Minnesota

Vikings

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise after the Vikings made it clear this spring that McCarthy is being brought along slowly and is something of a long-term project who isn’t close to ready for the NFL game. Darnold, who was good in his last starting opportunity in Carolina two seasons ago, will have every chance to be Minnesota’s starter throughout 2024. “If Darnold is dominating, dishing the ball easily and limiting turnovers, and the Vikings are winning, why mess with the chemistry or team trajectory?” Lewis said, adding there’s a chance McCarthy won’t see any playing time as a rookie after being taken with the tenth pick in the 2024 draft. “Similarly, if Darnold is struggling, and the Vikings are not competitive, it’ll be difficult for O’Connell to quiet the noise for McCarthy.”

“Jordan Addison had as good of an offseason program as really you can ask for,” O’Connell told ESPN. "[He is] a guy that had a ton of success in Year 1. And really, from a standpoint of getting a little stronger, getting a little bit more comfortable playing through contact and still playing with that great burst and transition that he has, you saw some real growth there [this spring].” Coming off an impressive rookie campaign that includes 70 grabs, 911 yards, and ten touchdowns, Addison will once again slot in as Minnesota’s WR2 behind Justin Jefferson. About 20 percent of Addison’s 2023 targets were more than 20 yards downfield. He caught six of 20 deep shots for 250 yards and four touchdowns.

The article also noted that Cine “appeared to be no better than the sixth safety on the [Vikings’] roster.” Cine was drafted by the Vikings with the No. 32 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft but has played in just 10 games since entering the league. The former Georgia safety suffered a compound fracture to his left leg in Week 4 of his rookie season and has yet to make a start as a pro. Cine has just one career tackle to his name and has played on only 10 career defensive snaps. Between his limited usage over two seasons and the latest rumors out of camp, it sounds like Cine is a legitimate risk of being left off of the 53-man roster despite the former first-rounder being just two years into his career.

Darnold is the veteran of Minnesota’s quarterback room and has been the first-string quarterback throughout the offseason program, so O’Connell’s comments should come as no surprise. They don’t guarantee Darnold the starting job for Week 1 either. O’Connell also mentioned wanting to create a competitive environment for his quarterbacks in training camp. Redraft fantasy managers can ignore this quarterback room for now as it’s safe to assume we will see Darnold and first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy at some point this year. Best ball drafters will want to pair McCarthy with at least one locked-in starter if they want to take him as a late-round quarterback.

Phillips said he thinks the Vikings will have “a one-two punch” at running back this season, with Jones and Chandler both having a chance to make an impact. Chandler, the incumbent in the backfield, rushed 94 times for 419 yards and three touchdowns in the Vikings’ final eight regular season games while adding another 16 receptions for 116 scoreless yards. Jones, who the team acquired earlier this offseason following his release by the Packers, is the presumed RB1 but is entering his age-29 season and is coming off a year in which he was limited to 11 games due to hamstring injuries. Both backs bring a three-down skillset to the backfield and would have fringe RB1 upside if the other were ever to miss time. For now, it sounds like Chandler could have some stand-alone value, making him a potential smash in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.

The journeyman tight end impressed the Vikings enough for them to sign him in mid-May as a potential short-term replacement for TJ Hockenson, who is recovering from a 2023 knee injury and could miss time in the regular season. Tonyan in OTA sessions has been a “favorite target” of Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy, and the other Minnesota QBs, per Lewis. If Tonyan, 30, gets a full complement of routes in the pass-first Vikings offense, he could be more than serviceable in fantasy leagues this fall.

Lewis said McCarthy was much more accurate during Thursday’s practice than he had been early in the week, when he missed several routine throws while working on new footwork. The Vikings, Lewis said, want to “help him develop confidence. To allow him to try throws, make mistakes and learn. Head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff believe that’s the best path to long-term success, and everyone seems on board.” Sam Darnold, meanwhile, has taken all the first-team reps on OTAs and demonstrated good chemistry with Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson, Lewis said. Darnold is on track to start Week 1 for Minnesota barring an outstanding training camp and preseason from McCarthy.

Whiles he’s still listed as a receiver, Harry (listed at 6-4, 225 pounds) has been trying his hand at tight end. With his best season being a 33-309-2 campaign in 2020 for the Patriots, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea. The Vikings will be looking for production at the tight end position with T.J. Hockenson on the shelf for a while. Josh Oliver and Robert Tonyan lead the way for now, but Harry could have an athletic advantage over both. It’s not worth going crazy over yet, but for now it’s an interesting development.

Jefferson is now the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. His $140 million extension includes $110 million in guaranteed money and an AAV of $35 million. Jefferson, 24, has arguably been the best receiver in the league since being drafted No. 22 overall in 2020, racking up 392 receptions for 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns over his first four seasons. His 5,899 yards are the most by any receiver in league history through their first four seasons, and he’s one of just five receivers to surpass 5,000 yards over that same span. Jefferson is now under contract through 2028 and will be in line for another lucrative deal after his age-29 season. His deal all but sets the market for guys like Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, and Tee Higgins, who are also in search of new deals from their respective teams.

Risner is a proven blocker in the passing game, reliably producing PFF pass-blocking grades ranging from 67.4-to-73.6 in his five-year NFL career. Risner’s re-signing fortifies Minnesota’s offensive line as an above-average pass-protection unit for first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s rookie season.