March 3, 2026 • 46 mins
Strib's Ben Goessling in studio with takes and talkers on the Vikings, QB situation, free agency and more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fan and.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Kyler Murray definitely would sink.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
On the Vikings.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
There is a known fact that his stats go down
when the new call of duty came lands and the
fact that he hasn't talked to his general manager and
he got Cliff Kingsbury fired, who absolutely adored him, means
he would be detrimental.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Well, the first talkback related Kyler Murray call of duty
salvo has been issued. I've been waiting for it, yep.
And Ben Gasling from the Star Tribune. Star Tribune dot
com access Vikings, the podcast and much more is here
to chat about that and assorted football into Vikings related
(00:55):
conversation Star Tribune dot com for information. So this for
you like your radar? What's the next shoe to drop?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Well?
Speaker 1 (01:04):
What's hot to trot with the football team? Is it
quarterback a topic? Kyler Murray Talkers and Talkbacks today nine
to noon. Is it just waiting or working to get
steam on the next shoe to drop in? Good morning?
Good morning? Yeah, there is.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
I mean there are several shoes that drop here as
there tend to be this some of you're with the Vikings.
Quarterback is certainly the hot topic. It seemed like everybody
I had talked to with the combine was more interested
in talking about that than the fact that they don't
have a general manager, which is I think kind of
a backward compliment to rober Zenski.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
I talked to one.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Coach, he said, oh, yeah, I forgot we some need
to hire a GM. And because I think things have
been steady enough with Rob wrutning them that people feel
okay well with the general.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Manager situation, not diminishing it and making the quarterback the
a topic. But I guess I am diminishing it because personally,
when the team came out and said acting GM through draft, yep,
that's a non player. I mean, you know until at
least for two months.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Well, yeah it is. And I mean the other stuff
is more timely. It's it's interesting to think through all
the dynamics of who's going to be running a football department.
But the quarterback is the A topic because it needs
to get done and it's the level of importance that
this is to figure out what they're going to do.
So a lot of conversations about quarterback the combine that
(02:28):
will I think be clearer probably about this time next week,
you know, maybe Wednesday next week when free agency starts,
but they have a lot of housekeeping to do before then,
so they're gonna have to cut players for cap reasons,
and you know, I think there was some some chatter
about that over the weekend, people's agents leaking out, Hey
(02:49):
they might be available on the open market in a
few days here. But yeah, there's a lot of that
that has to get done between now and early next week.
So kind of looking into those things, what the are
going to be with veteran players on the roster, and
then yeah, quarterback is, as it seems to be annually,
a big topic for the Minnesota Vikings in March.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Do do your discernment JJ McCarthy, do you feel he
can be counted on to be a full time starter
for this football team within the next four years.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I don't think they are counting on it at the moment,
and I say that to say I don't. I don't
think they are skeptical that it can happen. I don't
think they want to bank on the idea of it happening.
I don't think they want to count on it, if
that makes sense. The thing that Kevin O'Connell said last
week about my feelings on JJ haven't changed, but the
(03:43):
timeline has I think was a reflection to the fact
that Number one, I mean, he needs to win. He's
heading into year five, doesn't have a playoff win yet,
didn't miss didn't make the playoffs this year, and there's
a lot of expectation that with that contract that he's
going to deliver on it. So there's that, But there's
also a lot of veteran players in that locker room
that want to win, and I think there's an understanding
(04:04):
and the number of people I talked to last week
that the conversation went into this with Justin Jefferson, where
there is so much gratitude for how he managed last season,
how he approached He was honest about the frustration of
kind of going through growing pains with young quarterback, but
he also was pretty quick to say, I get it,
I get the overall structure of it. I'm going to
be in JJ's corner, I'm going to work with them
(04:24):
this offseason, all of those things. But I think there's
an understanding of the organization of as good of a citizen,
as good of a leader as he was, you also
want to do right by him. This is a guy
that has talked about wanting to break records. This is
a guy that wants to win championships. This is a
guy that still doesn't have a playoff win since he
was at LSU. So I think there is an understanding
(04:47):
of you have to put yourself in positions for players
like that, and then players in their early thirties too.
But you know, certainly Justin Jefferson is in the middle
of his prime and wants to have that count for something.
So could that be JJ, Absolutely, But I don't think
they want to go into the season banking on that
happening with no other path to being successful. So I
(05:12):
think that's where a lot of its conversation goes is
could it happen?
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Sure? But do you want to bank on it? You know?
Probably not to this degree at this point. Did do so?
With what you just said and things Kevin has said
honor off the record? Did Do you think they're looking
at it like A, this shouldn't have been the tenth
overall pick in the draft, and B we got to
correct it now, like like we whift on the pick.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I don't think they think they whiffed on the pick.
I think they feel like the timeline is probably a
little longer than maybe what they expected, or at least
the injury certainly plays into that. But you had a
lot of things last year where it was things they
would try to correct, and then you do that with
the hope and the expectation that Okay, we've got this corrected,
(05:59):
we've talked about it, and then it's going to get better.
And some of those things did, but some things I
think took longer than they probably would have liked. So
it's a question of how much progress can you expect
somebody to make in one off season? Can it go
from where it was, even with hints of improvement towards
the end of the season, to where it needs to be.
I mean, this conversation lests we go to a baseline
(06:20):
level of quarterbacking, you know, is he going to get
to that baseline through one offseason? I think that's the question,
and I think there's a little bit of a thought
process of Okay, we bring somebody in. The kid is competitive.
The kid likes a little bit of a challenge, likes
a little bit of a job back at him. So
maybe the competition or the presence of competition inspires him,
(06:44):
fires him up, and you get the best out of
him in that sense too. So I think there's a
little bit of that in the mix here of well,
maybe if we stoke the fire a little bit and
just get him a little bit punchy, I mean, he
kind of and work on that hockey player instinct that
he had shout out Kevin Gork make it a puck battle, yeah, yeah,
(07:05):
and make it a little bit of a you know,
going to the corner, going to the hard areas, get
the greasy goals, all that kind of stuff, move the feet,
all of the hockey cliches. But yeah, I think there's
a little bit of if you can get him a
little edgy, maybe, Yeah, that could be a good thing
for him.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
I saw some news I can't remember.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
I think he was fairly recent last couple of weeks
that he was out in Cali working out with John
Beck for former NFL QB. Yes, So in that vein,
do we know anything about maybe this off season program
for JJ, whether it is to get him ready to
start and raise that level, et cetera, that it would
be different this time around, combination of being fully healthy,
(07:42):
fresh off the season, et cetera. So that twenty twenty
six is indeed an improvement and a step forward.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Well, I mean John.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Beck is the guy that he worked out with before
the combine as well, so there is a history relationship. Yeah,
there's a history going back a couple of years, like
Tom House. I mean, these all these guys work with
Tom House, the famous Nolan Ryan pitching coach who became
like Tom Brady's throwing coach. I mean, this is a
guy that has Tom House who used to pitch for
the Braves. I think it was the Rangers Rangers coach
(08:09):
what I remember, And maybe he pitched for the Braves
way back when, but in my childhood I remember him
as big Nolan Ryan's guy in Texas and then started
working with quarterbacks. Very possible he pitched for the Braves,
and I'm just not thinking far enough back that was
like that was his first team in fact, okay, seventy
there you go. Okay, so he was pitching and then
he ended up being a coach and you kind of
go from there. So we've gone further back into the
(08:32):
Tom House anthology. Then I realized we were going to go.
So you learn something new every day. But Beck's a
limb on the House street. Correct, Yes, back obviously with
the BYU quarterback has worked pretty closely with Jaj McCarthy
over the last couple of years, so there is a
relationship there. And the fact that it's in warm weather,
I don't think is a I don't think that was
a downside to being out there for some of the offseason,
(08:53):
to get in the sunshine and have a little bit
of a chance to work out outside rather than the
soda weather or Illinois you know that you probably have otherwise.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
So there's a relationship.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Does that mean the program is just painting by numbers
the same, No, I don't think it means that. I
think he understands there's a number of things that he
has to work on. Mechanics wise, you know, playing with anticipation.
We saw I think examples of that happening this year,
and there were also times where kind of working through things,
you could see where he needs to play a little
bit faster. So I think there are a lot of
(09:29):
things on the menu, and those postseason meetings that they
have with players a lot of it. Here's what want
you to work on, and I think he has that list,
and then you go through the off season and try
to finish or improve as many of those things on
that list as you can.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Did you did you go searching for Kyler Murray steam
in Indianapolis? Because because like I had them? Yeah, and
I shared this earlier. I had a side conversation with
somebody for three and a half minutes who used to
be tied to the NFC West and I asked him
a specific question about Kyler and they didn't answer that question. Instead,
I was told he'd really love to play for the
Minnesota Vikings. Have you heard that?
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Like, does somebody share that he's letting his representation is
letting people know that if he's not here, Yeah, he
wants to be there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
I think there's been some chatter along those lines, and
I think that is not uncommon at this point. I mean,
you heard JJ say that after the draft that all
these quarterbacks wanted to be here. Obviously Aaron Rodgers wanted
to be here. There's a lot that the Vikings have
going for them that makes them attractive. You are playing
for a head coach whose record with quarterbacks is generally
(10:39):
pretty good, you know, JJ McCarthy, perhaps notwithstanding last year,
but as he pointed out, when they've had consistent quarterback
and they've won a lot of games. You know Sam Donald. Obviously,
I think Kevin O'Connell gets a fair amount of credit
for the rebound for Sam Donald. You have a lot
of quarterbacks who look at the facility, I'm sure, and
say this is a great place to be every day.
(11:00):
I have every resource I could possibly want to stay healthy,
to get training. There's a deep room of offensive coaches
with a lot of experience. Josh mccowny, Jordan Traylor, West Phillips.
You know, you go down on line and I'm bearing
the lead, but you get to throw the ball to
Justin Jefferson. So that's the other thing that people see
as really attractive about playing here. And it's a place
(11:22):
where you could put up a lot of numbers. Wouldn't
the a topic with Kyler? Put the money to the side, Yeah,
be he's played like ten games the last four years. Yeah,
so I mean, you know, we're we're up here sweating
McCarthy in a valley, and that's very true. But I mean,
like Kyler made that famous while JJ was at Michigan.
Yeah yeah, I mean there's I think the durability stuff,
(11:45):
there's how would he play in this offense? Is a
question I have because he was in something that was
more like the Vikings offense when Drew Petsiing was calling
plays than he had been early in his career, certainly
playing for Cliff Kingsbury. But how would he function in
an offense? I mean, you hear Kevin O'Connell talking about
it all the time. Rhythm and timing is the foundation
(12:08):
of this offense. How would he do there? He's a
guy that has immense talent, immense athletic ability. You can
play off schedule and do a lot of things with
him that most people can't. So you can work with that.
But I also think they want the foundation of their
offense to be a quarterback who throws the ball on time,
gets the ball to his playmakers on time. So concepts
(12:29):
develop and you can get you can pure progress to
talk about last year. You can go through concepts and
then things open up and uncover when they're supposed to.
You get the ball out and you move down the
field that way. So how does he do in that
type of an offense? And we hear all the time
how complicated this offense? I mean Ryan Kelly said that
in the middle of last season. Ryan Kelly a guy
who's played with veteran quarterbacks start his career, has played
(12:51):
a long time in the league, said this offense is complicated.
So when a guy of that stature in the middle
of the season still saying, yeah, this is this is
a lot, you know, you take note of that. And
there's been a lot of discussion about Kyler Murray's study habits,
and we heard it in the talk back early. I
think the word out of Arizona's those things have gotten
(13:12):
better over the year.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Yeah it is. It's become a running meme in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
But yeah, the I think the word out of Arizona
last year was those things have improved. And as he
has said, like, look, I was an elite baseball player
an elite FOOTBA player at the same time. Wow, it
takes a fair amount of cognitive ability to be able
to do both of those things at once. Yeah, so
you know, give him credit for that, But I do
think about that, the complexity of this offense, the level
(13:38):
of detail in this offense. Has he been stretched to
play that style before and how would that go in Minnesota.
That's a big question I'd have.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
I I don't know, do like I don't I just
have not seen this happening. Yeah, I just I've never
I even wrapped my mind around it. I'm like, I
don't think it fits. I think I think he would
drive the coach crazy. I'm not sure he can make
all the dances. But then he got McCarthy behind him.
But like like with Kyler, I do remember and I
(14:08):
can't remember the year, one of the last two years
when they were here and Drew Petsing, former coach with
the Vikings, now the offensive coordinator for the Lions. He
was the coordinator and the Vikings beat him, and I
think it was pretty close or something crazy. Yeah, but
I remember talking to Drew after the game, just you know,
(14:29):
without watching it back, just going quick twitch on it.
What I said to Drew was that that's the most
in control in charge Kyler Murray I can ever remember
seen where he just didn't run Willie nilly and throw
up upont picked off by the other team and you
lost the game, or go moon walking into the end
zone in a playoff game against Kevin O'Connell and as
(14:51):
you're falling backwards throw it right to a linebacker for
a pick six that loses the game. So he's not
the first quarterback ever to do things like that. But
I was impressed whenever that game was with how in
control and like professional and efficient that Kyler was that game.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Yeah, I think that was in twenty four if I'm
remember incorrectly, but it Yeah, I think I've laid out
all the questions I have about it. But if they
were to do it, I think it would happen along
these lines. They would look at the athletic ability, the
arm talent. We've seen both of those things against the
(15:30):
Vikings on display before, and they would say, we can
be the team that adds some structure, add some stability
to this, and can turn him into a quarterback that probably,
I'm sure some of the pitch to him would be too.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
This is an easier way.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
To play, perhaps in the second half of your career
than when you're twenty five and running around and taking
hits in the process of that. So I could see
them saying, Okay, this is a guy with a lot
of talent that we can work with and maybe we
put in some things that work for him. I know
when they talked about Anthony Richardson a few years back. Yeah,
(16:13):
you know, I only bring that up to say this
is a type of quarterback that is very different than
what they've had, and there was an understanding that if
they brought him in, you're going to play a lot
of the ways that he wants to play. You're going
to accentuate the things that he does really well.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Well. So Richardson's branded as a runner. Yeah, and he
can run, he can throw the ball stand is still
seventy yard correct now, now it's inaccurate, But I mean
they can work with that. But you know, and I
remember looking into this or talking to some people about
it into that twenty twenty three, twenty twenty three, twenty three,
correct me if I'm wrong here, But you broke a story, yeah,
(16:46):
or you had a quarterback related story that indicated the
right people are interested in this time.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Like the mock draft, I had them trained up to
take him way it was up to four. Yeah it
was wow, I was like seven or eight. But yeah,
they but yes, moving up big so.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
But but now just to transition from Kyler to Anthony Richardson,
because that kind of popped up at the end of
the line with some of the bigger names, but not
not the scribes or the chef Deezer or names like that, yeah,
indicating hey, this could happen. But do you think there
there are any legs with this? I don't think that
can be the only option. I think there is intrigue.
(17:25):
I think a lot of the questions they had about
him at the time were, Okay, how is he going
to be as the leader of that locker room? I
know that was something they were like, well, we need
to learn a little more about this as they were
going through it.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
So would all of those things be fixed? Would all
of those things be better? And do you want to
count on a guy like that that has not shown
he can do it at the NFL level yet? I
think Anthony Richard is a zero championship Anthony Richardson and
JJ McCarthy like that being the competition, I don't see that.
I think they need something more stable now. If he was, hey,
(18:00):
he's a third guy that you bring in and yeah,
we can develop them and it's a little bit of
a flyer. Yeah, maybe you know, they've shown they have
no qualms about packing as many first round pick talent
type quarterbacks into a room as they can get.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
But then you're keeping three on the roster, wouldn't you?
Speaker 4 (18:18):
Probably I mean, you're not putting a former top five
pick on the practice squad at this stage.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Probably, But I you know, I think they'd figure that
out as they go. You know, we saw it a
little bit with Daniel Jones coming in and he was
on the on the practice squad at the time. But
you know, you kind of do what you have to
do and figure it out from there. But yeah, I
don't see that as like the exclusive option with JJ McCarthy.
It's more of a Okay, this could be a flyer.
I just bring him up to say that there have
been discussions in the past of Okay, this is not
(18:44):
somebody that necessarily is cut from the Kevin O'Connell mold,
so to speak. But there's enough talent here that how
would we work with this, how would we tailor our
offense around it? That you know, I think there'd be
some room for creative thinking. They're if they did bring
it in a guy like that. So if it were
to be a guy like Kyler Murray, I think they'd
(19:04):
look at it and say, Okay, here's the talent. How
can we pair this with what we do? How can
we mold the offense around him and try to make
it work from there.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
See. But with Kyler, the the the natural comparison, at
least I think is Sam Darnald, Okay, now now Donald
third overall blah blah blah blah blah blah, came here,
look at this, anyone did this, And Kyler is more accomplished. Well,
he was a Rookie of the Year. Yah. Think he
won Rookie of the Year's first year blue ye. So
(19:32):
so therefore statistically he to a certain extent, has been
more accomplished than Sam Donald for my taste, in terms
of when he when they would get to Minnesota. Yes,
for for my taste, I think Donald's a better quarterback.
I just I think if you're gonna look at a
situation for situation, what you saw, they squeezed out of this,
and in fairness to say they'll squeeze the most out
(19:55):
of this because it's how they operate. I just think
in the context of the way things done here. Yeah, honestly,
I don't think Kyler's in Sam Darnold's class. Yeah when
it comes to this here, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Yeah, because it's all of the stuff that they I mean,
the things that Donald did well they want to have
come back to this offense, Like you know, you hear
about the dagger cuts on the back side of a play.
I mean, they want that stuff back. They lived on
that in twenty four and they wanted to the offense now.
So you know, the things that they see as staples
of this offense you have to show you can execute
(20:29):
and that's that would be the thing with Kyler is
how does he do in those settings? You know, can
he make all of those throws on time? Can he
you know, put the ball over a linebacker? You know,
the layered type throws that they've wanted to see JJ
McCarthy make. I think all of that stuff playing with
a structure that is not built on him extending things
with his feet. I mean, you know, you want to
(20:50):
use that if you can, but I don't think they
want to live in that world. So a lot of
it would have to be him showing that even if
I accentuate the offense with some of the mobility that
I bring to it, I'm still going to operate within
this general structure, the general family of things most of
the time.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Another thing that's kind of popping in Indy post Indy
Ben is Daniel Jones. So this is interesting to me
because the franchise tag deadline, I believe is later this afternoon, yep,
and that number is forty three million dollars. So if
I'm the Colts, I mean, you can tell me if
I'm wrong. I think it's insane that they would put
the tag on him and forty three million with the Achilles,
(21:29):
how that recovery is going to look. Yeah, but similarly,
even signing him to a long term deal feels like
a tenuous act given the fact that they got eleven
or twelve certainly good games out of them, but still
a lot of unknowns, like where's your head at in
relation to Daniel Jones and what his future holds.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Yeah, it's difficult. It's an interesting one.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
I mean, I think the transition tag has come up
with him a little bit too, and I'm trying to
remember exactly what the number is there. But they seem
like they want him in the plan. The question is
at what price given the Allies, because that happened late
enough in the year that I have to think that's
going to be a factor going into twenty twenty six.
I mean, you could talk about rehab, you could talk
(22:09):
about Okay, we can get him ready, Yes, but that
feels like one we've seen it with older quarterbacks Cousins
and Rogers. You know, Jones is still in his late twenties.
But how trustworthy is that is that heel? How trustworthy
is that base as you're trying to come back from it?
I think that's always the thing that's a little bit
(22:30):
of an unknown until you get back on the field.
So I think as you're making a commitment to a
guy like that, that's going to factor into it. That's
why I would think the franchise tag is probably a
little tough to imagine, especially when you are I'm sure
going to be thinking we have to have an alternative
to him and the vent that he's not ready. So
I mean all this risk management, yeah, they do, they do.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
Oh what, there's a rively letter name pat down there
in Indy. Yeah, who kind of had to step in
and made some Notre dame, notre dame, but man the
past path forward for Daniel. Good for him if he
finds his way to forty million bucks.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Dolly cats Well, yeah, I mean Derek Carr legitimately is
in the conversation. I heard that name more than I
thought it was kind of at the Combine. Well, I
mean into the combine, it had been reported that, you know,
he would be interested for the right kind of team.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
I can't even remember what happened to him and why
I retired. Yeah, And and you know, it's like the
first interal injury. Is one of the first interviews I
did at the Combine on Tuesday, I'm talking about the
quarterbacks and everything. It might have been Jordan Reid with ESPN,
and he brings up Geno Smith. Yeah, and I'm like, okay,
I saw the name, like Gino Smith. Okay, where did
(23:37):
that come from? So started looking into it a little bit,
looking into the style of play five step seven step drop.
Didn't realize how much presence and how much leadership he
naturally has in the locker room with the guys, all right,
that matters, Yes it does. And he's he's a straight
drop pocket guy who can slide decently in the pocket
(24:00):
and can protect himself well enough. At the stage of
his career. I didn't realize how good his arm was. Yeah,
I didn't realize what those backdoor dagger cuts and things
middle of the field, attacking middle zones and getting safeties
to move and stuff. All right. I didn't know it
was good at that either. Yeah, so that's all just
really elevated for me if if he becomes available. Yeah,
(24:22):
Geno Smith.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Yeah, I think a lot of what you just laid
out there makes a lot of sense. Because he has
played in offenses and has tape in offenses. That's like, okay,
this concept translates to what the Vikings want to do.
And with Kyler there's a little more of a projection there,
I think, and you could say, yeah, we see enough
here kind of like we're talking about we see enough
(24:43):
here that we can mold into our offense and build
an offense that works.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
But with Gino it's.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Probably a little more of a yeah, this stuff is
very familiar to him already, and these types of throws
are very familiar. The other thing with him is he's
the type of player that if you felt good enough
about JJ and you wanted to move on from Gino Smith,
that there's not going to be this attachment this well,
(25:10):
you know, are we saying goodbye to five or six
years more of high level play because this guy's still
in his late twenties.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
I mean, you know, the questions you had with Donald.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
With Daniel Jones, I think some of those things come
up a little more with a high level quarterback who's
not on the back nine of his career, so to speak.
So I think there'd be a little less of that
question with Geno, which means it's maybe a little more
of a utilitarian option for them. Turnovers with him are
a question. I think that would be something they'd have
to figure out. But that's that was Donald's case too.
(25:40):
I mean that's in Donald led the NFL and turnovers
and just won the Super Bowl. Yeah, and Cousins. The
year that he was with O'Connell, the turnover numbers went up,
and some of it is they look at some of
that as the cost of doing business. They're not going
to say, oh, we need a guy throw four picks
a year or five picks a year, and anything more
than that is unacceptable. You don't want them. You don't
(26:00):
want turnover. Certainly, we've heard Kevin O'Connell talk about that
a lot. But if you're throwing the occasional pick in
the context of trying to push the ball down field,
trying to make explosive things happen, I think they'll say
we can live with it if it's if the decision
was good, and it's just a matter if I try
to fit something in there. And I was working off
of this. I don't think anybody's going to lose their
(26:21):
mind over that over there, So you know, that would
be the question with him, But there are a lot
of things with him where it's a little more compatible
at least at this point with what I see in
that offense.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Describe Ben Gesline at Ben Gaslin via x covers the
Vikings for the Star Tribune to Star Tribune dot Com
around the corner and Eric Wilson question, and I'm also
the acting general manager for the Minnesota Vikings in my estimation,
will become the general manager after the draft, and I
want to run some things by Ben when we return.
(27:06):
Welcome Back nine to noon.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Kfa N celebrates our five thousand dollars teacher winners in Iheartradios,
Thank a teacher, powered by donors Choose. There's still time
to nominate a public school teacher making a difference. They
could be next to win five thousand dollars to make
over their classroom.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
We're never gonna run out of.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
Teachers to thank, so thank one who do you love?
You can do that now, iHeartRadio dot Com, slash teachers.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
Donald Love Football, Hey Pa, Hey Nordo.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Mister squeegee here.
Speaker 6 (27:56):
I think whom ever they add, whether it's Kyler Murray,
Anthony Richardson, Derek Carr, you name it, I have wholehearted
confidence in Kevin O'Connell.
Speaker 5 (28:06):
And if he puts that person in there.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
I think this season especially is kind of putting his
job on the shoulders of that person. So if he's
got confidence in them, I've got confidence in him.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Squeegeye, welcome back, squeege I like the talkback when it
comes to the like taking O'Connell's future with this new extension,
and let's just say to whom much is given, much
certainly is expected, tying it together to the quarterback, and
if it doesn't work the veteran that they purportedly will
(28:41):
bring in that it could jeopardize his job status.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
I say no, that it wouldn't. Nope, Well, yeah, I
mean immediately very confident in him. I think the question is, yeah,
I mean, how many times can you take a swing
at the quarterback thing and miss it? And we've seen
it happen before where people have taken multiple swings and
kept their jobs for very long times. But I think
he is aware that when you don't come through on this,
(29:12):
when you were hired as kind of the quarterback guy
that you know, there's always that possibility. So I think
to squeeze twitch the idea that this will be tied
to him, I'm sure he's aware of that. So yes,
if he is putting his chips in with a guy
(29:33):
knowing where all of this stands, He's not in a
hot seat by any means, but he knows if you
don't get this right, where this could lead the path
that could lead down. So the think I think if
he is saying, yeah, I think we can win with
this guy, he's not doing it just you know, throwing
a penny into a well, so to speak.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
From the from the NFL news cycle. Nordo mentioned earlier
Today is the franchise tag deadline day. No no franchise
tags expected for the Viking track all. The Adam Schefter
reports the Jets are going to franchise tag Brace Hall,
so the running back who could have been available supposedly
(30:12):
not available. Atlanta Falcons get a fifth European game they
play in Madrid next year. The opponent has not been announced.
And whether they think we can get that one. I
think they come to MINNISO. They come here, Weather get Paris,
and Weather really got team. No, don't come on.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Just that they send them internationally all the time, and
the Saints play in Paris.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
That's all. And I don't know if this was Sunday
or yesterday, but sources with all the right scribes and
the right media members indicate the Lions are going to
trade David Montgomery. Yeah, the running back to Houston for
a couple of picks, one of them is a fourth
this year. And Juice Scrugs I think is the offensive
lineman's name. But I mean, I don't A. These guys
(30:58):
are really good when they do things like this. Yeah,
they're at homes in that group. Yes, so A there's that.
They're really good when they move something and everybody's like, hey,
WHOA can what? Yeah? Yeah, you see what I'm saying. Yes,
turned it into the port us. So I'm believing they
absolutely have a running back they want and they know
(31:21):
that they're going to be able to get him where
they want him. Petsing must have rolled in and been
been like, I only need that guy. Yeah, okay, so
we can draft one and we can raise him. But
all we need is that guy. So if you want
to trade him, we're okay with that. Yeah, but what
do you think of all this? Because Montgomery is a
touchdown machines.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Yes, yes, it's Jimyir Gibbs fantasy owner this year says,
you know, ruefully, he is a touchdown machine. And he's
the other thing is he's better in pass protection, as
we saw in those games against the Vikings than Jimia Gibbs.
Is the Vikings turned Jami Gibbs into a liability right
by making him stay in pass protection in those games.
So you have to replace those things. You have to
(32:00):
replace the durability in the backfield, the ability to take
on contact, whether it's in short yarded situations or in
pass protection. But you can do that probably with somebody younger.
And I don't think they'll go in with you know, hey,
it's just Jamir Gibbs all the time. I think they
will add at that position and figure out where they
want to go. But yeah, to your point, they've been
(32:22):
pretty good at saying let's move on from a guy
early rather than doing it late. Yes, And I think
with a running back that's had quite a bit of
workload over the course of his time in the line
with Detroit and Chicago. I think that's what they're doing.
And yeah, I would imagine they'll replace that role, but
with somebody who's younger and cheaper.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Yep. Maybe they love Craig Reynolds. I always love that
boy as a backup. Ben Gasoline at Ben Gaesline covers
the covers the vikings for the Star Tribune. I haven't
asked you this, and and I saw him as he
was arriving to the combine when I was leaving former
offensive line coach Chris Cooper. Why didn't they reach out
Chris Cooper here now the offensive line coach for the Eagles. Yeah,
(33:04):
he got hired pretty quick, he.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Did, and to replace Jeff Stoutlin, the legendary Eagles offensive
line coach, so and he was well respected coming in here.
I think it becomes one of those things where when
the problem has been the same the same position has
been the problem for as long as it had, somebody
was going to pay the price. And it's they've tried
to replace players, they've tried to change things out of
(33:29):
different positions, and some of the same problems keep popping up,
so you say, well, okay, maybe some of this is
the ways they're being coached, the techniques were using. I
think that was a lot of it, and they they
got all good about Keith Carter, I think fantastic. Yeah, yeah,
and a guy that came in with some questions to
answer about how he would relate to players. I mean
that was certainly part of his story with the Jets
(33:50):
and the Titans. A lot of players said, yeah, this
guy's is hard to play for. But my understanding when
they went through the process with him, both analyzing what
he did this year and then talking to him an
interview was they felt pretty good about that. And I
think Frank Smith comes in probably in a position where
he's going to be pretty involved on the offensive line
and some of the techniques in scheme, particularly in the
run game that they use. So I think a lot
(34:11):
of it is, you know, this is how it goes
in the NFL. When it's been the pass protection has
been an issue for as long as it has, somebody
is going to say, Okay, we got to try something different.
And I think that was a lot of what happened
here because.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Cooper, well, all of the free agency stuff. It's coming
at you fast, grid. Yeah, it's right around the corner,
it is. Are you seeing me? On? Eric Wilson?
Speaker 3 (34:33):
I think, I mean, that's going to be an interesting
one because will he get a big contract. He's you know,
he's in his thirties. I don't know that he's a
guy that is going to have a massive market. It
won't take a lot. But I also think he's aware
of where he fits in this defense and I think
they like him a lot. I think if the number
is right, they try to get him back here and
(34:56):
you know, maybe it's a maybe it's a two year
deal with you know, kind of a one and we'll see,
you know, how you structure the money on the back
end of that. But I would think, you know, Brian Flores,
when he wants somebody, he lets them know. And I
think Brian Flores is in a position where a lot
of what he wants to do on defense is probably
gonna happen. And you know, he's been in that case
(35:17):
before and I think continues to be in that place
this year.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Well well so Flores from what I understand is or
I knew this before from from the Roade chapels. Yeah,
with the team, but Flores and Dolman Gibson the assistant
special teams coach. Yeah, well they I mean Flores has
a very high opinion. And now all of a sudden,
the team announces Dolman is the backup inside linebackers coach.
(35:40):
The siavo so that that you know, as you as
you connect the dots here.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
To like, yeah, Matt Daniels, why Brian Floor is like,
now I want him?
Speaker 1 (35:49):
So why Brian's back? What he got what he needs?
I mean, all of a sudden, Dolman's back up inside linebackers.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Yeah, so I think there is certainly that pattern. And
if he wants Eric Wilson back and they make the
money work, I think that happens.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Lastly, So just to deduce for me, if they pulled
well respected moneyman Matt Thomas all Right out of retirement
probably for an offer he couldn't refuse to handle or
be part of the cap stuff the Brazinski role, then
Brazinski slides into the acting GM spot. This is just
(36:26):
how it seems it's going to be into twenty twenty six.
This because it's you know, just chatting with somebody right
before I left the combine. It I mean getting Matt
tom The Vikings are the first team to try to
get Matt Thomas out of retirement. Yeah, let's put it
that way. Yeah, but he came out of retirement for
this situation, which is like the Brazinski job, right, and
(36:48):
then Brazinski, still with his hands there to get people
up to speed, has the other job. I just don't
see it changing because if you if you hire Ben Gesling,
the personnel director for the Houston Texans to come into
be your GM, you're screwed if you make that hire
and and he's bally who Yeah, Okay, well what happens
to Rob? Yeah, somebody just rolled in took his job, right, Yeah,
(37:10):
and go back to the cap stuff. Let to sustain
as is they're not going to add anyway.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Well, the the biggest thing I heard at the combine
from people inside the organizations people outside the organization is
you should give Rob the job or that he's one
person that knows him well at Orks for Auto the
team called them called it a no brainer, yeah to
hire him because of how well respected he is in
different corners of the organization, Like Kevin O'Connell likes him.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Was the guy in the other conference. Yes, Okay, so
we may have spoken to the same guy, because if
you're in conference and you're like, we'll just let him
do it, Yeah, well then that's probably not You may
think he's terrible, right, right, exactly. Yeah, that may be
a backhead of compliment, but no, it was people that
have watched him work for a long time, and I
(37:58):
pressed with a lot of the way he goes it,
and you hear a lot of people, I mean, even
the feeling of we're pretty stable with where we are now.
And Matt Thomas, I don't know if he'll do this
long term. I think it was a bit of a
short term fifth to move to Minnesota for a few
months and then you go from there. But okay, I
will say even if Rob Razinski used the job, they
are big fans of Rob is, a big fan of
(38:19):
Emily Batis, who works pretty.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
Closely with Rob on cap stuff. So I don't think
they would feel like, oh, what are we going to
do on the cap if Rob takes this other job,
because you can certainly be still connected to it, but
I think they feel like they've got some of that
covered with Emily working there. I mean, he thinks very
very highly of her, So with her and Matt Thomas
(38:41):
there right now, I think they feel pretty good on
that side of things. But overall, yeah, I think there
is you know, you'd have to figure out the personnel
side of things. What does the scouting side of this
look like? You know, does Ryan Monins get promoted? Do
you bring other people in? How do you work that
if your GM is not in that role? But you know,
you heard a lot of people's too that the GM
(39:01):
does not have to be the quote unquote super scout
all the time. You can have somebody Howie Rosevean came
from a different background. You have you know, people in
different jobs around the league that are not always from
the scouting world. You'd have to get that side of
it figured out, and you'd have to figure out what
you need to add to the scouts that they already have,
(39:22):
and how many people may leave that were tied to quacy.
But I think the overall approach of Rob leaving the
front office is not I It's not something I would
bet against. I think there's a very good chance, given
the respect, yes from the wilf's, respect from Kevin O'Connell,
respect throughout the building that if he wants it, and
(39:43):
that's the question. Is he wanted? But if he does,
I think there's a lot of momentum to make it happen.
That was fantastic, great great work in Indianapolis. By the way,
Thank you man. You just yeah, you attained a lot
while you were there.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
Well, we'll watch the proverbial chips fall ye, see what
happens with the Vikings. Have a good way you too,
Thanks Ben Gesling' Star Tribune Start Tribune dot com news
do Nord around the corner. Then Tony Scott from Youth
Hockey Hub shortly after eleven on the state high school
hockey tournament. It's nine to new.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
News Denard brought to you by the casino at Canterbury
Park Canterbury Park dot com. Live racing in the spring,
but you're feeling the felt every day, all day all
year with poker, blackjacket, table games, having SIPs at chips,
live music. They have all sorts of events at Canterbury Park,
so check them out. Just go to Canterbury Park dot
(40:36):
com for information. Some things that we mentioned briefly during
Ben Gesling's appearance.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
Before we get to the local side of things.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
The New York Jets do indeed intend on placing the
franchise tag on Breise Hall. So you're thinking, okay, well
got steamy here. If you don't trade Aaron Jones, it
sounds like Aaron Jones will be released from the team.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Well, how are we gonna how are we gonna fill
that spot?
Speaker 4 (40:58):
Do we do it in the draft or do we
would be a free agency Breese Hall no longer an option?
Speaker 1 (41:03):
And I missed this.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
I saw that the tags as far as today goes,
and I've already lost it.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Where is it?
Speaker 4 (41:11):
Well, George Pickens, it sounds like received a tag for
about twenty seven million dollars, and then Kyle Pitts in
Atlanta as well. So Breese would it would be it
appears the third individual to be tagged by their team.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
We mentioned Daniel Jones. No news on that.
Speaker 4 (41:27):
Forty three million does sound insane to me, but what
we shall see. Deadline closes around three pm this afternoon.
And to the Minnesota Timberwolves, they beat the Nuggets. They
rose to the occasion in the Mile High City in
a Sunday Mattinee. Shortly, you'll be able to podcast that
conversation you had with head coach Chris Finch to open
(41:49):
the show today. But teams won three straight, like six
of their last seven. One of my favorite parts from
that chat. You were in Denver. You got to see
this game live, so maybe you can co sign on.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
This is a head.
Speaker 4 (42:01):
Coach talking, you know, we're kind of fine in our
rhythm here, that we're kind of we're again raising the level.
It sounds like there he's seen the wheels turning towards
a team that's getting mentally focused and excited about a
playoff opportunity not too long from now.
Speaker 1 (42:15):
Well, he he rattled off things that are coming together
or came together in the Denver game, so now the
expectation tonight against Memphis, then you got Toronto here and
moving forward that they stayed the same and involved defense
awareness with passing crisply and quickly and efficiently if you
(42:37):
get double team. He credited Anthony Edwards for being really
good at that in the fourth quarter of the Nuggets
game when they tried to make it sneaky, and also
talked about tonight being a mindset game. Memphis is terrible,
but most of Memphis team nobody's ever heard of. I mean,
there ain't anybody at the game tonight with a game
more Taylor or Tyler Hendrix, so that Zach Edies not playing.
(43:01):
Jaren Jackson got traded, so this absolutely should be a
win tonight, and Tonight Tonight is right, like Charles Barkley
a couple of Fridays ago, and this third time I've
shared this. Yeah, he's talking with Jalen Rose on the
Ernie Johnson bit and he's like, yeah, I like the wolves.
Of course they're gifted paraphrasing, but it's when they lead
(43:22):
bad teams whose cars have been turned on for a month,
trying to drive their way to Vegas or to the
airport to fly to Turks and Caicos. When you get
up ten to fifteen on them, make it thirty and
then the game will go quicker, quicker, and more quickly
it'll just be over. And they mess around with teams
too much. Well, they didn't do that Sunday against Denver,
(43:42):
and Denver's a quality squad missing a key player. Tonight's
squad is awful, and they play Willye Nelly, run up
and down the court, try to get as many shots
as they can. And so Chris Caltonight a mindset game.
Your mind needs to be set for this evening's game
where you're gonna have an opportunity to be up fifteen.
Make it bury them, move on to the next one.
Speaker 4 (44:03):
Speaking of burying, we hope the Minnesota while they're able
to bounce back after a couple losses. Last thing for
you news to Nord Style. It's an eight thirty pm
ish while it's going to probably be closer to about
eight forty five eight forty seven as we got primetime
hockey in the mix, which puts an eight thirty ish
start time for the Wild in Tampa at Saint Paul.
(44:24):
Excited to hear from the head coach tomorrow, hopefully off
of a victory. But this team, whether it's a little
sleepy game on Sunday, not being able to figure out
and solve these Utah Mammoth I don't think they've won
a game in regulation in six against the Mana since
they moved to Utah. So opportunity for a bounce back
after a tough one at Grand Casino Arena on Sunday,
(44:46):
they get this one at home tonight, hopefully two points
for the good guys.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
The Lightning I believe have lost two in a row.
They have yes from what I understand it is a
cranky lightning bunch loop from Florida to Minnesota. Yesterday. Yeah,
they got throttled by Buffalo the other day. Buffalo.
Speaker 4 (45:05):
You were talking with Gorgy about it. Super cool story.
How they are very very much game for the postseason.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
Yep. And and Tampa Bay is like second favorite to
win the Stanley Cup on a two game jag. Tonight's
going to be good because, as I said with us
Senor Spotty Kevin Gore hour and change ago, you come
off the Olympic break, got that emotional one at Denver.
You crush the Abs, all right. So then you come
home and you're playing a middling Saint Louis team middleing
(45:32):
at best, a lot of hooplah and pomp and circumstance
with the with the game day understandable, and you lose
to Saint Louis. And so now that you got yourselves
up for the Avs game, came back to the pack
for the Blues game. Now you settle in to kind
of who you are, no matter the injuries, no matter
(45:54):
fabric being here, the potential of a Trocheckchit trade by Friday,
no matter what's happening the guys on the other side
are desperate for a victory, and they're very, very good,
And Kucherof's one of the best in the show, but
so is Capriso, and so is Balding, and so is
Quinn Hughes. Tonight's going to be fantastic, very much looking
forward to it.
Speaker 4 (46:13):
That's News Denord presented by v Casino at Canterbury Parkcanterbury
Park dot com.
Speaker 1 (46:18):
It is now post time for the annual Minnesota State
High School Hockey Tournament. Joining us yearly Tony Scott with
Youth Hockey Hop and he'll join us around the corner
to chapa who won't wear win and what with the
boys in the State High School Hockey Tournament Right here
on k f an
Fan and.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Kyler Murray definitely would sink.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
On the Vikings.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
There is a known fact that his stats go down
when the new call of duty came lands and the
fact that he hasn't talked to his general manager and
he got Cliff Kingsbury fired, who absolutely adored him, means
he would be detrimental.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Well, the first talkback related Kyler Murray call of duty
salvo has been issued. I've been waiting for it, yep.
And Ben Gasling from the Star Tribune. Star Tribune dot
com access Vikings, the podcast and much more is here
to chat about that and assorted football into Vikings related
(00:55):
conversation Star Tribune dot com for information. So this for
you like your radar? What's the next shoe to drop?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Well?
Speaker 1 (01:04):
What's hot to trot with the football team? Is it
quarterback a topic? Kyler Murray Talkers and Talkbacks today nine
to noon. Is it just waiting or working to get
steam on the next shoe to drop in? Good morning?
Good morning? Yeah, there is.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
I mean there are several shoes that drop here as
there tend to be this some of you're with the Vikings.
Quarterback is certainly the hot topic. It seemed like everybody
I had talked to with the combine was more interested
in talking about that than the fact that they don't
have a general manager, which is I think kind of
a backward compliment to rober Zenski.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
I talked to one.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Coach, he said, oh, yeah, I forgot we some need
to hire a GM. And because I think things have
been steady enough with Rob wrutning them that people feel
okay well with the general.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Manager situation, not diminishing it and making the quarterback the
a topic. But I guess I am diminishing it because personally,
when the team came out and said acting GM through draft, yep,
that's a non player. I mean, you know until at
least for two months.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Well, yeah it is. And I mean the other stuff
is more timely. It's it's interesting to think through all
the dynamics of who's going to be running a football department.
But the quarterback is the A topic because it needs
to get done and it's the level of importance that
this is to figure out what they're going to do.
So a lot of conversations about quarterback the combine that
(02:28):
will I think be clearer probably about this time next week,
you know, maybe Wednesday next week when free agency starts,
but they have a lot of housekeeping to do before then,
so they're gonna have to cut players for cap reasons,
and you know, I think there was some some chatter
about that over the weekend, people's agents leaking out, Hey
(02:49):
they might be available on the open market in a
few days here. But yeah, there's a lot of that
that has to get done between now and early next week.
So kind of looking into those things, what the are
going to be with veteran players on the roster, and
then yeah, quarterback is, as it seems to be annually,
a big topic for the Minnesota Vikings in March.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Do do your discernment JJ McCarthy, do you feel he
can be counted on to be a full time starter
for this football team within the next four years.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I don't think they are counting on it at the moment,
and I say that to say I don't. I don't
think they are skeptical that it can happen. I don't
think they want to bank on the idea of it happening.
I don't think they want to count on it, if
that makes sense. The thing that Kevin O'Connell said last
week about my feelings on JJ haven't changed, but the
(03:43):
timeline has I think was a reflection to the fact
that Number one, I mean, he needs to win. He's
heading into year five, doesn't have a playoff win yet,
didn't miss didn't make the playoffs this year, and there's
a lot of expectation that with that contract that he's
going to deliver on it. So there's that, But there's
also a lot of veteran players in that locker room
that want to win, and I think there's an understanding
(04:04):
and the number of people I talked to last week
that the conversation went into this with Justin Jefferson, where
there is so much gratitude for how he managed last season,
how he approached He was honest about the frustration of
kind of going through growing pains with young quarterback, but
he also was pretty quick to say, I get it,
I get the overall structure of it. I'm going to
be in JJ's corner, I'm going to work with them
(04:24):
this offseason, all of those things. But I think there's
an understanding of the organization of as good of a citizen,
as good of a leader as he was, you also
want to do right by him. This is a guy
that has talked about wanting to break records. This is
a guy that wants to win championships. This is a
guy that still doesn't have a playoff win since he
was at LSU. So I think there is an understanding
(04:47):
of you have to put yourself in positions for players
like that, and then players in their early thirties too.
But you know, certainly Justin Jefferson is in the middle
of his prime and wants to have that count for something.
So could that be JJ, Absolutely, But I don't think
they want to go into the season banking on that
happening with no other path to being successful. So I
(05:12):
think that's where a lot of its conversation goes is
could it happen?
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Sure? But do you want to bank on it? You know?
Probably not to this degree at this point. Did do so?
With what you just said and things Kevin has said
honor off the record? Did Do you think they're looking
at it like A, this shouldn't have been the tenth
overall pick in the draft, and B we got to
correct it now, like like we whift on the pick.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I don't think they think they whiffed on the pick.
I think they feel like the timeline is probably a
little longer than maybe what they expected, or at least
the injury certainly plays into that. But you had a
lot of things last year where it was things they
would try to correct, and then you do that with
the hope and the expectation that Okay, we've got this corrected,
(05:59):
we've talked about it, and then it's going to get better.
And some of those things did, but some things I
think took longer than they probably would have liked. So
it's a question of how much progress can you expect
somebody to make in one off season? Can it go
from where it was, even with hints of improvement towards
the end of the season, to where it needs to be.
I mean, this conversation lests we go to a baseline
(06:20):
level of quarterbacking, you know, is he going to get
to that baseline through one offseason? I think that's the question,
and I think there's a little bit of a thought
process of Okay, we bring somebody in. The kid is competitive.
The kid likes a little bit of a challenge, likes
a little bit of a job back at him. So
maybe the competition or the presence of competition inspires him,
(06:44):
fires him up, and you get the best out of
him in that sense too. So I think there's a
little bit of that in the mix here of well,
maybe if we stoke the fire a little bit and
just get him a little bit punchy, I mean, he
kind of and work on that hockey player instinct that
he had shout out Kevin Gork make it a puck battle, yeah, yeah,
(07:05):
and make it a little bit of a you know,
going to the corner, going to the hard areas, get
the greasy goals, all that kind of stuff, move the feet,
all of the hockey cliches. But yeah, I think there's
a little bit of if you can get him a
little edgy, maybe, Yeah, that could be a good thing
for him.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
I saw some news I can't remember.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
I think he was fairly recent last couple of weeks
that he was out in Cali working out with John
Beck for former NFL QB. Yes, So in that vein,
do we know anything about maybe this off season program
for JJ, whether it is to get him ready to
start and raise that level, et cetera, that it would
be different this time around, combination of being fully healthy,
(07:42):
fresh off the season, et cetera. So that twenty twenty
six is indeed an improvement and a step forward.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Well, I mean John.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Beck is the guy that he worked out with before
the combine as well, so there is a history relationship. Yeah,
there's a history going back a couple of years, like
Tom House. I mean, these all these guys work with
Tom House, the famous Nolan Ryan pitching coach who became
like Tom Brady's throwing coach. I mean, this is a
guy that has Tom House who used to pitch for
the Braves. I think it was the Rangers Rangers coach
(08:09):
what I remember, And maybe he pitched for the Braves
way back when, but in my childhood I remember him
as big Nolan Ryan's guy in Texas and then started
working with quarterbacks. Very possible he pitched for the Braves,
and I'm just not thinking far enough back that was
like that was his first team in fact, okay, seventy
there you go. Okay, so he was pitching and then
he ended up being a coach and you kind of
go from there. So we've gone further back into the
(08:32):
Tom House anthology. Then I realized we were going to go.
So you learn something new every day. But Beck's a
limb on the House street. Correct, Yes, back obviously with
the BYU quarterback has worked pretty closely with Jaj McCarthy
over the last couple of years, so there is a
relationship there. And the fact that it's in warm weather,
I don't think is a I don't think that was
a downside to being out there for some of the offseason,
(08:53):
to get in the sunshine and have a little bit
of a chance to work out outside rather than the
soda weather or Illinois you know that you probably have otherwise.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
So there's a relationship.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Does that mean the program is just painting by numbers
the same, No, I don't think it means that. I
think he understands there's a number of things that he
has to work on. Mechanics wise, you know, playing with anticipation.
We saw I think examples of that happening this year,
and there were also times where kind of working through things,
you could see where he needs to play a little
bit faster. So I think there are a lot of
(09:29):
things on the menu, and those postseason meetings that they
have with players a lot of it. Here's what want
you to work on, and I think he has that list,
and then you go through the off season and try
to finish or improve as many of those things on
that list as you can.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Did you did you go searching for Kyler Murray steam
in Indianapolis? Because because like I had them? Yeah, and
I shared this earlier. I had a side conversation with
somebody for three and a half minutes who used to
be tied to the NFC West and I asked him
a specific question about Kyler and they didn't answer that question. Instead,
I was told he'd really love to play for the
Minnesota Vikings. Have you heard that?
Speaker 5 (10:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Like, does somebody share that he's letting his representation is
letting people know that if he's not here, Yeah, he
wants to be there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
I think there's been some chatter along those lines, and
I think that is not uncommon at this point. I mean,
you heard JJ say that after the draft that all
these quarterbacks wanted to be here. Obviously Aaron Rodgers wanted
to be here. There's a lot that the Vikings have
going for them that makes them attractive. You are playing
for a head coach whose record with quarterbacks is generally
(10:39):
pretty good, you know, JJ McCarthy, perhaps notwithstanding last year,
but as he pointed out, when they've had consistent quarterback
and they've won a lot of games. You know Sam Donald. Obviously,
I think Kevin O'Connell gets a fair amount of credit
for the rebound for Sam Donald. You have a lot
of quarterbacks who look at the facility, I'm sure, and
say this is a great place to be every day.
(11:00):
I have every resource I could possibly want to stay healthy,
to get training. There's a deep room of offensive coaches
with a lot of experience. Josh mccowny, Jordan Traylor, West Phillips.
You know, you go down on line and I'm bearing
the lead, but you get to throw the ball to
Justin Jefferson. So that's the other thing that people see
as really attractive about playing here. And it's a place
(11:22):
where you could put up a lot of numbers. Wouldn't
the a topic with Kyler? Put the money to the side, Yeah,
be he's played like ten games the last four years. Yeah,
so I mean, you know, we're we're up here sweating
McCarthy in a valley, and that's very true. But I mean,
like Kyler made that famous while JJ was at Michigan.
Yeah yeah, I mean there's I think the durability stuff,
(11:45):
there's how would he play in this offense? Is a
question I have because he was in something that was
more like the Vikings offense when Drew Petsiing was calling
plays than he had been early in his career, certainly
playing for Cliff Kingsbury. But how would he function in
an offense? I mean, you hear Kevin O'Connell talking about
it all the time. Rhythm and timing is the foundation
(12:08):
of this offense. How would he do there? He's a
guy that has immense talent, immense athletic ability. You can
play off schedule and do a lot of things with
him that most people can't. So you can work with that.
But I also think they want the foundation of their
offense to be a quarterback who throws the ball on time,
gets the ball to his playmakers on time. So concepts
(12:29):
develop and you can get you can pure progress to
talk about last year. You can go through concepts and
then things open up and uncover when they're supposed to.
You get the ball out and you move down the
field that way. So how does he do in that
type of an offense? And we hear all the time
how complicated this offense? I mean Ryan Kelly said that
in the middle of last season. Ryan Kelly a guy
who's played with veteran quarterbacks start his career, has played
(12:51):
a long time in the league, said this offense is complicated.
So when a guy of that stature in the middle
of the season still saying, yeah, this is this is
a lot, you know, you take note of that. And
there's been a lot of discussion about Kyler Murray's study habits,
and we heard it in the talk back early. I
think the word out of Arizona's those things have gotten
(13:12):
better over the year.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Yeah it is. It's become a running meme in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
But yeah, the I think the word out of Arizona
last year was those things have improved. And as he
has said, like, look, I was an elite baseball player
an elite FOOTBA player at the same time. Wow, it
takes a fair amount of cognitive ability to be able
to do both of those things at once. Yeah, so
you know, give him credit for that, But I do
think about that, the complexity of this offense, the level
(13:38):
of detail in this offense. Has he been stretched to
play that style before and how would that go in Minnesota.
That's a big question I'd have.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
I I don't know, do like I don't I just
have not seen this happening. Yeah, I just I've never
I even wrapped my mind around it. I'm like, I
don't think it fits. I think I think he would
drive the coach crazy. I'm not sure he can make
all the dances. But then he got McCarthy behind him.
But like like with Kyler, I do remember and I
(14:08):
can't remember the year, one of the last two years
when they were here and Drew Petsing, former coach with
the Vikings, now the offensive coordinator for the Lions. He
was the coordinator and the Vikings beat him, and I
think it was pretty close or something crazy. Yeah, but
I remember talking to Drew after the game, just you know,
(14:29):
without watching it back, just going quick twitch on it.
What I said to Drew was that that's the most
in control in charge Kyler Murray I can ever remember
seen where he just didn't run Willie nilly and throw
up upont picked off by the other team and you
lost the game, or go moon walking into the end
zone in a playoff game against Kevin O'Connell and as
(14:51):
you're falling backwards throw it right to a linebacker for
a pick six that loses the game. So he's not
the first quarterback ever to do things like that. But
I was impressed whenever that game was with how in
control and like professional and efficient that Kyler was that game.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Yeah, I think that was in twenty four if I'm
remember incorrectly, but it Yeah, I think I've laid out
all the questions I have about it. But if they
were to do it, I think it would happen along
these lines. They would look at the athletic ability, the
arm talent. We've seen both of those things against the
(15:30):
Vikings on display before, and they would say, we can
be the team that adds some structure, add some stability
to this, and can turn him into a quarterback that probably,
I'm sure some of the pitch to him would be too.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
This is an easier way.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
To play, perhaps in the second half of your career
than when you're twenty five and running around and taking
hits in the process of that. So I could see
them saying, Okay, this is a guy with a lot
of talent that we can work with and maybe we
put in some things that work for him. I know
when they talked about Anthony Richardson a few years back. Yeah,
(16:13):
you know, I only bring that up to say this
is a type of quarterback that is very different than
what they've had, and there was an understanding that if
they brought him in, you're going to play a lot
of the ways that he wants to play. You're going
to accentuate the things that he does really well.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Well. So Richardson's branded as a runner. Yeah, and he
can run, he can throw the ball stand is still
seventy yard correct now, now it's inaccurate, But I mean
they can work with that. But you know, and I
remember looking into this or talking to some people about
it into that twenty twenty three, twenty twenty three, twenty three,
correct me if I'm wrong here, But you broke a story, yeah,
(16:46):
or you had a quarterback related story that indicated the
right people are interested in this time.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Like the mock draft, I had them trained up to
take him way it was up to four. Yeah it
was wow, I was like seven or eight. But yeah,
they but yes, moving up big so.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
But but now just to transition from Kyler to Anthony Richardson,
because that kind of popped up at the end of
the line with some of the bigger names, but not
not the scribes or the chef Deezer or names like that, yeah,
indicating hey, this could happen. But do you think there
there are any legs with this? I don't think that
can be the only option. I think there is intrigue.
(17:25):
I think a lot of the questions they had about
him at the time were, Okay, how is he going
to be as the leader of that locker room? I
know that was something they were like, well, we need
to learn a little more about this as they were
going through it.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
So would all of those things be fixed? Would all
of those things be better? And do you want to
count on a guy like that that has not shown
he can do it at the NFL level yet? I
think Anthony Richard is a zero championship Anthony Richardson and
JJ McCarthy like that being the competition, I don't see that.
I think they need something more stable now. If he was, hey,
(18:00):
he's a third guy that you bring in and yeah,
we can develop them and it's a little bit of
a flyer. Yeah, maybe you know, they've shown they have
no qualms about packing as many first round pick talent
type quarterbacks into a room as they can get.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
But then you're keeping three on the roster, wouldn't you?
Speaker 4 (18:18):
Probably I mean, you're not putting a former top five
pick on the practice squad at this stage.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Probably, But I you know, I think they'd figure that
out as they go. You know, we saw it a
little bit with Daniel Jones coming in and he was
on the on the practice squad at the time. But
you know, you kind of do what you have to
do and figure it out from there. But yeah, I
don't see that as like the exclusive option with JJ McCarthy.
It's more of a Okay, this could be a flyer.
I just bring him up to say that there have
been discussions in the past of Okay, this is not
(18:44):
somebody that necessarily is cut from the Kevin O'Connell mold,
so to speak. But there's enough talent here that how
would we work with this, how would we tailor our
offense around it? That you know, I think there'd be
some room for creative thinking. They're if they did bring
it in a guy like that. So if it were
to be a guy like Kyler Murray, I think they'd
(19:04):
look at it and say, Okay, here's the talent. How
can we pair this with what we do? How can
we mold the offense around him and try to make
it work from there.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
See. But with Kyler, the the the natural comparison, at
least I think is Sam Darnald, Okay, now now Donald
third overall blah blah blah blah blah blah, came here,
look at this, anyone did this, And Kyler is more accomplished. Well,
he was a Rookie of the Year. Yah. Think he
won Rookie of the Year's first year blue ye. So
(19:32):
so therefore statistically he to a certain extent, has been
more accomplished than Sam Donald for my taste, in terms
of when he when they would get to Minnesota. Yes,
for for my taste, I think Donald's a better quarterback.
I just I think if you're gonna look at a
situation for situation, what you saw, they squeezed out of this,
and in fairness to say they'll squeeze the most out
(19:55):
of this because it's how they operate. I just think
in the context of the way things done here. Yeah, honestly,
I don't think Kyler's in Sam Darnold's class. Yeah when
it comes to this here, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Yeah, because it's all of the stuff that they I mean,
the things that Donald did well they want to have
come back to this offense, Like you know, you hear
about the dagger cuts on the back side of a play.
I mean, they want that stuff back. They lived on
that in twenty four and they wanted to the offense now.
So you know, the things that they see as staples
of this offense you have to show you can execute
(20:29):
and that's that would be the thing with Kyler is
how does he do in those settings? You know, can
he make all of those throws on time? Can he
you know, put the ball over a linebacker? You know,
the layered type throws that they've wanted to see JJ
McCarthy make. I think all of that stuff playing with
a structure that is not built on him extending things
with his feet. I mean, you know, you want to
(20:50):
use that if you can, but I don't think they
want to live in that world. So a lot of
it would have to be him showing that even if
I accentuate the offense with some of the mobility that
I bring to it, I'm still going to operate within
this general structure, the general family of things most of
the time.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Another thing that's kind of popping in Indy post Indy
Ben is Daniel Jones. So this is interesting to me
because the franchise tag deadline, I believe is later this afternoon, yep,
and that number is forty three million dollars. So if
I'm the Colts, I mean, you can tell me if
I'm wrong. I think it's insane that they would put
the tag on him and forty three million with the Achilles,
(21:29):
how that recovery is going to look. Yeah, but similarly,
even signing him to a long term deal feels like
a tenuous act given the fact that they got eleven
or twelve certainly good games out of them, but still
a lot of unknowns, like where's your head at in
relation to Daniel Jones and what his future holds.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Yeah, it's difficult. It's an interesting one.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
I mean, I think the transition tag has come up
with him a little bit too, and I'm trying to
remember exactly what the number is there. But they seem
like they want him in the plan. The question is
at what price given the Allies, because that happened late
enough in the year that I have to think that's
going to be a factor going into twenty twenty six.
I mean, you could talk about rehab, you could talk
(22:09):
about Okay, we can get him ready, Yes, but that
feels like one we've seen it with older quarterbacks Cousins
and Rogers. You know, Jones is still in his late twenties.
But how trustworthy is that is that heel? How trustworthy
is that base as you're trying to come back from it?
I think that's always the thing that's a little bit
(22:30):
of an unknown until you get back on the field.
So I think as you're making a commitment to a
guy like that, that's going to factor into it. That's
why I would think the franchise tag is probably a
little tough to imagine, especially when you are I'm sure
going to be thinking we have to have an alternative
to him and the vent that he's not ready. So
I mean all this risk management, yeah, they do, they do.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
Oh what, there's a rively letter name pat down there
in Indy. Yeah, who kind of had to step in
and made some Notre dame, notre dame, but man the
past path forward for Daniel. Good for him if he
finds his way to forty million bucks.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Dolly cats Well, yeah, I mean Derek Carr legitimately is
in the conversation. I heard that name more than I
thought it was kind of at the Combine. Well, I
mean into the combine, it had been reported that, you know,
he would be interested for the right kind of team.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
I can't even remember what happened to him and why
I retired. Yeah, And and you know, it's like the
first interal injury. Is one of the first interviews I
did at the Combine on Tuesday, I'm talking about the
quarterbacks and everything. It might have been Jordan Reid with ESPN,
and he brings up Geno Smith. Yeah, and I'm like, okay,
I saw the name, like Gino Smith. Okay, where did
(23:37):
that come from? So started looking into it a little bit,
looking into the style of play five step seven step drop.
Didn't realize how much presence and how much leadership he
naturally has in the locker room with the guys, all right,
that matters, Yes it does. And he's he's a straight
drop pocket guy who can slide decently in the pocket
(24:00):
and can protect himself well enough. At the stage of
his career. I didn't realize how good his arm was. Yeah,
I didn't realize what those backdoor dagger cuts and things
middle of the field, attacking middle zones and getting safeties
to move and stuff. All right. I didn't know it
was good at that either. Yeah, so that's all just
really elevated for me if if he becomes available. Yeah,
(24:22):
Geno Smith.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Yeah, I think a lot of what you just laid
out there makes a lot of sense. Because he has
played in offenses and has tape in offenses. That's like, okay,
this concept translates to what the Vikings want to do.
And with Kyler there's a little more of a projection there,
I think, and you could say, yeah, we see enough
here kind of like we're talking about we see enough
(24:43):
here that we can mold into our offense and build
an offense that works.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
But with Gino it's.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Probably a little more of a yeah, this stuff is
very familiar to him already, and these types of throws
are very familiar. The other thing with him is he's
the type of player that if you felt good enough
about JJ and you wanted to move on from Gino Smith,
that there's not going to be this attachment this well,
(25:10):
you know, are we saying goodbye to five or six
years more of high level play because this guy's still
in his late twenties.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
I mean, you know, the questions you had with Donald.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
With Daniel Jones, I think some of those things come
up a little more with a high level quarterback who's
not on the back nine of his career, so to speak.
So I think there'd be a little less of that
question with Geno, which means it's maybe a little more
of a utilitarian option for them. Turnovers with him are
a question. I think that would be something they'd have
to figure out. But that's that was Donald's case too.
(25:40):
I mean that's in Donald led the NFL and turnovers
and just won the Super Bowl. Yeah, and Cousins. The
year that he was with O'Connell, the turnover numbers went up,
and some of it is they look at some of
that as the cost of doing business. They're not going
to say, oh, we need a guy throw four picks
a year or five picks a year, and anything more
than that is unacceptable. You don't want them. You don't
(26:00):
want turnover. Certainly, we've heard Kevin O'Connell talk about that
a lot. But if you're throwing the occasional pick in
the context of trying to push the ball down field,
trying to make explosive things happen, I think they'll say
we can live with it if it's if the decision
was good, and it's just a matter if I try
to fit something in there. And I was working off
of this. I don't think anybody's going to lose their
(26:21):
mind over that over there, So you know, that would
be the question with him, But there are a lot
of things with him where it's a little more compatible
at least at this point with what I see in
that offense.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Describe Ben Gesline at Ben Gaslin via x covers the
Vikings for the Star Tribune to Star Tribune dot Com
around the corner and Eric Wilson question, and I'm also
the acting general manager for the Minnesota Vikings in my estimation,
will become the general manager after the draft, and I
want to run some things by Ben when we return.
(27:06):
Welcome Back nine to noon.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Kfa N celebrates our five thousand dollars teacher winners in Iheartradios,
Thank a teacher, powered by donors Choose. There's still time
to nominate a public school teacher making a difference. They
could be next to win five thousand dollars to make
over their classroom.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
We're never gonna run out of.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
Teachers to thank, so thank one who do you love?
You can do that now, iHeartRadio dot Com, slash teachers.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
Donald Love Football, Hey Pa, Hey Nordo.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Mister squeegee here.
Speaker 6 (27:56):
I think whom ever they add, whether it's Kyler Murray,
Anthony Richardson, Derek Carr, you name it, I have wholehearted
confidence in Kevin O'Connell.
Speaker 5 (28:06):
And if he puts that person in there.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
I think this season especially is kind of putting his
job on the shoulders of that person. So if he's
got confidence in them, I've got confidence in him.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Squeegeye, welcome back, squeege I like the talkback when it
comes to the like taking O'Connell's future with this new extension,
and let's just say to whom much is given, much
certainly is expected, tying it together to the quarterback, and
if it doesn't work the veteran that they purportedly will
(28:41):
bring in that it could jeopardize his job status.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
I say no, that it wouldn't. Nope, Well, yeah, I
mean immediately very confident in him. I think the question is, yeah,
I mean, how many times can you take a swing
at the quarterback thing and miss it? And we've seen
it happen before where people have taken multiple swings and
kept their jobs for very long times. But I think
he is aware that when you don't come through on this,
(29:12):
when you were hired as kind of the quarterback guy
that you know, there's always that possibility. So I think
to squeeze twitch the idea that this will be tied
to him, I'm sure he's aware of that. So yes,
if he is putting his chips in with a guy
(29:33):
knowing where all of this stands, He's not in a
hot seat by any means, but he knows if you
don't get this right, where this could lead the path
that could lead down. So the think I think if
he is saying, yeah, I think we can win with
this guy, he's not doing it just you know, throwing
a penny into a well, so to speak.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
From the from the NFL news cycle. Nordo mentioned earlier
Today is the franchise tag deadline day. No no franchise
tags expected for the Viking track all. The Adam Schefter
reports the Jets are going to franchise tag Brace Hall,
so the running back who could have been available supposedly
(30:12):
not available. Atlanta Falcons get a fifth European game they
play in Madrid next year. The opponent has not been announced.
And whether they think we can get that one. I
think they come to MINNISO. They come here, Weather get Paris,
and Weather really got team. No, don't come on.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Just that they send them internationally all the time, and
the Saints play in Paris.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
That's all. And I don't know if this was Sunday
or yesterday, but sources with all the right scribes and
the right media members indicate the Lions are going to
trade David Montgomery. Yeah, the running back to Houston for
a couple of picks, one of them is a fourth
this year. And Juice Scrugs I think is the offensive
lineman's name. But I mean, I don't A. These guys
(30:58):
are really good when they do things like this. Yeah,
they're at homes in that group. Yes, so A there's that.
They're really good when they move something and everybody's like, hey,
WHOA can what? Yeah? Yeah, you see what I'm saying. Yes,
turned it into the port us. So I'm believing they
absolutely have a running back they want and they know
(31:21):
that they're going to be able to get him where
they want him. Petsing must have rolled in and been
been like, I only need that guy. Yeah, okay, so
we can draft one and we can raise him. But
all we need is that guy. So if you want
to trade him, we're okay with that. Yeah, but what
do you think of all this? Because Montgomery is a
touchdown machines.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Yes, yes, it's Jimyir Gibbs fantasy owner this year says,
you know, ruefully, he is a touchdown machine. And he's
the other thing is he's better in pass protection, as
we saw in those games against the Vikings than Jimia Gibbs.
Is the Vikings turned Jami Gibbs into a liability right
by making him stay in pass protection in those games.
So you have to replace those things. You have to
(32:00):
replace the durability in the backfield, the ability to take
on contact, whether it's in short yarded situations or in
pass protection. But you can do that probably with somebody younger.
And I don't think they'll go in with you know, hey,
it's just Jamir Gibbs all the time. I think they
will add at that position and figure out where they
want to go. But yeah, to your point, they've been
(32:22):
pretty good at saying let's move on from a guy
early rather than doing it late. Yes, And I think
with a running back that's had quite a bit of
workload over the course of his time in the line
with Detroit and Chicago. I think that's what they're doing.
And yeah, I would imagine they'll replace that role, but
with somebody who's younger and cheaper.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Yep. Maybe they love Craig Reynolds. I always love that
boy as a backup. Ben Gasoline at Ben Gaesline covers
the covers the vikings for the Star Tribune. I haven't
asked you this, and and I saw him as he
was arriving to the combine when I was leaving former
offensive line coach Chris Cooper. Why didn't they reach out
Chris Cooper here now the offensive line coach for the Eagles. Yeah,
(33:04):
he got hired pretty quick, he.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Did, and to replace Jeff Stoutlin, the legendary Eagles offensive
line coach, so and he was well respected coming in here.
I think it becomes one of those things where when
the problem has been the same the same position has
been the problem for as long as it had, somebody
was going to pay the price. And it's they've tried
to replace players, they've tried to change things out of
(33:29):
different positions, and some of the same problems keep popping up,
so you say, well, okay, maybe some of this is
the ways they're being coached, the techniques were using. I
think that was a lot of it, and they they
got all good about Keith Carter, I think fantastic. Yeah, yeah,
and a guy that came in with some questions to
answer about how he would relate to players. I mean
that was certainly part of his story with the Jets
(33:50):
and the Titans. A lot of players said, yeah, this
guy's is hard to play for. But my understanding when
they went through the process with him, both analyzing what
he did this year and then talking to him an
interview was they felt pretty good about that. And I
think Frank Smith comes in probably in a position where
he's going to be pretty involved on the offensive line
and some of the techniques in scheme, particularly in the
run game that they use. So I think a lot
(34:11):
of it is, you know, this is how it goes
in the NFL. When it's been the pass protection has
been an issue for as long as it has, somebody
is going to say, Okay, we got to try something different.
And I think that was a lot of what happened
here because.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Cooper, well, all of the free agency stuff. It's coming
at you fast, grid. Yeah, it's right around the corner,
it is. Are you seeing me? On? Eric Wilson?
Speaker 3 (34:33):
I think, I mean, that's going to be an interesting
one because will he get a big contract. He's you know,
he's in his thirties. I don't know that he's a
guy that is going to have a massive market. It
won't take a lot. But I also think he's aware
of where he fits in this defense and I think
they like him a lot. I think if the number
is right, they try to get him back here and
(34:56):
you know, maybe it's a maybe it's a two year
deal with you know, kind of a one and we'll see,
you know, how you structure the money on the back
end of that. But I would think, you know, Brian Flores,
when he wants somebody, he lets them know. And I
think Brian Flores is in a position where a lot
of what he wants to do on defense is probably
gonna happen. And you know, he's been in that case
(35:17):
before and I think continues to be in that place
this year.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Well well so Flores from what I understand is or
I knew this before from from the Roade chapels. Yeah,
with the team, but Flores and Dolman Gibson the assistant
special teams coach. Yeah, well they I mean Flores has
a very high opinion. And now all of a sudden,
the team announces Dolman is the backup inside linebackers coach.
(35:40):
The siavo so that that you know, as you as
you connect the dots here.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
To like, yeah, Matt Daniels, why Brian Floor is like,
now I want him?
Speaker 1 (35:49):
So why Brian's back? What he got what he needs?
I mean, all of a sudden, Dolman's back up inside linebackers.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Yeah, so I think there is certainly that pattern. And
if he wants Eric Wilson back and they make the
money work, I think that happens.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Lastly, So just to deduce for me, if they pulled
well respected moneyman Matt Thomas all Right out of retirement
probably for an offer he couldn't refuse to handle or
be part of the cap stuff the Brazinski role, then
Brazinski slides into the acting GM spot. This is just
(36:26):
how it seems it's going to be into twenty twenty six.
This because it's you know, just chatting with somebody right
before I left the combine. It I mean getting Matt
tom The Vikings are the first team to try to
get Matt Thomas out of retirement. Yeah, let's put it
that way. Yeah, but he came out of retirement for
this situation, which is like the Brazinski job, right, and
(36:48):
then Brazinski, still with his hands there to get people
up to speed, has the other job. I just don't
see it changing because if you if you hire Ben Gesling,
the personnel director for the Houston Texans to come into
be your GM, you're screwed if you make that hire
and and he's bally who Yeah, Okay, well what happens
to Rob? Yeah, somebody just rolled in took his job, right, Yeah,
(37:10):
and go back to the cap stuff. Let to sustain
as is they're not going to add anyway.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
Well, the the biggest thing I heard at the combine
from people inside the organizations people outside the organization is
you should give Rob the job or that he's one
person that knows him well at Orks for Auto the
team called them called it a no brainer, yeah to
hire him because of how well respected he is in
different corners of the organization, Like Kevin O'Connell likes him.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Was the guy in the other conference. Yes, Okay, so
we may have spoken to the same guy, because if
you're in conference and you're like, we'll just let him
do it, Yeah, well then that's probably not You may
think he's terrible, right, right, exactly. Yeah, that may be
a backhead of compliment, but no, it was people that
have watched him work for a long time, and I
(37:58):
pressed with a lot of the way he goes it,
and you hear a lot of people, I mean, even
the feeling of we're pretty stable with where we are now.
And Matt Thomas, I don't know if he'll do this
long term. I think it was a bit of a
short term fifth to move to Minnesota for a few
months and then you go from there. But okay, I
will say even if Rob Razinski used the job, they
are big fans of Rob is, a big fan of
(38:19):
Emily Batis, who works pretty.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
Closely with Rob on cap stuff. So I don't think
they would feel like, oh, what are we going to
do on the cap if Rob takes this other job,
because you can certainly be still connected to it, but
I think they feel like they've got some of that
covered with Emily working there. I mean, he thinks very
very highly of her, So with her and Matt Thomas
(38:41):
there right now, I think they feel pretty good on
that side of things. But overall, yeah, I think there
is you know, you'd have to figure out the personnel
side of things. What does the scouting side of this
look like? You know, does Ryan Monins get promoted? Do
you bring other people in? How do you work that
if your GM is not in that role? But you know,
you heard a lot of people's too that the GM
(39:01):
does not have to be the quote unquote super scout
all the time. You can have somebody Howie Rosevean came
from a different background. You have you know, people in
different jobs around the league that are not always from
the scouting world. You'd have to get that side of
it figured out, and you'd have to figure out what
you need to add to the scouts that they already have,
(39:22):
and how many people may leave that were tied to quacy.
But I think the overall approach of Rob leaving the
front office is not I It's not something I would
bet against. I think there's a very good chance, given
the respect, yes from the wilf's, respect from Kevin O'Connell,
respect throughout the building that if he wants it, and
(39:43):
that's the question. Is he wanted? But if he does,
I think there's a lot of momentum to make it happen.
That was fantastic, great great work in Indianapolis. By the way,
Thank you man. You just yeah, you attained a lot
while you were there.
Speaker 1 (39:54):
Well, we'll watch the proverbial chips fall ye, see what
happens with the Vikings. Have a good way you too,
Thanks Ben Gesling' Star Tribune Start Tribune dot com news
do Nord around the corner. Then Tony Scott from Youth
Hockey Hub shortly after eleven on the state high school
hockey tournament. It's nine to new.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
News Denard brought to you by the casino at Canterbury
Park Canterbury Park dot com. Live racing in the spring,
but you're feeling the felt every day, all day all
year with poker, blackjacket, table games, having SIPs at chips,
live music. They have all sorts of events at Canterbury Park,
so check them out. Just go to Canterbury Park dot
(40:36):
com for information. Some things that we mentioned briefly during
Ben Gesling's appearance.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
Before we get to the local side of things.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
The New York Jets do indeed intend on placing the
franchise tag on Breise Hall. So you're thinking, okay, well
got steamy here. If you don't trade Aaron Jones, it
sounds like Aaron Jones will be released from the team.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Well, how are we gonna how are we gonna fill
that spot?
Speaker 4 (40:58):
Do we do it in the draft or do we
would be a free agency Breese Hall no longer an option?
Speaker 1 (41:03):
And I missed this.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
I saw that the tags as far as today goes,
and I've already lost it.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Where is it?
Speaker 4 (41:11):
Well, George Pickens, it sounds like received a tag for
about twenty seven million dollars, and then Kyle Pitts in
Atlanta as well. So Breese would it would be it
appears the third individual to be tagged by their team.
Speaker 1 (41:24):
We mentioned Daniel Jones. No news on that.
Speaker 4 (41:27):
Forty three million does sound insane to me, but what
we shall see. Deadline closes around three pm this afternoon.
And to the Minnesota Timberwolves, they beat the Nuggets. They
rose to the occasion in the Mile High City in
a Sunday Mattinee. Shortly, you'll be able to podcast that
conversation you had with head coach Chris Finch to open
(41:49):
the show today. But teams won three straight, like six
of their last seven. One of my favorite parts from
that chat. You were in Denver. You got to see
this game live, so maybe you can co sign on.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
This is a head.
Speaker 4 (42:01):
Coach talking, you know, we're kind of fine in our
rhythm here, that we're kind of we're again raising the level.
It sounds like there he's seen the wheels turning towards
a team that's getting mentally focused and excited about a
playoff opportunity not too long from now.
Speaker 1 (42:15):
Well, he he rattled off things that are coming together
or came together in the Denver game, so now the
expectation tonight against Memphis, then you got Toronto here and
moving forward that they stayed the same and involved defense
awareness with passing crisply and quickly and efficiently if you
(42:37):
get double team. He credited Anthony Edwards for being really
good at that in the fourth quarter of the Nuggets
game when they tried to make it sneaky, and also
talked about tonight being a mindset game. Memphis is terrible,
but most of Memphis team nobody's ever heard of. I mean,
there ain't anybody at the game tonight with a game
more Taylor or Tyler Hendrix, so that Zach Edies not playing.
(43:01):
Jaren Jackson got traded, so this absolutely should be a
win tonight, and Tonight Tonight is right, like Charles Barkley
a couple of Fridays ago, and this third time I've
shared this. Yeah, he's talking with Jalen Rose on the
Ernie Johnson bit and he's like, yeah, I like the wolves.
Of course they're gifted paraphrasing, but it's when they lead
(43:22):
bad teams whose cars have been turned on for a month,
trying to drive their way to Vegas or to the
airport to fly to Turks and Caicos. When you get
up ten to fifteen on them, make it thirty and
then the game will go quicker, quicker, and more quickly
it'll just be over. And they mess around with teams
too much. Well, they didn't do that Sunday against Denver,
(43:42):
and Denver's a quality squad missing a key player. Tonight's
squad is awful, and they play Willye Nelly, run up
and down the court, try to get as many shots
as they can. And so Chris Caltonight a mindset game.
Your mind needs to be set for this evening's game
where you're gonna have an opportunity to be up fifteen.
Make it bury them, move on to the next one.
Speaker 4 (44:03):
Speaking of burying, we hope the Minnesota while they're able
to bounce back after a couple losses. Last thing for
you news to Nord Style. It's an eight thirty pm
ish while it's going to probably be closer to about
eight forty five eight forty seven as we got primetime
hockey in the mix, which puts an eight thirty ish
start time for the Wild in Tampa at Saint Paul.
(44:24):
Excited to hear from the head coach tomorrow, hopefully off
of a victory. But this team, whether it's a little
sleepy game on Sunday, not being able to figure out
and solve these Utah Mammoth I don't think they've won
a game in regulation in six against the Mana since
they moved to Utah. So opportunity for a bounce back
after a tough one at Grand Casino Arena on Sunday,
(44:46):
they get this one at home tonight, hopefully two points
for the good guys.
Speaker 1 (44:50):
The Lightning I believe have lost two in a row.
They have yes from what I understand it is a
cranky lightning bunch loop from Florida to Minnesota. Yesterday. Yeah,
they got throttled by Buffalo the other day. Buffalo.
Speaker 4 (45:05):
You were talking with Gorgy about it. Super cool story.
How they are very very much game for the postseason.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
Yep. And and Tampa Bay is like second favorite to
win the Stanley Cup on a two game jag. Tonight's
going to be good because, as I said with us
Senor Spotty Kevin Gore hour and change ago, you come
off the Olympic break, got that emotional one at Denver.
You crush the Abs, all right. So then you come
home and you're playing a middling Saint Louis team middleing
(45:32):
at best, a lot of hooplah and pomp and circumstance
with the with the game day understandable, and you lose
to Saint Louis. And so now that you got yourselves
up for the Avs game, came back to the pack
for the Blues game. Now you settle in to kind
of who you are, no matter the injuries, no matter
(45:54):
fabric being here, the potential of a Trocheckchit trade by Friday,
no matter what's happening the guys on the other side
are desperate for a victory, and they're very, very good,
And Kucherof's one of the best in the show, but
so is Capriso, and so is Balding, and so is
Quinn Hughes. Tonight's going to be fantastic, very much looking
forward to it.
Speaker 4 (46:13):
That's News Denord presented by v Casino at Canterbury Parkcanterbury
Park dot com.
Speaker 1 (46:18):
It is now post time for the annual Minnesota State
High School Hockey Tournament. Joining us yearly Tony Scott with
Youth Hockey Hop and he'll join us around the corner
to chapa who won't wear win and what with the
boys in the State High School Hockey Tournament Right here
on k f an
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