The 2022 Minnesota Vikings were debatably the most exciting team to watch in pro football and on the offensive side of the ball, the most talented Vikings team in recent memory. Kirk Cousins and emerging superstar Justin Jefferson were able to will the Vikings to 13 regular season wins while being pegged by the national media as the most overachieving team in the history of organized sports. The 2022 campaign was defined by one score games, freak plays and two of the greatest comebacks in team history. Despite the unexpected leap taken by Minnesota under first year head coach Kevin O’Connell, the 2022 season culminated in a first round loss in Minneapolis to the New York Giants on an afternoon where Daniel Jones looked like prime Michael Vick. The cardiac nature of last year’s team had those faithful to the purple believing to the bitter end until  Cousins threw the infamous checkdown on 4th and 8 to TJ Hockenson and squashed their Super Bowl aspirations. I jotted down all these thoughts this morning so professionalism and tidiness aren’t exactly gonna be exemplified here.

I was on the fence in terms of breaking down 2022 by the good and the bad or by the offense and the defense but in retrospect it wouldn’t make a difference either way. The defense fielded by Minnesota last year was quite possibly the worst in team history; definitely the worst in my lifetime. Whether you assess their performance by points allowed, yards allowed, advanced metrics or eye test, the product on the field was as ugly as ugly gets. Every time the opponent was given the ball in a critical moment, they waltzed into field goal range before the Vikings even had a chance to gather themselves. The worst instance I can think of was during the fourth quarter and overtime of the Bills game when the offense kept putting the team in situations to win only to be let down repeatedly by the defense almost instantly. Prior to Patrick Peterson’s game sealing interception, Josh Allen led the Bills into field goal range in what seemed like mere seconds. If the other team had the ball with 90 seconds and/or 70 yards to go, they were going to score.Duke Shelley was one of few bright spots on the defense and he failed to make the Raiders’ 53 man roster this season to put into perspective what kind of personnel the Vikings’ secondary had available.

Minnesota’s offense was virtually the inverse. Not only did they produce 24.9 PPG (7th in the NFL), they were damn fun to watch. Late game comebacks, explosive plays and seemingly impossible catches by Justin Jefferson made the Vikings must watch TV for the better part of the season. 13 or so of 17 games were decided by one possession which made games exciting even for neutral fans and nightmarish for sports bettors. Kirk Cousins accounted for 31 total touchdowns but threw for a career high 14 interceptions, good for 2nd in the NFL. Despite not posting his most prolific statistical season, Cousins ascended among the ranks of NFL QBs due to his big time throws in big moments, late game heroics and his disinclination to check down to ball to his 3rd and 4th reads.I do commend Cousins for his grit; being the most hit quarterback in the league and never missing playing time should absolutely be commended. However, the 35 year old doesn’t do himself many favors (if any at all) in terms of getting out of harm’s way. It would seem somewhat stupid for me to walk outside and stand in traffic to then brag about how often I can get hit by a car and go do it again. He did have the 19 yard touchdown scamper against Arizona in which he outran JJ Watt so perhaps that flash of athleticism can rear its head more often in 2023. 

Vikings fans should be cautiously optimistic in their approach for the upcoming season and their expectations. Improved play calling on the defensive side of the ball could give Minnesota a middle of the pack defense which it so desperately needed in 2022. Newcomers Byron Murphy Jr. (lot of Jr.s on this team) and a plethora of draft picks should be able to fill some of the holes exposed by opposing offenses last season. Minnesota should also finally see what they have in high 2022 draft picks Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr.; Kwesi Adofo Mensah’s first two selections as GM of the Vikings. The secondary surely can’t take a step back now that Duke Shelley and an ancient Patrick Peterson aren’t your two starting CBs. By necessity Akayleb Evans saw significant playing time and often struggled last season as a rookie out of Mizzou. Evans played in ten games last season which is rare for a rookie picked that late in the draft. The young corner is slated as a week one starter against Tampa Bay on Sunday and if he can take significant steps into becoming a legitimate NFL contributor, Minnesota might have the foundation for a legitimate secondary group. While Harrison Smith’s day’s in the NFL are numbered, this team needs to re-tool rather quickly. 

Key Additions:

• CB Byron Murphy Jr. (Cardinals): a good player coming from a very bad team. Will in all likelihood be the best defensive back on the team.
• OLB/EDGE Marcus Davenport (Saints): another solid player, should take some pressure off of Danielle Hunter and help get to the quarterback.
• ILB Ivan Pace (UDFA): was all-world in college at Cincinnati despite his 5’10” frame and has secured a spot on the 53 man roster.
• CB Mekhi Blackmon (3rd round from USC): Was a very good player in college but making the jump to the NFL is no easy task. Don’t expect him to be the next Sauce Gardner.
• CB Andrew Booth Jr. (injury): Was great at Clemson but didn’t show much promise even leading up to his injury last season. 
• S Lewis Cine (injury): Was a stalwart on a historic Georgia defense, earning him a first round selection. Like Booth Jr., didn’t show much last season leading up to his injury. 

Notable Departures:

• LB Eric Kendricks: EK was a great Viking but he was expensive and didn’t fit the mold of what new DC Brian Flores wants to do with this team.
• CB Patrick Peterson: Future hall of famer, great leader. I’ll always love P2 but it was time for both sides to move on. 
• CB Duke Shelley: Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. Shelly was cut in training camp by the Raiders.
• EDGE Za’Darius Smith: A great player I had very high expectations for with Danille at EDGE. His potential never came to fruition and the team couldn’t afford him
• DC Ed Donnatell: Good riddance.

Although the team lost numerous impact players, new highly touted DC Brian Flores and his 3-4 scheme should be all but guaranteed to improve a defense that was bottom three in almost all metrics last season. Keep in mind that Flores’ name was thrown around in circles regarding head coaching jobs; particularly Arizona. Vikings fans should hope the players can learn his scheme in one season because he likely won’t be here come 2024. 

The Vikings offense should be just as lethal in 2023 as it was last season. Kirk Cousins is experiencing some continuity with his coaching staff for the first time in his Vikings tenure and the team added a complementary piece for Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson when they drafted Jordan Addison in the first round. Reports from camp declare the rookie WR from USC as a legitimate instant threat, even calling him a second Justin Jefferson when lined up out wide. Addison’s role wont be an easy one. He was brought in to replace WR2 and legendary Viking Adam Thielen, who signed with Carolina as Minnesota doesn’t have the cap space to overpay a receiver in his twilight years. One of the longest tenured players on the team, Thielen’s presence and impact in the locker room and off the field will surely be missed in Minnesota. The Vikings also notably let RB Dalvin Cook walk away. Although explosive and highly talented, the Florida State product had fumble issues and was going to be expensive in a  league where running backs are devalued more so every season. These are two huge holes that need to be filled immediately and we’ll soon see how effectively Kwesi has done just that.

Newcomer TJ Hockenson recently signed a four year contract good for four years at $66 million making him the highest paid tight end in league history. Acquired via trade from Detroit half way through last season, Hockenson’s impact was felt immediately and has become a security blanket for Cousins, opening the middle of the field and taking ample pressure away from the receivers. Hockenson’s record breaking contract is hardly the biggest fish to fry for the Vikings as all world receiver and face of the franchise, Justin Jefferson enters the final year of his rookie contract. As week one looms, the Vikings as well as the football watching world wait for Minnesota to make Justin Jefferson the highest paid non-QB in the history of the NFL. My guess would be that he signs for somewhere in the ballpark of $130M over 5 years ($26M AAV).Voted by the players as the second best player in the league, this could be perceived to be an underpayment.

This roster is contractually top heavy which naturally alludes to the notion that depth is a justifiable concern. Cousins, Hockenson, Danielle Hunter and Brian O’Neill account for roughly 40% of the 2024 salary cap. Keep in mind this is a team that needs to do whatever possible to keep Justin Jefferson for at least four to five more seasons. Offensive tackle Chrsitan Darrisaw is also set for a monster deal in the near future and there’s no doubt that contract restructuring among veterans will need to happen for this contract to come to fruition. Because of the abundance of massive yet necessary contracts, the success of this football team over the next half decade is contingent upon drafting and developing talent; a facet in which this organization doesn’t historically do well, especially at quarterback. If last year’s draft is a sign of what’s in store for the Vikings, this team could be looking at another organizational overhaul on the horizon.

Taking into account all the points I just laid out, iit seems the writing is on the wall for the Vikings to part ways with 35 year old Kirk Cousins and take advantage of playing with a QB on a rookie contract; following the blueprint the Chiefs laid out in winning their first super bowl with Patrick Mahomes. Cousins aside, management has made it clear that the key components of the offense will be the pillars of the team moving forward; these pieces being Darrisaw, Jefferson, Hockenson and now Addison. 

Key Additions:

• WR Jordan Addison: Biletnikoff award winner, has potential to create a two-headed monster outside with JJ.
• TE Josh Oliver: Extremely physical run blocking tight end which the Vikes desperately need.

Notable losses:

• RB Dalvin Cook: Phenomenal player who would make any team better. The combination of age and price made parting ways the The Chef a no-brainer.
• WR Adam Thielen: One of the greatest Vikings of all time who will undoubtedly join the ring of honor upon retirement. Kwesi wants to build a fast young team in his new role and Thielen has joined the list of casualties in what the organization calls a “competitive rebuild.” 

Although I think this year’s team will be better than last year’s, I don’t see a scenario where they win 13 games in the regular season. They put together some uncharacteristically clutch performances and were beneficiaries of some monumental blunders by opposing teams. My guess would be the Vikings stick to their run and gun style of play and try to beat opponents by scoring at will; although I do see the defense taking some significant steps in the way of progression. The schedule isn’t particularly gruesome and I see them taking definite losses in contests against the Eagles, Chiefs, 49ers, Bengals and Lions. This looks to be an 11-6 team which should be just enough to win a mediocre NFC North Division.