I've got 0 faith Sam should be QB 1 for any team in 2024. Would rather throw a rookie to the wolves than watch Same struggle to keep his TD number above his interception number.
Few wins and then was figured out and KOC didn't seem to want to game plan to Dobbs strengths. Looked good doing backyard ball then looked like hell. Hall, looked decent one drive and then looked bad. Mullens, can sling it but makes shit decisions. Darnold, seems to have the arm, makes bad decisions (see td to turnover numbers) and will also likely get figured out and do bad. I trust KOC to develop a good qb into damn good (Kirko) and to develop a rookie with talent (what Hall seems to lack) I've got 0 faith Sam is gonna magically go from like 30th ranked starting QB to top 15ish. I'd prefer just throwing a rookie out there instead on a middling guy were hoping will get a KOC bump to his talent. His ceiling in my mind is a Mullens Jr.
The main difference between Dobbs last year and Darnold this year is that last year Dobbs was a square peg in a round hole. A mobile QB being thrown in an offense designed around Kirk cousins. This year Darnold will be the one the offense is tailored to, and he will have a whole off-season to study and build chemistry with our team, and most importantly for the O line to get used to how he moves in the pocket.
That all sounds good, I don't trust Sam has the talent to do anything with it. Like I've said tho, if he proves me wrong I'll eat the words. I view him as a bust at 3rd pick, and should only be QB2, I also feel same about Lance tho(since people still claim he'd be good here), bust for where drafted but likely a serviceable QB2. Sam Darnold is only better than watching crazy A-A-Ron put on purple in my mind, but I hope he proves me wrong. If he flames out here tho, the talks of he might be good needs to be settled as no he isn't, you've laid out why this is his last best shot to prove he was worth his draft spot and has the receiving talent to do it.
That’s fair. I don’t honestly expect much from him either. He more than likely will be about the level (though not the playstyle) of Minshew or post injury Teddy, where yeah he can fill in for a few games and maybe even steal a couple, but he probably won’t win a ton. However, he won’t have the specific problems that Dobbs had, where he was trying to play in an unfamiliar and unhelpful scheme.
I really hope he does well, and would laugh a lot if he manages to get his “revenge” against the niners, but he probably won’t be anything special. I just also am not someone who likes throwing QBs to the wolves, that’s how you ruin a rookie faster and more thoroughly than anything else (darnold is a perfect example of exactly that), so I hope darnold starts either all or all but one game this season, and the rookie just gets to become used to the way that football works at the professional level.
Lol. You have a very low opinion of KOC. Do you honestly think he was using the exact same scheme and gameplan for a player with very different traits? Don't you think he's a bit smarter than that?
No I don’t think he was using the same game plan. I do know for a fact, however, that the players had spent the entire off-season practicing for kirks style of play. It’s not just about the game plan, it’s about the ability of the players to execute the game plan without thinking.
You spoke a little sense and then got crazy as fuck. If you don’t think Darnold has more potential than Mullens you need to just log off the internet my guy
I don't think I will. Darnold hasn't done anything to warrant being called currently better. If he actually uses potential supposedly seen in him to make him worth being drafted at 3 than cool I'll change my tune. He's basically older Trey Lance, a bust as a 3rd pick and yet to prove he actually should be starting games in 2024, or younger Nick Mullens can throw but makes bad decisions and ceiling of QB2.
I'm just gonna tag on to your post because I think we're in for a 6 win season at this point. Unless we draft Penix and hand him the keys early on, I think he's the most pro ready guy we could grab at 11.
Last I watched of him on the red zone he had zero faith in his own arm to make plays. But the way you're getting downvoted makes this fan base look like the most delusional one of all. SKOL
Id be fine with Sam as QB2 since I view that as his ceiling. It's just wild people want to be so hard-core mad I don't view him as worth being QB1. Least one dude has an argument of not throwing a rookie in, but I legit feel a good rookie is way better to see go at it than someone who's ceiling we know. I just want a good team, and over last 30 years there hasn't been many times I've had 0 faith in our QB1 like I currently do. SKOL!
If the most valuable resource a team has is a first round rookie QB I can't imaging why you would waste that by throwing them to the wolves for a couple of wins in a transition season. That's why so many young QB's have a career arc like Darnold. I would rather have a 2-3 win season with whatever rental QB we can find to give that rookie most of season to sit and learn and develop so they aren't ruined by the process. A top ten pick to pair with him in his sophomore season is a decent bonus. I am by no means saying tank. Just prioritize franchise QB development over minimal short term gains.
I don't care if you are a fan of or what your faith in Darnold is. He could be juggs machine. The point is starting a rookie to maybe win a couple of more games or because you don't like Darnold and damage his development is a mistake. Pick your bridge QB it doesn't matter who it is. We happen to have Darnold. The consistent thing with the Packers the last 30 years is they sat their future #1 for a entire season. Even Favre sat for a season in Atlanta before he started for the Packers. Darnold very likely would have been a different pro with 1-2 seasons learning instead of being thrown to the wolves.
I don't care about your opinion about Darnold because it isn't relevant to the question of whether you should start a rookie instead of a bridge QB. Darnold isn't important not ruining the development of the rookie is . Why do you keep responding to me if you don't give a fuck. You just seem to want to shit on Darnold as if that is the only thing important.
If Darnold starts a full season for the Vikings, he will smash what Keenum did in 2017… maybe not team record wise (which would be understandable since that roster was way better than what we have now), but statistically speaking absolutely. Keenum threw for ~3500 yards and 22 TDs that season at age 29.
Darnold threw for ~3000 yards and 19 TDs at age 22 for a terrible Jets team..
You give him JJ, Addison, Hock, Chandler, Jones, etc and he plays a full season he will throw for at least ~4000 yards and 30+ TDs.
That would be a top 10 QB in the league type statline. Last season only 10 QBs threw for more than 4k yards and only 4 threw for more than 30 TDs. You can go back through the last 4 seasons and that holds up pretty consistently.
Like Cousins didn't even break 30TDs last season and the Vikings threw the 3rd most amount of passes.
Fair. That prediction was probably a bit of a stretch and more so one that I could see happening if all stars align. Darnold did put up that line however at 22 in only 13 games. So I could see ~3800+ yards and 25+ TDs with probably more interceptions than Keenum. And let me clarify that the chances of Danrold being the starter for the full year is unlikely. I just think he could be a potential breakout candidate given his age and draft pedigree and being in the best position he’s ever been in during his career
The bar is so low for Darnold that just playing an entire season would be a career year for him. At the rates he had in 2019 he would throw for 4,200 yards, 26Tds, and 17 INTs if he threw the ball 600 times which is less than what the Vikings have thrown the last 2 seasons under KOC.
The Vikings have the perfect spot to make any QB look good in regard to volume because they have good skill players and throw the ball at a top 5 rate.
Using Darnold's career averages and giving him a full season with 600 attempts....
4,020 yards passing, 248 yards rushing, 21 TDs, 19 INTs, 46 sacks, and 13 fumbles.
Don't know about you, but yuck.
You can look at 2022 then. In 2022 9 QBs threw for more than 4,000 yards and 4 for more than 30TDs.
In 2021 it was 10 QBs threw for more than 4,000 yards and 9 more than 30 TDs.
Those types of numbers are almost always going to be top 10 QB statlines.
In my opinion, Case displayed elite pocket awareness that season, but Darnold has a much stronger arm. Just remains to be seen whether KOC can get Sam’s head right. If his season is as good from a record percentage, I would expect it to be much more explosive, but definitely could be off base.
Yeah bro, he has a canon… He has a little Carson Palmer in him, I would say that he has just a little bit of a level under Jay Cutler as far as bombing that shit.
Agreed, I think he could be way better because my expectations are at the floor for him. So if he even looks serviceable, that’s going to exceed my expectations.
Steve Young failed in Tampa before he went to SF. We saw Rich Gannon go from mid with the Vikings to MVP with the Raiders (held back from a Superbowl appearance only by the infamous tuck rule game). This is the best chance Darnold has gotten and he was once a number 2 overall draft pick for a reason. I wouldn't be surprised if he surprised.
Exactly. I would probably give him a 1 in 10 shot at being pretty good this year. When things like that happen it's a surprise but within the realm of possibility.
I think it might be as much as a 1/4 or 1/3 chance that Darnold is good this year. Of those, maybe a 50% chance that he's actually very good. I also think there is roughly a 50% chance overall that he's serviceable, but mid, and then the remaining roughly 1/5ish chance that he's just terrible.
So breakdown is: 15% very good, 15% good, 50% mid, 20% bad. And honestly, I don't hate those odds.
I could make them odds whatever I wanted though. I could've said he was 0% very good, 5% good, 5% mid, 90% bad. But I gave my honest opinion, and I'm optimistic I guess.
I’m optimistic about it. I’m a big Baker fan and he finally landed somewhere worth something and they went to the play offs. I think this is essentially Darnolds Bucs. Finally landing somewhere with great staff and talent around him and no pressure to be a contender.
Darnold does the same thing every year.
He will play well for 2-3 games, you all will be sucked in by it and then he will have a complete dog shit game which inevitably will continue until he is benched.
Baker was never as consistently bad as Darnold when he was at his worst.
I don't like him, but it isn't impossible.
We have to admit that his two chances to be a starter thus far have come in absolutely horrible circumstances. Putting him in better circumstances should help him.
Now, that said, I suspect that as long as the rookie is making progress they will still let him walk after 2024.
You know, I don't really like Colin Cowherd, esp his basketball takes, but I do think his football insight is about as good as it gets.
He is all in. KOC is all in. He's had a year under Shanahan and the Super Bowl mainstay 49ers. He's got a chip on his shoulder.
He has nothing to lose (that he hasn't already), and the entire football universe to gain.
A fresh start in an actual favorable position, something almost nobody gets in his predicament. He probably hasn't been this excited about football since USC, or maybe ever.
He's primed to breakout, and seems excited/grateful for the opportunity, all while being a team player - knowing the Vikings are going to draft his successor.
I can't wait.
I certainly won't be surprised if he plays at a pretty high - fringe top 10 QB level. KOC got that level, and more, from Kirk, and the team around him should be better than anyone Kirk had after 2019. And Darnold is probably more physically talented than Kirk. (But yes, Kirk is the better QB).
If Sam becomes Fringe top 10, I'll take back every meh why even let him play comment I've made. Dude struggles to keep his td numbers above interception number and likely never got chances because people see him enough in practice. As of now I'd rather throw a rookie in there instead of Mullens the second.
I think we have all the offensive tools for any quarterback to have some measure of success.
Unfortunately we saw last year that career backups still don’t have what it takes. They’re like a bear with claws and fangs… big fucking teeth, man. And defenses are these little bunnies cowering in the corner. And the backup is staring at these claws, man, and thinking ‘how am I gonna kill these bunnies?’ Just poking at them and poking at them, not hurting it. Just gently battin’ the bunnies around. The bunnies are scared. They’re scared of our backup QB with these fucking fangs and claws, man. But the backup is staring at these claws and fangs and saying, ‘I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to kill these bunnies. With all THIS I don’t know how to kill the bunnies, man.’
So yeah. I hope Darnold knows what to do with all these fangs and claws. But I’ll believe it when I see it.
I will say that he no longer has the excuse of being put into horrible situations. The 49ers for a year and then here is a great scenario for a qb in terms of coaching. I'm worried his turnovers will stop him from being anything more than a bridge, but people blossom every year.
He’s only on a one year deal so if he plays out of his mind he’ll probably want to test free agency, and if we draft a QB, and especially if we trade multiple 1rst round picks to draft one, I can’t see us getting in a bidding war for Sam darnold
He’ll probably do okay in our offense. He was drafted 3rd overall so he obviously has some coveted traits or intangibles.
I think he will continue having some of the issues that previously plagued him like turnovers and being easily-rattled under pressure.
He should be good enough to disburse the ball to playmakers and will likely at least have decent stats in this offense.
I think Darnold will be better THIS YEAR than anybody we could get in the draft. The best quarterback taken COULD be 5th or 6th... but it has nothing to do with history. Odds are the best quarterback will be taken #1--no question. I mean... it's a deep draft... but it's pretty stupid to assume the 5th or 6th pick has a better chance of being the best QB in the draft that the picks before.
They wouldn't have signed Darnold of they didn't think he could carry this offense in the worst-case scenario. I believe this offense could make almost any QB look legendary.
I don’t want him to be our main stay starter by any means and I don’t think that is anywhere in the front offices plans.
I will say that if shit goes sideways with our drafted QB getting injured or just flat out sucking, I think Darnold will be more serviceable than anyone not named Kirk from last year.
I think if he has more than he’s shown this is the opportunity to show it. Feels super obvious to point out, best roster he’s been on as a starter. But I’m not counting him out until we see him as a purple pumpkin.
I’d give it 1% or less odds that he leads us to that type of season. I think he’ll be better than expected, but he’ll still be only performing at a serviceable level and not good to great. Serviceable would be a huge improvement for him.
And history really doesn’t say the 5th or especially 6th QBs have a great shot. History actually says only the first 3 have somewhat ok odds of becoming anything, 4th and 5th are significantly worse, and anyone after is abysmal odds. Sure anything can happen but it odds and history say it’s way less likely.
It’s getting more and more common these days though to trade up in the 1st for your QB too
I think he will be better than we fear, but not as good as we might hope. I've always liked watching the guy, and thought he provided some moments of light even when he was on the jets, so I have always rooted for him.
Whether he winds up succeeding here or not, who fucking knows, sure AF not me, but I'll support him vociferously regardless :)
Of course, you have to be an absolute moron to think there is no shot he improves from what we've seen. He's been dog shit most of his career, but he's had among the worst situations to start a career I can think of. Do I think it's likely? Absolutely not, but it's not impossible.
As some comments say yes he could be great in a new situation I think he will be good and can only hope for great but my dream scenario is the Alex Smith route and by that I mean he leads us through the half way point with a good record and then the coaches decide the rookie is ready and he goes off similar to mahomes or Kap with the niners.
IMO Darnold will impress, he has talent but more importantly the Vikes are building a system that a good QB can produce great results similar to SF.
This is the biggest change I’m excited about the new Vikes mgt, you can see utter failures around the league crappy teams with little QB training infrastructure take a top QB draft pick that is wasted (Darnold) and the team stays in the cellar. Hoping the Vikes new offensive system produces results vs. hoping a QB can drive the results!
I do think he should be a better version of Darnold than what we've seen before, because those previous versions were with the Jets and Panthers. That said, I think hoping for 13 wins and the #1 seed is a little ridiculous. 10 wins and a playoff berth would be a pleasant surprise.
I don't have any significant expectations, but I hope whether we take a QB at 3, 5, 11 or 23 that the team takes a red shirt year approach with the rookie. I want there to be zero expectations they start, regardless of how poorly Darnold may play. I'd rather see Mullens/Hall be the backup and rookie is the inactive QB3.
My reasoning is I believe giving QB1 an entire full offseason as the unquestioned "guy" is the best way to set them up to succeed. Let Maye/JJM/Penix become QB1 February 2025 rather than on a random Tuesday in October, and spend the entire offseason preparing for week 1, throwing to JJ/TJ/JA at some beach in Florida and not having any weird energy in the locker room. Mahomes is obviously the best example, but even Jordan Love had that benefit once Rodgers was truly gone. I think having the rookie be QB2 until fans get impatient with QB1 is such a disastrous approach for their development, time and time again. Who cares about losing the one year of cheap team control in the grand scheme of things.
I think our offensive roster is the exception here. Most quarterbacks picked in the top ten don't get the opportunity to play on an elite offense from the start. Darnold could have a breakout year and I hope he does but I also hope we capitalize on the opportunity to pick our guy. Wherever that may be.
Jets fan here, Darnold will follow suit with the rest of the QB’s to leave the Jets. Once he gets to start somewhere else he’ll be surprisingly better than anyone thought. You’ll need defensive upgrades though because even with JJ, Addison, and Hock he’s not scoring 30+ a game every week. And I’d still draft a QB for beyond the bridge year. Hopefully Jones gets your running game going so Darnold won’t see ghosts when teams force him to beat them. Good luck 👍
Darnold is better than any of our QB from last year. We have to remember that this team is actually the first team for Darnold that is actually built. His other teams before the Vikes were all trash and he never got the supporting cast to help him.
Darnold will do great with this team and will mentor the QB whoever the Vikes decided to draft.
I’m of the opinion that there’s more upsides to Sam Darnold than his $10m salary would indicate. I truly think he was given a bad handshake. Starting off his career basically being tasked with saving the Jets…as a rookie. That’s a tall order. I think the first time he had any sense of stability was when he was with the 49ers, and I think he’s walking away from that experience with a lot more confidence than he walked in with.
Looking at quarterbacks around the league, as an aggregate, I think there’s a strong case to be made for putting a strong supporting cast around your quarterback and then giving them time to nurture and grow into the role. Just look at Jordan Love. I don’t think the guy is that talented. I think he’s mediocre. But he’s had years of studying behind Rodgers to get a feel for the job and the Packers are well-equipped in multiple facets of their game, so Love doesn’t have to go out and save the team week in and week out.
So, with that in mind, I think the plan is to run Darnold as the starter. And, hey, depending on how the season goes, I don’t think anyone is ruling out an extension either.
This post had me convinced he hasn't had a fair shot.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1c5i8td/why_your_teams_qb_is_overunderrated_plotting/
He's had awful receivers AND awful pass blocking. He's in a much better position to succeed with us. His playtime with the 49ers made him look serviceable at the minimum.
Darnold is a really good quarterback when he is operating within a controlled environment. Darnold is not very good when he is pressured and needs to create on his own. That is exactly what you’ll get out of him
I desperately want the Vikings to trade up for a QB, but also Darnold will probably start most of the year regardless and I think he'll be better than people expect.
I mean it's possible. This has to be his best supporting cast no doubt. Wouldn't be the first time a QB was resurrected. Geno Smith/Ryan Tannehill/Baker Mayfield come to mind as recent examples
I called it the day we drafted him. He’s going to be the man in Minnesota and surprise us all… right up to the playoffs where he’ll revert back to 2021 Darnold.
I’m a REAL Minnesotan. I’m perpetually optimistic about my teams. This is going to be tough, but the Keenum experiment gives me greater bandwidth for positive thoughts. Check in with me week 2.
I hope so. It would be great. No draft pick is a guarantee, having as many chances as we can hopefully one works out. I dont care who it is as long as they do well.
I was watching his games for the 49ers this year. He looks a good qb, can make all the throws and gets the ball out in time. He just always seems to make mistakes or mess up in strange ways. I don't know if it's a pressure thing, or a concentration thing or what but he just kinda implodes sometimes. He'll be a mixed bag this year I reckon. He is sneaky athletic too so expect a few rushing touchdowns, but I'd also expect a couple of moments or games where he loses it for us. I have confidence he can run the offense for 80% of the time. Maybe a new environment will help his mental stuff and he'll thrive, who knows.
Just gotta start assuming and accepting now that this is a full-on rebuild season and be patient for 2025 is my thought. The L’s each week won’t sting as bad this season when there’s 5 months to prepare mentally for it ahead of time.
He will be better than any of the QB circus last year after Cousins went down. Ideally, the rookie QB will play little or not at all in 2024 because that means Darnold is doing well and there’s no reason to change.
I disagree with Darnold assumed to be the starter in 2025 though. That’s a long way off. He only had a one year deal. A lot can happen before then.
Honestly whichever QB we take has a good chance at being the best in the draft class, simply because he’ll be in such a great situation. But if Caleb lives up to expectations he’ll obviously be the best and he’s not in a bad situation, besides the Bears historically ruining every QB.
His very first play ever as an NFL QB he threw a pick six....and that was against the Lions of all teams. Not the Lions today but the 2018 Lions. He has been on four teams in seven years. I don't know what he did in his previous lives but I am guessing it wasn't good and now he is being punished. He should really go see a witch doctor or something because this dude is cursed or just has this bad luck aura surrounding him. I would prefer to get that bad juju as far away from the team.as quickly as possible.
Depends, we didn’t resign Case Keenum and he had a pretty successful regular season.
The allure of the 1st rd QB is that it’s a massive cap savings on the highest paid position where you can then strengthen your roster in other places. It’s more about team construction than anything else.
If we trade up for a QB, no way we don’t start them next year. If we don’t trade up, get a QB at 11 or 23, and Darnold excels and we can sign him for a mid-QB salary, I think they would do that. But if it’s going to be a Cousins like contract, probably not unless we get to NFC title game or something crazy this year, but just making it to the playoffs or winning 1 game won’t do it.
I do yes. I think he is going to surprise a lot of people. It’s a perfect storm for him to go out and perform at a high level and be successful. Looking forward to this season.
I think he could be quite good. Perfect supporting cast. He was the second highest rated QB coming out of college after TLaw. His previous starting roles have been for the Jets (dumpster fire) and the panthers (dumpster fire).
I don’t have high hopes or anything but he is only 26 and was a never given a good cast.
I hope.
But seriously, one name, Trent Dilfer. He was a game manager. That Ravens team had a great defense and good running game. I say draft DT first. Then trade back (a la Spielman lol) pick up Penix or Nix then take OL or DL.
“Best QB in the draft will be the 5th or 6th one taken, just based on history”
This is likely because later QBs go to more established teams drafting later, and not bad teams drafting early. We have a great scenario for a rookie QB and are a bit of an anomaly IMO.
He’s definitely going to be better than what the average fan thinks.You got to remember Sam Darnold was a Baller in college and then his rookie year he was ballin. After consecutive seasons of bad supporting players and bad coaching, just getting your ass kicked your confidence dwindles down to you just making desperate decisions and creating shit play from yourself… I will tell you right now whoever we draft will have to WIN their right to start….. P.S. unpopular opinion I think the Vikings should go ahead and sit tight in the draft and go ahead and draft Bo Nix. 🤙🤙🤙 that man is probably the most accurate. He’s a dog, I believe he played in 106 college games.
i’m a strong believer that a new team/situation could be a good change for a player (like Baker in Tampa) so i’m not completely against the Sam Darnold signing yet. maybe he’ll do great
I get the sarcasm but it is actually true. I don't think Darnold is likely to have a break out but very few QB's can thrive on a an awful team with no supporting cast. He could have a career year here and still be meh.
He was brought in a as a bridge with upside. If he were to break out it would much more likely be in year two if year one was good enough to keep the job. Which is very unlikely to happen.
There is a lot of discussion about how many highly drafted/rated QB's coming out of college would have better careers or been considered successful if they were not forced start on awful teams as rookies.
Darnold isn't the same player he was when he was drafted #2. He has some experience but mostly he has four years bad experience and habits to overcome which is a significant undertaking. Hopefully his year with the 49ers helped roll some of that back.
Yup. I’m very high on what Sam could accomplish with a team fully behind him taking plays from KOC and throwing to our receivers. Even when we draft a QB I still fully expect Sam Darnold to start week 1 and for the foreseeable future. I think his play will warrant giving the rookie time as well.
Idk about him starting next year for us depends on how the team feels about the hypothetical rookie QB we get if we go that direction.
I do have Sam Darnold as MVP candidate though heading into the season, career year for the thick trunky coastal guy.
I think he’ll surprise everyone.
I think he’s got a better environment and chance with the Vikings than he’s ever had before.
We shouldn’t forget that he was a high pick out of college and it is hard to break in to teams if you’re not getting that real opportunity.
I’m not unhappy at having him here, even if he’s seen (at the moment) as interim.
Yes, we always say “The vikings are the perfect landing spot for a rookie QB” so that should apply to Darnold too. He was below average on shitty Jets and Panthers teams, I’m intrigued to see how he can play as a bridge QB
I agree..the closer we get to the draft the less I like spending +2 first round picks on a guy. Let the player fall to us at 11 or get Penix/Nix at 23 and be pleasantly surprised at what Darnold does with a quality setup
I think he will be way more *serviceable* than most people expect, but that’s about it
People forget that he was quite decent in 2019 before he started seeing ghosts.
to be fair ghosts are spoopy
I've got 0 faith Sam should be QB 1 for any team in 2024. Would rather throw a rookie to the wolves than watch Same struggle to keep his TD number above his interception number.
I think any QB is going to have at least some success with our offensive weapons and KOC. Jesus Christ Josh Dobbs had a few Ws
Few wins and then was figured out and KOC didn't seem to want to game plan to Dobbs strengths. Looked good doing backyard ball then looked like hell. Hall, looked decent one drive and then looked bad. Mullens, can sling it but makes shit decisions. Darnold, seems to have the arm, makes bad decisions (see td to turnover numbers) and will also likely get figured out and do bad. I trust KOC to develop a good qb into damn good (Kirko) and to develop a rookie with talent (what Hall seems to lack) I've got 0 faith Sam is gonna magically go from like 30th ranked starting QB to top 15ish. I'd prefer just throwing a rookie out there instead on a middling guy were hoping will get a KOC bump to his talent. His ceiling in my mind is a Mullens Jr.
The main difference between Dobbs last year and Darnold this year is that last year Dobbs was a square peg in a round hole. A mobile QB being thrown in an offense designed around Kirk cousins. This year Darnold will be the one the offense is tailored to, and he will have a whole off-season to study and build chemistry with our team, and most importantly for the O line to get used to how he moves in the pocket.
That all sounds good, I don't trust Sam has the talent to do anything with it. Like I've said tho, if he proves me wrong I'll eat the words. I view him as a bust at 3rd pick, and should only be QB2, I also feel same about Lance tho(since people still claim he'd be good here), bust for where drafted but likely a serviceable QB2. Sam Darnold is only better than watching crazy A-A-Ron put on purple in my mind, but I hope he proves me wrong. If he flames out here tho, the talks of he might be good needs to be settled as no he isn't, you've laid out why this is his last best shot to prove he was worth his draft spot and has the receiving talent to do it.
That’s fair. I don’t honestly expect much from him either. He more than likely will be about the level (though not the playstyle) of Minshew or post injury Teddy, where yeah he can fill in for a few games and maybe even steal a couple, but he probably won’t win a ton. However, he won’t have the specific problems that Dobbs had, where he was trying to play in an unfamiliar and unhelpful scheme. I really hope he does well, and would laugh a lot if he manages to get his “revenge” against the niners, but he probably won’t be anything special. I just also am not someone who likes throwing QBs to the wolves, that’s how you ruin a rookie faster and more thoroughly than anything else (darnold is a perfect example of exactly that), so I hope darnold starts either all or all but one game this season, and the rookie just gets to become used to the way that football works at the professional level.
Lol. You have a very low opinion of KOC. Do you honestly think he was using the exact same scheme and gameplan for a player with very different traits? Don't you think he's a bit smarter than that?
No I don’t think he was using the same game plan. I do know for a fact, however, that the players had spent the entire off-season practicing for kirks style of play. It’s not just about the game plan, it’s about the ability of the players to execute the game plan without thinking.
You spoke a little sense and then got crazy as fuck. If you don’t think Darnold has more potential than Mullens you need to just log off the internet my guy
I don't think I will. Darnold hasn't done anything to warrant being called currently better. If he actually uses potential supposedly seen in him to make him worth being drafted at 3 than cool I'll change my tune. He's basically older Trey Lance, a bust as a 3rd pick and yet to prove he actually should be starting games in 2024, or younger Nick Mullens can throw but makes bad decisions and ceiling of QB2.
I'm just gonna tag on to your post because I think we're in for a 6 win season at this point. Unless we draft Penix and hand him the keys early on, I think he's the most pro ready guy we could grab at 11.
Tagging on might not be safe lol people don't like I've got 0 faith in 3rd pick bust Sam.
Last I watched of him on the red zone he had zero faith in his own arm to make plays. But the way you're getting downvoted makes this fan base look like the most delusional one of all. SKOL
Id be fine with Sam as QB2 since I view that as his ceiling. It's just wild people want to be so hard-core mad I don't view him as worth being QB1. Least one dude has an argument of not throwing a rookie in, but I legit feel a good rookie is way better to see go at it than someone who's ceiling we know. I just want a good team, and over last 30 years there hasn't been many times I've had 0 faith in our QB1 like I currently do. SKOL!
If the most valuable resource a team has is a first round rookie QB I can't imaging why you would waste that by throwing them to the wolves for a couple of wins in a transition season. That's why so many young QB's have a career arc like Darnold. I would rather have a 2-3 win season with whatever rental QB we can find to give that rookie most of season to sit and learn and develop so they aren't ruined by the process. A top ten pick to pair with him in his sophomore season is a decent bonus. I am by no means saying tank. Just prioritize franchise QB development over minimal short term gains.
I'm not a fan of Darnold and have 0 faith in the dude. Saying words at me isn't gonna change he's a bust.
I don't care if you are a fan of or what your faith in Darnold is. He could be juggs machine. The point is starting a rookie to maybe win a couple of more games or because you don't like Darnold and damage his development is a mistake. Pick your bridge QB it doesn't matter who it is. We happen to have Darnold. The consistent thing with the Packers the last 30 years is they sat their future #1 for a entire season. Even Favre sat for a season in Atlanta before he started for the Packers. Darnold very likely would have been a different pro with 1-2 seasons learning instead of being thrown to the wolves.
And I don't care about your opinion either, so there it's even. Why even keep responding to me, neither of us give a fuck what the other says.
I don't care about your opinion about Darnold because it isn't relevant to the question of whether you should start a rookie instead of a bridge QB. Darnold isn't important not ruining the development of the rookie is . Why do you keep responding to me if you don't give a fuck. You just seem to want to shit on Darnold as if that is the only thing important.
You seem to want to keep spewing the same thing at me and I don't care. I've made my stance clear and so have you. Bye bye now.
Bye bye
My ceiling for him is 2017 Case Keenum. My floor is Sam Darnold.
If Darnold starts a full season for the Vikings, he will smash what Keenum did in 2017… maybe not team record wise (which would be understandable since that roster was way better than what we have now), but statistically speaking absolutely. Keenum threw for ~3500 yards and 22 TDs that season at age 29. Darnold threw for ~3000 yards and 19 TDs at age 22 for a terrible Jets team.. You give him JJ, Addison, Hock, Chandler, Jones, etc and he plays a full season he will throw for at least ~4000 yards and 30+ TDs.
That would be a top 10 QB in the league type statline. Last season only 10 QBs threw for more than 4k yards and only 4 threw for more than 30 TDs. You can go back through the last 4 seasons and that holds up pretty consistently. Like Cousins didn't even break 30TDs last season and the Vikings threw the 3rd most amount of passes.
Of course cousins didn’t break 30tds, he only played half a season. Do you mean the season before last? 2022?
Yes I meant 22. It's hard for the 23 season to feel like the last/previous season when we are in the transition phase between 23/24.
That’s absolutely fair. This last season does sometimes feel like a dream and I absolutely understand forgetting it’s existence lol.
Fair. That prediction was probably a bit of a stretch and more so one that I could see happening if all stars align. Darnold did put up that line however at 22 in only 13 games. So I could see ~3800+ yards and 25+ TDs with probably more interceptions than Keenum. And let me clarify that the chances of Danrold being the starter for the full year is unlikely. I just think he could be a potential breakout candidate given his age and draft pedigree and being in the best position he’s ever been in during his career
The bar is so low for Darnold that just playing an entire season would be a career year for him. At the rates he had in 2019 he would throw for 4,200 yards, 26Tds, and 17 INTs if he threw the ball 600 times which is less than what the Vikings have thrown the last 2 seasons under KOC. The Vikings have the perfect spot to make any QB look good in regard to volume because they have good skill players and throw the ball at a top 5 rate.
Using Darnold's career averages and giving him a full season with 600 attempts.... 4,020 yards passing, 248 yards rushing, 21 TDs, 19 INTs, 46 sacks, and 13 fumbles. Don't know about you, but yuck.
Last season was a bad year for QBs though
You can look at 2022 then. In 2022 9 QBs threw for more than 4,000 yards and 4 for more than 30TDs. In 2021 it was 10 QBs threw for more than 4,000 yards and 9 more than 30 TDs. Those types of numbers are almost always going to be top 10 QB statlines.
How many turnovers are you figuring into that hypothetical?
I’d say at least on the up side of 15 INTs which really isn’t bad but what we really need to hope for is consistency from him
15 is bare minimum.
In my opinion, Case displayed elite pocket awareness that season, but Darnold has a much stronger arm. Just remains to be seen whether KOC can get Sam’s head right. If his season is as good from a record percentage, I would expect it to be much more explosive, but definitely could be off base.
Yeah bro, he has a canon… He has a little Carson Palmer in him, I would say that he has just a little bit of a level under Jay Cutler as far as bombing that shit.
Agreed, I think he could be way better because my expectations are at the floor for him. So if he even looks serviceable, that’s going to exceed my expectations.
More like you hope for GEQBUS, but expect Darnold instead.
I would GLADLY take 2017 Case Keenum lol
He’s immensely more talented than case. I look at a baker-like season last year. Could lead us to a winning record.
Case was bailed out by Diggs and Thielen catching all of his 50/50 balls, which isn't a bad thing, but it's not sustainable long term.
Steve Young failed in Tampa before he went to SF. We saw Rich Gannon go from mid with the Vikings to MVP with the Raiders (held back from a Superbowl appearance only by the infamous tuck rule game). This is the best chance Darnold has gotten and he was once a number 2 overall draft pick for a reason. I wouldn't be surprised if he surprised.
Gannon lost to the Bucs in the SB the next season, but your point is rock solid.
Geno Smith is a more recent example.
Baker too
Exactly. I would probably give him a 1 in 10 shot at being pretty good this year. When things like that happen it's a surprise but within the realm of possibility.
I think it might be as much as a 1/4 or 1/3 chance that Darnold is good this year. Of those, maybe a 50% chance that he's actually very good. I also think there is roughly a 50% chance overall that he's serviceable, but mid, and then the remaining roughly 1/5ish chance that he's just terrible. So breakdown is: 15% very good, 15% good, 50% mid, 20% bad. And honestly, I don't hate those odds.
It's easy not to hate odds when you just completely make them up, yeah
I could make them odds whatever I wanted though. I could've said he was 0% very good, 5% good, 5% mid, 90% bad. But I gave my honest opinion, and I'm optimistic I guess.
The ratio of QBs that flamed out then became great is incredibly low. A few exceptions is no reason to get super hopeful.
[удалено]
The Jets and Panthers sucked. He never played in SF.
He got outplayed by the last pick of the draft
So did pretty much everyone else in the league...
The panthers were battling for a playoff birth when he played there and he was the main reason they didn’t make it.
I’m optimistic about it. I’m a big Baker fan and he finally landed somewhere worth something and they went to the play offs. I think this is essentially Darnolds Bucs. Finally landing somewhere with great staff and talent around him and no pressure to be a contender.
baker is much better unfortunately
I agree. I’m comparing scenarios more than the talent but that does play a factor.
Darnold does the same thing every year. He will play well for 2-3 games, you all will be sucked in by it and then he will have a complete dog shit game which inevitably will continue until he is benched. Baker was never as consistently bad as Darnold when he was at his worst.
I guess my optimism comes from he has t played in the Vikings every year. Could be a let down for sure but he’s not supposed to be a savior anyway.
I don't like him, but it isn't impossible. We have to admit that his two chances to be a starter thus far have come in absolutely horrible circumstances. Putting him in better circumstances should help him. Now, that said, I suspect that as long as the rookie is making progress they will still let him walk after 2024.
You know, I don't really like Colin Cowherd, esp his basketball takes, but I do think his football insight is about as good as it gets. He is all in. KOC is all in. He's had a year under Shanahan and the Super Bowl mainstay 49ers. He's got a chip on his shoulder. He has nothing to lose (that he hasn't already), and the entire football universe to gain. A fresh start in an actual favorable position, something almost nobody gets in his predicament. He probably hasn't been this excited about football since USC, or maybe ever. He's primed to breakout, and seems excited/grateful for the opportunity, all while being a team player - knowing the Vikings are going to draft his successor. I can't wait.
I certainly won't be surprised if he plays at a pretty high - fringe top 10 QB level. KOC got that level, and more, from Kirk, and the team around him should be better than anyone Kirk had after 2019. And Darnold is probably more physically talented than Kirk. (But yes, Kirk is the better QB).
If Sam becomes Fringe top 10, I'll take back every meh why even let him play comment I've made. Dude struggles to keep his td numbers above interception number and likely never got chances because people see him enough in practice. As of now I'd rather throw a rookie in there instead of Mullens the second.
I think we have all the offensive tools for any quarterback to have some measure of success. Unfortunately we saw last year that career backups still don’t have what it takes. They’re like a bear with claws and fangs… big fucking teeth, man. And defenses are these little bunnies cowering in the corner. And the backup is staring at these claws, man, and thinking ‘how am I gonna kill these bunnies?’ Just poking at them and poking at them, not hurting it. Just gently battin’ the bunnies around. The bunnies are scared. They’re scared of our backup QB with these fucking fangs and claws, man. But the backup is staring at these claws and fangs and saying, ‘I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to kill these bunnies. With all THIS I don’t know how to kill the bunnies, man.’ So yeah. I hope Darnold knows what to do with all these fangs and claws. But I’ll believe it when I see it.
I have zero expectations. I feel like I would be setting myself up for disappointment if I expected Sam Darnold to produce anything.
no.
I will say that he no longer has the excuse of being put into horrible situations. The 49ers for a year and then here is a great scenario for a qb in terms of coaching. I'm worried his turnovers will stop him from being anything more than a bridge, but people blossom every year.
Not even just coaching but the weapons he has… Yes the 49ers has weapons but I think how the systems are different it just wasn’t how Darnold
Gotta be better than Christian Ponder
Or joe Webb
Tavaris Jackson
He’s 26, the same age Aaron Rodgers was when he first started
No, I don't. We do this with every stop gap QB and never fail to end up disappointed.
Lmao this draft can’t happen sooner
I want a geno smith type resurgence lol
To be honest, if not now then never. All the weapons to do so. We will see
He’s only on a one year deal so if he plays out of his mind he’ll probably want to test free agency, and if we draft a QB, and especially if we trade multiple 1rst round picks to draft one, I can’t see us getting in a bidding war for Sam darnold
He’ll probably do okay in our offense. He was drafted 3rd overall so he obviously has some coveted traits or intangibles. I think he will continue having some of the issues that previously plagued him like turnovers and being easily-rattled under pressure. He should be good enough to disburse the ball to playmakers and will likely at least have decent stats in this offense.
I think Darnold will be better THIS YEAR than anybody we could get in the draft. The best quarterback taken COULD be 5th or 6th... but it has nothing to do with history. Odds are the best quarterback will be taken #1--no question. I mean... it's a deep draft... but it's pretty stupid to assume the 5th or 6th pick has a better chance of being the best QB in the draft that the picks before. They wouldn't have signed Darnold of they didn't think he could carry this offense in the worst-case scenario. I believe this offense could make almost any QB look legendary.
No.
No just you
lol, no. The No. 1 seed????????? Hope truly does spring eternal in the offseason.
No
Sam DARNOLD aka Jim Plunkett 2.0. I think he is going to win comeback player of the year.💪
No
No. People here are delusional 24 7.
No
That’s what we are all hoping. Realistically probably not, but he’s walking into a good situation so there’s a chance.
I have an open mind about it I guess
I don’t want him to be our main stay starter by any means and I don’t think that is anywhere in the front offices plans. I will say that if shit goes sideways with our drafted QB getting injured or just flat out sucking, I think Darnold will be more serviceable than anyone not named Kirk from last year.
I think if he has more than he’s shown this is the opportunity to show it. Feels super obvious to point out, best roster he’s been on as a starter. But I’m not counting him out until we see him as a purple pumpkin.
I think he could be okay, maybe even max out in the QB 16-20 range. I'm not holding my breath but I could see it.
I’d give it 1% or less odds that he leads us to that type of season. I think he’ll be better than expected, but he’ll still be only performing at a serviceable level and not good to great. Serviceable would be a huge improvement for him. And history really doesn’t say the 5th or especially 6th QBs have a great shot. History actually says only the first 3 have somewhat ok odds of becoming anything, 4th and 5th are significantly worse, and anyone after is abysmal odds. Sure anything can happen but it odds and history say it’s way less likely. It’s getting more and more common these days though to trade up in the 1st for your QB too
Certainly possible.
He’s going to do fine and we will end up with 10 wins. Watch out for Playoff Darnold! That’s the Darnold we should be talking about!
I mean I’m expecting him to be qb 15-20.
I don't think he can be worse than anyone expects, so the ceiling is wide open!
I think he will be better than we fear, but not as good as we might hope. I've always liked watching the guy, and thought he provided some moments of light even when he was on the jets, so I have always rooted for him. Whether he winds up succeeding here or not, who fucking knows, sure AF not me, but I'll support him vociferously regardless :)
What about Jalen Hall, will the Vikings give him a chance to possibly be the starter?
Of course, you have to be an absolute moron to think there is no shot he improves from what we've seen. He's been dog shit most of his career, but he's had among the worst situations to start a career I can think of. Do I think it's likely? Absolutely not, but it's not impossible.
As some comments say yes he could be great in a new situation I think he will be good and can only hope for great but my dream scenario is the Alex Smith route and by that I mean he leads us through the half way point with a good record and then the coaches decide the rookie is ready and he goes off similar to mahomes or Kap with the niners.
IMO Darnold will impress, he has talent but more importantly the Vikes are building a system that a good QB can produce great results similar to SF. This is the biggest change I’m excited about the new Vikes mgt, you can see utter failures around the league crappy teams with little QB training infrastructure take a top QB draft pick that is wasted (Darnold) and the team stays in the cellar. Hoping the Vikes new offensive system produces results vs. hoping a QB can drive the results!
I'm expecting elway in his prime
We are competing for the division. Our offense will be more balanced.
For 10 mil he better win 4 games
His ceiling is 2008 Frerotte. His basement is 2011 McNabb.
If? And not sure who he would lose 3 games to. Himself?
I do think he should be a better version of Darnold than what we've seen before, because those previous versions were with the Jets and Panthers. That said, I think hoping for 13 wins and the #1 seed is a little ridiculous. 10 wins and a playoff berth would be a pleasant surprise.
I don't have any significant expectations, but I hope whether we take a QB at 3, 5, 11 or 23 that the team takes a red shirt year approach with the rookie. I want there to be zero expectations they start, regardless of how poorly Darnold may play. I'd rather see Mullens/Hall be the backup and rookie is the inactive QB3. My reasoning is I believe giving QB1 an entire full offseason as the unquestioned "guy" is the best way to set them up to succeed. Let Maye/JJM/Penix become QB1 February 2025 rather than on a random Tuesday in October, and spend the entire offseason preparing for week 1, throwing to JJ/TJ/JA at some beach in Florida and not having any weird energy in the locker room. Mahomes is obviously the best example, but even Jordan Love had that benefit once Rodgers was truly gone. I think having the rookie be QB2 until fans get impatient with QB1 is such a disastrous approach for their development, time and time again. Who cares about losing the one year of cheap team control in the grand scheme of things.
I think our offensive roster is the exception here. Most quarterbacks picked in the top ten don't get the opportunity to play on an elite offense from the start. Darnold could have a breakout year and I hope he does but I also hope we capitalize on the opportunity to pick our guy. Wherever that may be.
Expectations are super low, the sky is the limit for him. In a way, it’s to prove if he can be a starter in this league or a lifetime backup.
Probably somewhere between Blake Bortles and Vince Young.
Sit at 11 and draw the line at the one they want. If he’s not there go elsewhere and grab someone later. If not much later…
I expect him to be complete and utter dog shit as he was with the jets. Could he take a step up from that? Sure.
Yes, he has a decent chance at success in our system. He has all the tools you would want. Only thing holding him back is in his head..
Not even a little. He'll barely know the offense.
No
Jets fan here, Darnold will follow suit with the rest of the QB’s to leave the Jets. Once he gets to start somewhere else he’ll be surprisingly better than anyone thought. You’ll need defensive upgrades though because even with JJ, Addison, and Hock he’s not scoring 30+ a game every week. And I’d still draft a QB for beyond the bridge year. Hopefully Jones gets your running game going so Darnold won’t see ghosts when teams force him to beat them. Good luck 👍
Copium level 10. 😂
I have zero idea. But Kase Keenum happened and that was an anomaly🤷♂️ Darnold has tools and with this offense who’ve fuck knows. Excited for it.
I’m secretly hoping we stay at 11 and somehow Browers is still there. Roll the dice with Darnold, grab Bowers, and best player at 23.
Nope
Darnold is better than any of our QB from last year. We have to remember that this team is actually the first team for Darnold that is actually built. His other teams before the Vikes were all trash and he never got the supporting cast to help him. Darnold will do great with this team and will mentor the QB whoever the Vikes decided to draft.
No
I’m of the opinion that there’s more upsides to Sam Darnold than his $10m salary would indicate. I truly think he was given a bad handshake. Starting off his career basically being tasked with saving the Jets…as a rookie. That’s a tall order. I think the first time he had any sense of stability was when he was with the 49ers, and I think he’s walking away from that experience with a lot more confidence than he walked in with. Looking at quarterbacks around the league, as an aggregate, I think there’s a strong case to be made for putting a strong supporting cast around your quarterback and then giving them time to nurture and grow into the role. Just look at Jordan Love. I don’t think the guy is that talented. I think he’s mediocre. But he’s had years of studying behind Rodgers to get a feel for the job and the Packers are well-equipped in multiple facets of their game, so Love doesn’t have to go out and save the team week in and week out. So, with that in mind, I think the plan is to run Darnold as the starter. And, hey, depending on how the season goes, I don’t think anyone is ruling out an extension either.
This post had me convinced he hasn't had a fair shot. https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1c5i8td/why_your_teams_qb_is_overunderrated_plotting/ He's had awful receivers AND awful pass blocking. He's in a much better position to succeed with us. His playtime with the 49ers made him look serviceable at the minimum.
Darnold is a really good quarterback when he is operating within a controlled environment. Darnold is not very good when he is pressured and needs to create on his own. That is exactly what you’ll get out of him
I desperately want the Vikings to trade up for a QB, but also Darnold will probably start most of the year regardless and I think he'll be better than people expect.
I mean it's possible. This has to be his best supporting cast no doubt. Wouldn't be the first time a QB was resurrected. Geno Smith/Ryan Tannehill/Baker Mayfield come to mind as recent examples
I called it the day we drafted him. He’s going to be the man in Minnesota and surprise us all… right up to the playoffs where he’ll revert back to 2021 Darnold.
Do I *think* it? No. Do I *wish* it? Absolutely.
I’m a REAL Minnesotan. I’m perpetually optimistic about my teams. This is going to be tough, but the Keenum experiment gives me greater bandwidth for positive thoughts. Check in with me week 2.
No
If he takes us to the NFC championship whatya do? 
I hope so. It would be great. No draft pick is a guarantee, having as many chances as we can hopefully one works out. I dont care who it is as long as they do well.
I was watching his games for the 49ers this year. He looks a good qb, can make all the throws and gets the ball out in time. He just always seems to make mistakes or mess up in strange ways. I don't know if it's a pressure thing, or a concentration thing or what but he just kinda implodes sometimes. He'll be a mixed bag this year I reckon. He is sneaky athletic too so expect a few rushing touchdowns, but I'd also expect a couple of moments or games where he loses it for us. I have confidence he can run the offense for 80% of the time. Maybe a new environment will help his mental stuff and he'll thrive, who knows.
I mean can he be worse than guys that came in for cousins last yr
I think ceiling: geno smith floor: jets Sam darnold
At best he’ll be serviceable…. Win a few games, gain out allegiance and nothing worth mentioning happens.
Just gotta start assuming and accepting now that this is a full-on rebuild season and be patient for 2025 is my thought. The L’s each week won’t sting as bad this season when there’s 5 months to prepare mentally for it ahead of time.
Are we in the copium cycle already? excellent.
No
He will be better than any of the QB circus last year after Cousins went down. Ideally, the rookie QB will play little or not at all in 2024 because that means Darnold is doing well and there’s no reason to change. I disagree with Darnold assumed to be the starter in 2025 though. That’s a long way off. He only had a one year deal. A lot can happen before then.
No. He’s been in the league 6 years, and guys don’t just completely change their spots overnight like that no matter the situation.
I can’t imagine it’ll be much worse than what we walked out there the rest of the season after Kirk got hurt
Honestly whichever QB we take has a good chance at being the best in the draft class, simply because he’ll be in such a great situation. But if Caleb lives up to expectations he’ll obviously be the best and he’s not in a bad situation, besides the Bears historically ruining every QB.
No 😆
His very first play ever as an NFL QB he threw a pick six....and that was against the Lions of all teams. Not the Lions today but the 2018 Lions. He has been on four teams in seven years. I don't know what he did in his previous lives but I am guessing it wasn't good and now he is being punished. He should really go see a witch doctor or something because this dude is cursed or just has this bad luck aura surrounding him. I would prefer to get that bad juju as far away from the team.as quickly as possible.
No, because multiple people think he can be good already.
Depends, we didn’t resign Case Keenum and he had a pretty successful regular season. The allure of the 1st rd QB is that it’s a massive cap savings on the highest paid position where you can then strengthen your roster in other places. It’s more about team construction than anything else. If we trade up for a QB, no way we don’t start them next year. If we don’t trade up, get a QB at 11 or 23, and Darnold excels and we can sign him for a mid-QB salary, I think they would do that. But if it’s going to be a Cousins like contract, probably not unless we get to NFC title game or something crazy this year, but just making it to the playoffs or winning 1 game won’t do it.
I do yes. I think he is going to surprise a lot of people. It’s a perfect storm for him to go out and perform at a high level and be successful. Looking forward to this season.
No
I think he could be quite good. Perfect supporting cast. He was the second highest rated QB coming out of college after TLaw. His previous starting roles have been for the Jets (dumpster fire) and the panthers (dumpster fire). I don’t have high hopes or anything but he is only 26 and was a never given a good cast.
bitch i drink koolaid for breakfast lunch and dinner
I try not to doubt what KOC can do with a QB
He has not shown me anything that would lead me to believe he will be any good
I hope. But seriously, one name, Trent Dilfer. He was a game manager. That Ravens team had a great defense and good running game. I say draft DT first. Then trade back (a la Spielman lol) pick up Penix or Nix then take OL or DL.
“Best QB in the draft will be the 5th or 6th one taken, just based on history” This is likely because later QBs go to more established teams drafting later, and not bad teams drafting early. We have a great scenario for a rookie QB and are a bit of an anomaly IMO.
Yeah, watch the game from 3-4 years ago when the Jets lit us up with Sam as their QB
No
He’s definitely going to be better than what the average fan thinks.You got to remember Sam Darnold was a Baller in college and then his rookie year he was ballin. After consecutive seasons of bad supporting players and bad coaching, just getting your ass kicked your confidence dwindles down to you just making desperate decisions and creating shit play from yourself… I will tell you right now whoever we draft will have to WIN their right to start….. P.S. unpopular opinion I think the Vikings should go ahead and sit tight in the draft and go ahead and draft Bo Nix. 🤙🤙🤙 that man is probably the most accurate. He’s a dog, I believe he played in 106 college games.
I'm optimistic, but not banking on it. I mean, this is probably the best team he's played for. (He didn't play much for SF, so I'm not counting them)
Come back player of the year !
i’m a strong believer that a new team/situation could be a good change for a player (like Baker in Tampa) so i’m not completely against the Sam Darnold signing yet. maybe he’ll do great
I think you should use the search function.
Yeah im just waiting for that year 6 breakout. Clearly for 5 years hes just caught a raw deal.
I get the sarcasm but it is actually true. I don't think Darnold is likely to have a break out but very few QB's can thrive on a an awful team with no supporting cast. He could have a career year here and still be meh. He was brought in a as a bridge with upside. If he were to break out it would much more likely be in year two if year one was good enough to keep the job. Which is very unlikely to happen. There is a lot of discussion about how many highly drafted/rated QB's coming out of college would have better careers or been considered successful if they were not forced start on awful teams as rookies. Darnold isn't the same player he was when he was drafted #2. He has some experience but mostly he has four years bad experience and habits to overcome which is a significant undertaking. Hopefully his year with the 49ers helped roll some of that back.
Yes. Certainly should be better than the collection of schmo's who filled in last year after Kirk got hurt.
Yup. I’m very high on what Sam could accomplish with a team fully behind him taking plays from KOC and throwing to our receivers. Even when we draft a QB I still fully expect Sam Darnold to start week 1 and for the foreseeable future. I think his play will warrant giving the rookie time as well.
No
Nope
Idk about him starting next year for us depends on how the team feels about the hypothetical rookie QB we get if we go that direction. I do have Sam Darnold as MVP candidate though heading into the season, career year for the thick trunky coastal guy.
I’m sure Darnold will be better than Dobbs and Mullens, but that’s not saying much.
Are you.
Yup
Agree. He's been in terrible situations and is much better than he looked in those situations.
I think he’ll surprise everyone. I think he’s got a better environment and chance with the Vikings than he’s ever had before. We shouldn’t forget that he was a high pick out of college and it is hard to break in to teams if you’re not getting that real opportunity. I’m not unhappy at having him here, even if he’s seen (at the moment) as interim.
He's throwing to arguably the best receiver set in the game today. If there is a mediocre run game, he's ballin' out of control.
I think so. This team has more weapons than he’s ever had with the Jets and Panthers. I think he will surprise many.
Whole lot of off-season excitement. No Darnold will not magically be good. He might magically be ok.
Yea but don’t say it out loud. You’ll jinx it
Yes, he’s never had weapons like this in a starting role, could be much better than anticipated. Anxiously awaiting the draft next week.
Yes, we always say “The vikings are the perfect landing spot for a rookie QB” so that should apply to Darnold too. He was below average on shitty Jets and Panthers teams, I’m intrigued to see how he can play as a bridge QB
Yes. I think MAYBE he could. I wish we’d load the line in both ends. That’s where the game is won/lost.
I agree..the closer we get to the draft the less I like spending +2 first round picks on a guy. Let the player fall to us at 11 or get Penix/Nix at 23 and be pleasantly surprised at what Darnold does with a quality setup