Vikings

The Vikings Are Playing Poker With Their Future

Photo credit: Minnesota Vikings

Kevin O’Connell came across as the anti-Mike Zimmer when he was introduced on Thursday. He was a coach that vowed to work with his players. O’Connell heaped praise on Kirk Cousins, Harrison Smith, and Anthony Barr. He even talked about taking an adaptable approach to winning games.

To finish off this masterpiece, O’Connell stated that the Minnesota Vikings had a “very talented roster in place” and “aren’t that far from achieving the ultimate goal.”

That sounds like a head coach expecting big things in 2022. But it could also be the Vikings pulling up to the poker table.

This offseason will have the same excitement as a roulette wheel. With as many as eight teams looking for a quarterback, the Vikings will have suitors for Cousins. After watching the Los Angeles Rams win a Super Bowl after going all-in, someone will want to add a veteran presence. Similarly, teams looking for a superstar edge rusher who went unmentioned may be in luck.

Thursday’s press conference was all about establishing the bluff. The Vikings created a market by pumping up their own players, which may lead to an offseason that could be busier than expected.

It starts with O’Connell’s praise of Smith. The 32-year-old has no guaranteed money left on the 4-year, $64 million extension he signed last summer. There’s a valid reason for the Vikings to move on, but O’Connell made it sound he could be an integral part of the defense.

“I think he’s the perfect player for the defensive structure we want to play,” he said. “[Smith has] got great length. He’s got great instincts. He’s going to be a problem for people in the middle of the field and around the line of scrimmage.”

O’Connell is right. Smith is a versatile safety who could fit any type of scheme. But for any team looking for an upgrade, O’Connell might as well have been throwing a stack of chips into the middle of the table.

The same goes for the Vikings’ approach with Cousins. Adam Schefter, Tom Pelissero, and Ian Rapoport have all hinted that the Vikings want Cousins to stay in 2022. But they’ve also mentioned that his contract is a bigger obstacle.

Instead of publicly balking at Cousins’ contract demands, which could top $40 million, the Vikings will take every opportunity to make it look like they want Cousins back. This was apparent during the press conference.

“I think Kirk has played at a very high level and has done a lot of good things throughout his career,” O’Connell said. “I know who he is and what he’s capable of, and part of our job as coaches is maximizing a player’s ability to go out every single Sunday and have success.”

If O’Connell was throwing in another stack of chips, Adofo-Mensah threw in a gold Rolex.

“I’m excited that he’s excited to coach him and lead him,” Adofo-Mensah said. “We’re focused on building the team around him to set us up to succeed the best we can.”

The same goes for the player who O’Connell didn’t talk about. Danielle Hunter wasn’t mentioned at all during the press conference. Perhaps Hunter’s contract situation is partially to blame. But that’s odd for an edge rusher who became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 50 sacks.

On the topic of if the Vikings will be competitive next year, Mark Wilf decided to throw the keys to his Porche in the middle of the table.

“I certainly do believe and even more so now that we’ve got our leadership in place that we are built to be successful right away,” Wilf said. “We feel very confident about that and like you heard before, we’re going to work with Kirk as our quarterback, and we’ll move forward from there. But for 2022, for sure, we’re going to be super competitive. Sustained success is the goal, and I think we have it with this leadership.”

The Vikings are saying all the right things. But it downplays the reality of the situation.

According to Spotrac, Minnesota enters the offseason $14.7 million over the cap. Even if they want to keep Cousins, Hunter, Smith, and others, someone is going to have to go. The other 31 teams in the NFL know this and may low-ball the Vikings in a potential trade offer.

Here is where the art of the bluff comes into play. By praising all of their key pieces, the Vikings are in control. They set the market and teams will need to come with their best offer to land what they want.

It’s a dangerous game for the Vikings. Hopefully, someone will call their bluff.

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