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Vikings Host CB Ronald Darby

August 5th, 2023 at 6:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ronald Darby has yet to find a new home, but his list of serious suitors has grown. The veteran corner visited the Vikings recently, as noted by Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link).

Darby met with the Texans two weeks ago, and it was reported at that time that he was drawing interest from multiple teams. The 29-year-old saw his two-year Broncos tenure come to an end early last season due to an ACL tear, something which continued his unfortunate injury history. His production in Denver showcased his value when healthy, though.

The former second-rounder totaled 67 tackles and nine pass breakups over the course of the past two seasons, while also posting solid coverage numbers. The ACL injury made it an easy decision for the Broncos to release him, and questions about his return timeline have no doubt cratered his market value. Darby (who is believed to be recovering well) could nevertheless prove to be worth a short-term flier from a team looking to improve its secondary.

The Vikings certainly fit that description, after their defense as a whole struggled throughout the 2022 season. Minnesota ranked second-worst against the pass despite compiling a 13-4 record and topping the NFC North. It thus comes as little surprise that many of the corners who spent the 2022 season with the team have since moved on, including Patrick Peterson. The Vikings’ free agent moves aimed at addressing the position were headlined by the signing of Byron Murphy to a two-year deal.

The former Cardinal will be counted on to help lead a turnaround, as will third-round rookie Mekhi Blackmon. Adding Darby to the other new faces at the CB spot in Minnesota would provide experience and consistent play, something which will likely be needed to replicate the overall success seen in 2022 after the team posted a negative point differential. If the Vikings are convinced he can contribute in at least a depth role, Darby could help their secondary’s floor as they look to improve on the performance of its previous contributors.

Injury Updates: Mitchell, Vikings, Becton

August 4th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Ely Allen

The past few years in San Francisco have seen a procession of running back injuries. One such player who has been at the center of that issue the past two years is third-year back Elijah Mitchell. Unfortunately, Mitchell isn’t in quite in the clear going into Year 3 for the 49ers. According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Mitchell has suffered an abductor strain that will hold him out for a bit.

Injuries have been a bit of an issue for Mitchell to start his career. While playing as an injury replacement in his rookie year for Raheem Mostert, Mitchell was forced to miss six games due to injury himself. Things went further downhill in his sophomore season as he suffered a sprained MCL in the first game of the season. He was able to return in mid-November, but by the time he was back, Christian McCaffrey had arrived and staked his claim atop the depth chart. Mitchell would only play in five games last year.

Now, for the first time in his career, Mitchell will not be expected to carry the weight at running back. With McCaffrey firmly leading the group, Mitchell should be able to take his time coming back from the strain. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media that Mitchell should be back “in a week.” While that’s an encouraging timeline to hear, Mitchell’s injury history warrants a bit of cautious optimism from fans.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:

  • We saw Saints linebacker Andrew Dowell land on injured reserve earlier this week. Thanks to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, we now know that he was placed on the injured list after suffering a torn ACL. After only missing one game in the past two seasons, Dowell is now likely to miss the entire 2023 season.
  • Another player who unfortunately went down with a torn ACL this week is Vikings defensive lineman James Lynch, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Lynch was a tied for the fourth-most snaps on the defensive line for Minnesota last year, a defensive line that is also playing without Dalvin Tomlinson this year. Lynch has missed games in each year of his young career, but 2023 will see him miss the entire season.
  • After only two years in the league, Seahawks edge rusher Darrell Taylor has already established himself as a main contributor on the Seattle defense with 16.0 sacks over his first two seasons. According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, Taylor showed up to practice on Thursday with his left arm in a sling. Head coach Pete Carroll informed the media that he was dealing with a sprained shoulder. A recovery timeline was not provided.
  • The Seahawks held a scrimmage tonight and saw two rookies sustain injuries in the simulated game. The team’s injury woes in the running backs room continue as rookie seventh-round pick Kenny McIntosh suffered what Carroll is calling a sprained knee, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN. Luckily, they will be getting another rookie rusher back, as Carroll told the media that second-round rookie Zach Charbonnet will return “full-go” following the team’s off day tomorrow. The other rookie to go down with an injury was undrafted cornerback Andrew Whitaker. The diagnosis is unclear, but Whitaker was carted off the field after sustaining an injury in the contest, according to Condotta.
  • Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton missed the entire 2022 season after suffering an avulsion fracture in his right kneecap. The veteran made his return to the field in last night’s Hall of Fame game but left after only playing seven snaps. He reported today that, while he didn’t feel like there was any setback with his surgically repaired knee, he decided to be overly cautious with playing on turf, according to Andy Vasquez of NJ.com. In recent years, many non-contact injuries have been attributed to turf fields around the league. With this in mind, Becton got a good sense of where his knee was at and decided to work the rest out in practice. The team plans to test him more as camp progresses and the season draws nearer.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/23

August 4th, 2023 at 7:36pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves as we head into the weekend:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Removed from commissioner’s exempt list: OL Josh Sills

San Francisco 49ers

Sills was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list back in February when a grand jury indicted him on counts of rape and kidnapping. The charges stem from an event that allegedly took place back in December 2019. Today it was announced that Sills was acquitted of both charges, according to sources at The Athletic. The Eagles released a statement that, with his adjudication, he will return to the team’s active roster.

The 49ers announced that Johnson has been placed on season-ending injured reserve. They didn’t disclose the injury that will sideline the young edge they signed two months ago.

The Vikings are adding the XFL’s 2023 leading rusher in Smith. Smith had 791 rushing yards in 10 games last year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/23

August 3rd, 2023 at 9:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: LB Austin Ajiake

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Placed on IR: RB Alfonzo Graham

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/23

August 2nd, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Waived: WR Ed Lee

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Moseley reportedly had a small clean-up procedure on his knee the other day as he continues to come back from last year’s ACL tear. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, it doesn’t appear to be a major setback, and head coach Dan Campbell expects Moseley back on Monday.

The news on Harris’s retirement comes from KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson, who reports that the two sides “are parting ways as (Harris) plans to retire.” If this is truly the end of the road for Harris, then the transaction puts a cap on a five-year career that saw Harris rack up 11 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits in the NFL.

Turk was urgently brought on as an undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma to compete with free agent addition Jake Bailey, formerly with the Patriots. The punter competition may be over quickly as Bailey is the only punter on the roster now.

Trice, the Steelers’ first of two seventh-round picks this year, suffered a non-contact injury at camp yesterday. His placement on injured reserve indicates that his rookie season has unfortunately come to an end before it had the chance to begin.

Vikings Host G Dalton Risner On Visit

August 2nd, 2023 at 8:46am CST by Ben Levine

AUGUST 2: Risner left his Vikings visit without a deal in place, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune notes. While Ingram may well be ticketed to keep his starting job, Kevin O’Connell said Reed does not have a return timetable just yet. Risner figures to have other options, with a handful of teams showing some degree of interest earlier this summer. But the Vikings may be in the market for a lower-priced guard should Reed not show progress.

JULY 31: One of the best remaining free agent linemen is heading out for a visit. Veteran offensive guard Dalton Risner is visiting with the Vikings, according to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (on Twitter).

Risner was a 2019 second-round pick by the Broncos and proceeded to earn PFWA All-Rookie Team honors after starting all 16 games that season. The lineman ended up starting all 62 of his appearances in Denver, playing primarily at left guard.

This past season, the 28-year-old missed a pair of games thanks to an elbow injury but otherwise started all 15 of his appearances. When he was on the field, he didn’t do a whole lot to impress, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 42nd among 50 qualifying offensive guards in 2022. In fact, the site has never been all that fond of the lineman, with Risner peaking as the 28th-best guard in 2021.

As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweets, there’s little chance Risner would be brought in to battle guards Ezra Cleveland or Ed Ingram for their starting spots. Rather, Risner would be viewed as a depth piece in Minnesota, especially with the Vikings currently dealing with some injuries at the position. That includes Chris Reed, who is currently on the non-football injury list with an undisclosed issue.

With Reed sidelined, that leaves inexperienced options like Bobby Evans, Alan Ali, and Jack Snyder to soak up snaps at offensive guard. Risner would provide a bit of veteran know-how, especially when you consider his experience playing under Vikings OL coach Chris Kuper and assistant OL coach Justin Ruscati during the trio’s time in Denver.

Vikings Explored Edge Rush Market Before Danielle Hunter Deal

August 1st, 2023 at 11:31am CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings’ defensive front will look significantly different in 2023 compared to last season, with Dalvin Tomlinson having departed in free agency and Za’Darius Smith being traded. Danielle Hunter will remain a key member of the unit for at least one more year, though, having agreed to a new revised contract over the weekend.

That re-worked pact will see the three-time Pro Bowler earn $17MM guaranteed, representing a signficant raise from the $5.5MM he was originally due on the final year of his pact. The agreement should be an effective compromise for team and player, but the situation could have turned out much differently.

Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network reports that Minnesota was exploring the edge rush market prior to the Hunter deal being finalized. Conversations with other teams took place, he adds, meaning the Vikings were eyeing a trade rather than a free agent deal with one of several experienced pass-rushers who still find themselves on the market. The position is one without a clear future beyond 2023 for Minnesota, a team which has moved on from a number of accomplished (but pricey) veterans this offseason.

Hunter – who was named in trade rumors repeatedly in recent months – is set to hit free agency at the end of the season, as is fellow starter Marcus Davenport. The former Saints first-rounder inked a $13MM deal in an aim to put together another healthy campaign and boost his market. D.J. Wonnum, meanwhile, is also entering the final year of his rookie contract. All three members of that trio could thus be gone by the start of the 2024 campaign.

Given the efforts made by Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to clear up financial flexibility this offseason, it comes as little surprise that a Hunter replacement for the short- and, potentially, long-term was on the team’s radar. The Vikings have parted ways with the likes of Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen and Eric Kendricks in addition to Tomlinson and Smith, while quarterback Kirk Cousins‘ future beyond 2023 is in the air. If Hunter has his way, though, he will remain with the team for the foreseeable future.

The 28-year-old said “I want to be a Viking forever” when asked about his plans following the 2023 season (Twitter link via Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). The revised contract he agreed to includes a tag prohibiting Minnesota from placing the franchise or transition tag on him, so negotiating a new deal will be necessary for that wish to be granted. Given the team’s actions regarding his position, though, it will be worth watching how willing they are to make another long-term commitment.

Vikings, Danielle Hunter Agree To One-Year Deal

July 30th, 2023 at 10:11pm CST by Rory Parks

The Vikings and pass rusher Danielle Hunter are in agreement on a new one-year contract, as Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report (via Twitter). The deal will pay Hunter $17MM in guaranteed money, and he can push that number as high as $20MM (an ESPN report notes that Hunter can earn the extra $3MM via sack incentives). Minnesota has also agreed that it will not put the franchise or transition tag on him next offseason.

We heard just yesterday that Hunter was on the trade block, which was the second time this offseason that his name had cropped up in trade rumors. Still, the Vikings are hoping to make another playoff run in 2023, and after trading Za’Darius Smith in May, trading or releasing Hunter would have left the club rather thin in the edge rush department.

In 2022, Hunter — who skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp and who may have been “holding in” for the first several days of training camp as he pursued a new deal — recorded 65 tackles and 10.5 sacks while finishing as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best edge defender out of 119 qualifiers. That performance led to the third Pro Bowl nod of his career.

The LSU product, who was still playing on the five-year, $72MM contract he signed in 2018 (before he earned his first Pro Bowl bid), had watched the pass rusher market explode in subsequent years. So, after posting 14.5 sacks in 2018 and 2019, and after his similarly strong 2022 campaign, it makes sense that the $5.5MM that Hunter was due to earn in 2023 was not particularly appealing to him.

On the other hand, the Vikings’ retience to reward Hunter with a long-term accord that would have placed him near the top of the edge market is also justifiable, as Hunter missed the entire 2020 season with a neck injury and was limited to only seven games in 2021 due to a torn pectoral muscle. The compromise that player and team have struck will give Hunter a handsome raise this year and will give him a chance to hit the open market in 2024 while also allowing Minnesota to secure the talents of an elite pass rusher without jeopardizing its future financial flexibility.

Hunter and free agent acquisition Marcus Davenport will operate as the Vikings’ primary outside linebackers. Davenport, who has dealt with his fair share of recent injury troubles, will also be eligible for free agency next offseason. After recording just a half-sack in his final year with the Saints in 2022, Davenport opted for a one-year pact with Minnesota to rebuild his value (although he will still earn at least $10MM this season).

Vikings’ Danielle Hunter On Trade Block?

July 29th, 2023 at 9:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Danielle Hunter continues to seek a new contract, and the Vikings are now considering “creative solutions” in case they can’t agree to a deal with the pass rusher. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Vikings have “evaluated trade options” for Hunter, with sources from multiple teams indicating that the Vikings have made the player available.

[RELATED: Danielle Hunter Reports To Vikings Training Camp]

Potential suitors reportedly reached out to the Vikings about a trade for Hunter earlier this offseason, although there were never any serious talks. While previous reports seemed to hint that rival teams were initiating the trade talks, it now appears to be the other way around.

This news probably doesn’t bode well for Hunter’s chances of getting a new deal in Minnesota. The veteran is set to earn $5.5MM next season thanks to previous contract restructurings, and he’s looking for a raise following a bounce-back 2022 campaign that saw him finish with 10.5 sacks. Per Fowler, the Vikings have made extension offers to Hunter’s camp but “not on a long-term deal the player feels is commensurate with his skill set.”

Hunter skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp but showed up for the start of training camp. Fowler notes that the edge defender is still not practicing, an indication that Hunter could be engaging in a hold-in. Fowler adds that the general understanding is that Hunter still prefers his release or a trade if he doesn’t get a new contract from the Vikings.

Hunter missed the entire 2020 campaign and was limited to only seven games in 2021 before returning to his All-Pro production in 2022. The 28-year-old finished the season with 65 tackles and 10.5 sacks while finishing as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best edge defender (among 119 qualifying players). Hunter is still playing out a five-year, $72MM extension he signed with the Vikings back in 2018.

Danielle Hunter Reports To Vikings Training Camp

July 26th, 2023 at 7:59pm CST by Ben Levine

After finishing the 2022 campaign with 10.5 sacks, Danielle Hunter is looking for a raise on the $5.5MM he’s set to earn in 2023. After the pass rusher decided to skip the Vikings’ mandatory minicamp, there were rumbling that he could extend his holdout into training camp.

That won’t be the case, as ESPN’s Kevin Seifert writes that Hunter reported to training camp today. However, since the player skipped all of the team’s offseason practices, he isn’t expected to be a full participant right away. Seifert tweets that he didn’t see the veteran on the field during today’s practice, not even as an observer.

Hunter could also be engaging in a “hold in,” where he avoids fines by attending training camp but refuses to participate in any drills. As a result of his apparent dissatisfaction with his contract, we heard in June that teams reached out to the Vikings about a trade for Hunter (although there were reportedly never any “serious trade talks”).

So, for the time being, the two sides appear to be in a staring contest. Neither coach Kevin O’Connell nor general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would say whether Hunter’s practice status is tied to his contract situation.

“There’s a lot of things that we’re trying to work through with Danielle,” Adofo-Mensah said. “Obviously we haven’t seen him since last season. So that among many other issues that we’re trying to work through with his representatives, those conversations are ongoing.”

The 2015 third-round pick has spent his entire career in Minnesota, transforming into one of the league’s top pass rushers. Hunter earned All Pro nods in 2018 and 2019 after finishing both seasons with 14.5 sacks. However, a herniated disk in his neck ended his 2020 season before it even began, and a torn pectoral muscle limited him to only seven games in 2021.

Hunter returned to his All-Pro production in 2022. The 28-year-old finished the season with 65 tackles and 10.5 sacks while finishing as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best edge defender (among 119 qualifying players). Hunter is still playing out a five-year, $72MM extension he signed with the Vikings back in 2018.

“It’s going to be a day-to-day thing,” O’Connell said of Hunter’s absence. “Danielle and I have had such good dialogue over these last few days, and really trying to build a plan that allows him to feel good about coming to work with as a Minnesota Viking every single day.”

The Vikings have some pass-rushing insurance in Marcus Davenport, but the free agent acquisition was intended to replace Za’Darius Smith. D.J. Wonnum was the primary fill-in for Hunter during OTAs, per Seifert.

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