All Things 2022 Minnesota Vikings Off-Season Thread

[Gopher_In_NYC]

If Dalvin Cook hadn't coughed up the ball in OT in the season opener, the 2021 Bengals & Vikings would've had identical 9-8 records (assuming the results of the year stayed the same).

Not saying that they are as good as Cincy. Just that the current talent gap isn't real wide.

The Bengals have got hot at the right time. I don't think they will be the favorites to win their own division next year, much less repeat as AFC or SB Champs.

Giants with the helmet catch in beating the Pats showed it’s exactly that! Much harder to do that in sports where u have to win a series to advance

 

[Gophers_4life]

If Dalvin Cook hadn't coughed up the ball in OT in the season opener, the 2021 Bengals & Vikings would've had identical 9-8 records (assuming the results of the year stayed the same).

Not saying that they are as good as Cincy. Just that the current talent gap isn't real wide.

The Bengals have got hot at the right time. I don't think they will be the favorites to win their own division next year, much less repeat as AFC or SB Champs.

But there is the entire rub: all Vikings fans want, at this point, is to just make the damn Super Bowl. We've done everything else.

Not a single Vikings fan will sign up for: win 11+ games every year for the next 10 years, but never make the Super Bowl.


Yes, it's an odd, binary thing ... but it is the golden goose.


You bring up a great and interesting point about if the Vikings had won in week 1. Very true. But ... they didn't. If grandma had balls, she'd be grandpa.

If the 1998 Vikings had beaten the Falcons, they'd have gone to the Super Bowl. But they didn't.
If the 2009 Vikings had beaten the Saints, they'd have gone to the Super Bowl. But they didn't.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Only after 6/1. If we cut both Barr and Cook what are we spending $13 million on AFTER 6/1?

That gets back at my question earlier.

Can we sign the players we want before 6/1, under the assumption that we'll have the cap space to do so because we're cutting Barr and Cook after 6/1? Is that allowed?

Or do we have to be under the cap as of 12:00am 6/1?

 

[Gophers_4life]

per Shooter:

It still seems likely that the Vikings will trade Cousins. Carolina or Cleveland appear best bets. A trade can’t be made until March 16.

Charley Walters: In Vikings-Harbaugh saga, who was using who?

The Harbaugh-Vikings meeting could have been a negotiating tool for one side or the other — maybe both.

www.twincities.com

Skol Vikes!!

The two paragraphs above that just as relevant or more so:

While it might appear that O’Connell’s hiring — he’s a former NFL quarterback who was QB coach in Kirk Cousins’ final season (2017) in Washington — could mean the Vikings retain Cousins rather than trade him, the opposite might be true.

Had the Vikings brought in Harbaugh, it would have been to win now. But with a young coach in O’Connell (36), it could be that they move on from Cousins and his guaranteed $35 million salary ($45 million cap hit) and rebuild. The Vikings deny they are rebuilding.

Although O’Connell is offensive coordinator for the Rams through the Super Bowl, he doesn’t call plays — his expertise is developing QBs. The Vikings drafted Kellon Mond last spring, but his development has been lagging. The Vikings could draft another QB this April, or wait until 2023. A veteran bridge QB — perhaps free agents Andy Dalton (34) or Marcus Mariota (28) — would be signed if the Vikings can find a trading partner for Cousins (33).

 

[Dano564]

I'd be up for giving Mariota a shot.

I don't want Dalton.

Mond is not the answer. He shouldn't have been drafted. Wasted Spielman pick.

 

[howeda7]

That gets back at my question earlier.

Can we sign the players we want before 6/1, under the assumption that we'll have the cap space to do so because we're cutting Barr and Cook after 6/1? Is that allowed?

Or do we have to be under the cap as of 12:00am 6/1?

You must be under the cap when the new league year starts. You can only exceed it in the event of a trade and then you have 7 days to get back under

 

[Gophers_4life]

You must be under the cap when the new league year starts. You can only exceed it in the event of a trade and then you have 7 days to get back under

OK, fine. Thanks for the info!

So we look around after 6/1. I highly doubt there won't be other teams cutting guys, but maybe not good enough FA centers/guards or other positions to be worth it.

 

[howeda7]

OK, fine. Thanks for the info!

So we look around after 6/1. I highly doubt there won't be other teams cutting guys, but maybe not good enough FA centers/guards or other positions to be worth it.

There will be guys to sign after 6/1. Last year we signed Xavier Woods, Everson Griffin, Dedee Westbrook etc. But you probably don't need $15m + cap space after 6/1.

If I can get a 1st or 2nd for Cook, I trade him. Otherwise I keep him and trade / cut him next off-season.

 

[howeda7]

I'd be up for giving Mariota a shot.

I don't want Dalton.

Mond is not the answer. He shouldn't have been drafted. Wasted Spielman pick.

I'd rather have Teddy than Dalton. Mariota and Minshew have the most upside IMO. Jameis Winston will probably get fairly big $ from New Orleans or someone else. I figure 2/$20 will be enough to get Mariota.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

He’s a mondiac a mondiac for sure! Oh nordo!

Does that make me Kwesi?

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

I'd rather have Teddy than Dalton. Mariota and Minshew have the most upside IMO. Jameis Winston will probably get fairly big $ from New Orleans or someone else. I figure 2/$20 will be enough to get Mariota.

You've mentioned Mariota on a number of occasions and he's got a little bit of talent but he hasn't shown an ability to stay healthy. Shit, he couldn't stay all that healthy with the Raiders even when he was just the backup. Gruden had a hard-on for Mariota for whatever reason.

He gets a bad rap for his abysmal start in Buffalo but if you're going to have what some would consider a "throw-away year", Nathan Peterman wouldn't be a terrible option and he would come cheaper than most anyone else. If anything, I would guess McDaniels this year lets Mariota go and keeps Peterman for the Raiders backup. Mariota's price tag for a backup is just way too high.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Kenny Pickett is the one QB worth taking with the 12th pick, if he's still available.

 

[Dano564]

Kenny Pickett is the one QB worth taking with the 12th pick, if he's still available.

I'd probably agree with you. Haven't seen many mocks, but I don't think there is a ton of top end talent in this class.

Pickett isn't a #1 pick level guy IMO.
The North Carolina kid seems like 2nd / 3rd round talent.
There is a kid from Liberty who plays sandlot style if that's what you want, but I don't think any of other than Pickett are worth a first round pick when you need young defensive talent.

Give the keys to the offense to any veteran QB and they should be able to score TD's.

 

[LakevilleBro]

I'd be up for giving Mariota a shot.

I don't want Dalton.

Mond is not the answer. He shouldn't have been drafted. Wasted Spielman pick.

We could have a separate thread that lists the Wasted Spielman picks.

 

[Dano564]

We could have a separate thread that lists the Wasted Spielman picks.

Let's do a thread on the Spielman picks that weren't a waste.

Harrison Smith
Barr
Kendricks
O'Neill
Cook
Danielle Hunter (although that's starting to look wasted)
Justin Jefferson (and/or Diggs depending on how you consider that)

Hand full of average players to fill out a starting roster after that.

 

[howeda7]

Kenny Pickett is the one QB worth taking with the 12th pick, if he's still available.

I think you take him if he's there. If not, I like Matt Corral from Ole Miss but 12 is probably a reach.

 

[7Gopher7]

Let's do a thread on the Spielman picks that weren't a waste.

Harrison Smith
Barr
Kendricks
O'Neill
Cook
Danielle Hunter (although that's starting to look wasted)
Justin Jefferson (and/or Diggs depending on how you consider that)

Hand full of average players to fill out a starting roster after that.

Hunter was end of round 3. Definitely not a wasted pick. It would be helpful if he actually played again.

 

[howeda7]

Lol

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Lol

Lovie looked just fine when he had three former NFL HC's on his staff in Chicago helping him out. Once a few of them left him, he looked more like the clueless moron he's been for the rest of his coaching career.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Ugh. Hope this does not happen.https://bringmethenews.com/minnesot...ikings-kirk-cousins-will-figure-something-out

Schefter says Minnesota Vikings, Kirk Cousins will 'figure something out'​

In other words, Schefter believes that new head coach Kevin O'Connell wants to work with Cousins, who carries a $45 million cap hit entering the final year of his contract with the Vikings in 2022.

“Kevin O’Connell worked with Kirk Cousins in Washington. Kirk Cousins endorsed Kevin O’Connell for that job. One of the reasons Kevin kind of wants that job is because of Kirk Cousins. There’s a relationship," Schefter said during Sunday's Pro Bowl coverage on ESPN, according to NESN.

...

That brings up the question of how the Vikings would retain Cousins. Would they do it by riding out his current contract, which would eat up 20% of the salary cap, which as Purple Insider's Sam Ekstrom recently pointed out, NFL teams never let happen.

"Historically, teams have never allowed quarterbacks to take up 20 percent of their cap — it never, ever happens — and if Cousins remains at a $45 million cap hit, the Vikings have to get ultra-lean elsewhere. That not only means even less depth, but it could mean cutting ties with veterans that would be useful to have in future years when/if Cousins is gone."

Keeping Cousins at $45 million would likely mean tough decisions with a bunch of big names and big contracts, including Michael Pierce, Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, Harrison Smith, Adam Thielen and Danielle Hunter. Is dumping multiple big names worth keeping Cousins at his current rate, then taking a QB in the first round of the April draft to learn under Cousins for a year? There's a case for it, though it might not be ideal.

Another option, and perhaps more likely scenario, is extending Cousins. But that only delays the inevitable of getting crushed by his gigantic cap hit in the final year of his deal. And if it's hard to trade him at age 33 and a $45 million cap hit, then imagine how difficult it would be when he's 35 or 36 with what might be an even bigger cap hit.

The Vikings restructured Cousins after the 2019 season when Cousins was scheduled to have a $31 million cap hit. Instead of letting him play out the final season, Cousins signed a two-year, $66 million extension that has put the Vikings in this situation.

The Saints restructured Drew Brees' contract multiple times and the end result is the Saints entering the 2022 season $76 million over the cap (per Spotrac), which gives them basically no chance to contend in 2022 despite having some big stars on the roster.

With a bullish quarterback market, there's an argument to be made that now is the time to trade Cousins. But if O'Connell wants to work with him, history may repeat itself.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

The GM is Kwesi! The GM is Kwesi! Sing it Nordo!

 

[howeda7]

If Kirk will sign a 3 year $60 million extension, go for it. If not, trade him.

 

[Dano564]

Hunter was end of round 3. Definitely not a wasted pick. It would be helpful if he actually played again.

Sure. I would guess any pick from round three who plays as a starter for a couple years is a decent pick, but if he ends up not playing much, it goes from great pick to "is that all we got for all that money?"

 

[Dano564]

I didn't realize the Saints were in that tough of a spot.

 

[forever a gopher]

I didn't realize the Saints were in that tough of a spot.

If you have Brees, I can't blame them for "trying to win now" and putting the future in jeopardy. When the window is open, you have to act. But holy cow, they are in salary cap hell in 2022. They have 4 guys that are currently $23mil+ cap hits, and none of them are QB's. They also have a $11.5mil cap hit for Brees which is hilarious to me. They also have $12.5mil tied up in Taysom Hill, and they themselves aren't really sure what to do with him. They will also have to leave fluff in their salary cap, as he has incentives for starting games at QB, so his number could go up if he plays QB.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

If Kirk will sign a 3 year $60 million extension, go for it. If not, trade him.

Cousins is worth more than that and he knows it.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Cousins is worth more than that and he knows it.

Statistically Cousins was a top 6-8 QB in the NFL in 2021 and arguably over the last several years. Why on earth would he sign for anything less than $35/yr for multiple years? When there are maybe a third of the teams in the league who need a QB?

We don't know anything right now. You can be certain that what the Vikings would want to do with Cousins and the offense was a healthy portion of the interview process for both KAM and KOC. Schefter can speculate all he wants, he doesn't know jack shit about what the new regime wants to do.

 

[Bad Gopher]

I'd be up for giving Mariota a shot.

I don't want Dalton.

Mond is not the answer. He shouldn't have been drafted. Wasted Spielman pick.

I would love to be proven wrong about Mond, but in my mind the question is whether he's good enough to be third string.

 

[howeda7]

Cousins is worth more than that and he knows it.

Probably. But you're also paying for age 34-36.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Cousins is worth more than that and he knows it.

Great! Someone else can pay it, then!