Jun 15, 2021; in Eagen, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) talk during drills at OTA at TCO Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings added several noteworthy pieces to the franchise this offseason, steering the ship away from the 7-9 doldrums that were on display during the pandemic season. Oddly, all of the bodies were cut from a defensive cloth, leaving the NFL draft as the venue for offensive improvement.
These men were added via free agency:
The draft was used to [finally] formulate an offensive line plan, a section of the roster that has long caused fans to roll eyeballs to the backs of sockets. Christian Darrisaw (LT) and Wyatt Davis (RG) are the pieces in the trenches to be familiar with. Then, general manager Rick Spielman drafted Kellen Mond in the 3rd Round to serve as a contingency plan and QB2 behind Kirk Cousins. For many fans, this was intoxicating as Minnesota hasn’t gone ultra-youthful at quarterback since Christian Ponder in 2011 and Teddy Bridgewater in 2014.
But Bleacher Report bucks the Mond flair, instead prognosticating that the Vikings will rue the decision not to draft Justin Fields. In an article detailing each NFL team’s upcoming regret from the offseason, the lack of Fields was it for Minnesota. Kristopher Knox from Bleacher Report wrote:
The Minnesota Vikings have acted like they’re close to moving on from quarterback Kirk Cousins. They used a third-round draft pick on Texas A&M signal-caller Kellen Mond and tried to make a play for Ohio State’s Justin Fields. “As disclosed in a video published by the Panthers, the Vikings called Carolina in an attempt to trade up from No. 14 to No. 8 in the first round of the 2021 draft,” Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk wrote. “Per a league source, the Vikings were targeting quarterback Justin Fields.” Minnesota didn’t land the No. 8 selection, and Fields fell to the NFC North rival Bears at No. 11—Chicago traded up to get that pick from the New York Giants. This makes failing to land Fields doubly painful for the Vikings. Obviously, they tried to make a move for Fields, the Vikings’ preferred quarterback prospect. However, they’re still going to massively regret not making it happen if he develops into a franchise quarterback and leads a division foe for the next decade-plus.
Fields strangely tumbled on draft night after a few months were utilized to determine if he or Trey Lance would be selected at #3 by the San Francisco 49ers. In the end, it was Lance, creating a plunge from Fields all the way to the Vikings rival — the Chicago Bears. Now, Minnesota will go to war with Fields twice annually — when the Bears actually anoint him the starter. The team insists that longtime Bengals passer Andy Dalton is “their guy” for now.
The Vikings could have seized Fields via trade after the Denver Broncos passed on the Ohio State Buckeye. During the draft’s first couple of hours, Denver declining a Fields future was the most stunning moment. They chose Patrick Surtain II, a cornerback, as an alternative.
But the Vikings opted not to audition fields, pivoting to an offensive line emphasis with a side dish of the aforementioned Mond.
And, yes, if Fields rapidly becomes Mahomesesque, Spielman will kick himself for it — especially if the Kirk Cousins experiment ends with a whimper.
There is always the hope that Mond blossoms, too, though. That would lessen the Fields jealousy.
According to Chris Simms — who has a remarkable recent track record of scouting rookie signal-callers — Mond will be just fine.
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Cousins is a good quarterback. If you adjust for how bad his offensive line was last season, he was a very, very good quarterback. Could Fields be better? Sure. He could also be a lot worse. In fact, odds are he will be a lot worse. Kirk knows the offense, knows the team, and can hit the ground running. I'd be willing to bet that five years from now, nobody will be talking about "Minnesota should have taken Fields". I could lose the bet, but probably wouldn't.
I agree completely.
I agree also. But does it make sense that the Vikings were trying for Fields even. I believe they were going for a lineman not a QB. Qbs take a much larger offer than the Vikings offered. Look what the bears had to give away to get him and that was further down in the draft. It was all just false conjecture especially if you look at what the Vikes offered. My opinion.
Cousins was a crappy QB even when he had a good oline in Washington. It's all up in his head he thinks he has to be perfect and he doesn't. He just needs to trust the players around him.
Bleacher Report is long on opinion and short on successful prognostication. My uninformed opinion is that Fields will be a bust in the NFL, long term. He always faded against the better teams in college days looked like he struggled with the speed of play at higher levels. This issue will be magnified in the NFL. Plus, the Bears have never been known for developing QBs. Name their best QB? SidLuckman, like 60 years ago?
And yet Mac Jones fell to them, that'll be the one they regret not taking, opting instead to once again draft for need instead of by talent. Also funny seeing how many dumb homers have jumped on the Monder train. Mark mu words; he will be almost as bad as Ponder. Quit listening to the local morons acting like every pick the Vikings make is a hall of famer in
Bleacher report is dumb. Plenty of people jobs are probably on the line in Minnesota. They are win now throwing Fields into QB controversy that which causes QB noise is stupid for a player who hasn’t played in the NFL. Also Kirk makes 31 mil you aren’t trying to have someone take his job immediately. Causes too many problems drafting a qb at 14 when your current qb has 91 TDs in 3 seasons.
I'd rather have Mond, Darrisaw, and Davis than just Fields.
I think it's a combination of incompetent owners to aregence on the GMs part and stubbornness and the unwillingness of the head coach to change with the times.