The NFL owners are meeting today and tomorrow. There are some proposed rule changes that they will be voting on. What rule change would you like to see instituted?
I think they should review face mask and pass interference calls always. Perhaps the signal would first have to come from “upstairs”? Then, the ref can go check it out real quick.
Playoff format could be changing
The NFL revealed the details of this proposal on Monday night. Under the proposed rule, seven teams in each conference will make the playoffs with four division champions and three wild-card teams. However, the big change is that the teams will be seeded by who has the best record. Under this proposal, a wild-card team could be seeded ahead of a division winner if the wild-card team has a better record. This means there’s a chance that division winners could be playing road games in the wild-card round, which isn’t possible under the current format. If this proposal would have been in place in 2024, the playoffs would have looked much different, especially in the NFC, where five of the seven teams would have been a different seed than what they ended up being under the current format.
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Tush push could be banned
The NFL owners decided not to vote on this in March, because the language in the rule proposal wasn’t clear, but now, the proposal has been slightly tweaked and it seems that there’s at least a chance that this could pass. Since the NFL’s inception in 1920 through 2005, the league had a rule in place that banned players from pushing or pulling a runner in any direction and that’s essentially what his new proposal calls for. The rule specifically states that no teammate can “push or pull a runner in any direction at any time or lift him to his feet.” Teammates can no longer assist a runner except by “individually blocking opponents for him.”
Onside kick might be tweaked
NFL players will likely be allowed to participate in 2028 Olympics
The next organized team activities.
OTAs: May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 16-18
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
PFF Quarterback Rankings: All 32 starters ahead of the 2025 NFL season
Tier 4: Young players with a wide range of potential outcomes
21. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
I’m leaning on my personal evaluation here, as I had McCarthy as the top quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. We didn’t get to see him as a rookie, but his 2023 season at Michigan — where he earned a 92.2 PFF grade and a 93.4 passing grade — highlighted everything you want in a young passer. If he’s fully healthy in 2025, and considering what Sam Darnold managed in this offense, McCarthy is set up to succeed.
Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Dealt Concerning NFL QB Comparison
On a May 19 episode of the “Move the Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks” podcast, Brooks compared McCarthy to Alex Smith. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2005 draft, Smith won just two playoff games and made three Pro Bowl appearances in a career that was marred by injury.
“I think Kevin O’Connell, early, is not going to give him [a lot] and expect him to go win the game. I think he’s going to set the other guys to do it,” Brooks added. “He’s going to be a high-end trailer. If he operates like a high-end trailer for the Minnesota Vikings, where he lets the rest of the team carry him, the Minnesota Vikings can win a ton of games.
“And then, as he gets comfortable, maybe he shows some of the playmaking ability at the end of his second year.”
Brooks’ comparison may not sit well with some Vikings fans, but the NFL analyst is one of the biggest vocal supporters of McCarthy entering his first season under center.
Brooks took a deep dive into how the Vikings have built a ready-to-win roster and can plug McCarthy in.
“Though some will take the ‘high-end game manager’ language as a dig at McCarthy’s upside, it speaks to his winning pedigree and ego-free approach. McCarthy has already demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice individual stats for team success as a collegian (SEE: 27-1 record at Michigan with a national title), and that certainly made him an attractive prospect for evaluators who value “winners” at the position,” Brooks wrote.
Vikings, J.J. McCarthy Prediction a Cause for Concern
The table is set for J.J. McCarthy, and as prognosticators begin the dive into the team’s 2025 schedule, there are some non-believers.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton predicted the Vikings to “come back to earth” and drop out of the playoff picture with an 8-9 regular-season record with McCarthy.
“O’Connell has worked well with veteran quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Darnold. McCarthy hasn’t taken a regular-season snap, though,” Moton wrote on May 14. “On top of McCarthy’s inexperience, he must also knock off some rust and build a rapport with his top playmakers.
“The Vikings have the supporting cast to prop up a young quarterback, and their defense can help them win low-scoring games, but this team will regress with a first-year starter under center, perhaps more than most would expect after a 14-win campaign,” Moton added. “On the road, McCarthy will face stout defenses within the NFC North and in Pittsburgh, Seattle and Los Angeles. Chargers lead skipper Jim Harbaugh coached him at Michigan and knows his weaknesses.”
‘Ripple Effects’ of Landmark QB Move Loom Large for J.J. McCarthy, Vikings
The San Francisco 49ers will be a case study for the Vikings on many levels over the next few seasons. Most notably, they signed Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million contract extension. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote on May 16 that the deal has various “ripple effects.”
Knox did not mention the Vikings. However, his note that the 49ers “can no longer afford to whiff on early draft picks” should resonate with Minnesota.
Knox specifically cited the 49ers’ trade up in 2021 to select Trey Lance No. 3 overall.
Multiple misses for various reasons in the secondary have left the Vikings facing significant questions in back-to-back offseasons. Seven of their 35 top 100 draft picks from 2012 through 2022 remain on the roster entering 2025 OTAs.
Five of those players are starters for the Vikings, including All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who is of particular interest to McCarthy, and All-Pro safety Harrison Smith.
Knox wrote that it is “imperative” for the 49ers to hit on “cheaper rookie talent” in the draft, with Purdy now the highest-paid player in franchise history. They have already had to part with several expensive veterans this offseason. The 49ers absorbed north of $86 million in dead cap.
A similar path with McCarthy would leave the Vikings trying to fill gaps with expensive options in free agency and fliers in the draft and post-draft landscape.
The Vikings have three more seasons before the end of McCarthy’s contract expires. Then they can turn to his fifth-year option and up to three years of franchise tags before having to make a long-term decision.
The Vikings will regret overpaying veteran sooner than anyone expected
Veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is expected to play an important role for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025 and beyond. After all, the team invested significantly in him this offseason, though that could ultimately haunt them earlier than anticipated.
Minnesota signed Allen to a three-year, $51 million contract, including $23.255 million in guaranteed money, a handful of days after the Washington Commanders released him. You know what they say: One man’s trash is another’s treasure. And apparently, the Vikings believe the 30-year-old is worth his weight in gold, contrary to their NFC rival.
Veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is expected to play an important role for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025 and beyond. After all, the team invested significantly in him this offseason, though that could ultimately haunt them earlier than anticipated.
Minnesota signed Allen to a three-year, $51 million contract, including $23.255 million in guaranteed money, a handful of days after the Washington Commanders released him. You know what they say: One man’s trash is another’s treasure. And apparently, the Vikings believe the 30-year-old is worth his weight in gold, contrary to their NFC rival.
Allen’s price tag suggests Minnesota still sees him as the two-time Pro Bowler he once was, and they might be in for a rude awakening.
The Vikings are seemingly betting Allen returns to pre-injury form. Meanwhile, he became a cap casualty in Washington following their failed attempt to trade him. How can two front offices have polar opposite evaluations of the same player?
Washington had an up-close view of Allen and elected to go in a different direction. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave him a 54.6 overall grade last season, which ranked 119th of 219 qualifying interior defenders. While his pass-rushing was slightly above average, he struggled mightily to stop the run.
Minnesota has to hope that their gamble on Allen pays off. Not only do they have a substantial financial commitment but, for a team hoping to compete for a division crown again in the loaded NFC North, the depth is lacking on the defensive line behind the veteran. If it flops, that could put them on the wrong side of thin margins between the Packers, Lions and Bears.
Note: Washington saved 16.47M by releasing Allen. Not a surprise that the “writer” did not include this very significant factor. Laziness.
Minnesota Vikings
2022 Grade: C
The Skinny: General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was on the job for just a short time when he handled his first draft this year. It wasn’t good. The Vikings traded down a few times and tried to get more picks, but the top two are no longer on the roster. First-round safety Lewis Cine never started a game and suffered a major ankle injury in his rookie season. He’s now with the Eagles after being released. Second-round corner Andrew Booth was traded to the Cowboys last year after starting two games for the Vikings. There is not a true starter from the draft, although sixth-round pick Jalen Nailor is the third receiver. Sixth-round running back Ty Chandler has done some good things in his career.
How I did: Third-round linebacker Brian Asamoah was the captain of my Better-Than Team that year, so I loved the pick. He has been little more than a special-teams player. I questioned the pick of guard Ed Ingram in the third, and he’s now with the Texans after struggling with the Vikings as a starter. I questioned all the moves made by Adofo-Mensah this year.
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