Minnesota Vikings predictions: JJ McCarthy, training camp and more

Minnesota Vikings predictions: JJ McCarthy, training camp and more

Purple Daily is daily Vikings entertainment. We just want the Vikings to win a Super Bowl before we die. I will ride with this group. Seriously, man. Please. And away we go. Write this down. Uh-oh, we’re sticking. Write it down. You like writing things down. There we go. Write it down. You like writing things down. It might just be. Write it down. You like writing things down. Oh no. Oh, I think it’s done. Okay, it’s training g. Listen, even like even the soundbar has to get into training camp shape. You know, Jud’s camp notes has to get his his uh writing on hydrating already. You’re prehydr. Dude, I was out there. So, Ross Brendle and I uh our monthly Egg and I breakfast, a power breakfast uh talking about the state fair coming up where Purple Daily is going to be live every weekday at the state fair. There was a couple power brokers at the Egg and I in St. Paul this morning. Couple power brokers. Couple people. Okay. I’d say not you and No. Like let’s just say there was there was definitely someone and I don’t I I almost feel like I it was like a meeting that was like I don’t know. Let’s just say that I I wasn’t and Ross wasn’t the most noteworthy person inside the sports world or political political world. Then you can spill it. Come on. Let’s hear uh Keith Ellison. Keith Ellison was at the egg this morning. Yeah. Sorry, Keith, if I just outed you. Uh I’m sure that’s not a polarizing uh person to talk about. Talk about politics. Write write this down. The next mayor many Oh, never mind. Never mind. Never mind. Take your calls at 651646. Anyways, uh before we get into our accountability session, some write that down predictions. the only show in America that actually puts statistics next to our predictions here. And a couple notes from yesterday’s pre- press pre-amp press conferences. North American banking company is powering this Write That Down session here on Purple Daily. If you are in the market for a better banking experience, why not try a Minnesota based banking company since 1998? whether it’s a better checking and savings experience. If you’re looking for like actual friendly, knowledgeable people, real human beings that you can build a connection with that handle your money, and uh if you value the safety and security of your accounts, North American Banking Company will make the transition easy from your current banker. Learn more at nabcode.com/mackie. That’s nabcode.com/macky. Member FDIC equal housing lender. All right, dudes. Uh, it shouldn’t be. There’s a couple things in the accountabilities here. It’s a slow time of year, but now that training camp is picking up, if there’s training camp predictions, they will start coming off the board. But here’s how it works. Three Vikings or football related predictions from everybody on the show each week. They have to be quantifiable in some way. We keep track of completion percentage. A touchdown is something that subjectively or even quantitatively has like a 25% chance or less of happening. Uh, if you want to participate as a guest listener predictor like Brady is about to, you can send Declan a message through the Scorn North app. The season runs from Super Bowl to Super Bowl. So, Jud, you had nothing come off the board. So, we’ll highlight a prediction still on the board here. Ryan Wright will not be the Vikings week one punter. How firmly entrenched are you in this prediction still? H mildly now, but I I do expect something. I mean, he hasn’t been that good, so it would make sense that something would happen. But, um, he seems to I believe I made this exact same prediction a year ago, and it came off the board in in red. So, I I am less confident certainly than I was the day that I made that prediction. I’m looking forward to Ryan Wright staring you down from across the practice field later on today. Me, he doesn’t care. Kick a football at you. Yeah. Well, you’d say that would hurt. That that would suck. I wouldn’t want to take a football to come up a little short and inaccurate is what you’re saying. Jud Camp notes might take a big hit if I got hit by a ball. Uh I said before week one the Vikings will trade for Sauce Gardner. Just signed a big extension yesterday. Jets are the Jets are uh turning over a new leaf, so to speak. It looks like they’re actually trying to do things right, which they’re not very good at. Like make their top players happy and retain them. Yes, sir. Uh listeners, Aaron had this one. Big CFL prediction. The Rough Riders would beat the Lions, the BC Lions in the CFL. Pull them up. That’s true. Very good. Tough game though. That was a great game. That’s a rough riders roll. And then Declan, you had between now and May 21st and the start of training camp. Yeah. The Vikings would add a player to their roster with five years of NFL experience. Yep. And uh the the you you debating against your own interest a month ago. Well, for the sanity of the show. For for the for the sanctity of the show. Sanctity of the show. Or sanity. The show needs sanity, too. Well, both. Both. Yeah. Well, I I don’t I don’t think that that counted. I mean, listen, I tried to get to a point here because you said five years of NFL experience, and they signed a guy who’s been in the NFL for five years, but he’s only played in three of those five years in a regular season game. Oh, I forgot about that. That’s right. It was the tight end guy, right? He’s still there, right? I think badly. He wasn’t part of uh the Mr. Mano list because he’s, you know, got too much NFL experience. Uh I’ve got a 57% completion percentage. Jud 45 and a half. Declan 35 and a half. Listeners 31.3%. Three touchdowns a piece for me and Jud. Declan two touchdowns. Listeners still looking for their first touchdown on the season. Declan with the career completion percentage lead dating back to 2021 36.7%. Jud and I tied at 35% career, listeners at 24%. Uh I have the touchdown lead by one over the listeners with 61 career touchdowns. So there’s the accountability sesh. Let’s get Brady in here. Guest listener predictor Brady. What’s going on, dude? Oh, not much. Uh it’s uh hot here as well. I’m down in Dallas. So, just kind of I mean, I put this on for the show, so I’m in a sweater. So, I’m excited to take this off as soon as we get off on here. But right now, I admire the devotion, the dedication to the show, though. Yeah. Thank you. I had to had to put on something Vikings. And this is uh I got this for the winter white out game last year. So, that’s what we’re rocking. Is it breathable? Is it is it 100 is 100% not breathable? It is 100% not breathable. It is thick. I mean the the winter white out game was in November or December. December. Um so I needed some something thick. So yeah, this is I got the AC cranked as as low. Don’t pass out on us. That’s for my prediction. I’m I’m going to try. So So yeah, what give us your background as a Vikings fan? Uh any Minnesota connections or you just you just find them in Texas? Yes. So I do have a Minnesota connection. Um, it’s actually a funny story because nobody, not that many people realized it, but uh, so I lived in Texas most of my life, but um, my dad was actually the public address announcer for the Dallas Cowboys for about 15 years. Wow. And, uh, but he did that with a giant Vikings tattoo on his shoulder. He was born and raised in West St. Paul. Um, so I I Minnesota is my second home. I go there all the time. That’s why I flew up there uh, last month. went to Meadows at Mystic, played some golf. Uh great course, but uh shot in the mid 90s, so it was wasn’t fun, but it was a beautiful beautiful day out there. So, uh yeah. So, I got a lot of connections up in Minnesota. My wife just got a new job where we’re traveling up there a lot more often. So, uh I love it up there. Love it. So, I’m going to guess that dad had the the great pipes then, right? Like that job, you need the great pipes. Oh, yeah. He uh that was his nickname was pipes. Um, so he sold for the he actually sold for the the one of the sports stations down here and I I did as well. That’s where I met my wife my wife actually with the Cowboys radio station. But yeah, he got the pipes. You can Google him. Brad Lorac. He’s still got all kinds of videos. He’s he sadly passed away a few years ago. But uh so he didn’t get one before before he died, but but hopefully I will. He did also burden me with the, you know, the Vikings uh curse here. So I I’m excited to hopefully now with KC JJ, let’s go get some wins. Yeah. I mean, Brady, you do have the pipes, too. Do you do any voice over work, like your radio background? Yeah, I do, actually. Um, I’m in my studio. Those are uh sound panels, if you can see them behind me. Um, I actually did send you There we go. Look at that. Um, I actually did send you a little gift. I was going to call you out, but I didn’t know if you like listen to it and you didn’t like it cuz you know, remember when Declan got that gift and he didn’t open it for a few months? Oh, no. Did I get an email and not open it for two years? Yeah. No, it hasn’t been two years. It’s only been like a month, but you guys talked about the uh the latest Vikings news and you were like, “We should get some new sounders.” Okay. So, then I I sent you one or I sent you two actually cuz uh you the way you said it, you wanted it with some explosions in the background and I didn’t love that. So, I I took them out on one version, but wait a second. Hold on. I’m doing a search for your name. He didn’t realize it was professionally done. He just assumed it’s some guy just sent it in from his garage. I’m going to say I I do think getting a physical gift and not opening it, but I know not to like throw Dean back under the bus here and throwing it in his closet, by the way, too. He didn’t just like Right. He like put it in his damn jersey, but this like just to to self-report here, there is an unopened email from Brady from May 30th now. So, it’s been almost two full months. Yeah. And it does say purple daily audio clips. And there’s some latest Vikings news sounders here. Uh let me before the end of this write that down session, let me see if I can throw these onto the uh the soundbar computer here or into StreamYard for us and we could we can sample these before Brady says goodbye. Cool. Yeah, I’d love to cuz what I also said because that was before you guys did your own, which they all sound great by the way. Uh, but if you if you uh if you want, I could do Jud’s camp notes. I love Vikings. Oh, actually some some actually you know what that’s new homework assignment and I’ll open the email in about seven weeks from now. Some some Juds Camp notes sounders would be a great addition to the show I feel like. Yeah. Yeah. Camp will be over when when you get them. But um yeah 2028 campers God willing I’m around to do them. We’ll do them in 202. Yeah. Postumously, we’ll do some. Okay. Um, AI Jud. Well, we used to do the Judbot. Remember when we would lose our voices or be sick? We would do the Judbot or the Philbot 3000 radio show. I know. Everyone looks fantastic. You could literally like we’re getting to the point where you could just preserve someone’s full avatar and voice. Well, there’s like people have taken like Frank Sinatra doing a cover of a Lady Gaga song or something, you know, long after he died. That’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to have Jud just ranting about like Kyle Rudolph, you know, milk milking his last two years in a Vikings uniform. JJ McCarthy Jr. is terrible. He’s certainly not his old man. What a bust. Oh, amazing. All right. Well, Brady, we’re going to start with you here. You make the first prediction over to Jud Dex. back to me. And uh if you’re ready, write it down. You like writing things down. Fire away. All right. I do like writing things down, so let’s go. I I felt like I should do some camp things, but I just got to go with my heart here. Um so, uh let’s write this down. Kevin Okonnell will get his first playoff win as a Vikings head coach in the 2526 season. And he will cry or fight back tears in the postgame locker room speech or visibly mo emotional like you’ll know it when you see it, I think. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I could see that. What about his voice will crack, right? Like at the very least his voice will crack. Yeah. Yeah. I love you guys. I love this team. The one that he said a couple years ago. Yeah. Like the what was it? I will I will ride with this group until they don’t let us play any more games. And then it was Daniel Jones who prevented you from playing any more games. So, okay, over to Jud. Write it down. You like writing things down. All right. with training camp starting. Um I I will begin my preseason training camp prediction thread with this one. Zamaya Vaughn, my guy, cornerback UDFA, very high on him, will have at least one interception this preseason for the Vikings. So preseason game, one of the three. Zamaya Vaughn will pick off a pass. Let’s go. I feel like there’s a chance cuz it’s we’re we’re definitely crowning some cornerbacks here early. I mean, Byron Murphy Jr. is the only established starting quarterback that they have. So if there’s an injury or a couple guys, if Mai Blackman doesn’t perform well, there’s definitely a a path to actual playing time for Zamayon based on what and based on like the OTAA mini camp reports, Jud’s camp notes, people seem to be high on that. And don’t forget um Dwight McGloth as well. So he he was a UDFA last year. He made the 53. I would actually not be surprised at all if he got playing time. But I do think that there still among the fan base remains panic. Like that’s panic. Yeah. Like oh my god, what are they going to do with corner? I And I don’t think that they’re I’ve continued to say this. I don’t think they’re nearly as worried as the fan bases. No. Or they would have they would have made a move or write this down something by now. All right, Dax. All right, I’ll make a Darasaw prediction. I know he’s not starting on the pup, which is great. Uh but I don’t still like his chances to start the season being ready to rock. So, write this down. Christian Darasaw will miss at least the first two games of the regular season. So, he will not play in weeks one or two. Okay. Yeah. What did you make of What did you make of him not going on the pup? Does that mean, Jud, that that he’s more likely to play week one than we thought maybe 48 hours ago? I’m debating that a little bit, but my answer would be yes. Like, he clearly is ahead of what they expected. Now, he did get hurt in October. you know, Hawinson when he had the same type of in injury, different position obviously was late December. But yeah, I think the door is definitely open now and and he’s going to start doing individual work. So, he will not participate in team drills. Um, but I think the door is definitely open for the potential of him playing against the Bears. I also think Declan might be right because they’re not going to rush him, but um it’s a it’s a great sign. It’s a really good sign because I thought for sure that that he was going to be on the pup. Okay, write this down. Write this down. The social media clip of my hot Vikings take from Monday is uh getting a lot of push back here. Like that I’ve been drinking too much Gabriel Murphy and Bo Richtor Kool-Aid. Oh. during the leadup. And so I’m going to go on the record. I’m going to say what I said on Monday. I’m going to take my hot take and put it into a write that down prediction that either Gabriel Murphy and or Bo Richter will finish the season with more sacks than one of these three players, Dallas Turner, Jonathan Grard, Andrew Van Gingle. So I think one of those two guys will become the fourth edge rusher. So you’ll have your your first unit of two is Van Ginkle Grenard and then your second unit is Turner and one of those guys or mix and match and then either sheer productivity or a Turner disappointing second season andor an injury could all lead to this coming to fruition. But a lot of people thought uh old Macadak was a little too positive with his Bo Richtor Gabriel training camp. It’s time for those type of boldations. We talked about it. I think it was last week or maybe it was on the Monday episode, I don’t remember, but like how we got accused of being too negative for a long time during the Kirk Cousins era because why don’t you just fall in line and embrace the team starting quarterback. We’re like, I because we want them to win a Super Bowl and they’re not going to going down this path. And then when you get a little tipsy on the Kool-Aid and say, I love the dep the depth at Edge Rusher. Now you’re being too positive. So, I’ll I’ll put that prediction out and you guys can clown me if those guys combine for one sack and Dallas Turner has 15 and these other guys are awesome. But I I just think they have a really good crop of young edge rushers. Write this down. So, looking to highlight that. Uh, okay. Over to Brady here and we’re going to intro him with his own voice. All right. Latest Vikings news. Okay. Okay. That was a major mistake by the show not to have unearthed that since May 29th. I uh I also did Vikings news. I did a comb through and I actually texted both of you guys that clip on June 1st when he sent it. Now I will not take any responsibility and a response from Phil that says amazing. It was a Friday. It was a Friday. It was a Friday and like we you know I think it was 4:00 the happy hours that probably beers are flowing with everyone. Awesome. Yeah. We’ll get this in on Monday. And now here’s Brady. John, come here. You got to hear this. Pour me another drink. So, we did So, we did acknowledge the awesomeness of it two months ago and then forgot about it completely by the next month. But, but now you’re in, dude. Like, now it’s Now you’re in the system. Latest Vikings news. Just to be clear, I never heard it or considered it. So, do not involve me. I had a feeling. I had a feeling. I remember last time when that happened with that other gift, Jud, you were very uh very adamant about wanting to open that right away. And so I I had a feeling it was going to be Phil on this one, but uh yeah, I pulled a deck. I pulled a declin. You threw it in the closet. Yeah, but that’s all right. I that happens to me all the time. I probably if it was on a Friday, I’d forget, too. So, thanks. Thanks for the the Yeah. No harm. No harm done here. The excuse making here. I don’t think he forgot. I don’t think he ever like processed it through the booze flowing through his veins that night. Just cuz it’s 4:00 on a Friday doesn’t doesn’t mean that Brady back to Brady this down. H All right. Well, I am also oozing with positivity for the Vikings. So, this might make some uh Vikings fans uncomfortable actually, but when the Vikings Yes. When they win their first Super Bowl, it will be won with a Will Riker gamewinning field goal, thus ending the Vikings kicking curse. Wow. Write it down, dude. All of it in one. Yep. Wow. Yeah. And so I want it to be like it doesn’t have to be a last second field goal. Like if he kicks the field goal like and there’s five minutes remaining, you know, it’s a game-winning field goal. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. We should quantify that. So is can we say of go ahead fourth quarter or overtime field goal. Does that work? Yeah. Okay. I like it. Now he’s more of he’s like a right to left uh like if he was a golfer he’d be kind of a natural draw, right? Right to left. Mhm. I feel like it would be fitting though if it looked like it was left first. The the famous wide left misses and somehow the football gods pushed it to the right and it sneaks inside the left upright. It it Gary Anderson, Blair Walsh teases you left and then curls in and just puts an end to decades of kicking problems and Vikings coming up short in the Super Bowl. I love it. Yeah, due. We’re due. So, I’m ready for it. Okay, write this down, Judley. All right. Um, we talked about this a couple days ago in our quarterback discussion. So, write this down. Shador Sanders will start two or more games for the Browns this season. So, among all of these quarterbacks and Joe Flacco is probably going to start the opener. I think at some point in time, Jimmy Hasslam, who owns the Browns, going to come downstairs and say, “We need to start Shadur.” And they’re going to say, “Yes, sir. We’ll start him.” And so, he will start two or more games this season. And he might just be, it’s not a stretch to say that that’s just the right move, right? You have a literally have a 40-year-old who hasn’t been a full-time starter in nine years or eight years. Get another draft pick. Kenny Picket. And then you have two guys that you drafted. Yep. And Shadur was by far the higher ranked talent of the two guys they drafted, but he fell for high maintenance reasons. Yep. So So it might just be the right Write it down. You like writing things down. Yeah, Dax. All right, write this down. Kirk Cousins throws multiple preseason touchdowns this year. Whoa. Multiple pre-season touchdowns. And I’m going to say team, I’m not going to give the specific team cuz it could be with someone else. They could move him. He will throw though. If he’s with the Falcons, he’s going to get run. He’s going to get run in the preseason, which is hilarious. So, I I think he’ll throw multiple preseason touchdowns right at a little bit of a parlay in that I don’t think it’s a guarantee that he plays in the preseason much or at all just because of where he’s at. You know, if if they are planning on moving off of him or they want to trade him, would they view playing him as a risk? Like if he gets hurt, then they can’t now they’re just stuck. Yeah. Or do they feel like they have to showcase him to show that he’s in a different place healthwise? I hope he plays a ton. It would be great. Just grinding the third quarter of the second preseason game. Uh Great Clips. Don’t forget Great Clips. Is he allowed to have like a Great Clips patch on his jersey? Oh, if he would, if he uh could, he would. No question about it. I totally see that. He is a gem. Write this down. Okay. Um, let’s go. I kind of want to load up on some some more JJ McCarthy predictions here. So, uhoh, Phil. Uh, oh, bounces back. He he he was a little glitchy uh to start this episode and I and I thought it was just, you know, our our great internet here at headquarters. Uh but I think Phil has lagged out. Phil has lagged out. We’ll have to get him back here in just a second, which is fine. I think it’s the karma gods for again ignoring Brady’s amazing sound work. That’s what I actually think it is. Brady did it. Brady, I cut him off. Son of a gun. Didn’t want to hear his JJ McCarthy take. was over it. But it’s also that what what was his soundboard doing at the beginning, too. It was just like repeating firing. It was I will say that that’s not internet related. I think that’s just his random soundboard that’s like needs to be definitely updated related. I don’t think that’s his uh thrown out a window. Yeah. One of trying to get back in now. Here we go. Here he comes. There he is. I will not be I will not be silenced. I will not be silenced. You froze there and I thought, “Oh, it’s going to be a split second, right? He’ll come right back.” You never came back. You can never tell with these. Sometimes when it gets to be like 95% humidity or like extreme weather, I don’t know, can sometimes be my power went out for a half hour yesterday, right? As I was coming home from the grocery store, too, and I had like shrimp and like things that had to be cold immediately. And luckily, like half of the power outage was out when I was at the grocery store. So, it was only like 15 minutes without power, but we quickly got everything in there, shut the door, didn’t open it again, and we’re okay. We’re okay. But like, great timing. Great timing. You think you’re okay at least until you try. I’ll let you know tonight when I have the shrimp. Yes. I’ll let you have a feeling tomorrow morning. So, okay. Write this down. JJ McCarthy prediction. Write this down. In the in the first game of the season against the Bears, JJ McCarthy will complete passes to at least four non-wide receivers. Four different non-wide receivers, not counting the opposing team. So, this is this is his own his own team. So, it could be like two tight it could be Hawinson Oliver and then the two running backs or CJ Ham or like a third tight end that we don’t even know who’s going to be the third tight end yet, but he I’m just going to say it’ll be a safety blanket game for JJ McCarthy. He will complete passes to at least four different non-wide receivers. Write this down. Okay. All right. Back to Jud here. Uh Brady. Oh, sorry. Brady. Damn. He really doesn’t like me. No, I’m all over the place. Brady, your third and final prediction. All right. Yes, my internet is bleeped and my mental wiring, my my checking of emails. All right. So, I am uh very high on JJ McCarthy. I think that he’s going to be the best quarterback out of last year’s draft. Um, so I’m going to give you some very specific numbers and then I’ll I’ll explain them. But in 2025, JJ McCarthy will throw for 3,776 yards or more. He will throw 30 or more touchdowns and he will have a passer rating of 100.2 or higher. Okay, so that is from last year’s all the other five quarterbacks. Bo Knicks threw the most yards and touchdowns. So that’s one more touchdown, one more yard than Bo Knicks. And then Jaden Daniels had a 100.1 passer rating, the highest of the five quarterbacks. And I think JJ is his first season compared to their first season. It’s going to be much better. Love it. Love this the specificity on those numbers right there. That’s a great great prediction. Thank you. Uh great stuff here, Brady. Since you’ve got this life-changing platform, you’ve now been your voice has been stamped on the Purple Daily soundbar here. Is there anyone you’d like to thank in your life that helped you get to this peak moment today? Uh yeah. Well, first I’d like to shout out you guys. Uh and thanks for, you know, doing this podcast. I started listening um right pretty much when Kirk signed with Atlanta cuz I knew that we were It’s time. We’re drafting our quarterback. Um and I was actually in London for the draft. Um I misplanned my trip. So I was in London. I was watching you guys. So you guys were my draft coverage uh on draft night at 1 to 4 in the morning London time. Um so it was uh it was a lot of fun. But and then also want to thank my wife uh my beautiful wife Chelsea who got a job in Minnesota now that we’re we’re traveling up there a lot more. Uh she’s super supportive of my Viking fandom and my anger when we don’t do things the way I want or when you know Sam Darnold doesn’t throw the ball he just takes a sack. Um, and so I got to thank her and she also listens to Purple D daily now with me when like we’re traveling. She’s a huge fan of the Snake Draft of the Week. So, got to shout out her. Love it, man. Brady, great stuff. And, uh, we’ll be looking for those Juds Camp notes sounders sometime in October. Yes. All right. Yes. All right. There he is. Brady Lorac joining us here on Write That Down before we make our final predictions and then get to some pre-amp press conference notes from yesterday. MSP Plumbing, Heating, and when it’s 95% humidity, MSP plumbing, heating, and air conditioning can help you. They absolutely can. This is no time to have your AC on the fritz. I’m going to tell you right now, it doesn’t have to be out to be ineffective. if it is lagging, if there are issues, MSP Plumbing, Heating, and Air is definitely the people that you want to call. Fast, reliable, outstanding service. And right now, get a $49 AC tuneup, which is going to make sure that your um air conditioning is running at peak efficiency. Nothing is more important right now than your home being as comfortable as possible because it’s miserable outside. They also do repairs, installs, reliable service. How do I know? I’ve used them. I’ve let them in my house. I’m going to tell you every time. They do absolutely outstanding work. Uh you can also join their total comfort club uh which allows you to know that your system is going to be taken care of all year long. Just give them a call 651-6154292 or check them out. Callm MSP.com. Callm MSP.com and make sure that AC is operating like it should be on a day like this. Another company that uh multiple members of the show have used is Two Men in a Truck for your moving needs, Dex. That’s right. They made my move happen and have to worry about figuring out my own truck. Who has a truck? Who can help me make this move happen on a crazy weekend and especially right now, right? It’s hotter than hell. Let the experts handle it. You can stay in your nice air conditioning home as as they handle that move for you. They’ll they’ll properly take care of everything. They’ll get everything into the new house. No hidden fees, no service charges. Tell them that Purple Daily sent you. Um, heck, even ask for Arty and David. Those were my guys that helped me out, too, at Two Men in a Truck. They did a phenomenal job. Let’s go to Twen in a Truck to get your quote today. Write this down. All right, Jud, final prediction. All right, another preseason prediction. Ty Chandler will lead the Vikings in rushing in the preseason. I rushing yards. Yards. Yards. I think he still might get cut, but he is a pre-season warrior. He has had some great preseason games. None of which really seems to impress the coaching staff. So, this is no prediction about his future, but he will lead the Vikings in rushing yards in the preseason. And they’re just going to callously, he’s going to be all confident, all pumped up, great preseason. He’s going to walk in on cut day all excited and they’re going to save. He might not even walk in. Come on in here. You might just get the phone call. Do they do I feel like they still bring you in like they they do I they call you to come. We need you to come in. I was being extra callous there with my cutting cuz you got to bring your tablet in. You can’t you can’t keep like write this down the playbook. That’s a whole thing. Uh Dex final prediction. All right, I’ll make a JJ McCarthy prediction but involving a guy who we love to talk about during the season. Steven Riza’s quarterback rankings on the ringer which are always very divisive. uh we all he has a very particular set of how he ranks quarterbacks. So, write this down. I don’t want this to happen, but I think this is going to be the case with him. JJ McCarthy won’t crack Steven Riz’s top 20 quarterback rankings until at least November. So, he’s he’s definitely going to be outside to start the season. Like, that’s fair and that’s fine. I I would not I think that’s normal thing to do. But he even though JJ might have a slow starter, even if he plays very well in the first two months, he will still limit him and being a rookie. Oh, he’s in KOC’s system. I’m basically doubling down on the Steven Ruiz uh hatred of Vikings quarterbacks. Uh kind of like he did with Sam Darnold at times last year, too. So, he won’t crack it until at least November 1st. Yeah. So, Darn, what was the highest that Darnold ranked? Like 21st. 21st. And like at times Darnold was below like Daniel Jones and other just absolute slappied guys. He never got higher than 21st. Yeah, I’ve got the So the last update was like during the playoffs and Darnold even at the end while he might have dropped at the end because he Yeah, he was uh here it is. Yeah. So he did he peaked dude even in like weeks 11 12 13 he was 26th 26th 25th week 15 and then he got up to so they ended this the last game of the regular season they didn’t do one after that. So going into week 18 was his peak at 21st. It’s pretty crazy. Like there’s a lot of history baked into that ranking some prediction though then. Yeah. Yeah. Caleb Williams was as high as 18th in week eight. Do you think in week eight Caleb Williams was playing better than than Sam Darnold? Uh, at no point last year was Caleb playing better question. And also Jaden Daniels, Steven Ruiz had Jaden, what do you think Jaden Daniels peak was last year? So he he reranked the quarterbacks every single week. 11. I’ll give you like two more guesses just for fun. Okay. So, it’s going to be lower from the way that you said that. 15 [Laughter] teeth. Oh, wow. In a week. So, what’s his for what’s the formula? Is there a formula? Is this Yeah, I wild. He I I’m I think uh so he has like things like timing, accuracy, creativity, arm, talent, decision making, and then if I remember right here, like EPA is is a big one for him. Success rates a big one for him. And then CPOE is another big one. Those are like his three real key statistical categories that that he uses. CPOE. Yeah. So C what is so CPO completion percentage? It’s It’s a computerized Wait a second. That’s a different CPOE. Is it completion percentage over expected? Maybe NFL. Correct. Phil, completion percentage over expected. Expected. Yeah. Um, by the way, Gino Smith was consistently between seventh and 10th last year in these rankings, while Jaden Daniels never cracked the top 15. What are we doing here? That’s ridiculous. What is happening? Make the prediction. This is why I had No, no, it’s a solid prediction then. It’s a great prediction. So, this is like like I’m sorry. There’s no there’s no logic that would tell you that G that Dino Smith is a better quarterback than uh than Jaden Daniels period, but that he’s consistently 10 slots higher. What planet is Steven Ruiz’s ranking quarterback? Does CP POE not sound like like a diagnosis? Like I’ve got bad news for you. What’s that? Well, CP Yeah. Yeah. You’ve got CPOE. You got no chance with that arm. Uh so you said he won’t be higher than you know what he won’t be higher than 20th until November. Yeah. Um All right. I’m going to I’m inspired by this here. I’m going to say where was So Drake May was was never Drake May at one point. He got up to like 17th or 18th. You know what? I have faith in Steven Ruiz. Wow. Okay. Steven Ruiz will rank JJ McCarthy as a top 16 quarterback at some point. So, top half top 16 quarterback at some point during the 2025 season. I have I have faith. Stephen, what are we doing here? You can move like if you thought that Jaden Daniels was something at the beginning of the year, like you can move off of that by the end of the year and say, “Okay, this dude’s ridiculous.” Yeah. Mobility of a Lamar Jackson, accuracy down the field. Even the the summary says the speed and precision of an F1 car with the durability concerns of an F1 car, but he stayed healthy all year, so you can’t like keep dinging him for that. Tre Trevor Lawrence was as high as seventh in week three and never dipped below 13th. While all those key categories, by the way, the EPA, the CPO, and the success rate, he finished 21st, 21st, 30th, and was according to him by the end of the season, the 13th best quarterback in the NFL in his rankings. And people look at these. Oh, they were they’re all we’ve talked about it a lot last year. We did talk about it in season. A decent amount. Not all the time. decent amount last year, especially because when Darnold would be basically disrespected. Check out on these pretty quickly now. Well, it just triggered a fivem minute rant from Yeah, that was good. Two and a half of us. So, um I don’t know if Minnesota Rusco can remodel your quarterback ranking system, but they can definitely remodel various things in and around your home just as they’ve been doing around the state of Minnesota since 1955, almost 70 years of experience. And throughout the month of July here, you got like one more week to take advantage of. 15% off everything at Minnesota Rusco. So, think about the projects that you and maybe your spouse have been talking about. Get that kitchen redone. That one bathroom that just needs to be overhauled, windows, siding, roofing, decks, uh summer and fall deck season. There’s still several months left. Doors, everything is 15% off throughout the month of July at Minnesota Rosco. No payments, no interest for 12 months. So, quit putting off that that remodel project and let Minnesota rusco handle it. And if you’re going to DIY it till you could screw something up, just trust these experts since 1955. Minnesota rusco.com. Minnesota rusco.com. All right, Jud, what stood out to you the the introductory pre-training camp press conference from Kevin Okonnell and Quy Doofmens? What what are two or three things that stood out to you? So, as far as the tone went of sort of previewing, setting up the season, what stood out to me was they definitely are very, and it’s this is not a surprise, but they are definitely very acutely aware of the expectations here and where this franchise is at since they since they took over as a pair in 2022. I want to say they are they’ve are what 34 and 17 in the regular season. They’ve won um double- digit games twice, one division title, no playoff wins. And among the quotes from Okonnell that I found to be intriguing uh were was this one. Quote, “We feel proud of some of the things we’ve accomplished. But at the same time, I think it’s time for all of us to continue to look inward as a group as this team builds itself day in and day out with the leadership of our team kind of driving that ship. It’s time for us to acknowledge what we’re actually trying to build here. And I found that to be very intriguing because here’s the other thing, and this goes back to what we’ve discussed. This team not only made multiple additions of veteran players in free agency, but they beefed up both lines. And the reality is, and this sort of confirms what we’ve discussed, which is I think the Detroit game in the regular season finale and the Rams playoff loss drove home the point that you can have a culture and you can try to get a team to be tougher and you can you can establish this is who we are, but it doesn’t matter in January unless it’s really who you are. And that’s what this team is built for now. The defensive line is stout. like you’ve got depth and again this is all provided on health of guys who have been hurt. Okay, but so let’s just assume knock on wood that they stay healthy. You now have depth and and definite starters up front defensively. Offensive line you can tell Blake Brle, Garrett Bradberry, Ed Ingram, you guys are going to be tougher. But you know what? when you’re playing the Lions in January and they’re smacking you in the mouth in the red zone so badly that you feel I have to pass the ball and Sam Darnold can’t hit the broadside of a barn, you’re like, “Okay, this is not going to work.” And so I think this quote dubtales perfectly into the quote that Okonnell had after the Rams loss last year about just a I’m very unoconlike, very very short but to the point of we’re going to improve the interior offensive line. So that quote to me really reflected the fact that instead of talking about we’re going to be tougher, especially in January, they’ve actually taken steps towards being that because they now know, and this has been a to me the biggest thing. You can know what it takes to win in January, but do you have the horses to do it? Because as I always say about playoff sports, they’re fun for us, but I think for players, they’re hell. Now, now you probably love the result if you win, but you get punched in the mouth. You play in environments where it’s extremely difficult. And if you don’t have a team that understands what it takes to win after playing an entire season, you’re not going to win. So, that to me is a this is a definition of Okonnell saying, “I’ve learned my lesson of that next step, and I think we’re taking that next step.” Yeah. I think this and that that thought process obviously it wasn’t an overnight switch that was flipped when they took the jobs in 2022. But they’ve kept their eye on a blueprint that they think and if you look around the league, what works? Well, you if you want to win a Super Bowl, you either need one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL or a really good quarterback who makes a lot less money that allows you to build one of the best rosters in the NFL. And as you drill down on that roster part specifically, it’s not about having the two flashiest receivers and then a bunch of weaklings and Jags in the trenches. Uh you need to have depth and size and pass rush and run stopping up front as a defense, your front seven. And as an offensive line, you can’t be allowing interior pressures. You have to be able to run the ball. And so systematically, they’ve kind of chipped away at that list over the course of three years. call it a competitive rebuild, if you will. And they, it’s funny because we we definitely on this show, we mocked Quy and Kevin Oonnell and mostly Quayy for the competitive rebuild mantra that it’s like it’s a uh it’s an oxymoron. It doesn’t you’re either all in competing or you’re all in rebuilding and anything in the middle is probably going to lead to nine wins or eight wins or 10 wins. Uh now they haven’t won a playoff game yet, but they’ve been able to win 13 and 14 games while swapping out the quarterback, swapping out big chunks of the offensive and defensive line, right? Drafting a number two wide receiver. So, um, to be able to win 14 games, but then still look at yourselves in the mirror and look at the Eagles and the C the, uh, the Lions and the Bills and the Chiefs and some of the other real top contenders and say 14 wins is fine, but we’re not on that level. In fact, we may have won more games than some of the teams that are better than us if you look at the DNA of their roster. Uh, and then to make those big changes in the offseason. We’ll see how it all plays out. And quite frankly, if JJ McCarthy is a dud, a lot of the good stuff you’ve done with the roster is it’s like you can’t win a Super Bowl. So, but um they’ve systematically they have done would you rather have done the competitive rebuild with Quy and have 13 14 wins or do the full tear down like the Chicago Bears did and still might not get to the playoffs in year four of Ryan Paul’s second head coach Caleb Williams. We’ll see what he does. So I love the way that the leaders of the organization are talking and doing over the last two or three years. Yeah. And they I think what they really came to realize through the Lions and Rams losses though was like how far away they were from winning when it matters most. Like cuz you can win and look the Vikings were playing very tough. I thought physical football that that win against the ners was a great example early in the season. But you got to have guys that embrace the grind in the hell in January and and like that’s it’s a different world. So I think that’s the thing now if this works. You’ve got interior offensive linemen who love this. Like I’m I’m sure that Boone and Surles on trenches Phil talk about this cuz like Boon’s a psycho. He loves stuff that the average person wouldn’t love. In fact, I think he loved stuff that the that that just a slappy lineman does not love. Like running the ball in Detroit. Like you got to be like, “Yeah, let’s go red zone, right?” Like the Viking, he’s if you go back and look at the playbyplay, Okonnell literally abandoned the run. And I’m not talking at the 15 yard line. I’m talking at like the four. So like you got to get guys that will road grade there. And that’s how you win. And that’s why I think McCarthy and and Okonnell brought this up yesterday. I found it to be very intriguing, 100% right, sort of unsolicited, but he’s like, and this is what I think that they’re asking JJ to do. He talked about managing the game and he’s like, you know, that’s sort of used as a term of a derogatory term. I’m paraphrasing here, but he said 32 quarterbacks in this league manage the game. And I’m going to tell you right now, if they don’t do that well, they’re on losing teams. So, he is in his mind, I think he is saying there’s going to be times McCarthy has to make plays, but there’s going to be a lot of times that he just has to do the right thing because we built a team around him infrastructure-wise that can that can help him, too. I mean, you could argue that Jaylen Herz did a lot more managing. Totally different style quarterback and offense, and I’ll grant you that. But Jaylen Herz did a lot more managing and just don’t throw a bad interception here than saving a team or dragging a team. Correct. And maybe maybe he could do more if they put more on his plate or the roster was weaker. But hey, the front seven, the offensive line, the running game, all these things, you got weapons on the outside. Like everything is ready to rock if you just kind of manage it and drive the car. And and you know again I think he’s capable of a little bit more. His accuracy is a little bit in question. I don’t know that a firstear starter McCarthy is he whatever he is this year he’ll be a much better version three years from now. So it it has to be more about the roster and the system than McCarthy carrying it. But there’s been a lot of instances where that formula has won a Super Bowl over the past 30 years for teams or at least gotten you to a Super Bowl. Safe to say I think Jared Goff. Okay. who’s turned into a really quality QB, but he also has in Detroit managed the game really well because he’s got a run game. Now, what’s going to be really interesting this season is the Lions once superior interior offensive line has been blown up right now retired. I think the guards are gone. So, it’s going to be very intriguing to watch that. But that being said, like Goff, Goff is definitely an above average quarterback, but he also has the ability to manage the game because he’s got or he’s had two uh backs that are fantastic. He’s had until now an offensive line that’s been great. So, I do think that there is a uh a stigma put on, well, you your stats, look at your stats. It’s like, okay, that’s fine, but do you win games and do you make the right play? Because that’s what coaches want. Yeah. Yeah, I the one issue I do take with with your offensive line commentary is you kind of made it sound like they need guys who want to do the dirty work. I don’t think it was like that Bradberry and Brle and Ingram were not motivated or didn’t want I I mean I think they just needed better players. Sure. They don’t. And up on defense especially, you’re asking like these kind of journeymen, Jonathan Bullard, Jerry Tiller types who are what they are. It’s not that they don’t want to be great at rushing the passer or be they of course they want to be Aaron Donald. They’re not good enough. Like their their careers are where they are because they’re not good enough. So go get better players in free agency and they did that. Ju uh just to be clear, I’m saying that more about the offensive line. And what I’m saying is I think you need some psychos. And I don’t think Brandle, Bradberry, and Ingram were psychos. You think Will Fry is a psycho? I think Steve Hutchinson was a football psycho. Like he wanted to kill you. I think Steve Hutchinson was also like very cerebral and controlled. He was just a really talented athlete and a fantastic player. But my point is he also embraced things that I think and and my point is that’s a really tough job. Like my point’s always like these athletes, a lot of them are just they’re really talented, normal people and and to do some of these jobs, I think you need a tad of psycho. And I and I would argue that offensive line play is less about being a psycho and more about being calculated, cerebral, and understanding quick twitch movements in small places. And they like physically and mentally just maybe didn’t have the guys to to do that. I want someone who’s gonna rip your head off in January and literally throw it into the stand. Are you watch into the stands? Mortal Kombat. This is lit. You’re You’re describing You are describing a fatality in Mortal Kombat, which I know you didn’t play video games, but literally you are that’s exactly what you are describing. Roadgrading psychos. But yes, you you’re absolutely correct. They’re also some of the smartest players on the team. So there’s no question. They usually are the smartest players on the team next to the quarterback for the most part. But either way, like yes, upgrade and they did and let’s see what happens starting today at camp. So, just the way the schedule’s going to go down. Uh practice today on this Wednesday from 2:30 until like 4:30 or 5, whatever time they end it. And uh you’ll have a like a quick social media reaction for sure on the social media. The score on our social media platform is Purple Daily, uh, Instagram, Tik Tok, and then, um, we’ll do the full Jud’s Camp Notes episodes the morning after, unless something big big happens where it warrants breaking news, then we’ll jump in with emergency episodes. But, uh, near daily Jud’s camp notes for the next few weeks here on Purple Daily. So, y, buckle up, baby. And so, first practice open to fans, just to be clear, is Saturday. So, they’re going to practice uh the next couple of days, open on Saturday, and then full pads. If you really want to go and watch football, wait till Monday. Monday. Monday is when that’s when the psychos come out. That’s when it sounds like we’re going to go up tempo again this year. It sounds like we’re going to have a very uptempo. We’re not going to No Club Met. Will Fries finish. Finish him. I That’s what I want. But but but I want it in the winter. Like you can do that now. Oh, I’m fresh as a daisy. Oh, I feel great. Everybody feels great right now. Whoopsies. When your arm is hanging, when your shoulder is hanging by a thread and your knee is mangled, I want you out there. Your soul is mine. [Applause] I like it. Never played it. For the sports dad, for all the psychopath offensive linemen out there, for Dex, I’m Phil. This Purple Daily, we just want the Vikings to win a Super Bowl before we die.

Minnesota Vikings predictions involving JJ McCarthy’s 2025 season, training camp underway, Christian Darrisaw, and more on Write That Down; Plus Judd’s takeawys from the Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah press conferences on Purple Daily.

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