Texans Wanted Kellen Mond At No. 67?
The Texans just drafted Davis Mills in the third-round, giving them some quarterback insurance as they wait for the Deshaun Watson saga to play out.
Tyrod Taylor is also on the roster, but if Watson ends up traded or suspended it seems like there’s a good chance the rookie from Stanford makes some starts. New head coach David Culley recently raved about Mills, but as it turns out it sounds like the Texans originally had their eye on a different signal-caller. Houston was planning to take Texas A&M passer Kellen Mond at 67 before the Vikings nabbed him at 66, Mond’s father Kevin told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
“(There was a) phone call from his agent, text message, and the agent said, ‘Hey, the Houston Texans are getting ready to select (Mond) at pick 67,’” the elder Mond said. “It wasn’t supposed to be Mills,” he added. “It was going to be Kellen.”
Getting drafted by the Texans would’ve meant staying in his home state, but Kevin said that Kellen is happy to be headed to Minnesota.
Mond might’ve had a better path to immediate playing time in Houston, but going to the Vikings might prove to be better long-term. He’ll start his pro career behind Kirk Cousins, but if the Vikings elect to move on from Cousins after this season he’ll definitely be in the mix as a potential successor.
Vikings Sign CB Bashaud Breeland
After two seasons with the Chiefs, Bashaud Breeland will return to the NFC North. The veteran cornerback agreed to a deal with the Vikings on Friday, according to the team.
The Bears showed interest in Breeland, who played for the Packers in 2018. But the seven-year veteran will instead become the latest in a run of Vikings free agent corner signings. Minnesota added Patrick Peterson and brought back Mackensie Alexander this offseason. Earlier this week, the Vikes signed Tye Smith. Breeland will bring extensive experience to the Vikings’ secondary.
Since a long-term Panthers pact fell through in 2018, the former second-round pick has settled for one-year agreements. This is likely another one-year deal, with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweeting Breeland can earn up to $4MM on this accord. Breeland has signed one-year contracts worth $3MM (2020), $2MM (’19) and $880K (’18) since leaving Washington.
Breeland spent the past two seasons as a key contributor for Chiefs Super Bowl-qualifying teams. The 29-year-old defender has started 88 career games and will be the second-most experienced corner on Minnesota’s roster. Pro Football Focus graded Breeland as a midlevel corner in 2020, slotting him 57th at the position. But PFF has viewed Peterson as a declining player in this span, slotting the All-Decade corner lower in each of the past two seasons. Like Peterson, Breeland has worked as an outside corner in recent years.
This signing would seem to add to the uncertainty surrounding Jeff Gladney. The 2020 first-round pick was arrested on an assault charge in April. Given the ugly details of that arrest, a suspension is likely for the former high-end prospect. On their respective short-term contracts, Breeland and Peterson stand to provide both starter upside and insurance against a lengthy Gladney ban.
Vikings To Sign CB Tye Smith
The Vikings are adding another veteran to their cornerback room. They agreed to a deal with Tye Smith on Wednesday, according to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (on Twitter).
A former fifth-round Seahawks pick, Smith has played for the Titans since 2017. Tennessee re-signed the veteran backup to one-year deals in 2019 and ’20. Smith’s Vikings pact is a minimum-salary agreement, Anderson notes.
The Titans deployed Smith as a part-timer on defense, using him just under 20% of their defensive plays in each of his active seasons (2017, ’19 and ’20). Last season, he logged 125 defensive snaps. Smith, 27, has experience on special teams but only saw action on 15% of Tennessee’s special teams snaps in 2020. The Division I-FCS product started three games in 2019 as well and forced two fumbles that season.
Minnesota has been active at cornerback this offseason. Mike Zimmer‘s team reunited with sixth-year veteran Mackensie Alexander; he will join All-Decade corner Patrick Peterson, who is entering his 11th season. They agreed to one-year deals in March. The Vikings used first- and third-round picks on corners in 2020, but an offseason arrest has injected uncertainty into first-rounder Jeff Gladney‘s career. Minnesota traded 2018 first-rounder Mike Hughes to Kansas City a few weeks back.
Vikings Wanted Justin Fields At No. 8
Recently, the Panthers shared a behind-the-scenes look at the 2021 NFL Draft, which showed the Vikings calling on their No. 8 overall pick. Ultimately, the offer wasn’t up to snuff. But, had the Panthers said yes, the Vikings would have selected Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields (via PFT). 
The Vikings were connected to Fields in the weeks leading up to the draft, hoping that he’d fall to No. 14 overall. Now, we know that they were proactive in trying to land him. It’s an interesting footnote, especially given the presence of Kirk Cousins. Cousins has two years and $56MM to go on his deal; Fields could have prompted them to trade the veteran sometime between now and the end of the pact.
The Vikings offered up their No. 14 pick, their third-round choice at No. 90, and a fourth-round pick to jump to No. 8. Panthers GM Scott Fitterer wanted a 2022 first-round pick in order to move down, so the talks didn’t progress from there. Instead, the Vikings moved down to No. 23, tapped Virginia Tech tackle Christian Darrisaw, and added to their third-round stockpile. That’s where they selected Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond, who could be groomed as an eventual successor to Cousins.
“Kirk Cousins is our quarterback,” GM Rick Spielman said in March. “I know there’s a lot of rumors floating around out there, but Kirk Cousins is our quarterback. We felt that he played very well, probably the best that he’s ever played down that stretch last year. Kirk is our quarterback going forward, and I look forward to him (having) another year in this system.”
Cousins is indeed the Vikings quarterback, but it’s worth nothing that his contract no longer includes a no-trade clause. Meanwhile, the Vikings will see Fields twice per year when they face the Bears.
Vikings LB Cameron Smith Medically Cleared
Vikings LB Cameron Smith might not be a household name, but his return to the practice field is still noteworthy. The 24-year-old, who missed the entire 2020 campaign due to open-heart surgery, has been medically cleared to play, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets.
Smith has had a tumultuous start to his pro career. Despite less than impressive measurables, his instincts and collegiate production as a four-year player at USC got the Vikings’ attention, and Minnesota selected him in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. He did not survive final cutdowns at the end of his first training camp, though he was quickly signed to the Vikes’ practice squad after he cleared waivers. He was promoted a few weeks later, saw action in a couple of games, and was waived again, only to end up back on the Vikings’ taxi squad before getting another promotion.
In all, he played five games in 2019, compiling eight tackles. Last August, during a COVID test, doctors discovered his heart condition. “COVID saved my life,” Smith said (Twitter link via Tomasson). The Vikings put him on waivers in a procedural move when they realized he would need heart surgery, and he subsequently reverted to season-ending IR (the club paid him his full $675K salary).
Now, Smith has rejoined his teammates, though he will still have an uphill battle to see significant burn on the defensive side of the ball. The Vikings are returning Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, and Minnesota also nabbed North Carolina LB Chazz Surratt in the third round of this year’s draft. Surratt is likely the favorite to land the weakside ‘backer job alongside Barr and Kendricks, but Smith will try to push him for playing time. If nothing else, he could carve out a role on special teams.
Speaking of Barr, the four-time Pro Bowler was also back on the practice field this week, as Tomasson tweets. Barr missed all but two games of the 2020 season due to a torn pec, and he reworked his contract this offseason. He will now be eligible for free agency next March.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/24/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Johnnie Dixon
Detroit Lions
- Signed: T Darrin Paulo
Green Bay Packers
- Released: CB KeiVarae Russell
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed (from Texans): OL Cohl Cabral
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/19/21
The Colts have now officially signed every member of their draft class. We’ll keep track of all the new draftees signing their rookie deals today here:
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Kylen Granson (fourth-round; SMU), QB Sam Ehlinger (sixth-round; Texas)
Minnesota Vikings
- DE Janarius Robinson (fourth-round; Florida State)
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Rhamondre Stevenson (fourth-round; Oklahoma)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- WR Jaelon Darden (fourth-round; North Texas)
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/18/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: K Jake Verity
- Waived: LS Brian Khoury
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Julian Stanford
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: OL William Sweet
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Damion Willis
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed (from Vikings): WR Austin Proehl
New England Patriots
- Waived: OL Najee Toran
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/retired list: OL Alex Hoffman
- Re-signed: S Eric Burrell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OT Casey Tucker
Washington Football Team
- Claimed (from Cardinals): S Chris Miller
Vikings Eyed Alex Leatherwood?
- Continuing recent tradition, the Raiders surprised draft viewers with their first-round pick. The Jon Gruden–Mike Mayock regime chose Alex Leatherwood 17th overall. The Alabama tackle was viewed by most as a major reach; Scouts Inc. rated him as this draft’s 60th-best prospect. The Raiders may have been leery of two teams eyeing Leatherwood in the back half of Round 1, however. The Steelers and Vikings had Leatherwood on their respective radars, per Fowler. The Vikings drafted Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw (Scouts Inc.’s No. 20 overall prospect) at No. 23. Pittsburgh preferred him to most of the draft’s second-tier tackles, but the team appeared locked in on ex-Leatherwood teammate Najee Harris at No. 24. Leatherwood is expected to work as a right tackle in Las Vegas.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/17/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed CB Tae Hayes
- Released S Chris Miller, WR Darece Roberson
Atlanta Falcons
- Cut: OLB Eli Howard
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OLB Pita Taumoepenu, OT Cody Conway
- Cut: OT Ryan Pope, LB David Curry
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Alex Brown
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Daurice Fountain, DB Manny Patterson
- Waived: DB Jaylon McClain-Sapp
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed off waivers from Saints: CB Trill Williams
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed CB Parry Nickerson, OT Evin Ksiezarczyk
San Francisco 49ers
- Cut: WR Austin Proehl
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Kalija Lipscomb
- Released: LB Davin Bellamy (non-football injury), WR Rashard Davis