Purple Q&A: Super Bowl Lesson, Vikings Draft Strategy, Next Offseason Dates
Today, on February 10th, with the offseason in full swing, PurplePTSD’s Janik Eckardt answers a trio of questions about the Minnesota Vikings. If you have questions for future editions of the Purple Q&A, please email them to [email protected].
Purple Q&A: Super Bowl Lesson, Vikings Draft Strategy, Next Offseason Dates
Let’s get right to it.
Q: What lesson should the Vikings learn from the Super Bowl?
It was a beatdown in the trenches. The Eagles dominated the Chiefs on both sides of the ball. On offense, Jalen Hurts had what felt like an eternity in the pocket.
But even more impressive was Philadelphia’s defensive line. What might sound crazy is that the Eagles didn’t blitz the entire game, but Patrick Mahomes was still more on his back than upright because the Eagles simply won their matchups.
Impending free agents Josh Sweat and Milton Williams showed up big-time in potentially their final game with the Eagles, and Jalen Carter might be the best defender in the league right now. Rookie Jalyx Hunt also generated some pressure, and so did former first-rounder Nolan Smith.
The fact of the matter is that the Eagles spend enormous draft capital to build the best offensive and defensive line combination in the league, and then they hit on those players at an excellent rate. That strategy helped the Eagles win both Super Bowls and has turned them into a powerhouse.
What the Vikings can learn? Build the trenches by investing draft capital and money ‒ perhaps Milton Williams would be interested in joining the purple team?
Q: Which position should be filled in the draft, and which should be in free agency?
Barring any trades, the Vikings have four draft picks, but only the first-rounder and the third-rounder should be expected to be relevant to this question. It would be unfair to expect a fifth-round selection to pick up a starting role in his debut season.
However, as the Vikings have seen in recent memory, even high draft choices need time to develop. In addition to that, fixing every issue but one in free agency forces the Vikings to use the draft pick on that one position.
To keep the options open and be in a position to be able to draft the best available player on the board ‒ something the Eagles do pretty aggressively — GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah needs to make sure to fill the starting lineup in free agency and act like the draft doesn’t exist in his plan for the upcoming season.
He did a decent job at this last year. Sam Darnold was ready to be the starting quarterback regardless of the arrival of a rookie, and Dallas Turner entered an outside linebacker room that already featured Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard.
The draft is a long-term investment, not a short-term problem solver.
Q: What’s next on the Vikings’ calendar?
On February 18th, NFL teams are eligible to apply the franchise tag. That’s relevant for the Vikings for two reasons. The first is, of course, Darnold’s expiring contract. If the Vikings want to keep him in the building for another year or use him as a trade asset, it makes sense to use the franchise tag.
The other relevant aspect is that at least a handful of intriguing free-agent candidates will be off the board. It’s unlikely to be used on a guard, but what if the Chiefs don’t let Trey Smith hit free agency? The strategy might change for the Vikings.
Another relevant date is March 10th, as free agents can legally talk with the agents. That is the big free agent day. Two days later, on March 12th, the players can officially sign their deals.
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