Headlines

Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

Sam Bradford To Be No. 2 QB

By | at January 14, 2018 12:49 pm

Sam Bradford was activated from IR yesterday, and today ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen reports that Bradford will serve as Case Keenum‘s backup for the Vikings’ divisional round matchup against the Saints this afternoon (Twitter link). Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer has never activated three quarterbacks, so it is likely that Teddy Bridgewater will be inactive for the contest.

Sam Bradford (Vertical)

Bradford started the Vikings’ first game of the 2017 season and performed well in leading his team to a convincing win over — coincidentally enough — the Saints. But he has not played in a full game since that opening contest, and as Bridgewater was continuing to recover from last season’s ACL injury, Keenum was given the chance to show what he could do.

He did not disappoint. He went 11-3 as a starter, led the Vikings to the No. 2 seed in the NFC, and set himself up for a big payday in the coming months. Like Keenum, Bradford and Bridgewater will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, so Minnesota will have some very interesting decisions to make when their season is over.

Mortensen also tweets that, on November 7, Bradford visited Dr. James Andrews to have his left knee cleaned out and a bone spur shaved. As a result, the pain in his knee is not nearly as severe as it was prior to the surgery. Apparently, he feels good enough and has played well enough since returning to the practice field earlier this month to serve as Keenum’s backup in a playoff contest.

0 comments Minnesota Vikings

Latest On Giants’, Cardinals’ HC Searches

By | at January 14, 2018 9:28 am

As of Friday evening, the Giants were reportedly down to three finalists in their search for a new head coach: Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, and Pat Shurmur. This morning, however, we learned that McDaniels is expected to become the Colts’ next head coach, and Patricia is expected to take the Lions’ top job. Logic would therefore dictate that the Giants will do everything in their power to bring Shurmur on board as soon as possible (which could be tonight if Shumur’s Vikings fall to the Saints).

Pat Shurmur (vertical)

Indeed, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that, if Minnesota loses tonight, New York could move quickly on Shurmur, whose potential staff is already in place. But Big Blue could have competition, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the Cardinals will also pounce on Shurmur if he becomes available this evening.

As La Canfora notes, Giants brass follows the letter of the law when it comes to rules concerning the hiring of head coaches whose teams are still in the playoffs, which makes it difficult to pin down New York’s true top choice (Twitter links). After all, Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is still very much in the running for the Giants’ job, per Rapoport, who adds (via Twitter) that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin called the Giants last week to make a case for Wilks, who would be the first minority head coach in franchise history.

If they do not land Shurmur, the Giants could also circle back to Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who at one point was rumored to be the team’s top option. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post names Steelers’ offensive line coach Mike Munchak — who has also interviewed with the Cardinals — as a potential dark horse candidate for the Giants’ job.

8 comments Arizona Cardinals Minnesota Vikings New York Giants

NFC Notes: Vikings, Cards, Packers, 49ers

By | at January 13, 2018 9:34 pm

For the first time all season, the Vikings will have all three of their quarterbacks healthy when they host New Orleans on Sunday. Even with the return of Sam Bradford and the health of Teddy Bridgewater, Case Keenum “is the guy” reports Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

This should come as no surprise, as Keenum has been among the league’s top signal-callers since taking over for Bradford early in the season. The question, however, will be if the team wants to have all three suit up on Sunday. Florio’s sources say that won’t be determined until right before kickoff. Florio thinks untimely concussion evaluations could play into the decision.

Regardless of the decision, Keenum will have as long a leash as possible as the starter. The sixth-year quarterback enjoyed a breakout campaign, throwing for 3,547 yards and 22 touchdowns while posting a stellar 98.3 passer rating. It is unknown at this time if Bradford will leapfrog Bridgewater for the backup role.

Here is more from around the NFC:

  • Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is the perfect candidate for the Cardinals head-coaching vacancy, AZ Central’s Dan Bickley writes. Bickley notes Shurmur’s ability to get the most out of his quarterback as the underlying factor. He also thinks the hiring of Shurmur would ensure the return of Larry Fitzgerald. The hiring, however, would go in opposition to former head coach Bruce Arians’ wishes that defensive coordinator James Bettcher get the job.
  • Packers head coach Mike McCarthy reportedly met with team president and CEO Mark Murphy and expressed concerns Russ Ball wouldn’t be aggressive in free agency, USA Today’s Pete Dougherty reports. The meeting in theory caused Murphy to not promote Ball to general manager after Ted Thompson left the spot. Dougherty has doubts that the meeting had any impact on the situation. He also laid out another theory that Murphy preferred Brian Gutekunst all along for the job.
  • There is confidence on both sides that the 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo will strike a deal, NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco writes. If the sides don’t reach an agreement, it’s almost a guarantee that the quarterback will be franchised. After leading the Niners to wins in each of his first five starts, Jimmy G is a safe bet to be the QB in San Francisco for a long time.
2 comments Arizona Cardinals Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings San Francisco 49ers

Vikings Activate QB Sam Bradford From IR

By | at January 13, 2018 12:04 pm

Sam Bradford is back. Chris Tomasson of St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (via Twitter) that the Vikings have activated the quarterback from the injured reserve. To make room, the team has waived tight end Kyle Carter.

Sam Bradford (Vertical)Bradford, who had been shelved since Week 5, returned to practice in early January. Bradford hasn’t played in a full game since the first week of the season, as he’s battled knee injuries for much of the campaign. Backup Case Keenum has been a revelation as the team’s starting quarterback, completing 67.6-percent of his passes for 3,547 yards, 22 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. For comparison’s sake, in 2016, Bradford completed 71.6-percent of his passes for 3,877 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Keenum will still be under center for the Vikings’ playoff matchup against the Saints tomorrow.

While the top of the depth chart may not be in question, the presence of Teddy Bridgewater complicates the backup role. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer acknowledged that Bradford is healthy enough to play, but he wouldn’t reveal if the quarterback would unseat Bridgewater as the top reserve. Bridgewater missed the entire 2016 season after having suffered a torn ACL, and he was activated off the PUP in November of this season.

Bridgewater was actually the last Vikings quarterback to start a playoff game, but he acknowledged that he doesn’t care about who ends up taking the reps.

“I just want us to win,” he told Tomasson (via Twitter). “At this time of the year, it doesn’t matter if it’s pretty, if it’s ugly, it’s all about winning and how you get it done.”

Carter, a 2016 undrafted free agent out of Penn State, had spent the past two seasons with the Vikings organization. He appeared in three games this season without recording a reception.

4 comments Minnesota Vikings Newsstand Transactions

Case Keenum Drew Interest From Bills, Bears

By | at January 12, 2018 12:45 pm

The rise of Case Keenum has been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season. Vaulted into the Vikings’ starting quarterback job out of necessity, Keenum outperformed some of the league’s biggest names and guided the Vikings to a 13-3 record. It turns out that Keenum could have been another team’s diamond in the rough instead. "<strong

The Bears and Bills both expressed interest in the QB, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes. However, Keenum says that he chose the Vikings because they showed a greater desire to sign him.

The Bills’ previous interest in Keenum is particularly notable as they still face uncertainty under center. Tyrod Taylor is due a $6MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2018 league year and stands to earn $10MM in base salary. Now that offensive coordinator Rick Dennison has been shown the door, the Bills could further overhaul the offense by moving on from the 28-year-old (29 in August).

Meanwhile, some believe that Keenum will arrive with Pat Shurmur as a package deal if Shurmur gets a head coaching job. That could appeal to both the Cardinals and Giants.

In 2017, Keenum ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 QB, slotting him ahead of Jimmy Garoppolo, Aaron Rodgers, Marcus Mariota, Matthew Stafford, and Kirk Cousins. Keenum’s 67.6% completion percentage was the second-highest in the NFL, trailing only Drew Brees.

Keenum will look to continue his improbable success story with a win over the Saints on Sunday in the divisional round.

13 comments Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings

2018 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker

By | at January 7, 2018 3:25 pm

While at least six NFL teams are making head coaching changes this offseason, the number of clubs replacing offensive and/or defensive coordinators figures to be much higher than that. In addition to all those teams hiring new head coaches, who may want to bring in their own assistants, several clubs also figure to make changes on one side of the ball or the other after getting disappointing results in 2017. And, of course, the teams whose coordinators landed head coaching jobs will need to replace them.

With reports circulating on potential candidates, interview requests, and actual meetings, we’ll use the space below to keep tabs on all the latest updates on teams hiring new offensive and/or defensive coordinators. This post, which will be updated daily, can be found under the “PFR Features” menu on the right-hand side of the site.

Updated 3-6-18 (5:53pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Harold Goodwin)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Rick Dennison)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Mike Shula)

  • Norv Turner, former offensive coordinator (Vikings): Hired

Chicago Bears (Out: Dowell Loggains)

  • Mark Helfrich, former head coach (Oregon): Hired

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Bill Lazor, interim offensive coordinator (Bengals): Retained

Cleveland Browns (vacant)

Denver Broncos

  • Bill Musgrave, interim offensive coordinator (Broncos): Retained

Detroit Lions

  • Jim Bob Cooter, offensive coordinator (Lions): Retained

Green Bay Packers (Out: Edgar Bennett)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Rob Chudzinski)

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)

  • Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Chiefs): Promoted

Miami Dolphins (Out: Clyde Christensen)

  • Dowell Loggains, former offensive coordinator (Bears): Hired

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Pat Shurmur)

New York Giants (Out: Mike Sullivan)

New York Jets (Out: John Morton)

Oakland Raiders (Out: Todd Downing)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Frank Reich)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Todd Haley)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Darrell Bevell)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Terry Robiskie)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: James Bettcher)

  • Al Holcomb, linebackers coach (Panthers): Hired

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Dean Pees)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Steve Wilks)

  • Eric Washington, defensive line coach (Panthers): Promoted

Chicago Bears

  • Vic Fangio, defensive coordinator (Bears): Retained

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Paul Guenther)

Detroit Lions

  • Paul Pasqualoni, defensive line coach (Boston College): Hired

Green Bay Packers (Out: Dom Capers)

Houston Texans (Out: Mike Vrabel)

  • Romeo Crennel, assistant head coach (Texans): Hired

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Ted Monachino)

  • Matt Eberflus, linebackers coach (Cowboys): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Gus Bradley, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Retained

New England Patriots (Out: Matt Patricia)

New York Giants

Oakland Raiders (Out: John Pagano)

  • Paul Guenther, defensive coordinator (Bengals): Hired

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Kris Richard)

  • Ken Norton Jr., former defensive coordinator (Raiders): Hired

Tennessee Titans (Out: Dick LeBeau)

2 comments Arizona Cardinals Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New York Giants PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans

Pat Shurmur Could Bring Case Keenum If Hired As HC

By | at January 7, 2018 11:36 am

Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is one of the more sought-after head coaching candidates this year, and as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes, one of the reasons for that is that he could bring current Vikings QB Case Keenum with him.

Case Keenum (vertical)

Shurmur has interviewed with four different clubs already, and two of those teams — the Cardinals and Giants — could be classified as “quarterback-needy.” Keenum, of course, is one of this season’s feel-good stories, stepping in for the injured Sam Bradford to lead Minnesota to a first-round bye. He is 11-3 as a starter this season, completing 67.6% of his passes, throwing for 22 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, and posting a 98.3 quarterback rating in the process.

Luckily for Keenum, and for teams in search for a quarterback, the Houston product will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. As Schefter writes, Keenum and Shurmur have developed a close working relationship and think very highly of each other, leading league sources to believe that the two men could depart Minnesota as a package deal.

The Vikings will take on the winner of today’s Saints-Panthers matchup next week.

11 comments Minnesota Vikings Newsstand

NFL Ends Tramaine Brock Investigation

By | at January 5, 2018 1:56 pm

Good news for cornerback Tramaine Brock. The NFL has dropped its investigation against the pending free agent, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).Tramaine Brock (vertical)

The league informed Brock on Friday that there is “insufficient evidence to support a finding” that he violated the personal conduct policy. Without the threat of a potential suspension hanging over his head, Brock should have an easier time landing a deal this offseason. He also won’t have to worry about being held out of postseason action this year.

It was a strange 2017 for Brock. In April, the Niners cut him on the heels of a domestic violence arrest. After that charge was dropped in August, the Seahawks jumped at the chance to bolster the Legion of Boom. Then, before the start of the season, Seattle shipped Brock to Minnesota for a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick.

Brock, 29, suited up for eleven games this season, but a foot injury could prevent him from taking the field in the divisional round. In 2016, he finished second among 49ers defenders in snaps (1,102) and graded 21st in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 110 qualified cornerbacks.

0 comments Minnesota Vikings

Vikings Deny Packers Permission To Interview George Paton For GM Job

By | at January 5, 2018 10:52 am

We have some intra-divisional drama.The Packers requested permission to interview Vikings assistant GM George Paton for their GM job, but Minnesota declined the request, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). George Paton (vertical)

Typically, teams do not stand in the way of a coach or executive interviewing for a higher position elsewhere. However, teams can decline requests from other clubs while their season is in progress. The Vikings are exercising that right, presumably because they do not want to do any favors for the rival Packers.

Paton was a GM candidate for the Colts and 49ers openings last year before those jobs went to Chris Ballard and John Lynch, respectively. He was also asked to interview for the Chiefs when they surprised everyone by dumping John Dorsey in the summer, but he declined.

As shown in PFR’s GM Search Tracker, here’s where things stand in Green Bay:

15 comments Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings
Show all
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors