Countdown Questions — #6: How Much Do the Vikings Miss Departing Veterans?
With the full Vikings roster soon to arrive at training camp, PurplePTSD is counting down the top 10 pressing, perplexing, and puzzling questions as the fateful day – July 25th – inches closer. Today’s focus rests on the #6 question:
How much do the Vikings miss the various veterans now playing elsewhere?
Patrick Peterson, a Hall of Fame contender, is now with the Steelers. Eric Kendricks is in LA, Adam Thielen is in Carolina, and Za’Darius Smith is in Cleveland (alongside Dalvin Tomlinson, the underrated DT). Dalvin Cook has been subtracted (still looking for work) and Irv Smith is looking to establish himself as a great option for Joe Burrow’s Bengals.
How much of a loss will these players end up being?
How Much Do the Vikings Miss their Veterans?
Shifting toward more youth always appeared likely. What was a touch more surprising is just how much Kwesi Adofo-Mensah leaned into the youngsters.
Retaining Peterson, for instance, could have made a lot of sense. Though older, the corner still has the capacity to be a solid player while mentoring the young fellas. True, his declining speed may have made him an odd fit in the Brian Flores defense (lots of man coverage), but a somewhat sheltered role may have still been possible.
Moreover, finding a way to retain Smith may have been prudent, especially as the Danielle Hunter situation continues to linger over the Vikings. Trotting out a top pass-rushing trio of Za’Darius Smith, Danielle Hunter, and Marcus Davenport is a great spot to be. Want to support the young corners? Fire up a fearsome pass rush, thus allowing the corners the luxury of knowing that the QB will need to get the ball out in a hurry.
Obviously, cutting veterans isn’t the same thing as taking a step backward (as some seem to assume). Very plausibly, the Vikings could look considerably better in 2023, especially on defense.
For that improvement to occur, the Vikings will need Brian Asamoah to be excellent. Akayleb Evans, Andrew Booth Jr., and/or Mekhi Blackmon need to be battle-ready very soon. Seeing a large leap for Lewis Cine would be massive, and some unexpected pass-rush sizzle from Patrick Jones would go a long way in assuaging concerns about the team’s ability to get after the QB (even if we do know there will be blitzes aplenty).
Leaning into the competitive rebuild means, well, trying to be competitive as a rebuild takes place. Shedding veterans making large sums of cash was always going to happen. A touch faster than some thought, but Kwesi is merely continuing to pursue a roster evolution that he set in place last offseason.
The rookies and sophomores are going to get their chance to show they belong in 2023. If successful, Minnesota will maintain their spot atop the NFC North (even in the face of the Detroit Lions enthusiasm). If, on the other hand, a lot of the players struggle — Asamoah for Kendricks, Addison for Thielen, Evans for Peterson, etc. — then it could be a long season for the Vikings and their fans.
In that scenario, an awful lot of Vikings fans will miss the veterans contributing for other teams.
Editor’s Note: The “Countdown Questions” series is a 10-day look at some of the most important questions facing the Minnesota Vikings as training camp nears. Be sure to keep swinging by to check out the latest installment and to read what has already been covered: #10, #9, #8, & #7.
