Kwesi Adofo-Mensah & Kevin O’Connell Talk Free Agent Moves, Future at Quarterback & 2023 NFL Draft in Eagan, Minnesota, on April 13th, 2023. Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell joined the organization in January and February 2022, respectively.
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the October 18th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to DustinBakerNFL@gmail.com.
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.
Answer: Should? Yes — for the right guy. Will? Probably a 30% or so chance.
Jeffery Simmons, a defensive tackle from the Tennessee Titans, makes the most sense. Tennessee just released once-popular safety Jamal Adams so he could pursue a winning team in free agency, meaning the Titans may be initiating a surrender. Simmons could be “expendable,” too.
Here’s Simmons’ Pro Football Focus resume to date:
Some fans believe Dexter Lawrence is available. That would be fantastic, as well.
But next year’s 1st-Rounder is the only viable 2025 asset right now, so Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will likely protect and keep it.
Answer: 12-5 feels fair.
Our initial prognosis was 7-10 or 8-9, meaning the Vikings would have to finish 2-10 or 3-9 for that to be accurate. This team obviously feels much better than that.
The schedule becomes markedly easier in six days, and 12-5 might be pessimistic.
Still, finishing 7-5 after a 5-0 start seems fair and realistic. A record higher than 12-5 will have Minnesota contending for homefield advantage throughout the postseason.
Answer: No, probably not. But it won’t be stunning if so.
The former 3rd-Round linebacker doesn’t play on defense. He was drafted 2.5 years ago with the vision of perhaps taking over a starter’s role, but Ivan Pace Jr. squashed that plan in 2023.
Meanwhile, when Pace Jr. missed two games with an injury this season, Kamu Grugier-Hill — not Asamoah — filled the open job. The same thing happened last year when Troy Dye saw action amid Jordan Hicks’ absence.
Minnesota could ship Asamoah elsewhere for a conditional 7th-Rounder if anything.
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.