Minnesota Vikings back themselves into a corner thanks to the Sam Darnold signing in free agency
The Minnesota Vikings lost Kirk Cousins in free agency on Monday after he agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons. Therefore, the team opted to sign former top-3 pick, Sam Darnold.The deal is for one-year, $10 million, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, which means the Vikings see a world in which Darnold is the 2024 […]
The Minnesota Vikings lost Kirk Cousins in free agency on Monday after he agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons. Therefore, the team opted to sign former top-3 pick, Sam Darnold.
The deal is for one-year, $10 million, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, which means the Vikings see a world in which Darnold is the 2024 starter.
But at the same time, the move all but signals the Vikings taking a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Whether it's at No. 11, higher, or even a little lower – a top draft pick must be spent on the QB position.
And honestly, the Vikings have to draft a quarterback after signing Darnold. Especially if they want a shot at making the postseason.
That's because Darnold has proven he's not the guy to lead a team to the playoffs, by now. He's a backup, at best, even if he's a backup with a solid ceiling. Sure, he'll be able to come in and win some games for you, but he can't be trusted to string together a full season's worth of performances.
All one has to do is go back to his time with the Carolina Panthers in 2022. He immediately rattled off two wins after taking over as the guy in Week 12, but then dropped a disappointing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He still had the Panthers in place to win an NFC South title in Week 17, but he completely imploded against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before finishing the season with a stat line of 5-of-15 for 43-yards and two interceptions in the season finale against the New Orleans Saints.
Darnold's implosion handed the Bucs their second-straight division title and pretty much cost Darnold and then-head coach Steve Wilks their jobs.
If the Vikings forgo taking a quarterback early, especially in this draft, it would easily be considered malpractice. You always want to develop a QB before tossing him into the fire, but it's hard to sit here and say I'd rather see Darnold take the field over a developing rookie. O'Connell is an offensive guy and can develop QBs, so I trust him to guide a first-year guy and not harm his development.
The writing on the wall is as clear as day. Let's just hope the Vikings are paying attention to it.
