The NFL Combine Gives Vikings Buffet of News Updates (with a Side Dish of Rumor)
Over the past week, the football world has been focused on the news coming out of the NFL Combine. Minnesota’s leadership was more muted than in recent years, opting for chats with the Minnesota media members alongside some team-level interviews.
Even still, the event came through for the Vikings.
What has been particularly fascinating has been the quarterback updates. News surrounding Kirk Cousins (will get cut), Malik Willis (will get paid), Kyler Murray (he’ll probably shake loose), and Tua Tagovaila (he’ll probably shake loose) arrives with at least some relevance for Minnesota. Plus, there has been news about Kwesi Adofo-Mensah getting a new job and the Vikings finishing off the coaching staff. Oh, and there could even be a trade rumor or two.
The NFL Combine Offers Buffet of Vikings Updates
All eyes are at quarterback.
Minnesota’s roster is good enough to compete. The coaching staff isn’t perfect, but there’s talent present among the top leaders (with Brian Flores and Matt Daniels being the most impressive pair). What’s needed to bring everything together is a competent passing attack, as Kevin O’Connell and Rob Brzezinski have openly discussed.
Kick it over to Brzezinski, who shares O’Connell’s belief that competition is needed.
“It’s just about exploring every potential opportunity,” Brzezinski explained, “we need to have baseline quarterback play to be successful, every organization does. KO has talked a lot about J.J. McCarthy and the confidence that we have in him. He’s been through some adversity from an injury standpoint.”
Not long afterwards, there’s a public acknowledgement of wanting “to look under every stone to have the best option in that room with J.J.”
Brzezinski’s thoughts are fairly vague and general. There are, nevertheless, some important takeaways. Zero-in on those thoughts about injury adversity.
Is the executive laying the groundwork to justify going deep sea fishing at quarterback? Put differently, will Minnesota look to continue publicly supporting McCarthy, explaining away chasing a big fish at quarterback as the byproduct of injury concerns and not performance concerns more broadly?
Consider, as well, a discussion about wanting to be thorough (looking under every stone) while reiterating the need to invest in a competitive quarterback room. Whoever gets added will be a capable starter, meaning Cousins, Willis, Murray, Mac Jones, and others will be under consideration.
Apparently, there’s some interest in moving out Javon Hargrave via trade. Kevin O’Connell has described his desire to accuracy at QB; does that tip his hand for who he’ll push for soon? Similarly, there has been some talk surrounding Eric Wilson and Jalen Nailor, the top free agents in Minnesota.
Some dot connecting has taken place around RB1 Aaron Jones. Some updates from the NFL Combine consider whom Minnesota has chatted with ahead of the draft. Mike Zimmer has even been spotted in the headlines.
Keep swinging by. Plenty more that is yet to be determined with these Vikings.
The new league year begins on Wednesday, March 11th. A couple days beforehand — Monday, March 9th — is when the fireworks get going as the league is allowed to arrive at verbal agreements with soon-to-be free agents.
