Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; A detailed view of the grill on the teeth of Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the January 1st edition.
Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the Vikings, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.
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This is correct.
Jefferson either had enough of the social media grind — or he’s emulating LeBron James with “dark mode” in the postseason. The Lakers future Hall of Famer stops using his social media accounts when the postseason begins, and Jefferson may be executing the same strategy.
One thing is certain. Jefferson’s Twitter is gone-gone as of Saturday night, and it is unclear when he’ll return.
Thankfully, this does not matter in the grand scheme of things.
Kyler Murray is hurt. So is Colt McCoy. And Trace McSorely performed sorely last week, so Arizona head coach Kliff Kinsbury wants new blood.
That blood belongs to David Blough, the Vikings QB3 about three weeks ago. It is unclear if Blough will play in Week 18 as well. But if he does, his Cardinals face the San Francisco 49ers, and the Vikings could use Blough’s help to ensure Minnesota remains the NFC’s No. 2 seed.
The Vikings also “control their own destiny” here, and winning against the Packers and Bears would mean the 49ers don’t matter. However, if the Vikings lose to Green Bay or Chicago, they need the Las Vegas Raiders or Blough’s Cardinals to do them a solid and defeat San Francisco. That would keep the Vikings as the two-seed.
You’re going to see the Vikings take an interest in every position imaginable in the next four months. It’s mock draft season.
But, yes, in a notable recent mock draft, Pro Football Focus decided the Vikings need a cornerback — and Devon Witherspoon from Illinois was the choice. PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote about the pick, “Witherspoon has been one of the best outside cornerbacks in the country this season, with an elite 92.6 grade in coverage and only 206 yards allowed all year. He now oozes first-round potential because of it.”
Based on roster construction now, the Vikings will likely pursue a wide receiver or cornerback in the 1st Round of April’s draft. We shall see.
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).