Vikings Add A Receiver

When on the field, Jalen Nailor had provided the Minnesota Vikings with a solid third receiver option for the past couple seasons. His departure for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency left a significant need in the roster. The Vikings carried that need through the remainder of free agency and the draft. Many, including this guy, were surprised the Vikings didn’t select a receiver in the draft. It appears they might’ve had a solution all along. Last week, former San Francisco 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings visited the spectacular TCO Performance Center for a little meet-and-greet. He left without a deal. The past week has been a week of waiting and hoping. Last night, the Vikings reportedly signed Jennings to a one-year deal. 

Early in the offseason, there were murmurs that Jauan Jennings was seeking WR2-type money. Yesterday, there were reports that the 49ers had presented a $17 million offer on the table during last season. If those were his financial targets, it seems money was the reason he was still unsigned in May. Jennings had a steady climb over his five years in San Francisco. He was a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Tennessee. He spent his rookie season on the 49ers practice squad as he adjusted to the NFL. In 2021, Jennings made the roster, started a game, and posted five touchdowns. He made the best of his opportunity. For five years, he played in the receiver shadows of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. He took advantage of every opportunity and emerged as one of the league’s best blocking receivers. Jennings showed that he was much more than just a blocker on the game’s biggest stage. In Super Bowl LVIII, he caught a touchdown and threw for a touchdown as the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime. He showed that he was much more than an effective blocker. He was a playmaker too. With over 1500 yards and 15 touchdowns, Jennings was one of the more productive receivers in the league over the last two seasons. Perhaps, his contract demands weren’t so lofty. 

Jauan Jennings’ one-year deal with the Vikings is for $8 million. Incentives can boost it to $13 million. That’s a remarkable bargain for a player with his skills and production. It appears he’s betting on those skills in the Vikings offense to get more lucrative offers next offseason. There was a time this offseason when Jennings was my dream receiver for the Vikings. With his contract expectations and the team’s salary cap restraints, it felt like an impossible dream. Now, the Vikings have the best receiver trio in the league. 

Justin Jefferson

Jordan Addison

Jauan Jennings

That’s a lot of “Js.” It’s also a lot of receiving talent. With his blocking skills, Jennings also gives the Vikings the ability to go with a “heavy” personnel while still having a legitimate, downfield receiving threat. The free agency departure of Jalen Nailor was a significant loss. Adding Jauan Jennings flips that loss to a net gain. 

Throwback Thursday: Two Geniuses And A Ballboy

I’m currently reading Art Donovan’s appropriately named biography, Fatso. Donovan’s a fun story-teller. His description of the 1958 NFL Championship Game got me thinking about the coaches of the late-50s New York Giants. That turned into bringing back this “old” post. 

As with the lack of respect shown to any high school substitute teacher, the New York Giants assistant coach had no hope of bringing the team's offensive meeting room to order. But when the bespectacled offensive coach entered the room and simply cleared his throat, all fell silent.
     Pat Summerall leaned over to Don Heinrich and asked, "Who the hell is that?"
     "That's Lombardi," Heinrich replied, "and you'll know soon enough."

It's amazing now that there was a time when Vince Lombardi was an unknown offensive coach. That was the case in his 1958 introduction to Summerall. Lombardi would be called an offensive coordinator today. Even more amazing is that the Giants unknown defensive coach then was Tom Landry. Lombardi and Landry are football coaching icons. Thinking of them as unknown assistant coaches is like thinking of Bill Walsh as Paul Brown's slappy in Cincinnati and Bill Belichick as Ted Marchibroda's gofer in Baltimore. It just doesn't feel right.

1956-63 is considered the "golden years" of New York Giants football. They won it all in 1956. They played for it all in five of the six seasons from 1958-63. Only missing the title game in 1960. Jim Lee Howell was the head coach from 1954-60. He'd be the first to admit that Lombardi and Landry were the ones that actually coached the players. It's impossible to imagine a head coach today giving the freedoms to his assistants that Howell easily gave his brilliant assistant coaches. He never felt threatened by them and constantly acknowledged their skills and where the credit belongs. In fact, the head coach claimed that he was only there to make sure that the footballs were properly inflated. Howell was hired as head coach in 1954. He had the difficult task of replacing his own coach, the legendary Steve Owen. Tom Landry was already there as a player/coach but was made a full-time coach. Howell's first external hire was grabbing Vince Lombardi from Red Blaik's Army team. Howell's first order of business for his coaches was to catch the Cleveland Browns. Paul Brown's Browns were the NFL's dominant team as soon as they joined the NFL, following the folding of the All-America Football Conference, in 1950. The new kids on the block were the best kids on the block. The Browns played in every NFL title game from 1950-55. They won championships in 1950, '54, and '55. The schemes developed by Lombardi and Landry were done with the Browns in mind. Being in the same Eastern Conference, the Browns success was at the expense of the Giants success. The rivalry between the two teams became the  NFL's best in the 1950's. It only took two years for the two Giants assistants to get past the Browns. They were helped by the retirement of Browns quarterback Otto Graham following the 1955 title game. Still, everything came together for the Giants in 1956. Frank Gifford was the perfect back for Lombardi's power sweep/option attack. Gifford was the NFL's MVP that season. Landry's defense, led by rookie middle linebacker Sam Huff, was brilliant. Landry's scheme and Huff's play was making a football-curious nation aware of this new "middle linebacker" position. For the first time in an NFL stadium there were chants of "defense,defense, defense...." The Giants were on top of the football world. The unknown assistant coaches were becoming known. Lombardi's last game with the Giants was the 1958 NFL Championship game against the Baltimore Colts, the "Greatest Game Ever Played." The Green Bay Packers grabbed him. That went so well that the Super Bowl trophy is named after the former Giants assistant coach. Landry's last game with the Giants was the 1959 NFL Championship game, also against the Colts. The expansion Dallas Cowboys grabbed him. He became a fixture in Dallas for an amazing 29 years. His Cowboys won five Conference and two Super Bowl titles. The two unknown coaching assistants that shared the same sideline in New York in the '50s were on opposite sidelines for two classic League Championship games a decade later. Lombardi won both. Howell retired following the 1960 season. Allie Sherman, who took over the offense from Lombardi, took over for Howell. The team that Howell, Lombardi, and Landry built played in three straight NFL Championship games from 1961-63. The Giants lost the first two to Lombardi's Packers.

There's no denying the football brilliance and historical significance of Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry. For nearly 35 years, one or both were cornerstones of the NFL. History has not been as kind to Jim Lee Howell. I've been guilty of too easily dismissing his importance to those great New York Giants teams. One of the most impressive aspects of Howell was that he simply didn't care if he got credit for the wins. He'd rather take the blame for a loss than take credit for a win. Fortunately, those Giants teams had far more wins than losses. Howell did far more than pump up the footballs. He should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame simply for managing the egos and demands of his assistant coaches. The ability of head coaches to manage and delegate authority is more appreciated today. Head coaches in the first half of the NFL's existence did much more scheming and teaching. With only a few coaches on a staff, they had to. Jim Lee Howell was one of the first coaches, if not the first head coach, to limit his duties to delegating and game managing. It was Howell that decided to send Pat Summerall out to kick about a 50-yard field goal against Cleveland in something of a blizzard in 1958. A field goal that Summerall made to force a playoff against the same Browns team a week later. A field goal that would eventually put them in the 1958 NFL Championship game. A field goal attempt that was strongly opposed by Lombardi and Landry.

The Search Is On

Last week, Minnesota Vikings ownership kicked off the team’s search for a new general manager with the following statement.

"With the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, our search for the next general manager of the Minnesota Vikings is underway. This will be a thorough and deliberate process led by ownership, with support from a small internal advisory committee of senior leaders. We have also engaged respected firm TurnkeyZRG to assist in conducting a wide-ranging search that includes experienced football executives, emerging candidates and individuals with diverse professional backgrounds. Our focus is to identify a decisive leader with a clear vision for team building, strong communication skills and the ability to build alignment across an organization. Out of respect for all involved, we do not intend to publicly announce candidates and will provide further comment when the search is complete."

The Vikings general manager search has started and will proceed in secrecy. Very few things proceed in secrecy these days. That’s especially true of the NFL. The Vikings having no intention of publicly announcing candidates and interview requests doesn’t mean that someone else will have similar restraint. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reported this morning that the Vikings have requested an interview with Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Terrance Gray. He’s a familiar name as he spent his formative scouting years with the Vikings. Prior to joining the Bills in 2017, Gray spent 11 years as an area scout for the Vikings. When Brandon Beane was hired as the Bills general manager in 2017, he hired Gray to be his director of college scouting. From there, Gray was promoted to assistant director of player personnel in 2021, director of player personnel in 2022, and assistant general manager in 2025. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer described him as being on the doorstep of a general manager opportunity for a couple years. It would be a nice story if Gray get’s that opportunity with the team for which he started scouting 20 years ago. 

Gray got his scouting start with the Vikings but his NFL start came with the Kansas City Chiefs. From 2003 to 2005, he worked with the team’s player development. In 2006, he joined a real team.

Vikings interim general manager Rob Brzezinski as an internal candidate to get the full-time job. From all appearances, he did an excellent job coordinating the offseason and especially the draft. I’d prefer that he return to his job as salary cap wizard with perhaps a promotion and/or expansion of duties. Brzezinski is too valuable to the Vikings franchise to be on the annual chopping block. A general manager is always a bad draft away from being a former general manager. I’d rather see Brzezinski working with a new general manager than being that general manager. Doing so with someone he already knows could be a good start to a great franchise future. 

For what it’s worth, Terrance Gray is on my short-list of favorite candidates for the Vikings general manager job. The others:

Chad Alexander - Los Angeles Chargers Assistant General Manager

James Liifert - Houston Texans Assistant General Manager

May is an unusual time for major NFL team decisions like picking a new general manager but that’s the situation for the Vikings. Thanks to Tom Pelissero and his insider information, we know the first external candidate for the job. That candidate is Terrance Gray. With my limited information, he’s a damn fine start. The search for the Vikings next general manager is on. 

Possible Vikings Roster Additions

By my count, the Minnesota Vikings roster has 88 players. Undrafted rookie punter Brett Thorson is among the 88. He’s an International Pathway player and exempt on the 90-man roster. As a result, there’s room for three roster additions. Who might those players be?

The possible additions begin with a familiar name. Harrison Smith. The Vikings franchise great has been mulling his retirement since completion of his 14th season. As a roster and salary cap formality, he was released earlier in the offseason. Personally, I’m not ready for a Vikings defense without Smith. If he’s yet to officially announce his retirement, I’m guessing that he’s coming back. Perhaps I’m being foolishly optimistic but I just don’t see a spring or summer retirement announcement. The longer he waits, the more likely it is that Harrison Smith returns for season #15. 

So Harrison Smith is roster addition #1. Two more. 

It doesn’t take a long review of the Vikings roster to find two positions of significant need. Neither position was addressed in the draft. Not only was neither addressed in the draft, one of the positions was significantly weakened. The Vikings traded outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles during the third round. There were a couple reasons the team’s top pass rusher was traded. The first reason was his contract demands. Two years after signing a four-year, team-friendly free agent deal, Greenard wanted a more player-friendly contact extension. Honestly, his play earned a better deal but the Vikings decided they couldn’t afford such an extension. The second reason was that Dallas Turner is ready for a bigger role heading into his third season. It’s a bold hope but if Turner plays to his potential, the trade of Greenard could be a net positive. Even if Turner effectively replaces Greenard, the outside linebacker depth needs some help. Selected in the second round, Jake Golday is an option. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets some edge rushing opportunities as a rookie. Tyler Batty and Bo Richter are young, formerly undrafted players with potential. The Vikings need a veteran outside linebacker option behind starters Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel. Initially, I liked the idea of adding A.J. Epenesa. Returning from an injury, he’s had a problematic offseason. At the end of March, it looked like he was signing with the Cleveland Browns. That ended with a failed physical. He recently visited with the Miami Dolphins. Who knows where he is in his recovery from injury? The Epenesa injury situation moved me on to an older but maybe more intriguing option. Jadeveon Clowney. At 33, he’s still playing at a high level. He managed 8.5 sacks with the Dallas Cowboys last season. That’s only a sack short of his career high. He started his career as such a freak athlete that he’s still a freak athlete after 12 years of defensive line work in the NFL. He always seems to be ready to play and has averaged over seven sacks over those 12 years. 

So, Jadeveon Clowney is roster addition #2. One more

Receiver is the third position of need. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are the best receiver duo in the league. The Vikings need a third receiver to impact opposing defenses. Jalen Nailor had that role the past couple seasons. Tai Felton was drafted in the third round in the 2025 NFL Draft to potentially replace Nailor this season. As a rookie, Felton showed that he has a lot to learn when it comes to playing receiver in the NFL. The Vikings need a third receiver option with no questions? This one’s easy as the best option visited with Minnesota last week. After a nearly two-day meet-and-great, Juaun Jennings left without a contract agreement. I’m an optimistic sort and the guess here is that Jennings and the Vikings will reach an agreement on a contract. A Vikings receiving trio of Justin Jefferson - Jordan Addison - Juaun Jennings is a very exciting thing. 

So, Juaun Jennings is roster addition #3. 

Get it done. 

Vikings Defensive Line

Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings took a big free agent swing at boosting the talent on the defensive line. Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, at the time, felt like great additions to a defensive line that only had Harrison Phillips as an established player. After trading Phillips to the New York Jets in the summer and cutting loose Allen and Hargrave, following a modest on-field return for those free agency dollars, earlier this offseason, the Vikings were left with an underrated and unheralded collection of defensive linemen. It’s a plucky, fun group with potential. Despite that potential, the Vikings approached last week’s NFL Draft with defensive line at the top of the need list. The position was addressed in the draft this season much like it was addressed in free agency last season. For what it’s worth, I’ll always prefer the draft approach. 

In the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings went big, literally, with the selection of giant Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks. If multiple broken foot issues hadn’t clouded his evaluation, Banks has the talent and potential to be a top-10 pick in nearly any draft. The draft is all about potential and Banks is loaded with potential. His ceiling is as high as a franchise-defining player. I was both surprised and thrilled with Caleb Banks as the Vikings pick in the first round. I was even more surprised and thrilled with Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange as the Vikings pick in the third round. I really liked that the team doubled-down on improving the defensive line. 

Minnesota has a great defensive line tradition. Over six decades of following the Vikings, I’ve been excited about a lot of the team’s defensive lines. This group has me excited.

Jalen Redmond

Caleb Banks

Domonique Orange

Levi Drake Rodriguez

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

Elijah Williams

Taki Taimani

Eric Johnson II

Monkell Goodwine

Despite a stuttering start to his professional career, Jalen Redmond has emerged as an impact player. He signed his exclusive rights free agent tender but he deserves a long-term deal. At 27, he’s definitely earned the riches and security of a long-term deal. I can’t wait to see him next to talented giants like Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange. The starting defensive line projects as:

Jalen Redmond - Domonique Orange - Caleb Banks

While I can’t wait to see that trio on the field, I really like the depth of Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Elijah Williams. Because I liked the potential of Rodriguez, Ingram-Dawkins, and Williams so much, there was a pre-draft thought that defensive line wasn’t the need that many made it out to be. I’m glad the actual decision-makers didn’t see it like I did. The position now projects as a team strength. 

With the unfortunate trade of outside linebacker backer Jonathan Greenard, there’s a chance that Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins might, on occasion, set up a little wider as a situational edge rusher. Drafted in the second round, linebacker Jake Golday might factor into the defensive front rotation. Even with the Greenard trade, the Vikings defense got better in the last week. It’s mostly because of the gigantic rookie duo of Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange. I can’t wait to see them and this new Vikings defense on the field. 

Minnesota Vikings GM Search

Early May is supposed to be the start of some idle time in the NFL calendar. It’s the post-draft days with some minicamp action. There’s draft pick and scattered free agent signings. The Minnesota Vikings have picked this time to handle some serious football business. They are looking for a new general manager. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired late enough in the process that Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf decided it better to wait until after the draft to find a new general manager. They were criticized by many for the wait but I agreed with it then and agree with it still. Adofo-Mensah was fired on January 30. A proper search would’ve lasted a few weeks. A new hire would’ve probably happened after the Scouting Combine and on top of the start of free agency. A wait was made easier with Rob Brzezinski in the building. He’s been a big part of the Vikings team-building process for all of the 2000s. It was easy to tap him as interim GM. Despite the constant honking of pundits against the decision, the Vikings draft evaluation process was probably more coordinated than it’s been in years. Enough so, that Brzezinski is a strong candidate for the GM job moving forward. If that happens, I wouldn’t be upset with it but I’d prefer he return to his old job. He’s too important to the Vikings franchise to be on the annual chopping block. An unfortunate aspect of the NFL general manager job is always being a bad draft, or two, away from looking for a new job. I’d rather Brzezinski not be in that sort of position. He’s too important to the organization. 

Three months ago, the Wilfs said that the new general manager search would start after the draft. The draft is in the past and the Vikings general manager search has started. Ownership said that it would be done in secret with the help of search firm TurnkeyZRG. I would’ve assisted for free. After Aofo-Mensah was fired, I made a GM Wish List. 

Chad Alexander - Chargers Assistant GM

John McKay - Rams Assistant GM

Mike Bradway - Assistant GM

James Liifert - Texans Assistant GM

Ed Dodds - Colts Assistant GM

Terrance Gray - Bills Assistant GM

Ryan Cowden - Patriots VP of Player Personnel

Andy Weidl - Steelers Assistant GM

Reed Burkhardt - Broncos Assistant GM

Trent Kirchner - Seahawks VP of Player Personnel

Most of the above, and some others, have made the list of potential candidates put out by the Athletic’s Alec Lewis and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. For some reason, a few pundits and some fans have tossed out Broncos GM George Paton as a possibility. How someone can suggest a currently employed GM as a possibility is a mystery to me. 

Three months removed from making that initial list of candidates, I’ve thinned it to the following:

Chad Alexander

James Liifert

Terrance Gray

Reed Burkhardt

Trent Kirchner

Again, I wouldn’t be against Rob Brzezinski getting the job but I’d prefer he didn’t. A negative to him even being a candidate is that it probably takes him out of the decision-making process. Of course, I’ve never met any of the candidates and only know them through their published history. So, it seems silly to even make a personal list of candidates let alone have a favorite. It’s what fans do. It’s definitely what this fan does. Chad Alexander has been my favorite from the start. James Liifert and Terrance Gray have since joined him as a trio of favorites. 

This is supposed to be the idle time. These are supposed to be the days waiting for draft pick-signing news. Maybe a free agent addition, or two. Instead, the Vikings decision-makers have a gigantic decision in front of them. It’s a decision that will significantly impact on the present and future of the franchise. They must get it right. 

A Vikings Lineup

The Minnesota Vikings had nine selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

1. Caleb Banks, DL, Florida

2. Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati

3. Domonique Orange, DL, Iowa State

3. Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern

3. Jakobe Thomas, S, Miami

5. Max Bredeson, FB, Michigan

5. Chuck Demmings, CB, Stephen F Austin

6. Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest

7. Gavin Gerhardt. C, Cincinnati

While the nine picks only had a 5:4 split between defense and offense, it felt very much like a defense-centric draft. That happens when four of the top five picks went defense. The four offensive players might eventually earn significant roles. Only one projects as an immediate starter. The impact of the five defensive players will be seen soon. At least, they better. A couple were selected with an immediate impact in mind. 

Here’s a look at a potential starting lineup for this season.

Offense

WR	Justin Jefferson
LT	Christian Darrisaw
LG	Donovan Jackson
C	Blake Brandel
RG	Will Fries
RT	Brian O’Neill
TE	T.J. Hockenson
WR	Jordan Addison
QB	Kyler Murray
RB	Aaron Jones
FB	Max Bredeson

Rookie fullback Max Bredeson was selected as an immediate heir to C.J. Ham. Bredeson’s sledge-hammer blocking will make an impact on the Vikings offense. Other than the free agent addition of quarterback Kyler Murray, the rest of the offense carries over from last season. Unlike last season, the offense, especially the offensive line, must stay on the field. 

Defense

DE	Caleb Banks
NT	Domonique Orange
DE	Jalen Redmond
OLB	Dallas Turner
LB	Blake Cashman
LB	Eric Wilson
OLB	Andrew Van Ginkel
CB	Byron Murphy Jr.
CB	Isaiah Rodgers
S	Josh Metellus
S	Jay Ward

I can not wait to see first-round pick Caleb Banks and third-round pick Domonique “Big Citrus” Orange incorporated into the defensive line. The Vikings had an interesting group of talented but unheralded defensive linemen but they had nothing like Banks and Orange. The two combine for about 660 pounds of moving, immovable football mass. The Vikings front, and as a result the entire defense, will look so different. For the pass three years, the schemes of defensive coordinator Brian Flores have been the driving force of a mostly successful Vikings defense. Now, Flores is able to pepper those schemes with some elite talent up front. While probably not first-team players in their first year, Jake Golday, Jakobe Thomas, and Chuck Demmings could earn impactful playing time. 

At the safety position, it’s still possible that Harrison Smith returns for his 15th season. 

Special Teams

K	Will Reichard
P	Brett Thorson
LS	Andrew DePaola
KR	Demond Claiborne
PR	Myles Price

One of the most intense competitions of training camp might be at punter. Both contenders are new to the team. Very veteran Johnny Hekker was signed this offseason. Georgia punter Brett Thorson was signed as an undrafted free agent. Despite going undrafted, Thorson was arguably the best punter in the draft. The only holdup with his candidacy for the position is that he never held in college. Maintaining a smooth kicking rhythm between Will Reichard, Andrew DePaola, and the holder might be as critical to the punting job as punting. 

Myles Price handled both kick and punt returns last season. I have sixth-round running back Demond Claiborne penciled in for the kick return job this season. 

There are only a handful of changes on offense, defense, and special teams but they are significant changes. Especially the defensive line changes.