All Things 2024 Minnesota Vikings Off-Season Thread

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Ogee Ogilthorpe said:
I would not be shocked if Howell was the QB for Seattle for the next 3-5 years easily. Howell has some talent, and got the shit beat out of him in Washington. If I recall correctly, (memory is fuzzy) the year BEFORE Howell got drafted in the 5th round, he was being mocked as the #1 overall pick and/or #1 QB off the board.

I'm in the minority, but I would not be surprised to see Darnold play well for the Vikings. We shall see!
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He did finally get his NFL redshirt year last season. 1st time learning a real pro style offense; seems like Jets and Panthers didn’t do much for him. I think a lot of fans are likely to be surprised vs their expectations.

In all, who really cares if its JJ or Sam that succeeds anyhow.
 

Here are the Vikes FA signings and a blurb on a couple of the more noted ones -



UCLA edge Gabriel Murphy

The Vikings quickly signed UCLA edge Gabriel Murphy after the NFL draft, and they may have gotten a steal. Murphy had 38 tackles and eight sacks for the Bruins last season. At 6-foot-3, 260 pounds he's a bit undersized at the NFL level, but that didn't matter in the case of Pace. Murphy could potentially be a player that follows in Pace's footsteps as a guy who could make an immediate impact.

Arkansas cornerback Dwight McGlothern

The Vikings also signed Arkansas cornerback Dwight McGlothern, another potential steal. McGlothern had the second highest grade among cornerbacks with a 91.3 overall grade by Pro Football Focus. He had 20 tackles last season for the Razorbacks and broke up six passes. He also had three picks.

Here's the complete list of the 17 undrafted free agents the Vikings signed Saturday:

California offensive lineman Matt Cindric
Miami linebacker K.J. Cloyd
Kentucky offensive lineman Jeremy Flax
Toledo linebacker Dallas Grant
Mercer wide receiver Devron Harper
Mercer wide receiver Ty James
Maryland wide receiver Jeshuan Jones
Knox
Manoa
Florida International linebacker Donovan Manuel
McGlothern
Murphy
Nester
Marshall outside linebacker Owen Porter
Air Force outside linebacker Bo Richter
North Carolina offensive lineman Spencer Rolland
Oregon defensive lineman Taki Taimani
 


GophersInIowa said:
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I really, really don't like the Eagles. It sucks that without having a very high pick at all, they managed to come out of this draft with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and they really needed CB help. WTF.... Just not fair.

And last year, a little smoke around DT Jalen Carter just before the draft and he slips to the Eagles late in the top 10. Two years in a row they could have gotten the best Defensive player in that draft.
 

Ogee Ogilthorpe said:
I really, really don't like the Eagles. It sucks that without having a very high pick at all, they managed to come out of this draft with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and they really needed CB help. WTF.... Just not fair.

And last year, a little smoke around DT Jalen Carter just before the draft and he slips to the Eagles late in the top 10. Two years in a row they could have gotten the best Defensive player in that draft.
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We got the top D guy this year!
 


Kuasie(I'm not looking up how to spell it) learned that taking studs is the most important thing after the Lewis Cine debacle.

If only we had Kyle Hamilton right now.

Draft studs at high value positions, get the rookie contract value. You can always fill out a roster in free agency.
 






as fans come off the post-draft high, I think it's fair to point out that the Vikings are still in a rebuilding mode - or at least a revamping mode.

IMHO, some good personnel moves have been made. but in 2024, the Vikings will either be starting Sam Darnold at QB - or starting a rookie QB. and the OL still has questions in the interior.

But - going into 2025, the Vikings are estimated to have the 5th-highest cap space in the NFL. If things go well in 2024, that's great. but in 2025, McCarthy will have a year under his belt, and the Vikes will have cap room up the wazoo to fill out the roster. plus they still have their 2025 1st-round draft pick to add another piece to the puzzle.

I know everyone wants to win right away. but I really think the front office is setting things up to be really interesting in 2025.
 

I think Darnold will actually play well and they have the talent to win 10 games or so. But the division is brutal, so they will likely end up with 7-8 wins again.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
as fans come off the post-draft high, I think it's fair to point out that the Vikings are still in a rebuilding mode - or at least a revamping mode.

IMHO, some good personnel moves have been made. but in 2024, the Vikings will either be starting Sam Darnold at QB - or starting a rookie QB. and the OL still has questions in the interior.

But - going into 2025, the Vikings are estimated to have the 5th-highest cap space in the NFL. If things go well in 2024, that's great. but in 2025, McCarthy will have a year under his belt, and the Vikes will have cap room up the wazoo to fill out the roster. plus they still have their 2025 1st-round draft pick to add another piece to the puzzle.

I know everyone wants to win right away. but I really think the front office is setting things up to be really interesting in 2025.
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I agree. Interior of both lines and defensive backfield have questions that haven't been addressed. This is all setting up for 2025 when those holes can be plugged in free agency. The Vikings can manipulate their cap space in 2025 somewhat, too, by trading back with their first round pick.
 




swede2 said:
I agree. Interior of both lines and defensive backfield have questions that haven't been addressed. This is all setting up for 2025 when those holes can be plugged in free agency. The Vikings can manipulate their cap space in 2025 somewhat, too, by trading back with their first round pick.
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I suspect they'll bring Risner back. Not really sure why they haven't already.
 

howeda7 said:
I suspect they'll bring Risner back. Not really sure why they haven't already.
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The longer it takes, the cheaper it will be, more than likely. Clearly nobody is rushing to sign him, and he would likely prefer to return to the Vikings. They'll get it figured out eventually
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I know everyone wants to win right away. but I really think the front office is setting things up to be really interesting in 2025.
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Great points about 2025 being the targeted year. We are expected to have approximately $110M in salary cap space with other moves or restructures that could increase that amount. Jefferson will eat up at least $30M of that space and could be more or if they frontload the contract because we have so much space in 2025. Darrisaw will probably be another $20M or so which would leave us around $60M to spend.

*** Projected 2025 starters

QB McCarthy
RB (Jones?)
FB Ham
WR Jefferson
WR Addison
WR
TE Hockenson
LT Darrisaw
LG
OC (Bradbury?)
RG
RT O'Neill

DE Greenard
DT
DT
DE Turner
OLB Van Ginkel
ILB Pace, Jr.
OLB Cashman
CB Murphy, Jr.
CB Blackmon
NB (Griffin?)
FS (Bynum?)
SS (Metellus?)

As for 2025 Draft Picks, we traded a lot away but it might've been a great time to use that capital.

1st
3rd - Cousins Comp Pick
3rd - Hunter Comp Pick
3rd (Tampering Pick?)
5th
5th
6th (Comp Pick?)
7th (Comp Pick?)

*** We could also be awarded 2-3 more late round Comp Picks depending on how some of our other FA losses pan out in 2024.

*** It seems likely that the NFL might award us one of ATL's 2025 picks, possibly as high as a 3rd Round Pick

We've got cash to extend our key guys/fill some holes and the Draft cupboard is not as empty as it appeared after all of our trades at the Draft. Kwesi has a 2-3 year window to really leave his mark, for better or for worse...and none of this really matters if McCarthy doesn't prove to be "the guy".
 


JimmyJamesMD said:
I hope that's the case
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Saw a blurb today that Risner just changed to Drew Rosenhaus, with whom the Vikings have a great relationship, and it pretty much said they are just waiting for his number to go down.

On another positive note, not that it matters much, but two of the Vikings UDFA signings were listed in Dane Brugler's top 10 available UDFA guys immediately after the draft, with UCLA Edge Gabriel Murphy as the best of the bunch, who he rated as a mid-later 4th rounder.

Going to have to strike gold on some of these later round and UDFA developmental guys to make up for some traded away picks. But there are signs of hope that they've already done that; 4th round and beyond guys like A. Evans, Nick Muse, Nailor, Jay Ward, J. Roy are all projected to make the roster and be contributors
 

Nick Muse is a good pick for Mr. Eagan/surprise early season contributor. I think Hock will be out until week 8 or so.
 

Broncos give a camp invite to John Matocha. Let’s see how this goes.
 

I haven't listened to it yet but I guess Tom Pelissero was on Rich Eisen in the last day or two and had some very deep insight into what happened with the Vikings in the first 10 picks or so. From the highlights I've heard in summary:

- Vikings really, really wanted Drake Maye. Desperately. They weren't the only team that made excessively overpaying offers to the Patriots in the 11th hour but that only reinforced how the Patriots felt about Maye

- Despite reports, the Vikings were NEVER going to move up to #4 or #5 for JJ McCarthy. They were content to see how it played out; I guess a LOT of this involved basically calling the bluff of the NY Giants who tried to entice teams to think they were hot after a QB. Major kudos to Kwesi and KOC to call that bluff and stay put.

- I guess the gap, at least to the Vikings, between JJ McCarthy and Penix wasn't that great, but it was there. Apparently there being ZERO mention at all in the Vikings war room about Bo Nix tells you all you need to know about their interest in Nix

Lastly, Sean Payton (apparently still stinging from the Mpls Miracle?) continues to be the biggest douchebag in the NFL; I guess he's been doing victory laps, laughing, claiming that he "baited" the Vikings into giving up mid-round picks to move up for JJ McCarthy, that the Broncos were never bidding against the Vikings to move up to #10. At the end of the day, if the Vikings got their guy and he turns out to be a franchise QB, who gives a shit if they had to part with one or two Day 3 picks?

You can argue about the price tags for both the #10 and the #17 pick but at the end of the day, I continue to be pretty impressed with Kwesi and this new regime, with both their discipline and their vision towards the future.
 

Ogee Ogilthorpe said:
I haven't listened to it yet but I guess Tom Pelissero was on Rich Eisen in the last day or two and had some very deep insight into what happened with the Vikings in the first 10 picks or so. From the highlights I've heard in summary:

- Vikings really, really wanted Drake Maye. Desperately. They weren't the only team that made excessively overpaying offers to the Patriots in the 11th hour but that only reinforced how the Patriots felt about Maye

- Despite reports, the Vikings were NEVER going to move up to #4 or #5 for JJ McCarthy. They were content to see how it played out; I guess a LOT of this involved basically calling the bluff of the NY Giants who tried to entice teams to think they were hot after a QB. Major kudos to Kwesi and KOC to call that bluff and stay put.

- I guess the gap, at least to the Vikings, between JJ McCarthy and Penix wasn't that great, but it was there. Apparently there being ZERO mention at all in the Vikings war room about Bo Nix tells you all you need to know about their interest in Nix

Lastly, Sean Payton (apparently still stinging from the Mpls Miracle?) continues to be the biggest douchebag in the NFL; I guess he's been doing victory laps, laughing, claiming that he "baited" the Vikings into giving up mid-round picks to move up for JJ McCarthy, that the Broncos were never bidding against the Vikings to move up to #10. At the end of the day, if the Vikings got their guy and he turns out to be a franchise QB, who gives a shit if they had to part with one or two Day 3 picks?

You can argue about the price tags for both the #10 and the #17 pick but at the end of the day, I continue to be pretty impressed with Kwesi and this new regime, with both their discipline and their vision towards the future.
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Why would Payton help a fellow AFC team? He’s full of shit like normal.
 

the "draft value" contingent is criticizing the Vikings for giving up too much future draft capital, leaving them with (I think) only 3 picks next year. mainly for that reason, Mel Kiper's hair gave the Vikes a C+ grade for their draft.

still, there is a possibility that the Vikes will be awarded a supplemental pick or two - and there is always the Falcons' tampering issue. so maybe the Vikes will wind up with some additional draft capital for next year.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
the "draft value" contingent is criticizing the Vikings for giving up too much future draft capital, leaving them with (I think) only 3 picks next year. mainly for that reason, Mel Kiper's hair gave the Vikes a C+ grade for their draft.

still, there is a possibility that the Vikes will be awarded a supplemental pick or two - and there is always the Falcons' tampering issue. so maybe the Vikes will wind up with some additional draft capital for next year.
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They overvalue the importance of draft picks in later rounds IMO. They'll be gaining at least one 3rd round pick next year, maybe two. Something like 70-75% of starters in the NFL come from the first three rounds of drafts. In additional, there are typically just as many undrafted players starting than 4th round draft picks.
 


GophersInIowa said:
They overvalue the importance of draft picks in later rounds IMO. They'll be gaining at least one 3rd round pick next year, maybe two. Something like 70-75% of starters in the NFL come from the first three rounds of drafts. In additional, there are typically just as many undrafted players starting than 4th round draft picks.
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Once you account for kickers, punters, and long-snappers, there isn't much left to fill for starters.
 




Gopher_In_NYC said:
The fat lady’s warming up Kirk, it happens to everyone.

You played the system and now the system is playing you.
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give me $100-Million guaranteed and the bleepin' system can play me until the cows come home.

having said that - if Cousins happens to have a bad game or two, it will get very interesting in Atlanta to watch the crowd calling for Penix. that was the one thing Cousins never had to deal with in MN - a viable option at backup QB. it was always some clipboard holder like Mannion.

of course, Viking fans will be screaming for McCarthy the first time Darnold throws a pick or misses an open receiver. if the Vikes get off to a slow start, Darnold will be getting booed in his home stadium.
 

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