This offseason has been pretty entertaining. We have had some real doozies in the past and this one is getting up there. The wailing nad gnashing of teeth and angst over the QB position is fantabulous! How can this not be fun?<\/p>\n
I do many different plans for a reason and often folks will interpret my position wrongly. That is OK though. I do nto try to predict what will happen. I only write what I would do. What kind of wannabe GM would I be if I was doing what the team would do? Sometimes I get it \u201cright\u201d and we do the same thing but often times I am way way off.<\/p>\n
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I think it is fair to state my position on our young QB, JJ McCarthy. I post stats from time to time that are interesting and they have not been too complimentary of our young QB which is fair.<\/p>\n
Due to his injuries and lack of playing time after two seasons, the team finds itself in a tough spot. The roster is pretty well stacked and all they really need is competent average to above average QB play in order to make some noise. Unfortunately for JJ, injuries have robbed him of critical development time.<\/p>\n
I really cannot say if he is going to blossom or not. There simply are not enough games to analyze. He has looked really good at times and really bad at times which is not unusual for a rookie QB. Being available is the biggest worry for me now.<\/p>\n
The rookie scale contract theory is winding down and we still not know what we have.<\/p>\n
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JJ is like a box of chocolates! You never know what you are going to get.<\/p>\n
Minnesota Vikings News and Links<\/p>\n
10 Free Agents the Vikings Could Target When NFL Free Agency Opens<\/a><\/p>\n Tyler Lindenbaum, C Nailor\u2019s Price Tag, Addison\u2019s Future, and the Vikings\u2019 WR Options<\/a><\/p>\n Daniel Popper of The Athletic projects Nailor to be in line for a base contract of three years and $36 million. He\u2019ll be an unrestricted free agent when the 2026 NFL league year begins March 13, and there are certainly going to be suitors looking for a young wide receiver who quietly burst onto the scene despite an undesirable situation with the Vikings this past season.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The reason Popper thinks Nailor is going to get paid is because of what he showed on tape, saying the film \u201cshows a player who is ready to take a big jump in the right environment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNailor has the spatial awareness to weave through zones and find soft spots. He was predominantly a slot player in Minnesota but has inside-outside flexibility. He flashes late hands to prevent defensive backs from turning and locating the ball. Nailor is not a burner, but he can push vertically out of the slot on fades, wheels and corners. He is compact ball carrier who is capable after the catch, and he is also a quality run blocker for his size,\u201d Popper wrote. Vikings Urged to Give J.J. McCarthy a \u2018Fresh Start\u2019 After Trade Buzz Grows<\/a><\/p>\n The \u201cJ.J. McCarthy needs a new team\u201d idea just went mainstream.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s Aaron Schatz tagged the Minnesota Vikings quarterback as their 2026 \u201cchange of scenery\u201d candidate, even while acknowledging it\u2019s \u201clikely never going to happen\u201d because moving a young QB with first-round upside is usually franchise malpractice.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the part that matters for Minnesota: once a national outlet is floating a \u201cfresh start\u201d for your young QB, it\u2019s no longer just message-board noise. It becomes part of the offseason pressure cooker, especially with the NFL\u2019s March roster decision window closing fast.<\/p>\n Schatz\u2019s argument is less \u201cMcCarthy stinks\u201d and more \u201cthis situation might be broken.\u201d<\/p>\n The premise: McCarthy may be better off getting out of the shadow of Super Bowl-winning Sam Darnold, even though Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s system is exactly the type of QB-friendly environment you\u2019d want a young passer to have.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n That\u2019s a pretty rare national framing: good coach, good scheme, but the context is still toxic enough that a reboot could help.<\/p>\n Heavy\u2019s own recent Vikings coverage has echoed that urgency in a different way, not by declaring McCarthy a bust, but by pointing out that Minnesota can\u2019t afford a repeat \u201cwasted season\u201d scenario and may need real competition (or even a pivot) at QB.<\/p>\n What a McCarthy trade would actually look like (and why it\u2019s complicated) Timing: March is when the league calendar forces decisions (tags, negotiating window, league year). Advertisement<\/p>\n That\u2019s why most realistic proposals come as swaps or \u201cQB-in\/QB-out\u201d concepts rather than pure picks.<\/p>\n Example: Heavy recently cited an analyst-driven proposal that would send McCarthy to San Francisco in a deal centered around Mac Jones coming back the other way. One Move Every NFC North Team Should Make This Offseason<\/a><\/p>\n Minnesota Vikings: Sign QB Malik Willis Advertisement<\/p>\n Coach Kevin O\u2019Connell can\u2019t hand McCarthy the starting job again unless he proves it by beating out real competition in training camp. Willis, a 2022 third-round pick, showed vast improvement in the games he appeared last season for Green Bay and his determination to make the most of his latest opportunity after how poorly it went for him in Tennessee could bring out the best in McCarthy in a fierce summer battle.<\/p>\n It was a small sample size, but Willis completed 85.7% of his passes in four games last year. For comparison, McCarthy struggled by completing only 57.6% of his passes in 10 starts.<\/p>\n Willis could have other options and maybe an easier path to a starting job, but not many teams can offer a wide receiver as good as Justin Jefferson. The Vikings have no reason to commit to McCarthy\u2019s first-round status after the team fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no more time to waste in Minnesota after the disastrous quarterback results in 2025.<\/p>\n All the Mac Jones Trade Buzz Feels Like a 49ers Smokescreen to Boost His Price<\/a><\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cYou always listen to people with trade offers,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cWe\u2019re also not into getting rid of good players, so I\u2019d be very surprised if Mac wasn\u2019t around us next year.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s why no one should be shocked that 49ers beat writers are now producing content that hints at a looming trade. For example, Matt Barrows, who covers the Niners for The Athletic, published a story Thursday titled, \u201c49ers say they\u2019ll keep Mac Jones, but stars could be aligning for a trade.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s why Jones is so interesting to the Vikings, as head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell has made it clear that J.J. McCarthy will have competition next season. If the Vikings like Jones but don\u2019t want to pay San Francisco\u2019s price, they\u2019re in an advantageous position, so long as it\u2019s true that all of the top quarterbacks want to find a way to play for the Vikings.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cMy sense right now, from asking around, is all the top quarterbacks that will be, or could be, available, Kyler Murray, Geno Smith, this is the place they want to go. It is Minnesota,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Jeremy Fowler said last week.<\/p>\n NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported Wednesday, \u201crival executives expect the 49ers to put up a fight to keep\u201d Jones. Again, it might be true, but it\u2019s also possible that this is more information being pushed publicly to help drive up the price for Jones.<\/p>\n Bottom line: Expect rumors about Jones and other quarterbacks, including Kyler Murray, Malik Willis, Aaron Rodgers, and others, to keep churning as we inch closer to the NFL\u2019s legal tampering window, which opens on March 11.<\/p>\n All the while, McCarthy works behind the scenes to do everything he possibly can to avoid losing the starting job.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cJ.J. McCarthy is a guy that wants to be great,\u201d O\u2019Connell said. \u201cI know he\u2019s going to work tirelessly to do that. I know his teammates have a lot of confidence in what he\u2019s gonna go to work to improve on this offseason and come back, have a great offseason, and be ready to hit the ground running in 2026. I think a deep and talented quarterback room will only enhance his ability to do that, and (I) look forward to being a part of that process.\u201d<\/p>\n What the Data Shows About the Vikings \u2018Dumbing Down\u2019 the Offense for J.J. McCarthy<\/a> Vikings Warned Strongly Against Pairing Justin Jefferson With $90 Million Playmaker<\/a> RandBall: Vikings QB speculation is about to intensify<\/a> Advertisement<\/p>\n The Vikings\u2019 Search For Explosive Plays Includes the Running Game<\/a><\/p>\n
Connor McGovern, C
Cade Mays, C
Luke Fortner, C
Rashid Shaheed, WR
Marquise Brown, WR
Coby Bryant, S
Eric Stokes, CB
Asante Samuel, Jr., CB
Greg Dulcich, TE<\/p>\n
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Addison is also due for an extension within the next two years, so Minnesota has a big decision coming with him. Do they trade him this offseason? Do they sign him to an extension when his value might be a bit lower after a rough 2025 season and his third arrest within three years?<\/p>\n
If the Vikings even sniff a trade conversation, three mechanics matter immediately:<\/p>\n
Leverage: Minnesota can\u2019t look desperate. The second they do, the offers drop to pennies.
The replacement plan: You don\u2019t move a young QB unless you have a clear \u201cWeek 1 plan\u201d \u2014 either a veteran bridge, a new starter, or both.<\/p>\n
Whether you love that idea or hate it, it shows the league logic: Minnesota gets a playable floor option; the other team bets on McCarthy\u2019s ceiling.<\/p>\n
Speaking of the Packers\u2019 free agents, it might be tough for them to splurge for Love\u2019s backup, perhaps making Willis available at the start of free agency.<\/p>\n
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According to reports, the 49ers could drive up the asking price for Jones since the draft isn\u2019t loaded with top-notch quarterbacks and the free agency class isn\u2019t all that strong. Plus, they would be due to receive a compensatory pick in 2027 if they keep Jones in 2026 and lose him as a free agent after next season.<\/p>\n
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