Zulgad’s four-and-out: Kirk Cousins’ contract situation and more from minicamp

The Vikings won’t return to practice until late July, but there is plenty going on at TCO Performance Center writes @jzulgad.

The Vikings wrapped up their offseason program on Wednesday with the second practice of their mandatory minicamp. The next time the team will gather will be in late July to begin training camp.

So what did we learn during the workouts that were open to the media? Here are a few things, although plenty is likely to change before the Vikings’ regular-season opener on Sept. 10 against Tampa Bay.

Justin Jefferson is excited to be back around teammates “We want to win the Super Bowl this year”

Jefferson cleared the air regarding his contract status and goals for this season.

The Minnesota Vikings wrapped up day one of mandatory minicamp and wide receiver Justin Jefferson was present. After some speculation that he could be a holdout like Danielle Hunter, he came out with everyone and participated in both team and individual drills.

Jefferson spoke to the media after practice and explained his absence and motivations for this year.

  • He was training down in Miami while fielding lots of marketing and endorsement opportunities.
  • The contract will come.“It’s going to come with the game. I’m just happy to be back here.”
  • The goal is simple. “We want to win the Super Bowl this year.”

Having Jefferson back in the fold is a good thing for all parties, including head coach Kevin O’Connell.

” Spending some dialogue talking about some of my thoughts for where we want to go with things. I have the ability to bcommunicate with him, as I have throughout the offseason, ‘Hey, I’m thinking of doing this; what do you think of this formation?’ Or ‘Have you ever thought about running this route off this stem? How would you work with K.J. in this combination?’ Whatever it may be. Just continuing that dialogue “

The discussions about a Jefferson extension will continue in some form with a resolution hopefully coming soon. Seeing Jefferson back on the field was a welcomed sight.

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Kevin O’Connell “I’ve got all the respect in the world for Danielle Hunter”

With the Vikings finishing up their first practice of mandatory minicamp, Kevin O’Connell spoke about Danielle Hunter’s contract.

Mandatory minicamp officially started for the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday and they did so without outside linebacker Danielle Hunter. He began his holdout amid needing a new contract and was the only Vikings player to not attend minicamp.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke on Hunter and his contract situation after practice on Tuesday.

“I’ve got all the respect in the world for Danielle Hunter as a player, leader, person on our team. We feel very strongly about being solutions oriented with everything that comes about. This example, just like the other ones that have come about we’ll do the same and hope to have continued dialogue and have a real positive outcome.”

This is something that the Vikings are going to continue to look at, especially with Hunter being one of the cornerstones of the franchise. A contract extension is something that could become contentious, as both sides appear to be very different about what that is.

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Justin Jefferson arrives at Vikings minicamp

After speculation he may sit out, Justin Jefferson in working out on the field.

The discourse about Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has taken a small detour. After speculation that he might miss mandatory minicamp amid talks of a new contract, Jefferson reported on Tuesday afternoon.

After reports came out that outside linebacker Danielle Hunter would be missing mandatory minicamp, there were talks about Jefferson potentially doing the same. The thought process was the same, as Jefferson is about to set records for the contract he is about to receive.

What we hadn’t seen is Jefferson being agitated about his contract situation in any way. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah called the contract a “Champagne problem” back in January and the deal is certainly to get done in time.

This is good news for the Vikings as they look to have a great minicamp before a near six week break prior to training camp in July.

Zulgad: Will Justin Jefferson follow Danielle Hunter’s lead and avoid minicamp?

Danielle Hunter won’t be attending minicamp amid contract disputes. @jzulgad opines if Justin Jefferson will follow.

Outside linebacker Danielle Hunter is reportedly planning to skip the Vikings’ two-day minicamp that begins Tuesday. But he isn’t the only high-profile player who has been absent from the team’s offseason program and now might be willing to incur a substantial fine by missing the only mandatory workouts that occur before training camp.

Wide receiver Justin Jefferson also is seeking a new contract and has been working out in Florida. While the 28-year-old Hunter wants a new contract to replace the final year of his current deal that’s scheduled to pay him a below-market value $5.5 million, Jefferson and his camp are working on a second contract that won’t begin until his rookie deal is completed after the 2024 season. Jefferson became eligible for that contract this spring.

Jefferson, who has become a superstar only three years into his NFL career and was the league’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, has a base salary of $2.4 million in 2023 and $19.7 million in 2024. The former figure is a nod to how favorable rookie contracts are for NFL teams and the latter is still a bargain as the fifth-year option for one of the league’s best wide receivers.

Jefferson, who will turn 24 on Friday, can’t be blamed for wanting to have more financial security before he steps foot on the field again wearing purple.

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah probably didn’t help himself at his end-of-the-season press conference when asked about Jefferson’s contract.

“I wouldn’t use the word challenge,” Adofo-Mensah said. “You got a special player, a special person. Those aren’t problems. Or at least those are champagne problems. So we’ll start there.”

Safe to say, Jefferson’s camp has probably dropped the term “champagne problems” on Adofo-Mensah whenever they have talked. The reality is that Jefferson’s representatives are likely pursuing not only for the richest wide receiver contract in the NFL but the richest for a non-quarterback in the league. There is nothing easy about negotiating like this, no matter how talented the player might be. The player’s camp wants to break the bank, and the team wants to look out for its best interests.

The Rams’ Aaron Donald currently is the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB with a contract that calls for $31.7 million per season. The Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill and Raiders’ Davante Adams lead NFL wide receivers with an average annual value of $30 million and $28 million, respectively.

It will be a surprise if something doesn’t get done this offseason, but that doesn’t mean it will be done by Tuesday. Jefferson might want to avoid being fined and could come to an agreement with the Vikings to show up at TCO but not practice.

What will be really interesting is if Jefferson’s contract extension isn’t completed when training camp opens in late July. The Vikings’ offense is largely built around him and everyone associated with Jefferson knows this. That gives him plenty of power and creates a sense of urgency for the Vikings to make him happy.

Until Jefferson signs his second contract, this will be a problem that won’t include any champagne for Vikings officials.

Judd Zulgad is co-host of the Purple Daily Podcast and Mackey & Judd podcast at www.skornorth.com

Danielle Hunter to incur significant fines for skipping Vikings mandatory minicamp

Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter is set to incur significant fines for sitting out mandatory minicamp this week.

Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter is about to sit out mandatory minicamp, and it’s a decision that can cost him a significant amount of money.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, any player who skips their team’s mandatory minicamp is subject to rolling fines.

Players who sit out the first day can be fined $16,459. That fine is doubled if a player sits out the second day, tallying over $32,000 in fines.

For Hunter, the decision to sit out the Vikings’ two-day mandatory minicamp will cost him $49,379 in fines.

Hunter’s decision to sit out the Vikings minicamp isn’t surprising.

Hunter is due $5.5 million in 2023, a number that’s incredibly minuscule compared to the league’s best pass rushers. As a result, Hunter is hoping to earn a new contract by staying away from the team.

Previously, Rapoport reported that the Vikings have received trade calls for Hunter, who turns 29 in October.

Hunter had 10.5 sacks in 2022 and was named to his third Pro Bowl.

Vikings OLB Danielle Hunter to skip mandatory minicamp

Hunter is skipping mandatory minicamp amid contract talks. He is slated to make only $5.5 million in 2023.

The inevitable has officially been announced.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Danielle Hunter will be skipping mandatory minicamp this week. Hunter wants a new contract and the two sides haven’t been able to come close on a new deal. This will officially make him a holdout.

Teams have been calling the Vikings about Hunter and such news was reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The biggest nugget from that report was that they offered Hunter a “band-aid” resolution to his contract, signaling a raise this year but nothing after that. Considering the history with this organization and Hunter’s contract, that’s not nearly good enough.

Hunter is slated to make only $5.5 million this season with $4.9 million coming in base salary. That’s a pretty paltry number for a top edge rusher in football.

The Vikings are hosting their mandatory minicamp at TCO Performance Center this week on June 13th and 14th.

Ifeatu Melifonwu working to end ‘frustrating’ start to his Lions career

Third-year Detroit DB Ifeatu Melifonwu working to end ‘frustrating’ start to his Lions career

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There was a refreshing sight at Detroit Lions minicamp last week. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu was on the field for all three days, often getting first-team reps while vets Tracy Walker, Kerby Joseph and C.J. Gardner-Johnson sat out for various reasons.

It didn’t always go well for Melifonwu, wearing No. 6 as he enters his third season. But the mere fact that he’s out there getting reps and showing what he can do is important. It’s not something the Lions have seen nearly enough of in his first two years. It’s something Melifonwu is acutely aware of.

Thus far in his career, having Melifonwu on the field has rarely been the best option. Between the numerous injuries and the inability to master any one position, it’s been hard for Melifonwu to show he belongs.

“I mean, it’s a little frustrating,” Melifonwu said during Lions minicamp. “No one wants to be injured. And get the position change. But ultimately, I got to look at it bigger picture. It’s what’s best for the team.”

The ability to stay on the field and get reps, even in the non-contact minicamp, is huge for Melifownu. Head coach Dan Campbell is seeing the growth and happy with the progress.

“Yeah, I would say you see growth,” Campbell said before Thursday’s practice about Melifonwu. “To your point, he’s relatively new to the position and you’re right, the injuries hurt him, not being able to get the reps, the repetitions, added time on task. So, this is one of the few times that we’ve had him for a significant amount of time, consistently, consecutively, and so that in itself is paying dividends right now.

So we see growth, he is. He’s coming along. And look here’s the thing, Iffy’s a pretty smart player, he really is, like he gets it. He just needs time. He needs time on task, he needs reps, like a lot of young guys do.”

Melifonwu has floated between outside cornerback and strong safety in his Lions tenure. The switch to safety, which came a year ago, seems to be his best chance to stick on the roster. Keeping the play in front of him is something the third-round pick in 2021 has struggled with, but aligning as the deeper safety appears to be working. There are growing pains, some of which were exposed during Wednesday’s practice in particular. The mere fact that Melifonwu can get the reps and work through those is a positive sign.

Check out these great photos from Lions minicamp

Check out these great photos from Lions minicamp

Three days of Detroit Lions minicamp wrapped up late last week. Even though the workouts were noncontact, the players and coaches got a lot of good work done at the team’s training facility in Allen Park.

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From individual drills to positional reps and then full offense versus defense in situational scrimmaging, it was the first real look at the full team together.

Here are some of the top photos taken during the three-day minicamp.

Dan Campbell sees Lions LB coach Kelvin Sheppard as a future head coach

Go ahead and put Sheppard at the top of the internal candidate list to take over Detroit’s defense if Aaron Glenn leaves for a head coaching gig.

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One of the myriad takeaways from the three days of Detroit Lions minicamp was the conspicuous presence of linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard. He was all over the defensive drills, and not just with his linebackers. There were a couple of drills that tied together the LBs and the defensive backs, and it was Sheppard running those drills.

Sheppard, 35, continues to demonstrate a higher coaching ceiling than just being a positional coach. He’s been building up his coaching resumé since joining the Lions two seasons ago. The team continues to give him more responsibilities and trust in the longtime NFL linebacker.

Head coach Dan Campbell sees big things for his LB coach.

“Well, he’s earned that. He’s earned that,” Campbell said Thursday of Sheppard getting more on his coaching plate this offseason. “He’s – I feel like Shep, the more we put on Shep, the more he answers the call. And he’s developing as a coach. We see growth – no different than the players, you want to see growth from your coaches. And so, (DC Aaron Glenn) AG and I talked and we felt like it was time to put more on him, especially this year.”

Campbell continued,

“I think Shep is a young, promising coach. I think he can be a coordinator one day, and I think he can be a head coach one day. I think he’s got that type of potential, so the time is right.”

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gzdB3fpiD6g

Go ahead and put Sheppard at the top of the internal candidate list to take over Detroit’s defense if Aaron Glenn leaves for a head coaching gig.