Questions Answered: Dalvin as a WR, National Praise Growing, Mond Settling In
Dustin Baker
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The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the May 18th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
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Q: This Dalvin at WR business is kind of exciting. Do you think it’s smoke, or can it actually materialize?
A: He won’t be Le’Veon Bell from the old Steelers days, but Cook will be showcased as a wide receiver significantly more than the Mike Zimmer era.
Why? Because this was offensive innovation looks like. Cook is an apt pass-catcher, so Minnesota’s new Ram-ish brains will unlock the talent.
At heart, Cook will be RB1 but expect his usage as a pass-catcher to spike.
Q: It seems like national experts have come around on the Vikings as a playoff team in the last week. Why did it take so long?
A: They had to warm up to the idea of Kirk Cousins as a contender.
Too, after folks fully digested draft trades with the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, they realized that the return for the Vikings was quite rewarding — Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth, Ed Ingram, Brain Asamoah, and others.
ESPN and NFL.com have called the Vikings a playoff team this week. Public opinion is shifting.
Q: Will Kellen Mond win the QB2 job?
A: We’ll be a little freaky and say yes.
Mond was not enjoyed by the previous coaching staff, but the new regime is willing to give him a fair shake. And 3rd-Rounders should be good enough to snag a QB2 job, especially when the competition is Sean Mannion.
Mannion isn’t mobile or dynamic. Mond is mobile and possibly dynamic. We’ll predict this summer as the time Mond overtakes Mannion.
If Cousins is hurt in 2022, you verifiably know Minnesota is doomed with Mannion. Mond provides hope, and that should be enough for a QB2 gig.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).