Matthew Coller talks about how Vikings rumors have taken over the world and gives final thoughts 24 hours before the NFL Draft.
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hey everybody welcome to another episode
of purple Insider Matthew caller here
and we are about 24 hours away from the
Minnesota Vikings franchise trajectory
being significantly impacted by this
draft and I just saw my friend Jud zolad
on Twitter say that in all the years
that he’s been watching and covering the
Minnesota Vikings he cannot remember a
draft that had the magnitude of this on
the Vikings organization and this much
anticipation this much hype and I
certainly since I’ve been covering the
team in 2016 to present uh cannot
remember another Minnesota Vikings draft
that they were the center of the entire
draft Universe leading into this where
every mock draft every single Insider is
trying to figure out what are the
Minnesota Vikings going to do and if you
go through the previous years when was
the closest that we got to having this
much discussion about the Vikings going
into a draft I think probably
202 would have been that because I think
a it was kind of realistic that they
could look at a quarterback I remember
having a lot of discussions about the
jayen Herz the Jordan loves of the world
but we also knew that the Vikings were
going to replace Stefan Diggs in that
draft going back I just can’t think of
too many other times where there was
this much hype around the Vikings draft
and also we were talking about let’s see
2017 we would have been discussing a
second round running back uh going into
it and they did take Delvin cook trying
to think through the the different
drafts there were quarterback rumors
when Kevin oconnell and quacy adaam Mena
took over but we never totally took
seriously the idea that they would take
Malik Willis or Kenny picket and here we
are knowing that the Vikings are going
to take a quarterback and just not being
sure exactly how it’s going to happen
and who it’s going to be so I spent my
day today working hard for you guys you
have to understand this job can be very
taxing sometimes and what I was doing
was I was using this right thumb and I
was scrolling through Twitter and every
time I saw a rumor I made a note of it
and I’m going to put it on the screen
and go through it I know I’m exhausted
uh I’ve given everything I got today to
this effort uh no seriously though it’s
been really entertaining trying to go
through all the rumors and put together
what the NFL insiders think is going to
happen and uh plenty of you have asked
uh have I decided on whether I’m going
golfing tomorrow because it has been a
tradition every year that when we get to
draft night I go golfing with Sam xtram
a good friend of mine used to work here
now works for uh the lock on podcast
Network and so we’ve always gone golfing
on draft day and the main reason is
because the hay is in the barn like all
the work is done and then we find out
that evening and I was considering not
doing it because I thought well what if
there’s a trade then I gotta be ready to
go live be ready to give a reaction but
you know what I decided today I should
keep the tradition I should go golfing
because once I do that I will 100% Jinx
that trade into actually happening when
I’m on the golf course so I got nine
holes scheduled for tomorrow I trying to
jinx Drake May into being a Minnesota
Viking for all of you and I will do my
best uh the golf will not be good but
maybe it will help push things forward a
little bit for the Vikings because I do
have a tendency over all these years and
I can even go through all the uh stories
that dropped while I was out on a golf
course in the summertime or spring or
fall and uh so maybe there will be a big
one for tomorrow but I thought why part
with tradition uh when I should stick
with it and do exactly what I’ve always
done it’s kind of like if you wear your
lucky socks or something and
everything’s gone fine you know since
then wear the lucky socks so that’s what
I’m doing as far as going golfing
tomorrow and if the story breaks that
the Vikings are moving up to draft Drake
May while I’m out there on the seventh t
or something you’re all well welcome and
I did my part to try to get your Drake
May um but so anyway I did gather all
these rumors and I’m going to go through
them and then we’ll get uh all of your
reactions to the rumors and what you
guys think is going to happen your final
hot takes your final questions and we’ll
react and and have a good time here but
I decided to go live a little bit
earlier so we would have almost exactly
24 hours before tomorrow’s show which
will start at this time a half an hour
before the draft so if you’ve been
popping in and out of purple Insider uh
and or you’re listening on the audio
Side YouTube 24hour or I’m sorry 30
minutes before the draft we’re 24 hours
now 30 minutes before the draft I will
start the show we’ll go all the way
through obviously the Vikings pick
whether that’s three or 23 we’ll do a
ton of reaction we’ll find out uh what
the other beat reporters think from TCO
performance center they’ll be out there
popping in uh as well so I’ve already
got Andrew Kramer will Rags are going to
jump in for sure tomorrow in the leadup
so we’ll hear from them and what they
think and then get your reaction as soon
as the Vikings pick so if you didn’t
have any plans uh then make sure you’re
here or what I’m going to do is I will
line it up with the TV so I’ve got a TV
right over here so I won’t spoil the
picks you can watch TV listen to The
Viking Centric analysis it’s a good plan
for everybody for tomorrow so that’s the
deal welcome everybody we’ll have some
fun tonight stting with the rumors which
we will all probably end up laughing at
by the end of tomorrow so we’ll start
with the athletic and Diana Rini she
wrote a big piece of everything that she
is hearing going into the NFL draft and
what she wrote is that the Vikings have
quote their sights set on Drake may this
shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody
uh and that they could get in a bidding
war with the Broncos over McCarthy if
the Patriots tra take Drake may this is
a little bit concerning because we’ve
discussed this possibility that at
number four or number five the Vikings
might have to give up an additional
first round pick and well I would still
give them a good grade for coming away
with the quarterback of the future and
look I’ll I’ll always believe that if
you get the right guy then no one will
ever even Google what the price was when
you did it but giving up that extra
first round pick
does seem a little scary when it comes
to JJ McCarthy if it’s Drake May because
the ceiling seems so high for Drake May
to go up to number three that’s much
more comfortable than giving up the two
first round picks and swapping for all
of you that love to talk about that
detail or three first round picks
otherly phrased to be out the Broncos I
don’t know that you really want to do
that if it is an economics question but
if Kevin oconnell was totally sold on JJ
McCarthy then all right give up the
picks and go for it I think it’s the
number one story of the draft outside of
what are the Patriots going to do still
nobody knows exactly what Washington’s
going to do but where does JJ McCarthy
actually land is he going to truly go in
the top five and someone buy into him
fully as their franchise quarterback or
could we see JJ McCarthy drop farther
than expected like a handful of
quarterbacks Justin Fields ma Jones you
you know all the names uh I don’t know
if it would be a Malik Willis type of
drop but not necessarily at the very top
of the first or are teams all in on
McCarthy in the same way they are with
these other prospects uh you know and
we’re gonna find out like I think it’s
the biggest number one like total
overall story of the entire draft
especially because the draft is in
Detroit JJ McCarthy for Michigan so
there’s rumor number one rumor number
two you guys don’t want to hear this one
I know Elbert Breer said quote I feel
pretty good that Drake May will be a New
England Patriot and this is the thing
right I is Drake May going to be the
number three overall pick to the
Patriots are they going to reject all
offers or is his information just one
last attempt which it felt like today a
little bit one last attempt from the
Patriots to nudge and urge everyone come
in with those offers you might want to
bump them up just a little bit with
those offers I could see that from the
New England Patriots and the final hour
just telling everybody your offers
aren’t quite good enough yet let’s move
those up one more third round pick one
more fourth round pick and then maybe we
got a deal and I even saw I didn’t get
it on my rumors list but uh Cameron wolf
of NFL Network talked with gerod mayo
and of course he talked out of both
sides of his mouth with well I really
like Drake May and we really like JJ
McCarthy but also you know we’re still
open for business so the Patriots have
played Koy this entire time which might
just be because football and why are you
gonna tell anybody what you’re doing it
could also be because they’re trying to
get you know that one last offer in to
see if it’s enough for them to decide to
move back one thing Cameron wolf did
mention was he said that they might be
willing to move back and still take JJ
McCarthy so that would require maybe
moving back up to five like lots of
things could go on here but Albert Breer
saying he feels good about the idea that
Drake May is a patriot and it’s our job
to figure out whether that is a smoke
screen or not is that you know him him
being told that hey we’ll do it we’ll
we’ll draft Drake may you better add
extra draft Capital we’ll do it hard to
say uh Elbert Breer also said that no
nobody really knows what Washington is
going to do with the second overall
draft pick but believes that Jaden
Daniels will be a commander and that the
team has quote cleared the air with
Daniels over the weird Top Golf visit
thing which everybody has had a lot of
fun with uh and also Jaden Daniels
confirmed today what we already knew and
should never come up again which is that
he is going to go to Washington if
that’s the pick every year we do this
will Joe burrow actually go to the
Bengals yes he will will will Trevor
Lawrence go to the Jaguars uhhuh and
will Caleb Williams go to the Bears
without asking for a third of the team
from the Masis yes he will and the same
goes for Jaden Daniels wherever these
guys get drafted they’re going to go it
happened once many many years ago uh
twice really but that one was ancient
and then one was many years ago since
then nobody has told their team to screw
off because it’s just not really
possible these days so there you go if
it’s Jaden Daniels he’ll go there but
the key point is they don’t really know
everybody thinks they know but it still
could be Drake may now Jeremy Fowler of
ESPN he gets in the mix here and he says
that the Giants and Vikings have been
the quote most active in trying to move
up so it seems that the Giants a bit of
a thorn in the Vikings side recently uh
have also thrown hat in the mix to try
to get possibly most likely Drake May
with the number three overall pick or at
least that’s what we think it is and
I’ve always felt that the New York
Giants were the only team out of anybody
who wants to move up that would have a
reasonable chance at matching the
Vikings offer because they’re moving up
so few spots because if they’re moving
up to six then if you’re the New England
Patriots let’s say you love m karthy
just as much as Drake May they’re even
on your board uh maybe Robert Kraft
loves the fact that he’s from Michigan
and won a bunch of games and sort of
looks Brady is in his bone structure of
his face then you could move back to six
if you’re the Patriots and try to take
McCarthy there although you’d have to be
worried about the Vikings jumping you I
mean what what a game this is gonna be
of uh you know subterfuge and who’s
moving where and this strategic uh you
know you don’t know what anybody else is
really planning you’re just trying to
guess those uh War rooms are going to be
really fascinating and uh for film Buffs
no fighting in the War Room uh Jer so
Jeremy Fowler says the Giants are
involved here I have never fully bought
that the Giants would pick a quarterback
at six but if they have fallen in love
with Drake May because Brian dble thinks
that Drake may could be the next Josh
Allen who he worked with in Buffalo then
you could see them trying to make a push
could they give up number six a second
round pick this year another first from
the future to move up just a couple
spots they do have a shot at outbidding
the Vikings that’s one to be nervous
about if that pick is legitimately for
sale and I mean everybody and their
brother and sister and cousins have all
heard that the Vikings want to move up
and uh Kevin oconnell is joking about it
in public it’s not really a secret at
this point uh Matt Miller of ESPN said
that the Cardinals have told Marvin
Harrison Jr that they will pick him at
number four that’s one to watch uh and
by the way I’ve gathered all these
through different tweets throughout
Twitter uh throughout the day I
apologize if I’m not properly citing if
uh he went on a radio station and said
this or it’s really hard to keep track
of where everybody’s speaking because
they’re doing radio hits and TV
appearances so I apologize for that uh
but this was something that I saw
tweeted that he said the Cardinals have
already told Harrison they’re going to
stick and pick it has felt recently like
they have taken themselves out of the
trade down discussion there has been
much less Buzz that the Cardinals could
trade out and it’s never made sense to
me that they would want to move out of
potentially Elite wide receiver
prospects it’s not just Harrison it’s
also Malik neighbors and romad dun
there’s three guys that are top 10
talents at the wide receiver position if
you’re the cardinal
and the Vikings offer you two picks but
you can’t get your guys at the top all
right maybe it’s better to just stay
there and that would make the Chargers
somebody that could be more of a target
for the Vikings especially since the
Chargers will not be trading with Denver
or with the Raiders that just fits for
Denver and the Vikings to do business uh
I’m sorry for the Chargers and the
Vikings to do business at number five if
the quarterbacks go one two three or
they could potentially see how it goes
maybe let Denver trade up and get their
guy and stay at 11 which leads me to the
next rumor which again is from Diana
Rini that Michael penck Jr’s stock is on
the rise now this is always suspicious
because stocks don’t rise and fall the
way that we think they do in the NFL
throughout the college football season
believe it or not they played one many
many months ago go H the teams have all
their Scouts doing all their research
watching all their players filing all
their reports and usually what happens
and there are exceptions to this is they
go to prays they have meetings they do
the the whole song and dance of the off
season to confirm what they think or to
get in this case like with the Vikings
to get the final opinion from Kevin
oconnell but they have their scouting
reports all well done by the time that
they get there and then they add on
here’s the combine here’s the prod day
and for someone to have their stock go
way up through the roof against Texas
way down into the basement against
Michigan and stay down in the basement
until the Senior Bowl where he
outperformed everybody else in the
practices and then the combine where he
threw the ball well and then when he ran
that four whatever then it shot back up
I mean I just I think that they teams
probably went to the combine really
wanting to look at the Medicals for
Michael pennx but he put out on the
players Tribune the other day an article
of sorts or a statement I guess if
you’re on that website talking about his
medical situation comparing it to other
players who were longtime nflers and
saying this guy tore his ACL in college
this guy and so forth and he used the
line like you’re going to need an EKG to
measure my heart kind of thing okay okay
been a lot of selling of Michael penck
Jr a lot of salesmanship throughout this
entire thing and that makes you wonder
is his stock really as high as it’s
being made out to to be or did it never
really move and he was always a good
middle of the first round to back of the
first round Prospect which is probably
what people thought he was all along I
guess we’re going to find out that’s
what I tend to think my friend Ben
guestling of the star tribute
uh who of course will appear on this
podcast shortly after the draft
hopefully next week uh said on the
Vikings affiliate radio station Kayan
that he thinks Bo Nicks will be the guy
if the Vikings don’t trade up that was
what I went with yesterday in our final
draft simulation that I thought the same
kind of thing that Nicks makes a lot of
sense for Kevin oconnell but if you’re
asking me if they were down to the final
two Nicks and pennick which one would
they take I don’t know I truly don’t
know because you could make a really
good argument for both every time I
watch Bo Nicks I see a lot of things I
like and I also watched a ton of Michael
pennick all year long and thought this
looks like a Kevin oconnell quarterback
to me couldn’t tell you at this point
how they would make that decision the
only thing that I keep coming back to is
the words Rhythm and timing and bonix is
a rhythm and timing type of quarterback
and I was just watching a game his game
against USC today and just just looking
for that like does it really look like I
thought it did sort of reviewing some of
his tape and it really does I mean
there’s so many times where he just gets
to the back of his drop sets his foot
fires away gets the ball out and we’re
not talking just screens or slant routes
talking 15 20 yards down the field
pretty regularly and having success
doing it so maybe Ben is right that if
they had the choice or are forced into
the choice of those two that that’s who
they would go with two more rumors to
get to you uh another friend who will
again appear on this show very soon
after the draft to give his reaction
Kevin sefor of ESPN did the NFL Nation
beat reporter Mock and he traded up with
the Chargers to number five to get JJ
McCarthy however the interesting note
was he in his scenario for this mock did
not give up next year’s first round
draft pick to the Los Angeles Chargers
now this is something I could see though
uh you know if the Chargers want a wide
receiver they could stick and pick as
well but if they’re looking at an
offensive tackle well there’s a bunch of
them that are expected to be available
as we get past the top 10 and maybe the
Chargers would say we’ve already got Joe
Al or whoever on in our view and we
would be very happy with a tackle here
so why don’t we just move back to number
11 take the guy we were going to take
anyway and I mean that’s kind of what
the Vikings did when they got Christian
darasa remember they traded back with
the Jets and still got the guy that they
wanted at that position so maybe the
Chargers want to do that and then get an
additional 23 if the Vikings move up to
get McCarthy without giving up next
year’s first you you can’t walk away
feeling bad about that uh because they
get a quality Prospect who’s being taken
in top 10 and somebody that you could
absolutely see Kevin oconnell molding
over the years and not give up the farm
what you’re really giving up is this
year’s first and then a second from next
year and change that we used to get that
23rd overall pick that is not a super
high price to get JJ McCarthy once you
add that additional first that’s where I
get a little more nervous about that
deal for them building a complete team
because now you’re talking about going
into next year and I don’t know what our
draft show is supposed to look like next
year because they wouldn’t have any
picks and and that’s not just because
you wouldn’t be just selling next year’s
first they’ve already used next year’s
second to move up as well so you’d be
just without uh day one or day two do
they have a
2025 third maybe they have one of those
uh but you’re talking about at that
point not getting very much out of next
year’s draft to use to build around
McCarthy that would make things a lot
more difficult so in C scenario I mean
you have to be pleased with the
potential for that last one comes from
Jay Glazer he thinks that the Patriots
like Drake
May whatever that means it seems like
you know naturally they like Drake may
do they like him enough to not make a
trade back and foro Drake May that is
the real question but he does not see
four quarterbacks in the top four picks
does that mean Arizona everyone now
thinks that Arizona is staying what
about the top five J that’s what I would
want to know and uh he thinks that the
Michael penck hype is a little too much
and thinks that the Raiders picking him
at 13 is a little too high so there is
your rumor Roundup on the night before
the draft and I think that the best way
we can look at all of that would be to
just say we don’t really know yet which
is the case every single year going into
the draft but if we try to put it all
together if we do our best to gather all
of that information what we can come
away with is this it does not seem that
the New England Patriots have told all
these insiders stop talking about us
trading zip your lips we’re taking Drake
may be quiet uh there’s not you know
there’s not going to do that uh so
they’re they’re at least in
consideration for something that could
happen tomorrow trade-wise that doesn’t
mean they will do it it only means that
at least based on the way the rumors
have played out that it appears there
could be consideration from the Patriots
because they haven’t told everybody to
shut their yaps about potentially
trading however do not be shocked if the
New England Patriots take Drake May and
quarterbacks go one two3 and the dream
dies about I don’t know 30 minutes into
draft night I would not be terribly
shocked at that if the Patriots just
decide you know what our coaching staff
loves him we we see our franchise
quarterback here we’ll build around this
guy we’ll start jacobe brassette next
year because even though the Patriots
need a lot and even though they have a
good chance of killing Drake May because
they have no roster whatsoever it’s hard
to pass up somebody with potential of
being able to go up against the Josh
Allen the the offense in Miami that that
you know whether you love Tua or you
don’t love Tua it was one of the best
offenses in the League last year the New
York Jets have a good team whoever their
next quarterback is is going to be
pretty good in the future probably
because they’ve put together a good team
so you know I think if you’re the
Patriots you do look at it like Hey by
2025 we need to be competing with these
other teams and you know Robert Craft
not getting much younger I’m imagining
wants his next shot at Drew blo who they
took once upon a time
at the top of the draft and really
turned around a franchise that was in
deep trouble so don’t be shocked and
horrified if the Vikings are not able to
trade up just because the Patriots
wanted to stay there and I mean I guess
the only shock and horror could be hey
there was a tank available to you that
you did not decide to do and you end up
winning seven games which put you in the
middle of the first round so sorry the
tanking team ends up getting the top
draft pick quarterback that may happen
um that’s my one read on that I think
the trade up possibility is still 50 to
60% I think I went all the way to 72%
the other night now I’m dialing it back
just a bit but the way that the Vikings
have talked about this thing has given
some confidence to the idea that they’ll
do it so I’m not going to go below 50% I
will stay above 50% that they trade up
who they trade up four is much more
difficult to figure out here because it
does seem like that and we’ve brought up
many times you know Malik Willis will
Levis all that that could happen for
sure it could happen that one of these
quarterbacks is just not as hyped as we
have thought throughout this draft
process but if they are and they do rank
in the same way that the mock draft
universe is ranking them then it is a
good chance that the Vikings would trade
up to number five and take McCarthy to
try to get ahead of the New York Giants
the Giants could also themselves try to
move up to number five to take McCarthy
in which case that you know we could see
the Vikings sticking at 11 and taking
one of these other quarterbacks but I I
think that when the Vikings were talking
about and quao Mena loving quarterbacks
at certain prices what came into my mind
was a kind of a clear here’s what he
means and whether I’m right or wrong
again we’ll find out tomorrow but what I
think that he means by saying that we
love quarterbacks at different prices
loving Drake May at any Price Loving JJ
McCarthy at a certain price that
probably involves both first round picks
loving either Michael penck or Bo Knicks
with the 11th pick knowing that with 23
they could potentially get a star
defensive player that’s going to be one
of the top 10 defensive Pro prospects in
this entire draft so it’s love the
quarterback that we believe could be a
true franchise guy could be the Josh
Allen could be the CJ strad loveish JJ
McCarthy at a certain price because we
think he’s going to be good but he’s
definitely going to need help and then a
guy who’s gonna need more help Michael
Pennock Bo Nicks we better make sure
that we have a top five defense ju
that’s that’s how I’m separating it and
again tomorrow we could discover that
the order has all disappeared and uh you
know we we end up with something like I
don’t know Michael penck going second
overall to the Washington commanders
teams have done crazy stuff we always
count out how crazy teams can be how
about was it Cleland frell that went in
the top five or something to the Raiders
when he wasn’t even considered a top 20
Prospect in the draft things can happen
in this draft that we really don’t
expect so we have to consider that as
well but that’s just the way that I am
feeling about it going into it that
they’re comfortable with three different
tiers in this quarterback class I don’t
believe that they can wait until 23 I
really don’t if they try to wait until
23 and one of those quarterbacks goes
off the board it’s going to be very
nerve-wracking unless the only other
thing that you could throw out there
would be unless they thought they could
also move from 23 up but the two teams
drafting behind them need quarterbacks
and so many times we’ve heard this is
another rumor so many times we’ve heard
the Broncos bow Knicks the Broncos bow
Knicks almost too many times for there
not to be some smoke and fire there so
if you get to 12 are you are you not
getting your guy uh that’s where it gets
risky so I think that they have to go at
11 with either penx or Nicks if they do
not want to trade the farm for JJ MTH
and if the Patriots draft at number
three so there’s kind of everything for
you laid out where we stand going into
the draft and in a way I would say it’s
been more exciting with the fact that
they didn’t make the big trade to allow
us to talk about all these scenarios but
I really want to find out and tomorrow
is Christmas morning for everybody here
in Vikings land to find out what the big
plan has been all along for the
Minnesota vik ings and this will be one
that you know changes their franchise
and their trajectory for a long time to
come and that’s what makes it so
fascinating I also am really interested
to see their reaction I think that a lot
of you are preparing already your it’s B
Nick’s reaction uh or you know some of
you think that may is a little bit too
risky so is is that going to be too much
for you to trade everything and so forth
that’s that’s where guard guy shows up
and says who’s going to block for him um
you know and I’m still that guy a little
bit myself considering where they’re at
all right so there there’s where we
stand and give me your thoughts give me
your reactions about all the rumors that
I laid out uh if you’re just joining and
want to go back you can scroll back on
YouTube and listen to the rumors that I
ran through and so forth but I want to
know where everybody stands going into
this thing how you’re feeling because we
are just one day away
from this draft that we have all waited
so so long for we’ll start with Craig
here says I think May is going number
two to Washington here is a shocker
prediction the Giants trade up to number
three and take Harrison Jr to get the
weapon for Jones plus uh the Patriots
don’t want to move down to 11 but six is
okay this is realistic for sure the
Drake May at number two thing
is very realis IC and that’s one that
I’ve had trouble figuring out through
this entire draft season is all right so
the mock Universe decided that Jaden
Daniels was number two and then we have
all just written that into every single
mock draft Jaden Daniels number two he’s
number two Drake May will be number
three Vikings could be able to get him
that’s what’s going on and I still think
still based on all the evidence that the
Vikings have their offer that they’re
ready to give the Patriots iot if
Daniels is number two but they can’t do
it today because they don’t know for
sure but it’s stuck out to me how many
reporters even in the DC area have said
there’s no leaks here this front office
does not leak stuff the guy who’s their
GM I believe he came from San Francisco
which is a anti-leak organization maybe
part of the reason with quao meno’s
roots in San Francisco why the Vikings
don’t leak stuff uh like maybe they used
to a little bit in the past but recently
uh insiders have had a struggle trying
to figure out everything going on
regarding the Minnesota Vikings and that
may be the same case with Washington I
still think it’s possible they do
something totally hilarious uh like
taking Bo Nicks or Michael penck at two
and just blowing up this entire thing
but is it realistic that they take May
and end everybody’s dream scenario for
the Vikings right there oh yeah oh most
certainly is because he was long
considered the best Prospect until
really the end of last college season
where Jaden Daniels got more attention
but there are parts of Jaden Daniels
game that you could see making teams a
little bit nervous his stats are amazing
his team was incredible and he played
great and he’s got wheels like very few
guys ever at the quarterback position
still Drake May is a better thrower of
the football attacks the middle of the
field and is a good athlete as well yeah
wouldn’t be shocked at that at all uh
the Giants could try to stay but if
Arizona is making it clear that they’re
going to pick Harrison I don’t think
your scenario is nuts I really
don’t Clifford says we’ve been down the
road of a top five defense and subpar
offense it didn’t work in the modern NFL
KOC was brought in to flip that
scenario yeah I mean I don’t think that
drafting B Knicks means you have a
subpar offense um they didn’t have a
subpar offense with Kirk Cousins and he
had limitations but they did have a bad
defense every year with Kirk Cousins
except for last year and at the start of
the season the defense was pretty
terrible once it came around they
started playing much better uh we can’t
forget in those San Francisco and Green
Bay games where Kirk was very good the
defense came together if Kirk is in
there they’re probably making the
playoffs last year and Kirk is not as we
know one of the truly Le quarterbacks in
the league if he was he’d still be here
I mean when you look at the San
Francisco 49ers of Philadelphia Eagles
from the last two years and even stretch
that to 2021 Rams because I would have
put Matthew Stafford in the same area as
Kirk Cousins three years ago going into
when he went to the Rams I was skeptical
about that of course I was wrong they
won the Super Bowl with their big bet
but I wondered all right I mean Matthew
Stafford I’ve seen this guy a hundred
times is he really going to be able to
take a team all the way through the
playoffs with the sacks he takes the
crazy interceptions he throws and he got
on a heater there was a dropped
interception or two mixed in and he ends
up winning but why did he win the team
was really great the defense was at the
top of the game they had Elite defensive
players my point is just with building
the whole team around a quarterback that
isn’t freakishly gifted we have seen a
ton of teams succeed with this and
compete with this especi I mean Jaylen
Herz is not a special freak athlete he’s
a good athlete he’s certainly good at
running those QB sneaks and he could
throw the ball pretty well but I mean
Jaylen Herz was in the Super Bowl as a
guy who was drafted in the second round
everybody kind of passed up on him and
thought he’s not really a franchise
quarterback Philly takes a shot at him
they like what they see they move on
from Carson Wentz but even Carson Wentz
2017 not a perfect quarterback The
Supporting Cast Your situ ation your
coach all these things you don’t you
really don’t need a quarterback to be
the best quarterback in the league all
the time if he can be the best
quarterback or a top five in the league
for a couple years at a cheap price I
mean even go back to that era where it
was weird in the NFL that there was a
lot of the old guys who were retiring
and sort of the new wave was coming in
this is early 2000s where the lways Jim
Kelly
you know guys like that Dan Marino were
working their way out of the league and
it opened the door for football to be a
little bit different then but you had
teams like the Seattle Seahawks with
Matt hasselbach the Giants win two super
bowls with really good overall teams
great defenses now the game is much
different now is but it’s not crazy
crazy different where it’s still if you
build the best team then you have a
really good chance to compete so Brock
pie and what he did last year for San
Francisco could you see that type of
play from someone like Bo knck or
Michael pennick could you see Jared gof
type play like he did for the Detroit
Lions last year he’s had multiple top
five offenses I don’t think that you
always have to have a perfect
quarterback now you’d prefer it we would
all prefer Drake may I would have
preferred if they tanked last year and
drafted number one or well they wouldn’t
have gotten well yeah I mean if they had
been worse than the Panthers that would
have been PR able Caleb Williams top of
the draft that didn’t happen so now you
have to figure out is it number 11 and
you build the roster around that player
or can you go get Drake May if Drake May
is impossible then I don’t see that as
the end of all chances for the Vikings
to be good and let’s also take a look at
what people thought about quarterbacks
coming out there have been quarterbacks
previously that oh he doesn’t have the
big biggest ceiling he has injury issues
he’s not enough of a playmaker that was
a CJ strad thing and what it often comes
down to is can the guy run the offense
and then do a couple of special things
and I think that Bo Knicks and Michael
penck are both potentially capable of
that Scott says there have been so many
different and conflicting takes out
there that my head spins daily oh yeah I
feel you that is me man grab the popcorn
and your favorite adult beverage and
enjoy the show tomorrow T yeah I mean
that’s really where we’re at it’s it’s
just like previewing a game where you
don’t know what’s going to happen in the
game and there’s all sorts of different
scenarios that could happen and if you
think about it well they’re going to try
to do this and the other team’s going to
try to do that here’s all the factors
and it’s supposed to be you know 23
degrees with the wind coming out of the
Southwest to tomorrow so their kicker
won’t be able to we do this with games
so we’re just doing the same thing with
the draft and it has made my head spin
but I’ve enjoyed it I’ve had a really
fun time and I was going to save the
speech for the end of the show but I’ll
just give it now I mean you guys have
made this great everybody the people who
email me on Twitter in the chat you guys
have made it really really fun and this
is something that I wanted everybody
because I every day I’d get this can the
draft just hurry up and get here I want
everybody to soak this in these moments
where we’re leading up to it in the same
way that the you see people during the
national anthem before the Super Bowl
crying because they’re overcome with
emotion uh we won’t be probably doing
that as they start the NFL draft to that
level but what I mean is that
anticipation right before the Super Bowl
starts you all know what it feels like
where they’re playing The Anthem and
you’re just like let’s see what happens
in this game a a Champion’s gonna be
crowned well it’s sort of that way with
the draft there’s so many stories
there’s so much Intrigue so much
fascination with the Minnesota to
Vikings this year you won’t have it for
the next few years because even if they
draft in the first round next year even
if it’s fairly high it’s not going to be
a quarterback it’s not feeling like a
fork in the road that you’ve reached and
the franchise can either go in a way
that hey they take off with the
franchise quarterback or that it’s that
it’s a battle where they have to build
the perfect roster and we’re fighting
over which guard should be starting or
it’s a bust and we’re all debating what
went wrong and uh that you know you can
go any one of those ways over the next
few years that makes it so interesting
and once we get the name and once we
know what happened then it’s a whole new
bunch of discussions OTAs become great
mini camps become great and then
training camp will be by far the most
interesting that I have covered since
arriving to cover this team in 2016 so
there’s a lot there’s there’s a lot
ahead of us that’s very interesting
that’s what I’m saying just soak it in
soak it in you guys have made it great
you’ve made it fun it’s been really
entertaining to go through all these
scenarios and now we get to discover
what it’s going to be like kind of a a
movie premiere type of thing you’ve seen
the trailer that’s how we could look at
this you’ve seen the trailer all the
actors have done their interviews and
they’re all kind of going like you’re
gonna find out you’re gonna see what
happens once the movie premieres and now
we will uh and you can have it streaming
as well right here which is where we’ll
be breaking down every pick and
everything that happens with the Vikings
uh not a twerk says JJ McCarthy at 11
quote me that has been my hot take and
it doesn’t seem that plausible and yet
it feels like it in a way because if
nobody is willing to give up a lot to
move up to four or three and the Giants
don’t want him then you get Tennessee
Atlanta the Jets he could right by them
if teams are not willing to trade up to
get JJ McCarthy or if the Broncos do
like bow Knicks and they’re perfectly
fine sitting there then yeah you could
potentially get JJ McCarthy at 11 that’s
the one i’ I put down in writing and
said I’m gonna come back to this and see
if it works out it likely won’t but
that’s been that’s been my hot
take Chris says Vegas is saying it’s
much more plausible Herbert is traded I
just can’t see it man I just can’t see
it I don’t know know where the
information comes from the Insiders come
from Jim Harbaugh took the job for
Justin Herbert didn’t he maybe it was he
took the job that it was the only team
that would take him but if I’m him the
reason I’m taking that job is because I
get a franchise quarterback to start
with I have a really tough time thinking
that Jim Harbaugh is going to toss away
this strong armed franchise quarterback
and go uh let’s see let’s just draft my
guy from college and and we’ll be good
it doesn’t it just doesn’t really mix JP
says the more I see of Nicks the more
comfortable I am with him I got a good
message from a listener because I
suggested the other day I said just pick
a pick a Nicks game on YouTube go back
and watch it and then come back and tell
me because every time we’d bring up
Nicks all the comments just go no no no
no screw you don’t talk about Nicks and
and like wait wait wait wait let’s go
back and take a look
this year is just different before if
you were getting qb5 you might be
getting somebody that everybody else has
passed over and is in the second or
third round and you’re not happy with it
all but when you watch him play I was
just watching him play today and one
thing that stood out to me is there was
a touchdown pass that he threw against
USC probably traveled 25 yards through
the air it was timed extremely well it
was a deep dig route which I’ve talked
about the Vikings really love uh they
really love Concepts that bring their
receivers across the middle of the field
deep and he threw it on time on the
money accurate I know that their offense
was a cheat code for him and his
statistics but when you watch you see so
few bad plays so few times with Bo
Knicks where you go oh what the heck was
he thinking or where was that football
supposed to be going there are some Dy
quailes from time to time there are some
footballs where you go is that going to
be enough juice outside to the numbers
but I if you’re talking about an offense
that wants Rhythm and timing I think he
can do it and he’s also a playmaker as
well doesn’t mean I like that as much as
some other options but if it happens on
draft night I don’t think that we should
all go they blew it they settled they
drafted a bust it’s the next you know
who like I I don’t think that should be
the reaction I think it should be all
right this is who Kevin oconnell picked
this is his guy and my understanding of
Nicks is that he really understands
football extremely well he’s a timing
Rhythm passer with some playmaking like
all right here we go let’s go find out
whether this is going to work or
not Craig says I don’t care but draft
day style penics no matter what yeah I
mean the one of the more entertaining
things about draft season is falling in
love with prospects and also coming to
really hope your team doesn’t draft them
now I have not been in a place where I
have watched any of these quarterbacks
and thought oh man I hope it’s not him
that I have levels of concern I have
meters of concern we use meters for
everything on the show if you were
talking about the Vikings getting Drake
may my meter for concern is quite low
because I watched a lot of him and I’m
very comfortable with his skin
and the fact that you can work out some
of the Kinks with what he’s doing are
there inaccurate throws here or there
yes but there are for Matthew Stafford
too and you’re just going to have to
work on those but you can’t recreate all
the other stuff very comfortable with
that little less so with Jaden Daniels
that’s where the concern meter starts to
Flicker and starts to go instead of into
the blue where I’m not concerned at all
it goes a little bit into the yellow
because you could see him becoming a
franchise quarterback you could also see
him being Justin Fields if he can’t read
the middle of the field if he can’t get
the ball out on time if he’s hanging on
to the football if he’s dropping his
eyes with the rush then you’re gonna
take a lot of sacks and he took a lot of
sacks in college some of them are trying
to make plays but if you’re not seeing
it and that was my whole thing with
Justin Fields just never believed he was
a good quarterback because you can tell
when a quarterback can see down the
field that’s where the Rhythm and timing
comes into it I don’t believe in that
quite as much with Jaden Daniels so that
would be in the yellow for me the
concern level for JJ McCarthy is more in
the orange because I don’t have the
numbers to back it up and I don’t really
have the tape unless you get into the
all right we’re gonna cut it down to
only his best throws and his best throws
look great but let’s not look at some of
this other stuff like the Maryland game
don’t worry about that and he really
football so don’t worry about the fact
that his team only passed eight times in
a game and don’t worry about like that
that worries me because I can’t think of
too many examples of guys like him that
have succeeded or just period that were
drafted in the first round that’s little
scary and with pennx the injury history
he can say all day long hey it doesn’t
matter matters matters when you’re going
in the NFL there’s more concern there
and there is some concern that Bo Knicks
uh doesn’t you know have like a high-end
skill that makes him look like a freak
none of these guys are in the red though
where I’m sitting there thinking oh my
gosh if they take this guy I will quit
purple Insider I will never talk to you
people again there is nobody in this
first round projected class that I feel
that way about going into uh the draft
tomorrow night uh alelo says good with
mayor McCarthy that could be how they
feel it might it might be the case that
they never even consider Nicks or penck
and there’s always going to be a trade
up no matter what it just depends on
which trade up it
is Sean says as fans we don’t have much
choice but hope that KOC and Kamm make
good decisions yeah that’s all you can
do but you also should form hot takes
because if you don’t form your opinions
going in then what did we spend all this
time for I I would just say that about
those opinions
you you might have to just toss them
aside like you might spend this whole
time going Drake May Drake May and then
it’s with the fifth overall pick they’ve
traded up for JJ McCarthy all right
moving on because any one of these guys
you can see the potential for them to
succeed with the Vikings in this offense
and I’m just going to be fascinated to
watch and cover how this next
quarterback and Kevin oconnell grow
together because we saw it with Kirt
cousins and we saw it really come to
fruition but we didn’t really get to see
the end of it we saw the start of it
2022 and all those moments that they
went through in the Netflix series and
everything else and I was there in
Buffalo and all that and then last year
it looked like tanking at the beginning
of the year and they’re one and four and
we’re going well okay same old Kerr
can’t really you know do anything
exceptional and then we get this flicker
of whoa he looks completely comfortable
in this offense
finally that’s when he gets hurt so
we’re going to see a new process with
whichever quarterback that process is
going to take place over a couple years
think about quarterbacks and we’ve
talked about the age difference between
May and McCarthy and and nicks and think
about where McCarthy might be in three
years of working with Kevin oconnell
developing I mean we might end up
watching Sam darnold for a while and
then getting eventually uh the more
finished product of someone like
McCarthy so it’s really hard to think
forward several years in the future of
these guys working together before they
can get it and I imagine there will be
Rocky times along the way that’s why we
can’t decide on draft night that’s why I
have stayed with this this thing I’m not
moving off which is as long as they get
a quarterback it’s good they have they
have won the draft as long as they come
away with a quarterback if they don’t
then I will be wholly perplexed that’s
uh why they did this whole thing and I
don’t really have much belief in Sam
darnold but as long as they come away
with a quarterback I just am preparing
myself to talk with you guys about this
quarterback and his development and his
relationship with KOC for several years
so your takes today like stand on that
ground get in that comment section and
give your strongest take and then
tomorrow go all right it’s gonna be a
couple years before we find out let’s
watch this journey and see how it plays
out Chris says I’m predicting projecting
predicting that they stick at 11 and get
pennx and get chop Robinson or Newton at
23 is some people have said that they
don’t feel like that’s a good outcome I
feel like that’s a really good outcome
to get the additional value quarterback
position we don’t know who’s going to be
good who’s not going to be good but to
get the additional value of a top
defensive player I’ve always liked that
outcome Jay says how far does Daniels
fall then if he doesn’t go number two
that’s what you’re asking it would be
that is a great question Jay because if
Drake May goes number two then where
does Daniels end up does he end up with
the New York Giants who have running
quarterbacks and like running
quarterbacks do the Vikings like him
enough to trade up is he in their list
of guys that they are quote in love with
enough to still try to trade up to three
are the Patriots in love with him Bill
bellich said he thought he was the best
quarterback in the draft coming out
well I mean the people that are still
working there worked with Bill bich do
they feel the same about Jaden Daniels
are they comfortable with him or could
Jaden Daniels actually if May goes
number two and no one decides to trade
up maybe McCarthy goes to the Patriots
or maybe maybe the Patriots pick a
lineman like we don’t know or or a
receiver maybe they pick Harrison Jr and
then the freef fall begins and there’s
multiple top quarterbacks on the board
as we go down then we’re saying wait is
Denver trading up are the Vikings
trading up do the Giants want one of
these guys that’s not Drake May if May
goes second all hell breaks loose
because we do not know what’s gonna
happen at that
point very interesting stuff Jason uh no
matter who we pick a quarterback Sam
Darnell will be the starter through week
eight unless he gets hurt well maybe
it’s G to come down to how ready that
guy is and it’s gone many different ways
for all different quarterbacks with CJ
stra last year guy was ready to go right
away bang he’s in he’s playing he’s
looking good there are other
quarterbacks including Sam darnold
probably Zack Wilson as well there are a
lot of other quarterbacks who really
should not have been anywhere near an
NFL field to start this may depend who
it is because you’re saying no matter
who you pick well if you pick pennx he’s
much closer to a finished product than
McCarthy so I’d rather see McCarthy not
get in until half the season but with
pennx he might be good to go you know I
I I I think that him or Nicks might be
your starter week one and they’ll just
be off and running from there and we’ll
deal with the ups and downs but if it’s
May or it’s McCarthy then Kevin oconnell
might not be comfortable with how far
along they are but oconnell did not show
Terror of starting a Young quarterback
even last year when it was jiren Hall
and he clearly wasn’t ready they still
put him in against the Packers David
says go on record now and let us know if
you think quacy navigated the draft
season well or not this draft season I
mean as well as he possibly could what
else could have been done uh he couldn’t
control that they finished with the 11th
overall pick as opposed I mean look he
went out and got a quarterback it was
two and nine to come in and replace Kurt
Cousins the guy won a game when he
didn’t even practice against the Falcons
they won another game 3 nothing I
promise you qu adaao meno would give
those wins back in a second if he could
be in a better position with the draft
but getting the 23rd pick I think that
navigating that was really well done
getting the 23rd pick it gives them a
chance if they just had 11 and nothing
else and their second round pick they
would have no chance at trading up to
get one of these quarterbacks now they
do that move alone was very Savvy and I
know people have said oh well the Texans
approach them quacy the way that he
talked about it was that it was an idea
he had shared or they had shared at some
point along the line then the Texans
called back and said they wanted to do
it it doesn’t matter whose idea was it
just matter that it happened that is
navigating it very
well because how else were you going to
be in that mix not by giving up one and
two that’s not enough to move up that’s
not enough to entice someone so I’ll say
that he’s navigated it well uh but
here’s where the big biggest navigation
with quy doo was it wasn’t this year it
was last year and last year when they
set themselves up knowing that this year
would be a very good quarterback class
when they made the decision to not
extend Kirk not just this time but the
last time after winning 13 games that’s
where this draft season began for quy
dafam Mena was the minute they said Kirk
that’s too much money after winning 13
games we just don’t think you’ll do it
again we’re not going to sign you to
that much so we’re going to back off
because we are aware that the draft
class in
2024 is good enough to take that risk of
losing Kirk Cousins that’s where it
began that’s where I would say he was
extremely smart in handling this draft
class uh Enigma one uh I would believe
uh that to I’m not sure uh what we’re
talking about here these franchises are
desperate and watching Wilson get rolled
out without a sniff if anything is
possible that’s why they pay the big
bucks to the guy handling the books um
sorry I’m not sure who you’re uh
responding to for that um sometimes I
get lost in the conversation I I think
you’re talking about one thing and maybe
it’s something else uh Mac Jones 98% of
teams that trade back are really winners
so if we trade uh up we need to win I
just fact checked it well yeah the teams
that uh trade back are you I mean do you
mean winners of the actual trade or do
you mean winners in general because if
you’re the Baltimore Ravens for example
and you’re a winning franchise with a
franchise quarterback you trade back and
you try to take more swings at Corners
you try to take more swings at defensive
ends if you’re a team that is in need of
getting the you know top draft pick
quarterback well of course you’re going
to trade up and yes there have been more
losses by teams trading up than uh wins
because quarterbacks are a little more
likely not to work out than they are to
work out I saw Adam schfer tweeted out
something about fifth year options being
picked up or second contracts I think
and it was 46% of quarterbacks draft in
the first round get their second
contract so that’s still less than 50%
that even gets signed Daniel Jones got
signed so it’s not even ones that are
great so you could say oh well you know
historically if you trade up you often
don’t have it working out but
historically nothing works out all the
time and the Vikings are making a bet on
this particular quality of this class
and what they can do for uh the the
other you know the quarterback that they
bring in with the other players that
they have Shane says no to Nick’s young
Kirk Cousins I brother I do not see that
I do not see that I don’t know what
we’re talking about if we’re talking
about Bo Knicks as Kirk Cousins I just
don’t I just don’t see it uh are we
talking about because he doesn’t have
the strongest arm is that why he is a
much more natural athlete than Kirt
cousins a much better Scrambler much
better playmaker much better Runner than
Kirk Cousins was as a prospect or even
as a quarterback and look if you took
all the parts of Kirk Cousins and you
made them very cheap and then you added
a scrambling element you got yourself an
amazing qub back so if he ends up being
that what you’re talking about which is
somebody that can be accurate get the
ball out and and he doesn’t by the way
take sacks the way that Kurt Cousins
always took sacks which drove me crazy
because everybody would look at his
quarterback rating and you’d go hey what
about all the strip sacks and the sacks
because he couldn’t escape the pocket
well that’s not B Knicks does he become
a better quarterback in the long run
than Kirk that’s a pretty high bar to be
a top 10ish quarterback in the league
but there’s these little things that
result in your team succeeding that
don’t always show up statistically in
part and I know they keep rushing
statistics but if you get a third fourth
and eight somebody breaks through you
scramble you get a first down you make
plays outside of the pocket make plays
on the move you see that all over Bon
Nick’s tape and yeah if he doesn’t have
the strongest arm but he’s pretty
accurate gets the ball the right place
is throws with a little anticipation
then that’s a really good quarterback so
it’s that’s a weird insult to say man if
he uh you know if he ends up being
somebody who’s top 10ish as a passer and
then add scrambling we’re I’m out like
what I’m not out I think that’s like a
best case
scenario uh uh Roberto if quacy DOA
doesn’t trade up is he on the hot seat
no no he’s not on the hot seat he’s not
on the hot seat until this goes
wrong overconfidence draft
overconfidence I love it I love it it’s
something that I’ve just bathed myself
in over the last six weeks because when
it comes to the draft I’m about the
least confident person ever I don’t
believe anything any insiders say I
don’t believe anything mock drafters say
and I sure certainly don’t believe in my
own s at predicting who’s gonna succeed
and fail I in no way what I look at the
fifth best quarterback being taken at
number 11 and go oh man fire quacy I
know some of you will because I know
some of you have not bought into him
from the very beginning it’s perfectly
fine to be skeptical of a general
manager but if we’re looking at this
objectively and we’re putting what’s
worked and what hasn’t the overall
direction is right I mean heck I Patrick
royy the other day you all know him Star
Tribune columnist one of the funniest
people people on Earth and has railed on
the Vikings and made fun of them for so
long and he even wrote a column saying
you know what I got to give it to him I
gotta give it to him this direction was
the right way to go so when I look at
that that the direction that they chose
from last year’s off season to this
year’s offseason and then they pick a
quarterback without trading up it still
seems right to me and if we’re trying to
put odds on each quarterback’s success
well let’s say you know percentage that
Drake May is great is probably not even
that different than Bo Knicks because
that’s just how the NFL works we all
think we know and then so many times it
turns out that we don’t if other teams
knew how good Jordan love was gonna be
would he have gone 20 what did he go
26th or something no absolutely not if
they knew how good Jaylen Herz was gonna
be would they have let him drop to the
second round no way no way even heck
even with Justin Herbert Washington
would go back in time and pick him
number two and Justin Herbert was a guy
that had a ton of skepticism coming out
and he immediately shows that he’s good
enough for the NFL I I with quacy DOA
the bar the bar should be set at what
happens to
2025 do they look like a team on the
cusp of building a Super Bowl Contender
by the end of
2025 so you’re going to have to wait on
and this is hard in our society today to
say you guys are G probably gonna have
to wait on a Justin Jefferson extension
although I’m and Ross Brown set the bar
the Vikings can clear it with Jefferson
you get my point you’re probably going
to have to wait on that you’re going to
have to wait to see if your
quarterback’s a buster a success and
you’re gonna have to wait to start
putting Kevin oconnell and quacy dafam
Men on hot seats we can be smarter than
that though we we don’t have to think
like ESPN talking points right we can
look at this in a more nuanced way than
just being like what happen what what
you’re hoty right like no we need to
give these things time now if they walk
out of the first round without a
quarterback then I’ll be whoa whoa whoa
whoa I changed my mind on everything but
as long as they get a quarterback then
we’re going to just have to give it time
that’s the only way to go about it we
can’t start throwing around things like
hot seat just because they didn’t draft
the quarterback that we thought they
were going to in a trade up uh Nighthawk
Matt you’re distorting the past again oh
no me not me distorting the past gosh I
didn’t know I was doing that well
explain to me how let’s find out uh
Nighthawk says we didn’t have a bad
defense every year with Kirk 2018 they
ranked ninth scoring defense uh that’s
hard to say it was a bad defense
finished in the top 10 um okay yeah I
don’t I mean what I was talking about
with uh Kirk Cousins is and that’s funny
I mean yeah I was here I remember it
I’ve cover the whole season I don’t
think that it’s a distortion of the
facts to say over the last three seasons
of Kirt cousins’ time they did not have
a good enough team around him to support
a quarterback that was just pretty good
and that was very expensive and that was
true now 2018 they did have a good
defense 2019 too it wasn’t good enough
though it wasn’t good enough to raise
the level to a potential Super Bowl
champion being ninth is not going to do
it with an average or okay quarterback
um so I said what if they were able to
put together a top five defense well
they didn’t do that in 18 or 19 I was
there I watched Jared gof have a perfect
quarterback rating I was in the coliseum
in Los Angeles sitting in a a a trailer
because there was
construction almost on top of the field
it was wild I’ve never seen an NFL game
from that angle I was like right on top
of the field and I watch Jared gof have
a perfect quarterback rating against the
2018 Vikings it was not a perfect
defense
that could have carried average to good
quarterback play from Kirk Cousins in
2019 I think we all remember that Xavier
rhods broke down that year they did not
have the same level of Defense That
season either it was good but they had a
very easy schedule that season it was a
flawed version of 2017 so they never had
a good enough defense to just carry a
Kirk Cousins caliber team I don’t
remember exactly what the point was but
and then the f following Seasons 2020
through
2023 were all bad four straight seasons
of bad defense by the time where did
they rank when he got hurt and they were
four and four and this is not me
excusing Kirk Cousins it’s just to say
that if you have a Kirk Cousins caliber
quarterback you’re going to need a great
defense which it would help to have the
23rd overall pick I think that’s the
tie-in of all these things but uh
distorting the past not something that
I’m generally known for my friend uh
tonic says uh so many are overthinking
the penic evaluation we would be lucky
to land him at 11 he is the one who has
the great traits and his coachable lower
body deficiencies that KOC alluded to
Tonic you and I see football the same
way uh I like Michael pennx a lot I do
not look at him as settling he to me the
coachable part of it is very important
that everybody has talked about pennick
is a coach’s dream he if you watched him
run that offense he was in charge of a
lot of stuff he was doing a lot of NFL
stuff but he was in the shotgun the
whole time the whole offense on him and
he battled all of last season there were
some tough games it was pouring in
Corvalis against uh Oregon State and he
struggled a little bit during that game
and fought through that I mean it was
not an it was not an easy season on the
in route to where he got they had to
beat Oregon he had to play extremely
well in that game they had to beat USC
he had to battle Caleb Williams I I mean
I like him a lot I mean I I don’t think
of that as settling at all at the 11th
pick if they were doing the penck thing
but there is on the concern meter
there’s no doubt that you have to bring
up the medical issue uh that there is
certainly concern of what his future is
going to look like how long is he going
to be able to play are you going to deal
with missing a season because of another
ACL it’s it’s just something that you
have to ask and you mentioned the lower
body deficiency yes I do think that
those things can be cleaned up I think
it’s overrated talking about well he’s
got a low release so it’s going to get
knocked down all the time I mean Kyler
Murray is in this league he doesn’t get
his passes knocked down all the time
come on that’s that’s overstated I’m
sure but he does have some issues with
like getting the ball to the correct
spot on Slants on over routes on you
know things that are going across the
middle of the field and it isn’t precise
all the time A lot of times it’s just
getting there faster so there are there
are reasons to be a little bit more down
but I I still like penck a ton and with
penx the big difference and a lot of you
were talking about this the big
difference of penx versus Nicks is the
arm strength the arm strength is really
terrific with Michael penx he throws the
ball as well as anybody in this draft
and that’s where I think um you that’s
that’s where I think that he would be a
good option for the Vikings because you
ask for a lot of those deep across
the-middle type of routes uh you send
Justin Jefferson on you know slot Fades
all the time that we saw it takes a lot
of anticipation and he has that ability
that is wired into his brain to throw
anticipation passes and it’s not for
everybody it’s maybe one of the biggest
things that would correlate to success
is how well a quarterback can anticipate
and there’s just a is he is he like a
Gino Smith or something like a he’s a
pocket quarterback who’s fast if he has
to run but doesn’t run very much it’s
not always Flawless but he fires the
ball kind of all over like could it turn
out to be kind of like that I mean maybe
with a better team can you win maybe um
Mike says we finally have infrastructure
to make a move to the top two through
five I’m comfortable to finally say
trade the farm for the first time in
franchise history oh yeah that’s still
the top option I’ve been spending a lot
of time defending the other options
because I think that Nicks and pennick
whichever one Kevin oconnell likes more
is fine with me and I could see either
one of them succeeding but option number
one remains Drake May to me because
that’s the one where you could be
talking about franchise level
quarterback 10-year quarterback all
right well they’ve got Josh Allen but
you’ve got Drake May so let’s see how
these two freak giant athletes go at it
or even if he becomes as I mentioned
before as my comparable for a best case
scenario Matthew Stafford well if the
Lions weren’t the Lions for as long as
they were which the Vikings don’t plan
on being the bad version of the Lions if
Matthew Stafford as a young player has
dropped into this situation and not what
Detroit was how’s that career turn out
that’s maybe the best case for Drake may
but that’s I mean that’s a very high
ceiling to look at it might not be as
high with some of the other guys that’s
why it’s the most ideal scenario uh in
my
opinion Scott says penck is the perfect
quarterback for KOC 2,000 plays on tape
is evidence everyone knows what he wants
and expects now that is true that as
you’re trying to figure out what are
these quarterbacks going to be penck and
nicks are the easiest ones to figure out
because they just have so much tape and
penx has been great for two years you’ve
got so much to look at to figure out is
he going to be a fit or not Nicks had
his best year this year but he wasn’t
bad at all last season Jaden Daniels has
one year Drake May has two seasons so
you do have a little bit better of a
sample there uh it is not quite going
all the way back to say Auburn or
Indiana where you penx was good in
Indiana by the way he was a good
quarterback there but with may you still
have two full seasons McCarthy is harder
there’s just a lot fewer passes to work
with and you start chopping it down and
go all right well we’ve only got maybe
150 passes to look at that are in the
certain situations that we think will
correlate or or whatever it might be
that makes him a more difficult
evaluation I
think Joshua says koc’s job on the line
since he’s picking the quarterback if he
gets Nicks or panics he’s gone well I
mean you certainly don’t know that
because it depends on how they work out
uh to what but the reality everybody
knows is if you fail at the quarterback
position you’re not going to be around
for very long and I look I would trust
Kevin oconnell more than I would trust
myself or more than I would trust you to
make this quarterback pick but that
doesn’t make it perfect what how much is
he actually weighing the odds how much
is the smartest quarterback guy out
there there actually weighing the odds
let’s ask Kyle Shanahan he who drafted
Tre Lance I mean right there’s lots of
really smart Minds at evaluating
quarterbacks who have picked the wrong
guy and it hasn’t worked and sometimes
have gotten fired or sometimes they’ve
gotten lucky when it comes to uh Brock
pie showing up but if Kyle Shanahan knew
how good Brock pie was gonna be would
have drafted him the first round and not
the seventh but instead you know he ends
up falling backwards into it I don’t
think we can say based on what happens
here especially since he doesn’t get to
pick his favorite of the sixth he gets
to pick who’s available of the six
quarterbacks that oh well if he doesn’t
pick the right quarterback he’s terrible
and deserves to be fired it’s just the
reality though that if you pick the guy
who doesn’t work out then your team will
lose games and everything gets ugly when
you lose games and the wils expect them
to be competitive if you’re not starting
a good quarterback uh then it’s harder
to be competitive but one thing that I
did think of is if you blow the draft
pick at 11 and Sam darnold plays pretty
well and you know by the end of the
first year like oh man this is not good
it’s way less harmful than if you blow
it at the top of the draft if you blow
it at the top of the draft holy cow like
that’s over it’s a disaster if you mess
up a I mean like Pittsburgh you mess up
the middle of the draft your franchise
does doesn’t have to fall into the ocean
with Kenny picket going wrong or even it
didn’t have to with ma Jones they just
let it in New England there is something
to be said for that that the team is
good enough to stay competitive even if
they’re behind the scenes knowing this
not gonna work out we’re gonna have to
look elsewhere um but more likely than
not unless it’s penck or Nicks we’re
going to need quite a while before we
really know we’re going to need I would
say at least two years to have a good
sense but people were still fighting
about Justin Fields three quarters into
the way of this year it takes a long
time before you really know John says
honestly after looking at all the
quarterbacks in the top six of this
year’s draft I hope all of them make it
me too that’s a nice sentiment they are
all good young men and worthy of that
success well that is the kindest thing
that’s been said on this show John and I
appreciate that and you know with all of
these quarterbacks I just keep kind of
rotating through when we discuss them
and go you know I could really see this
guy working out I could really see that
guy working out and there’s nobody in
this draft where there’s some wild red
flag hey this team’s gonna risk it for
jamus Winston or something even though
the red flags were uh as big as Tampa
Bay Stadium and they still picked him
number one overall there’s nobody that
you would feel like oh my gosh there is
some insane reach what are they doing
how could they possibly pick like Daniel
Jones being taken as high as he was that
was wild the guy had really no success
in college and the Giants just fell in
love with him he’s more of a second
round quarterback I don’t really see
anything like that because if Nicks gets
taken in the first round well just pull
up the stat sheet you could see why the
stats don’t always correlate to success
but it’s not like you couldn’t justify
it by looking at 45 touchdowns with
players like you know Daniel Jones it
was much harder because you couldn’t see
a top end skill and you couldn’t see the
stats so you know what were you doing
this whole class doesn’t have a what the
heck were you doing guy unless they
maybe pick Spencer Rattler at 11 then it
will be very confusing Chris says pennx
makes his reads fast and makes
Incredible throws exactly where the ball
needs to be watch Pete B burich is a
breakdown of penx or Kurt Warr oh I I
watched almost every game of penx I I
was thinking throughout this year
about the Vikings drafting a quarterback
especially after Kirk got hurt and I
tried to watch as much during the season
as I could of all these guys and the way
that I came out of the college season
you got to remember when the college
season ended none of us had JJ McCarthy
in the top five or in the top five in
this draft that started to grow momentum
later but I would have said Caleb
Williams all right I’ll admit you know I
had I had questions but I’ll admit he’s
number one and then may I remember
watching the game against Duke and just
being like okay this guy has no help and
he’s got great skill the game against
Florida totally convinced me that Jaden
Daniels was deserving of being a top
quarterback and then pennx was right
there penck would have been neck and
neck with Jaden Daniels for me at the
end of the season I I would have thought
well you know gez these are two really
good prospects despite the Michigan game
I I just thought his team was
overwhelmed they didn’t have much of a
chance and it changed around as we’ve
gone on
but I I’ve been good with penck the
whole time and I don’t disagree with
what you’re saying that I I think in the
right situation this kind of shotgun
offense where you’re putting it all on
his shoulders he’s built for that he’s
built for that in college and there
aren’t too many quarterbacks that I
could think of that have been relied
upon this heavily that win to National
Championships that I mean at very least
the whole point is at very least even if
you don’t like the quarterback that they
took he’s got a good resume out of the
six Timothy I’m all in for finding our
franchise quarterback but I don’t want
the Vikings to get fleeced in a trade up
hopefully quacy adheres to the walkway
price stance he did say that he said
that you have to have a walkway price
that is where I swing back and forth on
this Timothy because if they traded four
first round picks I’d go I can’t believe
what they just did this is insane this
is wild
but when I look around the NFC North and
I look at how competitive I expect these
teams to be Super Bowl contenders
potentially all three of the other teams
in their cities in their podcasts you go
over to Detroit you go to Green Bay you
go to uh Chicago and ask them about 2025
they’re all expecting to be Super Bowl
contenders by then none of them are
saying oh well we’re going to rebuild we
don’t have a quarterback no they all
think that and I am inclined to believe
that at least one of them or maybe two
end up being very much legit in
2025 so can you compete with those guys
if you have the Lesser talented
quarterback if you have Bo Nicks and
they have Jordan love and he’s six foot4
and he’s got that arm and he can make
that throw off his back foot that he
made against the Vikings at US Bank
Stadium that’s pretty scary because the
Vikings have been playing with that
deficit against Green Bay for very long
time and it’s worked out better for them
than it has for you so yeah right and
that’s where all right if you sell the
farm but you get a quarterback who can
go toe-to-toe and put his name on the
Marquee where for so long it’s been the
Marquee was Aaron Rogers versus Mike
Zimmer’s defense or even going back
Brett farre versus Randy Moss recently
Justin Jefferson versus whoever Patrick
Mahomes is coming to town it’s Justin
Jefferson versus
that was the game he got uh injured I
think but you get the point and it it’s
so often been about somebody else and if
you trade all the draft picks to get
Drake May it’s not about someone else
it’s about Drake May versus Caleb
Williams here we go Drake May versus
Jordan love here we go I don’t know that
you get that exactly with Bo Knicks in
the same way I think you can win but I
don’t know if you get that in the same
exact
way Joseph says is there some baseline
neglect when teams overreach on
quarterbacks even though there’s tons of
evidence that they’re much more likely
to be Zack Wilson than pton
Manning I have looked at every single
possible way over the last six weeks or
so that you can look at quarterbacks
I’ve interviewed people I for an article
I did uh just today I interviewed a
quarterback trainer I’ve interviewed
former Scouts I’ve you know talked to
quacy daamen and Kevin oconnell at the
combine the owner meetings the press
conferences and I’ve asked everybody in
some way or another how do you figure
this thing out and the answer is always
you can only try to weigh it in your
odds by doing the best you can and so
like I’m not sure exactly what you mean
when it comes to overreaching on
quarterbacks if you mean the consensus
draft board I’ve talked to AR Hassan who
does the consensus draft board on the
show great episode if you want to go
back a couple weeks and find that one I
mean I’ve been on a journey here with
you guys trying to to to reach some sort
of truth about quarterbacks in the
National Football League and I gotta
tell you I don’t have a whole lot of
Truth here’s what I have is this
quarterback class has resumes that are
worth it and Drake May has a skill set
that has been proven to be worth it in
the NFL his size his speed his ability
to throw the football it’s proven to be
worth it and other guys have traits that
have proven to be worth it but there is
no
guarantee of any of them that when they
actually get there they’ll be able to do
it that’s what makes it so fascinating
all you can say is did it make sense
when they did it did it make sense to
draft Michael pennick at 11 yeah it
would uh did it would it make sense to
trade up and get their guy yeah it would
uh but I mean I think if you’re talking
about this the the hardest one to
justify is McCarthy
with evidence it’s just harder to show
because he just doesn’t have a lot of
passes but every single correlation
where you go well pressure to sack R
shows this then you go hey what about
Joe burrow pressure to sack r or what
about DeShaun Watson where those guys
improved it in the NFL or what about hey
this guy had this trait or that trait
it’s just so hard to chase any sort of
Truth in part because they’re all
different guys so we look to history and
go well history says this all right fair
enough but Zack Wilson is a different
person than Bo Knicks right and we just
like they might be just wired
differently I think Zack Wilson was so
overwhelmed in the NFL I don’t think he
could handle any of it I don’t think he
could handle physically I don’t think he
could handle it mentally at all uh
emotionally as far as the preparation
how much he was going to give to I mean
that we we know the reasons after but if
you watch Zack Wilson in college you’ve
been like hell yeah let’s go and any of
them can be that that’s why I’m okay
with whichever way they end up going and
I think it will be uh really
entertaining and interesting to
Chronicle that Journey I’m excited about
chronicling it writing about it talking
about it with you guys getting your
reactions to stories that we get you
know out of TCO performance center I
can’t wait to go to OTAs and watch the
guy throw the football I’m just very
curious about how it’s going to play out
but I have been looking I had an
analytics round t
with uh Eric eager and T Seth two of the
smartest guys you’re ever going to find
and there’s only little things there’s
only hey sometimes this points uh to
success there was an old NFL thing that
was the more passes the guy threw in
college the more likely he was to
succeed but then you know we see someone
like I don’t know I mean Anthony
Richardson hasn’t succeeded yet but he
goes to the top five like well I don’t
know they drafted him totally I mean how
many did Cam Newton even have a lot of
passes and then became an MVP there’s
nothing that you is going to be like
locked in or this was too much of a
reach the one thing I’ll say about
trading up and reaching is if you go
back and look at the teams that failed
when they traded up look at their
rosters after that look at the first
year of that quarterback and go wait
this team was trading all of its draft
Capital when it had a terrible roster
what the heck were they thinking well
the Vikings don’t have a terrible roster
Foster uh Daniel says hopeful for May
happy with JJ if they get boxed out uh
and uh it happened uh after game five
last year should have embraced the tank
oh I see what you’re saying yeah if they
if they get boxed out of one of the top
quarterbacks the alleged we should have
been calling them the alleged top
quarterbacks we don’t really know yet
the alleged top quarterbacks then it
will have been because they weren’t able
to tank and that’s something that I’m
going to think about for a long time
that three nothing win in Las Vegas uh
where I was sitting there with Dane
misani in that Stadium a very strange
stadium in the middle of downtown Las
Vegas and just going what did they just
do what did they just do by winning this
game three to nothing they just hurt
their draft stock and you know that was
what at that moment we thought they
might have to just bring back Kirk they
might win too many games here and not be
able to get a quarterback that was what
we were thinking at that
moment Enigma says
some of you are just going to have to
soak in the possibility may just won’t
be able to I assume you be there because
those teams are desperate as us uh so
all scenarios have to be considered no
you’re right uh Enigma that Drake May
going number two is extremely plausible
and we fall in love along the way we
fall in love and say h well you know
Drake May’s the guy he’s the only one
who could be a superstar and that could
be wrong very quickly it really could it
it you know Drake May might go number
two and not work out because he’s going
to Washington and they still seem like a
goofy team uh or he could go to the
Patriots and they could sack him every
play and you could have nobody to throw
to and he looks terrible he could come
to the Vikings and not know how to play
football or he could come here and be a
superstar like all these things are
possibilities um but if
they if Drake May goes number two
clearly then the Vikings are not getting
him and then I really want to know what
the strategy is that’s where it gets
interesting the one thing we can say
with some level of confidence is that
they want to move to three and they want
to take Drake May that’s the most we can
say with confidence what happens if he’s
not there at three no clue all hack
Breaks Loose uh Braun freck and solo no
matter who they draft if they take a
quarterback hope the expectations can be
tempered and realistic uh Brun in
football when do we ever run into
tempered and realistic expectations in
football that is a lot to ask my friend
uh kind of like for Teddy rather than CP
I’ll get i’ll let you get away with
calling him CP even though his name is
banned on the show uh it’s a lot Tosh
shoulder for a rookie quarterback uh
Super Bowl is not this year yeah I mean
I agree with that and that’s gonna be
that is going to be a constant kind of
back and forth type of thing where it’s
G to be all right let’s react to what’s
happening let’s not go C crazy though
let’s not decide that everything that’s
happening means a big thing this
happened last year with jiren Hall so I
remember uh very fun and entertaining
training camp uh I think I I don’t know
what I was calling it training camp
tonight or something we’ll call it that
this year uh if you’re enjoying these
live shows trust me those training camp
ones they’re great they’re a lot of fun
I come back with a bunch of notes every
day talk about what I’ve seen out of
train Camp it’s a great time and so I
I’m you know coming back last year
talking about a good practice for jiren
Hall and every single reaction is well
could he be our franchise quarterback in
the future should they kick Nick mes off
the team it’s like whoa it wasn’t even a
padded practice so yes there’s going to
be probably on this show a lot of times
where I say all right guys here’s what
happened now let’s not lose our minds
but here’s what’s
happening here’s what’s going on with
quarterback X and no quarterback this is
something you know I mentioned golfing
tomorrow with Sam xtram because that’s
our tradition on draft day one of the
things he was always big on is and I’m
sure he still is is uh that development
doesn’t happen where you get just better
every single day or every single week or
every single practice you have a little
bit better a little bit worse so if it’s
Drake May there might be a practice
where we’re wow and a practice where we
can’t believe how bad he was and we’re
going to talk about it but we’re not GNA
say all right well he’s a bust and
unfortunately that’s going to go through
probably the first year unless he comes
out and plays like CJ Stout whoever they
get that’s gonna go through an entire
first year that’s what makes it tricky
about evaluate well let me not call it
tricky interesting uh exciting to break
down everything and and what it means
and and all that stuff and react to it
but we also have to make sure like Braun
said like oh some sometimes we go a
little crazy and I’m sure tomorrow night
everybody will go crazy uh and we’re
gonna have to probably reain that in at
some point as well Josh good to see you
Josh with uh with the no competitive
offers rumor coming out of New England
would that indicate the Vikings are
waiting until May is available at three
to make their best offer uh it could be
that or it could be that the Patriots
are saying to the
Vikings come on or that they’re saying
to their fans they could also be talking
to their fans when they talk to
reporters sometimes they get messages
out to the fans could be saying to the
fans we’re not going to take any old
offer we’re only going to take the
Godfather offer that’s it fans so when
you’re teed off that we didn’t draft
Drake may remember we waited until we
got this insane offer and the Vikings
lost their mind and then we finally said
okay we’ll do
it that could be it that could be why
they’re doing it
um Brandon says uh the more footage I
watch on Nicks the more I like him and
the more I’d be okay with drafting him
everybody has that happen everybody has
that happen uh that you know there’s a
lot of talk about him and look he might
go in the second round then maybe the
hype is not what we think it is but
every time I say hey just go back and
watch a couple games just just go take a
look at what that looked like because
it’s there’s so much talk about well
here’s my film breakdown and your film
breakdown is five plays and like look if
you had Curt Warner do a 100 plays it
would take all day right so he can’t do
that but if you watch a couple games and
there’s videos that are chopped up to
just go through the throws thankfully
that’s nice uh I always come away going
and that ball does come out like on time
every time and gosh he did make a few
plays there and it looks like looks like
he’s you know making some plays so
people get people you know I think get
so influenced by film breakdowns and
takes from mock drafters and analysts
and stuff that like if you’re gonna get
your opinion take a set go take a look
uh at at B Knicks and I think he
actually would um you know make a lot of
sense for Kevin
oconnell uh flick says are you going to
have a live show tomorrow you betcha
flick half hour before the Draft starts
right here live on the YouTube page I
will be here and we will go as long as
it goes and we’ll do this same exact
thing uh uh the plan is technology
pending of course but the plan is to
have couple of uh beat reporters out at
TCO that’s where I would normally be but
I gotta go live for this one right so uh
we’ll get you know couple beat reporters
coming on giving their takes and we’ll
find out what you know the brass has to
say after the pick I’ll go through all
the picks I’ll have it on TV right here
so I won’t spoil and so if you want to
try to match that up with the TV and me
breaking it down uh do my best for you
guys tomorrow night should be really fun
uh Carl do uh let’s do your meters of
concern for each guy yeah I kind of went
through that a little bit um I guess I
would if we wanted to put it on more of
a scale because I was doing colors more
of a scale uh obviously Caleb Williams
is not happening so Drake may my meter
of concern is maybe a three I just don’t
worry too much about the stuff that
people don’t like about him which is the
occasional inaccuracy and some of the
messiness of his tape last year doesn’t
doesn’t really throw me off because of
his skill and then with um who do you
want to do next uh Jaden Daniels it’s a
little more might be like a five and and
look in the draft all quarterbacks are
gonna get if you ask me the meter of
concern for Patrick Mahomes it’s zero
right so it can’t be someone that I have
it’s got to be higher than someone I
have an NFL you know evaluation on from
years and statistics and playing in this
league so they’re all going to be
concerning Jaden Daniels is probably a
five or six definitely the running
ability gives you a floor what the
ceiling is I’m not entirely sure for for
him and I’ve always been on the side of
running quarterbacks even going back
Randall Cunningham when he was in in the
league with the Eagles and Steve McNair
is one of my favorite players growing up
Lamar Jackson’s one of my best draft
takes ever there are bad ones but that
was a really good one because I I
thought that the running stuff and
Jaylen Herz too I liked him coming out
and but with Daniels I’m just a little
more a little more worried about that uh
the the impact of the running game is
significant but if you can’t see where
to throw the football can’t get it out
on time can’t master you know thrown
into the right windows and thrown over
the middle of the
field and the age his slenderness like
there’s a lot of things that concern me
so I’d go five or six with him McCarthy
is more like an eight scares me a lot
with the small sample if McCarthy was
two years later in his career and we
knew what he was going to become into
his 20s it’d be a lot easier to figure
this one out uh penck might be more of a
six or seven maybe a six and B knck is
probably a four I think B knck is the
easiest one to figure out what he’s
going to be and as many of you have
pointed out it’s hard to see him being a
mega star but it’s also hard for me to
see him being a guy who just can’t play
at all if if he’s not that great is he
Andy Dalton with Cincinnati and still
can win a lot of games that’s how I
that’s like the worst case I think for
Bo Knicks that he’ll be a guy that you
can play that is a playable maybe a
quarterback you can win with the
question is is there a like much more
there that’s what is harder to say with
Nicks so he’s less risky but his best is
probably not going to be a meast star
Matthew says picking at 11 and 23 very
plausible depending on how things fall
quacy wants to favor the odds with
analytics guarantee he had a set pick
and player price level for every
scenario oh almost definitely the way
I’ve been thinking of this is that they
have different highways and imagine do
we have toll roads in Minnesota I don’t
even know uh they had them in New York
and they have them in Illinois they’re
actually a nightmare in Illinois so
thank you state of Illinois for that
when I was moving here I drove through
all these toll roads anyway
think of it as a toll road and
everything has a a cost if you want to
get off at the Drake May exit the cost
is M but he’s gonna have a number of how
much he would pay to get off at that
exit and he’s gonna have a number of how
much he would pay to get off at the JJ
McCarthy exit and the number of you know
the the B Knicks or the Michael pennick
exit he’s gonna have a number on every
one of those uh but sticking at 11 and
23 gives you the opportunity to draft
someone at 23 who could potentially be a
really good defensive player that’s what
brings me back around to having 23 is
it’s a heck of a time to have
23 I it’s a heck of a time to have that
pick in this draft where all the
offensive players are going to go at the
top uh you talk about falling in love
with guys like go watch Leu latu go
watch quinan Mitchell who runs a 43 at 6
foot one and bats down every pass that
comes as way you start going you know
you know I could see something nice
there uh Justin says do you think that
quacy would rather trade 1123 and a
player rather than next year’s first
darasa makes no sense but
Addison I think he’d rather trade the
pick um we can’t take our eye off the
ball with how good Addison was last year
and how much he was asked to do Addison
was never supposed to spend eight or
nine weeks as wide receiver one but you
know he handled that really well um I
cannot see that it’s when you talk about
weapons it’s so important to have the
weapons this entire uh thing where I’ve
talked about hey I’m gonna give them a
high grade no matter what as long as
they get a quarterback a major part of
that for me is Jordan Addison so if you
removed him from that then just had
Jefferson I would be more skeptical that
that would remind me of kind of where
the Raiders were with Devonte Adams it’s
great to have one great receiver it’s
hard to only have one great receiver and
then draw all the attention to that guy
you’d much rather give up the next
year’s first round draft pick than
someone that you drafted in the first
and you already know is
good Craig says I truly think Nicks to
vik stee is fake news that they put out
there to throw off other teams who
really want
may I haven’t heard any sources with B
Knicks and the Vikings it’s really just
Ben guestling brought it up I mentioned
it yesterday it’s really just that when
you watch Nick’s play and you think
about how their offense
operated then um you know you could
really see it I think that’s what it’s
really like you could really see it
working out uh DD says I’d be happy with
Drake May for three first rounders maybe
get a second or third in return penck at
11 and keep 23 McCarthy but don’t
overpay you might be thinking the same
way the Vikings are very possibly
uh Thor asks how many Viking how many
quarterbacks the Vikings draft I would
assume it’s one I suppose they could
draft somebody in the seventh that they
like but that guy was jiren Hall last
year that middle late round quarterback
they’ve already done
that
um Alexander I don’t think we have to
worry about Nicks at 11 I don’t think
he’s going that high very possible very
possible I mean when you look at what
people think as far as mock drafters as
as far as
insiders it’s all over the map on big
boards and that’s what’s so uh hard to
figure out on big boards Bo Knicks is
38th or something but then you see mock
drafts that have them at 12th to the
Broncos or 11 at the Vikings or 23 at
the Vikings I mean it’s just all over
the place I that’s what I can’t find
wait to find out is okay what do they
really think we’ve been told that
certain things what do they really
think KF says I will barf if they draft
Knicks bar barf the guy threw 45
touchdowns and was sacked six times what
do it like we’re acting like Bo Knicks
is just this like pathetic
slob I me I maybe that maybe he’ll be in
the third round and then I’ll come back
and say you know what kfd was right he
was a
slob I don’t know though man that’s
that’s so aggressive you’d rather have
Spencer Rattler I don’t think Rattler’s
getting taken till the fourth
round oh you got a rumor I should have
opened it up for other peoples who who
have rumors uh kft says I heard rumors
the Giants prefer penck over McCarthy
but the Broncos want him and would trade
up for
him it’s all over the place it’s all
over the
place I think it’s it’s potential
realistic that JJ McCarthy doesn’t get
picked as high as everyone else if
there’s one quarterback if if we’re
trying to figure out which quarterback
will get picked in a different spot than
everyone thinks it has to be McCarthy it
has to be he’s just exactly fitting the
profile of the guy who is overstated by
the outside
world because the other guys when we’re
talking about penx or Nicks they are
potentially understated because of where
their draft draft board status is but
with McCarthy the big boards now I mean
we really in the woods here the big
boards have McCarthy lower than the mock
drafts which would suggest that there
could potentially be a bit of a fall
that’s all that in in the past the way
that it was phrased to me the past uh
sort of indicates that if there’s four
or five quarterbacks the fourth or fifth
is likely to be way lower than
everyone’s mocking that’s
all
um yeah you guys are really going back
and forth on Bo Knicks Nicks is a tough
one to figure out he really is what he’s
going to look like as an NFL quarterback
because it’s not that it’s tough to
figure out if he could step in there and
throw the ball it’s what he could
actually be in the best case scenario in
the best case scenario could he
be you know phenomenal I don’t know
could he be really good could be uh
Taylor says El Lewis and Ben guestling
both predicting a trade up for May has
me intrigued and terrified it won’t
happen oh intrigued and terrified is the
way uh we like it Taylor that’s why we
watch the draft if we didn’t want to be
intrigued and terrified by the outcome
you wouldn’t watch football you’d watch
House Hunters where you’re not really
intrigued you’re only terrified of ever
running into any of the people on House
Hunters but since both cross that’s why
we watch sports that’s where you
constantly are with Minnesota sports
tell me you’re not intrigued and
terrified of the Minnesota timber wols
right now that’s what we do otherwise
life would be boring we wouldn’t be here
uh but yeah I mean if I’m picking I
guess I should
because you know we’ve gone on for quite
some time now huge audience love that
love that hope it’s bigger even tomorrow
night during the draft live here on the
YouTube page uh but I should do this now
and then wrap it up for the night
because um I got to wash my golf clubs
for tomorrow so I can Jinx the Vikings
into number three if you miss that part
go back and watch but if I’m picking
what I think is the most likely it’s
trading up to number three for Drake May
that’s that’s where I’m gonna go as well
I agree with Alec I agree with Ben there
are so many signals that they really
want to do that and the Patriots have
not told everybody to go screw off they
keep going it’s not enough yet but we’ll
see so that’s my number one outcome of
trying to project what’s going to happen
tomorrow night number two two is that
they end up getting JJ McCarthy at
number five number three would be the
stick and pick with B
Knicks but there’s so many ways this
could go all of those things could not
happen and it could be something we
totally don’t expect uh let’s see what
draft outcome uh will turn you off from
the Vikings um if they don’t draft a
quarterback I will be astounded I will
be as ounded I I mean I don’t know if
that would I’m going to do this because
this is a great job to have and it’s as
the most fun that any person could ever
have is talking to everybody about
football so I don’t think anything’s
gonna turn me off for my job I’m gonna
cover them no matter what but if they
didn’t draft quarterback or if they did
take Spencer Rattler at 23 I just what I
would be shocked stunned that would be
one heck of a postgame reaction but
there’s there’s nothing they could do in
this draft that would make me quit my
job it’s too good I like it too much
Jims says penck at
11 great arms super agile in the pocket
little can be more than more than we
talk about agile in the pocket is
something he can do and showed that in
Texas game um and then you want
offensive lineman in day three
everyone’s gonna want offensive
lineman I am advocating for a wide
receiver in the fourth round because
there’s lots of good wide receivers and
those guys can actually work out takes a
couple years for linemen I think that
might be something you have to pay for
next
year
um we got we got some more rumor action
kft have heard the Vikings trade offer
to New England doesn’t include pick
23 I I can guarantee you no one knows
the trade offer I know that unless
they’re tapping phones Nobody Knows the
trade offer uh which is probably why
they haven’t uh gotten a serious offer
yet yeah I mean I think they also just
want everyone to think if they accept
the offer that it was by far the
absolute best offer that they were ever
going to get and that they went all
right Somebody went crazy so we had to
do it like that’s that’s what they’re
waiting for they know what kind of
offers they have and if it’s good enough
and I think the Vikings know how high it
might take if they’re actually going to
do it if it didn’t include 23 then yeah
I’m sure on draft night they have go all
right fine we’ll throw it in there but I
don’t know why you’d get 23 if it didn’t
include
23 Joseph why not bet darnold
recognizing his potential and give uh
give him insane Talent is Nicks is
ceiling higher than darnold’s is Nicks I
mean yes everyone’s ceiling is higher
than darnold’s are we talking about the
same guy I
mean Sam Sam darnold has had a
horrendous career so far I I mean I like
him as a pickup for somebody that the
Vikings could play and maybe get a
little bit more out of than has ever
happened before but he is one of the
biggest busts in the draft ever happened
and he throws almost as many picks as he
does touchdowns I went back and watched
and did a film piece on his games even
in Carolina where he went four- two and
there’s some stuff that really gets you
excited and you know why he’s a top
draft pick and there’s a lot of stuff
that you go and that’s why you won’t be
the starting quarterback for a long term
for the Vikings that’s not going to
happen and it’s not something I would be
remotely okay with and look if Sam
darnold comes out and goes crazy with
this team and shocks everybody and B
Knicks sits there and watches him play
then okay that would be really something
but I everyone’s ceiling is higher than
a guy who throws as many picks as
touchdowns that’s just the reality uh
Sam darnold is way too wild to be relied
upon as a starter in the NFL maybe he
could become Vinnie testver
someday Travis asks why do you think KOC
has been so cocky about the quarterback
in that church video he didn’t seem
nervous at all it’s a great question
it’s a great question to well first of
all I now I had the same Vibe as you I
went oh okay Kevin Kevin looks pretty
calm you know pretty cool about this
draft like he knows something that we
don’t know uh and it was pointed out by
Drew McGary on the show that when you
talk about getting somebody flowers it’s
usually as a thank you it’s not as a
bribe so instead of saying oh yeah I’m
gonna send Robert Craft a a Maserati or
something like you know I mean you no
he’s saying I’m gonna send him flowers
you send flowers for thank you so yeah
okay you could dig into that 40 second
clip as much as you want one thing you
have to remember is Kevin oconnell is
one of the best talkers I’ve ever been
around in all of my time covering
football he is one of the most naturally
gifted comfortable speakers you will
ever see in your life and if you watch
that whole video which is really why I
tweeted it out but I mean it got a
little more attention than I expected I
thought it was just kind of a fun moment
but the video in general the whole thing
the whole speech was great it was a
really great insight into Kevin and who
he is and all that stuff which is why I
was sharing it uh but uh you’ll see how
at ease he is talking all the time so
even if he was really nervous that
they’re not going to get whatever
quarterback he’s still going to be him I
mean after terrible losses he still goes
up to the podium and still explains
stuff that happen we’ve never seen him
kind of be Zimmer like he’s just he’s a
quarterback he’s a lifelong quarterback
I think he’s just a really good speaker
I did wonder the same thing you’re
wondering though and the same and at the
at the owners meetings had the same
feeling hey I mean you guys seem pretty
comfortable right now
um you know you guys you guys seem
pretty confident right now so maybe
maybe they have a situation where
um they are looking at this like they’ve
got the offer to New England and they
just need Washington to not pick Drake
May uh Mr USV Bo Knicks is mobile now
235 yards rushing last year is that um
is that actual yards rushing or is that
the total bogus B
College Way of rushing yards uh I think
it might be I think that might be the
total nonsense way where they count sack
yards although he wasn’t sacked that
often so maybe uh maybe that is right I
mean again you just got to watch you
just got to go back he he scrambles
pretty often he’s not a prolific Runner
he’s a Scrambler at times where he can
make plays out of the pocket and he can
get first downs if he has to no one is
calling him a running quarterback he’s
clearly not but you were looking for a
playmaking element so yeah and can B
knck run that he’s been a he’s been a
that kind of quarterback for his entire
career at Auburn he ran a ton they
actually got him to stop running so much
he was more of a running quarterback at
Auburn I think at least from the times
that I watched him he was running a lot
so yeah I mean you know look we’re all
going to have opinions and we’re all
going to watch these guys back when
they’re dra drafted and try to figure
out and we’re going to try to plant our
flag and say you know hey look I can’t
stand that quarterback or I I love this
quarterback but um all the guys in this
draft class I I’ll just tell you one
interaction I had with
somebody the best I can tell you is high
up I just
said is it really as good as we think is
it really as good as we think and the
answer was it is it’s a it’s a really
really high quality draft class that
doesn’t mean more than four quarterbacks
even go in the first
round but what it means is whichever
quarterback They Come Away with if they
think someone’s worth the 11th overall
pick that that guy’s gonna have a very
good resume and potential to be a really
good quarterback Bo Knicks is the one
that most people will argue about and
that’s why we spent a lot of time
talking about him is if that is who they
end up with he will be the one that gets
argued about the most there will be many
people who hate the pick who say they
know he’s going to be bad but I would
just remind you that you know Donovan
McNab was booed at the NFL draft so you
there’s a lot of Russell Wilson was
given FS at the NFL draft for the
Seattle Seahawks picking him I
mean horse feathers asked if May is gone
at two do we still trade up that is the
question my friend I don’t think so not
not to three
but maybe to five probably to five
that’s where I could see it so okay
anyway well it’s look I’ll give you the
I’ll give you my final thoughts here
because uh it’s been about two hours and
I haven’t eaten a lot of food today so
we’ll call Ton night and we’ll meet up
here half an hour before the draft what
is it start at 7 6:30 tomorrow let’s do
that half an hour before the Draft
starts tomorrow right here in the purple
Insider YouTube We’re Going live
and if you can’t watch or listen live it
will be up on the uh podcast feed on
iTunes right after so you can listen to
what I had to say as soon as they get to
their pick on there but I’d love to have
all of you drop by and join stick around
also hey by the way uh we did this cool
animation thing and you probably want to
watch it today or tomorrow did a really
cool animation thing on the page where I
looked at all the data but also I had
some professional animators who are
Vikings fans draw it up on the
chalkboard super cool go check that out
really fun thing uh so tomorrow night
we’ll see you here and I just I know
I’ve talked about a lot but I can’t wait
to find out where this franchise is
going to go
because when it came to Kirk Cousins
last three to four years as the Vikings
quarterback I always felt like I knew
where it was going to go every year we’d
go to training camp and I would feel
pretty conf confident that the team was
not going to be able to compete for a
championship and that at best you know
maybe they would end up in the playoffs
and we would probably cover one round of
playoff football and that even happened
in their best year with Kirk Cousins and
him moving on does not guarantee that
this draft pick’s going to be great
doesn’t guarantee that they’re going to
actually win a Super Bowl nothing ever
does in the NFL but tomorrow is the
beginning of believing that it could
actually work and they could truly have
a chance to be in that super Super Bowl
conversation by building a team around
this next quarterback and find the
franchise quarterback that they have
lacked for so many years so so many
years and that’s what’s on the line for
tomorrow so um yeah I uh let’s see so
let’s let’s call it you’re asking about
the time before Ro before the broadcast
kicks in so if it’s 7 o’clock which I
think it is 6:30 just call 6:30 I’m not
going to I don’t mean half an hour
before the Vikings pick I mean 6:30
tomorrow so just to clarify that but to
to to put a bow on the speech I’m very
excited about it and I’ve loved coming
along with this ride for all of you who
have watched interacted commented
emailed had the back and forth it’s just
it’s just been great it’s been totally
different something that I’ve never had
the opportunity to do covering this team
and it’s been a lot of fun so we’ll find
it all out tomorrow and then we’ll break
it down from there and then we will
cover it all the way from start to
finish with whatever happens with qb1
who we will know tomorrow so thanks so
much to everybody for watching listening
participating subscribing liking all the
other possible things you could do and
uh have a good sleep everybody because
you’re gonna need it maybe get that
midday nap in you’re gonna need it could
be a long night all right thanks
everybody catch you next time football
football football
33 Comments
Either Maye is 100% not happening or it’s just all posturing by the patriots to get the best trade up offer.
Agreed – Maye yes three 1st round picks, JJM nope stick and pick
We appreciate your sacrifice and golfing for the the greater good!
It is like Matthew is intentionally trolling his audience when he insists that his opinion is the only one. Half the fanbase prefers a different QB to Maye. Maye is the most polarizing QB in the class with rankings from 2nd to 6th in the class. Yet, every comment is trade up to 3 for Maye or spend less for someone like McCarthy, yada yada yada. How about instead say, trade up to 3 for their preferred target or go to 5 and pay less for the next QB on their board?
You keep talking about how Maye is clearly better than McCarthy which is objectively untrue. It isn’t disputed that Maye is most in need of a redshirt year. It isn’t disputed that he struggles with pressure. It isn’t disputed thst he needs to improve his footwork. It isn’t disputed that he needs to improve his throwing mechanics.
Maye is a project QB that looks the part and gets mistskenly compared to Josh Allen. Except he isn’t Allen. He doesn’t have the arm strength or physicality as a runner that Allen has. He might become Herbert in a few seasons with the right coaching.
Is he a first round prospect? Absolutely. Is he clearly better than McCarthy? No.
Trading up to 3 for whomever KOC wants at QB is ideal. If they can’t get to 3, fighting for 5 is next best. Waiting until 11 for Penix will be disappointing as in most drafts he is a 2nd rounder (like Carr or Hurts). But so many QB needy teams make the 11 necessary as he is unlikely to fall to 23 in this crazy draft.
What are the Pats going to do with a rookie QB like Maye and no weapons? They are in rebuild mode.
If the Pats need a QB and we need a QB why would they "give" us that QB? Because the smart play is picking the best player at 11 & 23.
I think the price to move up will be too high for Kwesi. He will stick at 11 and get Nix.
I really question the idea that all we need is an ok QB on the "rookie scale contract cheat code". Everyone is constantly pointing at the 2023 Niners and 2022 Eagles as examples, but we aren't them, and we aren't them even with 25M more cap space and an extra 1st round pick or two.
Those teams were built on the backs of multiple phenomenal drafts with star players selected in every round, outstanding FA acquisitions, and trades where they fleeced other teams. I haven't seen any evidence we're capable of doing that. (And need I remind everyone, those two teams did still lose the Superbowl to a star QB surrounded by a team that had holes and wasn't exceptional).
My biggest fear is that we draft an OK QB who can never get us over the hump and we keep running it back with them for 5 years trying to make it work. I'd rather have a bust! At least then you go back and take another shot!
Trade up to fourth first, then trade for third Pick
Jj mccarthy!!!!! Skol
Trade up fifth then trade fifth to third
What if giant move up to take mhj
Preach to them Coller
Stock up on elite Defense— this QB class is the most overrated in the history of football
I hope to god we can somehow get Jayden Daniels
Hey Matt, brother great show as always. Making my way through your book as I’m into any sports book that has anything about analytics. For the record, I’m all onboard for Maye. Hard to explain nuance in chat but in baseball (which this is not) teams ignore the stats which say drafting HS pitchers in 1st round is a huge risk. Those teams often ignore that because well, they know who the next Zach Grienke will be. It’s ok to ignore the baseline. However, I think there’s only 2 QBs in this draft worth ignoring the baseline (that QBs taken in RD 1 are less likely to be franchise changing QBs). And only one is in reach. I think it’s scary to trade a ton of assets to move up on a QB in RD 1 if those two QBs are off the board because of the imperative to draft a QB this year. Strong justification to roll dice on Maye, even overreach. Not sold on any other QB except Nix. Only at 23.
Matthew,,,, TY for the great show. These 2 hour episodes get me through my day. Great content as always. Today is finally upon us!!! Please get Maye or McCarthy!!! I’m hoping the Pats or someone plays ball with us!! Yes it will cost 3 firsts and probably a sweetener but if we get our guy… then all is good in the 🌎! ✌️
I feel the Vikings won't gamble, either it's a trade that benefits the Vikings or it isn't. They won't dump the house for an unproven rookie. I feel they stand pat (due to the amount they have to give up) and draft the best QB available at 11, which is probably Penix, which for now I am okay with.
He is no worse or better than any of the projected top 4 QBs.
I have to ask: What made JJ McCarthy move up from a predicted 2nd or 3rd round to being a top 5 player, not just at QB, but 5 overall?
I don't see it. He played on a team that was stacked, they ran the ball a lot, so he was more of a manager than he was an Alpha Dog Leadership type of player.
If the Vikings choose JJ, I feel he is Ponder 2.0, where he might make a few plays here and there, but overall, he would be a bust if chosen that high. I don't particularly don't like Daniels either.
Maye is a bigger Cousins, I feel that is his ceiling and you can take that however you want.
Let's throw a monkey wrench of possibilities:
1. They trade their first rounds and some other picks to Chargers for Herbert, then Harbaugh can draft his boy JJ and add two more first rounders.
2. Vikings take Verse from FSU at 11 and hope Penix or Nix falls to 23 or maybe they move up a few spots to get Penix.
Would either scenario make the Vikings fans happy?
I feel nix would be cousins all over sgain. Lots of short passes and dumps to RBs. I also feel if Michael Penix is going to be a stud if he stays healthy
I don’t want Maye dude threw two interceptions to the Gophers no thanks
Well if we give up next year's pick for Maye. Maybe we will get one back from Atlanta. It came out any decision on tampering will be next year. I think adjusting the offence to a Southpaw is a bigger issue for Penix than his health.
Good luck golf today hope we get Maya for it lol 😆
Great show man. Thanks. Pats fan. Wishing you luck. Best case: WAS takes JJ, Pats get Daniels, Min only has to move to 5 for Maye.
IMO Vikings best plan would be best available QB at 11and best CB available at 23
I can't help but think that tonight is going to be a huge letdown. Months and months of build-up just to lose all its air and leave us drowning ourselves in tequila shots. I hope I'm wrong, but ever since 1967, I've been letdown in everything Vikings. smh.
If I were Kwesi, I'd take my swing at Maye and then if that fails, I would take Bo Nix at 11 and Byron Murphy (or other) at 23. Some say Nix is just like Kirk, but he's not. He has a much better release and is much more athletic. Nix feels pressure really well and can throw well on the run, too. A really athletic Cousins would have been a great QB.
Waking up this morning, I’m okay with any of the top 6 (NOT Rattler), but I don’t want to give up next years round 1 unless it’s for Maye.
Pats have to know that they’d ruin Maye. He’s not ready and they don’t have a coach / system to get him there.
I'd be happy with maya Daniel's mccarthy or pinix hope we get o e of them
One
If Kirk Cousins is the pinnacle that Bo Nix can be, how is that going to be good enough for a Superbowl? I get that we can improve the defence and have a cheaper QB but doesn't a QB win the superbowl more often than not? If Nix is going to check down on 4th and 8, it doesn't matter how cheap he is. I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see Nix leading us to a Lombardi.
Yes we did see the end of Kirk …4 & 8……