3 Vikings Offseason Theories You Can Forget About
With training camp underway and the Hall of Fame game already in the history books, the NFL season is coming closer fast. The first regular season game for the Minnesota Vikings will kick off on September 8 on the road against the New York Giants. Before then, more offseason questions will be answered in the remaining weeks of training camp and the three preseason contests.
3 Vikings Offseason Theories You Can Forget About
Through the first week of training camp, we’ve learned a lot about the team, and some popular offseason theories can safely be put to rest.
1. J.J. McCarthy Needs A Redshirt Year
When rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy was drafted with the tenth overall pick, folks immediately assigned the starting job to Sam Darnold ‒ for good reasons. McCarthy is 21 years old, and while possessing intriguing physical tools, he still needs to work on some things.
In addition to that, everyone involved talked and acted about the situation like Darnold would be the QB1 for the foreseeable future, perhaps even for the entire season, unless things go south quickly.
A few practice sessions later, it is fair to say that the rookie can compete with Darnold. The Vikes might still give Darnold the nod in Week 1, but it is pretty obvious that McCarthy isn’t far away and doesn’t need months or years to get ready for NFL action.
2. The Vikings Must Acquire a New WR3
The WR3 job has been vacant since K.J. Osborn left during free agency to join the New England Patriots. Candidates for the job seemed underwhelming, with journeyman Trent Sherfield, punt returner Brandon Powell, and depth player Jalen Nailor, who had shown potential but injuries have been a problem.
So why not acquire someone with a proven track record either via trade or free agency? In theory, the Vikings could still do that, but it’s much easier to be confident in the group now than it was a few weeks ago. The reason for that is simple: Jalen Nailor.
He has been the standout player in training camp, and his deep-threat ability matches well with Powell’s ability to make something happen in space after short catches. Head coach Kevin O’Connell can pick which skill set he needs next to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on any given down.
3. Dalton Risner Returned to Start
During free agency, the Vikings re-signed backup guard Blake Brandel but barely added any competition. Fans asked for Dalton Risner to return. Last year’s starter at left guard couldn’t find a new job.
In May, Risner re-signed with the Vikings. Of course, the assumption was that the 2023 depth chart would just continue as the status quo.
So far, Risner hasn’t taken any first-team snaps. It’s Brandel at left guard and Ed Ingram at right guard, while Risner is getting snaps with the second team on both sides. If it was a real competition, Risner would surely share the first-team reps with the guy he’s competing against. It’s quite simple: Risner is planned to be a replacement player for Ingram and/or Brandel.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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