ESPN’s Adam Schefter Has Surprising Thoughts on 2022 Vikings
Free agency grades for the Minnesota Vikings haven’t been too rosy from pundits, as marks in the “C” range typically describe the franchise’s personnel additions and departures.
Thankfully for the Vikings, the rest of the NFC North hasn’t done much either. Davante Adams and Za’Darius Smith bolted from Green Bay. Akiem Hicks and Allen Robinson are likely both gone from Chicago. And then, for now, Detroit is Detroit. Minnesota doesn’t play in the AFC West, a conference that has witnessed an unholy advent of talent over the last month.
This week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared a surprising hypothesis about the Vikings, at least compared to his peers. The Vikings are pegged to win around eight or nine games via sportsbooks odds, but Schefter claims Minnesota has a sudden opening to make noise in the division.
“Well, it looks like [the Vikings] have certainly beefed up the defensive pass rush—the front spot of the defense. So that’s a good spot for this defense to be. And look, there’s a real opening in this division. Aaron Rodgers has got what — a couple of years left in Green Bay? Detroit, we don’t know who’s going to be their long-term quarterback right now, and Chicago is waiting for Justin Fields to develop. The division is not exactly the AFC West right now. It doesn’t seem to be going into the season, and Minnesota has made some strong moves.”
– Adam Schefter | ESPN
Schefter sounds like a Vikings fan here — well, one of the optimistic ones, anyway. His mentality is what the Vikings ownership — and probably the general manager plus the coaching staff — are banking on, too.
Because the team disappointed and finished 8-9 in 2021, the lasting memory for others is “this is the same bunch” and hence can’t get it done under a new regime. This is the current divide in the Vikings community, a schism between those who believe “running it back” with a new, offensive-minded head coach is smart — and others who feel the franchise should’ve begun roster reconstruction from the ground up.
At the center of the debate is the quarterback, Kirk Cousins.
Folks who think Cousins can get the job done with a new head coach — drive the folks bonkers who believe Cousins is habitually underwhelming. And vice versa. In fact, during the build-up to Cousins’ recent contract extension, that’s all anyone talked about in digital Vikings circles.
A verdict is coming. The regular starts in five months and wins and losses will prove if the team should’ve jettisoned Cousins or if “staying put” will nudge the Vikings into the postseason.
Schefter seems to believe the latter is possible.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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