Lost in the Shuffle, Kevin O’Connell Squashes a Major Vikings Rumor
So much of the discussion focused on whether Kevin O’Connell publicly endorsed bringing back Sam Darnold as the team’s QB1. Lost in the shuffle is an important tidbit from his follow-up answer.
Kevin Seifert of ESPN relayed the key quote from the head coach: “[Sam Darnold has] earned the right to be a free agent, but we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation.” Catch that? Per the team’s top coach, Darnold will go into free agency, suggesting that the team will not be placing the franchise tag on their promising passer.
Did Kevin O’Connell Squash the Vikings Rumor?
Of course, the chain of command should be kept in mind: GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gets the final call on player contracts.
Nevertheless, the update from O’Connell carries a lot of weight. The team’s top pair of leaders — Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell — continually emphasize the importance of building a positive culture, one that involves a hearty dose of communication and collaboration. Seeing the GM pull the rug out from his coach’s feet would be a surprise.
To be sure, I’ve been among those to advocate for a tag-and-trade scenario, arguing that it (theoretically) is in-line with how Minnesota does business. The rationale is as follows.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has proven to be a GM who is constantly searching for value. Simply letting a starting-level quarterback walk away for a potential compensatory selection may not be the best approach. Remember: comp picks can get cancelled out by incoming talent, so there’s no guarantee that Darnold’s departure would lead to a Vikings draft pick. At best, there would be a late 3rd; at worst, nothing.
The benefit of a tag-and-trade is that the compensatory formula wouldn’t factor into the mix. The Vikings could snag a decent pick and get it in time for 2025.
The critical factor, however, is that Minnesota includes Sam Darnold in the decision making. The top decision makers in Eagan have a reputation for treating their players well. Maintaining that healthy culture may involve keeping Darnold in the loop so that the quarterback goes somewhere that’s actually on his wish list.
Taking that route has the downside of (potentially) needing to avoid doing business with the highest bidder. All Adofo-Mensah needs, though, is two interested franchises to get a pretty good return. One could envision a scenario where a 2nd or a 3rd gets the job done.
Darnold could then move into signing his lucrative extension, something that often follows the franchise tag. Minnesota gets another pick, Darnold gets a hearty raise, and a team gets an upgrade at quarterback.
For whatever it’s worth, Seifert offered an assessment of the process that Minnesota is working through at quarterback: “Over the past three weeks, the Vikings have been working through options that include signing Darnold to a multiyear contract, using the franchise tag to retain him for 2025 or handing the keys to 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, who has resumed on-field training after sitting out the season because of a torn meniscus in his right knee.”
While Seifert is (very likely) right to note that a franchise tag for Darnold is a possibility that has been under consideration, O’Connell’s words appear to suggest that allowing the QB1 to enter free agency in March is the eventual outcome.
The Vikings currently have roughly $58 million in cap space. A franchise tag for a QB is going to come in a touch above $41 million, per OTC.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
A Specific Vikings Trade Target Makes All the Sense in the World
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, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.