The “Legal Tampering” period begins on March 9 at 12:00 p.m. ET. We will know soon enough who is the QB they are bringing in for “competition”. For my money, it has to be Kyler Murray or Geno Smith because they will only cost 1.3M. Tua Tagovailoa is a no can do because of his relationship with Flores. Any other QB is going to cost more and the team needs are more important IMHO.
I could be wrong, and feel free to say so, but it seems that there are fans against the Murray signing because they are afraid it will be the end of JJ here. That could end up being the case too. Warren put out a story making a case for Murray and said if he played well the team would NOT make the same mistake they did with Darnold. I am going to push back a little because if Murray is going to get 50M plus on a new deal in 2027 the team could decide they do not want to go that high and they could feel JJ is ready to roll. If this occurred, the next deal for JJ probably wont be 50M. At the end of the day, this entire situation could end up reducing the next contract for JJ which could be a win for the team.
If they bring in Geno Smith then that is likely only going to be for one year not matter what he does.
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
The latest dot linking the soon-to-be free agent to the Vikings comes from beat reporter Alec Lewis, who says there is “immense internal support” for Murray within the walls at TCO Performance Center in Eagan.
“There is immense internal support from a lot of different people on Kyler Murray. I would say even some of the Vikings players appreciate what Kyler has done within the NFL,” Lewis said Wednesday on his podcast. “I could definitely see it happening because it checks a lot of the boxes that the Vikings are after.”
When you break it all down, there are really only five dots needed to complete the Murray-to-Minnesota movement.
Murray will be released by the Cardinals on March 11
Murray can sign for the league minimum of $1.3 million
Vikings are allegedly where all of the top available quarterbacks want to go
Murray was a Vikings fan growing up
Allegedly immense internal support for Murray in Minnesota
We wrote a couple of days ago about NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero linking the Vikings to Arizona’s Kyler Murray and Las Vegas’ Geno Smith, noting that both could be released in the coming days to set up a scenario in which Minnesota could sign them to a one-year deal at the league minimum salary.
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Now, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is following suit, though he added two other names “on their radar.”
“I’ve also heard that the Vikings are considering Murray and Smith as they outline their veteran quarterback plan,” Fowler wrote Sunday. “Tua Tagovailoa and (Kirk) Cousins are also on their radar. Some I’ve talked to are breaking those four into two tiers, with Murray and Smith in the first group.”
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Pelissero isn’t as keen on the idea of Minnesota adding Rodgers or Cousins.
“The idea of bringing in Aaron Rodgers and if the season doesn’t get off to a good start, you’re not benching four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. You’re not having an open competition between Aaron Rodgers and J.J. McCarthy,” Pelissero said. “I don’t believe you can have an open competition between Kirk Cousins and J.J. McCarthy, because you’ve got thousands of fans pulling out their No. 8 jerseys, because he is Kirk Cousins.”
Although bookmakers have positioned the team as a leading candidate to sign Kyler Murray should he become available, reports suggest the organization may not view the former Arizona Cardinals star as its first option.
Much of the speculation stems from growing uncertainty surrounding J.J. McCarthy, the quarterback selected by the Vikings in the 2024 draft after leading Michigan to a national championship.
While the team initially hoped the young passer would develop into a long-term franchise cornerstone, his first season as a starter reportedly raised concerns inside the organization.
However, according to CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones, the Vikings’ interest in Murray may depend heavily on the availability of another quarterback.
“The Colts locked in Daniel Jones with the transition tag Tuesday, and as I wrote earlier this week that does not preclude a team like the Vikings to pursue him,” Jones reported.
“But if the Vikings can’t clear the cap space — and because the Colts hold first-refusal rights for Jones — the name circulating the strongest around Minnesota is quarterback Kyler Murray.”
The Vikings aren’t going to make the same mistake they made last offseason when they let Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones walk out the door, forcing them to hand the quarterback keys to J.J. McCarthy.
That’s why fans must prepare for a reality in which J.J. McCarthy is as good as gone if the Vikings sign Kyler Murray. The only possible way McCarthy is the QB in 2027 is if he’s still on the roster in 2026 and finds a way into the starting role — and plays at a high level — due to a Murray injury.
Beyond that, he’s a goner with Murray in purple and gold.
Last week, ESPN’s Peter Schrager claimed the Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah because he made the wrong decisions in regard to the quarterback situation last offseason.
“They fired the GM because he had Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and an interested Aaron Rodgers in the building, and he said, no, we’re good with J.J. (McCarthy), and Max Brosmer and Carson Wentz are gonna be his backups. They’re not going to make the same mistake twice,” Schrager said.
Here’s what Fowler said Monday when Dan Patrick asked if McCarthy is going to be cut.
“I would be surprised if he gets cut. It’s a similar situation to Anthony Richardson last year. I think, in a perfect world, they would like to bring somebody on, but if you bring on Geno Smith,” Fowler began.
“That’s why I think [Smith is] interesting to Minnesota, is because he’s had enough struggles where if you bring him in and sell him as a competitor to J.J., you can kind of sell it, but you can also sell it as, yeah, he’s probably the starter. So, you’re hedging both ways. And you can keep it alive with J.J. a little bit, and maybe he surprises you in camp,” Fowler continued.
“But, you know, we’ve all been there. It’s kind of like when you get broken up with, where somebody starts seeing other people. When they do that, it’s kind of clear it’s probably over. So, there’s that element to the J.J. McCarthy situation as well.”
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That’s very similar to what local beat reporters said at the NFL Scouting Combine last week.
“The idea of ‘competitive room’ means starting quarterback for 2026 is not on the team at the moment,” Matthew Coller told Ben Goessling on the Purple Insider podcast. “The money quote was when [head coach Kevin O’Connell] said the timeline has changed. I thought, for a lot of people, not just KOC, people in the front office, and that guy who wears No. 18, it’s a very pivotal year for him. Feels to me like someone else is the starting quarterback Week 1 other than J.J. McCarthy.”
For context, O’Connell’s “money quote” came when he was asked last week if he thinks McCarthy is still the franchise quarterback: “A lot of those feelings are still the same,” O’Connell said. “It’s just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was at that point (in 2024).”
Goessling, a respected Vikings reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune, agreed with Coller.
“If it is J.J. McCarthy, he will have to have looked so drastically different that they will have changed their impressions of him. He does not have the benefit of the doubt anymore,” Goessling said, later adding: “If it’s him, there has been a massive change. Short of that, I think it’s somebody else. Because the timeline thing, and the (Justin) Jefferson thing, I think it’s exactly it.”
Pittsburgh Steelers
Receive: QB J.J. McCarthy, 2026 seventh round pick
Minnesota Vikings
Receive: 2026 Third round pick (No. 76), 2027 Fifth round pick
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Las Vegas Raiders are releasing Geno Smith, barring a trade. Smith is being released with two years left on his $75 million contract.
“ESPN sources: the Raiders are releasing last season’s starting quarterback Geno Smith, barring a trade before the start of the new league year,” Schefter reported.
Everyone calling MN Vikings about Jonathan Greenard
Jonathan Greenard is set to make $22.1 million this season, and that’s not a number the Minnesota Vikings are interested in carrying. He has just a $9.9 million dead cap hit, but Minnesota can get assets back rather than cutting him outright. Seattle Seahawks reporter Corbin Smith (Emerald Spectrum) is reporting the interest in Greenard is substantial.
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The Vikings were never going to get a first round pick for Greenard, but day two selections encompass the second and third rounds. A second round pick plus more seems like a logical place to land, and with interest coming in from roughly 16 teams, there’s an opportunity to drive a hard bargain.
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Minnesota Vikings can afford loss of Greenard
Beyond just the draft capital, the Vikings would clear space to allocate Greenard’s committed funds elsewhere. Aside from that, his departure opens an immediate starting path for Dallas Turner. The former first round pick had eight sacks last season despite starting just 10 games and playing only 66% of the defensive snaps.
In his first season with the Vikings, Jonathan Greenard racked up 12 sacks on his way to his first Pro Bowl. Last season though, he was hurt and less effective. He had just three sacks in 12 games and it may have been his worst year as a professional.
That seems like a weird time to ask for a raise, but that’s apparently where his head is at. Minnesota can pivot and transition Dallas Turner to that starting role. Last season Turner blossomed, but it was especially evident when playing in Greenard’s spot.
Trade: 1.20, 5.150 to Minnesota Vikings for edge Jonathan Greenard, 2.49, 3.82
The Cowboys’ picks total 881.4 in value chart points, with the VIkings selections amounting to 590. That places Greenard’s value around 291 points in this swap, around the No. 61 pick. That satisfies the rumor that Minnesota is looking for “a Day 2 pick” in exchange for the pass-rusher.
Greenard’s sack totals were down, notching just three sacks in 12 games, but he had back-to-back 12-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024. Also, his Pass Rush Productivity score saw him pressure the QB on over 16% of his rushes, up from both his ‘23 and ‘24 numbers.
“More than 10 teams are eyeing Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor, according to league sources. Nailor recently turned 27 and will be one of the more coveted free-agent wide receivers next week.
Even though he has caught only 69 NFL passes and never reached 450 yards in a season, multiple evaluators think he has the potential to become a priority signing.”
This news could lead to the Vikings being in the wide receiver market for a WR3. Whether it’s free agency or the draft, the team will need a running mate for Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
“The Vikings don’t want to lose Nailor. The coaches — especially receivers coach Keenan McCardell — have watched him progress into one of their best developmental stories.
He can absorb a complex playbook and is a willing run blocker. He possesses vertical speed, and he displays separation ability, too.”
A new name has been thrown into the Vikings’ QB hat, coming from Zach Rosenblatt of The Athletic.
Rosenblatt downplayed the Murray steam, and predicted the Vikings to go after Joe Flacco (and Anthony Richardson). For now, we’ll cover Flacco.
“Flacco makes some sense as a fallback option. He showed last season in Cincinnati that he’s still capable of leading an offense: He threw for 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in nine games.
He’s a good veteran presence to have in any quarterback room, especially one with two young quarterbacks, and he’s looking for an opportunity to at least compete to start — which he’d get in Minnesota.
Also, according to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, Flacco was “very much in play” for Minnesota last season before it settled on Carson Wentz — who shouldn’t be ruled out entirely as an option either.”
Moss appeared on the most recent episode of the “New Heights” podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce. Jason Kelce asked him if he could still “Moss” somebody right now.
”I really believe, the way that they changed the rules of the game, that I could really still go out there and give a team close to double-digit touchdowns.
I can still get up on the rim — I can still dunk a basketball. So, me just being able to go up and just use my hand-eye coordination and body control…I still think I can go out there and get close to 10, 11 touchdowns a season.”
But would Moss come back and play? Jason Kelce posed that question, however rhetorically of course, but he got a legitimate-sounding answer.
”It would have to be the right call, the right team, because the only thing I’m really missing right now is a Super Bowl ring.
So, if the right call and the right opportunity came, and the team gave me an opportunity to come out there and just be a red-zone threat, I could put that 84 back on one more time.”
Cap Stuff
Starting 2026 Cap Space : ($1,447,959)
Starting 2027 Cap Space : $48,171,291
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Cuts: Hargrave, Allen, Jones, Hockenson
I do not know if the team is going to redo Hockenson’s deal. I think they should move on.
Trade Greenard to the Patriots for #61 and a 2027 5th
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Starting 2026 Cap Space : $44,912,431
Starting 2027 Cap Space : $116,337,959
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Extensions:
Harrison Smith : 1 yr 8M
Ryan Wright : 2 yr 6M
Andre DePaola 1 yr 1.6M
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Kyler Murray : QB : 1 yr 1.3M
Travis Etienne Jr. : RB : 3 yr 36M
Montaric Brown : CB : 3 yr 34.5M
Luke Fortner : C : 3 yr 27M
Roy Lopez : DT : 3 yr 22.5M
Arnold Ebiketie : EDGE : 2 yr 18M
Asante Samuel Jr. : CB : 2 yr 12M
Tyquan Thornton : WR : 2 yr 8.5M
Micah McFadden : LB : 2 yr 6.5M
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Starting 2026 Cap Space : $23,701,386
Starting 2027 Cap Space : $52,397,959
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Once they finish the O’Neill extension which I am guessing will be around 3 yr 69M
Starting 2026 Cap Space : $36,413,151
Starting 2027 Cap Space :$40,897,959
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Yore Mock
Trade Partner: PatriotsSent: Jonathan GreenardReceived: 2.63, 2027 4th…Trade Partner: ChargersSent: Pick 1.18Received: 1.22, 3.86…Trade Partner: EaglesSent: 2.63Received: 2.68, 5.152…
Pick 22. Caleb Banks DL Florida 6’6 1/4” 327Pick 49. Jake Golday LB Concinnati 6’4 1/2” 239Pick 68. Eli Stowers TE Vanderbilt 6’3 6/8” 239Pick 82. Dani Dennis-Sutton EDGE Penn State 6’6” 256Pick 86. Mike Washington Jr. RB Arkansas 6’1” 223Pick 97. Daylen Everette CB Georgia 6’1” 196Pick 152. DeMonte Capehart DL Clemson 6’4 7/8” 313Pick 162. Jager Burton IOL Kentucky 6’4” 312Pick 196. Andre Fuller CB Toledo 6’1” 200Pick 233. Jeff Caldwell WR Cincinnati 6’5” 216Pick 239. VJ Payne S Kansas State 6’3” 206
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