Dismissed Vikings -Starter moved to a dark future

Many people write off Blake Brandel and dismiss the Vikings starter from the 2024 season. Can you blame them?

Quite astonishingly, Kevin O’Connell in fact confirmed that Donovan Jackson is expected to be the LG1 in week 1. No coach chatter about earning a starting role. On the contrary, a recognition that Jackson will soon rise in the first place. Where does that Brandel, a Rock-Solid player who offers unique versatility?

Vikings Starter Blake Brandel is written off

Since the concept was closed, O’Connell has said a lot to make it believe Brandel is now considered a depth option.

For example, consider what the top coach had to say Kay Adams. Part of the reason for selecting Jackson at no. 24 was due to an early climb of the depth card: “Yes, I think the concept choice was real – ultimate teams in this competition, because they build their Offseason Plan, the teams that can link a free agency and take the best player the best player who can have the best player who has the best player who can be the best player who can be the best player who is the best player who The player can have.

Take out that statement a bit.

Jackson is staring down per O’Connell “A clean path to an important role with [the Vikings]“(Emphasis added). People, remember that we are talking about the left -wing guard position. We are not considering a place as a corner or edge rusher, positions that several starters can accommodate in the same place. There is only one left guard who will suck up huge snaps (as long as injuries will not run an amok on the plan).

Crucial is that the idea comes from the team’s head coach, not an analyst who connects a purple point. O’Connell’s words wear at your Weight.

It doesn’t sound like Brandel looks just like a hindrance for Jackson. Or at least, it is expected that Brandel will soon be lagging behind in the competition outside the season.

Sensely enough, the question then shifts to what the future has in store for Blake Brandel, who is seen as a commercial candidate. The experienced Lineman signed a three -year contract last season, a deal that came in on a total reimbursement of $ 9.5 million. A bargain for a starter but a remarkable cap obligation for someone who is not going to earn big snaps without being an injury.

Teams can sometimes look foolish when they go further from a strong linekeeper, but people wonder if Brandel himself would be open to an opportunity elsewhere.

As things are outstanding, the Vikings have around $ 14.2 million in CAP space. Move a year to the future – the 2026 out of season – and things look considerably worse. The ledger shows $ 53.7 million in debt.

A way to help is to move Brandel. If you were to do this via 1-June trade, it would create $ 3,250,000 in CAP space for the present moment, open space that can be transferred if it was unused in 2025. Plus, the planned $ 4,166,668 CAP costs would disappear before 2026, which still leaves some dead money behind, but still a number of important work on repairing the Viking to financial health (there would be a step to be a complete solution).

Now it is worth mentioning that every baseball team wants a great utility player. So also, a coaching staff wants reliable, versatile depth. Blake Brandel can literally jump into one of the five attacking line positions. He even has a little experience as a 6th Lineman/Jumbo End.

You then wonder if the decision of the brand on Walter Rouse and Michael Jurgens will come. If those two strong depths can prove to be – besides, perhaps recent UDFA Logan Brown adds – then the Vikings might feel at ease. Justin Skule is another critical depth player like the best Swing -Tackle.

Left to GM Joudrry would be Blake Brandel in the last grid. It is tough, hard -working and extremely versatile. Running away from a quality line seems foolish, especially for a Vikings team that knows something about acquiring scrimmage.

The Donovan Jackson adds in addition to the words of Kevin O’Connell, however, make things look pretty turbid for the (probably) former Vikings starter.

Editors note: information from Over the cap helped with this piece.

K. Joudrry is the senior editor for Vikings Territory And Purple. He has been covering the Vikings full -time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and Bluesky (@Vikingsgazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his substit The Vikings GazetteFor more great Vikings content.