3 Reasons Daniel Jones Is a Smart Choice for the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have signed former Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to their practice squad. He was waived by New York last week and went unclaimed on waivers, meaning he was free to choose his next destination. Because the Vikings employ one of the brightest offensive minds in football, his pick was to sign with Kevin O’Connell’s club.
Daniel Jones Makes Sense for the Vikings
Folks were not entirely sure if the move was any good, especially after his struggles in the last couple of seasons. But there is no downside and enormous upside to the signing.
1. Good Backup Option
Jones was benched by the Giants for good reason. Despite the upgrade in the wide receiver room, he couldn’t find his 2022 form, throwing for only eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in his ten starts, resulting in a 2-8 record.
Those numbers are hardly starting-caliber numbers, but he should still be considered a better option than Nick Mullens as Minnesota’s backup QB, at least once he has learned the playbook.
If (knock on wood) Sam Darnold was forced to miss some time, the Vikings would likely give Mullens the first shot, but there’s a reason why he is a backup while Jones has started 70 games since 2019. He also led his Giants offense with a flawless performance past Minnesota in the 2022 playoffs.
The former sixth-overall pick brings mobility and solid arm strength to keep an offense with the firepower of Minnesota afloat if asked to.
2. Comp Pick Potential
Jones’s signing could put the Vikings in a position to secure a valuable compensatory pick, should he sign elsewhere next offseason. Comp pick expert Nick Korte posted about that last weekend on X: “Just catching up to hearing that Daniel Jones was cut, so maybe this has been said already, but as the Comp Pick Guy, I should note that if a team signs him this season, they can get compensatory pick credit for him next season—& even backup QBs usually get paid enough to qualify.”
The Vikings have not had a good hit rate in recent drafts, so getting more shots to fill out the roster’s depth by adding some extra mid or late-rounders (or capital to acquire a player via trade) is good news.
3. Free Audition
If Darnold departs in free agency, the Vikings need a backup option and safety blanket in case sophomore J.J. McCarthy needs some time to develop (or recover). The Vikings virtually need a new Darnold. Jones could be that guy ‒ formerly a high draft pick who has shown flashes but no consistency and needs a fresh start and a coach who believes in him.
O’Connell can use the next weeks to decide whether Jones is that guy, and it costs practically nothing. If there is someone who can push Jones back to his 2022 performance, it is the third-year head coach.
Conclusion
Jones was not signed to start, nor was he signed to be the future starter by any means. He is a backup option if something goes south in either 2024 or 2025 (if the Vikings re-sign him), and the only investment made is $375,000. Other than that, there is no reason to dislike the move.
It has been pretty obvious how much the quarterbacks around the NFL value O’Connell’s knowledge of the position and his ability to revive careers. He has been a safe haven for reclamation projects. Considering Darnold’s success, he is an outstanding coach who many players want to go to battle with.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt