Vikings Nopedy Nopes of the Week | March 9th
A new weekend publication from VikingsTerritory, we unveil the Vikings Nopedy Nopes of the week.
Vikings Nopedy Nopes of the Week | March 9th
The nopedy nopes are weekly Minnesota Vikings-themed items that we’re not buying. It’s a spin-off of our rumor mill, and we hope you enjoy.
Here is the inaugural batch of Vikings nopedy nopes.
The Nopedy Nope: Trey Lance is a realistic QB1 option for Minnesota if Kirk Cousins leaves.
We do this every year, and every year, it’s wrong. Maybe the Vikings will fire off a mid- or late-round draft pick to get Trey Lance and give him a look. That’s the theory, and it never comes true.
NFL Network’s Rich Eisen appeared to be the originator this time, mentioning the Vikings as a Lance landing spot this week. “A possible solve at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings is a native of the state and his name is Trey Lance. Trey Lance is a possible solve for the Vikings. Now, the Cowboys kept him on the roster long enough to get a bonus,” Eisen said this week.
Lance hasn’t played a full football season at any level in five years.
Eisen added, “So they’re paying money to keep him. And as you know, they got him for a five. I’m just wondering if the Vikings flip them a three. A Friday night pick? Do they go ahead and do that?”
Lance could be great for the Vikings — as a QB2 or QB3. He couldn’t even topple Cooper Rush for the Cowboys’ QB2 job in 2023. He won’t be onboarded in Minnesota as a QB1 solution.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: The Vikings might re-sign Patrick Peterson or Eric Kendricks after their recent releases from AFC teams.
Eric Kendricks was an absolutely magnificent football player for the Vikings from 2015 to 2022. He might even nibble at the Ring of Honor at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Patrick Peterson played in Minnesota for two years and impressed at times. His veteran leadership was damn near required in 2021 and 2022.
But both defenders are old, and the Vikings said goodbye last offseason for a reason. While it’s perfectly fine for Vikings fans to reminisce on their careers fondly, don’t expect them to be high-priority starting solutions for the 2024 club. Reunion angles for Kendricks and Peterson are unlikely.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Antoine Winfield Jr. should’ve been a Vikings free-agent target.
National NFL media sites annually publish Top 100 or 150 free-agent lists, and then the franchise tag removes most of the first 20 players.
This offseason was no different.
Winfield topped many of those lists, and Vikings faithful began daydreaming about reuniting Winfield Jr. with his father’s, Antoine Winfield Sr., team via free agency. But the son Winfield is an All-Pro in the prime of his career. Tampa Bay won’t let him walk.
He’s not coming to the Vikings, at least not until his late 20s.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
Beloved Ex-Viking Dropped by Pittsburgh
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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