As the Minnesota Vikings parted ways after minicamp, the conversation about the quarterback situation will linger until (and into) training camp. Of course, nothing new will happen on the practice field between now and camp, and it'll be a welcome break from rampant overanalysis of everything Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy do or say.
At some point, as Murray said during minicamp, to put himself in the overreaction mill, someone is going to have to take all the reps with the starting offense. Once meaningful work takes place in training camp and in joint practices against preseason opponents, the sooner a quarterback can focus on being the starter, the better to be as ready as possible for the season.
As for when a starting quarterback might be named, head coach Kevin O'Connell offered one of his typical word salads.
"We have a plan in place to make sure that the decision we make is gonna be about what's best for the Minnesota Vikings," O'Connell said. "And the timeline of that does involve making sure we get our starter ready to go. We want to make sure by the time we play the Green Bay Packers that there's been ample time to have the best possible offense we can have to help our football team, and the quarterback's gonna play a big role in that. That's kind of where we're at right now."
"As far as the timeline goes, I think to give an actual date would be not necessarily accurate from a portrayal of how we see it, but there is a timeline to make sure that we can allow the competition to continue and advance and really lay out a training camp that will allow us to do that, but also make a timely decision."
A Minnesota Vikings' analyst adds a nuanced element to the team's quarterback decision
Who the Vikings' starting quarterback is will, of course, impact everyone else on the offense. The longer uncertainty lingers, the harder it will be to be a finely-tuned offensive machine come Week 1. Pass catchers need full-time ability to build rapport, and O'Connell will need a better grasp on what he can or can't do as a play-caller, depending on who it is.
On a recent episode of "The Real Forno Show", Tyler Forness of AtoZ Sports pointed out a nuance that adds some urgency to figuring out who's going to be the starting quarterback once the pads come on in training camp.
"One things that important to note is the element of Kyler Murray", Forness said. "If Murray ends up being the starting quarterback, he's likely gonna take a little bit deeper drops than somebody like Sam Darnold or Kirk Cousins, who to his credit was incredibly robotic with his drop depth, making it easy for the offensive tackles."
"But the deeper you drop, the harder it becomes for those offensive tackles, because it makes it easier for those edge rushers, 'cause they don't have to bend the arc and flatten nearly as much."
A lot is, and always will be, made about Murray being so short. But that does mean he'll likely take deeper depth in his five (or seven)-step dropbacks than McCarthy, Carson Wentz, or any taller quarterback would. Paired with his mobility, that's going to be an adjustment for the Vikings' offensive line, and the tackles in particular.
It's fairly elementary, so say the Vikings' offensive line will have to get comfortable with the different elements Murray brings to the table. But Keith Carter's unit will also need time to do so.
The more work the starting offensive line can get with Murray (if he's going to be the starter) when it's not the "pajama party" of OTAs and minicamp, the better, and everyone has to know it.
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