One Viking Appears More Likely Than Ever to be Traded Away
No doubt, it was a game to forget for Jaren Hall.*
The sophomore passer got inserted in the second half but largely struggled. He finished his day 7/16 for just 63 yards. His passer rating was sitting at a modest 54.9. To his credit, Hall did lead Minnesota down the field to give Will Reichard a shot at the game winning field goal — which was nailed — but the 2023 5th-Round selection appears to be one Viking who is in a tough spot to get onto the final roster. In the post-game press conference, Kevin O’Connell barely mentioned the young passer; being an afterthought isn’t a great omen when it comes to sneaking onto the roster.
One Viking is Sitting in a Tough Spot on the Roster
To be sure, others have discussed Hall as a trade candidate.
Janik Eckardt considered the topic not too long ago in a piece for PurplePTSD. Eckardt’s conclusion: “It all depends on whether the Vikings would be willing to part ways with their sophomore, and it’s not a given someone would actually make a trade offer instead of waiting for him to be waived.”
And then there was the consideration of Mr. Hall as a cut candidate. Part of the issue with going the cut route: “Moving on from the rookie would be risky. In all likelihood, Minnesota’s desire would be to place him on the practice squad. The NFL’s other 31 teams, though, likely wouldn’t let that happen. Young, intelligent, and athletic QBs don’t grow on trees, so someone would scoop him up.”
Is a trade more likely?
Bleacher Report thinks the passer could be moved in a swap. “Unless the Vikings shockingly decide to keep four QBs on the roster, one of Jaren Hall or Nick Mullens must go,” David Kenyon writes, “Given that Hall is younger and cheaper, it’s logical to say Minnesota will retain him. The value coaches place on system knowledge can never be discounted, though, so Mullens might end up being the Vikings’ pick anyway.”
Anyone who has been paying attention recently knows that Nick Mullens isn’t going anywhere.
Kevin O’Connell has consistently sent praise in the veteran’s direction. Going into the Raiders game, O’Connell noted that the plan was to sit Mullens. The basic rationale is that Mullens has very little to prove.
The coaching staff knows that he has mastered the system just as it knows Mullens can step in at a moment’s notice and give his side a shot.
Where does all of this leave Jaren Hall? He played very poorly against the Raiders and yet is still someone who got snagged in the 5th just a year ago. There’s likely a team out there that would be willing to give the BYU alumnus a shot.
Minnesota’s preference may be to retain Hall on the practice squad. Continue developing their draft pick while keeping a bit more depth in-house. After all, they needed four QBs last season, so carrying three QBs on the roster and then a fourth on the practice squad makes some sense.
The issue, of course, is the one that gets discussed up top. Trying to move Hall to the practice squad carries the risk of losing him for nothing. A team seems likely to swoop in and claim him before a practice squad assignment solidifies. One wonders, then, if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is working the phones. Or, perhaps, if he is getting calls from interested teams.
In his final college season, Hall completed 66% of his passes. He picked up 3,171 yards and 31 touchdowns versus just 6 interceptions. Even better is that he rushed for 350 yards and 3 scores on the ground. Promising stuff even if his early moments in the NFL have been underwhelming.
Minnesota wasn’t the only team to like him; would one of those other teams be willing to send over a late-round pick now to secure his services?
Jaren Hall, 25, will carry a $984,818 cap charge into the season if he makes the team. He stands at 6’0″ and weighs 207 pounds. As a rookie, Hall completed 65% of his passes for 168 yards while tossing 0 touchdowns and 1 interception.
* This piece was published prior to the news about J.J. McCarthy’s knee injury. Obviously, the outlook at quarterback has changed due to the injury.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, Sports Reference CFB, and Over the Cap 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.