Matchday!
Who else are you looking forward to seeing besides the others?
Obviously JJ McCarthy is first. Then I’ll be watching Jaquelin Roy, James Lynch, Taki Taimani, Jalen Redmond, Tyler Manoa and Levi Drake Rodriguez on the defensive line. I also want to see Brian Asamoah and Dwight McGlothern. Others are Michael Jurgens, Dan Feeney and Walter Rouse.
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
Vikings trade Andrew Booth Jr. to Cowboys for Nahshon Wright
Observations in Vikings Camp and Raiders Preview
Vikes Views: What is your preferred kick-off time?
Sam Darnold will start the season opener, “majority” of healthy players will play
Vikings: $10 million free agent among offseason bargains
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report believes that Darnold is already proving to be one of the “bargains” among the 2024 free agents.
“If the USC product is a moderate improvement over (Nick) Mullens, Jaren Hall and Joshua Dobbs, who filled in for the injured Kirk Cousins last season, Minnesota could contend for a playoff spot,” Moton wrote on Aug. 8.
“Thanks to Darnold’s supporting cast, he could have a similar year to Baker Mayfield’s 2023 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, extending his career as a starting signal-caller.”
Vikings were designed to support quarterbacks
Moton points to the Vikings’ cohesion on the offensive line. Four of five regular players and five players with starting experience are returning. A fifth regular player from 2023, left guard Dalton Risner, was also signed as a free agent.
Moton also points out the Vikings’ multitude of options at the skill positions, most notably All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
They will miss Pro Bowl tight end TJ Hockenson, who is recovering from a serious knee injury, but former Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan made waves before back spasms kept him out of training camp.
The Vikings also have options like wideout Jordan Addison and running back Aaron Jones.
And then there’s the coaching staff, led by highly respected head coach Kevin O’Connell, a former player whose staff also includes former quarterback coach Josh McCown.
Matthew Coller: Vikings to be in the spotlight at season opener
Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced his plans for splitting the season on Thursday.
“Sam Darnold will start the game and then it will be handed over to JJ McCarthy, who I look forward to seeing do a lot of work.”
For the past two seasons, O’Connell hasn’t used his starting quarterback in the preseason, but this time is much different. Free agent Darnold is starting to warm up to the first team by stringing together strong workouts over the past two weeks while McCarthy learns his skills as an NFL quarterback.
“Now we’re reaching the point where we’re getting a good barometer of where we stand,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell did not say exactly what “significant” means in terms of how many series Darnold will play or when McCarthy will make way for second-year quarterback Jaren Hall. Nick Mullens is not expected to play.
When asked what he thinks he can learn from McCarthy’s progress, O’Connell said, “Nothing can simulate real seasons, real impacts of things like, if you don’t do your job, it affects others or vice versa. I think it’s just a really good way to see exactly where you are.”
Report: Vikings want to avoid worst-case scenario of a suspension for Jordan Addison
The Minnesota Vikings expect wide receiver Jordan Addison to be suspended soon, but the timing seems ideal for the team to be without the star in his second year.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported on Aug. 9 that the Vikings expect Addison, who is facing a drunken driving charge in California, to be suspended toward the end of the season or in the 2025 offseason.
If that happens, the Vikings could avoid a scenario in which the team would be without Addison and Pro Bowl tight end TJ Hockenson, who is expected to miss at least the first month of the season due to knee surgery.
“The Vikings anticipate a suspension will occur at some point. But due to the speed with which these matters are processed in the league office, they are confident a suspension would occur either toward the end of this season or in the 2025 offseason,” Graziano wrote. “There was some concern that an Addison suspension could overlap with the early part of the season when they are without tight end TJ Hockenson, who is recovering from a season-ending ACL tear, but that seems unlikely.”
What progress is Vikings rookie JJ McCarthy making so far?
August 2 was a big day for JJ McCarthy. The Minnesota Vikings had just finished their second week of practice, and by then their rookie quarterback had managed to hold his own in an environment that can devour young players. As it turned out, coach Kevin O’Connell was planning on giving him his first starts on the Vikings’ No. 1 offensive line.
Something seemed off immediately. McCarthy later said he felt “mentally rushed, just not quite settled in.” More often than in other training sessions, McCarthy tried to gain more time in the pocket instead of relying on his judgment. He seemed nervous and ran when there were places he could throw the ball.
He disregarded advice he received earlier this year from Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, who told him to “respect the NFL, but don’t overrespect it.” Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips calls it the John Wooden rule: Be fast, but don’t rush. And on the only pass he threw during two first-team snaps, McCarthy threw into coverage and was nearly intercepted.
“(Manning said,) ‘Don’t rush your footwork, don’t rush your thought processes,'” McCarthy said. “And that’s something I fell victim to that day, so it was a great learning experience.”
Five things to watch for in the Vikings’ season opener against the Raiders
Should the Vikings sign former Patriots receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster?
Insights from the Vikings training camp: Sam Darnold focuses on his job as starting quarterback
Cowboys-Vikings trade ratings: Teams swap recently drafted cornerbacks
Cowboys: B-
Dallas is taking a shot at a former second-round pick with two years left on his rookie contract to keep the team in check, hoping a change of scenery and a new scheme can help him capitalize on what made him a coveted talent. For the price of a fourth-year player who likely would have been released, that’s a decent risk — even if it probably won’t yield big returns.
Vikings: C-
Wright is in the final year of his rookie contract and has yet to prove he’s an NFL-level cornerback. While it seems Booth isn’t part of Minnesota’s plans, dropping him and getting a player who has played exclusively on special teams isn’t particularly good asset management. They may not have lost much by cutting ties with Booth, but they didn’t get much either.
Previously mocked
9 Mason Graham DL Michigan 6’3″ 320
137 Devin Neal RB Kansas 5’11” 215
145 Nick Emmanwori CB South Carolina 6’3″ 227
169 Jordan Burch DL Oregon 6’6″ 290
195 Dane Key WR Kentucky 6’3″ 210
201 Francisco Mauigoa LB Miami (FL) 6’3” 230
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