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Minnesota Vikings News and Links, 10 August 2023

“Well, we’ve determined that we can’t win at home and we can’t win on the road. What we need is a neutral site.” John McKay, former Bucs Head Coach

By Mark P
/ new
NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Las Vegas Raiders Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

GAME DAY! Looking forward to seeing the backups get their chance to put some work on tape. I love tape. I use duct tape to fix many things.

I want to see Nwangwu, Chandler, and Abram Smith (not sure McBride is playing but if he is then him too).

I want to see Jalen Nailor, Vederian Lowe, Alan Ali, Luiji Vilain, Jaquelin Roy, Osezi Otemoweo, Troy Dye, Ivan Pace Jr, and all the secondary.

Could care less about the dudes that put their foot on the ball.

Most of all, I want to see ICE COLD BEER!

Since yore last open thread ...

Other Vikings stuff ...

Ivan Pace Jr. szn
The Vikings rookies drawing the most hype recently are their first-round pick and...an undrafted free agent. Ivan Pace Jr. has been one of the main standouts of training camp, displaying the tools and ability that made him a unanimous All-American linebacker at Cincinnati last year. He went undrafted because he’s 5’10” and 230 pounds, and he’s using that as fuel.
Jaren Hall’s NFL debut
Backup running back competition
Depth wide receivers
Everyone else
“You see the suddenness, the slight movement to set guys up as the true great route runners always do,” McCardell said. “They very seldom exert a lot of energy to set a guy up. It’s just a subtle move naturally to get into a position. Whether it’s his outside shoulder to break out, or inside shoulder to break in, or getting in the defender’s blind spots. He knows that already as a route runner, which will vault him so far ahead of a lot of guys in this league in his class.”
“I want to see greatness at the catch point,” Cousins said. “In this league, you’re going to make contested catches. Coverage is going to be tight. I’m going to have to throw it in tight windows, and you’ve got to show me, with somebody draped over you or someone about to come hit you, that you will have strong hands and make that catch. That’s what Justin does well, that’s what Adam [Thielen] does well, that’s what K.J. does well [and] T.J. [Hockenson].
“It’s not for the faint of heart. And you have to have strong hands, and I think you can have all the athleticism in the world, but with how good the guys are covering you, if you’re not really strong at the catch point. it’s going to be hard to consistently be successful. That’s what I see from Jordan, is he’s pretty natural at the catch point, which is exciting.”
This offseason, the Vikings signed Murphy to a back-loaded two-year, $17.5 million contract. Their hope is that after a change of scenery, he can play the best football of his career in 2023 and beyond. In that vein, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently named Murphy as a “post-hype” breakout candidate this year.
For much of his tenure in Arizona, Murphy was the best cornerback on a team that didn’t have good players at the position. He emerged as a valuable slot cornerback, but he struggled when pushed into a broader role in 2022. His passer rating allowed jumped from 87.6 to 101.1, while the Cardinals were 15 points of QBR better without Murphy on the field. After missing just two games in his first three seasons, he was out for the second half of 2022 with a back injury.
The Vikings needed help everywhere at cornerback, but another factor appealed to them: Murphy’s age. At 25, he was one of the youngest free agents on the open market, and the hope will be that a more modern, dynamic defense under Brian Flores gets the most out of Murphy’s skill set. Flores has typically asked his corners to play man more often than most other coordinators; Murphy will get a chance to prove whether he’s up to the task. On a two-year deal, he could land a much larger contract in free agency in 2025.
It’s Immaculate Grid, a new online puzzle game created by Sports Reference for its pro-football-reference.com site.
Using categories given on an X- and Y-axis of a nine-square grid, players attempt to find a name that fits intersecting categories. The fewer times an answer has been given – in other words, the more obscure and unknown the player – the better. Only nine guesses are allowed during the game, and unfilled squares send scores skyrocketing.
The room sticks to a general strategy: Backup quarterbacks and offensive linemen tend to be valuable, while skill-position players typically are more widely selected. Remember, the name of this game is relative anonymity instead of fantasy football fame.
“Backup quarterbacks and linemen are a gold mine,” Cousins says, “because they provide you with a lot of inventory.”
The game is a good way to wind down after long days at Vikings Training Camp, and the group’s camaraderie is undeniable. Plus, it’s a good memory challenge.
“We’ve gotta know the league,” Cousins says. “Jon Gruden used to tell me, ‘You’ve gotta know the league, man.’ “
The Minnesota Vikings could look quite a bit different a year from now. One of the major questions looming over the franchise is the status of quarterback Kirk Cousins beyond this coming season. The veteran is entering the final year of his contract, and there hasn’t been any indication that there’s an extension on the horizon, meaning that Cousins could enter free agency next offseason. In fact, Cousins even admitted back in June that he didn’t expect any contract negotiations until next March.
But what does ownership think of the situation? Is Cousins someone they would like to retain for the foreseeable future? On Tuesday, Vikings owner Mark Wilf was asked just that: Do you want to re-sign Cousins after this season?
“We’ll leave that to [general manager] Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah] and coach [Kevin O’Connell] to work through those discussions,” he said, via Pro Football Talk. “There’s always conversations on that. But our real focus is 100% on 2023 and getting where we need to be, and where I know we can be.”

The best answer possible. Leave it to the people you hired.

NFL News

Wow! I guess we good no?

“Be gentle with yourself. It’s a long journey,” Rodgers revealed he told Young during practice. “It feels like every little snap and practice is the end of the world if it doesn’t go right. It’s just not true. It’s a long, long journey. It’s about holding onto your confidence and enjoying the ride. Enjoying the little things every day. But I think he’s got a great head on his shoulders, and he’ll be just fine.”
20 - Minnesota Vikings - $4.43 billion
The Wilf’s paid 600M in 2005 to buy the Vikings.
Very nice profit indeed.
The Vikings received about $374.4m per team in revenue sharing from 2022.

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