Questions Answered: McCarthy or Maye? | Aaron Jones’ Role | New Kicker
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the March 19th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: McCarthy or Maye? | Aaron Jones’ Role | New Kicker
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: Which QB do you prefer if the Vikings trade up on draft night? J.J. McCarthy or Drake Maye?
Answer: Drake Maye.
Few Vikings fans would be disappointed with McCarthy. His draft stock has climbed tremendously in the last eight weeks. Some even believe Maye will take more time to develop than McCarthy. We shall see.
However, we like the total package Maye provides a bit more than McCarthy. Either due to a lack of development or Michigan’s offensive preference, McCarthy didn’t throw deep outside the numbers all that often. Maye, on the other hand, already has that tool in his kit.
Either option is acceptable, but we prefer Maye because his ceiling is higher. Even if it takes a bit longer to achieve, Maye has the potential to be a Justin Herbert or Josh Allen type. Let’s do it.
Q: Will Aaron Jones be a bellcow RB1 for the Vikings?
Answer: No.
The Vikings are still quite high on Ty Chandler — and rightfully so. Chandler played wonderfully down the stretch of 2023 and deserves more carries in 2024. But Jones was signed as an ironclad fix to Minnesota’s ground game that has struggled mightily in back-to-back seasons. The Vikings’ offense will never fully cook with a terrible running game.
As a guess, we’ll say Jones grabs about 60% of all rushing attempts in 2024 to Chandler’s 40%
Q: Is the Vikings’ new kicker, Parker Romo, the guy for sure in 2024?
A: He’s not for sure the undisputed option; a rookie kicker could emerge from the draft or undrafted free agency.
Consecutive Vikings leadership regimes seem to adore summer kicking competitions, and 2024 may be no different. Minnesota has oodles of late-round draft picks in April. You shouldn’t be surprised one bit if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mesnah spends a draft pick or UDFA signing on a kicker to compete with Romo.
Romo did perform well in the XFL, though, and it’s refreshing that the Vikings are finally moving on from Greg Joseph.
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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