Questions Answered: A Sudden Kicker Addition, Crowded RG Battle, Akayleb Evans
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the Cinco de Mayo edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
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Q: I thought Greg Joseph was the guy at kicker. I believe you guys did, too. Does this new rookie kicker have an inside track for the job?
A: Yes, he does.
He was reportedly signed for three years, so he is likely the next Minnesota Vikings kicker. Or, at the very least, he will become the team’s placekicker before too long.
The man, Gabe Brkic, had a tremendous college career. This is how good kickers usually tunnel to teams — undrafted free agency.
Greg Joseph deserves a fair shot to retain his job, but this Oklahoma guy is probably the odds-on favorite to take over sooner than later.
Q: I was thinking about this earlier — are there too many guys battling for the right guard position?
A: No, it’s not too many.
With the Zimmer teams since 2018, a couple of menial performers would try out for the job. One would get the RG1 title. Then, he’d stink. On to the next one.
Thrusting Jesse Davis, Wyatt Davis, Chris Reed, Oli Udoh, and Ed Ingram into battle is a good thing. Phoenix from the ashes stuff.
Unless the plan is to sling Ingram over to center, a job currently manned by Garrett Bradbury, Ingram should be classified as the frontrunner for the RG job.
Q: What role do you foresee for new CB Akayleb Evans?
A: He needs time for polish, but Evans could see snaps when Patrick Peterson, Cameron Dantzler, or Andrew Booth miss games. They’re cornerbacks, so they will get hurt.
That will be Evans’ time to blossom. Thankfully, there is no emphatic rush. Evans was selected in the 4th Round, a spot where he could excel in the NFL or flunk out, and few would notice. Fourth-rounders are like that.
We predict Evans will play an influential role in 2023 and beyond.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
