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4 days ago
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MN Vikings Leaders Earn Ranking as Best in NFL
Last season all anyone heard about was how good the Detroit Lions coaching staff was. Head coach Dan Campbell earned praise for his motivational and spirited locker room speeches. Ben Johnson was praised as an offensive guru. Aaron Glenn continued to draw rave reviews. Minnesota Vikings fans have known for a while how special their own trio is, but it appears the national news is coming around as well. Maybe it was the development Sam Darnold experienced last year. Maybe it was the next step from Brian Flores' group. No matter what sparked the change in reasoning, the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff is now seen as the cream of the crop. Related Headlines Punches Thrown at Minnesota Vikings Training Camp MN Twins Owner Stepped In, Closed Carlos Correa Trade Himself Veteran Addition May be MN Vikings Secret Weapon Minnesota Vikings coach staff ranked #1 in NFL While a complete coaching staff is comprised of well more than just the head coach and his top coordinators, that is where the focal points are. NFL analyst for ESPN, Ben Solak, put together a ranking of the coaching staffs from all 32 teams. He has Minnesota at number one. 'When I ranked the Vikings in this exercise last season, I sang the praises of Flores, the defensive coordinator who had done the most with the least in 2023. But I wondered if O'Connell, another branch off the Shanahan-McVay tree, could innovate and evolve beyond the tried-and-true system he had run with Kirk Cousins to that point. What could he offer a younger quarterback in need of development? The answer: a whole lot! Not necessarily to the quarterback we expected, as Sam Darnold started the entire season in J.J. McCarthy's absence — but what a season it was. O'Connell's mastery is in opening intermediate and downfield passing windows. Darnold had more passing attempts at least 10 yards downfield than any other quarterback, and NFL Next Gen Stats charted those targets with an average separation of 2.7 yards — fifth highest in the league. O'Connell has easily leaped into that utmost echelon of offensive designers, and Flores remains the cream of the defensive crop. There are always little things to wonder about — scheming for a rookie is different from scheming for a veteran, even if that veteran had never been successful elsewhere — but there is no doubt that O'Connell & Co. elevate players more than any other coaching staff in football.' Ben Solak – ESPN It's hard to look at what the Minnesota Vikings accomplished last season and not be amazed by those orchestrating it. O'Connell has long been considered an elite offensive mind. He displayed that in the form of Sam Darnold throwing for a career-best 4,319 yards with a 66.2% completion rate. Each cycle it gets tougher to hear about losing Brian Flores on defense. He has elevated the MN Vikings immensely, and now rolls out the top front seven in the game. It looks as though he'll have even more talent to work with this season. Related: Although it's fair to question the overall impact of Wes Phillips, he is clearly part of the process as well. To jump up nine spots from 10th overall, where Solak had Minnesota last year, it's quite an impressive leap. Next test coming for Vikings staff Now with developmental and execution expectations heightened, the Minnesota Vikings will need to succeed again. J.J. McCarthy is under center for the first time as a professional, and the secondary has seen some turnover. O'Connell has to prove he can replicate the quarterback success from Darnold onto McCarthy. Flores has to operate with the changing pieces now at his disposal. Related: Detroit was pilfered on the coaching front and now ranks (11th) behind Green Bay (10th) for second in the division. That's a benefit to the Vikings, and while their rosters may be comparable, the coaching staff in Minnesota has to be a differentiator. Related Headlines Punches Thrown at Minnesota Vikings Training Camp MN Twins Owner Stepped In, Closed Carlos Correa Trade Himself Veteran Addition May be MN Vikings Secret Weapon
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4 days ago
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Minnesota Vikings Add More Pass-Catching Help
Training camp is well underway for the Minnesota Vikings and they are less than a week away from their first preseason game against the Houston Texans. J.J. McCarthy will make his one and only preseason appearance. So far it has sounded like the defensive side of the ball is ahead during practice. That's not exactly surprising considering how good Brian Flores' front seven is. The evaluation period will continue for both sides of the ball though, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made a roster tweak on Monday. Nick Vannett joins MN Vikings tight end group Just last week the Minnesota Vikings added more depth to the offensive line. Monday they subtracted a tackle to add tight end Nick Vannett. Related Headlines 5 Quarterbacks the MN Vikings Should Dump Sam Howell For Jeff Okudah Hype Train Picking Up Steam at Vikings Camp Recently Traded Pitcher Suggests MN Twins Facilities are Lacking Minnesota initially signed Marcellus Johnson to the practice squad last year. He was released and re-signed with the New York Giants before making his way back to the Vikings. This will be Vannett's 10th year in the NFL. He was originally a third-round pick way back in 2016. Last season he played in all 17 games (10 starts) for the Tennessee Titans. He caught 17 passes for 135 yards and a trio of touchdowns. At 32 years old, Vannett is a grizzled veteran. If he appears on the field for the Vikings, they would represent his eighth different team. The three touchdowns last season matched a career-high he set with Seattle back in 2018. Related: Minnesota's top tight end options are T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver. Beyond that there is uncertainty in the form of 2025 draft pick Gavin Bartholomew and undrafted free agent Ben Yurosek. That contingent, along with Vannett, is looking to replace since departed depth option Nick Muse. Related Headlines 5 Quarterbacks the MN Vikings Should Dump Sam Howell For Jeff Okudah Hype Train Picking Up Steam at Vikings Camp Recently Traded Pitcher Suggests MN Twins Facilities are Lacking
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4 days ago
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New MN Vikings Out with Long-Term Injuries
The Minnesota Vikings didn't have a ton of draft capital this season but they looked to make the most out of their picks. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah went with a need first at guard in Donovan Jackson. As the draft went on and KAM continued to make picks, he targeted depth. That's where tight end Gavin Bartholomew comes in. The sixth round pick added a tight end option behind starters T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver. Unfortunately for him, and the Vikings, that depth won't be realized any time soon. Related Headlines MN Twins Experimenting with New Pitching Philosophy Latest MN Vikings Injury Updates Bring Good News for Decimated Offense New Gophers QB Tasked With More Responsibilities at LOS Gavin Bartholomew will miss real time for Minnesota Twins Minnesota liked what they saw from Pittsburgh's tight end Gavin Bartholomew. The 6'4″ 260 pound athlete put up the best season of his collegiate career as a senior. Now he's going to be on the shelf for quite some time. Local insider Darren 'Doogie' Wolfson weighed in on his latest Scoops episode with Skor North. 'If you want to talk long term, Gavin Bartholomew. Who I don't think was going to be a big part of their September plans. If you had asked me in early-June, ok early 53-man roster projection, I would have told you…he makes the roster. He is not going to be ready in September…Gavin Bartholomew I am told, is a long-term injury. Darren Wolfson – Skor North As Wolfson noted, there's no reason to believe a sixth round pick was going to be a key part of the offense. That said, the Vikings don't have a Nick Muse-type around anymore, and depth is necessary. Bartholomew's injury is likely why veteran Nick Vannett was brought in as well. In his senior season for Pittsburgh, Bartholomew hauled in 38 passes for 322 yards. He also found paydirt four times. Related: This back injury certainly isn't the way the rookie wanted to start his professional career. Now behind the eight ball out of the gate, he'll need to get healthy before he can even be a consideration on Sundays. Matt Nelson out long term for MN Vikings Just last week the MN Vikings signed offensive lineman Matt Nelson as additional depth up front. The line is a place where Minnesota has spent considerable money this offseason. Unfortunately he's done before he'll ever get started. After spending four seasons in Detroit, and being out of the league last year, Nelson is dealing with even more adversity. A torn biceps will require surgery and certainly a significant amount of time on the shelf. It's probable that he doesn't see action at all this season. He'll be looking for another opportunity in 2026 as a 30-year-old. Related Headlines MN Twins Experimenting with New Pitching Philosophy Latest MN Vikings Injury Updates Bring Good News for Decimated Offense New Gophers QB Tasked With More Responsibilities at LOS
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14-06-2025
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Confirmed: Vikings Chose JJ McCarthy Over Aaron Rodgers
All eyes have been on JJ McCarthy, during the 2025 Minnesota Vikings offseason, which is now shifting to minicamp, scheduled to start on Tuesday. Today, however the Vikings are holding their annual media day, of which their redshirt rookie starting quarterback is front and center. Many of us have a lot of belief in JJ McCarthy, just given what head coach Kevin O'Connell, GM Kwesi adofo-Mensah have said publicly, along with what media insiders and the MN Vikings social media team have fed us through legacy and social medias. Now that the Vikings have chosen McCarthy as their QB1, anything coming out of Eagan has to be taken with a large grain of salt. Everyone inside of Minnesota Vikings facilities, from ownership to executives to coaches and all the way down to the players have a lot invested into the success of JJ McCarthy. How do we know the Minnesota Vikings love JJ McCarthy… The most telling insight into the Minnesota Vikings' heat check on JJ McCarthy's NFL readiness came back in March, when Daniel Jones turned down their $15 million offer because he knew the likelihood of winning the job over McCarthy wasn't good. Advertisement It was around that same time, however, that we really found out how Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings felt about McCarthy, when Aaron Rodgers called them up and all but threw himself at the organization for one shot at a Super Bowl run with his old pal from Cal, KOC. Credit: Shaun Brooks-Imagn Images After a week or two of internal debate over the pros and cons of bringing the 4x MVP in, the MN Vikings gave Rodgers the 'don't wait up for us' treatment. But he waited up anyway… for months. Related: MN Vikings QB JJ McCarthy Reminds TJ Hockenson of Who…? Meanwhile, KOC's confidence in McCarthy seems to have grown now that OTAs have mostly come and gone. Thus, it was no coincidence Rodgers gave up on his waiting game and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, just days before teams started to meet this week for minicamp. Confirmed: Vikings picked McCarthy over Aaron Rodgers Then on Monday, Mike Jones (The Athletic) confirmed what we pretty much already knew in an article that put in tinto plain words. The Minnesota Vikings did indeed spurn Aaron Rodgers' advances, a decision that was probably etched into stone over the last couple weeks, leading to A-Rodg signing in Pittsburgh. The Minnesota Vikings have pledged loyalty to McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick, who missed his entire rookie season while rehabbing from a torn meniscus suffered during the preseason. Rodgers wanted to continue his career with the Vikings, but after extensive deliberations, Minnesota opted to proceed with McCarthy as its quarterback. The Michigan product has spent these offseason practices working his way back into a flow and, thus far, has impressed teammates with his leadership skills. McCarthy hasn't been perfect, but coach Kevin O'Connell dismissed any McCarthy hiccups, calling this the learning stage. If McCarthy emerges from the offseason unscathed, he should remain the starter for Week 1. Mike Jones – The Athletic Advertisement I know Rodgers isn't what he used to be, but the Minnesota Vikings choosing what seems like 'the unknown' over an O'Connell-aided Aaron Rodgers revenge tour is pretty significant, given how easy the Vikings could have made Rodgers' life. And not just because of KOC and his genius or longtime friendship with Rodgers, but also how much the Vikings did to beef up everything around the QB position this offseason, especially on the interior offensive line. Doubt JJ McCarthy at your own risk… Media and fans can apply pressure, but as long as JJ McCarthy is making a positive impression on coaches and teammates while they are all gathered together, none of the outside noise will matter. Advertisement And if you believe what the Minnesota Vikings propaganda machine has been dishing out for the past few months (I do), then optimism over their QB position is at an all-time high in Eagan. For as much faith as some of us have in our 22-year-old University of Michigan superstar, football is a game of results. And so far, when it comes to the National Football League, JJ has zero evidence to show he belongs. That's why, until we see McCarthy take the regular season field and perform in games that matter, we'll only be able to guess at what his play will look like, even if some of those guesses are well-educated. Advertisement Still, some forms of information aren't more revealing than others… and that is where their handling of Rodgers and other QB options this offseason is worth noting. I mean, the Minnesota Vikings have left their QB room virtually void of legitimate starting quarterbacks, outside of McCarthy. Justin Jefferson telling us how MN Vikings feel about McCarthy too Another big hint is the way Justin Jefferson has made it a mission to build up his relationship with the 2024 No. 10 overall draft pick. The two have lockers right next to each other, have been spotted at local sporting events, among other things. Jefferson's dedication to the bit tells us everything we need to know about what the Vikings have been communicating to their superstar wideout. That McCarthy is the present and future of this team. Not only that, but JJ will make or break whether or not JJ goes to the Hall of Fame… and that conversation goes both ways. Advertisement Related: Justin Jefferson Reveals Why He Attended Minnesota Vikings OTAs Not only do the Vikings not want to sew doubt in the hearts and minds of fans, but you know that O'Connell and his group of QB guru coaches in training have full belief in themselves to fix any sort of shortcomings JJ McCarthy currently has by the time training camp rolls around. Now that we know without a doubt that the Minnesota Vikings chose JJ McCarthy over Aaron Rodgers, it adds even more pressure on the young man's plate to perform well immediately. But it also gives us our biggest indicator into just how good Kevin O'Connell and the rest inside that organization feel about him doing just that. Related Headlines
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14-06-2025
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Christian Darrisaw Looks Further Along Than Expected…
The Minnesota Vikings are back on the field as they gear up for the 2025 NFL regular season. Kevin O'Connell has been extended to lead this team into the future. Young quarterback J.J. McCarthy is set to take over as QB1 and will look to exceed expectations. This offseason, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah utilized significant cap space to supplement a roster that needed a lot of fixing, especially on the interior of the offensive line, both of which have now been heavily infused with talent. Advertisement One position the MN Vikings have been set at for a few years now, which is offensive tackle, thanks to Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill. With the former coming off ACL injury that required season-ending surgery however, most were expecting him to sit out much of Minicamp this week. Minnesota Vikings have Christian Darrisaw back on the field But on Tuesday, to the surprise of gathered media members, Christian Darrisaw ran out onto the TCO performance practice fields in Eagan and participated in individual drills just 229 days removed from his date of injury (October 24). Darrisaw obviously isn't 100%, and he certainly isn't going to be a full participant right out of the gate. However, his return to the field this early is an incredibly positive development. Healing can take different amounts of time for each person, but everyone seems to agree that this feels well ahead of expectations. The Vikings need Christian Darrisaw back ASAP The ability for McCarthy to thrive under center will largely reflect the performance of his offensive line. The additions of Ryan Kelly, Donovan Jackson, and Will Fries should give him a great chance to succeed. Having a stellar blindside protector in the form of Christian Darrisaw is a huge part of that equation. Advertisement Last season, following Darrisaw's injury, the Minnesota Vikings swung a trade for Cam Robinson. He has since signed with the Houston Texans in free agency. Related: Minnesota Vikings Swap Out Defender for More Minicamp Depth on Offense Darrisaw's status for Week 1 will be a talking point throughout the preseason, but his presence on the field this early bodes well for his chances. If Darrisaw isn't ready by week one, newly acquired Justin Skule is expected to start in his place Related Headlines
