2026 Vikings Season

[Danchat]

19 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

Their roster choices confound me.  I'm pretty happy they have switched to a heavier run game with multiple TEs on the field.  But then how do you make Aaron Jones your main back?  And have your third guy be a dude like Claiborne?  

Why do we invest a pick in Felton at all?  Golday isn't seeing the field - and I like him a lot - but that pick would've been better used elsewhere.

I really hope the new guy cleans up some of this.

Yeah, in my offseason plan I had the Vikings axing Jones and signing Allgeier plus adding a 3rd round rookie... going RB in Round 3 2025 would have been great, but instead they waited until a really bad RB class in 2026. At least they didn't reach, I had a 6th round grade on Claiborne, but still, he's a 6th rounder. Most college RBs whose skillset is speed only with nothing else do not become NFL caliber players.

Even without hindsight Felton was a brutal pick, I had a 5th round grade on him. The very next pick was WR Chimere Dike, who already has 50 catches, is a Pro Bowl punt returner and gunner. Elic Ayomanor and Tory Horton were higher on my board and look like WR3s at the very least whereas Felton looks like a 7th/UDFA type.

I'm still behind the Golday pick, LBs develop notoriously slow. I like Banks but he should have went Round 2, I like the Orange pick. The two 3rd rounders are pretty darn questionable as Jakobe Thomas was the next Tai Felton pick in my mind, now he's a weekly inactive behind UDFA Jacob Thomas who is clearly better. Caleb Tiernan was a BPA pick, but now that O'Neill is extended, his ceiling is backup tackle.

It's frustrating that so many of these guys are years away from playing when other teams' rookies are contributing right away. I noticed yesterday the Chargers had a 4th round safety Genesis Smith get 2 picks off Allen, and etc. Sometimes we need to show patience and not overreact like with Dallas Turner, but I don't get why the front office manages the team like they're a Super Bowl contender and then drafts so strangely. Dillon Thieneman was right there, take him and then save $12M on not signing Harrison Smith and upgrade the RB position / find a better center.

29 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

I'm pretty happy they have switched to a heavier run game with multiple TEs on the field. 

Oliver is done for the year with a biceps tear, TE3 Bartholomew still hasn't played a single snap yet... we're going back to 1 TE sets, maybe more FB usage. KOC inexplicably played Bredeson only 10 of 59 snaps yesterday despite Jefferson and Oliver going down. Yurosek should be back soon to take over Oliver's blocking TE role.

[Mike Sixel]

42 minutes ago, Danchat said:

Yeah, in my offseason plan I had the Vikings axing Jones and signing Allgeier plus adding a 3rd round rookie... going RB in Round 3 2025 would have been great, but instead they waited until a really bad RB class in 2026. At least they didn't reach, I had a 6th round grade on Claiborne, but still, he's a 6th rounder. Most college RBs whose skillset is speed only with nothing else do not become NFL caliber players.

Even without hindsight Felton was a brutal pick, I had a 5th round grade on him. The very next pick was WR Chimere Dike, who already has 50 catches, is a Pro Bowl punt returner and gunner. Elic Ayomanor and Tory Horton were higher on my board and look like WR3s at the very least whereas Felton looks like a 7th/UDFA type.

I'm still behind the Golday pick, LBs develop notoriously slow. I like Banks but he should have went Round 2, I like the Orange pick. The two 3rd rounders are pretty darn questionable as Jakobe Thomas was the next Tai Felton pick in my mind, now he's a weekly inactive behind UDFA Jacob Thomas who is clearly better. Caleb Tiernan was a BPA pick, but now that O'Neill is extended, his ceiling is backup tackle.

It's frustrating that so many of these guys are years away from playing when other teams' rookies are contributing right away. I noticed yesterday the Chargers had a 4th round safety Genesis Smith get 2 picks off Allen, and etc. Sometimes we need to show patience and not overreact like with Dallas Turner, but I don't get why the front office manages the team like they're a Super Bowl contender and then drafts so strangely. Dillon Thieneman was right there, take him and then save $12M on not signing Harrison Smith and upgrade the RB position / find a better center.

Oliver is done for the year with a biceps tear, TE3 Bartholomew still hasn't played a single snap yet... we're going back to 1 TE sets, maybe more FB usage. KOC inexplicably played Bredeson only 10 of 59 snaps yesterday despite Jefferson and Oliver going down. Yurosek should be back soon to take over Oliver's blocking TE role.

Just wanted to say you couldn't be more right. 

[AlwaysinModeration]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49964734/nfl-minnesota-vikings-kevin-oconnell-kyler-murray-jj-mccarthy

[TheLeviathan]

They signed Devin Neal.  I dig that move.

[Mike Sixel]

24 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

They signed Devin Neal.  I dig that move.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Claiborne. Kind of on the Felton track..... This FO really needs a complete overhaul. Hopefully that's started. 

[TheLeviathan]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Claiborne. Kind of on the Felton track..... This FO really needs a complete overhaul. Hopefully that's started. 

I'll give Teasley a full run to show us what he's capable of, none of the decisions this offseason are on him.  Nor was taking Felton over Cam Skattebo last year in an absolutely loaded RB group as @Danchat pointed out.

To that end, I liked Neal when he came out.  I think he has talent.

[Danchat]

I had a 4th round grade on Neal in last year's draft, he was billed as a steady back with good vision but below average athleticism. It wasn't a good sign for him that the Saints axed him and then he's been sitting around for a month. We cut the other two RBs on the practice squad, so maybe Neal gets a shot, even over Claiborne perhaps. 

[nicksaviking]

4 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Claiborne. Kind of on the Felton track..... This FO really needs a complete overhaul. Hopefully that's started. 

If a rookie RB can’t pass block, he’s going to struggle to get on the field. We see it every year.
 

So what’s crazy about this is that pass blocking ability is something you can pretty confidently predict based on college game tape. And even crazier, the coaches KNOW they aren’t going to let a poor pass blocking rookie back mess up his QB, yet they still pick these guys.

And not just KOC, so many coaches do this.

[TheLeviathan]

47 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

If a rookie RB can’t pass block, he’s going to struggle to get on the field. We see it every year.
 

So what’s crazy about this is that pass blocking ability is something you can pretty confidently predict based on college game tape. And even crazier, the coaches KNOW they aren’t going to let a poor pass blocking rookie back mess up his QB, yet they still pick these guys.

And not just KOC, so many coaches do this.

In fairness though, the schemes run in college make it really difficult to evaluate a lot of positions at pass blocking.  There are so many empty backfields and other schematic differences that NFL teams don't run that it isn't a 1:1 tape comparison.

College schemes just take the back off the field in many of those situations.  I got these averages from AI (so grain of salt), but NFL averages 1.4 receptions per game vs. .8 for college.

[Mike Sixel]

I'm offering Murray and next year's third for cousins right now. Not that this will happen, alas. 

My money is on Kirk being your starting QB next year.....

[TheLeviathan]

4 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

I'm offering Murray and next year's third for cousins right now. Not that this will happen, alas. 

My money is on Kirk being your starting QB next year.....

This would've been such a preposterous post not so long ago.

#LifeofVikingsFan

[Mike Sixel]

9 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

This would've been such a preposterous post not so long ago.

#LifeofVikingsFan

Truth. 

[Vanimal46]

 

[nicksaviking]

7 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

I'm offering Murray and next year's third for cousins right now. Not that this will happen, alas. 

My money is on Kirk being your starting QB next year.....

Hadn't thought about trading FOR Cousins. My immediate thought was hell no. But I might come around on that. I just want to watch a fun offense and a QB that can get Jefferson the ball.

But next year, if it's Cousins, that almost certainly means they'll draft somebody again. Which is my preferred path. Cousins became a 'bridge QB' way too early, but he'll be 39 next year so I don't see him escaping that label.

My spreadsheet shows Cousins, Jacoby Brissett, Geno Smith, Deshaun Watson and Kyler Murray as the current starters who'll be free agents next year. And then Mac Jones who is presumed to be the most coveted, so unless his new team pulls an Atlanta Falcons, he's likely not going to be a bridge guy. 

It might be a bit humbling, but if the Vikings do what the Raiders are doing this year with their QBs, I can live with that. And really, if they don't go that route, (nor the Mac Jones route) then it's probably Rookie QB starting day 1 with a veteran worse than Cousins as his backup. So Andy Dalton with the Panthers or Joe Flacco with the Jets. In that scenario I would bet my bottom dollar that the veteran would be the one who is already here and seems more than content to now be a backup. I'm guessing that scenario would go over even worse with the fans.

[The Great Hambino]

9 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Hadn't thought about trading FOR Cousins. My immediate thought was hell no. But I might come around on that. I just want to watch a fun offense and a QB that can get Jefferson the ball.

But next year, if it's Cousins, that almost certainly means they'll draft somebody again. Which is my preferred path. Cousins became a 'bridge QB' way too early, but he'll be 39 next year so I don't see him escaping that label.

My spreadsheet shows Cousins, Jacoby Brissett, Geno Smith, Deshaun Watson and Kyler Murray as the current starters who'll be free agents next year. And then Mac Jones who is presumed to be the most coveted, so unless his new team pulls an Atlanta Falcons, he's likely not going to be a bridge guy. 

It might be a bit humbling, but if the Vikings do what the Raiders are doing this year with their QBs, I can live with that. And really, if they don't go that route, (nor the Mac Jones route) then it's probably Rookie QB starting day 1 with a veteran worse than Cousins as his backup. So Andy Dalton with the Panthers or Joe Flacco with the Jets. In that scenario I would bet my bottom dollar that the veteran would be the one who is already here and seems more than content to now be a backup. I'm guessing that scenario would go over even worse with the fans.

LA provides a couple of dark horse scenarios for the answer to who is QB1 next year, although these would materialize very differently. 

On the Chargers end, what if things keep going so sideways that they decide it's time to go full-on rebuild?  Dealing Herbert would be a good way to start that process.  And the cap ramifications aren't as onerous if you're in Dolphins mode (is Mike McDaniel the angel of death?)

And what if things don't pan out for the Rams and McVay gets a TV offer that's too good to pass up?  They'll have JJ McCarthy 2.0 Ty Simpson sitting there with a year of learning under his belt and a coaching vacancy that could trigger some level of a reset as well.

I don't know how likely either scenario is to play out, but I'd definitely take Herbert or Stafford over any of the alternatives

[Aggies7]

Athletic article on McCarthy:

 

[nicksaviking]

4 hours ago, The Great Hambino said:

LA provides a couple of dark horse scenarios for the answer to who is QB1 next year, although these would materialize very differently. 

On the Chargers end, what if things keep going so sideways that they decide it's time to go full-on rebuild?  Dealing Herbert would be a good way to start that process.  And the cap ramifications aren't as onerous if you're in Dolphins mode (is Mike McDaniel the angel of death?)

And what if things don't pan out for the Rams and McVay gets a TV offer that's too good to pass up?  They'll have JJ McCarthy 2.0 Ty Simpson sitting there with a year of learning under his belt and a coaching vacancy that could trigger some level of a reset as well.

I don't know how likely either scenario is to play out, but I'd definitely take Herbert or Stafford over any of the alternatives

I'm down for both of those options, but Herbert would still be an 86M dead cap hit for the Chargers. I can't see the Chargers eating that unless he's as bad as Tua was. And then I probably wouldn't want him; it would be this Kyler Murray experiment again.

Stafford would be a 38M dead cap hit. It wouldn't be the end of the world, but his contract kind of implies that either he'll play for the Rams or he'll retire.

But like you said, dark horse.

[TheLeviathan]

1 hour ago, Aggies7 said:

Athletic article on McCarthy:

 

I hope one day we get the full picture.  It sounds like the cliff notes version is: JJ was just really immature and with a lot of rudimentary needs that KOC (and the Wilfs) just didn't have the patience for.

[The Great Hambino]

53 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I'm down for both of those options, but Herbert would still be an 86M dead cap hit for the Chargers. I can't see the Chargers eating that unless he's as bad as Tua was. And then I probably wouldn't want him; it would be this Kyler Murray experiment again.

Stafford would be a 38M dead cap hit. It wouldn't be the end of the world, but his contract kind of implies that either he'll play for the Rams or he'll retire.

But like you said, dark horse.

Admittedly my understanding of the cap effects of a trade isn't great, but in this scenario the Chargers would be trading Herbert to the Vikings for a borderline-irresponsible draft haul.  That would lower the cap hit (more like $50MM per Over The Cap), give them plenty of draft capital to trigger their rebuild, and not require Herbert to stoop to Tua levels of play.   Although if they go this route, the Jets with all their first rounders next year  might be able to make an offer the Vikes simply can't match

As for Stafford, McVay would have to be leaving coaching for this to be possible, which is probably unlikely in and of itself.  And Stafford would more likely retire if McVay leaves.  But if he feels like he's not ready to be done playing, and the OC he won a Super Bowl with is running a potential contender with a gaping hole at QB ... there's a path forward there

[Vanimal46]

Justin Jefferson ruled out for the Dolphins game. I'm good with this. We shouldn't need him to win against the lowly Dolphins.... right? 

[TheLeviathan]

14 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Justin Jefferson ruled out for the Dolphins game. I'm good with this. We shouldn't need him to win against the lowly Dolphins.... right? 

Well, a bunch of the fanbase just got their "Get Kyler Murray out of his sucky perfomance free" card for the week.  

My favorite last week was that he was rusty from being off for awhile.  Meanwhile the Bears necromanced Keenum into a game and he looked like a stud.

[Mike Sixel]

6 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Justin Jefferson ruled out for the Dolphins game. I'm good with this. We shouldn't need him to win against the lowly Dolphins.... right? 

I thought Addison was so good he deserved 25-30 million?

[Vanimal46]

5 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

I thought Addison was so good he deserved 25-30 million?

And Addison’s connection with Murray was undeniable this summer! Need him to have a big game on Sunday. 

[djvang]

I've got a feeling the Vikings will regret trading JJ. I'm not a big fan of his but you can never have enough QBs.  Injuries happen.

[nicksaviking]

11 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Justin Jefferson ruled out for the Dolphins game. I'm good with this. We shouldn't need him to win against the lowly Dolphins.... right? 

If they need him to beat the Dolphins, then we already know it’s time to focus on 2027.