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The signings continue to trickle in and the pickup of Rondale Moore was a nice addition to the wide receiver group. Moore turns 25 on June 9th and still has a lot of upside IMO. He is averaging 45 catches a year for 400 yards and 1 TD in his short career. He has been banged up and did not play last year due to a knee injury. He ran a 4.28 forty at the combine which is still enticing enough to get a job.
What other position do they need to bring in another body besides the obvious QB position. Another safety perhaps? Another guard to compete with Brandel?
https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2025-nfl-free-agent-rankings
I kind of like Asante Samuel Jr and Tevin Jenkins on one year prove it deals. It is curious that Justin Blackmon has not gotten a new deal yet. Maybe he could be had for cheap (3M or less)? I would probably sign Jameis Winston, Carson Wentz, or Drew Lock at this point.
It now seems like the majority are believing the Vikings are out of the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes and why not? Good sources are reporting it although they have left the one little caveat “at this time”. I do not know what the team is doing or wants to do for a backup veteran QB. I do not believe Brett Rypien is the answer. The team could remove all doubt by simply signing a veteran QB. But which one? Who is left? Flacco, Wentz, Winston, Lock, Tannehill? Who? None of these players are better than Rodgers (IMO) but would cost a lot less (presumably) and would not expect to start or even compete.
I still am trying to wrap my head around the fact that the Vikings offered Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones a deal and they both declined to come back and spend another season under the tutelage of Kevin O’Connell. Why? Darnold would have had to be the starter right? If the team told him maybe then I can see why he declined. Jones is a bit disappointing but either he felt he had a better chance of beating out Anthony Richardson or felt it was not going to really be a competition with the Vikings. I do not know and suspect both could be true. One thing that is true is that the majority of Vikings fans only want to see JJ McCarthy playing Quarterback.
If the Vikings do not make the playoffs with this current roster with JJ McCarthy starting, would the season be a failure? The answer should be an obvious yes. I would not blame JJ though.
Before the fan bois get themselves all worked up, I have said from the jump that the team needs to give JJ and least two years of starts and probably three before making a well informed decision about his long term potential. I was not high on him during the draft because he did not have to do much at Michigan. They had a great defense, pretty good offensive line, and ran the ball extremely well. He did not play in many of the 4th quarters. When he had to complete a third and long, he knew in the back of his head that his defense could get the ball back if they did not convert unlike Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams whose defense were horrible. It is a different kind of pressure is all. At the same time, I am not saying he is not capable to do more if needed. I just did not see it in college enough. I am cautiously optimistic and am looking forward to seeing it in the NFL.
I suppose the chatter will continue until the Vikings sign someone else or Rodgers sign somewhere else.
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
All indications are Aaron Rodgers is holding out hope the Minnesota Vikings might relive history and, just as they did with Brett Favre years ago, make him the next former Green Bay Packers star to suit up in purple. After discussing the possibility internally, however, the Vikings aren’t interested in granting his wish, with plans to roll with 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy, who sat out his entire rookie season.
The Vikings drew Rodgers’ apparent interest for a reason: They were one of the few clubs with quarterback uncertainty and a genuinely attractive infrastructure, boasting both top-tier coaches and playmakers, including star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
4. Minnesota Vikings
Pros: This would pretty much be a dream destination for Rodgers, from the elite coaching to fortified O-line to proven playmakers, including Justin Jefferson. Joining Minnesota also wouldn’t necessarily derail — just delay — the team’s long-term plans for J.J. McCarthy, who’s coming off knee surgeries anyway.
Cons: Unlike a lesser free agent, Rodgers’ profile would make him the new face of the team, effectively postponing any McCarthy growth until 2026. It’d be uncharacteristic for the forward-thinking Vikings, who drafted McCarthy and took a flyer on Sam Darnold in part to offset years of paying big money to an aging quarterback. In other words, Rodgers needs the Vikings more than they need him.
Chances of Rodgers signing: Low
As the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants continue to sit and stare at a handful of less-than-stellar quarterback options for the 2025 season, the Minnesota Vikings are allegedly moving forward with their chosen starter: 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy. That would seem to close the door on an Aaron Rodgers pursuit — except that it doesn’t.
There’s still one significant piece of business that remains unresolved.
Signing an experienced backup to pair with McCarthy next season.
Clashing sources: Paul Allen and Alec Lewis debate Vikings’ interest in Aaron Rodgers
If you’ve ever wanted to be a fly on the wall when NFL insiders are obtaining information that they ultimately share with the public, you’ll want to get a load of the back-and-forth conversation that happened Wednesday morning between Minnesota Vikings insider Alec Lewis and Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen.
Allen, the two-decade-plus radio voice of the Vikings, and Lewis, the Vikings beat reporter for The Athletic, had a friendly-yet-intense conversation about the Aaron Rodgers drama. On one hand, Allen has repeatedly said Rodgers will not be on the Vikings in 2025 and the franchise is handing the QB job to J.J. McCarthy. On the other hand, Lewis has been reporting — alongside colleagues Dianna Russini and Michael Silver — the Vikings were seriously considering Rodgers.
Lewis: Oof, you’re … yeah. I just want to make it very clear that what we reported was that the Vikings were strongly considering the Aaron Rodgers situation.
Allen: I’d eliminate the word “strongly” but that’s just me.
Lewis: There were many — and I tweeted that in all caps — people inside that building who were in support of the possibility of that.
Allen: I’m not counting the people in the [Vikings Entertainment Network] or the account executives on the third floor.
Lewis: That’s a funny comeback. That’s a good comeback. I have nothing to say about that, but yeah, I don’t source people in the [Vikings Entertainment Network] department, is what I would say.
Allen: Neither do I.
Lewis: There is the truth that the team wants you to hear and wants you to know, and then there’s the actual truth. There are people within the team that do a lot to ensure that a certain perception exists. That is the job of a lot of people within the team. And it is my job to tell the truth, even if that raises some very hard questions. Some very notable questions. Some very curious questions. But that’s the job. You know sometimes, when you report the truth what goes against what people would want you to report, you can find yourself in intense situations with relationships that matter. But the job is to tell the truth above to value those relationships. That’s where I am, that’s where I will always be. If that prevents me from getting to the pinnacle of this business as an insider or what have you, then I’m OK with that because you and I have talked on-air, off-air, I do this job for the people, for the stories. But my role right now, I also do the job to tell the truth. That’s just what I have to say about that.
Allen: I wasn’t really going to go down this road with you, but now I am. By you saying with what you’ve reported, tweeted, whatever you’re telling the truth, which would fly in the face of what I believe to be true. So therefore, what I’ve tweeted or said into the radio, I believe to be true. And I believe the sourcing that I’ve done is unimpeachable. Therefore, when I start last Thursday saying, you know there’s a Rolling Stones song that you can’t always get what you want, that’s the theme song for Aaron Rodgers. Because he was told no. So therefore, when Rodgers, or when people are reporting certain things — and I don’t have this as fact, so I’m riding discernment with this part — I’m believing the majority of the information is coming from his side. And then when I know it’s an absolute no, which I guess would be this morning, but really a few days up to it, the way I handle it is, why, if Rodgers knows he’s not going to come here — and I believe he’s known that for several days.
Lewis: And I don’t.
Allen: OK. It doesn’t behoove the beaten side to go to the plugged-in sources and say, “Eh, that’s it. We got beat. That’s it. Whole thing’s done.”
Lewis: I think the other thing that I would say, again, and I’m not going to question you’re … that’s not what I’m going to do.
Allen: I’m not offended at all by any opposite you have, by the way. Because I know my source is unimpeachable.
Lewis: Right. *sighs*
Allen: No, it is. It’s the end of the story. That’s why I just don’t do it the way Schefters and Pelisseros. I don’t ever do this, neither do you. I don’t like it, quite honestly.
What the insiders are saying about Minnesota Vikings’ backup QB pursuit
The only way the Rodgers idea could theoretically resurface is if he chooses to wait instead of signing with the Steelers or Giants and McCarthy suffers a setback at some point this offseason. But it feels safe to say there’s a 99 percent chance Rodgers will not end up in Minnesota this year.
So what will the Vikings do instead? With Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Nick Mullens all departing in free agency, they still clearly need to add a veteran quarterback to pair with McCarthy as a backup and insurance plan. They made an offer to Darnold, but it wasn’t on the level of what he got to be the unquestioned starter in Seattle. They had significant interest in bringing back Jones and made him a competitive offer, but he chose to sign with the Colts.
“In both those cases, I think the presence of J.J. McCarthy pushed the players out of there,” SI’s Albert Breer said about Darnold and Jones on the Rich Eisen Show.
According to Pelissero, the Vikings quickly retracted their offer to Jones when they heard he was leaning towards the Colts. If he didn’t clearly want to be in Minnesota, they were moving on.
“When they got the sense that Daniel Jones was not committed and convicted, they pulled the offer,” Pelissero said on KFAN Radio.
The free agent options out there include Joe Flacco, Ryan Tannehill, Carson Wentz, and Drew Lock. If the Vikings aren’t interested in any of those names, they could potentially look to trade for a quarterback who is currently on another team’s roster. Quite a few backup-caliber QBs have signed elsewhere already this offseason, but Pelissero doesn’t believe any of those were ever potential Vikings targets.
“This idea that hey, the options are drying up and this guy signed here and what are the Vikings going to do, I would just tell you guys again, my words, I don’t believe that any of the players who have signed — outside of Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones — I don’t believe any of those guys were players the Vikings were targeting to be the veteran quarterback in the room,” Pelissero said on KFAN.
“And I don’t necessarily know that any of the current free agents, in terms of the other obvious big names that are on the street, I don’t know that any of them are what the Vikings’ plan is going to be here. There are other avenues that they could pursue.”
As far as potential trade options, it’s difficult to know exactly what those possibilities might look like. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis has mentioned the Raiders’ Aidan O’Connell and the Seahawks’ Sam Howell, who are both on rookie contracts. But would either even be enough of an upgrade over Brett Rypien — who is the Vikings’ only other quarterback under contract at the moment — to warrant parting with a late-round 2026 draft pick?
Vikings QB latest: Could Minnesota be waiting to trade for Kirk Cousins?
When it comes to the Vikings’ quarterback situation, the Aaron Rodgers speculation (at least for now) has joined its predecessor, Sam Darnold speculation, as a thing of the past.
So, because it’s the NFL offseason and rumors rule all, let’s move on to the next buzzy name. What about a reunion with Kirk Cousins?
ESPN’s Adam Schefter fanned those flames on a recent episode of his podcast.
“How about this? Minnesota lost out on Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones,” Schefter said. “There’s not an obvious solution. What if Minnesota just waits around until the after the draft and then somehow figures out a way for Kirk Cousins to get to Minnesota as the backup to J.J. McCarthy? Wouldn’t that make some sense, right?
“And maybe the Vikings can wait it out. The Falcons have been determined not to release him. I think the Falcons want to be able to say we got something back for this guy that we paid so much to get. So maybe Minnesota says you know what, it’s worth it for us, we’ll give you a sixth-round draft pick. They haven’t solved the No. 2, J.J.’s coming off the injury, you still don’t know what you’re gonna have, let’s solidify the position with Kirk Cousins. Doesn’t that make sense?”
Then there’s the matter of Cousins’ contract — the four-year, $180 million deal he got from Atlanta last offseason. The Falcons will have to eat a ton of dead money if they trade Cousins, but there’s still the matter of his $27.5 million 2025 base salary. What the trade compensation looks like on a hypothetical Cousins deal would depend on how much of that salary the Falcons are willing to eat (and thus how much of it the acquiring team takes on).
If a new team takes on all or most of that salary, you’d probably be talking about the Falcons sending that team a draft pick to sweeten the pot. If the Falcons eat most of the $27.5 million, they could probably a get a pick back for Cousins. It’s unclear if either option would make sense for the Vikings, who presumably won’t want to take on a big salary number for a backup quarterback OR part with a pick to land Cousins.
Note: If Kwesi gives up a draft pick and has to pay a good portion of Cousins contract then I would be disappointed because there were other options. I doubt Cousins wants to be a backup though.
Vikings reputation is why Javon Hargrave signed
One of the more intriguing signings for the Vikings was Javon Hargrave, who signed a two-year, $30 million contract with the Vikings. The good part for Minnesota is that his contract doesn’t impact the compensatory formula
A week after signing with the Vikings, Hargrave met with the media for the first time and one of the biggest factors for him in coming here is their reputation.
“You just tell they just want to win. And like you say, just a lot of talent. It’s a lot of talent on offense and defense and special teams. Like I said, I played them the last two years and lost both times. And like, I was on a great team. So, it’s a great team, and, like, they got a reputation and a leader, how they were in their organization. And that was kind of a big thing for me to just, seeing everything, seeing the reports of how good they take care of their players. I think that’s a big thing in the NFL.”
The reputation the Vikings have is astounding. They finished first in the NFLPA survey in 2023 with second-place finishes in the last two seasons. That is an advantage when it comes to acquiring talent, especially when the Vikings are in a potential Super Bowl window.
Note: This is why the Vikings releasing Garrett Bradbury was the right thing to do after failing to secure a trade mainly due to Bradbury’s 4.9M salary.
Javon Hargrave & Jonathan Allen Excited to Help Brian Flores ‘Wreak Havoc’
The Vikings added Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen in the first wave of free agency, and the pair of interior defensive linemen will help bolster a front seven that already shined last season.
Flores’ defensive system provides interior linemen opportunities to get to the quarterback — a skill both Hargrave and Allen have demonstrated with previous teams — and the excitement to join forces in Minnesota is mutual between coach and players.
“When you look at a guy like Coach Flores, man, they refer to him as a ‘mad scientist.’ Sometimes we’ll be in a 3-4, bringing pressure off both ends, and some games we’re switching it up,” Allen told Twin Cities media members via videoconference Wednesday. “Every week, being in that playbook’s a big key. But I really like how he’s able to create space on the inside and allow guys to get 1-on-1s. And when you get 1-on-1s in this NFL, you’ve gotta be able to win those. I’m looking forward to just fitting right in and doing what I can to help.”
Today’s NFL has moved away from prioritizing only the tallest and biggest defensive tackles and recognized the impact a smaller inside defender can have (see Aaron Donald). So though the 6-foot-2 Hargrave was criticized coming out of college for being undersized, he’s no longer viewed that way.
The league sees the value of interior defensive linemen who can affect the passer, and Hargrave is leaning into that.
“If you’ve got a defensive tackle who can pass rush and cause havoc, it’s a good thing for the defense,” he said.
“I think it really don’t matter no more [if you’re smaller]; they kind of look at the football player more than just looking at the size of the football player,” Hargrave added. “I think [Flores] creates a lot of 1-on-1s for the inside and the outside guys.”
Allen noted the importance of having players inside who can play the run on early downs and then stay on the field for third down and “get after” the quarterback. And as he pointed out above, that doesn’t mean solely sacks.
Allen emphasized “interior pressure,” especially when supported by Vikings pass rushers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard from the outside.
“That just makes everything easier with getting the quarterback off his spot, forced throws, force him to miss his target,” Allen said. “I think when you can add that element of interior pressure from the inside, that just helps the defense out tremendously.”
This season will mark Allen and Hargrave’s first time sharing an NFL team locker room; but they’ve previously shared a division and an all-star roster. They first met each other — outside of quick interactions — during the Pro Bowl that capped the 2021 season and swapped phone numbers to stay in touch.
Now, they’ll be in the same meeting room.
When Hargrave was with the Eagles, he played against Allen and the Commanders twice a season.
“He causes havoc on the field and makes a lot of plays, and he knows when to take his chances … on those plays,” he said.
Allen mentioned he found himself unofficially competing with Hargrave’s stats each season, simply because he’s viewed him as one of the best at the position.
“So for us to be able to line up and play with each other, I’m super excited about it,” Allen said. “Obviously you know what [Javon] can do — he can rush the passer from the inside, he can take on double teams, he can play the run — and I’m looking to help boost his game, and vice versa.”
In the same way Allen and Hargrave are looking forward to being a part of Flores’ defense, they have a shared desire to be part of the culture Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell has established.
Both are well-aware of the annual NFL Players Association report cards and Minnesota’s high-scoring reputation around the league.
Allen mentioned “culture” multiple times during his media session, and he also explained the importance of a positive environment extending beyond just the football team.
“It’s not something you can tangibly touch, but you can feel it. When something bad happens during the game, you look at the sideline for guys’ reactions. I think it becomes pretty evident of a good culture and a bad culture and how different players and different people react during different situations in the game,” Allen said. “I’m a firm believer in, it’s really hard to win games in this football league – I mean, if you look at it, it probably comes down to five plays a game. And I think culture’s a huge part of it; when those certain plays don’t go your way, how do your respond? It’s easy to turn one bad play into two or three bad plays, and that can be the difference in the game.
“The NFL’s tough, it’s hard, and nobody wants to come to work every day in an environment that is just not upbeat, no one’s excited to do their job,” he added. “That was one of the biggest reasons why I chose this place.
“Going into this offseason, I definitely wanted to take my family into consideration,” Allen added. “I mean, when your wife and your family’s able to have a great life and be included and be involved in so many things in the community, it definitely makes that decision a lot easier.”
Now, he and Allen will be on the home team sideline.
“I’m just ready to hear the [SKOL] Drum getting beat and hear the SKOL Chant,” Hargrave said. “And I’m real excited to hear that horn being [sounded] before the game. I think that’s one of the hardest things I’ve seen in the NFL, especially pregame.
“It’s gonna be kind of dope to be on the other side of it and be able to hear it every home game,” he added with a smile.
Hargrave and Allen know they can’t get ahead of themselves; but they also know they’re helping build something special.
“I really think we can go out there and do great things. But again, it’s early. I mean, it’s March. No games are won in March,” Allen said, exhibiting veteran levelheadedness. “Right now, we’re just trying to put the work in, trying to get as acclimated as we can as soon as possible. That way when OTAs start, we can hit the ground running. We’re excited to be here.”
Mock draft tracker: The latest Vikings predictions from the experts
Yore Mock
Trade Partner: Rams
Sent: Pick 24
Received: Pick 26, Pick 127
…
Trade Partner: Rams
Sent: Pick 26
Received: Pick 42, Pick 73, Pick 162
…
42. Maxwell Hairston CB Kentucky 5’11.2” 183
73. Deone Walker DT Kentucky 6’7.3” 331
97. Ozzy Trapilo OT Boston College 6’8. 316
127. Ty Robinson DT Nebraska 6’5.1” 288
139. Brashard Smith RB TCU 5’9.7” 194
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Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/Getty Images
162. Kyle McCord QB Syracuse 6’3.0” 218
187. Kitan Crawford S Nevada 5’10.5 202
UDFA
Dan Jackson S Georgia 6’0” 194
Jalin Walker LB Indiana 6’0” 219
Ethan Downs EDGE Oklahoma 6’3.6” 269
James Burnip P Alabama 6’6” 243
Joshua Simon TE South Carolina 6’4.1” 239
Jonah Monheim OC USC 6’4.1” 302
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