Questions Answered: Dark Horse Free Agent for Vikings, New OL, QB2 in 2025

The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the January 24th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: Dark Horse Free Agent for Vikings, New OL, QB2 in 2025
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.

Q: Who’s an under-the-radar free agent you think the Vikings will pursue?

Answer: Cooper Kupp.
Conveniently, Kupp could hit the open market, a man with ties to Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. In 2020 and 2021, O’Connell offensively coordinated Kupp and the Rams, even winning a Super Bowl in 2021, the springboard event that propelled O’Connell to Minnesota.
Kupp is under contract with the 2025 Rams. But that may not come to fruition. “Who knows what’s going to happen? That’s out of my control. And we will see what it’s going to be. … I don’t have any clarity on what that’s going to look like or anything like that. So yeah, obviously would love to be in L.A., but I don’t know what that’s going to look like,” Kupp told ESPN this week after his team lost in the Divisional Round to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
The Rams could trade Kupp this offseason — probably for a late-round pick — and save about $12.5 million in cap space. A roster cut before June 1st would incur a $22 million dead cap hit, with $7.5 million in cap relief. After June 1st, the details are more favorable, costing Los Angeles about $15 million in dead cap, with $15 million in savings.
Keep an eye on him to the Vikings if the Rams sever ties. He’d be an outstanding WR3, the ties to O’Connell are strong, and Jordan Addison will probably be suspended for the season’s first three games.
Q: Will Minnesota get an entirely new interior offensive line?

Answer: Probably not new across the board.
If we had to guess, let’s go with a new guard and center while Minnesota retains Blake Brandel.
Here’s to hoping the Vikings win the Drew Dalman sweepstakes, the best center available in free agency.
Q: If you had to predict, who will back up J.J. McCarthy in 2025?

Answer: Daniel Jones.
The Vikings signed Jones in November after the New York Giants said sayonara, paving the way for a relationship in 2025. We believe Sam Darnold will leave to lead a quarterback-needy team, like the Las Vegas Raiders, and Jones will fill the Darnold role next season.
Of course, J.J. McCarthy will assume the QB1 job, with Jones as a fantastic backup.

Vikings Coach Could Be Stolen by Bears
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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