Now that the season is all but over with one meaningless game left to play, the attention is now on the offseason (at least for me). I hope the team can come out of this game injury free and I hope they play it safe with any starter that is already banged up like Brian O’Neill, TJ Hockenson, and JJ McCarthy. No use playing JJ now. They cannot risk him getting hurt again in a meaningless game. Yes, he needs snaps but the Packers will likely be sitting a bunch of starters too.
I’m not sure what the team is going to do at QB but I can cook up some silly ideas except trading for El Burro. Cincy ain’t moving him.
Trent McDuffie, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
Trent McDuffie is a two-time All-Pro selection and one of the best slot corners in the NFL at 25 years old. However, he is only under contract for one more season, and he plays for a team that has long viewed cornerbacks as replaceable. Quite frankly, the Kansas City Chiefs also might be right if they decide to trade McDuffie. That is because as phenomenal as he is in the slot, the 5-foot-11 corner really struggles against bigger-bodied receivers, and his limitations do not necessarily merit paying him like a shutdown perimeter corner ($27-plus million per season). Given the current state of the Chiefs’ roster entering the offseason, it would not be a shock if McDuffie’s name starts popping up in NFL rumors as a player Kansas City will listen to offers for.
I do not see the 49ers trading Mac Jones even though the media types cannot stop speculating. They need a viable backup too. If they trade him then who is their backup? Makes no sense.
I would not mind trading for McDuffie though.
- Tyler Linderbaum (C, Baltimore Ravens)Prediction: Tennessee TitansMaybe I’m reading the situation wrong, but it certainly appears to be the case that Tyler Linderbaum and the Ravens simply aren’t aligning on a new contract. That doesn’t mean they won’t, but the situation in Baltimore does suggest to me that one of the game’s best centers could be on the move. Something you’ll hear often, the Titans have to do everything in their power to help Cam Ward and they have money to burn in order to do so. Linderbaum would be a fantastic asset to help the young quarterback actually have a chance to develop.
- Breece Hall (RB, New York Jets)Prediction: Minnesota VikingsAmid the Jets’ fire sale at the trade deadline, it was perhaps most shocking that Breece Hall stayed put in New York. Some have speculated that means they’ll look to retain him — but are the Jets really in the business right now of being able to pay a running back? I don’t think so, especially with Hall projected to get something in the $12 million AAV range that Josh Jacobs got. But with Aaron Jones aging and Jordan Mason not working out, he’d make a ton of sense around J.J. McCarthy moving forward under Kevin O’Connell.
If Linderbaum truly hits the market, should the Vikings be interested? Obviously yes but there will be a ton of competition and I am not sure the team will want to have four linemen making over 15M per season. The other question is would he even want to come here considering the QB uncertainty? I hope JJ is able to play a full season so we can all have a better idea about his long term prospects. Money always talks.
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
The interesting aspect of the situation is whether Minnesota could lose him to another DC job, given that he isn’t under contract. O’Connell insisted that he doesn’t see that happening.
“Based upon my dialogue with him and, obviously, the enthusiasm and the want-to for us to get something done, I don’t [anticipate that],” O’Connell said, acknowledging he understood why the question was asked with the Vikings’ season ending this Sunday.
“I know he enjoys being here. I know he and I, just from our recent dialogue, that he feels very similar about me that I do with him,” O’Connell added. “Hopefully I can come to this podium and say, ‘He’s going to be here for as long as we can keep him here before another team makes him their head coach.’”
“Obviously, there’s been a lot of talk about my personal situation and next year,” Flores said. “Look, I I’ve said this many times. I’ve loved my time here in Minnesota. My family loves it. The state of Minnesota’s been tremendous to me. [Coach Kevin O’Connell] mentioned there’s been great dialogue, and there has. And now we’ll just kind of let the club and my representation handle the rest. And so that’s kind of where I’m at on that. I don’t, as you guys know, don’t like talking about myself. I think our players are doing a lot of great things on the field, and I don’t want to take away from them in any way. I think if anything, they deserve all of the recognition, I certainly don’t play, as you guys know.”
“Like I just said, I love Minnesota,” Flores said. “I love this team. I love working for and with [O’Connell]. You know, he’s been fantastic to me. I think the Wilfs are some of the best owners in the league. I love these players, the coaching staff. And, like I said, this place has shown me a lot of love and I show it right back. And so I don’t know how much more there is to it. I mean, if everything lines up and it fits, you know, from a football standpoint, it fits. And I think there’s always — it’s called a business part of this. The football all lines up, and we’ll just see where it all goes.”
And then there’s McCarthy, who showcased enough accuracy and decisiveness in Weeks 14 through 16 to offer some glimpses of hope that could complicate the Vikings’ approach at the position moving forward.
As much as anything else, the strategy might hinge on whether or not O’Connell views the current structure of the offense as viable. In 2024, the Vikings targeted in-breakers on 34.3 percent of their passes, according to Next Gen Stats, which ranked as the third highest behind the 49ers and Lions. This season, that number decreased to 25.4 percent, the third lowest.
Cap Space Work
One trade. Jordan Addison and pick 3.97 to the Chiefs for Trent McDuffie and a 2027 5th
2026 Cap : ($36,435,060)
Extend O’Neill 3 yr 69M : ($24,435,060)
Cut or Trade Hockenson : ($15,505,060)
Cut or Trade Jones : ($8,305,060)
Cut or Trade Hargrave : $2,694,940
Cut Kelly : $11,444,940
Trade Addison : $14,067,450
Extend McDuffie 4 yr 98M : $4,067,450
Sign RB Kenneth Gainwell 2 yr 10M : $1,852,450
Sign Jalen Nailor 2 yr 10M : ($362,550)
2025 carry over : $15,303,390
Updated 2026 Cap : $14,940,840
…
2027 Cap : $7,423,273
In 2027 the team could cut Allen & Metellus and would have $33,268,273 but it does not include the rookie deal
…
Another move depending on the Hitman
Give Harrison Smith a 1 yr 5M deal (with 3M signing bonus)
Yore Mock
Trade Partner: SteelersSent: 1.17Received: 1.20, 4.135…Trade Partner: CowboysSent: 4.135, 2027 4thReceived: 4.114, 5.180
…
Pick 20. Sonny Styles LB Ohio State 6’5” 243Pick 48. Chris Brazzell WR Tennessee 6’5” 200Pick 79. Kamari Ramsey S USC 6’0” 205Pick 114. Eli Stowers TE Vanderbilt 6’4” 235Pick 163. Drew Allar QB Penn State 6’5” 235Pick 180. Kaytron Allen RB Penn State 5’11 221Pick 198. DeMonte Capehart DL Clemson 6’5” 315Pick 231. Pat Coogan IOL Indiana 6’5” 311Pick 243. Gracen Halton DL Oklahoma 6’2” 284
College Football Today
12 p.m. | No. 14 Vanderbilt vs. No. 23 Iowa | ReliaQuest Bowl (Tampa, Fla.) | ESPN
2 p.m. | Duke vs. Arizona State | Sun Bowl (El Paso, Texas) | CBS
3 p.m. | No. 13 Texas vs. No. 18 Michigan | Citrus Bowl (Orlando, Fla.) | ABC
3:30 p.m. | No. 15 Utah vs. Nebraska | Las Vegas Bowl (Las Vegas, Nev.) | ESPN
7:30 p.m. | No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Miami (Fla.) | Cotton Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal) (Arlington, Texas) | ESPN
Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:
While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm
No discussion of politics or religion
No feeding of the trolls
Leave the gender hatred at the door
Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
See More:
