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Another day of Organized Team Activities is going on today. Next week they begin the Mandatory Minicamp. There is a lot to be excited about this season.
The team really addressed some weaknesses in free agency with maybe a quibble about cornerback. But we have to trust Flores was behind the acquisitions and his resume here speaks for itself. When you think about our Quarterback not taking any snaps yet, you can be somewhat relieved when you see the numbers that the rookie quarterbacks put up last year. It is hard to believe that JJ McCarty is going to do a lot worse. In fact, it is reasonable to assume he will do just as good as Nix and Maye and Caleb Williams. He is going to have a fantastic supporting cast around him which is one that many quarterbacks in the league will be envious.
I have to say the one thing I am looking forward to most of all is MOAR BEER!
How about you?
The next organized team activities.
The schedule is …
OTAs: June 16-18
Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
Justin Jefferson Adding Flavor, Connecting with J.J. McCarthy at Vikings OTAs
His flavor is unmistakable. It’s singular — and pronounced.
With Oakley shades shielding the sun’s glare from his eyes, and glinting jewelry befit of a superstar adorning his neck, inches above his Purple-plated chest, Justin Jefferson talked, and smirked, and talked.
On Monday afternoon, No. 18 fielded questions — after fielding throws — that were tossed to him by a coalition of local media. His session touched on the 2025 team’s urgency, his leadership journey, and his impression of the inexperienced quarterback who is lined up to feed him passes in Year 6: J.J. McCarthy.
“I feel like just based off of last year, us having 14 wins, the confidence is there,” Jefferson stated in a very matter-of-fact manner. “So it’s all about just coming together, bonding as a team, which we did last year – and we felt like that team last year was a very special team. So [we’re] just carrying on that same mindset, making sure everybody is together as one, and just coming out here and putting in that work.”
Early in his remarks, Jefferson elaborated on his presence at Organized Team Activity practices this year, it being a voluntary phase of the offseason that he’s previously skipped. It was a “no-brainer” to be involved, he said, so that he could connect with several new teammates, including a new quarterback.
“It’s not really hard, I would say,” Jefferson said of the alternative, which for him has been a later arrival and therefore less hours to get in sync with his offensive teammates ahead of any given season. “I mean, I’ve done it before. But it’s just having a little bit of extra time to really bond with the team, build that connection. And, of course, getting those reps with the quarterback, it makes a big difference.
“I feel like it’s more for them than for me,” Jefferson continued. “It really doesn’t matter who’s throwing the ball (no kidding! Jefferson has thrived with a carousel of quarterbacks). As soon as the ball gets close to my face, I’m gonna try to catch it. It doesn’t matter how fast the ball is going, the spin of it, or if it’s coming from a lefty or a righty. I mean, my job is to catch the ball. So I feel like it’s more for the quarterback to see the tempo of the routes, seeing how I run the routes, seeing the different moves that I add to my routes, and I feel like working with that is more of a quarterback thing than a receiver thing.”
One reporter wondered aloud, What are 1-2 things you want a quarterback to know playing with you?
“Just to throw it up anywhere and I’m gonna go get it,” Jefferson quipped instinctively. “But I mean, really, just, well, from what I learned, I would say the difference between me and a different receiver is what I put on the top of my routes. The flavor I have on the tops, the stride length that I have with my routes, and just knowing, just certain routes that I’ll break it off at a certain distance that another receiver might break it off a little earlier – because of my stride length. So all of that just goes into play, and the more we’re out here and … having those reps, the better we’re going to be.”
Lunchbreak: The Athletic Evaluates Vikings Vision Through Bill Walsh Lens
There are favorable odds of Minnesota benefiting from consecutive masterclasses in free agency.
The signings alone – no less, how brilliant performances from 2024 additions helped the Vikings win 14 games last season and further established a culture of appeal for future targeted players – are a feather in the cap of General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his staff. That in conjunction with what appears to be a resourceful, and focused, 2025 Draft haul confirmed Minnesota is trending the direction it wants.
Inking Adofo-Mensah to a contract extension Friday was a continuation of what’s long been in motion – Vikings brass is aligned in its goals, determined to reach them and aware of the best processes to do so.
Maybe, that’s not news. But it’s something rare in a league rightfully obsessed with winning.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis on Thursday introduced insights from former San Francisco 49ers executive and three-time Super Bowl champion coach Bill Walsh to understand, in depth, the vision held by the Vikings.
Citing passages – and lessons – from one of Walsh’s books, “Building a Champion,” co-authored with Glenn Dickey, Lewis gathers Minnesota is navigating well what is really a delicate dance.
That is, a working relationship between coaches and members of the front office that tends to be challenging in nature. Walsh worded it like this: “Each man’s priorities can be diametrically opposed.”
Walsh’s tactics and standards are emulated across football, but they’re not often perfected; his experiences, Lewis detailed, resulted in two conclusions: 1) Teams hoping to sustain winning operate with continuity, and 2) a team’s leadership must be willing to change when something doesn’t work.
Lewis deftly connects the formula prescribed in Walsh’s manual, extolling Minnesota for extending Adofo-Mensah and in turn keeping intact the partnership between him and Head Coach Kevin O’Connell.
In doing so, Vikings ownership demonstrated an obvious commitment to “attaining the elusive trophy.”
As proof that continuity is integral to a thoughtfully constructed championship chase, Lewis asked and answered a series of questions: First, how many clubs have won 60 percent of their games since 2020?
Seven.
Who are they?
The Chiefs, Bills, Packers, Ravens, Eagles, Buccaneers and Steelers.
And what do they share in common?
Six of the seven have the same general manager now that they had in 2020, and the only one that doesn’t (Pittsburgh) made a change when the previous GM retired. Additionally, only the Eagles and Bucs have different head coaches than the ones they began the decade with, and Tampa Bay replaced the former coach with his defensive coordinator.
“I’ve commented before about (how) he came to me the week after his injury to try to learn more about the defense,” the Vikings defensive tackle said on Monday, via SI.com. “Asking those great questions. He’s really stepped up in the personal power role (this year). In the locker room, I’m constantly seeing him go up to new guys, to new players, dapping each other up, sitting on the couches and just having conversation. Where last year it was off to rehab, off to meetings. He understands that we have to build a family here and that you can’t have unique results without unique relationships.
“And then, man, he’s got some confidence. And he reminds me of Josh Allen when I was with him in Buffalo, coming into his own and understanding the power that he has to lead this organization, and he’s doing a fantastic job doing that.”
Vikings Mourn Passing of Jim Marshall, Legendary Captain & NFL Iron Man
When Jim Marshall wrapped his final home game at Metropolitan Stadium in December 1979, he was encouraged to address the fans.
He humbly said, “I just hope I’ve given you as many thrills as you fans have given me. Thank you.”
Known affectionately as “The Captain” or “Captain Jim” — or “Mis-ter Mar-shall” if the addressor was legendary Head Coach Bud Grant — Marshall started every game for the entirety of the Vikings franchise’s first two decades.
“The entire Minnesota Vikings organization is mourning the loss of Jim Marshall. No player in Vikings history lived the ideals of toughness, camaraderie and passion more than the all-time iron man. A cornerstone of the franchise from the beginning, Captain Jim’s unmatched durability and quiet leadership earned the respect of teammates and opponents throughout his 20-year career. Jim led by example, and there was no finer example for others to follow. His impact on the Vikings was felt long after he left the field. Jim will always be remembered as a tremendous player and person. Our hearts are with his wife, Susan, and all of Jim’s loved ones.”
“He was a special player,” Grant said during an interview recorded at Winter Park, several years before his passing in 2023. “Many times you’re asked, ‘Who are the greatest players?’ As a coach, you can’t say who is the best, but there is a category you do have, and that is ‘special.’ Jim Marshall was ‘special.’ “
“Jim Marshall set the tone for how this franchise goes today,” Tarkenton said. “We had the Purple People Eaters. They were the foundation of who we are. The leader of the band was Jim Marshall.”
“If you looked in the dictionary and tried to find the definition of a football player, Jim Marshall’s picture would be there,” said Page, who joined the group in 1967.
Larsen, a former Marine with Nordic connections, played for Minnesota from 1965-74.
“Everybody looked up to him. He led by example. He showed you what had to be done and did it,” Larsen said.
Eller, who started 201 games for Minnesota from 1964-78, said Marshall’s persistent determination helped other players find a way.
“We’d look at Jim and say, ‘Man, if he can go, I can go.’ So Jim, more than anything, was inspirational all through my career,” Eller said.
“He was the best captain of any team that I’ve ever been on,” said receiver Ahmad Rashad, whose talent fully blossomed after arriving in Minnesota.
Right tackle Ron Yary started 180 games for the Vikings from 1968-81 and was the first offensive lineman ever selected from the No. 1 overall spot in an NFL draft.
“When things were the worst is when he presented himself as the best,” Yary said. “He made me a better football player because I wanted to play for Jim. I didn’t want to let him down.”
As Steve Sabol said in an NFL Films feature about Marshall, “No player in the history of the game ever played harder, longer than Jim Marshall.”
Paul Wiggin, who played 146 games for Cleveland, including 12 in 1960 as Marshall’s teammate, knew just where he should look for quality game film after Wiggin became a coach.
“I studied 30 great linemen at that time, both inside and outside players,” Wiggin said. “Jim Marshall, in my opinion, was the most natural and best football player of all of them. I know the difference between good and great. He was great.
“It isn’t easy [to play every week] because there are days where Sunday, you get up and you don’t know how you’re going to do it,” the former defensive lineman added. “He did it forever.”
Grant in 1979, upon Marshall announcing his intention to retire predicted the appreciation for Marshall would grow over time. Like most cases, Grant was correct.
“I don’t think any of us here really appreciates Jim Marshall today,” Grant was quoted by The Associated Press. “As time and years go by, we’ll appreciate him more than ever. … He’s going out on top like Francis did. He’s not going out on the Injured Reserve or as a backup player. He’s going out as a starting, full-time player, playing as well as he always has.
“Maybe we’ve taken it for granted that Jim Marshall plays hurt,” Grant said. “But durability is the most important ability you have. You can’t achieve greatness without durability, and that is personified in Jim Marshall. He has been hurt. But he doesn’t break. He bends. He heals. He has a high pain threshold. … Jim not only plays hurt, he plays as well when he’s hurt as when he isn’t. That’s what’s important.”
“The first thing the players see when they walk in the building every day is the Jim Marshall Vikings Captains Legacy Wall,” O’Connell said when the display was unveiled. “I think it’s really important, a huge part of our history and a great way to honor the greatest captain in the history of our organization and one of the best defensive players to ever do it.”
“He was, if anybody ever has been, the heart and soul of the Minnesota Vikings,” Page said. “It was my high honor to play next to him.”
NFC North O-line rankings: How far does Frank Ragnow news drop Lions?
1. Vikings
LT: Christian Darrisaw (once healthy)
LG: Donovan Jackson
C: Ryan Kelly
RG: Will Fries
RT: Brian O’Neill
When’s the last time the Vikings had an offensive line that looked this good (on paper) heading into a season? 2009? Earlier? Like the Bears, Minnesota brought in an entirely new interior trio this offseason. The Vikings signed former Colts teammates Kelly and Fries in free agency, then used their first-round pick on Jackson. If the Ohio State rookie is who they believe he can be, there will be no weak links on this unit.
Kelly, a four-time Pro Bowler, is a huge upgrade from Garrett Bradbury in the middle. Jackson and Fries could be the Vikings’ best guard duo in a long time. Fries was their highest-priced free agent, and he’s expected to be ready for training camp as he continues recovering from a tibial fracture. And that’s not to mention the incredible tackle duo. Darrisaw might not be ready for Week 1 after tearing his ACL and MCL last October, but when healthy, he’s among the most dominant tackles in the league. O’Neill is as solid and consistent as they come on the right side. It’s quite the five-man unit to put in front of a young quarterback.
Key Vikings defender “holding in” as he awaits contract extension
Vikings do-it-all safety Josh Metellus, one of the key pieces in Brian Flores’ defense over the past two seasons, has been a limited participant in recent OTA practices despite there being no indications he’s dealing with any sort of injury.
The logical assumption is that his lack of involvement has something to do with his current contract situation. Metellus is heading into the final year of the deal he signed prior to the 2023 season, which turned out to be an extremely team-friendly contract when he emerged as a borderline star in a full-time defensive role under Flores. There have been extension talks between the two sides this offseason, but no deal has yet been reached. So while it’s not a certainty, it sure appears as if Metellus is “holding in” to some degree by limiting his reps.
The logical assumption is that his lack of involvement has something to do with his current contract situation. Metellus is heading into the final year of the deal he signed prior to the 2023 season, which turned out to be an extremely team-friendly contract when he emerged as a borderline star in a full-time defensive role under Flores. There have been extension talks between the two sides this offseason, but no deal has yet been reached. So while it’s not a certainty, it sure appears as if Metellus is “holding in” to some degree by limiting his reps.
“He may be saying, I’m gonna be here so I can get my workout bonus, but I’m gonna mitigate some of what I do so that I’m not putting myself at more risk when I don’t have a guaranteed contract going forward beyond this year and I want to see something get done. It’s one of those things to keep an eye on. I don’t know for sure that that’s the only reason for it. It’s possible, I suppose, that he’s coming back from something (injury-wise). But the Occam’s razor there would suggest that the contract is at least a factor in some of the way that he’s going about it in practices that we’ve seen, at least to this point.”
NFL insider still thinks Vikings should trade for Kirk Cousins
Graziano’s proposal is the Vikings sending a 2026 fifth-round pick, a 2027 seventh-rounder, and cash considerations to the Falcons for Cousins.
“Why this deal makes sense for both sides: Well, it makes sense for all three sides, really, counting Cousins himself. He wants a chance to start and could use his no-trade clause to nix a deal to any place he doesn’t want to go. But if he has to be a backup, we know he liked living in Minnesota and playing for the Vikings. Plus, J.J. McCarthy is still an unknown after his major knee injury, so maybe this could turn into more than just a QB2 destination. In this scenario, the Vikings would agree to pay $10 million of the guaranteed money on Cousins’ contract for 2025.”
Cardinals, Vikings Could Benefit from Trades Involving Dolphins DB Jalen Ramsey
Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey is among the NFL’s hottest commodities on the trading block, as the team’s front office announced in April their intention to deal the star elsewhere within the league.
Any team in need of a veteran presence in its cornerback room would likely benefit from the addition of Ramsey, a Super Bowl champion, three-time All-Pro First Teamer, and seven-time Pro Bowl selection.
Unlike the Cardinals, the Vikings had one of the strongest defensive units in the NFL last season. But there remains some uncertainty about how productive Minnesota will be behind its front seven.
“They head into 2025 with some unanswered questions in the secondary, particularly at corner,” Austin wrote. “Minnesota re-signed nickel man Byron Murphy, but with no cornerbacks selected in the draft, Isaiah Rodgers and Mekhi Blackmon are currently penciled in as the starting outside corners, a potential downgrade from last season on paper.”
Waiting in case J.J. McCarthy gets injured? The latest Aaron Rodgers speculation
June is maturing and Aaron Rodgers remains in NFL limbo. What’s the hold up?
Asked by Vikings radio announcer Paul Allen if Rodgers might be waiting in case J.J. McCarthy suffers an injury during the summer, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said he still believes Rodgers will end up with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I can’t say he’s rooting for [McCarthy] to get hurt, it’s just sort of a back-of-mind feeling of that maybe he’s sort of waiting that out. It’s hard with Aaron Rodgers because he’s so unpredictable and this is his first foray into free agency, so I can’t even begin to get into his mind,” Fowler said Tuesday on KFAN-FM 100.3.
“Look, he’s a smart guy. He sees a team with a good offense, a really good offensive coach and nine dome games guaranteed. That’s pretty attractive to him I would assume. I still think, you know you talk to people in Pittsburgh, they say they remain optimistic, they’re going to wait a little while longer for Aaron Rodgers, they’ve been in contact with Aaron Rodgers. It still points to Pittsburgh, but until it happens you at least wonder if he’s waiting something out like that.”
“I think he’ll be there in late July, ready for training camp,” Jon Robinson, the former Titans general manager, said Tuesday on Good Morning Football. “I still think he’s a really good player. I still think he loves the game, and I think that football is what he has, and I think that he wants to do it on his timetable. He’s earned that right and in time he’ll be putting on the black and yellow.”
1 Player Each NFL Team Should Consider Trading Before the 2025 Season
CB Greg Newsome II
Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus recently identified a bounce-back candidate for every NFL team. For the Browns, it was fifth-year cornerback Greg Newsome II.
“The idea of Greg Newsome II bouncing back from a rough 2024 season is straightforward — he’s played at a higher level for most of his career. His career-low 54.0 coverage grade last year followed a 76.7 mark across his first three seasons. Two key factors in the decline were a career-low three pass breakups and a career-high 24.3% missed tackle rate. Cornerback production is notoriously volatile, and things couldn’t have gone much worse for Cleveland’s secondary in 2024. Newsome’s track record alone makes him a strong bounce-back candidate.”
However, an argument can be made that bounce-back should come on a different team.
The Browns are a dumpster fire of a roster mired in the third circle of salary-cap hell. Newsome and fellow young cornerback Martin Emerson are entering the final year of their contracts. And the cold, hard truth is that the better Newsome plays this year, the less chance the Browns will have of being able to afford him in 2026.
Yes, Newsome struggled a season ago. But he’s a young player at a premium position who has shown that he can play at a high level.
There should be a market for a player like that.
.
CB Jaylen Watson
For a team that has utterly dominated the AFC over the past decade or so, the Kansas City Chiefs don’t have a roster with a lot of obvious trade candidates. The massive contracts handed out to the team’s stars have impacted the team’s depth—there just aren’t that many players the team can afford to part with.
However, the Chiefs do have solid depth at cornerback—and as Ralph Vacchiano wrote for Fox Sports, that could make contract-year cornerback Jaylen Watson expendable.
“The former seventh-rounder had emerged as a starting corner for Kansas City last year before a broken ankle cost him half the season. He did return for the playoffs and even started in the Super Bowl, so his health isn’t a concern. But this offseason, the Chiefs signed cornerback Kristian Fulton, and next year they’re going to have to pay All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie at least $13 million on his fifth-year option. Watson will be a free agent, too, and they’re not likely to pay three corners. He’s only 27, so his value is still high because corners with his talent can be hard to find.”
Watson’s injury aside, he was excellent last season, allowing just 53.3 percent of the passes thrown in his direction to be completed with a passer rating against of just 75.4.
Those numbers will get the attention of plenty of NFL teams.
.
S Kam Curl
The Rams have something in common with many of the contending teams on this list—a lack of even semi-valuable trade assets the team might legitimately consider dealing.
However, after a so-so first season patrolling the back end of the Rams defense, veteran safety Kam Curl is a player the team could conceivably move without too adverse an impact on the defense.
Curl’s first season in Los Angeles wasn’t especially impressive—his tackle numbers were down considerably relative to his 2023 campaign in Washington, and Curl allowed a passer rating against of north of 100 for the third straight season.
Curl told reporters that he spent some time working out this offseason with veteran wideout Stefon Diggs (not on a boat, hopefully) in an effort to improve his coverage skills.
“We was doing a little releases and stuff like that,” Curl said. “We was getting after it a little bit, a little trash talking, but it’s always good work with elite guys.”
It’s not outside the realm of reason that a team with a need at safety could talk themselves into Curl recapturing his 2023 form, and it wouldn’t be that hard for Los Angeles to replace Curl.
They could just flip Quentin Lake back to safety and play the next guy on this list in the slot.
.
RB Kenneth Walker III
The 2024 season was a forgettable one for Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III. Walker missed a career-high six games (the third time in as many years that Walker missed time) and averaged a career-low 3.7 yards per carry.
However, PFF’s Nathan Jahnke believes that the arrival of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak could coax a career year from the 24-year-old.
“Klint Kubiak is the Seahawks’ new offensive coordinator. He has worked as an offensive or passing game coordinator on five different teams in the last five seasons. His offenses have consistently featured the running back in the passing game. Kubiak’s teams have ranked top seven in zone concept frequency at all four stops, and the Seahawks should primarily run zone concepts this season. They ran more gap concepts last season. Walker has played notably better on zone concepts than gap, so this change should also help Walker.”
Of course, Walker is also a contract-year back with a fairly extensive injury history playing on a team with a back in Zach Charbonnet who averaged half a yard more per carry last year than Walker.
Walker may be the most talented back who could reasonably be available in a trade. Charbonnet has demonstrated the potential to be a lead back in the NFL.
See where we’re going with this?
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