Kevin O’Connell’s Pal Is Now Available
The Minnesota Vikings have been busy bolstering the trenches in free agency. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores can now adjust his scheme because he finally has a pair of interior pass rushers in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. On offense, Kevin O’Connell is happy because of an improved offensive line.
Kevin O’Connell’s Pal Is Now Available
In three seasons as Minnesota’s skipper, the head coach has collected a 34-17 win-loss record. Prior to that job, he was the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, learning under Sean McVay and helping him design the offense.
They guided their franchise to the Super Bowl in their second and final season together, where they edged out the Cincinnati Bengals for the ultimate prize. The game-winning score was made by standout receiver Cooper Kupp.
It has been the worst-kept secret for weeks; on Wednesday, the Rams made the move to cut their long-time pass-catcher after failing to find a trade partner, according to Tom Pelissero.
In Skol Nation, Kupp has been a hot topic. Relationships mean everything in the NFL, and he had his best season under O’Connell’s watch. Therefore, folks can imagine Kupp to complete a scary receiving trio with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
The two hurdles are, of course, money and his potential role.
Money-wise, the Vikings should still have about $30-$35 million in cap space available after completing all their expected signings. The uncertainty exists because the numbers and contract structures of some free agency deals haven’t been announced, but those are included in the guess.
From a role perspective, Jefferson is the unquestioned target hog, and Addison has ascended into elite WR2 territory. If Kupp isn’t willing to accept the WR3 role in Minnesota’s offense, a deal won’t happen. Besides catching passes, he could also help the Vikings as a run blocker. Kupp is one of the best in the business in that area, and neither Jefferson, Addison, nor Jalen Nailor excel in that department.
O’Connell joined the Rams in 2020, and Kupp tabulated 974 yards and three touchdowns coming off a torn ACL.
The Rams then traded Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford to fully unleash the passing attack, and Kupp quickly rose to stardom, dominating the league in the receiving statistics. He led the NFL in catches, yards, and touchdowns in one of the most prolific receiving seasons ever in 2021. Kupp caught 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 trips to the endzone.
His dominance continued in the postseason, with 33 receptions for 478 yards and six touchdowns in only four games. His all-time great playoff run ended with a game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl.
That level of play is long a shadow of the past for Kupp. Injuries have piled up, and the numbers dipped. Kupp has failed to generate more than 812 yards in a season since then, scored only 17 times in the last three years, and played in only 33 contests.
Kupp will turn 32 in June.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and 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