Vikings Notes: Stefanski, Bevell
As had been expected, Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski will garner an interview for the club’s vacant offensive coordinator position. Stefanski, who’s coached tight ends, running backs, and quarterbacks for Minnesota, will meet with head coach Mike Zimmer this weekend, reports Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Meanwhile, former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell‘s interview with Zimmer will take place on Friday, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Ex-Giants head coach Ben McAdoo and former Broncos play-caller Mike McCoy have also speculatively been mentioned as candidates for the Vikings’ OC role, but neither has yet been asked to interview.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/23/18
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- WR Lamar Atkins
- RB Tim Cook
- FB/DE Hunter Dimick
- LB Brooks Ellis
- T Avery Gennesy
- TE David Grinnage
- CB Dexter McDougle
- S Charlie Miller
- CB Sammy Seamster
- WR Tevaun Smith
- T Brandon Thomas
- RB Brandon Wilds
Minnesota Vikings
- WR Cayleb Jones
Vikings To Interview Darrell Bevell
Former Seahawks play-caller Darrell Bevell is in high demand. After completing his interview with the Cardinals, Bevell will meet with the Vikings this week, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). 
The Vikings are in need of a new offensive coordinator following the departure of Pat Shurmur. Although Shurmur’s offensive attack came up short in the NFC Championship Game, his system was largely a success in Minnesota. The job, presumably, would hold great appeal for Bevell and other candidates, though it’s not quite clear who the next OC will be working with at quarterback.
The Vikings face one of the most unique QB conundrums in recent memory with Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, and Teddy Bridgewater all scheduled for free agency. Some expect the Vikings to either franchise tag or extend Keenum while allowing injury-prone Bradford and Bridgewater to walk. The reality, however, is that Keenum could follow Shurmur to New York, forcing the Vikings to retain either Bridgewater or Bradford as their starter. Or, they could conceivably try and keep two of the three. There could even be a scenario in which the Vikings pursue a big-name QB in free agency (such as Drew Brees) and move on from the whole trio. Anything is possible, so Bevell must be ready to explain how his system will fit quarterbacks of all different styles.
Former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo and former Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy have also been mentioned as candidates for the job.
Vikings’ Kevin Stefanski An OC Candidate?
Incumbent Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski is a “possible candidate” for Minnesota’s offensive coordinator vacancy, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
[RELATED: 2018 NFL Coordinator Tracker]
The Vikings are searching for a new offensive play-caller after Pat Shurmur — who became the club’s OC midway through the 2016 season — accepted the Giants’ head coaching job on Monday. Minnesota ranked fifth in offensive DVOA last year, so the next coordinator will certainly face a tall task in replacing Shurmur with an uncertain quarterback situation.
Minnesota already has a list of potential candidates to take over for Shurmur, but the only known interview the club has scheduled is with former Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, who spent the 2006-10 seasons as the Vikings’ OC and has also met with the Cardinals about taking over play-calling duties. Former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo and ex-Broncos OC Mike McCoy are also reportedly on the Vikings’ radar.
Stefanski, meanwhile, has spent nearly his entire career with the Vikings (save for a 2005 internship with the Eagles). He’s steadily risen the coaching ranks, serving in nearly offensive role on Minnesota’s staff. The 35-year-old Stefanski has progressed from assistant to the head coach, to assistant quarterbacks coach, to tight ends coach, to running backs coach before finally being named QBs coach prior to the 2017 campaign.
Vikings’ Brian Robison Could Retire
The Vikings came just short of reaching the Super Bowl this year and it’s not clear whether Brian Robison will be a part of the redemption effort next season. In a radio interview on Monday, the defensive end said that he is pondering retirement. 
“I think that’s a decision I’m going to have to make here over the next few weeks,” said Robison (via La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune). “I think I need to sit down with my wife and talk about it and maybe sit down with [General Manager Rick Spielman] and just think it out. You don’t want to make any spur-of-the-moment decisions just because your emotions are all over the place. You want your mind to calm down and think things through. It is a very important decision.”
Last spring, Robison inked an extension with the team to take him through the 2018 season. At the time, he said that he would retire after the ’18 campaign. Now, those plans might be accelerated.
Robison will turn 35 in April and the longtime starter is showing signs of decline. After starting nearly every game for Minnesota from 2011-2016, the veteran made just one start in 2017. His four sacks and 20 tackles were his lowest posting since 2010 and his 53.4 overall score from Pro Football Focus portrayed him as a below-average edge defender.
Robison is due a base salary of $3.2MM in 2018 with $1.25MM guaranteed, plus $200K in per-game roster bonuses and $100K through a workout bonus. Even if Robison decides to continue playing, the team may choose to move on from him and save ~$2MM.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/22/18
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Minnesota Vikings
- OT Dieugot Joseph
- OT Cedrick Lang
- DE Caushaud Lyons
- DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
- CB Horace Richardson
- LB Antwione Williams.
Latest On The Vikings QB Situation
The Vikings 2017 campaign ended in disappointment after they were blown out in the NFC Championship game at the hands of the Eagles. Now as the team enters the offseason, they face the very unique challenge of having all three of the quarterbacks on their roster entering free agency at the same time. Michael Rand of the Star Tribune talked to both Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater as the team moved their stuff out of the locker room on Monday afternoon.
Keenum, who turns 30 in February, put together a surprisingly productive season after he spent much of his career as a backup. There were rumors that Keenum could be franchised tagged coming off of their miracle finish against the Saints, but that may now put put to rest given the offense’s performance this past weekend. Nevertheless, Keenum told reporters that he would love to come back to Minnesota next season because of the connection he feels to the franchise and the city.
I love this team,” said Keenum. “I love these guys. Love the coaching staff. I love this whole organization. … The culture they have around here is just awesome. Minnesota itself, the people here have been great.”
On the other hand, Bridgewater completed the major accomplishment of working his way back to becoming active after his scary leg injury that he suffered in training camp prior to the start of the 2016 season. Bridgewater told reporters that he understood why the Vikings played things the way they did.
“In a perfect world, I would have loved to have been dressing, but I understand decisions are made to give this team the best chance to win,” said Bridgewater. “I understand that and I’m a pro. I know what it takes. It happened, and I dealt with it.”
But not that he’s healthy, the 25-year-old added that he “definitely, without a question” is capable of being a team’s top signal caller.
Rand notes that Bridgewater and Sam Bradford have real injury questions, which makes Keenum the likely pick of the front office out of three options. However, he does add that it’s entirely within reason that the Vikings could go outside of the organization and sign a guy like Kirk Cousins to solidify the position moving forward.
Vikings’ Jerick McKinnon Seeks Bigger Role
It sounds like Jerick McKinnon is ready to move on from the Vikings. On the verge of free agency, running back says he wants to be a team’s top ball carrier in 2018. 
“I want bigger and better things for myself,” McKinnon said (Twitter link via Chris Hine of the Star Tribune). “We’ll see what happens.”
McKinnon was hoping to step into a more prominent role after the departure of Adrian Peterson, but he found himself third on the depth chart this year after the team signed Latavius Murray in free agency and drafted Dalvin Cook in the second round. Although Cook was knocked out of action with a torn ACL in Week 4, McKinnon still spent the bulk of the year as a change-of-pace back behind Murray.
This year, McKinnon demonstrated his value as a pass-catching back, posting a career high 51 catches and 421 receiving yards. In short spurts, he also showed what he can do between the tackles. McKinnon ran for 40 yards off of ten carries against the Eagles in Sunday’s loss, good for an average of 4.0 yards per carry against the league’s best run defense. He also managed 96 yards off of 16 carries in the team’s first game without Cook.
It’s possible that Pat Shurmur could bring McKinnon with him to the Giants. The two have a strong working relationship and the G-Men are in desperate need of a running game overhaul.
Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order
With the conference championship games in the books, we now know the draft order for 30 of the first round’s 32 picks. Here’s the rundown:
1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)
2. New York Giants (3-13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos (5-11)
6. New York Jets (5-11)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
8. Chicago Bears (5-11)
T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
13. Washington Redskins (7-9)
14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
20. Detroit Lions (9-7)
21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
31. (New England Patriots (13-3) or Philadelphia Eagles (13-3))
32. (New England Patriots (13-3) or Philadelphia Eagles (13-3))
Vikings Could Franchise QB Case Keenum?
The Vikings are open to using the franchise tag in order to retain quarterback Case Keenum, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com goes a step further, noting it “would be beyond shocking” for Keenum not to receive the franchise tender.
Keenum, a career journeyman who inked a one-year, $2MM pact with Minnesota last offseason, posted the best season of his career in 2017 while leading the Vikings’ offense to a No. 5 finish in offensive DVOA. The soon-to-be 30-year-old ranked seventh in passer rating and ninth in adjusted net yards per completion during the 2017 regular season, and finished first in Football Outsiders‘ individual DVOA metric. Keenum, of course, will quarterback the Vikings in tonight’s NFC Championship Game against the Eagles.
The Vikings have the fifth-most cap space (about $57MM) of any NFL team in 2018, so the ~$23.3MM franchise tag is palatable for general manager Rick Spielman & Co. A franchise tender would also allow Minnesota to lock in Keenum for only a single season, alleviating any concerns that Keenum will turn back into a pumpkin during the course of a long-term deal. The Vikings have yet to enter extension discussions with Keenum or any of their other their pending free agent quarterbacks, a list that includes Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater.
Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is expected to accept the Giants’ head coaching position when Minnesota’s postseason run concludes, and while some reports have indicated Shurmur could bring Keenum along to his new destination, that now seems unlikely given that New York is expected to retain Eli Manning. Speculatively, the Bills could be a potential suitor given that they expressed interest in Keenum last offseason.