Questions Answered: Vikings Depth Chart Surprise, Kwesi and KOC Extensions, QB1 Endorsement
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the August 6th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: Depth Chart Surprise, Kwesi and KOC Extensions, QB1 Endorsement
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: With the Vikings’ first depth chart now out, what do you consider the biggest surprise?
Answer: Robert Tonyan as the TE5.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed Robert Tonyan in May, a former Green Bay Packer, and he seemed like a wonderful replacement plan for T.J. Hockenson, who could start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Tonyan, too, looked marvelous at June’s minicamp.
Now, though, the roster situates Tonyan at TE5, which would spell an end-of-summer release if the pecking order stays the same.
We thought he’d be closer to TE3. Perhaps that will come to fruition closer to the regular season.
Q: I know the Vikings ownership said they won’t extend Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell this season, but would you do it now or wait until next offseason?
Answer: Next offseason, for sure.
The duo hasn’t even reached the final year of their four-year contract(s). This upcoming season is Year No. 3. We aren’t entirely sure why this has become a talking point or debate. It’s an item for the 2025 offseason.
“We’re focused on the season ahead,” owner Mark Wilf replied when asked about extensions for Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell. He also made it abundantly clear that he was happy with the team’s direction.
Wilf said about extensions specifically: “It’s not something we’re talking about at this point.”
Let the chips fall in 2024 and assess in February.
Q: Who would you start at quarterback in Week 1 for Minnesota?
A: Beyond the shadow of a doubt — J.J. McCarthy.
But we’ve said this since draft night. We have no qualms with Minnesota taking lumps this season, even if it means a trashy record. Adofo-Mensah still has his 1st-Round pick in 2025.
Patchover or bridge quarterbacks don’t do much for us, and we’d rather see McCarthy start out of the gate. We also won’t fume with anger when Sam Darnold starts, but left up to us, let’s go McCarthy. Ideally, with the McCarthy plan, he gets the rocky rookie season out of the way, and 2025 can be all systems go for playoff and Super Bowl contendership.
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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