Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison may be out another one to two weeks with an ankle injury per beat reporter Darren Wolfson.
It seems like the Minnesota Vikings could be without wide receiver Jordan Addison for the next one to two weeks, potentially putting him in danger of missing the season opener against the New York Giants.
According to Darren Wolfson, Vikings beat reporter for SKOR North, Addison is dealing with a ” pretty significant ankle sprain that is going to set him back for at least another week to two weeks.” That timetable raises questions about whether Addison will be available for the season opener against the Giants on September 8th.
Wolfson went on to clarify that he does believe that Addison will return to practice the Wednesday before the opener—at the latest—and that he should be available for the game. But he cautions that this type of injury typically takes weeks to heal and that Addison may not be 100% for the game.
This news follows Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell telling the media last Thursday that Addison had “avoided a major injury” and that the young receiver would be okay and shouldn’t miss any extended time.
Wolfson did not specify the type of ankle injury that Addison suffered during the joint practices with the Cleveland Browns, but did say that he’s been led to believe it may be something along the lines of a high ankle sprain.
The free agent safety market is flush with talent. How does that impact Minnesota Vikings S Harrison Smith and a potential pay cut?
The Minnesota Vikings have a decision to make with future Ring of Honor and potential Hall of Fame safety Harrison Smith. In 2023, the two sides agreed to a nearly $7 million pay cut that kept him around. He rewarded them with a good season and helped lead the Vikings to the 17th-ranked scoring defense.
Smith has a salary cap hit of $19,215,882 with a base salary of $14.45 million. This is similar to what his cap numbers looked like last year before it dropped to $7.5 million. The Vikings will likely approach him for another pay cut. SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson said as much during his weekly appearance on the Minnesota Sports with Mackey and Judd podcast.
“At this point, I’ll be surprised [if Smith retires]. He took a pretty decent paycut a year ago. To me, he’d have to take an even bigger paycut so we will see how that remains to be seen how that plays out. I’m just saying, I’d be pretty darn surprised if he just walks away… He loves playing for Brian Flores. Brian Flores loves him. But can he win at the level he wants to win at here in 2024. That, to me, is the question to ponder; not whether or not he is going to retire.”
That is a similar sentiment to what happened last year with his last pay cut. No matter what, Smith will have a cap charge of at least $3,915,882 due to his prorated bonus. If they were to cut or trade him, that cap hit would be $7,831,766. Those are important to note, as is a cut would save the Vikings $11,384,116.
How much could the Vikings ask Smith to trim from his salary on a pay cut? That could be a significant amount when you take a look at the safety market. Heading into free agency, the amount of 2024 cash saved is nearly $40 million more than the second-highest position with $103.25 million in money saved for teams.
Total 2024 salary shed now at safety has now crossed nine figures, at $103.25M.
I don't know if I can ever remember any single position in any other season suffer this much cutting. pic.twitter.com/ScEhW3mpAF
This could force Smith’s hand a little bit. Then again, he doesn’t strike me as a guy who wants to leave as Wolfson mentioned above. It will come down to how both sides will approach a potential pay cut. My best guess is that he will end up with a pay cut closer to what the cap saving would be if they cut him, likely around the $7-9 million mark. That would help the Vikings and Smith still has some gas left in the tank even at age 35 but a flush safety market that seems to be significantly undervalued by teams.
Should Smith take a pay cut? Considering the market out there, it might be in his best interest as he might not get a better contract elsewhere.
Best case scenarios be for the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL Draft and Saquon Barkley? That and more on Purple Daily on Draft
As we start to get closer to the NFL draft, scenarios and mock drafts are going to be discussed consistently. There are a myriad of situations that could happen and understanding them is paramount.
For the Minnesota Vikings, there are a lot of different situations that could happen. What are the hosts ideal scenarios for what the Vikings could do in April’s draft? Which quarterbacks would they prefer?
After that, running backs dominate the discussion with both the NFL draft and free agency. Who are some running backs that the Vikings could target and when would they pull the trigger? Do any of them fit what Kevin O’Connell wants in a running back? In fact, what does O’Connell prioritize in a running back?
Lastly, the Vikings have a really big need at running back and there are some really good ones at the position that they could consider. Should they pursue New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley? He would provide the Vikings an elite talent at the position and that could end up fixing the running game. Is it worth the price?
All of that and more on the latest episode of Purple Daily on Draft, dropping every Monday afternoon on thePurple Daily YouTube channel.
There are plenty of defensive line prospects for the Minnesota Vikings. Purple Daily on Draft discusses that and Tyler Forness’ mock draft.
The Minnesota Vikings have multiple different directions that they can go this offseason.
One of the directions that they can go is on the defensive line. There are a bunch of prospects that are intriguing and the hosts take fan questions about them. Is there one that would be the archetype of Aaron Donald? Is Texas NT T’Vondre Sweat a guy who can take the Vikings’ defensive line to a new level?
To finish up the show, the guy discuss Tyler Forness’ mock draft which took a different direction than the majority of mock drafts that have surfaced since the start of the year. Forness had the Vikings taking LSU WR Malik Nabers which feels more like a need pick than anything. How would it work taking a wide receiver? What is the situation that would allow them to take Nabers?
All of that and more on the latest episode of Purple Daily on Draft, dropping every Monday afternoon on thePurple Daily YouTube channel.
The latest episode of Purple Daily on Darft discusses if the Vikings should go for a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft
Looking at the future of the Minnesota Vikings is quite an interesting thing. They will likely have a top 15 pick with the potential of it being the top 10. How should the Vikings handle things over the last two games?
Should they try to win or focus on the future? They made a statement on Thursday by naming Jaren Hall the starting quarterback for Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers. The news broke during the show and the crew discussed it.
There were multiple other topics discussed as well on a special episode of Purple Daily on Draft, which recorded on Thursday due to the Christmas holiday.
Who will take over for T.J. Hockenson?
Could wide receiver be a priority in the NFL draft?
Judd Zulgad looks at Kevin O’Connell’s baffling decision making with Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens at QB
Kevin O’Connell’s decision to stick with Josh Dobbs as his starting quarterback during the Minnesota Vikings’ bye week was understandable. Dobbs was coming off a four-interception performance in a loss to the Chicago Bears, but O’Connell felt the veteran journeyman deserved one more shot.
What was baffling was why that opportunity lasted so deep into the Vikings’ beyond-ugly 3-0 victory over the Raiders on Sunday in Las Vegas. Dobbs didn’t turn over the ball — he had six in losses against Denver and Chicago — but he also didn’t give the Vikings a chance to do anything on offense.
He was 5-of-11 for 40 yards and was sacked four times in the opening half. Dobbs’ first pass of the afternoon was intended for Justin Jefferson, playing for the first time in seven games after recovering from a hamstring injury, but a Raiders defensive back had a chance to pick it off.
Dobbs’ 15-yard completion to Jefferson in the second quarter was a high throw that led the Pro Bowl wide receiver into a big hit from safety Marcus Epps. That ended Jefferson’s day and resulted in a serious enough chest injury that he was sent to the hospital for X-rays. Jefferson was allowed to travel home with the Vikings on Sunday evening and his status for Saturday’s game in Cincinnati is uncertain.
Any number of plays Dobbs made or didn’t make in the opening 30 minutes should have led O’Connell to put in veteran backup Nick Mullens for the third quarter. But that didn’t happen. O’Connell had taken some of the blame for Dobbs’ performance against the Bears, admitting his play-calling didn’t utilize Dobbs’ ability to run. But Dobbs only had two rushing attempts for 14 yards in the first half Sunday.
The decision to start Dobbs in the second half left one wondering what O’Connell was trying to prove. Dobbs had been fantastic in relief of Jaren Hall in a Week 9 victory in Atlanta and he played well in a win over New Orleans a week later. The story was even better because Dobbs had stepped in less than a week after being acquired from the Arizona Cardinals.
But there always were going to be questions whether Dobbs could continue to play like that.
The Fox telecast Sunday shed some light on why O’Connell might have stuck with Dobbs, relaying an anecdote about how Dobbs’ previous struggles caused him to be pulled quickly by coaches and how O’Connell wanted to give him a chance. O’Connell’s empathy for Dobbs is commendable on a human level, and it’s understandable considering the two men do have something in common.
O’Connell was a third-round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 2008 but played in only two games that season. He also had stints with the Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins but never again played in a regular-season game.
Dobbs, a fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, also has bounced from team to team, although he has far more playing experience (21 games and 14 starts).
The problem is that the Vikings remain part of the NFC playoff picture and O’Connell’s reluctance to lift Dobbs could have cost his team a game. That reluctance ended with 9 minutes, 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter as Mullens trotted onto the field.
“It’s difficult,” O’Connell said of the situation. “I always want to communicate and be honest. I just said, ‘At this point and time, I want to give Nick a chance to get in there.’ Nick has a great feel for our offense and, when I was able to call it for him and kind of communicate with him a little bit, he went out there and executed.”
Dobbs departed having completed 10 of 23 passes for 63 yards with five sacks and a 50.8 passer rating. Mullens, acquired near the end of training camp in 2022 to serve as Kirk Cousins’ backup, appeared for the fifth time in a game with the Vikings and the first time this season.
His first pass wasn’t anything special, it was tipped by Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane, but it ended up in the hands of tight end T.J Hockenson for a 26-yard gain. The Vikings wouldn’t score on that drive, but Mullens got them to the Las Vegas 18-yard line on Minnesota’s following drive to set up a Greg Joseph field goal from 36 yards with 1:57 remaining.
The key completion was a 20-yarder from Mullens to Jordan Addison that put the ball on the Raiders 22. Mullens was far from perfect — he took an inexcusable delay of game penalty coming out of a timeout — but he did enough in three series to enable the Vikings leave Las Vegas with a win.
So what’s next?
The Vikings will have a short week of preparation before playing at Cincinnati and one has to figure this is now Mullens’ job. Tyler Forness of Vikings Wire and Purple Access on SKOR North said last week that he thought O’Connell would start Mullens because of how he wants the offense run. While O’Connell didn’t do that Sunday, he certainly will be expected to now.
“I don’t want to get into declaring anything for next week now,” O’Connell said. “With the type of injuries and the way it’s been on offense this season, we’re a week-to-week offense at this point.”
O’Connell, however, has to know the Vikings will have a better chance to win next weekend with Mullens under center.
Judd Zulgad is co-host of the Purple Daily Podcast and Mackey & Judd podcast atwww.skornorth.com.
According to SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson, the Minnesota Vikings have done extensive work on Hendon Hooker and Jaren Hall.
The Minnesota Vikings have done a lot of work on the quarterback class and it isn’t just with the top prospects. According to SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson, the Vikings have done extensive work on Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker and BYU quarterback Jaren Hall.
Book on many. Another example: BYU QB Jaren Hall. They met extensively with him at the Senior Bowl and Combine, have spoken with a number of people who know him going back years.
The main thing we can take away from what Wolfson had to say is that they are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding the quarterback of the future.
Hooker is a player that has been widely discussed, including on the last episode of Purple Access. With the potential of Hooker being available at 23rd overall, being prepared for every scenario is smart business.
Just like Hooker, Hall is 25 years old, but he didn’t play college football for two seasons due to a Mormon mission. He has the anticipation, accuracy and ability to make every throw in the book. Hall is my sixth-ranked quarterback and the mid-round option I prefer in this class.
The Vikings might not take either quarterback, but they will be prepared if they have the chance.
The uncertainty surrounding the Vikings before the start of free agency is palpable, and the scenarios are plentiful
The Minnesota Vikings are in a position where they need to clear salary cap space. According to Over The Cap, the Vikings are approximately $15 million over the salary cap and one of the players that can impact that number is Dalvin Cook.
According to SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson, the Vikings have received a trade offer for the star running back. While he wasn’t able to offer any details on what team it was or the offer itself, that is a big revelation.
Wolfson correctly points out that the running back free agency market isn’t great, citing that your mileage may vary with players like Miles Sanders and David Montgomery.
The market became significantly slimmer with both Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard receiving the franchise tag. A team wanting to acquire Cook would likely have to offer a third or fourth-round pick plus and with the free agent class, it makes some sense.
A trade makes more sense for the Vikings from a salary cap perspective. Due to his shoulder surgery in February, Cook had $2 million essentially become guaranteed due to injury. That would transfer to his new team and would clear out nearly $8 million in cap space.
You can check out the interview with Wolfson here.
On the latest Scoops With Doogie, Wolfson dropped a nice little nugget about a potential reunion with Peterson
The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of decisions to make in terms of their free agents. They have four of them at the cornerback position with the highest profile player being Patrick Peterson.
There have been some questions as to whether he will be back or not, and Darren Wolfson of SKOR North had some insight. Wolfson reported on SKOR North’s Scoops with Doogie that he is “led to believe” that the Vikings and Brian Flores “definitely want (Patrick) Peterson back.”
It’s easy to see why Flores would want Peterson in the building. A veteran that has historically thrived in playing both in man coverage and in press, Peterson was PFF’s fourth-ranked cornerback in coverage last season. Yes, a lot of that was in zone, but Peterson still has the ability to plan in man coverage.
Will Peterson want a reunion like the Vikings and Flores reportedly do? Some of that will come down to money and if Peterson would rather continue playing in a Vic Fangio-style scheme. Last year, Peterson made $4 million and could potentially get more than that on the open market.
Perhaps the Vikings being the number one team in the inaugural NFLPA report cards will help sway Peterson to stay.
The Vikings would be wise to seriously consider re-signing Bradbury
The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of decisions to make this offseason when it comes to free agency and the NFL draft. Before they can make those decisions, though, they need to decide what to do with their own impending free agents. One of those impending free agents is center Garrett Bradbury.
On Thursday’s episode of Mackey and Judd on Skor North, Phil Mackey and Judd Zulgad interviewed KSTP sports reporter Darren Wolfson in a segment they called “Scoops with Doogie.” In this segment, Darren Wolfson stated,
“There is interest in re-signing Garrett Bradbury”
Wolfson did go on to say that if the Vikings and Bradbury couldn’t come to an agreement, the Vikings could look to impending free agent center Connor McGovern of the New York Jets, stating “there’s some mutual interest.”
This logically makes a lot of sense for the Vikings to try and work a deal out with Bradbury, but to Wolfson’s point, there is no need to break the bank on him, especially with so many needs on the roster.
Will be fascinating to see if he can get more than what they're willing to do. I can't see them breaking the bank here.
A lot of rumors will continue to swirl especially as the NFL Combine starts next Tuesday. Stay tuned to Vikings Wire as we will keep you up to date on everything that comes up.
