Questions Answered: The Jaren Hall Injustice, Duke Shelley, Vikings’ Breakout Star
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the August 29th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: The Jaren Hall Injustice, Duke Shelley, Vikings’ Breakout Star
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: Why the hell would the Vikings get rid of Jaren Hall for … Brett Rypien? Rypien is garbage.
Answer: Because Hall isn’t ready to lead the Vikings’ offense.
It’s also worth noting that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said Thursday that he plans to re-sign Hall to the practice squad.
Star Tribune‘s Andrew Krammer tweeted about the situation, “Kevin O’Connell said he still believes Jaren Hall will be here ‘for a long-term process.’ Adding Brett Rypien as QB3 gives them a better ‘short-term’ outlook ‘knowing what we went through’ in starting four QBs last season.”
They trust Rypien over Hall if a QB3 has to play this year. If Hall comes back after waivers, they’ll continue to develop him.
Vikings fans have overblown Hall’s recent performance(s). He looked good in a couple of preseason games against third-string players. He might be on his way to a high-end QB2 ceiling, but preseason performance doesn’t translate to regular season success.
Q: What is wrong with Duke Shelley that Minnesota couldn’t keep him on the roster or practice squad?
Answer: For the most part, defensive coordinator Brian Flores needs tall, physical corners for his blitz-heavy system to tick, and Shelley is not big. In fact, he’s really small for a cornerback.
Shelley played wonderfully in Ed Donatell’s lackluster defense, but that may not transfer well to Flores’ scheme. It’s probably why the Vikings didn’t re-sign Shelley last offseason. Man coverage is required in Flores’ ideal setup; Donatell used zone or shell.
In other news, the New York Giants scooped Shelley on Thursday, so there’s a small chance, albeit microscopic, that he plays against the Vikings in 10 days.
Q: Who you got for one breakout star in 2024?
A: Excluding no-brainers like Dallas Turner, let’s go with Blake Brandel to emerge as a steady and productive left guard.
Minnesota never wavered from its offseason plan to nominate Brandel as the starting left guard, and they probably didn’t do that without purpose. Hell, Dalton Risner even got moved to right guard after years at left guard due to Brandel’s stranglehold on the job.
We also like Sam Darnold to account for 25+ touchdown passes, which some might consider breakout-worthy.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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