Vikings Nopedy Nopes: The Tampering Penalty, Rick Spielman + Justin Jefferson, Drake Maye Fears
A weekend publication from VikingsTerritory, we present to you: the Vikings Nopedy Nopes of the week.
Vikings Nopedy Nopes: The Tampering Penalty, Rick Spielman + Justin Jefferson, Drake Maye Fears
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 sixth batch of Vikings nopedy nopes in the series’ history.
The Nopedy Nope: The Vikings will end up with the Atlanta Falcons’ 8th overall pick as penance for the Kirk Cousins tampering ordeal.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote this week, “Maybe the Vikings are quietly holding out hope that the end result of the investigation regarding Atlanta’s blatant tampering with Cousins (and it was blatant, frankly) will result in a flip-flop of picks No. 8 and No. 11. (There’s no specific reason to think that will happen, but it’s not impossible that the league would select this sanction — and announce it literally five minutes before the draft starts.)”
Then, Florio doubled down a couple of days later: “The Falcons have the eighth pick in round one. The Vikings have the eleventh. What if the punishment is as simple as the Falcons and Vikings flip-flopping the two picks? The NFL set the precedent last year, with the sudden and unexpected news of the Cardinals-Eagles settlement. It would make sense for it to happen again, between the Falcons and the Vikings.”
An arrangement or pick swap could be the result of Atlanta’s tampering sins, but it won’t involve a 1st-Round swap. The league doesn’t care that much about such behavior, especially when it calls the first section of free agency “legal tampering.”
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Former Vikings GM Rick Spielman claims Minnesota should or could trade Justin Jefferson during the draft.
Ex-Vikings boss Rick Spielman recently opined about Minnesota’s draft options: “If you are really interested in coming up for your quarterback, Minnesota Vikings, I will take the two ones for you to get up there, and I have to have a one next year because you don’t have a two this year. So I’m gonna get the one next year but I’m willing to forfeit that for Justin Jefferson.”
That might be on the table if he were still in charge — he helped ship Percy Harvin and Stefon Diggs out of the Twin Cities — but not the current leadership regime. The Viking’s current brass has stated collectively for a year that a deal will be finalized with Jefferson, and that’ll be that.
Spielman did a fairly good job in Minnesota for 16 years, but his Jefferson take isn’t accurate.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Drake Maye will get his new team’s general manager and head coach fired.
“Drake Maye is the kind of player that will get you fired. Especially if you draft him in the top five or top three, he’s going to get you fired,” former NFL running back Merrill Hoge told WCCO last week.
It’s a bizarre draft opinion from Hoge, as most draft heads believe Maye has one of the highest upsides in this draft class. Of course, he can improve his footwork and decision-making, but that applies to every rookie. Moreover, the statement is odd because any quarterback taken in the draft’s Top 3, 5, or 10 who flounders would likely get a general manager or head coach fired.
Thankfully, many of Hoge’s draft takes in the past turned out bonkers. Four years ago, he claimed Justin Herbert was “too slow” for the pros and lacked the proper “twitch” to thrive professionally.
Hoge also weighed in 16 years ago about Brian Brohm, a Green Bay Packers draft pick, saying Brohm would surpass Aaron Rodgers on the depth chart while Green Bay was kicking off life after Brett Favre. That was inaccurate.
Maye will be a great quarterback if he lands in the right system, and Hoge’s take will fall on the ash heap of his others — like the Herbert and Brohm beauties.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
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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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