Sep 24, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports.
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the March 31st edition.
Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the Vikings, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.
Here’s the second batch of the week. Yesterday’s can be read here.
Joe Lombardo from Gridiron Heroics began the Vikings-Prescott theories this week and wrote, “The Vikings could go from losing Kirk Cousins in 2024 to shopping at the top of the quarterback market and landing Dak Prescott in 2025. Certainly, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is positioning the Vikings to trade up for a quarterback in this year’s draft by acquiring an additional first-round pick from the Houston Texans. But, if Minnesota can’t move up they’ll need to find a long-term solution in 2025.”
He also smushed Prescott together with the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, and Seattle Seahawks for possible destinations in 2025.
“If the Vikings can re-sign All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and with Jordan Addison on the opposite side of the field, Minnesota has the kind of receiving duo in place to vault into the playoff conversation with Prescott behind center. Thanks to having more than $104 million in projected cap space for 2025, Minnesota could be positioned to make the strongest offer to Prescott, if they don’t walk away from this year’s draft with their franchise quarterback in the fold,” Lombardo concluded.
The Vikings will draft their quarterback of the future in 25 days, and this Prescott nonsense will end quickly. If Minnesota wanted to pay a good-but-not-elite quarterback mucho dinero, they would’ve re-signed Kirk Cousins three weeks ago.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reported this week, “The Vikings’ left guard situation still seems a bit uncertain. Blake Brandel is the leader in the clubhouse. The Vikings could pursue another option in the draft. They could also sign a free agent like Dalton Risner, who has switched agents since the beginning of free agency and is represented by Drew Rosenhaus.”
Risner’s so-far free agency stalemate will likely pick up pace soon with Rosenhaus in the house.
On his contract desires, Risner personally tweeted March 12th, “Just In case anyone was wondering … I’ve started 73 games over 5 years in the league … missing only 4 games due to injury… earning the starting spot amongst 3 different coaching staffs … I’ve never asked for a bag, simply just a starting guard contract.”
Six days after the Risner tweet, KFAN’s Paul Allen asked Adofo-Mensah about the chances of Risner returning in purple, and the young executive replied, “Where we’ve wanted to be is best available. That’s where we’ve tried to set ourselves up both in a draft and acquisition standpoint. So every option is on the table. That’s all I can say about that.”
A return to Minnesota is unlikely, based on those comments, but Risner will be employed before too long.
All of a sudden, within the last 72 hours, Drake Maye became the most-mock-drafted player in the Vikings’ orbit.
Two things happened:
Minnesota will probably end up with Maye or McCarthy, and ever so slightly, Maye might become the frontrunner over the next three weeks.
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.