Vikings Training Camp Mailbag 1.0: JJ McCarthy's Contract, Vita Vea Trade and More

As the calendar turns into August and the 2026 NFL season approaches, Matt Coller arrives with his first Minnesota Vikings OnSI mailbag.

Pressing topics on readers' minds this week include JJ McCarthy, Vita Vea, Harrison Smith and Jamal Adams.

Considering JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray's contracts

Mike: Hi Mr. Coller - I’m in the JJ McCarthy camp. What will happen to the Vikings roster if they sign Kyler Murray to a 40 or 50 million per year contract?

I think we can all agree that it would be advantageous if McCarthy won the job, showed massive improvement, turned into Brett Favre and still had next year as a cheap quarterback. But is that really realistic?

I completely believe that he can become a good quarterback someday with a lot more development but the history on this does not suggest there are great odds of it happening quickly.

Out of 84 quarterbacks to have at least 200 passes in their first 10 games since 2010, McCarthy was 70th in Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt. The most comparable first-round QBs to him are: Christian Ponder, Dwayne Haskins, Kenny Pickett, Blake Bortles, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, Zach Wilson, Bryce Young, Blaine Gabbert.

There are a couple top draft picks like Caleb Williams, Sam Darnold and Jared Goff who were similar but their circumstances were wildly different.

Does that mean it can’t happen? Of course not. The fact that it’s possible is why they’re having a QB competition. But you can’t ask the Vikings to make that bet unless they are super-duper sure in training camp that he’s a totally different player.

Maybe you would be willing to start him in 2026 regardless of what he did last year and regardless of how he performs in training camp on purely the hopes and dreams of him turning into the quarterback that they were looking for when they drafted him in 2024. Again, is that really realistic?

This is a very good football team with very good coaching that has the capability to win the division if they get quality quarterback play. We can’t ask Kevin O’Connell to bank his career on a QB who played that way in real games unless he is either incredibly convincing in practice or Kyler totally flames out.

By the way, why are we talking about Kyler’s next contract before he’s even played a game? Can we see him a few times before we decide that the franchise is screwed for the next five years because they paid him?

Not to mention that paying a QB isn’t a death knell to your chances anymore. Every team in the NFC playoffs except Chicago last year has paid their quarterback. The Seahawks paid Sam Darnold. The Rams have paid Matthew Stafford.

The way that a QB middle class has developed in recent years combined with the structures of contracts being way different than they were during Kirk Cousins’ time here allows for the Vikings to sign Kyler and still have flexibility with the cap into the future if he plays great and they love him.

Is Vita Vea the answer on the defensive line?

Kris: What is the smarter play for the Vikings, signing a depth edge rusher or going bigger game hunting and acquiring Vita Vea? One option requires less assets and is more sustainable long-term. However, Vita Vea could absolutely change the run defense that was so lacking last year but will cost a lot more (contract and draft picks). You the man Matthew!

I like the idea of going after Vita Vea because I think he’s a force multiplier. If you have him, everyone else is better and you can live in two-high safety looks without any concerns that the other team is going to pound your face in with the run game.

It’s funny that the Vikings signed a 31-year-old Brian O’Neill to a four-year contract and nobody blinked but the idea of acquiring Vita Vea (six months older than BO) is terrifying to some folks. He’s still playing at a top-15 level and elite DTs often last into their mid-30s. Look at Cam Heyward, Leonard Williams, DeForest Buckner, Calais Campbell.

I’m not saying that I’d sell the farm for him but imagining him alongside Caleb Banks for the next three years is pretty enticing. If his play was declining like Hargrave/Allen last year, I’d view it differently.

At the same time, Nolan Teasley was brought here to win through the draft. If you’re giving up big-time assets for a guy like Vea, it’s harder to do that.

I’ve just started to think a lot about how teams are built in three-year windows. The roster is wildly different than 2023, right? So if you can grab an elite talent for three years, do it.

Eric: Is there any Claiborne hype yet? Any chance he becomes relevant in the RB room?

A little. Every time he touches the ball, we go “whew” after seeing him explode into the hole. He’s going to have to earn it by really mastering the offense when things kick up into full gear but there’s something there with that guy. I’m sketpcial about how much we see it in Year 1 just because they have Mason/Jones and Zavier Scott can pass block and catch the ball. If he can get it, he has the juice.

Harrison Smith's return chances after Jamal Adam signing

jcphitman: I know the signing of Jamal Adams doesn’t eliminate Harrison Smith coming back. Adams isn’t even playing S a ton most likely. Do you think the signing of Adams encourages Smith to return as a chance to play with someone that has longevity success in the NFL as Smith has? I could see a lot of players benefitting from both of their brains playing together.

Nah. I think Harrison Smith is going to play if his body feels like it can still perform at a high level and if he believes that the team can truly compete for a Super Bowl. I don’t see anyone or anything else really influencing his decision. He’s always told us that if he still feels fast and he can still be a good player, he’ll keep going. He was good last year.

What about Josh Metellus?

Brad L: What does the Jamal Adams signing mean, if anything, for Josh Metellus? Smith’s return?

I don’t think the Adams signing makes a difference to those two guys because he’s going to be playing linebacker. They gave him No. 54 and he’s taking snaps in the same spot as Eric Wilson or Blake Cashman. He’s on a small, one-year deal that is basically a hopeful flier. We should be cautious about declaring that it means anything to the defense outside depth.

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