The Vikings’ Special Teams Strategy Has a Notable Exception
In 2024, the Vikings’ special teams will be looking to take a large step forward. A major ingredient for that improvement is going to come from increased roster competition.
Punter Ryan Wright had a very impressive rookie season, but his sophomore effort in 2023 led to more modest results. And then the field goal kicking saw some shakiness, as well, largely contributing to Greg Joseph needing to sign elsewhere for 2024.
The end result is Matt Daniels having some competition to sift through in the summer months. Wright will need to hold off Seth Vernon to remain as the P1. Meanwhile, the kicker position is seeing Will Reichard take on John Parker Romo. As of right now, Reichard is the favorite.
The exception arrives at long snapper, the forgotten specialist. Veteran Andrew DePaola is the lone option on the current roster, so his competition involves displaying a day-in, day-out consistency that ensures Minnesota’s management never feels compelled to bring someone else in.
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Working in DePaola’s favor is that he’s an All Pro.
In fact, the long snapper was named as a first-team All Pro while wearing a purple jersey, snagging the distinction in 2022 (Kevin O’Connell’s and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s debut seasons in Minnesota). Last year, DePaola was named as a second-team All Pro. So, there’s good reason to have confidence in the 36-year-old long snapper. He has been a Pro Bowler these past couple of years, too.
Wright is still just 23 (his 24th birthday will arrive on June 1st). In 2022, the punter only had a single touchback; just 1.4% of his 73 punts went for a touchback. Fast forward a year and things didn’t go as well. A total of 11.9% of his punts resulted in touchbacks: 7 of his 59 punts.
Even worse is that his average yards gained per punt dropped down from 42.3 to 41.6. The critical part of Wright’s job description is to put his squad in favorable field position, so the step back points toward at least some reason for concern.
Vernon’s presence on the roster has a pair of benefits. It’s possible the new punter shows himself to be the best option, leading to a spot on the final team. Or, perhaps, Vernon’s presence through the summer pushes Wright to up his game a bit more, allowing for a better version of Wright to stick around.
The hope at kicker is to get more consistent production.
Joseph completed 80% of his field goals last year. As a result, he was coming in at 28th in the NFL. His 94.7% on extra points put him at 17th, but it’s still not an overly inspiring number. The Vikings’ response has been to allow Joseph to sign with the Packers as Will Reichard and John Parker Romo battle to become the K1.
The offense is moving into a bit of a transition year since Kirk Cousins is no longer in town. If there are struggles to move the ball and/or score touchdowns, then the special teams need to be excellent. Thus, increased competition at punter and kicker.
One even wonders about a spot like punt returner. Brandon Powell is back in Minnesota a year after leading the NFL in punt return opportunities (37 returns, tied for 1st with former Viking Ihmir Smith-Marsette). More concerning is that Powell’s return average of just 7.8 yards was down at 22nd in the NFL. Does anyone of the roster have the capacity to challenge Powell for that PR1 spot? Maybe Powell elevates, pushing his game to a different level.
The summer is just getting going, so keep an eye on the special teams. With the exception of Mr. DePaola, the Vikings are embracing direct competition for Matt Daniels’ crew.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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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.