Latest news with #Vikings'
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
PFF makes an obvious choice for the Vikings biggest x-factor in 2025
PFF makes an obvious choice for the Vikings biggest x-factor in 2025 The Minnesota Vikings are returning most of their significant contributors in 2025, giving them one of the strongest rosters in the league outside of quarterback. With J.J. McCarthy replacing Sam Darnold, the Vikings' season could have a wide range of outcomes. That's part of the reason that PFF ranked the Vikings' roster as the eighth-best in the league last week. And it's the reason McCarthy was PFF's choice for "X-Factor For 2025". All eyes will be on McCarthy after he played in just one preseason game last season before he was shut down with a knee injury. He recorded an excellent 84.0 PFF passing grade in that lone appearance, but his acclimation to the starting job will be the key to Minnesota's success. With a talented unit around him and one of the NFL's best play-callers, Kevin O'Connell, running the show, McCarthy should be able to thrive in a complementary role. As PFF states, McCarthy will be given every opportunity to succeed, something that not every rookie from the 2024 draft class had the luxury of last season. In three seasons under O'Connell, only 2023 fifth-rounder Jaren Hall has found no on-field success with extended playing time. Even that performance was such an outlier that it's hard to criticize anyone involved, including Hall. If McCarthy can pick up where Darnold left off, the 2025 Vikings should be returning to the playoffs. If he can elevate his play in the postseason, the Vikings could be returning to the NFC Championship for the first time since 2017.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Jalen Ramsey and the current state of the Vikings at cornerback
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings brass, defensive coordinator Brian Flores, his staff and players want opposing teams to see their logo on the schedule and sense an oncoming headache. It hasn't been enough for Flores' defense to bring an all-out blitz, then fake the all-out blitz. It hasn't been enough to play one nontraditional coverage on the back end; the Vikings have introduced dozens of them. More is planned, and the next iteration remains anyone's guess. Advertisement Just listen to defensive tackle Harrison Phillips' comments Monday after another OTA practice. 'We would like to have so many different bullets in the chamber,' he said. 'Vastly different fronts, vastly different coverages. Are we going to move and bring everybody? Are we not going to move and bring everybody?' Phillips mentioned personnel additions like defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. He talked about the development of Dallas Turner. You could tell how excited he was to talk about the defensive front, and still, it felt fair to wonder: But what about the secondary (specifically, the cornerback spot)? To this point, none of the Vikings' actions suggests they're concerned. They prioritized re-signing Byron Murphy Jr. in free agency and targeted Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah. Coach Kevin O'Connell even referenced Flores' rosy evaluation of Rodgers in March at the NFL league meetings. Flores and the Vikings' personnel department have not missed when identifying free-agent talent over the past couple of seasons. Still, this level of conviction in two journeyman players is notable, especially as the pool of potential contributors continues to dry up. This is the time to get ahead and take our team to another level.#Skol — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 2, 2025 One big fish is still out there, and he's down in Miami. Multiple Vikings staffers are familiar with Jalen Ramsey. O'Connell coordinated the Los Angeles Rams offense in 2021, when Ramsey last earned All-Pro honors. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, edge rushers coach Thad Bogardus, defensive line coach Marcus Dixon and vice president of player health and performance Tyler Williams spent time with Ramsey on that Rams staff. But there's some risk involved. Ramsey will turn 31 in October. Acquiring him might require trading draft capital the Vikings have wanted to accumulate after parting with several picks the last couple of seasons. Advertisement There are two other considerations. First, Ramsey's current contract could leave the Vikings in a precarious position for 2026. The amount of money Miami might be willing to absorb in a potential trade would matter. Second, bringing Ramsey into the fold would impede the path to playing time for youngsters like Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern. Minnesota is spending more than $357 million on the 2025 roster, which is the most in the NFL. This isn't a Super Bowl-or-bust situation, but the Vikings are unquestionably committed to winning in the short term. If Ramsey or any other available cornerback maximizes those chances, you can bet there has been an internal conversation about it. Then again, maybe the Vikings' key decision-makers feel the same way Blackmon does about the present state of the cornerback position. 'We got a real good room,' Blackmon said Monday. 'I see a lot of stuff on Twitter. Y'all know. A lot of people are concerned about our room. I would say we have a real good room.' Gleaning anything meaningful from organized team activities is difficult, but certain sequences stand out. One of them Monday involved Rodgers, who floated across the field with receiver Jordan Addison toward the left sideline. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy attempted a layered pass in Addison's direction, but Rodgers undercut the throw and secured the interception. Many of Rodgers' teammates hooted and hollered, and Rodgers celebrated as he raced the other way. O'Connell stepped in next to McCarthy for what appeared to be a brief teaching moment — or to compliment McCarthy for his willingness to try that type of pass in a learning setting. Whatever the case, Rodgers displayed the kind of athleticism and ball skills the Vikings coveted. They would not say it publicly if this were the case, but the Vikings staff could also think highly enough of their pass rush to skate by without further investment at cornerback. It's not just Allen and Hargrave joining the fold. It's the types of stunts and games the Vikings can implement in another season with Flores. Opposing teams got rid of the ball against the Vikings at one of the quickest rates in the league last season. Improve the pass rush, and the Vikings might view their countless zone coverages (with man changeups) as enough. Advertisement Minnesota could also try to entice teams to run the ball more often. The fewer times the ball is in the air, the fewer times its cornerbacks need to cover. Does it sound like the strategy hinges more on hope than reason? What if, you might be wondering, Murphy or Rodgers suffers an injury? Would the Vikings be OK relying on Okudah, Blackmon or McGlothern full-time? If not, wouldn't it make more sense for the Vikings to act on a player of Ramsey's caliber now, rather than wait for veteran options like they did last fall? This is the push-pull. These are questions that might be worth revisiting down the road. Get creative for Ramsey, and it would affect the team's future flexibility. Pass on a defensive back with as versatile a skill set as he has, and who's to say this won't be one of the sliding doors that shape what could have been? Any potential move will depend on whether the Vikings' decision-makers believe what Blackmon does. Nothing they've done thus far would indicate otherwise.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Is this Vikings free agent signing poised for a bounce back season in 2025?
Is this Vikings free agent signing poised for a bounce back season in 2025? The Vikings' defensive line was impactful in 2024, but in the eyes of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, it could have done more. How does someone get more out of a unit in the NFL? They revamp it by installing new pieces and allowing for the existing ones to get some help in the same breath. Veteran Harrison Phillips was his dominant self but the help from Jalen Redmond and others wasn't enough. Free agency allowed for Javon Hagrave and Jonathan Allen to come into the fold as well and that is where the defensive line is now set to be a group of monsters. PFF discussed one breakout candidate for each NFL team ahead of the 2025 season. For the Vikings, they selected one of those new monsters on the defensive front: Javon Hargrave. They write, "Hargrave played just 104 snaps in 2024 before a torn triceps sidelined him for the remainder of the season. In the three years prior, he posted a 92.4 pass-rush grade, a 13.2% pressure rate and a 16.6% pass-rush win rate, all of which ranked in the top four among qualified interior defenders over that span. He now joins a Minnesota defensive front that finished 29th in pass-rush grade from interior defenders last season. Hargrave should have plenty of opportunities to make his presence felt in 2025." Hargrave was coming off a Pro Bowl season from 2023 to last year. Expectations were high, but as they mentioned, injuries derailed it. Now the veteran lineman is set to be had for a value and can remain fresh as part of a unit with a deep rotation compared to previous ones. It could be the perfect storm for Hargrave to get back into a groove and be apart of a special defense in 2025.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Vikings get first look at veteran CB returning from torn ACL in OTAs
Vikings get first look at veteran CB returning from torn ACL in OTAs The Vikings' cornerback group was one of the underrated aspects of the team in 2024, playing a pivotal role in the defense's monumental impact on the season. The unit had many veterans step up as they had to plug-and-play many players they signed late in camp, such as Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin. That was partly due to the unit needing a veteran pressence to counter the unit's youth, but also to help with injuries. One of those injuries came from Mekhi Blackmon, who missed the entire 2024 season. The Athletic's Alec Lewis shared his thoughts on the Vikings' cornerback this week, as a video of the cornerback being back on the field at Vikings OTAs was shared. His return will give a nice boost to the Vikings' cornerback room, as they once again are looking to overhaul the position group ahead of a new season. They brought back Byron Murphy Jr., who is coming off a Pro Bowl season. Meanwhile, they also signed Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah, who are gambles that could thrive under Brian Flores. Getting someone like Mekhi Blackmon back will help with their signings as it will allow for Flores to lean on a familiar face while mixing them into the fold.
USA Today
24-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Justin Jefferson shares Olympic dreams after league announces rule change
Justin Jefferson shares Olympic dreams after league announces rule change The NFL is continuing its mission to grow globally. On Tuesday, owners voted to allow players to participate in the 2028 Summer Olympics. That should attract attention from the league's star players, and the Vikings' biggest star is already intrigued. "To be honest, I'm at a loss for words," Jefferson said, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor. 'To think about the chance of playing in the Olympics and getting a gold medal, it's a dream.' It's no secret that Jefferson likes to put on a show, and there's no bigger stage than the Olympics. Jefferson has scored 41 touchdowns during his five-year career. If he can score on NFL players, imagine how much he could dominate players unfamiliar with the sport. There are still many logistics to work out as training camps usually begin as the Summer Olympics begin. However, Jefferson could have tenure and the star power the NFL seeks to showcase globally.
