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This offseason the Minnesota Vikings saw a significant amount of roster turnover. Most notably Kirk Cousins took his talents to Atlanta. Danielle Hunter also went south and landed with the Houston Texans. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was tasked with filling some sizable holes, and it’s hard to argue against him having come through.
Sam Darnold has been a capable quarterback thus far. Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard have done well to make Hunter’s absence look negligible. Really, Minnesota is no worse for the wear after needing to dip their toes into free agency. Another player has been everything he was hyped up to be.
Stephon Gilmore has led the Minnesota Vikings secondary
Back when the Minnesota Vikings were flirting with Stephon Gilmore this offseason, the excitement stemmed from the belief that he could fix the secondary. It took some time for the deal to actually happen, but he has been great in purple. The Los Angeles Rams game notwithstanding, Gilmore has been everything he was cracked up to be. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz highlighted just how good that signing has been.
“Gilmore has started all seven games and played 86% of the snaps for the Minnesota defense, which leads the league in my DVOA ratings. The raw coverage stats are pretty average for Gilmore, who has one interception this season. He has allowed a lot of shorter completions and finally gave up his first touchdown against the Rams in Week 8, a 7-yard score for Cooper Kupp. However, Gilmore’s coverage DVOA is near the top of the league because of adjustments for who he has had to cover… The Vikings are glad to have Gilmore, who is a key player on their elite defense, to cover some of the best receivers in the game.”
Aaron Schatz on Stephon Gilmore (ESPN)
In noting how good Gilmore has been, Schatz lists the wide receivers he has had to guard through the first seven games of the season. Malik Nabers out of the gate wasn’t easy, and adding names like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Garret Wilson, Puka Nacua, and Cooper Kupp to his workload has kept him on his toes.
STEPHON GILMORE SEALS THE WIN WITH A PICK.#NYJvsMIN pic.twitter.com/3Li9D2uZw1
— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
On Sunday Gilmore will get another chance to buckle down. He gets a bit softer landing spot as Joe Flacco will start for the Indianapolis Colts. Josh Downs and Michael Pitman Jr. are not the same caliber of players that Gilmore has seen of late, and that should allow for him to shine.
Despite having performed well thus far though, it will always remain a week-by-week thing with Gilmore. He’s 34 years old, and the point in which his body doesn’t allow him to maintain this level may take place at any moment.
Danielle Hunter enjoying life after Vikings
Although it was Cousins who got the substantial payday, Hunter did well for himself too. The quarterback has rebounded after a slow start, but Hunter picked up right where he left off in Minnesota. With 5.5 sacks to his credit already, another double-digit season is within reach. That hasn’t gone unnoticed either.
“Houston ranks second in pass rush win rate (51.6%) and third in the NFL with 27 sacks. It also has the league’s fourth-best defensive DVOA when the defense brings pressure on the quarterback. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Hunter leads the NFL in pass pressures at 51, seven more than any other defender. He also has 5.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss.”
Schatz on Danielle Hunter (ESPN)
It’s tough to compete as an edge rusher when you don’t have a teammate worthy of attention themselves. That makes what Hunter did last season that much more impressive given the non-existence of Marcus Davenport. He has provided that same benefit to new teammate Will Anderson Jr. as well.
Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry tag team for the @HoustonTexans sack!#HOUvsNYJ on Prime Video
— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2024
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/BVzDoi49gK
It wasn’t as thought the Vikings weren’t interested in Hunter’s services. He had an injury history though, is aging, and was going to command a premium payday. With the way it worked out, it has been a win for both parties.
More must-reads:
- Tyrann Mathieu retirement highlights compelling Hall of Fame case
- Matthew Stafford news highlights potential need for Rams
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Is Giants' Joe Schoen already having second thoughts about Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders decision?
The New York Giants were routinely linked with quarterback Shedeur Sanders leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Giants ultimately traded back into the first round to select Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart at pick No. 25. For a piece published on Monday, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News revisited how Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll ended up with Dart instead of Sanders earlier this year. "Members of the Giants’ staff had fawned over Shedeur Sanders," Leonard wrote. "Giants brass had spent a lot more time with Sanders during the fall. Then, Daboll’s increased participation after the NFL season steered the process in a different direction." Sanders allegedly had a rough visit with Daboll ahead of the draft, and a report from early May revealed that "Sanders openly acknowledged during the predraft process that he didn't hit it off with Giants coaches." A different story claimed that Schoen "shifted his preference to Dart this spring as head coach Brian Daboll warmed to Dart as a player and person and Schoen rounded out his own evaluation" before the draft got underway. That said, Schoen raised some eyebrows when he said during a May interview that he knew the club would select Dart over Sanders as of "the week of the draft." Schoen also said the decision was the result of a "collaborative process." According to Leonard, those comments were seen by some as "not exactly a firm endorsement of a player standing out above the rest" as it pertains to the quarterbacks. "...Schoen’s lukewarm rhetoric and reluctance to stick his neck out about Dart caught the attention of some people around the league," Leonard added. "And it has put the rookie in a strange position: trying to validate support that almost sounds conditional." Meanwhile, Sanders fell to the draft's fifth round before the Cleveland Browns traded up to grab him at selection No. 144. As of Monday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Sanders (+870 odds) and Dart (+1060 odds) as significant betting underdogs to serve as Week 1 starters in September. Cleveland is expected to go with Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett for its regular-season opener, while Russell Wilson is on track to start for the Giants against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 7. In short, fans may have to wait a long time to learn if Schoen has any buyer's remorse about possibly being talked into drafting Dart when Sanders was on the board.
Could this young forward answer multiple questions for the Rangers?
Through much of his time with the New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad has been too good to be a second-line center, yet not quite a top liner for a contender. Now aging out of his prime, his play has dropped off the past two seasons, only rebounding when moved to the wing next to midseason acquisition J.T. Miller. That presents a problem for New York. The Rangers are not deep down the middle. Moving Zibanejad back to center provides that depth, putting Vincent Trochek back in his appropriate 3C role. But does Zibanejad again suffer without Miller? It also leaves the Blueshirts thin on the right side. Zibanejad can’t play two positions at once and the Rangers cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. There is a solution, however: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. Anaheim and New York already have strong front office ties, with a pair of trades in the past eight months. The cross-continental line should be open. McTavish is precisely the player archetype that Rangers general manager Chris Drury has sought in this past year. The 22-year-old possesses good size (6-foot-1, 219 pounds) and plays with a grit that Drury adores. An old-fashioned power forward in the making, McTavish hunts bodies, making life miserable for defenders on the forecheck and finds pockets of space when off the puck, where he unloads a cannon of a shot. An all-situations player, McTavish digs in the corners and is developing nicely as an offensive driver. McTavish is a hard worker who shows leadership traits. New Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan loves to play with speed and relentless pressure, a mantra that suits McTavish down to the ground. For a second-line center, McTavish’s numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, but 52 points (22 goals) in 76 games for a bad Ducks team is nothing to sneeze at. In New York, he would also presumably get to play with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Given the playmaking ability of those wingers and McTavish’s heavy shot, 30-plus goals could be on the cards. Bleacher Report has stated that the Ducks are unlikely to extend McTavish an offer sheet, instead willing to match whatever offer comes his way. Does that mean he is on the trade block? At the very least it means that Anaheim will likely be willing to listen to offers. That said, it would take an almighty package to pry the former No. 3 pick out of Orange County. The Ducks would rightly command a first-round pick — if not two — and a highly-rated prospect. New York has its own first-rounders in store, as well as a, likely, late first-rounder next year, with second-round picks each year except 2027. Would New York part with a first, a second and a pair of its top prospects? The Rangers are loaded with left wing prospects. Whilst Gabe Perrault is likely off the table, Brennan Othmann, Adam Sykora and Brett Berard should be discussed, as should defenseman E.J. Emery. Would picks and a pair of prospects be enough for Anaheim, though? Here’s a thought experiment: a deal centered around Will Cuylle. As mentioned, the Rangers have a raft of left wingers coming through and Lafreniere is also a natural left winger. Would trading Cuylle for McTavish solve the Rangers' issues at the pivot, allowing Zibanejad to help fix the right-hand side and give the team room to develop more youngsters on the left? Could this solve three issues in one swoop? It would be a, potentially, seismic move, but it might just make sense for both teams, especially if the Ducks are not looking to keep McTavish around long-term. It would complete a remarkable offseason for Drury.
Maple Leafs are reportedly looking to make a splash trade
With the Toronto Maple Leafs losing star Mitch Marner this offseason, the team has had to fill a massive hole in the lineup. The Toronto front office has done a decent job so far, and the roster looks a little more well-rounded. But it seems that the Maple Leafs may not be done making moves this summer. According to NHL insider Nick Kypreos of SportsNet, Toronto could trade away defensemen Morgan Rielly or Brandon Carlo in an attempt to add more offense. "While we do also have Morgan Rielly on this list, if the Leafs move a defenseman it'll likely only be one of them. But while Rielly comes with the complication of a no-movement clause, Brandon Carlo has just an eight-team no-trade list and so is also worth putting on the trade board. "Making $3.485M against the cap for another two years, Carlo was a welcome addition to the Leafs' defense corps, averaging 19:13 of ice time per game and nearly two minutes on the PK. In the playoffs, he was among the team's shot-blocking leaders," Kypreos wrote. Marner accounted for 27 goals and 75 assists last season, which will be very tough for the Maple Leafs to replace. But the team does have a limited number of tradable assets to work with, which could potentially be why they are thinking of trading a defender. The Toronto front office remains very active on the trade front and it could lead to a deal taking place. There is still plenty of time left between now and the start of the regular season, giving the Maple Leafs some needed optionality before the new year.
Celtics Expected to Make Another Trade After New Comments From Executive
The Boston Celtics' priorities were already apparent before making the trades they did. Because they wanted to get under the NBA's second tax apron, the Celtics were willing to downgrade some of their players to get under it. That's why the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday for Anfernee Simons and Kristaps Porzingis for Georges Niang. It is a talent downgrade, but it helped Boston achieve their goals of getting under the second apron, even if those players aren't as good as Holiday or Porzingis. However, those trades only helped Boston get closer to being under the NBA's second tax apron, but it didn't get them under completely. Boston signed a few more players this offseason, including Luka Garza, Josh Minott, and Hugo Gonzalez. While these players are on inexpensive contracts, combined, they are enough to keep the Celtics above the NBA's second tax apron. That's why Boston isn't done making moves. Spotrac's Keith Smith revealed in an interview with a Boston Celtics executive that more trades will follow because they are still above the NBA's second tax apron. “Still figuring it all out. As you’ve noted, we’re still above the second apron. We won’t finish there," the Celtics exec told Smith. As far as how the Celtics will do that is anyone's guess. They may trade Anfernee Simons for someone who makes less than him. They may trade Niang's contract to a team that can absorb it via trade exception. They may even trade Sam Hauser or Payton Pritchard to do it. Regardless, more moves are coming for the Celtics.
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