Friday mailbag: Are the Vikings doing the right thing with the roster this offseason?

It's very rebuild-y out there at TCO Performance Center and fans want to know if that's the best way to go about it

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By Matthew Coller

Happy Friday everyone. It’s officially summertime in the NFL with minicamp over. Now what? Well, we do the same thing we always do: Talk football. So let’s dive right into fans’ questions…

rednpurple77… Did you catch the bit in Kwesi’s convo with Peter Shrager, the Wilfs asked Kwesi his opinion on KOC when Kwesi was being interviewed. Said the thing he knew about KOC was he was super smart talking about QB play, they had eaten lunch together or something. Not surpising but Interesting still. Might be promising if KOC finds his QB

Yeah, if we go back to the great Jim Harbaugh debates, one of my major arguments in favor of O’Connell was that he was a recent former QB who worked recently as a QB coach and then was the OC behind a QB in Matthew Stafford who put together a good enough run to win a Super Bowl. That always struck me as a better guy to seek out the next franchise quarterback and put him in the right positions to win. I think we saw from a culture/relationship perspective last year that there were benefits to having O’Connell working with Cousins that we didn’t see in the Zimmer era. Does it guarantee KOC has a better eye in the draft or that he will take the next QB to the Super Bowl like Stafford? Of course not. But everything in football is about weighing your odds and having O’Connell, I think, weighs the odds in the right direction for the next QB.

BIG_dann…With a DB room having a lot young players and some unknowns. Does this group give you vibes of 2020 DB group or something different?

Byron Murphy Jr. makes it different than 2020. He’s had an uneven career at times but he’s a proven quality NFL player. The 2020 secondary was running out Holton Hill, Jeff Gladney and Cam Dantzler, none of which had proven they could play. Aside from Murphy Jr., it is similar in having players with nearly zero experience. Not everyone is the same though. We found out in the subsequent years that all of those guys had other issues beyond covering receivers. I particularly think the character makeup of Evans and Blackmon stands out. We’ll have a much better feeling about all these guys by the end of camp.

MattLehmann7511 …Reasonable best case return in a Hunter trade?

I’ll go with a second and a fourth. Maybe in the absolute best-case scenario they could tag a conditional first-rounder to it. Like, if Hunter gets 12+ sacks, the Vikings get a first. Getting a first-round pick straight up is going to be tough. Other teams know what you know. His contract demands appear to be high and his injury history is relevant. Opposing teams aren’t going to go wild when they have to shell out $25 million per year right after acquiring him…. or at least I don’t think they will. You never know.

Dadawwad …Thoughts on the Vikings cornerback room? Will Flores be able to hide their weaknesses?

I fundamentally don’t think coaches can do anything if a player is straight up bad. But if they have some strengths, they can be maximized by a DC. Maybe that will be the case here. There’s a wide range of outcomes. I could very reasonably see some of these young defensive backs picking up the defense, gaining confidence and showing that they can be major parts of the future. I could also see the same issues as last year cropping up and the Vikings still looking for answers in the secondary next year. Or somewhere in the middle. I know that’s noncommittal but we don’t have enough information to say which way it will go yet.

DonDeCourcy… How have the LSU rookies looked on defense? Is Ward flashing at all? Heard Roy got a few snaps with the 1s. Was he lined up at DT or DE?

Yes, Roy did get some snaps with the first team. He’s a defensive tackle. Harrison Phillips wasn’t doing the full team stuff, normally that would be him. Maybe it means that Roy is picking up the position nicely so far. But beware of the minicamp hype. Those dudes in the trenches have to prove it with the pads on. As far as Ward goes, I didn’t see much of him at OTAs or minicamp because he was working with the younger players on the field farther away from us. He’s going to be a project.

Skiyoumeeko…Doesn’t need to be a rookie but from what you’ve seen, who are 3 under the radar players who should contribute. WHO’s this year’s Tonga?

Since we get to see a lot of the receivers in minicamp, someone like Brandon Powell could win a job as a punt returner and occasional weapon. Maybe there’s a world where LB Troy Reeder (sorry for his name auto correcting on me yesterday) ends up playing way more than we expect and turns out to contribute a lot. If Hunter isn’t around the door opens to the Luiji Vilains or Curtis Weavers of the world to step up.

Skolnation74… Is Dwayne McBride in the doghouse with coaches?

He’s a seventh-round rookie. They’re not going to treat him as if he’s the next Terry Allen or Roger Craig. He’s going to start as RB4 and have to work his way anywhere from there.

Headcoach21…Do you feel Kwesi took the right approach to the roster this offseason?

Yes. Not locking into the QB position long term and clearing out the old/expensive players to rebuild with youth was the right way to go. They were never going to be in a position to compete for a Super Bowl this year or throw it all down the tube and sink to the bottom so this is the best way they could transition from still chasing 2017 to chasing the Super Bowl in the future.

Smccullough5 Better Phil Hartman Simpsons character, Lionel Hutz or Troy McClure, and why?

Easily McClure. Many of his bits took really sharp and clever jabs. Hutz is a one-joke pony.

RednPurple77 …Would you fault the Vikings if they extended Kirk? 1 year? 2 year? What's the line for you?

Yes, I would. It makes no sense to do it now. The roster is being turned over and they’re in position to set up the next QB with a great situation with this OL and these receivers. I’ve never understood why the Vikings were afraid that nobody else in Roger Goodell’s NFL could do what he does with JJ and their weapons. There’s no reason to further delay the inevitable move onto someone else. It seems that they know that and Kirk knows that.

Briano29…What's up with Cine? Still not with the first team

I’m not sure. He’s been a full-go since Day 1 of OTAs, so I can’t say that it’s related to the injury. It’s simply exactly what we saw last year. The other guys are very smart players and coaches are going to trust the guys who get it. If Cine is behind Bynum and Metellus at grasping their jobs and playing fast, they’re going to get the spots. However, there’s a long way to go. It wouldn’t make sense to write off the first-rounder yet. It’s not a good sign that he isn’t next to Harry but let’s see how it plays out.

Matthewkrier… What's your gut say about what happens with Danielle Hunter?

I’m at 51% he’s staying and 49% he’s going. That means my gut is twisted in knots over it. It sure seems like Danielle is digging his heels in here but you just never know what the other teams are thinking about his worth and what they’re willing to trade for him. If it turns out nobody’s giving a first or signing him at elite edge rusher money, then he’ll end up back in purple. If someone wants to go nuts, he might be wearing some other colors.

KyleShaner… After winning the NBA championship, Nikola Jokic said, “The job is done. We can go home now.” Approximately what percentage of NFL players have a similar outlook?

I wouldn’t let that comment make you think Nikola just sees basketball as his job and that he doesn’t care about winning. When I covered hockey, a lot of guys from outside the US and Canada had a different way of talking about their accomplishments than we do. Or maybe he was just completely exhausted. Nobody views a Super Bowl as just getting the job done and going home. They view it as immortality. There are definitely NFL players — a lot — that view their careers as something they do rather than who they are. Some guys don’t like football that much but they’re good at it and it makes them rich. I think that’s a separate feeling from a championship. It’s really, really hard putting their bodies through the rigor of the NFL.

BradDanPaul…Talk me into a situation where Vikings fans yearn for the return of Donatell

I’m not sure that’s possible. There isn’t much farther down to go. The only way Eddie NoBlitz could look better than Flores is if the players struggle to master Flores’s system and there’s a ton of miscommunications and big plays allowed or if the blitzes don’t get home and opposing QBs end up slicing them up every week. Even if that happens, it’ll still be better with Flores because of his track record and the fact they are developing players. Remember, last year the entire defense was veteran players across the board. The results have to be graded versus expectations.

JoshuaR_Smith… Will the offense’s overall success hinge more on whether Mattison or Addison successfully “replace” the departed starter at their position?

Yes and no. Those two guys would appear to be pretty important at the moment but if Nwangwu or Chandler or both turn out to be key players and there is a quality RB rotation, they could produce just as well or better from the backfield than last year without Mattison being any different than usual. Addison could get zero catches and this offense would still have the universe’s best receiver, a quality secondary option, a top five TE and options out of the backfield. They can have a good offense without either guy being anything special. They can’t have a great offense without both of them being significant players.

CJzero… Paige or Caitlin

I maintain that Paige Beuckers is the better prospect and people just have short memories but it isn’t by much. Caitlin is an incredible talent who has franchise player potential. The Lynx need to make sure they stay within the group of four WNBA lottery teams to have a chance at them or Angel Reese.

TomSpeicher…After seeing the trailer for the Netflix series, "Quarterback," do you think Kirk Cousins has the potential to be cast as the goofy dad in a future Disney flick?

I’m not sure what to expect from that series. I would guess there will be a lot of candid moments with his kids and behind the scenes stuff from all those crazy games last year that we’ve never seen before. I don’t expect anything in the way of controversy though.

Smccullough5 Is there one person you can put on this team that would make them instantly in the SB conversation? Even if we went right to the obvious choice, Mahomes, and it's not a sure lock, what else are they missing and how can it be addressed?

Mahomes makes this team a legitimate Super Bowl contender, 100000%. Very likely the favorite in the entire NFL. Just look at last year and what people said about KC’s roster transitioning. The best QB on earth and the best receiver on earth and maybe the best tackle duo in the NFL are scoring 500 points and I don’t give a flying Flores who’s playing defense, if you score 500 points you’re a Super Bowl favorite. It’s legitimately hard to comprehend how much better he’s been than everyone else without invoking Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods or Serena Williams (and if you tell me it’s Andy Reid…you need an intervention, even if Reid is a really, really good coach). Also if they had Mahomes, they would add a few more veterans in free agency to shore up some weaknesses.

Headcoach21… how would you grade the Vikings before training camp

The roster? It’s like a C+. Probably better graded incomplete because we are unsure about around a dozen players. I’d grade their offseason an A-minus. No answer at QB yet but they did a lot of the right things for 2024 and 2025.

Skol_doc… Cine feels like the perfect fit for the “rover” position, yet Josh metellus is getting almost all of those snaps per reports and cine hasn’t seen time in that role (pun intended). Are we wrong about cine’s skillset to fit that role?

Interesting he never really did that at Georgia. It feels like that because his size/speed just screams “downhill player.” But playing multiple roles takes high IQ. That’s something Metellus has in spades. I’m not sure yet if we’re wrong about his skill set fitting — I thought Flores was the perfect DC to really find out whether Cine can be versatile. I still think that. If he can’t find his way on the field with Flores, we know what’s up. No blaming the DC.

RalphVixCPA… Given the high turnover, loss of young talent and as of now mostly aging talent. Does Purple Insider have plans to bring in new interns?

It’s a rebuild summer over here at Purple Insider industries and the talent is definitely aging if you consider that I wake up with aches and pains in random places these days and can no longer touch rim on the basketball court. I’m not sure about the intern thing at the moment. I can say that I’m incredibly proud of Paul Hodowanic and Haley English and pumped about their new endeavors.

Smccullough5… Haven't heard much O-line discussion this off-season, which is refreshing. What position group is the new flag bearer for lots of press coverage, but ultimately will remain status quo?

There isn’t really a take to be had with the O-line. They didn’t replace anyone, so we know what they have. It all really comes down to Cleveland and Ingram and whether they take steps forward. If that happens they are a really good OL. If not, they’re still very much susceptible to calamity.

Rk2002…Are Cine and Booth struggling for the 2nd year that they are down on the depth chart?

I can’t say that they are “struggling” yet when everyone is running around in shorts. Let’s just say that the arrow isn’t pointing in the right direction and they need to get it turned around quick in camp.

Minnesotaguy11…Is Hall a legit QB? Is Flores for real? Can they win a playoff game? Is Addison healthy? Do you play fantasy football? Is Sage going to be on your show I miss him. Buffalo or Minny, who ya got?

Probably not. Probably. No. Yes. No. I’ll get Sage on soon. Buffalo vs. Minnesota is like naming a favorite child.

CryptoCherry7…Kwesi essentially bet Kirk can not make it a 9th year in a row without a trip to the IR. I highly doubt he makes that bet again in March that he makes it to 10 or 11 years. QBOTF is outside TCO, it’s a beautiful thought

I don’t think Kirk’s health is any part of this equation. The QB has to fit with the rest of the roster’s timeline unless it’s Mahomes. Having a 35-year-old expensive QB with a young roster that’s going to need a few years to get there just doesn’t make much sense.

Just1SBB4Idie…Any vets you could see the Vikings adding before training camp?

They do have some cap space now so they could add a pass rusher if they trade Hunter. Aside from that, they should let it ride. Use the cap space to push extension money into 2022 and save the rest for the future.

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