{"id":289379,"date":"2026-05-12T10:39:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T10:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/289379\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T10:39:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T10:39:10","slug":"vikings-offseason-winners-and-losers-from-dallas-turner-to-j-j-mccarthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/289379\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings offseason winners and losers, from Dallas Turner to J.J. McCarthy"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the most part, the Minnesota Vikings\u2019 offseason is complete. They reworked the finances. They made a quarterback splash with the Kyler Murray signing. The franchise still needs to hire a full-time general manager<\/a>, but that process should wrap up in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

Before voluntary organized team activities and mandatory minicamp begin, we thought it\u2019d be worthwhile to take a step back and assess the winners and the losers of the Vikings\u2019 offseason.<\/p>\n

WinnersRob Brzezinski<\/p>\n

Ownership didn\u2019t have a choice. When the Wilfs fired former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, they turned to Brzezinski to bridge the gaps in trust and respect between the front office and coaching staff. For the most part, Brzezinski aced the test. He navigated the team through a salary-cap cleanup, a quiet free agency, the controversial trade of Jonathan Greenard<\/a> and a crucial draft.<\/p>\n

Only time will allow for an accurate assessment of his effectiveness. At the very least, the Vikings proceeded through this period with a more realistic sense of alignment. Now, he is perhaps the favorite to become the team\u2019s full-time GM \u2014 or a fixture in a new-look structure pairing him with an executive focused on personnel.<\/p>\n

Keenan McCardell<\/p>\n

Few NFL wide receiver coaches trot out to the practice field to work with this much talent. This was already the case for McCardell, but then the Vikings replaced Jalen Nailor with the rugged Jauan Jennings<\/a>, and the rich got even richer. Consider McCardell one of the sneaky benefactors of a move that will improve the entire offensive operation.<\/p>\n

McCardell\u2019s role in the development of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison shouldn\u2019t go unnoticed. They are willing blockers for a reason, and they approach the craft with a certain seriousness, instilled at the top. If anything, Jennings\u2019 presence gives McCardell more time to see if he can transform former third-round pick Tai Felton into a contributor.<\/p>\n

Dallas Turner<\/p>\n

The path is now clear.<\/p>\n

In his first two seasons, Turner found himself in a precarious position. The Vikings loved their starting edge rushers. Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel meant too much to the defense\u2019s overall success to be removed from the lineup. This limited Turner\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

But it won\u2019t anymore.<\/p>\n

Trading Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles forces Minnesota\u2019s hand. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores won\u2019t just have to play Turner, but he\u2019ll need Turner to shine. This means holding the point against the run. It also means ripping around the edge and affecting opposing quarterbacks. Turner came alive down the stretch this past season after Greenard underwent surgery to repair a shoulder injury. Now, nothing is impeding his continued ascent.<\/p>\n

Blake Brandel<\/p>\n

The Vikings could have selected a center in the early rounds of the draft, but they didn\u2019t. Instead, the team doubled down on its long-held belief in Brandel. For years, coaches felt he had the physical traits to play center. They thought he could thrive if he ever got the full-time job.<\/p>\n

Brandel validated some of those opinions in 2025, when the Vikings tossed him into the fire against the Cleveland Browns\u2019 vaunted front. He didn\u2019t sink. He swam. His 6-foot-7, 315-pound frame offers a sturdy barrier in the middle. Because Brandel has played every position on the offensive line, he has the pre- and post-snap understanding to handle whatever coach Kevin O\u2019Connell throws at him.<\/p>\n

As long as he doesn\u2019t suffer a summer injury, he should enter training camp with a clear path to the starting job.<\/p>\n

Matt Daniels<\/p>\n

Special teams play isn\u2019t sexy, but it matters, especially with the advent of the dynamic kickoff. NFL teams need explosive athletes to make plays, and the Vikings\u2019 unit netted a few of them via the 2026 NFL Draft. Linebacker Jake Golday, safety Jakobe Thomas, cornerback Charles Demmings and fullback Max Bredeson all have elite special teams potential. This is a boon for Daniels, who has had to make lemonade out of undrafted lemons for multiple seasons.<\/p>\n

The change at punter could be a plus, too. Johnny Hekker brings stability via experience, and undrafted signing Brett Thorson provides long-term upside.<\/p>\n

LosersPeople who expected a definitive answer at quarterback<\/p>\n

Hoopla defines the Vikings\u2019 quarterback situation of late. It\u2019s not likely to disappear any time soon, either. The Vikings are viewing Kyler Murray\u2019s addition as a platform for premium competition between him and young quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The noise may be exhausting come August, but Minnesota believes it will also serve as fuel to lift both Murray and McCarthy.<\/p>\n

How Murray jells with his new teammates and how McCarthy looks will dominate the Minnesota football airwaves well into the fall. Because these are the Vikings, don\u2019t expect much dullness.<\/p>\n

Thad Bogardus<\/p>\n

If there is one obvious hole on the Vikings\u2019 roster, it\u2019s at edge rusher. The Vikings don\u2019t have many reliable options behind Van Ginkel and Turner. Former undrafted signings Bo Richter, Chaz Chambliss and Tyler Batty have shown flashes of solid play, but it would be understandable for Bogardus, the team\u2019s outside linebackers coach, to push for another addition or two.<\/p>\n

Van Ginkel\u2019s injury history adds to the concern here. The versatile cyborg missed five games in 2025 due to neck pain and a concussion. Betting on him to stay healthy for the duration of the season \u2014 as well as Turner to take a big leap \u2014 is lofty, and it underscores the need for at least one more external signing.<\/p>\n

Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyron Ingram-Dawkins<\/p>\n

Rodriguez and Ingram-Dawkins must stay ready for 2026. They\u2019ll have snaps to play regardless of Caleb Banks\u2019 health and Domonique Orange\u2019s commitment level. However, those draftees could shrink their impact.<\/p>\n

Banks, when healthy, will occupy the defensive end spot that Ingram-Dawkins backed up last season. Orange is more of a nose tackle, and that\u2019s where Rodriguez did most of his work. That the Vikings targeted Banks and Orange as early as they did speaks to the potential ceiling of Rodriguez and Ingram-Dawkins. Conversely, these two draft picks could catalyze further development from two later-round picks with intriguing juice.<\/p>\n

Walter Rouse<\/p>\n

Last season\u2019s quarterback carousel shifted attention away from the issues at the tackle position. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw\u2019s up-and-down season factored prominently in losses, and right tackle Brian O\u2019Neill missed three games with knee injuries.<\/p>\n

As a result, O\u2019Connell and the Vikings approached this offseason with a clear vision. Never again would they leave the tackle cupboard as bare.<\/p>\n

Minnesota poached Ryan Van Demark as a swing tackle. The team also used a third-round pick on Northwestern tackle Caleb Tiernan. Each arrives higher on the depth chart than Rouse, complicating the 25-year-old\u2019s path to more playing time.<\/p>\n

Dwight McGlothern and Zemaiah Vaughn<\/p>\n

In recent years, agents considered the Vikings a phenomenal landing spot for undrafted free-agent cornerbacks. Minnesota kept McGlothern two years ago. The team also gave Vaughn plenty of snaps last fall. Both will have to work hard to solidify roster spots over the next few months after the Vikings brought in additional depth.<\/p>\n

Signing James Pierre as a free agent takes one slot. Drafting Demmings removes another. The Vikings tend to stockpile the safety room, which could further affect McGlothern\u2019s and Vaughn\u2019s chances at making an impression.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the most part, the Minnesota Vikings\u2019 offseason is complete. They reworked the finances. They made a quarterback…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":289380,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,104,103,13445],"class_list":["post-289379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news","tag-minnesota-vikings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=289379"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289379\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/289380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=289379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=289379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=289379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}