A Vikings Roster Detail that Defies the Broad Belief
The Vikings roster boasts ample veteran talent. Does it therefore hit as a surprise that the collective crew of talent is among the youngest in the NFL?
On social media, Ian Hartitz compiled a list of each team’s collected age. Coming in at seventh youngest is the Minnesota Vikings. The fountain of youth got replenished by the nine-person draft class alongside the hearty helping of UDFAs. Still, it’s a surprise to see the team so young given the recent draft foibles.
The Vikings Roster is Younger Than Most Realize
Recently, PFF offered a helpful tool to see how young (or old) each roster is by tallying up all of the ages to arrive at an average. The Minnesota Vikings are coming in at an average of 25.9, a far cry from where many may have guessed.
Consider, as well, that some players who are pulling the age up operate at positions that better accommodate the NFL’s elderly. Long snapper Andrew DePaola (38), punter Johnny Hekker (36), and quarterback Carson Wentz (33) are the three oldest players. None of these three players are to be excluded due to their age. A 38-year-old long snapper is much different than a 38-year-old receiver.
Someone who should be remembered, of course, is Harrison Smith (37), who isn’t being included since he’s a free agent. He would pull the age up a touch. The caveat: he’s a unicorn, somebody who can play strong ball despite being older.
Moreover, there’s some merit in the understanding that not all positions are made equal, at least in terms of impact toward wins and losses. Boasting a promising TE4 who is 22 isn’t nearly as valuable as boasting a promising QB1 who is 22. Sounds obvious, but it’s a worthy detail to remember when considering the view from 30,000 feet. Landing the plane to take a look at things from 3 feet away is still necessary.
Last year’s Vikings, for instance, offer a nice example to consider. A whopping seven UDFAs made the team, helping to bring down the average age. How good were those players? They were, after all, undrafted players, not 1st-Round talents (and that’s zero disrespect to the UDFAs).
Considering what’s taking place at present may involve rallying around Caleb Banks, who is the top name to know from the recent talent haul. So, too, did Domonique Orange get picked in the draft to help at defensive tackle. These new adds are 23 and 22. They’re directly replacing Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, both of whom are in their 30s. Likewise, adding a 22-year-old Jake Golday looks like a savvy decision even if trading away the 28-year-old Jonathan Greenard stings.
Ironically, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had been hired to shepherd the Vikings through the precise process that has been unfolding. He inherited an aging roster with a poor cap situation. He left behind an aging roster with a poor cap situation. Worse yet, the QB position is working through plenty of uncertainty due to the largely poor play from J.J. McCarthy.
The levers that have been pulled and that are still being pulled may be the same ones that Adofo-Mensah would have opted for had he remained in his job. The Vikings have moved on, though, rallying around Rob Brzezinski as the search for a new GM continues. Cheap youth has been the name of the game in a lot of instances.
Next week, the Minnesota Vikings get going with OTAs. Look for the youth to be on full display as the Vikings yet again proceed through what some may describe as a competitive rebuild.
