Friday Mailbag: A new Metellus deal?

Vikings fans are curious about whether an extension is on the way for key defender

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By Matthew Coller

Happy Friday everyone! Next week the Vikings are holding minicamp next week and that will be the last look at the team before training camp. Good times. Let’s dive into your questions…

Konrad G…. Given our last few playoff appearances weren’t great, we didn’t quite deserve to be there some years. What does the team need to do differently to take the next step? Do you think this year’s schedule is a true test of our team?

It’s all about those trenches. This is the first time since… 2012?…that you could reasonably argue that the Vikings could have a top 5-7 offensive line. Guys have to stay healthy and they have to gel together but if it works out then the O-line should be an asset rather than something they are trying to paint over and cover up. The interior D-line pressure is also a cheat code in the playoffs, as you saw last year.

The schedule is tough to figure. Everyone is guaranteeing it’s going to be super hard, yet historically predicting schedules before the season is almost impossible. The AFC North might have two tough teams and both of them play at US Bank Stadium. The overseas games are an edge. It’s not a sure thing that teams like the Falcons, Seahawks, Bears, Cowboys or Giants are actually good. We’ll just have to see. There are definitely some prove-it games on the slate though.

Eldon… Which camp competition are you most excited for and do you think we will have a punt off?

I’m most intrigued by the battle for depth defensive line (including outside linebackers) spots. There are a lot of guys with interesting skillsets that are jockeying for position. Where does Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins fit in? Is Levi Drake Rodriguez ready to take another step? How about Bo Richter and Gabe Murphy? They also brought in a number of other UDFAs like Tyler Batty who I’ve got my eye on. There are only so many openings behind the starters so we are likely to see somebody(s) emerge as role players.

Can’t say that I’m convinced there is a true punt-off until we actually see it in preseason. We’ve been waiting for a real punting competition since the new regime started, yet we have been left in this cold, dark, punt-off-less world. Dang.

Dermo Man… Have you been able to get a look at Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Kobe King and Gavin Bartholomew yet. I understand GB has not been doing much so far, is there injury news ?

I have noticed that Ingram-Dawkins is getting a lot of work. It’s hard to call it the “first team” or “second team” when they are just doing walk-throughs at 11-on-11 but he is out there a lot and it looks like he’s moving around to different spots. That doesn’t mean much during OTAs, of course. Kobe King is the largest linebacker they have had in a while. Reminds me of Ben Gedeon. As far as Bartholomew, he made a couple catches the first week we were out there for OTAs. It looks like all three guys (Bartholomew, Ben Yurosek and Bryson Nesbit) are going to get a chance to win the TE3 spot.

We should have injury updates next week when KOC talks.

Joseph M… Any way Flores works his magic, like KOC did on Donald last year and Okudah surprises us this year and become a solid starter. Also I saw a list of the best Quarterback from each draft for the last 10 years and am I crazy to think that Jeff Goff is a better QB than Dak Prescott, who the article picked as the best from that draft

There is always a chance, yes. I’m not going to count anybody out until we have seen it on the field for camp. But history is not kind to guys like Okudah. He has a pretty big sample of struggling. He’s been targeted 181 times in his career and allowed a 106.3 QB rating against with 13 penalties and has never had a coverage grade above 55 (70 would be decent). The only thing that I can throw out there is that maybe in this system he won’t be asked to press wide receivers as much. Because he’s so big, everyone has always wanted him to be one type of corner… maybe he’s something else. Still, a long shot.

When Dak used to run for 350 yards and a half dozen touchdowns per year, I would have taken him over Goff. Now I’d probably take Goff. Without Dak’s rushing ability, it’s a pretty dead heat though. Both guys can thrive under the right circumstances but they are also fatally flawed when it comes to going deep in the playoffs. Goff’s lack of playmaking ability always seems to get him at the wrong time and Dak seems to get exposed by better defenses too. But both QBs will put you in a position pretty regularly to head into the playoffs with a legitimate chance to win.

They are both probably overpaid and underappreciated in some ways because we tend to only celebrate QBs for being the absolute best of the best i.e. Mahomes/Allen/Jackson and forget how darn hard it is to lead No. 1 offenses and win 12 games like those guys have. Ask the Bears or Jets if they would take Goff/Dak’s offenses.

Dan… Who is the toughest sunuva gun on the current Vikings team?

The conversation has to start with Harrison Smith. I can’t imagine the number of injuries that he has played through over the years. It would take him getting hit by a train to miss time. Blake Cashman is definitely up there. He plays with his hair on fire. Total madman. Good argument for No. 1 is Aaron Jones. Lemme tell ya, he looks bigger on TV than he really is. He is a small guy who takes all the punishment and isn’t afraid of contact. Jonathan Greenard also played a crazy number of snaps last year for an edge rusher and looked like he was on the brink of collapsing at some points and still made plays. Endurance is toughness too.

Hey, free idea: Jim Marshall Award to the Viking defender who plays the most snaps.

Florian Kubes…. How do players get paid? They have a contract which pays them X amount and I know they have game checks. But is the salary prorated over the course of the season or year or are they only paid on game day?

I’m going to tell you the truth: I have never looked into this. Luckily my guy JT O’Sullivan made a video about it:

Kip N…Do you see the Vikings trading a pick or picking up another vet back QB? Reading what Judd zulgad had written, he speculated that they could do that or even bring in a Vet CB? Your thoughts on back up QB ? CB addition?

Outside of a move for Jalen Ramsey, they can wait and see. Almost every year the Vikings have brought in players after the beginning of camp because of either injuries or disappointment with how a certain position group looks. I’m taking nothing from Sam Howell’s OTAs. He just got here. When we see him in camp we will have a better idea if he’s picking up the offense or struggling. If he has a rough time, they will look for a Nick Mullens-like trade.

The cornerback position is the same way. They have to see Mekhi Blackmon, Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah and Dwight McGlothern at full speed. If those guys have a rough go, then we might see them go into free agency. There’s always some veteran corner still hanging around — I suppose even Stephon Gilmore could possibly return if things are going poorly.

Bradley P…Reflecting back on what a scout said about McCarthy pre-draft (“Before he signed, he was telling other Michigan recruits that if they wanted to party and chase girls, go somewhere else”) does what you’ve heard from him thus far back up that comment?

From what I have picked up, JJ has always been serious about being an NFL quarterback. He’s going to leave no stone unturned when it comes to his own work ethic and try to get the most out of everybody around him. But in the pros, what these guys do outside of work is their business. This ain’t a seminary.

Corey L… Matthew, not a Vikings specific question, but more about the Vikings reporters like you. It seems like the culture amongst those who cover the Vikings is very collegial and collaborative. You often have others on your channel such as Kevin, Dane, Andrew, Ben, Alec, and Judd. Is this unique in the sports media world? If so, is it a factor of who the reporters are or is there something more hardwired that lends to it?

I don’t think it’s particularly unique. I see lots of reporters appearing on podcasts throughout the league. This group does get along exceptionally well though. Covering a beat is kind of like The Office. We spend a ton of time with each other and everybody has their quirks but it ends up being like a family.

I’m greatly appreciative of all those guys agreeing to appear on the show and supporting Purple Insider. It’s nice that everybody covering this team legitimately loves talking ball and can have fun doing it.

Jake J…I enjoyed your conversation with Chad about Jim Marshall. I think I’m going to buy his Kings of the North book to improve my knowledge on Vikings history. Are there any other resources you would recommend to learn more about the history of the Vikings?

My way of learning NFL history has always been to watch old NFL Films stuff on YouTube. You can search any key player or season and there’s going to be something from back in the day. Here’s a good example.

Scott M…How's JJ looking? On what day will he prove he's going to win 5 Super Bowls or is really a fraud who will crush the collective souls of all Vikings fans? A simple 5000 word summary should suffice

The funny thing about trying to figure how good JJ McCarthy is going to be is that there are a lot of quarterbacks who have been in the league for years and we still endlessly debate them. Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, Brock Purdy, Kyler Murray … all guys who are very good QBs but if you read two analysts’ QB rankings they might be anywhere from top 5-7 to 15-20.

I’ve always thought that the best place to be in the NFL is when the shouty TV shows (trademark Check The Mic pod) are declaring that your QB isn’t that great because he’s being pumped up by a great supporting cast. That means you are winning a lot of games. I guess when that happens, we know he made it.

McCarthy is in a rare situation where, even if we can’t really judge him based on one year, we are going to know a lot by the end of this season. Patience will likely be required through ups and downs but this situation is offering everything he needs to win right away.

Matt D…Generally don’t like to skew negative, but we’re in a content valley, so let me throw a hater question in here. Which non-Aaron Rodgers player do you think is going to completely fall off this year and fail to live up to expectations?

I assume from the phrasing that you mean around the NFL. The most obvious candidate is Saquon Barkley. It’s really, really hard for a running back to repeat that type of greatness. Even Adrian Peterson went from 2,097 yards at 6.0 YPC in 2012 to 1,266 yards at 4.5 YPC. Barry Sanders went down from 6.1 YPC in his 2,000-yard season to 4.3 the next year. Jamal Lewis from 5.3 to 4.3. Chris Johnson 5.6 to 4.3.

I could also see Jared Goff fading because of the offensive line issue. Not falling completely off the map, just not repeating his great last two seasons. Sam Darnold is an obvious regression candidate. So is Baker Mayfield. I’m not sure he can roll out 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns again.