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.
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
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
