Darnold is currency. Use it.

I'm guessing a commodities guy is going to get us a return on that one year investment. Just need two QB needy teams to bid on a PRO BOWL 27 YEAR OLD QB. Are there two needy teams? Yes. Are there more? Also yes. Hell, there's two needy teams in New York (technically New Jersey) alone. Vegas? New Orleans? Cleveland? Seattle? Pittsburgh?

And if no one bites, remove the tag and get a third next year.

StickierBuns wrote:
I don't think he is. Prepare to be disappointed, he's going to walk.

Pure speculation on my part. KOC has already said Darnold  earned the right to be a FA.

If you're Kwesi, how does that very public comment sit with you?

"Here's the most valuable commodity in the NFL and IT'S FREE. I'll leave it on the curb for you"

:@

Totally riffing, but maybe there's a reason Kwesi  hasn't signed his extension yet staring us in the face.

Still Hurtn wrote:
Anyone know if Kwesi revamped the scouting team so help with drafting?

StickierBuns wrote:
I don't think he is. Prepare to be disappointed, he's going to walk.

Yeah. I've gone over the logic of this before but maybe it bears repeating.

Unless Sam's agent discovers a real weak market next week when he's at the combine bar having conversations with NFL front office guys that are in no way tampering just guys havin' drinks, cough, then Uncle Sammy is gone and the Vikings will get a comp pick in 2026.

But if interested teams tell the agent they think $30 mil/yr is Sam's market, then maybe he and Sam come to the Vikings for a tag to facilitate a higher salary floor. If there's another plausible scenario (emphasis on plausible) where the Vikings get more than a comp pick I would be happy to hear about it.

The Vikings have tried to play poker here, but the whole NFL world saw Sam with his pants down in the 2 big games at the end. Bluff away but everyone knows we aren't holding the nuts any more. They leaked out plenty of "Sam returns" noise through Pelissero and others but lately it's been more noise about Sam's leaving.

It is what it is as Sticky the Magician said. ;)

StickierBuns wrote:

I just don't think Darnold is a valuable commodity tagged and where compensation is required. I think his appeal lands for a few teams as a FA that is only locked in financially, not with draft capital or a player. And if you tag him for $40+ million and teams say 'nah', then the Vikings are screwed. I mean, we'll find out here in not too long, but the media acts like they know right now....and they don't. Its Stupid Season already, as we've seen. Could be off base on this, but I don't think this whole thing is as easy as sign and trade with Darnold IMO.

Have you seen this draft class?

$40 million for Darnold

$60 million for Dak

$55 million for Love

Who you picking?

StickierBuns wrote:
I don't think he is. Prepare to be disappointed, he's going to walk.

Exactly.  Vikings don't have any leverage.  He's not under contract.  If we tag him, we need all of this to happen:

A.  The Vikings have to be willing to potentially get left holding the bag and he returns at $45M next year.
B.  A team willing to sign him to a long term extension because nobody is trading for a 1 yr rental at $45m.....unless you're the Falcons.....
C.  A team willing to give up draft capital to make this all worth the effort.

My guess is no such team exists because they could just wait for us to not re-sign him. 

I think we'll give Danny Dimes $10-15M on a 1 year deal and roll with him and JJM.

StickierBuns wrote:
I don't think he is. Prepare to be disappointed, he's going to walk.

JustInTime wrote:

Pure speculation on my part. KOC has already said Darnold  earned the right to be a FA.

If you're Kwesi, how does that very public comment sit with you?

"Here's the most valuable commodity in the NFL and IT'S FREE. I'll leave it on the curb for you"

:@

Totally riffing, but maybe there's a reason Kwesi  hasn't signed his extension yet staring us in the face.

I think going into the season, they made an agreement with Darnold that this was a one year thing and that he was going to come here to maximize his value on the free agency market, and they're just not going to reneg on that verbal agreement.  I don't think KOC said anything that everyone wasn't already in agreement on.

To me, I'm asking for a Day 2 pick and a Day 3 pick next year that is tied to performance that moves up.

Stafford has zero guaranteed dollars

Purdy can't stay on the field.

He'd have similar production with those playcallers.

So, are they going to pay Stafford upwards of nearly $60? How about Purdy after a SB appearance already?

I think the market is bigger than you think.

Darnold definitely forget how to be decisive in his last two starts. KO's reaction after the game was to immediately to bring up the O Line. I'd say 6 of the 9 sacks were on Darnold. Regardless if I'm a QB needy team, I'm taking Darnold over anything in the draft or FA. 

We'll know soon how they play it.

JustInTime wrote:
To me, I'm asking for a Day 2 pick and a Day 3 pick next year that is tied to performance that moves up.

Stafford has zero guaranteed dollars

Purdy can't stay on the field.

He'd have similar production with those playcallers.

So, are they going to pay Stafford upwards of nearly $60? How about Purdy after a SB appearance already?

I think the market is bigger than you think.

Darnold definitely forget how to be decisive in his last two starts. KO's reaction after the game was to immediately to bring up the O Line. I'd say 6 of the 9 sacks were on Darnold. Regardless if I'm a QB needy team, I'm taking Darnold over anything in the draft or FA. 

We'll know soon how they play it.

Stafford is under contract through 2026 and has a $45M dead cap if traded, and $50M dead cap if cut.  If he retires, sure they would be in the market for a QB, but I just can't make it work for them to get rid of Stafford and bring in Darnold.  Darnolds cost is going to be too close to Stafford's cost to make the dead cap hit make sense.  I would expect them to run it back with Stafford, don't resign him, and try to make a play for a rookie QB in 2026.  Maybe offer him a one year extension.  Kind of the same play we did with Cousins.

I do think 49ers could be in play.  There's no way you pay Purdy $55M if Darnold is willing to take $40M.

medaille wrote:

Stafford is under contract through 2026 and has a $45M dead cap if traded, and $50M dead cap if cut.  If he retires, sure they would be in the market for a QB, but I just can't make it work for them to get rid of Stafford and bring in Darnold.  Darnolds cost is going to be too close to Stafford's cost to make the dead cap hit make sense.  I would expect them to run it back with Stafford, don't resign him, and try to make a play for a rookie QB in 2026.  Maybe offer him a one year extension.  Kind of the same play we did with Cousins.

I do think 49ers could be in play.  There's no way you pay Purdy $55M if Darnold is willing to take $40M.

Good point. The last thing I heard was he has zero guaranteed money and didn't really look at his contract.

AGRforever wrote:

Exactly.  Vikings don't have any leverage.  He's not under contract.  If we tag him, we need all of this to happen:

A.  The Vikings have to be willing to potentially get left holding the bag and he returns at $45M next year.
B.  A team willing to sign him to a long term extension because nobody is trading for a 1 yr rental at $45m.....unless you're the Falcons.....
C.  A team willing to give up draft capital to make this all worth the effort.

My guess is no such team exists because they could just wait for us to not re-sign him. 

I think we'll give Danny Dimes $10-15M on a 1 year deal and roll with him and JJM.

How so? If nobody bites we remove the tag and he’s automatically a FA. We’re still on the hook?

JustInTime wrote:

Good point. The last thing I heard was he has zero guaranteed money and didn't really look at his contract.

How so? If nobody bites we remove the tag and he’s automatically a FA. We’re still on the hook?

If Darnold signs the tag then we're on the hook. We can only remove it & not be liable if he doesn't sign it.

I thought once we place the tag, it goes against the cap regardless of if it’s signed.

I’m not a cap expert and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

JustInTime wrote:
I thought once we place the tag, it goes against the cap regardless of if it’s signed.

I’m not a cap expert and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

It applies to the cap when you place it on a player but it doesn't become a binding contract until the player signs it.

It can be rescinded before he signs it but in that case the team cannot use the tag again that year.

"I would franchise (Sam Darnold) and then let him and J.J. have a competition come the fall."#Vikings HOF Cris Carter wants Sam Darnold back in purple:pic.twitter.com/IHyLpZB2rf

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) February 19, 2025

I think it would paint the Vikings in a bad way if they cant find a way to get comp for a pro-bowl, 27 year old QB.

I aint saying it's easy or a slam-dunk, but that is my expectation.

purplefaithful wrote:
I think it would paint the Vikings in a bad way if they cant find a way to get comp for a pro-bowl, 27 year old QB.

I aint saying it's easy or a slam-dunk, but that is my expectation.

It's not my expectation, but it is my audacious hope. If we only had the foresight to sign Sam to a 2-year deal, we'd be sitting pretty right now.

Other than Matt Cassell, has a sign and trade been consummated?

MaroonBells wrote:

It's not my expectation, but it is my audacious hope. If we only had the foresight to sign Sam to a 2-year deal, we'd be sitting pretty right now.

They were pretty, pretty sure of ending-up with one of the 6 QB's...Maybe not at 10, but one of em somewhere. But as I type that, a two year deal would not have hindered that plan much. 

Maybe the topic was broached and the parties couldn't agree? We'll never know.

purplefaithful wrote:

They were pretty, pretty sure of ending-up with one of the 6 QB's...Maybe not at 10, but one of em somewhere. But as I type that, a two year deal would not have hindered that plan much. 

Maybe the topic was broached and the parties couldn't agree? We'll never know.

I think the price would have had to have gone up.  Part of the value for Darnold was that he was going to be able to turn this gig into a bigger FA deal.  Like I guess that it would have been something more like 2 years, $40M or something.  Like you would have to pay him more like a guy you are committing to for a longer period of time.

I don't think he is. Prepare to be disappointed, he's going to walk.

Pure speculation on my part. KOC has already said Darnold  earned the right to be a FA.

If you're Kwesi, how does that very public comment sit with you?

"Here's the most valuable commodity in the NFL and IT'S FREE. I'll leave it on the curb for you"

:@

Totally riffing, but maybe there's a reason Kwesi  hasn't signed his extension yet staring us in the face.

I just don't think Darnold is a valuable commodity tagged and where compensation is required. I think his appeal lands for a few teams as a FA that is only locked in financially, not with draft capital or a player. And if you tag him for $40+ million and teams say 'nah', then the Vikings are screwed. I mean, we'll find out here in not too long, but the media acts like they know right now....and they don't. Its Stupid Season already, as we've seen. Could be off base on this, but I don't think this whole thing is as easy as sign and trade with Darnold IMO.