PurplePTSD: April 11 Is An Important Day For The Vikings

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

K. Joudry

2022-04-02

Most NFL teams won’t be doing too much on this upcoming Monday. It’ll be an important day for teams with new head coaches, though. Indeed, teams with a new HC will be able to begin their offseason workout program. Kevin O’Connell and his staff have this option, but they’ll be pushing things back by a week, meaning the Vikings will wait to get their offseason workouts going.

Take a look at how things are going to shake out in the coming weeks:

One of the main things I’ll be watching is who shows up. The workouts are voluntary. Is Kirk Cousins there? What about Danielle Hunter and his not-fully-settled contract? It’ll also be our first chance to see Za’Darius Smith, Chandon Sullivan, Jesse Davis, Harrison Phillips, Jordan Hicks, and a few others workout with their new team.

K/O’s decision to take the extra week seems like a wise move. The Vikings’ core isn’t particularly young. There is a lot of youth due to all the draft picks in recent years, but few are in a prominent position on the roster (Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, and handful of others being the exceptions). As a result, I expect the turnout to be pretty strong overall.

After the workouts, the next notable event in the Vikings offseason will be the NFL Draft. Even with the Patrick Peterson deal, the team may be inclined to lean toward Derek Stingley Jr. (who has a notable coaching staff connection), Trent McDuffie (common mock draft pick), or another corner. Mike Zimmer was right that there’s no such thing as too many corners. The team needs more talent.

Until then, keep an eye on how things proceed at the workouts. At the very least, fans will likely get a few more interviews from their favorite players and coaches.

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.