{"id":206860,"date":"2025-07-14T17:02:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T17:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/206860\/"},"modified":"2025-07-14T17:02:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T17:02:13","slug":"will-flores-transforms-vikings-d-again-2025-predictions-linebackers-long-term-view-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/206860\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Flores Transforms Vikings D Again? 2025 Predictions + Linebackers Long-Term View &#038; More!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"n9JaO7\">As the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailynorseman.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Minnesota Vikings<\/a> gear up for the 2025 NFL season following their impressive 14-3 run in 2024, fans, reporters, bloggers, and podcasters are buzzing about defensive coordinator Brian Flores\u2019 potential innovations to sustain elite performance. In the latest episode of Two Old Bloggers on Vikings 1st &amp; SKOL\u2014a production partnered with the Fans First Sports Network\u2014hosts Darren Campbell and Dave Stefano deliver a comprehensive breakdown that\u2019s essential listening for Purple faithful. With training camp just days away, the duo explores long-term linebacker stability, Flores\u2019 tactical evolutions like increased man coverage and versatile deployments, and timely Vikings headlines that could shape the year ahead.<\/p>\n<p id=\"wAgYpI\">Campbell and Stefano, seasoned bloggers with a pulse on Vikings lore, remind us why Flores transformed a leaky 2022 unit into a sack-happy and turnover generating force, while pondering if new additions like Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, along with Isaiah Rodgers, will propel them further.<\/p>\n<p id=\"8LPeWA\">Imagine a Vikings defense that doesn\u2019t fade late in the season\u2014blitzing less against vets, manning up more, and confusing offenses with multi-tool players. That\u2019s the question: Could Flores\u2019 \u201ctime machine\u201d genius, as Stefano calls it, finally deliver a championship-caliber unit? Dive in for the full scoop on why 2025 feels like Minnesota\u2019s breakout year.<\/p>\n<p>Key Themes of the Show:<\/p>\n<p>Linebackers Long-Term Outlook: Inside linebackers face uncertainty with Blake Cashman and rookie Kobe King as the only longer-term locks; Ivan Pace Jr.\u2019s pass coverage development could earn an extension, while Brian Asamoah battles for a roster spot. Edge rushers appear stronger with Dallas Turner (under contract through 2028), Jonathan Greenard (2027), and Andrew Van Ginkel (2026), though depth relies on undrafted talents like Bo Richter and Gabe Murphy; age and production will determine extensions for veterans turning 30+.<\/p>\n<p>Brian Flores\u2019 2025 Defensive Evolution: Flores aims to sustain early-season dominance by increasing man coverage with corners like Rodgers and Byron Murphy Jr., emphasizing \u201cmultiple\u201d versatile players (e.g., Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, Turner) for confusion; expect less blitzing against seasoned QBs thanks to interior upgrades like Hargrave and Allen, focusing on dictation over reaction to counter late-2024 fades where the Vikings allowed 25+ points in final games.<\/p>\n<p id=\"MxhaP0\">For another great take, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailynorseman.com\/2025\/7\/12\/24466361\/the-flores-scheme-and-whats-next\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Warren Ludford\u2019s piece<\/a> here at the Daily Norseman.<\/p>\n<p>Vikings Headlines Roundup: Kirk Cousins admits feeling \u201cmisled\u201d by Atlanta drafting Michael Penix Jr., thanking the Falcons for pushing Minnesota to move on and draft J.J. McCarthy; Dallas Turner loses $240K to a scam, potentially fueling a breakout year with motivation to make it up in incentives; ESPN\u2019s Ben Solak lists 13 Vikings as best draft picks by slot (e.g., Adrian Peterson at #7, Justin Jefferson at #22), sparking debates on omissions like Danielle Hunter and Randall McDaniel.<br \/>\nListen:<\/p>\n<p>Watch:<\/p>\n<p id=\"OXU62X\">Whether you\u2019re a lifelong SKOL chanter or a casual NFL observer, this episode of Two Old Bloggers captures the excitement of Vikings football with unfiltered passion and sharp insights\u2014perfect for gearing up as training camp kicks off. Tune in on Vikings 1st &amp; SKOL for more Minnesota Vikings podcasts, exclusive breakdowns, and community-driven content that keeps you ahead on the road to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/super-bowl\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Super Bowl<\/a> LIX. Don\u2019t miss out; subscribe now and join the conversation!<\/p>\n<p>Fan With Us!<\/p>\n<p id=\"DLWfjh\">We have your Minnesota Vikings talk amongst the Two Old Bloggers, Darren <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KickassblogVike\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@KickassblogVike<\/a>, and Dave <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Luft_Krigare\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@Luft_Krigare<\/a>. Join the conversation! Fan with us at Vikings 1st &amp; SKOL <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Vikings1stSKOL\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@Vikings1stSKOL<\/a> and with our podcast partner Fans First Sports Network <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FansFirstSN\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@FansFirstSN<\/a> and Fans First Sports Network\u2019s NFL feed <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FFSN_NFL\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@FFSN_NFL<\/a> where you get sports takes for the fan, from the fan!<\/p>\n<p>Question:<\/p>\n<p id=\"cJrPQZ\">What bold prediction do you have for Brian Flores\u2019 Vikings defense in 2025\u2014top-five ranking, double-digit sacks from Dallas Turner, or something else? Share in the comments!<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the Minnesota Vikings gear up for the 2025 NFL season following their impressive 14-3 run in 2024,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":206861,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2073],"tags":[4877,3390,1310,33655,7,29,4870,3782,233,259,33656,6113,1312,6110,1388,6112,22848,2529,91,6,1311,5103,5866,43873,11521,3848,1206,234,1124],"class_list":{"0":"post-206860","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-minnesota-vikings","8":"tag-again","9":"tag-d","10":"tag-daily","11":"tag-flores","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-front-page","14":"tag-linebackers","15":"tag-long","16":"tag-minnesota","17":"tag-minnesota-vikings","18":"tag-minnesota-vikings-depth-chart","19":"tag-minnesota-vikings-discussion-chat-message-board","20":"tag-minnesota-vikings-news","21":"tag-minnesota-vikings-podcasts","22":"tag-minnesota-vikings-roster","23":"tag-minnesota-vikings-rumors","24":"tag-minnesota-vikings-training-camp","25":"tag-minnesotavikings","26":"tag-more","27":"tag-nfl","28":"tag-norseman","29":"tag-predictions","30":"tag-term","31":"tag-transforms","32":"tag-two-old-bloggers-minnesota-vikings-podcast-climbing-the-pocket","33":"tag-videos","34":"tag-view","35":"tag-vikings","36":"tag-will"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206860\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/206861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=206860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=206860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}