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Vikings Named NFL Offseason Winners; Lions Losers
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- Vikings Named NFL Offseason Winners; Lions Losers
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
We are quickly approaching training camp for the Minnesota Vikings and that will all but put a bow on the offseason. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did plenty of heavy lifting even prior to receiving a contract extension of his own.
Looking back at the moves that have been made, it's hard not to be excited about the team that Kevin O'Connell will coach this season. Sam Darnold is gone and the 14-win campaign will be difficult to improve upon. That doesn't mean the end result can't be better.
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Of course championships aren't won in the offseason (or the Chicago Bears would have many), but roster building is something that can be commended.
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High praise for Minnesota Vikings offseason
Soon the Minnesota Vikings will be back at the TCO Performance Center to kick off training camp. They have three preseason games on deck, and joint practices with the New England Patriots . Prior to that though, NFL writer Mike Jones handed out high praise of their offseason at The Athletic .
"A storybook season featuring an unlikely hero in quarterback Sam Darnold ended in dramatic disappointment, with a loss to the Rams in the wild-card round. Darnold signed with the Seahawks during free agency, but Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah still has positioned his team for a prompt rebound — possibly in the form of an NFC North title.
The Vikings invested heavily in the trenches in free agency, signing defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave and offensive linemen Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and Justin Skule, while adding veterans at other key positions. The Vikings also used early draft picks on Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson and Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton. Young quarterback J.J. McCarthy , after missing his rookie season with a torn meniscus, finds himself surrounded by a fantastic supporting cast as he prepares to take over as starter."
In calling the Minnesota Vikings "winners" Jones quickly noted just how much work was done up front. Both sides of the ball needed help in the trenches, and Adofo-Mensah targeted that in a big way. Of course the Vikings will need those players to remain healthy , but there's a ton of talent if they do so.
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Similar to Darnold last season, J.J. McCarthy will be surrounded by arguably the best situation across the entire league. He has elite offensive weapons and now has protection that even Darnold didn't have the benefit of.
Last season saw the MN Vikings put together a very solid year, but still trail the Detroit Lions within the division. It's not clear the result will be the same this time around, and it's Minnesota whose arrow is pointing up.
Lions losing ground in NFC North to MN Vikings?
While Jones was quick to point out just how good of an offseason that the Minnesota Vikings had, he also weighed in on the reigning NFC North champions. Jones dubbed the Lions "losers" and laid out fair reasons why.
"Having the NFC's best regular-season record (15-2) came at a price for the Lions. This offseason, coach Dan Campbell lost both of his top assistants. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left for the head coaching job in Chicago, and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn took the head coaching job with the Jets. Campbell brought offensive coordinator John Morton in from Denver, where he coached under Campbell's former mentor Sean Payton, and he promoted former Glenn assistant Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator. Both units appear likely to endure some growing pains under the new play callers, and in a competitive NFC North, setbacks of any kind could prove costly."
Of course you're the champion until someone knocks you off, and that doesn't happen in the offseason either. There is always significant turnover in the NFL and the Detroit Lions experienced that most in the coaching realm.
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Dan Campbell will now need to prove he isn't a byproduct of the assistants he had to support him. With new faces in key roles, the Lions will look to repeat atop the NFC North. That won't be easy with both Minnesota and Chicago having taken clear steps forward.
The North could be one of the most intriguing divisions across the entire league in 2025.
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