Questions Answered: Justin Jefferson’s No-Show, Hanging onto 23rd Pick, Vikings Too Nice
Dustin Baker
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The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the April 15th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: Justin Jefferson’s No-Show, Hanging onto 23rd Pick, Vikings Too Nice
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Q: Is Justin Jefferson not showing up for voluntary offseason workouts a big deal or much ado about nothing?
Answer: Much ado about nothing. In fact, it would’ve been weird for Jefferson to show up.
Jefferson is in the middle of contract talks with the Vikings, and for his sake, he should stand firm until a deal is complete. “I’ve had a lot of great dialogue with Justin. My hope is we can get him around the team. Want him here as much as we can have him, but also understand there’s a lot of factors involved,” head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters.
O’Connell added, “Obviously such a special player, but it goes beyond that, especially this time of year because of just the energy and the flat out way he comes in this building and goes to work and his teammates respond to him.”
A deal will get done with Jefferson, and until then, he should stay on the side. It’s the way the business works.
It’s worth noting that Jefferson didn’t partake in voluntary workouts last year, either.
Q: Do you believe the reporting that suggests the Vikings will find a way to retain their 23rd overall pick?
Answer: We believe they, of course, want to hang on to it, but we don’t think that’ll happen.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Minnesota evidently wants to retain the 23rd overall pick, a theory that has seemingly arisen out of nowhere. “You got Minnesota armed with two first round picks. This is the team that could be active. I’ve talked to several teams who believe that Minnesota at least right now, doesn’t want to part with that second first rounder, which is in the 20s. They want to try to preserve that, which could be tough to move up into the top five for a quarterback,” Fowler said this week.
Sure, they should try to keep the draft capital, but unless the Vikings want to donate a 1st-Rounder next year instead, that 23rd pick is as good as gone if they want their quarterback of the future from this draft.
It’s better to sell the 23rd pick this year than next year’s 1st-Rounder if the choice is up to Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Q: Do you agree with Erin Henderson that this brand of Vikings is “too nice?”
A: No.
This is dumb.
“Folks don’t want to hear this but as long as the Vikes locker room is filled with nice guys they ain’t gonna win. Attitude reflects leadership and the Vikes are a nice family oriented organization top to bottom,” Henderson tweeted on Friday.
Josh Metellus has some fun with it, too.
The “too nice” thing is just one former player’s opinion. To each his own.
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 MIN 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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