Minnesota Vikings News and Links, 29 February 2024

“Life must be understood backward. But it must be lived forward .” – Søren Kierkegaard

NFL Combine workouts start today!

We might see some real MOOBS!

Defensive Line and Linebackers are up today

Defensive Backs and Tight Ends tomorrow

Running Backs, Quarterbacks, and Wide Receivers on Saturday

Offensive Line on Sunday

Since yore last open thread

Vikings Rank #2 Overall in 2024 NFLPA Report Card

Other News

Kevin O’Connell lays out ‘non-negotiables’ for prospect quarterbacks

“Any NFL quarterback who is going to sustain a long career in this league has to be accurate,” O’Connell said. “They have to be able to process information, they have to have a certain baseline level of toughness to play the position because we ask them to do not only mentally hard things but it’s a physically hard position with what happens each Sunday.”

Matthew Coller: On Justin Jefferson, Moneyball and Minnesota sports history

Speaking of successful teams, outside of the Chiefs, who have the greatest QB of a generation, clubs with elite receivers have been having a lot of success lately. The top paid receivers are Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, AJ Brown and Stefon Diggs. Hill’s team led the NFL in passing, Adams drove Aaron Rodgers’ two MVP awards, Kupp was the offensive player of the year and won the Super Bowl, Brown was three points from a Super Bowl and Diggs’ team has won four straight division titles since he arrived.

Jefferson’s impact on his quarterback is so immense that you vastly improve the odds of your quarterback playing great by having him, whether it’s Kirk or no Kirk. When JJ has been targeted over his career, he’s turned Cousins into an MVP. His QB rating on throws in his direction is 111.8 and he’s the only WR in the NFL to grade over 90 for the last four seasons in a row by PFF.

Did acquiring Diggs not help Josh Allen become an MVP-caliber QB? Did AJ Brown’s presence in Philly not help Jalen Hurts get to the Super Bowl? Did Brown’s absence not crush Tennessee’s QBs as they tried failingly to replace him in the draft? Is Brock Purdy out there doing it by himself or with All-Pro Deebo Samuel, the seventh highest paid receiver in the league? Decent quarterbacks can play great when their receivers make every play. Decent quarterbacks can get exposed when they do not have those guys.

Yore Mock with a Q&D Plan

Starting Cap Space

2024: $35,807,132

2025: $139,489,530

.

Cut H. Smith and D. Lowry

Extend Kork – 2 yr 90M

Extend JJ – 4 yr 140M

Extend Hunter – 3 yr 75M

Extend Wonnum – 2 yr 13M

Sign DT – DJ Reader 3 yr 48M

Sign OG – Jon Runyan 3 yr 18M

Sign LB – Tyrel Dodson 3 yr 18M

Sign DT – Raekwon Davis – 2yr 10M

Sign CB – Akhello Witherspoon – 4 yr 36M

Sign EDGE – Yetur-Gross Matos 2 yr 7.5M

Sign OG – Sua Opeta 2 yr 6M

Sign OL – Blake Brandel 1 yr 2.25M

Sign DT – Khyiris Tonga 1 yr 2.25M

Sign TE – Johnny Mundt 1 yr 1.375M

Sign WR – Brandon Powell 1 yr 1.375M

Sign OC – Austin Shclottmann 1 yr 1.225M

Sign OL – Oli Udoh 1 yr 1.225M

Pick up ERFA deals of Muse and TJ Smith

.

Ending Cap Space

2024: $11,886,752 (67 players)

2025: ($4,562,920) (36 players)

In 2025, the team could restructure O’Neill and Hockenson, cut Ham, Bradbury, Oliver, and Booth to get up to 21M in cap space.

Depth Chart before draft …

QB: Kork, Mullens, Hall

RB: Mattison, Chandler, Nwangu, McBride, Gaskin

WR: Jefferson, Nailor, Knowles, Harry

WR: Addison, Powell, L. Jackson, T. Jackson, Thomas, Baldwin

TE: Hockenson, Oliver, Mundt, Muse

LT: Darrisaw, Udoh, Adenji

LG: Runyan, Opeta, Byrd

OC: Bradbury, Schlottmann

RG: Ingram, Opeta, Robinson

RT: O’Neill, Brandel, Cronk

.

DE: Davis, Roy, TJ Smith

DT: Reader, Tonga

DE: Phillips

LOLB: Hunter, Jones II, Carter

ROLB: Wonnum, Matos-Gross

LILB: Dodson, Asamoah

RILB: Pace Jr, Kwenkeu, Beauplan

LCB: Murphy, Booth, Joejuan Williams, Green

RCB: Witherspoon, Evans, Blackmon, Jaylin Williams

NB: Metellus, Thompson

SS: Jackson, Lewis

FS: Bynum, Ward

.

K:

P: Wright

LS: DePaola

Trade Partner: Bengals

Sent: Pick 11

Received: Pick 18, Pick 49, 2025 CIN 4th

…

Trade Partner: Cardinals

Sent: Pick 42, 2025 1st

Received: Pick 27, Pick 90

…

18. Jared Verse EDGE Florida State 6’4” 260

Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

27. J.J. McCarthy QB Michigan 6’3’ 202

Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

49. Zach Frazier OC West Virginia 6’2.5” 314

Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

90. Leonard Taylor DT Miami (FL) 6’3.1” 304

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images

109. Brenden Rice WR USC 6’2.1” 212

Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

130. Cam Hart CB Notre Dame 6’2.7” 204

Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images

156. Marist Liufau LB Notre Dame 6’2.0” 239

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images

166. Isaac Guerendo RB Louisville 5’11.6” 220

Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

179. Dallin Holker TE Colorado State 6’5” 235

Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

228. Joshua Karty K Stanford 6’1.6” 208

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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