Before Picking Up Joshua Dobbs, the Vikings Reportedly Pursued a Different QB Trade
Joshua Dobbs appears to be a nice add at quarterback. At 28, he has a nice blend of both youth and experience. He has been employed in Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Detroit, Tennessee, Arizona, and now in Minnesota. The man has seen some stuff.
Before pulling off the deal for Dobbs, though, the Vikings did their due diligence on a different option. Per Albert Breer, some teams around the NFL were interested in adding Jacoby Brissett: “The Commanders have taken calls on backup QB Jacoby Brissett, but the price has been prohibitive for other teams—they’ve asked for a Day 2 pick. We’ll see if the price comes down with Josh Dobbs going for a late-round pick swap.”
Not too long afterward, Dianna Russini of The Athletic confirmed that the Vikings were one of those teams: “The Vikings looked into this yesterday before they traded for Dobbs.” Very wisely, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah opted for the trade that didn’t cost a Day 2 pick. Or, put differently, a 3rd-round selection.
Joshua Dobbs, Jacoby Brissett, and Minnesota’s Difficult QB Situation
Rolling with Jaren Hall is the correct decision. A rookie, yes, but also someone with unusual maturity and poise.
While starting won’t be an easy assignment, Hall is the best equipped to take on the task. After all, he has been on the roster for the full season, which is more than can be said for literally every other option at QB. Giving the young fella the start is the right move.
Another bit of information that’s helpful is how Kevin O’Connell managed the game when Hall stepped in. Instead of being super safe by rushing the football, O’Connell allowed the rookie to throw the football several times. Football is a game where actions speak louder than words, and the actions suggest O’Connell was confident in the plays he had for his rookie QB3.
Onboarding a veteran is more about Nick Mullens than it is about Hall. The QB2, Mullens, continues to recover while on the IR. The Vikings don’t seem particularly confident in Mullens’ capacity to be available once he’s eligible to return.
Take a look at what O’Connell had to say: “Thought it was important in our process of evaluating our options at the position to make sure we solidified our quarterback room along with Jaren Hall and hopefully Nick Mullens coming back off short-term IR at some point. Do not know that timeline as of right now of when that would happen, but Josh gives us an experienced player.”
The uncertainty surrounding Mullens’ availability, or lack thereof, largely contributed to the desire to add someone with plenty of experience. The only other option available to the Vikings would have been Sean Mannion, someone who is in town due to his brains and not his on-field abilities.
Now, that desire for someone with experience very naturally led to an inquiry about Jacoby Brissett. The Commanders’ QB2 has been in the NFL since 2016, picking up 48 starts within 76 games played throughout his career.
Across those games, Brissett has picked up a 61.1 completion percentage. Far from elite and yet not a Jordan Love 57.7% that can doom an offense. Plus, Brissett has been all over the NFL, picking up work in Indianapolis, New England, Miami, Cleveland, and Washington. The appeal is obvious.
The Vikings’ plan is to rally around their young fella, so sending out a valuable draft pick didn’t make sense. Hall is going to be given the opportunity to succeed within an offense that adjusts its approach to what he’s comfortable doing. Expect plenty or bootlegs and single-read passes. The Vikings will lean on screens and hand the ball off more than in previous games. Simplicity is the name of the game.
Take a look at how offensive coordinator Wes Phillips describes things:
If, for any reason, Hall needs to miss time, the Vikings can turn things over to Joshua Dobbs, someone who won’t be intimidated by needing to lead an NFL offense. A 4th-round selection in 2017, Dobbs has a reputation for being a brain with some plus athleticism. Let’s not forget that Dobbs’ social media notes that he’s a “Certified Rocket Scientist” since he’s an aerospace engineer.
How many engineers are capable of playing NFL QB and picking up 258 rushing yards alongside 3 TDs on the ground? Not many, folks.
Replacing Kirk Cousins, a top-10 NFL QB, is impossible. The strategy is to cobble together a QB room capable of meeting the challenges that will arrive over the coming nine games. Ideally, that group will not only meet those challenges but also overcome them. The task falls to Hall first with Dobbs waiting in the wings if there’s need for an experienced, brainy veteran.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.