Minnesota

Vikings

“He’s moving around, he’s playing multiple spots, taking on a leadership role, which I expected him to do in that room, and it’s just been a really cool process to see not only what his ownership of what his role was previously, but you can see it when he breaks the huddle,” O’Connell said of Osborn, entering his fourth NFL season after emerging as Minnesota’s No. 2 receiver in the final month of the 2022 regular season. Playing mostly out of the slot, Osborn caught 25 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns over the team’s final four games. He was 19th among receivers in yards per route run over the stretch. Osborn will compete with rookie Jordan Addison for WR2 duties in 2023. Addison has missed all offseason activities with an undisclosed injury. Osborn profiles as a sensible late-round pick in 12-team leagues.

Nailor’s routes this spring “constantly matched the quarterback’s timing, arriving at the necessary spot when the offense needed him to be there. That’s crucial for receivers in coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense,” Lewis writes. K.J. Osborn will likely be Minnesota’s third receiver to start the season, but the 2022 sixth-round pick showed well in limited samples last year and could be Osborn’s heir apparent in 2024 if Minnesota doesn’t throw more draft capital at the problem.

Speaking on The Adam Schefter Podcast, free agent running back Dalvin Cook said his labrum injury remained a constant consideration until offseason surgery fixed the underlying issue. “It’s always in the back of your head when you take any carry, my shoulder could possibly come out, " Cook explained. Cook suffered through multiple shoulder issues from the 2019 season to the 2022 season including an AC joint sprain, two dislocated shoulders, and a torn labrum. He ended by saying, “Now that it’s over, I can be Dalvin Cook. Back to the Florida State Dalvin Cook that just turned it loose - I can be me.” Cook remains a free agent after the Vikings released him in early June but it now appears his shoulder is healthier than it has been at any point over the previous four seasons.

Addison has been sidelined with an unspecified injury for the majority of offseason programs, but O’Connell believes he’ll be ready come training camp. The Vikings used the No. 23 overall pick on Addison last April and expect him to be an immediate contributor to the offense with Adam Thielen now in Carolina. While Addison hasn’t spent much time on the field, O’Connell praised Addison’s preparedness in meetings and said they have a plan to get him up to speed once he returns to the field. A popular pick in fantasy drafts, Addison missing time won’t do him many favors in regards to separating himself from players like K.J. Osborn. Still, he has plenty of time to impress in camp and could be a fringe WR3/4 in PPR leagues.

Cousins and the Vikings agreed to forgo extension talks in the spring, so it’s possible he hits the open market next offseason. He previously said he wants to retire as a Viking, but the team may want to move in a different direction in a year. The Vikings have a 46-35-1 record since signing Kirk Cousins in 2018, but that has resulted in just two playoff trips and one postseason win. With the general manager and head coach that brought Cousins on board both gone, the new brain trust may be ready for a split. If the team does let him walk, expect another franchise to give Cousins a pricey, multi-year contract.

Cook’s release is expected to be made official on Friday. The Vikings save nearly $9 million in cap space with the release of Cook (27), who is expected to have a strong free agent market. The Dolphins and Broncos have been closely linked to Cook over the last several months, which include rumors of the Dolphins trying to trade for Cook ahead of the NFL Draft. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the team could attempt to trade Cook once more before Friday, but it sounds like the veteran back is officially on his way out of Minnesota after six seasons. Injuries have plagued Cook throughout much of his career, but that hasn’t stopped him from ripping off four-straight 1,000-yard seasons and 43 rushing touchdowns over that span. He should have several suitors on the open market, including the Dolphins and Broncos.

Hunter has been the subject of trade rumors for the last two offseasons. The veteran pass rusher was in search of a contract extension last offseason but ultimately played on his deal. Now in the final year of his contract, Hunter, who totaled 10.5 sacks and 12 TFLS last offseason, is still in search of a new deal. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported last week that teams have already begun contacting the Vikings about a potential trade for Hunter, but little has materialized since then. Set to earn just $5.5 million this season, Hunter is more than deserving of a new deal, whether it’s from the Vikings or another team.

The Broncos have $6 million in cap space after signing DE Frank Clark. That would put Denver near their cap limit to sign Cook, who may be targeting a salary higher than Denver can offer . The Broncos expect to have third-year RB Javonte Williams (ACL) back in the first few weeks of the season and have a role planned for Samaje Perine, the Week 1 starter if Williams isn’t ready. Signing veteran depth that won’t block Williams may be more likely than Denver signing Cook.

Dalvin Cook’s release has set up Chandler to step into the Vikings’ RB2 role. The 2022 fifth-rounder played in three games (12 snaps) before landing on IR as a rookie, but flashed in the preseason, rushing for 113 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries (7.5 YPC). Chandler is a pivot to the Vikings’ post-Cook backfield that could play his way into a committee. Alexander Mattison, who the Vikings signed to a $6.4 million extension in March to be Cook’s replacement, has averaged under 4.0 YPC the last two seasons.

The trade rumors started last offseason when the Vikings were looking for cap space and Hunter was seeking a contract extension. He ultimately stayed in Minnesota, but that didn’t stop the rumor mill from firing up again this offseason. Per Rapoport, Hunter is only set to make $5.5 million this year, making a trade for him feasible even for teams tight on cap space. Hunter appeared in all 17 games last year and totaled 10.5 sacks plus 12 TFLs. He missed the majority of the 2021 season but tallied 14.5 sacks in each of the previous two years.