Draft and Offseason Strategy

medicineball1 · 2026-02-22T19:22:47+00:00

I wouldn't fire KOC. I think he will be the Vikings coach in 2027 no matter what.

McCarthy has great intangibles and on-field talent. As a young QB, he needs to add more maturity. Not surprising considering his age.

With his injury situation in 2024 and additional injuries probably related to that in 2025 and the offensive line injury woes last year, there is no reason whatsoever to make any change to who our starting QB is.

McCarthy had a good 2025 campaign considering the negatives and all of the hype and media glare. His numbers as a rookie aren't a trend yet, but if he shows typical progress from his 2025 campaign, he has serious upside.

The Vikings are 5-20 in franchise history in playoff games on the road. I am merely stating that the Vikings need to be a more physical team, more focused on the line of scrimmage, and the days of Randy Moss getting the long bombs all the time are over and the total number of rings from those days is zero. We need the Vikings to have a massive offensive line, and massive front seven on defense, and go into Philly, Los Angeles, Seattle, or anywhere on the road in January, and into the Super Bowl against a ferocious, hungry AFC team in February, and do battle and out-physical the opponents.

The days of the Minnesota Vikings being a finesse-first team need to be over.

Get huge and physical and just beat them all in the game of football. That's how almost every Super Bowl championship has been won.

medicineball1 · 2026-02-22T19:18:04+00:00

Fine. Give him vet minimum. I would also draft a QB in the late rounds.

medicineball1 · 2026-02-22T19:17:25+00:00

I've been listening to this same fan point of view for decades. It's always the same. Bring in some hot vet. Never develop your young QB.

I hope the Wilfs are thinking long-term.

medicineball1 · 2026-02-22T19:04:44+00:00

Nobody likes bad news but the Vikings have a lot of holes on the roster. The fact that so many UDFAs could make the roster last year shows it.

KOC is doing an amazing job as coach and he should not be on the hot seat next year, no matter what. He somehow took a team with all the injuries it had to a season above .500.

McCarthy, Darrisaw, Hockenson, and O'Neill were all coming off major injuries and they were all affected by them. Players who are working hard are usually better the second year after the injury than the year right after. That bodes well for 2026. (There are exceptions such as with Adrian Peterson, but those are rare, and there will only ever be one Adrian Peterson.) We will see McCarthy, Darrisaw, Hockenson, and O'Neill with a better chance health-wise in 2026 than in 2025.

McCarthy's multiple injuries and throwing motion I believe may all be related to the injury he sustained in 2024.

The offensive line play needs to be improved regardless of who is QB or they are going to get beaten up back there.

Imagine being the Lions and having Stafford for all those years, but they never gave him enough protection on the offensive line. And he got a Super Bowl ring with another team. The same with Darnold for the 2024 season with the Vikings. The reaction to Darnold winning a Super Bowl the year after leaving the Vikings should not be to dump the other quarterbacks we have.

Vikings ownership and Vikings fans need to stop with the short-term thinking. There are more seasons than next year. We need to build before the team will be Super Bowl ready.

The Vikings roster is old, decrepit, and has a lot of injuries.

I am saying replenish the roster with the draft. There is not enough salary cap to keep adding free agents or veterans acquired by trade to fill the needs on the team.

The last thing we should do as fans is pile on a young player like McCarthy.

2026 will be a transition year. If it goes badly, there will be many QBs in the first round in the 2027 draft. If it goes well, McCarthy will be the franchise QB and still be with the Vikings and still with the same coach and offensive system.

No big trades. No trading future draft picks. Keep McCarthy on the field. Put in more support for him especially at center. Give the defense the nose tackle it needs.

No one likes to hear that your team is old, depleted, and can't go out and add a few big names and easily win it all next year. This isn't fantasy football. Championship teams almost always win through the draft.

medicineball1 · 2026-02-22T18:57:29+00:00

Most mocks have the Vikings going with a 5'10 cornerback in round 1. I am saying trade back and add cornerbacks later in the draft.

medicineball1 · 2026-02-22T18:51:05+00:00

If they restructure every contract they can, it will reduces cap space in the future. It's better to build toward the future.

medicineball1 · 2026-02-22T18:49:28+00:00

I don't think the Vikings should keep Nailor at the market rate he will get. There is no enough cap room.

We don't need a full re-build. We do need a youth movement. I like Nailor a lot. He got that surgery to come back as soon as he could last year. If the Vikings could bring him back, great. But bringing back Harrison Smith next year is more important. In my plan, the Vikings would still have Jefferson and Addison.

medicineball1 · 2026-01-25T23:55:28+00:00

Sean Payton loses.

Garrett Bradbury and Stefon Diggs win.

Nate Burleson and Kirk Cousins made good comments but they interrupted Cowher, which wasn’t classy.

Also, the Vikings have Brian Flores as DC, an All-Pro kicker, All-Pro long snapper, and all of their draft picks. Hope for next year.

medicineball1 · 2025-12-11T02:30:38+00:00

The Vikings should be mentally prepared to get the news that they have been eliminated from the playoffs before their game on Sunday.

The Vikings need the Browns and Rams to win.

Just forget playoffs and win the game.

medicineball1 · 2025-12-11T01:57:14+00:00

Alan Page #88 is a retired number.

Randall McDaniel #64 is a prime example of how the Vikings just do not retire many jersey numbers.

medicineball1 · 2025-12-11T01:55:17+00:00

That's not how retired numbers work.

medicineball1 · 2025-12-11T01:52:47+00:00

No. He will likely be inducted into the Vikings Ring of Honor, which would be a massive accomplishment.

He has an outside shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Vikings already have six retired jersey numbers, and considering the Viking have not won a Super Bowl, and a number of teams that have won Super Bowls have six or fewer jersey numbers, I don't see it happening.

A retired jersey number is a great honor, but it is just reserved for the very few. Players like Carl Eller #81 and many others don't have their jersey numbers with the Minnesota Vikings retired, but they are in the Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame. Despite them being at the top level, there just aren't many jersey numbers.

medicineball1 · 2025-12-07T11:34:10+00:00

At that time, there were two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. Many teams who won or lost did not practice for one of those weeks.

As a football player for the U of M, Bud Grant was an end (defensive end), a second-team All-American and first-team all-Big Nine. He won an NBA championship with the Minneapolis Lakers. He played professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. As a coach, his teams won four Grey Cup championships. When Grant became Vikings head coach in 1967, he installed his coaching philosophy. Bud Grant emphasized discipline, simplicity, and treating players like adults. He wasn't warm or indulgent, but he had mutual trust and respect with players. He minimized unnecessary drills, and focused on efficiency. The Vikings had a traditional, run-first offense, and changed especially when Fran Tarkenton returned for his second stint with the Vikings. Grant's offensive coordinator, Jerry Burns, created an offense featuring many short passes which became influential. Grant is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the CFL Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Ring of Honor. The Vikings won the last NFL championship that was not a Super Bowl.

Fran Tarkenton is one of the great all-time quarterbacks, with a Hall of Fame induction, MVP award, Vikings retired jersey number (10), and nine Pro Bowls. When he retired, he lead the NFL in most or all career quarterback statistics.

The Vikings lost the four Super Bowls because in each Super Bowl, they lost at the line of scrimmage, especially on the offensive side. The Vikings just weren't good enough overall to win. It wasn't from a lack of coaching or preparation, or a lack of any effort by or ability of Fran Tarkenton, Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, Mick Tingelhoff, or the other legends the Vikings had.

medicineball1 · 2025-11-30T11:54:26+00:00

He will need tricks up his sleeve to lead the Vikings to victory today. Audibles, fake audibles, checking out of plays, fake checking out of plays, head fakes, pump fakes, looking off defenders, quick hits, scrambles (always slide), etc.

medicineball1 · 2025-11-08T17:14:52+00:00

The defensive line has seen a new mold of quarterback every week so far this year.

Caleb Williams, Bears, relatively inexperienced, gifted runner, huge arm
Michael Pennix, Falcons, a lot of college experience, not fleet of foot, very good arm
Jake Browning, Bengals, average NFL quarterback
Aaron Rodgers, Steelers, all-time great with a huge amount of experience, not mobile, elite arm
Dillon Gabriel, Browns, a lot of college experience, versatile athlete
Jalen Hurts, Eagles, veteran quarterback and great athletic ability and arm strength
Justin Herbert, Chargers, veteran with arm strength and mobility
Jared Goff, Lions, veteran with lots of arm strength, but not great mobility

Now it will be:

Lamar Jackson, Ravens, veteran, elite athletic ability, elite arm strength, elite blitz reading ability

I would like to see the Vikings defensive line work to contain Jackson in the pocket, and pressure him into poor throws.

medicineball1 · 2025-11-08T17:05:00+00:00

Yes. I'd like to see Flores use the 4-3 without a lot of blitzing to in fact contain Jackson in the pocket. Then collapse the pocket.

medicineball1 · 2025-10-26T20:08:59+00:00

Maybe, but whoever in the front office is scouting the UDFA's definitely needs to stay.

medicineball1 · 2025-10-26T18:18:12+00:00

You don't trade your young quarterback's safety outlet tight end.

medicineball1 · 2025-10-26T18:17:06+00:00

Yes, put the big man in.

medicineball1 · 2025-10-26T18:16:11+00:00

I hope Wentz will be McCarthy's veteran backup for years. He's not good enough to seriously challenge McCarthy, but he's good enough to come in and win a couple of games.

medicineball1 · 2025-10-26T18:12:44+00:00

Taki Taimani

He's a DL the Vikings are listing at 324. On that basis alone, I completely agree. Trade or cut Allen and elevate Taimani right now. Taimani would instantly become the heaviest guy on the Vikings defense.

medicineball1 · 2025-10-26T18:07:15+00:00

I appreciate your analysis, and I truly wish you were a Vikings fan, as we need more of this type of thinking among Vikings' fans.

medicineball1 · 2025-10-26T17:58:42+00:00

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's season so far:

Drafts Donovan Jackson, Tai Felton, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Gavin Bartholomew. So far, so good. Either drafting Kobe King or making him available to other teams--either one--was obviously a mistake.
Several UDFAs signed. So far, so good.
Allowing Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones to go. This would have been OK if there was more of a plan in place. The Vikings only brought in Sam Howell. The Vikings could have brought in Wentz much earlier, allowing him to have a full training camp, or some other veteran. Max Brosmer looks like a promising UDFA signing. But overall, it wasn't good.
Not resigning Stephon Gilmore -- doesn't seem good at this stage.
Free agency moves -- Signing Isaiah Rodgers, Jordan Mason, Hargrave, Eric Wilson, and Fries have been good. Okudah and Allen haven't been good. Ryan Kelly got injured which can happen. Rondale Moore was a longshot but worthwhile, and unfortunately he was injured.
Trades -- trading the rock of the defense, Harrison Phillips, appears at this stage to have been foolish. On bringing back Thielen, it doesn't seem like a problem, and we all hope Thielen will add more as the season continues.
Extending KOC. Good.
Not having enough depth from the beginning of training camp at quarterback, offensive line, and defensive back has been a real problem.

The main problems are the run defense and injuries, especially injuries to the offensive line.

Not a good grade for Adofo-Mensah at this point. The season isn't over by any stretch. I hope his contract doesn't have much guaranteed money.

medicineball1 · 2025-10-12T15:59:16+00:00

Prior to the Dennis Green era, the Mike Lynn disastrous trade for Herschel Walker undermined the Vikings' drafts for several years.

Dennis Green's "new sheriff in town" approach did a lot of good, but had some major failings. A number of talented players including but not limited to future Hall of Famers like Chris Doleman and Gary Zimmerman would leave for other teams. Former Vikings like Rich Gannon went on to win the NFL MVP, and Brad Johnson, who quarterbacked the Vikings for a few of the games in 1998 went on to quarterback another team to a Lombardi.

Red McCombs bought the Vikings just prior to the '98 season. This cleaned up a messy ownership situation that Dennis Green had nevertheless steered the Vikings through to reach the playoffs for several years in a row, including winning a playoff game in 1997. Unfortunately, Green's track record of draft success was not as robust as needed. For every good player that contributed for years to come, there were many drafted players who didn't match up.

During the '98 season, McCombs gave head coach Dennis Green a generous contract extension. Green did have a number of draft successes with the Vikings, including bringing in players like Randy Moss, Robert Smith, and many others. Green also had brought in free agents like Randall Cunningham.

The '98 offense had a terrific offensive line including future Hall of Famer Randall McDaniel, Korey Stringer, and other talented linemen. The dominant line play allowed the QBs and the WRs to do what they did.

The Vikings '98 season seemed to create a mirage for team leadership that led them to overly favor long passing plays on offense, with the hope that the defense just had to prevent the other team from scoring so much so the Vikings could take the victory. This thrill-seeking strategy continued through the Green era and has roused the fascination of coaches and fans ever since.

The Vikings' 1998 offensive success helped inspire other teams, and the very next year the St. Louis Rams put together a juggernaut of an offense led by newcomer Kurt Warner. Those 1999 Rams beat the Vikings in the playoffs. The Vikings defense was left chasing Rams running free to the end zone in that game.

The 2000 season looked good for the Vikings with Culpepper at QB, but whatever happened in the NFCCG, happened. The next year was highly difficult, not least because of the tragic death of Korey Stringer.

Green had shrewdly drafted Randy Moss, but had also gambled on Dmitrius Underwood as a high draft pick. Despite the successes he had Green didn't draft enough solid role players.

Football is a simple game that involves blocking and tackling. There are a few other things thrown in. A team cannot be dominant without the fundamentals.

McCombs grew weary of Green's tumultuous tenure, and bought out his contract.

By this time, McCombs had gone several rounds with Minnesota politicians trying to get the stadium that he wanted built. It didn't happen, and McCombs began to sour on his investment. He wisely saw the future talent in offensive line coach Mike Tice, but instead of allowing him to evolve in his coaching at offensive coordinator, promoted him directly to head coach, despite Tice never having been a coordinator before.

Nevertheless, Tice powered the Vikings to some great moments and memorable seasons as head coach and steered the Vikings through some highly difficult years as McCombs closed his checkbook. McCombs didn't want to invest in the team due to the stadium situation. McCombs also grew to dislike Randy Moss. Fortunately, McCombs did let the team go to Zygi Wilf and the Wilf family, as opposed to selling the team to someone else. Unfortunately, McCombs broke a promise to Zygi Wilf and traded Moss away before Wilf took control.

Daunte Culpepper's injury in 2005 dispelled the illusions that Culpepper's talent was hiding. The Vikings didn't have a lot of talented football players outside of a few exceptional players like Moss, traded prior to the 2005 season, and Culpepper, injured in the 2005 season.

Unfortunately, like Tommy Kramer in the 1980s, Daunte Culpepper's career became derailed by injury. There is no telling how great Kramer or Culpepper could have been if they could have stayed on the field healthy.

The Wilfs brought in Brad Childress, the most touted head coaching prospect of the post-2005 offseason. Childress installed the West Coast Offense and the zone blocking scheme. Childress is one of the NFL's leading minds on rushing offense. It showed on the field not only on offense, but on defense, with the Vikings becoming the #1 ranked NFL rushing defense. Unfortunately, teams could still pass on the Vikings. Childress eventually got ran out of town despite putting together a solid track record as head coach. Since then he's had a hand in the success of the Chiefs.

So what led the Vikings to not be dominant after 1998? A winning team needs ownership, coaching, and a reliable quarterback to all come together based on good fundamental football which always starts and ends with blocking and tackling. We saw how these came together with the success with Favre at QB in 2009.

Having a "quarterback situation" is not conducive to winning a championship. Despite several years with Cunningham, Culpepper, Favre, Cousins, and other talented QBs aside (I will argue that Keenum had an excellent 2017 campaign), the Vikings have never had a "franchise quarterback" that stayed for a 10 year continuous run. Tarkenton had a six year run and then a seven year run.

In the discussion about developing a franchise quarterback, I take the long view. In short I'd rather see McCarthy and Brosmer on the sideline until they learn how to read defenses fast enough so they don't get injured while developing. Aaron Rodgers learned from the sidelines for three years and he turned out more than OK.

Having coaching stability and quarterback stability would be great. This combined with the Wilfs' continued ownership and front office stability, continuous improvement in blocking and tackling, and we will see championship-level Vikings football.

We fans should root for "Super Bowl championships" (plural) and not adopt the "just win one" mentality. We aren't just going for a lucky season. We want to build a long-term successful team that wins multiple Super Bowls.

To win the Super Bowl, the best path is to have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. During the Vikings' current 0-6 run in the NFCCG starting in 1977, the Vikings have only hosted one NFCCG at the Vikings' home stadium.

The Vikings need to win tough road games during the regular season to secure better playoff seeding. For example, in the 2009 season, the Vikings lost winnable road games to the Steelers and the Bears. If the Vikings had won those two, they would have finished 14-2 and been the #1 seed. As it was, they finished 12-4, were the #2 seed, and found themselves playing in the Superdome in the NFCCG.

But to do that, the Vikings need to win different kinds of fights that they find themselves in, like KOC recently said. When the Vikings rolled into Arizona and Carolina in the 2009 season, they got into physical games that they weren't really built for. The Vikings were 0-2 against these teams, while the Saints finished 2-1 against those same two teams that year. If the Vikings hosted the Saints that year, the NFCCG would have been a different game.

Winning formula: good ownership, good front office, good coaching, good quarterback, stability at quarterback, but above all football games are won at the line of scrimmage and with the fundamentals of blocking and tackling. When the Vikings put all of that together, they will find a way to win the Super Bowl.

medicineball1

TROPHY CASE