Minnesota Vikings Information and Hyperlinks: A Nice Weekend For Soccer!

School soccer playoffs!

Notre Dame dealt with Indiana which was predictable contemplating Indiana didn’t play any ranked crew till Ohio State crushed them.

I like SMU, Texas, and Tennessee at present however it most likely will likely be Penn State, Texas, and Ohio State.

Who do you want?

Minnesota Vikings Information and Hyperlinks

3 Sam Darnold touchdown spots with Vikings’ JJ McCarthy succession plan clear

Tennessee Titans

Tennessee coach Dave Canales has already determined to maneuver on from 2023 second-round decide Will Levis, turning to Mason Rudolph for a second time this yr final Sunday.

The Titans are 3-11 and are in play for one of many high picks within the 2025 NFL Draft, however they’re nonetheless set to face the Jacksonville Jaguars and will discover themselves with wherever from the third-ninth decide. That will not be ok to land an elite quarterback.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints are at all times attempting to remain aggressive, therefore their resolution to signal quarterback Derek Carr because the “final piece” to their playoff puzzle in 2023.

Carr has been a disappointment, nevertheless. New Orleans can save $30 million in the event that they designate him as a post-6/1 launch – essential cash contemplating the Saints have the least cap area within the league

Indianapolis Colts

Any Darnold-to-Indianapolis deal is contingent on coach Shane Steichen committing to maneuver on from Anthony Richardson: the previous fourth-overall decide’s erratic accuracy has stunted a few of his athletic items.

Vikings-Seahawks Week 16 rating predictions from the Vikings On SI workers

Will Ragatz: Seahawks 20, Vikings 17

The Vikings are a greater crew than the Seahawks, however this one could be robust. There’s rain within the forecast, Seattle has two wonderful working backs, and the Vikings have struggled a bit to defend the run with Ivan Tempo Jr. on injured reserve. Additionally, Mike Macdonald’s crew actually wants this sport and it’s a tough place to win on the highway. So whereas I completely can see the Vikings extending their streak in the event that they present up and play nicely, it’s additionally very tough to win eight consecutive video games within the NFL. Everybody selecting Minnesota this week provides me a barely dangerous feeling about this one.

Joe Nelson: Vikings 30, Seahawks 17

I can’t cease fascinated by how dangerous Tariq Woolen’s day could be towards Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. If Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson had been robust on him, then Jefferson and Addison may ship him into hiding. The Seahawks are a foul crew disguised as a crew with a successful file, but when the Packers, 49ers and Payments are blowing them away in Seattle, I think about the Vikings will do the identical.

Nolan O’Hara: Vikings 27, Seahawks 24

Jonathan Harrison: Vikings 17, Seahawks 14

Tony Liebert: Vikings 31, Seahawks 28

Season data for our pickers:

* Joe: 12-2

* Will: 11-3

* Jonathan: 10-4

* Nolan: 9-5

* Tony: 7-7

Is Vikings’ McCown a future OC, following Darnold’s success?

Josh McCown is nearing a milestone of kinds. In three weeks, he may have accomplished his first full season as a coach above the highschool stage.

McCown smiles on the point out of the comparatively modest achievement. He’s standing off to the aspect within the Minnesota Vikings’ indoor follow facility, the place he has spent 2024 because the crew’s quarterbacks coach.

“I love it here and I love the guys I’m around,” McCown stated. “And I think I’m just scratching the surface of, for me, really learning how to coach in this system. And so my focus is just getting better at that, and then whatever happens down the road happens. But I just want to stay present with it.”

McCown’s coaches throughout his personal enjoying profession typically leaned on him for game-planning and playcalling enter, particularly in 2014 when he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and later throughout his two-year stint with the Chicago Bears. So whereas he had an concept of what goes into the position of being an offensive playcaller, McCown stated his time in Minnesota with O’Connell, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and assistant offensive coordinator/assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski has uncovered him a completely totally different stage.

“That’s what’s been great for me,” he stated. “It’s been very hard at times, if I’m being candid, because these guys think of everything. And so that’s been great learning for me. I tell Kevin all the time that it can be intimidating to be around him, just because of how smart he is.”

At occasions that has left Darnold and McCown to soak up the system collectively as newcomers, a lot as they did in 2018 once they had been teammates with the New York Jets.

“He’s been great,” Darnold stated, “just the way that — even when I first got here in OTAs — we’ve been able to learn the system together. And talk about the system and grow in it at the same time. It’s been a great journey so far. He’s been a great coach to be able to lean on where situations aren’t necessarily going my way, and he’s also there when things are getting good, just to remind me of my fundamentals and what I’ve got to do to continue good quarterback play.”

A few of that has performed out through the 45-minute on-field follow overview McCown instituted initially of the season. Darnold favored it a lot that he requested them daily the crew practices. So, for not less than three days each week, all 4 of the Vikings’ quarterbacks — Darnold, Nick Mullens, Brett Rypien and Daniel Jones — collect after follow to drop again in unison to imitate the mechanics and progressions of every play on the decision sheet.

“Sometimes you just need reps doing that,” McCown stated. “It’ll be like, ‘Hey, my brain is here and now this [defensive] look happens, and I’m doing this, and where’s my brain now? What am I thinking now?’ So we want him to get extra reps of that. And the others, they take that time to get a little extra throws in.”

4 Vikings lead NFC place teams in Professional Bowl voting

With only one week of voting left, large receiver Justin Jefferson, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and lengthy snapper Andrew DePaola lead their respective positions in fan voting.

NFL author: Vikings 10-pick draft class ‘fail’ is franchise’s largest mistake since 2020

The Minnesota Vikings employed GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah previous to the beginning of the 2022 league yr, and since then he’s made some masterful strikes.

The choice this offseason to maneuver on from Kirk Cousins and pivot to Sam Darnold on a one-year, bridge deal? It appears to be like good as we stand at present, with the Vikings sitting tied atop the NFC standings at 12-2 coming into Week 16, and Cousins getting benched by the Atlanta Falcons after signing a $180 million free agent contract this previous March.

Adofo-Mensah has proven shrewd judgement and timing in each free company and the commerce deadline, touchdown key starters like T.J. Hockenson, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman, and uncovering hidden gems like Ivan Tempo Jr. and Jalen Redmond.

His draft historical past, although, is a very totally different story, with one 400-foot homer — choosing Jordan Addison No. 23 general in 2023 — saving him from a whole catastrophe. NFL author Invoice Barnwell of ESPN lately pegged Minnesota’s 2022 draft class, Adofo-Mensah’s first on the job, because the crew’s worst mistake of the previous 5 seasons:

It’s too early to evaluate the foremost investments basic supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made in quarterback J.J. McCarthy and edge rusher Dallas Turner atop the 2024 draft, however it’s truthful to say he didn’t fare nicely in his debut draft. Although he has executed wonderful work in free company and located a proficient wideout (Jordan Addison) within the first spherical of the 2023 draft, it’s tough to get lower than what the Vikings landed out of their high picks in 2022. — Invoice Barnwell, ESPN

How the Vikings re-signing QB Sam Darnold would influence the wage cap and influence constructing a Tremendous Bowl roster

The thought of a Darnold extension was one which no one had on their bingo card going into the season. Heck, some within the nationwide media didn’t suppose Darnold would begin a sport, as they believed McCarthy would begin from day one.

Evidently, Darnold has made the dialogue about his future extra intricate, as he’s performed at an MVP stage at occasions this season.

This season, Darnold is second within the NFL in big-time throws with 29 on the season and his numbers on 20+ yard throws are excellent.

54 makes an attempt (T-Third)

27 completions (T-1st)

969 yards (1st)

7 landing (T-2nd)

19 big-time throws (T-Third)

All of those numbers are profession highs for Darnold, as are:

Wins: 12

Completion share: 67.6%

Yards: 3,530

Touchdowns: 29

Passer ranking: 104.9

EPA/play: 0.154

Success price: 51.6%

Whenever you have a look at what a brand new contract may seem like, it is going to be considerably costlier.

The final two “bridge type” quarterbacks to have a renaissance that obtained huge contracts had vastly totally different salaries.

Geno Smith: 3 years, $75 million with the Seattle Seahawks

Baker Mayfield: 3 years, $100 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Together with a possible extension, there’s the choice of a franchise tag. Per Over The Cap, their present projections for the franchise tag for a quarterback is $41,304,000, which is $3 million greater than what it was in 2024.

That could be a important sum of money to provide Darnold, particularly with McCarthy on the roster ready within the wings. It’s eerily just like what the San Diego Chargers had after the 2004 season.

In the end, the choice is prone to come all the way down to wage cap {dollars}. Will giving Darnold main cash be price it when it comes to alternative price? The more cash you pay your quarterback, the much less cash you need to pay different gamers.

In the end, the choice is prone to come all the way down to wage cap {dollars}. Will giving Darnold main cash be price it when it comes to alternative price? The more cash you pay your quarterback, the much less cash you need to pay different gamers.

The Vikings have $71,565,541 in lifeless cap this season with $28.5 million wrapped up in Kirk Cousins’ lifeless cash from his contract.

Whenever you have a look at it that manner, the Vikings have $37.25 million in wage cap area tied up within the quarterback place. Going into subsequent season with round that tied up in Darnold could be no totally different than it’s this yr.

The chance price of extending Sam Darnold

That is the place the dialogue actually comes into focus. Giving Darnold $41,304,000 as an alternative of somebody like Jones or Mullens $6 million is a $35 million disparity. The Vikings might use that $35 million to get two huge distinction makers on the open market. There are a number of gamers the Vikings might goal in free company who may very well be influence gamers on day one.

DT Osa Odighizuwa: $15 million AAV

CB D.J. Reed: $15 million AAV

OG Trey Smith: $23 million AAV

When you have Darnold, you possible can’t signal all of these, Heck, you may put your self able the place for those who might have all three, you solely get one. That chance price is a significant component within the Darnold extension dialogue.

What’s going to the Vikings find yourself doing? Nicely, it’s nearly a assure that McCarthy would be the man subsequent yr due to that chance price. Even so, I’ll depart you with this:

McCarthy is much from a assure to be a franchise quarterback and for those who suppose that Darnold is one, it’s tough to let him go. With all that stated, the Vikings consider McCarthy extra than simply about anybody else within the NFL or media.

With basic supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s background on Wall Avenue, shifting on from Darnold is the possible transfer, however by no means say by no means.

Yore Mock
Commerce Recap
Minnesota Receives:
2025: Spherical 2, Decide 38
2025: Spherical 3, Decide 69
2026: Spherical 5
Cleveland Receives:
2025: Spherical 1, Decide 28
…
Minnesota Receives:
2025: Spherical 3, Decide 76
2025: Spherical 5, Decide 151
2025: Spherical 7, Decide 248
Dallas Receives:
2025: Spherical 3, Decide 69
…
Minnesota Receives:
2025: Spherical 6, Decide 181
2025: Spherical 7, Decide 243
Tennessee Receives:
2025: Spherical 5, Decide 163
…

38. Tyler Booker IOL Alabama 6’5” 325

Picture by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Pictures

76. Darien Porter CB Iowa State 6’4” 200

Picture by Luke Lu/Diamond Pictures by way of Getty Pictures

97. Alfred Collins DL Texas 6’5” 320

Picture by Wesley Hitt/Getty Pictures

140. Smael Mondon Jr. LB Georgia 6’3” 235

Picture by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures

151. Cameron Skattebo RB Arizona State 5’11” 215

Picture by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures

181. Luke Kandra IOL Cincinnati 6’4” 323

Picture by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures

243. Darius Alexander DL Toledo 6’4” 310

Picture by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures

248. Hunter Wohler S Wisconsin 6’2” 218

Picture by John Fisher/Getty Pictures

Once more, everyone knows the foundations, however in case somebody is new:

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