Vikings Edge Jonathan Greenard admits Vikings ‘feel a little bad’ for Daniel Jones

All eyes are on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 but that doesn’t mean we still aren’t getting nuggets on their win on Sunday.

All eyes are on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2, but that doesn’t mean we still aren’t getting nuggets on their win on Sunday. The Vikings handled the Giants with ease on Sunday because of the defense’s play. They kept the entire Giants’ offense in check and made things difficult on Daniel Jones.

They handled Jones to the point that they had the Vikings feeling bad for him.

Speaking to KFAN1003 this week, Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said the team was glad their quarterback wasn’t being treated that way.

“We kind of started to feel a little bit bad for him as we’re still just completely just taking away everything he wants to do, hey, it’s good to be on the other side of it, and it’s our job to not be on that side of it.”

The Vikings offensive line only allowed two pressures on quarterback Sam Darnold on Sunday. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill were able to handle the Giants’ new star pass-rusher, Brian Burns, with ease.

Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard: ‘We felt bad for Daniel Jones’ in Week 1

Minnesota Vikings LB Jonathan Greenard says his team ‘felt bad’ for New York Giants struggling QB Daniel Jones in Week 1.

How bad are things getting when other teams start to feel bad for you?

Pretty bad. But that is actually happening to the New York Giants and embattled quarterback Daniel Jones.

This past Sunday, the Giants got embarrassed, 28-6, in their 2024 season opener at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings. They were so inept that their normally loyal fans began leaving in the third quarter and the ones who stayed booed heartily.

It’s a sad statement to be written off by the fan base on opening weekend. So bad, the Vikings actually felt sympathetic.

“We kind of started to feel a little bit bad for him as we’re still just completely taking away everything he wants to do,” Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard said on the Power Trip Morning Show of Jones of Minnesota’s 28-6 win. “Hey, it’s good to be on the other side of it, and it’s our job to not be on that side.”

Jones was the poster child of the loss. The offense was flat as one can imagine, beginning with him getting sacked five times and hit 12 times in total. Oh, and he also threw a pick-6.

The Giants were 7-18 on third downs, 1-3 on fourth downs, 0-3 in the red zone and 0-1 in goal-to-go situations.

Jones’ career has been a horror show since he’s signed since signing a four-year, $160 million contract extension in March of 2023. He’s only played seven games since then due to injuries to his neck and knee. The games he has played in have been disastrous.

The Giants are 1-6 over that span and Jones has thrown for an average of just 156.4 yards per game with two touchdowns and eight interceptions (three pick-sixes) for a passer rating of 65.1.

He’ll get a chance to quell the criticism this week in Washington against the Commanders, a team he’s had a lot of success against. If not, we could be looking at Drew Lock sooner than expected.

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Jared Allen excited for Vikings to ‘get after the quarterback’ in 2024

Now, in 2024, with Allen offering analysis instead of defensive stops, he decided to get vocal about the Vikings’ pass rush.

Former Minnesota Vikings and maybe future Hall of Famer Jared Allen had a knack for getting to the quarterback. During his six seasons with the Vikings, Allen secured 85.5 sacks.

Now, in 2024, with Allen offering analysis instead of defensive stops, he decided to get vocal about the Vikings’ pass rush.

While appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Allen talked about the team’s ability to pass rush and how it excites him for the upcoming season.

“We’re gonna be young and fast on the defensive side of the ball, and we’ll be able to get after the quarterback.”

Allen expanded upon his praise by saying how much he lacks the job that Kevin O’Connell and his staff have done. The front office has also done a great job of putting together a defensive front that can get after the quarterback, led by free agent signee Jonathan Greenard and first-round draft pick Dallas Turner.

If the preseason was any indicator, the team will be after the quarterback early and often. In their three preseason games without Greenard and Turner, the team brought the quarterback down nine times for a sack.

Imagine the production once they start playing them on Sunday against the Giants.

Don’t be alarmed if Andrew Van Ginkel lands on the PUP list

Even if Minnesota would place Andrew Van Ginkel on the PUP list, Vikings fans shouldn’t panic even if he missies the start of camp.

The 28-year-old linebacker, Andrew Van Ginkel, inked a two-year contract with the Vikings this offseason after Minnesota traded away Danielle Hunter and let both D.J. Wonnum and Marcus Davenport walk.

Van Ginkel is coming off his best NFL year. In 2023 with the Miami Dolphins, he recorded 69 tackles, six sacks, and one interception that he returned for a touchdown.

The only issue is that he’s currently battling an injury, and it appears he could be heading to the Physically Unable to Perform list soon. However, according to Darren Wolfson with SkorNorth, it won’t be a long time for Van Ginkel if he lands on the PUP list. Wolfson said he should be back and ready to go quickly.

Minnesota will likely lean on Van Ginkel heavily in 2024. He will team up with former Texans’ edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. Both of those guys will likely begin as the starters but don’t forget about first-round selection Dallas Turner, who will also see plenty of snaps for the Vikings.

Jonathan Greenard an honorable mention in ESPN’s pass-rusher rankings

ESPN is inching towards the NFL training camps and preseason like the rest of us, their latest work discusses and ranks NFL-pass rushers.

Like the rest of us, ESPN is inching toward the NFL training camps and preseason. Their latest work discusses and ranks NFL pass rushers. The exciting part of the ranking is that their analysts aren’t the ones ranking them but executives around the league.

The player at the top of the list is Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett, no surprise, followed by T.J. Watt of the Steelers and Micah Parsons of the Cowboys. While no Minnesota Vikings were ranked, they did get an honorable mention.

Free agent signing and former Houston Texan Jonathan Greenard was listed as an honorable mention, just outside the top ten. The former Florida Gator started his career in Houston with the Texans before signing with the team this offseason.

Greenard replaced Danielle Hunter as the new leader of the pass-rushing group, who ironically replaced Greenard in Houston. League executives ranked Hunter in the piece as the seventh-best pass-rusher in the NFL.

PFF doesn’t think highly of Vikings defensive line heading into 2024

Pro Football Focus does not view the Vikings’ defensive line as a very good aspect of the team heading into the 2024 season.

The Vikings’ defense will look slightly different when they hit the field this fall. In particular, the Minnesota defensive line that lost star Danielle Hunter to free agency and role player DJ Wonnum is no longer with the team. However, Minnesota filled the need for free agency by adding Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. The Vikings also drafted star Edge rusher Dallas Turner out of Alabama.

That sounds like a good fit for the Vikings in ’24, right? Well, not to everyone.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Vikings’ defensive line is ranked 30th in football. Only the Broncos and Cardinals are ranked behind Minnesota.

The Vikings’ offseason free agency swap of Danielle Hunter for Jonathan Greenardwas likely a downgrade, even if they got younger and cheaper in the process. Andrew Van Ginkel earned a 91.1 PFF overall grade last season, but that was a massive outlier in a career that has typically seen him post grades in the 60s and 70s.

Rookie Dallas Turner will have high expectations, but the interior of this line is a weakness.

The interior line is a bit concerning outside of Harrison Phillps, who is a solid football player. There is still time for the Vikings to shore up the interior line, but it does feel like there are enough Edge rushers to get the job done.

Christian Darrisaw shares story of Dallas Turner’s spin move

Darrisaw has been around the best the NFL has to offer at the edge position, but Dallas Turner shocked him with what he brings to the table.

Christian Darrisaw has been around the best the NFL has to offer at the edge position, but Dallas Turner shocked him with what he brings to the table. According to Dane Mizutani, the aura of Turner is becoming something the fans should be excited about.

In a recent story published by Mizutani for The Pioneer Press, he shared something Darrisaw has been discussing within the building.

“The story that LT Christian Darrisaw told during organized team activities spoke volumes. He brought up how rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner pulled off a nasty spin move during a 1-on-1 drill in practice. He opted not to name drop the offense lineman it happened to so not to put him on blast. There have been a handful of stories like that whenever Turner has come up in casual conversation.”

We have heard these stories about Turner since the rookie minicamp last month. He immediately showed that his physical traits would give him an edge, and no pun was intended.

It seems the Vikings have hit the goldmine on the Alabama pass rusher. He, along with Jonathan Greenard, could soon be one of the best pass rush groups in the NFL.

Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel recognized in PFF’s edge rusher rankings

Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel were ranked in the top 32 edge rushers by PFF.

The 2024 Minnesota Vikings defense will look slightly different when they take the field this fall. The Vikings lost vets like Jordan Hicks, Danielle Hunter, and D.J. Wonnum. But the team brass did a great job at filling the roster with quality players and drafted some talent as well.

Minnesota signed two free agent edge rushers — former Dolphin Andrew Van Ginkel and former Texan Jonathan Greenard — to fill the void left by the losses of Hunter, Wonnum, and Marcus Davenport.

Van Ginkel had 69 tackles and a career-high six sacks in 2023 with Miami. Greenard also had a career year. The former third-round pick had 52 tackles and 12.5 sacks in ’23, topping his previous best of eight sacks in 2021.

With both having career years last season, Pro Football Focus had both of them listed in their top 32 edge rusher rankings. You can find a couple of other familiar names on the list as well.

Van Ginkel came in at No. 24.

Van Ginkel had a career year in almost every category in 2023, earning a 91.2 overall grade with a 90.6 pass-rush grade. His 53 quarterback pressures and 18.1% pass-rush win rate were both by far the best marks of his career. We’ll see if he can continue that impactful play with the Minnesota Vikings.

Greenard was ranked at No. 30.

Greenard enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2023, with a 78.2 overall grade thanks to a 73.2 pass-rush grade. He finished the year with 12.5 sacks and a 12.8% pass-rush win rate. He’ll now look to build on that as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

It’s worth noting that Hunter was ranked at No. 16. Although he didn’t play much last season, Davenport was ranked No. 32 overall.

Vikings give massive guaranteed money to UDFA Gabriel Murphy

Once the 2024 NFL Draft ends, the free agency frenzy for the players undrafted starts. The Vikings made sure not to lose out on Murphy.

Once the 2024 NFL Draft ends, the free agency frenzy for the players undrafted starts. They each get a standard three-year contract worth roughly $2.8 million, but the guarantees make the difference.

For Gabriel Murphy, he received a significantly larger number than most.

The Vikings gave the former UCLA Bruin $245,000 in contract guarantees. This amount of money gives a good indication that Murphy should be expected to make the 53-man roster when camp concludes. In comparison, last year, both Ivan Pace Jr. ($236,000) and Andre Carter ($340,000) made the roster after large guarantees.

The team has made it a point to make sure that pass rush and the edges are defended well in the second-year of Brian Flores’ defense. The team lost Danielle Hunter but replaced him with Jonathan Greenard in free agency and then Dallas Turner through the draft.

Adding Murphy to that group of new faces gives the Vikings depth at a valuable position and allows them to create constant pressure with the rotation they have now built.

 

C.J. Stroud discusses Jonathan Greenard and Dallas Turner

Texans quarterback has been very active in the media this offseason, his latest discussion came about the two pass rushers for the Vikings.

Texans quarterback has been very active in the media this offseason, his latest discussion came about the two newest pass rushers for the Vikings. Jonathan Greenard, who came to the team via free agency, and Dallas Turner, who the team drafted 17th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, have big expectations.

During his offseason work with Bleacher Report, C.J. Stroud discussed the Vikings pairing those two together. His main talking point came to the affect that Greenard last year in Houston helped shape Will Anderson Jr.’s development.

He wasn’t that bad of a teacher, evidently, as Anderson Jr. would go on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

“Jonathan Greenard helped groom Will (Anderson Jr.) into who he was last year. Now he gets to help Dallas (Turner) and that is huge for Dallas to learn from a veteran like JG. . .that long arm bull-rush, just being a complete defender. JG is one of the best rushers I have ever gone against. . .”

Stroud seems very bullish on the prospect of those two together, not to mention the individual praise given to Greenard. That excitement should be carried over to fans and media alike as it is most likely that the Vikings knew about the help Greenard gave Anderson Jr. when they drafted Turner.