3 Ultra Motivated Vikings as the Offseason Continues to Unfold
Lately, there has been a ton of interest on who may get shipped out. A voluminous amount of online articles exist for Dalvin Cook; at long last, we’re approaching a firm resolution. More recently, Danielle Hunter has joined the craziness, getting in on the trade chatter with the Ian Rapoport report from Tuesday.
Within all of this discussion, are we missing some super motivated Vikings?
Shrinking things down to just our purple borders presents an opportunity to magnify some of the most fascinating players on the roster. Plenty of purple players are looking to explode in 2023, achieving a level of play that either cements their status as being top-tier or overcomes previous misgivings about their abilities.
Consider a trio of Vikings who will be extra motivated to perform at a high level throughout the rest of the offseason and certainly into the regular season.
The 3 Ultra Motivated Vikings
#1 – Marcus Danvenport, EDGE
Neither old nor young, the 26-year-old Davenport finds himself at a critical juncture in his career.
Coming into the NFL, Davenport was facing significant pressure. It’s not just the simple fact that he was chosen 14th overall, it’s that the Saints shipped out a future first alongside their 27th selection to get him to New Orleans. A massive trade price comes with massive expectations. In a lot of ways, Davenport hasn’t fulfilled those expectations.
The issue goes beyond just getting 0.5 sacks (plural?) last year, though that is disappointing. The greater issue is his health, or lack thereof. He has yet to play a full year after five seasons in the NFL. The 6’6″, 265-pound pass rusher needs the trend to change in the upcoming season.
The Vikings signed Davenport to a prove-it deal during the offseason, something I mentioned as a sensible move before free agency began. Minnesota’s GM tacked on four void years to Davenport’s deal. In effect, the cap hit is smaller in the immediate and an extension is easier to navigate. Future years are already baked into the contract, allowing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to move cap hits around if an extension were to be signed.
Avoiding the $6.8 million dead money hit next year means Davenport agrees to an extension. Agreeing to an extension means Davenport needs to play well and stay healthy. Add it all together and Davenport has a ton to play for.
#2 – K.J. Osborn, WR
Immediately after drafting Jordan Addison 23rd overall – a decision that instantly kicked Osborn down the depth chart – Kevin O’Connell expressed his excitement in a bit of an odd manner. Speaking to Addison on the phone, O’Connell notes how he envisions Addison’s partnership with Justin Jefferson being a major obstacle for NFL defenses.
K.J. Osborn doesn’t get mentioned in the video. Is that an issue? A lot of fans will say no. What does Osborn think, though?
In his initial three seasons in the NFL, Osborn played behind Adam Thielen (a Minnesota legend). Moving on from the veteran seemingly opened the WR2 door, but then it was seemingly slammed shut during the NFL Draft. Gotta think that’s at least somewhat frustrating, especially since we’ve seen him respond to online criticism about his abilities.
He enters 2023 playing on the final year of his rookie contract.
#3 – Kirk Cousins, QB
Too obvious? Perhaps, and yet there’s some truth here, folks.
At this point, I take it as an indisputable fact that Kirk Cousins is a fiery competitor. Sure, he has had his fair share of on-field blunders, but very few could reasonably question his desire to be successful. He works a ton and is super tough.
The issue, of course, is that he’s staring down the dreaded “lame-duck” year. He has a single season left on his deal, so he could be looking for employment when March arrives. Do Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell want to commit their team to #8 for several more years? Does their hesitation translate as a sign of disrespect in Cousins’ mind? Even Madden has been joining the doubters lately, adding their voice to the chorus on online critics.
Going into 2023, Cousins will be looking to prove that he’s the clear-cut, definitive, no-debate best option for the Minnesota Vikings. Being willing to budge on some of his contract demands will certainly help, but at the end of the day Cousins needs to show that he’s capable of piling up regular season wins while also allowing the Vikings to push deep into the playoffs.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
