Carson Wentz is back? Is the former first-round pick on the trade block?
Another day, another quarterback move for the Minnesota Vikings. Bringing in Kyler Murray on a vet minimum deal has to be one of the smartest and shrewdest moves. Today, the Vikings announced that Carson Wentz will return on a one-year deal. Wentz filled in admirably when McCarthy went down, but his season ended with an injury of his own.
Clearly, Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings liked what Wentz brought to the team as a backup. But what about J.J. McCarthy?
The Murray signing can look like competition, but I'm betting the little money I have, he will start Week 1. Wentz is clearly a backup, and Max Brosmer can stick around as the emergency third QB on game days. The emergency role for McCarthy would be embarrassing.
So, are the Vikings telling the league to get McCarthy? No matter what you thought about his first-year as a starter, there is, for sure, a general manager and organization that believes they can fix McCarthy. If you don't believe me, ask yourself how many times you've seen a quarterback in the NFL who has struggled for most or all of their career get another shot and contract.
Rucker Haringway of Fansided agrees that Wentz's signing signals McCarthy's end in Minnesota.
"The Vikings would be wise to exercise patience with McCarthy. They have already shattered his potential trade value by showing how little faith they have in his skills. The sheen of a former first-round pick has almost disappeared around the young signal-caller.
Their best hope of recouping any sort of value with McCarthy is to wait for a team to suffer an unfortunate injury at the quarterback position during the preseason. It's conceivable that another team might fancy their chances to rehab McCarthy's value as an injury replacement starter this season. Minnesota would do well to wait for that opportunity to present itself before trading McCarthy for a future draft pick with upside. They should work hard to position themselves to receive more value if McCarthy beats the odds and plays well next year.
In the end, McCarthy has to go down as a big swing-and-miss for the Vikings' front office. They tried to use him to replace Sam Darnold on the cheap, and the gamble backfired. Now it's time for Minnesota to cut ties with McCarthy and move on to other quarterback options."
The Vikings are moving fast at quarterback. Murray can be their guy for the future if he plays well this season, also.