6 Takeaways from Vikings 2023 Minicamp
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings implemented mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the 2023 NFL regular season kicks off in 12 weeks.
6 Takeaways from Vikings 2023 Minicamp
Minnesota is slated to win eight or nine games in 2023 per oddsmakers, ironically the same forecast from this time last year.
And in a nutshell, these are the six takeaways from minicamp, ranked in ascending order of importance (No. 1 = most important).
6. Jaquelin Roy’s Snaps with First Team Defense
Out of nowhere, this rookie defensive tackle experienced some run with the Vikings first-team defense. Whoodathunkit?
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah plucked Roy out of the draft’s 5th Round in April, and those types generally take years to win starters’ jobs. Of course, Roy has won nothing yet, but his placement in first-team reps has to be encouraging for the young lineman.
5. Jalen Nailor Looks Like the Real Deal
Nailor looked fantastic at organized team activities (OTAs), and that didn’t stop at minicamp. The Michigan State alumnus is probably angling for a WR4 job this year — that can somewhat easily turn into a WR3 job in 2024 if K.J. Osborn leaves in free agency.
Nicknamed Speedy, this playmaker became popular in flashes down the stretch of 2022. That momentum has not stopped — at all — early in 2023.
4. Jordan Addison Absent
Addison is reportedly nursing a trifling injury suffered at OTAs. The Vikings proceeded ultra-cautiously and stated the rookie would be ready for training camp.
While that prognosis is likely true, and nothing should be sweated, fans would’ve liked to see him at minicamp if only to ensure the ‘something minor’ was truly, well, minor.
If Addison shows up in July at training camp, all is well. He did, though, miss the last part of OTAs and all of minicamp.
3. Indeed, No 2023 Contract Extension for Cousins
Cousins was asked Wednesday if extension talks were ongoing, and he replied, “I think we’ll probably talk about the contract next March. Until then, just focus on this season and the job to do right now.”
From the man’s words, extension chatter between Cousins and the Vikings front office is not ongoing, so the team has the option to part ways with him in 2024 if the 2023 campaign doesn’t go according to plan.
Cousins will indeed encounter a prove-it year, as he experienced in 2016 and 2017 with the Commanders.
2. Danielle Hunter Holdout Is Real
National media reported Hunter would hold out of minicamp, and they were correct. He was not there.
The EDGE rusher is scheduled to earn just $5.5 million in ‘new money’ this season and wants a fresh extension. This standoff can end in three ways. A) The Vikings can hand Hunter a contract north of $20 million per year. B) They can trade him to the highest bidder. C) Hunter can hold out into the regular season.
Above all Vikings issues leading into training camp, this one will dominate water cooler conversations. Hunter is the team’s best defensive player.
1. Justin Jefferson Contract Extension a Non-Issue
Reporters asked Jefferson if he’d attend training camp in July without the upcoming bulky contract extension, and he offered a blunt, non-interpretive reply, “Yeah.”
He even claimed his absence from OTAs didn’t really have anything to do with a contract extension. In his estimation, he wasn’t required to be in Eagan for the event.
But when mandatory minicamp hit the calendar, Jefferson was there, he was nonchalant about his upcoming extension, and he grabbed this nifty highlight:
There is no Jefferson drama whatsoever.
Minnesota Kicker Signs with Falcons
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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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