Minnesota Vikings News and Links: What’s In Your Mock?

Minnesota Vikings News and Links

**Jefferson blunt about McCarthy’s future with Murray a Viking** Speaking publicly Monday for the first time about the Vikings’ new quarterback room, which also includes Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer, Jefferson said he is looking forward to Murray’s playmaking skills and was blunt about McCarthy’s future. “I’m definitely looking for those big, exciting plays [from Murray],” Jefferson said on the first day of the Vikings’ offseason program. “I’m definitely looking forward to his speed, his quickness, his arm strength that he’s shown countless times over the years. “And then for J.J., for somebody to enter that room with that type of ability, that type of talent, he’s got to step it up a little bit. So it’s good for him to feel that type of pressure and to really lock in a little bit and say, ‘It’s either now or I’m going to take that back seat again.’ So it’s all a competitive mindset when it comes to these type of things. So it’s all about who’s ready for that moment and who’s ready to step up and take that initiative.” … Jefferson pledged at the end of last season to help McCarthy through the offseason in any way he could, and Monday he confirmed that the pair have met on multiple occasions over the past few months. Most of their meetings took place in Minnesota, Jefferson said, but others were at a “designated location,” he said with a smile. “Really just anywhere where we can meet up and find time to really throw the ball to each other,” he said. “And it really doesn’t have to be having to run 30 different routes, but it’s all about just feeling the ball coming and seeing the ball coming out of his hand and then just feeling the impact and the velocity of his football. So it’s great to just get that timing down pat, starting way earlier now than starting in training camp. So just getting a little head start, and it definitely feels good working with him.” McCarthy appears “a lot more confident into where I’m going to be at,” Jefferson added, “how fast I’m going to get there, what timing to throw that ball before I break.” Whether or not McCarthy truly mounts a challenge, Murray’s arrival will generate a new edge in otherwise low-intensity offseason workouts. “It’s really good to get some good talent in the room to give a little spark in that room,” Jefferson said, “to see a competitive edge and from those guys to really lock in and to do what we’re expecting them to do, which is to come in and to be that guy. “And we need that one guy for this team. So I’m definitely excited for that room, excited to see what those guys have in store for us in training camp.” Kevin O’Connell and Rob Brzezinski don’t calm trade rumors Monday didn’t just bring the trade rumors of Greenard; it also gave us both head coach Kevin O’Connell and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski talking to the media. O’Connell was the first of the two to talk, and he said that nothing has changed since the owners meetings. “I had a conversation with him last week. We’re trying to keep our conversations and dialogue going. I have such a good relationship with Jonathan. He’s been so impactful on me personally, one of our leaders. He knows exactly how I feel about him, how we feel about him as an organization, and I’ll continue to have that dialogue and ongoing dialogue as we move forward. But it’s been good, and I think Jonathan’s really respected at least the point of view that our dialogue brings and the clarity, and he knows that I’m always a phone call away.” That is a relatively boilerplate answer from O’Connell, something that we are used to seeing from him. Brzezinski’s comments were a little more pointed about his future with the team. “I mean, JG’s a great player. I expect JG to be here. There’s been speculation. There’s conversations that take place with respect to players all the time on rosters. And for some reason, sometimes some things get public and other times they don’t. But he’s a really good player and a special person and a leader. And we’re really happy he’s a part of our team.” Neither quote is necessarily bad or signals that Greenard will be gone, but there is one thing that neither O’Connell nor Brzezinski did: deny the rumors. The Vikings opened their offseason program without safety , but the door hasn’t been closed on the veteran’s return if he decides to play in 2026. Smith wrapped up his 14th season in the final game of the 2025 campaign and said late in the year that he was unsure if he would be back for a 15th year. Smith is currently a free agent and head coach Kevin O’Connell said that he has remained in touch with the longtime cornerstone of the defense. “It’s been a few days, but now that you remind me, I’ll probably bug him today,” O’Connell said, via the team’s website. “It’s something [where] we’re still trying to give Harrison as much space as possible, and I think he’s earned that. If it’s anything at this point, it’s seeing how he’s doing, seeing how his family is, seeing how his golf game is.” A very public fracture between the Vikings and star edge rusher Jonathan Greenard has dominated headlines over the past few weeks, and now the stalemate continues. After asking for a pay raise that Minnesota seems hesitant to grant, Greenard’s name has been tossed around as a potential trade candidate. Now, he’s officially sending a message by skipping the Vikings offseason program. “I can’t speak for the days moving forward, but he (Greenard) was not here today,” said head coach Kevin O’Connell. “But it’s a voluntary camp, and I understand the things that come up from a business standpoint and we’ll just keep working through it.” On April 20, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke to the media and explained why the team chose to pick up the fifth-year option. “From a talent standpoint and his impact, it was really felt immediately when Jordan first arrived here and what he’s brought to our offense and his ability to really dynamically complement Justin,” O’Connell told reporters. “I view Jordan as one of the top-tier, quote-unquote, if you want to call them, No. 2s in the league. And that is not in any way, shape or form negative when you’re talking about that other guy being .” “The other part of it with Jordan is just our relationship and where it’s gotten to,” O’Connell added. “We’ve spent a lot of time together talking about his personal growth. He was an incredibly young player when he got into the NFL, and he’s learned some lessons over the years. He understands it’s a critical time in his career. “His ability to have an impact doing what he loves, which is playing football — he loves playing football as much as anybody we have in this organization. But we need to make sure that he understands where he’s at now and the growth and all those things and what that equals. And he does, and I’m excited to get going with him this year.” … With Addison looking for a long-term contract either from the Vikings or elsewhere, the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Chip Scoggins is calling out the wideout to step up this 2026 season. “This is a big contract year for Jordan,“ Scoggins said in an April 11 video from “Purple Access.“ “This is his chance, not only on the field but off the field, to show that he can be trusted with big contract money. “Year 3 was the worst of his career. Not all his fault. The quarterback situation was a disaster at times, sure. But it was a career low in catches, a career low in yards, and a career low in touchdowns. “He had seven drops. He didn’t have that many combined in his first two seasons. I think the focus wasn’t there all the time, probably because of what was happening at quarterback.” In Adam Schefter’s Monday morning notebook, an anonymous general manager said: “This was not a great year to have a top-10 pick.” Schefter added that “another front office executive called the first half of Round 1 ‘uninspiring’ and ‘other executives believe that one of the strong suits of this class might be in the third and fourth rounds.’” Given that context, you may be thinking it’s a good idea for the Vikings to trade down from the 18th-overall pick on Thursday night. But they may not have a taker if the league views the top talent as average at best. **Minnesota Vikings NFL Draft 2026 guide: Picks, predictions and key needs** … …