Minnesota Vikings’ best fit at quarterback for one NFL analyst is relatively simple
Identifying the best fit for Kevin O’Connell’s offense is a complicated question, and one that has split answers across the media.
Until a winner is decided, the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback competition is going to be the biggest news story in the NFL. Both Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy have been reported to have both good and bad days during the offseason program, but you can only gain so much from being in shorts.
Training camp is going to be the biggest aspect of the competition. They will be competing not only against each other, but Brian Flores’ defense. That will be a major factor in who wins the competition.
Bucky Brooks calls Kyler Murray the best fit
One of the angles with the quarterback competition that hasn’t been discussed enough is the fit. Many don’t believe that Murray is a fit after having played mainly in an Air Raid offense his entire career. Fox Sports’ Bucky Brooks isn’t worried about that, as he believes Murray is the best fit.
“The former Pro Bowler is the most talented quarterback KOC has coached in Minnesota. As an electric dual-threat playmaker, Murray adds an explosive dimension to the offense as a big-play weapon who can produce highlight-reel-worthy plays inside and outside the pocket. With a supporting cast that features a premier WR1 (Jefferson) and a collection of complementary playmakers (Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Jauan Jennings and Aaron Jones) who will allow him to operate like a pass-first point guard leading a fast break, the Vikings can operate in attack mode with a dynamic athlete at the helm. Moreover, their creative play-action passing game and shotgun “RPO” (run-pass option) package should expand with a twitchy playmaker at the controls.”
Murray being a good fit is a layered conversation. He hasn’t thrown over the middle a lot in his career, but he’s flashed a lot of ability when doing that. The offense Drew Petzing ran used similar concepts to what Kevin O’Connell likes to run, giving us an interesting comparison point.
It will also be interesting to see how O’Connell devises a playbook for Murray. He’s shown a willingness to adapt for whoever is playing quarterback, but those adaptations have mainly been in-season ones. With an entire offseason to derive that for Murray, we could see a lot more interesting concepts than in past years.
Only time will tell if Murray will be the guy, but it’s certainly becoming more interesting the more experts weigh in.