Not grading them as players, just ranking them according to how much I liked the move. I didn’t include depth moves like Wilson, Skule, Thomas et al. 

1. Jonathan Allen - 3 years @ 17M per
Our biggest need filled by a ultra-talented pass rusher whose price was reasonable due to a pec injury in 2024.  Hurt last year, but his pass rush grades the 4 years prior: 78, 81, 91, 84. To compare, Jonathan Bullard’s pass rush grade last year was 47, Tillery’s 54. Great player, great human, great leader. Will add some serious fire to the Vikings defense. Biggest misconception about him is that he’s old. He just turned 30. Also, not a factor in the comp formula. 6 months from now, this is the player we'll all be excited about. 

2. Ryan Kelly - 2 years @ 9M per
Every bit the run blocker that Bradbury is, but this is a massive, immediate upgrade in pass pro. With a young QB, I actually like that he’s older. Bradbury would surround a good game with two bad games. But year in, year out, game in, game out, Kelly’s been remarkably consistent as both a run and pass blocker. I also think signing the older Kelly over the younger Dalman might signal how they feel about Jurgens.

3. Will Fries - 5 years @ 17.6M per
Absurdly good PFF grades in 2024 in both run and pass. So why in the name of chili cheese did the Colts let him go? I really don't get that. My biggest concern is he did it for only 5 games. Brandel looked good for 5 games too. Did his light come on or was that an outlier? Vikings are obviously convinced it’s the former. 26 years old and signed for 5 years, this is our RG for the ages. Adding his line mate Kelly makes this move even better. 

4. Isaiah Rodgers - 2 years @ 5.5M per
Young, ascending player. PFF grades definitely argue starter-level, but probably not someone you want to count on as a CB1 or CB2. More than any other, this addition feels like many of the moves we made last year.

5. Javon Hargrave - 2 years @ 15M per
32 yo and hurt last year, but his pass rush grades the 4 years prior were 87, 91, 92, 84. Again, Jonathan Bullard’s pass rush grade was 47, Tillery’s 54. By itself, this is a solid move, but combined with Allen it’s a home run. We had to get better pressure when rushing only 4. Greenard, Allen, Hargrave, Turner/Gink could be the best pass rush we’ve had in decades. Who do you block? 


6. Byron Murphy - 3 years @ 18M per
I think Murphy is a very good corner, but I don’t think he’s elite. In fact, I think of him as a very good CB2. The $22M was jarring. But that’s not what he got. It’s basically a two-year deal at $18M per. I’m fine with that. The Vikings didn’t have many options left after Ward and Reed signed with other teams. He’s not a shut-down guy, but we already know he fits well in Flores’ defense. How many picks will he have with better pressure?

Just thinking about all the recent acquisitions and evaluating roster, depth, and impact players which brought me to wondering if the Vikings would even consider a receiver early like Emeka Egbuka or a speedster like Matthew Golden to round out our receiving core? We know KOC's offense is centered around passing the football and putting his weapons in positions of advantage, so would adding another legit weapon in the passing game not make some sense? I know there will be plenty of scoffing, but we will be having to pay Addison probably this upcoming offseason, receiver is a premier position, and taking another talented receiver gives us insurance in case of injury and makes defending our offense a whole lot harder in multi receiver sets. Nailor has never taken those reigns and ran with it. Probably more of a 4th or 5th receiver. I could see some value in taking a receiver. Thoughts?

Minnesota Vikings

@Vikings
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1m
CB Jeff Okudah has started his free agent visit with the #Vikings.

This dude isn't good. Huge draft reach by Detroit at #3 in round 1. Not sure even Flo can unlock a change. 26 years old.

The Ravens reached agreement with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush on Sunday, his agency, Equity Sports, announced.

Terms were not disclosed but sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler that it's a two-year contract that has a maximum value of $12.2 million and includes $4.2 million guaranteed.

Rush, 31, will take over as Jackson's primary backup from Josh Johnson, a 38-year-old journeyman who threw three passes in six games last season. The Ravens haven't needed to play their backup quarterbacks much in recent years; Jackson hasn't missed a game because of injury since the end of the 2022 season.

Over the last six seasons the Ravens are 4-10, including playoffs, when Jackson has not started at quarterback.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, will be in search for a new backup to Dak Prescott, who is the only quarterback under contract with the team. Trey Lance, the Cowboys' third-string quarterback, is also a free agent.

Cuts like this will happen as we get closer:

Jaire Alexander
While Alexander remains on the roster, the Packers are still trying to trade him, according to team sources and a source close to the player. They could wait indefinitely but most likely would prefer to get something done before next month's draft. One source said the team has not approached Alexander about taking a pay cut and that even if it did, he would not be willing to do so. Without a trading partner, the Packers would likely release him, but there is no urgency to do so because he has no guaranteed money left on his deal until the start of the regular season, when he's due $17.5 million.

Not saying that we should try to sign CB Alexander, but there are always cuts of highly paid players who their teams are going to try to trade before deadline, and if not, they get cut.  In our case its Bradbury.

Do not fret if Kwesi doesn't fill in the few remaining gaps before (or during) the draft.  This "competitive rebuild" notion?  Damn smart.

....straight from Jalen Hurts. Hey, Joey Burrow: you got what you whined for, brother. Time to win championships. Tough sledding coming, especially when both of those WRer contracts escalate the cap at around the same time.  I sincerely hope Minnesota doesn't do anything like this with Addison when the time comes. Its funny, I used to be more of a Burrow fan until about the last year: the too-cool-for-school shit always, the hair dyes, the outfits, the 'I know when I'm on the camera' moments...that has changed my mind. Still think he's a hell of a QB, however.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/4428...ee-higgins

EAGAN, Minn. — Paul Flatley, the 1963 Associated Press NFL rookie of the year for the Minnesota Vikings who piled up more than 3,000 receiving yards over five seasons, has died at the age of 84, the team announced Sunday.

The team said he died Saturday, but no additional details were provided.

Shifting from halfback to flanker at Northwestern, Flatley was a fourth-round pick (44th overall) by Minnesota in the 1963 draft, joining a team in just its third season. He had five catches for 72 yards in the season opener and started all 14 games in his debut season, finishing with 51 catches for 867 yards and four touchdowns.

He ranked eighth in the league in receiving yards and was the only rookie to land in the top 10. He won the AP honor over Baltimore tight end John Mackey.

Flatley said he was lucky to to start his career under coach Norm Van Brocklin.

‘‘He had been an all-star quarterback and knew the passing game very well,‘’ Flatley said in 2020, according to the Vikings. ‘’And I had a quarterback by the name of Fran Tarkenton who could keep the ball alive, and I could run several patterns on the same play call, and he would find me. I learned the game because of those two people, and I was very fortunate to be a Minnesota Viking.‘’

Over five seasons with the Vikings, Flatley played in 64 games and had 202 catches for 3,222 yards and 17 touchdowns. After his playing career, he was a color commentator for the University of Minnesota football broadcast team for years.

Startribune

$33m under the cap....

Plenty of room for rookie pool, qb2.

Get another starter for the D backfield and that would make a good flex situation even better with just 4 picks this draft.