1 Guy Thinks Vikings Should Be Awarded Better Draft Pick
The Minnesota Vikings had a fascinating last month, highlighted by the exits of star players Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has tried his best to replace them, and the addition of pass-rushers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard will help. Cousins, meanwhile, has been replaced by Sam Darnold, who is, on paper, an underwhelming successor.
1 Guy Thinks Vikings Should Be Awarded Better Draft Pick
The actual next franchise quarterback, however, could arrive in the draft. Adofo-Mensah has put the franchise in a position to facilitate a trade to get into the top five of the draft ranks.
Of all people, Cousins could make life a lot easier for Minnesota. There’s reason to believe he broke the tampering rules of the NFL. That reason, ironically, is him admitting the violation of the rules at the podium when talking to the media at his introductory press conference with the Atlanta Falcons. He casually dropped that he had spoken with the team’s head athletic trainer a day before he was allowed to.
Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk thinks the Vikings and the Falcons should swap first-rounders as a punishment for the organization that broke the rules and as compensation for the team that had the disadvantage because of the broken rule.
Given the manner in which the NFL handled last year’s tampering by the Cardinals with former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, it’s impossible to rule out an announcement that drops just before the first round of the draft.
The Falcons have the eighth pick in round one. The Vikings have the eleventh. What if the punishment is as simple as the Falcons and Vikings flip-flopping the two picks?
The NFL set the precedent last year, with the sudden and unexpected news of the Cardinals-Eagles settlement. It would make sense for it to happen again, between the Falcons and the Vikings.
Mike Florio
The evidence is pretty straightforward because the admission is on video. The purple team may have lost a longtime starting quarterback, but that might help them find his successor.
Minnesota is obviously interested in trading up for one of the top guys on the board. That intention is clear as day. Acquiring the 23rd overall pick is extra ammo for trade talks. Whether that is for J.J. McCarthy, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels remains to be seen, but it is undoubtedly the preferred plan when the draft kicks off on April 25 to come away with a potential franchise QB.
That trade will be expensive. The trade partner knows a passer is the target, which leads teams to demand a QB tax. Minnesota’s starting point is picks 11 and 23, in addition to a likely package of future picks. Swapping picks 8 and 11 might result in keeping their top selection in 2025, a pick that might be worth a lot, considering the Vikings’ win total is currently set at 6.5.
Cousins’ weird slip at the podium may have helped his former employer and would surely be a unique parting gift from the four-time Pro Bowler.
Vikings Could Fill 1 Hole in the Draft
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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