Opinion: Vikes Could Shape NFL Offseason
- The Vikings are one of six teams that could change the course of the offseason, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. Minnesota has three starting-caliber quarterbacks heading towards free agency in Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, and Teddy Bridgewater and no one knows which, if any, they will retain. If they decide to move forward with Keenum, it remains to be seen whether the Vikings will use the franchise tag, the transition tag, or extend him. The Vikings also have lots of cap room to work with (just over $49MM, eighth highest in the NFL, per Over The Cap) and they should have plenty to still use even if they extend the likes of Anthony Barr, Stefon Diggs, and Trae Waynes. That number will also increase if defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd is unable to play.
- The Lions have hired former NFLer Hank Fraley as their new assistant offensive line coach, the club announced today. Fraley, who spent 11 years in the league as an interior offensive lineman, has previously coached for the Vikings and at San Diego State and UCLA in the collegiate ranks. In Detroit, he’ll work under Jeff Davidson, who was recently hired as the team’s OL coach. The Lions also announced the retention of Evan Rothstein, who will now serve as assistant to the head coach/research and analysis.
Vikings Team To Watch For McCarron
Now that’s been declared an unrestricted free agent, Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron says he’s “open to everything,” according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “It’s just awesome just to be free now and to hopefully get that opportunity and be able to compete somewhere,” said McCarron. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I’m just super excited.” McCarron, who won a grievance against the Bengals, will now join a free agent signal-caller class that includes Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum, and Sam Bradford, among others. In what sounds like speculation, the Browns (who nearly traded for McCarron last year) and the Vikings are two team to “keep an eye on” as McCarron hits the open market, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/12/18
More On Kevin Stefanski, John DeFilippo
New Vikings OC John DeFilippo is viewed as a rising star in the coaching world, and Minnesota is obviously high on the former Eagles quarterbacks coach, as it targeted DeFilippo as soon as former OC Pat Shurmur left for the Giants’ head coaching job. The Vikings were also willing to wait for Philadelphia’s season to be over before naming Shurmur’s replacement, which shows just how much they liked DeFilippo. Despite the hire, though, the Vikings denied the Giants’ request to interview Minnesota quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski for the New York OC gig, and Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio suggests that there are two reasons for that (Twitter link). Obviously, the Vikings value Stefanski and want him around in 2018, but the team also thinks there is a good chance DeFilippo could get his own head coaching opportunity in 2019, so Minnesota views Stefanski as a potential replacement (after all, the Vikes did interview Stefanski for the OC position this year before hiring DeFilippo). However, Marvez reports that Stefanski only has one year left on his current contract, so he could become a coaching free agent in 2019.
Vikings Deny Giants Permission To Interview Kevin Stefanski
The Giants are going to have to look elsewhere for an offensive coordinator, because the Vikings don’t plan to open the door for Kevin Stefanski to leave the Twin Cities.
The Vikings denied the Giants permission to interview their quarterbacks coach for their OC job, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Facebook link). This comes even after the Vikings hired Eagles QBs coach John DeFilippo to replace Pat Shurmur.
Shurmur will now have to move on to other candidates to fill the OC post in New York. DeFilippo’s arrival in Minnesota certainly makes the franchise preventing Stefanski from becoming an OC interesting, especially after the Eagles granted DeFilippo permission for the Vikings interview, but the defending NFC North champions did interview Stefanski for their OC job and clearly don’t want to lose him just yet.
The Giants are also believed to be considering Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley and former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell for the position. But with Stefanski’s ties to Shurmur, he was the logical favorite to be the new Big Blue HC’s right-hand man on offense.
No interviews have commenced for this position, with Stefanski apparently set to be the first. Meetings about this job figure to occur soon, though, now that Stefanski won’t be going to the Big Apple.
Stefanski, 35, has been with the Vikings for 12 seasons. He was already an assistant quarterbacks coach by age 27, when then-starting passer Brett Favre was 40, illustrating how the franchise views him. Stefanski’s moved from tight ends coach to running backs instructor to QBs coach over the past four years, and it looks like he’ll stay on for a second season developing Minnesota’s signal-callers — now under DeFilippo’s direction.
Shurmur and Staley have an extensive history, with the former running back being a player during Shurmur’s first Philadelphia stint and then a coach during his second, whereas Shurmur and Bevell have never coached on an NFL staff together. However, Shurmur looks to be seeking an OC with experience coaching quarterbacks, and Staley has yet to serve in that role since breaking into the coaching ranks. Former Cardinals OC Harold Goodwin has also been mentioned as a candidate.
Staley will require Eagles permission to interview with the Giants, whereas Bevell and Goodwin are coaching free agents.
John DeFilippo Sheds Light On Minnesota Plans
Friday morning, former Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo was hired as the offensive coordinator in Minnesota to replace Pat Shurmur, who took the head-coaching gig with the Giants. In the afternoon, he addressed his plans for the team’s offense and noted a few opportunities in the league that were presented to him. 
The 39-year-old coach said he interviewed for head-coaching positions in Arizona and Chicago and was requested by a few teams for the offensive coordinator positions, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. “When the Minnesota Vikings want to talk to you, that’s a whole different ball game,” DeFilippo said. “It was obviously a special opportunity to work for Coach Zimmer and learn from him and work for another great head coach and another opportunity for myself to call plays.”
DeFilippo hasn’t called plays since serving as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2015. There was an opportunity for him to become the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia if current offensive coordinator Frank Reich became head coach in Indianapolis. He, however, would not call plays due to head coach Doug Pederson fulfilling that role.
With Sam Bradford, Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater all preparing to enter free agency, DeFilippo said athleticism in the pocket is a must, Tomasson reports (Twitter link). None of those passers are really known for their athleticism, but Keenum did show an ability to sidestep the rush during his breakout 2017 campaign.
DeFilippo also said he will incorporate elements of the Eagles offense while keeping the aspects that Minnesota did well in 2017, the Star Tribune Ben Goessling tweets.
Vikings Hire John DeFilippo As OC
The Vikings have finally replaced Pat Shurmur as their offensive coordinator. The team announced on Friday morning that Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo will take over as their new OC. The news was first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) on Thursday night.
“We are very excited to add John to our staff,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said in a press release. “We took our time with the search and made sure we left no stone unturned to get the right fit. He has a track record of success and has proven to be a great teacher. We feel John will have good chemistry with our team and we are all eager to get to work.”
Vikings brass had to wait ten days until after the Super Bowl to interview DeFilippo, in accordance with NFL rules. But, once the two sides met on Thursday morning, it didn’t take long for a deal to come together.
DeFilippo served as the Eagles’ QBs coach over the past two seasons, and the tenure ended as one of the most notable in the history of this job. Both Carson Wentz and Nick Foles had banner years, the former being the MVP frontrunner before his knee injury and the latter orchestrating one of the finest playoff performances in NFL history. The Eagles now face the prospect of losing both their QBs coach and OC, with Frank Reich set to interview for the Colts’ HC job Friday.
The Vikings interviewed five OC candidates to replace Shurmur, including incumbent QBs coach Kevin Stefanski and ex-Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell, but waited through the Super Bowl to meet with DeFilippo.
This could clear the way for Stefanski to join Shurmur with the Giants. Big Blue will need the Vikings’ permission to speak with Stefanski, but now that DeFilippo is moving to the Twin Cities, it appears likely the Vikings would allow the move that would bring upward mobility to the 35-year-old assistant’s career. Shurmur is said to be looking to hire someone to become the Giants’ OC and QBs coach.
The Eagles denied the Jets permission to speak with DeFilippo last year but green-lit a Vikings powwow. And it will lead to the former Browns OC leaving Philadelphia. Foles finished 28-for-43 with 373 air yards and four touchdowns accounted for in a Super Bowl MVP showing. Wentz’s 33 touchdown passes still ranked second in the NFL despite the games his ligament tears cost him.
While the Eagles had Doug Pederson and Reich working above DeFilippo, it’s fair to say the QBs coach played a key role in the dominant quarterback play the Super Bowl champions received this season. The Eagles may have even preferred DeFilippo to Reich to be their future OC, but he’ll soon get to work on Minnesota’s offense.
With the next Vikings OC being the top offensive-based mind within the franchise, DeFilippo will have a big say in whom the team chooses to play quarterback for them in 2018.
Latest On Giants’ Offensive Coordinator Vacancy
Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski is the Giants’ top target for their offensive coordinator vacancy, a source tells Alex Marvez of The Sporting News. Trouble is, the Vikings will not allow him to walk unless they are able to lure quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo away from the Eagles. If the Vikings block the Giants from hiring Stefanski, they’ll likely turn to Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley, who Marvez characterizes as “the frontrunner” for New York’s OC vacancy. 
DeFilippo could come off the table for the Vikings completely if he is promoted to the Eagles’ own OC job. The Eagles already have Frank Reich in that role, but Reich is up for the Colts’ head coaching position and could be moving on. Apparently, that’s the outcome the Eagles are rooting for – Philly would reportedly like to move DeFilippo into Reich’s position, but they’re not about to fire Reich days after the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory.
In an indirect way, Josh McDaniels flaking on the Colts could cost the Giants their top choice for OC.
Vikings To Interview John DeFilippo
The Vikings officially requested permission to interview Eagles’ quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo about their offensive coordinator job, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Minnesota will meet with DeFilippo on Thursday, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link).
It has been reported that DeFilippo is likely to stay in Philadelphia for a third season, but the Vikings will find out soon enough. If he stays, DeFilippo will probably earn a raise and possibly an elevated title, but he’d be unlikely to make OC money as a QB coach. Meanwhile, he’s blocked from ascending the ranks in a meaningful way thanks to the presence of OC Frank Reich. However, Reich is in the mix for the Colts’ head coaching position, so that could be an opportunity for DeFilippo to take the next step.
To date, the Vikings have interviewed four candidates to fill the position Pat Shurmur vacated.
Vikings Willing To Wait For John DeFilippo
The Vikings’ offensive coordinator search could drag on for a while longer. The team would like to talk with Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo about their OC job, but they cannot do so until ten days until after Philadelphia’s season ends, which would be on Feb. 14, Right now, Vikings appear willing to wait, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
DeFilippo has years of coaching experience, but he really put himself on the map in 2017 by guiding second-year QB Carson Wentz to a phenomenal season. When Wentz went down late in the season, DeFilippo helped knock the dust off of Nick Foles, who won the Super Bowl LII MVP trophy.
It’s no surprise that the Vikings are high on DeFilippo, but it is a bit unusual for a team to wait until the middle of February to solidify the upper ranks of the coaching staff. With the NFL Draft scouting combine starting on Feb. 27 and free agency on Mar. 14, that doesn’t leave much time for team brass to incorporate the OC’s input into major personnel decisions.
In the case of the Vikings, they’d surely want their OC to have time to suss out the quarterbacks situation. The Vikings, of course, have three starter-quality QBs scheduled for free agency in Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, and Teddy Bridgewater. The Vikings may only be able to retain one of those three and there’s even a potential scenario in which they could allow the entire trio to depart and sign a new signal caller in free agency.