TVA Weekly Digest: The 2018 NFL offseason is upon us

It’s time to take a look at some recent news from around the NFL and how it affects and connects with the Minnesota Vikings.

However much it hurt to see the purple-cladded warriors absent from the big game last Sunday, at least Minneapolis played host to a truly classic Super Bowl.

Dressed in intrigue, controversy, and a considerable lack of defense, the Philadelphia Eagles’ upset victory over the New England Patriots lacked nothing in entertainment value. Super Bowl LII suitably sent the 2017 NFL season through the turnstiles and into the offseason.

I’ve always looked forward to this time of year.

Perhaps it stems from being a fan of the Minnesota Vikings. A team that consistently flirts on the outskirts of accomplishment but has never reached the NFL’s glorious apex.

Football supremacy always seems a move or two away for Minnesota and that sense is hitting maximum volume heading into the 2018 season.

With the majority of the league’s most dominant defense from 2017 set to return and a substantial amount of cap space at the disposal of Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, it is shaping up to be an uber-compelling and pivotal offseason for Minnesota.

They have the means to pave the way to their own Super Bowl opportunity in 2018. Something that has been long awaited by Minnesota’s fans and the organization itself.

One of the most engaging components of the NFL offseason is the massive ripple effect each move has throughout the rest of the league.

Every signing leaves another team grasping for the next best thing. Every statement (or social media post) by a player or organization is magnified and inflated. There’s nothing that a fan can’t (and won’t) analyze.

Every Wednesday, we’ll tackle five headlines, ascending in pertinence to the purple and gold.

So for this week, let’s kick it!

ADRIAN PETERSON WANTS TO PLAY ANOTHER ‘4 OR 5 YEARS’

A report was released a few weeks ago that the Arizona Cardinals were expected to release Adrian Peterson this offseason, making him a free-agent for the second straight year. Subsequently, in an interview during the week leading up to the Super Bowl, Peterson hinted at the possibility of playing for another half-decade.

It’s been fairly evident in recent years that the former Vikings star has lost more than a couple steps of explosiveness, not to mention his now, perpetual inability to stay healthy.

Sometimes a storied running back will hang around for a few years after seeing a drop in production. Usually they’re subjected to goal line, short-yardage work, giving way to fresher legs on first and second down.

It’d be quite the accomplishment if he’s able to make any sort of renaissance, outracing Father Time and nagging injuries.

What it means for the Vikings:

Luckily, Minnesota has moved on to a much more appealing future at running back in Dalvin Cook, who flashed Peterson-esque brilliance from the backfield last year during his short stint on the field.

The only way the Vikings would bring Peterson back would be with a one-day contract so he can rightfully retire as a member of the franchise where he made a decade’s worth of NFL history.

That doesn’t strike me as Peterson’s style. So every year he spends on the field is merely prolonging his inevitable induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

MALCOLM BUTLER BENCHED, PROBABLY OUT IN NEW ENGLAND

The New England Patriots’ benching of cornerback Malcolm Butler during last Sunday’s Super Bowl was a total Bill Belichick move.

More reports are coming out about what really caused the commotion. Either way, one would think a man’s transgressions could be put aside for the freaking Super Bowl (especially as tame as they were).

Maybe when a team wins as much as they do in New England, high stakes just seem less dire.

Either way, Butler was benched for the Super Bowl and his future is hazy at best with the Patriots. A full-time starter with New England for the last few seasons, he will certainly garner interest from others in free agency this year.

What it means for the Vikings:

I’m not sure how great of a player Butler is. He’s built his entire career’s prominence off of one play he made three years ago and the Patriots made it their mission this past offseason to find a top-flight corner in Stephon Gilmore, showing they already had their doubts about Butler’s value.

He only graded out as an average cornerback this season, finishing 51st in the league according to Pro Football Focus. Still, average corner play is worth something in the NFL.

The Vikings already boast an established shutdown cornerback in Xavier Rhodes. Terence Newman has been a great platoon player, but his age shows and who knows if he’ll be back with the team next season.

Mackenzie Alexander is a work in progress (at best) and is usually found playing the slot. Trae Waynes continues to improve, but his play is sometimes erratic. Pro Football Focus graded him lower than Butler in 2017, slotting him at 68th among all corners.

I don’t think it’s an essential addition. The secondary is acceptable as it currently stands, and it’s very possible that a team ends up overpaying for Butler and the prestige his name holds.

But if he’s affordable and willing, Butler could add depth and solid playoff experience. For my money (and Pro Football Focus’ at that), Butler would make a better number two corner over Waynes for Minnesota.

NICK FOLES TO POTENTIALLY JOIN CROWDED QUARTERBACK MARKET 

Above is a picture of a man probably worth around $20 million on the open market.

What a performance by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles at Super Bowl LII last Sunday. It’s not fair to say he out-dueled New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, since the greatest signal caller of all time was also otherworldly last weekend.

But Foles played far beyond expectations and even captured this year’s Super Bowl MVP. Everyone in the world expects him to be paid handsomely this offseason for his recent efforts in the playoffs.

Foles’ impressive play last Sunday also makes it truly bizarre when you remember that the Eagles traded him away for Sam Bradford not too long ago.

That was only three years ago! It serves as a reminder to how rapidly things can change in the NFL (and how truly unstable Bradford’s career has been). For the record, Foles was also benched  during the 2015 season by the Rams for… Case Keenum.

The NFL is a strange place.

Foles is still under contract with Philadlphia for 2018, but a storm of trade gossip has sprouted since his incredible display at the Super Bowl.

What it means for the Vikings:

It’s no secret that finding a starting quarterback is the top priority going into this offseason for the Vikings. With the only signal caller currently under contract being Kyle Sloter, Minnesota is going to be in play for some of the big names on the market this offseason.

However, I’m not sure if Nick Foles fits this team’s offensive system right now.

True, he succeeded under former Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur when he was in Philadelphia. But that was really Chip Kelly’s offense and Shurmur has moved on to be the head coach of the New York Giants now.

However, the addition of Foles to the already saturated quarterback market could possibly give the Minnesota a better shot at whoever they decide to target.

Be it Kirk Cousins, Sam, Bradford, Case Keenum, or Teddy Bridgewater, if another team commits to Foles and makes a trade with the Eagles, that certainly gives the Vikings a better shot at landing their guy.

KIRK COUSINS MAY GET STUCK WITH YET ANOTHER FRANCHISE TAG

With the arrival of former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith last week, it’s clear the Kirk Cousins era has reached its long, anticipated end in Washington. However, reports have come out that the Redskins may franchise tag Cousins for the third straight offseaon in an attempt to gain something from his departure.

It remains to be seen if Cousins would actually accept the franchise tag again, but we know he’s excited to test the free agency waters this year.

Cousins put up some sneaky great numbers in 2017 despite a battered offensive line and virtually no help from his receiving corp. He’s been in line for a serious pay day for a couple of years now and he’s going to likely get what he deserves before training camp begins in 2018.

What it means for the Vikings:

Kirk Cousins is better than Case Keenum. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t care.

The Vikings should absolutely make a significant effort at signing Cousins should he hit the free-agent market this offseason. But if the Redskins somehow pull off their franchise tag plan and he ends up only being available via trade, Minnesota would (and should) be out of the running.

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is usually very stingy with the team’s draft picks (save the Sam Bradford trade ordeal) and he’s already running low this year. With a plethora of other viable options under center out on the market, it would be silly for Spielman to play into Washington’s hands and give them a commodity for a player they were going to lose anyway.

I’ve watched enough Redskins games over the last two or three years to know that Cousins can keep his team in ball games with little to no supporting cast. I’d love to see what he could do with Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and a healthy Dalvin Cook.

Supposedly, Cousins has even already hinted that Minnesota is in the running for his services next year. He’s worth the massive contract he’s going to receive and the Vikings have the cap space to be among the teams in contention to land him.

Honestly though, it would be a shame if Washington was able to handcuff Cousins, once again, with a franchise tag this offseason. If they actually manage to do so, go ahead and count the Vikings out of the race for the quarterback.

WHAT IS A CATCH ANYWAYS?

Of course, Super Bowl LII had  to feature controversial calls regarding the catch rule last Sunday, did it not?

https://twitter.com/NFLUK/status/960348167815376896

Regarding the play above, I think Zach Ertz caught that football. Comparisons are being made between this and Jesse James’s overturned call against the New England Patriots in Week 15, but they’re completely different plays.

Going by the eye test, Ertz established himself as a player in possession of the football. I believe his dive can be classified as a “football move”.

If Ertz would’ve lost the ball at the one-yard line in the same fashion, it would’ve been classified as a fumble. The refs made the right call here.

Now here’s the real controversy…

I know Corey Clement did not catch that football. He clearly did not maintain possession of the ball before stepping out of bounds.

There’s a distinct bobble after the right foot is down and by the time he regathers the ball, his left foot is touching white. I thought for sure this would be overturned,  but it was not.

I guess I don’t know what a catch is. To be fair though, neither do some NFL stars.

Thankfully, the NFL and Roger Goodell have already talked about a much-needed revision of the NFL catch rule this offseason.

What it means for the Vikings:

The Vikings’ 2017 season was relatively void of any true catch or no catch controversies. But in a game where anything can happen, it would be nice to have some consistency out of the officials when making these types of calls.

A catch shouldn’t be a balls and strikes-type judgement call, where each ref has a separate interpretation of the rule. It should be as simple as crossing the finish line or putting the ball in the basket.

However, devising a proper definition of a catch has been a tumultuous task for the NFL for the better part of the last decade.

I’m not betting on them cracking the code over one offseason.