Questions Answered: Donatell Prediction, ‘The Press Conference,’ Davlin Tomlinson’s Free Agency
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the January 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.
Questions Answered: Donatell Prediction, ‘The Press Conference,’ Davlin Tomlinson’s Free Agency
Q: What is your official prediction on Ed Donatell’s employment as defensive coordinator?
A: This one is incredibly tricky because it generally takes longer than one year for a defense to switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4.
Still, Kevin O’Connell had a vivid, out-in-the-open opportunity to affirm Ed Donatell’s 2023 employment as the Vikings defensive coordinator on Wednesday — and didn’t.
Therefore, although this one is truly 50-50, we’ll predict the Vikings move on from Donatell.
Otherwise, O’Connell would’ve just said, “he’s our guy,” rather than the “evaluation mode” quote he used. It may be a wee bit unfair to fire Donatell with the personnel he was assigned, but do you really want to head into 2023 merely hoping he improves? Why not start fresh with brand-new personnel and coaching?
Q: What was your biggest takeaway from the Vikings end-of-season press conference?
A: There are two.
First, the Vikings remain committed — at least for one more year — as of January 18th to quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was predictably asked about Cousins going forward, and he replied, “It’s our expectation that he will be our quarterback.”
He could’ve said, “We are evaluating the quarterback position like all positions in the offseason.” But he did not. Minnesota will probably try one more year with Cousins while possibly not adding on an extra year as it usually does in March.
Second, contract talks are already ongoing with Justin Jefferson. This was a formality, of course, but Adofo-Mensah should get a deal on paper with the herculean playmaker in the next two months.
Q: I saw where ESPN predicted Dalvin Tomlinson would leave the Vikings. Fake news?
A: Like Ed Donatell’s employment, this one is a coinflip.
Tomlinson has an irreversible 2023 dead cap hit of $7.5 million, so we expect Tomlinson to return. At his position, though, free agent Khyiris Tonga performed well.
Via dollars and cents, it adds up to bring Tomlinson back in 2023. Otherwise, the Vikings dead cap hit would effectively pay Tomlinson to play elsewhere.
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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).