The 3 Big Upcoming Vikings Items to Monitor This Week
The Minnesota Vikings didn’t qualify for the playoffs in 2023, finishing 3-6 after a 4-4 start. Quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles in Week 8 at Lambeau Field, and the club never recuperated. As a result, Minnesota has the 11th overall pick in April’s draft.
The 3 Big Upcoming Vikings Items to Monitor This Week
Fifteen days remain until the beginning of free agency, and the 2024 NFL Combine kicks off this week.
So, these are the three times to monitor this week ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = top item to monitor).
3. Risers at the NFL Combine
This is where the most dramatic rookie movement can occur in the lead-up to the NFL Draft. Put simply, players put their measurables on the record, and general managers + fans salivate.
For example, LSU’s Jayden Daniels could blow the field out of the water with speed, and his draft stock may shoot up the board to No. 2. That would, in theory, shove Drake Maye down to No. 3 or so, and the Vikings would-be quarterback draft plans would be affected.
Most assume — or hope — Minnesota will draft a quarterback in 60 days, so keep an eye on the 1st-Round prospects in Indianapolis.
2. Kirk Cousins Watch
In 2018, the Vikings’ decision to re-up with Case Keenum hit this very week on the calendar. So, a precautionary warning to Vikings fans: fasten your seatbelt — this could be time for a verdict regarding Cousins.
Chatter heats up at the NFL Combine, which gets cracking this week. Teams can even illegally flirt with Cousins’ representation. If there aren’t enough Cousins rumors already, well, this week should not slow down the cycle.
Put it this way: there’s a chance — this week more than last — that more tangible clues about Cousins’ free agency are learned.
1. Kwesi on the Mic
Reporters will inevitably ask Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah about his roster-building plans this week at the Combine — from Cousins’ status, Danielle Hunter’s contract, to Justin Jefferson’s extension.
Usually, Adofo-Mensah answered questions more straightforwardly than most executives, meaning he could provide more clues about Minnesota’s humongous offseason dominoes.
Last year at the Combine, he revealed, in detail, his competitive rebuilding strategy and that he doesn’t look at the NFL world in a where “you either have to be all-in for a Super Bowl or tank the season.” Never terribly shy in front of a microphone, Adofo-Mensah might reveal more hints this week in Indianapolis.
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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