McCarthy’s Painful Preseason Raises Trade Questions

Vikings Preseason Pain: McCarthy Regression, Edge Depth Concerns, and Flores Lawsuit Fallout — Dave Stefano and Darren Campbell recap a sloppy, unentertaining 13–3 preseason loss to the Ravens and zero in on J.J. McCarthy’s poor play. They argue he has regressed in year three, with the same recurring issues in accuracy, ball placement, pocket presence, and decision-making. Carson Wentz currently feels like the more trusted backup, raising questions about when the Vikings might cut losses and explore a trade. They briefly cover roster battles: Tai Felton and Myles Price locking in WR4/WR5, the still-unresolved TE3 competition, interior offensive line depth, the safety spot opposite Josh Metellus (Theo Jackson vs. Jay Ward), and the punter battle (Hecker vs. Thorsen). Darren voices concern about thin edge-rusher depth behind Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel as veteran options continue signing elsewhere, suggesting the Vikings may still add a proven vet or wait for cut-down day. They also discuss the NFL allegedly dragging out Brian Flores’ discrimination lawsuit (likely keeping him in Minnesota longer), The Athletic’s 8.7-win projection tied to uncertainty around Kyler Murray and the QB room, and Kevin O’Connell’s limited preseason usage of his starters, which aligns with league-wide trends. Timestamps: 00:00 – Painful Preseason Opener 01:18 – Welcome and Roll Call 03:11 – Theme One: Ravens Loss 05:10 – JJ Regression Debate 11:27 – Roster Bubble Watch 16:20 – Trade Talk and Fan Frustration 22:18 – Theme Two: Edge Depth Worries 28:09 – Veteran Pass Rush Options 30:27 – Cut Day Edge Hunt 31:12 – Ingram-Dawkins Debate 33:31 – Theme Three Reset 34:20 – Flores Miami Role 35:25 – Flores Lawsuit Fallout 40:48 – Vikings Win Projections 42:21 – Murray Consistency Worries 47:31 – Coaching Hot Seat Talk 50:22 – Defending KOC Preseason Plan 55:19 – Final Cuts and Farewell Fan With Us! We have your Minnesota Vikings talk amongst the Two Old Bloggers, guest Drew Bunting in for Darren @KickassblogVike, and Dave @Luft_Krigare along with our numbers guy, Drew Bunting. Join the conversation! Fan with us at Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL on the Bleav Network @BleavNetwork. _______________________________________________________ ️ Subscribe to us here! - https://www.youtube.com/@vikings1stskol92 ️ Our X can be found at @Vikings1stSKOL ️ Our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/493z6mQXcN ️ Watch the live show here: https://youtu.be/T6NNzvwR5_o Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.