Vikings LB Ivan Pace Jr. told Kay Adams on her show Monday that he'll wear the green dot on his helmet this season and call the plays in the defensive huddle. That's a significant revelation for the second-year player, who saw his playing time vary last year and then watched the team pay up for LB Blake Cashman in free agency.
The Vikings grabbed Edge Dallas Turner with the 17th pick of the first round. Turner brings plenty of excitement as a 21-year-old early declare who delivered a 99th-percentile speed score at 6’3, 247 pounds. He also delivered 0.86 tackles for loss per game and 0.6 sacks per game for his career at Alabama. Turner lands in a Minnesota defense that just lost Edge Danielle Hunter to the Texans in free agency. That plus Turner's Round 1 draft capital -- increased by the two trades that got the Vikes in position to draft him -- makes him likely to start early in his rookie season. Expect Turner to rank high in the rookie rankings for your IDP draft.
Vikings LB Jordan Hicks (shin) is active for today's game against the Lions. Minnesota activated him from IR Saturday, and it appears Hicks is ready to reclaim his role. There's some risk to playing him right away following a four-game absence, but we're willing to take that shot in LB2 range of the Week 16 LB rankings. Rookie LB Ivan Pace Jr. (shoulder) is active as well after turning up questionable with a late-week shoulder injury. He filled in well for Hicks but now carries a playing-time question with Hicks back. Pace sits in LB3 territory of our rankings. DT Harrison Phillips (back) is also active but sits lower in our DL rankings than usual. There is tackle upside against a Detroit offense that likes to run.
Vikings LB Jordan Hicks is questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions. He put in full practices all week, in his first action following four weeks on IR for compartment syndrome after a shin injury. Hicks tweeted a hype video Friday pointing to his return, but it ended with the message "soon." So we'll have to see whether Hicks will play. If he does, we'd assume he'll play at least near his usual role and carry intriguing IDP upside. We've had Hicks in our Week 16 LB rankings but will continue to track his status. Fellow LB Ivan Pace Jr. popped up on the injury report Friday with a shoulder issue that limited his practice. He's also questionable. DT Harrison Phillips (back) is questionable after managing just one limited practice for the week. You should lean away from using him if possible. The defense will miss CB Byron Murphy (knee). The matchup with Detroit's high-ceiling offense doesn't look attractive regardless of who's active (or not).
The Vikings are opening the 21-day practice window for LB Jordan Hicks this week. Hicks missed the past four games after needing surgery to relieve compartment syndrome following a shin injury on Nov. 12. it's not yet clear whether he'll be able to play this Sunday against the Lions, but that's at least a possibility. "Jordan is the heart and soul ... on our defense," HC Kevin O'Connell said Monday, according to the team website. "We've gotta get him some reps this week and see where he's at ... and if we can have him available, I think it'll be a real bonus for us this week." O'Connell also spoke about how good Hicks is at communicating the calls and ensuring everyone on the defense is in the right spot. That would seem to indicate he'll reclaim the green dot from LB Ivan Pace Jr. and take over calling plays in the defensive huddle. But O'Connell also said Pace has "been great" at filling in for Hicks there and talked about them working side by side. We'd bet the veteran Hicks will reclaim the playing-time lead at the position for a team fighting to reach the playoffs -- assuming he's physically ready to do so. We can't know for sure, of course, how Minnesota will sort out LB playing time until the next game that includes both Hicks and Pace -- or at least until coaches indicate the expected hierarchy. Hicks has scored as a top-10 LB in fantasy points per game this season, so he's worth a look if available on your waiver wire this week. Don't quit on Pace just yet, though, if he has been helpful in your format. And the undrafted rookie remains an upside dynasty asset.
Vikings LB Jordan Hicks required a hospital "procedure" after developing compartment syndrome Sunday. The situation stemmed from a right shin contusion during the win over the Saints. It's not yet clear how long the Vikings expect Hicks to be out, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that they're signing LB Anthony Barr. That suggests we should at least expect Hicks to miss multiple games. Minnesota has two more before its bye. We'll watch for whether the team places Hicks on IR. Rookie Ivan Pace Jr. has been running as the second non-edge LB throughout the season. A big early-season role dwindled, though, to the point where he played less than 31% of the snaps in four straight games before Sunday. Pace shot up to a season-high 84% with Hicks leaving early against New Orleans. He appears to be the logical next guy up, with Troy Dye, Brian Asamoah (if his injured ankle heals), and Nick Vigil also in the mix. We'll watch for more on the situation ahead of next Sunday's visit to Denver.
Vikings Edge Marcus Davenport is inactive for today's game against the Buccaneers. He suffered an ankle injury in Friday's practice and entered the day questionable. We'll see about his status for Week 2 and beyond. Davenport is merely a low-level IDP option until he proves otherwise.
The Vikings and Edge Danielle Hunter have agreed to a one-year, $20 million deal, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The pact ends offseason negotiations that included reports of Hunter being on the trade market. Hunter will play out his age-29 season in Minnesota. He has remained high among D-linemen in our 2023 IDP rankings.
The Browns have acquired Edge Za'Darius Smith from the Vikings for a mere swap of draft picks. Minnesota has been expected to move on from Smith this offseason to save salary cap. The 30-year-old rebounded from losing nearly all of 2021 to injury, racking up 80 total pressures in his lone Vikings season, according to Pro Football Focus. That marked the second-largest total of his career, and Smith has earned elite-level pass-rushing grades from PFF in each of his last three healthy campaigns. He should play lead snaps opposite Myles Garrett in Cleveland, though free-agent addition Ogbonnia Okoronkwo will factor into the rotation as well.
The Vikings are signing EDGE Marcus Davenport to a one-year, $13 million deal, according to multiple reports. It's a good-sized "prove it" opportunity for the former first-round pick, who managed just a half-sack, 2 tackles for loss and 8 QB hits over 15 appearances with the Saints last season. Davenport topped out at 9 sacks (in 11 games) the year before but clearly disappointed across five years in New Orleans. Injuries played a big role. So we'll see whether he can hit 2023 healthy, stay there, and repay the Vikings for the opportunity. His arrival could signal the departure of EDGE Za'Darius Smith, who recently asked the team to let him pursue trade opportunities.
The Vikings have agreed to a contract restructure with LB Jordan Hicks that will keep the veteran around for 2023. That's noteworthy because it comes shortly after Minnesota released longtime LB Eric Kendricks. Hicks turns 31 in June and saw his playing time slip late last season. That included snap shares of less than 70% in each of the final four contests (before the Vikings yanked most starters in a meaningless finale). We'd bet on Hicks remaining a 2023 starter, but he's far from a lock for full playing time. Youngsters Troy Dye and Brian Asamoah should compete for time as well. And we'll see whether the team makes any significant LB additions via free agency or the NFL Draft.
The Vikings are releasing LB Eric Kendricks, which will save the team $9.5 million in 2023 cap space. It was a necessary move for a team that hit the offseason among the furthest over the cap. Kendricks turned 31 at the end of February, so he likely doesn't have many productive NFL seasons left. We'd bet on him landing a 2023 opportunity somewhere, though. The veteran started every game last season for just the second time in his career and has started 113 of his 117 career appearances. Don't be surprised if Kendricks lingers on the open market until after the NFL Draft, though.
The Vikings have reached a deal to make Brian Flores their new DC. Flores spent last year as a defensive assistant in Pittsburgh after a messy breakup with the Dolphins. His Miami defenses improved from 32nd in Football Outsiders’ DVOA his first season to 11th and 10th in his final two. Before that, Flores spent 15 years under HC Bill Belichick in New England, including stints coaching safeties and LBs. He inherits a talented Vikings D that fell from 16th in 2021 DVOA to 27th this past season
Vikings S Harrison Smith (knee) is active for today's game against the Giants. CB Cameron Dantzler (ankle, personal matter) is out. Both entered the day questionable.
Vikings LB Eric Kendricks (hip) is active for today's game against the Giants. Use him as planned in your IDP lineups.
Vikings LB Eric Kendricks (hip) is questionable for Saturday's game against the Giants. He finished the week with a full Thursday workout after limited practices the previous 2 days. So we'd bet on Kendricks playing but will confirm his status Saturday morning. CB Cameron Dantzler (ankle) is also questionable.
Vikings EDGE Danielle Hunter (neck) is active for today's game against the Colts. He popped up on Wednesday's injury report as limited and remained limited Thursday before turning up questionable, but Hunter should be ready for IDP lineups in a high-ceiling matchup. DT Harrison Phillips (back) is also active.
Vikings LB Jordan Hicks left Sunday's loss to the Lions with a toe injury and did not return. He'll have a Monday MRI to determine the severity, HC Kevin O'Connell told reporters afterward. Brian Asamok checked in 3rd among Vikings non-edge LBs against the Lions but didn't pick up all the playing time that Hicks lost. We'll see about the replacement plan if Hicks misses further game action.
Vikings S Harrison Smith (neck) is inactive for today's game against the Lions.
As expected, Vikings EDGE Za'Darius Smith (knee) is active for today's game against the Cowboys. He's likely to play limited snaps vs. his usual usage.
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