Team news: Minnesota Vikings | Page 7

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell has announced WR Justin Jefferson has a mild hamstring strain and will be held out of practice. Jefferson will be re-evaluated next week.

Related Players: Jordan Addison, Tai Felton, T.J. Hockenson

It probably goes without saying, but it would be a massive blow to the entire offense, as well as J.J. McCarthy's bottom line if Jefferson missed any time. No need to push the WR too far down your rankings just yet, but if you had a coinflip between him and another first round option, it might be a good time to lean toward the other guy.

Kevin O'Connell on J.J. McCarthy:

"He's absolutely had a phenomenal offseason, from the time before the offseason program started through the nine weeks that we were allowed to be on the grass, and then I think it's been awesome this summer seeing these guys getting together, working. You feel the energy and the enthusiasm not only that J.J. has brought to the group, but that they're reciprocating right back to him."

It's not the first positive report we've seen about McCarthy so far. Our John Paulsen summed up McCarthy's fantasy stock: Last year, three quarterbacks drafted QB20 or later finished in the top 12: Baker Mayfield (QB21), Sam Darnold (QB31), and Bo Nix (QB23). They had a couple of things in common: 1) a strong offensive mind calling the plays, and 2) they can score fantasy points with their legs. Darnold (QB27) can run, but Klint Kubiak is not a certified offensive genius like, say, O’Connell, who coaxed a QB8 finish out of Darnold last season. That’s why I like QB19 McCarthy to meet or exceed his draft position. It’s pretty simple: In O’Connell we trust. McCarthy will run a bit and has a nice group of weapons, including Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones.

Vikings WR Jordan Addison's case has also concluded with a fine and probation, per his agent.

Related Players: Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, Tai Felton, Rondale Moore, T.J. Hockenson

Much like Rashee Rice, who was sentenced to probation mere hours before this release, we'll have to take a wait-and-see approach to whether or not Addison misses games. The best bet is likely a two-game suspension, but that's all speculation for now. If a potential suspension happens earlier in the season, we could see more work out of rookie Tai Felton than we would have imagined, and Jefferson's target share could be massive without a locked-in WR2.

On Wednesday, on the practice field inside the TCO Performance Center, J.J. McCarthy resembled his former self in almost every way. No, the 22-year-old was not doing any chest-bumping. This was more about his arm, his comfort and his command.

“He’s done an unbelievable job,” said coach Kevin O’Connell. “You forget the fact (that) this is his first runway since the injury. It’s a credit to the work he put in.”

The author said McCarthy’s throws spiraled the same way they did last year. He absorbed the play verbiage, stepped into the huddle, spit out the calls, walked to the line of scrimmage, hollered out the cadence and urgently progressed through reads. He did all of the things you have to do, with few hiccups, to be a successful quarterback in this league. But the story also warned the team isn't naming McCarthy the starter just yet. However, one thing to keep in mind is it's only Sam Howell and Brett Rypien behind him at this point, so McCarthy looks poised to be the starter this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will be limited in the spring as he continues to recover from surgery to repair the AC joint in his left shoulder and is on schedule to be fully cleared by the time training camp begins.

Jaguars coach Liam Coen said that there isn't yet a set plan for how much throwing Lawrence will do but that Lawrence is being monitored by vice president of player health and performance Jeff Ferguson and Will Wynkoop, his personal strength coach, as the offseason program progresses.

Related Players: Nick Mullens, John Wolford

Lawrence had surgery on his shoulder on December 17th, the same shoulder he had worked on back in February of 2021. In a new offensive scheme under Liam Coen and OC Grant Udinski, it would be nice to see him out there through most of the offseason program, but we'll keep an eye on the situation.

Raheem Mostert tells me he’s signing a 1-year, $2.1 million deal with Raiders.

Former Dolphins RB made the Pro Bowl in 2023 rushing for over 1K yards and totaling 21 TDs. Still has good juice left for Vegas squad that wants to run the ball.

Related Players: Sincere McCormick, Zamir White, Dylan Laube

This is unlikely to be the last movement we see in the Raiders backfield before the offseason is over, but Mostert finds himself in a great spot to carve out a role in his age-33 season. Because of the wear on his tires and history with injuries, we should probably take a wait-and-see approach before we declare how useful he can actually be in fantasy.

Sam Darnold has agreed to terms with the Seahawks, per source.

The top free agent quarterback available, Darnold gets the three-year deal he sought and heads to Seattle after a career year in Minnesota.

Related Players: Sam Howell, J.J. McCarthy, Daniel Jones

Darnold gets a long(er)-term deal, but it's not the best situation fantasy-wise. With Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf out of the building, the veteran will see a downgrade both in offensive line and receiver talent from Minnesota. Looking ahead, the Seahawks will get a guy who is seven years younger, but it would be hard to argue that Geno Smith is less talented than the journeyman.

Aaron Jones is back with the Vikings, sources say, getting a 2-year, $20M deal with $13M guaranteed.

Related Players: Cam Akers, Ty Chandler, C.J. Ham

This was probably always the best landing spot for Jones, and he re-joins a Vikings team that only has four draft picks this cycle, which could absolutely mean he comfortably has his 2024 role for another season. Push him back into low-end RB2 range.

Vikings officially will not be tagging QB Sam Darnold, per sources.

Related Players: J.J. McCarthy, Nick Mullens, Daniel Jones

While this doesn't necessarily mean Darnold will not be playing in Minnesota, it does make McCarthy and even Jones more interesting at the time of this news. Potential teams Darnold could land on include the Raiders, Giants, and Jets, among others.

Gannon said the Cardinals will not rest Kyler Murray in either of the final two games.

Related players: Clayton Tune

The Cardinals have been eliminated from the playoffs but the good news for fantasy owners is they are going to continue to play Murray. Tune is the backup and doesn't necessarily offer the Cardinals a future option. Murray is coming off a decent fantasy game in Week 16, throwing for a TD and also running for another. Murray and the Cards are at the Rams on Saturday night in Week 17. They end the season at home against the 49ers in Week 18.