The Vikings got their first look at quarterback Jaren Hall last weekend at their rookie camp, traded outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith to Cleveland and made their plans clear for free agent cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.
In other words, things are far from quiet at TCO Performance Center and they will pick up even more next week as Organized Team Activities get underway with on-the-field practices.
Here’s a look at some recent items of interest.
Kevin O'Connell discusses importance of communication with rookie quarterback
Coach Kevin O’Connell spent time watching and working with Hall last Friday during the one day of the Vikings’ rookie minicamp that reporters were allowed to watch.
That was only a start for O’Connell, a former quarterback who was hired in part because of his success in developing players at that position. O’Connell was asked how much he will break down Hall’s mechanics and try to mold the fifth-round quarterback into a potential starter in the NFL.
“(It’s) how you do that, how you deliver that information,” O’Connell said. “I don’t know that if at the quarterback position you ever truly want to break them down all the way. But it’s watching, evaluating and then giving them clear-cut coaching points with real tangible ways of fixing those things.
“Then when they do it right, it’s the positive reinforcement of ‘That’s how it should look every time.’ (Hall) was pleasant, and a joy to work with for Chris (O’Hara, Vikings QB coach), Grant (Udinski, assistant QB coach), and myself. I’m sure those guys thought I butted my head in there a little bit too much but they better get used to that.”
O’Connell did say that he was “picking his spots” as far as when he got involved with Hall. “I’ll spend a lot of time with Jaren,” O’Connell said. “I’m a big fan of his, love the way he came out and commanded a group of guys that are learning a bunch of information for the first time.”
Za'Darius Smith trade clears valuable cap space
The Vikings might have wanted to keep outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith but his decision to post a goodbye to the team on social media in March made it clear that the veteran wanted to move on.
Smith got his wish on Friday night when he was traded to Cleveland, along with sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2025, for fifth-round selections in 2024 and ’25.
The Vikings reportedly retained $1.2 million of Smith’s signing bonus but will save $10.98 million against the salary cap, bringing their cap space to just over $12 million.
So how will the Vikings use that money? Some of it probably will go toward contract extensions for tight end T.J. Hockenson and defensive end Danielle Hunter. The Smith trade almost certainly means Hunter will get a new deal before next season.
It also will be interesting to see how the Vikings structure the mega-contract that wide receiver Justin Jefferson is expected to receive this offseason. Jefferson remains under his rookie contract through 2024.
As far as Smith’s departure, the 30-year-old finished second on the Vikings in 2022 with 10 sacks, but 9.5 of those came in the first nine games before a knee issue slowed him.
The fact the Vikings couldn’t get more for Smith wasn’t a surprise given his recent injury issues — he missed almost all of 2021 after having back surgery — and his age.
Byron Murphy Jr.'s versatility to be key for defense
There will be plenty of competition among the Vikings’ young cornerbacks for playing time, but it appears that will not extend to the nickel corner spot that Chandon Sullivan played in his one season in Minnesota.
Byron Murphy Jr., who left Arizona to sign a two-year, $17.5 million free agent contract with Minnesota in March, will be used as an outside corner but will move inside in the nickel defense. Murphy did the same thing at times in Arizona.
O’Connell, who saw Sullivan struggle last season, called Murphy “one of the better nickels in football.”
“Byron’s off to a great start,” O’Connell said. “Every single day, you just get a feel for the type of movement skills he has, the experience he has and kind of a wide variety of doing different jobs.”
Murphy, 25, played in only nine games last season because of a back issue. The competition for playing time at corner figures to include 2022 draft picks Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr., as well as 2023 picks Mekhi Blackmon and Jay Ward.
The Vikings are making a wise move by keeping their young corners focused on playing outside. The nickel corner job is a complex one and moving a young player inside can backfire in a big way.
What's going on with Dalvin Cook?
The Vikings cleared up one question mark by trading Smith to the Browns. The next move will be either trading or releasing running back Dalvin Cook in the coming weeks.
Cook, who will turn 28 on Aug. 10, has rushed for 5,993 yards and 47 touchdowns in six seasons and 73 games with the Vikings. He played in every regular-season game last year for the first time in his career, but his 4.4-yard average was a career low.
The most the Vikings are going to get for Cook is a late-round draft pick and there’s always a chance he could be released. Cook’s salary-cap hit for 2023 is scheduled to be $14.1 million and there is no way the Vikings want to have that on their books.
If Cook is cut after June 1, the Vikings will save $9 million against the cap and take on a dead money hit of $5.1 million. A trade after June 1, would result in $11 million in savings and a dead money hit of $3.1 million.
The issue is that any team acquiring Cook is almost certainly going to redo his contract and he will have to agree to such a move. Cook might prefer to force the Vikings to cut him so he can pick his new team.
One would think the situation will be cleared up by the time the Vikings’ two-day mandatory minicamp arrives on June 13.
