. Cousins could have mentored Love.

The 2021 3rd round was horrific. Kellen Mond (who I liked), Chazz Surratt, Wyatt Davis, and Patrick Jones II followed up by Nwangu did the team no favors.

NFL News

Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan to be Chargers head coach

NFL insider floats Colin Kaepernick’s potential return as Jim Harbaugh takes Chargers job

Lamar Jackson Wins Pro Football Writers of America MVP Award

Patrick Mahomes is king, Brock Purdy just wins and the Baltimore Ravens are the best team in the NFL

NFL Draft News

NFL Draft 2024: Ranking all 11 position groups right now

WR, QB, OT, CB, EDGE, DT, IOL, TE, S, RB, LB

Shameless Plug

Vikings 2024 Offseason Plan v2.0

Yore Mock

Trade Partner: New England Patriots

Sent: Round 1 Pick 11, 2025 Round 1 Pick, 2026 Round 1 Pick, 2025 Round 2 Pick

Received: Round 1 Pick 3

…

Trade Partner: Philadelphia Eagles

Sent: Round 2 Pick 10, Round 6 Pick 12

Received: Round 2 Pick 18, Round 3 Pick 33, Round 6 Pick 36

…

Trade Partner: Arizona Cardinals

Sent: Round 4 Pick 30

Received: Round 5 Pick 3, Round 7 Pick 6

…

3: R1 P3 QB Jayden Daniels – LSU 6’2” 245

50: R2 P18 C Jackson Powers-Johnson – Oregon 6’3” 320

97: R3 P33 EDGE Javon Solomon – Troy 6’2” 245

108: R4 P8 WR Brenden Rice – USC 6’3” 210

139: R5 P3 DL DeWayne Carter – Duke 6’3” 305

158: R5 P22 OT Christian Jones – Texas 6’6” 321

165: R5 P29 LB Trevin Wallace – Kentucky 6’2” 241

176: R6 P1 RB Cody Schrader – Missouri 5’9” 214

211: R6 P36 DL Justin Rogers – Auburn 6’3” 346

225: R7 P6 EDGE Braiden McGregor – Michigan 6’6” 267

242: R7 P23 DL Jaden Crumedy – Mississippi State 6’5” 305

Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

• No discussion of politics or religion
• No feeding of the trolls
• Leave the gender hatred at the door
• Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
• Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
• No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
• If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
• While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm