The current situation

comet52 wrote:
This pod really has a lot of insights from Sirles, worth a listen.   

I find these podcasts pretty insightful because they aren't paid employees of the Wilfs like PA and can speak truth without fear of being fired. I think they get into some really good, insightful discussion and Judd obviously has connections within the organization. Good stuff overall

comet52 wrote:
This pod really has a lot of insights from Sirles, worth a listen.   

You guys have at it.

At this point of a miserable fan season, my radar is up for news and anything good on the field.

I have little appetite for anyones takes any longer.

Yeah it has been miserable year. A lot of bad football coming off a 14 win season. I’ll be watching and cheering my ass off, listen to qualified constructive criticisms and ignore the constant bullshit negativity from armchair gm’s. It why we are collectively called fans ( fanatics)

Bullazin wrote:
Yeah it has been  miserable year. A lot of bad football coming off a 14 win season. I’ll be watching and cheering my ass off, listen to qualified constructive criticisms and ignore the constant bullshit negativity from armchair gm’s.  It why we are collectively called fans ( fanatics)

Well that's the problem, the armchair GM's are better than the real GM and the assistant GM for that matter. I think this thing gets uglier by seasons end

supafreak84 wrote:

I think this thing gets uglier by seasons end

Agreed, most tenured fans see it coming...I'm not looking forward to the last 2 home games, which is a sad state of affairs. 

Maybe they'll surprise and make things more competitive and entertaining?  Its a big maybe though as of now.

purplefaithful wrote:

Agreed, most tenured fans see it coming...I'm not looking forward to the last 2 home games, which is a sad state of affairs. 

Maybe they'll surprise and make things more competitive and entertaining?  Its a big maybe though as of now.

That's why I think it's still 50/50 on if KOC is back next year and a lot will depend on these next 5 games. You finish things out on the Seattle trajectory and getting our asses whooped at home against division opponents, then I don't think anything is off the table

supafreak84 wrote:

That's why I think it's still 50/50 on if KOC is back next year and a lot will depend on these next 5 games. You finish things out on the Seattle trajectory and getting our asses whooped at home against division opponents, then I don't think anything is off the table

I would say the wins and losses matter less than can he show some ability to salvage JJM?   Failing that and selling 2026 Mac Jones or whoever to ownership that hired you specifically to draft/develop a young qb and open a SB window on a rookie contract would be hard.  Selling that to me as a fan, impossible.  It's a path to nowhere and an epic franchise failure if that's where we're headed.

comet52 wrote:

I would say the wins and losses matter less than can he show some ability to salvage JJM?   Failing that and selling 2026 Mac Jones or whoever to ownership that hired you specifically to draft/develop a young qb and open a SB window on a rookie contract would be hard.  Selling that to me as a fan, impossible.  It's a path to nowhere and an epic franchise failure if that's where we're headed.

Agreed. By all accounts, the Mac Jones, Jameis Winston train or something similar is headed our way for next year...and for that to be the case, just a massive organizational failure. I shake my head thinking about the events over the last four years that have landed us exactly where we are at currently. It's why you almost want to see the wheels completely fall off and this thing bottom out to finish the season

I am sure the Patriots were not exactly excited the past two years but look at them now. I am not saying JJ will play like Maye next year.
All I am trying to say is, this season has been frustrating no doubt but can we at least allow the process to take its course?
Speaking about JJ in particular he has not even played half the number of games in an NFL season.

supafreak84 wrote:

Agreed. By all accounts, the Mac Jones, Jameis Winston train or something similar is headed our way for next year...and for that to be the case, just a massive organizational failure. I shake my head thinking about the events over the last four years that have landed us exactly where we are at currently. It's why you almost want to see the wheels completely fall off and this thing bottom out to finish the season

I agree on having no interest in Mac Jones, etc. Winston would be fun at least til he got hurt but yeah if any of those guys are your QB1 next year, in our division, you're practically drawing dead.

The other option is trade the farm for someone like Tua, Baker, Lawrence. I think this is equally likely as the Mac Jones route. It's much easier to sell hope to fans even if it guts the future, and the front office and coaching staff will be desperate enough to take a big swing if they remain in tact as is.

Third and most likely option is JJM is QB1 next year. Maybe they bring in Mac or Winston to backup but it's still McCarthy's team.

pattersaur wrote:

I agree on having no interest in Mac Jones, etc. Winston would be fun at least til he got hurt but yeah if any of those guys are your QB1 next year, in our division, you're practically drawing dead.

The other option is trade the farm for someone like Tua, Baker, Lawrence. I think this is equally likely as the Mac Jones route. It's much easier to sell hope to fans even if it guts the future, and the front office and coaching staff will be desperate enough to take a big swing if they remain in tact as is.

Third and most likely option is JJM is QB1 next year. Maybe they bring in Mac or Winston to backup but it's still McCarthy's team.

There are not many (any?) vet options that would fire-up a fanbase...

The best hope for the Vikings is for JJM to pan out. Allowing the team to put assets into other areas and to get younger and deeper is crucial.

purplefaithful wrote:

There are not many (any?) vet options that would fire-up a fanbase...

The best hope for the Vikings is for JJM to pan out. Allowing the team to put assets into other areas and to get younger and deeper is crucial.

I'm guilty of it too sometimes but the 20/20 hindsight thinking from fans this season is dangerous and unproductive.

"Our record would be X-X if we just had average QB play!". Ok. And our playoff record would probably be 0-1 again.

The "anything can happen once you're in the playoffs" is the least true in the NFL than of any major sport. NFL MVPs or QBs playing at the level of an NFL MVP win 9 out of 10 Super Bowls. It's rare for the best and hottest teams to get bounced early. Even moreso as the playoff rounds go on.

I blame the Vikings for how they've groomed their QBs especially McCarthy, but I don't blame the Vikings for trying to aim higher at the QB position than Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones.

But in "aiming higher" last offseason, it makes it pretty sad to try and sell "aiming lower" for the Mac Joneses and Mariotas of the world this offseason.

purplefaithful wrote:

There are not many (any?) vet options that would fire-up a fanbase...

The best hope for the Vikings is for JJM to pan out. Allowing the team to put assets into other areas and to get younger and deeper is crucial.

The Vikings do have to bring in a QB though. It was important last offseason and I think the Vikings knew it; they just missed. It's even more important this offseason. Someone with starting experience who's younger than the Cryptkeeper. A Jimmy G, a Mariota, hell maybe Cousins. Someone who's willing to be a backup but can start and give you average QB play.

MaroonBells wrote:

The Vikings do have to bring in a QB though. It was important last offseason and I think the Vikings knew it; they just missed. It's even more important this offseason. Someone with starting experience who's younger than the Cryptkeeper. A Jimmy G, a Mariota, hell maybe Cousins. Someone who's willing to be a backup but can start and give you average QB play.

Almost by definition, a backup is going to give you worse than average QB play.  Probably, you are looking for a former starter who failed at being an average QB.  Semi-competent QB play on the FA market probably costs you $40M+.  We’re most likely going to have to bring in a guy and hope that we can do better with him, or bring in an aging veteran that’s a one year rental.  Like maybe Cousins is that guy if he gets outright cut although maybe he has too much pride for that?

medaille wrote:

Almost by definition, a backup is going to give you worse than average QB play.  Probably, you are looking for a former starter who failed at being an average QB.  Semi-competent QB play on the FA market probably costs you $40M+.  We’re most likely going to have to bring in a guy and hope that we can do better with him, or bring in an aging veteran that’s a one year rental.  Like maybe Cousins is that guy if he gets outright cut although maybe he has too much pride for that?

Average may not be the right word. Qualified might be a better one. A rookie UDFA like Brosmer is not qualified to start an NFL game. But someone like Brett Rypien or Nick Mullens, while well below average, are certainly qualified given their starting experience. But I am talking about a backup QB, not a one-year rental to start while we give JJ more time on the bench. I think we're looking at an open QB competition between JJ and whoever the veteran is.

MaroonBells wrote:

Average may not be the right word. Qualified might be a better one. A rookie UDFA like Brosmer is not qualified to start an NFL game. But someone like Brett Rypien or Nick Mullens, while well below average, are certainly qualified given their starting experience. But I am talking about a backup QB, not a one-year rental to start while we give JJ more time on the bench. I think we're looking at an open QB competition between JJ and whoever the veteran is.

Not disagreeing but man it's hard to not view 2025 as a wasted year in many respects if that's where we're at in July.

pattersaur wrote:

Not disagreeing but man it's hard to not view 2025 as a wasted year in many respects if that's where we're at in July.

Oh no doubt. It really sucks to be in this situation. And good luck to the front office trying to sort it out. You have a young QB on a rookie contract and you have no idea if he can be the guy or not. So you do have to hedge your bets. But how do you do that? With a cheap, but more qualified backup? Or does the fact that you can't waste the careers of Justin Jefferson and Jurdan Addison force you into the Kyler Murray sweepstakes? Fine, but there goes that whole a "QB on a rookie deal" advantage.

MaroonBells wrote:

Oh no doubt. It really sucks to be in this situation. And good luck to the front office trying to sort it out. You have a young QB on a rookie contract and you have no idea if he can be the guy or not. So you do have to hedge your bets. But how do you do that? With a cheap, but more qualified backup? Or does the fact that you can't waste the careers of Justin Jefferson and Jurdan Addison force you into the Kyler Murray sweepstakes? Fine, but there goes that whole a "QB on a rookie deal" advantage.

Choices now are about threading the needle...

What I thought was a spot on plan in 25? Swirled the terlit as Archie used to say. 

They could have signed Darnold or Jones to truly compete with McCarthy this past year. If JJ couldn't have won the job? He would have gotten more seasoning. 

Hindsight...

MaroonBells wrote:

Oh no doubt. It really sucks to be in this situation. And good luck to the front office trying to sort it out. You have a young QB on a rookie contract and you have no idea if he can be the guy or not. So you do have to hedge your bets. But how do you do that? With a cheap, but more qualified backup? Or does the fact that you can't waste the careers of Justin Jefferson and Jurdan Addison force you into the Kyler Murray sweepstakes? Fine, but there goes that whole a "QB on a rookie deal" advantage.

I think it kind of depends on the definition of "waste".  Is a 9-8 season a waste?  I don’t really think you can hedge your bets that much.  The odds of the hedge QB are probably worse than the odds of the rookie contract QB at least in terms of taking you to a SB during JJ or Addison’s career.

Sure maybe you get a handful more wins and JJ/Addison can pad their stats by another 500 yards, but you aren’t making progress on winning a SB, unless a you need a couple wins while they sit and sort out some issue, which doesn’t really seem like a strategy many coaches have taken.

To get a SB caliber QB, you probably have to draft them and deal with the growing pains.  There’s the rare chance that a Manning/Rodgers/Brady/Wilson who have a good track record become available, but we might be waiting a while for Burrows to force his way out of Cincinnati.  The odds of a Kirk Cousins caliber QB or worse taking you to a SB are just so low.

I think you just have to roll with JJM or draft another potential option to get a SB trophy in the building.  That said, I fully support drafting QBs frequently until you find a top 5 QB.