News: Scores, Stats, Headlines, Injury Updates, Transactions & More (2024)

Whiles he’s still listed as a receiver, Harry (listed at 6-4, 225 pounds) has been trying his hand at tight end. With his best season being a 33-309-2 campaign in 2020 for the Patriots, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea. The Vikings will be looking for production at the tight end position with T.J. Hockenson on the shelf for a while. Josh Oliver and Robert Tonyan lead the way for now, but Harry could have an athletic advantage over both. It’s not worth going crazy over yet, but for now it’s an interesting development.

Jefferson is now the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. His $140 million extension includes $110 million in guaranteed money and an AAV of $35 million. Jefferson, 24, has arguably been the best receiver in the league since being drafted No. 22 overall in 2020, racking up 392 receptions for 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns over his first four seasons. His 5,899 yards are the most by any receiver in league history through their first four seasons, and he’s one of just five receivers to surpass 5,000 yards over that same span. Jefferson is now under contract through 2028 and will be in line for another lucrative deal after his age-29 season. His deal all but sets the market for guys like Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, and Tee Higgins, who are also in search of new deals from their respective teams.

Risner is a proven blocker in the passing game, reliably producing PFF pass-blocking grades ranging from 67.4-to-73.6 in his five-year NFL career. Risner’s re-signing fortifies Minnesota’s offensive line as an above-average pass-protection unit for first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s rookie season.

Yes, the OTAs are voluntary, but Jefferson’s absence likely stems from his impending contract extension. The Vikings’ WR1 has been in talks with the team over an extension and also skipped out on April’s voluntary workouts for the same reason. While this is somewhat notable, it’s not uncommon for players in the midst of negotiations to skip out on voluntary activities. This will become much more of a story if Jefferson misses any part of training camp while hashing out a deal. Jefferson is currently under contract and set to earn just north of $19.7 million in 2024.

Hockenson suffered a torn ACL and MCL in last year’s Week 16 loss to the Lions. The veteran tight end said he and the team are “taking it day by day, week by week” and noted that there are “so many variables” that one can go through during the rehab process. Hockenson also added he’s “doing really good right now,” which is an encouraging sign for the Vikings and fantasy managers. Still, the late timing of his injury could result in him missing time early in the season as he continues his recovery. The Vikings have Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt both on the roster and also signed Robert Tonyan to a contract earlier this week. If they don’t feel like Hockenson is ready to go, they have the players in place to wait out his recovery should it continue into the regular season.

Tonyan joined the Bears as a free agent last offseason and caught just 11 passes for 112 scoreless yards while playing primarily behind Cole Kmet. He’s a player with two seasons of 450-plus yards on his resume, including a productive 2020 in which he went for 52-586-11. With that said, Tonyan is once again looking to be banished to the bench behind T.J. Hockenson and veteran Josh Oliver. While it’s possible he’ll work his way onto the field in two tight end sets or due to injuries, he has little to no fantasy upside at this time.

In other words, the Vikings are taking the traditional approach of making McCarthy “earn it.” This is a situation where it is not entirely outside the realm of possibility that veteran Darnold actually makes an early-season start or two if McCarthy isn’t ready, but the competition will undoubtedly be rigged in the rookie’s favor.

The Vikings front office, in other words, did everything it could to move up and land Drake Maye. Instead, they stayed at pick 11 and took J.J. McCarthy. Minnesota’s aggressive offer undercuts the team’s insistence that McCarthy — who draft stock spiked in April — was their guy all along. “There were different points throughout the process where there were [offers],” said Elliott Wolf, New England’s director of scouting who has operated as the team’s de facto GM. “All along, we knew we were in a unique opportunity to get a quarterback that we liked.” The Patriots felt comfortable taking the somewhat unpolished Maye after offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt met with Maye and discussed the “outside zone scheme” he plans to run in New England. Maye’s questionable footwork, according to Fowler’s report, did not concern the Patriots.

Darrisaw will earn just over $16 million on his fifth-year extension as the 2021 first-round pick will now be under contract through 2025. Darrisaw has started 39 of the 41 games he’s appeared in for his career but has never played more than 15 games in a season due to a myriad of injuries that have left him briefly sidelined. He started every game he appeared in last season and was one of PFF’s highest-graded linemen. Darrisaw earned an overall offensive grade of 82.4, while his pass-blocking grade of 85.3 ranked third-highest amongst all tackles (min. 300 snaps). We’d expect a long-term contract to be in his hands in the near future, but Darrisaw may need to wait until Justin Jefferson’s extension is secured before the team moves on to hammering out his deal.

Knox (6’3/240) began his college career as a wide receiver at Arkansas. He totaled 28 receptions for 385 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie. After decreased usage in the following year, Knox transitioned to tight end amidst the 2021 season. His last college season saw 37 receptions for 312 yards and two touchdowns, earning a Second-Team All-SEC accolade from the SEC coaches. At the combine, Knox posted a 4.54 20-yard shuttle, the worst amongst participating tight ends. His speed and overall athleticism are far from the best in the class, but Knox’s blocking ability and receiving skills are tools to bank on at the next level. He could earn a spot on the Vikings roster as a special teamer this summer.