Vikings Nopedy Nopes: Dallas Turner Slander, the Adrian Peterson Snub, Jaire Off the Board
It’s that time of the week — when VikingsTerritory reveals nopedy nopes, items in the team’s orbit that are wrong, off-base, or simply didn’t come to fruition.
A rebuttal of sorts to some recent Vikings items — including Dallas Turner slander, an Adrian Peterson All-Century atrocity, and Jaire Alexander off the board.
It’s a Sunday series running over one year and can be found weekly at VikingsTerritory.
You can read past nopedy nopes here.
Nopedy Nopes in the Vikings’ Orbit
The Nopedy Nope: Dallas Turner has to avoid being a “bust” this season.
Bleacher Report identified six second-year players this week that must bounce back from 2024 or risk a “bust” label. Turner made the cut.
Holder wrote, “Coming out of Alabama, Dallas Turner was widely considered one of the best pass-rushers in the 2024 draft class. With that in mind, it isn’t too surprising that the No. 17 overall pick did not record a single start as a rookie.”
“But it was a little shocking to see him only take 28 percent of the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference, and he could receive a similar workload this fall. Both starting edge defenders from last season return for the Vikings: Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard.”
Turner did not struggle last year; he just didn’t receive a starter’s playing time because Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel produced Pro Bowl campaigns.
Holder concluded, “Van Ginkel is coming off a career year with a personal-best 11.5 sacks to earn a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro bid. Meanwhile, Greenard has had back-to-back double-digit sack campaigns, logging 12 in 2024 while also making the Pro Bowl. So, Turner has an uphill battle to crack the starting lineup and could have a tough time seeing the field again.”
Patrick Jones II and Jihad Wards, two EDGEs from last year’s squad, were not re-signed this offseason. Turner will see more playing time accordingly.
The man is not a bust.
Verdict: Nopedy nope on floating the bust label for Dallas Turner.
The Nopedy Nope: Adrian Peterson is not a Top 4 running back over the last 25 years.
ESPN published an All-Quarter Century Team this week, and Adrian Peterson didn’t get the call, which is utterly mind-boggling.
Instead, Priest Holmes, Derrick Henry, and Christian McCaffrey got the RB love.
This was ESPN’s criteria: “Players are still eligible if they began their career in the 1990s, but only production beginning in the 2000 season was considered. These decisions were made mostly on statistical output, focusing on peak seasons while still rewarding longevity.”
“We relied heavily on FTN’s DYAR metric (defense-adjusted yards above replacement), which calculates a player’s value over the course of the season compared to a replacement-level baseline. Other advanced statistics were also taken into account.”
Is simply doesn’t make any damn sense at all that Peterson would be left out. He is fifth all-time on the rushing yards list with 14,918. And his 120 career rushing touchdowns rank fourth in NFL history. None of the RBs from ESPN top Peterson in either category.
Aaron Schatz wrote about Priest Holmes, “Yes, Holmes is our RB1 over anyone else. Think back to the turn of the century, when Holmes emerged from the Baltimore bench to drive the powerful offense of the Dick Vermeil Chiefs, using a dynamic combination of rushing and receiving skills.”
“Other running backs might have had longer peaks, but none of them can match the three-year period that Holmes had from 2001 to 2003. In the advanced DYAR metrics for total value, these seasons rank 15th, second and third among all running back seasons since 1978, respectively.”
But for real — why no Peterson? Not even as an Honorable Mention?
Verdict: Peterson left off the ESPN list is the grandaddy of them all for nopedy nopes.
The Nopedy Nope: Jaire Alexander as a free-agent target for the Vikings.
About one week ago, FanDuel‘s Kay Adams urged Jaire Alexander to sign with the Vikings.
“My vote for landing spot, for one, Jaire Alexander, would be the Vikings. Of course, we can do the funniest thing ever here: Go to the Vikings,” Adams opined.
“So much has gone on between him and Minnesota over the years. They need a corner. I talked to Vikings Coach Kevin O’Connell about that being maybe the only thing I don’t love right now, as far as keeping them from winning a Super Bowl. He gets a chance to play the Packers twice a year. I would love Jaire to stay in that division. You just got to join forces with Justin Jefferson and see how that goes.”
Alexander signed with the Ravens this week for a deal worth up to $6 million.
Verdict: Nopedy Nope on Alexander to Minnesota.
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