Minnesota
Minnesota Vikings News and Links, 7 May 2024
The Kirk Cousins latest story about him not wanting the Vikings to draft a QB being the reason he did not re-sign, if true, is amusing. I do not really buy it to be honest. I think the 100M guaranteed is what really did the trick.
I am more inclined to want to see JJ McCarthy sit the bench for the entire season just like Mahomes had to do. The concern is with Sam Darnold. Can he stay healthy and will he play well enough to remain starting? Also, and probably a silly thing to wonder, could the team go with Jaren Hall first if they decide to replace Darnold? That would be fantastic for the debates (er., arguments) that could rage here. I would love it!
I am hoping and praying that the Vikings have found their QBOTF. I am not buying all the folks who produce great stats, etc. trying to convince others that he is really good and just did not have the chance. I do think he is good but have to see more of it to believe it. I will get my chance.
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2024 NFL Free Agency Tracker: Best Remaining Free Agents
Players I like …
WR Tyler Boyd
WR Zay Jones
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
OG/OT Andrus Peat
OC/OG Connor Williams
CB Steven Nelson
CB Ahkello Witherspoon
News and Links
The Vikings’ 2024 schedule release will probably start early
We now know why Kirk Cousins chose not to re-sign in Minnesota
When Will JJ McCarthy Start?
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Ranking Minnesota Vikings biggest needs post NFL Draft
The Minnesota Vikings Mailed in the Guard Position Again – Minnesota Football Party
Why haven’t the Vikings re-signed Dalton Risner?
Being that Risner is viewed by many in the same bucket as Cleveland, that would mean getting around $9.5 million per season. That is too much for what the Vikings are willing to pay and Risner being a free agent exemplifies that.
Now, is that the right call? Well, you could argue that they should pony up the money because Blake Brandel is set to be your starting left guard. Now, Brandel is a quality player but not someone you want to trust as a long-term starting left guard. Something to watch for with Risner is the potential of signing late like he did in 2023.
Vikings’ Shaq Griffin Signing, Which Could Cost Them a Comp Pick, Still Baffles
Over a month later, the Vikings’ decision to sign veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin to a one-year, $4.55 million deal in late March remains baffling.
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The Vikings were projected to receive a pair of third-round comp picks (which are in the late 90s overall) for losing Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter in free agency this year.
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And the Vikings’ decision to sign Griffin looks even more bizarre after a draft where they traded up multiple times in the first round, surrendering several of next year’s picks in the process.
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A 29-year-old cornerback on a one-year deal is, objectively, not nearly as valuable of an asset as a pick in the 98-100 range that comes with a four-year rookie contract.
Matthew Coller: Dallas Turner pick is about calculating the reward
Turner is set to make around $16 million over the four years that he’s on his rookie deal. Brian Burns makes $28 million per year. If Turner becomes a top-notch player, which his background and consensus board ranking would suggest is possible, the gap in cap savings between Turner and the top edge rushers is enormous. It’s not exactly the same level cap hack as a rookie QB contract but it’s getting closer as edge rusher prices go up. That has to matter in the equation.
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Minnesota
Several vehicles damages by large rocks, oil thrown off I-35 bridge near Rush City, sheriff says
Law enforcement in an east-central Minnesota community is asking for the public’s help to find those responsible for throwing large rocks and vehicle oil off an Interstate 35 overpass.
The Chisago County Sheriff’s Office said there have been multiple reports in the past week of vehicles being struck by objects dropped from the bridge by 530th Street near Rush City, about 60 miles northeast of the Twin Cities metro area.
On Sunday night just after 10 p.m., authorities say someone “threw numerous large rocks and a significant amount of oil onto passing vehicles and the roadway itself,” resulting in “multiple vehicles being damaged.”
The sheriff’s office says the Minnesota State Patrol is assisting in the investigation, and anyone with information is asked to call 651-257-4100.
Speculation is brewing about Minnesota Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf possibly preparing to put the franchise up for sale, though reader beware, it seems like wild conjecture.
The buzz has roots in St. Paul Pioneer Press reporter Charley Walters’ Saturday column.
Why does he think the Wilfs could be on the verge of selling? He appears to be connecting dots, noticing how Minnesota reduced its player spending from $350 million in the 2025 offseason to $226 million so far this offseason.
It is significant to go from spending more money on the roster than any other team to the second-lowest one year later, but there are logical reasons for it that don’t point to a sale. More on that in a moment, but Walters suspects the Wilfs could get $8 or $9 billion for the Vikings, which is just a sliver more than the $600 million they bought the team for in 2005.
Why the speculation doesn’t add up
Selling the team doesn’t make much sense when you stop and consider how hard the Vikings and Minnesota leaders are pushing to host the 2028 NFL Draft. Minnesota is reportedly the favorite to win the bid for the ’28 draft, which could provide an economic boom to the Vikings, Twin Cities, and entire state.
A more logical reason the Vikings have slashed payroll from 2025 to 2026 is that they whiffed on their aggressive move to win a Super Bowl. They were all-in last year, but quarterback J.J. McCarthy didn’t live up to lofty expectations as a first-year starter, and the offensive collapse was too much to overcome. They had to hit the reset button.
Cutting big-money players like defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who are in the later stages of their careers, allowed the Vikings to draft Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange in the first and third rounds of the draft, respectively. They got younger, more athletic, and cheaper on the interior defensive line.
Another reason to second-guess reporting about a sale is that the Vikings just picked up wide receiver Jordan Addison’s fifth-year option that’ll pay him $18 million 2025. That’s an indicator that they want to re-sign him, and that could cost them upwards of $30 million annually.
That’s far from a cost-cutting move, and it could very well be the reason why the Vikings traded edge rusher Jonathan Greenard instead of giving him a new contract. The NFL has a salary cap, and the Vikings were pressed up against it after last year’s spending spree. Giving Greenard a more lucrative extension would’ve made the salary cap situation even more difficult in 2027 and beyond. If they believe 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner replace Greenard, then the move makes sense.
Minnesota also has to be prepared to pay Kyler Murray a big-money quarterback contract. He’s playing for the league minimum of $1.3 million in 2026, but if he succeeds and the Vikings want to re-sign him, then it’s going to be expensive.
Everything the Vikings have done looks to be aimed at getting younger and cheaper ahead of a potentially expensive 2027 offseason. The cost-cutting moves aren’t anywhere close to the fire sale and payroll slashing the Minnesota Twins owners did last year before they put the team up for sale and then abruptly changed their minds when their price wasn’t met.
The Wilfs have been committed to building a championship team for 21 years, and there’s really nothing to indicate they’re considering a sale beyond wild guesswork.
Maybe Walters knows something everyone else doesn’t, but his latest writings seem to be connecting dots more than reporting facts. Consider that Walters, when he has inside info, is known for using the phrase “a little birdie says.” Although he used it while talking about the Twins later in this column, he didn’t when talking about the Wilfs and selling the team.
Move forward with caution. There’s no hard evidence to support the notion that a sale is coming.
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