Vikings pre-minicamp mailbag
A lot has been happening with the Minnesota Vikings this week. Dalvin Cook has been released, trade rumors are circling about Danielle Hunter and Jordan Addison continues to sit out of practice.
Next week, there will be even more to discuss, as mandatory minicamp will be upon us. With that comes the latest mailbag with questions about a different trade involving an edge rusher and who will see the most snaps in the secondary.
UDFA's making the roster?
What are the chances Wil Huber makes the football team?
(Yes, having you answer it will be a lot less biased than if someone asked me haha)
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) June 6, 2023
Smith is the host of Locked On Seahawks and coached Huber in high school, which is where the bias comes in. The good part for Huber is he picked a place with an easy path to making the team. After Brian Asamoah II and Jordan Hicks, there are two spots that could realistically go to a UDFA with a great camp. Troy Dye and Troy Reeder don’t have a secure roster spot and a really solid camp will open some eyes.
Snap share in the secondary
How do you see the secondary snaps playing out for the Vikings when healthy?
Does Blackmon crack rotation with 2022 rookies on outside and Murphy in the slot?
How do roles breakout after Harrison Smith between Cine, Bynum, Metellus, Ward— Zach Haugen (@zhaugenfootball) June 6, 2023
So, we have three questions here.
Secondary snaps will be heavy for both Byron Murphy Jr. and Harrison Smith, but after that it gets murky. Josh Metellus has been used during OTAs in a lot of different roles, even as a rover in the box. Lewis Cine hasn’t been getting a lot of snaps during OTAs, but he is also coming back from a devastating leg injury. Keep an eye on Cine throughout the rest of the offseason. The cornerback position is an interesting one. You take a look at the position and only Murphy has a carved out role. Andrew Booth Jr., Mekhi Blackmon, Joejuan Williams and Akayleb Ebans are all going to be competing for snaps. How that will shape up is going to be a fun battle to watch.
Right now, the Vikings are working Blackmon in the slot. That is a position where they are planning on having Murphy play in nickel and dime packages, but having your best cornerback play in the slot isn’t necessarily great business. They obviously love Blackmon and will give him opportunities to play early on.
As mentioned above, Metellus is being asked to play a myriad of roles. Bynum could also be asked to do a lot of different things with his cornerback experience. Cine is a big mystery with his injury as mentioned above. Ward is also a mystery, because we don’t know how he will be used.
Should the Vikings pursue Chase Young?
Should the Vikings kick the tires on Chase Young?
— grizzlysavage (@grizzlysavage1) June 6, 2023
I think the Vikings should make at least one call about any player who could be available. When he was selected second overall in the 2020 NFL draft, Young was seen as a “can’t miss” prospect on the same level of the Bosa brothers and Myles Garrett. With a torn ACL in 2021 hindering him in 2022, Young has a chip on his shoulder going into 2023, especially with his fifth-year option being declined. The talent is still there, but the injury clouds things until we see him back on the field.
What would a Chase Young trade look like?
What would a trade for Chase Young look like, and would it be worth it?https://t.co/c0TKqLrGAy
— Elliott Hicks (@TheElliottHicks) June 6, 2023
If you believe Young can still be a top-10 pass rusher in the NFL, a trade could definitely be worth it. The tough part is nailing down the compensation.
Despite only having 9.0 sacks over his 27 games, he was the second overall pick in 2020 and won defensive rookie of the year. How are you going to place a value on him? I think a conditional second-round pick that could turn into a first-round pick. Will the Commanders want to make that deal? Unlikely since his potential is sky high, but it’s worth looking at.
