Daily Norseman
Troubles Ahead or Unjustified Worry?
First and foremost, I hope everyone in the DN family is having a great summer. It’s that time of the year. The Dead Zone: OTAs in the rearview and the news (mainly) grinds to a halt. Training camp is two weeks away, so the mind tends to wander. Yeah, it’s a period I’m not fond of…at all. When your fandom stretches back to the days when cassettes and VHS tapes were the primary modes of music and movie consumption, respectively, mid-to-late July is when a pinch of excitement meets 10 cups of apprehension. It’s a horrible recipe. The layers of scar tissue created by a seemingly endless string of heartbreak start to itch and aggravate.
What could derail us this year?
What form will the suffering take this time?
I’ve made this point before. Historically, the Vikings rarely bottom out. We have the 4th highest winning percentage in the Super Bowl era. Of course, every other team in the Top 10 has at least 2 Super Bowl victories. That’s the problem. J.J. McCarthy will be as advertised. I’d argue even better. I’m all in. I’d be shocked if we weren’t right there for a Wild Card spot or better come December. The problem is what could prevent us from finally lifting the Lombardi Trophy…again?
The answer is the secondary.
Let me say this at the outset: I think we’ll be fine. I’m optimistic Brian Flores will be able to get the most out of the unit as currently constructed. However, there are questions, and I believe Vikings fans are somewhat complacent here. Let’s drill down on this a bit.
First, there’s a perilous overreliance on potential over precedent. Mekhi Blackmon’s 71.8 coverage grade landed him a spot on the Pro Football Focus (PFF) All-Breakout Team last summer. That’s promising. There’s also been good news on the injury front, as he appears to be progressing nicely toward a full recovery. Optimism is warranted. Then again, I remember being enthusiastic about the continued growth and development of Mike Hughes, Cam Dantzler, Akayleb Evans, and Andrew Booth Jr., too. All but Evans were taken in the first three rounds. Heck, the names Chris Cook and Corey Fuller just popped into my head. Oh, the memories.
Likewise, extrapolation is the name of the game with free agent addition Isaiah Rodgers, where it’s expected that his 76.0 PFF grade in limited snaps (329) will translate to a larger role. Again, potential. The same goes for safety Theo Jackson, who was a priority signing early in free agency with the futures of Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum uncertain. Of course, the former is back to the relief of Vikings fans everywhere. Unfortunately, so too are the fears about Father Time, who has the polar opposite winning percentage as the Vikings do in Super Bowls. I’m firmly in the “I’ll believe it when I see it” camp with Jeff Okudah. The talent has never been in doubt; if anyone can unlock it,...
