All Things 2026 Minnesota Vikings Off-Season Thread

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I don't want to crucify anyone who came in touch with what was often a dumpster fire situation with the Raiders but I have to admit, Ziegler getting a look here almost kinda sorta surprises me? Maybe most people attribute the disaster with the Raiders to Josh McDaniels

At a minimum, taking Tyree Wilson at #7 overall (I think?) was an absolute disaster. The Raiders just gave him away to the Saints a few weeks ago

 




Gophers1992 said:
JJ having a 20% chance of "balling out" is not dead on accurate, no. Nor is the 40% chance of him being "mid".
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Honestly, I didn't even notice those percent-likelihoods you are referencing; I was only commenting on each result and where we would be with each of the 5 different paths

JJM was 6-4 (I think?) while playing at less than 100% so would him playing well be that ridiculous?
 








Of course it changed in a hurry.

That's why I never bought into the paranoia that "this Vikings roster is SO OLD!!" And we still have the 38-yr old long snapper making a dent in that average age as well

 

Ogie Ogilthorpe said:
Of course it changed in a hurry.

That's why I never bought into the paranoia that "this Vikings roster is SO OLD!!" And we still have the 38-yr old long snapper making a dent in that average age as well

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They just replaced a bunch vets with rookies we have no idea are good or not. This is not surprising.

The Vikings two best players on D will be 30 and 31 and the starting RB will turn 32 in Dec.
 




forever a gopher said:
Seems like an odd way to spend money, IMO. Signing a legit third WR when you have other more glaring holes seems irresponsible.
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We will have a good defense.

We need to score! This guy is big and physical. Hopefully that helps in the redzone
 
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Gophers1992 said:
JJ having a 20% chance of "balling out" is not dead on accurate, no. Nor is the 40% chance of him being "mid".
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IMO Kyler and JJ have a similar ceiling. Kyler has a higher floor. They're both unlikely to make it through 17 games. So they will likely both get a chance.
 

I see zero reason to think JJM has a ceiling anywhere close to Murray. I’m not sure there’s one thing he does better than KM.
 


Gophers1992 said:
I see zero reason to think JJM has a ceiling anywhere close to Murray. I’m not sure there’s one thing he does better than KM.
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As a Cards season ticket holder, I've been riding the Kyler Murray train since he was drafted #1 overall. I know what he is and I know what he isn't. And I'm a fan.

Maybe KM changes, matures, whatever.... but he's never been a real leader-of-the-locker room guy. Never.

I'm hoping for the best, I really am. I'm just saying temper your expectations.
 


Ogie Ogilthorpe said:
As a Cards season ticket holder, I've been riding the Kyler Murray train since he was drafted #1 overall. I know what he is and I know what he isn't. And I'm a fan.

Maybe KM changes, matures, whatever.... but he's never been a real leader-of-the-locker room guy. Never.

I'm hoping for the best, I really am. I'm just saying temper your expectations.
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My comment was more of an indictment on JJM than praise of KM, although I will admit to being higher on Murray than most. I do acknowledge his downside though.
 

Gophers1992 said:
My comment was more of an indictment on JJM than praise of KM, although I will admit to being higher on Murray than most. I do acknowledge his downside though.
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I wouldn't play him for cash in Fortnite, that's for sure.

I'm higher on KM than most, too, but he has his faults. I'm glad he's replacing JJM as our starter but I'm also glad we didn't just trade away JJM for peanuts.
 




Gophers1992 said:
My comment was more of an indictment on JJM than praise of KM, although I will admit to being higher on Murray than most. I do acknowledge his downside though.
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I'm an optimistic fan (character flaw), it's the only way I know how to be. I expect Murray to come in and play well. He could not have a better situation to step into. I'm just fully aware of what may or may not happen.

I hope he leads them to a 13-4 record and the Super Bowl, I really do. I'm just cautioning that when it comes to KM, there's more to consider than just his raw talent, which is undeniable.

Put simply, the reasons I really really like JJM are the same reasons I have concerns about Murray; the intangibles. Players love playing with JJM, they want to run through a wall for him. Ain't nobody running through a wall for Kyler, or so that's what I gather. He's not walking into the huddle and taking control and inspiring confidence. He's not a particularly inspirational leader of men.

Aaron Jones and J. Jefferson will be the leaders of that offense with Murray in the huddle, not Murray. Which is just fine. That can totally work. I'm hoping for the best.
 
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forever a gopher said:
Seems like an odd way to spend money, IMO. Signing a legit third WR when you have other more glaring holes seems irresponsible.
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What specific glaring holes🤔

Last time I checked every team has holes as well.
 
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gophersfan said:
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Per his article this morning, it’s an $8M base salary, which maxes out at $13M with incentives.

Veteran wide receiver Jauan Jennings agreed to a one-year free-agent deal with the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday. Jennings’ base salary will be $8 million, but incentives could raise the total to $13 million, league sources confirmed. The signing was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

www.nytimes.com

Ex-49ers WR Jauan Jennings agrees to free-agent deal with Vikings

A seventh-round pick by the 49ers in 2020, Jennings is one of the NFL's best blocking receivers and scored a career-high nine TDs in 2025.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
 

kg21 said:
We will have a good defense.

We need to score! This guy is big and physical. Hopefully that helps in the redzone
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Exactly from the article in the above post-

His seven red zone touchdowns in 2025 were tied for the third most in the league.

Jennings is also a good blocker. Jefferson and Addison are not big-bodied, run-blocking bruisers. Each sticks their face in the fan at an admirable level, but separation ability will always be their calling card. Jennings, meanwhile, has a 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame. But he is at his best as a contributor in tight sets, throwing his body on the line as part of the run-blocking phase
 

Ogie Ogilthorpe said:
I'm an optimistic fan (character flaw), it's the only way I know how to be. I expect Murray to come in and play well. He could not have a better situation to step into. I'm just fully aware of what may or may not happen.

I hope he leads them to a 13-4 record and the Super Bowl, I really do. I'm just cautioning that when it comes to KM, there's more to consider than just his raw talent, which is undeniable.

Put simply, the reasons I really really like JJM are the same reasons I have concerns about Murray; the intangibles. Players love playing with JJM, they want to run through a wall for him. Ain't nobody running through a wall for Kyler, or so that's what I gather. He's not walking into the huddle and taking control and inspiring confidence. He's not a particularly inspirational leader of men.

Aaron Jones and J. Jefferson will be the leaders of that offense with Murray in the huddle, not Murray. Which is just fine. That can totally work. I'm hoping for the best.
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Make no mistake Ogee, I love your optimism and don’t want that to change at all. Even when I don’t agree with you I can see your reasoning on your positions.

Nothing would make me happier than to come back here next year or somewhere down the road and say I was flat wrong about JJM. I’ll do it with a smile on my face. That said, intangibles are a great thing, but don’t mean anything if you can’t throw the football accurately. Maybe JJM figures that out, but I’m not holding my breath.
 

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