Minnesota

Vikings

We’ve done a lot of J.J. McCarthy blurbs this offseason and the vast majority of them from beats have McCarthy well behind Kyler Murray, while we also have a June quote from Kevin O’Connell saying “he doesn’t plan to take the competition until the end of camp.” It’s only the league-wide reporters who seem to give McCarthy much of a chance to win the job. Interesting coincidence, some would say.

“The Vikings wished he didn’t have to play during his rookie season, but circumstances thrust him into the spotlight. Release him, and opposing teams will have interest,” Lewis writes about the 25-year-old who threw four picks and was sacked 14 times in 85 dropbacks last year. The Vikings are probably developing a long-term backup at best here, but it is notable that Brosmer has other fans in the league. With Carson Wentz, J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray also on the roster, it’s likely the Vikings will have to drop a quarterback at last cuts.

It’s a weird way to put it — so someone involved isn’t sure? — but it still feels more likely than not that O’Neill will get extended this offseason after being an observer during OTAs. The right tackle has been a force for the Vikings since being selected in the 2018 draft’s second round and figures to be a part of their plan so long as he continues playing well.

Banks didn’t participate in any of the offseason practices, though he did work on the rehab field, after suffering a broken foot at the NFL Combine. This doesn’t feel overly concerning at this point, though it wouldn’t be surprising if the work that Banks has missed gives him a slower start to his NFL career.

Grigson was a casualty of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s firing. The Vikings didn’t seem to consider him for their GM vacancy and he was then replaced by a pair of hirings from new GM Nolan Teasley. Grigson initially agreed to stick around in a new role, but a mutual split was likely for the best. Grigson is actually reprising his role as a senior football advisor in Cleveland, having previously held the same title with the Browns in 2020 and 2021. He also served as a senior personnel executive with the team in 2017.

The Vikings fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah this offseason. No reports of Grigson interviewing for the vacancy ever surfaced. He was initially expected to remain with the team in a new role after new GM Nolan Teasley hired two assistants of his own. Instead, Grigson is reportedly set to work for a new team, though the details of that move haven’t been reported yet.

Bell has been working extensively with the second team in drills, putting him in the conversation for a roster spot. Bell was an almost complete non-factor in the passing game at Georgia, with just 185 targets in four years. But he did also get manufactured touches on the ground. This probably says more about how Tai Felton is developing than any sort of fantasy shakeup for Minnesota’s passing game, but Bell looks to be on the radar to make a charge for a roster spot.

Pace was fired by the Falcons after a few years in the building. His appointment as “football advisor” rather than something closer to his old “VP of football operations” gig appears to point to him losing some clout in the process. He’s probably not a threat to become a general manager again at this point.

Kirchner spent the last 16 seasons working for the Seahawks alongside the Vikings’ recently hired GM Nolan Teasley. Kirchner spent the last seven seasons as the Seahawks’ vice president of player personnel and “is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s top talent evaluators.” The Vikings also hired Andrew Healy as an assistant general manager. He previously served as the Browns’ vice president of research and strategy and will now serve as the team’s secondary football executive.

While Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy are both expected to enter training camp in competition for the team’s QB1 role, it sounds like O’Connell would prefer to land on a decision sooner rather than later. Murray, by all accounts, appears to be the leader in the clubhouse to open the season as the starter, but McCarthy has received praise from teammates and coaches for his improvement as a passer and his ability to throw with a little more accuracy and touch. Currently going around the late ninth/early tenth round of best ball drafts, Murray could turn out to be a nice value if he wins the job and can return to the player who finished as a top-10 fantasy QB in fantasy points per game from 2020 to 2022 under KOC.