The NFL Combine is underway and there have been some awesome testing numbers.

The obvious studs were Nick Emmanwori, Shemar Stewart, James Pierce

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https://steelersdepot.com/2025-nfl-scouting-combine-results-tracker/

2025 DL Relative Athletic Score: Which Prospects Tested Best?

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Which players do you think might be interesting day 3 picks.

Zeek Biggers, Eric Gregory, Warren Brinson, Cam Horsley, JJ Pegues, Ty Robinson, Nazir Stackhouse, and Tim Smith at defensive tackle.

Barryn Sorrell at edge rusher.

Mac McWilliams, Jason Marshall, Jacob, Parrish, Caleb RansawJaylin Smith, Quincy Riley, and Justin Walley at cornerback

Hunter Wohler, Kitan Crawford, Billy Bowman, and Marques Sigle at safety

Teddye Buchanan, Carson Breuner Jeffrey Bassa, Demetrius Knight Jr, Kain Medrano, and Chris Paul Jr at linebacker.

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You know the QB decision is still front and center despite the Underwear Olympics going on. It is trending heavily that the team will NOT be able to tag Darnold but different folks have different opinions about that still. Now that Stafford is staying with the Rams, other teams really do need a QB. they simply cannot go into the season with nothing. At the same time, while the Vikings had an awesome looking QB room at the end of the season, it could be rather weak outside of JJ next year of Darnold and Jones leave. I do not see Jones signing up to be the backup. There are too many other teams that probably would give him the job until he stunk it up enough. But at least he has the starter job.

I am going to hold out hope that there is a team desperate enough to be willing to give up a pick to Kwesi so that Kwesi tags and trades Darnold. You do not want to be in a bidding war. While Sam could refuse, I think he will go because the Vikings helped him get to this point.

I wonder if the Vikings could sign Darnold to a deal with a small signing bonus, a larger roster bonus due in April, and then be able to trade him while he is under a modest contract?

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Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Vikings Make Final Call on Sam Darnold, $40 Million Franchise Tag

Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune reported on Friday, February 28, that the team has made the decision not to use the pricey one-year option to keep Darnold in purple and gold for 2025.

“The Vikings do not anticipate on tagging Sam Darnold at this point,” Krammer said. “They know now that tag is going to be over $40 million. That was the anticipation the entire time. At this point, they don’t anticipate to tag him. And from what I’ve heard, it’s because they do not intend to keep him on the tag, and trading him on the tag proves to be pretty difficult.”

“I don’t think there’s many teams that want to acquire [Darnold] on a one-year deal,” Krammer said. “It would have to be a situation where teams want to work out a long-term contract with him, and that takes time. That also takes willingness. And from what I’ve been told, Sam Darnold getting tagged with the intention of trading him would effectively give him a no-trade clause if he didn’t want to go wherever they were going to send him.”

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ESPN’s Dan Graziano encourages Minnesota Vikings to move on from Sam Darnold, start JJ McCarthy

Darnold, 27, is coming off the best season of his career and is an unrestricted free agent. McCarthy, 22, was selected 10th overall in last year’s NFL Draft, but missed his entire rookie season with a right knee injury. So, where do the Vikings go from here? ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano explained on Tuesday’s “Get Up” why he believes Minnesota should let Darnold walk in free agency and roll with McCarthy.

“I’m selling [signing Darnold] from the Vikings’ standpoint,” Graziano said. “I mean, they drafted JJ McCarthy in the top 10 last year. He is their quarterback of the future. At some point, he’s going to have to play. And they’ve really kind of constructed their roster plan around this idea that they’re going to have a starting quarterback on a rookie contract.

“It’s part of the reason they’re able to give Justin Jefferson the contract that he got, [it’s] part of the reason they were able to do the work they did last year in free agency. So, I think their plan has been to go to JJ McCarthy. And I think it probably, at this point, should be.”

Now, Darnold has a chance to cash in — but will the Vikings go all-in on the late bloomer? Mike Tannenbaum, Graziano’s colleague, would if he were making the call.

“Sam Darnold played great football last year. 62 passes of 20 yards or more. 35 touchdowns,” Tannebaum said. “When it’s working, don’t fix it, don’t break it, keep it going. I love JJ McCarthy, saw him at a lot of practices at Michigan. If we have too much depth at the quarterback position, we’ll take it. Maybe somebody makes an offer we can’t refuse in August or September.

“Look, Sam Darnold had two terrible games at the end of the season. We know that, but over the body of the season — the object of the exercise is to acquire great, young, talented players — especially at the quarterback position. Keep Sam Darnold, keep JJ McCarthy, operate from a position of strength at the quarterback position.”

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NFL insider elaborates on the inevitable decision with Vikings QB Sam Darnold

The first domino that needed to fall was where Matthew Stafford was going to play. He chose to return to the Los Angeles Rams on Friday afternoon on a restructured contract.

Being that it’s one of the more compelling stories in the NFL this year, it’s going to be talked about at length. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero spoke about it on The Rich Eisen Show Friday morning and related it to the Stafford situation, as they share the same agency.

“You know, he has the same agency that that Matthew Stafford does. And so again, these these parts are very much interconnected here with Darnold, he’s a younger player, 27 years old, coming off of a Pro Bowl, his best season on a one year contract. And there’s just not a lot of precedent out there for teams to let a guy like that walk for a future, potential compensatory draft pick. And so, you know, in a perfect world, I believe, based on everything that I know and understand the dynamics here, I believe the best outcome for everyone would be Matthew Stafford (he misspoke and meant Darnold) comes back to Minnesota, they’re able to work out some type of deal similar to like the baker Mayfield deal in Tampa, after he went there, had a big year on a one year contract. It wasn’t a top of the market deal, it wasn’t a bargain basement deal, but it was a good, solid contract that gave him a one plus year guarantee, and then, you know, gave the bucks the opportunity to kind of go year to year on that into the future.”

There seems to be a narrative around the national media that the Vikings should bring back Darnold, and they seem to be ignoring that J.J. McCarthy was just selected 10th overall in last April’s NFL Draft.

Pelissero addressed it with an eloquent answer that broke down how general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah attacked free agency around free agency last year while pairing it with the uncertainty with McCarthy’s odd rookie season.

“You know the difference is, the Vikings have their quarterback in the future, JJ McCarthy, already on the roster. You know that his time is coming. But there’s also no precedent for a 22-year-old quarterback, first-round pick who missed his entire rookie season because of injury and all those reps to then come back, there’s just, there’s no track record on it, and so they’ve got some very unique dynamics at play here. There has been certainly real conversation about using the tag on Sam Darnold. But if you tag Darnold, you also run the risk that he could run in immediately sign it. We do about $40 million fully guaranteed in 2025 and at a time that the Vikings also need to address the interior their offensive line. They’re trying to get Aaron Jones back. Their entire starting secondary are free agents. And then also, if you’re eating up $40 million of the cap and you can’t, you don’t really have any flexibility with that, that can create some challenges.

“I know this the way that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah thinks about this. He comes from a quantitative background, and it’s about, how do we put together a roster that is going to be championship caliber around the quarterback, whoever that might be last year? The answer was, we’re going to get Darnold for 10 million we’re going to draft somebody, and we’re going to spend the money go on man a very good free agency with Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman and Aaron Jones, among others. You know bunch of impact players. Jonathan Greenard, that’s how they put it together, and it worked really well, and they won 14 games this time around. Does it make sense to go and spend 3035, $40 million maybe more, on Sam Darnold? Or do you go, we’ll bring in Daniel Jones on a similar type of contract that Donald had let him duke it out in camp with JJ McCarthy and and find out what’s happened. you know tag and trade, Susie also can’t be ruled out here if they feel like there’s a real market so big decisions ahead of the next 72 hours or so.”

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Vikings Continuing to Emphasize ‘Intentionality’ of Process in Free Agency & Draft

Ryan Grigson was walking through the Indiana Convention Center, the host of the NFL Scouting Combine’s Media Center, when he passed by former colleagues and jokingly introduced Demitrius Washington as his “partner in crime.”

Grigson, now the Vikings Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, and Washington, now the Vikings Vice President of Football Operations, could also be known as “partners in finds” or “partners in the mines.”

They are entering their fourth season of working together in the Minnesota, having developed and refined their approach of blending their distinctly different backgrounds into a collective effort of building the Vikings roster.

Grigson and Washington are involved in efforts to retain upcoming free agents and scour multiple sources for players to add, either through the free agency process, which will open March 12, the NFL Draft (April 24-26) or the signing of undrafted players.

What followed was signing not one but two edge rushers who made the Pro Bowl (Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel) and offset the departure of Danielle Hunter, along with starting inside linebacker Blake Cashman, who excelled in the Green Dot communication role.

The signing of quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Aaron Jones, Sr., to one-year deals paid big dividends but now result in some important upcoming decisions.

“The direction and the intentionality of it all was a key to last year’s process,” Washington said. “We articulated a vision for each of our acquisitions last year, and we had an idea of what we wanted coming in, and it’s not always going to work out that way, but I felt like last year was one of the highest, when you think about putting an investment on, it was one of the highest outcomes we can expect to achieve. It’s about being intentional, and that’s what showed throughout our process and results last year.”

Beyond that first wave of signings, the Vikings were able to strategically strengthen their roster as the offseason progressed.

Grigson noted the continuity of the coaching staff (Head Coach Kevin O’Connell, Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips, Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels are going into their fourth season with Minnesota, and Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores is returning for a third) helps the personnel department.

“A lot of times it comes down to being really receptive to what the coaches feel like they are going to be successful with, because everybody’s rear ends are on the line, and everybody wants to win,” Grigson said. “It’s going to happen sometimes where we see someone we like better or maybe the same as the coaches, but if you don’t have that full buy-in, it usually doesn’t go the right way, and we want to have guys in our building that everybody is excited about and sees as not only a one-contract guy but a two-contract guy. It’s on different levels. If you hit on a Jalen Redmond, ‘Look, we can find these guys on our 90-man in June, then that should be the mindset throughout.’ “

The Vikings currently have a first-round and two fifth-round picks but are expected to receive a third-round compensatory pick to offset Cousins’ departure last season.

The scarcity of picks this year, which could change in the next two months via trades, increases the importance of intentionality to maximize the selections.

“It’s being intentional with the vision for the player and how that player fits into our organization and into our plans moving forward,” Washington said. “It’s always key, but [since] we have four picks this year, that’s what we have to nail down and are striving to do.”

The Vikings also will be mindful of continuing to land undrafted rookie free agents after the draft concludes and continue a strong streak of mining prospects. Grigson credited Washington for being a “grinder.”

It takes one to know one.

“He will go and find a guy he thinks is going to be a college free agent and feel like we’re getting him there even though he should be a fourth-round pick,” Grigson said. “I love that about him and the conviction he has and how he sees it, because he sees it with his eyes and not just his brain. I feel like we’re a really good match for one another and we know [General Manager] Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah] really well, so we know what to bring to him, what to not bring to him, how to approach conversations and when we need to have those conversations.

“I feel like it’s our job … to help him because it’s a really hard job and he’s getting pulled a thousand different ways, said Grigson, who was GM of the Colts from 2012-16 when Indianapolis went 49-31. “We try to bring him the big-ticket items that we feel like are going to move the needle for the department and the club. Demitrius has known him even longer than I have, so those relationships are so key to our ascent as a department, and the trust within it has just grown over these three years, going into four.”

Grigson said the limited number of picks means, “We’re going to have to scout our rears off.”

“I know Kwesi, though,” he said. “He’s a master at being able to acquire more draft capital when that time comes, and I know he will, and we’ll have more picks.”

“I feel like we always talk about a three-year horizon with players. I think there’s a three-year horizon on departments,” Grigson added. “There’s a getting-to-know process, a lot of guys we had never worked with before here, just getting a feel for everyone, their style, how they grade, and that’s something I feel like happens over time, and I think we’re really in a spot now to take off with our process. I think free agency showed that last year, and hopefully with the draft we really nail some guys.”

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5 Minnesota Vikings breakout candidates for 2025

Dallas Turner

The No. 17 pick in the 2024 draft didn’t quite live up to expectations in his rookie season. Playing just 300 defensive snaps, Turner finished with 20 total tackles, three sacks, and an interception — far from the impact most had hoped for. However, there’s a bright side: most of those numbers came in the last five games of the season.

“The flashes you saw from him in the second half of last season — he had either three or four straight games with either a sack or an interception against the Seattle Seahawks, where he fully dropped into coverage — he looked like a guy who, with some patience, Vikings fans are going to be happy with,” said Will Ragatz of Vikings on SI. “It wasn’t by any means the rookie season you hope for from a 17th overall pick, but keep in mind… he was playing behind two Pro Bowl-level outside linebackers in Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. He was learning a complex defense, with a lot of different responsibilities. It’s not just ‘go get after the quarterback.’ He was learning a lot of what makes Van Ginkel so good. So, I’m high on Dallas Turner. He was 21 coming out of college, maybe 22 now. Pat Jones will be gone, so Turner should get a chance to play 600-700 snaps. I could see him having a season like Pat Jones’ — maybe not pushing for 10 sacks, but something in the 7-8 sack range. I really see that happening.”

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Walter Rouse

Minnesota’s guard issues were glaring in the final two games, where Sam Darnold was sacked 11 times in losses to the Lions and Rams.

One big-name guard target is off the board after Kansas City franchise-tagged Trey Smith. With free agency still a few weeks away, the list of top-tier guards is shrinking. With limited draft picks, the Vikings may have to (gulp) look inward again to solve this longstanding issue. Enter 6-foot-6, 313-pound Walter Rouse, the Vikings’ sixth-round pick from last year.

Rouse primarily played as a tackle during the 2024 preseason, allowing four pressures but no sacks in 137 snaps over three games. During the season, he saw limited action, appearing for six special teams snaps in Week 12. However, Minnesota reportedly experimented with moving the 23-year-old to guard. If he can make that transition successfully, Rouse could be the long-awaited solution at guard for the Vikings.

“Nobody is talking about Walter Rouse with all the offensive line issues,” said Joe Nelson of Vikings on SI. “With the guard play, you might be replacing Blake Brandel, Dalton Risner, and Ed Ingram. We know they’ll look to free agency and the draft for help, but Rouse is a guy they experimented with, moving from tackle to guard all season. He just sat in the background, but this is a monster, an athletic freak with basketball in his bloodlines. He could come in and play guard, being a mammoth presence on that offensive line.”

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Mekhi Blackmon

Theo Jackson

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Jalen Redmond

In his rookie season, Jalen Redmond totaled 18 tackles, six for loss, in just 208 snaps. The former UFL standout showed flashes in limited usage. If Redmond can maintain that efficiency with more playing time, he could prove to be a valuable asset on the Vikings’ revamped defensive front in 2025.

“I’ve got one more player on my mind: Jalen Redmond, former UFL standout,” said Ragatz. “There were two games last season where he had multiple tackles for a loss, which is impressive for a defensive lineman who isn’t the biggest guy. Similar to the situations with Blackmon and Jackson, Redmond is still a bit under the radar, but he has a real shot to take on a bigger role this year. Even if the Vikings add a defensive tackle in free agency or the draft, Redmond will be in the mix for playing time because of the juice he brings as a pass rusher. He can bat passes down at the line, beat guards with his quickness, and has some power. I think he’s a guy to keep an eye on, and it’s a fun underdog story coming from the UFL.”

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Vikings $8 million hidden gem named surprise offseason trade block candidate

Of Minnesota’s six defensive backs who played more than 500 defensive snaps last season, only one of them — safety Josh Metellus — is certain to be on the roster in 2025. Bryon Murphy Jr., Cam Bynum, Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin are all scheduled to hit the open market in a couple weeks, and longtime starting safety Harrison Smith could be retiring.

As for Metellus, who’s entering the final season of a two-year, $8 million extension signed back in 2023, Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti named him a surprise trade-block candidate for Minnesota this offseason in a potential cap-savings move. Here was his full take:

If the plan is to bring back Byron Murphy this spring, there’s a significant chance that the Vikings look to get off of the $3.775M remaining on Metellus’ contract. The 27-year-old could easily slot into a starting spot elsewhere, and with a weak free agency class in the secondary this March, could draw trade interest from needy teams. Minnesota can free up $5.5M of cap by moving on.

It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah fielded calls from teams looking to acquire Minnesota’s hidden gem. It would be a major stunner, however, if the Vikings agreed to move him.

Metellus might not be a household name across the NFL, but he’s well known in Minnesota for having positionless traits and thriving in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ deceptive scheme. He racked up over 100 total tackles for the second straight season in 2024, and finished the year ranked fourth on the team in total defensive snaps.

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An Offseason Plan

This plan is very silly and you could say stupid but I’ll share it anyway

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Starting Cap Space

2025: $63,032,543

2026: $107,008,844

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Franchise tag Sam Darnold and trade him to Steelers for Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2026 6th

Trade 2026 4th to Commanders for Jonathan Allen and a 2026 6th

Trade 2026 3rd to Seahawks for Tariq Woolen and a 2026 6th

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Cut Ed Ingram (saves 3.325M)

Cut CJ Ham (saves 2.65M)

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Extend/Redo Brian O’Neill 2 yr 38M (saves 11M in 2025 & 1M in 2026)

Extend Josh Oliver – 3 yr 21M (saves 3M)

Extend Harrison Smith – 1 yr 8.255M

Extend Theo Jackson – 2 yr 6M

Extend Cam Akers – 1 yr 1.67M

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Extend Minkah Fitzpatrick – 4 yr 68M

Extend Jonathan Allen – 3 yr 60M

Extend Tariq Woolen – 3 yr 57M

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Sign Michael Hoecht (DL) – 2 yr 12M

Sign Nate Hobbs (CB) – 2 yr 12M

Sign Jimmy Garoppolo (QB) – 2 yr 10M

Sign Dillon Radunz (OL) – 2 yr 7M

Sign Isaiah Rodgers (CB) – 2 yr 5.5M

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Ending Cap Space

2025: $38,720,543

2026: $32,342,844

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Plenty of cap space to make other moves.

Also, Robinson, Murphy, Bynum, and maybe Jones should get good deals likely north of 10M which could return comp picks in this scenario.

I expect Pat Jones, Dalton Risner, and Aaron Jones to get decent deals so the signings I have made may not cancel any top comp picks.

Maybe I do not need Rodgers in this scenario?

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Yore Mock

Trades

Trade Partner: Raiders

Sent: R1:24

Received: R2:37, R3:68, R5:144

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Trade Partner: Colts

Sent: R2:37, R5:161

Received: R2;45, R3:80, R7:234

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Trade Partner: Bucs

Sent: R3:80

Received: R3:83, R5:156

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R2: 45 Tyler Booker OG Alabama 6’5” 325

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R3: 68 TreVeyon Henderson RB Ohio State 5’11” 208

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R3: 83 Deone Walker DT Kentucky 6’7.3” 331

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R3: 97 Jared Wilson OC Georgia 6’3” 310

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R5: 140 Ty Robinson DL Nebraska 6’5.1” 288

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R5: 144 Billy Bowman S Oklahoma 5’9.7” 192

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R5: 156 Jaylin Smith CB USC 5’10.4” 187

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R7: 224 Teddye Buchanan LB Cal 6’2.1” 233

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Some of the roster after draft …

QB: JJ McCarthy, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brett Rypien

RB: Cam Akers, Ty Chandler, TreVeyon Henderson

TE: TJ Hockenson, Josh Oliver

WR: Jets, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor

RT: Brian O’Neill, Blake Brandel

RG: Dillon Radunz, Michael Jurgens

OC: Garrett Bradbury, Jared Wilson

LG: Tyler Booker

LT: Christian Darrisaw, Walter Rouse

DT: Harrison Phillips, Jonathan Allen, Taki Taimani

DE: Michael Hoecht, Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Ty Robinson

WLB: Jonathan Greenard, Dallas Turner, Bo Rithcer

SLB: Andrew Van Ginkel, Gabriel Murphy

LILB: Ivan Pace Jr, Teddye Buchanan

RILB: Blake Cashman, Brian Asamoah

LCB: Tariq Woolen, Dwight McGlothern

RCB: Mekhi Blackmon, Isaiah Rodgers

NB: Josh Metellus, Nate Hobbs, Najee Thompson

SS: Harrison Smith, Jay Ward

FS: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Theo Jackson

K: Will Reichard

P: ?

LS: Andrew DePaola

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