Knew It Was Coming, Goodbye Adam

If the Vikings end up completing a trade for Cook and someone takes on his base salary for 2023 (which is $10m+), even if they restructure it to lower the 2023 cap, I'll be a little surprised that similarily we couldn't complete a trade for Thielen, too. His 2023 base salary was a little higher than Cook's at $11m+, but still, we saw last offseason that "some" teams go crazy with contracts for even WR2/WR3's (exhibit A is the contract Jacksonville gave Christian Kirk) and with WR a more "desirable" skill position than RB, I would have thought someone out there would have traded for that $11m+ base salary for a WR that had 70 receptions last season, even if he's 33.

As far as what the open market might give Thielen...last offseason the top contract for a 33 yr-old WR was Julio Jones; Tampa gave him a 1-yr deal for $6m. A 33 yr-old AJ Green received a 1-yr deal for $3.5m to remain in Arizona. There's a fair chance Thielen can top that because Thielen was released and signing a released player doesn't count against teams in the Compensatory Pick formula, but it'll be interesting to see how much more Thielen gets than the 1-yr, $6m deal Julio Jones received from Tampa last offseason.

I'm waiting for the flowery oratory when they release Jordan Hicks.

Wasn't the "hometown" reference more toward the fact that he attended college in Mankato?

We're in a region with very few teams compared to the east coast or California teams, so it's natural to extend the area. 200 miles from New York and the player was probably a fan of the Patriots, Eagles, or Ravens.

They're the MINNESOTA Vikings, not the MINNEAPOLIS Vikings. Ham isn't from Minneapolis, neither was Sherels or Matt Birk. What's the mileage limit to be attached to an NFL team? I live about 20 miles from the stadium but closer to the Eagan practice facility, does that help my case??

I actually think Ham and Sherels were regularly described as "hometown players". Maybe Adam got more mentions because he's a WR, but I think the bigger reason is because he is about 10 times as impactful as either of those guys. As for players for other teams, is that true that announcers and fans never talk about those who grew up locally in a different light, maybe even use that term "hometown"? I've heard it used with other NFC North teams' players and I bet it happens everywhere.

It's ALL marketing. Pull back the curtain behind the NFL and tell me why people in the state of Minnesota are devoted to this particular team? Most players and coaches and owners are from and live elsewhere. They work for a single entertainment company and that company ASSIGNED a team to be "ours". The NFL doesn't want to rip that illusion away permanently, and encouraging little connections like "hometown players" is one of their mechanisms to keep it in place.

I know it's a bit of bull and on another day we could talk about fans' sense of "connection" to certain players over others, but this seems like the wrong day to question Thielen's connection to Vikings fans within Minnesota.

Its really sad, but it had to be done. Wish him the best where ever he lands.