I have to ask the question, what are we doing? While I am glad to see Kyler Murray come to the Vikings and Carson Wentz being re-signed, I don’t think management has addressed the main issue on our roster which is the offensive line. I get having a veteran backup QB, and I even get having a veteran QB backing up the backup QB, especially with the injury history we’ve experienced over the last few years at that position. Do you know how to make sure our starting QB doesn’t get hurt? Make sure he doesn’t get hit (unless you’re Kirk Cousins and tear your Achilles on the 20-yard line)! Do you want a 1,500-yard rusher in our backfield? Fix the offensive line!! You want to give our all-star receivers time to develop their routes and get open, fix the offensive line! Seems like there is a theme developing. It doesn’t matter if you have Joe Montana, Steve Young or Tom Brady under center, they can’t throw a pass if they are on their back.
I’ve been a Vikings fan for 25 years now, and I’ll always be a Vikings fan. This week, the Vikings signed Carson Wentz again to shore-up the quarterbacks room, knocking Max Brosmer out of the 53-man rotation. Hopefully he can stay and be placed on the practice squad. With the Vikings having Murray, Wentz and J.J. McCarthy as their quarterbacks for this coming season, are they going to try to keep on developing McCarthy for their long-term franchise quarterback? He started turning it around in the second half of the season. The thing that has been hurting him is his injuries. If he can stay healthy, he might be able to develop into a franchise quarterback.
The Vikings also signed Ryan Van Demark for backup on the offensive line and Johnny Hekker for punting. What are the Vikings going to do at center now since Ryan Kelly retired, and they only have Blake Brandel and Michael Jurgens to replace him? Are they still looking at free agency or are they going to wait until the draft to pick one up? The Vikings have a lot of spots between now and the draft on offense and defense to fill.
I have confidence in Murray. He is smart. Not just smart enough, SMART. In my dream offseason, every time they ask him about his progress, he looks at K.O., smiles a wicked smile and says “taking it one day at a time.”
Got to get the meanest center available. I would love to get a guy that just mauls those DTs, makes the calls and goes and gets somebody for real. Ryan Kelly would have made a huge difference. Hope he catches a fish or two now that he has time.
I combined these questions since there’s a little bit of overlap with concern at center, the lone spot on the offensive line where the Vikings aren’t expected to return their 2025 first-team player in 2026.
I also want Kelly to enjoy his well-earned retirement, whether that’s fishing or going full “dad mode.”
While the ultimate preference would have been to have Kelly’s services all season (he was really solid when available), the silver lining is that Jurgens, a 2024 seventh-round pick, started three games (Cincinnati in Week 3; Detroit and Green Bay in Weeks 17-18) and Blake Brandel, a 2020 sixth-round selection, in six games (Week 5 against Cleveland in London and Weeks 7-11) at center last season.
The general consensus about Brandel was his versatility (he has also played tackle and guard) adds quite a bit of flexibility on game days when active roster spots are limited. If the Vikings opt for him to start at center, then that would sacrifice a bit of value provided by his versatility.
I don’t know how coaches graded Jurgens or Brandel last season or what Keith Carter, Minnesota’s assistant offensive line coach last year who has been promoted, will want to do with the room this year, but I do believe the Vikings will be interested in stymieing quick pressure from interior defensive linemen.
Another thing that should help at center is Donovan Jackson will be in his second NFL season after showing promise as a rookie, and Will Fries, who started all 17 games last season less than a full year after recovering from a broken leg, is projected to ascend. Returning Christian Darrisaw at left tackle and Brian O’Neill at right tackle also helps the whole group considerably.
The maneuver to acquire Van Demark by signing him to an offer sheet above what Buffalo offered is a way the Vikings again strategically added depth at tackle. He has a really interesting backstory, by the way.