Claim OwnershipVikingsTerritory Breakdown - A Minnesota Vikings Radio Show
Subscribed: 21Played: 263
Subscribe
© 2024 purpleTERRITORY Radio
Description
Welcome to the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast, where co-hosts Joe Oberle and Mark Craig offer their unique insider’s opinion and analysis on the latest Purple news and happenings emanating from TCO Performance Center, U.S. Bank Stadium and beyond. The Minnesota Vikings are a constant source of exciting, enervating and, oftentimes, confounding news, and Craig and Oberle illuminate and explain it all from a perspective of experience and hard-earned insight.
259 Episodes
Reverse
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell met the media Monday afternoon for their first press conference of the team’s 2024 Training Camp at TCO Performance Center, and the mood was slightly somber. They addressed the tragic passing of rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson, laying out how the team will honor him in the coming season.
The dog days of summer are upon us, and for the Vikings that means idle time before their Training Camp starts and the real work begins for the 2024 season. Unfortunately, that is not always good news for the Vikings players, who have a history of not spending their idle time wisely. Which leads us to the troubling case of Vikings’ second-year wideout Jordan Addison, who was found asleep at the wheel (both literally and figuratively) this past weekend.
The Vikings received the worst of news over the holiday weekend, when they learned that rookie draft pick Khyree Jackson was killed in a tragic automobile accident on July 6. The news hit hard and quickly reverberated throughout the team and its fans base, as the young 24-year-old cornerback lost his life when so much of it (and filled with so much promise) was right in front of him. We send out deepest sympathies and condolences to Khyree’s family and to the families of the two people who tragically died in the accident.
It happened. No, Justin Jefferson, wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, was not traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers (although the Steelers enquired to his availability). No, JJ wasn’t traded to the Los Angeles Chargers on draft day in order for the Vikings to move up and select WR Malik Nabers (although a trade on draft day did involve JJ, but that was the Vikings trading up a spot to land Michigan QB JJ McCarthy). No, what happened, in fact, was that Justin Jefferson (who goes by Jet rather than JJ) signed a contract extension to make him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history. That happened. As many (decreasingly fewer as time went along) had said it would.
The Vikings have a new quarterback. Well, they actually a couple of them: Sam Darnold picked up in free agency and J.J. McCarthy drafted 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. But you knew that. What’s new is that those QBs have been out at TCO Performance Center practicing with their new team, and one of them, Darnold, the presumptive opening day starter, spoke to the media. So, what did the new Purple signal caller have to say?
The Vikings finished in third place in the NFC North division in 2024, so they won’t find themselves playing in lot of primetime or nationally televised games this season.
There are roster changes and camp position battle to discuss this week and the fellas from Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) are on hand to do it. So, tune in to the VT Breakdown and check it out.
J.J. McCarthy, who the Vikings selected 10th overall in the first round of April’s NFL draft, threw some passes, threw an interception and later ran some gassers because he lost a bet to the new defenders in camp. McCarthy later talked with the media and showed a poise and calmness beyond his years, even garnering praise from his head coach Kevin O’Connell for his attitude, which included McCarthy being out on the field before anyone else working through plays he had just learned. That’s certainly a good sign for this young player who is reportedly a “process guy” willing to put in the work.
Purple Nation is indeed excited about McCarthy, excited about the draft and excited about the team that Kwesi and Company have assembled for the start of offseason team activities. There are strengths and weaknesses to the roster, for sure, but plenty to like and even more to discuss. And that’s what the fellas from Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast
Vikings fans anticipating the high stakes in their team’s 2024 NFL Draft were rewarded with an unexpected dose of trade excitement on Day 1. General manager Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah did get his quarterback to replace (eventually) the departed Kirk Cousins and followed it up with a highly-touted edge rusher to replace Danielle Hunter, who’s “Gone to Texas.” He did not achieve this first-round booty without expending several draft picks, but he did it without sacrificing any future number one picks. Vikings fans can decide whether it was too much capital or that the picks were worth the deals.
So we needed a draft expert of our own to weigh in on what the Purple will do. Former Vikings and Tennesse Titans general manager Jeff Diamond joins the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) to break it all down.
Things are getting down to the wire in the NFL Draft. We are two weeks out from the first day of the next era in Minnesota Vikings football, as they hold two draft picks in the first round of the upcoming draft. And we couldn’t be happier that it’s almost here.
A couple weeks ago the Vikings made a trade with the Houston Texans to acquire the 23rd pick in the draft in 2024 draft to go along with their pick (11th overall), and all the subsequent speculation centers on them trading up in the first round to grab a QB of the future. That speculation carries some weight as the Vikings lost their QB of the present in free agency, so they definitely have to make moves to secure on going forward.
Kwesi has been cookin,’ as all the kids like to say. After a banner week in free agency that saw the addition of several defensive performers, a new quarterback in Sam Darnold and the swiping of a fan-favorite running back from that rival team to the east,
Vikings GM Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah secured a trade of draft picks with the Houston Texans that appears to signal the Vikings’ desires to move up in the 2024 NFL Draft and grab their QB of the future.
Joe Oberle and Mark Craig talk all the Free Agency moves the Vikings made in day 1 of the legal tampering. The new NFL League year started this week with the “legal tampering” period on Monday and the Vikings made a huge splash—but it was kind of a belly flop.
The NFL Combine ended last weekend and suddenly there is a little more NFL news to talk about. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell both spoke at the Combine and each made minor ripples in the vast waters of the offseason. (But we media types will create tsunamic speculation waves out of them.)
The NFL salary cap went up this week to $255.4 million for 2024 season, up record $30.6 million from 2023. What does it mean? How does it affect the free agency market? How does it affect the Vikings situation which has to figure out what to do with pricy free agents to be, including Kirk Cousins, DE Danielle Hunter and the best player on their team in wide receiver Justin Jefferson? The bottom line is that increased money helps the Purple, but by how much?
Kwesi has to upgrade his track record in both areas this offseason for the Vikings to improve and the fan base to get off his back. And that improvement starts next weekend when he heads to Indianapolis for the Combine, followed by free agency and the new league year, which being on March 13.
So, the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) will take a look back at Kwesi’s record in free agency. Perhaps it will give us a guide to his way forward. The Vikings have some cap space. How is Kwesi going to use it? Tune in and check out our thoughts.
The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions—rinse, repeat. Taylor Swift was in the house to see it. Airplanes are fast. The San Francisco 49ers did just about everything they needed to do to win the game (save for not muffing an important punt), but they came up one score short (they will be back in the conversation next season, if they don’t try to sign Kirk Cousins, that is). The season is over; let the offseason begin.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States