I can’t consider I’m even addressing this rumor, however right here we’re. For no matter purpose, Dan Graziano of ESPN lately tossed out the notion that the Minnesota Vikings may very well be one of many groups that emerges as a contender to commerce for Baker Mayfield.

Whereas it’s an concept I kicked round this offseason, at this level, there’s no method the Vikings are angling to commerce for Mayfield. I’ll present my causes down under.

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Kirk Cousins is firmly entrenched because the starter

For one, Mayfield shouldn’t view the Vikings as a great touchdown spot. Not for 2022 anyway.

Kirk Cousins isn’t going wherever this 12 months, and even when he does have a stretch the place he struggles, he’s unlikely to be benched for one more possibility on the depth chart. Cousins is a captain of the staff and he has no purpose to look over his shoulder as is.

Whereas Graziano’s report facilities round the concept that Mayfield may land in Minnesota with the thought of ultimately taking on the next season, much like Jameis Winston’s story with the New Orleans Saints, the QB will possible produce other choices.

I don’t wish to low cost Mayfield’s potential, I nonetheless suppose he’s a succesful starter with above-average upside, however why would he wish to danger sitting out for an entire season in 2022? Although it appears to be like bleak for now, chances are high that Mayfield will land in a positive scenario earlier than the 12 months kicks off.

Then once more, if Mayfield desires to be put able to succeed, the Vikings aren’t a foul possibility. They’ve a deeply gifted group of ability place gamers who may also help Mayfield look good on recreation day and as they are saying, the backup is all the time only one play away from seeing motion. However then once more, the Vikings have already got a backup QB who they’ve invested in, why ought to they add one other?

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Kellen Mond is the QB in growth

I’m a agency believer in groups making certain they’ve a high backup able to take the sphere ought to an damage happen. Particularly if that staff has playoff aspirations. A number of groups virtually ignore their backup QB when assembling their roster, however the Vikings aren’t at the moment certainly one of them.

Whereas Mike Zimmer might not have been a fan of Kellen Mond, the 2021 third-round choose brings a reside arm with spectacular mobility. It’s a ability set everybody drools over when looking for the following diamond within the tough.

The problem is we haven’t seen something from Mond simply but. Which, contemplating the Texas A&M product remains to be simply 22 years outdated, there’s loads of room to develop.

Even when he might not at the moment be seen as the highest in-house backup, Mond deserves at the least a full season the place he will get an opportunity to overhaul Sean Mannion. Making a commerce for Mayfield now would basically ship the message that the present regime doesn’t worth Mond or see him changing into an possibility long-term, which doesn’t jive with their latest feedback.

Even when Mond doesn’t ever grow to be a starter, it’s method too early to surrender on the child. Let’s see what he can do earlier than we begin splitting up his reps much more. Including Mayfield would solely stunt Mond’s development and I’m simply not prepared to take an opportunity on a 27-year-old QB over seeing what Mond can do first.

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Minnesota Vikings can’t afford Mayfield

In fact Mayfield most likely thinks extremely of enjoying for the Vikings sometime, who doesn’t proper? However the actuality is they’ll’t afford to tackle Mayfield’s totally assured wage of $18.8 million in 2022.

Certain, the Browns may relieve a few of this cover strain by being prepared to eat a few of Mayfield’s wage, providing to pay a portion themselves. This could possible solely occur within the Vikings sweetened their commerce provide. Say as a substitute of providing a fifth-round choose, they provide a fourth as a substitute, whereas the Browns comply with pay $10 million or so of his contract quantity.

Nonetheless, the Vikings are tight in opposition to the cap as is, and so they all the time are with Cousins commanding practically 15% of the staff’s wage cap quantity in 2022. They’ll’t preserve squeezing more cash out of their cap quantity for this upcoming season, definitely not something nearing $20 million. That’s the kind of transfer that happens when including a chunk that may carry you to the Tremendous Bowl, not for a backup QB.

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