Welcome to the Vikings Daily Opener, your daily source for all things Minnesota Vikings. On June 8th, 2023, the Minnesota Vikings were only 94 days away from their season opener. The Vikings Daily Opener provided big news and updates for that day.
The biggest news of the day was the Vikings' decision to release their running back, Dalvin Cook, on Friday. This news came after a potential trade fell through last week. Cook's $10.4 million salary was likely a sticking point for potential suitors, but there should be no shortage of interested teams due to Cook's talent and his finally healed shoulder. The Vikings' RB room will now consist of Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu, and DeWayne McBride.
In other news, NFL teams have been calling the Vikings about a potential trade for defensive end Danielle Hunter. Hunter, who is only 28 years old, has generated serious trade interest due to his production, skills, and time left in his prime. Though it remains to be seen whether the Vikings will trade him, the Bears, Rams, 49ers, Chiefs, Jets, and Texans have all shown interest. If Minnesota decides to trade Hunter, teams that could be a good fit include the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Baltimore Ravens. All of these teams would need to give him a new deal, as his current contract would not be satisfactory for his level of play.
Later in the episode, we learned about the 10 players to watch during mandatory minicamp. These players are going to be the ones you want to keep your eye on during minicamp. The list includes S Lewis Cine, CB Andrew Booth Jr., CB Akayleb Evans, WR Jordan Addison, RT Brian O'Neill, CB/S Jay Ward, QB Jaren Hall, EDGE Andre Carter II, EDGE Marcus Davenport, and ILB Ivan Pace Jr.
In addition to the Vikings news, we also got a list of former Vikings remaining as free agents, as well as a roundtable discussion of expectations for each team in the NFC North. The Detroit Lions are entering the season as the betting favorites to win the division, the Green Bay Packers are transitioning from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love, the Chicago Bears are building around Justin Fields, and the Minnesota Vikings are attempting to repeat as division champs for the first time since 2008-09.
Overall, it was an exciting episode with a lot of news and updates to digest. We'll be sure to keep you posted with any further developments as we count down the days to the season opener.
Stay tuned for more updates from the Vikings Daily Opener as the 2023 NFL season approaches.
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