Tag: Keenan McCardell

Vikings’ Jalen Nailor credits WR coach Keenan McCardell for development

The biggest surprise is Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor, who has played a major role in the team’s offense. 

The Minnesota Vikings’ passing attack has taken off this year, with Sam Darnold doing a more than sufficient job replacing Kirk Cousins. The team doesn’t have J.J. McCarthy at their disposal, but the skill weapons around Darnold have stepped up.

The biggest surprise is Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor, who has played a major role in the team’s offense.

Nailor appeared on Kay Adams’ show Up and Adams and discussed his breakout. He quickly credited wide receiver coach Keenan McCardell for him taking the next step he needed in his career.

“Working with Keenan McCardell, he’s been helping me so much.”

On the season, the former Michigan State Spartan has accumulated eight receptions for 137 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He has made several big catches and was able to step up while Jordan Addison was nursing his ankle back from its Week 1 injury.

Sam Darnold has shown Nailor will continue to earn meaningful targets throughout the 2024 season based on his 11 targets.

Jordan Addison believes he’s taken game ‘to the next level’ ahead of 2024 season

Coming off a quality rookie season, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison believes he has taken his game “to the next level”.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison had a statistically stellar rookie season last season. Addison finished the season with just over 900 yards on 70 receptions and was one of the top touchdown scorers in the league with ten touchdown receptions.

While the production was good, there were several games where Addison was a non-factor, showing some space for development in his game. According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Addison feels like he’s worked on his game and taken it “to the next level” this summer in minicamps. According to head coach Kevin O’Connell, some of that “next level” comes from Addison getting physically stronger:

“Jordan Addison had as good of an offseason program as really you can ask for,” “[He is] a guy that had a ton of success in Year 1. And really, from a standpoint of getting a little stronger, getting a little bit more comfortable playing through contact and still playing with that great burst and transition that he has, you saw some real growth there [this spring].”

As for Addison himself, he chalks up a lot of his development this offseason to wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell helping him expand and refine his technique, particularly concerning his releases at the line of scrimmage:

“Last year I wasn’t as confident in my releases” … “I wasn’t being decisive. I didn’t have a plan when I was coming up to the line. I was just freelancing trying to make something work.”

With the prospect of tight end T.J. Hockenson missing the first six weeks of the season as he recovers from the knee injury he suffered late last season against the Detroit Lions, Addison figures to be a significant part of the Vikings offense. If he truly has taken the next step in his development, he could blossom into one of the league’s premier WR2s.

Report: Keenan McCardell guided Justin Jefferson through contract talks

Vikings’ WR coach Keenan McCardell was able to give Justin Jefferson some perspective during his contract talks with Minnesota.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver coach Keenan McCardell enjoyed a 16-year career in the NFL as a player. He played on five different teams and surpassed 1,000 receiving yards five times during his career. He was considered one of the better NFL receivers during his prime and is now one of the better receiving coaches.

McCardell helped Jordan Addison transcend into the player he has become. Addison took over a major role on the Vikings’ offense when Justin Jefferson missed some time last season. As a rookie, Addison caught for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns.

But McCardell isn’t just a good developer. He has become a mentor to players like Jefferson.

The star receiver has become extremely close to McCardell. In fact, when Mike Zimmer’s tenure in Minnesota ended, and Kevin O’Connell became the new coach, Jefferson went to both O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and asked them to keep McCardell on staff.

They did.

McCardell was a big influence on Jefferson during his contract talks with the Vikings. According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, McCardell and Jefferson had many private conversations about his contract extension, and with McCardell having the same experience during his playing days, he could give the phenom advice.

Privately, he and McCardell strategized how to approach the contract negotiations. McCardell held out for a contract in Tampa Bay and was traded to San Diego. The approach worked out for him, but it also shaped his perspective.

“Just be professional about it,” McCardell told Jefferson. “You don’t need to get involved. Let your agent handle it. Everybody knows you deserve it. You know you deserve it. It’s going to happen. You want to be the face of the Vikings, and you will, so let it play out.”

Jefferson was patient, and you never heard much anger from his camp. The Vikings made the deal, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

Where will Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk rank among all-time Jaguars WR duos?

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ duo of Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk have high expectations, but how will they rank against former Jaguars receiving pairs?

Ahead of the 2022 NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars invested in the Trevor Lawrence era in a big way. The Jaguars gave former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk a four-year, $72 million contract to give Lawrence his biggest target to date.

The move was met with criticism, but Kirk was crucial to Lawrence’s development into a projected 2023 Most Valuable Player candidate. The Jaguars then made a move for the future ahead of the 2022 trade deadline.

Jacksonville sent a 2023 fifth-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick that could become a second-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

The former Falcons receiver became the featured target in Atlanta due to Julio Jones’ decline and departure. However, he dealt with injury during the 2021 and only played five games because of a fractured foot and time off to address his mental health.

Ridley was then suspended for the entire 2022 season for violating the league’s gambling policy. If he can return to form following his nearly two-year-long break from football, Ridley and Kirk will likely form one of the best duos in Jaguars history.

Based on production in a single season, Jacksonville hasn’t seen many dominant receiver pairings in its short history. Ridley and Kirk will automatically be one of the most talented duos Jacksonville has seen, but how do they stack up compared to past Jaguars pairs?

5) 2012: Justin Blackmon and Cecil Shorts III

Heading into the second year of Blaine Gabbert’s tenure in Jacksonville, the Jaguars decided to give him the top receiver in the 2012 NFL Draft. They selected wide receiver Justin Blackmon with the fifth overall pick.

Blackmon didn’t have a great career, but he looked the part of the fifth overall pick in his one full season. The former Oklahoma State Cowboys star earned 132 targets and tallied 64 catches for 865 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie year.

Blackmon quickly became Gabbert’s favorite target, but Cecil Shorts III — who was in his second season in Jacksonville — was the second half of a solid receiving duo. The reliable Shorts had the best season of his career in 2012.

Shorts garnered 105 targets and capitalized on them for 55 receptions, 979 yards and seven touchdowns.

The duo of Blackmon and Shorts didn’t last long in Jacksonville, but their production in the 2012 season ranks among the best single-season receiving duos in Jaguars history.

Blackmon and Shorts combined for 119 catches, 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns.

4) 2010: Marcedes Lewis and Mike Thomas

In a season in which the Jaguars went 8-8 and missed the playoffs, the 2010 pairing of Marcedes Lewis and Mike Thomas made the season somewhat memorable. Lewis is now a Jaguars legend, but in 2010, he was in only his fifth of 12 seasons in Jacksonville.

He is most known as a blocking tight end, but Lewis had his most productive receiving season in 2010. The former Jaguar pulled in 58 passes for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns to earn his first and only career Pro Bowl appearance.

Outside of the Jags legend’s best season, 2010 also featured the heroics of Mike Thomas. The receiver made the Jaguars’ play of the year when he caught a deflected hail mary to beat the rival Houston Texans on Nov. 14.

Thomas contributed 66 catches for 820 yards and four touchdowns in total during the best season of his career.

Lewis and Thomas combined for 124 catches, 1,520 yards and 14 touchdowns in the season.

3) 2022: Christian Kirk and Zay Jones

Few expected Kirk and Zay Jones to form one of the most productive wide receiver duos in Jaguars history when they first joined the team in 2022. However, by the end of the season, it was hard to deny their impact.

Kirk’s contract distracted NFL fans from the player Jacksonville was adding to their roster. He was a consistent contributor for the Cardinals throughout his four seasons with the team.

The former Cardinals receiver spent the first three seasons of his NFL career in the shadows of Larry Fitzgerald and then DeAndre Hopkins. However, Hopkins was suspended to start the 2021 season, and Kirk produced his best season to date, tallying 77 catches for 982 yards and five touchdowns.

In one season in Jacksonville, Kirk quickly proved his worth. He registered 84 catches for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns as Lawrence’s featured receiver.

However, he had plenty of help from another misunderstood route runner. Former Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders receiver Zay Jones had been in the league for five years. His best season came in his sophomore year when he produced 56 catches, 652 yards and seven touchdowns.

Despite his career slowing down, the Jaguars brought Jones into Jacksonville, and he quickly became the No. 2 option. Jones caught 82 passes for 823 yards and five touchdowns.

Jones and Kirk helped Lawrence transform into one of the league’s top young quarterbacks. The pair combined for 166 receptions, 1,931 yards and 13 touchdowns.

2) 2015: Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns

The 2015 season was former Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles’ second year in the league, and his surrounding cast lifted him to the best season of his career. Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns formed a highly productive duo to help Bortles achieve 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Robinson looked the part of a true No. 1 option and is still trying to replicate the numbers he produced in 2015. He reeled in 80 passes for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns in his second season in the NFL.

His yards were the second best single-season total in franchise history, and his 14 touchdowns stand as the most in a single season in Jaguars history.

Hurns played the perfect partner alongside Robinson. He was a dynamic second option that turned 64 catches into 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Robinson and Hurns combined for 144 receptions, 2,431 yards and 24 touchdowns. They are one of two pairs in Jaguars history to each have 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

1) 1996-2001: Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell

And if there was ever any doubt, Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell are the best receiving pair in Jaguars history. It was impossible to pick just one season for them, as their six seasons together would all rank in the top 10 receiving seasons in Jaguars history.

They are the only other duo in Jacksonville’s history to each contribute 1,000 receiving yards in the same season; they did it four times in six seasons.

Smith and McCardell are also the only duo to have sustained success for more than just one or two seasons.

Smith is easily the best receiver in Jaguars history. He leads the franchise in career targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and was a Jaguar from 1995 to 2005.

McCardell checks in as the second best receiver in franchise history. He is second in franchise history in targets, catches and receiving yards and is third in receiving touchdowns.

Smith and McCardell played together from 1996 to 2001 and consistently got open for former Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell. Smith never had less than 1,200 receiving yards during the stretch, and McCardell never had less than 800.

The Jaguars legends combined for 1,061 catches, 14,365 and 71 touchdowns during their six years together.

Where will Ridley and Kirk rank?

Assuming Ridley and Kirk are healthy for the entire season, they will likely become at least a top-three receiving duo. Ridley’s past suggests he’s a clear upgrade from Jones. If Kirk plays the same as he did in 2022 and Ridley returns to form, they will surpass Kirk and Jones’s production in 2022.

Ridley’s 2020 season showed his ability to excel in the No. 1 receiver role. He produced 90 receptions, 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020, so he could give Robinson’s 2015 season a run for its money.

If Kirk reproduces his 2022 numbers, he and Ridley would pass Robinson and Hurns for the second-best receiving duo in Jaguars history. While it isn’t impossible for them to put up numbers similar to Smith and McCardell, they likely won’t catch them unless they stick together for a long time in Jacksonville.

It’s entirely possible for Ridley and Kirk to become the second-best duo in Jaguars history, but they have much to prove in their first season together.

6 takeaways from Brian Flores’ press conference

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores took some time to speak to the media after organized team activities on Wednesday.

The Minnesota Vikings are firmly in phase three of organized team activities and things are getting more serious as time goes by.

The intensity has picked up as the team works to install the defense and continue the continuity on offense.

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores spoke with the media on Wednesday afternoon and spoke about his experience so far with the Vikings and OTAs.

Keenan McCardell and Matt Daniels to participate in NFL Coach Accelerator Program

The NFL Coach Accelerator Program enters it’s second year and will include two current and three former Minnesota Vikings assistants.

The National Football League has been implementing ways to improve diversity in hiring practices throughout the league. The latest program will be implemented at the spring meetings in Minneapolis this upcoming week May 21st-23rd.

In a press release from the NFL, the Coach Accelerator Program will include 40 participants viewed to be potential future head coaches. That list includes Minnesota Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell and special teams coordinator Matt Daniels. Here is what the press release said about the program.

The Coach Accelerator aims to increase exposure between owners, executives, and diverse coaching talent, providing ample opportunity to develop and build upon their relationships. In a change to the nomination process this year, clubs were able to nominate those from outside of their organization.

The 40 participants this year are attending based on their high potential to be considered for a Head Coach position in the future. Sixteen of the participants will be returning from the May 2022 Accelerator cohort.

In addition to networking, further development of the participants is a critical component of the accelerator, with curated content sessions scheduled that will further engage each participant on the advancement of their executive leadership skills and business acumen. 

Not only do the Vikings have two current coaches participating, but former head coach Leslie Frazier and former assistants Jerry Gray and Jerrod Johnson will also be participating.

Bucs complete interview with Keenan McCardell for offensive coordinator job

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought in a familiar face to interview for their vacant offensive coordinator position

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought in a familiar face as a potential candidate for their open offensive coordinator position.

Keenan McCardell completed his interview for the job Thursday, making him the second hopeful to interview for the role vacated by Byron Leftwich.

McCardell spent 16 seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL, including two seasons with the Bucs. He caught two touchdown passes in the Bucs’ 48-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII, and made the Pro Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2003.

As a coach, McCardell spent time with Washington, the Jacksonville Jaguars (where he spent nine seasons as a player), and most recently as the wide receivers coach for the Minnesota Vikings, as well as some college experience at the University of Maryland.

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Buccaneers request to interview Keenan McCardell for offensive coordinator

This is the second offensive coordinator interview for McCardell this offseason

The Minnesota Vikings’ offensive coaching staff has been a popular one for other teams to call about interviews and it happened for the fourth time on Thursday. The Tampa Buccaneers became the second team to request to interview Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell for their vacant offensive coordinator position.

The Buccaneers did not have a good season offensively under offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. They finished 25th in points scored while being 14th in total offense. Tom Brady set multiple records this season, including passing attempts and completions.

McCardell was also requested to interview for the New England Patriots job but that went to Bill O’Brien. It won’t be long before McCardell ends up with his own offensive coordinator job.

Bucs to interview Keenan McCardell for offensive coordinator job

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding a familiar face to their growing list of potential offensive coordinator candidates

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding a familiar face to their growing list of potential offensive coordinator candidates.

Keenan McCardell is expected to interview for the position vacated last week by Byron Leftwich, according to Pewter Report.

Currently the wide receivers coach for the Minnesota Vikings, McCardell played two of his 16 NFL seasons with the Bucs, catching a pair of touchdown passes in Tampa Bay’s 48-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.

As a coach, McCardell has had stints as an assistant with Washington, as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars (where he played for six seasons), and Maryland at the college level before joining the Vikings staff.

The Bucs are also expected to interview Jaguars pass game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and Denver Broncos pass game coordinator Klint Kubiak for Leftwich’s open spot.

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Report: Patriots could have several offensive coordinator candidates on 2023 staff

Several of the Patriots’ offensive coordinator candidates could end up on the 2023 coaching staff.

The New England Patriots have been busy interviewing candidates for their offensive coordinator position, and it appears as though they want to have more than one offensive candidate on staff.

NBC Sports Boston’s Albert Breer floated this idea during his appearance on Sports Sunday. He indicated that Bill O’Brien is the “likely scenario” for the job based on his past history in New England.

The search for offensive coordinator has been a busy one, as New England has interviewed several candidates. All of the candidates have familiarity with Bill Belichick, having worked under him as players or coaches.

The thought is one of the candidates could join the fray alongside O’Brien as an offensive assistant. Of course, that’s assuming the Patriots even get O’Brien, who still isn’t necessarily a done deal.

“Bill O’Brien has talked to other teams. I know that,” said Breer. “He hasn’t formally interviewed with any of them, but if you look at the sort of structure of the interviews and the way that this has all happened, it feels at least like Bill O’Brien is going to be the offensive coordinator, and the other four guys could wind up on staff in some capacity: Adrian Klemm potentially as a run game coordinator/offensive line coach. Now, he’s not gonna come cheap. He’s making almost $1 million at Oregon right now. Shawn Jefferson potentially coming in as a receivers coach and on down the line.”

The other two offensive coordinator candidates for New England right now is Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley and Minnesota Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell.

New England has been trying to improve their offensive game planning, as the 2023 season could be a crucial one for several players. It will be fascinating to see how this pans out, as the Patriots look to get back into playoff contention.

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