Daily Clips Tuesday, February 11, 2020

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DAILY CLIPS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020 LOCAL NEWS: Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Pioneer Press

Bus service could roll into Viking Lakes this year. Development is growing rapidly. By Nick Ferraro https://www.twincities.com/2020/02/10/eagan-vikings-bus-service-mtva/

Vikings hire Dom Capers, 69, as defensive assistant By the AP https://www.twincities.com/2020/02/10/vikings-hire-dom-capers-69-as-defensive-assistant/

Star Tribune

Former Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers will be Vikings assistant By Ben Goessling http://www.startribune.com/former-packers-defensive-coordinator-dom-capers-will-be-vikings-assistant/567735842/

Will Stefon Diggs still be on the Vikings at the start of the 2020 season? By Michael Rand http://www.startribune.com/will-stefon-diggs-still-be-on-the-vikings-at-the-start-of-the-2020-season/567736422/

Analysis finds Vikings most expensive sports outing in Twin Cities for fans By Paul Walsh http://www.startribune.com/analysis-finds-vikings-most-expensive-sports-outing-in-twin-cities-for-fans/567727202/

SKOR North

Vikings add veteran coach Dom Capers as senior defensive assistant By Judd Zulgad https://www.skornorth.com/vikings-2/2020/02/vikings-add-veteran-coach-dom-capers-as-senior-defensive-assistant/

ESPN offseason machine includes Bridgewater-to-Vikings scenario By Matthew Coller https://www.skornorth.com/vikings-2/2020/02/espn-offseason-machine-includes-bridgewater-to-vikings-scenario/

Dalvin Cook’s impact on passing makes his extension case compelling By Matthew Coller https://www.skornorth.com/vikings-2/2020/02/dalvin-cooks-impact-on-passing-makes-his-extension-case-compelling/

The Athletic

State of the Vikings, RB Edition: A major decision looms on Dalvin Cook’s future By Chad Graff and Arif Hasan https://theathletic.com/1596862/2020/02/10/state-of-the-vikings-rb-edition-a-major-decision-looms-on-dalvin-cooks- future/

NATIONAL NEWS: Tuesday, February 11, 2020

ESPN

Vikings add Dom Capers as senior defensive assistant By ESPN https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28672540/vikings-add-dom-capers-senior-defensive-assistant

CBS Sports

Vikings add Dom Capers as senior defensive assistant By Bryan DeArdo https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/former-packers-dc-dom-capers-returns-to-nfc-north-as-vikings-senior-defensive- assistant/

NFL.com

Vikings add former Packers DC Dom Capers to staff By Adam Maya http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001101639/article/vikings-add-former-packers-dc-dom-capers-to-staff

USA Today

Vikings hire Dom Capers as senior defensive assistant By the AP https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/02/10/vikings-hire-dom-capers-as-senior-defensive- assistant/41212243/

Maven Media

A History of Stefon Diggs's Cryptic Tweets By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/history-stefon-diggs-cryptic-tweets

Vikings Add Dom Capers to Defensive Coaching Staff, Lose Robert Rodriguez By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/vikings-dom-capers-coaching-staff-robert-rodriguez

MULTIMEDIA NEWS: Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Vikings All-Decade Team: Quarterback By Vikings Entertainment Network https://www.vikings.com/video/vikings-all-decade-team-quarterbacks

Vikings Add Veteran Coach Dom Capers By KMSP http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=bd0bfc50-bc24-402b-bea3-dc13e0f0a085

Vikings Add Dom Capers to Staff By KARE http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=0e3b0b20-222c-4214-8671-3e40837e1782

VIKINGS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK: Tuesday, February 11, 2020

5 Things to Know About New Vikings Senior Defensive Assistant Dom Capers By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/5-things-to-know-about-vikings-senior-defensive-assistant-dom-capers

Lunchbreak: Abdullah Named to 'Alabama Roots NFL All-Decade Team' By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/lunchbreak-abdullah-named-to-alabama-roots-nfl-all-decade-team

Panel & Fans Vote on Vikings Best QB from 2010-19 By Craig Peters https://www.vikings.com/news/minnesota-vikings-all-decade-best-quarterbacks-from-2010-19

Monday Morning Mailbag: Possibly Drafting a QB, Up-and-Coming Offensive Linemen & Barr's Role in 2020 By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/monday-morning-mailbag-vikings-drafting-qb-up-coming-offensive-linemen-ba

PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 2/11/20

Bus service could roll into Viking Lakes this year. Development is growing rapidly.

By Nick Ferraro

The rapid growth of Viking Lakes is fueling discussions about transit needs to the Eagan mixed-use development.

Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, the south metro’s public transportation provider, is reviewing service needs in the area and mapping out potential transit concepts to Viking Lakes that could be implemented as soon as later this year.

Since closing the deal to buy the former Northwest Airlines/Delta Air Lines headquarters property in early 2016, the owners of the Minnesota Vikings have been making good on a mixed-use vision for the 200-acre land, located just south of Interstate 494 and east of Dodd Road.

“As growth continues, we believe transit will be an important piece out there,” said Richard Crawford, MVTA spokesman.

One bus route — 436 — stops near Viking Lakes, but does not directly serve the campus. Extending that line is being discussed, although costs and feedback from the public and business community need to be explored, Crawford said.

MVTA officials will show off concepts and gather feedback from the public and business community at a town hall meeting — hosted in partnership with Viking Lakes and the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce — from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Training Haus sports center, 2645 Vikings Circle #200.

Omni Viking Lakes Hotel is the key component of MV Ventures’ plan for its 167 acres south of Interstate 494 and east of Dodd Road in Eagan. (Courtesy of Omni Hotel and Resorts) The development’s anchor, Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, is the team’s headquarters and indoor and outdoor practice facility that opened in March 2018. The team hosts its summer training camp there, as well as high school football games and other events.

A TCO medical office building and a STEM building have also been added, and a 14-story, 320-room hotel — to be operated by luxury chain Omni Hotels and Resorts — is slated to open in October.

Future plans for Viking Lakes include about 1,000 apartments, corporate office space and more retail and medical uses.

Those interested in attending the town hall event are asked to RSVP to Jenn Ciero at [email protected]. PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 2/11/20

Vikings hire Dom Capers, 69, as defensive assistant

By the AP

The Vikings hired longtime NFL coach Dom Capers on Monday as a senior defensive assistant on an already- experienced staff.

The 69-year-old Capers will start his 33rd season as a coach in the league, after serving last year as a senior defensive assistant for Jacksonville. Capers was an NFL head coach for eight seasons, with Carolina (1995-98) and Houston (2002-05). He was a defensive coordinator for four teams, totaling 16 seasons, with Pittsburgh (1992-94), Jacksonville (1999-2000), Miami (2006-07) and Green Bay (2009-17).

Capers will help co-defensive coordinators Andre Patterson (defensive line) and Adam Zimmer (linebackers), both of whom also coach a position group.

Also Monday, Arizona State announced the hiring of Robert Rodriguez as defensive line coach. Rodriguez spent the past five seasons as the Vikings’ assistant defensive line coach.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer last month promoted Gary Kubiak to offensive coordinator. Kubiak, 58, will begin his 25th season as an NFL coach this fall. Zimmer, Kubiak and Capers have a combined 24 seasons in the league as a head coach and a total of 42 seasons in the NFL as an offensive or defensive coordinator. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 2/11/20

Former Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers will be Vikings assistant

By Ben Goessling

Dom Capers, a former head coach of the Panthers and Texans, will join the Vikings staff as a senior defensive assistant.

The 69-year-old Capers is a familiar face in the NFC North — he was the Packers defensive coordinator from 2009- 17, including their Super Bowl XLV title following the 2010 season.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, who calls the defensive plays, recently promoted linebackers coach Adam Zimmer and defensive line coach Andre Patterson to co-defensive coordinators. They replaced George Edwards, whose contract expired.

Capers was head coach of expansion Carolina from 1995-98 and expansion Houston from 2001-05. He also has been defensive coordinator for the Steelers (1992-94), Jaguars (1999-2000) and Dolphins (2006-07). Capers has coached in the NFL for 33 seasons and was Jacksonville’s senior defensive assistant last season.

He is best-known for the 3-4 zone blitz schemes the Steelers have run for years (and the Packers eventually adopted). Mike Zimmer’s scheme has used 3-4 linebacker types (James Harrison in Cincinnati, Anthony Barr in Minnesota) to blitz out of a 4-3, so Capers might have some thoughts on how to get more out of those players.

As an expansion team, the Panthers were 7-9 in 1995 before going 12-4 in their second season and losing to the Packers in the NFC Championship Game. Capers was fired after a 4-12 season in 1998.

He was named head coach of the Texans for their first season, 2001, and went 18-46 in four seasons. Gary Kubiak, the Vikings new offensive coordinator, succeeded Capers as head coach in Houston.

• Vikings assistant defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez is leaving to be Arizona State’s defensive line coach.

PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 2/11/20

Will Stefon Diggs still be on the Vikings at the start of the 2020 season?

By Michael Rand

The Twins and Timberwolves pulled off big-time trades in the last week. The Wild very well might do the same soon with the trade deadline two weeks away and its position firmly established as fringe playoff team (at best). Minnesota United has had plenty of offseason action, while WNBA free agents can start signing this week.

In the NFL, though, not much will probably happen for at least another month. The new league year starts on March 18, at which time free agents can sign and players can be traded.

So why am I so interested in the future of Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and why am I hardly the only one in this position?

The short answer is that he’s a talented player with an uncertain path going forward — and uncertainty makes for good conversation, speculation and dissection.

We started going down this path on the Access Vikings podcast on Friday, prompted by a direct reader question: “Do you expect Stefon Diggs to be a Viking Week 1?”

Let’s look at it from both a perspective of what the Vikings might be thinking and what Diggs might be thinking.

VIKINGS

If you’re the Vikings, there are strangely a lot of compelling reasons to trade a wide receiver who led the team in receiving last season, was the NFL’s best deep threat for much of the year and made arguably the most memorable single catch in franchise history.

For starters, the Vikings are pressed tight against the salary cap and face some difficult decisions in constructing a roster that is both balanced and competitive. Diggs has a $14.5 million cap hit in 2020, tied for second-most (with Danielle Hunter) behind Kirk Cousins, and trading him for draft picks would free up space.

Second, our Andrew Krammer made an excellent point on the podcast: The Vikings maintained a certain amount of continuity by promoting Gary Kubiak to offensive coordinator, and they figure to move forward with an offense heavily predicated on running the ball and play action. In that system, does it make sense to have two top-flight, high-paid wide receivers like Diggs and Adam Thielen?

And third, if your answer to that question is “no,” doesn’t it make more sense to keep Thielen — the local product who had been very durable before last season and who didn’t get fined $200,000 for unexcused absences presumably linked to his dissatisfaction with the offense in 2019 as Diggs did?

Those reasons were compelling enough for Krammer to say yes, he would trade Diggs and try to maximize the value in return. But fellow Vikings writer Ben Goessling said “I guess I tend to think he’ll be here,” which leads to the other part of what the Vikings might be thinking:

Sure, Diggs can be a handful to deal with — but he’s also an unquestioned talent who makes the Vikings better. As long as you’re reasonably confident Diggs can be satisfied with his role and not be a distraction — he did, after all, set a career-high with 1,130 receiving yards last season — why would you trade one of your best playmakers from a team with Super Bowl aspirations?

The Vikings, too, have proved to be loyal with homegrown players. Diggs, one of Rick Spielman’s best choices as GM with a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft, is a shining example of that.

DIGGS

So what might Diggs be thinking? The answer is shrouded in mystery or at least contradictions. After being fined in 2019, Diggs famously said, “I can’t sit up here and act like everything is OK. It’s obviously not” and added “there’s truth in every rumor.”

Later he tried to twist that into some outside conspiracy theory. “It was never not good,” he said. “Outside people got things a little shaky, but at this point — I’m a team guy. I’m here and I want to win.”

So which is it? Maybe it depends on how much he’s getting the ball — enough to eclipse 100 yards in five out of eight games, as he did in the middle of last year, or just two catches a game (as he had in both playoff games). Maybe he sees other pass-heavy systems and thinks he could put up even bigger numbers elsewhere.

Any attempt to interpret Diggs’ social media musings — his Twitter feed reads like angst-filled teen poetry — would be difficult at best, but here are some of my favorites from just the last week:

“These days everybody’s an expert …”

“Some things are better left unsaid …”

“I don’t forget or forgive …”

“I hate people that do you wrong then try to play the victim …”

“People don’t appreciate things until they’re gone …”

“Business is business”

CONCLUSION

I like Diggs personally. As an interview subject, he shows you his personality and engages in a playful way. On the field, his production tends to match his high opinion of his own skills.

But the combination of salary cap, offensive direction and last year’s turmoil seem to make this less than a 50-50 proposition. The smart money is on Diggs not being here at the start of the 2020 season.

Business is business, after all, even if we might not fully appreciate Diggs until he’s gone if that indeed happens. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 2/11/20

Analysis finds Vikings most expensive sports outing in Twin Cities for fans

By Paul Walsh

Minnesota’s four major professional sports teams are neither near the top nor the bottom of their respective leagues when it comes to how much the average fan pays to attend and have a few concessions, according to a newly released analysis.

Canadian Sports Betting produced the The Matchday Cost Comparison and found that the Vikings are the most expensive outing for Minnesota fans, with $121.50 needed on average to buy a ticket, and then a beer, hot dog and soda once inside.

Next in the Twin Cities came the NHL’s Wild ($103), the NBA’s Timberwolves ($67) and MLB’s Twins ($44).

The teams fell in the same order when comparing just ticket prices on average: Vikings ($100), Wild ($80), Timberwolves ($45) and Twins ($33).

Within their leagues, the Wild is the loftiest in the Twin Cities market, landing 12th out of 31 teams and about $5 above the leaguewide average of $98 for a ticket, a dog, a brew and a pop.

As for the others:

Vikings: 15th out of 32 and at the leaguewide average of $100.

Twins: 20th out of 30 and $6 below MLB average of $50.

Timberwolves: 23rd out of 30 and $21 cheaper than the NBA average of $88.

Leading the way in each league were the Los Angeles Chargers ($222.50) in the NFL; the New York Knicks ($158) in the NBA; Chicago Blackhawks ($152.50) in the NHL; and the Chicago Cubs ($81.25) in MLB.

Bargains? The cheapest are the Arizona Diamonbacks ($28) in MLB; Charlotte Hornets in the NBA ($51), Florida Panthers ($64.25) in the NHL; and the Cleveland Browns ($83.50) in the NFL.

What the analysis did not take into account include the cost of living in each teams’ markets and the quality of the product being presented on the playing surface.

PUBLICATION: SKOR North DATE: 2/11/20

Vikings add veteran coach Dom Capers as senior defensive assistant

By Judd Zulgad

The Vikings added veteran experience to their defensive coaching staff on Monday by hiring Dom Capers as a senior defensive assistant. Capers will be entering his 33rd season as an NFL coach.

Capers, who will turn 70 in August, spent last season as a senior defensive assistant for the Jacksonville Jaguars after being the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers from 2009-17.

Last season, the Jaguars ranked fourth overall in sacks per pass play (8.3%) and tied for 13th in the NFL in defensive fourth down efficiency (45.5%). Capers has been a coordinator or head coach for 25 seasons in the NFL, spending four seasons as coach of the Carolina Panthers (1995-98) and five years as coach of the Houston Texans (2001-05).

He has also been defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1992-94), Jacksonville Jaguars (1999-2000) and Miami Dolphins (2006-07).

The move comes after the Packers hired Jerry Gray as defensive backs coach earlier this offseason. Gray held the same job with the Vikings from 2014 to ’19 but wasn’t retained after this season.

PUBLICATION: SKOR North DATE: 2/11/20

ESPN offseason machine includes Bridgewater-to-Vikings scenario

By Matthew Coller

Ah, reckless speculation.

On Monday ESPN released an offseason mega project that takes the top eight free agents and goes through the various dominoes that would fall if a player lands with a certain team.

YOU CAN PLAY WITH ESPN’S ADDICTING MACHINE HERE

The Chargers announced that Philip Rivers will not be returning to Los Angeles this year. In the ESPN prediction generator, Rivers signing with the Indianapolis Colts would set off a set of moves that send Kirk Cousins to L.A. and land Teddy Bridgewater back with the Minnesota Vikings.

Why would this be included in the possible outcomes with Cousins coming off a season in which he set a career high in passer rating and went to the Pro Bowl? Because the Vikings’ QB is entering the final year of his three-year contract and there is a chance that either the team doesn’t want to go forward with him or that he wants to play elsewhere. Cousins would have to agree to wave his no-trade clause in order to be moved.

Los Angeles will be looking for a huge splash at QB because they are set to move into a new stadium. Scoring Cousins would breathe new life into an organization that’s on the downside at the moment.

On the Bridgewater end, he might find it hard to land a rock-solid starting job and there has never been a bigger Bridgewater fan than Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. Signing Bridgewater at a reduced price would give Minnesota an opportunity to restock the cupboard with talent from the free agent market as they continue to be in win-now mode. It would also give them their long-term answer and an end to uncertainty at the position.

A move like this, however, would come along with a ton of risk. Bridgewater went 5-0 as a starter for the Saints but the long-term health of his knee is still worth considering.

This potential outcome seems very much pie-in-the-sky and will certainly make some Vikings fans sad on a Monday as they reflect on all the what-ifs surrounding Bridgewater’s injury in 2016. But with this franchise, the one that once acquired Brett Favre — we can always place things under the, “You Never Know” category. PUBLICATION: SKOR North DATE: 2/11/20

Dalvin Cook’s impact on passing makes his extension case compelling

By Matthew Coller

Running backs are not in an enviable position these days.

They touch the ball more than anyone on the field. They earn the toughest yards and take the most punishment. If they can do it all, they are game changers. Yet they are badly losing the battle to get paid.

The formula for teams just doesn’t add up. Running backs wear out quickly and in terms of rushing success they have largely been found to be a product of their environment. And even if they were making offensive lines and run schemes better early in their careers, losing one step usually means the end of that.

So we have seen running backs like Melvin Gordon and Le’Veon Bell fight the good contract fight and mostly lose. Gordon missed the first part of the season on a holdout and ultimately returned without a new deal. In the meantime, Los Angeles found that Austin Ekeler was just as effective. Bell sat out an entire year only to return with a reasonable contract in New York but his performance was more proof that the Steelers played things the right way.

That brings us to Dalvin Cook.

The Vikings are in a difficult situation with their star running back. After two injury-plagued seasons, Cook was largely healthy in 2019 and was every bit of the player they dreamed about on draft day 2017. He ranked as the fifth best RB by Pro Football Focus and gained the second most yards from scrimmage per game, only behind Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey.

But there’s two issues: Salary cap and value. The Vikings can create space this offseason and work out favorable deals in the future but they also have to decide on an extension for Kirk Cousins. With two significant receiver contracts and a tackle contract (Brian O’Neill) on the way, the value over a replacement (or replacements) might not match up to the other positions.

Unless Cook’s value in the passing game continues to rise.

Last season passing plays in Cook’s direction were good for 0.47 Expected Points Added per play (per Pro Football Focus). Receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen were both nearly identical to Cook with 0.47 and 0.45 per play, respectively.

Here’s how some other RBs stacked up in their passing game impact:

— Saquon Barkley: 0.15

— Ezekiel Elliott: 0.06

— Joe Mixon: 0.33

— Aaron Jones: 0.21

— Le’Veon Bell: 0.34

— Austin Ekeler: 0.41

— Damien Willians: 0.49

— Christian McCaffrey: 0.46

Just like the ground game, can be difficult to parse out whether a running back’s impact on passing success was his own doing or the play design or quarterback play. In Cook’s case, he led the NFL with 11.3 average yards after catch and ranked in the top 10 in PFF’s “Elusive Rating,” which combines broken tackles and yards after contact.

Overall he ranked sixth in yards per reception (9.8) and fourth in first downs gained through the air despite only totaling 53 receptions. The RBs ahead of him in first downs all had at least 72 grabs.

Cook’s ability in the passing game may not have even reached its ceiling yet. The Vikings largely used him on swing passes and screens. If they started viewing him as a playmaker like McCaffrey there could be more value to squeeze out of his talent. The options are numerous. He could line up in the slot while backup Alexander Mattison was in the backfield or could even be split out wide more often. In Week 2 of the 2018 season Cook ran a slant route as an outside receiver against the Packers and went for 24 yards. We haven’t seen that since.

Getting more passing value out of Cook would be key to making an extension worthwhile. While his yards per carry is in rare air compared to career carries, the difference between 4.3 and 4.6 per rush doesn’t make the same impact on winning as having a dangerous passing weapon. The last eight teams to reach the Super Bowl ranked first, fourth, third, fifth, first, second, first and second in passing Expected Points Added.

Reducing Cook’s runs and increasing his targets might also be a key to longevity.

Since 2000 we have seen 39 running back seasons in which a RB over 27 years old has picked up 75 targets or more (per Pro-Football Reference’s Play Index). The backs who continued to play well past the age curve tended to be impact players in the passing game like Matt Forte, who had 130 targets at age 29 or Marshall Faulk (113 targets at age 27), Jamaal Charles (104 targets at 27), Priest Holmes (90 targets at age 30) and Ladanian Tomlinson (77 targets at 29).

That isn’t to say there’s no risk. Both Todd Gurley and David Johnson were dominant receiving backs but have fallen off since signing big contracts. But if the Vikings are set on signing Cook to a contract that will take up somewhere between 5%-7% of the salary cap going forward, they should focus on how they can maximize his value as a playmaker.

PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 2/11/20

State of the Vikings, RB Edition: A major decision looms on Dalvin Cook’s future

By Chad Graff and Arif Hasan

Editor’s note: Even if the NFL’s new league year doesn’t begin until March, focus moves to the 2020 season with the start of the scouting combine later this month. With that in mind, Vikings writers Chad Graff and Arif Hasan are teaming for a seven-part series leading to the combine that looks at every aspect of the roster. Today: Running backs. Coming Wednesday: Wide receivers/tight ends. Previously: Quarterbacks.

Running backs Season in review

The Vikings entered the year with questions over whether their switch to a zone rushing scheme would work and whether their star back, Dalvin Cook, could carry the load for a full season. Both questions were answered emphatically.

Cook offered ample evidence that he’s the game-changing back the Vikings hoped for when they drafted him in the second round in 2017. He began the season with at least 100 rushing yards in four of the first five games, buying time for the team’s offense before Kirk Cousins got on a roll in October.

In the Vikings’ only meaningful game without Cook, a visit from the Packers in Week 16, the running back’s importance became even more apparent when the offense struggled mightily as Cook watched from the sideline.

Cook finished with more than 1,600 all-purpose yards in 14 regular-season games, showing plenty of skill in the screen game, too. He scored 13 touchdowns and added two more in the playoffs.

Of course, the question with Cook was never his ability when healthy, but rather whether he could stay healthy for an entire NFL season. While he did miss the final two games of the Vikings’ season, Cook could have played through the injury, sources said, but the team opted to rest him to try to have him completely healthy for the playoffs.

The Vikings raised eyebrows in the draft when they selected Alexander Mattison in the third round, a surprise pick given they already had Cook. But Mattison proved a nice change of pace from Cook and effectively spelled him for portions, totaling 462 rushing yards on the season in 100 carries.

Ameer Abdullah proved a capable third-down back and pass-catching target, and Mike Boone delivered one very impressive game and one very disappointing one in his two starts. — CG

Alexander Mattison In his rookie season, third-round pick Alexander Mattison proved himself a capable No. 2, rushing for 462 yards on 100 carries in 13 games. (Matthew Emmons / USA Today) Biggest question

Do the Vikings sign Cook to an extension? Perhaps this is stepping on the toes of Arif as he looks at the offseason plan in the next section, but there’s no escaping this question. It may be the biggest facing the team, not just this position.

I’ll be interested to read what Arif writes, but I would be surprised if a deal doesn’t get done. Cook has quickly become one of Mike Zimmer’s favorite players, a well-liked teammate who coaches don’t worry about getting into trouble. And Zimmer’s promotion of Kubiak is a further indication that the offense will continue to be centered around the running game.

Given those factors, I think the Vikings will try to extend Cook before the season starts, perhaps to a deal similar to Ezekiel Elliott’s with a contract that takes up around six percent of the team’s salary cap, which would be higher than Kyle Rudolph’s percentage but lower than Adam Thielen’s or Stefon Diggs’.

If the Vikings choose not to extend Cook, there’s always the possibility that he holds out and the team would have to enter next season with Mattison as the starter. — CG

Offseason plan

Yes, the real question is here is whether or not to extend Cook. The issue, as we’ve noted before, is the extraordinary amount of difficulty it would take to sign him to an extension given the Vikings’ cap situation — which currently sits at negative $11 million, per OverTheCap. That extension won’t necessarily impact 2020 cap space one way or the other if structured like a true extension instead of a contract replacement, but the 2021 cap situation isn’t much easier to navigate.

Like you said, Chad, it would likely be a deal comparable to Elliott’s cap impact but will probably be tempered by the fact that Cook’s most durable season so far was last year with 12 healthy games. Right now, Elliott averages $15 million a year, and I could see Cook pulling in a little less than that. Looking at the four contracts below Elliott’s in size provides all kinds of warning signs — the teams that signed Todd Gurley, Le’Veon Bell, David Johnson and Devonta Freeman to their expensive deals can’t feel like they’ve earned a return on investment.

Some of that is a result of injury, but that’s a reason to be more wary of a Cook extension rather than a reason to dismiss those analogs. Aside from the fact that running backs tend to break down much earlier than players at other positions, Cook hasn’t demonstrated resilience. Even if we push injury worries to the side, these running backs also demonstrate that they don’t necessarily own their production — when offensive line production has fallen off, they tend to be unable to overcome it. Even Cook himself fell off after an incredible start to the season. He had over 102.9 yards a game in the first eight games, averaging 5.28 yards per carry. For the rest of the games, including the postseason, he averaged 53 rushing yards per game at 3.24 yards per carry.

Dalvin Cook Dalvin Cook will be here for 2020, but he’ll command a massive contract extension beyond that, making for a difficult and crucial decision for the cap-strapped Vikings. (Harrison Barden / USA Today) The Vikings probably will give Cook an extension, one that will look pretty expensive. They also probably shouldn’t.

There are still some other free-agency questions, like whether or not to re-sign C.J. Ham and Abdullah, and for that I wouldn’t be surprised by any turn of events. The Vikings haven’t re-signed a fullback hitting unrestricted free agency since Jim Kleinsasser, opting instead to turn to fullbacks they’ve been grooming on the practice squad. Like when the Vikings brought back Zach Line for one year, Ham is a restricted free agent — so it’s entirely possible they bring him back, especially after they lost the fullback they had been developing in Khari Blasingame to the Titans. They signed Johnny Stanton to the practice squad during the season to make up for losing Blasingame, but thus far have not signed him or any other fullback to a futures deal.

Abdullah, as the third or fourth running back, would normally be pretty easy to let go, but the Vikings don’t have reliable return options — unless they bring back Marcus Sherels, which seems unlikely. Without a returner on the roster, they might extend an offer to Abdullah to at least have some insurance heading into camp. — AH

2020 outlook

I’d go with “good” here if only because we don’t know if the Vikings will be caught up in a holdout controversy heading into camp or even into the season. If they have all three or four running backs — and the fullback situation resolved, I suppose — they will be in excellent shape for the 2020 season at the position. Even if they don’t have the fullback they won’t, having Cook, Mattison and Boone would be one of the better running back rooms around the league.

This really only becomes an issue approaching the 2021 season, where additional cap pressure becomes a concern and Cook won’t be under contract if they can’t figure out an extension. At that point, we’ll have to re-evaluate the outlook. — AH

PUBLICATION: ESPN DATE: 2/11/20

Vikings add Dom Capers as senior defensive assistant

By ESPN

Veteran coach Dom Capers was hired by the Minnesota Vikings on Monday as a senior defensive assistant on head coach Mike Zimmer's staff.

Capers, 69, will be entering his 33rd season as an NFL coach.

He has spent 24 years as a defensive coordinator or head coach. Capers was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers (1995-98) and Houston Texans (2002-05) when both were expansion franchises. He was a defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1992-94), Jacksonville Jaguars (1999-2000), Miami Dolphins (2006-07) and Green Bay Packers (2009-17).

Capers was with the Jaguars last season as a senior defensive assistant.

PUBLICATION: CBS Sports DATE: 2/11/20

Former Packers DC Dom Capers returns to NFC North as Vikings' senior defensive assistant

By Bryan DeArdo

Dom Capers is back in the NFC North. A decade after serving as a defensive coordinator on the Packers' Super Bowl XLV championship team, the longtime NFL coach was tabbed as the Vikings' new senior defensive assistant on Monday. Capers, who broke into the NFL coaching ranks in 1986, filled that position in Jacksonville during the 2019 season.

After serving as the Saints' defensive backs coach from 1986-91, Capers was named Bill Cowher's first defensive coordinator in Pittsburgh in 1992. That season, the Steelers went from 22nd to 2nd in the NFL in second defense, as Pittsburgh won at least 11 games in a season for the first time since 1979. The Steelers' defense continued to be one of the NFL's best units over the next two years before Capers left Pittsburgh to become the head coach of the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995.

In 1996, Capers led the Panthers to the NFC Championship Game in just their second year of existence. His success in Carolina didn't last long, however, as Capers was fired following consecutive losing seasons. He quickly resurfaced in Jacksonville, serving as the team's defensive coordinator in 1999 while helping the Jaguars boast the league's top-ranked scoring defense en route to an AFC Championship Game appearance.

Capers coached his second expansion team in 2002, serving as the Texans' head coach for four seasons. He then spent two seasons as Miami's defensive coordinator before accepting the same position with the Packers, winning a Super Bowl during his second season in Green Bay. After nearly a decade with the Packers, he was fired by former Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy after the 2017 season.

Last season, his only season in Jacksonville, Capers worked with a Jaguars' defense that included Pro Bowlers Calais Campbell and rookie Josh Allen, who led the team with 10.5 sacks. During his career, Capers has worked with several Hall of Fame/All-Pro defensive players that includes former Steelers defensive back Rod Woodson, former Pittsburgh/Carolina OLB Kevin Greene, Panthers ILB Sam Mills, Dolphins ILB Zach Thomas, OLB Clay Matthews and former Packers/Raiders defensive back, Charles Woodson.

In Minnesota, Capers will work with Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, who spent 14 seasons as a defensive coordinator before becoming the Vikings' head coach in 2014. Last season, the Vikings' defense, led by All-Pro linebacker Eric Kendricks, Pro Bowl defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen, and Pro Bowl defensive backs Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes, finished fifth in the league in scoring, third in interceptions, and second in red zone efficiency.

Minnesota's defense helped the Vikings earn a wild card spot before upsetting the Saints in the first round of the NFC playoffs. The Vikings' 2019 season came to an end the following week, as Minnesota surrendered 186 rushing yards in their divisional round loss to the eventual NFC champion 49ers.

PUBLICATION: NFL.com DATE: 2/11/20

Vikings add former Packers DC Dom Capers to staff

By Adam Maya

Dom Capers is headed back to the NFC.

The Minnesota Vikings hired the longtime coach and coordinator to be a senior defensive assistant. He served in the same role for the Jaguars last season.

Capers' recent eight-year run (2009-17) as the Packers DC included a Super Bowl title and three conference championship game appearances. He was previously the DC with the Steelers, Jaguars and Dolphins. His success as an assistant led to a pair of head coaching opportunities.

He became the first coach of the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995, leading the franchise to the NFC title game a year later. In 2001, he was hired to lead the expansion Houston Texans. He compiled a 48-80 mark over eight seasons with the two teams.

Next season will be Capers' 33rd in the NFL. He joins a Vikings defense that allowed the fifth fewest points in the league last year.

PUBLICATION: USA Today DATE: 2/11/20

Vikings hire Dom Capers as senior defensive assistant

By the AP

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings hired long-time NFL coach Dom Capers on Monday as a senior defensive assistant on an already experienced staff.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer last month promoted Gary Kubiak to offensive coordinator. The 58-year-old Kubiak will begin his 25th season as an NFL coach in 2020. Zimmer, Kubiak and Capers have a combined 24 seasons in the league as a head coach and a total of 42 seasons in the NFL as an offensive or defensive coordinator.

PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 2/11/20

A History of Stefon Diggs's Cryptic Tweets

By Will Ragatz

During his five years in the NFL, Stefon Diggs has gone from being a fifth-round pick to establishing himself as one of the more talented receivers in the league. His dynamic route-running ability and deep-ball excellence have led to plenty of production – Diggs has one of the most famous touchdown catches in playoff history and is coming off of consecutive 1,000-yard seasons – and he's become a star on the field.

Diggs has also become known for his personality off of the field. His outgoing, playful style shows up in media appearances, 96 Questions videos, and – perhaps most famously – on social media. Diggs has over one million combined followers on Instagram and Twitter, which is easily the most of any Vikings player.

While his IG account is primarily used to post pictures of his fashion choices, Diggs's Twitter is where things get interesting. He has a reputation for tweeting cryptic phrases or emojis that can be left open to interpretation. When paired with the never-ending trade rumors surrounding Diggs's name, those tweets frequently send Vikings fans – and other fans who would like to see their team trade for him – into a frenzy.

Related: Trading Stefon Diggs Would Be Grave Mistake By Vikings

Just look at some of the tweets he posted last week:

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs Some things are better left unsaid...

6,780 12:43 AM - Feb 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 1,950 people are talking about this

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs I don’t forget or forgive...

5,385 6:59 PM - Feb 6, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 1,520 people are talking about this

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs I hate people that do you wrong then try to play the victim...

16.9K 5:30 PM - Feb 7, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 5,080 people are talking about this

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs People don’t appreciate things until they’re gone...

14.6K 3:06 PM - Feb 9, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 3,527 people are talking about this

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs Business is business... 路 ♂️

11.2K 9:25 PM - Feb 9, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 2,258 people are talking about this The thing about Diggs's cryptic tweets is that they could be about anything; he could just be tweeting random thoughts that have nothing to do with football or the Vikings. But it's hard to look at those last two tweets, about people not appreciating things until they're gone and business being business, and not think about the trade rumors. Diggs's frustration with his role in the offense back at the beginning of last season was widely reported, and it's certainly possible some of those feelings still exist.

Those type of tweets aren't new; Diggs has been doing this for a while. Here are a couple examples from back in 2018:

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs I don’t owe anyone an explanation...

8,023 8:26 PM - Aug 26, 2018 Twitter Ads info and privacy 4,144 people are talking about this

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs 

1,113 1:45 PM - Oct 1, 2018 Twitter Ads info and privacy 168 people are talking about this However, those weren't long after Diggs signed a five-year extension with the Vikings, so they didn't cause much alarm with fans.

The tweets continued during the 2019 offseason.

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs You know what they say... what goes around comes around

3,323 11:00 AM - Jan 24, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 844 people are talking about this

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs 路 ♂️

808 5:45 PM - Feb 20, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 162 people are talking about this

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs So uhhhhhh

1,823 6:10 PM - Mar 12, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 242 people are talking about this

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs If I can’t make it with you, I’ll make it without

8,177 5:16 PM - Mar 23, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 2,872 people are talking about this And continued during the Vikings' slow start to the 2019 season.

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs Lol...

1,718 4:24 PM - Sep 16, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 297 people are talking about this

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs 

9,690 4:39 PM - Sep 30, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 2,476 people are talking about this That last tweet was sent one day after the Vikings' 16-6 loss to the Bears dropped them to 2-2. Diggs didn't show up for team meetings on Monday or Tuesday of that week and missed Wednesday's practice for non-injury reasons. Later that week, he delivered the famous "truth to all rumors" line. Trade speculation was at its peak.

Fast forward to one day after the Vikings were eliminated by the 49ers in the divisional round, and Diggs was back at it.

DIGGS ✔ @stefondiggs 路

2,813 10:31 AM - Jan 13, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 543 people are talking about this Now we're back to the recent tweets that are embedded at the top of this story. Once again, it's important to remember that these likely don't mean anything. Diggs has been tweeting like this for a while, and outside of that week of turmoil following the Bears loss, there has been nothing to suggest he has ever genuinely wanted out of Minnesota.

But don't expect the rumors to stop anytime soon – and don't expect Diggs to stop fanning the flames with these tweets, either. It's becoming an offseason tradition. PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 2/11/20

Vikings Add Dom Capers to Defensive Coaching Staff, Lose Robert Rodriguez

By Will Ragatz

The Vikings have added former Panthers and Texans head coach and Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers to their staff as a senior defensive assistant, the team announced on Monday.

Minnesota Vikings ✔ @Vikings The #Vikings have added Dom Capers to the 2020 coaching staff as senior defensive assistant.

 : https://mnvkn.gs/2OJAfUN

View image on Twitter 1,466 1:49 PM - Feb 10, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 499 people are talking about this Capers, 69, has been coaching for nearly 50 years. He began his career as a graduate assistant at Kent State, then coached defensive backs at five different universities between 1975 and 1983. After a brief stint in the XFL, Capers moved to the NFL, where he's been for the vast majority of the past 34 years.

His NFL coaching career started as the DBs coach for the Saints from 1986 to 1991. Capers then took his first defensive coordinator job with the Steelers. He was the first-ever head coach of the expansion Panthers from 1995 through 1998, winning AP Coach of the Year in 1996 with a 12-4 record. After a brief stint with the Jaguars, Capers was once again the first coach in the history of a new franchise when he took the Texans' job for their inaugural season in 2002. Capers went just 18-46 with Houston and was fired after four years.

Following stops in Miami and New England, Capers spent 2009 through 2017 with the Packers as their defensive coordinator, instituting a 3-4 defense. He helped the Packers win the Super Bowl following the 2010 season. Capers was last with the Jaguars as a senior defensive assistant in 2019. In total, he has coached for seven colleges, a USFL team, and now nine different NFL franchises.

Capers will bring a great deal of experience and ideas to the Vikings' defensive coaching staff, and should be a valuable collaborator with Mike Zimmer and co-defensive coordinators Andre Patterson and Adam Zimmer.

Rodriguez Gone

The other news from Monday is that Vikings assistant defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez has been hired to coach the defensive line under Herm Edwards at Arizona State, according to Adam Rittenberg of ESPN. Rodriguez had been with the Vikings since 2015, coaching under Patterson. He certainly deserves some credit for the development of talent along the d-line over the past five years.

PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 2/11/20

5 Things to Know About New Vikings Senior Defensive Assistant Dom Capers

By Lindsey Young

EAGAN, Minn. – The Vikings have added a recognizable name to their defensive coaching staff, the team announced Monday.

Longtime NFL coach Dom Capers is joining the Vikings as a senior defensive assistant. Most recently, he served in the same role during the 2019 season in Jacksonville.

The addition of Capers is another change to Minnesota's coaching staff; Andre Patterson and Adam Zimmer were elevated to co-defensive coordinators late last month.

Here are five things to know about Capers:

1. An inaugural head coach … twice

Capers has held two head coaching positions, both with expansion teams in their inaugural seasons.

In 1995, he stepped into the driver's seat for the start-up Carolina Panthers, a role he held for four seasons. During his time there, the Panthers were 30-34 in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs. Carolina went 12-4 and advanced to the NFC Championship in Capers' second season at the helm.

Capers was hired by Houston in 2001 to begin preparation for the Texans inaugural 2002 season. Through four seasons, the team was 18-46. Coincidentally, Houston hired Gary Kubiak, who is now the Vikings offensive coordinator, to follow Capers.

2. Extensive resumé

Capers first started in the NFL in 1986 as a defensive backs coach for the Saints, a position he held through 1991. Since then, he has spent time with the Steelers (defensive coordinator), Panthers, Jaguars (defensive coordinator), Texans, Dolphins (special assistant to head coach; defensive coordinator), Patriots (special assistant and secondary coach), Packers (defensive coordinator) and the Jaguars again.

Prior to starting in the NFL, Capers spent two seasons in the short-lived United States Football League (USFL) with the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars.

His experience in the college ranks also is extensive, starting with Kent State (1972-74) and Washington (1975) as a graduate assistant. He then moved on to working as a defensive backs coach for Hawaii (1975-76), San Jose State (1977), California (1978-79), Tennessee (1980-81) and Ohio State (1982-83).

3. Familiar with the NFC North

His longest tenure was in Green Bay, where he worked under Head Coach Mike McCarthy from 2009-17. In that span, the Packers were 125-77-2 and won Super Bowl XLV.

In Capers' first two seasons with the Vikings rival, Green Bay ranked second and fifth in yards allowed.

4. Previously wore purple

Capers played safety and linebacker for the Mount Union College Purple Raiders in Alliance, Ohio, from 1968-71 and graduated with a degree in physical education.

Other notable alumni who suited up for the Purple Raiders include former NFL players Jim Ballard, Pierre Garçon and Cecil Shorts.

In September 2019, Capers and his wife, Karen, funded the construction of the Dom and Karen Capers Academic and Athletic Center, a 5,600-square-foot space added on campus. The Mount Union Stadium press box also is named after Capers.

5. An assortment of accolades

In addition to his Super Bowl ring, Capers has other accolades to his name, including being named the 1996 NFL Coach of the Year and 1999 NFL Assistant Coach of the Year.

Capers also has coached four NFL Defensive Players of the Year: Saints LB Pat Swilling (1991), Steelers CB Rod Woodson (1993), Dolphins DE Jason Taylor (2006) and Packers CB Charles Woodson (2009). PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 2/11/20

Lunchbreak: Abdullah Named to 'Alabama Roots NFL All-Decade Team'

By Lindsey Young

Since signing with the Vikings midway through the 2018 season, Ameer Abdullah has played 23 games for Minnesota.

Abdullah has served primarily as the team's kick returner while also contributing on offense as part of a deep running back group.

Recently, Mark Inabinett of AL.com rolled out an NFL All-Decade Team for players with Alabama roots, and Abdullah (who grew up in Homewood, Alabama) was tabbed as the All-Decade kick returner. Inabinett wrote:

Abdullah had 1,946 kickoff-return yards, the most in the decade for a player with Alabama football roots, as he averaged 27.03 yards per kickoff return.

In 2019, Abdullah returned 13 kickoffs for 325 yards, averaging 25 yards per return.

He added an additional six kickoff returns during Minnesota's pair of playoff games against the Saints and 49ers. His 25.2 yards per return in the postseason ranked second in the NFL behind New Orleans' Deonte Harris.

PFF ranks teams' QB situations by need

Before free agency and the NFL Draft come around, analytics site Pro Football Focus took a look at every team's current quarterback situation and ranked them according to need.

PFF's Anthony Treash ranked Minnesota second-to-last in the category labeled "Medium: Could use one if an option presents itself but doesn't need to be actively looking for a starter."

Ranked ahead of the Vikings (meaning a higher need) in the category were the Eagles, Raiders, Jaguars, Titans and Rams. Treash wrote the following of Minnesota:

Kirk Cousins had himself a career year in 2019, producing an 85.4 passing grade that was the fifth best in the NFL. Minnesota's then-offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, who is now the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, was one of the NFL's best play-callers in PFF's coaching metric and utilized play-action passing to extract the best of Cousins, who had the second highest passing grade on those plays. Assuming they run the same offense with Gary Kubiak now calling the offensive shots, there shouldn't be much reason to worry about Cousins for the time being.

The Cowboys were ranked beneath the Vikings in the Medium category. Four teams – Chiefs, Ravens, Texans and Seahawks – were placed in the Low category by need.

Interestingly, all three of the Vikings NFC North rivals were evaluated by Treash to be in the High category, meaning "their current starter is on the decline or has yet to prove himself, no time for caution."

More flex scheduling options down the road?

According Sports Business Journal's Ben Fischer and John Ourand, it's possible that flex scheduling could involve Monday Night Football games in the future.

Fischer and Ourand wrote that the NFL "has asked teams for feedback on the prospect of radically expanding flex scheduling, including the possibility of moving games from Sunday to Monday in midseason."

According to SBJ, the NFL has not yet proposed a specific plan but simply fielded feedback.

Any flex scheduling changes would not take effect until new media rights deals kick in, starting with the 2023 season. Even though the NFL has not started formal negotiations with any networks, ESPN has let it be known that it wants to incorporate flexible scheduling as part of a new Monday Night Football deal.

ESPN wants to be able to flex out of late-season games that carry no postseason implications, like the Dec. 24, 2018, matchup between the 6-8 Denver Broncos and the 3-11 Oakland Raiders, or the Week 10 matchup earlier that season between the 1-7 New York Giants and the 2-7 San Francisco 49ers. PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 2/11/20

Panel & Fans Vote on Vikings Best QB from 2010-19

By Craig Peters

A new decade is upon us, as the Vikings have their sights set on 2020 and beyond. But before we fully turn to what's next, Vikings fans looked back at some of their favorite players from the previous decade.

Minnesota went 81-77-2in the seasons between 2010 and 2019, winning a pair of NFC North titles and making four total playoff appearances during the decade (2-4 in postseason play).

There isn't an All-Decade Team for the Minnesota Vikings, but if there was one, who would be on it for their play with the team between 2010-19?

Vikings.com opened the topic for debate to a panel featuring "Voice of the Vikings" Paul Allen, analyst Pete Bercich, Mark Rosen and Kevin Seifert. Fans also were invited to vote online for their best players of the decade. More than 5,000 votes were cast at each position.

We'll start the recap with quarterbacks, where the Vikings have spent the better part of a quarter century finding short-term solutions, a status that has been amplified by injuries. The panel picked one QB and found a consensus with fans. all-decade-qb-2560 Kirk Cousins, 2018-2019

Fan Vote: 2,787 of 5,416 total votes at QB (51 percent)

Stats from the Decade: 31 games, 732-of-1,050 passing (69.7 completion percentage) for 7,901 yards (254.9 pass yards per game, 56 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and a passer rating of 103.0; 75 rushes for 186 yards and two touchdowns

Thoughts from the Panel

"At the end of the equation, you get down to Kirk Cousins or Teddy Bridgewater. For me, with the 56 touchdowns, the 16 interceptions, I know it's only two years, but the fact that he won a playoff game, quite honestly, I think this is a no- brainer. I think it's Kirk." — Paul Allen

"Kirk Cousins is definitely the guy of the decade. … It's between him and Teddy Bridgewater, and you take a look at the numbers — Paul pointed out a few of them — almost 1,800 more yards, 28 more touchdowns, five less interceptions, and the highest passer rating that Teddy ever had for a season was 88.7, where Kirk just ripped off one that was over 107. From a production standpoint … if you're looking at performance by a player at a position, then Kirk Cousins is the guy of the decade." — Pete Bercich

Teddy Bridgewater, 2014-2017

Fan Vote: 1,295 of 5,416 total votes (24 percent)

Stats from the Decade: 30 games, 551-of-851 passing (64.7 completion percentage) for 6,150 yards (205.0 pass yards per game), 28 touchdowns, 22 interceptions and a passer rating of 86.3; 94 rushes for 398 yards and four touchdowns

Case Keenum, 2017

Fan Vote: 1,209 of 5,416 total votes (22 percent)

Vikings All-Decade Team Candidates: Quarterbacks View images of the Vikings All-Decade Team candidates at quarterback.

Stats from the Decade: 15 games, 325-of-481 passing (67.6 completion percentage) for 3,547 yards (236.5 pass yards per game), 22 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a passer rating of 98.3; 40 rushes for 160 yards and one touchdown

Thought from the Panel

"My thinking of this, there isn't a lot of sustained success at quarterback for anybody, so you almost get to single seasons, and I don't think anybody had a better single season than Case Keenum did in 2017. He was the second- best quarterback in the league by QBR that year. Kirk Cousins had a really good season, probably a top 10 this past year, but … I think Case's was the best." — Kevin Seifert

"I'm going to back off the 'no-brainer' comment that I made about Kirk, because now that I think about Case more in 2017, he saved the season. He wasn't the starting quarterback, and I'll never forget Week 2 at Heinz Field when they tried to get [Sam] Bradford up and running. Keenum had basically done nothing during the week. They lose and didn't get off to a great start, but what he did to save that season. His mobility, I stick with Kirk, but I agree with Kevin, it's not a 'no-brainer.' " — Allen

Also received votes…

Sam Bradford, 2016-17

Stats from the Decade: 17 games, 427-of-595 passing (71.8 completion percentage) for 4,259 yards (250.5 pass yards per game), 23 touchdowns, five interceptions and a passer rating of 101.1; 22 rushes for 50 yards

Christian Ponder, 2011-14

Stats from the Decade: 38 games, 632-of-1,057 passing (59.8 completion percentage) for 6,658 yards (175.2 pass yards per game), 38 touchdowns, 36 interceptions and a passer rating of 75.9; 126 rushes for 639 yards and seven touchdowns PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 2/11/20

Monday Morning Mailbag: Possibly Drafting a QB, Up-and-Coming Offensive Linemen & Barr's Role in 2020

By Eric Smith

Do you have a comment or question? Send it to the vikings.com Mailbag! Every Monday we'll post several comments and/or questions as part of the vikings.com Monday Morning Mailbag. Although we can't post every comment or question, we will reply to every question submitted.

Click here to submit a comment or question to the mailbag. Remember to include your name and town on the email. The questions below have been edited for clarity.

You can also send Eric a Mailbag question via Twitter.

Do you think the Vikings will go after a quarterback in the draft?

— Jordan Nelson

I have a crazy draft idea sparked by what the Chiefs did after Alex Smith's fine season in moving up to draft Patrick Mahomes. Let me start by saying that I like [Kirk] Cousins and think he is a really good QB, much like Smith before his injury. My idea is this: if Tua Tagovailoa is available at 5, put an aggressive package together to trade with Miami to move up and grab Tua and have him sit for a year behind Cousins. Or, even crazier, send Cousins to Miami for the #5 and Ryan Fitzpatrick in return (or sign him if he is a free agent) and have Tua sit for a year behind Fitzmagic. Swing for the fence!

— Paul in Connecticut, a lifelong Vikings fan

We'll start with a pair of quarterback-centric emails, both of which raise interesting points.

The Vikings last drafted a quarterback in 2014, and that was Teddy Bridgewater. With Sean Mannion's contract set to expire at the start of the new league year in March, perhaps the Vikings add a quarterback in the draft if he doesn't return. But even if he does, maybe Minnesota brings in another guy to compete behind Mannion and Jake Browning?

The decision to draft a quarterback could also depend on whether or not the Vikings have decided to extend Kirk Cousins or not. If the Vikings extend Cousins for a few more seasons, then drafting a quarterback in the first round isn't a likely scenario, as Paul wants to do.

With the 2020 offseason in full swing, now is that time that people come up with any and all scenarios for their favorite team. Both Jordan and Paul certainly bring up an interesting question as to whether the Vikings will address QB depth in the offseason. Cousins, of course, currently has one year remaining on his three-year contract, so his future will be an area of focus this offseason.

Remember, too, that the Vikings are on the heels of a decade defined by injuries and turnover at the position. From 2010-2019, Minnesota had 13 different quarterbacks start at least one game. It is everyone's hope that there's a bit more consistency over the next 10 seasons.

Regardless of what happens, there will be lots of chatter about the Vikings quarterbacks over the next few months, that's for sure.

Which of the current Vikings offensive linemen have a chance of making a big difference next year, and what do they need to work on in the offseason?

— Jimmy Flaskerud

I'll give you a few options with this one, Jimmy.

Brian O'Neill took a noticeable step in Year 2, and could cement himself as one of the game's top right tackles with another strong season inn 2020. According to the analytics website Pro Football Focus, O'Neill did not allow a single sack during the regular season.

Garrett Bradbury will also be looked upon to improve after getting plenty of experience as a rookie. The center from North Carolina State started all 16 games, and led all Vikings offensive players with 989 snaps, a number that would have been higher if the Vikings chose not to give reserves a chance to play in the meaningless Week 17 game against the Bears.

You might also want to keep your eyes on a pair of 2019 rookies in 2020. Guard Dru Samia (a fourth-rounder out of Oklahoma) and tackle Oli Udoh (a sixth-rounder out of Elon) essentially redshirted in 2019, as both played 31 snaps next to each other in that home game against Chicago. Both could challenge for starting spots in 2020 if they show enough improvement in offseason practices and training camp.

[There could] be a lot of moves this offseason [with] cuts and restructures. One idea I've kind of gone through my head is: if [Everson] Griffen is cut, do you think the Vikings will use [Anthony] Barr more as a pass rusher on 3rd down, with a little splash of [Ifeadi] Odenigbo, [especially] with how well [Eric] Wilson played? I do feel like going for a vet during the second wave of FA is also a great idea. Thanks for everything you guys do at VEN.

— Brandon Peterson from Spicer, MN

It remains to be seen whether or not Everson is back, but teammates and coaches have always spoken highly of him as a leader and captain in recent years. If the Vikings don't bring him back, your idea does make some sense.

If Griffen isn't on the roster, perhaps the defensive line consists of the combination of Hunter, Barr, Armon Watts, Hercules Mata'afa and Odenigbo. Stephen Weatherly could also be mentioned in there if he is re-signed this offseason.

In this scenario, the Vikings will likely be in the nickel defense, meaning they have five defensive backs on the field. If — and that is a big if — Barr is used as a pass rusher near the line of scrimmage, then Wilson would theoretically take his spot as a linebacker alongside Eric Kendricks.

Barr and Kendricks have cemented themselves as the two linebackers in the nickel package — and have had plenty of success both rushing the passer and in pass coverage — while letting their teammates up front mix and match along the line. Remember, Hunter and Griffen lined up on the interior against the Saints in the Wild Card round and got consistent pressure on Drew Brees.

Lots to think about, but we'll know more on how things could shake out after roster decisions are made.

I've always been a fan of Xaiver Rhodes, I know he's been [criticized] a lot this past season. Do you think the Vikings will re-sign him if he plays up to par this year? If we let any more of our CBs go, I'd say Trae Waynes on a trade during the draft. What do you think?

— K.C. Moss III

Good question on Xavier, but need to clarify something first: Xavier is under contract for the next few seasons, so the Vikings don't need to re-sign him in the immediate future.

Xavier has been one of the best cornerbacks in team history, but has had his ups and downs in the past two seasons. If he is on the roster in 2020, the Vikings will hope he can raise his game a little bit. But if the Vikings decide to release him and he's no longer here, that will certainly be a sizable void to fill in the secondary. He knows the scheme and is close with his teammates, and simply plugging in someone new may take time to yield results.

Waynes is one of numerous defensive backs scheduled to be a free agent in March — a group that also includes Anthony Harris, Mackensie Alexander, Andrew Sendejo and Jayron Kearse — so the only way we could trade him on draft night is to sign him to a contract and then deal him to another team. That's certainly a possibility, but likely a slim one. The bigger question is whether or not the Vikings and Waynes' camp decide to agree on a new contract or part ways.

That, like a handful of other potential roster moves, will all shake out here in the next month or so.

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine runs from Feb. 24 through March 1, and that's usually when buzz begins building about contract negotiations, especially with free agency looming in mid-March.