Vikings Territory: Not Just Pundits: NFL Execs Consider 2021 Vikings Run-Of-The-Mill Team

Press release from Vikings Territory:

Dustin Baker Dustin Baker

2021-09-04

Before the NFL preseason took place and prior to the announcement of Irv Smith Jr.’s season-long injury, most Minnesota Vikings fans were high on the organization for 2021 aspirations after an eventful offseason.

Free agents galore — particularly on defense — was also a source of enthusiasm. Even with a budget strapped by coronavirus fallout, the Vikings maintained a steady stream of cash throughout the offseason. These players were added to the team via free agency:

General Manager Rick Spielman was also commended for a draft that furnished rookies like Christian Darrisaw, Kellen Mond, Wyatt Davis, Patrick Jones II, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

And that sentiment isn’t limited to pundits. The Athletic anonymously polled NFL executives for an article by Mike Sando this week. In that piece, the Vikings placed — you guessed it — smack dab in the middle of the NFC, garnering an eighth-in-the-NFC ranking. Per Sando, one executive opined:

The Athletic doesn’t mention it, but the Vikings ho-hum forecast could be derived from strength of schedule. Based on 2020 wins and losses, Minnesota owns the NFL’s fifth-toughest schedule this season.

September 3, 2021

Thankfully for the Vikings sake, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, two primary foes, are right there with Minnesota for schedule difficulty.

That number must climb to three (and maybe four-plus) in 2021. This “eighth-best team in the conference” stuff won’t cut it for a team that renews Super Bowl hopes every season.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday along with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).

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