Should Minnesota Vikings pursue Joe Burrow after 2025 season?

Should Minnesota Vikings pursue Joe Burrow after 2025 season?

Like a dog in the street. 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. A happy Thor’s day to all who celebrate. Our guy Thoren Istrom, now part of the Scor team. You can find two Thor related podcasts on a daily near daily basis in addition to his Purple daily appearances. Thor talks purple which is now a week and a half into its run on Apple Spotify and the Scorn North YouTube channel. And we just launched Scorn Football Takes as well earlier this week where you can find Thor and a rotating cast of myself, Jud, Robbie Rosenhouse is going to jump in uh for an episode or two every week. So find those and you can find Thor Talks Purple like I said, Scorn North YouTube channel, Apple Spotify, Football Takes, Scorn North football takes on Apple Spotify and a brand new YouTube channel. 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MSP your local carrier dealer and carrier and MSP is a winning combination. Call MSP.com. MSP plumbing, heating, and air. Also, a shout out to Federated Federated Mutual Insurance Company for uh for being just a force for the last hundred years, helping small and medium-sized businesses, the backbone of America, as the reckless speculation police look to pull me over for what we’re about to talk about. But, uh, Federated is not only uh could be a great help to your business, it could also be a great place to work. Federated Insurance has been uh has been awarded and recognized by top publications as an excellent workplace. So, if you’re looking to pivot careers or maybe start your career, they actually hire a lot of former college athletes. Visit federated insurance.com/careers to learn more. Okay. Reckless speculation. First, Thor, how are you? How are you doing here today? I’m doing great, Phil. I I feel like I’m not going to be doing so great in a little bit. Oh, wow. See, see, I think the thing we’re about to talk about is a glorious potential thing. And if if if you want to disagree, this could be a really fun conversation, but uh I’m going to play a clip that people have probably seen some of this on the internet yesterday. Joe Burrow did his weekly press conference. Joe Burrow, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and he’s playing for this sad Cincinnati franchise. And uh here was the tone of his press conference yesterday. I want to keep doing this. I have to have fun doing it. Uh, you know, I’ve been through a lot and if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? Uh, so that’s the mindset I’m trying to bring to the table. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but seem frustrating. Um, there’s just a lot of things going on right now. A lot of things going on right now. Football related. Personally, all the above. Like you said, there’s nothing. All we can do is is focus week to week and try to try to win games. Uh I don’t think anybody’s really thinking about the playoffs right now. That’s um that’s within reach but on our fingertips. So we just got to keep doing what we’re doing and try to get better. He’s giving off very weird cryptic vibes. It feels like either an Andrew Luck situation brewing or maybe as it hits closer to home for Cincinnati fans, maybe a Carson Palmer situation brewing from like 15 years ago where he just demanded out. Burrow turned 29 years old this week. Uh when you if you’re the Vikings front office and you hear depressed, sad Joe Burrow, do you make a phone call at some point in the next is this is this a thing that the Vikings should have their antenna up for? First off, he he to me he he he was like Kevin Mallister and Home Alone like right before he realizes like I’m going to have to do this on my own. I got to take on the Wet Bandits on my own, you know? But and then and then all of a sudden he gets the motivation then Harry and whoever uh got to deal with the brunt of it. But sad times right now for Joe Burrow and and to the question I would make calls on everybody if I was in that that’s my job in in that seat. I would be kicking the tires on everyone. I would want a price check on everyone and even negotiations where I’m not actually serious about it. I want to know how the other team values their own assets. So if there was any indic a player wants a trade or is insinuating that or a team insinuates that a player could be available, I would be making calls all the time uh irregardless of whether I I actually was serious about consummating that trade. So yeah, you you have to make calls like that. Well, and I my guess is with the circumstances, this has been discussed internally. Uh because like it’s very clear the Bengals are for the the most part a mess. Their defense was brutal a year ago. They fired their DC, brought in Alen, they’ve been awful. They don’t pump the necessary resources into the entire roster. And Joe Burrow, you know, when Joe Burrow sat out, he probably’s like, “This whole thing’s a mess.” And then he comes back and he can run the offense, but you can’t win a game if your defense can’t uh can’t play. And let’s be honest, if you’re Joe Burrow, and I I don’t think he is going to pull a luck. I don’t I think he’s extremely competitive. I don’t think he would walk away. I think he might demand a trade. But if you’re Joe Burrow and you were doing this, let’s say you were to give the Bengals a list of five teams, like I just want out of here. I can’t play here. It’s It’s just not going to work. If you were to give the Bengals a list of five teams right now that you would want to go to, your pal Justin Jefferson, just like Jamar Chase now, but your pal uh Justin Jefferson who played with you in college, plays here, had a tough year for him as well. And I would think the Vikings would be with I don’t think it’s a stretch to say this. If he wants to trade, the Vikings would be in Joe Burrow’s top three. Joe Burrow, reckless speculation. I I I I don’t disagree. Um, and and a part of it I’m smiling because I I don’t know folks, it’s certainly people on f on Twitter, I think, have seen this, but there’s a a picture from Joe Burrow at like a house party and I think he he must have been he was either like late in high school or early in college, but he’s wearing, I believe, a Randy Moss jersey. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, so that, you know, I’ I’ve posted that on Twitter in the past, but yeah, he he liked the Vikings back in the day. And then the Vikings have the whole the old uh the purple LSU thing. You know, they brought in a lot of LSU guys and obviously uh front and center of that Justin Jefferson of this discussion. Those guys uh on that offense 2019 is the best college offense I’ve ever seen. Those two guys, Jamar Chase, um and Terrence Marshall Jr., Randy Maza’s son, Thaddius was on that team. Clyde Edwards Lair, first round running back. But yeah, um you would have to consider it. And Joe Burrow, I I agree with you, Jud. I I do think the Vikings would be pretty high up on his list. So the there’s so many tentacles off this. Um, I think it’s so rare that you see I’m going to call Joe Burrow a Hall of Fame level caliber quarterback. I’m not saying he would be in the Hall of Fame. He has to do more and rack up more accolades and maybe win a Super Bowl, but like his talent level, if you play it out for another 8 to 10 years and give him a full career and racking up numbers, like he I think he’s that type of quarterback. You rarely see those types of quarterbacks in the prime of their careers change teams. You’ve seen Hall of Fame quarterbacks mid to late 30s and 40s change teams. Tom Brady, Aaron Rogers, Pton Manning, I mean Brett Favre, famously Vikings took advantage of that at his age 3940. Philip Rivers and now he’s back again. Uh all of those guys were in their late mid to late 30s or 40s when they went to new teams for the first times. But there are some examples of very good quarterbacks who are either in the prime of their career or close to it getting traded over the past 15 years. And you’d have to I I’ll give you these five. Yeah. I think with any of these five trade comp packages, you’d have to use that as the bar and jump over it for Joe Burrow because I think Joe Burrow is a better quarterback right now than any of these five. But you guys tell me. Matthew Stafford, who was 33 at the time, was traded to the Rams for two first round picks, a third, and Jared Goff. Deshawn Watson, which this trade is laughable in the moment and in retrospect, 27 years old at the time, traded from the Texans to the Browns for three first round picks and three additional picks in the middle to late rounds. Russell Wilson was 34 at the time that the Seahawks traded him to the Broncos for two first round picks, two second round picks and players. Carson Palmer, 31 years old at the time, forced his way out of Cincinnati to the Raiders for one first and a conditional second. And then Jake Cutler was 26 years old when the Broncos traded him to the Bears for two first round picks, a third, and Kyle Orton. So, if Joe Burrow got traded, and this is the math you’d have to do as the Vikings, uh, it would likely have to be the most expensive trade compensation package in the history of the NFL. Not counting like that Hershel Walker loophole trade that the Vikings got fleeced on. You’d be talking and the NFL, I think, caps it so that you can only, you can correct me, Thor, here, but I think the NFL caps it at you can only trade picks within the next three draft cycles. So, it would be if Deshun Watson was worth three first round picks, it’s three first round picks probably plus additional picks and you’re likely sending JJ McCarthy over to the Bengals uh to to be their quarterback in development of the future. Would it be worth it and taking on a huge chunk of Joe Burrow’s contract? Would you would you have the shiny quarterback toy and you’re giving up too many other things in your cupboard? I am highly interested even with the potential draft compensation that you’d have to give up. Yeah, the the the price tag there I think it probably be I mean what I was thinking was the first 2026 first 2027 and then you’re second in those two drafts as well and then probably McCarthy that you know as as sort of a starting point for that. Um, if if McCarthy’s in that trade as well, would you I mean, you got to go the the the one uh 20 what would that be? 2028. And did the the Bengals they want picks earlier, you know, day two picks earlier on? I that’ probably be the the discussion there. But yeah, you’re obviously going to have to give up the multiple first round picks and more um give up your own quarterback in that one that So that’d be the Viking side of it. Um and you look at the contract that Burrow has, it’s actually manageable to acquire. Um it it could be done um on the team trading for him. The the part of it that I don’t know if it can be done is the the Bengals cap situation trading him. You would have an enormous uh accelerated dead cap hit if you did. I think it’s it would be if they did it over this offseason, I somewhere I saw $90 million, something like that. Um, yeah. I think so. The as I understand Burrow’s contract, I believe there’s three components to it from an accounting standpoint. There’s his base salary from year to year, which is a big chunk. It’s like, you know, 2530 $40 million base salaries over the years. Then there’s the signing bonus proration. I’m going to get way into the weeds here where they gave him the contract and they gave him a signing bonus, money in his pocket up front and the Bengals get to prorrate that cap hit over the course of the contract, but that’s already paid for. Like the Bengals already had to swallow that. But then what teams are doing and the Bengals are doing this with bro, they have another component called an option bonus, which is like it’s basically yearby-year bonuses that you can pay out I think cash to the player and it gets uh prorated over the course of like you can spread those option bonuses out over the course of the contract. I think the acquiring team would be on the hook for those option bonuses which are like 103 $15 million a year. So, this is all a roundabout way of saying if you cut Joe Burrow, which they would never do, it would be untenable. They’d have to eat like $100 million in dead cap. If you trade Joe Burrow, I think the Bengals are actually only on the hook for the signing bonus pration, and the Vikings would acquire the option bonus aspect of the contract. So, it would it would be um it’s workable. I mean, provided that the Bengals decide inexplicably that they would trade one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Phil, what are what are you seeing for what the dead cap hit would be like the acceleration of the the bonus stuff when the Bengals trade him out on the Bengals end of it? Yeah. Well, let me pull up a You’re seeing like significantly less than the Let me pull open the old over the cap calculator here. So 2026, if you were to um this is for 2026, according to Over the Cap, if you were to trade Joe Burrow sometime around March or April, uh the Bengals would be on the hook for $56 million in debt, plus another $8 million in uh it essentially be like $65 million in dead cap, which is less than the Broncos or the Seahawks, no, I’m sorry, the Broncos ate a bunch of it to get rid of Russell Wilson. So, it would it gets a hefty price, but you’d be obviously taking a step back. You would eat that to take the draft capital on. It’s somewhat workable is what I’m saying for the Bengals. One one, you know, thinking about it from the Bengals perspective. Um, and the Bengals, of course, they’re the the franchise is uh not not the best franchise we got in the NFL. And uh if if it if it’s toxic inside that building um and Burrow wants out u maybe they would consider it. You know, it doesn’t seem like a it seems like an organization that that might actually uh uh think about that next year. You would basically the interesting thing to think about is that 2027 NFL draft that that we think could be uh historic, at least recently historic in the amount of talent in it. um and especially offensive firepower. That that’s the what we think is going to be um potentially the best wide receiver class that we see in the last 25 years in the NFL. And that’s the class that could be stacked in quarterback that we believe will be stacked in quarterbacks. And and we have to see the early declaration decisions on Dante Moore, Lenor Sers, Tai Simpson, uh some of these different guys uh in January, next month. But uh the 2027 class, the one that that we’re really really looking forward to. You’re the Bengals. uh you’re certainly obviously you’re going to acquire the multiple first round picks and and certainly one would be in 2027 but the other thing of you would basically be setting up a tank for next year where where you know in that class in the 2027 one that’s where you got Arch Manning um and and I I know March Manning didn’t play as good at the beginning of the season. He played really really well down the stretch and he has a ton of physical ability uh 6’4 225 much better athlete than his uncles. um not not as good uh reading the field yet, but he’s gotten better and better and better at that. He’s going to be your your front runner in the clubhouse to be the first overall pick in 2027 when he comes back as expected for for another season of college football. And then all the the other different guys, well, if you’re if you set that up, we’re we’re just going to egregiously tank next season and then we’ll we’ll see where the chips lie. our our primary focus for the 2026 regular season is to acrew as much draft capital as humanly possible and we’re going to kick the can uh till then that that’s where you could start thinking about it like if if you’re going to egregiously do that um and you know in that scenario you actually don’t mind that your cap situation has been blown to bits for one year because that the other thing on the Bengal side of it you know that you have that cap hit but because of and Phil you were kind of uh brushing on this because of the way that that contract is structured I was seeing that uh I don’t think it’s in 2027, but after that the Bengals and all of a sudden you start having enormous cap savings from what it would have been with Burrow on the roster where you’re taking 40 45 $50 million off of your projected ledger for those years, right? And in this scenario, you’re you’re going to get your young quarterback one way or the other, right? I’m on the on the dead end team next year that they would that they would create by making this trade and certainly other accompany because right after that Jamar Chase is going to be like, “Yeah, I want I want my walking papers too, right?” So So you you get more first round picks in that. I mean I is Jamar Chase going to stay there if if you’re blow you just traded his his college quarterback who he’s been with since 2018, whatever. you’re blowing up the roster and you’re you’re kind of saying like we don’t have any money to spend cuz we we have to give the $65 million in dead cap whatnot. So yeah, you you would definitely be be going for the gold tank and McCarthy would be in a bad spot next year on a on a on a Bengals team that’s trying to tank. But at least he would get a one year to show that um you know try to make the argument to them that that I’m the guy going forward. But if if if indeed they were a bottom five team in the NFL um as they kind of be setting up with this trade, then you’re at the top of the 2027 draft. you sort of get your pick of the litter. So, the trade I think is this. It’s M. It’s your 2026 first, your 2027 first, your 2026 second. JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner. Oh. Oh, you send him. Okay. You’re sending They need help on defense. Well, but do I mean, but they don’t need help on defense in 2026 27. No, but he’s young. Like, he’s he’s he’s still young. So, so ba basically, I’m sending you four first round picks and a second. Wow. And I would do that in a heart. Let’s entertain in a heartbeat. Let’s say um let’s say it is Well, I see. I actually think it’s I think it might have to be more than that because I think Jud, you can’t throw Will Riker into this trade. That’s where I draw a line. No, they they’ve got a kicker. Will the thrill, baby. I mean, let’s say it’s it’s minimum two firsts. I think it’s three firsts because I think anyone’s going to look and say, listen, Deshawn Watson went for three first round picks and other stuff. Sorry, that might have been a bad deal, but that’s the this is Joe Burrow we’re talking about here, and he’s better than any of the comps that you’re going to find in the last 15 years. So, let’s but let’s say it’s let’s say it’s Jud’s 2026 27 first, 2026 27 second. Let’s say JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner. That’s a great offer. Who says no? That’s a fantastic offer. Pretty good offer. Like I and and I and and by the way, I am now taking on the rest of that contract. So, like now you’re off the hook. Once your dead cap situation, which is your problem, is settled. So, I’m taking on the contract. I’m giving you two young pieces and three to four potential really good draft picks. and the contract if and I might be wrong. I’m not Rob Brzinski, super cap expert. Uh, and I didn’t stay at a hotend express last night, but I think if the Vikings take on the base salaries and the option bonuses, then the cap hits would be 40 million in 2026 for Joe Burrow, 44, 53, 55 million in 2029, which would be about 13% of the projected cap outside the top 10 cap hits for quarterbacks in the NFL in 2026. And you’re actually getting value for a guy at that rate. And the reason why this makes so much sense is because 2025 has given us a a handbook of Kevin Oonnell. We now know who he coaches well. We know we now know what he struggles with. And can you imagine the the excitement on both sides, Okonnell and Joe Burrow to work together because Joe Burrow would be a able to entertain this, you know, this offensive system in a heartbeat. like this is I think we now can draw the line relatively safe safely unless you want to continue to pound your head against the wall that Kevin Oonnell doesn’t have the patience for a rookie or a firstear starter. He just doesn’t like we have uh basically gotten a playbyplay in the past week or so of what JJ McCarthy was asked to do to start the season and it does not jive with what a rookie QB most of them can do. But Joe Burrow, are you kidding me? And Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson. I mean, that nine route, that sucker’s back in play, boys. So, as far as as far as this goes, I think this would be the ideal marriage for Okonnell and would probably take both Burrow and O’Connell through the end of their upcoming or or their current contracts. I think it’d be perfect. Yeah. I mean, go ahead, Thor. Well, you Yeah, I mean, at that point, your your cap situation right now has been constructed around the idea that you have the rookie uh scale contract for the next three years. So, that that’s one thing you’re going to have to work through without draft capital. you would have to be pretty convinced if you’re the Vikings that your roster coming out of that trade is one that where where you like your odds of going making deep playoff runs that that the next couple years um you’re going to have to get creative with your your free agent signings and you’re going to have to get creative in the draft and I know people out there are like who who cares trade away the first round picks because Quy stinks in the draft uh early anyway. uh you know and maybe you know he’s better in the later rounds at at UDFA so so maybe that part of it would work out but your your assets at that point you’re you’re very constricted the argument you know I was talking about when the Packers trade for Micah Parsons now your next couple you really have to to go and make a run this year and and maybe win it all this year or next year to justify that trade if you’re the Pack and obviously Micah Parson’s incredible player so fun to watch and everything makes that defense really really good um and and it might make them a Super Bowl contender but if you don’t win a Super Bowl one of these next couple years. Packers, their cap situation not very good. And now you’re out of uh draft equity these next couple years. So you you’ve sort of constricted your ability, your maneuverability. The Vikings, you’d sort of lock yourself into that roster construction after that. You’re going to have to get creative uh opening up cap space going forward with the way that you’ve constructed it. But if if you feel really comfortable that next couple years we could make a run with it, I I think that’s where you’d have to strongly consider that. And because we’re talking about Joe Burrow, I am willing to make sacrifices that ordinarily I would not be. And J, what if we now if we’re if we’re getting into cra, you know, if we’re getting into like like like, you know, we’re going to toss some crazy stuff out there with with with your offer. I mean, we already know Jamar Chase is going to that he would demand a trade the second that that Burrow did, right? What? Why not? Why not? Why not ask if maybe you know Jamar, you know, would you be interested in being reunited with Justin? You guys can have Addison over here. We We know you guys look good in purple. We know you guys look good playing together. Uh Addison with the 2028 first. Um I’m trying to think what else isn’t nailed down. Oh, it’s Cincinnati. You want Ivan Pace back? You enjoyed him in college. He’s the same. He’s about to be a free agent and he ain’t going to be resigned here. They can’t have Riker. That’s That’s the one that’s off limits, but uh the rest of the roster we could we could talk through, but yeah. Yeah, it’s interesting to think about. Well, you’re you’re getting into So, the one thing we’ve talked about over the years going back to the Kirk Cousins era of Vikings football is the different types of quarterback bins that you can fall into and then your chances to win a Super Bowl in any of those bins. And right now, the Vikings are in the rookie scale contract bin. And for various reasons, it has not clicked in the first two years of the rookie scale contract. There are still 3 years of team control for you to figure it out. Um, feels like there’s some impatience brewing in the organization and like we’ll see where that goes. The bin that they were in for six years was you’re paying a ton of money for a non- elite quarterback and you’re guaranteeing some stability at that position and you’re guaranteeing a a fairly high floor, certainly a higher floor than you get when you go into the rookie quarterback and a low ceiling, but also a capped ceiling unless you are lights out in the draft and the Vikings weren’t over the course of most of the Kirk Cousins era. Uh, but then there’s this this bin that the Vikings have quite frankly never really been a part of outside of 2009 where you’re paying top dollar for a top Hall of Fame caliber quarterback and that quarterback is good enough to make up for the deficiencies on your roster that the lack of cap space provide and maybe some non-perfect drafting, right? is like if if you’re paying Joe Burrow or a quarterback of his caliber 13 to 15% of your projected salary cap, um that is the type of quarterback that I would say, okay, cool. 100% in and we’ll figure out the rest cuz I think he’s good enough to make up for me. Hell, he brought the Bengals to a Super Bowl with a rickety offensive line and a bad like a fairly bad defense a few years ago. uh the defense has become untenable and the offensive line has become untenable and now they’re fighting to to be 500. But it’s the type of quarterback and there’s like five or six maybe in the entire world that I would almost write a blank check to within reason and just figure out the rest. Doesn’t mean you can whiff you you can’t draft at the level they have the last four years even with a Joe Burrow or it ain’t going to come to fruition. But I would I would happily take my chances on filling out the rest of the roster and then Joe Burrow making up for any deficiencies if given the chance. Yeah, the the two routes uh to to potentially uh getting to the Super Bowl and then maybe even having a shot to win the the first in franchise history with but the quarterbacks we know we we know the data going back 2530 years. the way that the finances are constructed in the NFL. It’s either you hit on the the rookie scale guy and construct the super roster around him or you get one of the top five six in the world if if you if you can you know jive that you can find your way into one of those those guys never become available in trade. Um it’d be the only you know it’s it’s the reason I where you would have to consider this one. The one that that is the nightmare scenario is they pull the plug on everything to go back to the the the mediocre veteran flatsome that they decide to pay 30 to $35 million so the people in that building can contend for the playoffs every year and then go nowhere on the the off year that they qualify for them. That’s what we don’t want. Don’t want to trade draft capital for M. Jones and then give them 30 plus million dollars. Don’t want to like some of these things tossed out. It’s like no no no that is not the there is no path to the Super Bowl there, right? But like whether it’s the development of the young quarterback or whether you find like if if if that guy becomes available uh that that’s where you would have to talk about it. So at least this one I I’ll I’ll at least you know entertain this one cuz that’s that that is one of the paths. Joe Joe Burrow is is obviously on that very short list and you you would have to part of this whole thing this discussion is you would have to change GMs because at that point in time you cannot have quasi near your draft be because yeah it suddenly becomes important that you find guys and by the way it’s possible I I know it’s crapshoot I know blah blah blah it’s uh it’s the lottery but it’s a lottery that some teams win a lot more than some teams do and that becomes extremely important but to go back to so to go back to the one thing that we the piece of the puzzle that we were missing though and it has to be talked about is what has Kevin Oonnell showing you that says he can develop a young QB nothing zero like I didn’t realize that till now but but we’ve seen it and and so I guess unfortunately because it’s almost a fireball offense although I think he’s in no trouble it’s almost a fireball offense that we are like well yeah here’s what you do and we all talked about this you get the young quarterback on the rookie scale contract. Well, the 30 for30 now is what if I told you the quarterback whisperer couldn’t develop a young quarterback, right? So, like this is where we’re sort of stuck here. So, and I’m with you, Thor. The Kirk Cousins, oh, let’s just go get a guy. He’ll be serviceable. He’ll be good, but he will not win you anything. I don’t want that. So, this is why the Joe Burrow thing really really intrigues me because this is this is the one thing that I think with Okonnell calling plays for him would 100% work. Yeah. And if if this is something that be, you know, becomes a serious consideration over the offseason and then there’s reports and they’re pursuing that that would essentially be an illicit um uh Kevin Okonnell acknowledging that fact, acknowledging failure uh on that front. you know, it’s, you know, for Kevin Okonnell, it’s a guy that, you know, he he’ll direct the movie and he’ll write the lines, but he’s not the acting coach. And I think he that’s what he would essentially be uh saying outright at that point. Yeah, I think that’s a great analogy right there. Yeah. He’s like, I’m not listen, I’m not going to teach this guy how to act. Well, that’s part of the that’s part of why we brought the actor in, dude. I don’t want Timothy Shamlet on this movie. I I want I want someone that has more uh more experience. I need Tom Hanks. Yeah. Where’s my Tom Hanks? Bro, we don’t have Sorry, we don’t have $40 million budget for Tom Hanks right now. Yeah, he he wants a guy that’s already had his 10,000 hours of improv and other guys worked with him. He does. He does. And it’s I mean it’s why like I was ruminating on on Twitter last night and and as an example I threw out like Zach Wilson as someone and it’s possible Zach Wilson is a is a bust and it doesn’t matter going forward but but he kind of as you’re looking for well who are those next like if you’re going to get back into the that secondary market of quarterbacks that were first round picks and super talented but they just needed they just needed more time or a different situation or they needed to be able to process NFL speed over five six, seven years. It didn’t click right away. And I feel like Kevin Oonnell is just better suited to work with guys that process and speak the language at a 3000 level course like he he only teaches like grad level classes. It feels like and and it now now is there a possibility that it just maybe it’s more on McCarthy at some point? We’re not going to know that quite frankly for several years. We’re just the the story is not going to be written on McCarthy until he’s at least 26 27 years old. But um but yeah, I think one more question on this and then we’ll get to we have a mock and we’ll get to some draft related stuff here with Thor. But how has your opinion of Kevin Oonnell like where what was your opinion in like one or two sentences of him let’s say a year ago versus now? Has it changed? Has it altered at all? Like what where are you at with Kevin Oonnell? Thor, I think it’s become a bit more nuanced. I I I I would say um the but yeah, you we are starting to move in on and we’ll see this off seasonason and I’m very curious to see what he what happens with the organization but then also what he’s pushing for visv the quarterback position which it’s been reported over and over and over and over again by credible reporters that the organization defers quarterback decisions to Mr. Kevin Okonnell, all of them, right? And so I’m curious to see what he ends up pushing for that there. But yeah, this fall I think the criticism of of Kevin Okonnell is fair with that with the the the play calling and I don’t want to switch my scheme and why can’t this guy run it and the the the months of passive aggressive comments towards the young quarterback. I love your tweet with that fell, you know, that talking about that cuz that’s true. It’s you have com, you know, Teddy, was it Teddy Brussi talked about that on TV one time about how Okonnell was throwing McCarthy under the bus that it seemed like there was sort of from the lectern and Kevin Okonnell instead of trying to meet uh his scheme and and his philosophy and and you know with the the young quarterback where he is right now was sort of trying to cast dispersions of like why aren’t you like Kirk? Why aren’t you like Sam? Why why haven’t you been in the NFL for eight years yet? you know, and it’s like, well, bro, that those guys were taught that that’s sort of what you’re supposed to be doing uh right now. And the the path early on uh for the development of Mart didn’t love it. That what what they said to the public that was way more flowery and good sounding than what actually happened, the plan with it, the the year when he was on the shelf on ice. And then uh this year seemed like you’re blaming McCarthy for that when it’s not his job to shepherd his own development especially in a year that that’s lost to injury and and then some of the public comments as well you know and some of that you know I made the argument I think some of that were shots at Josh McCau the quarterback coach um you know when they were all taken as as shots at McCarthy but yeah I would definitely say more nuanced and I definitely see him now as more of a play caller game planner uh up in your office watching the film No, guys, that’s your job. You know, I’m I’m I’m busy. That that kind of a guy. And then when things don’t go well, it’s why can’t you guys run this thing? I spent all week putting this thing together and and everyone knows that for years it’s worked with other guys. So, yeah, I I would definitely say more nuance and and if you’re more, you know, if if that’s a skill that he can’t develop, the thing of develop the young quarterback, that would be unfortunate. Um, you know, and and it’s going to force you onto this path and and and we’ll just see how that goes. But I I still think he’s a great game planner. I still players like him. Um he you know he’s good in the locker room as far as motivate like all that all that sort of different stuff. But you know not everyone can be uh Andy Reid. Not everyone can be you know some of the the greats of all. I was going to say Belichc but Belich you don’t know offense and I ain’t going to compare anyone to Bichc is things have gone wayward there. But not not everyone could be the best the best of the best of the best. But Reed landed on the on the right guy though too. like like there’s a case to to be made that if uh Kevin O’Connell had gotten Drake May, it’s a different story. So to me and and you know for years and years and years they had success but they never won a Super Bowl was Reed and McNab. And so I do think it’s there’s something to be said for the most important thing was Reed got Momes and then it’s like oh okay you can do everything I want. Um, I got to push back just a little bit though, Jud. When when the Eagles selected Donovan McNab out of Syracuse, that was seen as, yes, the guy’s got a lot of physical ability, but it was also the high variance prospect, right? Like could be a star, but you have to build the system around him and you’re going to have to develop him into a pro guy cuz a lot of this the scheme that they ran at Syracuse was not translatable. And then uh at 10 was the they took Pat Mahomes the same se selection slot that that McCarthy was. Um, and and the Chiefs traded up for that one. the the book on Mahomes at Texas Tech. It’s oh, this is a product of the system. This is an air rate guy. It’s a swashbuckler. He only throws downfield. He didn’t play the within structure stuff, the short stuff. That stuff wasn’t in Texas Tech offense. So, I I give Andy Reed a lot of credit for not only developing those guys some of the skills that they did not have in college, but also building the scheme along with them, right? Like the the Chief scheme that that we saw later on during their dynasty was different than we’ve seen in the second year, right? like like you kept modifying that where is the player in the moment then how do the or the defense is adjusting to it then you change it again whereas uh Kevin Oonnell what I’ve seen is a bit more intractability with regards to that. Yeah, I’m just my my point is though that McN that that McNab was really good, but Mahomes is better and Mahomes he he got him to do what he wanted, but I don’t know like like if they had taken Trabiscy, let’s say, do I think that Reed’s a genius? Probably not. So like it also was he unlocked him, he’s he’s really good. But I do think it also comes down to a conversation of who do you land on, who do you get, and when? which is why the fact, you know, if the Vikings did did have a chance at Drake May and the Patriots didn’t hang up, they could have pushed more and I think that that would have worked. But anyway, my whole point is I am very leerary now of Kevin Oonnell and young quarterbacks. I’m concerned about that now. Yeah. Uh and and you look over the you know I don’t know that during Okonnell’s career you know you go back to the the Rams and the was it the commanders initially that there was a high draft pick taken with a young quarterback but several of those teams had younger quarterbacks uh you know recently with the Vik Jiren Hall and some of these different names and the Rams had some of them as well and you know the Capital wasn’t put into those guys but you look through those names it’s a long grizzly list of guys that whatever talent that they that NFL thought they might have uh coming in that those guys really didn’t develop into anything. So, yeah, you haven’t seen the the guys that he’s had success with, Goff, Stafford, um Cousins. And and I guess the exception, a guy that didn’t have success prior to was uh last year with Darnold. But Darnold the year before had been in a very similar offensive scheme with the 49ers, you know, and and then, you know, you take a chance on him. But yeah, points well taken. Uh boys, let’s shift gears here. I want a mock cuz we’re getting uh we’re getting some of the heavy hitters putting out mock drafts here uh going into bowl season. Uh after we shout out Padres’s and Jud and everyone here, Thor, Dex, and the audience, we invite you a week from tonight to Padres’s in Northeast Minneapolis for our next Purple Daily Unplugged event, 6 to 8:00. It’s the ugly season, ugly sweater edition of Purple Daily Unplugged. So, wear your favorite ugly Christmas or holiday vintage sweater, Viking sweater, whatever you want, uh, for your chance to win prizes. Hang out with us. We’ll do a little podcasting. purpleaily.com/unplugged for more information, but it’s wide open to the public on Thursday, December 18th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at a great place, Padres’s Jud. And most importantly, come enjoy beer that tastes like beer. Come enjoy a place that, that’s right, focuses on beer. They’re not trying to develop a cornerback and a linebacker and a three tech and a No, no, no. They focus on one thing and you know what that is? Meat and potatoes. That is the best beer possible. Uh I’ve been talking about the red chimney for a long time. That’s outstanding. Patty’s uh premium as well. Also, by the way, available in more than 200 liquor stores in the metro Rochester and Mano. Uh join us at the Old Land Nod Factory though at the corner of Broadway and Central Avenues Northeast 6 p.m. next Thursday and find out what it’s like when all focus is put on one thing and that is outstanding beer. Hey Phil, on that graphic with the Padres’s with the ugly sweaters with with purple daily, are those real or is that are just a graphic? Those are those purple daily ugly sweaters. I’m glad you asked. Are available at scornorth.com/shop right now. scorn.com/shop for your purple daily ugly holiday sweaters. I I might I might need to stop by and try to grab one of those things before I I do have a Vikings ugly sweater, but uh I I’m a connoisseur of ugly Christmas sweaters. Those are some good looking ones. There’s another uh platform that you’re interested in. I know it’s called Underdog, and Dean can tell everyone about it. Yeah, Underdog. Sign up promo code score. Player first five bucks, $75 in in bonus entries. Uh I I may have sent Thor a screenshot of a Dex tweets win on Monday Night Football. Can confirm little last second little uh addition there. And I said, you know what, Chargers? I still buy the Chargers here a little bit. I think they can come back and win this game. That’s the beauty of underdog. There’s plenty of different options in the pick them side and crossport entries. So, so go sign up with promo code score ko. Play your first $5, get 75 bucks in bonus entries. Also, a shout out to Park Dental here before we do some mockage. Uh, Park Dental for over 50 years cleaning and caring for teeth in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, including my own teeth the last couple years. Uh, no cavities for this guy. That’s right. So, Park Dental, if you’re looking for a new dentist, maybe you’re between dentists, maybe you haven’t been to the dentist in a while, and you’re looking for someone that won’t shame you too much, uh, park dental.com to schedule your appointment. There’s likely a location conveniently placed within just minutes of wherever you live or work. And many of the uh, offices are open at 7:00 a.m. and at least until 8:00 p.m. once a week so that you can accommodate before or after work. Parkdental.com. I want to mock. All right, boys. So, PFF, man, I love I and I love like the just come out swinging with trades. So, like Field Yates had a trade with the number one pick here and PFF came out. I think it was was it Trevor? PF Trevor. Yeah. Yeah. And he’s got right away right away with the number one overall pick. The Rams aggressively moving up the board. I could see this from where are they at? Like eight cuz they get the they get the Falcons pick. Yep. Uh, so they’re moving up for Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and they’re just grabbing their Matthew their Matthew Stafford replacement. I’m going to fly through here and get to the Vikings. So Thor canopine, but Dante Moore, quarterback Oregon, goes to the Raiders at number two. And we scroll down to the 11th overall pick where the Minnesota Vikings, according to PFF Trevor, select out of the Ohio State University safety Caleb DS. I want a mock. How would you feel about that? What are your thoughts? Love it. That’s the guy that I want. Uh, will Caleb DS get down to number 11? You know, Vikings are going to be looking like 11 10. um probably not going to get above there, but luckily you have a a floor beneath it. You can’t really go uh too far beneath that. Um uh because the way that that right now we got it, but would Caleb Downs, let’s say it’s 11, would he get down to 11? That’s the big thing. You have the position devaluing there with the safety position, which opens up the door of the possibility. Um Kyle Hamilton, he got down around that range a couple years back. We we didn’t know that he was going to, we didn’t think he was going to. But uh it would have been nice to have a shot at a guy like him. You know, he was available. May maybe I’ll leave it at that. But if if Caleb if Caleb DS does fall down and Quy is sitting in that seat, that would be an opportunity to potentially rewrite history. Stan Pat, turn down your trade offers and just take the obvious guy, the gift that the NFL has given you. Where are you? So, like if you had to give me right now uh offense or defense, top three positions of need that that might actually track with available expected available talent Thor for the Vikings, where are you leaning right now? Again, top available pos or top positions of need also combined with guys that you expect to drop, let’s say, into the 11th 11th range of the draft. uh cornerback and safety I both put on there. Expected retirement of course Harrison Smith and we’ve talked about the boundary corner thing all the time and if and if you do that you get to kick back Murphy to his real position and then Mattel to his real position too. So you basically improve three spots with one stone if if you you get a starting boundary corner there. Those for me would be at the top. The next one center is obviously going to be a big one. Um, but we talked about that before. You know, it’s, you know, it’s and it’s not the most stacked quote unquote center class. So, maybe I wouldn’t say that one. Yeah, I’m good on not doing that. If if Hawinson’s cut, tight end might be the the other one, you know, and then we’re talking about guy like Kenyan Sadi from Oregon. Or we’re getting into day two where there’s there’s several pass catchers there as well. But, um, yeah, might go with that. You know, it just depends on the guy that’s obviously if it’s Aaron Jones, you might put, uh, running back, uh, up there on that one. But secondary for me is is at the very top of all these different discussions. And then the third one, you could you could sort of quibble depending on the and it’s Eric Wilson walking out the door at linebacker, right? Because an outball linebacker go up. The linebacker class, by the way, in April is awesome. One of the best linebacker class we’ve had last couple years. So if Eric Wilson does leave, you you would have a possibility in day two to get an immediate starter at that position as well. Interesting. You know, I see that the on this PFF mock, the Dolphins select a tight end from Oregon, Kenyon Sadique. And I mean, I feel like as the Vikings look to clean up their their cap sheet. Feels like TJ Hawinson at minimum is a massive restructure, maybe a cut. Josh Oliver, I think he’s he’s just shown so much. I feel like you keep him around. and they got a couple they got a couple other guys that they kind of like on the roster, but especially if let’s say they let’s say they keep JJ McCarthy and it’s more of a McCarthy battling with someone else. I mean, 11 personnel has been a disaster for the Vikings this year, they need more reliable non-wide receiver skill position players that they can trust to go heavier formations. Is there any world in which tight end would be on the Vikings radar in the first, second, or third rounds of this draft? the the one where you cut Hawkins in and then it absolutely would be and and you could make the argument that you know that the the previous question about the that Jud asks like the tight end actually could be number three at that point. I I think you could and maybe even some people would argue maybe it’s two maybe some people would even argue it’s one like you have to fill that with a starter. You would have to have a contingency plan and if that happened and you didn’t see a guy signed or acquired uh to take that role prior to the draft, they would be giving you a a flashing neon sign. We are going to be taking one in the first two days of the draft. Only one you can take in round one this year is is Kenyan Sadi and um folks are going to learn a lot more about him in late February in Indianapolis when he blows the roof off that place. Just an amazing athlete. Um and then but it’ be day two outside of that and a bunch of like receiver specific type guys, guys that that aren’t good blockers. Sadique is, but the the guys that you get on day two, you get the receiving utility, but you don’t get the the all-around thing. Is that going to be before after Thor blows the roof off one of those shrimp cocktails at Yeah, we will be going St. Elmo’s. No, I I’ll be back. We’re being sued. Yeah, St. Elmo’s. Mark Sanchez. He they he was the people the guy that Mark Sanchez got beat up by or assaulted by is now suing St. Elmo’s because they served him before he left. Of course he was there. Of course he was there. That’s what that guy’s saying is it’s saying almost over over over Okay. Okay. Yeah. So, I mean I hope they’re okay. I hope they make it. Well, in late February I, you know, when I’m down there combine, we can do a eight part investigative podcast, you know, investigation into the we put that thing together, too. Friend to friend of it. Friend to friend. I’m just going to tell you now, tread lightly on the bill there if you’re going to turn the expense in because I love the company, but I’m not sure they’re prepared for a for a St. Elmo’s shrimp cocktail and a steak. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, that that place might be a little bit much. But maybe the one shrimp cocktail. Um and and maybe I won’t be as as generous with calling the the waiter back as maybe Mr. Sanchez was that even allegedly we weren’t there. Who knows? That’s why we gota ask try the shake and steak. That’s the place to go. There is a shake and steak pretty close to there. I know there is. Rex Ryan loved it. Saw him there all the time. Of course he did. Well, was it food? Rex Ryan probably wasn’t turning down a whole lot back in the back in the day. Football food and feed for that guy. Uh Thor, I know you’ve got food. Sorry, I couldn’t help it. Food, football, and feet. Hilarious. Go. Um, so Thor, you’ve got another episode of Football Takes, the Thor’s Hammer edition of Football Takes, which there’s different flavors of Football Takes where we hit on NFL, college, draft a lot the next few months, and uh, and even some recommendations if you’re looking to uh, you know, maybe make a little money. Thor’s got some ideas throughout some of these episodes and that’s where Thor’s Hammers is going to come in. And I know you guys are going to hit on the chaos at Michigan right now that’s been going down the last 24 hours. So should be what a wild wild story that was. Um and and we’ve only gotten some of the details tree tops right now. But yeah, wild scenario, but yeah, going to talk about that. Uh osboards of the next uh Michigan head coach, which dropped immediately. I love the sports betting market. And then uh bowl season is starting uh up here and and Army Navy as well. We got Army Navy on Saturday. We got the first bowl game, the LA Bull. Uh Boise State and Washington. I have done my deep dive handicapping. I got some takes. I got some takes on Delaware, Louisiana bowl game uh early in the week next week. Got some props, got some picks. So yeah, check us out. We we’re gonna have NFL there as well. Doing that show with Robbie Rosen House. But that’s the Thursday edition of a football tank. So yeah, check that out later. Moral of the story, if Michigan beats Ohio State, none of this gets out. Yeah, that is the Yeah, this is not a story. This is not a story. We’re bare we’re we’re putting dirt on this problem if they beat the Buckeyes. It’s kind of wild that both Thor and I heard from people that are in the know yesterday that are like, “Oh, yeah. This is like not I mean some of the stuff that played out this week is new, but like the start of the controversy is a year or two.” Yes. In hiding at Michigan. So, and but they just found out. They knew. No, they just found out. We just found out. We did an investigation. Their story was so ridiculous, too. They’re like, “Oh, we got, you know, there was an anonymous tip in in November and but but we couldn’t cooporate it.” It’s like, “Yeah, y’all knew about that for a long time before that.” We couldn’t corroborate it until after we knew what happened against Ohio State. I’m not corroborating it. It was such a bad open secret that I knew about it when they claimed they got the anonymous tip thing. It was an open secret. It’s one of the worst open secrets that’s been in college football the last couple year. Like, this was a known thing. And, you know, I only found out about it then. other people around that probably knew about a long long time before there was on on Twitter yesterday. People were posting pictures where it’s like I took this photo of of Shirmore walking by my my campus apartment in in April 2024 and then it would be Sham and he’s walking with his administrative assistant who uh young young young woman in question here uh you know so it’s weird sorted uh kind of situation there but uh yeah I’m I’m curious for the the definitive speaking of investigation and the the definitive look into that. I want to know the timeline for who knew what when when they decided to make some of these decisions. Uh I I don’t think some of the this stuff is going to look good for the Michigan administration on the other side when someone’s able to lay out the timeline real clean. Yeah. So Score North Football Takes the YouTube channel. We just launched it this week and you can find it Apple and Spotify too. Uh but YouTube is youtube.com/scorn football takes and uh and Thor is a part of that multiple days a week. So, all right. Happy Thor’s Day. Happy reckless speculation. Thor’s day. Reckless speculation. And we’ll see you guys here on Purple Daily for a feedback Friday tomorrow. We just want the Vikings to win a Super Bowl before we die. Whether it’s JJ McCarthy or Joe Burrow, I don’t really care. Let’s do it.

Should Minnesota Vikings pursue Joe Burrow who appears unhappy in Cincinnati Bengals; What would it cost for the Vikings to acquire Burrow; Why the Vikings paying Burrow is different from paying Kirk Cousins; Has opinions on Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell changed over the last year; Plus a Vikigns mock draft update and more with Thor Nystrom on Purple Daily.

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