Purple Rumor Mill: QB on Saturday, Trading Back, Dalvin Cook
Dustin Baker
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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 April 29th edition.
Purple Rumor Mill: QB on Saturday, Trading Back, Dalvin Cook
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.
Here’s the first batch of the week.
Rumor: The Vikings will draft a quarterback on Saturday.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell flat-out told the media — a couple of times — that he intensely scouted this year’s quarterback class, as he does every year. He often says, “You never know when you’re going to cross paths with them down the road.”
The 2023 draft was no different, and the Vikings indeed did their homework on every eligible passer.
Of course, this time around, Kirk Cousins isn’t committed to the team beyond 2023. It’s a reasonable expectation that they draft a quarterback Saturday. Dorian Thompson-Robinson (UCLA), Jake Haener (Fresno State), Jaren Hall (BYU), and Clayton Tune (Houston) would be the available prospects.
Minnesota appeared to do the most homework on Thompson-Robinson, so keep an eye on him. Also remember — the Vikings have only two quarterbacks on the roster at the moment. The plan all along this offseason may have been to find a developmental passer in the draft.
If the club drafts no quarterbacks, a Cousins extension could be on the way before the start of 2023.
Rumor: Minnesota tried to trade back before selecting Jordan Addison on Thursday night.
The Vikings very much wanted Addison — for several weeks now — but if another team wanted to donate a chunky trade package for the 23rd pick, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was all ears, as he should be.
The New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills reportedly called about the Vikings pick, presumably to nab Addison amid the run of wide receivers, including Jaxon Smith-Njiba, Zay Flowers, and Quentin Johnston. But their trade capital wasn’t enough to move the needle for Minnesota. Instead, they stuck with the original plan, and Addison is a Viking.
Rumor: Dalvin Cook hasn’t been traded but is almost certainly gone from the team in 2023.
The probability of Cook playing for the 2023 Vikings is about 2%.
Some even believe a deal with the Miami Dolphins is complete, and the teams are merely waiting for June 1st to consummate the deal. We shall see.
Cook is allegedly putting his Twin Cities house up for sale, posted a picture to Instagram this week of himself in a Vikings jersey with the logo blocked out, and he’d incur a $14.1 million cap hit against the books if he stays in 2023.
Adjust your thinking to reflect Cook on a different team this September. It’ll be the Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, and Kene Nwangwu show soon. They might even draft a rookie halfback on Saturday.
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,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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