The Minnesota Vikings decided to change the direction and the face of the franchise during the 2024 NFL offseason. It is a move that has taken courage and has been applauded at several levels throughout the NFL. However, discarding Kirk Cousins and failing to re-sign pass rush specialist Danielle Hunter may prove to be quite risky to the franchise.
The Vikings decided to draft quarterback J.J. McCarthy of Michigan with their initial first-round pick under the belief that he will become an elite signal caller and help the team advance far in the playoffs. They also signed veteran Sam Darnold to man the QB1 position until McCarthy shows that he is ready to take over the position.
The plan has been devised by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell and it makes sense. The ideal scenario is one that was employed by the Kansas City Chiefs after they drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017. The Chiefs had veteran quarterback Alex Smith at the time, and he served as the team's starting quarterback for all but one game that season.
The Chiefs went 10-6 that season and won the AFC West. They lost to the Tennessee Titans by a point in the Wild Card game, and Mahomes took over as the team's starter in 2018. He has been the starter ever since then, and the Chiefs have won three Super Bowls since then, including the last two years.
Vikings need Darnold to come through with a consistent start to the season
The Vikings may not have to keep McCarthy on the bench as long as the Chiefs did with Mahomes, but it is clear that O'Connell wants McCarthy to take his time and learn all the responsibilities and nuances of playing quarterback in the NFL.
That could take a month, two months or longer. Until the competitive McCarthy demonstrates that he knows how to run a complex offense, Darnold must perform at a high level.
The Vikings have a challenging schedule to start the season. After opening the season on the road against the New York Giants, they come home to face the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans. While the Giants game seems winnable, the games against the Niners and Texans appear to be major challenges.
The Vikings follow with a road game against the archrival Green Bay Packers, a game in London against the New York Jets, a home game against the defending NFC North champion Detroit Lions and a road game against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Vikings may have a difficult time coming away with anything better than a 2-5 record unless Darnold show that he can lead the team in a masterful way. Darnold may have a difficult time reaching the same production level predicted for Cousins in a site like bettoringreen.com.
Absence of Hunter could be problematic
Danielle Hunter was dynamic in his last season with the Vikings. He finished with a career-best 16.5 sacks and was clearly the best player for defensive coordinator Brian Flores. His decision to sign with the Houston Texans for two years and $49 million was a blow for the Vikings.
Adof0-Mensah did not let the Hunter departure paralyze him. The Vikings signed free agents Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard and drafted edge rusher Dallas Turner with their second first-round selection.
Those moves could help the Vikings improve from their middle-of-the-pack performance last year from a defensive perspective. However, all of those moves may not help the Vikings as much as Hunter's presence would have provided.
When he is healthy and playing his best, Hunter is a potential first-team All-Pro and nearly at the same level of players like T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett. Having a brilliant superstar on defense that can dominate and intimidate opponents is often essential for teams with legitimate championship aspirations.
Bottom Line: Vikings clearly have a plan, but it may not work out
If Kirk Cousins lights up the Falcons passing game and they find themselves contending for first place in the NFC South while Hunter becomes the dominant player on the Houston defense, questions will persist in Minnesota.
Those questions will have an angry tone if the Darnold-McCarthy quarterback combination struggles to keep the team afloat and the defense fails to make progress after a decent performance last year.
The Vikings could have made a much greater effort to keep Cousins and Hunter, but they did not. Those personnel decisions could prove to be quite risky during the upcoming 2024 NFL season.
Follow Us
Subscribe
