Friday Mailbag: Is it time to make a move?

Vikings fans are curious about whether the team will swing for reinforcements before the trade deadline

Photo courtesy Minnesota Vikings

---

By Matthew Coller

Happy bye week, everyone! Enjoy your stress free football watching. Let’s have a look at what’s on your football-y minds….

@TopKaiki Who do you think has the most aura on the team?

I’d probably go with Aaron Jones. There is something about him that everybody gravitates toward. His energy, personality, toughness… all of that. You can also see that opponents are worried about him when he’s back there. On defense, Harrison Smith is that guy. He strikes fear into opposing QBs.

@Poodhey Rank the top 5 players currently on the Vikings that are on the last year of their contract that you would guess are back with the team in 2025.

I’m thinking that they’ll try to re-sign Cam Bynum. Harrison Smith and Stephon Gilmore might both play another year if things go really well. Could definitely see them trying to keep some of the role guys they signed like Jerry Tillery, Jihad Ward and Kamu Grugier Hill. Way to long to go before we can say Sam Darnold or Aaron Jones.

@SickRosa With tj hockenson returning, how much 12 personel do you envision the vikings running? More/less/same?

I’d guess that they ramp it up more. We’ve seen quite a bit of CJ Ham on the field this year, so he’s probably going to keep getting chances but they love Josh Oliver. When they pair Hock and Oliver, it’s like having Hock as a slot receiver. They also get sneaky sometimes in play-action with Oliver downfield. We haven’t seen it hit yet but at some point it will.

@CowcatEsq Why does Ryan Wright stink now? Win total estimates with 5-0 in the bag?

Ryan Wright stinks? Tough 2023 but currently he’s 16th in net yards per return, tied for 14th in return percentage, sixth in inside-the-20 punts. I haven’t had any problem with his punting this year.

I’ll go with 12 wins.

@CTIDANDREW Are we worried by Dallas Turner early less than stellar PFF season grade so far? I must admit I was expecting a little more “flash” plays from him, but understand Flores likes to slow roll young guys.

Am I worried about him after 77 NFL snaps? I wouldn’t say so. Patrick Jones has been playing so well that they can’t give Turner reps over him right now. I imagine as the season goes on and guys get banged up that we’ll see him more and get a sense for where he stands. Normally a guy like him would be getting 40 plays per game but this defense is so good at that position that he’s going to have to wait his turn. It’s not a bad thing to develop players. Remember, he doesn’t turn 22 until February.

@KukerRandy Is there a quality backup QB we should look at for Insurance should Darnold get hurt? Stafford is a no for me, disrupts the continuity, but should Darnold go down, Mullens and Rypien are not taking you far. Tannehill, Winston, other

Mullens is better than Tannehill and Winston at this stage in their careers. The reality of backup QBs is that you’re almost always in deep trouble if the starter gets hurt. If Darnold went down for the year maybe they’d try to trade for Russell Wilson or something but otherwise I don’t see many QBs who would be an upgrade from someone who knows the system. The only guys I can think that they’d try to acquire if there was a serious injury are Mac Jones, Davis Mills or Mason Rudolph.

@TheRossBrendel If the Vikings shock the world and win the Super Bowl, where will the parade route start and end?

Get a boat on the Mississippi and run it down the length of the state playing the horn and people can line up to do SKOL chants.

@Huddy028 Do you believe there is a correlation between the offense not staying on field enough with big leads in the second half, and some of the defensive struggles we're seeing in those situations? I feel with all the pre-snap movement on defense, fresh legs are ever so important

I’m not sure I would exactly say they struggled in either second half. They weren’t exactly helped by a Darnold strip sack in the red zone vs. Green Bay and a Darnold INT vs. NYJ. Those were also two road games with difficult environments that may have played into it a bit. And, even as aggressive as the Vikings’ defense is, they’re still going to give up yards when they are ahead by double digits.

But to your overall point, yes, it’s going to be very taxing under any type of defensive scheme when the offense is going three-and-out and not killing any clock. The Vikings defense has actually been on the field for the second most total plays this season. That’s not exactly something you want on a team that had several guys wear out last year and others who have had some injury history like Greenard, Van Ginkel and Cashman. This is where creating a steady churn of first downs when they’re ahead is going to be really important going forward.

@vikes_optimist How good is KOC at calling run plays? And how could the run game be improved (aside from adding another back)?

I’ve had a tough time figuring that out over the last few years. There does seem to be a tendency to move off the run quickly if it doesn’t work once or twice and the lack of short yardage running usage/success is concerning. Interesting by the numbers: Aaron Jones fifth in the league in yards per attempt among RBs with at least 60 carries but he’s also at the top in yards after contact, meaning that he’s not getting a lot of easy yards.

I’ve never felt like they have had an identity or go-to type play that they can run over and over.

@darkcloud562 If the Vikings lose the next 2 games, would u expect them to sign a free agent or 2? Or possibly trade for someone?

I don’t think at this point in the game that there’s any free agents who would make a difference but they could make trades regardless of how the next two games work out. If they’re sitting at 7-0, then any final piece to the puzzle would be a good idea. Probably the same goes for 6-1 or 5-2 because they’ll still be in the driver’s seat in the NFC with the weaker part of their schedule coming up. The real question is how much they’d be willing to give up with so little draft capital next year. Would they trade a first if they were 7-0 and the player could be a huge difference maker?

@BeyondHalas Are you having any flashbacks to 2016?

Well, the quarterback’s name is Sam and nobody really believed in him before he got here

@jasnyder123 How underrated is Ivan Pace because he’s a stud. It’s fun watching bust through or around the OL on run plays.

I said last year that he plays like a wolverine. He’s so quick and violent. I actually like what they did with him in the last game where they mixed in Grugier-Hill. Just gave them a little extra help in coverage when they needed it. Kinda allowed Pace Jr. to come in and fly around.

@kyriakos_tj Are the Vikings viewing Mekhi Blackmon as a starter in 2025? What was the sentiment before the injury ended his season?

I would assume that they are penciling him in as a starter for next year, yeah. They were very high on him.

@BjorkmanNeil Would you trade a first for a RG you could extend? Address a need and just skip the draft cuz you’d have no picks

I can’t really find a guy that fits that description. Robert Jones from the Dolphins is a upcoming UFA starter but he is not good. There is maybe one rent-a-player in Brandon Scherff from Jacksonville. Michael Jordan from the Patriots is a left guard. I’m not sure you want to trade for a LG and move Brandel at this stage in the game.

@ThorJ778 Assuming that Vikings leadership tries to capture lightning in a bottle this season, who are your top five trade targets to make Super Bowl run.

If they decided they were going all in, Jaycee Horn, Khalil Mack, Brandon Scherff, Tony Pollard and Jeffrey Simmons (if they surprisingly make him available). Horn is probably the only one I’d give up the first rounder for. Where it would be really interesting is if the Bengals lose a few more games and are looking to trade Higgins. It doesn’t exactly make sense but if they’re all-all-all in, maybe it does.

@vikestwins1 vikes first loss comes at the rams. i think the rams are less than great w all the injuries but no way vikes have anything left in the tank after coming back against lions in what looks to be “the game of the season” and then short week travel to the west coast.. talk me down.

That could be. The Rams play the Raiders at home the week before. Still, getting their bye week this week really helps. They can start preparation for the Thursday night game and everyone should be pretty well rested up. L.A. is going to play them tough but I’m not sure they can beat Flores’ defense without any of their good receivers. We’ll see.

@KyeBaxter Which right guards could the Vikings potentially trade for at the deadline?

There’s only like two or three possibilities. The most likely option remains Dalton Risner if they want to make a change there.

@skahttyr6 Will the Flores defense become trendy in the years to come? Will we see other teams try copy it going forward?

It’s not something that’s very easy to copy because it takes a collection of really high IQ players who can play a bunch of different coverages out of all sorts of different looks. It’s somewhat similar to what Belichick used to do. He valued the heck out of football intelligence because it allowed him to gameplan for each individual opponent rather than just trying to master a system. It’s always about the players. Flores couldn’t do all this stuff last year. If another team gets 11 guys with these resumes, they can do something like it.

@bkellner How do you see TE usage looking after Hockenson returns?

He should immediately become a go-to guy for Darnold. If he’s getting any less than 7-9 targets per game, something is wrong. He’s going to play basically every snap right from the jump. That’s just how Hockenson is. I’d imagine we see Oliver play his typical role and Mundt goes back to TE3 in the occasional heavy package.

@MightyNorsemen Should the Vikings be aggressive towards the trade deadline and go “all in” or stay where they are at ride the season out?

Personally, I tend to think that you only get so many shots at this and they have a ton of cap space for the future so if it takes next year’s first to get a game changer, take that big swing and go for it. It’s not like the franchise is coming apart if it doesn’t work. They have so many of the key pieces and McCarthy’s rookie deal to work around in the future. Be bold.

But I can see the case for hanging tight and keeping the first. It might depend on these next couple games.

@wolvertonhill Do the Vikings already regret the amount of draft picks they gave away to get the extra first and then move up for Turner? They have so little to offer to get help before the trade deadline

They’re 5-0. They shouldn’t have any regrets at the moment. I get what you’re saying — and it might be tougher to grab one more contributor — but it’s not like they are dying for another guy when they have the best point differential in the NFL. And, is Turner’s career over or something? He could end up being a big part of this season still if there are injuries and he’s definitely a big part of the future. Maybe we let him play his sixth game before we declare him not being worth it.

@cmonVikings Do you think the Vikings should go after a DT before the deadline or should we rock out with our rotation we have now ???

That would be my top position to chase. The problem is figuring out who they could actually get? Everybody wants them to trade for a superstar but I don’t see why the Titans or Giants would trade their beast DTs who are under contract. It’s hard to find too many players on the potential trade market who would be upgrades. I will say, the DTs have been good this year. Tillery has been a very helpful addition and Phillips is playing his best ball here.

@MichaelLofgren What is the threshold for Darnold’s performance and an accomplishments, this year, that would compel you to recommend signing him to a contract that implies JJ McCarthy would sit for 2025 and potentially beyond? Be specific

The bar is something like 13 wins, 35 touchdowns to 10 INTs, NFC Championship game. In an ideal world, they sign him to a 2-year deal with some void years that would have a really inexpensive 2025 season so they could still chase free agents to stack the roster. If it’s 11 wins, 28 TDs to 14 INT and they are out in the first round, it’s definitely McCarthy. Heck, it could be McCarthy no matter what.

@chardburned Are the Vikings fraudulent, 2022 season style?

It’s completely different. They have the best defense in the NFL. Could Darnold turn into a pumpkin and fall off in the second half? Certainly possible. But I don’t see much with this team to set off alarm bells. All the metrics point to them as legit good. Remember, in 2022, they were outscored by their opponents. They have run away from teams this year and our biggest complaint is not completely blowing out the last two teams.

@vikey_tuff74 You have one position you upgrade PIE chart me 1) which position you want 2) what player you’d want (whom is likely available)

I’m not sure some of you have seen a pie chart before because that’s not how it works. Horn would be my top target. As far as position ranked: DT, CB. RB, RG.

@tony_trout How did the Vikings improve their tackling over the offseason?

I don’t think they did anything outside of getting better players. Usually guys that have been around the league for a long time are pretty good at the fundamentals so having guys like Cashman, Van Ginkel and Gilmore added to the mix has definitely made for an improvement. The interior has been better at finishing plays too, probably because Phillips and Bullard aren’t totally exhausted like they were last year. They’ve jumped from 23rd to 7th by PFF in tackling this year.

Bradley P….Time to worry about darnold? Matt Daniels deserves a ton of credit for the kicking but the punting team has been bad. Why does he get a pass?

First question: I don’t think so. The Jets are a phenomenal defense and it’s always tough in London. The bye did come at a good time for him because he was clearly banged up and his timing seemed to be thrown off a bit. But the fact that the schedule is going to open up a bit soon and he’s getting TJ Hockenson back should help keep things fairly even. We shouldn’t have ever expected him to play at the same level that he did the first three games, that would have been like 2021 Rodgers. We should expect that there will be some tough games and they’ll have to find ways to fight through them.

It seems pretty important that Darnold has been able to power through some tough moments and still come up with key throws

Second question: You guys are nuts when it comes to Daniels. I got four or five messages last week that went something like: “HOW DARE YOU TELL US THE SPECIAL TEAMS COACH IS GOOD WHEN THEY COMMITTED THESE PENALTIES!!!!!!”

Silliness. R-E-L-A-X. The Vikings are 11th in special teams DVOA, 6th in punts inside the 20, 7th in punt return yards allowed and they’ve only had eight punt returns this year because they’ve largely been in positions for fair catches. Their best special teams ace is out for the year so they are trying to find other guys who can fill that void.

The punt units had one very bad day. Everything else has been somewhere between solid and excellent (the kicker!). Keep in mind, too, that Daniels also does work with the defense and is very good when it comes to player development and evaluation.

Another note: Why is it that the special teams coach always gets hammered whenever a player makes a mistake on his unit but when it’s offense or defense, it’s always the individual player? When the right guard allows a pressure, nobody asks me about firing the O-line coach. If a guy gets a block-in-the-back flag on ST, you guys want the coordinator’s head. It’s weird.

Rob… Any trade candidates at RB out there? Chandler has been disappointing recently

One thing I’ll give Chandler is that his stat line would have looked way better if two penalties hadn’t gotten called on his two best runs. You are right though, he was only an impact player in one game so far this year. The couple names that come to mind for me are Miles Sanders, Tony Pollard and Jeff Wilson. There aren’t exactly a plethora of available great RBs at this stage in the game.

Maybe they can see if Latavius Murray still wants to play.

Rad…. ”Going all in on this year” With the recent injury to Derek Carr. I wonder if the Saints are going to be sellers and what it would take to get Kamara. Would swapping our 1st with N.O.s second rounder and we get Kamara work? Is that too much draft capital? I like that you brought up Pollard or Sanders possibly as targets to enhance the RB room.

It’s not a bad idea considering Kamara’s been back on his game this year but I can’t see that team going into sell-the-farm mode when their head coach has to be on the hot seat. As far as the potential draft capital, I don’t think the Viking should be willing to give up much when it comes to pure rentals, no matter the position. If they’re making a move for somebody, it should have some now-and-later flavor similar to what happened with TJ Hockenson.

Brad L… How do you divvy out credit for free agent signing success? How much to Kwesi? Flores? Others?

Well, when this leadership group was hired, they said they wanted “collaboration.” Everybody made fun of them because it sounded like something out of a business self-help book but the free agency class is evidence of that concept being put to work. Flores and O’Connell had their list of players that they wanted, the front office (KAM, Rob Bryz etc.) went out and made offers and negotiated contracts that were good enough to be attractive to those guys.

KOC’s culture and the Wilfs’ efforts to create the best possible player environment gets credit too. Everyone has heard that Minnesota is a top place to play.

Eldon… Two questions today, will KOC bench Ingram when Risner is healthy? Because it feels like KOC isn't interested in benching him. And a weirder one but could the browns trade for Bryce young? Because honestly anyone has to be better than Watson and I'm sure privately Stefanski wants to move on