I keep reading 'Superbowl roster' from analysts and some members of the board for the Vikings this year. Improved roster? Yes. Shored up some weak spots? Definitely. Loved this offseason, moving in the right direction. But raise your hand if you can see Minnesota beating Detroit, the Rams or Philly.....because I can't. How can the #4 seed in the NFC be considered a Superbowl team? I think its a legit question.

We'll keep McCarthy out of this as he's obviously the biggest variable to the team's success or lack thereof. For me otherwise, the biggest would be the offensive line not gelling or living up to the hype. I really, really like what they've done on paper. Love it actually. I've said as much since it all came together in free agency and the Draft. When Minnesota took Jackson with their first pick, I was like 'they get it. They really get it now...they are serious'. But Darrisaw is returning from injury (when?), Fries has yet to practice because of his recovery from a broken tibia and more than likely a rookie will be starting at OG. They need all the TC reps to get ready for the season. 

It seems like everyone is SO sure that this is a top 5 offensive line now and I have to see it first despite being very optimistic about it mostly. Its just this nagging kind of uncertainty for me.

Forget about what I think about MAGA, this hat looks ridiculous in this setting. Maybe if he were out fishing or golfing...

Looks like the big question mark for Minnesota is at QB.  No surprise, there.  The rest of our roster is pretty darn solid and they notate that. 
From Pro Football Talk this morning.
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1. Eagles: The rich get richer. And a new dynasty could be emerging.

2. Chiefs: A Super Bowl loss will only make the Chiefs more determined to get another Super Bowl win.

3. Bills: The window is still wide open, but the Chiefs are still blocking full daylight.

4. Ravens: The window is still wide open, but the Bills and Chiefs are still blocking full daylight.

5. Lions: This year, the regular season will be harder. Which could make them better prepared for the playoffs.

6. Commanders: Have they done enough to close the gap with the Eagles?

7. Rams: A favorable schedule could put them in play for the No. 1 seed.

8. Texans: After two straight appearances in the final eight, they opted to make major changes in an effort to go farther.

9. Buccaneers: Arguably the most underrated team in the entire league, they have the talent to compete with anyone.

10. Broncos: Combining a Sean Payton offense with an improved defense could make things very interesting in the AFC West.

11. Packers: With a new CEO taking over, the pressure could slowly be building on the quarterback, the coach, and the General Manager.

12. Vikings: A proven roster with an unproven quarterback could make for a rollercoaster of a season.

13. 49ers: Don’t be surprised if they rebound all the way to the NFC Championship, and possibly beyond.

14. Bengals: The front office continues to keep the team from being everything it can be.

15. Chargers: In most other divisions, they’d be the favorites to win it.

16. Steelers: They’re going to skew one way, or the other.

17. Bears: The expectations are high again. Can they live up to them?

18. Seahawks: The Geno-for-Darnold swap was a bold one.

19. Cowboys: If they gave out Super Bowls for mismanaging the contracts of key players, they’d have more trophies than anyone.

20. Cardinals: There’s a quiet vibe that they might be ready to contend. They’ll have to prove it on the field.

21. Patriots: It’s not crazy to think they can vault to the playoffs.

22. Jets: Even if Aaron Glenn can pull off a Lions-style culture change, it will take a little time.

23. Falcons: Michael Penix Jr. looked good in limited work last year. What will he do as the full-time starter?

24. Colts: Will the Daniel Jones era be a one-year thing, or a new beginning for him and the Colts?

25. Panthers: It’s a huge year for Bryce Young.

26. Titans: Cam Ward could be the guy they need. If so, they’ll rocket up this list once the games start.

27. Raiders: They’re stuck behind three playoff teams in their division — and each of them look like they’re ready to get there again.

28. Jaguars: Can Trevor Lawrence get back to what it once looked like he was becoming?

29. Dolphins: What have they done to get better than they were in 2024?

30. Giants: If the Giants got it right with Jaxson Dart, he should be able to win the Week 1 starting job.

31. Saints: Tyler Shough will need to be the real deal in order to keep them from being in position to have their pick of next year’s quarterback crop.

32. Browns: It’s almost like they try to come up with new ways to be dysfunctional.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/4555...-treatment

"And while the importance of the surveys varies from team to team, some teams, like the Minnesota Vikings, believe the NFLPA survey -- and particularly the assessments of how the team treats families -- has been key to the back-to-back monster free agent classes they signed in 2024 and 2025.

Falcons offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom, who is an NFLPA player rep, said before the report cards were done -- the first was published in 2023 -- when players were going through the free agency process, they had to try to call around to other players they knew to get a feel for the pros and cons of each franchise.

"The survey has had a major impact," 2025 Vikings free agent signing Ryan Kelly said. "Because you're a guy looking for a new home, you've got kids, you have a family. It's like, 'what's the treatment like?' If you treat my family well, I'm going to be happier as a person, I'm going to be happier as a player, I'm going to be in a better mood, and we'll probably have more success."

Kelly spent his first nine seasons with the Colts, a team that was middle-of-the-pack with a B-minus ranking for treatment of families in the most recent survey.

And although it is early in his Vikings career, it didn't take Kelly long to feel like the survey results he had seen were accurate.

"Being only there for a little over 24 hours [to sign his FA contract], we felt that as my entire family was there," Kelly said. "It didn't matter if it was my mom or my dad or my kids or a nanny, everybody felt the love and that goes to show you it's a special place."

Where would KC have a chance to be traded and vie for a starting position? 

Thats not that apparent to me w/out some kind of injury? 

NO and CLE look the weakest to me. Hell, NO may be worst team in league and #1 for Arch sweepstakes..

Looks to me like Kirk is destined to stay in ATL this season...

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Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson
Buffalo Bills Josh Allen
Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow
Cleveland Browns Joe Flacco/Kenny Pickett/Deshaun Watson/Shedeur Sanders
Denver Broncos Bo Nix
Houston Texans C.J. Stroud
Indianapolis Colts Anthony Richardson/Daniel Jones
Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence
Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes
Las Vegas Raiders Geno Smith
Los Angeles Chargers Justin Herbert
Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa
New England Patriots Drake Maye
New York Jets Justin Fields
Pittsburgh Steelers Aaron Rodgers
Tennessee Titans  Cam Ward (drafted No. 1 overall)

Atlanta Falcons Michael Penix Jr.
Arizona Cardinals Kyler Murray
Carolina Panthers Bryce Young
Chicago Bears Caleb Williams
Dallas Cowboys Dak Prescott
Detroit Lions Jared Goff
Green Bay Packers Jordan Love
Los Angeles Rams Matthew Stafford
Minnesota Vikings J.J. McCarthy
New Orleans Saints Tyler Shough (Derek Carr retired in offseason)
New York Giants Russell Wilson (Jaxson Dart drafted in the first round)
Philadelphia Eagles Jalen Hurts
San Francisco 49ers Brock Purdy
Seattle Seahawks Sam Darnold
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Baker Mayfield
Washington Commanders Jayden Daniels

Anyone have experience filing quarterly taxes? Looking for software recommendations or tips filing by myself, level of difficulty, etc. Is it worth using a tax service? If so, what are the costs?

2024 Wild: Failed
2024 Timberwolves: Failed
2024 Twins: Will Fail again
Next Up: 2025 Vikings

NFC North coaching staff rankings: Vikings' leadership is among the elite
In Kevin O'Connell and Brian Flores, the Vikings have a coaching duo that can go toe to toe with anyone.
Will Ragatz | 22 Hours Ago

It's time for one final edition of our NFC North rankings series. After going through six different categories of players, we'll finish with a look at the men on the sidelines (or up in the booth) making the calls. This is our ranking of the coaching staffs of the four teams in the division, which mostly weighs the head coach and two main coordinators. Let's dive in.

4. Lions
Head coach: Dan Campbell
Coordinators: John Morton (O), Kelvin Sheppard (D)
Notable assistants: Hank Fraley (OL/run game coord.), David Shaw (pass game coord.)

Is it crazy to rank the Lions this low? Maybe. The back-to-back division champs would've had a very strong case for the top spot in each of the last couple offseasons. But when you lose both of your coordinators to head-coaching jobs at the same time, there's a lot to prove. Ben Johnson is in Chicago. Aaron Glenn is with the Jets. Their replacements could step in without missing a beat — or they could struggle to fill the shoes of two of the sport's better coaches.

Morton, previously the Broncos' passing game coordinator under Sean Payton, has one year of NFL OC experience under his belt. Sheppard, 37, is an internal promotion and first-time coordinator who was a position coach in Detroit for the last four years. All of the signs point to Campbell being an excellent motivator and decision-maker in the head coach role, but he's never coached the Lions without Johnson and Glenn by his side. We're about to find out how important they were to Detroit's success.

3. Bears
Head coach: Ben Johnson
Coordinators: Declan Doyle (O), Dennis Allen (D)
Notable assistants: Antwaan Randle El (WRs/assistant HC), Eric Bienemy (RBs)

Head coach and offensive coordinator are different roles, but Johnson's track record suggests he was a home run hire for the Bears, whose primary focus has to be on maximizing Caleb Williams in year two and beyond. He'll put Chicago's young quarterback in position to succeed, especially with all of the talent around him. By his side will be Doyle, a wunderkind ex-Payton assistant who is just 29 years old. The Bears also have a couple standout position coaches in Randle El and Bienemy.

Another reason why the Bears avoid the last spot is Allen. He hasn't been great as a head coach for either the Saints or Raiders, but he was quite good as New Orleans' defensive coordinator in between those stints (2015-21). This staff looks much better than the ones led by Matt Eberflus and Luke Getsy or Shane Waldron in recent years.

2. Packers
Head coach: Matt LaFleur
Coordinators: Adam Stenavich (O), Jeff Hafley (D)
Notable assistants: Luke Butkus (OL), Jason Vrable (pass game coord.)

The Bears are hoping they now have what the Packers and Vikings do, which is a top-tier offensive mind at head coach. The proof is in the numbers for LaFleur, who has gone 67-33 in six regular seasons with Green Bay. He's just 28-23 over the last three years after famously starting 39-10 with MVP-level Aaron Rodgers, but the entire picture matters. Stenavich, Butkus, and Vrable have been around for a while and are important parts of the offensive operation.

Hafley was a big hire for the Packers in 2024, replacing the much-maligned Joe Barry. The former Boston College head coach interviewed with the Jets in January's hiring cycle, but he's back in Green Bay for a second season as DC. He's a very good defensive coach who could receive more head coaching interest in the future.

1. Vikings
Head coach: Kevin O'Connell
Coordinators: Wes Phillips (O), Brian Flores (D)
Notable assistants: Keenan McCardell (WRs), Josh McCown (QBs)

The Vikings' coaching staff can go toe-to-toe with the league's best. Playoff success hasn't been there yet, but reigning NFL coach of the year Kevin O'Connell is 34-17 in three regular seasons despite having five different quarterbacks start games during that span. His next task is to develop his long-term guy at the position in J.J. McCarthy. Phillips and McCown will also be a big part of that effort, along with Jordan Traylor, who was hired to replace the departed Grant Udinski.

In addition to one of the game's top offensive minds, the Vikings also have a madman mastermind on the defensive side of the ball. Flores had led one of the best, most unique defenses in the NFL over the last two seasons, and his personnel for 2025 is better than ever. The Vikings feel lucky to still have him after he interviewed for three head coaching vacancies in the winter. If Flores departs (which could happen as soon as next year), Daronte Jones might be in line to replace him internally. Flores, Phillips, McCown, McCardell, and Udinski could all be future head coaches in the league.