>>>ALL THINGS VIKINGS<<<

That had to Fu*k him up so glad its the Falcons problem now laughing

 

C.J. Stroud discusses Jonathan Greenard and Dallas Turner

Texans quarterback has been very active in the media this offseason, his latest discussion came about the two newest pass rushers for the Vikings. Jonathan Greenard, who came to the team via free agency, and Dallas Turner, who the team drafted 17th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, have big expectations.

During his offseason work with Bleacher Report, C.J. Stroud discussed the Vikings pairing those two together. His main talking point came to the affect that Greenard last year in Houston helped shape Will Anderson Jr.’s development.

He wasn’t that bad of a teacher, evidently, as Anderson Jr. would go on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

“Jonathan Greenard helped groom Will (Anderson Jr.) into who he was last year. Now he gets to help Dallas (Turner) and that is huge for Dallas to learn from a veteran like JG. . .that long arm bull-rush, just being a complete defender. JG is one of the best rushers I have ever gone against. . .”

Stroud seems very bullish on the prospect of those two together, not to mention the individual praise given to Greenard. That excitement should be carried over to fans and media alike as it is most likely that the Vikings knew about the help Greenard gave Anderson Jr. when they drafted Turner.

 

Wow now that is something else Brian Flores must have the biggest grin smiling from ear to ear

 

Harrison Phillips: Vikings will use 'division of labor' to carry leadership torch vacated by Kirk Cousins

Harrison Phillips hopes to prove that the many parts Minnesota derives its leadership from are greater than sum of what Kirk Cousins took with him to Atlanta.

After six years as the Vikings' leader, Cousins jumped ship to the Falcons, but Phillips -- there for the last two of those seasons -- believes the club might actually stand to improve as it compensates for his departure.

"There's gonna be a huge loss," Phillips said Wednesday on NFL Total Access. "Kirk Cousins as a person, as a leader, as a teammate, that's a big void in your locker room. One of the most humble guys that I've ever been around. Servant leader, just a great motivator. He's great. To ask one person to fill that void is probably not probable. So what we're going to do is have a great leadership team, which we've already seen. There's already guys that I've seen these last few seasons being on this roster -- some are captains, some are not captains yet but will be in their careers -- and so we're going to pass that torch off and kind of division of labor. We're going to all carry that load together, and maybe we can be a better football team for it.

"Kirk's obviously amazing. I've learned a lot from him and the leadership side of thing, and that's an area I'm trying to step up and improve my game by working on those abilities."

Of the Vikings' eight captains last year, they actually lost a bit more than just their QB; Danielle Hunter and Jordan Hicks also joined new teams in free agency. Justin Jefferson, Harrison Smith, Brian O'Neill, C.J. Ham and Josh Metellus remain.

Yet Phillips, not yet a Pro Bowl defensive tackle but a high-character, impactful player going on seven NFL seasons, leads a list of names ready to step into that void. Whether its homegrown talent like safety Camryn Bynum and center Garrett Bradbury or leadership from the influx of talented players added such as running back Aaron Jones or pass rushers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, Minnesota has plenty of experience to draw on in the season ahead.

That's still true at quarterback, as well, where Sam Darnold, a first-round pick from Phillips' 2018 draft class now turned journeyman, brings 56 starts to the position.

It's still to be determined after the Vikings traded up to select QB J.J. McCarthy at No. 10 overall if Darnold will hold onto the QB1 spot for all of 2024, start there and eventually cede snaps, or begin September simply as veteran depth to the Michigan product. McCarthy isn't necessarily green. He made 28 college starts with just one loss and led his Wolverines to the College Football Playoff National Championship, but he's not a surefire Day 1 starter coming from a program that focused on a strong run game and stellar defense.

Whoever takes the reins from Cousins, though, Phillips is confident the transition will be seamless.

"I think it's pretty easy with the culture that Kevin (O'Connell) built here in Minnesota," he said of rallying around Darnold or McCarthy at starter. "I do reflect back to when I came to the NFL with Josh Allen, to see his growth and how he stepped up with his leadership so early on. But also to see how that transition process can go very smoothly. I have a ton of confidence in Sam. ... I have full confidence in him that he's going to go out and win as many football games as he's allowed to go win for us.

"And I hope that the leadership in that room -- Nick Mullens comes to mind a lot about an amazing player who's been in a lot of organizations, he's a true professional -- I think that the combination of those two players will do everything they can to lift J.J. Like I said, that's above my pay grade about how those chips fall."

Another reason for confidence in Minnesota's first Cousins-less season since 2017? The defense, on which Phillips feels much more of an authority.

"We're excited that coach (Brian) Flores is back," he said. "We're excited with the new additions and, shoot, if no team ever scores a point, then it makes the quarterback position a lot easier. So we're gonna try to focus on that kind of stuff."

The Vikings defense indeed appears to be on the rise, jumping from three straight seasons as a bottom-10 scoring unit to 13th in Flores' first year as defensive coordinator.

NFL.com

 

It would be awesome to see the return of a very stout defense in Minnesota.

 

I really do believe the Vikings will be better off it will be a group leadership just waiting on JJ McCarthy to step in the leadership role

 

The Vikings signed three of their seven selections in the 2024 draft, the team announced Friday.

Minnesota now has kicker Will Reichard, offensive lineman Michael Jurgens and defensive lineman Levi Drake Rodriguez under contract. They were the final three picks for the Vikings, with Reichard going in the sixth round (No. 203 overall) and Jurgens (No. 230) and Rodriguez (No. 232) in the seventh.

Minnesota also confirmed the signings of all 17 undrafted free agents who had agreed to terms after the draft.

J.J. McCarthy, who at the No. 10 spot became the highest-drafted quarterback in team history, and fellow first-round selection Dallas Turner, selected 17th, have not yet signed. Fourth-round pick Khyree Jackson and sixth-rounder Walter Rouse also remained unsigned.

The Vikings began their rookie minicamp at the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center on Friday.

per; PFT

 

J.J. McCarthy on first minicamp: Nothing overwhelming, didn’t feel like my first day

The Vikings opened their rookie minicamp on Friday, and all eyes were on quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the first-round draft pick who said afterward that he’s already very comfortable in Minnesota’s offense.

“It didn’t feel like my first day,” McCarthy said, via ESPN. “I’ve been going over the offense for a long time now. So being able to [go] out there and perform and execute, that’s new, but it was nothing that was overwhelming or too much.”

McCarthy impressed coach Kevin O’Connell by going onto the practice field early to walk through plays on his own in preparation for running them with teammates.

“And not because anybody told him to,” O’Connell said. “But he’s trying to have the best possible day that he can today and then try to do the same thing tomorrow. This guy is a process-driven guy and understands that there’s a long road ahead of him, that we’re just trying to make incremental gains that will be solidified as part of how he plays quarterback for a long time. So I’ve been really impressed with him so far and look forward to get another full day tomorrow.”

It’s still four months until McCarthy will have a chance to show what he can do in a setting that really matters. But on the practice field, he’s not looking like a Day One rookie.

PFT

 

So far so good, hey I just saw this on YouTube the Lions signed Jared Goff 4 years 212 million extension wow the Lions are spending the Big Bucks this is crazy the Lions have other players there going to want to payed to I have no idea how this works out who's next in line for the Big Bucks

 

Following the draft, the biggest open item left on the Minnesota Vikings' offseason to-do list is locking down Justin Jefferson to a massive contract.

The Vikings have been adamant throughout the process about how much they value Jefferson as the best wide receiver in the game and one of the top non-quarterbacks. The question isn't if J.J. gets paid. It's when and how much.

"I know everything's going to get worked out there," coach Kevin O'Connell told Kay Adams on Up & Adams on Monday. "Justin knows the love and admiration that I have for him, and he knows he's such a big part of what we do around here. That's on the field, that's off the field, (he) brings such a great energy to our building every single day. And he's the ultra-competitor as far as when he steps between the white lines. Very few people are able to do the things that he's able to do, but it's how he goes about his business, how he works, how he pushes his teammates to get better. Justin Jefferson is a huge part of this organization."

QB-proof, Jefferson is a record-setting talent who dominates opponents. Even missing seven games due to injury in 2023, he still breached the 1,000-yard plateau. Jefferson's 98.3 yards per game over four seasons is easily tops in NFL history (Calvin Johnson is No. 2 at 86.1).

Entering the fifth year of his rookie contract, Jefferson is set to earn a guaranteed $19.743 million. He's earned a significant pay boost. And with every new WR deal that gets done, the number only increases.

Making matters more interesting for Jefferson, Minnesota and the rest of the league is the trio of wideouts waiting to get paid. Ja'Marr Chase and CeeDee Lamb join Jefferson in the market for new deals. Each seems to be waiting for the other to make a move so he can leapfrog to the top. The question is who blinks first and who is comfortable waiting out the others.

Big-time deals in the NFL generally come to fruition closer to training camp in July. That's the timeline when we could expect new deals to happen in succession, resetting the top of the WR market each time.

NFL.com

 

TJ Hockenson's knee which was very ripped to shreds (ACL and MCL) last season may not even be ready come season opener... hope someone can step up in a big way.

 

Vikings pass rusher Dallas Turner is a slight favorite over Colts pass rusher Laiatu Latu to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Turner, whom the Vikings traded up to No. 17 overall for, is listed as a +400 favorite at DraftKings.com. Latu, the first defensive player drafted at No. 15 overall, is at +550.

The defensive rookie of the year has been a pass rusher four of the last five years, so it’s no surprise that the oddsmakers see a pass rusher winning it again this year. The reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year is Texans pass rusher Will Anderson.

The next-best odds belong to Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and Rams defensive end Jared Verse, both at +1100. Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold is at +1200, Dolphins defensive end Chop Robinson and Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy are at +1300, and Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean is at +2000.

 

Looks like the Vikings got real good player him and Ivan Pace could special now if they can find a Kevin Williams or a John Randell type of player now that would sweet oh well GO VIKINGS

 

So scared of the clone Mr.Spock ĺook a like Kwesi-Adofo-Mensah it's those ears!

 

Maybe its just me laughing out loud

 

Vikings sign fourth-round DB Khyree Jackson to his rookie deal

The Vikings signed fourth-round defensive back Khyree Jackson on Tuesday, the team announced.

Minnesota now has five of seven selections signed, with only first-rounders J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner unsigned. The Vikings previously signed sixth-round offensive tackle Walter Rouse, sixth-round kicker Will Reichard, seventh-round offensive lineman Michael Jurgens and seventh-round defensive lineman Levi Drake Rodriguez.

Jackson will compete for significant playing time with the Vikings. They have plenty of questions about the depth chart with Byron Murphy, who they signed in free agency in 2023, free agent signee Shaquill Griffin, Akayleb Evans, Mekhi Blackmon and Andrew Booth Jr. also in the competition.

In 2023 at Oregon, Jackson started all 12 games and led the team with three interceptions. He also totaled 34 tackles, two sacks, five tackles for loss and seven pass breakups. He also played at Alabama.

 

Can Vikings, Justin Jefferson finally get deal done?



They’ve been trying to do it for a year. The Vikings have spurned all interest in a potential trade from other teams. The clock is ticking on the ideal time to get a deal done.

Will the Vikings and receiver Justin Jefferson get there?

If the Vikings are going to do it, it makes sense to do it before training camp opens. Get him in the fold and get him ready for the season, in order to get the most out of the new investment the Vikings will be making. It would be even better to do it before next week’s mandatory minicamp, both to get Jefferson on the field with rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy — and to avoid creating panic among Vikings fans who choose to view the glass as half full.

Both sides remain willing to get to the finish line. Before the 2023 season began, Jefferson was ready to go but the Vikings wouldn’t get to where they needed to be. Since then, it’s gotten more expensive — especially with the cap going up and with G.M. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah saying this at the Scouting Combine: “We’ve said it and we’ll continue to say it, we think he’s the best wide receiver in the league and should be compensated as such. We think he’s one of the best non-quarterbacks in the league, think he should be compensated as such.”

The highest-paid non-quarterback, 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, has a new-money average of $34 million per year. The other issue has been, and presumably still is, the structure. Although the Vikings broke their quarterback-only approach to full guarantees beyond one year when signing tight end T.J. Hockenson to a new deal, we’ve consistently gotten the impression that it’s going to take three years of every penny fully guaranteed at signing. (A potential compromise would be to have the first two years fully guaranteed and to have the third year become fully guaranteed in March 2025.)

Regardless, even though it seems that the Vikings have at times dragged their feet and at times have potentially contemplated letting Jefferson finish his five-year rookie deal before playing the franchise-tag game and had potentially even tried to trade up for Jefferson’s replacement in Malik Nabers (who’s making $29 million total on a four-year deal), they want to keep Jefferson and they quite possibly will work it out, either before training camp or even before next week’s mandatory minicamp. Those are the two most obvious points to get it done in a way that both secures his long-term future in Minnesota and that maximizes his ability to contribute at a high level in 2024.

Vikings fans remain understandably optimistic, because the alternative seems impossible to comprehend. Yes, the Vikings traded Randy Moss, Percy Harvin, and Stefon Diggs over the past 19 years. But, frankly, at his best Jefferson is better than any of them — and unlike his purple predecessors he has never been a problem, in any way, shape, or form.

Superstar players are few and far between. When you have one, it’s important to figure out how to keep him. Even if doing so costs more than you’d like to pay or requires you to employ structural devices you’d rather avoid.

Are the Vikings accepting that reality? Their fans surely hope so.

PFT/Florio

 

Good hope makes the team cause the Vikings can use all help they can get

 

I don't know what's going on with him I could be wrong here but I'm starting to think Justin Jefferson will be traded....you know I'm smarter than you game trying to cute you played with fire before and got burned

 

This is real good.