All Things 2025 Minnesota Vikings Off-Season Thread

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Slim Tubby said:
I'd feel better about letting Darnold walk if JJM was healthy and practiced with the team all year.

As it is, I'd probably still rather spend that money on OG's Tre Smith and Kevin Zeitler and hope that our initial evaluation of JJM being a franchise QB proves true.

We may lose more games next year while JJM develops but Darnold has taken us as far as he can IMO.
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I agree with you here.

I am not for paying Darnold a bunch of money and I do not care if he walks.

I should have worded my point better, but my main point is just that we need a vet QB to start the year. It would be a terrible idea to roll with just Mullens (or equivalent) and McCarthy.

Maybe Dan Jones can be that guy, but I also could see both him and Darnold getting scooped up.
 

Gophers1992 said:
This actually isn't really a shameful stat at all. There's a reason this list is littered with successful franchises.
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Agreed.

You can't lose playoff games if you don't make it to the playoffs in the first place.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
It’s not shameful, but all of those franchises have multiple Super Bowl wins in the 40 years I’ve been on this planet. The Vikings haven’t even been to one over the same time period. That is the shameful part.
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This is a fact.

But it is a fact because you were born just 8 years after the Vikings last SB appearance.

If you were 55, then they would've gone to four Super Bowls in your lifetime. :)
 

GophersInIowa said:
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I just don't think the IOL was anywhere near the issue as two things:

1) KOC's propensity to call dropback passes with long-developing routes
2) Darnold's propensity to hold the ball forever and then taking sacks, trying to force plays to happen


And I think maybe #1 is an issue that KOC needs to take a long look in the mirror about.
 

GopherGrit said:
I just don't think the IOL was anywhere near the issue as two things:

1) KOC's propensity to call dropback passes with long-developing routes
2) Darnold's propensity to hold the ball forever and then taking sacks, trying to force plays to happen


And I think maybe #1 is an issue that KOC needs to take a long look in the mirror about.
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I don’t disagree with either but I also don’t think KOC is going to change his play calling so getting the IOL shored up appears to be the only way to fix things.
 


GophersInIowa said:
I don’t disagree with either but I also don’t think KOC is going to change his play calling so getting the IOL shored up appears to be the only way to fix things.
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But will that fix things?

Someone else posted about how many pressures Cam Robinson (LT) gave up, suddenly in the last two weeks after having a decent (I think?) regular season prior to that.

Obviously it would have to be verified, but I don't think that was because he just started losing a ton of 1-on-1 battles with DE's. Especially Detroit's injury riddled defense. I think it was because he got credited with giving up the final pressure/sack on a guy who looped/stunted to the outside.


Detroit started it and the Rams finished it off: loops and twists. They destroyed us, for some reason. They got home with 4 sometimes even 3 guys! And it was because Darnold gave them so much time for the stunt to develop and then wouldn't throw the ball away.

I recall before Darrisaw got injuried, Verse even owned him 1-on-1 for a bad sack one time. Dude was a beast, even then.

I don't think it was a thing of just getting bull rushed back into the QB's lap all the time, by weak IOL that will never hold up.


Guess we'll see. There's probably almost no chance that some kind of capital, draft and/or FA money won't be spent on the OL.
 

If the Vikings had gotten to the NFC Championship, but then lost it just as badly ... I think people would still be just as pissed and blaming all the same things they are here.

If the Vikings had gotten to the Super Bowl, but then lost it just as badly ... I think people still be just as pissed and blaming all the same things they are here.


Face it. Nothing will cure our funk with the Viking short of a Super Bowl victory. The ultimate cure all.


For about a month.

Then it's next season's draft and "what have you done for me lately". But at least it will be one in our lifetimes!
 

GopherGrit said:
But will that fix things?

Someone else posted about how many pressures Cam Robinson (LT) gave up, suddenly in the last two weeks after having a decent (I think?) regular season prior to that.

Obviously it would have to be verified, but I don't think that was because he just started losing a ton of 1-on-1 battles with DE's. Especially Detroit's injury riddled defense. I think it was because he got credited with giving up the final pressure/sack on a guy who looped/stunted to the outside.


Detroit started it and the Rams finished it off: loops and twists. They destroyed us, for some reason. They got home with 4 sometimes even 3 guys! And it was because Darnold gave them so much time for the stunt to develop and then wouldn't throw the ball away.

I recall before Darrisaw got injuried, Verse even owned him 1-on-1 for a bad sack one time. Dude was a beast, even then.

I don't think it was a thing of just getting bull rushed back into the QB's lap all the time, by weak IOL that will never hold up.


Guess we'll see. There's probably almost no chance that some kind of capital, draft and/or FA money won't be spent on the OL.
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I think it would at a minimum help the run game at the goal line. There’s no trust to run up the middle inside the 5 because the IOL constantly gets dominated.
 

GopherGrit said:
But will that fix things?

Someone else posted about how many pressures Cam Robinson (LT) gave up, suddenly in the last two weeks after having a decent (I think?) regular season prior to that.

Obviously it would have to be verified, but I don't think that was because he just started losing a ton of 1-on-1 battles with DE's. Especially Detroit's injury riddled defense. I think it was because he got credited with giving up the final pressure/sack on a guy who looped/stunted to the outside.


Detroit started it and the Rams finished it off: loops and twists. They destroyed us, for some reason. They got home with 4 sometimes even 3 guys! And it was because Darnold gave them so much time for the stunt to develop and then wouldn't throw the ball away.

I recall before Darrisaw got injuried, Verse even owned him 1-on-1 for a bad sack one time. Dude was a beast, even then.

I don't think it was a thing of just getting bull rushed back into the QB's lap all the time, by weak IOL that will never hold up.


Guess we'll see. There's probably almost no chance that some kind of capital, draft and/or FA money won't be spent on the OL.
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Though Robinson was an issue in the last 2 games, so was the IOL by allowing inside pressure and penetration. I think the lack of running game inside the 10 is an even bigger indictment of their ability. Need 1 or 2 road graders inside so teams can't play us for just the pass close to the goal line.
 



Did KOC not call run plays because he didn't trust the blocking ... or because he doesn't like calling any play that isn't a dropback pass with a really clever, long developing route combination that he loves to tinker with and cook up?
 

GopherGrit said:
I agree with you here.

I am not for paying Darnold a bunch of money and I do not care if he walks.

I should have worded my point better, but my main point is just that we need a vet QB to start the year. It would be a terrible idea to roll with just Mullens (or equivalent) and McCarthy.

Maybe Dan Jones can be that guy, but I also could see both him and Darnold getting scooped up.
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Anything is possible but I also believe that Jones signed with the Vikings after his release for a reason.

If they decide to keep Darnold (unlikely IMO), Jones is gone. If Sam goes elsewhere, I'll be mildly surprised if Jones is not on our roster next year.

It's definitely going to be a very interesting offseason for the Purple.
 

GopherGrit said:
Did KOC not call run plays because he didn't trust the blocking ... or because he doesn't like calling any play that isn't a dropback pass with a really clever, long developing route combination that he loves to tinker with and cook up?
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I think it's a bit of both. KOC clearly loves to throw the ball but when the interior of your OL is getting pushed 2-3 yards into your own backfield, it doesn't instill a lot of confidence running the ball between the Tackles.

I think @kg21 is probably correct that it will be tough to fix all three (3) of those interior spots in a single offseason but you sure could make a heck of a dent:

24. OG Tyler Booker (Alabama)
FA OG Tre Smith (KC)

LT Christian Darrisaw
LG Tre Smith
C
RG Tyler Booker
RT Brian O'Neill

That looks pretty good to me.
 

GopherGrit said:
I just don't think the IOL was anywhere near the issue as two things:

1) KOC's propensity to call dropback passes with long-developing routes
2) Darnold's propensity to hold the ball forever and then taking sacks, trying to force plays to happen


And I think maybe #1 is an issue that KOC needs to take a long look in the mirror about.
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The IOL is a massive issue because they struggle in pass blocking, gut worse yet, they can't move anyone in the run game. Teams that get first and goal from the 7 this weekend are going to turn around and hand it off and power it in with the run. We might gain one yard.

The inside interior is brutal.
 



Slim Tubby said:
I think it's a bit of both. KOC clearly loves to throw the ball but when the interior of your OL is getting pushed 2-3 yards into your own backfield, it doesn't instill a lot of confidence running the ball between the Tackles.

I think @kg21 is probably correct that it will be tough to fix all three (3) of those interior spots in a single offseason but you sure could make a heck of a dent:

24. OG Tyler Booker (Alabama)
FA OG Tre Smith (KC)

LT Christian Darrisaw
LG Tre Smith
C
RG Tyler Booker
RT Brian O'Neill

That looks pretty good to me.
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They don't have to fix all 3 positions on the IOL. For all the bitching people have done over the years about Bradbury, he's the QB of the OL, he's a serviceable player that has improved under the KOC offense, and he comes at a modest $5M salary. Sure, they could improve on him, but to me the two Guard positions are easily the most glaring. They can make a move to improve the Center position a year from now.

A little disappointed in Brandel this last season, considering there was some optimistic talk before the season about him stepping up and being a solid starting OG. He was not.
 

Slim Tubby said:
Anything is possible but I also believe that Jones signed with the Vikings after his release for a reason.

If they decide to keep Darnold (unlikely IMO), Jones is gone. If Sam goes elsewhere, I'll be mildly surprised if Jones is not on our roster next year.

It's definitely going to be a very interesting offseason for the Purple.
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Why are you connecting "decide to keep Darnold" resulting in "Jones is gone"?

Salary cap resources?
 

Ope3 said:
Why are you connecting "decide to keep Darnold" resulting in "Jones is gone"?

Salary cap resources?
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Pretty much. JJM is making $10M next year and my guess is Daniel Jones will get a backup QB deal worth about the same considering his potential to keep a team afloat if the Starter goes down for a few games.

Even if we re-sign Sam for a bargain deal around $20M, I still don't see us paying Jones (or anyone) more than $1M to be our 3rd QB.

If Sam does go elsewhere, we could afford a slight overpay for the convenience of having Jones as a quality backup while still only having roughly $20M tied up in our QBs.

My Dad mentioned that if we let Darnold walk, that basically grants us the luxury to splurge on any Free Agent that is #1 on our "wish list" without an ounce of "spender's guilt". No fear or remorse...just like my Mom at the mall.

The old man always has shrewd, positive takes after a few Miller Lites.
 

Slim Tubby said:
Pretty much. JJM is making $10M next year and my guess is Daniel Jones will get a backup QB deal worth about the same considering his potential to keep a team afloat if the Starter goes down for a few games.

Even if we re-sign Sam for a bargain deal around $20M, I still don't see us paying Jones (or anyone) more than $1M to be our 3rd QB.

If Sam does go elsewhere, we could afford a slight overpay for the convenience of having Jones as a quality backup while still only having roughly $20M tied up in our QBs.

My Dad mentioned that if we let Darnold walk, that basically grants us the luxury to splurge on any Free Agent that is #1 on our "wish list" without an ounce of "spender's guilt". No fear or remorse...just like my Mom at the mall.

The old man always has shrewd, positive takes after a few Miller Lites.
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Too bad the 🍎fall far away from that mighty 🌲
🥸
 

NFL need to stop with these hit to head penalty. it stupid. You can't hit a QB without getting a flag.
 

Slim Tubby said:
Pretty much. JJM is making $10M next year and my guess is Daniel Jones will get a backup QB deal worth about the same considering his potential to keep a team afloat if the Starter goes down for a few games.

Even if we re-sign Sam for a bargain deal around $20M, I still don't see us paying Jones (or anyone) more than $1M to be our 3rd QB.

If Sam does go elsewhere, we could afford a slight overpay for the convenience of having Jones as a quality backup while still only having roughly $20M tied up in our QBs.

My Dad mentioned that if we let Darnold walk, that basically grants us the luxury to splurge on any Free Agent that is #1 on our "wish list" without an ounce of "spender's guilt". No fear or remorse...just like my Mom at the mall.

The old man always has shrewd, positive takes after a few Miller Lites.
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My bad, I thought you meant Aaron Jones not Daniel, thus my confusion as to why they were connected.
 



Slim Tubby said:
My Dad mentioned that if we let Darnold walk, that basically grants us the luxury to splurge on any Free Agent that is #1 on our "wish list" without an ounce of "spender's guilt". No fear or remorse...just like my Mom at the mall.

The old man always has shrewd, positive takes after a few Miller Lites.
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He has an advantage over you. He is in the front row.
 



Teddy Bridgewater is not in the game for the Lions.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Everyone can score against the Lions except for the Vikings
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I’m convinced more than ever that KOC just isn’t good at adjustments and adapting. He wants to run a lot of play action long developing plays but that’s tough with an average at best OL.

I also think having a QB that can run like Daniels isn’t allowing Detroit to be as aggressive.
 

Its just depressing watching Detroit run the ball. That's when comparing it the Vikings.

They are unreal.
 

The terrible officiating today continues as a phantom facemask allows Detroit to continue their drive which results in a TD. It wasn’t even close to a facemask.
 

GophersInIowa said:
The terrible officiating today continues as a phantom facemask allows Detroit to continue their drive which results in a TD. It wasn’t even close to a facemask.
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I thought it was a facemark originally. the problem with that one is how the hell can you not be allowed to challenge it.
 


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