Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman was shot four times in Washington, D.C., on Monday.

His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said it was a "wrong place, wrong time" situation for the rookie, who was in the nation's capital to visit his aunt, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

"In talking to him today, he's going to be OK—that's all that matters," Rosenhaus said. "We're thankful he's OK. He will make a full recovery."

Schefter added more details:

The Vikings also released a statement:

John McGonigal of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette provided a statement from Twyman's father on Tuesday morning:

Minnesota selected Twyman out of Pittsburgh with a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He opted out of the 2020 season during the COVID-19 pandemic and focused on preparing for the draft.

"This isn't about COVID-19," he wrote in his announcement. "This is about my family's needs, now and in the future."

Twyman was dominant during the 2019 campaign, finishing with 10.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 13 games. He had 1.5 sacks in a high-profile game at Penn State and 2.5 in an ACC showdown against North Carolina.

The Minnesota Vikings are "making progress" with veteran defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, according to ESPN's Field Yates.

Yates added that no agreement is finalized but that things are "headed that way."

Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reported the Cleveland Browns tabled a "nice offer" to Richardson, who decided against a return to Northeast Ohio.

The 2014 Pro Bowler finished with 62 tackles, 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble with the Browns in 2020. Cleveland released him in April as a cost-savings maneuver, a move that was also emblematic of his contributions.

While a solid interior defender, it's doubtful Richardson will come close to replicating his monster production from 2014 (59 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, eight sacks, 21 quarterback hits and one forced fumble).

Help along the defensive line has remained a need for the Vikings with offseason workouts progressing. 

Dalvin Tomlinson and Stephen Weatherly were their notable additions in free agency, and they selected Patrick Jones II, Janarius Robinson and Jaylen Twyman in the draft. Michael Pierce is in effect a new signing as well after opting out of the 2020 season.

Richardson would provide nice depth behind Tomlinson and Pierce and give Minnesota another ready-made starter in the event one of the two was unavailable.

Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter got his wish. 

The Vikings have restructured his contract, with $5.6 million moved up in the deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He will also have an $18 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the new league year in 2022, giving both sides options in the future.

Hunter, who didn't participate in any voluntary work this offseason, will be in Minnesota when minicamp begins on Tuesday, according to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. 

He had a $100,000 workout bonus in his deal, but still elected to skip the voluntary portion of the offseason. 

Hunter signed a five-year, $72 million deal in 2018. According to Goessling, he was the 17th-highest paid player at the position as of Monday afternoon, before the news broke about his restructured contract. 

The fastest player to 50 sacks, Hunter didn't have the greatest leverage coming into negotiations. A third-round pick by the Vikings out of LSU in 2015, Hunter missed the 2020 campaign after he had surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck. 

The Jamaica native had two Pro Bowl seasons in 2018 and 2019. Prior to his neck injury, he missed just two games in five seasons, both of which came when he was a rookie. 

In 2019, he forced a career-high three fumbles and had a fumble recovery, with 70 combined tackles (52 solo), 15 tackles for loss and 22 quarterback hits.

NFL quarterbacks watch a lot of film. But Kirk Cousins apparently focused early in his career on watching film of his opponents rather than self-evaluating.

The Minnesota Vikings veteran told reporters he watched the entirety of his career for the first time this offseason:

Cousins was a fourth-round draft pick of the Washington Football Team in 2012 and spent his first three seasons backing up Robert Griffin III. But the latter's injury issues and declining play opened the door for Cousins to seize the starting job, and a strong 2015 campaign (4,166 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, league-high 69.8 completion percentage) ensured he didn't give it back.

Washington cut Griffin after the 2015 season, and Cousins held down the starting gig for the next two years before signing with the Vikings in free agency, earning a three-year, $84 million deal that at the time made him the highest-compensated player in NFL history.

He signed a two-year, $66 million extension in 2020, which will keep him under contract through the 2022 season.

Cousins had a strong statistical campaign last year, throwing for 4,265 yards and 35 touchdowns with 13 interceptions while completing 67.6 percent of his passes. But the Vikings went just 7-9, missed the playoffs for the second time in his three years as the starter and inquired about trading up to the No. 8 pick, reportedly to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.

It's unlikely the Vikings would have wanted to give up the assets necessary to get a player such as Fields if they planned to keep him on the sideline for long, putting Cousins' future with the team in doubt.

Minnesota drafted Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond in the third round.

Mond will be Cousins' backup—the Vikings also have quarterbacks Jake Browning and Nate Stanley—and one piece of advice the veteran will likely impart upon his young teammate will be to watch film of himself, early and often.

The Houston Texans selected Stanford quarterback Davis Mills with the 67th pick in the 2021 draft, and it appears they would've gone with a different option in their ideal world.

The father of former Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond said the Texans made it clear they planned to take Mond, only for the Minnesota Vikings to beat them to the punch with the 66th pick.

"[There was a] phone call from his agent, text message, and the agent said, 'Hey, the Houston Texans are getting ready to select [Mond] at pick 67,'" Kevin Mond said, per the Pioneer Press' Chris Tomasson. "So, we're sitting [at the San Antonio family home] on the couch and [Mond] gets the phone call a couple of minutes later and it's a team.

"Then, when he hung up the phone, he goes, 'I'm going to the Vikings.' The Texans had already told his agent they're getting ready to take him at pick 67. The Vikings happened to have the pick 66."

For now, it looks like a bit of bad luck for Mond.

In addition to playing for the Aggies, the 21-year-old is a native of San Antonio, so suiting up for the Texans would've put him much closer to home. Based on Houston's quarterback situation, he could've started at some point as a rookie, too.

Deshaun Watson's status is unclear since he is the subject of 22 lawsuits centered around allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. ESPN's Sarah Barshop wrote Tuesday that "it seems unlikely" Watson will play for the Texans again.

Before news of the allegations broke, Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Barshop) reported in January that the three-time Pro Bowler had requested a trade.

Tyrod Taylor seems the most likely candidate to start in Week 1, which would leave Houston in need of a long-term solution at quarterback. The Texans presumably targeted Mond to address that issue and had to pivot to Mills.

Mond, meanwhile, will back up Kirk Cousins.

The Vikings' decision to pick Mond seemingly points to a level of dissatisfaction with Cousins, who threw for 4,265 yards and 35 touchdowns with 13 interceptions last year. Cousins is a serviceable quarterback but has a clear ceiling.

He has two years left on his contract, though, so Mond might have to bide his time before he gets a shot.

But playing the waiting game in Minnesota might be preferable since he got to steer clear of the general dysfunction in Houston.

Kellen Mond might be the quarterback of the future for the Minnesota Vikings, but Kirk Cousins has been supportive of his potential replacement.

Mond said Cousins reached out to him after the draft to potentially start a valuable partnership.

"He was just congratulating me and telling me he couldn't wait to work with me. I said the same," Mond said Friday. "When I got drafted, I knew what type of opportunity it was for me to be able to learn from a veteran, a guy who has been in multiple systems and been under center, playing in a great offense."

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler provided more details on SportsCenter:

Well this week, they're just expecting Mond to let loose. They think there's a lot of untapped potential here with a big athlete with a big arm. They didn't always use it at Texas A&M, was a little robotic at times. But he has a ton of experience as a four-year starter, so they want to see him just learn the offense and have fun. They believe their play actions and bootleg offense will really accentuate his skill set. They have two practice squad quarterbacks from last year that are going to be at minicamp to help him this week.

Kirk Cousins has already texted him that he's excited to work with him. And look, Cousins has a ton of guaranteed money coming his way; $21 million this year, $35 million next year, so he's not going anywhere. Mond knows he has time, unless things go really south and they make some sort of trade, Mond's got a two-year window to just learn and then maybe be the guy in two years." 

As a third-round draft pick, there likely won't be much pressure to get Mond on the field quickly unless Cousins struggles significantly.

Despite facing plenty of criticism, Cousins is coming off a strong 2020 season with 4,265 passing yards, 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

His 105.0 quarterback rating was the eighth-best in the NFL among qualified players.

Considering the Vikings would be left with $45 million in dead cap if he was released before the 2022 season, per Spotrac, the veteran's job is secure.

It allows Mond time to learn on the bench, and the Texas A&M product appears ready to listen to Cousins.

"Just being able to come out here and learn from him, that was one of the reasons I was so excited to [be with the Vikings]," Mond said of Cousins.

The Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly acquired cornerback Mike Hughes in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

ESPN's Field Yates reported the Chiefs will receive Hughes and a 2022 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round pick.

Hughes was a first-round pick in the 2018 draft but has struggled to stay on the field for the Vikings, appearing in just 24 games over three seasons in the NFL. A neck injury limited him to just four games in 2020 before he went on injured reserve.

The Vikings declined the 2022 fifth-year option for the cornerback, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, giving him one more year before free agency.

Minnesota also invested in the secondary this offseason, adding Patrick Peterson and Xavier Woods in free agency while re-signing Mackensie Alexander. Second-year players Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler will also have significant roles at cornerback, leaving limited opportunities for snaps for Hughes in 2021.

He could have more opportunities with the Chiefs, who have yet to re-sign starter Bashaud Breeland.

Charvarius Ward returns while young players L'Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton can see bigger roles next season, but there are still plenty of question marks about a pass defense that ranked 18th in the NFL in average yards allowed per attempt. Shoring up the secondary will go a long way toward helping the Chiefs reach expectations as a Super Bowl contender.

The 24-year-old Hughes was highly regarded out of UCF and will try to take advantage of a fresh start in Kansas City.

The Minnesota Vikings announced that long-time coach Jerry Burns died on Wednesday. He was 94. 

A number of key figures across the organization's history released statements mourning Burns:

Burns started his coaching career as an assistant for Hawaii in 1951 and spent his next 15 years coaching in the college ranks, eventually becoming Iowa's head coach (1961-65). The Hawkeyes went 16-27-2 under his watch. 

He was then hired by the Green Bay Packers and served as the defensive backs coach for two years (1966-67) before taking over as Minnesota's offensive coordinator in 1968, a role he held until 1985. The Vikings went to four Super Bowls in that time, though they fell short of winning a title each time. 

Burns went 52-43 as the team's head coach (1986-91), leading the team to the postseason three times. His Vikings' teams went 3-3 in the playoffs. 

Vikings Pro Bowl wideout Ahmad Rashad called Burns "an offensive genius" and described his offense as "revolutionary," per Eric Smith of Vikings.com.

"He's just a special guy," Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton added. "And he's a part of the great history of our team. He's one of the great characters of all time."

Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins were one of the NFL's most dynamic quarterback-wide receiver duos last season. 

That said, Jefferson acknowledges the Vikings need to build for a future without their current starting quarterback. The second-year wideout appeared on The Herd on Tuesday and was asked about the team's reported interest in Justin Fields ahead of the NFL draft. 

"We have to build on for after Kirk or whatever the case may be. Having Justin Fields brings a little bit more pressure to other teams by having a dominant quarterback like he is," Jefferson said. 

The Vikings ultimately didn't wind up selecting Fields, with the rival Chicago Bears trading up to No. 11 to grab the Ohio State product. However, Minnesota did make an investment at the quarterback position at the top of Round 3, selecting Texas A&M's Kellen Mond.

The idea of moving on from Cousins could become a reality as soon as next offseason. The Vikings could save $35 million on their 2022 cap by trading Cousins ahead of the 2022 season. They will almost certainly have to make a decision regarding his future within the next year, with Cousins' contract expiring after next season.

Mond will be on a cost-controlled contract through the 2024 campaign. If the Vikings take a look at Mond and feel they can win with him, it might behoove the franchise to explore trading Cousins, who might be able to net a first-round pick from a team that needs a veteran option.

While few would say Cousins is an elite NFL quarterback, he's shown himself to be a capable, steady option under center. Next season will just be a matter of the Vikings deciding if they have a higher ceiling going in a different direction. 

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson appeared on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Tuesday and was asked to compare and contrast his former quarterback at LSU, Joe Burrow, with his current quarterback, Kirk Cousins.

And Jefferson said the main difference boiled down to swagger (2:58 mark):

"Kirk and Joe throw similar balls. They're not the strongest-armed, but they're going to get it to you exactly where you need them to throw it. But the thing about Joe that's a little bit different...I feel like Joe has a little more swagger. He has that confidence on the field, and he's not scared to get hit. I feel like as a quarterback, that's a big trait to have. Especially to be as young as he is. He's a phenomenal quarterback."

While it seemed as though Jefferson was praising Burrow in that moment more than he was shading Cousins, he then told Cowherd he wasn't particularly surprised when rumors suggested the team was interested in potentially drafting Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. 

"We have to build on for after Kirk, or whatever the case may be," he said. "Having Justin Fields brings a little more pressure to other teams by having a dominant quarterback like he is."

ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported last week that the Vikings were indeed in the market for one of the top quarterbacks (they ultimately drafted Kellen Mond in the third round) and that Cousins was informed:

"According to multiple sources, a Vikings coach reached out to Cousins in the lead-up to the draft to let him know Minnesota was considering taking a quarterback at some point. It wasn't to warn him that his job was in jeopardy or that he was being immediately replaced. It was a simple heads-up so Cousins wouldn't be blindsided."

And perhaps Jefferson is indicating he would be OK with a new direction at the position, too. 

As a rookie, Jefferson caught 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven scores, linking up with Cousins to have one of the greatest debut seasons from a wide receiver in NFL history. Had Fields been drafted instead of Mond, it would have been pretty clear the Vikings were going to switch quarterbacks in the near future. 

With Mond, however, it's more likely that Cousins will play out the last two years of his deal. Swagger or not, he's Jefferson's quarterback for the foreseeable future.