Vikings Set to Welcome a 3rd QB to the Roster
It’s been – outside of the upcoming draft – the major topic in Skol Nation for the last month. The Vikings still haven’t added a third passer to the QB room that saw not only one or two, but three players depart in free agency.
Vikings Set to Welcome a 3rd QB to the Roster
At this point, sophomore J.J. McCarthy is the QB1, and Brett Rypien, last year’s third guy, is now the second player on the depth chart because there’s nobody else in the mix, unless QB coach and long-time NFL journeyman Josh McCown wants to join the competition.
There hasn’t been any shortage of rumors and candidates, but so far, it’s been quiet from the Vikings’ side, while various names have disappeared from free agency, including ex-Vikings Nick Mullens and Daniel Jones as well as external players like Joe Flacco, Gardner Minshew, or Jacoby Brissett.
Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota’s fourth-year head coach and the reigning Coach of the Year, was asked about the void when he took the podium on Monday, and it sounded like a new guy will arrive soon, the decision-makers are just weighing their options, and perhaps wait for the draft to unfold first.
“We’ve been patient and really evaluated a lot of different ways we could potentially do that. There’s potential trades and free agency, and still the draft. We’re going through a process of just figuring out who is the player that we want to solidify that room with, knowing that J.J. and Brett are here working, starting today, and eventually we’ll complete that room and still have a competitive situation in there, however you look at it … But we’ve got a pretty detailed plan for how we want to go about it and when that happens, the timing of it, remains to be seen.”
Another signal-caller will enter the locker room at some point sooner rather than later.
Why the Holdup?
This year’s NFL Draft will be held between Thursday and Saturday. That’s relevant for this conversation for three reasons.
First of all, the Vikings might just draft a quarterback and entirely erase the need for another backup from their board. If they feel like they can develop another young guy next to McCarthy, why not spend a pick on Saturday and acquire the backup that way?
The second element is the fact that the Vikings might want to wait and see where the quarterbacks land, even if they don’t plan to draft one. Some veterans will lose their backup jobs elsewhere and could be trade candidates.
A third reason is the compensatory formula. The Vikings are set to get a third-rounder and a fifth-rounder next offseason for Sam Darnold’s and Cam Robinson’s departures. Signing a qualifying compensatory free agent would erase one of those. The deadline for that is Monday, and then the franchise is free to add any free agent it wants.
Who’s Available Via Free Agency?
The most prominent names are Carson Wentz and Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill was long an average passer while Wentz was a 2017 MVP favorite until an injury squashed that dream. The former didn’t play last season, the latter has become a journeyman who couldn’t convince Sean McVay and Andy Reid to keep him around for a second go-around in the last two seasons.
Other backup names include C.J. Beathard, Tyler Huntley, Desmond Ridder, and Jeff Driskel.
Who’s Available Via Trade?
Sam Howell has been a name linked to trade rumors. The Seahawks signed Drew Lock and employ ex-Vikings draft pick, Jaren Hall, making Howell expendable.
The Raiders could be willing to part ways with Aidan O’Connell, who started some games last year, and the Titans are expected to draft Cam Ward first overall, which could open the door for former 33rd overall pick Will Levis to be on the market.
On Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter linked Kirk Cousins to the Vikings. It would be a strange lateral move for the four-time Pro Bowler, but the gossip exists, so he deserves a mention.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over The Cap helped with this article.
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