Purple Insider - a Minnesota Vikings and NFL podcast - Stop trying to make Aaron Rodgers to the Vikings happen!

Episode Date: March 13, 2025

Matthew Coller talks with Manny Hill about preposterous Aaron Rodgers rumors and then they look at the remaining free agents and some shocking under-the-radar signings.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey, everybody, welcome to another episode of Purple Insider. Matthew Coller here. And look who is alongside me. You can't keep Manny Hill away for very long. Manny Hill co-hosting this evening. I have made up a fake Viking schedule for Manny to pick for later because you got a ton of demands after the Vikings made all these additions. Manny's got to get on here and he's got to pick the win losses,

even if we don't have a real schedule yet. But Manny, we got to start in a place that I don't really want to start, but I have to because it won't go away. And then we'll work our way into your takes on the Vikings and how much they made themselves better, where they still need to go. I am currently working on a depth chart and the biggest questions and so forth, which I'll screen share and pull up and we could talk about it. But let's just begin with reports from Diana Rossini and Mike Silver of the

athletic that Aaron Rogers is intrigued, interested, and so forth about the Vikings. And just to paraphrase that the Vikings are thinking about it or interested in talking about it or whatever kind of language you want to use, which is not that definitive. And then Adam Schefter does a report on ESPN radio where he says much more definitively JJ McCarthy is the Vikings guy that Aaron Rodgers needs to look elsewhere My read of the room here Manny is that Aaron Rodgers would really love to be a Minnesota Viking I do not blame him. Justin Jefferson is extremely good at football. They've added talent.

They can win this year, but I think if you're the Vikings, I cannot make this work in my brain for why you would want to do this. What would your justification be? Because if they did not feel that McCarthy was ready, they would have just worked harder to convince Sam Darnold to stay around. And instead, they are going to go out and get someone who's way older, who just ripped another organization to shreds, who hasn't been a good quarterback in the NFL since 2022. Actually, no, I'm sorry. 2021 is really the last time he was good.

It just doesn't really click of why they would go so far deviating from their plan from day one, even from the time they got here to then just sign a deal with the devil and go with Aaron Rodgers. And I wonder if, you know, with all the free agent signings, the Vikings have made over the last couple of days. If that has got people thinking, well, you know, when you got Jonathan Allen, they went and got Ryan Kelly, they went and got all these, they filled all these needs that, that, you know, everybody has said that they've had, well, they've

got to be going all in. I mean, look at the two defensive tackles that they signed. Those, these guys are, you know are right in the middle of their careers. They're in their 30s. They're veterans. This team's trying to win right now. What better way to try to win than going and getting Aaron Rodgers off the free agent market? And I just keep going back to collar. Why would anyone take the Vikings out of the equation

for a second or not just include them? Why would anybody want to deal with whatever headache that Aaron Rodgers is going to bring to the table right now? I mean, people are gonna talk about, you know, I think that the Steelers have been mentioned, the Giants have been mentioned. All these other teams that need quarterbacks. I look at each one of those teams and I think why would anybody want to deal with

everything that comes with having Aaron Rodgers on your roster right now? And in addition to the fact that he's just 41 years old. He's going to turn 42 next season. You just kind of wonder how much he has left in the tank. He played the full season with the Jets, but they weren't, they weren't a very good team. They went, did they go, were they five and 12, six and 11, something like that. They were not a very good team with him playing all 17 games. So at this point, if you're the Vikings and you've got all of this invested into your young quarterback that, you know, you let Sam Donald go.

So you have indicated that you're moving forward now with JJ McCarthy and you are building and constructing this roster around JJ McCarthy having success. I don't know why you would want to pivot and just suddenly bring Aaron Rodgers in because you think that that gives you a better chance to compete for a championship. Maybe I'm not entirely sure Aaron Rodgers at this stage of his career actually really improved that odds those odds by that

much. I shot you 99 says, well, what if JJ McCarthy isn't ready, but that's what I mean about the Sam Darnold thing is that it doesn't appear from Sam Darnold's contract, which was a fine contract with Seattle, but it doesn't seem like from his contract that the Vikings were saying, no, Sam, we can't have you leave. We have to absolutely have you come back and return. And I think that if they begged and they begged financially that Sam Darnold this would have been the best situation for him.

It's actually the best situation for everyone. It's the best situation. If you get to start, it's the best situation for Daniel Jones. But Daniel Jones instead said, no, I'm gonna go where I can actually compete. So if Daniel Jones, who the Vikings wanted to bring back, felt even remotely like he was going to have a chance to compete with JJ McCarthy, then he would

have come back and played for the Vikings as well because they wanted him. But instead he said, no, I'm going to go and I'm going to go to a place where I can compete with Anthony Richardson, where I mean, there's a really good chance that he could beat him out. So that makes so much more sense, uh, that even Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold, two other quarterbacks, the Vikings one in the building would both go, all right, JJ is your guy. You're good. And I think that Schefter has been more accurate on these situations than a lot

of the other insiders. Uh, he was the first to say that the Vikings were out on Sam Darnold and they were going with J.J. McCarthy and then today coming and definitively saying that. So it's people that have been historically closer to Rogers, Pat McAfee, Silver, there's connections there. And if you're those people, I do not blame them as reporters for bringing that information to the table, that there is interest there. I also would not blame the Vikings if they find out how interested Aaron Rodgers is in them and they have a meeting and they get together and they say, we've got to at least do our diligence here of talking about it. Does anybody in the room have a

good case for it? and the only way that you could actually potentially get there would be if Kevin O'Connell said I would just love to coach Aaron Rodgers for one year I'll do anything to coach Rodgers for one year and excuse me there is one example of this almost happening which is the San Francisco 49ers tried to convince Tom Brady to come back and play for one year in 2023 rather than going to Brock Purdy. Now, of course, Brock Purdy took them to the Super Bowl. So it's a good thing that they decided to stick with Brock Purdy.

And that's the other point too about JJ McCarthy and being a young quarterback. But look around the league, CJ Stroud took his team to the playoffs in his first year. Bo Nix was in the playoffs. We saw Jayden Daniels do it. And when you look at this roster, it is so well set up for someone to have success right away.

And having been in the building and behind the scenes for an entire year is not the same as being in college and Coming into the NFL. He learned a ton. He saw a ton He was able to work with the head coach on a daily basis They had weekly meetings and they were going through everything that he would do as QB one And he saw what a roller coaster it can be, how unforgiving, how ruthless, how to lead a team as Sam Darnold did a phenomenal job of leading a team. So there's much, much more in terms of the mental preparation.

Last year he's learning how to throw a football and now he's going to already know everything that goes into chaos. He's offense and everything else when he steps on the field as QB one, and he could be that leader. and everything else when he steps on the field as QB one and he could be that leader. I just don't really see why this would make sense on any level because you start the process now of JJ McCarthy. You're already spending all this money. That would be another thing too.

I mean, if you sign Rogers, okay, maybe he will claim that he'll sign for cheaper here than he would in New York or Pittsburgh, but he's not coming for nothing. And what does that usually end up in tailing? Well, void years kicking dead cap down the road. And that's not the plan. So for the most part, here's the other thing too, Manny, is that there's just been so much and look, all this could be blown up in 10 minutes if there was a, you know, Rogers getting announced as the Vikings quarterback, it all be blown up because it's the Vikings

and we never know. But we've reached a cry wolf level with the Vikings where because their quarterback situation has been in flux and because they had Justin Jefferson, a huge superstar negotiating a contract, there's just been buzz about the Vikings and KOC coach of the year without a contract extension. There was so much buzz at different times and we heard they could trade Jefferson that never happened. We heard Kirk could come back.

That never happened. We heard KOC was getting phone calls about potentially being traded somewhere. That never happened. We heard KOC was getting phone calls about potentially being traded somewhere. That never happened. And shout out to his agent for being a total fool. If he's the one that put that out there the day of a really important game. I don't know that he did, but if he did, that would be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard from an agent. But let's just point out though that the vetting on stuff is not very good on information.

And so when we get to this and it's the fifth time, I mean, Darnold, all those people, it's so weird to me, Manny, I came out of the combine and I was like, yeah, okay, they're moving on to McCarthy. That was everything I heard. And then I come out of the combine and I got insider saying, no, no, Darno could come back. Like, what? I just but I was you were just there. Right. And I was like, oh, OK.

Yeah. And then we get back here. And now it's, you know, no, you know, Aaron, Aaron Rogers is now another thing. Like at some point, we've reached the level of everything this leadership does make sense and sticks to this very specific plan. And what the people outside the building have continued to push is stuff that would be away from the plan and they've never done any of that. So I think it should come along with a healthy amount of skepticism. And this is not me criticizing the reporters who are putting out things that they hear.

It's just at some point, if none of it comes true, then what you're hearing probably isn't telling the reality of what's going to go down. Well, and let's just hypothetically picture a scenario where Aaron Rogers signs with the Vikings. pathetically picture a scenario where Aaron Rodgers signs with the Vikings. What does this look like if he actually is now at this point 41 years old and just cooked? I mean, Brett Favre came back for a second season with the Vikings in 2010 and he was done. Like you could clearly see it early in that season and they tried to make the sort of

the Hail Mary move by trading for Randy Moss to get him back in and try to ignite that offense. But Favre was just done. And this was a year removed from having one of the best seasons of his entire career. So if you fast forward now, you know, a decade and a half later to Aaron Rogers, kind of just having a so-so season really with the Jets in 2024 and the team itself did not perform very well. Like certainly the Vikings would be sort of an upgraded roster from what the Jets were in 2024. But how do you really know Aaron Rogers a year older is actually going to be able to perform

even at the level that he performed at last year, which really wasn't even all that great? And if the Vikings are going to compete, they're going to need him to be better than that. And if he's not, you bring him in and he's not, and you start out like one and three, and KOC decides to make a move because he's trying to sort of salvage the season, let's get the young kid in there finally Finally try to, you know, inject some more energy into this. Then what, how's Aaron Rogers going to handle that getting benched at 41 years old? And you know, is he going to, I mean,

we've seen this happen now over the last couple of years with him where it, it becomes more than just football related stuff. So I just don't really, it just doesn't, to me it doesn't make any sense for the Vikings to even want to bring that potential headache into the fold when you've got something going potentially with your young quarterback and all the free agent signings that you've made over the last couple of days. You're really building something that can be potentially sustained over the next, you know, handful of years, if you continue to do things right.

And I don't really just, I just don't see the point in trying to inject Aaron Rogers into something like that. Cause it just doesn't make a lot of sense. Well, and I've loved the plan. I've loved the plan of the young quarterback with a veteran team around him. Not that different from like a Brock Purdy where Purdy was surrounded by the Trent Williams, the Christian McCaffrey, they got the Nick Bosa, all this expensive veteran talent in a window and they got this close.

They got to overtime of almost beating the Kansas city chiefs with this. And then the first time Jalen hurts goes to the Superbowl. Same deal. He's a younger quarterback with a lot of veterans around him, a very strong team around him, and he ends up being able to lead that team and go deep. And I think what was it? His second full year of starting, maybe it was his third year of his career, but a second full year of starting.

And the thing about Aaron Rogers is, uh, I just pulled it up since 2021 when he was the MVP of the league and I just, just real quick to stop to say, I covered enough Aaron Rogers games to have a full respect for this man's career and how great he was. Okay. This was it. There's a few players I look at who I feel like an honor to be able to cover, to be able to see, to go to their games, to be on a

conference call with things like that. Drew Brees, Aaron Rogers. So full respect for this. He's done nasty things to the Vikings for years, but since that 2021 season, he has a quarterback rating of 90. seven since then and his win loss is thirteen and twenty one and those were on good teams. Those were on the Packers. Those were on the Jets. And if I'm not mistaken, the whole argument of him going to the Jets was well, look how stacked they are. Look how good their defense is. They've got Garrett Wilson.

Oh, well, how about this? How about we go get you Devante Adams? And yet none of that was good enough to work because age comes for absolutely everybody. Tom Brady in his last season went eight and nine, barely slipped into the playoffs and was out of gas. And I know Peyton Manning won the Super Bowl in one of the goofiest Super Bowl wins ever,

but was atrocious. And you know what it projects like? It projects like a Kirk thing, where they would have the young quarterback and then the guy gets there, it's not good enough. They're middling or bad, and then you end up having to go to the young quarterback anyway, which you just should have all the whole time.

The Falcons just should have drafted Michael Pennex and started him day one and they would have been fine. But instead, they talked themselves into needing the veteran quarterback So I think this is not something the Vikings should have a lot of interest in there's not a lot of Reporting that makes me think that it's something they'll do and you know The whole idea the whole concept that you would have a better chance to go to the Super Bowl with Rogers than McCarthy I think is wrong. I just think it's wrong based on the way that the guys played.

I think there's more precedent to suggest that you could get deep in the playoffs with a quarterback who just started this year than there is to suggest that Aaron Rogers will go from the 13 and 21 quarterback since 2021 on two good teams to magic and all the sudden he's got it again and he's a completely different person. It just doesn't meet the smell test for how this guy had played. And if it was just one year ago that he was great, okay, maybe you could talk me into it.

But we're talking about many years now and a whole year missed within Achilles. Nothing about this really matches up but i do think that if you're the vikings and rogers is calling you saying i wanna play for you you have to have a meeting you have to have a conversation. And here's the thing too is even though i could see the wills cuz they're obsessed with the packers we know they are even though i could see them saying. are, even though I could see them saying, can we talk about it? Because it's Rogers, right? We've seen them destroy the Vikings for so many years. I still cannot see them being so illogical to say like, Oh yeah, we drafted this quarterback who we all, the organization loves. And then we should just put him aside on ice for a year to have someone who hasn't

been good for quite some time and brings a total circus, which I don't think the Wilfs want. I mean, every single Pat McAfee appearance is some sort of like circus in its own way. All that stuff. I mean, I just, there's just so many reasons not to do it that the only reason to do it is because Roger seems to want to. that the only reason to do it is because Roger seems to want to. Do you think Kevin O'Connell on like August 5th wants to be sitting in front of the media answering questions as to where

the hell his quarterback is because his quarterback is on some Island doing ayahuasca and nobody knows where he is. Nobody's heard from him for three days, you know, like Kevin doesn't want to he doesn't want to answer those types of questions He doesn't want to deal with that He wants to talk about football and the football team and who's there and who's showed up for training camp and who's getting ready for the season like I just again I keep going back to You mentioned it too the circus

Everything non football that would come along with bringing Aaron Rodgers into the fold. I know Pittsburgh's been talked about, maybe Mike Tomlin would be okay with dealing with that. They're in kind of a weird situation with, you know, who is their quarterback going to be? They might be resigned to having to bring Russell Wilson back. I don't know.

But I'm just, from the standpoint of the Vikings, everything that they've done over the last couple of years has been so calculated. And it's been all part of this major plan of trying to build this team into a contender, a team that can stay a contender for a sustainable amount of time. I just don't see any reason why they would want to deviate away from that just because, oh, it would be kind of cool to see Aaron Rodgers wearing a purple uniform or, you know, oh, maybe, you know, maybe he can, maybe we can reignite something from three or four years ago.

The likelihood of that happening is just not very high. And I think it would just be a complete waste of time. Uh, Sid's close personal friend says, glad to hear you're open-minded. That's not how sports opinions work. Sports opinions work as in I tell you what I think based on all of my knowledge and evidence and, uh, you agree with or disagree with it. Uh, so I don't have to be open-minded to a bad idea. Uh, otherwise I would just say, uh, every idea is fine. I guess like that's not how it works.

There's a bad idea. And if they do it, I'll be shocked. And I would also lose trust in them because one of the things that I have, I think done pretty well with is they know what they're doing. So they bring in Sam Darnold and there was a lot of Darnold's don't get his biggest button. I was like, I don't know. KOC might know.

Like he says, probably he's probably got a good idea of what he can do. And through the Jefferson contract extension talk, it was like, you know, I don't know. They seem to negotiate in good faith. I think it'll be fine. And it was fine. Like all these things that I've kind of made a bet on,

they understand what they're doing. When they got rid of Kendrick's and Thielen and Delvin cook. Like I think that they're, that they know what's going on here. And I know it hasn't always applied to the draft, but, uh, a lot of these other things that they've done on the pro personnel side, the money they spent even for this, I'm giving more benefit of the doubt on some of their current signings that I normally would because they've been good at them. Right?

If they do this, I'm just okay. I don't understand you guys at all. I thought I did and then I don't but also Noah said stop talking about Rogers and yes, I agree with you. Thank you. And it is time to stop talking about Aaron Rogers because that's all I've got to say. It's a terrible idea for the Vikings to consider it.

They should not. And I am also rebel Vikings, sick of hearing sick of talking about it. My phone lit up with a bunch of text messages. The minute the Diana Rossini report came out and I was just like, I don't want any part of this. This plan is great. This plan is great. McCarthy is a great quarterback prospect and you have built a great roster

around him and we're going to talk about that and just go do that because that wins all the time in the NFL pulling in a Rogers. I mean, I guess you could call it Brady to, uh, to Tampa Bay, but I think, I think those are guys on two different levels. So anyway, all right, let's talk about this then let's just for the rest of the show, we are just assuming Aaron Rogers is not a Minnesota bike. Okay. That's out of our, that is out of our view.

And if it happens, then I'll have to talk about it then. And I'll say that I misread the room and they surprised me and whatever. But as of right now, I am standing on, I don't think this is any more than Rogers trying to get himself to Minnesota. That's what I think it is. And I respect the effort. Manny, I need to get your opinion on how the Vikings handled the early days of the free agency here. What did you think of how they spent their money?

I thought they did pretty well. They addressed a lot of the needs that they have. I think, you know, you and I talked about interior of the defensive line quite a bit and they went and got two guys that are going to help with that. They're a little bit longer in the tooth. Um, but they're good football players and they have a proven track record. And, you know, I think that's good. We talked about the interior of the offensive line.

They've gone out and addressed that as well. Um, and you know, we talked about corner. They've gone out and they've addressed that as well. And, you know, we talked about corner. They've gone out and they've addressed that as well. You know, you lose cam, buying them and free agency to the Colts. Well, that's part of the reason why giving Theo Jackson an extension was really smart. And it made a lot of sense because now he's a guy that can that can kind of step into a larger role in the secondary for you.

So I thought, you know, bringing back Aaron Jones, I thought was a was a really solid move. We talked about that as well as, you know, you can bring him back and maybe lighten the workload a little bit, have him, you know, bring his usage rate down from what it was in 2024. And then you go out and you draft somebody or you go out and free agency and get another sort of younger player that can kind of split those carries, split that usage with Aaron Jones. I think that makes a lot of sense. So they've done a lot of this is kind of the second off season in a row where like pretty much everything they've done.

I'm like, yes, this is good. This makes sense. I like it. I'd see what you're doing. It makes a lot of sense. I like it. I see what you're doing. It makes a lot of sense. And now the fact that they've addressed so many needs in free agency and they still have the draft coming up too, now they have a little bit more flexibility with what they can do. They don't feel compelled to say like, we have to get a defensive tackle with our first round pick. We have to take a corner with our first round pick.

Because they've addressed some of those needs already. Now they can kind of weigh their options a little bit more and maybe more so go with like a best player available type of approach in that position and and have the guys in place that they've signed already that are going to help them immediately. So I think it would be a little bit on the nitpicky side for me to look at Jonathan Allen's contract, which is not three years, 60 million. It's really two years. And the second year has a much bigger cap hit, but it can be brought down with the restructure, which I'm sure that they will end up doing.

There's only a little bit of a nitpick there, which is there was a couple of defensive tackles that I liked who were younger that signed for less. And I am totally lost that why Levi on was Zerky today from the Detroit lions who the Vikings saw murder them only got like five something million dollars on a one year contract. Maybe it's him betting on himself and Noah brings up Rico Dowdell. That's another one that was incredibly cheap and they did not bring back Aaron Jones at incredibly cheap. Now, Aaron Jones is a better receiver than Rico Dowdell and that's not even remotely

close. Aaron Jones had 51 catches last year over 400 yards. We cannot forget what a big weapon Aaron Jones is receiving wise. But if we're playing this thing, I've had to recalibrate my brain Manny because we spent so long having to go. Oh, at that price with that void year with that money, and now they can't do this or that, but I've had to now go. Well, wait a minute. That doesn't matter.

Like with the cap situation that they have right now is so healthy and do this or that, but I've had to now go, well, wait a minute. That doesn't matter. Like with the cap situation that they have right now is so healthy. And not only that, the NFLPA put it out because you can carry over cap space from the previous year. The Vikings have even more than what the actual cap is. So the cap is two seventy nine, but they can actually use two eighty four. And it's like, man, they are just money coming out of their ears. So they don't have to be the shrewdest and they can go, okay, Jonathan Allen,

we just want you. And what is left of Jonathan Allen is better than pretty much everybody else. And Javon Hargrave is another one where the 49ers ran themselves into cap hell and had to cut ties with a lot of good players. He's coming off an injury, but they got him for two for $30 million, which seems very reasonable and it probably won't actually be $30 million because it's all funny money.

And so I think that the signings that they made and will fries. I think we all agree is a good one lock in that spot. Guy is getting better. There should be no complaints about Byron Murphy at the real price of Byron Murphy was, which was the same as chivalrous ward. And I completely would rather take him than, than ward who's getting older. So I think that they've done a really good job of hitting on the big stuff.

What comes next though is important. And here's another nitpick is like Kevin's E signed for one year, 9 million bucks and like, Oh, now Wilfries is a five year deal. So that's somebody for longterm. Zeitler I think is a right guard. So I get it, but I go, Oh, like that's a pretty good deal, but I've got to stop doing that because this would be like, if you go to the grocery store and you're looking at the TV dinners and you're like, those are a pretty good deal.

And you walk by the $20 steak and you're like, no, too expensive. Like, no, the $20 steak is way better. Yeah. Even if it's overpriced, it's way better than what you'd be getting for the TV dinners. So there's a little bit of like this push and pull with me, but I think what happens next Manny is going to be very interesting to see because the Cooper cup conversation is now out there. I'm for this because even though I don't think Cooper cup is anywhere near what he was a couple of years ago, I think there's a lot of precedent

for receivers that are a little bit older, a little bit long in the tooth, who on a team like this can be wide receiver, two slash three fit into the right role and give their team a lot. So I think if you're Kevin O'Connell, you should just block Aaron Rogers number and maybe call Cooper cup. And even if, even if Cooper cup is not what he once was 67 catches last year, he had the 35th highest PFF grade, which puts you as a solid number two slash three type of wide receiver in the NFL. Yeah, I love the fit, the potential fit of Cooper cup here.

We talked about it a couple of weeks ago when the story came out that the Rams were going to basically move on from him. Um, I think it, it makes all the sense in the world, especially now if you're not even having to like, I mean, we were talking about, you know, what they make with the Vikings make a trade to bring them in and sort of absorb some of that money. Now you're in a position where you don't even have to do that. You don't have to give up anything to get them, you can just sign them. And I think it just makes all the sense in the world. As long as you're not having to rely on Cooper Cup

to be your number one option, which clearly he would not be that here, I think it's a great fit. We talked about them adding pieces to their offense that can kind of help with the short passing game a little bit more, especially J.J. McCarthy's a guy that's probably gonna lean on that part of the passing game a little more than, especially J.J. McCarthy is a guy that's probably going to lean on that part of the passing game a little more than maybe Sam

Darnold did. I think sort of adding that safety blanket of Cooper Cup and then pairing that with the other weapons that this team has, I think it's a it's I think it would be a great fit. Cooper Cup knows the offense. I mean, he you know, Kevin O'Connell coordinated that offense that won the Super Bowl in 2021. So I think it would be a great fit. I would hope that the Vikings do their due diligence and have a conversation with them and bring them in. And if it happens,

I would absolutely love it. I think it'd be a great move. We've also seen chaos, his ability to convince people to come here, which happened and I should throw Brian Flores in that as well. With Stefan Gilmore last year, Stefan Gilmore, I know had another team in mind that he wanted to sign with. But the Vikings brought him in and they showed him around. They were like, are you sure you don't want to just be in this facility? It's pretty nice. And look at this team and look at the way this culture is and

all that sort of stuff. The coaching is, and he eventually said yes. And even Daniel Jones who had no real reason to come to the Vikings other than how about I go to KOC rehab center for quarterbacks and I'll work with him behind the scenes for a half a year and see how that plays out. Maybe it'll help my reputation. I think it did help his reputation. I don't think that anybody is paying Daniel Jones what he got paid to compete for a starting job. Had he played out the rest of the year with the New York Giants?

I really don't. I think that it helped that he came in there like all of KOC likes him then you know and KOC is friends with Shane Steichen and then you know, you kind of get that connection there. So, uh, I think that if there's a player like Cooper Cup, and this goes for a few other guys too, I don't know, like maybe Tyler Lockett or, uh, I don't know about Amari Cooper. He looked pretty washed last year,

but I do think that there is a wide receiver three spot that's pretty important here. And I think they need to add a different type of wide receiver to that position. And cup would be that guy, even if he's not the, even if he's not the Jake Reed or whatever, even if he's not in that caliber, but he's more of just the comparison I keep making is Anquan Bolden, but even like a, uh, what, uh, Elshon Jeffrey brought to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, where he wasn't the same El Sean Jeffrey, where he was mossing people left and right.

He's pretty darn good. So I think that has to be something that they address here in the coming days. I want to pull up Manny, the top 100 from the athletic. I've been using this as just kind of my, my baseline for looking at what free agents are remaining and go through with you and talk about, uh, if there's any that we think the Vikings should go after here and who's still available. So I'll keep scrolling as most of them are taking care of Stefan Diggs still out there. That's not happening, but, uh, I don't think Zedari Smith is coming back. We already talked about, uh, Mackay

Bechtin, I don't think is happening. They signed a right guard already. Now this is an interesting one. And somebody in the chat brought up Tevin Jenkins. Uh, it is notable that Tevin Jenkins does not have a job yet. Could that be health related? He's had some back issues, but I, I like the idea of really going all in here, Manny, if you were talking about, and there's some risk to that. But if you were talking about a Darasaw Jenkins, Kelly fries, O'Neill offensive line, I mean, that's a pretty imposing offensive line to bring to the yard. imposing offensive line to bring to the yard? If they're going to tell me that Kelly and Jenkins are both going to be healthy for a majority of the season, I like that.

I like that five. And I know Kelly's got, you know, the last couple of years, he's been banged up a little bit too. But when he's healthy, he's been one of the one of the best centers in the NFL. And I think Jenkins very good player to health issues obviously are there. But if he's healthy, I think, I think at, very good player too. Health issues obviously are there, but if he's healthy, I think at this point, when you've got the other four guys in place on the offensive line,

I think it's worth taking a flyer on Jenkins, even if there are some concerns. Obviously the price tag would matter in that too, but I think at this point, when you've seemingly, you've got the other four spots on the offensive line solidified, I think taking this point when you've seemingly solidified, you've got the other four spots in the offensive line solidified, I think taking a flyer on Jenkins and just seeing like, hey, can this guy hold up for a full season?

He's at a good age. What did you see there? He's 27 years old. So he's at a good age. He's not like an aging player. I think at this point, it would be worth the gamble and worth taking a flyer on him and bring him in and plug him in and solidify the line.

Thank you to whoever it was Randall that mentioned that there's a filter for the best available player. Thank you. That does make it nicer. Noah asks if Cup is worth it or if it's just the name. I think it's I think he's worth it because he still had a good season last year, but the problem for the Rams was the money versus the good see, and this happens a lot with star players for teams.

I think about think about Adam Thielen, like Adam Thielen with the Vikings couldn't take a small contract. Adam Thielen can go somewhere else and take a fairly small contract and it just kind of works that way. It would look bad for him if he stays with the team for almost nothing. But if he goes somewhere the team for almost nothing. But if he goes somewhere else and signs a small deal, okay,

like we've it's run its course kind of thing. And that appears to be how it is with him. Uh, Rasul Douglas, I like that idea. I think he's a good veteran corner, uh, but just to finish the point on cup, he's not a star anymore. Not a big superstar, but if he came into the Vikings, he caught 40 passes blocked pretty well and caught some stuff underneath and a handful of touchdowns in the red zone played 14 games. Like that's worth bringing him in.

That's a lot of value. Yeah. I saw that Draymond Jones just signed. He was kind of interesting to me as an interior rusher. Let's keep going on the list for a soulul Douglas didn't have a great year last year veteran corner, but okay. I'm kind of intrigued by Keenan Allen, though. Are you Manny? Yeah, I mean, he had some moments with the Bears last year,

and he's another one of those guys who that's just kind of a veteran. And you don't need him to step in and be your number one target. You know what I mean? He's just a guy that you can kind of plug him in, and you don't need him to step in and be your number one target. You know what I mean? He's just a guy that you can kind of plug him in, much like what we were saying with Cooper Cup and just catch everything underneath. You know what I mean?

We saw him do that literally in a Chargers uniform when the Chargers were here, came here to play the Vikings in 2023, where he just caught, what do you have, like 15 catches or something in that game? It was's ridiculous. And it was just Justin Herbert, just quick drop, dump it off to Kenan Allen real quickly. Like that's that's an element that this Vikings offense I think could really use.

And Alan can do that. Cooper Cup can do that. If it's if it's not Cooper Cup and ends up being Kenan Allen, sign me up. I'd be for it. I'm sorry. Where was the question for 20, 4 20 sports would, how would cup fit? Would he really want to be a slot guy? Actually for his career, he's been much more of a, of a slot guy. Then he has been an outside wide receiver.

So I think so keen and Alan, uh, you're right. Go wolves. He is slow, but let me tell you, I watched two games of Vikings and bears tape last year, cause I go through the tape after every game. And then I do my tape study on purple insider dot football. Great place to go sign up if you want. And let me tell you, that man was still open. He could still run routes. And this is the type of player because we're not talking about somebody who's a huge signing for wide receiver three, but it's can you put somebody who can be an underneath quick option for the quarterback JJ McCarthy?

Now here's another one that's available that I'm sort of interested in is JK Dobbins Manny, because if you look, can you tell what I look at by the ads? Uh, can you tell what most of my musicians friend with a million guitars here, but, uh, JK Dobbins is interesting to me because he played a part-time role last year and we just saw Rico Dowdle hardly get any type of money, 6.5 and that's I'm sure the max of Rico Dowdle. If JK Dobbins, and I'd like them to draft a running back. I'm in on RJ Harvey, I'm in on a bunch of guys,

but they only have so many draft picks and Dobbins was explosive for them last year. I'm in on RJ Harvey, I'm in on a bunch of guys, but they only have so many draft picks and Dobbins was explosive for them last year. I just, I need a duo that's a little bit more reliable and a little bit more explosive, but I'm kind of, I'm kind of interested as we're just going through the list here of available free agents.

If you told me that they signed Dobbins to one year, five million bucks or something, I'd be like, okay, that makes sense. Can he come in and be and give you a little bit more than what like cam makers gave the Vikings in 2024? Right. Because I think that's the big question with JK Dobbins is just can he be healthy because when he's been out there, he's been pretty good. It's just he's never been able to really stay healthy for an entire season. And this, I want to say 2024, probably the well, I think his rookie year he

played. How many games he plays rookie year? I think he played 15 games with the Ravens. He was good here. Yep. Yeah. But he's just been so banged up since then. And last year, I think what did he play 13 games last year with the Chargers, but 900 yards. I mean, that's that's pretty productive. I think if you can bring him in and keep him healthy, you know, and maybe you if he's splitting, splitting reps with Aaron Jones, that might be a way to kind of keep him fresh for an entire season. I mean, you don't have to worry about him getting too banged up or wearing down later,

later in the year. And that would I think apply for both of those guys really if they can kind of split carry. So I'd be fine with it. I think the biggest question with him is just can he stay healthy and be reliable in that regard? I do appreciate that you guys have browser hacks to not get the ads. But the thing is, I'll tell you a secret. Look at look at how cool this ad is, though. It's all these awesome guitars. I'm like, I'm I'm interested in this one. Interested in that one. So, you know, I kind of I kind of like that.

It's always showing up with cool guitars. Amari Cooper, I'd kind of be out on. I just don't think there's a lot left there. Assante Samuel Jr. Not getting a job already is a little surprising to me. Brandon Sheriff. I swear if he comes to the Vikings, we're going to throw a huge party because of the number of times that we have talked about this man on the show every year.

Every year. What are we going on? Maybe five years of whether it's being traded or free agency. He could still play and a one veteran wouldn't be a bad idea. The Delvin Tomlinson thing is out the window because they signed DT's Tyler Lockett. I was also looking at a table earlier today on Wayfair. So shout out to them. They should sponsor the show.

Kaleus Campbell would be hilarious that they just get all old defensive tackles, but I don't think there's too many other of these guys that are high on the list that are of intrigue. We don't know what's going on at safety. Elijah Moore is another, another wide receiver that might be that wide receiver three. Will Hernandez kind of interesting. Will you know, that's been a guy I've mentioned for a long, again, like, I'm going to start calling these guys long time Viking, long time Viking, Will Hernandez, a brand sheriff.

So we've talked about them so many times. Uh, Mike Hilton kind of interesting there. Uh, he's been a good player still, a Keller, weather spoon. So, you know, they're around, they're around, but I think they need to probably now Manny fill out some spots like depth linebacker. Yeah. I think now is the time to kind of see what is remaining and go out and just fill the other spots like they got mostly a whole roster.

They need an answer for their safety, but they I'm starting to think though that Harrison Smith is coming back because they just seem to ignore the safety market and even Javon Holland tweeted there was some report that the Vikings were in on Javon Holland and he was like, no, they weren't. So I don't know. That's kind of how I feel. That's the vibe that I'm getting. I was thinking that too.

And it kind of feels like if Harrison Smith were going to retire, we would probably know by now. Like, I feel like if you, you know, and he's kind of talked about, like, when he does retire, he's just gonna do it and kind of, it's not gonna be a big, a big thing. Like, he's just gonna kind of disappear and to the, you know, go off the grid, quote unquote, so to speak. But I think that if he were actually going to be done, I think we would know it at this point and the Vikings would know it. And we'd probably see them, you know,

probably spend a little more in free agency on the safety position. So yeah, it kind of feels like he's probably gonna be back. And I'm cool with that. You know, he's still certainly not the player he was five, six years ago, but he's still pretty good player. Very smart.

One of the one of the smartest players that we have in the entire league. And I think he can still definitely have a positive role for this defense. So I look this up. It was around right around this time that he came back last year, and there was a press conference or something about him coming back or whenever it was. But it was somewhere around now and a little bit after this that he decided to come back. But I would have thought that there would be a safety here by now because they've come off the board pretty quick.

And Justin Simmons is still out there. But Justin Reed, Jovan Hollen, Trayvon Morrig, like a bunch of these guys signed pretty quick. And if the Vikings thought, oh, yeah, he's he's done. He just hasn't announced to get then there probably would have been a bigger sign. That's just trying to read the tea leaves there. Matt says finally, the depth linebacker. The only thing I got for depth linebackers, they need one.

C.J. Mosley released by the Jets. Sure. Like, you know that Flores loves his guys like that, that have, uh, some ability to be a pass rusher, drop back in coverage, a Skoll guy. What are we doing for offensive line depth is a good question. I'm just waiting on the trade for Garrett Bradbury, but I also think that there's once you sign a center for that type of contract, the rest of the league knows, yeah, you're going to release him because he's never played guard before. You don't take a guy who started on this team since 2019 at the one and

only center position and then say, all right, you're actually a backup now. You're actually depth for Ryan Kelly. Sorry, you got a contract pale. Like, um, Steve asks, are the signings going to have a press conference? We heard from PR today. So I guess with Jonathan Allen, he was going to the other day and then timing didn't work out and now there's a bunch of guys who have signed. So they're going to do virtual press conferences and they've all signed dispersed, gone back to Florida or what? You know, so that'll happen.

That's going to happen in the coming days. But I think the next answer here is just what they're going to do with the left tackle or I'm sorry, left guard position because I do like the idea of Hernandez. Everybody knows that by now, since I've mentioned it since 2018 that I like Will Hernandez and I still do. But this to me, Manny, that's what I got circled in the draft. Now, I still like the idea of a defensive tackle for the future, but there's going to be some guards there that I think if you look at how much they're getting paid, if you hit on a guard in the first round and you get that guy on his rookie contract, he's going to be worth 20 million this year, but some average guards getting 25 next

year, that is just going up and up and up as the DTs get better. So I'm suddenly liking an idea that I usually would not have liked, which would be a guard in the first round. There's a ton of value in how much money you are saving by not having to go and get another person to sort of fill in another hole that you have. I mean, the Vikings have done a great job, I think in spending in free agency and solidifying two spots on their offensive line. Um, so you've got 80% of of your your offensive line solidified right now. And if you can get somebody in the draft

to get that last 20% sort of stabilized, a guy who's young and cheap and has a chance to be really really good. Sign me up for that man. That's that's that's a home run. That'd be a home run move right there for them. So I think you you know, we talked about Tevin Jenkins, obviously, and I think, you know, if you can get him in for cheap and put him in at left guard and then, you know, you've got that, you got your whole line solidified, perhaps, depending on the health of Jenkins. I like that idea too, but you can just go and use your first round pick on a guy that is slotted to go in that spot or maybe a guy that fell a few spots that you

didn't think would be there, but now he is and he's good and you just plug him in and he gives you what you've been missing really for the last several years. Yeah, that would be, that would be a home run, home run hit for crazy. Oh, what they've really been missing is they've been missing somebody who I think is physically imposing to the other team. Yeah. Will fries is pretty big and he plays physical. So you like his play style if you will.

Uh, Ryan Kelly being older is less imposing than he used to be. I think earlier in his career, Ryan Kelly was a legitimately dangerous player as a center, but now he's just, he's good. Uh, but if you're talking about taking even a Tyler Booker, it didn't have the greatest combine, but look at his size, look at how he plays or a gray Zabel who is a 98th percentile athlete, somebody who can actually be a difference maker at that position and not a, well, he'll, he won't get you B. He's going to hang on for dear life. I would prefer somebody where you go when that guy pulls, Oh, watch out.

When, when, you know, that guy is going up against their best DT. It's physical freak on physical freak. That's what I would like to see. And I don't think you get those guys later in the draft. That's what I would like to see and I don't think you get those guys later in the draft I think you get those guys only early in the draft and A lot of times just like every other position you go and you look at the numbers you go Who's the best in the league? Where was that guy drafted first round? Where's that guy drafted second round? Like a lot of this is like that