What will the Vikings do with JJ, given the ongoing spike in the receiver market?
The NFL’s various teams are currently taking very different approaches to the receiver position. Some are drafting new ones. Some are paying the ones they have. Some are paying big money to new arrivals after giving up trade assets.
G.M. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is a new arrival in Minnesota. The team has a star receiver in Justin Jefferson, who is one season away from eligibility for a new contract. Earlier this week, I asked Adofo-Mensah to address Jefferson within the context of this unusual new world of approaching the receiver position.
“He’s special,” Adofo-Mensah said of Jefferson. “First and foremost. That’s the first thing I knew. When you study these rosters for these job interviews, you get excited about working with a guy like that. Great players like him are scarce. They don’t grow on trees, right? You could draft four times for the next four years in the first-round pick, four receivers, and none of them would be as good as Justin Jefferson. . . .
“Whatever you decide, make sure that you appreciate the likelihood of replacing that kind of skill set. . . . I’ve had conversations with Justin and his agent; I’ll keep those conversations to us alone, but when you’re doing these conversations you think about the value of the player, but also where you are as a team. If your team construct was in a place where maybe you’re far away from winning, maybe you’d make a different decision. We don’t plan to be that way so I’m not trying to say that, but I think every decision is kind of made and people think about these decisions in isolation, but they’re made as a part of a portfolio of decisions. If you look at the decisions made in this offseason, I think you can tell that.”
He’s right. Every team is making its receiver decisions based on their own unique situations. For the Vikings, who are closer to contending than not contending, it makes sense to keep Jefferson. It may make even more sense after Jefferson has a season in an offense that will feature him the way the Rams offense featured Cooper Kupp.
But it won’t be cheap. And if Jefferson does indeed become even better this year than he’s been in an offense that could be supercharged in comparison to what it has been, it will only get more expensive to keep him around.
I think the answer to the Jefferson question has to come along side what the answer to the QB question. Obviously Jefferson helps all QBs, but I imagine his cost/performance makes more sense with a young cheap QB that needs some help as opposed to a more veteran, more expensive, type QB that should be carrying more of the load.
Re-sign him regardless the cost, he's a generational talent
Um...I don't know...maybe pay him? Why is this even a question?
Yep. To answer the headline: they’ll pay him. As they should.
Pay the man. The cap is also going up. And Theilen's contract will be gone by the time JJ's big cap hits arrive.
@"RS Express" said: Pay the man. The cap is also going up. And Theilen's contract will be gone by the time JJ's big cap hits arrive.This. Theilen is 32.
well since my ability to paste images seems to not be working this morning. Picture John Malkovich in a cheap ass looking running suit in an defeated voice and Eastern European accents saying
"NIET!! PAY HIM, PAY DAT MAN HIS MONEY"
@"JimmyinSD" said: well since my ability to paste images seems to not be working this morning. Picture John Malkovich in a cheap ass looking running suit in an defeated voice and Eastern European accents saying"NIET!! PAY HIM, PAY DAT MAN HIS MONEY"
Nice, very descriptive. That's from Rounders. Pretty good movie. 99% of movies with poker play are ridiculous because they don't get it right.
@"PurpleCrush" said:He’s right. Every team is making its receiver decisions based on their own unique situations. For the Vikings, who are closer to contending than not contending, it makes sense to keep Jefferson.Is it just me? Why would ANY team want to get rid of Jefferson? I think if I'm a rebuilding team who is not close to contending, Justin Jefferson is the last player I'd want to get rid of. I'd focus on trimming age, players over 28, bloated contracts, etc., but if I have a 22-year-old receiver who is among the best in the NFL, I pay him what he's worth and build around him. Not doing so would be Lion-level stupid IMO.
It would be easier to re-sign him with a QB still on rook $...But assumed they'd be carving out $30mm/season for him soon.
If it came down to choosing Cousins or Jefferson, I'm taking Jefferson.
@"purplefaithful" said: It would be easier to re-sign him with a QB still on rook $...But assumed they'd be carving out $30mm/season for him soon.
Sure, easier, but it's not impossible to keep both.
Look at the Rams. Stafford makes more money than Cousins. They also have the best and highest paid DT in the league in Donald, who makes a ridiculous amount of money. They also have 2nd highest paid corner in the league in Jalen Ramsey. Kupp makes Thielen money. Their top linebacker (Floyd) makes way more than Eric Kendricks. They just won the Super Bowl and to all that signed Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson to competitive salaries.
I think the best way to manage this is to just wait and see how Cousins looks in the new offense. If he doesn't answer certain questions, you move on and the issue is moot. If he explodes, you obviously extend him again, giving you the opportunity to slice millions from the cap in the first couple of years, providing room to add what will be a ridiculous pay day for JJ. That can be sustained a couple years, but if they balloon at the same time, cuts will have to made elsewhere. But by that time, Harry and Thielen will probably be off the books, if not Dalvin too.
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