3 Vikings Rumors That Won’t Materialize
At this stage in the year, NFL rumors fly fast and furious, a reality that afflicts our beloved Vikings.
For this reason, I thought it best to offer this humble piece to try to assuage concerns/adjust hopes as it relates to some of these reports. Shout out to Vikings Wire and then Dustin Baker from VT for getting me thinking about this a little more.
The Vikings Rumors
#1 – Cousins Is Traded for The 6th Overall Pick
Put simply, there’s very little chance the Panthers value Kirk Cousins this highly.
We can say with near certainty that Cousins isn’t a good enough to elevate a flawed roster. What he can do is offer above-average QB play that may complement a strong roster.
One thing that often gets lost in the shuffle of all the KC craziness is that he has had so many advantages in his career. Most defenders like to point to Minnesota’s lousy offensive line, the inability to get decent support from the defense, and then all the OC changes that date back to his time in Washington. What he has had, though, have been consistently elite options at receiver and a variety of strong coaches (Sean McVay, Kevin Stefanski, Gary Kubiak, etc.) to pour into him. Throughout his time in Minnesota, he has had the luxury of handing the ball off to Dalvin Cook.
So, Cousins hasn’t been set adrift in the NFL sea without a life jacket. Nay, he has been given all kinds of help. We know he needs near ideal circumstances to succeed. As a result, the rumors about Carolina calling the Vikings to send along their 6th pick seems like a stretch.
#2 – Harrison Smith Will Get Cut
Re-structured? Perhaps. Outright cut? Very little chance.
Mr. Smith was signed to a lucrative extension before the beginning of last season. That deal kicks in this year. Now, I get that there’s a new sheriff in town – Mr. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah – but that doesn’t mean Smith is therefore a surefire cut candidate.
In his opening press conference, Kevin O’Connell was laudatory in his description of Minnesota’s safety:
I’m far from a personnel expert, but my belief is that a “perfect player” ought to be kept around. Expect to see Smith used in unique and impactful ways in Ed Donatell’s defense.
#3 – Danielle Hunter Gets Traded for a 2nd
If it isn’t a Godfather Offer, the Vikings don’t trade Danielle Hunter.
Look, I get that there are issues to solve. His cap hit is a monstrous $26+ million. Given that he’s coming off consecutive injury-ended seasons, Hunter can’t eat up so much of the Vikings’ salary cap.
Can they really let him go for so little, though? Brad Spielberger of PFF suggests that a 2023 2nd and 2022 4th would be enough to snag him. My rebuttal is that elite pass rushers don’t just grow on trees. Giving one up for so little strikes me as a foolish decision. Of all the Vikings rumors, a trade involving Hunter and anything less than a 1st is the most disappointing.
A wiser move, at least in the opinion of your humble author, is that the Vikings find some sort of happy medium with the finances. This will involve lessening his 2022 cap hit by loading his deal with health-dependent, achievable incentives. This will reward the player for staying on the field and protect the team from paying too much for a player on the IR.
Closing Thoughts
There you have it, folks. These are my three predictions for rumors that won’t materialize. Now that I’ve set it down in digital ink, all three will likely take place. Alas, that’s the risk that comes with writing about sports.
Have your own thoughts about Vikings rumors that will or won’t materialize? Let me know over on Twitter.
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