The Vikings’ staff returned to the TCO Performance Center last week. Meetings shaped plans for key offseason decisions, many of which are set in motion next week at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Executives and coaches will evaluate and interview draft prospects. They’ll also mingle with fellow team personnel and agents to decipher plans around the league. The Vikings will be a popular talker. Quarterback Sam Darnold’s uncertain future will play a major part in that, but Minnesota’s large pool of cap space also makes the team a notable player in free agency.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell will speak on Tuesday. Here are the five questions we’ll be seeking answers to in Indianapolis:
Is there a team willing to part with picks for Darnold?
The Vikings still have all options available when it comes to Darnold. They could sign him to a multiyear extension. Unlikely. They could franchise-tag him. Possible. They could allow him to depart via free agency. Most likely. Whether or not the franchise tag becomes an option depends on whether another team would be willing to trade for Darnold.
Las Vegas presents the most interesting situation. First-year Raiders coach Pete Carroll may be a defensive coach but he has succeeded in supporting quarterbacks. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly worked closely with O’Connell in 2016 with the San Francisco 49ers. Darnold being familiar and confident in the support structure matters. Not to mention, Las Vegas has more salary cap space than any other quarterback-needy team.
Minnesota could benefit if a team like the Raiders prefers to acquire Darnold before he hits the free-agent market. If Las Vegas believes a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers could vie for Darnold’s services — and it wanted to prevent the price from climbing further — it could acquire Darnold directly from the Vikings.
That would require draft compensation, which the Vikings desperately need. They only have four picks in 2025 (including a projected third-round compensatory pick). Needing interior offensive linemen, interior defensive linemen, cornerbacks, running backs and potentially a safety, the Vikings generating a return for Darnold would be a boon. Representatives from all 32 teams will attend the NFL Scouting Combine, providing the Vikings in-person avenues to gauge Darnold’s market.
Which position(s) will the Vikings be targeting in free agency?
When it was most fresh, not even an hour after the Vikings lost badly to the Rams in the wild-card round, O’Connell made clear one of the team’s offseason priorities.
“We’ve got to find a way to solidify the interior of the pocket,” he said.
Teams can fortify position groups in multiple ways, but the Vikings are going to have to lean heavily on their salary cap space this offseason. Minnesota is expected to have around $63 million in cap spending, according to Over The Cap. That figure ranks seventh among all NFL teams, and the Vikings have levers to pull if they want to increase their options.
They could cut guard Ed Ingram and restructure players’ contracts like right tackle Brian O’Neill, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and tight end T.J. Hockenson. Extensions for players like defender Josh Metellus would generate more resources. How the Vikings allocate that pile of money, and whom they prioritize, is one of the most intriguing aspects of the 2025 season.
Will the Vikings swing for the fences on a young and proven guard like Trey Smith? Is a cornerback like D.J. Reed in play? Or, will the Vikings operate similar to the 2024 offseason, sprinkling chunks of money on numerous spots for players who reside in different tiers? Most NFL agents meet with teams in Indianapolis, and those conversations inform some of what’s possible when the free agency negotiation period begins March 10.
How is Minnesota planning to evolve the run game beyond offensive line additions?
First, here is how the Vikings’ rushing attack performed in 2024:
The metrics validate the eye test. Minnesota’s run game was middling at best and unplayable in the red zone. How did left tackle Christian Darrisaw’s torn ACL affect these numbers? Not as much as some might think. The only number that improves mildly is the rushing success rate, lifting Minnesota near the top 10.
There is not a primary reason for the run game struggles. Did the offensive line have something to do it with? Certainly. How about Aaron Jones’ nagging injuries? Yes. Plenty of additional factors played a role. The Vikings’ skill players (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Hockenson) make their money because of their pass-catching ability. It’s not because they’re elite run blockers.
Schematic predictability didn’t help either. The Vikings passed the ball on 2/3 of the snaps when Jefferson and Addison trotted out onto the field together. When Hockenson lined up with them, Minnesota threw 75 percent of the time. Motion also gave defenses a tell; the Vikings threw the ball nearly 64 percent of the time when players moved before the snap.
Conversations in Indianapolis should outline a plan for run-game growth — both in terms of personnel changes and staff plan.
What benchmarks must J.J. McCarthy hit from a development standpoint?
Quarterback development contains many layers. Refining mechanics is one piece. Learning the playbook is another. The Vikings were likely always going to start Darnold at the beginning of the 2024 season because they wanted to maximize McCarthy’s long-term outlook.
McCarthy’s torn meniscus affected his on-field progress. He had adapted to Minnesota’s intricate footwork. He also applied different degrees of touch on the football to get particular throws above defenders and into voids. Evaluating McCarthy’s progress on both fronts will be critical in Minnesota’s spring.
The more relevant conversation next week may apply to McCarthy’s weight. He weighed 202 pounds at Michigan, then 219 pounds last spring at the NFL Scouting Combine. The torn meniscus — and ensuing rehab — may have chiseled away at some of his size. Where is he now, and what benchmarks do O’Connell and the Vikings want him to hit before organized team activities? The answers will be key as McCarthy prepares for what is likely to be his introductory NFL season.
How do the Vikings feel about the outlooks of their other young players?
The Vikings’ hopes for second-year edge rusher Dallas Turner headline this section.
Turner, who turned 22 years old earlier this month, played only 300 defensive snaps in 2024. He recorded three sacks and notched 12 solo tackles. His freakish athleticism flashed in various moments, but Minnesota needs him to become a key contributor considering it traded four picks — including two 2025 mid-round picks — for him. Will defensive coordinator Brian Flores use him more in 2025? If so, what role will he fill with edge rushers Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel still on the roster?
There’s questions regarding cornerbacks Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern, offensive linemen Walter Rouse and Michael Jurgens, defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez, edge rusher Gabriel Murphy and other recently added young players. Over the last year, the Vikings have believed that Rouse and Jurgens could play meaningful roles on the interior of the offensive line. Considering the urgency of Minnesota’s need to revamp its interior offensive line group — with proven and productive players — it does not make sense to thrust Rouse and Jurgens into these roles now. So, what does the future hold for these two in the short term?