Tag: Minnesota Vikings News

Vikings 2020 Draftwishlist: Safety

Should the Vikings go with a safety in the first round of the draft? It’s possible they might.

With Anthony Harris possibly on the move, it might be time for the Vikings to find a safety in the first round of the draft. Personally, I don’t think this is the best move, due to the positional needs elsewhere, but a case can be made that missing Harris would be detrimental to the Vikings’ defense to the point where going for a safety in the first round makes sense.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a position with a plethora of first-round caliber talent this season. However, if Grant Delpit is available, Minnesota could try and take him. Delpit is athletic and helped anchor a good LSU defense, but his stats won’t jump out at you. He had two interceptions and seven pass deflections. However, the year before that he had five interceptions, so he’s capable of being a ball hawk.

Possible Options: LSU’s Grant Delpit, Alabama’s Xavier McKinney, California’s Ashtyn Davis (wait to get him later in the draft)

Vikings pick Alabama edge rusher Terrell Lewis in The Ringers’ mock draft

Do you want the Vikings to draft an edge rusher with their first-round pick?

There are some unknowns about Alabama’s Terrell Lewis, but him playing opposite to Danielle Hunter on the Vikings has the potential to scare opposing offenses.

In a recent mock draft done by The Ringer, Minnesota selected Terrell Lewis with the 25th overall pick.

Here’s what they had to say about the choice:

The Vikings struck gold when they took a then-raw but high-upside athletic marvel in edge rusher Danielle Hunter in the third round of the 2015 draft, and they’re hoping to do it again here with Lewis. The former Crimson Tide standout missed most of the 2017 season and all of the 2018 season to injury, but he has the length, athleticism, and first-step burst to develop into a star at the position. With veteran Everson Griffen headed into free agency, Lewis can bolster the team’s defensive line.

As the Ringer wrote, Lewis’ collegiate career was marred by injuries. But in 2019, he finished with six sacks and two pass deflections. That’s a pretty solid year for a guy who only played 11 games.

The Ringer speculated that Griffen might part ways with the Vikings in free agency, then Minnesota fills the void he left with an edge rusher in the first round. There are some question marks still as to where Griffen will end up playing next season, but if he does end up somewhere else, I like the choice of replacing him with a first-round pick.

Daily Norseman predicts that Vikings draft Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts

Would you like to see Jalen Hurts in purple and gold?

A writer at Daily Norseman recently compiled a mock draft that has a popular college player heading to Minnesota.

The article hypothesized that the Vikings might draft Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts in the third round.

Hurts was the runner-up for the Heisman trophy after he had transferred from Alabama to the Sooners. He threw for 3,851 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his final collegiate season.

Personally, I think this move could work. The Vikings need a backup quarterback, and there are definitely some unknowns about Hurts’ game translating to the next level, but he’s worth taking a chance on.

The Sooners showed that Hurts, under the right system and coaching, could be used very effectively. And as Daily Norseman points out, he is a mobile quarterback, which gives the Vikings another dimension to their offense.

There’s definitely a possibility that Hurts doesn’t become a star in the NFL, but that’s not necessarily what the Vikings need at this present time. If he falls to Minnesota in the third round, I say take him.

Vikings go offensive lineman, then corner in Draft Wire mock draft

The latest mock draft from Draft Wire has been released. Do you like the Vikings’ picks?

Draft Wire has released its latest mock draft, and it speculated that the Vikings will add a tackle in the first round, and a cornerback in the second.

Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones was projected to go to the Vikings at pick No. 25. With the following pick, Minnesota selected Jaylon Johnson, a cornerback out of Utah. Both those positions might lack depth due to free agency and the Vikings shoring up the salary cap situation, so both those moves seem possible.

The Vikings drafted TCU defensive linemen Ross Blacklock with their next pick in the mock draft at pick No. 89. With the 122nd pick in the draft, Draft Wire predicted that the Vikings went with Boise State wide receiver John Hightower. Read more about Hightower here.

LSU’s Joe Burrow was the first overall pick, followed by Ohio State’s Chase Young in the mock draft. The Lions selected Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah with the third pick.

Read the rest of Draft Wire’s mock draft.

Let’s say the Vikings trade Stefon Diggs. Here’s what they might get

If the Vikings are forced to trade Stefon Diggs, what can they expect to get back for him?

Stefon Diggs has been acting suspicious on social media, which has created some doubt as to whether Diggs will stay in Minnesota for the entirety of his contract.

His contract runs until 2023. The Vikings save $5.5 million if they trade him before June 1, but still have to pay $9 million of his contract in dead money — and that’s just for next season, Over The Cap reported.

However, if Diggs hypothetically forced the team’s hand, they could probably get a pretty big haul in a trade. A lot of teams are looking for a wideout with the big-play ability Diggs has at times.

I think the Vikings could easily get a first-round pick, possibly even two in some contexts. Just one first round pick would likely have to be paired with a pretty big name from the opposing team if the trade was to be worth it for the Vikings.  And Minnesota could very well need a cornerback next season.

The Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore proved to be a shut-down corner last season and the Vikings would only owe him just over $3.3 million in 2020 if a trade was to be made before June 1, per Over The Cap.

However, Gilmore alone would not warrant a trade for Diggs, unless the Vikings lose leverage in the deal for whatever reason. I also think New England would have to throw in another player, or possibly another pick in addition to a first rounder, if they wanted to land Diggs.

Another option would be to trade just for picks. The Vikings might be content with their place in the 2020 draft at No. 25, but if they wanted to get a pick that was better, trading Diggs would obviously help. He could possibly command two first round picks and maybe even a third or fourth rounder, too.

In my opinion, it’s not the best idea. The Vikings are trading a known, quality player, in hopes of drafting a player of a similar caliber. I think you can’t do it if that’s all you’re getting, but it’s still a possibility if the Vikings are blown away by one of deals. Here’s to hoping Diggs doesn’t publicly declare he wants out or anything crazy like that.

What the Vikings can do about the Kirk Cousins contract

It’s time to talk about the Kirk Cousins contract.

Kirk Cousins disappointed many in his first year with the Vikings, but he bounced back in his next season and had some undeniably good games.

From lighting up the defenses of Detroit and Philadelphia in consecutive weeks to showing poise in the playoff victory over the Saints, Cousins proved that he was a quarterback capable of living up to a large contract.

The question for the Vikings, however, still remains after another season: is Cousins the guy to bring a Super Bowl to Minnesota?

The bar for this team is very high and the toll Cousins’ contract takes — in terms of signing talent around him — is astronomical. Cousins had a good season, but $31 million, the total in dead money this season if the Vikings cut him, is a lot, and there’s no money to be saved, so that’s basically not an option.

One possibility might be an extension that brings the Vikings back to the negotiation table with Cousins. He could sign a short-term deal that could free up cap space for other players, and also guarantee him more years of job security with a Super Bowl contender.

It might be hard to get Cousins to agree to that, but the perception of him is that he can only take a team so far (usually an early playoff exit), so maybe taking less money is ideal for his legacy.

Putting other good players around him not only gives Cousins a chance to prove the naysayers wrong, but also, if he was to win a championship, raises his earning potential in future seasons. The Vikings would likely want him as their starting quarterback down the road, and if not, I’m sure teams would take a flyer on him.

That might be ideal for Minnesota, considering this other option: trading him.

That contract is still an albatross. Teams that saw the year Cousins had last season might want to take a chance, but he would be owed $29.5 million (if he’s traded before June 1) by a team that wants him, barring any change in the deal, according to Over the Cap. Another factor is Cousins’ no-trade clause. If you were Cousins, why would you wave that clause just to go play for the Chargers or some other team? Among the teams that would want him, the Vikings are probably his best bet to contend given he knows what the offense is capable of and that the defense is solid.

Cousins is clearly a good quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo proved that with a good defense behind you, a game-manager can at least take a team to the Super Bowl. Will Cousins be enough for Minnesota to end the championship drought, or do the Vikings need to cut their ties down the road in order to take the next step? We’re going to have to see.

What the Vikings can do with Everson Griffen reportedly entering free agency

Everson Griffen will reportedly void his contract and enter free agency. Here’s what the Vikings could do going forward.

Everson Griffen reportedly voided his contract with the Vikings on Thursday and is now set to become a free agent.

The move cleared $13 million in cap space and resulted in just $800,000 in dead money. It’s almost a certainty that the Vikings will continue to reduce spending. The team can definitely cut players or restructure other contracts to make more room in the cap, but can they re-sign Griffen to a more team-friendly deal and keep him on?

Though it seems ideal for the Vikings, this move doesn’t seem likely to happen.

Griffen had a promising season in 2019-20: eight sacks and an interception. Griffen’s resume on top of a comeback season will garner some interest in the free agency market, and I don’t think the Vikings can financially match some of the teams that will want the defensive end. If they can, though, I think they should definitely do it. The combo of Griffen and Danielle Hunter on the ends has proven to be tough for opposing teams to stop.

Cutting Xavier Rhodes saves the Vikings a little over $8 million and leaves $4.8 million in dead money, according to Over The Cap. Cutting Riley Reiff saves $8.8 million and makes $4.4 million in dead money. Those moves could possibly be enough to re-sign Griffen if he really likes the situational fit of Minnesota. However, the free agency market is looming, and there will likely be some interested teams.