Purple Rumor Mill: The Offer for Drake Maye, McCarthy as a Face, Not Rushing the QB1
Dustin Baker
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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 April 28th edition.
Purple Rumor Mill: The Offer for Drake Maye, McCarthy as a Face, Not Rushing the QB1
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.
Rumor: The Vikings, indeed, offered three 1st-Rounders to the New England Patriots for the draft pick that landed Drake Maye.
SI.com’s Albert Breer wrote Friday, “The Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants did make offers to the New England Patriots for the No. 3 pick to take Drake Maye. Earlier this week, Minnesota offered the Nos. 11 and 23 picks, and its 2025 first-rounder, with pick swaps favoring the Vikings as part of the proposal; and that offer ticked up with New England on the clock.” He continued, “The Giants, meanwhile, did wind up putting their 2025 first-round pick in their offer to move from No. 6 to No. 3.”
It sounds like Minnesota had a cutoff for the trade price, which was a wise strategy. A handful of sources reported New England wanted north of three 1st-Rounders, and it seems that was correct.
Rumor: Kirk Herbstreit believes new Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy could be a face of the NFL.
Herbstreit said on Outkick’s Dont @ Me Podcast, “The guy’s a winner — he’s 27-1, won a national title, brought Michigan back to being Michigan, and now he goes to Minnesota. And I think if you look at [Vikings head coach] Kevin O’Connell… he’s going to put a system that’s very similar to what J.J. McCarthy did at Michigan, and I think this kid’s going to fit in perfectly.”
“I think that kid could eventually become one of the faces of the NFL. I think he’s got a chance to really take off,” he added.
Well, this is the Holy Grail scenario. After cutting ties with Kirk Cousins, Vikings fans have yearned for a Joe Burrow or Josh Allen type, and it’s encouraging that folks like Herbstreit believe that is attainable with McCarthy.
Could be a whole lot worse.
Rumor: Minnesota has a plan in place and won’t rush J.J. McCarthy to be ready for Week 1.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said after the McCarthy pick, “We’re not going to rush his development. We’re just going to do what’s best for the Vikings in the short and long term.”
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted this weekend, “The Vikings will follow an individualized development plan they created for each of the quarterbacks they considered drafting, one that requires McCarthy to hit specific benchmarks and gives coach Kevin O’Connell full authority to make the timing decision.”
Unless McCarthy blows everyone away this summer — he’s 21, and that probably won’t happen — expect Sam Darnold to take the reins in Week 1.
Here Are the Draft Grades for Vikings (R1)
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 MIN 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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